Scholar Newsletter
February 19th, 2024
Voice of Inspiration
Pioneers of STEM
Guion 'Guy' Bluford, The First African American in Space
Dr. Mae Jemison, First African American Female Astronaut
STEM News
Pulse of the PROSPECT Professional Learning Community (PLC): Click below to read about this new and inspiring newsletter!
Visit this link to subscribe to the email list and receive future newsletters.
UPCOMING EVENTS AT AUGSBURG!
Math Colloquium Opportunities
BIG Math Network: Industry Connection Series: Starting a Non-Academic Career
Tuesday, February 20th at 3pm EST, the BIG Math Network is hosting a virtual seminar aimed at graduate and undergraduate students in the mathematical sciences who are interested in pursuing non-academic careers.
Panelists will be Dakota Morehouse, Quality Control Technician at Pike Industries, and Carlos Petzold, Statistician at RTI International in North Carolina. They will be sharing the most up to date and relevant advice on what working in industry is like and how to search successfully.
Event Virtual Link: TEAMS Live Meet For more info see: BIG Math Network
Wednesday, February 21st, 3:40 - 4:40 pm, Virtual Talk by Darren Narayan on Fibonacci Determination. Some of us will watch in HC 152, so you can join us there. Or you can join us on zoom at the link below. If you are join us, please have your camera on (and sound off) as much as you are able to.
Zoom Link: Virtual Talk on Fibonacci Determination
Transfer Visit Day
Interested in transferring to Augsburg University? This is the event for you.
Join us for Transfer Visit Day! This event is specially tailored for transfer students, with a student / support panel and campus tour. We hope you will join us.
Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM
Augsburg University
2211 Riverside Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Please submit the form below to register for this event!
If you are not able to attend Transfer Day, there are 1:1 visit openings throughout every day. You can schedule a visit in person or virtually using our scheduler.
Welcome to MICS 2024
The Midwest Instruction and Computing Symposium (MICS) is a regional conference dedicated to providing an educational experience to students and instructors at higher education institutions. The conference focuses on the teaching of computing and its use in all disciplines and the incorporation of the study of this technology in the curriculum.
This year MICS will be held at Augsburg University in the heart of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Activities include the presentation of technical papers and posters, as well as programming and robotics competitions. Participants typically come from Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Key Dates
- Abstract Submission: February 24, 2024
- Acceptance Notification: March 2, 2024
- Final Paper Submission Deadline: March 23, 2024
- Early Registration Deadline: March 23, 2024
- Student Contest Registration Deadline: March 23, 2024
- Conference Dates: April 5 & 6, 2024
The Sverdrup Visiting Scientist Program-April 15-16, 2024
The featured lecturer for the annual Convocation will be Dr. Bala Chaudhary from Dartmouth.
Biosketch of Dr. Bala Chaudhary:
Bala Chaudhary, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College. She is a National Science Foundation CAREER Awardee and a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Continent Scale Biology. Research in her lab focuses on three areas plant-fungal symbioses (mycorrhizas), continent-scale ecology (macroecology) and microbial dispersal (movement). Prior to academia, Chaudhary worked as an environmental consultant in Los Angeles designing and restoring drastically disturbed urban areas to create habitat for endangered species. She received the Early Career Motivator Award by the Association for Women in Science and the Woman of Spirit and Action Award for her work on promoting antiracism in STEM.
Schedule of Events:
MONDAY April 15, Hagfors 150 ABC, 5:00 PM
Title: Continent-scale aerial dispersal of fungi
Abstract: Dispersal is a key process driving local-scale community assembly and global-scale biogeography of ecological communities. Plants in most ecosystems on Earth form close associations with mycorrhizal fungi, obligate root symbionts that improve plant access to soil resources in exchange for photosynthetically derived carbon. Significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the mechanisms of dispersal for these cryptic, yet common plant symbionts. Combining macrosystems ecology, trait-based methods, eDNA metabarcoding, and data synthesis, we address fundamental questions in the emerging field of microbial movement ecology.
TUESDAY April 16, 11:00 - 12:00 PM (Chapel)
Title: Strategies for antiracist action in STEM
Abstract: Labs are our scientific homes, the front lines of where either inclusion and belonging are fostered, or where exclusion, marginalization, and discrimination occur. As scientists are increasingly acknowledging the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in science, there is a need for clear direction on how to take antiracist action. Guidelines for developing antiracists policies and action are presented as well as discussion in an effort to promote racial and ethnic diversity, equity, and inclusion.
THE 2024 ZYZZOGETON RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Session Date and Time:
Tuesday, April 16th, 2024
3:00 – 4:30 pm
Hagfors Center
Session Description:
Hosted by URGO, McNair, and STEM Programs, Augsburg celebrates the creativity and scholarship of undergraduate students with its annual Zyzzogeton Student Research Poster symposium. The event falls at the end of each academic year and is a culmination of achievement featuring work across departments. Over 50 students participate each year, showcasing their research in various science, social science, and humanity disciplines.
A “Zyzzogeton” is a green leaf-hopper as well as the last word in the Webster Collegiate Dictionary, which is a fitting symbol to mark the end of the academic year. Zyzzogeton is free and open to all students, faculty, and staff.
Registration is now open!
Augsburg scholars who plan to present Register for Zyzzogeton.
PRISM scholars at Century, Normandale, and Minneapolis College, you are invited to attend no registration needed.
STEM Opportunities
Conferences
National Society of Black Engineers 50th Annual Convention
Participants at NSBE49 in Kansas City
March 20–24, 2024 Atlanta, Georgia
The National Society of Black Engineers’ four-day convention in Atlanta will host over 15,000 attendees for celebration, networking, and personal and professional development. The convention also features a career fair with 400+ companies.
APS March Meeting: Advancing physics for 125 years
Attendees at the 2023 Meeting in Las Vegas
March 3–8, 2024 Minneapolis, Minnesota
The American Physical Society will celebrate its annual March Meeting and 125th anniversary in Minneapolis this spring. This scientific research conference brings together more than 13,000 scientists and students from around the world to network and discover the latest findings in physics. Undergraduates can also participate in Future of Physics Days. The first year of APS membership is free for undergrad and graduate students.
14th Annual St. Louis River Summit: Braiding Visions for an Enduring Future
Attendees at the 2023 Summit
March 6–8, 2024 Superior, Wisconsin
The Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve presents the annual St. Louis River Summit, featuring two days of presentations, networking, and field trip opportunities at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. The call for abstracts is still open for students who are interested in presenting posters or artwork broadly related to the St. Louis River, estuarine research, and conservation. Here are examples of previous presentation abstracts from last year’s event.
SB3C 2024: Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference
Students at SB3C 2023
June 11–14, 2024 Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
The theme of this year’s Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering and Biotransport Conference is “Innovation without Borders: Uniting Ideas, Technologies, and Communities.” The meeting will feature a diverse program of events, lectures, student-centered activities, and opportunities to connect with scientists and peers.
Undergraduates can participate in the SB3C Student Paper Competition and Undergraduate Design Competition. The abstract submission deadline for undergraduates is February 16, 2024.
2024 Winchell Undergraduate Research Symposium
Participants at the 2023 Symposium
April 13, 2024 Winona, Minnesota
The Winchell Symposium is a forum for undergraduates in STEM fields to showcase their scientific research and network with professionals and peers. Registration opens March 2024.
Non-Conferences
Discover Mayo Clinic College Webinars
IMAGINE A CAREER COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Whether you are a student, starting your professional life or already have a substantial career, you are invited to learn ways to have a life-changing career with Discover Mayo Clinic.
Discover Mayo Clinic provides students with the opportunity to engage with professionals through a series of webinars. The college webinars are designed to provide guidance through Mayo Clinic's application and interviewing process, along with highlight careers at Mayo Clinic that may align with a student's career aspirations.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
You will have the opportunity to speak with recruiters and hiring managers to learn about the types of roles at Mayo Clinic and how to start preparing for them. Click below to register!
NASA's Human Lander Challenge (HuLC)
Awards include $7,000 stipends per team, $18,000 in cash prizes, and a visit to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center!
Through the 2024 HuLC competition, NASA seeks near-term, innovative solutions
for Human Landing System (HLS) challenge areas... specifically addressing
the mitigation of lunar Plume-Surface Interaction (PSI).
HuLC solicits proposals for innovative, systems-level solutions that can help NASA understand, mitigate, and manage the impacts of lunar PSI - with the ability to be implemented within 3-5 years. The potential solutions could include, but are not limited to, the following categories:
- Trade Studies on Landing Trajectories that Minimize PSI
- Reduction / Mitigation of Erosion (Cratering) and Ejecta during Descent, Landing, and Ascent
- Development of PSI Flight Instrumentation / Measurement Methods & Concepts
- Tracking Dust During Descent, Landing, and Ascent
- Instrumentation Performance Through the Dust Cloud During Landing
- HLS Asset Safety (ejecta damage, excessive lander heating, etc.)
- PSI Modeling and Validation
Proposals are due on March 4, 2024
HuLC is open to teams of undergraduate and graduate students at accredited colleges and universities in the United States. Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) are encouraged to apply. Based on a review of initial proposals received by March 2024, up to 12 teams will be selected to continue developing their proposed concepts. Each finalist team will receive a $7,000 stipend to facilitate full participation in a competitive design review at a Forum in Huntsville, Alabama in June 2024.
This is only a brief excerpt of the 2024 HuLC competition.
Please read the full, printable 2024 Challenge Guidelines by clicking the button below.
Graduate School and Research
The Minnesota Inclusive Neuroscience Development Scholars (MINDS) Program
What is MINDS?
The Minnesota Inclusive Neuroscience Development Scholars (MINDS) Program is a two-year fully funded post-baccalaureate research program to broaden the diversity of students who want to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience. We pay Scholars $35,000 salary per year (including health care benefits) to conduct research full-time and receive individualized mentorship in preparation for graduate school. Across the two years, Scholars develop their technical skills in the laboratory while also gaining personal and professional development with their cohort. We strongly encourage students from a disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds, including racial/ethnic minorities, low socioeconomic statuses, first-generation college students, etc to apply.
We really aim to provide support for students who have not had extensive opportunities for biomedical research experience previously. We are also looking for students who want to study addiction neuroscience, but interest in any neuroscience research area are welcome to apply. More information about the MINDS Program, including how to apply can be found here: http://z.umn.edu/minds
How to Apply
The application process consists of submitting an online application along with a CV/Resume, unofficial college transcripts, and a two-page personal statement. Two letters of recommendation should also be emailed directly by the recommenders to minds@umn.edu.
Completed applications, including letters of recommendation, are due by March 1, 2024 at 11:59pm PST.
Quick reminder that the APS Bridge Program is accepting applications until March 15, 2024. Students from historically marginalized backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Office hours will also be offered for interested students to learn more
information about the Bridge application and application process.
Tuesday, March 5, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET
“The Bridge Program provided that foundation to help me get my footing,
whether it was additional academic help or research.”
Michelle Lollie, Louisiana State University
If you have questions about the Bridge Program, reach out to staff at bridgeprogram@aps.org.
Looking for a mentor? Join the National Mentoring Community. Join a network that centers on the experiences of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous physics students. Sign up on a rolling basis.
Summer Research
Discover Summer Institute in Biostatistics (SIBS) at Michigan and Columbia
NIH grant R25HL161786
Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics and Data Science at Columbia
May 28, 2024 - July 12, 2024
Apply by March 15, 2024
NIH grant R25HL147207
Big Data Summer Institute at the University of Michigan
June 17, 2024 - July 26, 2024
Apply by March 15, 2024
What is the Summer Institute in Biostatistics and Data Science program?
The Summer Institute in Biostatistics (SIBS) and Data Science is sponsored jointly by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
The comprehensive six to seven week summer training course on biostatistics and principles of data science combines classroom learning with career mentoring and hands-on data analysis using data collected from clinical studies in prevention and treatment of infectious, immune-mediated, and chronic diseases.
Designed to address a growing imbalance between the demand and supply for biostatisticians and data scientists, the course targets undergraduates and beginning graduate students who are interested in learning about biostatistics, and encourages them to consider graduate programs related to biostatistics and data science.
The typical curricula include an intensive introduction to biostatistical approaches and research by exposing participants to the principles, methodologies, uses, and applications of statistical methods in biomedical and clinical research.
Click the link for more information: Summer Institute in Biostatistics and Data Science
Maeve Tuley, Wolf Ecology Field Fellow
Voyageurs Field Fellows is offering four exciting paid fellowship opportunities for college students and recent graduates for summer 2024. Voyageurs Field Fellows program offers stipend-paid opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to develop professional experience in wildlife biology, environmental education, aquatic invasive species prevention, public land and nonprofit management, cultural/historic preservation, and more.
Field Fellows will assist with research and conservation projects, develop visitor and education programs, and be immersed in public land stewardship. In turn, fellows will build valuable job skills, engage in ongoing professional development activities, and represent a new generation of scientists and public land professionals.
An absence of paid or college credit earning internships is one of the greatest barriers to increasing accessibility in the environmental field. Our public land professionals should be representative of America’s racial and socioeconomic diversity.
Click below for more details on the positions and application requirements on our website.
Job Fair and Internships
Event Details
- Date: March 21, 2024 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Location: Coco Downtown, 400 S 4th Street, #401, Minneapolis MN 55415
- Categories: MINNESTAR EVENT
It’s time to connect community members and job seekers with some fabulous companies and organizations.
Enjoy free food & drinks, get plugged into your community and learn about job opportunities at some of the best companies around.
About the event
What: Minnesota Tech Job & Opportunities Fair – a fun, casual happy hour with tables featuring local hiring companies (oh, and free food & drinks)
When: Thursday, March 21st, 4:00 – 7:00 PM
Where: Coco – Downtown Minneapolis
Cost: FREE (or a donation to Minnestar, if you’re so inclined).
Ramsey-Washington Metro & Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Internships
Get involved in the preservation and improvement of water resources and related ecosystems! Intern with the eastern Ramsey County or Western Washington County Watershed Districts and be a part of their mission to sustain the quality of water long-term and contribute to the well-being and engagement of stakeholders within the community.
Application Deadlines:
Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
Inspector Intern: March 8th, 2024
Natural Resources Intern: March 8th, 2024
Water Quality Intern: March 8th, 2024.
Nine Mile Creek Watershed District
Education & Outreach Intern: February 22, 2024
Field Fisheries Intern: February 22, 2024 at 4 PM
Minnesota SciTech Internship Program
SciTech connects college STEM majors to paid internships at small Minnesota companies -- it's a one-stop shop for finding STEM internships statewide! Gain hands-on experience, network with pros, build your resume, and "earn while you learn."
In order to be eligible for SciTech internships, students must meet the following criteria:
- Minnesota resident OR living in and attending college in Minnesota
- At least 18 years of age
- In good academic standing (2.5+ GPA)
- College junior or senior (at least 60 credits completed) OR
- Technical or community college student (at least 24 credits completed) OR
- Enrolled in a STEM degree at an accredited U.S. college
- Legally eligible to work in the U.S. (international students may participate if they have CPT/OPT work authorization)
Deadline to apply: Varies
For more information on how to apply and to view a list of current internship opportunities, visit https://scitechmn.org/.
More Than An Internship
Wallin's UpTurnships program provides highly motivated, underrepresented college students with paid internships and projects. Our career experiences are for college sophomores, juniors, and seniors currently enrolled in a two-year or four-year college or university.
To help students succeed in their careers, we offer two incredible UpTurnships pathways: Flagship and Projects.
UpTurnships
Flagship
Our UpTurnships Flagship provides interns with paid full-time work experience across 12 weeks in summer, professional development training, and 1:1 support from a program coach.
UpTurnships
Projects
Our UpTurnships Projects is a 10-week pathway that provides interns with a 40 hour paid work experience, weekly 2-hour professional development trainings, and 1:1 support from a program coach.
Information Sessions: Register
Information sessions are an essential part of the UpTurnships application process. Here you will learn more about the UpTurnships program model, the application process, and be able to ask any questions you have. 30-minute information sessions are hosted on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Tuesdays at 10:00 AM CST
Thursdays at 4:00 PM CST
Visit our website for more information: https://www.wallinpartners.org/upturnships.html
STEM Blog
Interested in learning more about advocacy, research and how it relates to the human experience? NSF Gallery Images? Click below:
Diversity in Action January/February Issue
We’re leaping into the new year with the Harlem Globetrotters as they reach a whole new generation of fans. We also take a deep dive into the science of sleep and food sustainability, plus more in honor of Black History Month in our Jan/Feb issue. Diversity in Action January/February 2024 Issue
- NSF-supported research impacts nearly every field of science and engineering. NSF's influence reaches from the ends of the Earth to the depths of the oceans and to space and beyond. Our Multimedia Gallery has some of the most stunning images from NSF’s research legacy. We have pulled some of the most beautiful gallery images for you to use as a virtual background.
Do you have suggestions for opportunities to include in the upcoming newsletter? Feel free to forward them to stem@augsburg.edu.
Augsburg STEM Programs
Email: stem@augsburg.edu
Website: https://www.augsburg.edu/stem/
Location: 2211 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phone: (612) 330-1042