07-28-2024 EDU - Flipbook - Page 1
The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, July 28, 2024
EDUCATION
A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF BALTIMORE SUN MEDIA • SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2024
Salisbury President Carolyn Ringer Lepre (front left); Makenzie Lystrup, Ph.D., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center director (front right); Michael Scott, Ph.D., dean, school of science and technology (back left); Laurie Couch, Ph.D., provost/senior vice president of academic affairs (back center); and David Pierce, NASA Wallops Flight Facility director.
From labs to launchpads
Experiential learning bolsters Maryland’s STEM career pipeline
By Kate Lawless. Contributing Writer
C
areers based in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics, collectively known as STEM careers,
may become more attractive to
high school and college students in
the coming years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics predicts a 10.8% growth in STEM jobs
from 2022 and 2032 with a median salary that’s
more than double that of non-STEM roles.
To meet the demand of both students seeking STEM degrees and employers in need of
STEM-educated workers, three Maryland
universities are offering experiential learning
opportunities to streamline the path to employment and further strengthen the STEM talent
pipeline.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
(UMBC) administers the Maryland Technology
Internship Program (MTIP), a state-funded
program that offers financial assistance to technology-based businesses, as well as state and
local agencies, to hire more interns. Since its
inception in 2018, MTIP has provided over
$1.5 million in matching funds to more than
200 employers, funding internships for more
than 1,000 students from 30 colleges across
Maryland.
Jen Spencer Heilman, program director for
workforce initiatives at UMBC, notes that 94%
of MTIP interns feel better prepared for their
careers after completing an internship. “This
hands-on experience is invaluable for students
as they transition from academia to the professional world,” she says. “Employers, particularly
small businesses, have also seen significant benefits. These companies report that 88% of their
interns have contributed to business growth.”
Financial support is key for MTIP, which
received an additional $700,000 this year, raising the budget to more than $1 million. This
increase will allow MTIP to nearly double the
number of interns it supports and increase the
maximum annual reimbursement per intern
from $3,000 to $5,500. “This financial assistance helps employers invest in their future
workforce, fostering a stronger, dynamic tech
ecosystem in Maryland,” she says.
UMBC graduate Vamshi Krishna Ginna,
a software developer, is completing his MTIP
internship with Ardent Privacy, a data privacy
company, this summer. Focusing on back end
development, cloud technologies and AI, he has
significantly contributed to several projects at
Ardent, including designing and implementing
a robust API for a new data privacy compliance
tool.
“This internship provided me with invaluable back end development experience and
highlighted the critical importance of data
privacy in today's digital landscape,” Vamshi
shares. “I envision this experience leading me
to roles where I can continue to innovate and
contribute to cutting-edge privacy solutions.”
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore
(UMES) also champions experiential learning
through its STEM Students Achieving Results
in Science (STARS) program. UMES, a historically black university (HBCU), has awarded
60% of its degrees in STEM fields in recent
years.
Through the STEM STARS scholarship
program, funded by a $2.5 million Howard
Hughes Medical Institute grant, 10 freshmen are selected each year to live and learn
together as a cohort through their graduation.
Tiara Cornelius, Ph.D., the executive director
of STEM STARS, says the program aims to
increase the number of students of color who
pursue doctorate degrees in STEM fields.
Labs to launchpads,
continued on page 7
University of Baltimore students Farhan Aslam, Elisha Urayayi and Sean Curley talk with Dean of the Merrick School of Business, Raju Balakrishnan.
Online technology master’s programs recognized nationally
Flexible degree and certificate programs for working students
seeking advancement
By Lisa Baldino, Contributing Writer
O
nline graduate degrees from local universities are making the grade among
students for convenience and flexibility. In addition, the programs are
earning recognition from esteemed
national organizations, like the National Security
Agency (NSA) and US News & World Report.
Earning Excellence
As the cybersecurity technology market continues to evolve, the NSA is encouraging schools to
work together to provide workforce-ready graduates.
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) met
the stringent guidelines and weathered the intense
curriculum scrutiny of the NSA National Center for
Academic Excellence (NCAE). This qualification is
required as part of the process, says Loyce Pailen,
Ph.D., senior director of the center for security studies
at UMGC.
“To obtain the NCAE designation, schools undergo a process that aligns with National Initiative on
Cyber Education (NICE) and industry standards,
and the schools maintain the program with current
updates,” Pailen notes.
Through the designation process, faculty members are vetted for experience and credentials in relative cybersecurity fields. Also, Pailen says, the school
must show outreach to the community – that they are
sharing expertise and seeking collaborative opportunities. UMGC offers Master of Science degrees in
both cyber technology and in cyber management and
policy, an NSA approved program of study.
Pailen acknowledges the astounding growth in the
cybersecurity market, saying that approximately 500
schools nationwide have earned the NSA designation.
Industry trade publication, Cyberseek, notes that there
are over 460,000 cybersecurity job openings. “We
work together with schools in the community to help
them get the designation. It is not a competition,” she
says. “So much needs to be done to fill the workforce
gap and to create a cybersecurity pipeline starting in
K-12. The opportunities to collaborate are huge.”
One of the advantages of earning the NCAE designation is the ability to offer the highly competitive
DoD Cyber Scholarship Program to students applying
for the cybersecurity-related curriculum. UMGC is
awarded two to three scholarships per year, which pay
for the student’s tuition and include a considerable
stipend. To fulfill a service obligation, the scholarship
recipient is also guaranteed a position within the DoD
upon graduation.
“Students have access to additional resources
like cybersecurity labs and federally funded research,
because of the school collaborations,” Pailen says.
“Cyber is an evolving field. Federal and industry designations help keep ahead of innovations and trends
Master's programs,
continued on page 8
INSIDE:
2 Tackling tough
issues
Media literacy, gay
rights and more
2 Preparing for
future employment
Workforce needs
met
4 High-tech facilities
Real-world experiences
5 Foundation for
the Future
Salisbury University
6 Technological
pathways
Research,
cybersecurity and
quantum computing
7 Advances in
health care
Aim to improve
outcomes
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Above: Preparing students for future employment.
See article on page 2.
Ask Margit
By Margit B. Weisgal, Contributing Writer
mbweisgal@gmail.com
STARs shine
Skills valued as much as academic degrees
If you go by what is advertised on various
media, you would think everyone in the world
must have a college degree to accomplish anything professionally. This is a fallacy. The percentage of Americans with bachelor’s degrees
is approximately 35 to 37 percent. However,
certificates and industry-recognized certifications are, at last, being taken into account,
along with military training, and appreciated
for their value.
Advocates to finally change the rules
abound, and among them is Maryland’s former
governor, an early adopter. In 2022, Gov. Larry
Hogan announced that thousands of positions
in the Maryland state government would no
longer require a four-year degree. More than
half of the state’s 38,000 positions are affected.
Opportunity@Work, a 501(c)(3), coined
the term STARs – Skilled Through Alternative
Routes – in 2020 and works with employers in
both the public and private sectors to expand
access to career opportunities for overlooked
workers. After Hogan changed the requirements, he then partnered with Opportunity@
Work to update job descriptions and requirements focused on the areas of technology,
administration and customer service, to tap
into the talent of more than one million STARs
across the state in the wake of the pandemic.
“Maryland was the match that lit the fire,”
says Blair Corcoran de Castillo, Vice President
for STARs Policy at Opportunity@Work. “That
one state’s decision provided impetus to more
than 20 other states to adapt and change their
hiring practices, focusing on skills-first hiring,
accepting STARs into their ranks.”
Chip Stewart is the poster child that proves
STARs are worth hiring and justifies the initiative to seek out capable individuals without
a degree. He started working for the State of
Maryland in 2019 as the assistant state chief
information security officer or CISO.
“There are multiple paths to competence,”
Stewart explains. “A degree is one of them, but
not the only one. Alternative paths are as good
as, if not better than, degree programs for what
we do. If you looked at the cyber team in place
back then, about half had college degrees. But if
you looked at their certifications and diversity
in addition to their backgrounds, you can see
what led to the changes in job requirements.”
Ask Margit, continued on page 8
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