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Remembering Jessica Soto Perez
UMBC
PROMISE Peer Mentor: Jessica Soto Perez
PROMISE
STATEMENT:
Jessica
Soto Perez was one of the first Peer Mentors for the
PROMISE program. She understood and supported the mission
of AGEP (Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate)
and was pleased to be a part of PROMISE: Maryland's
AGEP. She was a friend and mentor to her peers, and
a constant source of inspiration for graduate students,
undergraduate students on many campuses, as well as
members of the UMBC faculty and staff. Jessica was a
regular participant in the Horizons programs at UMBC
and was a regularly sought after panelist for both the
Graduate and Summer Horizons forums. Jessica participated
in all of the activities on all of our PROMISE alliance
campuses, UMBC, UMB, and UMCP. In addition, she was
a participant in the PROF-it, Professors-in-Training,
subsidiary of PROMISE. As a part of the PROF-it portion
of PROMISE, Jessica received training from the UMBC
Faculty Development Center and the University of Maryland
College Park Center for Teaching Excellence. Jessica
was one of the lecturers for the McNair Scholars Research
Course in 2004, and had recently been a participant
in the Howard University and the University of Texas
at El Paso Preparing Future Faculty Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math Summer Institute in Washington
D.C. This summer, Jessica was one of the Graduate Advising
Fellows for Undergraduate Admissions. Jessica taught
Saturday classes for the Regional Upward Bound Math
and Science center, and was an inspiration to all of
the students, especially the young women. Jessica was
also a TA in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical
Engineering. She loved her research on chromatography
and was planning to return to her alma mater, the University
of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, to become a professor. Jessica
was a light to all who knew her. She always had a smile,
a word of encouragement, a wink, or a laugh. She shared
her passion for life. She loved her family and her friends.
She loved PROMISE, her lab (Dr. D. Frey) and the people
in the TRC building, her department (Chemical and Biochemical
Engineering), and her schools (UMBC, graduate school,
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, Undergraduate).
We will miss her!
The
(unofficial) Memorial Tree on UMBC's Campus
- On
Hilltop Circle, near the stairs of Lot 10 (lot with
the red roofs) and the parking circle
- Between
the Administration Building and the entry to Rt. 95.
The tree has peach and pink colored ribbon.(Please
note that this is a temporary memorial site)
Post
Messages to Jessica's Friends and Family on the Message
Board
Jessica
Soto Perez Message Board
Here
are some of our PROMISE: Maryland's AGEP memories. Thank
you for allowing us to share them with you.
(1)
Jessica and Alisha get ready to board the bus for Coolfont.
(2) Rob (PROMISE Inter-campus Liaison), takes pictures
with everyone in PROMISE that weekend in March, here
is his picture with Jessica.
(1)
After dinner with (First Row) Tip, Curtis, Jessica,
Delphi; (Second Row) Gloria (UMCP), Vera, Rob, and Sonia.
(2) Jessica smiles after giving her presentation at
the Graduate Student Research Forum at UMBC, April 2004.
1)
A PROMISE photo with students from all three campuses:
Left to right: Erica (UMB), Jessica, Kim (UMB), Curtis,
Ulunna (UMCP), Delphi, Sly, and Sean (UMB);
 
Jessica
and Sean (Graduate Student at UMB) construct a mindbending
puzzle with their team at Coolfont.
 
(1)
Peggy, Curtis, Sean, Jessica, Bernard, and Vera talk
at one of the houses at Coolfont. (2) Sly and Jessica
play Scrabble at the PROMISE Family and Friends Cookout
and Recognition of Graduates. Jessica also had her dominoes
that day for anyone who wanted to play!
 
(1)
Sly, Jessica, Willie (UMCP), Angela (UMCP), and Shahza
play scrabble. (2) Sly, Vera, and Jessica
 
(1)
Keondra, Sonia, Vera, and Jessica, (2) Jessica and Dr.
Tull discuss her future plans after a Success Seminar
on Finances, this discussion was about becoming a professor,
connecting with industry, and buying many acres in Puerto
Rico with enough space for horses!
Jessica
and Sonia on the bus during the PROMISE trip to Coolfont
in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
Jessica's
RESEARCH:
Bioseparations
and chromatography, separation and purification of biopolymers,
novel methods for chromatofocusing, design and optimization
of ion-exchange processes. Her most recent poster was:
"Behaviour of the Inadvertent pH transients formed
by a salt gradient in the ion-exchange chromatography
of proteins."
Campus
Mourns ... 
(Excerpts
from the UMBC website)
The
UMBC administration, faculty and staff are grieving
for the tragic loss of student Jessica Soto Perez. Ms.
Perez, an outstanding, 26-year-old Ph.D. student in
the department of chemical & biochemical engineering,
was the victim of a fatal shooting.
Ms.
Perez earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the
University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez prior to coming
to UMBC. An active and engaged member of the UMBC community,
Ms. Perez was a graduate teaching assistant in the department
of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering and served
as a peer mentor and counselor to other graduate and
undergraduate students. She also served as a senator
in the graduate student association.
"Our
Jessica was dear to all of us and this will be hard
to deal with," said Govind Rao, chair of chemical
and biochemical engineering. "While every such
tragedy is senseless, hers seems particularly more so,
given her absolutely positive and life-embracing spirit.
While this is hard for us, it is even more important
to keep her family in our thoughts and prayers, as it
must be far worse for them."
University
Counseling Service (410-455-2473 or ext. 5-2474) has
trained counselors available to lend support to students,
faculty and staff who knew Ms. Perez or who are otherwise
affected by this incident. University Counseling Service
hours are Monday Friday, from 8:30 a.m.
5:00 p.m. No appointments are needed.
More
...
Insights
... News for the UMBC Community
Jessica's
funeral was held in Puerto Rico on July 8, 2004; San
Sebastian Memorial Home; Route 111; Kilometer 17.4;
Barrio Guatemala; San Sebastian; Puerto Rico 00685
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