Industry Sector Hub Initiatives

Industry Sector Hub Sponsor: Public Service, Education & Social Sciences

Target Audience: Current Students

USG is launching a Civic Engagement Initiative this fall, centered on National Voter Registration Day (Sept. 16) and Constitution Day. The week of Sept. 15–19 will feature tabling, workshops, panels, and classroom activities designed to connect students with civic learning opportunities and empower them to participate in democracy.

Objectives

• Boost voter registration and participation among students, staff, faculty, and the local community.
• Build a lasting culture of civic engagement and public service awareness on campus.
• Involve multiple academic programs in planning and execution.
• Embed civic themes into curriculum and co-curricular activities.

Outcomes

• Increased civic awareness, engagement, and voter registration.
• Stronger connections between USG, students, faculty, employers, and civic organizations.
• More faculty integrating civic content into coursework and activities.
• Growth in student participation in civic and co-curricular programming.
• Students gain resume-ready skills and experiences in civic organizing.
• Expanded partnerships with civic organizations, leading to internships and service-learning.

Industry Sector Hub Sponsor: Engineering & Technology; Health & Life Sciences; Public Service, Education, & Social Sciences; Business Enterprise

Date: October 10, 2025

Target Audience: Faculty & Staff

USG will host a special networking lunch between invited leaders from academic programs at USG, USG team members, and Montgomery College faculty and program leaders where we can strengthen connections and foster meaningful dialogue on how we support seamless pathways for transfer students.

Objectives:

• Establish mutual connections and rapport among faculty and program leadership across MC and USG partners.
• Introduce colleagues and build foundational relationships supporting collaboration.
• Discuss and identify strategies for seamless student curriculum transitions and accommodating “fluid” student pathways.
• Explore ways to engage MC students effectively and co-create support mechanisms.
• Identify common academic and programmatic interests to strengthen recruitment pipelines and partnership events.

Outcomes:

• Increased awareness of partner programs and personnel.
• Established initial networks and channels for communication.
• Identified collaboration priorities and potential pilot projects
• Initiation of joint advising or student engagement initiatives.
• Development of cross-campus events supporting recruitment and student transitions.
• Increased coordination on curriculum alignment and support services.
• More seamless student pathways between MC and USG universities.
• Stronger enrollment pipelines and student success through collaborative support.
• Sustained partnerships leading to program innovation and expanded opportunities.

Industry Sector Hub Sponsor: Engineering & Technology; Health & Life Sciences

Date: October 17, 2025

Target Audience: Prospective Students

USG will host a Lab Crawl, a hands-on exploration of STEM disciplines for more than 100 high school, junior, senior, and community college students across Montgomery County. Participants will rotate through interactive lab stations hosted by programs in nursing, applied biotechnology (TLST), biocomputational engineering, biological sciences, cyber-physical systems engineering, mechatronics engineering, fermentation science, and graphic design.

With engaging simulations and demonstrations led by faculty from University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP), students will have the chance to explore real-life applications of science and technology—and discover new academic and career possibilities in health and STEM fields.

Objectives

• Expose 200–300 high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and community college students to USG’s campus laboratory facilities, research opportunities, and academic programs.
• Facilitate connections between prospective students and current faculty, student researchers, and mentors.
• Showcase academic partner labs and promote STEM and allied disciplines as college/career pathways.
• Work with employer partners on these sector events, to allow prospective students to see the employment potential aligned with majors at USG. 

Outcomes

• Students gain awareness of research opportunities and positive feelings about campus programs.
• Labs increase visibility and attract potential future research assistants.
• Higher rates of student applications to targeted programs.
• Greater engagement in subsequent on-campus opportunities (internships, summer research, etc.).
• Strengthened pipelines from high schools/community colleges to academic programs.
• Sustained increases in diversity and participation in research and STEM fields.

Industry Sector Hub Sponsor: Public Service, Education & Social Sciences; Health & Life Sciences

Intended Launch: Spring 2026

Jacob DeGeal (UBalt), Dr. Rae Tan (UBalt), and Dr. Scott Riley II (UMB) are collaborating to connect their courses in design thinking, organizational theory, and technical writing for STEM, creating an innovative, cross-disciplinary learning experience. This connected course model provides students with the opportunity to engage in solutions-based projects that mirror real-world problem solving, combining creativity, structural analysis, and clear communication. By working across disciplines, students will gain valuable practice in teamwork, adaptability, and applying knowledge from multiple fields to develop impactful solutions—preparing them for today’s dynamic workforce.

Objectives

• Deliver coordinated, real-world, theme-based learning experiences that count toward students’ majors/minors.
• Build student skills in communication, teamwork, research, and problem-solving through collaborative projects with external partners.
• Promote faculty collaboration, innovation in teaching, and stronger campus–industry/community connections.

Outcomes

• Students demonstrate higher engagement, stronger skills, and greater career readiness.
• Faculty develop cross-disciplinary relationships and adopt collaborative teaching approaches.
• Partners benefit from actionable solutions and access to a stronger talent pipeline.
• Growth in interdisciplinary programs, campus–industry partnerships, and student placement rates.
• Sustainable, scalable model supporting future Hubs and broader participation.