07-31-2022 EDU - Flipbook - Page 7
The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, July 31, 2022 7
Innovative business programs
Hands-on work critical to today’s marketplace
By Alex Keown, Contributing Writer
O
pportunity. It’s an important concept
for students trying to discern what their
future careers may look like. Three separate business programs at three different universities in Maryland offer novel
opportunities that can shape the rest of a student’s
life.
Each of these business programs not only allows
the students to gain new understandings in various
business disciplines but also offers real-world opportunities that provide experiences that go beyond
the classroom. Two of the programs are offered to
established students at the colleges, while the third
is available to a handful of incoming freshmen who
are invited into an honors program. The programs
provide the students with additional tools that should
provide them a leg up when applying for jobs following graduation.
This fall, the University of Maryland’s Robert H.
Smith School of Business launches an interdisciplinary business honors program that is designed as a
two-year program for 100 freshmen that offers access
to cutting-edge professional and technical business
skills. Additionally, this program provides students
with insights into the role of business in the world,
as well as how it relates to different academic fields.
Joseph Bailey, the assistant dean for specialty undergraduate programs and associate research professor
at the university, says the program was established in
order to attract some of the brightest incoming freshmen and “celebrate a diversity of perspectives.”
The students will enter what Bailey calls a “living
program” and delve into subjects that shapes the landscape of business. In this inaugural class, Bailey says
the students will focus on what the future of the workplace will look like. He says they will explore ways in
which businesses will likely organize themselves in the
future, something that has already been sparked by
reactions to COVID-19.
“We’re reinventing organizations in real times
these days and the pandemic has been a huge accelDesign in mind, from page 1
at how these robots interact with each other in
teams and with people.
On the top floor there is a rotorcraft center.
Faculty will be working on vertical lift technologies, which includes drones of various sizes and
uses, here on earth and in space. They could
move medical supplies or other urgently needed
items.
But for any particular problem, there are
many facets which need to be addressed in its
solution. “We're encouraging our students to
think broader than just the discipline you're
trained in to solve the hard problems” says
Graham. “The problems that we need to solve
in the world are multidisciplinary.” Besides engineering or computer science, a business or social
science or arts background could offer input on
the problem and the solution.
Students from all over the campus who
come to the IDEA Factory to brainstorm and
work on projects won’t have to go hungry.
The building includes IDEA Central, a bright,
glass-enclosed café to provide meeting space for
Ask Margit, from page 1
say, engineering, there are a lots of variables
under that one subject: civil engineering,
chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and industrial engineering. Other majors are subsets of
those, considered interdisciplinary studies,
because they meld one or more areas like
computer engineering, nuclear engineering
and biological engineering, to name a few.
Many majors, however, have far
fewer variables, at least on the surface.
Specialization occurs when you start working in a field. That’s what happened to
Meghan W. She got her degree in broadcasting. Her first position out of college was
to help manage a couple studios at a local
television station, renting them out to advertising agencies that wanted to shoot commercials or foreign correspondents sending
reports overseas during a big news events.
Until she applied for and got the job, she had
no idea something like that even existed.
University education can only take you
so far. If you’re like Geoffrey, you don’t necessarily have a particular vocation pre-selected.
You have multiple and disparate interests, so
there are a lot of paths you could follow. It
makes sense to choose a school that lets you
try out different options before you home in
on one or two.
No matter what school you select, though,
college coursework is usually divided into
two parts. Part one is general education,
worth roughly half of the 120 credits you’ll
need for a degree. Part two is comprised of
classes in your major. Most classes are worth
three credits; science classes can be worth
four or more. If the school is on a quarterly
basis instead of semesters, it will be a little
different than this, but the ratio will be the
same.
The expectation when it comes to the
general education requirements or core
classes is for you to complete that work during your freshman and sophomore years.
The purpose of these classes is to ensure
you are well-rounded and have knowledge
in a variety of subject areas. They usually
include the following types of classes and
you’re required to take one or two under
each heading:
• arts (visual, film, music),
• humanities (literature, speech,
or philosophy),
• social and/or behavioral sciences (history, government, psychology, anthropology),
• biology and physical sciences (earth
sciences, botany, anatomy, chemistry,
physics),
erator for that. Now we have to determine what this
means for the future,” Bailey says.
In their research, he says students will learn to
understand the use of incentives in the workplace,
the future of virtual teams and also examine how
businesses bridge demographic and generational
divides with perspective to technology. Another topic
explored is the idea of equitable pay. Bailey says students will examine if the new workplace will be less
tilted regarding gender inequality.
Bailey says the university aimed this program at
younger students in order to challenge them from
the moment they stepped on campus. In the past,
Bailey says the approach to undergraduate education
has been to teach the core skills that college requires
over the first two years and then they are allowed to
explore some of the bigger questions when they’re
juniors and seniors.
“So many students are coming in better prepared
for college and they want to be exposed to big societal
questions,” Bailey says.
At Loyola University Maryland’s Sellinger School
of Business, a new data analytics visualization lab will
provide students with hands-on experience using big
data to tell a story through the use of visuals. Paul
Tallon, professor of information systems at Loyola,
says the students learn how to use massive amounts
of data that can tell an interactive story. He says the
students will create online dashboards that has “maximum interactivity” and allows the viewer to “write
their own story” using the different filters that will be
built into the system.
“Filters are a really cool way to get the user to
engage with the data,” Tallon says.
The lab opened last school year and is designed
to attract students who may be interested in data
analytics as a potential career. The technology found
in the lab will help students turn raw data into colorful
charts, graphs, maps, dashboards and other graphics
to aid in data-driven decision-making, Tallon says.
In September, Tallon will use the new visualization lab to teach a sports analytics course. He hopes
the students will participate in the National Football
League’s Big Data Bowl, which is a challenge for data
brainstorming over meals.
They wanted to change that and make public
The initial purpose of the Edward H. Nabb records and genealogical sources more accesResearch Center for Delmarva History and sible to African American communities, for
Culture at Salisbury University was to give his- people doing their family genealogies and also
tory majors the opportunity to work with pri- for student researchers.
mary sources. The collection grew over the years
So, they began to compile records from the
and now includes records dating back to the census, from land records and records that enu17th and 18th centuries.
merated free African Americans before the Civil
The collections are stored in state-of-the art War. They started by compiling lists of names
archives similar to those at the Smithsonian. which they put in a database. “It's a platform that
However, Creston Long, Ph.D., director of the we developed in-house, here in the library,” says
Nabb Research Center does not think they are Long. “But we may have to move to a different
particularly high-tech. “We're still old-fashioned software in the future that is capable of handling
in that we want people to come into the Nabb larger amounts of information.
Center and use our collections,” says Long. “It's
But the real goal was to try to make those
just that we have begun making more of them records that are available in archives, either at
available online.”
Their most recent project along these lines
has been “Enduring Connections.” It began Workforce needs, from page 1
about two years ago with the realization that Harford as a model of innovation in this field. Not
most of the family names in the genealogical only is the curriculum new and advanced, but
indices that had been compiled in the 1970s technical equipment is also state-of-the-art.
The pathways include six new biotech-related
and 1980s only included white family names.
courses that were created in collaboration with
the college’s board of advisors, including representatives from Harford County Public Schools,
Aberdeen Proving Ground and the Biotech
Industry Board. The new A.A.S. degree gives
• mathematics,
students the choice of getting a job after two
• English, and
years or attending a four-year school. The revised
• other (emerging issues, interdisciplinbiotechnology certificate is designed for those
ary studies, ethics, financial literacy).
with a two- or four-year degree who are seeking
Within these general topics, you’ll have
additional skills for employment in biotechnology.
many options along with a few electives. Use
“Any of our students can major in biotechnology
these to get a taste of different majors.
and go directly to a four-year school,” says Jaclyn
Given these scenarios, what types of colMadden, associate professor of biology and biolege or universities would make the most
technology at Harford. She says credits currently
sense? Here are a couple thoughts.
transfer directly to University of Maryland Global
• If you don’t have a good idea of what
you’d like to study, a state university
Campus and UMBC.
will have the greatest variety of majors
Thanks to a grant from the National Science
for you to investigate. If you live in that
Foundation (NSF), the college has been able to
state, it will be less expensive than a pripurchase advanced equipment that will give stuvate school. Once you’re enrolled, a lot
dents hands-on experience. These include a negaof the different colleges at that univertive 80 freezer, a fluorescent microscope and a
sity will offer open houses so you can
qPCR machine.
talk to professors, other students in that
“Private/public partnerships are essential
college, or teaching and/or graduate
for continued advances in biotechnology,” says
assistants. They’ll help you get a feel for
Madden. In fact, Harford has partnered with
what’s involved in studying the subject.
the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development
The one negative is that general educaCommand Chemical Biological Center to
tion classes there are often lectures with
increase opportunities for biotech workforce
a lot of students. You’ll interact with a
training. Additionally, BioMADE and Scientific
teaching assistant or grad assistant.
Bioprocessing Inc. provided funding for a shaker
• If money is a concern, community
flash system, which allows students to work with
colleges will offer the most cost-effeccell cultures.
tive means to complete these requireHarford’s program currently has 16 stuments. Many of these are now four-year
dents, and Madden is recruiting hard for more.
schools so you can look at majors while
“Wonderful things are happening, and we’re excitgoing there. In general, classes there
ed about the opportunity the NSF grant presents.
are smaller, so you’ll get more personal
The community outreach is a lot of fun,” Madden
attention if you want it.
notes.
As you see in the mini biographies, every
She says the college has started outreach to area
college graduate is different. Take some time
high schools, focusing on minority and underto speak to your friends’ parents or your parserved schools, where fewer students attend fourents’ friends. Ask what contributed to their
year colleges. Harford is holding evening workdecision, why they chose that school, what
shops for students and parents to inform them
they liked about it, and even what regrets
about the program and biotech career opportunithey may have.
ties. Using the NSF grant funding, Harford also
One last thought: as I look at those with
recently hosted a two-day workshop for high
whom I graduated, most of them (including
school life sciences teachers to learn more about
me) are not using the degree they got. Once
industry careers and demonstrate how teaching
you’re out in the “real world,” the job market
can be the gateway to biotech positions. In August,
is far more extensive than you can imagine.
Harford will host the Biotech Pathways Summer
Even so, it’s worth having a degree because
Institute in collaboration with DEVCOM CBC.
you never know what the future holds. And
The free workshop is open to students in grades
if that future should require additional edu9-12 who are interested in biotech.
cation, a masters or doctorate, you’ll be well
Madden plans to continue to increase enrollsituated to keep going.
ment in the program and focus on industry colIn the next issue, we’ll look at the pros
laboration. If her track record of coaching student
and cons of large and small schools, stayresearchers all the way to national conference
ing local or going far away, attending a state
presentations is any indication, the line for the bioschool or private, and other considerations.
tech program will be long. “These programs give
See you in class.
students an understanding of what it’s really like
to be a scientist, preparing them for the biotech
careers of the future,” she says.
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities
Development Command’s Army Research Lab
scientists to devise innovative approaches to specific
challenges. The participants use real-time data from
the NFL that is derived from sensors worn by players
that shows where they are on the field at all times in
order to propose data-driven solutions.
“You’re tasked with giving the NFL some insight
into their data that they don’t even know – tell the
story in a way that makes it operational-wise,” he says.
When the class begins, Tallon says he will allow
the students to use their creativity and come up with
their own stories that use this data.
At Salisbury University, the college’s applied business learning experience (ABLE) program was established to provide students with an avenue toward
internships that will provide on-the-job experience in
a field of their major. The ABLE program is mandatory for all majors within the Franklin P. Perdue School
of Business. The students are required to secure an
internship within their field, working a minimum of
10 hours per week for 10 consecutive weeks. At least
80% to 90% of their duties as an intern must be major
specific, ABEL Director Tammy Donaway says.
Students in the ABLE program are required to
find their internship opportunity and apply for it.
They will be tasked with defining their goals for the
internship they seek and have that vetted by advisers
prior to beginning the job. During their internship,
the students will be required to create an organizational fact sheet about their organization they work
for.
“The program offers a transition from business
student to business professional,” Donaway says. “For
some students, this solidifies their career choice and
opens their eyes to new experiences.”
On the other hand, Donaway says the internships
can also provide students with an understanding of
fields they may not want to work in, despite their
earlier convictions. She notes that the real-world
experience an intern gains is invaluable to a business
student, beyond what they can learn in a classroom.
“They come back enlightened, eager and motivated to see what else they can learn,” Donaway says.
the Nabb Center or in Annapolis or through
the U.S. National Archives and make them as
accessible as possible for people who are looking into the heritage of this area. Because of
the pandemic they were able to work on this
project. Now records can be accessed online and
through the Enduring Connections website, as
well as at the Nabb Center.
Long is expecting that the Nabb Center will
be working on this project for years, digitalizing
old records and microfiche and other sources so
they will be able to who are looking for them.
(DEVCOM ARL) is taking the matter of preparing
students for workplace needs into its own hands
with a cooperative internship program between
ARL and the University System of Maryland.
The National Security Scholar Summer Internship
Program, managed by University of Maryland
College Park, gives engineering students opportunities to work hands-on with research professionals at the ARL. Thirty-eight students will work at
full-time summer internships. The twist, according to Robert Briber, associate dean for research
at the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark
School of Engineering, is that while most internships are one intern and one mentor, the model
for the ARL internships will be team-based, with
interns working in groups of three to five with a
single mentor.
“These teams will experience group dynamics,
task assignments, collaboration skills and more of
what really goes on in the workforce,” Briber says.
Each small group will be partnered with a
high-level researcher who will guide it through the
fundamentals of developing a technical research
study. Briber says these activities hone the skills
learned in the classroom. “Students get to develop
relationships and understand the importance of
the projects to the ARL,” he says. “We are able to
do this at a higher level because of our ongoing
relationship with the ARL and their proximity to
the campus.”
Terrance O’Regan, PhD., chief of the technology integration branch, ArtIAMAS cooperative agreement manager, U.S. Combat Capabilities
Development Command, says, “It’s important that
we build regional and national capabilities in the
concentrated areas of ArtIAMAS. Building an ecosystem in these disciplines is vitally important, not
only for the Army, but for the region and nation.
These ecosystems allow DEVCOM and ARL to tap
into novel ideas and top student talent.”
Kristin Schaefer-Lay, Ph.D., chief of the autonomous systems branch, U.S. Army DEVCOM,
says, “The program continues to evolve and grow
collaboratively through identifying the strengths,
interests, and scientific needs of both the researchers and students. There is the opportunity for
direct mentorship from both faculty advisors and
DEVCOM ARL researchers.”
Schaefer-Lay recommends students take
courses in robotics, an interdisciplinary field, that
will prepare them not only for the civilian workforce, but also the Army Research Lab workforce.
“It will help the community at large start to ‘speak’
the same language.”
Experience with various operating systems are
also helpful skills, she says. “However, the most
important criteria we look for is the ability to be
creative and willing to learn.” O’Regan concurs.
“The ability to identify relevant problems and
potential solutions, and then design experiments
to validate (or invalidate) them are critical skills
for work life at DEVCOM ARL. Students are
encouraged to use their curiosity and creativity as
well as entrepreneurial spirit to solve problems for
the Army.”