Reach ACRoSS 2016

Collaboration-Tree

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. Note! Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. Attendance is NOT mandatory. Feel free to attend those sessions that most match your needs and interests.

June 9th, Gateway Summer Welcome Picnic, 4:30 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 16th, Presentation Tips and Techniques 101, 12:00 – 1:30, Collaboratory (second floor of library)

  • At this session, we will discuss how to frame your URSCA presentation for a general audience. We will consider topics like what you should include, how to simplify, how to make the talk visually interesting, and how to prepare for the experience (especially if public speaking has made you nervous in the past!). We will also share examples from  effective presentations. If you plan to present at ACRoSS or another conference setting, this is the session for you! Facilitated by Aimee Knupsky and Natasha Torrence

June 23rd, This is Meadville!, 12:00 – 1:30, Collaboratory

  • Now that you have joined us at Allegheny College for your summer URSCA experience, it’s time to think about the larger community here for you to engage. This session will provide some insight into the resources and opportunities available to you in Meadville and the surrounding areas (e.g., Second Saturdays! Summer Concert Series! Hot air balloon festival! Lazy rivers! Cafes for reading! Best custard in town! And more!). We will also consider what it means to be a good ambassador of Allegheny College. Facilitated by Ellen Bach, Charmaine Wilson, and students from the Civic Engagement Office

June 30th, Making the Most of It: Academic Commons Edition, 12:00 – 1:30, Collaboratory

  • While you are here this summer, consider exploring all the opportunities and services available to you through the Academic Commons including the Learning Commons and the Library. Get a jump on planning a busy junior or senior year schedule. Get tips for studying effectively. And find out how to set-up a personalized meeting with a Reference Librarian who can help you discover those hard-to-find sources for your summer URSCA project! Facilitated by Rebecca Dickinson and Cynthia Burton

July 7th, Postgraduate Preparation: From Tests to Interviews, 12:00 – 1:30, Collaboratory

  • Are you planning to apply to graduate school, medical school, or law school? Wondering about how to start? 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 Kirsten Peterson, Becky Dawson, and Kristin Mook

July 14th, So, You Want to Attend a Conference?, 12:00 – 1:30, East Schultz Alcove

  • Everyone who completes an URSCA experience should think about how to communicate about that experience with the broader community. In this session, we will explore how to find the right conference for your project as well as the general steps required to submit your proposal. We will also discuss the logistics of conference travel planning and how to secure funding from both on and off campus sources. Finally, we will talk about how to create an effective poster to highlight your project including everything from selecting content, thinking about layout, and the logistics of using PowerPoint for this purpose. If you are planning to participate in the Summer Research Poster Symposium on July 22nd (and you should be!), this is a great session for you. Facilitated by Ivy Garcia, Aimee Knupsky, and other faculty

July 21st, Internships, Scholarships, and Jobs: And How To Find Them,12:00 – 1:30, East Schultz Alcove

  • Completing an URSCA experience at Allegheny can be a launching pad to other opportunities. In this session, we will discuss how you can find other summer internships that reflect a broad array of interests and disciplines and consider how these experiences may differ. In addition, we will provide information about finding and preparing for nationally competitive scholarships that can lead to amazing URSCA experiences across the globe. Finally, this session will help you start to consider how to transition from a focus on URSCA to developing a plan of action for a job search and will highlight some of the great people and resources on campus that can support you.  Facilitated by Jim Fitch, Christina Moreschi and Patrick Jackson

July 28th, Making Your Case: Elevator Pitches and CVs, 12:00 – 1:30, Collaboratory

  • To wind down our Reach ACRoSS programming, this session will focus on how you can best frame your URSCA experience (along with the other work you do at Allegheny College) to make a strong impression with prospective employers or postgraduate interviewers. Often, students don’t recognize all the unique but desirable skills they’ve learned from engaging in URSCA that translate well beyond the lab, library, or stage. So, first, we will consider the mechanics of CVs and resumes and then think about how to break down your URSCA experience into a list of skill sets that will set you apart from other candidates. Next, we will introduce you to the “elevator pitch”–a sixty second opportunity to introduce someone to who you are and why you might be the “right person” for the job (or internship, fellowship, etc.). Crafting and delivering an elevator pitch is a key skill for securing future opportunities! Facilitated by Aimee Knupsky and Christina Moreschi.

August 4th, Open Mic Session, 12:00 – 1:30, Collaboratory

  • This last Reach ACRoSS session is an “open” date to be used for discussing topics or issues you would like to explore. We can debrief the summer, make plans for next steps, or simply hang out and share our experiences with new friends. Note! If you have an idea for a topic you think we should explore on this day, email Professor Aimee Knupsky or the URSCA Student Coordinator, Natasha Torrence