Student Organizations & Outreach Opportunities

 

Student Organizations & Outreach Opportunities

BME/Science Graduate Student Organizations

  • BMEAPP Application Assistance Program
  • BME EDGE (Extramural Development in Graduate Education)
  • BME EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity Committee)
    • Overall goal: provide resources and support for students of all ethnicities, races, origins, and abilities
    • https://twitter.com/BME_EDI 
    • Provide mini-courses to provide skills to undergrads students associated with track (spring 2021)?
    • Support mental health initiatives (coffee hours coming soon)
    • Mentorship program between upper-year graduate student and 1st year graduate student (started spring 2021 but goal to do in fall)
    • Help at URM conferences
    • Works with BMEAPP to have graduate mentors for REU/Internship assistance program(s)
    • Support PULSE seminar series (where an undergrad presents research for 20 minutes and we all discuss science, careers, etc)
    • Works out policies and practices to support the ADA, URM, students from other countries, TAs
  • BME PhD Council
    • Old website: https://sites.google.com/site/bmephdcouncil/advice/classes
    • New website: https://bme.phd.council.students.jh.edu/
    • Hosts annual BME retreat (November)
    • Hosts undergraduate applicants for graduate school interviews (Jan – Mar weekends)
    • Has social events for BME department
    • Has representatives from each year of BME graduate student to check in on their concerns
    • Provide information about BME, JHU, Baltimore for student applicants on the website
    • Supports staff and student payment/compensation
  • BUGSS Baltimore Underground Science Space
    • Home – Baltimore Underground Science Space (bugssonline.org)
    • Non-profit public laboratory offering classes, seminars, and lab access so that anyone can safely and affordably investigate the living world
    • Part of the Collaborative Teaching Fellows Program in conjunction with Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland School of Medicine
    • As a scientist, you can mentor a research project for high school students, give a research seminar, present at Science SLAM
    • For those new to teaching, Teach a Lab Skill Night, a 2 hr course focused on one lab skill or technique (hands-on 2-6 people class)
    • For those who want to design a course, design your own Lab Skill Night, 2-3 hour class/workshop, or a “mini course” (2-3 day hands-on course)
    • For those who want to adapt their research to a course, teach a course based on your research/ expertise. These can be any length from 2-3 hours to a 5-week course (course includes hands-on research project)
    • Course planned at least 3 months in advance by our Education Committee
    • Contact for opportunities: info@bugssonline.org, Lisa Scheifele lscheifele@bugssonline.org
  • Association of Women Student MD-PhDs (AWSM)
  • BSA Biomedical Scholars Association
    • https://www.bsajhmi.org/ 
    • Biomedical Scholars Association (BSA) – Johns Hopkins University MSTP/MD-PhD Program
    • tri-school organization whose missions are to support minority graduate students in the Biomedical Sciences and to promote diversity and inclusion within the larger JHMI community/largest student organization that supports students underrepresented in medicine and science at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, School of Public Health, and School of Nursing
    • professional development, community service, social activities, and recruitment of URM students
  • Gertrude Stein Society
  • GSA (Graduate Student Association) for the School of Medicine
    • http://gsa.jhmi.edu
    • Represents all Ph.D. and Masters students at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
    • Acts as a liaison between the graduate student body and various University entities to ensure student needs are being fulfilled
    • Host SOM social events
    • Provides funding for student groups and sponsors travel grants to help cover the costs of attending a scientific conference
    • Brings the ideals and opinions of the graduate students to University administrators, and reciprocally communicates the ideals and standards of the University to students
    • Work with Office of Graduate Biomedical Education (OGBE) to host town halls to address student concerns
    • Has lots of different committees supporting the SOM
    • Calendar: Upcoming Events – JHSOM Graduate Student Association (jhmi.edu)
  • GRO (Graduate Representative Organization)
  • Johns Hopkins Graduate Consulting Club (JHGCC)
    • https://www.jhscipolgroup.org/
    • Group of Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute (JHMI) that advocates for and communicates about science policy at both the local and federal level
  • R Ladies
    • Hosts bi-monthly workshops and networking events for women and underrepresented groups, both within the Hopkins community as well as the broader Baltimore/DC area. 
    • Goals: to increase accessibility and provide resources for women and URM, to increase diversity in traditionally homogenous programming fields
  • SABES
    • https://engineering.jhu.edu/sabes/
    • NSF-funded collaboration between Johns Hopkins University and Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) seeking to improve STEM curriculum and delivery in grades 3 – 5
    • community engagement in nine schools within three specific neighborhoods: Greater Homewood, Greektown/Highlandtown and Park Heights -> in process of expanding to K-5
    • Project: science curriculum with literacy and engineering infused, content-based professional development, instructional coaching for teachers, and community-based events called STEM Showcases
    • City Schools’ continues to maintain the school day curriculum and professional development, while the Center for Educational Outreach works with partners to implement the SABES afterschool curriculum and the annual STEM Showcase
    • The STEM Achievement in Baltimore Elementary Schools (SABES) Afterschool Program curriculum consists of units from the NPASS2 curriculum[1] and Engineering Adventures (EA) curriculum[2].  (Student Driven Projects) -> presented at STEM Showcases
    • mentors (STEM professionals, retirees, JHU faculty, staff, post docs, graduate and undergraduate students) visit the afterschool program regularly to encourage the students, ask questions and share their own passion for and path to a STEM career
    • Contact: Erin Burk, Baltimore Out of School Time Program Manager, Center for Educational Outreach, Whiting School of Engineering, sabes@jhu.edu 
  • Science in Action-JHMI (SiA)
    • https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDL6uvNhdZffyIfaTNhAlFA/about
    • siajhmi@gmail.com 
    • help ignite a passion for science in elementary students in our immediate Baltimore city community
    • work with a team of 3-5 graduate students to host “Ask a Scientist” sessions once every two weeks via Zoom to a 3rd to 5th grade William Paca Elementary school classroom.  Session outlines, lesson themes, and teaching directions are provided (Spring 2021 closed)
    • Time commitment: 0.5 hour for preparation and 1 hour hosting each biweekly session for a total of 5 sessions
  • Thread
    • Thread – The New Social Fabric
    • Formal connections made with students in the community (provide a background check, register)
    • Volunteers serve as Thread Family Members (FM), and are “Family Members” to Thread student(s) -> form an extended network of care and support around the student and each other (provide rides to school, homework and resume help, discussion of career options, or just hanging out)
    • Time commitment: one-year commitment and are expected to connect with their Thread students at least once a week
  • Women of Whiting (WOW)
    • https://wow.students.jh.edu/
    • https://www.facebook.com/jhu.wow/ 
    • graduate students and postdoctoral fellows dedicated to providing women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields with community building, networking, mentorship, and professional development opportunities
    • Workshops, socials, speaker series, Women in Stem annual symposium (April)

 

 

Student Organizations

Official Graduate student organizations (not specific to BME, SOM, or Biomedical Sciences)

 

 

Other Volunteering Opporunities

  • Science Communication
    • Co-leaders: Joanna Konopka jkonopk1@jhmi.edu; Darya Task darya.task@gmail.com 
    • Overall goal: help fellow scientists become better science communicators, and to provide opportunities for practicing and improving science communication
    • Virtual Communication Workshops (start Spring 2021)
      • Organize workshops on science communication and speaking events/opportunities for grad students and postdocs
      • Volunteers help recruit speakers and organize the events, particularly the breakout sessions in which we give workshop participants the opportunity to practice science communication skills with hands-on exercises
      • Time commitment: TBD
    • Brain Infinity Room
      • Overall goal: develop interactive science/art installation to help illustrate basic neuroscience concepts (like synapses and circuits) based on https://hirshhorn.si.edu/kusama/infinity-rooms/ -> use as  installation for Project Bridge in-person events
      • Right now, building a tabletop version which is more portable and which one or two people at a time would be able to poke their heads into
      • Project Bridge has materials but need people to help build, craft, and program (e.g. arduino) the different components
      • Time commitment: TBD/as needed
    • Merged Science Slam/Science Gong Show (Start virtually Fall 2020)
      • Separate committee leader: Michelle Chan-Cortes mchancortes@jhmi.edu 
      • Quarterly or semi-annual event
      • Participants (grad students, postdocs, citizen scientists, etc.) have five minutes to tell a general audience about their work, and compete for the best communicated talk (just free speech, no powerpoints)
      • Gong show (originally in-person): if the participant uses jargon and doesn’t define it, the audience rings cowbells to stop the scientist and force them to explain the terminology (casual and fun)
      • Volunteers help advertise/recruit participants
      • In-person, volunteers work mics, slides, pass out materials for voting and then tally the results, introduce speakers, etc. 
      • Virtually, volunteers need to help advertise, introduce speakers, and run the Q&A session
      • Time commitment: for 1 or 2 times a semester -> planning meetings, advertising/recruitment period (TBD)
    • Outreach ideas to kids (Spring 2021 in progress)
      • Science Communication team is planning on reaching out to some local schools Spring 2021 to see what kind of online content we can provide for kids (for example, something like Skype a Scientist, or virtual science demos)
  • Science Outside the Lines
    • Co-leader: Nicole Carter ncarter@jhmi.edu; Patrick Cooke pcooke2@jhmi.edu
    • Overall goal: explore similarities of science and art with the future generation
    • weekly science and art lessons after school for 3rd/4th grade students at a Henderson-Hopkins Elementary school
    • Class begins with a brief and interactive lesson lead by graduate students and post docs from Johns Hopkins and the lesson culminates in an art project specifically designed to reinforce different scientific concepts
    • Volunteers needed for lead and plan lessons and staff classrooms
    • Time commitment: planning lessons, weekly lessons/teaching (~2 – 4 hours weekly based on your roles, maybe not hosting every week/rotate volunteers)
  • Sci-more Show 
    • Co-leaders: Michael Dryzer mdryzer1@jhmi.edu; Ashton Omdahl aomdahl2@jh.edu 
    • Overall goal: discuss and breakdown complex scientific topics and principles for the members of the Baltimore community
    • Science podcast found https://anchor.fm/scimore
    • Taking suggestions for questions and topics with call (443) 776-1282 or send an email to scimore.podcast@gmail.com
  • Science at the Market 
    • Leader: Danielle Smith dsmit292@jhmi.edu
    • Overall goal: introduce scientific concepts to the community with interactive demonstrations
    • Science demo booth at a 32nd Street Farmer’s Market on the last Saturday of the month for the whole time the market is open
    • Monthly event during the warm months of the year (typically April through September)
    • Volunteers host fun experiments centered around a theme that both kids and adults can do
    • Time commitment: (2 hours to prepare experiments for fair, 5 hours for market day https://www.32ndstreetmarket.org/ )
  • Brain Awareness week (Fall 2021) 
    • Leader of week of lessons: Scott Sterrett sterrett@jhu.edu 
    • Co-leaders of Baltimore Brain Fest:  Isis Wyche iwyche1@jhmi.edu; Michael Dryzer mdryzer1@jhmi.edu
    • Overall goal: educate and engage the Baltimore community during Brain Awareness Week
    • Week of short neuroscience lessons taking place in Baltimore city schools, which teach about the structure and function of the brain through a collaborative art project and impact your own brain function in order to promote mental well-being
    • Last day is in Baltimore Brain Fest (http://www.brainfest.org/), an all-day fair with hands-on brain related demonstrations for the public to learn about the nervous system does
    • Time commitment: Depends on your role (can volunteer with your lab, as an individual, and even send in images for art http://www.projbridge.org/baltimore-brain-fest-information.html) 
  • Science Café
    • Jacob Elsey jelsey2@jhu.edu
    • Overall goal: bring local scientists to the community for casual conversations about their research.
    • Researchers briefly present their work using only a whiteboard, followed by Q&A with the audience
    • Time commitment: N/A
  • MD DNA Day
    • Leader: Nick Keith nkeith3@jhu.edu
    • Overall goal: in collaboration with the NIH DNA Day initiative that commemorates the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA and the completion of the human genome project 
    • Happens every year in late April 
    • Need graduate students and scientists to travel to Baltimore and Maryland high school science classrooms to present engaging, hands-on modules covering a topic related to genetics and genomics (modules are ready to go and science teacher-approved)
    • Time commitment: TBD
  • Girls’ Coding Club
    • Leader: Elissa Sutlief esutlie1@jhmi.edu
    • Overall goal: host coding activities with middle school girls to get them excited about computer science and STEM
    • Midtown Academy near Penn Station every other Monday from 3:30 to 4:30
    • Graduate students lead an engaging hour-long project and answer students’ questions
    • Time commitment: 1 hour weekly session, additional time for planning
  • Student Advocacy Workshop Series
    • Co-leaders: Kate Schole kschole1@jhmi.edu; Michael Xie mxie11@jhmi.edu
    • Overall goal: enrich students’ understanding of their science and social studies curriculum, but also foster an interest in scientific communication, policy, and advocacy work
    • Graduate students work with high school teachers to integrate workshops and projects relating to current issues affecting their communities and advocate for change into the existing high school curriculum
    • Time commitment: N/A

You can find more information about student organizations in Hopkins Groups (click here!)