Events Menu
The events menu describes both upcoming and past events sponsored by SEEDS. Click on entries in the events menu to see what is new in each catagory, and to view reports on events that have already taken place.

 

Each year, \ SEEDS Distinguished Lecturers are selected, among the four science schools, Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, The College of Engineering, The College of Arts and Sciences and the Miller Medical School. The events showcase prominent women and minority scientists and thereby provide role models and professional networking opportunities for all our faculty and students, men and women. In addition to giving a seminar on their research, the speaker takes part in a formal mentoring event.

 

Speed Mentoring provides an opportunity for faculty and mentees to meet for intense, hour-long interactions of five-eight minutes, using a brief document as a focal point. The event is often followed by a social event with food, for decompression, comparison and analysis.

 

The SEEDS Sonsored Mentors Program takes advantage of visitors invited by departments or other orgaizations, who have an interest and credentials in career development issues. SEEDS sponsors a mentoring interaction, which may be a formal talk or a more informal interaction. If you are hosting a seminar speaker who may be appropriate for this program, contact the SEEDS Director, Kathryn Tosney, for details and authorization.

 

Each year, SEEDS sponsors one to four Career Workshops. A workshop may be presented to a cross-UM audience, or to a more focused audience; a workshop may be developed by an individual, an interested group, or a contingent from the SEEDS steering committe. In this first year, SEEDS has funded Dr. Paquita Zuidema to host the next workshop, scheduled for November, which will be given by the notable expert on effective scientific writing, Dr. Judith Swan from Princeton. In some cases, SEEDS can also provide co-sponsorship for a workshop. Contact the SEEDS Director for information.

 

Interactive Theater is a powerful educational tool that UM will use to address gender and minority climate issues that hinder professional success. It was first used for this purpose at the University of Michigan, where the "CRLT Players" directed by Jeffery Stieger have developed several useful skits that are often performed at other universities and at professional meetings. At UM, the Director of SEEDS interactive theatre is Jennifer Burke, Theatre Arts Department. The first UM skit has been presented to several audiences and additional skits are in development. The development of skits relies upon interactions with UM people who educate the director and actors in their climate, culture, and issues important to them.

 

Networking is an efficient and cost-effective community-building program in which faculty experience near-immediate benefits: It is a crucial key to alleviating the isolation- and the abundant adverse consequences of isolation- that many UM scientists feel. In the last year, several groups have begun to meet regularly. The largest networking event last year was SEEDS inaugural event, "Lunch with the Prez" at which we initially expected about thirty participants. From RSVP's it soon became apparant that we had grossly underestimated the intrest: The final audience was one hundred and ten. A similar number RSVP'd for this year's annual event, the SEEDS Dinner, with an address by President Shalala, an "iClicker" survey (results available here), and the inaugural presentation of the Interactive Theatre's first sketch, "The Mid-Term Review."