Pollard to address CSTEP Conference

Pollard to address CSTEP ConferenceApril 12, 2004

On April 17, William Pollard-president of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and former founding dean of Syracuse University’s College of Human Services and Health Professions-will deliver the keynote address at the 12th annual conference of SU’s Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP). The conference will be held April 16-18 at The Sagamore Resort on Lake George. Approximately 400 students and administrators from more than 40 colleges and universities across New York State are expected to attend.

Pollard will also participate in one of several concurrent workshops offered during the conference, leading a session titled “Issues and Considerations for Leadership: A Reflection on Forces Shaping Leadership Behavior.”

UDC named Pollard as its president in 2002; before that, he was HSHP’s founding dean, responsible for uniting SU’s former College of Nursing, College of Human Development and School of Social Work. Pollard began his tenure at SU as dean of the School of Social Work. Previously, he was founding dean of the Grambling State University School of Social Work. With numerous published works to his credit, Pollard has lectured extensively on cultural and racial diversity.

Among the other professional development workshop presenters and topics scheduled for the weekend are: SU’s Thanya Jeanty and Sarah Young presenting “So I Got the Interview-Now What;” Kevin Hearne of Dean College speaking on “Millennial Leadership;” and “Graduate School Application Made Easy,” presented by Herma Volpe-van Dijk of SUNY Brockport. There will also be several motivational speeches and cultural activities.

The highlight of the event will be a competitive student poster presentation. Seventy students are expected to compete in the areas of Natural Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences and Human Services for the best overall presentation, judged on display, creativity, a five-minute oral presentation and the clarity of the written abstract.

“The CSTEP Conference is not only about honoring academic achievement, but also about preparing students for leadership roles in their fields of study,” says Larry Thomas, chair of the 2004 CSTEP Conference Executive Committee. Thomas is associate director of CSTEP in SU’s Office of Graduate Preparation Programs, a unit of the Division of Student Support and Retention. He says that the conference originally began as a way for students to discuss their summer research and internship experiences; today, it continues with students discussing opportunities and achievements in the health-related, science and technological fields.

CSTEP is an academic enrichment program for historically underrepresented and disadvantaged groups of students, designed to foster academic success in preparing for professional licensure or careers in the scientific, technical or health-related fields. It is jointly sponsored by SU and the New York State Education Department. CSTEP aims to reinvent scholarship for participating students as they pursue their academic goals, and undergraduate and graduate students may join CSTEP at any time during their University career. Participating students are required to meet a series of specific academic and participation criteria.

According to Thomas, “CSTEP scholars have the opportunity to be groomed for a rich collegiate experience and, at the same time, participate in a number of self-directed learning activities. So, for one scholar, the CSTEP experience might be the ARISE (Academic Research and Internship in Science and Engineering) Academy. For another, it might be career and academic planning. For another, the Gateway Learning Community.” In any case, he says, CSTEP activities are designed to reflect his “attempt to make being a scholar cool, fun and exciting.” For more information on CSTEP, call 443-2622 or visit http://cstep.syr.edu/.