PROMISE events are organized with underrepresented minority (URM) students in mind, but are open to all students. PROMISE was an NSF grant funded initiative from 2003-2018 to support URM graduate students in STEM but has now been institutionalized – while aiming to support it has always welcomed participants from all backgrounds and disciplines.
Some history: PROMISE has developed many professional development programs to help all students, but particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, find community, academic and personal support, mentorship, and skill building. These have ranged from monthly success seminars on effective research poster design, inclusive teaching practices, or preparing for an academic job trajectory, to annual signature events that bring students and alumni and faculty together. Our latest events can be found in the top menu of this page or on our myUMBC site.
Our signature annual programs:
- Summer Success Institute (SSI)
- Dissertation House
- USM PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium
- Fall Harvest Dinner
- PROMISE Friends and Family Celebration of Graduates Cookout