Students who are creative, highly motivated, and passionate about the Biological Sciences can emerge as campus leaders through our BSCI Ambassadors program.

Over 1,400 students are enrolled in the Biological Sciences major at the University of Maryland-College Park, each year. To continue the development of our undergraduate program, Biological Sciences (BSCI) is looking for spirited Science Terps who can represent the major and be outspoken voices for our broad student body.

About BSCI Ambassadors

BSCI Ambassadors is a volunteer experience. The ambassadorship creates a formative pathway for students to practice and master professional skills such as: campaigning, recruitment, public speaking, event coordination, mentoring, and more. Students with minimal or no prior work experience are highly encouraged to apply. The ambassadorship is the first of its kind for Biological Sciences, so students admitted into the program during 2026 would be part of a special, inaugural cohort.

• [COMING SOON] Meet your 2026-2027 BSCI Ambassadors, The Inaugural Cohort

Ambassadors are divided into three committees, which have the following missions:

MEDIA: creates and publishes compelling, student-centered media that illustrates and amplifies unique student experiences within the Biological Sciences Program

UPSKILL: coordinates experiences for Biological Sciences peers to upskill and prepare for careers post graduation

WELLNESS: coordinates experiences that advance the wellness of Biological Sciences peers (mental and physical) while fostering a culture of belonging within the major

Ambassador Responsibilities

The ambassadorship requires a commitment of 10-15 hours of service per semester—which breaks down to about one hour per week. A commitment of at least one year (two semesters) is expected.

Responsibilities vary by an ambassador’s committee, but ambassadors can expect to:

• Attend monthly sync meetings with the program manager (all committees report)

• Coordinate and attend committee-specific meetings (bi-weekly)

• Create original, student-centered media—photos, video essays, articles—to be published on our social media or website

• Plan and host student experiences related to professional development

• Plan and host student experiences related to wellness

• Additional tasks or responsibilities may be delegated as needed

Eligibility, Requirements to Apply

The minimum qualifications to be considered for an ambassadorship with Biological Sciences are as follows:

• Must be a declared in the Biological Sciences major for at least one semester 

• Must have at least two semesters left at UMD before graduation

• Commitment of 10-15 hours of service per semester (about 1hr/wk)

• A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA

• Strong communication skills (verbal and written)

• Fundamental skills in Google Workspace (Docs, Slides, Gmail, Calendar)

• Ability to work effectively in groups and individually

• Attention to detail

• Creative mind

  
  

  First-year students are eligible but must have completed at least one semester of Biological Sciences coursework and meet the other requirements listed.

  
  

How to Apply

The application will ask students to…

• Write a purpose statement (AI-generated statements are prohibited)

• List at least one professional reference which may be an instructor, academic advisor, research mentor, supervisor, or other professional.

• List current extracurricular commitments (on and off campus)

Students also have the option to upload a resume, though a resume is not required.

The priority deadline for best consideration is

Friday, March 13th by 11:59 PM.

Questions? Email:

Mr. Shiloh Ortiz, MEd

Program Manager for BSCI Ambassadors & Academic Advisor | email: shiloh@umd.edu