Reach ACRoSS 2017

The goal of the Reach ACRoSS workshops is to provide students on campus in the summer with opportunities to learn valuable skills applicable for pursuing URSCA and other Gateway experiences and to provide tools that will help them transition from their time at Allegheny into careers or postgraduate experiences. These sessions will be interactive and will provide information, resources, and opportunities to brainstorm and work on projects with partners. They are offered by the URSCA office in conjunction with several other offices in the Gateway, Learning Commons, and Library.

All Reach ACRoSS sessions this summer will take place in Carnegie Hall, room 105, from noon until about 1:20. All but one (see schedule below) will take place on Thursday.

A full lunch will be served with the Reach ACRoSS workshops. Therefore, students must RSVP in advance to attend. Most workshops will be limited to 20-25 students.

Check back regularly as the RSVP links for future workshops go live. After the workshops end, we will post link to any resources that were provided.


RUBE GOLDBERG COMPETITION

INSTRUCTIONS HERE

SIGN-UP TO PARTICIPATE HERE (BY JULY 13TH)

FINAL SUBMISSION HERE (BY AUG 1ST)


June 5th, Gateway Summer Welcome Picnic, 5:00 to 6:00, Pelletier Library Patio (rain location inside library)

Come join us to celebrate the beginning of the summer season at Allegheny College! This is your opportunity to meet other students who will be working with faculty on campus and with community partners off campus. In addition, members of the Gateway will join us to provide some brief introductions to their programs and offices.


June 15th, Making Impact: Effectively Conveying Your Research, Resources Here

Join us to learn the “tricks of the trade” for telling the story of your work this summer (or beyond), through presentations (like those at ACRoSS), posters, or other means. We will consider the importance of storytelling as a means for conveying our work and consider the challenges of engaging a general audience. For example, what obligations do scientists have to share their works ethically? What obligations do those in the humanities have to show the impact of their work on society? Together we will consider recent examples of the importance of accurately, effectively, and responsibly engaging the public.  Facilitated by Aimee Knupsky and Brad Hersh


June 22ndPostgraduate Preparation: Big Questions and Advice, Resources Here

Are you planning to apply to graduate school, medical school, or law school? Wondering about how to start? What do these post graduate opportunities offer? What are the challenges and questions you should consider before applying? Interested in finding a study buddy to help prepare for those standardized tests? This is the session for you! In addition to answering your questions about applying for these postgraduate opportunities, we will also provide some strategies and resources for learning about and preparing for the GRE, MCAT, and LSAT exams. In addition, we will highlight how you can collaborate with the Career Education office to get off to a good start. Previous summer research students have indicated that finding a study buddy earlier in the summer was the most helpful way to prepare. Come find yours! Facilitated by Becky Dawson, Aimee Knupsky, and Kristin Black


June 29th, Online Networking: Our Social Selves, Resources Here and Here

Have you thought about how your digital presence may impact your ability to obtain a job or get into graduate school? Have you ever learned about how to network to make such opportunities more likely? If not, come to this interactive session exploring online, digital networks and how they can help us find or *lose* opportunities. In addition to thinking about the “bigger picture” of online social presence and its impact on your opportunities, this workshop will also provide a hands-on chance to use important networking tools. The session will include a “deep dive” into LinkedIn so that you can attain “expert” status with your profile (really, they rank them!). In addition, you’ll navigate the ins-and-outs of using Gator Connect, the most recent and powerful tool available to Allegheny students and alumni to network with one another. Becoming an expert, on-line networker may help you find internships, connections with graduate programs, jobs, and other opportunities. Facilitated by Terri Carr and Christina Moreschi


*Wednesday, July 5th, Crossing Boundaries: Stronger Together, Resources Here

How did an 18th century, British Romanticism scholar and a cognitive psychologist come together to study emotion? How can you broaden the scope of your work by reaching out to collaborate with those in fields different from your own? Where can you find potential collaborative partners? Even though Allegheny celebrates “Unusual Combinations,” we can often get “stuck” in our own disciplinary approaches or other silos. In contrast, most of the work we do beyond Allegheny will require us to work with others who have different backgrounds, areas of expertise, and ways of knowing. At this workshop, we will explore the benefits and challenges of interdisciplinary and other kinds of collaborations and discuss opportunities to pursue these experiences at Allegheny. A developing new program entitled URSCA Fellows will also be introduced: this program would support students who propose to study topics relevant to the programming and mission of the offices of the Gateway. Students will also have a chance to make connections with those in other disciplines who may be interested in similar topics.  Facilitated by Soledad Caballero and Aimee Knupsky


July 13th, Eureka! Chasing Inspiration, Resources Here

Have you ever wondered if you are “on the right path”? Have you ever worried about where your major will take you? Are you finding it difficult to envision a senior project that will inspire you? Have you started to envision the impact you want to have on the world? If so, join us as we find ways to use our intuition and experience to help lead the way. Whether you are conducting work in a chemistry lab, gathering ideas in archives, or implementing programs in the community, finding your next idea can be challenging–especially as you move on from the close guidance of a mentor or if you find yourself without one. Sometimes, we have too many ideas; sometimes we struggle with a “blank page.” This workshop is designed to help you find or focus your interest and turn curiosity into a tool you can use wherever you go.  Facilitated by Aimee Knupsky and Terry Bensel (Associate Provost and Director of the Gateway).


July 20thWhat’s Your Story? Bringing it Together, Resources Here

This session will focus on how you can best integrate your URSCA and other Gateway experiences, your major and minor, and other work you do at Allegheny to develop a coherent story of your journey. Often, students don’t recognize all the unique but desirable skills they’ve learned from their experiences at Allegheny and how to translate those beyond the classroom, lab, library, or campus. Shaping an appropriate, compelling story will allow you to make a strong impression whether its through your resume, elevator pitch, or personal statement. In this workshop, you will develop a plan of action for pursuing future Gateway experiences, summer internships, nationally competitive scholarships, or job search. To increase your success, we will also highlight some of the great people and resources on campus that can support you as you pursue these goals. Facilitated by Patrick Jackson and Aimee Knupsky


July 27th, Spectacular Failures: Sources of Strength, Resources Here

“Failure is not an option,” or is it? This workshop will explore the research on the importance of failure and vulnerability to learning and innovation. Contrary to popular belief, this research suggests that we learn the most when we fail and that we find unique strength in those failures. But how can we embrace failure when societal structures, and our own personal experiences, suggest that it is to be avoided at all costs? We will struggle with these questions together to develop ideas about how to pursue challenging experiences, how to persevere through them, and how to embrace and grow from our mistakes and disappointments. Whether you are planning to pursue research, a study abroad experience, a service learning opportunity, an upper level course, or a course in a discipline new to you, failure will be an inevitable and important part of your time at Allegheny. Join us to think about how those moments help you make the most of your experience. Facilitated by Carly Masiroff and Aimee Knupsky


August 3rd, The Next Adventure: Taking Charge and Taking Care, Resources Here

As the summer winds down and we begin to think about the academic year and all its demands, this workshop will provide ideas about how to be your most effective self. By exploring research on learning, self-efficacy, and mentoring, we will consider advice for both personal and academic success. What is the rule of three and how can we make it easier to say no? How do we balancing our activism with self-care? How do we avoid burnout? Despite our best intentions, these questions can be tricky to negotiate. And, sometimes the skills we’ve developed become ineffective or inappropriate as we dive in to new experiences. Research suggests, for example, that most students rely on study techniques that are the least effective for long-term learning. Similarly, research shows that we are pretty bad at prioritizing the very things that will keep us at our best (like sleep!). Consider this workshop a last opportunity to complete a “tool kit” of resources, ideas, and skills that will help you succeed as you move forward with your time at Allegheny. Facilitated by Aimee Knupsky and Lydia Eckstein-Jackson.