October 19, 2009 UMBC Forum Addresses Immigrant Youth Education Challenges Students at Risk: Helping Latin American Immigrant Youth Succeed FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT -- Kavan Peterson email: kavan@umbc.edu phone: 410-455-1896 BALTIMORE - The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is hosting a forum to address academic challenges specific to children of Latin American immigrant families on Friday, Oct. 23 at the World Trade Center in Baltimore from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and UMBC's Department of Public Policy and Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research, the forum will focus on the public policy implications of interventions to help immigrant students adapt to and succeed in U.S. schools. Featuring perspectives on the Latin American immigrant family experience in the U.S., the forum will provide insights relevant to policy makers in Baltimore and other Maryland communities that are home to growing Latin American populations. The program will include a presentation by UMBC Professors Tim Gindling and Sara Poggio on their recent policy brief Family Separation and the Educational Success of Immigrant Children, which discusses the challenges that Latin American immigrant children face, and how schools can help immigrant students adapt and succeed. Other speakers include: Carola Suárez-Orozco, Professor of Applied Psychology, New York University and Co-Director of Immigration Studies@NYU Hector Torres, President, PROSABER Emergency Management Consulting Karen Woodson, Director, Division of ESOL/Bilingual Programs, Montgomery County Public Schools The forum is open to the public but registration is required. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/pubpol/forums or call 410-455-8193. The Department of Public Policy offers a Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.), and a Ph.D. degree. Our major areas of focus are: educational policy, health policy, legal policy, public management, urban policy, and evaluation and analytical methods. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/pubpol. The Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (MIPAR) is UMBC’s center for applied scholarly public policy research. MIPAR links University resources with policy makers in the state and region, conducting policy studies, program evaluations and opinion research on a wide range of topics. MIPAR activities are supported by federal agencies, private foundations, and state and local governments. For more information about MIPAR, visit www.umbc.edu/mipar. Posted by kavan October 16, 2009 UMBC Announces 2009 Alumni of the Year and Distinguished Service Award Winners Each year, the UMBC Alumni Association presents annual awards to honor alumni for their professional and personal achievements and service to the University. Three types of awards are given: Alumnus/Alumna of the Year awards, a Distinguished Service award, and the new Young Alumni Rising Star Award. ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY James P. Clements ’85, ’91 & ’93, Information Systems, was recently appointed President of West Virginia University in Morgantown, WVa. He is the first UMBC alumnus to lead a major university. Prior to his appointment, Clements was Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Towson University (TU). A TU employee since 1989, he also served as a faculty member, Vice President for Economic and Community Outreach and Chairman of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences. Dr. Clements has published and presented more than 70 papers on management, information systems and technology. The fourth edition of his project management book is used in more than 20 countries and published in four languages. HUMANITIES Jeffrey “Duff” Goldman ’97, History, is known for turning traditional confections into out-of-this-world creations on his Food Network show “Ace of Cakes.” After completing his UMBC degree, Goldman attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. His company, Charm City Cakes, has baked cakes for events including the “Kung Fu Panda” premier and the Maryland Zoo’s annual Zoomerang gala. In 2000 he was a featured speaker at UMBC’s Alex Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. He also holds a Guinness Book record for baking the world’s largest cupcake, created in March 2008. NATURAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES Crystal Watkins ’95, Biological Sciences, studied at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She received the David E. Rogers Award for the highest standards of professionalism, medical ethics and community leadership. Dr. Watkins’ graduate research was featured in the Wall Street Journal and led to a U.S. patent for a treatment of diabetic disorders. She has also traveled to Ghana and worked with the Princess of Ada and Ministry of Health to implement HIV/AIDS health education and prevention programs. SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES The Honorable Jon S. Cardin M.P.P. ’96, Policy Sciences, represents residents of northwest Baltimore County in the Maryland House of Delegates, where he serves on the Ways and Means Committee. Much of his legislation focuses on election, tax and education reform. In February he was awarded the Humane Society of the United States’ Humane Legislator Award for developing legislation that gives shelters access to drugs needed to properly sedate animals prior to euthanasia. Cardin also serves as a member of the Board of Directors/Advisors for the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, the Camp Shohola Scholarship Fund, Baltimore Hebrew University, UMBC Hillel, The American Council of Young Political Leaders, Institute for Progressive Leadership and the Maryland Public Interest Law Project. VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS Laura Pasquini ’98, Visual Arts, is the director of Youth and Family Programs at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in the Washington, D.C. She oversees the operation of all classes, programs and camps for children and their families. In her time there she has redefined the overall vision and mission of the Corcoran’s after school program, Corcoran ArtReach. She installed and supported fundraising efforts for the annual ArtReach exhibit. At UMBC, Pasquini worked in the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture as an undergraduate intern where she worked to make art exhibits accessible and interesting to public school students through a series of creative projects based on gallery exhibits. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Gustavo Matheus, Esq. LLC ’90, Biological Sciences, is always thinking of new ways to connect with UMBC alumni and is particularly interested in engaging alumni in the Washington, D.C. area. He is intimately involved in growing and maintaining the Esperanza Endowment, which supports and inspires current and future UMBC students of Latino or Hispanic ancestry and/or students who are committed to the advancement of minorities. Matheus, who practices law in Rockville, Md., mentors student members of the scholarship committee and has been instrumental in connecting with alumni who choose to support the fund. RISING STAR AWARD Alicia Wilson ’04, Political Science, is an associate at Gordon Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger and Hollander, LLC. Prior to her position the firm’s Litigation Practice Group, she served as a clerk for the Honorable David Young for the Circuit Court of Baltimore City. Wilson spent her third year of law school at Susan Leviton’s Juvenile Law, Children’s Issues and Legislative Advocacy Clinic. She also coached the Mock Trail team at the Baltimore Freedom Academy – a high school with curriculum and culture focused on social justice and activism. Posted by elewis October 1, 2009 Tracking Global Sources of Local Pollution The National Academies of Sciences featured satellite pollution-tracking research by UMBC Physics Professor Wallace McMillan in a report released Sept. 29 urging better tracking of global air-borne pollutants. Using the most advanced methods of atmospheric monitoring and modeling, the report, “Global Sources of Local Pollution,” documents how air pollution can be transported across oceans and continents. As a member of the science team for NASA's Aqua satellite-based Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS), McMillan helped create a video showing plumes of carbon monoxide moving through the atmosphere to illustrate the transport of pollution around the globe. Obtained using the AIRS, the video shows observations tracking carbon monoxide at 5.5 kilometers above the surface of the Earth. Emissions of carbon monoxide from large fires and from large urban and industrial areas, such as northeastern China, can be seen as they move with weather fronts. View video in MP4 format (recommended for Mac users) View video in WMV format (recommended for Windows users) McMillan’s research focuses on global, regional and local measurements of pollution. Ed Olsen at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory animated the video. Posted by kavan September 23, 2009 Smog Blog Launches Panama Spin-Off on 6th Anniversary BALTIMORE -- The University of Maryland, Baltimore County's (UMBC) innovative "Smog Blog" air quality tracking web site celebrated its sixth anniversary Sept. 23, 2009, and recently helped launch a spin-off Central American air pollution blog based in Panama. The U.S. Smog Blog and Panamanian SERVIR blog offer realtime analysis and an extensive archive of satellite imagery and air quality data for scientists, allowing for instant communication about important pollution events. SERVIR was created in partnership with UMBC, NASA, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Smog Blog entries for each site are the products of analysis by science faculty and students from UMBC, the University of Panama in Panama City and Battelle Memorial Institute, who look at incoming data from satellite sensors and merge it with information from sparsely-distributed ground-based monitoring stations. Bloggers then post images, and make daily entries, providing a sort of “one-stop shopping” for information on air pollution in North America and across the globe. Learn more about the Smog Blog in the upcoming Winter 2009 issue of UMBC Magazine. About the U.S. Air Quality Weblog The Smog Blog is a daily diary of air quality in the U.S. using information from NASA satellites, ground-based lidar, EPA monitoring networks, and other monitors. Interpretation and analysis is provided by UMBC staff. Posted by kavan September 17, 2009 ACTiVATE® Graduate Wins Business Plan Competition Another Graduate Among the Finalists FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 17, 2009 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Jodi Cook, a 2008 graduate of UMBC’s ACTiVATE® program, was named the winner of the annual StartRight! Business Plan Competition. The competition, run by Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), is in its sixth year and recognizes top business plans from women entrepreneurs. Cook founded Thesia Medical LLC after she completed ACTiVATE®, which trains women to start companies based on technologies developed at area universities and research institutions. Thesia Medical is developing a device to monitor patients receiving regional anesthesia. Cook, an audiologist who previously worked at the Mayo Clinic, is in negotiations with Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory to license the technology on which the device will be based. Before entering the ACTiVATE® program, Cook was involved with two different start-ups with previous colleagues. Yearning to start her own company, Cook enrolled in ACTiVATE® to acquire the skills she would need to create her own business and develop her business plan. Cook’s hospital background gave her familiarity with the FDA approval process and she looked for a medical device technology that she could build a business around. StartRight! is the second business plan competition Cook entered and her first victory. The first place prize of $10,000 will allow her to begin building the prototype of her device once the licensing process is complete; when the prototype is built, Cook will be able to obtain funding from investors more easily. Cook noted that she also gained a great deal from the competition experience. “Having presentation experience helps when going out to investors,” she said. Carol Covin, a member of ACTiVATE®’s Class of 2007, was named a finalist in the competition, one of eight finalists out of 40 entrants. Her company, Sky Blue Pharmaceuticals LLC, is developing a small molecule drug that is based on a natural ingredient protocol to treat solid tumor cancers. Covin was inspired to start her company after a friend with inoperable stomach cancer found success with a combination of natural ingredients used in a cancer drug developed in the early 1980s that never made it to market. After meeting an oncologist who had developed a process for bringing obscure drugs to market, Covin, a computer science engineer who had dabbled in several entrepreneurial ventures, set about compiling data on the drug’s use. Through her research, she discovered 10 people who had used it to treat their cancers, apparently successfully. With the help of a consultant, Covin is compiling the data necessary to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA for permission to conduct a clinical trial. Using the knowledge and connections gained through ACTiVATE®, Covin developed a business plan and is now seeking investors, focusing primarily on foundations and individual investors. She affirmed that the StartRight! competition was a valuable experience as she moves her company forward. “I got good feedback about my business plan and good experience presenting.” She also noted that the continued guidance from ACTiVATE® instructors has also been invaluable. StartRight! judging criteria are overall financial viability, the company’s management plan, the quality of an entrant’s market research and its marketing plan, and the degree of innovation and differentiation in the business model. “The ACTiVATE® program gives its graduates the tools to develop solid business plans and present those plans to potential partners and investors. Jodi and Carol exemplify the spirit and expertise of our graduates and we congratulate them on this latest success,” said David Fink, ACTiVATE® program director. Posted by dshapiro September 2, 2009 Maryland Clean Energy Center Technology Incubator Network Opens First Site at bwtech@UMBC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 2, 2009 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu The Maryland Clean Energy Center has partnered with bwtech@UMBC to support early stage companies working with clean energy technologies and advance green job creation in our state. The Maryland Clean Energy Technology Incubator@bwtech (CETI) is the first site in a planned statewide network of clean energy incubators, which will strengthen Maryland’s Smart, Green and Growing energy economy. Katherine Magruder, executive director of MCEC said, “The Maryland Clean Energy Center is striving to partner with energy experts throughout the state in order to fulfill its mission of growing Maryland’s clean energy economy through related economic development and job creation. Because bwtech@UMBC has a proven track record of success our Board elected to work with their team to establish our first Clean Energy Incubator Network site at UMBC.” According to Magruder, “The intention is to draw from the depth and variety of the research presence in the state, and use the incubator network to move discoveries from the bench to the bank in the commercialization pipeline.” She added, “The program seeks to provide affordable space as well as assistance with business plans, marketing, and management of intellectual property for start-up companies that are focused on a clean or renewable energy product, service or technology.” CETI will provide services specifically tailored to the needs of companies working with solar power, wind power, geothermal, hydro-power, biofuels, as well as energy management and storage technologies. A part-time Entrepreneur-in-Residence and an advisory board of experienced researchers and executives in the clean energy sector will also provide tenant companies with assistance. CETI will occupy about 18,000 square feet of office and wet lab space in the Biotechnology Building of bwtech@UMBC’s Incubator and Accelerator, located on the south campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). CETI is a natural fit with UMBC’s strengths in environmental sciences and bwtech@UMBC’s interest in and support of environmental science companies. bwtech@UMBC already hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Water Science Center and the addition of CETI will create additional opportunities for university-industry collaborations. CETI resident companies will have the opportunity to collaborate with UMBC faculty and students, as nearly all of the other bwtech@UMBC companies have done. With UMBC ranked #1 among up-and-coming national universities by U.S. News and World Report, CETI represents yet another innovative approach to enhance UMBC’s contributions to Baltimore County and the state of Maryland. The incubator also fits with the university’s plans to build energy expertise at UMBC. Officials from bwtech@UMBC and the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (MIPAR) at UMBC are currently working to establish an Office of Energy Policy to serve as the primary center for energy policy research in Maryland. “bwtech@UMBC is delighted to establish this groundbreaking incubator,” said Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park. “Maryland is positioned to become a leader in bioscience and environmental technologies, and we are excited to be a part of it.” Initial funding for the CETI will be provided by MCEC, bwtech@UMBC, and a grant from the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development to support the Entrepreneur-in-Residence. “bwtech@UMBC has been a leader in nurturing entrepreneurship, fostering new ideas and generating jobs in Baltimore County for nearly two decades,” said David S. Iannucci, executive director of Baltimore County Economic Development. “The Clean Energy Technology Incubator will increase its economic impact on the region.” MCEC Board Chairman, Ken Connolly stated, “We are grateful to Baltimore County for their willingness to support this partnership with funding and certain this relationship will be successful for all involved.” In the long term MCEC is hoping to replicate this model in partnership with other jurisdictions and their economic development agencies. Posted by dshapiro August 11, 2009 ACTiVATE® Announces New Program at NIH Program Will Provide Pathway to Entrepreneurship for Postdocs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 11, 2009 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has received an award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through their Partnerships for Innovation program to establish an ACTiVATE® at NIH program in Montgomery County. The program, slated to start in early 2010, will train post-doctoral research fellows from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal labs in the region to start technology-based companies. Building on the successful ACTiVATE® program at UMBC, which trains mid-career women to start companies using technologies developed at area universities and research institutions, ACTiVATE® at NIH will provide postdocs (both men and women) with the training and support needed to start new companies in Maryland or to pursue an entrepreneurial career path. Each year, Maryland’s workforce loses many of the highly skilled, post-doctoral fellows at NIH and other federal labs in the region as these individuals seek employment outside of the state when their fellowships are completed. The economic impact of losing these scientists, coupled with the fierce competition that they face for positions in academia, created the opportunity for a program to train researchers to pursue commercialization of their scientific findings. Giving post-doctoral fellows the skills to transform research into viable businesses will not only give them a rewarding career path and contribute to the growth of Maryland’s life sciences industry, but will also advance medical science by moving technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace. Following the original ACTiVATE® program model, ACTiVATE® at NIH will recruit both postdocs and individuals from the business community as participants so they can form interdisciplinary teams to pursue opportunities for start-up companies. The Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, a key partner in the program, will receive funding under the award to offer ACTiVATE® at NIH at their Shady Grove campus in Rockville. The program will span one calendar year, with classes held one evening per week and one Saturday per month. Program participants will be mentored by experienced entrepreneurs and others from the business community. Through a partnership with the NIH Office of Technology Transfer, participants will have the opportunity to evaluate technologies from NIH and other federal labs as part of the program. Other program partners include Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), Montgomery College, Human Workflows LLC and the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development. “We are pleased to expand the ACTiVATE® model to Montgomery County and to offer the program to the talented group of scientists working as postdocs at NIH and other federal labs in the region. In the course of four years, the program at UMBC has trained 92 women and launched over 25 companies; we hope to bring that same success to this new venture,” said Stephen Auvil, assistant vice president for research at UMBC and a co-principal investigator on the NSF award. “REDI has long supported efforts to capitalize on the talent in our federal labs, and ACTiVATE® at NIH is an excellent opportunity to leverage cutting-edge technologies and keep Maryland at the forefront of the life sciences industry. We will work closely with our partners to ensure the success of this program,” said Sally Sternbach, executive director of REDI. “We look forward to growing these companies in our local economy.” Posted by dshapiro August 4, 2009 bwtech@UMBC Announces New Incubator Program Targets Small Disadvantaged Businesses FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 4, 2009 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu bwtech@UMBC is pleased to announce a new incubator located in Class A office space within the bwtech@UMBC Research Park. The Advantage Incubator@bwtech opened for business last week with four new tenants. The new incubator is designed for early-stage companies that are minority-, women- or veteran-owned and have substantial business activities aimed at providing technology-related products and services to state and federal agencies. The founding tenants are Premier Management Corporation, a network security consultant for NSA and other federal agencies; Farfield Systems, a provider of IT and systems engineering services and training; CardioMed Device Consultants, a regulatory consultant for medical device companies; and the Nixon Group, a multi-faceted company with experience in healthcare and financial services. Alex Euler, bwtech@UMBC’s associate director of business development, reports that there has been much interest from the business community. In addition to the four companies above, several other companies have made inquiries. “Businesses that contract with the federal government are still experiencing growth, despite weakening in the overall market,” said Euler. “The Advantage Incubator’s proximity to a number of federal agencies and research centers such as NSA, NIH, FDA, NASA and DOD is a great asset. Client companies also benefit from the park’s federal HUBZone and state Enterprise Zone designations.” The founding four are looking forward to expanding their businesses and taking advantage of the benefits the Advantage Incubator has to offer. Semih Oktay, president of CardioMed Device Consultants, is happy to be back at UMBC, having earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the university in 1993. He cited the location, with its proximity to the airport, as a key factor in his decision to relocate, noting that many of his company’s clients are from out of town. Oktay is also looking forward to hiring student interns in the future and notes that UMBC’s corporate training facilities will allow him to offer training to client groups. Greg Tyler, vice president for business development and recruiting for Farfield Systems, a service disabled veteran-owned small business, noted that the incubator’s HUBZone designation was the primary reason for his company’s move. The company, founded in 2002, specializes in training and intelligence analysis in the area of information systems. Most of its contracts are with the Department of Defense, but Tyler said the company is branching out to private sector clients as well. Tyler also noted that Farfield is looking forward to establishing relationships with UMBC faculty and students and plans to hire students to fill its staffing needs. “bwtech@UMBC is delighted to create a new incubator within the research park,” said Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park. “This is a unique program that allows clients to operate in a Class A environment, with shared reception areas, conference rooms and university resources. Combine that with our HUBZone status and experienced entrepreneurial services team, and it is clear that we are providing tremendous value to these companies.” Posted by dshapiro July 7, 2009 Judah Ronch Begins Tenure as Interim Dean of UMBC’s Erickson School FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 1, 2009 CONTACT: Eleanor Lewis Senior Director, Communications 410-455-2065 elewis@umbc.edu Judah Ronch Begins Tenure as Interim Dean of UMBC’s Erickson School BALTIMORE -- On July 1, Judah Ronch, a nationally known researcher whose work focuses on strength-based approaches to aging and aging services, began serving as Interim Dean of the Erickson School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). The Erickson School is the first program in the nation to integrate management science, public policy and the study of human aging. The School’s goal is to educate leaders and build new knowledge to improve society for mid-life and older adults. Most recently, Ronch served as director of the School’s undergraduate program. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College and his Ph.D. in Psychology from Yeshiva University. He has served on the faculty at Vassar College, in the Department of Internal Medicine at Vassar Brothers Hospital, and as the Executive Director of the Brookdale Center on Aging at Hunter College. He also consults for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Ronch will be responsible for building the School’s undergraduate, graduate and executive education programs. “With the aging of 78 million Baby Boomers in the U.S., and millions more around the world, new approaches that promote their need for an active, engaged later life focused on comprehensive wellness will be needed,” said Ronch. “As a result, there will be many, many opportunities for creativity and fulfilling careers in this growing field. The Erickson School's unique educational approach integrates learning about the processes of aging, policy issues that will impact all of society, and how managers and leaders in the private, public and not for profit sectors will achieve the most effective answers for the future.” --Enrollment continues to grow in the School’s B.A.in the Management of Aging Services program and its courses. The B.A. program now has fully developed tracks in aging, policy and management and works with each student to arrange a substantive internship in an aging-related field. The School is beginning the process of creating online versions of all courses required for the major. --Prospective student interest is strong for the third Master’s in Aging Services cohort that begins in spring 2010. The School continues its cohort-learning framework and is also modifying its curriculum to integrate further aging, policy and management topics. Beginning this fall, the M.A. program will include additional faculty from the Baltimore-Washington policy, healthcare and business communities to increase student exposure to the perspective of practitioners and new course sections for both senior and emerging leaders. --Five executive education courses for the seniors housing and care industry will be offered in the 2009-10 academic year on Navigating Change in Financially Challenging Times, Management and Operations, Sales and Marketing, Business and Strategy, and Finance. The School will also offer custom executive education tailored to the culture and needs of particular organizations. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/erickson. Posted by elewis June 25, 2009 ACTiVATE® Graduate Wins ICOY Award Two bwtech@UMBC Incubator Companies Named Finalists FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2009 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu The ACTiVATE® program congratulates 2006 graduate Kris Appel, whose company, Encore Path, was honored at the ninth annual Maryland Incubator Company of the Year (ICOY) Awards on June 16. Encore Path was the winner in the Technology Transfer category. Appel started her business upon completion of bwtech@UMBC’s year-long ACTiVATE® program, which trains mid-career women with significant business or technical experience to start companies based on technologies licensed from area universities and research institutions. Appel is one of 92 women trained in the program’s first four years. Over 25 companies have been launched by ACTiVATE® graduates. Encore Path develops stroke rehabilitation technologies and recently launched sales of the Tailwind arm rehabilitation device, based on technology licensed from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. “The ACTiVATE® program provided me with the knowledge and mentoring I needed to start my own business. I am honored that my company is considered among the best early-stage companies in Maryland and I look forward to its continued growth and success,” said Appel. “This award affirms the value of the ACTiVATE® program in producing successful companies. We congratulate Kris on what she has achieved with her company and have no doubt that Encore Path has a very bright future,” said David Fink, the ACTiVATE® program manager. Encore Path, is based at the Emerging Technology Center in Baltimore. Two current bwtech@UMBC incubator companies, Amethyst Technologies and Columbia BioSystems, were ICOY award finalists in the Technology Services and New Incubator Company categories, respectively. Amethyst Technologies provides cGMP compliant services for organizations engaged in FDA-regulated activities and Columbia BioSystems is developing products in the field of molecular nano-diagnostics, using molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the rapid detection of pathogens such as MRSA. Amethyst is owned by 2007 ACTiVATE® graduate Kimberly Brown. Posted by dshapiro June 8, 2009 CUERE Wins Grant to Combat Urban Runoff into Bay BALTIMORE -- UMBC'S Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education (CUERE) is one of 24 projects to receive a total of $12.9 million in grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to the local streams, creeks and rivers that flow to the Chesapeake Bay. CUERE received $312,177 to address polluted runoff from compacted soils in parks, school yards, athletic fields, residential lawns and inner city vacant lots in Baltimore City and County. The center and its project partners will develop technical specifications needed to incorporate subsoiling -- a type of deep tilling that breaks up compacted soil, allowing more water to soak in -- around Gwynns Falls, Herring Run, Henry Run and Watershed 263 in Baltimore City. The grant was awarded through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, which provides up to $1 million to innovative and cost-effective projects that dramatically reduce or eliminate the flow of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution into local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. View the full list of grantees here. Posted by kavan June 2, 2009 bwtech@UMBC Welcomes New Companies Technology and Bioscience Start-Ups Join Incubator Program FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 2, 2009 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu bwtech@UMBC is pleased to welcome Pearl Life Science Partners, Quantum Medical Metrics and Amidus to its incubator program. All three companies are optimistic about their ability to fill a need in their respective industries and achieve success. Pearl Life Science Partners, founded in August of 2008, is working on developing a platform that uses a modified viral particle vaccine technology to increase the efficacy of vaccines. CEO Mark Pittenger reports that the company is in the process of applying for grants and looking for larger investors. Its goal is to secure $1 million of financing that will allow it to complete the pre-clinical studies needed to obtain grants for human research and testing. Pittenger, a cell and molecular biologist, noted that the Incubator’s location, lower cost and proximity to both the UMBC campus and other companies were the main factors in the company’s decision to make bwtech@UMBC its headquarters. “The variety of the companies at the Incubator is great. Everyone knows someone we should meet. There are very smart people here and there is a lot of interaction.” Pittenger also noted the strength of the bwtech@UMBC management team: “The staff has helped other companies before and is very experienced. They’ve introduced us to the people we need to talk to set up our business.” Tom Beck, the chief technology officer of Quantum Medical Metrics and a Catonsville resident, agreed that bwtech@UMBC’s location and its proximity to the UMBC campus were important to his company. Quantum, founded last September, has already hired one student intern and is developing relationships with faculty members. Beck also praised the staff and facility: “They treat you well here and provide highly professional advice and services to novice entrepreneurs. The facility meets our needs and is much more affordable than other incubators.” Quantum is developing an advanced dual energy x-ray imaging system that can measure bone strength using three-dimensional engineering analysis and will be able to image patients whether they are lying down or standing up. Beck pointed out that this technology has applications for children as well as adults, because of the low radiation the system will use. In addition to measuring bone density to diagnose conditions such as osteoporosis, the system could also be used to evaluate problems in the growing skeleton. The company has licensed technology from Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab and is seeking development funds from NIH, the U.S. Army, NASA and other sources. Amidus, founded just two months ago, is a consultancy offering marketing and technology services, focusing on conferences and other business events. Co-founder Pranay Kohli says the company’s goal is to “offer a fresh, unique and personalized user experience.” He noted that there are over 13,000 business events each year in the U.S. and that Amidus is in a position to offer much value. When looking for a location for their young company, Kohli and his partner Pat Pathade visited other incubators but felt bwtech@UMBC had the most to offer. Besides the convenient location - both live in Howard County - they wanted the opportunity to collaborate with UMBC faculty and students. Said Kohli: “This is a knowledge industry. We need an educated workforce.” He also noted that the level of support offered to early-stage companies at bwtech@UMBC was important to Amidus. “bwtech@UMBC is delighted to welcome these three companies,” said David Fink, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC. “We feel each has great potential for success in the future and we look forward to helping them achieve their goals.” Posted by dshapiro April 10, 2009 Sen Ben Cardin to Speak at UMBC April 14 UMBC will host Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) on Tuesday, April 14, for a discussion asking "Can We Save the Environment and the Economy?" The discussion, sponsored by the Public Policy Graduate Student Association, will take place at 2 p.m. in the Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery. Senator Cardin served in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1967-1986 and as Speaker from 1979-1986. He represented Maryland's Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987-2006. In 2006, he was elected by the people of Maryland to succeed Paul Sarbanes in the U.S. Senate. As a Senator, he serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, Judiciary Committee, Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, Budget Committee and Small Business Committee. On the Judiciary Committee, Senator Cardin chairs the Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee, and on the EPW Committee he chairs the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee for the 111th Congress. Posted by kavan April 7, 2009 ACTiVATE Program Recognized Internationally Program Cited As One of Three “Good Practices” Programs FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 7, 2009 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu The ACTiVATE® program has been recognized by a European organization as one of three “Good Practices” programs that train women entrepreneurs. ACTiVATE®, a year-long program at bwtech@UMBC that trains women to be entrepreneurs, is the only U.S-based program of the three honorees; the others are the MEETS program in Cambridge, UK and the NEnA program in Halle, Germany. The recognition was given by the organizers of FemStart, a partnership of six European universities formed in 2006 to study female entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship training programs at universities. There is an ongoing concern in Europe that women are underrepresented in university entrepreneurship programs. Given that entrepreneurship and small businesses are important generators of jobs and economic activity, there is a strong interest in encouraging women to pursue entrepreneurship. FemStart organized a series of six conferences in various European cities over the past two years to study entrepreneurship programs that have been successful in attracting female participants, particularly those in science and technology. ACTiVATE® administrators presented at five of these conferences, which in total attracted over 500 participants across Europe. In recognizing the “Good Practices” programs, FemStart noted that ACTiVATE® and the other programs “were well-accepted and received very positive feedback from the participants.” The organization also recognized that in the U.S., as in the UK and Germany, “support of university-based and high tech start-ups has a longer tradition.” Stephen Auvil, assistant vice president for research at UMBC who is one of ACTiVATE®’s co-principal investigators, presented at three conferences: “Attending the FemStart conferences showed us how much interest there is in successful programs that train female entrepreneurs. It was an honor to be able to share ACTiVATE®’s successful model with the European academic and business communities.” Said David Fink, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC and the ACTiVATE® program director, who presented at two of the other FemStart conferences: “We are very proud of this latest recognition for ACTiVATE®. It affirms that the program is a worldwide leader in producing successful women entrepreneurs in the science and technology fields.” ACTiVATE® is a joint program of bwtech@UMBC’s Incubator, the UMBC Office of Technology Development, and the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. The year-long program utilizes technologies developed by Maryland’s universities and research institutions and trains mid-career women with significant technical or business experience to start companies based on those technologies. In the first four years of the program, ACTiVATE® has trained 92 women and has launched over 25 companies. ACTiVATE® was initially funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Current sponsors include the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Venable LLP, Corporate Office Properties Trust, Miles & Stockbridge PC, Whiteford, Taylor, and Preston LLP, and SB and Company LLC. Posted by dshapiro March 31, 2009 bwtech@UMBC Welcomes New Companies New Technology Companies Join Incubator Program FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2009 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Science Systems and Applications, Inc. and Premier Management Corporation are the latest companies to establish residence at the bwtech@UMBC Incubator. Both technology companies are government contractors and are optimistic about their prospects for growth and success. Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) performs work under contract for NASA and other government agencies. The Calibration and Validation Office (CVO) at bwtech@UMBC evaluates ocean color data from satellites and field operations to determine its validity. The data is used to determine water composition and ultimately, the degree of climate change on the planet. The CVO’s director, Stanford Hooker, notes the increased attention to global warming and expects interest in the CVO’s work to increase. The CVO was originally located at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Prince George’s County, but as the contract requirements grew, they began searching for a larger space between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. They chose bwtech@UMBC because of the wet lab space available and its close proximity to BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, as they often host scientists from around the world. In addition, NASA’s existing research relationship with UMBC (one of the CVO’s six employees is a UMBC assistant research scientist) was also a factor. Premier Management Corporation began in 2004 as a financial consulting firm, and has recently begun to focus on the areas of cyber crime and network security, performing services for NSA and other government agencies. In collaboration with UMBC, the company is developing technologies to detect vulnerabilities and attacks via the Internet in government computer systems. Company CEO Marcus Board reports that the 18-employee company has hired one intern from UMBC and he hopes to hire more in the future. Board was referred to bwtech@UMBC by Andre Gudger, CEO of Solvern Innovations at UMBC’s Research Park. Board and Gudger had recently collaborated on a project, and Board says that he was impressed with the Incubator facility during his tour. He is looking forward to taking advantage of the resources the Incubator provides to help his business grow. “bwtech@UMBC is delighted to welcome these two companies,” said David Fink, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC. “We have a strong track record of producing successful technology companies and we are confident these companies will benefit tremendously from our program.” Posted by dshapiro March 25, 2009 Solvern Innovations Establishes Center of Excellence Facility Will Train DoD Staff on Managerial Issues FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 25, 2009 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Solvern Innovations, a bwtech@UMBC Research Park company that specializes in comprehensive research and development products and solutions, acquisition and business management services, and training and technology development, has established a Center of Excellence. The Center, located one floor below the company’s headquarters, will train Department of Defense employees and contractors in business management, acquisition, logistics and procurement processes. According to Solvern CEO Andre Gudger, the Center is the first in the federal government to focus on business management. In addition to training, the Center will function as a think tank, with more than 10 employees performing research and development on effective techniques for business management, acquisition processes, procurement and logistics. Solvern has been operating the training side of its business for three years, but only recently completed the two-year process required as an accredited Center of Excellence. “We have worked hard to become a world-class solutions provider to the Department of Defense, where employees and contractors can come and gain the knowledge needed to accomplish their mission,” said Gudger, who is a graduate of UMBC. “Solvern Innovations has strived to be a leader in its field. The company has a unique approach by teaming senior staff, who have up to 40 years of contracting and acquisition experience, with recent college graduates who are skilled and trained in areas such as business process management, earned value and project management. As a result, Solvern produces products and processes that are both innovative and practical. We are proud of Solvern for achieving the Center of Excellence designation and are pleased that the company has chosen to locate its new facility at our Research Park,” said Ellen Hemmerly, executive director, bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park. Posted by dshapiro March 10, 2009 Darwin Birthday Bash UMBC History Professor Sandra Herbert helped kick-off Charles Darwin's bicentennial celebration on his 200th birthday, Feb. 12, 2009, with a speech at the Library of Congress. Herbert, one of the world's leading Darwin authorities, gave a lecture on her book “Charles Darwin, Geologist,” which explores how geology changed Darwin and how Darwin changed science. An excerpt of Herbert's speech can be viewed below. The full lecture will be featured on CSPAN's Book TV in April. Learn more about Herbert's Darwin research here. Posted by kavan January 7, 2009 Incubator Welcomes New Companies Start-Ups Look Forward to Using Incubator Resources FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2009 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu The bwtech@UMBC Incubator welcomed three new companies recently. Noxilizer, PsychNostics and Kydes Pharmaceuticals moved into the Incubator during November. Each is optimistic about its future growth and is confident that the resources provided by the Incubator will help them achieve their goals. Noxilizer, which was founded in 2004, has grown out of partnerships with Incubator companies Aurora Analytics and Athena Environmental Sciences. The company was using one of Aurora’s labs for its operations at bwtech@UMBC and recently leased its own office and lab space. The company is pioneering the development of a unique sterilization technology that will revolutionize two major sterilization markets - hospitals and biotherapeutics. For the multi-billion dollar hospital infection control market, Noxilizer is developing a sterilizer for sensitive high-tech instruments (such as endoscopes) which are increasingly used in minimally invasive surgical procedures. In the biotherapeutics market, Noxilizer’s room-temperature system has shown great potential to be an enabling technology for a wide range of products, including antibodies, proteins, drug-device combination products, nanoparticles and implants. Not only will Noxilizer technology expand company pipelines, it will also reduce the cost to manufacture many life-saving products. David Opie, Noxilizer’s vice president of research and development, said the bwtech incubator has been the ideal facility for Noxilizer. “By collaborating with other incubator companies, including Aurora Analytics and Athena Environmental Sciences, Noxilizer has been able to grow very efficiently. Our team thrives in the collegial atmosphere at the Incubator, and the location near BWI airport is very convenient.” PsychNostics, founded in 2004 and previously located at a lab in Columbia, is developing a blood test to diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder. Company CEO Alagu Thiruvengadam, a neuroscientist who was previously a visiting faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, proudly noted that it is the first test of its kind. He has one patent and another one is pending. His goal is to bring the test to market and is in the process of talking to potential investors. Although he lives in Columbia, Thiruvengadam chose to locate further north at bwtech@UMBC after he toured the facility and was impressed with the management team and the support services offered. He plans to take advantage of the networking opportunities and other advisory services. Kydes Pharmaceuticals, founded in 2004 by Stephen Dordunoo and previously headquartered in his house, specializes in developing drugs in the areas of pain management, women’s health and oncology. Dordunoo is looking to establish partnerships with larger pharmaceutical companies to develop and commercialize drugs. His decision to move his company to the Incubator was motivated not only by his need for more space and lab facilities, but also the support services offered to the companies as well as the affordable rents compared to other area incubators. Dordunoo was also glad to find a small space with the opportunity to grow into additional space at the same location. “The bwtech@UMBC Incubator has a strong track record of launching successful companies,” said David Fink, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC. “We are delighted to welcome these growing companies and look forward to supporting them as they establish themselves in the marketplace.” #### About bwtech@UMBC: bwtech@UMBC (_http://www.bwtechumbc.com_) is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. About UMBC: UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. Posted by dshapiro December 15, 2008 bwtech@UMBC Companies Chosen As Future 50 Companies To Be Honored By Smart CEO Magazine CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu December 15, 2008 Two companies located at bwtech@UMBC, Next Breath, LLC, and Solvern Innovations, have been selected by Baltimore’s SmartCEO magazine for this year’s Future 50 companies. Companies are chosen based on their growth in staffing and revenue. They will be honored at an awards ceremony on January 8. Next Breath, a graduate of bwtech@UMBC’s incubator program, is a contract services provider to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies that bring new inhalation and nasal products to market. It provides services ranging from pre-clinical formulation development to analytical testing in support of submissions made to regulatory agencies. The company, now in bwtech@UMBC’s accelerator program, was founded in 2001 and currently employs 21 people. “Next Breath has achieved steady growth and success since its founding,” said Julie Suman, the company’s president. “We are honored to be recognized by SmartCEO for our achievements and our future potential.” Solvern Innovations, located at bwtech@UMBC’s Research Park, was founded in 2003 by UMBC graduate Andre Gudger and two business partners. It provides innovative comprehensive research and development products and solutions, acquisition and business management services, and training and technology development to clients in both the public and private sectors. The federal government makes up the majority of Solvern’s client base. Currently, the company has 120 employees, most of them based at client sites around the country. “Solvern Innovations has always strived to be an industry leader and provide our clients with innovative solutions through our great staff. We are proud of this recognition by SmartCEO and look forward to continuing our growth,” said founder and CEO Gudger. “Our companies have contributed a great deal to our region’s economy and Next Breath and Solvern Innovations are perfect examples of that,” said Ellen Hemmerly, executive director, bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park. “We congratulate them on this latest recognition and wish them continued growth and success.” ##### About bwtech@UMBC: bwtech@UMBC (http://www.bwtechumbc.com) is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. Posted by dshapiro November 24, 2008 Blue Wave Semiconductors Receives SBIR Grant Funding Will Allow Company to Develop Nanotechnology Materials CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu November 24, 2008 Blue Wave Semiconductors, Inc., a resident of bwtech@UMBC’s Incubator, has received a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation. The $478,000 grant, which begins this month, will help the company develop nanomaterials for commercial and national security applications. Founded in 2000 by R.D. Vispute, a research scientist at the University of Maryland, College Park, Blue Wave’s mission is to become a leader in semiconductor and optoelectronic devices and systems through innovative research and development techniques. Since June 2004, the company has been headquartered at bwtech@UMBC. The grant from the NSF will be used to develop nanotechnology materials for bright ultraviolet (UV) lighting applications that are used in national security applications, medical devices, biological analysis tools, ultraviolet-based secure communications, space sensors, UV curing and UV disinfection/sterilization of water. These applications require UV sources with precise output wavelengths and high power. “I am glad that the NSF has recognized the potential of our project,” said R.D. Vispute, CEO of Blue Wave Semiconductors. “This grant puts the company in the position to embark on an exciting phase in our research. We are confident that our work will provide great value to the semiconductor industry and the scientific community.” “Blue Wave Semiconductors is performing innovative research with the potential for application in a variety of industries,” said David Fink, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC. “We are pleased with the support the NSF is providing through this award.” #### About bwtech@UMBC: bwtech@UMBC is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. Posted by dshapiro October 29, 2008 ACTiVATE Graduate Receives Prestigious Award Biotech Entrepreneur Honored at International Competition FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 29, 2008 CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Mona Jhaveri, a 2005 graduate of bwtech@UMBC’s ACTiVATE® program, was the North American honoree at the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards, presented October 17 at the annual Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society in Deauville, France. Jhaveri is the founder and CEO of Foligo Therapeutics, which develops molecular-based products to improve the detection and treatment of ovarian cancer. Five awards were presented, each to a female entrepreneur from a different continent. The winners receive $20,000 (USD) and have the opportunity to receive free mentoring from consultants at Cartier, McKinsey and INSEAD (France-based business school) for one year. The awards ceremony is part of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, an annual conference for female entrepreneurs created in 2005 by French businesswoman Aude Zieseniss de Thuin. This year, 1200 women from around the world attended the three-day event, which featured lectures, panel discussions and brainstorming sessions. “Foligo is the embodiment of my dream,” said Jhaveri. “I have always wanted to play a part in solving major problems affecting women's health. This award will allow me to continue working toward that goal.” Said David Fink, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC and the ACTiVATE® program director: “We are very proud that Mona’s vision has been recognized with such a prestigious award. Her goals are representative of the dedication and passion that ACTiVATE® graduates have brought to the businesses they have founded.” ACTiVATE® is a year-long program that utilizes technologies developed by Maryland’s universities and research institutions and trains women with significant technical or business experience to start companies based on those technologies. In the first three years of the program, ACTiVATE® has trained 72 women. To date, 15 companies have been founded by ACTiVATE® graduates. Posted by dshapiro August 12, 2008 Plant Sensory Systems Receives DOE Grant Funding Will Allow Company to Develop Plants with Increased Seed Oil for Biofuels CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Plant Sensory Systems, a resident of bwtech@UMBC’s Incubator, has received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The nine-month, $100,000 grant began July 1. The grant will help the company test new genetic modifications on its laboratory plants to divert carbon into seed oil more efficiently. Founded by the husband-and-wife team of Frank and Kathleen Turano last July, Plant Sensory Systems is a biotechnology company that develops technologies to improve agricultural productivity. The company plans to license its technologies to seed and agricultural biotechnology companies. The grant from the DOE will be used for research on genetic modifications that will enhance the ability of plants to convert carbon to oils, thereby making the seeds they produce more oil-rich. Once extracted from the seeds, the oils could be used in either cooking oils or biodiesel production, which is consistent with the DOE’s objective to create alternative fuel sources. The company is currently using Arabidopsis plants in its research activities; if successful, it will start testing its hypotheses on canola plants. If the company experiences success in its research and shows that the project is feasible, it will be eligible to apply for a Phase II, two-year grant from the DOE. “We are glad that the DOE is supporting our project to develop alternative fuel sources,” said Kathleen Turano. Added Frank Turano: “We are excited about this grant and the opportunity to continue our research that we hope will benefit not only the DOE, but society in general.” “Plant Sensory Systems is engaged in groundbreaking work in the field of agricultural technology and alternative fuel sources,” said David Fink, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC. “We are pleased that the DOE has recognized the potential of its research with this award.” About bwtech@UMBC: bwtech@UMBC (http://www.bwtechumbc.com) is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. About UMBC: UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. Posted by dshapiro August 6, 2008 UMBC/NASA Research on Beijing Olympics Smog in the New York Times CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC Science & Tech News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu UMBC's long-standing partnership with NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center to monitor global air quality is in the media spotlight today, as the world's attention focuses on the start of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China and the effects of the city's air pollution on athletes and spectators. Simon Carn, an assistant research scientist at UMBC's Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), was quoted in an Aug. 6 New York Times "Dot Earth" blog post. "Dot Earth" is a blog about the earth, the environment and sustainability by noted science writer Andrew Revkin. Revkin's post looked at comparisons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) levels in the U.S., Europe and China. SO2 is the pollutant that contributes to acid rain, and has been banned for years in the U.S. and Europe. Carn and colleagues in the SO2 Monitoring Group of UMBC JCET/Goddard Space Flight Center studied how satellite images and analysis of the SO2 levels in the air over the three continents showed how China's emphasis on economic growth and lack of expensive, Euro/U.S.-style "smokestack scrubbing" technology for coal-burning power plants and anti-SO2 regulations have left China with backwards-in-time air quality compared to the West. UMBC/NASA also partner on the "Smog Blog," a daily look at U.S. and global air quality using NASA satellite data. The Smog Blog has also been keeping a close eye on Beijing's air. Posted by crose August 5, 2008 New UMBC Information Systems Project Management Certificate Offers IT Professionals "Recession-Proof" Credential Computer World Ranks Project Management in Top 20 Hot, Secure Job Fields CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Starting this fall, UMBC will offer an undergraduate certificate in Project Management for Information Systems, a field Computer World magazine’s online publication recently listed as one of the top 20 “recession-proof” IT jobs in America. “This is almost a complete turnaround from the economic downturn of 2000,” said Andrew Sears, professor and chair of information systems at UMBC. “Today, employers view skilled IT professionals as indispensable to their business, even during an economic slump.” Project management is one of the fastest-growing professional disciplines in the U.S. Organizations in more than 160 countries rely on project management to create and update IT systems for business and government agencies due to rising costs and complexity for large-scale IT projects. According to Computerworld magazine’s July 14, 2008 online publication, project management is ranked 11th among the top 20 “recession-proof” professions offering “very good employment prospects.” The employment outlook for project managers referenced in Computerworld comes from a July ranking published by McClean, Va.-based JobFox.com. “The project management certificate reflects what is really happening in the IT jobs landscape,” said Sears. “It’s interesting that several other IT fields were also listed on the ‘recession-proof’ jobs list. These are exactly the types of relevant, stable career prospects for which we prepare UMBC students.” The certificate, open to all majors, is designed primarily for students pursuing a B.S. in Information Systems and can be included within the current degree program. The 12-credit curriculum combines existing IS courses and allows students to gain critical knowledge needed to lead successful projects. Degree-seeking students enrolled in the certificate will also obtain essential skills in key areas such as systems analysis and design, and project modeling, planning, scheduling and controlling. Students adding this certificate to existing skill sets provided by their majors will increase their level of focused study in Project Management and Information Systems and also enhance their employment prospects in this growing discipline. For more information, please visit www.is.umbc.edu or call 410-455-3206. Posted by crose August 4, 2008 bwtech@UMBC's Newest Building Welcomes First Tenant Engineering Firm Will Occupy Prime Space CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu bwtech@UMBC Research Park Corporation is excited to announce the signing of the first tenant in its newest building, 5520 Research Park Drive. RMF Engineering, a Baltimore-based firm with expertise in mechanical, electrical, civil, structural, infrastructure and aquacultural engineering, will occupy 28,000 square feet on the building’s third floor. The company has several offices around the country; bwtech@UMBC will serve as its headquarters. RMF is nationally recognized for the analysis, planning and design of complex buildings and campus utility generation and distribution systems, and has expertise in the evaluation of renewable energy strategies, alternative energy solutions and green initiatives. The company currently employs about 100 people at its Baltimore headquarters, and plans to expand its staff to 130 by the end of 2009, following its relocation. The vast majority of RMF employees have technical backgrounds, and UMBC has been a significant source of talent for the company in recent years. RMF has regularly hired UMBC students as interns, and has placed a number of graduates in permanent full-time positions. Following its move in January 2009, the company plans to expand its recruiting activities on campus. RMF also has plans to collaborate with UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology by assisting in curriculum development, consulting with faculty and guest lecturing in engineering courses. In addition to its work with students and faculty, RMF intends to take advantage of the professional development courses offered by UMBC Training Centers at bwtech@UMBC. “We are thrilled to welcome RMF to the Research Park,” said Ellen Hemmerly, executive director, Research Park Corporation. “RMF has a history of collaboration with UMBC, and we are excited for that to expand as the company grows.” “RMF is positioned for growth and expansion. We are delighted to be establishing our headquarters at bwtech@UMBC and believe the new location gives us access to the talent and facilities we need to take our company to the next level,” said Duane Pinnix, president, RMF Engineering. The 107,000 square foot building was developed by Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) (NYSE: OFC). This is the second building COPT developed at the park; the first was the U.S. Geological Survey building at 5522 Research Park Drive. #### About bwtech@UMBC: bwtech@UMBC is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. About UMBC: UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. Posted by dshapiro June 12, 2008 UMBC Receives Grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Study Sickle Cell Disease New Connections Initiative seeks to link the Foundation to a new cadre of scholars FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 12 CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Phone: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE -- A grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) will support University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Assistant Professor of Psychology Shawn Bediako in a study of how adults with sickle-cell disease manage workplace absenteeism and limited access to health care. The research is intended to inform policymakers on the types of social support services needed by adults with sickle-cell disease (SCD), a debilitating genetic blood disorder that disproportionately affects minorities. “Due to wide health care disparities among low-income minorities, adults with sickle-cell disease make up a particularly vulnerable and under-represented population,” said Bediako, who co-chairs the Maryland Statewide Steering Committee on Services for Adults with Sickle-Cell Disease. Although Maryland has an estimated 3,400 SCD patients, the state’s only service provider for adults with SCD is the Johns Hopkins Sickle Cell Clinic for Adults. Moreover, the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene does not provide support services for SCD patients once they become adults. By exploring data from a national 10-year longitudinal study of SCD patients compiled by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bediako will examine the employment status of adults with SCD and the rates at which they can access and use health care and mental health services. Bediako will use the data to create a computer model projecting unemployment rates among SCD patients in Maryland during the next decade. Social work intervention by certified genetic counselors and psychological counselors is critical to treating adults with SCD, Bediako said. Job counseling and support services are also important because many SCD patients lose their jobs due to illness-related absenteeism. Unemployment rates among SCD populations can reach 70 percent, he said. African-Americans are the largest high-risk group for SCD in Maryland. The state has the fourth largest African-American population in the U.S. Approximately 1-in-400 African-American babies is born with some form of sickle-cell disease and approximately 1-in-10 African-Americans is a carrier for abnormal hemoglobin that could lead to some form of sickle-cell disease in their children. The $55,000 grant Bediako received to conduct the study was awarded through RWJF's New Connections Initiative, created three years ago to expand the organization's diversity of research by supporting underrepresented scholars and research topics. Twelve such grants are awarded annually. New Connections is a competitive award for scholars who have historically been underrepresented in research activities. For more information about The New Connections Initiative, go to www.rwjf-newconnections.org About UMBC: UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. About RWJF The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. The Foundation's Pioneer Portfolio supports innovative ideas and projects that may trigger important breakthroughs in health and health care. Projects in the Pioneer Portfolio are future-oriented and look beyond conventional thinking to explore solutions at the cutting edge of health and health care. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. Posted by kavan April 30, 2008 ‘From Need to Know’ to ‘Need to Share’: UMBC to Lead Six Campus-Team to Turn 9-11 Commission Intel-Sharing Reforms into Technology System $7.5-million, Five-Year DoD Grant Partners UMBC With Purdue, Michigan, Illinois, Others CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu A six-campus team of computer scientists led by UMBC has been awarded a $7.5 million, five-year grant from the Department of Defense to turn the 9-11 Commission’s recommendations for better sharing of classified data between U.S. intelligence agencies, military and homeland security officials into a workable, secure technology network. The team is led by a principal investigator Tim Finin, a professor of computer science and electrical engineering (CSEE) at UMBC. It also includes UMBC professors Anupam Joshi, Yelena Yesha, Hillol Kargupta and Alan Sherman, who add expertise in advanced networks, data mining and information security. The UMBC team is partnered with researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Purdue University, University of Michigan, University of Texas at San Antonio, and University of Texas at Dallas. The grant was awarded as part of the Department of Defense’s Multi-disciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program, which takes a more long-term, interdisciplinary approach to solving scientific problems. Many pieces of the 9-11 plot puzzle weren’t recognized until after the attacks due to inability or reluctance by intelligence agencies to share information. The 9-11 Commission Report recommended that the traditional U.S. intelligence culture of “need to know” be shifted to “need to share.” The goal is to build software and network systems that allow the Department of Defense, intelligence agencies, homeland security and other organizations to share information dynamically and securely. The project hopes to help the U.S. better defend against future terror attacks, while protecting intelligence sources and methods as well has enforcing appropriate privacy policies. According to Finin, the project will prove useful beyond the homeland security sphere. “There are plenty of real world problems that we can work on that are not classified, such as balancing patient privacy with making sure the right doctor in an emergency can quickly access their medical records,” Finin said. “Many of the principles of this research can apply to everyday scenarios where information is shared with the right people and protected from the wrong people, such as your family photo albums on Flickr or your credit history.” “We want to create the science behind the idea of need to share,” said Joshi. “We’ll be weighing what should be shared with whom and asking if we can balance the utility of sharing something with the risk of its getting disclosed.” “We want to find how to maximize our ability to share information while following pre-defined policies that protect privacy, ensure appropriate use and maximize accuracy,” said Finin. “It is a challenging task that will not be completely solved in the next few years, but we can make significant progress and advance the state of the art.” More info online: http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/ Posted by crose April 21, 2008 UMBC Forum Looks ‘Beyond the Housing Crisis’ Marc Steiner to moderate panel featuring Federal Reserve economists and Md. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Phone: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – UMBC and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond will host a panel discussion April 28 exploring how the subprime mortgage meltdown has spilled into the financial sector and shaken everything from local neighborhoods to the U.S. and global economy. Baltimore radio personality Marc Steiner will moderate a panel at UMBC’s campus featuring three Federal Reserve Bank financial experts and Maryland’s Secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Thomas E. Perez. The event, “Beyond the Housing Crisis: Understanding the Subprime Mortgage Meltdown’s Increasing Impact on the U.S. Economy,” will be held in the Engineering Building, Lecture Hall 5, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by a reception. For directions and information visit: http://www.umbc.edu/pubpol/subprime The forum is a rare public event featuring Federal Reserve financial experts, including Robert E. Carpenter, a professor of economics at UMBC and a Senior Financial Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond; Dale T. Klein, a Senior Financial Analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond; and Breck Robinson, a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and an associate professor at the University of Delaware in the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy. The panel will address core economic problems stemming from the housing crisis, including issues such as: • How defaults in subprime mortgages brought Wall Street to its knees and continue to threaten the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. • How Maryland political leaders are addressing skyrocketing foreclosures across the state. • How the current housing crisis compares with previous housing market downturns. • How the lending crisis is putting a strain on local and state government finances. According to Klein, an expert on financial trends in the housing and commercial real estate markets, defaults in adjustable-rate subprime loans are at 21.7 percent and rising as of December 2007, compared with 13 percent at the height of the last recession in 2002. Defaults in prime adjustable-rate loans are also up sharply to 6.09 percent in December 2007, compared with a 4 percent peak in 2002. “By any indicator the current housing downturn far exceeds damage to housing markets experienced during the last recession,” Klein said. In addition, problems in the housing market now are threatening to spill into the commercial real estate and construction market, which could have a crippling impact on the economy, Klein said. Such a downturn may be “the next shoe to drop in the subprime meltdown,” he said. Carpenter, an expert on structured finance markets, will address the complex “securitization” process, which is one of the core problems that has staggered Wall Street. Securitization is the process by which mortgage lenders can pass the risk of defaults to investors by repackaging and selling loans as “mortgage-backed securities.” According to Carpenter, fallout from defaults in subprime mortgages have now spiraled into many other asset markets and created a global problem. “The subprime meltdown is an ongoing economic problem that has spread throughout Wall Street and the global financial sector,” he said. Homeowners and commercial real estate developers aren’t the only ones having trouble getting loans, said Robinson, who is an expert on state and local government finances. “It’s getting just as hard for your local government to get a loan as it is for you,” Robinson said. Robinson will discuss how the credit crunch caused by the subprime meltdown is putting increased pressure on state and municipal finances by damaging the credit-worthiness of municipal bond insurers. This damage results in rising borrowing costs for communities and declining interest rates, which makes it difficult for governments to finance deficit spending. Perez will address the housing crisis in Maryland and legislation recently signed into law by Gov. Martin O’Malley intended to provide immediate aid to homeowners facing foreclosure and prevent future housing crises. The new measures will lengthen the foreclosure process in Maryland by 150 days, toughen criminal penalties for mortgage fraud and reform predatory lending practices. The forum is sponsored by the UMBC Departments of Economics and Public Policy, the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research (MIPAR) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Posted by kavan Plant Sensory Systems Receives SBIR Grant Funding Will Help Company Test Plant Modifications Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Plant Sensory Systems, a resident of bwtech@UMBC’s Incubator, has received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation. The $100,000 grant, which is a six-month grant (referred to as Phase I) that takes effect July 1, will help the company test new genetic modifications on its laboratory plants. The research is a crucial first step in creating plants that are more productive and environmentally-friendly. Founded by the husband-and-wife team of Frank and Kathleen Turano last July, Plant Sensory Systems is focused on creating plants that are more nitrogen use-efficient as well as drought-resistant. More efficient use of nitrogen, the main ingredient in fertilizer, means less run-off into rivers and streams. Increased drought resistance could reduce crop losses significantly in drought years. Eventually, the Turanos hope to license their technologies to seed and biotechnology companies. This is the first grant the company has received and will enable the Turanos to test their hypotheses regarding a genetic modification to plants that will increase the production of GABA, an amino acid that has been shown to affect plants’ response to drought conditions as well as their nitrogen absorption. By increasing the amount of GABA, the plant could withstand drought better and require less nitrogen to grow. Currently, the Turanos’ experiments are being done on the Arabidopsis plant; if successful, they would start testing crop plants such as canola. If the Turanos experience success in their research and show their plant engineering concepts are valid, they will be eligible to apply for a Phase II, two-year grant from NSF once their Phase I grant period is completed. “We are confident our research will help us create better plants that will benefit the agricultural industry, consumers and the environment,” said Kathleen Turano. Added Frank Turano: “We are very pleased with this grant and the opportunity to take our research to the next level.” “Plant Sensory Systems is engaged in groundbreaking work in the field of agricultural technology,” said David Fink, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC. “We are pleased that NSF has recognized their potential with this award.” #### bwtech@UMBC is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a total development capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. Posted by dshapiro April 7, 2008 Traxion Therapeutics Receives TEDCO Grant Funding Will Help Company Develop Pain Medications Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Traxion Therapeutics, a bwtech@UMBC Incubator company, has received a grant from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), the state’s leading source of funding for seed capital and entrepreneurial business assistance for the development, transfer and commercialization of technology. The $74,018 award, from TEDCO’s Maryland Technology Transfer Fund (MTTF), will help finance the young company’s development of new medications to treat neuropathic pain. Currently, the company is working with pain researchers at the University of Maryland Dental School to assess the viability of its lead product, TXT-0200. Neuropathic pain afflicts more than 10 million Americans. Sales of prescription drugs for neuropathic pain are increasing at roughly 7 percent each year. Traxion has assembled a diversified portfolio of novel, proprietary small molecule products to address this market opportunity. These products use more selective, mechanism-based approaches which exploit recent scientific discoveries in order to develop more effective, better tolerated treatments for neuropathic pain. Traxion plans to take these products through to Phase II proof of concept studies and then enter worldwide corporate partnerships for later-stage development and commercialization. Founded in 2005, Traxion is yet another company successfully launched through the bwtech-affiliated ACTiVATE program. Traxion CEO Kerrie Brady is a member of the program’s class of 2005. ACTiVATE, which trains women with significant business or technical experience to start companies based on technologies developed at area universities and research institutions, has graduated 72 women and launched 15 companies since its inception three years ago. “Traxion is a pioneer in developing more effective medications to treat neuropathic pain and improve the lives of the people it afflicts. We are grateful for the support of TEDCO and look forward to eventually bringing our products to market,” said Brady. “Traxion is developing several new products for the treatment of intractable pain. We are pleased that TEDCO has recognized the potential of their work and is providing this stimulus for the growing health care industry in the Baltimore region,” said David Fink, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC. “TEDCO was created to help early stage companies with promising technologies grow and succeed. Traxion fits this purpose perfectly as there is a great deal of potential for the company to leverage research findings to develop groundbreaking medicines,” said Renée Winsky, president and executive director of TEDCO. “Already the company has made great progress and TEDCO is proud to support its ongoing work.” bwtech@UMBC is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a total development capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), an independent entity, was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1998 to facilitate the creation of businesses and foster their growth in all regions of the State. TEDCO’s role is to be Maryland’s leading source of funding for seed capital and entrepreneurial business assistance for the development, transfer and commercialization of technology. TEDCO connects emerging technology companies with federal laboratories, research universities, business incubators and specialized technical assistance. For the fourth consecutive year, TEDCO was recognized as the most active early/seed stage investor in the nation in the July 2007 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. Posted by dshapiro April 2, 2008 “Dust Busting” the Moon UMBC/NASA Goddard Scientist to Study Electrically Charged Lunar Dust to Aid Robotic and Human Exploration CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Timothy Stubbs, a scientist at UMBC and NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, has won funding for a project that sounds like equal parts Ray Bradbury and early David Bowie: studying how electrically charged dust moves across the moon and how it could be a hazard to humans and robots exploring the lunar surface. Stubbs was selected by NASA to join the science team for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission, being built at Goddard and scheduled for launch later this year. The LRO is NASA's first step in plans to return humans to the moon by 2020. Stubbs is an assistant research scientist with UMBC’s Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center. Most of the evidence for a lunar dust “atmosphere” dates back to the Apollo mission era. NASA scientists analyzing images returned by the Surveyor landers noticed a ‘horizon glow’ close to the surface after lunar sunset, believed to be caused by sunlight scattered by ultra-tiny (smaller than a few microns – a millionth of a meter) dust particles. While astronauts in orbit observed a high-altitude horizon glow (over 62 miles high) just as their spacecraft was passing out of the shadow of the Moon. According to the “dust fountain” model developed by Stubbs and colleagues at NASA Goddard, the high-altitude dust grains inferred from the horizon glow are probably highly-charged and have been lofted upward by electric fields close to the lunar surface. Once above the lunar surface electric field, the dust grains then fall back toward the Moon under gravity, with their trajectories resembling the arc of a water fountain. Like the rest of the lunar soil, the dust was created over billions of years by the countless impacts of tiny meteorites. It gets its electrical charge from the sun’s ultraviolet light, X-rays and the moon’s surrounding plasma (electrified gas of ions and electrons) environment. The dust’s electrostatic charge makes it move about the moon’s surface and also gives it a static-cling stickiness that can be hazardous to astronauts and their equipment. The tiny dust fragments are sharp and jagged since there is no air or water on the moon to smooth them over time. The dust was a nuisance to the Apollo astronauts, sticking to their spacesuits and tracking inside their spacecraft. But what was a minor annoyance for the relatively brief Apollo missions could be dangerous during the next-generation, long-duration missions being planned by NASA. Astronauts who regularly inhale the sharp dust fragments over time could develop lung diseases similar to those caused by asbestos or coal dust. The dust could also cause problems with sensitive equipment and instruments. “I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be directly involved with NASA’s return to the moon, as well as very excited about all the great new science that will be achieved with this historic mission,” said Stubbs. Stubbs’ project will use instruments on the LRO and other spacecraft to measure how much lunar dust there is and map the moon’s electric fields to better understand when and where the dust is most likely to be a problem for the manned missions planned for 2020 and beyond. Posted by crose March 24, 2008 bwtech@UMBC Company Receives GBC Award Next Breath Honored for Innovation and Industry Leadership Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Next Breath, LLC, a bwtech@UMBC Accelerator company, received the Entrepreneurship Award at the Greater Baltimore Committee’s 3rd annual Bioscience Awards presentation on Tuesday, March 18 at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel. Julie Suman, the company’s co-founder and president, accepted the award at the presentation, which was attended by approximately 150 leaders from the Baltimore region's bioscience industry and research community. Next Breath, a graduate of bwtech@UMBC’s incubator program, is a contract services provider to pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies that bring new inhalation and nasal products to market. It provides services ranging from pre-clinical formulation development to analytical testing, in support of submissions made to regulatory agencies. To date, 55 pharmaceutical companies worldwide have sought Next Breath’s services to support their drug development efforts. The company currently employs 17 people. Suman, a registered pharmacist who holds a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy, founded Next Breath in 2001 with partner and vice president Shailaja Somaraju. Suman was previously a pharmacist consultant with PAREXEL’s clinical pharmacology research unit, a research assistant at the University of Maryland’s Department of Pharmaceutical Science and an intern at Magellan Laboratories. Somaraju also holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland and was previously a project manager at the University Pharmaceuticals of Maryland. Winners of the 2008 Greater Baltimore Region Bioscience Awards were selected by a panel of judges from among 22 nominees submitted by businesses, bioscience advocates, higher education institutions and government agencies. The criteria for the Entrepreneurship Award included: goals reached through perseverance; a company orientation toward greater risk taking behavior; high utilization of a new system, products or best practices in achieving results; evidence of entrepreneurial leadership to achieve company goals; and commitment to the greater Baltimore region and/or business community. “Next Breath has always strived to be an innovator and an industry leader. It has been exciting to watch the company grow and achieve success. I am thrilled to see the company recognized by the local bioscience community for its achievements,” said Suman. “We’ve had an exemplary track record of success over the years with our bioscience companies. It’s an honor for our companies to be nominated, and certainly for Next Breath to win the entrepreneurship award against a very competitive field,” said Ellen Hemmerly, executive director, bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park. Other bwtech@UMBC nominees for the Bioscience Awards were Kris Appel, President & CEO of Encore Path, Inc. (Best New Product or Progress Award), Paul Silber, Former President/CEO & Founder of In Vitro Technologies, Inc. (President’s Award) and Stephen Auvil and the bwtech-affiliated ACTiVATE program (President’s Award). #### bwtech@UMBC (http://www.bwtechumbc.com) is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research Park, with a total development capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. Posted by dshapiro March 3, 2008 ACTiVATE Graduates Recognized for Business Plans Three Graduates Are Among Nine Finalists in Rockville Business Plan Competition Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Three recent ACTiVATE graduates, Kym Wong (Class of 2007), Loleta Robinson and Colleen Nye (Class of 2006), have been selected as finalists in the StartRight! Business Plan Competition. The competition, run by Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), is in its fifth year and recognizes top business plans from women entrepreneurs. Wong’s 3DeLux Images and Robinson and Nye’s Syan Biosciences are among nine businesses in the finals. Both businesses were launched upon their founders’ completion of the ACTiVATE, a UMBC program that trains mid-career women to start their own businesses based on technologies developed at area universities and research institutions. This is the first business plan competition Wong has entered. Her business, which focuses on using a scanning system developed at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab to create three-dimensional images for online retailers, is in the preliminary stages of development. If feasibility studies prove successful, she will move ahead with the licensing process. Wong has twenty years of experience in business, including e-commerce, and after spending much of her career building new businesses for others, she decided it was her turn. “When I heard about the ACTiVATE program, it seemed like a very good fit,” she says. After her successful presentation of her business plan at the conclusion of the program, the program’s faculty encouraged her to enter StartRight!. Nye and Robinson’s Syan Biosciences is working with a technology developed at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute to create a diagnostic platform that uses biomarkers to diagnose diseases such as cancer and heart disease. They are hoping to eventually license their technology to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. They also plan to make their own products based on the platform. Nye, a chemical engineer with an M.B.A. degree, and Robinson, a physician who also holds an M.B.A., entered StartRight! last year with a business plan based on a different technology that they were ultimately unable to license. Entering this year’s competition allowed them to receive advice on their new business model. “The competition is a great opportunity to get feedback and to network,” says Nye. “We knew the competition would be a good forum to get feedback on our new plan.” According to Lynne Benzion, the associate director of REDI and administrator of StartRight!, 33 entries were submitted for this year’s competition. She notes that the 4 criteria for judging the business plans are overall financial viability, the company’s management plan, the quality of an entrant’s market research and its marketing plan, and the degree of innovation and differentiation in the business model. To be eligible to enter, businesses must be at least 51% women-owned, operating for two years or less and located in Maryland, Virginia or Washington, DC. Entrants compete for cash and prizes: the first place winner earns $10,000, courtesy of sponsor Eagle Bank. The second place award is $5,000, courtesy of REDI, and the third place award is $2,500, courtesy of sponsor Foster, Soltoff & Love, a Bethesda-based financial planning and employee benefits consulting firm. The top three entrants also receive varying lengths of services from virtual office solutions provider Intelligent Office. Winners will be announced April 1 at the 2008 Women in Business conference at the Marriott North Bethesda Conference Center. Benzion notes the established partnership between REDI and the ACTiVATE program. In return for REDI’s publicizing of ACTiVATE in the Rockville area and referring candidates to the program, ACTiVATE encourages its graduates to enter the StartRight! competition. In addition to the opportunity to win seed money for their business, the competition deadline gives graduates a target by which to complete their business plans. “Working with ACTiVATE extends our reach up to Baltimore and gives us good competitors. Anytime we can connect to another area [of Maryland], it makes the competition better.” “We place an intense focus on helping our participants design sustainable businesses and solid business plans,” says Julie Lenzer Kirk, ACTiVATE’s lead instructor. “ACTiVATE graduates have created a force of technology entrepreneurs who have raised the bar for the StartRight! competition. We're hoping one day that ACTiVATE alumnae will take all three top spots.” #### UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges Posted by dshapiro February 21, 2008 Gates Cambridge Scholarship to Send UMBC Physics Major on Path of Newton, Hawking Philip Graff is UMBC’s Second Consecutive Winner of Prestigious Full Scholarship to Cambridge CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu UMBC senior physics major Philip Graff will follow the path of science greats Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking to Cambridge University as the second UMBC student in the past two years to win the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, one of the world’s most selective academic awards. Graff, who will pursue a Ph.D. in physics, was one of just 45 U.S. winners chosen from more than 600 applicants and 119 finalists. Graff is UMBC’s second consecutive Gates Cambridge Scholar, following alumnus Ian Ralby ‘02, who won in 2007. Other U.S. winners for 2008 included students from Harvard, Yale, MIT, Princeton and other prestigious universities. The Gates Cambridge was created in 2000 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which donated $210 million to establish the Gates Cambridge Trust. The award fully funds one to four years of graduate study in any field at Cambridge University. The Gates Scholarship is too young to have become a household name like the Rhodes Scholars Program (established in 1902) or the Marshall Scholarships (established in 1954). But like the Marshall and Rhodes, the Gates only accepts the cream of the academic crop. The Gates Scholarship is expected to grow into one of the world’s most recognizable programs over time thanks to the high quality of its winners and the program’s unique emphasis on public service and research career paths. Graff, a native of Manalapan, NJ, came to UMBC on a full scholarship through the University Fellowship program and is a member of the Honors College. Graff, who maintains a 4.0 G.P.A., plans to attend Cambridge but was also accepted at other prestigious universities including MIT and the University of Illinois. After graduation and post-doctoral study, Graff plans a career as a university professor and researcher. For Graff, the Cambridge experience will be an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some of history’s greatest physicists (such as Isaac Newton) and hopefully to meet a personal hero, Stephen Hawking of “A Brief History of Time” fame. “It’s said that Cambridge has been home to more Nobel Prize winners than all of France, so it’s an amazing honor to study there.” Graff said. “I consider Hawking one of the great minds in the field, so I really hope to meet him.” An astrophysicist, Graff studies what gravitational waves (caused by the interactions of binary stars and other massive bodies) can tell us about the large scale structure and history of the universe. He created a computer model of quasar radiation as an undergraduate at UMBC and worked with one of the world’s most sensitive scientific instruments, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), during a National Science Foundation fellowship at Caltech. His quasar work is the topic of a research paper currently under refereeing with the Astrophysical Journal. Graff has also been highly involved with campus life at UMBC, serving as president of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, Director of Student Advocacy with the Student Government Association and a teaching assistant. In the little spare time he has, he enjoys playing video games, watching movies and playing ultimate Frisbee. Science runs in the family for Graff; his older brother is an aerospace engineer. “My parents always pushed us, but beyond a certain point it becomes self-motivated,” said Graff. “We had a pretty normal childhood; I played little league and was on the bowling team and my brother was active in Boy Scouts. But we did do pretty well in science fairs,” Graff said. Graff hasn’t had much time to reflect on his achievements to date, but does recall with amusement a favorite family report card story. “My first grade math teacher said I didn’t understand mathematical concepts but was just memorizing,” he said. “So I guess I showed her.” About the Gates Cambridge Scholarship Program: In October 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a donation to the University of Cambridge of $210 million to establish the Gates Cambridge Trust. The gift funded in perpetuity an international scholarship program to enable outstanding graduate students from outside the United Kingdom to study at the University of Cambridge. The Trustees are required to award scholarships on the basis of a person's intellectual ability, leadership capacity and desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others. Following interviews held in Annapolis, Maryland, on 8 and 9 February 2008, the Gates Cambridge Trust announced that scholarships for study at the University of Cambridge were awarded to 45 American students. Over 600 students from the United States applied for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship this year and 119 of them were interviewed at St John’s College and the United States Naval Academy. For more information about the Gates Cambridge Scholarship program, please visit www.gatesscholar.org. Posted by crose February 14, 2008 Plant Sensory Systems Joins bwtech@UMBC Company Developing Innovative Agricultural Technologies Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Plant Sensory Systems, an agricultural biotechnology company, has chosen the technology incubator at bwtech@UMBC as its headquarters. The company’s owners, Kathleen and Frank Turano, felt the services and support offered by bwtech@UMBC were an ideal fit for their young company’s needs. The Turanos founded Plant Sensory Systems in July and moved to the incubator at the end of December. Currently, the company is working on two projects: making plants that use nitrogen more efficiently and creating plants that can produce more sugar or plant oils to aid in the production of biofuels. “If we can make plants that use nitrogen more efficiently, then farmers won’t have to use as much fertilizer. Not only will this save costs, but there will be less nitrogen run-off into streams and rivers,” explained Frank Turano. At the moment, their focus is on genetic research using a laboratory model plant. Their long-term goal is to license their technologies and/or partner with seed or agricultural biotechnology companies to apply the technologies they develop to a variety of crops. They are currently talking to seed companies to establish relationships. The Turanos’ interest in biological research and sensory systems is an outgrowth of their professional experience: Frank is an associate professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at George Washington University (he has resigned, effective in May 2008) and Kathleen was formerly a professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. After interviewing at several incubators, they chose bwtech@UMBC as the place to launch their business. “They have a solid track record of launching companies and offer a host of business support services to help companies get off the ground,” said Kathleen Turano. Both Turanos plan to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain advice and share experiences with the CEOs of the other incubator companies at the variety of networking events offered at bwtech@UMBC. “Plant Sensory Systems represents exactly the type of early-stage company that we hope to attract to our incubator program”, said David Fink, bwtech@UMBC’s director of entrepreneurial services. “The Turanos bring strong scientific credentials from local research institutions. Their projects are very innovative and the company has great potential to benefit the Maryland economy.” About bwtech@UMBC: bwtech@UMBC (http://www.bwtechumbc.com) is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a total development capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. About UMBC: UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. Posted by dshapiro February 6, 2008 Amethyst Technologies Joins bwtech@UMBC Growing Company Seeks to Carve Out Market Niche Deborah Shapiro Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Amethyst Technologies, a growing company specializing in services for life science companies and research organizations, has set up shop at bwtech@UMBC’s technology incubator. The company’s owner, Kimberly Brown, hopes to capitalize on the location and establish business relationships with the life science companies located at the incubator. Amethyst, originally founded as Cell Systems, Inc., in 1992, provides overall management, implementation, and execution of current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) compliance systems. These services include equipment calibration and validation, quality management software, process validation, qualification and design services for clean rooms and high purity utility systems, and environmental monitoring system management. Its clients include hospitals, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, biological repositories, and federal government labs and research institutions. The Incubator and Accelerator at bwtech@UMBC is the headquarters for numerous early-stage life science companies, so the location presents multiple business opportunities for Amethyst. Setting up operations at bwtech@UMBC was a natural move for the company. Brown, who has owned Amethyst for about a year, is a recent graduate of UMBC’s ACTiVATE program, which teaches mid-career women with significant business or technical experience how to start companies using technologies developed at universities and other research institutions. A chemical engineer with a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park, Brown was unique among most ACTiVATE participants in that she already owned a company at the time she began the program. However, she notes that the knowledge of marketing, finance and intellectual property laws that she gained from ACTiVATE has been essential to her success as an entrepreneur: “ACTiVATE provided the knowledge and awareness to have a successful business. You can have a good product, but you also need to know how to run a company. Now I know how to protect my business.” In addition to the business opportunities for Amethyst at bwtech@UMBC, Brown and her company will benefit from the support and networking that the incubator provides. In addition to monthly networking events for CEOs and senior managers, the incubator offers an array of business support services that include market analysis and strategic planning guidance and assistance with grant funding applications. Companies also have direct access to UMBC’s technology transfer office and an abundant supply of students, graduates and faculty that are ready to serve early-stage companies. Brown’s long-term goals for her company are “to become an industry leader in both the private and public sector” as well as develop a product line focused on patient safety and environmental responsibility and provide “green” services to create environmentally friendly clean rooms and labs. #### bwtech@UMBC (http://www.bwtechumbc.com) is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a total development capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. Posted by dshapiro January 31, 2008 UMBC’s Tom Schaller on WJZ Channel 13 Super Tuesday UMBC’s resident expert on presidential elections, Tom Schaller, will appear on WJZ Channel 13 news to comment on “Super Tuesday’s” Feb. 5 primary elections. Schaller will appear on all major news updates from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. to provide expert political commentary on the results of the night’s presidential primary elections. An unprecedented 24 states hold primaries or caucuses on this date with 52 percent of all pledged Democratic Party delegates and 41 percent of Republican Party delegates at stake. "Never before in American electoral history have we had a primary with so many delegates at stake on the same day and with both party's nominees still uncertain," said Schaller. Thomas F. Schaller is associate professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and author of “Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats can win without the South.” The Jan. 20 New York Times Sunday Magazine cited "Whistling Past Dixie" and recognized Schaller as the “political scientist and liberal blogger (who) won over a lot of his fellow progressives with an entire book devoted to the premise that Democrats should ignore the South and instead focus their finite resources … on the West and Southwest.” Schaller is a weekly national political columnist for The Baltimore Sun, and has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The American Prospect, The New York Sun, The Boston Globe, The Washington Examiner and Salon, and has appeared on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, MSNBC's Hardball, National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation and Morning Edition, PBS's The Tavis Smiley Show, and C-SPAN's Washington Journal. Posted by kavan January 24, 2008 Dr. Bill Thomas’ Transformative ‘Green House’ Featured on the Newshour FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Dr. Bill Thomas, outspoken nursing home reformer and professor of aging at the Erickson School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, was featured on the Newshour on PBS Jan. 23 in a special report on his innovative Green House project to transform nursing home care. Click here to watch on streaming video. Thomas’ Green House project is a radically new approach to long term care where nursing homes are torn down and replaced with small, home-like environments where people can live a full and interactive life. Launched as a pilot project in 2003, there are now 35 Green Houses up and running on 13 campuses across the country. In partnership with a nonprofit, NCB Capital Impact, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is spending nearly $10 million to replicate the model nationwide. Thomas, an internationally-recognized authority on eldercare, was interviewed by Newshour health correspondent Susan Dentzer while visiting one of his ‘Green Houses’ in Lincoln, Neb. The twelve-minute story highlights innovative characteristics of the Green House concept, which is intended to de-institutionalize long-term care by eliminating large nursing facilities and creating close-knit communities of patients and caregivers. The Green House model is designed to be a home for nine to 12 elders. It blends architecturally with neighboring homes, includes vibrant outdoor space, and utilizes aesthetically appealing interior features. Each elder has a private room or unit with a private bathroom. Elders' rooms receive high levels of sunlight and are situated around an open kitchen and dining area. There are no nursing stations “We've always insisted in the Green House that there be one big table, because that makes a meal into a community experience, where food and companionship come together,” Dr. Thomas told the Newshour. The Green House model has been endorsed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In June 2007, researchers at the University of Minnesota released a longitudinal study of the first group of Green Houses, built in Tupelo, Miss. It showed residents received equal or better quality of care than in traditional nursing homes and they reported a higher quality of life. The average charge for residents at Green Houses is comparable to the cost of traditional nursing homes. Click here to learn more about the Green House Replication Initiative. About Dr. Thomas William H. Thomas, M.D. is a geriatrician and a visionary with an international reputation as one of the leading authorities on the future of aging and longevity. He is founder of the Eden Alternative, a global nonprofit organization, and a professor at the Erickson School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where is teaching his innovative concepts on reforming long term care. He lives in Ithaca, NY, with his wife, Judith Meyers-Thomas, and their five children. Dr. Thomas has published a half a dozen books, the most recent of which is What Are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World. The book, which American Medical Writers Association named it the “Book of the Year” in 2005, explores the virtues concealed within the necessity of aging. In conjunction with his books and research projects and advocacy, Dr. Thomas has been interviewed by a broad range of television, radio and print media including CNN, 48 Hours, Talk of the Nation, All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Fast Company ,The New York Times, Washington Post and Newsweek Magazine Time Magazine, The CBS Early Show, and was chosen by US News World Report Magazine as one of "America's best leaders." About the Erickson School The Erickson School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County was created with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder Erickson Retirement Communities, and matching state funds. The School integrates aging, management, and policy in each of its programs, with a strong emphasis on preparing leaders for the 21st century. The School offers credit and non-credit educational programs at the undergraduate, masters, and executive levels. Posted by kavan January 23, 2008 Kafui Dzirasa ’01 in Ebony Magazine Ebony magazine featured Kafui Dzirasa ’01, Chemical Engineering, in its “30 on the Rise” collection of 2008 Young Leaders of the Future. Ebony magazine featured Kafui Dzirasa ’01, Chemical Engineering, in its “30 on the Rise” collection of 2008 Young Leaders of the Future. Dzirasa earned his Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Duke, where he is a fourth-year medical student and postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Neurobiology at the Duke Medical Center. The magazine cited several of his UMBC achievements, including his studies as a Meyerhoff Scholar and a conference championship in the long jump. Ebony also noted that he received Duke’s Somjen Award for Outstanding Dissertation Thesis. The “30 on the Rise” section, in the February 2008 issue, is available to registered Ebony subscribers at www.ebonyjet.com/ebony/. Posted by elewis January 16, 2008 UMBC’s ACTiVATE Program Receives Prestigious Award Recognition Affirms Program’s Status as a Leading Innovator in Educating Entrepreneurs CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro, Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu ACTiVATE, a program of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) that trains mid-career women to start and manage technology ventures, was honored by a leading national entrepreneurship organization last Saturday. The program received the U.S. Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship’s (USASBE) award for Best Specialty Entrepreneurship Education Program. Presented at the organization’s annual conference in San Antonio, Texas, the award was based on each program’s innovativeness, uniqueness, quality, effectiveness, comprehensiveness, sustainability and transferability. Stephen Auvil, director of UMBC’s Office of Technology Development, Vivian Armor, director of UMBC’s Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, and Julie Kirk, ACTiVATE lead instructor, represented ACTiVATE at the conference. “The winner is the one program that demonstrates a fresh approach to adding new meaning to entrepreneurial education,” said judging panel member Stan Mandel, an executive professor at the Babcock Graduate School of Management at Wake Forest University and director of the school’s Angell Center for Entrepreneurship. “This was clearly demonstrated by UMBC in the ACTiVATE program—a great concept, implemented well, with outstanding participants.” “ACTiVATE has become a model of innovation for teaching and mentoring entrepreneurs, and we are thrilled to be recognized by a leading organization in the field of entrepreneurship,” said Ms. Armor. ACTiVATE is a year-long program that utilizes technologies developed by Maryland’s universities and research institutions and trains women with significant technical or business experience to start companies based on those technologies. In the first three years of the program, ACTiVATE has trained 72 women. To date, 15 companies have been founded by ACTiVATE graduates. Said David Fink, director of entrepreneurial services at bwtech@UMBC and the ACTiVATE program director: “We felt there was a need for a new way to teach entrepreneurship and increase the commercialization of technologies. In just three years, ACTiVATE has already had a tremendous impact on the local business community.” An acronym for Achieving the Commercialization of Technology in Ventures Through Applied Training for Entrepreneurs, ACTiVATE is a joint program among Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park, Office of Technology Development and the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT). Sponsors include the National Science Foundation, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Maryland Technology Development Corporation, Whiteford, Taylor and Preston, Constellation Energy, Wachovia Bank, Lion Brothers and Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT). “The ACTiVATE program is just one part of UMBC’s commitment to entrepreneurship, technology transfer and workforce development,” noted Mr. Auvil, who is also one of the program’s architects. “It encourages the development of new technology companies and supports women who are interested in pursuing an entrepreneurial career.” Classes are held on Monday evenings, from January through December, and one Saturday per month at the bwtech@UMBC Incubator near UMBC’s main campus in Catonsville. Six of the companies founded by ACTiVATE graduates have entered bwtech@UMBC’s incubator program. About UMBC: UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. Posted by crose January 14, 2008 UMBC Peaceworker Alumni Remain Engaged in Baltimore Communities FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Phone: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE -- While nearly 85 percent of Shriver Peaceworker Fellows at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) originally come from outside the Baltimore region, 60 percent have settled and remain engaged in service careers in local communities. "With 100 percent of Peaceworker alumni continuing in public service careers and more than half staying in our region to engage in community service careers, the Shriver Peaceworker Program is proving to be a 'creative-class' infusion for the City," said Program Director Joby Taylor '05, Ph.D. language, literacy and culture. The Peaceworker program at UMBC's Shriver Center was founded in 1994 by Sargent Shriver, who will be honored in an upcoming PBS documentary to be aired nationally on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 21, 2008. The film, American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver, celebrates a man who is little known among today's generation, but has had an indelible impact on our society. Few people have had a greater impact on public service in America than Shriver, who founded and directed the Peace Corps under President John F. Kennedy. Both men envisioned a powerful impact of RPCVs on American society, and as a native Marylander, Shriver realized this vision concretely in the establishment of the Peaceworker program at UMBC, with an urban problem-solving focus on the Baltimore region, Taylor said. One hundred returning Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) have participated in UMBC's Peaceworker program after completing their missions abroad. The program combines graduate studies at area universities with service jobs in local communities. "Shriver's genius in the Peace Corps and Peaceworker programs was his ability to marshal a sense of 'practical idealism,' which is optimism about making a difference matched with realism about the hard work this involves," Taylor said. Peaceworker alumni working in the Baltimore region include: Erin Hood '07 Graduate Degree: UMBC Master's Degree in Public Policy focused on Human Services, with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management. Peace Corps Volunteer: Jamaica. Peaceworker Fellowship: UMBC Coordinator for Service and Volunteerism to foster student's sense of social responsibility through community service. Where she is now: Director of Development, Community Mediation Program, Baltimore City Brian Greenan '05 Graduate Degree: UMBC Master's Degree in Intercultural Communications focused on Spanish language study and Latin American history and politics Peace Corps Volunteer: Niger Peaceworker Fellowship: Centro de la Communidad, serving Baltimore's growing Latino community. As a mayoral fellow and then with the Downtown Partnership, he provided direct outreach to homeless persons in the downtown area for which he was given a commendation by the Baltimore City Council. Where he is now: Organizer with Neighborhood Housing Services Sarah Morris-Compton '07 Graduate degree: UMBC Master's Degree in Public Policy focused on Human Services Policy Peace Corps Volunteer: Turkmenistan and Kenya. Peaceworker Fellowship: Coordinator of a service-learning project that linked college Web design classes to non-profit organizations at the University of Baltimore's School of Information Arts and Technologies Where she is now: Program Associate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore working on large-scale state child welfare and juvenile justice system reform. Posted by kavan January 3, 2008 bwtech@UMBC Expands Staff New Additions to Marketing and Business Development Team CONTACT: Deborah Shapiro, Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu bwtech@UMBC Research & Technology Park is pleased to announce the expansion of its marketing and business development team with the addition of Deborah Shapiro, Marketing Manager, and Alex Euler, Associate Director of Business Development. Shapiro will provide marketing support and strategy development to UMBC’s entrepreneurial initiatives, including bwtech@UMBC, the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, the ACTiVATE program, and UMBC’s technology commercialization enterprise. She has a B.A. in Economics from Wellesley College and an M.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Maryland. Shapiro was previously the Public Relations Manager for Thomson Prometric, and has successfully developed marketing and promotional strategies with both online and traditional media. Euler will assist tenant companies with their marketing and business strategy needs, and will recruit tenants for bwtech@UMBC's properties. He will also facilitate interactions between the university and bwtech@UMBC businesses and work to increase overall awareness of bwtech@UMBC within the broader business community. Euler has a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UMBC and is working on an M.S. in Biotechnology Management at the University of Maryland. He was previously the Communications Manager for MdBio/TCM, a statewide trade association for high-technology and life science companies, and has extensive experience working with regional economic development groups and administering programs designed to support early-stage biotech companies. About bwtech@UMBC: bwtech@UMBC (www.bwtechumbc.com) is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a total development capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. Posted by crose December 20, 2007 Elliot Hirshman Appointed Provost of UMBC Chief Research Officer at George Washington University and Alumnus of Yale, UCLA to Lead UMBC’s Academic Program CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu Photo Caption: Elliot Hirshman is UMBC's new provost. (Click on photo to download high-resolution image). BALTIMORE – The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has appointed Elliot Hirshman as its next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Hirshman joins UMBC after serving as chief research officer at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he was previously chair of the Department of Psychology. Hirshman, who earned his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology at UCLA and his undergraduate degree summa cum laude in economics and mathematics from Yale, will lead UMBC’s academic program, including instruction, research and academic support services. His appointment, effective July 1, 2008, concludes a national search that began in August with the assistance of Greenwood and Associates, a leading executive search firm. Before joining the George Washington faculty in 2002, Hirshman chaired the Department of Psychology at the University of Colorado at Denver. He began his academic career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989, rising to the rank of full professor while at that institution. “My colleagues and I are delighted to welcome Dr. Hirshman to the UMBC community,” said UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski. “We are all very impressed by his reputation as a fine scholar, teacher and leader in both public and private universities. He is an important addition to the University and to Maryland.” While at Chapel Hill, Hirshman was recognized by the late Michael Hooker, then chancellor there (and former UMBC president), who nominated him for the American Council on Education Fellows Program. Through that program, he participated as a fellow in the Provost’s Office at Arizona State University and, subsequently, served as special assistant to the provost at Chapel Hill. “I am deeply honored to be selected as UMBC’s next provost,” said Hirshman. “UMBC’s reputation as a national leader in educational programs, diversity initiatives, research innovation and public-private partnerships makes the provost’s position an especially exciting opportunity. I look forward to working with President Hrabowski, the University’s academic and administrative leadership teams and UMBC’s exceptional faculty, students, staff, alumni and external partners to further enhance the University’s highly regarded educational, research and service programs.” Hirshman is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and has served as the associate editor of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory & Cognition(2000-2006) and Psychonomic Bulletin & Review(1998-2000). He will hold the rank of full professor in the UMBC Department of Psychology. UMBC’s current provost, Arthur Johnson, will serve until June 30, 2008, before returning to the faculty after 10 years as provost. Johnson and Hirshman will collaborate during the coming semester to ensure a smooth transition. Posted by crose December 18, 2007 Alex. Brown Center Receives Major Gift Barnhill Gift Will Help Aspiring Entrepreneurs CONTACT: Debbie Shapiro, Marketing Manager 410-455-1509 dshapiro@umbc.edu Mike Lurie, Media Relations Director Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE, MD – The Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has received a pledge of $250,000 from one of the center’s most active leaders, Gregory Barnhill. Mr. Barnhill, a partner with Brown Advisory Securities, has served as chair of the center’s external advisory board for more than two years and has been a member of its board for four years. This gift from Mr. Barnhill, his wife Lisa and son Scott, advances the Alex. Brown Center nearly to the halfway point of its $10-million fundraising goal, which includes a $2-million matching grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Funds raised will enable the innovative center to enhance its programs and educational offerings for students and faculty. Established in 2000 with a grant from the Alex. Brown Foundation, the center seeks to provide students and faculty with opportunities to learn about and experience entrepreneurship. Its goal is to infuse entrepreneurial thinking throughout the campus and across all disciplines. Programs include academic courses, skill-building workshops, internships with local business leaders, and an annual business plan competition. Current course offerings include Entrepreneurship for IT and Careers in Music. Workshops are held each summer for university faculty in a variety of disciplines; this summer’s offering will be geared to faculty in the humanities. While a strong focus on entrepreneurship is unusual for a university without a business school, the Alex. Brown Center strongly reflects UMBC’s entrepreneurial spirit and experience in economic development. Since its founding, the center has helped numerous students and faculty transform their ideas and expertise into viable business opportunities. One such business is Legendary Studios, a game and simulation development company founded by two students that now resides at UMBC’s technology business incubator. “Mr. Barnhill’s generosity will allow us to enhance our programming and continue to support students interested in launching their own business ventures,” said Vivian Armor, director of the Alex. Brown Center. “Mr. Barnhill has been a valued supporter of the Alex. Brown Center for many years and we are grateful for his commitment to the center’s mission.” "Lisa and I have been around—and been inspired by—entrepreneurs our whole lives,” said Mr. Barnhill. “We believe strongly in the importance of exposing young people to entrepreneurship, and know that this gift to UMBC and the Alex. Brown Center will make a big impact on developing future leaders." UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski added, "It takes entrepreneurial leadership to inspire new entrepreneurs. We are honored to receive this gift and very excited about the opportunities it creates for our students." Mr. Barnhill has a long history of civic involvement in the Baltimore area. He has donated his time and leadership skills to numerous organizations, including the Maryland Historical Society, Greater Baltimore Medical Center Foundation, Harbor Hospital, St. Paul School Board of Trustees, and Ocean Race Chesapeake. For more information about the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, please contact Vivian Armor at armor@umbc.edu, or via phone at (410) 455-5740. About UMBC: UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with faculty to address real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. Posted by crose December 12, 2007 UMBC Among 12 Universities Chosen by HHMI to Launch Nationwide Science Education Initiative Professors Sandoz, Caruso to Give Freshmen Early Genomics Research Experience CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu BALTIMORE -- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has chosen UMBC as part of a collaborative network of 12 colleges and universities to teach a new, hands-on genomics course aimed at involving more U.S. first-year college students in authentic research. The course is the first major initiative from HHMI's Science Education Alliance (SEA), which seeks to enhance science education and inspire new generations of scientists. The year-long research course will be part of the SEA’s Phage Genomics Research Initiative. HHMI received 44 applications and selected 12 institutions for the Initiative. UMBC biological sciences professors Jim Sandoz and Steve Caruso will work with UMBC’s Honors College to develop a fall 2008 course for freshmen science and non-science majors. Students in the class will collect soil samples on campus and use sophisticated lab and computer-based genomics and gene sequencing techniques to identify new bacteriophages. Bacteriophages, or phages for short, are common forms of viruses which infect bacteria and could offer insight into some types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. “SEA takes the best ideas from the individual teaching experiments that HHMI has supported over the past 20 years and makes them broadly accessible to scientists and educators around the country,” said Michael Summers, professor of biochemistry and HHMI Investigator at UMBC. “UMBC has been at the forefront of science education, especially in enhancing retention rates among minority students, so it’s both exciting and appropriate that UMBC is part of these new efforts,” said Summers, who is the only HHMI Investigator at a Maryland public university. “We have a lot to learn from our colleagues in the SEA consortium, but we also have much to offer.” SEA represents a new, more active involvement by HHMI in catalyzing change in science education. HHMI is committing $4 million over the program’s first four years and staffing SEA with its own employees. SEA will provide up to three years of support from HHMI to assist with faculty training, computing and DNA sequencing services for the course. “The initial institutions we have selected represent a broad sampling of high quality higher education,” said Peter J. Bruns, vice president for grants and special programs at HHMI. “Although diverse in size and location, all participating schools share a desire to bring authentic discovery to freshman instruction. I am impressed by their commitment to the project and eagerly wait to see what a working alliance of such a diverse, yet commonly committed community, will yield.” The other universities chosen for the 2008-2009 program are: Carnegie Mellon University, The College of William & Mary, Hope College, James Madison University, Oregon State University, Spelman College, the University of California, San Diego, the University of California, Santa Cruz, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, the University of Mary Washington and Washington University in St. Louis. Based at HHMI's Janelia Farm Research Campus in Northern Virginia, SEA aims to build a collaborative network of U.S. scientists and educators to develop and distribute new instructional materials and methods while encouraging students to produce real research results. HHMI built SEA based on over two decades of supporting science education and research. For more information, please visit http://www.hhmi.org/grants/sea/ Posted by crose December 6, 2007 UMBC’s ‘ACTiVATE’ Program Looking to Train Women Entrepreneurs National Award-Winning Program Teaches Female Professionals to Take Maryland Universities’ Technologies to Market CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu BALTIMORE, MD – ACTiVATE, UMBC's award-winning training program for female entrepreneurs, is recruiting for its next class. Originally funded with a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation, ACTiVATE’s goal is to form start-up companies based on technologies developed at UMBC, Johns Hopkins, the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, Towson University, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and the University of Maryland College Park. In its first three years, ACTiVATE has trained 90 women in entrepreneurship ands and its graduates have formed 12 new companies. ACTiVATE recently received national acclaim and state-level investment. In late October, the Association of University Research Parks (AURP) gave the program its 2007 Innovation Award and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) gave ACTiVATE a $50,000 grant to help continue its mission. Companies started by ACTiVATE graduates include: -- EncorePath, built on a unique rehab technology for stroke victims developed by University of Maryland, Baltimore physical therapists; -- Foligo Therapeutics, which has received significant funding as it focuses on new treatment therapies for ovarian cancer; -- and Traxion Therapeutics, a biotech firm developing new drugs for chronic pain. There are two remaining information sessions scheduled for women with significant business or technical backgrounds who are interested in ACTiVATE: Monday, December 10, 2007 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Rockville Economic Development Office (REDI) 95 Monroe Street Rockville, MD 20850 Tuesday, January 8, 2008 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Courtyard Room techcenter@UMBC 1450 South Rolling Road Baltimore, MD 21227 ACTiVATE classes will be held from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. on Monday evenings, starting on Feb. 4, 2008. More information online: www.umbc.edu/activate About ACTiVATE The University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s (UMBC) ACTiVATE* is a year-long program to train women with significant technical or business experience to be entrepreneurs and to create start-up companies from inventions from Maryland research institutions and federal agencies. It is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) and is supported by Constellation Energy, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston and Wachovia Bank. Admission to the program is competitive. *ACTiVATE – Achieving the Commercialization of Technology in Ventures through Applied Training for Entrepreneurs Posted by crose November 27, 2007 Dr. Gene Cohen Explains Why Brains Get Better With Age FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE -- Contrary to long-held beliefs that brain power inevitably declines as we age, the mind actually experiences a surge of creativity and brain function well into the second half of life, says Dr. Gene Cohen, MD, PhD, who will present his groundbreaking research on “Creativity and Aging” at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), on December 3. Sponsored by the Erickson School at UMBC, Cohen will speak at the University Center Ballroom at 10 a.m. Cohen is director of George Washington University’s Center on Aging, Health & Humanities and author of the book The Mature Mind: the Positive Power of the Aging Brain. Drawing on the latest scientific research as well as in-depth interviews with older women and men, Cohen has demonstrated for the first time how there are actually positive changes taking place in our minds as we age. In his presentation, Cohen, 63, will explore how late-blooming artists such as Grandma Moses, Picasso and Georgia O’Keeffe reached their creative peak late in life. He will explain how the mind gives us “inner pushes” of creativity and positive change throughout adult life. According to Cohen, not only can older brains produce new brain cells, but the latest research shows that the brain can draw on areas of itself underused in earlier years, compensating for effects of aging. From age 60-80, the brain’s information processing center achieves its greatest density and reach. And the brain has the capacity to “re-sculpt” itself as certain genes are activated by experience as we age. Cohen is at the forefront of a movement to focus attention on the capacity for positive change and creative expression in the second half of life, rather than on aging as a problem. About Gene Cohen Cohen, a graduate of Harvard and Georgetown University medical school, earned a doctorate in gerontology from the Union Institute. He was the first chief of the National Institute of Mental Health’s Center on Aging, and served as acting director of the National Institute on Aging and coordinated Alzheimer’s-disease programs at the US Department of Health and Human Services. Cohen is founding director the Washington, DC-based think tank Center on Aging, and is past president of the Gerontological Society of America. He now directs George Washington University’s Center on Aging, Health & Humanities. He is also a professor of behavioral sciences and psychiatry at GW. About the Erickson School The Erickson School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County was created with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder Erickson Retirement Communities, and matching state funds. The School integrates aging, management, and policy in each of its programs, with a strong emphasis on preparing leaders for the 21st century. The School offers credit and non-credit educational programs at the undergraduate, masters, and executive levels. Posted by kavan November 26, 2007 Ecologists Remap the Biosphere to Include Humans No Such Thing as Pristine Nature Any More, Say UMBC, McGill Researchers Photo Caption: Ecologist Erle Ellis has helped design a new way of mapping the Earth to include human impact. CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu BALTIMORE and MONTREAL – Pristine wilderness is a thing of the past and it’s time to adjust our vision of the biosphere accordingly, say a team of American and Canadian eco-geographers in new research published today. Erle Ellis, associate professor of Geography and Environmental Systems at UMBC, and Navin Ramankutty, assistant professor in McGill University’s Department of Geography and Earth System Science Program, used global data from satellites and land management statistics to map a new system of “anthropogenic biomes” or human biomes, that describe the biosphere as it exists today, the result of human shepherding and reshaping of ecosystems. Their map provides a 21st century challenge to the classic images of Earth's wild ecosystems that appear in nearly every ecology and earth science textbook. Their research will be published in the Nov. 26 issue of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment together with maps viewable in Google Earth and Google Maps at the Encyclopedia of Earth (a sort of Wikipedia for earth scientists and ecologists) and a printable classroom wall map for use by ecologists, educators and the public. “The fact that an area is now covered by forests depends more on human decisions than it does on climate” said Ellis, who has studied anthropogenic landscapes in the field across rural China since 1992. He was inspired to investigate human landscapes globally during a research sabbatical at the Department of Global Ecology of the Carnegie Institute of Washington at Stanford University. Photo Caption: Ellis has studied human biomes in rural China since 1992. “The classic biomes, such as tropical rainforests or grasslands, were based on differences in vegetation caused by on climate,” said Ellis. “Now that humans have fundamentally altered global patterns of ecosystems and biodiversity, these biomes are rarely present across large areas any more. It is time for our map of the biosphere to reflect this new reality- that nature is now embedded within human systems” said Ellis. Another key message from Ellis and Ramankutty was that ecologists should turn their focus to the changing ecosystems right underneath their feet. “A section of our paper is entitled ‘ecologists go home,’” said Ramankutty, an expert on global agriculture’s connection to environmental change. “Ecologists go to remote parts of the planet to study pristine ecosystems, but no one studies it in their back yard,” he said. “We can no longer study ecology while ignoring humans,” Ellis said. “Humans are now as much a part of nature as the weather and human and ecological systems are so intricately linked that focusing just on nature gets in the way of conserving nature for future generations. We need to sustain positive interactions between human systems and ecosystems, not avoid these interactions. Focusing on so-called wilderness areas ignores more than four-fifths of Earth’s ice-free land. Ecologists need to do more research in places where humans live,” said Ellis. Other key findings of the research: More than three-quarters of our ice-free land surface is human altered. Wildlands cover just 22 percent of ice-free land today, and most of this land is barren and relatively unproductive. Rangelands are the largest anthropogenic biomes, followed by cropland and forested biomes. More than 80 percent of people live in dense settlements and village biomes, though these cover just seven percent of the Earth’s ice-free land surface. Village biomes are about five times as extensive as urban biomes and are home to about a quarter of Earth’s human population. Anthropogenic biomes are mosaics. Instead of distinct vegetation or land-use types, anthropogenic biomes are complex mixtures of different land uses (settlements, crops, pastures, forests) that are classified by degree and type of human influence. For example, village biomes, which are found mostly in Asia and Africa, are crowded networks of towns and rural settlements embedded in intensively managed croplands and rice paddies alongside patches of less disturbed vegetation in hilly areas. UMBC’s national reputation for excellence in earth and environmental science is growing. According to Thomson Scientific's Science Watch, UMBC's geoscience research ranked third nationally in citation impact for 2001-2005. The only other U.S. universities producing more frequently cited geoscience research papers were Harvard University and the Georgia Institute of Technology. UMBC ranks third nationally in NASA research funding and is home to two major collaborative NASA earth science research centers and the U.S. Geological Survey’s Maryland/Delaware/D.C. Water Science Center. Posted by crose November 19, 2007 UMBC Experts Discuss “Mental Illness and the Campus Community” FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE -- Faculty and staff experts from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) will discuss “Mental Illness and the Campus Community” at this year’s Mosaic Roundtable, sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Studies (INDS) program. The free, public event will be held Tuesday, November 27, 4-6 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. In the wake of Virginia Tech University’s deadly shooting rampage, colleges nationwide have made campus security a top priority and have been reexamining policies dealing with students affected by mental illness. But some critics at UMBC say that looking at mental health issues in the context of Virginia Tech’s massacre perpetuates a false stigma equating mental illness with violent outbreaks. Instead, college campuses need to encourage open dialogue about the facts of mental illness and the need for increased services for those impacted by depression and mental disorders, said INDS Director Patricia Lanoue. “Substance abuse, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and other dimensions of mental illness have been a growing problem on college campuses nationwide,” LaNoue said. LaNoue called the statistics sobering: 37 percent of college students reported they felt “so depressed it was difficult to function,” in a 2006 National Student Health Survey. Seven percent of college students have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders, according to recent research conducted by UCLA. Suicide is among the top three leading causes of death for people ages 10 to 24 and the average onset age for most severe types of mental illnesses is 18 to 24, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. In addition, 92 percent of college counseling directors believe that the number of students with severe psychological problems has increased in recent years, according to the National Survey of Counseling Center Directors conducted by the International Association of Counseling Services in 2006. The survey found that 40 percent of students who seek campus counseling services have “severe psychological problems.” UMBC Counseling Services data indicate that the most common mental health issues reported by UMBC students are anxiety/stress disorders, depression, academic problems, relationship problems and time management problems, said J. Lavelle Ingram, director of University Counseling Services, who will speak at the Mosaic Roundtable about behavioral indicators for mental illness and appropriate responses. The media plays a large role in promoting inaccurate stigmas and stereotypes of people with mental illness, said Carolyn Tice, an associate dean in UMBC's department of Social Work, who will also speak at the Mosaic Roundtable. Events such as the Virginia Tech massacre often result in media frenzies. Also, a survey conducted for the Screen Actors’ Guild found that characters in prime time television portrayed as having mental illness are depicted as the most dangerous of all demographic groups. Conversely, research indicates that people with psychiatric disabilities are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators. Researchers at North Carolina State University and Duke recently reported that people with severe mental illness – schizophrenia, bipoloar disorder or psychosis – are two and half times more likely to be attacked, raped or mugged than the general population. “One in three Americans will experience a form of mental disorder at some point in their lives,” LaNoue said. “The Mosaic Roundtable, created to address complex issues from a multidisciplinary perspective, is one way we can contribute to sharing knowledge and provide an opportunity for the campus community and the public to ask questions.” Also speaking at this event: Charles Milligan, executive director of the Center for Health Program Development and Management, will discuss patient confidentiality and counselors’ responsibilities in protecting the safety of third parties. Carlo DiClemente, professor of psychology, will address addictions and the overlap between drinking, drug use and mental illness, as well as how abuse can contribute to emotional programs and mental illness. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/mosaic. ### UMBC is a medium-sized public research university of 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students who collaborate with professors on real-world challenges. Located just south of Baltimore near I-95 and the BWI airport, UMBC's residential campus houses state-of-the-art facilities in the sciences, engineering, arts, social sciences and humanities. UMBC combines the energy of a research university with the close community feel and attention to individual students found in liberal arts colleges. Posted by kavan October 26, 2007 UMBC’s ‘ACTiVATE’ Program to Receive National Award, TEDCO Funding Program Trains Female Entrepreneurs to Take Maryland Universities’ Technologies to Market CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu ACTiVATE, an innovative program based at UMBC that trains female entrepreneurs to take technologies developed by Maryland universities to market, will receive a national honor and an investment from the state today. The Association of University Research Parks (AURP) will award its 2007 Innovation Award to ACTiVATE today at the AURP’s national conference in St. Louis. Also today, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) announced a $50,000 grant to help ACTiVATE continue its mission. “We are thrilled that UMBC and the ACTiVATE program was recognized by AURP with this year’s Innovation Award,” said Renée Winsky, president and executive director of TEDCO. “The program has proven to be instrumental in growing the number of women entrepreneurs commercializing groundbreaking research being developed in labs throughout the state and starting new businesses. In fact, we are so thrilled with the success of the program that TEDCO is providing a $50,000 grant award to UMBC to expand our continued support of the effort.” “It is wonderful to have TEDCO support this effective technology entrepreneurship training program,” said Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the UMBC Research Park Corporation. “ACTiVATE gives opportunities to women who are underrepresented as entrepreneurs while strengthening tech commercialization from Maryland’s research universities. “AURP’s Innovation Award is a great honor for our program which we believe is well-deserved, since in the past three years, ACTiVATE has trained over 70 women who have formed 12 companies,” Hemmerly said. Hemmerly is a past president of AURP and was instrumental in the establishment of ACTiVATE. She also recently received the Catonsville Chamber of Commerce’s Business Person of the Year award for her efforts to grow the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park, which includes a high-tech business incubator, accelerator, research park and other UMBC entrepreneurial ventures. Originally funded with a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation, ACTiVATE’s goal is to form start-up companies based on technologies developed at UMBC, the Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, Towson University, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and the University of Maryland College Park. In its first three years, ACTiVATE participants have evaluated 97 technologies from Maryland research institutions and formed 12 new companies. ACTiVATE was recently cited by the National Science Foundation's 2007 Government Results and Accountability (GRPA) Performance Assessment Report. The annual report highlights best practices and programs from all fields of science and engineering supported by the NSF. Companies started by recent ACTiVATE alumnae include: EncorePath, built on a unique rehab technology for stroke victims developed by University of Maryland, Baltimore physical therapists; Foligo Therapeutics, which has received significant funding as it focuses on new treatment therapies for ovarian cancer; and Traxion Therapeutics, a biotech firm developing new drugs for chronic pain. EncorePath recently received $74,345 from TEDCO’s Maryland Technology Transfer Fund (MTTF). EncorePath’s founder and president Kris Appel has won first prize in business plan competitions from the MIT Enterprise Forum of Washington-Baltimore and the Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI). The ACTiVATE Program is recruiting for its next class beginning in February 2008. Women with substantial business or technical backgrounds interested in applying for the competitive entrepreneurship training program should visit www.umbc.edu/activate for more information. About ACTiVATE The University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s (UMBC) ACTiVATE* is a year-long program to train women with significant technical or business experience to be entrepreneurs and to create start-up companies from inventions from Maryland research institutions and federal agencies. It is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) and is supported by Constellation Energy, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston and Wachovia Bank. Admission to the program is competitive. For additional information about the ACTiVATE program, please see www.umbc.edu/activate. *ACTiVATE – Achieving the Commercialization of Technology in Ventures through Applied Training for Entrepreneurs About Maryland TEDCO: The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), an independent entity, was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1998 to facilitate the creation of businesses and foster their growth in all regions of the State. TEDCO's role is to be Maryland's leading source of funding for seed capital and entrepreneurial business assistance for technology transfer and development programs. TEDCO connects emerging technology companies with federal laboratories, research universities, business incubators and specialized technical assistance. For the fourth consecutive year, TEDCO was recognized as the most active early/seed stage investor in the nation in the July 2007 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. For more information on TEDCO and its programs and resources, visit www.MarylandTEDCO.org. Posted by crose October 24, 2007 The “Fiscal Wake-Up Tour” Comes to Baltimore for a Town-Hall Meeting on the Nation’s Unsustainable Fiscal Policy U.S. Comptroller General David Walker will head a public forum on the campus of UMBC featuring federal budget analysts from across the political spectrum. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, October 3, 2007 CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE -- On Monday, Oct. 29, U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker comes to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) for the Maryland stop of the Fiscal Wake-Up Tour, a nationwide series of town hall forums focusing on the threats posed by the nation's long-term fiscal challenges. The event, sponsored by the nonpartisan Concord Coalition, will include a panel of analysts from The Brookings Institution and The Heritage Foundation and will be open to the press and public. “One thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is that our nation's current fiscal policy is not sustainable over the long-term,” said Robert L. Bixby, executive director of The Concord Coalition. According to Bixby: “Our childrens' economic future is at risk, which is something no one wants. Changing course will require hard choices such as scaling back future entitlement promises, increasing revenues to pay for them, or -- most likely -- a combination of both. Because these choices are politically difficult, the active involvement of the American people is critical. Without greater understanding of the problem among the public, community leaders, business leaders and home state media, elected leaders are unlikely to break out of their comfortable partisan talking points and unlikely to find solutions. That is why we began the nationwide Fiscal Wake-Up Tour. As demonstrated by the recent election result, voters are tired of partisan gridlock. This gives both parties an opportunity and a duty to begin working together on the real problem we face. Ensuring a sound fiscal future for our children should certainly be high on their list.” David Walker is the nation's top account and head of the GAO (Government Accountability Office), Congress' watchdog agency. He is frequently featured in the national media, most recently on CBS News 60 Minutes and Comedy Central’s Colbert Report, featured below: What: Public Forum and Reception Where: Engineering Building, Lecture Hall 5 University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Click here for directions) When: Monday, October 29, 2007 5:00 PM Public Forum 6:30 PM Reception Who: U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker Robert L. Bixby, The Concord Coalition Doug Elmendorf, Brookings Institution Stuart Butler, Heritage Foundation For more information call 410-455-2916 or email FiscalWakeUp@umbc.edu. Panel members will be available to the media before and after the event. For a complete press packet, visit: http://www.concordcoalition.org/events/fiscal-wake-up/press/07-atlanta-pp.html For information about David Walker's participation, please contact the GAO Office of Public Affairs, 202-512-4800. For information about the forum, please contact Jonathan DeWald, Communications Director of The Concord Coalition, at 888.333.4248 or 703-894-6222. ### About The Concord Coalition The Concord Coalition is a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to informing the public about the need for generationally responsible fiscal policy About UMBC UMBC is a public research university integrating teaching, research, and service to benefit the citizens of Maryland. UMBC provides undergraduate programs in economics and political science and graduate programs in economic policy analysis and public policy. The Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program at UMBC supports talented undergraduate students who want to become effective leaders in government, non-profits, corporations and the community. Posted by kavan October 15, 2007 "Learn More": Television Ad Campaign Displays Energy Behind UMBC Scholarship and Campus Activity CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu Oct. 16, 2007 BALTIMORE -- After welcoming a record 12,000 new and returning students this fall, UMBC plans to build on its success with an advertising campaign that aims to have even more people experience the public research campus. The campaign, developed by Baltimore marketing and design firm idfive, will launch October 15 with a television ad in the Baltimore and Washington markets. The spot – titled “Learn More” – offers a highly visual 30-second tour showing the surprising range of students, professors, programs and activities on campus. The commercial also uses an animated map to emphasize the campus’s location near BWI airport. The television ad can be viewed by clicking http://www.idfive.com/clients/umbc/30sec_spot/ “When people visit UMBC, they are amazed by the energy of the campus and the variety of opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students alike,” says Lisa Akchin, associate vice president for marketing and public relations. “The campaign will accelerate this process by bringing the campus to the attention of many more people.” The new advertising message is part of a three-year, $2.2 million marketing investment made by the university to build undergraduate enrollment and attract more students to professional master’s and certificate programs. The campus, already well-known for its science and engineering programs, especially seeks to build the number of students enrolled in humanities, arts and social sciences programs, says Akchin. Sean Carton, idfive’s chief strategy officer and a 1990 graduate of UMBC, is especially eager to get the word out that students at the campus get a great education and have fun doing it. “To know UMBC is to love it,” says the former English major turned entrepreneur. “As people learn more about the UMBC experience, they’ll love it too.” Posted by crose September 20, 2007 Research Indicates Investing to Reduce Child Poverty Pays Off FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 20, 2007 CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Recent research indicating substantial economic benefits from investing in programs to reduce child poverty will be discussed by top policy researchers and child advocates Sept. 21 at the World Trade Center, in a public forum sponsored by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Department of Public Policy. The economic circumstances in which children grow up have important effects on their success as adults. Recent research indicates that in addition to being justified on moral grounds, spending to improve the conditions in which poor children are raised provides substantial economic returns to the child and society. From 8 to 10 a.m. Sept. 21, a panel of public policy researchers and child advocates will discuss this intriguing research and the available evidence regarding the effectiveness of different programs and policies that can improve key elements of a disadvantaged child’s life. Moderator: Patrick McCarthy Vice-President for System and Service Reform, The Annie E. Casey Foundation Panelists: Hathaway Ferebee Executive Director, Baltimore's Safe and Sound Campaign Harry J. Holzer Professor of Public Policy, Georgetown University Marvin B. Mandell Professor of Public Policy, UMBC The forum is free and open to the public but advance registration is required. Call 410-455-8193, email policyforum@umbc.edu or visit www.umbc.edu/pubpol/forums. ### About UMBC The University of Maryland, Baltimore County is a major research university in the Baltimore-Washington area. Its proximity to both federal and state government offices provides an ideal setting for training in a public policy program, internships and employment opportunities. The Department of Public Policy offers a Master of Public Policy, a Ph.D. degree, and advanced graduate certificates. Our major areas of focus are: health policy; evaluation and analytical techniques; public management; social policy; and urban policy. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/pubpol or call 410-455-3201. Posted by kavan September 19, 2007 Professionals Across Industries Attracted to Unique Masters Degree Program in Aging Services CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Phone: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – The first class of graduate students in the Erickson School’s new Masters in the Management of Aging Services (MAgS)program at UMBC includes professionals as varied as company CEO’s, nursing administrators, retirement community directors, marketing executives, publishers and the executive directors of aging departments in Baltimore City, Harford and Baltimore County. Unlike any other graduate degree, the MAgS program weaves together disciplines in management, public policy and the study of human aging. Integrating these core disciplines combines skills and knowledge necessary for leaders creating and providing products, services and making policy for older adults, said Erickson School Dean Kevin Eckert. “From healthcare and housing to finance and development, the Masters in Management of Aging Services is designed specifically to prepare individuals for leadership roles unique to the 21st Century,” Eckert said. Designed for working professionals, the program is offered in a 15-month executive masters format. The program begins with an intensive one-week session Sept. 23-29, followed by sessions every two to three weekends and concludes with an integrative capstone exercise addressing a relevant issue for each student’s specific organization or agency. The program has attracted 27 students from eight states who will attend as a single cohort and graduate together in December 2008. With America’s population of 65 and older expected to skyrocket to 77 million by 2030, there will be unprecedented opportunities and challenges to meet the needs of older adults. "With the launch of the master's program, the Erickson School is positioned to prepare many of the nation's leaders in the aging field," said UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III. As part of the school’s mission to change the way society thinks about aging, the master’s program will kick-off with an unconventional course designed around Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear. The play, about a dying patriarch who tears down his family with him, offers universal insights to the controversies and concepts of aging in our society, says world-renowned geriatrician Dr. Bill Thomas, a professor at the Erickson School and an international authority on geriatric medicine and aging. “King Lear is a fabulous study for these students because it shows the consequences of failing to understand and appreciate the true nature of old age,” Thomas said in an interview on National Public Radio Sept. 7. “Although it can seem very dramatic and tragic, it’s not far off from what a lot of people experience as they encounter conflict between generations in old age.” The MAgS program will be lead by a group of nationally recognized scholars and professors specializing in each of the Erickson School’s core disciplines of management, policy and aging. Distinguished faculty include: • Dr. Bill Thomas, a Harvard-educated physician, international authority on geriatric medicine and eldercare and self-proclaimed “nursing-home abolitionist.” • Dr. Judah Ronch, a national expert on geriatric mental health issues and a pioneer of reforms in the long-term care and aging services industry. • Joseph A. Gribbin, Ph.D., an Associate Commissioner on loan from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and expert on the nation’s social insurance programs. • William E. Fulmer, Ph.D., a national expert on organizational strategy and service excellence, a former senior vice president of the Executive Development Center of the Harvard Business School and former dean of University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business. For more information, click here to download the MAgS brochure. ### About The Erickson School: The Erickson School grew from a unique partnership between two visionaries, John C. Erickson, Founder and Chairman of Erickson Retirement Communities, and UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III. They recognized that a public research university with a strong emphasis on public policy— as well as one of the nation’s largest gerontology doctoral programs—was an ideal home for a school intended to touch every phase of aging in America. Launched with a $5 million gift from the Erickson Foundation, the institution they created integrates aging, management, and policy in each of its programs, with a strong emphasis on preparing leaders for the 21st century. The School offers credit and non-credit educational programs at the undergraduate, masters, and executive levels. Through a federally funded center, the School also conducts intensive research to address the pressing practical and policy issues of our nation’s rapidly growing aging population. Posted by kavan September 17, 2007 UMBC Biotech Entrepreneur Paul Silber Named Baltimore’s Extraordinary Tech Advocate for 2007 CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Paul Silber, a biotech entrepreneur with roots at UMBC, has been named the 2007 “Baltimore’s Extraordinary Technology Advocate” award winner by the Greater Baltimore Technology Council (GBTC). Silber is the former President and CEO of In Vitro Technologies (IVT), one of the first companies to start and grow on campus through the UMBC incubator program. In 1990, Silber began IVT as a true, by-the-bootstraps startup in Texas and shortly thereafter moved the operation to UMBC. IVT has since grown to an international business with over 70 employees and remains the anchor tenant of UMBC’s high-tech business incubator facility, techcenter@UMBC, today. IVT, which provides an alternative to animal testing for biotech, drug and pharmaceutical firms, was sold to Celsis International in 2006 for $30 million but remains a vital part of UMBC and Baltimore’s entrepreneurial community. "In Vitro Technologies (IVT) truly started it all - bio in Greater Baltimore," said GBTC Executive Director Steve Kozak in a press release. "And Paul Silber has been an active leader, if not THE leader, of this region's biotech community for years. Entrepreneur, mentor, advisor, angel investor - he's been there…for everyone, always, all the time. The GBTC would like to congratulate Paul on this very well-deserved honor. We couldn't have picked a better leader or a better person for this prestigious award." "Paul Silber has grown In Vitro Technologies from two people in a trailer on the edge of our campus into a global success," said UMBC president Freeman Hrabowski, who is also a past recipient of the BETA award. "Along the way, Paul and IVT have truly helped put UMBC and Baltimore on the world's biotech map. "Even after achieving so much, Paul and IVT continue to give back to the community by mentoring other entrepreneurs, hiring UMBC graduates and sponsoring blood drives on campus," said Hrabowski. "The entire UMBC family is delighted to congratulate Paul on this well-deserved honor." Silber will be presented with the BETA Award at the GBTC’s signature annual tech showcase event, TechNite, to be held on Wednesday, October 24, 5:15 - 8:30 p.m., at the Baltimore Convention Center (One West Pratt Street in Downtown Baltimore). Tickets for TechNite are $155 for GBTC members and $185 for non-members. To register or for more information, contact the GBTC at 410-327-9148 or visit the TechNite website at: www.gbtechcouncil.org/technite2007. Posted by crose September 7, 2007 Renowned Geriatricians Using Shakespeare's King Lear to Teach Grad Students in Aging Services CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – The Shakespeare tragedy of King Lear, a dying patriarch who tears down his family with him, offers universal insights to the controversies and concepts of aging in our society, says world-renowned geriatrician Dr. Bill Thomas, a professor at the Erickson School at UMBC, an honors university in Maryland. Thomas, a visionary with an international reputation as an authority on geriatric medicine and aging, plans to teach King Lear to graduate students this fall in the Erickson School’s newly-launched master’s program in the Management of Aging Services. Thomas will team-teach the innovative course "Aging 600: Concepts and Controversies in Aging," with Judah Ronch, also a professor at the Erickson School and expert on geriatric mental health. “King Lear is a fabulous study for these students because it shows the consequences of failing to understand and appreciate the true nature of old age,” Thomas said in an interview on National Public Radio Sept. 7. “Although it can seem very dramatic and tragic, it’s not far off from what a lot of people experience as they encounter conflict between generations in old age.” Just look at driving, Thomas said. “All the angst and anger and tribulation in King Lear comes close to what can happen when children try to take the keys away from Mom or Dad,” Thomas said. Thomas discussed his innovative approach to teaching graduate students in aging services on Baltimore National Public Radio affiliate WYPR 88.1 FM’s “Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast.” Click here to listen to the interview or click here to read the transcript. Although unconventional, Thomas said using Shakespeare to launch a graduate program in aging services would help teach students to see old age in a new way. “We have to teach leaders who are coming up in our field how to see old age as a time of growth and development, which really positions aging services along side education as a field that focuses on human development,” Thomas said. ### About Dr. Bill Thomas William H. Thomas, M.D. is a geriatrician and leading authority on the future of aging and longevity. He is founder of the Eden Alternative, a global nonprofit organization, and a professor at the Erickson School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Most recently he developed the Green House, a radically new approach to long term care where nursing homes are torn down and replaced with small, home-like environments where people can live a full and interactive life. In 2005, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced a five-year ten million dollar grant to support the launch of Green House projects in all fifty states. He lives in Ithaca, NY, with his wife, Judith Meyers-Thomas, and their five children. Posted by kavan Professor Judah Ronch to Chair Undergraduate Academics at the Erickson School CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Professor Judah Ronch is taking the lead in undergrad academics at the Erickson School at UMBC as the newly appointed academic program chair for the undergraduate major in the Management of Aging Services (MAgS). Ronch will have overall responsibilities for the academic integrity and day-to-day management of the new undergraduate major and will answer directly to the dean. In just its second year, the MAgS undergraduate degree has attracted 54 majors and enrolled more than 170 students in its courses. “Building an engaging and innovative undergraduate degree program was critical to the successful launch of the Management of Aging Services major,” said Erickson School Dean J. Kevin Eckert. “With his experience as an innovator in the field of aging services, Judah Ronch will help guide the program as it grows to meet the demands in leadership of our aging population.” ### About Judah Ronch Judah Ronch is a nationally-renowned expert on improving the treatment and mental well-being of elders. Ronch has researched and written extensively on the debilitating effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease and has pioneered major reforms in the long term care industry to improve the mental health of older adults and the working conditions of those who care for them. He most recently served as vice president of Mental Health and Wellness for Erickson Retirement Communities in Baltimore. His numerous publications include the books “Culture Change in Long-term Care,” “Mental Wellness and Aging,” and “Alzheimer’s Disease: A Practical Guide for Those who Help Others.” Posted by kavan August 27, 2007 New Book Finds Racial Segregation Persists in East Coast "Megalopolis" “Liquid City” is the first book to examine the social, economic and demographic changes in one of the largest city regions of the world over the past half century. CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Nearly one in six Americans lives in “Megalopolis,” the densely-populated Northeast corridor along I-95 from Boston to Washington, D.C. A new book examining the evolution of the “Main Street of the Nation” finds that high rates of racial segregation have remained a stubbornly solid fact of metropolitan life over the past half century. In “Liquid City: Megalopolis and the Contemporary Northeast”, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Professor John Rennie Short finds that all racial groups maintained high rates of segregation since 1960 despite massive changes in population growth and distribution. Most striking are findings that blacks and whites have become much more segregated today than in 1960, “a staggering finding given the decline of many of the formal and explicit practices of racial discrimination,” wrote Short. Short offers a new analysis of segregation by examining spatial distribution of racial groups down to the county level throughout the Northeast. He found increased segregation between blacks and whites from 1960 to 2000; stable and high levels for whites and Asians, blacks and Asians, and blacks and Hispanics; and a slight decline in segregation levels between whites and Hispanics, likely due to the recent influx of new Hispanic immigrants. Short examines how racial prejudice and outright housing discrimination helped entrench racial segregation as blacks migrated to Northeastern urban centers and whites fled to the suburbs. Suburbanization of good blue-collar jobs and the deindustrialization of cities created a stark urban underclass which persists today, especially in majority-black cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. “Lack of jobs, services and poor education made it increasingly difficult for the next generation living in central city Megalopolis to move up and out, creating funnels of failures that persist today,” Short said. Geographer Jean Gottman used the term "Megalopolis" to denote the Boston-to-Washington corridor in 1957 in his seminal book, “Megalopolis: The Urbanized Northeastern Seaboard of the United States.” In Liquid City, Short juxtaposes Gottman's work with his own examination of the region's social, economic and demographic evolution. Particularly important is Short's use of the 2000 census data and his discussion of Megalopolis as a source of identity for the area's forty-nine million inhabitants. The book focuses on five main aspects of change in the region: population redistribution from cities to suburbs; economic restructuring as exemplified by the suburbanization of employment; the role of immigration; patterns of racial/ethnic segregation; and the processes of globalization that have made Megalopolis one of the world's most influential economies. “Liquid City: Megalopolis and the Contemporary Northeast” is published by Resources For the Future Press. ### About the author John Rennie Short is a professor of Geography and Public Policy at UMBC, where he specializes in urban issues and globalization. He has published twenty-eight books and numerous academic papers and has received research awards from the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Geographic Society, and the Social Science Research Council. Posted by kavan August 23, 2007 IBM Award to Help Establish Multicore Supercomputing Center at UMBC ‘Orchestra’ of Powerful Processing Chips Will Drive Geoscience, Medical Imaging, Aerospace and Financial Services Research CONTACTS: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Jason Stolarczyk, IBM 206-508-4785 jrstolar@us.ibm.com Photo Caption: According to UMBC computer scientists Milt Halem (left) and Yelena Yesha (right), the Multicore Computing Center will give UMBC researchers access to some of the world's most powerful information engines. Note to Media: High-resolution versions of these photos are available for download at http://www.umbc.edu/NewsEvents/PhotoGal/MC2Photos/ BALTIMORE — The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and IBM today announced a new collaboration to create The Multicore Computing Center (MC2), a unique facility that will focus on supercomputing research related to aerospace/defense, financial services, medical imaging and weather/climate change prediction. IBM awarded UMBC a significant gift to support the development of this new center, which researchers describe as an “orchestra” of one of the world’s most powerful supercomputing chips. The MC2 will bring to UMBC a high-performance computational test laboratory based on the Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.), jointly developed by IBM, Sony Corp., Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCE) and Toshiba Corp. This ground breaking processor is used in products such as SCE's PlayStation3 and Toshiba's Cell/B.E. Reference Set, a development tool for Cell/B.E. applications, as well as the IBM BladeCenter QS20. Cells have a wide range of capability – able to serve as engines for image and video-intensive computing tasks like virtual reality, simulations and imaging for aerospace, medicine and defense; high-definition TV and high-speed video for wireless devices; and highly complex physics based computer models to better predict weather, climate change and biochemistry. Today’s announcement is the latest development in a strong, long-time partnership between IBM and UMBC. IBM employs over 100 UMBC alumni, and UMBC faculty have received numerous IBM research awards and fellowships over the past decade. The MC2 at UMBC is expected to focus on supercomputing research related to aerospace/defense, financial services, medical imaging and weather/climate change prediction. One of the challenges for researchers at the MC2 will be making clusters consisting of hundreds of the powerful information engines run effectively together. “Cell processors are groups of eight very fast, independent but simple PC’s with their own tiny memory all on a single chip each with its own leader,” said Milt Halem, director of the MC2 and professor of computer science at UMBC. “The challenge is choreographing all the chips to work efficiently in parallel. It’s like a distributed orchestra with 224 musicians and 28 conductors connected with head phones trying to play Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony together,” said Halem, who retired in 2002 from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he served as Assistant Director for Information Sciences and Chief Information Officer. "The Multicore Computing Center highlights UMBC's role as a national leader in information technology research and education, and will contribute to Maryland's economic growth and national security," said Freeman Hrabowski, president of UMBC. “We are so pleased to become an early adopter of this revolutionary shift in semi-conductor chip design,” Halem said. “UMBC is committed to growing its computational science expertise and hopes this collaboration with IBM will allow the university to become a national leader in the applications of future multicore computers as they grow more massive.” UMBC is a member of IBM’s Academic Initiative, a program sponsored by IBM to upgrade IT skills for a more competitive workforce. Through the Academic Initiative, IBM works with more than 2,200 institutions, 11,000 faculty members and 650,000 students worldwide to build integrated business, science and technology skills to be applied in today’s global economy. "The opening of the UMBC Multicore Computer Center is yet another example of how IBM innovations are being used to help further the advancement of research and science that benefits business and our communities," said Rod Adkins, senior vice president of development & manufacturing, IBM Systems & Technology Group. "We are convinced of the endless possibilities that can, and will, emerge from this type of collaborative relationship, and are proud to play a role in the launch of the new information technology research center." In the future, UMBC and IBM officials plan to collaborate on new interdisciplinary research possibilities in chemistry, mathematics and other fields of engineering and information technology. The Multicore Computing Center is expected to be installed and operational by fall 2007. About the College of Engineering and Information Technology at UMBC: UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology (COE&IT) is focused on becoming a national leader in engineering and IT education, research, entrepreneurship and diversity. According to National Science Foundation data, UMBC consistently ranks among America’s top research universities in undergraduate IT degree production. The College has built a national reputation for increasing IT gender diversity thanks in part to the Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT), called “the best resource for women on the Web” by ABC News. In 2005, UMBC was honored by the Accredited Board for Engineering and Technology for producing more minority faculty than any other U.S. institution. The College is home to 2200 undergraduates in eight bachelor’s degree programs and nearly 800 graduate students enrolled in nine MS and eight PhD programs. The College’s talented, committed and accessible faculty secure over $13 million in annual research expenditures to advance the frontiers of discovery and innovation and make UMBC a powerful force in engineering and information technology. For more information please visit www.umbc.edu/engineering About IBM: For more information about IBM, please visit http://www.ibm.com. Posted by crose July 24, 2007 UMBC Energy Economics Expert Invited to Governor’s Summit Prof. Tim Brennan will sit on the Energy Demand Roundtable to discuss ideas and policies to overcome Maryland’s energy challenges. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2007 CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 Email: kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Economics Professor Tim Brennan, a nationally recognized expert on energy economics, will participate in the Governor’s Energy Summit on Wednesday, July 25, in Annapolis, Md. Called by Gov. Martin O’Malley to spearhead his strategic energy plan, the summit will be 1 to 5 p.m. in the Miller Senate Office Building and will include Gov. O’Malley, and the state's top energy officials. Brennan will sit on the Energy Demand Roundtable to discuss how best to reduce statewide energy consumption. As the only academic participating, Brennan will provide non-ideological expertise on the economics of energy policy. “The most important thing that has to happen is to allow consumers to see electricity rates that reflect what electricity really costs, including the overall environmental costs and cost spikes during peak demand times,” such as hot summer afternoons, Brennan said. Brennan is Professor of Public Policy and Economics at UMBC and a senior fellow at Resources for the Future, a Washington, D.C.-based institute on the environment and energy. Along with electricity markets, his research interests include antitrust, regulatory and environmental economics, telecommunications, intellectual property, and ethics in public policy. Brennan coauthored Alternating Currents: Electricity and Public Policy, which looks at the complex economic and regulatory policy issues raised by the restructuring of the electricity industry. During 1996-97 he was the senior staff economist for regulatory policy for White House Council of Economic Advisers, and during 2006 he held the T.D. MacDonald Chair in Industrial Economics at the Canadian Competition Bureau. ### Posted by kavan July 19, 2007 UMBC Graduate Student’s Team Wins Top Prize in Global Voting System Design Contest Punchscan Team Wins $10,000, HP Laptop at “VoComp” CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Punchscan, a team including UMBC computer science graduate student Rick Carback, took the grand prize in VoComp, an international voting system design contest held July 16-18 in Portland. The Punchscan team, which also includes undergraduate and graduate students from George Washington University and the University of Ottawa, received $10,000 donated by voting tech firm Election Systems & Software (ES&S), a laptop computer donated by Hewlett-Packard and other prizes. Punchscan also took the awards for best presentation, best critique of a competition system, best election technology component and best implementation. The contest was organized by UMBC professor of computer science and information assurance expert Alan Sherman. Punchscan faced off against teams of researchers from the U.S., Canada, Poland and the U.K. The first-of-its-kind competition was sponsored by the National Science Foundation, ES&S and Hewlett-Packard. For the complete results and more information about VoComp, please visit www.vocomp.org. Posted by crose July 13, 2007 UMBC Student in Global Contest for Most Trustworthy and Accurate Voting System “VoComp” Offers International Research Teams Over $10,000 in Prizes from Voting & Tech Firms CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu PORTLAND, Oregon – Four teams of researchers from the U.S., Canada, Poland and the U.K. face off July 16-18 at the Portland Hilton in the finals of the VoComp University Voting Systems Competition, a global search to make voting machine technologies more trustworthy and accurate. The first-of-its-kind competition is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the voting technology company Elections Systems & Software (ES&S) and Hewlett-Packard (HP). The winning team will receive a $10,000 grand prize provided by ES&S along with other prizes from HP. UMBC computer science graduate student Rick Carback is a member of Punchscan (www.punchscan.org), a team that also includes members from George Washington University and the University of Ottawa. Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury will give introductory remarks at VoComp and will invite attendees at the National Association of Secretaries of States annual summer meeting (held at the same venue) to visit the competition. VoComp marks the first time a major voting company has supported this type of open-ended academic research. “VoComp is stimulating innovation and student involvement in the technology of democracy.” said Alan Sherman, a professor of computer science at UMBC and the organizer of VoComp. In the spirit of transparent democracy, each of the four finalist voting systems is open-source, meaning the computer code is published and thus able to be verified as secure and improved upon, similar to the popular grassroots computer operating system Linux. “This is something that has been called for by many but not realized until now,” Sherman said. “The competition framework also serves to demonstrate what may be a better way to vet and choose voting systems,” said Sherman, who also teaches a course on electronic voting systems. At the competition finals, each team will carry out a mock election and critique the other systems in front of the judges. All sessions are free and open to the public. Three of the VoComp systems are based on a new, end-to-end (e2e) secure technology, which enables each voter to verify that his or her vote was correctly recorded and tabulated. This new technology promises to increase assurance in voting results compared to popular paper trail technologies such as precinct-count optical scan. The VoComp conference will also offer the introductions of several other new voting technologies from some of the top academic and corporate researchers in the field. For more info please visit www.vocomp.org. Posted by crose July 12, 2007 UMBC IT Enrollments on Rebound Outreach Efforts to High School Students, Counselors Have Fall Enrollments Up for Freshmen & Females CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Undergraduate enrollments in UMBC's Department of Information Systems (IS) are on the upswing for fall 2007, particularly among young women. The enrollment increase is a positive sign in light of a recent national decline in college students entering information technology majors and is partly due to the department’s efforts to educate high school students and counselors about the various IT disciplines of study, the truth about outsourcing and the improved job market for IT majors. Nationwide, newly declared computer science majors plummeted to 8,000 in the fall of 2006, from 16,000 in 2000, according to the Computing Research Association. According to UMBC IS department figures, the fall 2007 semester will bring a 40 percent increase in new freshmen (41 enrollments) over the department’s previous four-year average (28). Equally noteworthy is the fact that the department’s fall freshman class will comprise 41 percent women up from a 23 percent average over the previous four years. In an industry that is still typically dominated by men, the number of women enrolling as first year students in UMBC IS programs is up approximately 150 percent from the past four years. UMBC is one of the largest producers of undergraduate IT degrees in the nation, according to the U.S. Deptartment of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. Historically, UMBC’s Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT) has worked to close the IT gender gap through education and outreach efforts. One of CWIT’s primary goals has been to encourage more women and girls to prepare for careers and become leaders in information technology. Andrew Sears, chair of information systems at UMBC, believes the enrollment jump is due in part to his department’s advocacy and outreach initiatives over the past two years. Many universities and companies have been working to get the message out that IT industry demand for skilled graduates has rebounded strongly from the dot-com crash and economic downturn of the 90’s. A recent American Electronics Association report said the U.S. technology industry added 150,000 jobs in 2006 and starting salaries for new college graduate with computing degrees average about $52,000 a year. “We believe there is a serious disconnect between the reality of today’s strong job market for information tech majors and the perceptions of many high school counselors, educators and the families of would-be IT students, so we’ve been working hard to reach them,” said Sears. “This year’s fall enrollments in our B.S. in Information Systems and B.A. in Business Technology Administration programs combined are encouraging and nearly equal our 2002 high water mark, so we are hopeful that the message is getting through,” said Sears. UMBC’s Information Systems department has embraced a proactive, grass-roots approach to IT education advocacy. “We felt it was important to talk with high school education professionals about what IT is really all about, the number and variety of jobs that are available and how our degrees prepare students for these exciting opportunities,” said Sears. “In the last two years we have devoted departmental energies and resources not to hype IT, but to share facts.” The IS department held its first “IT Discovery Event” in 2006, where high school career and college counselors and technology education leaders were invited to a half-day seminar covering topics like the difference between information systems and computer science and the IT job growth projections and variety of career options in the industry. Nearly 50 high school counselors from the Baltimore/DC region attended and more than one-third expressed interest in scheduling separate group visits to the IS department for their students. The department also has had representatives invited to events that, in the past, were reserved for college admissions professionals to talk about IT curricula and job prospects. Sears defines his department’s hands-on approach pretty simply. “No one can tell our story like we do,” he said. “Our goal is to get the facts into the hands of guidance and career counselors, prospective students, and the parents of these students. This will help them better understand the vast array of opportunities that are available, the skills that they really need to succeed and the fact that an IT career is much more than sitting in front of a computer all day.” Posted by crose June 25, 2007 Two UMBC Students Receive Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Columbia Natives Patricia Ordóñez, Jason Reid to Pursue Ph.D.s at UMBC, MIT CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Note to Editors: Click on photos below to view or download high-resolution version of image. BALTIMORE — Patricia Ordóñez, a UMBC second year graduate student, and Jason Reid, a UMBC class of 2007 graduate, both from Columbia, MD, have received National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSFGRF), which are among the most competitive and prestigious academic awards for American college students as they begin graduate studies. Both students are products of UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology. The NSFGRF is a three-year award that funds tuition and an annual stipend to support graduate studies for students showing the potential to contribute significantly to research, teaching and innovations in science and engineering. About 1,000 were awarded across the U.S. this year. Ordóñez, who received a B.A. in Hispanic and Italian Studies in 1989 from Johns Hopkins University, began to pursue her career in computer science attending UMBC part-time in the fall of 2001. She was admitted to the graduate school full-time in the fall of 2005 and will remain at UMBC to pursue a Ph.D. in her field as well as continue research developing medical applications using pervasive computing to help personalize operating rooms for patients and surgeons. “I would be crazy to leave such an encouraging and supportive environment,” she said. “I love being somewhere where the president of the university greets you as he walks by and takes a personal interest in the students.” Reid, who received a B.S. in mechanical engineering, will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to pursue an M.S./Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and conduct research in the use of robotics to accelerate rehabilitation in stroke and spinal cord injury patients. “The NSF award is great because you can work on pretty much anything that interests you,” said Reid. “While I look forward to embarking on the new experiences and challenges of the future, I will always appreciate my time spent at UMBC.” A Meyerhoff Scholar, Reid also received a Society of Automotive Engineers Scholarship, the UMBC Mechanical Engineering Alumni Award and the Hillel of Greater Baltimore President’s Award. Reid’s winning research proposal for the NSFGRF came from his work in the lab of UMBC mechanical engineering professor Dwayne Arola, with whom he studied ways to improve dental tools and practices for senior citizen patients as the enamel of their teeth grows brittle with age. For Ordóñez, the award makes her doctoral dreams obtainable. “Without it I think I would have settled for the masters rather than the PhD because I am 40 years old and have the financial responsibilities of a 40-year-old,” she said. “Now I have the financial support I need to focus solely on my research.” Ordóñez, part of the UMBC computer science and electrical engineering department’s eBiquity Research Group, thanked UMBC faculty members Anupam Joshi, Marie desJardins, Renetta Tull, Tim Finin, Penny Rheingans, Janet Rutledge, Charles Nicholas, Krishna Sivalingam, and Marc Olano for supporting her in her graduate studies and Shon Vick in her undergraduate studies. Posted by crose June 15, 2007 Retirement Living TV-Funded, UMBC-Produced Digital Storytelling Project Wins Bronze Telly Award for Outstanding Video Production Collaborative Project Involves Charlestown Retirees and UMBC Students CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu COLUMBIA, MD - A pioneering and unique Digital Storytelling Project funded by Retirement Living TV (RLTV) has won a Bronze Telly Award. The prestigious Telly Award cites the Digital Storytelling Project as being among the world's best in local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as among the finest in video and film production. This year's Telly Awards received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents. The Digital Storytelling Project combines the efforts of RLTV (http://rl.tv/ ), UMBC and Charlestown Retirement Community. It partners a UMBC undergraduate student (hands-on with the media technology) with a Charlestown resident (autobiographical story and narrative) to produce 2-3 minute video stories. Drawn from the life experiences of the residents, the stories combine narration, animation and photography. The award-winning digital stories can be viewed at: www.umbc.edu/oit/newmedia/studio/digitalstories/ctds.php?movie=CT_digitalstoriesatCT.flv or at www.rl.tv/Community/Digital Stories The Digital Storytelling Project is the nation's first three-way partnership between a media company, a university and a retirement community. UMBC students team with Charlestown residents to create a series of 17 digital stories and music in short movies to be shared with others. Charlestown residents work closely with student partners, acting as author and creative director of their individual story. Each student brings their own style and talents to the project, helping to create some unique examples of intergenerational storytelling. The project is organized and supervised by UMBC's New Media Studio. "We are honored that the television industry has recognized the hard work that went into producing these fascinating digital stories," said Brad Knight, president of RLTV. "The digital stories are reality TV at its finest. They provide a rich, intergenerational experience for Charlestown residents and UMBC students. "Winning an award like the Telly is significant in that it acknowledges that stories drawn from the life experiences of retirees with a wider audience," said Knight. "It is also gratifying that the award recognizes the entire collection of work from the Charlestown project. It is very much a group process and every story enriched the experience." Retirement Living TV, a cable network dedicated to informing, involving and inspiring people aged 55 and over, was launched in September 2006. RLTV is comprised of shows covering topics including health, lifestyle, finance and politics. The Retirement Living TV network roots are in Erickson Retirement Communities, the National Institutes of Health, non-profit research foundations, the Erickson School of Aging Studies and leading gerontologists across the country. RLTV is committed to changing the perception on aging, and strives to develop innovative and entertaining television for a mature viewing audience. For more information, visit http://www.rl.tv/. Posted by crose June 5, 2007 Health Crisis Brewing In Overcrowded ER’s Experts discuss strategies to relieve strain on Maryland emergency rooms FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 5, 2007 CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Solutions for improving delivery of hospital emergency room services and reducing bottlenecks that cause long waits for emergency care will be debated by public policy and health experts Thursday, June 7 at the World Trade Center, in a public forum sponsored by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Department of Public Policy and the Center for Health Program Development and Management (CHPDM). As bed supply has decreased and uninsured patients increasingly look to emergency rooms for non-emergency care, emergency departments in Maryland and around the nation are becoming more and more crowded. Some experts characterize the situation as a health care crisis. “Emergency departments in hospitals are stretched to the breaking point, threatening a critical part of our health-care safety net,” said UMBC Public Policy Professor Nancy Miller, who will moderate the forum “The Impact of Emergency Department Use on the Health Care System in Maryland.” The forum will be from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the World Trade Center, Baltimore, in the Constellation Room on the 21st Floor. Recent national reports have concluded that America’s hospital-based emergency care system is on the verge of collapse at a time when one-in-three Americans visit emergency rooms every year. Seriously ill people often wait hours to receive critical care and can wait up to two days to be admitted to a hospital bed, according to reports by the Institute of Medicine. The strain on emergency services is especially severe in Maryland. A report released in December by the Maryland Health Care Commission found that visits to Maryland emergency departments increased 18 percent between 2000 and 2003, compared to a 9 percent increase observed nationwide. Healthcare experts are calling for system-wide reforms, without which they warn emergency care systems will be unable to manage day-to-day emergencies, let alone large disasters or epidemics. Attend this forum to join in a discussion with health and public policy experts about strategies to improve the delivery of emergency room services. Panelists include: • Pamela W. Barclay, Director, Center for Hospital Services, Maryland Health Care Commission. • Linda DeFeo, Emergency Department Administrative Consultant. • Deborah E. Trautman, Director of Nursing for Emergency Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Interim Vice President of Patient Services, Howard County General Hospital. • Maryland Delegate Dan K. Morhaim from Baltimore County. ### About UMBC The University of Maryland, Baltimore County is a major research university in the Baltimore-Washington area. Its proximity to both federal and state government offices provides an ideal setting for training in a public policy program, internships and employment opportunities. The Department of Public Policy offers a Master of Public Policy, a Ph.D. degree, and advanced graduate certificates. Our major areas of focus are: health policy; evaluation and analytical techniques; public management; social policy; and urban policy. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/pubpol or call 410-455-3201. The Center for Health Program Development and Management, located at UMBC, works with public agencies and nonprofit community-based agencies in Maryland and elsewhere to improve the health and social outcomes of vulnerable populations in a manner that maximizes the impact of available resources. For more information, visit www.chpdm.org or call 410-455-6854. Posted by kavan May 29, 2007 UMBC/NASA Study Shows Increasing Snowmelt in Greenland New Area the Size of Maryland Starts to Melt Each Year; Long-term Satellite Data Showed First-Ever High Altitude Melting in 2002 CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Some sobering findings on the extent of Greenland's melting ice sheets were published today as part of a long-term study of earth observing satellites’ data by researchers with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. Marco Tedesco, a scientist at the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET) of UMBC and NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, was lead author of a study published in the American Geophysical Union's journal Eos. By using a new method for detecting melting snow from satellites, Tedesco found that in 2006 Greenland experienced more days of melting snow and at higher altitudes than the previous trends from the past 18 years. Tedesco used a new method for detecting melting snow based on readings from the Special Sensor Microwave Imaging radiometer (SSM/I), an instrument aboard the U.S. Air Force’s Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft. The SSM/I can see through clouds and can measure data without sunlight. Tedesco has tracked the data annually since 1988, allowing him to study big-picture trends in the duration and extent of Greenland's snowmelt. Certain areas of Greenland were melting over 10 days longer than average in 2006. Greenland’s 2006 melt index, or the number of melting days times the melting area, continued on an upward trend seen in data from 1988 to 2005. Results from another study by Tedesco published on Geophysical Research Letters on January 2007 show that the year 2002 showed signs of extreme melting. “We identified an extreme melting event in June 2002 that showed for the first time in 18 years snow melting in inner Greenland at high altitudes,” said Tedesco. “During the same year, over 80 percent of the entire Greenland ice sheet surface experienced at least one day of melting. This corresponds to an area the size of France, Spain and Italy put together,” he said. The area experiencing at least one day of melting has been increasing since 1992 at a rate of 35,000 square kilometers per year, or about two percent of the entire Greenland surface. “That means that, on the average, every year since 1992 an area equivalent to the state of Maryland has been subject to new melting,” Tedesco said. Left: UMBC JCET Researcher Marco Tedesco According to Tedesco, tracking melting snow in Greenland, which contains enough water to raise global sea level by approximately 7 meters, is important for several reasons. “Although wet and dry snow look similar, they absorb sun’s radiation in a different way, with melting snow absorbing three to four times as much energy as dry snow, greatly affecting Earth’s energy budget,” said Tedesco. “Also, melting snow produces liquid water that will seep down to the interface of ice and bedrock, lubricating the ice sheet and increasing the speed with which ice moves,” Tedesco said. “This means that ice might react to a warm climate faster than thought, contributing more rapidly to sea level than previously thought.” Posted by crose May 16, 2007 President Hrabowski Featured on Cover of The Presidency, the ACE Magazine for Higher Education Leaders CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, who delivered the keynote address at the American Council on Education (ACE) 2007 Annual Meeting, is pictured on the cover of the spring 2007 issue of The Presidency, ACE’s magazine for higher education leaders. In an entry titled, “The Access Imperative,” President Hrabowski discusses how higher education “can ensure that students from all backgrounds (can) not only enroll in college, but also excel. The president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County says finding answers to this question are imperative for our nation.” The higher education community considers the annual ACE keynote address, known as the Robert H. Atwell Lecture, to be one of the year’s most important public speaking events. For a photo reproduction of the The Presidency, a synopsis of President Hrabowski’s address and information on how to acquire this issue of the magazine, see http://www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/Presidency/S07_Hrabowski.htm. The article is adapted from President Hrabowski’s address, which he delivered on Feb. 11, 2007. The address can be read at http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/president/access_imperative.html. Posted by crose President Hrabowski to Deliver Commencement Address at Wheaton College; Will Receive Honorary Degrees from Wheaton, Haverford College CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski will address the Class of 2007 during Commencement exercises at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 19. Joining President Hrabowski on the dais will be honorary degree recipients Deborah Bial, president and founder of the Posse Foundation; Robert Herbert, op-ed columnist for The New York Times; and Kathleen O'Donnell, a Massachusetts attorney and member of the Class of 1977. President Hrabowski will also receive an honorary degree (Doctor of Letters). President Hrabowski will receive an honorary degree from Haverford College in Haverford, Pa., during its Commencement exercises at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 20. The college awards four honorary degrees each year “to men and women who have distinguished themselves in letters, the sciences, or the arts. Many recipients are noted for their contributions to the overall betterment of humankind and/or Haverford College.” For more information regarding President Hrabowski’s address to the Class of 2007 at Wheaton College, see http://www.wheatoncollege.edu/news/pr20070124a.html. For more information regarding President Hrabowski’s honorary degree from Haverford College, see http://www.haverford.edu/commencement/main.htm#honorary_degree_recipients. President Hrabowski will address the Class of 2007 during undergraduate Commencement exercises at California State University, Los Angeles at 8 a.m. (PDT) Saturday, June 9. Posted by crose May 10, 2007 Antidepressants Study by Public Policy Professor Dave Marcotte Featured in The Atlantic Study finds suicide rates fall significantly within countries as antidepressant sales increase. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – An innovative study on the impact of antidepressants on suicide rates co-authored by Associate Professor Dave Marcotte of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is featured in the June issue of The Atlantic. Marcotte’s research examined the effects of antidepressants on suicide mortality rates in 26 countries over 25 years. The largest-ever study of international patterns of suicide and antidepressant therapy found a significant decline in suicide deaths in countries with the fastest growth in sales of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which include Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft. According to the study Anti-depressants and Suicide, an increase of one pill per capita (about a 12 percent increase over sales in 2000) results in a 5 percent drop in suicide deaths. The study concludes that expanding access to treatment and SSRIs is a more cost-effective method to limit suicide mortality than many other public-health interventions. The study follows a series of recent government warnings that question the safety of SSRIs, which are among the most widely prescribed medications in the world. Since 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required “black box” warning labels on antidepressants saying they may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior in children and adolescents. These warnings were just updated on May 2, 2007. However, Marcotte and his co-authors argue that randomized clinical trials – which are the basis for the FDA’s findings – have produced conflicting findings over whether SSRIs impact suicide rates. Such trials are a poor way to examine the impact of SSRIs on suicide rates because the samples are too small to yield statistically significant results and “exclude those at highest risk for suicide,” the study found. “The inability of clinical trials to resolve this question, and the FDA warnings have created intense controversy within medicine. Analyses like ours are the most promising way to shed light on a question of immense importance,” said Marcotte, an associate professor of public policy and researcher at the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (MIPAR) at UMBC. The study, which was co-authored by Jens Ludwig of Georgetown University and Karen Norberg of the Washington University School of Medicine, was first released by the National Bureau of Economic Research in February. ### Posted by kavan May 7, 2007 Sophomore Wins National Essay Contest on Health Care Policy Political Science major analyzes health care as issue for 2008 presidential race FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 kavan@umbc.edu Shane Spencer Sophomore, Political Science BALTIMORE – The University of Maryland, Baltimore County's (UMBC) Department of Political Science is pleased to announce that sophomore Shane Spencer won first place in the national KaiserEDU.org 2007 Student Essay Contest in the undergraduate category. Spencer, a Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars majoring in political science and media and communications studies, tied for first place out of a field of more than 60 undergraduate student entries in the health policy essay competition sponsored by the nonprofit Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. KaiserEDU.org is a project of the foundation designed to provide students and faculty interested online access to data, research, analysis and developments in health policy. Click here to read Spencer’s essay “The Dark Horse’s Preventative Approach,” which outlines a health care policy platform for a hypothetical presidential candidate. The first place prize is $1,000. “We received essays from students enrolled in a broad range of disciplines from universities across the United States,” said Drew E. Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Within this competitive pool (Spencer’s) essay detailing the Dark Horse’s Plan stood out as exceptionally insightful, thorough, and well-researched.” More than 250 undergraduate and graduate students submitted essays to the 2007 KaiserEDU.org essay contest. Essays were judged by a panel of professionals, including Michael McCurry and Scott McClellan, former White House press secretaries, Judy Feder, dean of the Georgetown Public Policy Institute and Diane Rowland, executive vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. ### Shane Spencer As part of the Sondheim Scholars program Shane volunteered weekly during her freshman year at My Sister's Place, a women's day shelter in Baltimore City. Shane also ran in the 2006 Baltimore and 2007 Virginia Beach marathons. Shane will be interning with a federal agency this summer and then will study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark in the fall of 2007. After graduation in May 2009, Shane plans to go to law or graduate school and work in administration or urban planning. Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program at UMBC The Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program supports a diverse pool of talented undergraduates to become effective leaders in government, non-profits, corporations and the community. Posted by kavan May 2, 2007 Paramedics and Emergency Responders Nationwide Holding Inaugural Critical Care Transport Symposium Three-day event focused on latest techniques and technologies for transporting the critically injured by ambulance, helicopter or planes. CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 Cellphone: 443-739-3052 kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Dozens of Emergency Medical Technicians Paramedics (EMT-P), nurses, physicians and ambulance and medevac flight crews from around the country will descend on the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s (UMBC) campus May 5-7 to attend the inaugural Critical Care Transport Symposium hosted by UMBC's Department of Emergency Health Services. The conference will focus on the treatment of critically ill or injured patients while in transit by ambulance, helicopter or airplane. Sessions on Saturday and Sunday will focus on adult patients and the latest technologies and treatments for heart attacks, head trauma, massive blood loss and other conditions. Monday’s sessions will focus on pediatric and neonatal issues, such as pain medication use on children and fetal monitoring during transport. The symposium will be held at UMBC’s Technology Research Center (Located south of the campus circle -- click here for a map and directions). Advances in treatments and technologies for transporting the critically injured are important because victims of crashes and other traumatic injuries face the highest risk of death while in transit to a hospital, said Crista Lenk Stathers, a medevac paramedic in Baltimore and Pennsylvania and Director of Professional and Continuing Education for UMBC’s Department of Emergency Health Services (EHS). “It’s exactly at the point when we get the patient stabilized and into an aircraft or ambulance and take off that the patient decides to take a downward spiral and crash,” Stathers said. Featured on Saturday will be a demonstration of the new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) infant transfer device. The Baby Pod II, created by CooperSurgical, provides a temperature-stable and shock-absorbent environment for infant transport. Stathers is one of the many medevac crews to use the Baby Pod II to transport infants to and from the various pediatric facilities throughout Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC. Other topics covered will be the latest treatments for heart attacks, containment of infectious diseases, missed trauma injuries and new mobile Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) to keep the heart pumping during transport. Speakers include specialists from the Brain Trauma Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital and Washington Medical Center. For a detailed schedule and to register contact Kavan Peterson: 410-455-1896 or kavan@umbc.edu. ### About the Department of Emergency Health Services UMBC’s Department of Emergency Health Services is the country’s largest and most experienced program offering undergraduate and graduate education in emergency health, disaster response, counterterrorism, public health and other public emergency response services. It is also the nation’s largest provider of professional and continuing education for emergency medical professionals, providing certification through 44 universities nationwide. Posted by kavan April 3, 2007 UMBC’s Isaac Matthews Named Arthur Ashe Jr. 2007 Sports Scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education Magazine Meyerhoff Scholar Mechanical Engineering Major Honored for Balancing Academics, Athletics and Leadership CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News Office: 410-455-5793 Cellphone: 443-690-0307 crose@umbc.edu Isaac Matthews, a senior mechanical engineering major and a four-year track and field letterman at UMBC, has been named the 2007 “Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year.” The national honor places him on the cover of the April 5 Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine. Matthews, a native of Oxon Hill, MD, and a graduate of Oxon Hill High School, is a Meyerhoff Scholar at UMBC with a 3.88 G.P.A. He serves as treasurer for UMBC's chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and gives motivational talks to NASA Sharp students. He is well known on campus as a dedicated mentor and tutor to young African-American middle and high school students and as an accomplished cello player. Matthews will graduate in May with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and has already been accepted to several prestigious engineering graduate programs including MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, Michigan and Illinois. In the Diverse cover story, he discussed his lifelong quest to shatter stereotypes about black students and the challenges of mentoring the younger generation. “There are more black doctors than there are basketball players, but you don’t see the image… As the numbers increase, as you have more black engineers, professors, that image can be defeated by the numbers,” said Matthews. LaMont Toliver, director of the Meyerhoff program at UMBC, described Matthews in the Diverse profile as “the prototype for a scholar-athlete… with the potential to be the Paul Robeson of our time. He’s that well rounded.” David Bobb, head track and field coach at UMBC, said in the same story that Matthews “epitomizes the student-athlete because he always puts academics first.” Matthews’ athletic achievements include finishing seventh in the 2005 America East Indoor Championships 800-meter run, placing eighth in the 2004 America East Outdoor Championships and being named a Toyota Athlete of the Week in 2003. The Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars awards are given annually by Diverse: Issues in Education magazine to the female and male athletes in America who best combine athletic and academic excellence with community activism. To be included, students have to compete in an intercollegiate sport; maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.2; and be active on their campuses or in their communities. The magazine also ranks teams from around the U.S. in different sports based on their collective GPAs. Matthews shares the cover of the April 5 issue of Diverse with women’s winner DeCarol Davis, a basketball player with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. For more information on the awards, visit www.diverseeducation.com. Posted by crose March 30, 2007 UMBC Public Policy Professor Don Norris Invited to Testify at Congressional Hearing Norris called as expert witness on voting security CONTACT: Kavan Peterson Office: 410-455-1896 Cellphone: 443-739-3052 kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE -- Dr. Donald Norris, professor of public policy and director of the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (MIPAR) at UMBC, testified March 23 in a hearing for the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Elections on the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2007. The bill, H.R. 811, would require all states to bring back paper ballots as the official record in elections. Click here to read a transcript of Norris' testimony. MIPAR serves as UMBC’s premier center for applied scholarly research on significant issues of public policy and links the analytical resources of the University with public policy makers in the state and region. Norris has been the director of MIPAR since 1989. He also directs the National Center for the Study of Elections (NCSE) within MIPAR, which focuses on issues involving election administration, election technologies and related matters. He holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Government from the University of Virginia. He is a specialist in public management, urban affairs and the application, management and impacts of information technology in public organizations. Posted by kavan March 27, 2007 Virtual Middle School Girl 'Jennifer Webb' to Headline Computer Mania Day, May 5 at UMBC Actors, Animators to Bring Digital Role Model to Life for Hundreds of Middle School Girls, Parents, in Day of Hands-on, High-Tech Fun Middle school girls of Maryland, the star of the show is a digital version of you! Jennifer Webb is her name and even though she is a 3-D, digitally animated puppet, she can flip her ponytail, IM, download and prepare for a career in computer technology. In fact she is just like the hundreds of middle school girls from around the state who will be able to interact with her live at Computer Mania Day at UMBC on Saturday, May 5 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Computer Mania Day is an annual day of free, hands-on, high-tech, fun activities for adults and kids sponsored by UMBC’s Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT). The half-day event helps to get girls interested in technology and computing careers while helping parents and teachers learn how to help prepare their kids for college and technical careers and keep them safe online. While boys are welcome, the focus is on girls because of their continuing under-representation in engineering and information technology fields. While fashion designers, astronauts, and journalists have been celebrity keynote speakers at past Computer Mania Days, this year the program decided to take a cue from UMBC’s Imaging Research Center (IRC). The IRC recently combined their computer animation and digital puppetry skills with the wit and pen of former Baltimore Sun and current Economist magazine political cartoonist Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher to transform his drawings of President George W. Bush into 3-D, interactive, English-mangling life. IRC faculty and student animators led by visual arts professor/filmmaker Lee Boot will team with faculty and student puppeteers and actors led by theatre professor/master puppeteer Collette Searls to make Jennifer Webb come alive. The development team will study videotape of middle school girls from previous Computer Mania Day events to get the slang, mannerisms and fashions of their target audience down pat. “Jennifer Webb represents cutting edge technology that can figuratively and literally talk to girls to get the message across that technology is fun,” said Claudia Morrell, director of CWIT. Jennifer Webb will address and take questions from a panel of business leaders representing Northrop Grumman, AT&T, and Dell as well as attendees at 10:30 a.m. in the UMBC Retriever Activities Center. Later in the day, animators will discuss how bringing Jennifer Webb to life taught real-world lessons with a panel discussion, behind-the-scenes video, and for a few lucky girls, a chance to make the puppet come to life! Research shows that the information technology (IT) gender gap opens as early as the middle school years, when girls are most image-conscious and do not want to be labeled as “geeks” or “nerds.” Girls also make up only 14 percent of Advanced Placement students in computer science, a key to success in IT-related fields at the college level. At Computer Mania Day, students can sign up for hands-on workshops led by positive female role models from UMBC along with business, government and education leaders. The day is designed to give a broad introduction to how various careers use information technology. Girls’ events highlights include “Get Down With Robomaniacs,” “Google’s Googol of Opportunities,” and “Great Pictures From Pixels.” All attendees will have the chance to win great giveaways including a laptop computer. Computer Mania Day also offers resources for parents and teachers, including workshops on how to prepare your kids for college, getting girls interested in tech careers and keeping kids safe online. Admission to the event is free, but registration is required in advance. Adults and children should visit www.computer-mania.info to register. NOTE TO MEDIA: Hi-resolution, color images of Jennifer Webb and the Computer Mania Day logo are available online at: http://www.umbc.edu/NewsEvents/PhotoGal/JenniferWebb.jpg http://www.umbc.edu/NewsEvents/PhotoGal/CMDlogo.jpg Posted by crose Dr. William Thomas, Erickson School Professor of Aging Services and Innovative Authority on Eldercare, to Appear on WYPR’s “The Marc Steiner Show” Thomas to discuss his contributions to improving “elder care” and his book What are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World CONTACT: Kavan Peterson, UMBC News Office: 410-455-1896 Cellphone: 443-739-3052 kavan@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Dr. William Thomas, professor of aging services at the Erickson School at UMBC and an innovative authority on eldercare, will be a featured guest on WYPR-88.1 FM's “The Marc Steiner Show” on Tuesday, March 27. In a live broadcast from noon to 1 p.m., Thomas will discuss his revolutionary ideas about why we should embrace aging, as well as his book “What are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World.” Named 2005 “Book of the Year” by the American Medical Writers Association, it explores the virtues concealed within the necessity of aging. On air comments for the March Steiner Show can be e-mailed to thesteinershow@wypr.org or listeners can call 410-662-8780 during the show. About the Erickson School: The Erickson School was established at UMBC in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson Retirement Communities. It offers a B.A. and M.A. in the Management of Aging Services, as well as Executive Education programs. The Center for Aging Studies at the Erickson School provides cutting edge applied research. UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education, and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology. Posted by elewis March 26, 2007 UMBC Dean of Engineering & Information Technology Receives International Honor Society of Manufacturing Engineers Recognizes Warren DeVries’ Accomplishments with Albert M. Sargent Progress Award CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Photo Caption: Warren DeVries. Click on the image above to download a high-resolution photo of Dean DeVries. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the world's leading professional society serving the manufacturing industry, named Warren R. DeVries, dean of engineering and information technology at UMBC, the 2007 winner of the SME Albert M. Sargent Progress Award today for his significant accomplishments in the field of manufacturing processes, methods and systems. The SME recognized the recipients of the 2007 SME International Honor Awards at its International Awards Gala which took place in conjunction with SME's Annual Meeting and WESTEC 2007 Exposition and Conference. “To be recognized by your colleagues is always a great honor. During a time of change in the world and in the manufacturing profession, receiving the Albert M. Sargent Progress Award makes me eager to take up the challenge of education and innovation as the engines that will drive 21st century manufacturing enterprises,” said DeVries. DeVries is a leader in the national push for excellence in engineering education and is also well known in his field for his pioneering research in material removal processes and manufacturing systems. Prior to coming to UMBC to lead its College of Engineering and Information Technology, he served as the National Science Foundation’s Division Director for the Division of Design and Manufacturing Innovation. DeVries came to the NSF on assignment from Iowa State University, where he was a professor and then chair of the department of mechanical engineering. He has also held faculty positions at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Michigan and University of Wisconsin-Madison. DeVries has served on the Board of Governors and as Senior Vice President for Engineering for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and on the Board of Directors and as President for the North American Manufacturing Research Institution of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). He is a Fellow of both the ASME and the SME. About the SME International Honor Awards: The SME International Honor Awards recognize exceptional personal accomplishments and contributions to the field of manufacturing engineering in the areas of manufacturing technologies, processes, technical writing, education, research, management or service to the Society. SME members and non-members are encouraged to nominate individuals from industry, academia and government who have made a notable impact in these areas. Posted by crose | TrackBack March 23, 2007 Dr. William Thomas, Erickson School Professor of Aging Services and Innovative Authority on Eldercare, to Appear on WYPR's "Maryland Morning" Thomas to discuss his book “What are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World” CONTACT: Kavan Peterson, UMBC News Office: 410-455-1896 Cellphone: 443-739-3052 kavan@umbc.edu Dr. William Thomas, Professor of Aging Services at the Erickson School at UMBC and an innovative authority on eldercare, will be a featured guest on WYPR-88.1 FM's “Maryland Morning With Sheilah Kast” on Monday, March 26. In a segment scheduled for broadcast at 9:20 a.m., Thomas will discuss his book “What are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World.” Named 2005 “Book of the Year” by the American Medical Writers Association, it explores the virtues concealed within the necessity of aging. About the Erickson School: The Erickson School was established at UMBC in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson Retirement Communities. It offers a B.A. and M.A. in the Management of Aging Services, as well as Executive Education programs. The Center for Aging Studies at the Erickson School provides cutting edge applied research. UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education, and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology. Posted by crose | TrackBack March 21, 2007 Arch-Rivals Prepare for Rematch in Final Four of College Chess Short-Handed UMBC in for a Fight Against UT-Dallas CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu The opening rounds are over and millions of men’s college basketball fans eye the upcoming Sweet 16 round, brackets either intact or destroyed. While these multitudes focus on the 2007 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament and which schools will advance this weekend to the Final Four, a quieter but equally intense rivalry will be underway March 24-25 in Dallas. One of college sports' top rivalries will be on once again as America's top four chess powerhouses - the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), Duke University and Miami Dade College - face off in the Final Four of College Chess. In a rare occurrence, all four teams from last year’s Final Four return to battle this year. The participants in the Final Four are determined by the standings in the Pan Am Intercollegiate Chess Tournament, held in December 2006. UTD and UMBC are the undisputed top two teams in the nation and among only a handful of American colleges that offer full scholarships to top chess players from around the world and hold pep rallies to celebrate victories. UMBC, fresh off its 2005 victory over UTD in the Pan Am Tournament, the top annual competition in college chess, relinquished the 2006 Pan Am to UTD when the event moved for one year to Washington, D.C. UMBC will be without its top player, Alex Onischuk, who will be playing in a top-level international tournament in his native Russia. Sergey Erenburg, who won the UMBC Open tournament earlier this month, will take Onischuk’s place, anchoring Board 1 for the Retrievers. “Without Onischuk, it will be a very close fight between UTD and UMBC,” said UMBC chess program director and professor of computer science Alan Sherman. In 2003 and 2004, UTD has bumped UMBC off the college chess throne with two nail-biter, half-point victories in the Pan Am. Dozens of national and international universities participate annually in the Pan Am, including Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, and the Universities of Chicago, Peru and Toronto. Yet UTD remains the only team able to consistently turn back UMBC. Fans can follow the Final Four of College Chess live online at the Internet Chess Club Web site, www.chessclub.com, or at www.monroi.com. Posted by crose | TrackBack February 22, 2007 Cash-Prize Contests, Lessons from Pros to Mark Entrepreneurship Week at UMBC Erickson Speech, Business Idea Contests Highlight Events as UMBC Spreads Entrepreneurial Spirit Across Campus Photo Caption: Read more about UMBC's entrepreneurial community online. CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Real world lessons and real cash prizes will highlight Entrepreneurship Week USA activities at UMBC next week as the University builds on momentum from a recent $2 million grant from the Kauffman Foundation to spread entrepreneurship education and training across campus. Two business idea competitions for a total of $4,000 in cash prizes kick off the week on Monday, Feb. 26. The first contest is a student business plan competition with $1,000 at stake. Later that day the “Fillmaster Challenge” begins. The contest offers a $3,000 prize for the best idea on an alternative market niche for a precision purified water dispenser system developed by Fillmaster Systems, Inc. The device currently helps pharmacists prepare reconstituted drugs more accurately and safely, but could easily adapt to other uses. Real-world lessons from experienced entrepreneurial experts fill out the rest of the week as Retirement community and media entrepreneur John Erickson, founder and CEO of Erickson, Inc., will speak to students. Erickson’s latest venture, Retirement Living TV, a network aimed at those ages 55 and older, recently expanded to reach over 26 million households nationally through DirecTV as his retirement communities continue to expand nationwide. Erickson speaks from noon to 1 p.m. on Wed., Feb. 28, in UMBC’s Commons building room 312. Earlier in the week, Ellen Hemmerly, executive vice president of the UMBC Research Park Corporation, will speak on the successful growth of techcenter@UMBC and bwtech@UMBC, the University’s on-campus, high-tech business incubator and accelerator programs. The incubator and research park have grown from concept to a high-demand location for startup and emerging tech companies in the region. A recent, independent economic impact study of the techcenter and research park documented 841 direct jobs at the two facilities, which support more than 2,000 total jobs statewide and generate $2.1 million in income and property taxes for counties in the Baltimore region. Hemmerly will speak in The Commons room 331 from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tues., Feb. 27. "The Kauffman grant allows us to take entrepreneurship programming to the next level," said Vivian Armor, director of the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship at UMBC. Armor hopes the week’s activities expand awareness that entrepreneurship can be found beyond traditional definitions of business. “Entrepreneurship can play an important role in all disciplines," Armor said. "Faculty and students pushing the envelope in science and technology, breaking new ground in the creative arts or crafting new solutions to society's problems can all be entrepreneurs. Some people don't even realize what they are doing is entrepreneurial." For a full schedule of Entrepreneurship Week USA events at UMBC, please visit www.umbc.edu/entrepreneurship. Posted by crose February 12, 2007 UMBC Theatre Faculty in the News UMBC's Department of Theatre faculty and alumni recently received favorable reviews in the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post and the Washington City Paper. A production directed by Xerxes Mehta, professor of theatre, was reviewed in the Baltimore Sun and Washington Post. The double bill of one-act plays by Harold Pinter--The Collection and The Lover--also included set and costumes by Elena Zlotescu, associate professor of theatre, and Lynn Watson, chair and associate professor of theatre, was dialect consultant. The Pinter plays were produced by Rep Stage, the professional theatre company in residence at Howard County Community College. The new artistic director of Rep Stage is theatre alumnus Michael Stebbins. In addition, Assistant Professor of Theatre Colette Searls' direction of Vigils at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, DC was favorably reviewed in the Washington Post and Washington City Paper. Posted by elewis February 7, 2007 Andrew Sears, UMBC Information Systems, Discusses Booming IT Job Market on Maryland Public Television Andrew Sears, chair and professor of UMBC's Information Systems department, was recently an in-studio guest for Maryland Public Television's "Business Connection." Sears discussed how the information technology (IT) job market is doing much better than conventionally thought. According to Sears, trends like decreased outsourcing, increased hiring and even signing bonuses for talented IT grads all add up to a booming IT job market for the Class of 2007. Sears was invited by the show's producers based on UMBC's growing reputation as a statewide and national leader. According to the January 2007 issue of Computing Research News, UMBC ranks # 2 in IT degrees awarded by major US research universities. UMBC also continues to be the largest producer of information technology graduates in Maryland. To watch the video online, visit the UMBC Informations Systems department's website. Posted by crose TV Growing Up Fast at UMBC Feb. 16 Open House to Celebrate Retirement Living TV’s New $1.3 Million UMBC Studio as Students Get Into the Action MEDIA ADVISORY: CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu It’s lights-camera-action at UMBC as Retirement Living Television (RLTV), the fast-growing, first-of-its-kind, cable network devoted exclusively to people age 55 and over, has transformed the university’s on-campus TV studio from dusty to dazzling thanks to over a million dollars in new equipment. UMBC will celebrate its strengthening partnership with Retirement Living TV on Friday Feb. 16 with an open house event featuring UMBC president Freeman Hrabowski, Erickson founder and CEO John Erickson and RLTV president Brad Knight. UMBC communications faculty and students will be on hand as RLTV production staff demonstrate the revamped studio and discuss the programs produced there. RLTV began as a media offshoot of Erickson Retirement Communities and has since grown to reach 25 million U.S. households thanks to national broadcast partnerships with DirecTV and Comcast. The network recently began producing two programs -- “The Voice” and a yet-to-be-named advocacy show -- at the UMBC studio. UMBC communications students will soon get hands-on experience as six interns from different disciplines are set to begin work in the studio. RLTV airs daily in the Baltimore area on CN8 The Comcast Channel and on DirecTV. WHAT: An Open House of the new, $1.3 million Retirement Living TV Studio at UMBC, featuring interview opportunities with RLTV, UMBC and Erickson executives along with UMBC students and faculty and RLTV production staff. See demonstrations in the Control Room and tour the facilities. WHEN: Friday, Feb. 16, noon-2 p.m. WHERE: In the studios on the second and third floors of Academic IV Building, A Wing, UMBC. The refurbished studio has already increased internship opportunities for UMBC students and will further research collaboration between the University and the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC. RLTV will eventually broadcast its programming from a new $20 million TV production and information technology facility currently under construction at bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park. For more information on Retirement Living Television, visit rl.tv. Posted by crose January 22, 2007 UMBC Political Scientist Tom Schaller on “The Colbert Report” Watch the video online. CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Can Tom Schaller, UMBC’s resident expert on national politics and an associate professor of political science, handle the “truthiness?" Schaller and his latest book Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South, took the national stage Monday night as a guest on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.” For the record, host Stephen Colbert, a native of Charleston, S.C., didn't put Schaller "on notice" or tell him his advice for Democrats to forget the South and focus on the Midwest and Interior West states was “just plain wrong." Watch the video online. Posted by crose December 30, 2006 UMBC Qualifies for Final Four of College Chess at Pan-Am UMBC-Hosted Tournament Draws Positive Media Coverage CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu WASHINGTON, D.C. – The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) chess team qualified for the "Final Four of College Chess" by placing third in the Pan American Intercollegiate Chess Championships, “The World Series of College Chess," held this weekend in Washington, D.C. The top four U.S. teams at the Pan Am will advance to the Collegiate Final Four round-robin tournament to be held in Dallas on March 24 and 25, 2007. Other qualifying teams were UT-Dallas, the winner of the 2006 Pan-Am, along with Miami-Dade College and Duke University. UMBC was the host for a successful 2006 Pan-Am tournament that drew media interest from around the nation and region, including the New York Times, an Op-Ed and feature in the Baltimore Sun and a Washington Post story. Adithya Balasubramanian, a 10th grade player from Tabb High School in York County, Virginia, was the winner of the scholastic tournament at the Pan-Am. He is the top-rated junior player in Virginia and qualified for a four-year scholarship from UMBC with his victory. More information online: www.umbc.edu/chess/Pan-Am2006 Posted by crose December 19, 2006 Kevin Eckert, Dean of The Erickson School, to Appear on WYPR's "Maryland Morning" Eckert to Discuss Innovative School's New Undergraduate Major in Management of Aging Services CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Kevin Eckert, Dean of The Erickson School at UMBC, will be a featured guest on WYPR-88.1 FM's “Maryland Morning With Sheilah Kast” on Wednesday, Dec. 20. In a segment scheduled for broadcast at 9:20 a.m., Eckert will discuss The Erickson School's new undergraduate major in the management of aging services, the first of its kind in the country. Posted by crose December 15, 2006 ‘Cuban Cyclone,’ ‘Polish Magician’ and ‘Kiev Killer’ Descend on the Nation’s Capital Reigning Champion UMBC is Host for Pan-Am Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship, Dec. 27-30 at Renaissance Hotel, Washington, D.C. CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu WASHINGTON, D.C. – The “Cuban Cyclone,” the “Polish Magician” and the “Kiev Killer” bring their take-no-prisoners game plan to Washington on December 27. They are determined to keep the title they reclaimed last year in Miami, when the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) won its record seventh title at the Pan American Intercollegiate Chess Championships, “The World Series of College Chess.” Intercollegiate chess won’t land players on the “jacked-up” segment of a football television network near you. It won’t inspire a contract holdout, develop a left fielder with home-run pop or prevent an NFL wide receiver from “talking trash.” Nonetheless, intercollegiate chess is intense. Its competitors are fierce. Mental acumen and physical stamina are essential. UMBC, a place where pep rallies for the chess team are routine, is serious about continuing its reign as national collegiate champions. UMBC features such recruits as American freshman Ryan Goldenberg of West Haven, Conn., and colorfully nicknamed grandmasters such as Katrina “the Kiev Killer” Rohonyan of Ukraine, Pawel “The Polish Magician” Blehm and “The Cuban Cyclone” Bruci Lopez. The competition runs December 27-30 at the Renaissance Hotel, 999 9th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., near the intersection of K Street and Massachusetts Avenue. Admission is free and spectators are welcome. The Pan-Am is one of the world’s most celebrated intercollegiate chess tournaments. Since its 1946 inception, five years before Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard Round the World,” dozens of universities throughout the Americas have participated. The 2006 Pan-Am includes teams from Yale, Duke and Dartmouth. Its international flavor is embodied by such schools as the University of Toronto, the Catholic University of Peru and Miami Dade College, a rising chess power thanks to an influx of top Cuban players. The tournament is open to any college or university team from North, South, or Central America. The tournament also includes the Pan-Am scholastic team individual and team championships for students in grades 1-12. The top individual scholastic winner will be offered a four-year scholarship to UMBC, a $69,416 value. On Dec. 27 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., the weekend kicks off with a fast-paced exhibition match with a top cash prize of $1,000. The match will feature live, play-by-play commentary from chess authorities master Craig Jones and former UMBC player senior master William “The Exterminator” Morrison. Among the highlights for UMBC at the 2005 Pan Am were a sweep of Harvard and victories over archrival the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), winner of the previous two Pan-Am titles. The Retrievers won their first title in 1996 and then embarked on a five-year championship streak from 1998 to 2002. UMBC and UTD are the undisputed top two teams in the nation, and among only a handful of schools nationwide that attract the world's best chess players with full scholarships. The top four teams from the Pan-Am will go on to face each other in the Final Four of College Chess to be held March 24 and 25, 2007 in Dallas. More information online: www.umbc.edu/chess/Pan-Am2006 Posted by crose December 14, 2006 The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Awards $2 Million to Fund Entrepreneurship at UMBC Initiative Seeks to Develop Entrepreneurs Outside of Business, Engineering Schools CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has been awarded a $2 million grant to build UMBC entrepreneurship programs across the campus, joining a select group of colleges and universities receiving funding for entrepreneurship endeavors through the Kauffman Campuses Initiative. The Kauffman Foundation initiated the three-year-old Kauffman Campuses Initiative to catalyze entrepreneurship programs outside of business and engineering schools. The Kauffman Foundation grant complements two substantial commitments already received by UMBC to support its Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. The first commitment is $1 million from Constellation Energy Group. The second is $1 million from the Herbert Bearman Foundation to establish The Bearman Family Chair in Entrepreneurship at UMBC. The Kauffman Foundation grant acknowledges the success and potential of the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, created six years ago through a gift of $1 million from the Alex. Brown Foundation to develop a leading university entrepreneurship center for the Baltimore region. UMBC has developed three broad strategies to make entrepreneurship education a common and accessible experience for students in all majors: exposure of students and faculty to entrepreneurs and their expertise, creation of formal education opportunities and development of programs to give students and faculty experience in entrepreneurial settings. UMBC, recognized for its culture of entrepreneurship education despite the absence of a business school, joins a prestigious group of institutions selected by the Kauffman Foundation for funding. The others are Arizona State University, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, New York University, Purdue University, Syracuse University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. UMBC learned of its selection after a campus delegation, led by President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, presented its proposal before an independent panel of judges at Kauffman Foundation headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., on December 12. “This partnership gives UMBC the opportunity to take entrepreneurship programming to the next level,” says Vivian Armor, director of the Alex. Brown Center. “It will allow UMBC to expand course offerings for current undergraduates, graduate students and working professionals. It will improve programming that exposes students and faculty to important entrepreneurial concepts. Finally, the partnership will help develop systems to support individuals as they work to launch successful business ventures or address urgent challenges facing our communities through social entrepreneurship.” The Alex. Brown Center supports the kind of entrepreneurial creativity and action exemplified by the creation of OpenPosting.com, the first online classified community for college students. Students Wan Hsi Yuan and Jason Servary, members of the Center’s student-run CEO Club, created the site. It has 1,500 registered users and receives roughly 4,000 page views per day. Entrepreneurship at UMBC also thrives via the Alex. Brown Center’s summer entrepreneurship institute. In summer, 2006, UMBC’s first Faculty Summer Institute was held for eight faculty members representing the departments of music, dance, theater and visual arts. The institute was created to broaden faculty exposure to concepts of entrepreneurship and integrate into their curricula career development skills, internships and mentoring relationships with established entrepreneurs. Participation by faculty was determined based upon proposals that demonstrated interest in learning more about entrepreneurship. Winning proposals from faculty included the exploration of marketing and audience development initiatives, the development of courses to help students understand professional careers in the arts and arts and non-profit organization management. The Center also serves as one of the University’s partners in the ACTiVATE program, funded by the National Science Foundation to address the unique needs of accomplished women interested in starting technology companies. Eight women in the ACTiVATE program, established two years ago, now lead their own tech companies. The Alex. Brown Center’s activities are complemented by such other initiatives as techcenter@UMBC and bwtech@UMBC, which offer specialized support geared specifically toward research and technology businesses. Through UMBC’s Shriver Center, a national leader in promoting community-based service and internship programs, businesses are introduced to undergraduate and graduate students interested in internship experience in career-related fields. “The Alex. Brown Center augments the excellent education UMBC offers by giving students the proper toolset to interface with business leaders in their field of choice,” said Greg Barnhill,” chair of the Alex. Brown Center Board of Visitors and partner and member of the board of Brown Advisory Securities. “We offer students guidance on how to deal with people on a daily basis, compose quality written communication and verbalize opinions effectively.” The grant is awarded with the expectation that UMBC will raise an additional $8 million toward entrepreneurship programs during the next five years. The Kauffman Campuses Initiative began in 2003 with $25 million in funding to eight schools that provided entrepreneurship education within liberal arts, engineering and other non-business programs. Selection of this latest round of Kauffman Campuses schools was based on a series of criteria, including the ability to generate a partnership with other foundations and funders and the potential to create new representative models. “Our initiative is creating a cultural change and making the entire university system more entrepreneurial,” said Kauffman CEO Carl Schramm. “We want all students, not just those in business schools, to see the value of thinking like entrepreneurs. We want them to be able to recognize and seize opportunity when it presents itself, no matter what field they find themselves in.” About the Alex. Brown Center Established in 2000 through a gift of $1 million from the Alex. Brown Foundation, the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship is the hub of entrepreneurial-based activity at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It provides an active link between the academic community and the corporate environment. Since its inception, the Center has worked closely with the Baltimore business community to create one of the leading university centers for entrepreneurship in the country housed at a mid-sized university. Information about the Alex. Brown Center is available at http://www.umbc.edu/entrepreneurship. About the Kauffman Foundation The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works with partners to advance entrepreneurship in America and improve the education of children and youth. The Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman. Information about the Kauffman Foundation is available at www.kauffman.org. Posted by crose November 27, 2006 UMBC Astronomer Helps Discover Possible New Black Hole Previously Unknown Black Hole’s Speed, Power Surprises NASA, European Space Agency Team Illustration Caption: An artist's impression of a possible new black hole ripping gas and matter from the star it orbits. Click on the illustration to view a European Space Agency gallery of images and animation related to this story. CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu An international team of astrophysicists including Volker Beckmann of UMBC/NASA-Goddard has discovered a possible new black hole near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The previously unknown black hole surprised scientists by suddenly “switching on,” emitting strong pulses of radiation as it began consuming gas from the star it orbits over 26,000 light years away from our solar system. The discovery, detailed in a letter published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, was made using NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) satellites. In an ESA press release, Roland Walter, an astronomer at the INTEGRAL Science Data Centre and lead author of the research results, said "The galactic center is one of the most exciting regions for gamma-ray astronomy because there are so many potential gamma-ray sources.” Beckmann, a research assistant professor at UMBC’s Joint Center for Astrophysics and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, was part of the team who used NASA's Swift satellite and ESA's INTEGRAL satellite to spot the tell-tale gamma ray outburst. The research team includes scientists from Switzerland, France, Belgium, Poland, the United States and Spain. According to Beckmann, potential new black holes are scarcer than commonly thought. “We know about 10 stellar systems in which we’re pretty sure that there's a black hole involved, and 10 more are good candidates,” he said. “What really surprised us was the intensity of the radiation it emitted and how quickly it became an obvious black hole candidate.” The team found that the black hole’s unusually strong gravitational pull ripped off layers of the star it orbits, drawing them into its maelstrom. “We’re not sure why this black hole is letting off occasional bright outbursts of radiation instead of a steady stream,” said Beckmann, “But we suspect these powerful emissions are caused by big chunks of the star’s matter falling into the black hole.” "This detection was possible because of the capability of NASA's Swift satellite to respond quickly to new objects showing up in the sky,” said Neil Gehrels, chief of NASA/Goddard’s Astroparticle Physics Laboratory and leader of the Swift satellite team. The possible new black hole has drawn the attention of the international astronomy community, having been viewed by all major X-ray telescopes in space including: NASA's Chandra telescope, the Japanese JAXA and NASA collaboration Suzaku and the ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray satellite. Posted by crose November 20, 2006 Erickson Technology, Broadcast Divisions to Build at UMBC Research Park CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) announced today that Erickson Retirement Communities will construct a $20 million building at the university’s on-campus research and technology park bwtech@UMBC. Erickson will move its information technology (IT) department, its adult living national broadcast network Retirement Living TV (RL-TV) and its private charitable foundation to the 110,000 square-foot building, expected to be completed by mid-2008. The move will increase research collaboration and internship opportunities between the Erickson organization and UMBC students and faculty in The Erickson School and visual arts, communications and information technology programs. The Erickson School at UMBC grew out of Erickson founder John Erickson’s vision for interdisciplinary research and education to improve life for older adults. Since its start in January 2005, the School has launched an undergraduate major in management of aging services, expanded an executive education program for senior housing and care professionals and is planning a professional master’s program. Current research partnerships between The Erickson School and the Erickson organization include developing new computer technology applications for seniors’ housing, support for three gerontology doctoral students’ studies of older adult health and well-being and proposals to make selected Erickson communities National Institute on Aging research sites. "We look forward to expanding our partnership with UMBC in a way that will help us to more effectively shape the future of aging studies in the United States and to enhance the operational components of our company that will help to redefine it," said John Erickson, chairman and CEO of Erickson Retirement Communities. “UMBC is delighted to strengthen our relationship with Erickson Retirement Communities,” said UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski. “Together we will shape innovative approaches combining healthcare, public policy, information technology and communications to meet the needs and interests of the aging Baby Boom generation.” RL-TV will house its corporate headquarters and three production studios in the new facility. The network recently signed a national broadcasting agreement with DirectTV to expand its viewing audience to over 24 million homes. Retirement Living TV produces programming focused on health, finance, politics and living for people over the age of 55. RL-TV recently partnered with UMBC’s New Media Studio to produce pilots for two programs and is expected to collaborate further with UMBC’s Imaging Research Center and College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Erickson’s IT department will work with UMBC on advanced research in health informatics, real time data applications, information assurance, data security and wearable computing. The department will move 60 professionals and a high bandwidth data center to the new building and is expected to hire 10 to 15 UMBC graduates per year as the company grows. Founded in 1998, the Erickson Foundation funds research projects aimed at improving best practices in active aging and aging with choices. The Foundation is currently conducting research on walking studies, ergonomics, balance control, nursing, memory and other senior wellness and lifestyle issues. The Erickson facility will be the fifth bwtech@UMBC building. Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the UMBC Research Park Corporation, says demand for office and lab space at UMBC remains strong. "Many outside businesses and emerging tech firms from our incubator continue to express interest in locating on our campus," Hemmerly said. "We continue to welcome companies that seek all the advantages of growing their business at UMBC." Construction is underway for the park’s third building, a new home for the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) MD/DE/DC Regional Water Science Center. Ground is expected to be broken for the fourth building -- an 110,000 square-foot, $22 million multi-tenant facility-- in the first half of 2007. Both the USGS and multi-tenant buildings are being developed by Corporate Office Properties Trust. About Erickson: John Erickson launched Erickson Retirement Communities with the 1983 opening of Catonsville, Maryland’s Charlestown, now the nation’s largest campus-style retirement community. Today, Erickson Retirement Communities operates 16 campuses housing more than 18,000 people in eight states. Two more communities are set to open in the near future. The company is noted for its progressive approach to recruitment, training and development, and has broadened its business lines with the addition of a managed health plan for residents. Mr. Erickson has also shown his commitment to the interests of individuals over the age of 55 with his September 2006 launch of Retirement Living, a television and Internet media company. More information is online at www.EricksonCommunities.com and www.RL.TV. About bwtech@UMBC: bwtech@UMBC is a state-of-the-art, 41-acre research and technology community. UMBC began planning for a new research and technology park in the early 1990s, based on the success of other U.S. parks and the vision of the late Michael Hooker, UMBC president from 1986-1992. The first building was completed in 2001. To date, UMBC’s research park and technology incubator have received public and private sector funding from the Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO), the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, Baltimore County, the U.S. Department of Commerce, The Abell Foundation, and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO.) bwtech@UMBC is part of Baltimore County's Southwest Enterprise Zone, making companies moving to the park eligible for credits on real property and income taxes, as well as credits for job creation. Posted by crose November 1, 2006 Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture Exhibition on MPT 11/1 The Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture's "Raymond Loewy:Designs for a Consumer Culture" exhibition will be featured on MPT's "ArtWorks This Week" on Wednesday, November 1. Professor David Yager, the Center's executive director, gives a tour of the exhibit and a look into the mind of industrial designer Raymond Loewy. For more information, visit www.mpt.org/artworks/thisweek. For more information on the exhibition and upcoming arts events at UMBC, visit www.umbc.edu/arts. Posted by elewis October 31, 2006 University Teams to Kick Off Voting Technology Competition Computer Science Students from UMBC, George Washington, Stanford, Others Hope Contest Yields Ideas for More Secure Electronic Voting CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu WASHINGTON, D.C. – As worries increase about the reliability and security of electronic voting machines a week away from the General Election, a team of computer science students and professors from UMBC and George Washington University will announce on Thursday at the National Press Club the start of a new national competition aimed at sparking ideas for better electronic voting technology while raising college students’ awareness of the political process. Organized by UMBC professor of computer science Alan Sherman and funded by the National Science Foundation, the University Voting Systems Competition (www.vocomp.org) will take place throughout the academic year. The UMBC/GW team will compete against teams from Stanford, Rice, Newcastle (UK), Wroclaw (Poland), and other universities to design and implement innovative voting technologies. Teams must post their voting system designs online in January 2007 for review by peers and a panel of judges including IT experts from Microsoft, the National Institutes of Standards and Technology and MIT. Teams that advance to the next round of competition will be required to demonstrate their systems in a student government or similar real-world campus election in May. Five finalist teams will be chosen to travel to Portland, Oregon, on July 16-18, for the final competition which will include a judged mock election along with academic presentations, critiques, and invited lectures by national experts on voting. According to Sherman, an expert on cryptology and the security of voting systems, the judging criteria include reliability, security, privacy, ease of use for voters and election officials, and accessibility to the disabled. “There is a need for better voting technologies that are more secure, reliable, accountable and easy to use.” Sherman said. “This competition will inspire innovation and involvement, and establish the feasibility of competitions as a way to gauge the security of voting systems.” PRESS CONFERENCE DETAILS: Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006 2 - 3pm National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20045 Posted by crose October 24, 2006 UMBC's ACTiVATE Program to be Featured on "The Digital Spin" With Mario Armstrong Women Entrepreneurs Training Program is Focus of WEAA 88.9 FM Show, Wed., October 25, 7-8pm CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu UMBC's ACTiVATE program, which trains women from business and science backgrounds in entrepreneurship, will be the focus of the Wednesday, Oct. 25 "Digital Spin With Mario Armstrong" show on WEAA 88.9 FM. Stephen Auvil, director of UMBC's Office of Technology Development (OTD), and ACTiVATE participants Kris Appel and Eva Mitter will be Armstrong's guest for the show. ACTiVATE is a year-long, competitive program to train women with significant technical or business experience to be entrepreneurs and to create start-up companies from inventions from Maryland research institutions and federal agencies. Armstrong covers technology for Baltimore & Washington-area National Public Radio affiliates and television stations. He is also co-founder of the Urban Video Game Academy. Posted by crose UMBC Names 12 Business, Science Leaders to College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences Advisory Board Biotech, Pharma, NASA, and NSA Execs to Advise College, Build Connections CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) announced today the appointment of 12 leaders selected from the Mid-Atlantic region’s business and scientific community to serve on the Dean’s Advisory Board for UMBC’s College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. The Board will help expand awareness of the College’s programs, research and resources and strengthen partnerships with public and private research laboratories, key industry leaders and policymakers. Board members, who will serve three-year renewable terms, will advise the Dean on critical issues including workforce education and training; academic program and curriculum development; faculty recruitment; collaborative research funding; and opportunities for students and alumni. “UMBC is fortunate to have the counsel of such a diverse group of outstanding scientists and businesspeople,” said Geoffrey Summers, Dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at UMBC. “The Board will strengthen the College’s connections with top researchers in bioscience, medicine, homeland security and environmental and space science — fields vital to economic growth, innovation and opportunity in Maryland and beyond.” The Board will be chaired by biotech entrepreneur and UMBC alumnus Sheldon Broedel, Ph.D. Broedel is a co-founder and CEO/CSO of AthenaES, a biotechnology products and services firm located at the University’s on-campus business incubator, techcenter@UMBC. Broedel, who received his doctoral and master's degrees in Microbial and Molecular Genetics from UMBC, has 19 years of industrial experience, holds three issued patents and has designed and launched 68 products. He also serves on the Science Advisor Board for Villa Julie College and is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine’s department of Microbiology and Immunology. “It is an honor to serve my alma mater alongside a team of exceptional minds from government and business,” said Broedel. “Like me, they know from experience that UMBC is a place committed to scientific excellence, with talented faculty and students eager to share their skills with industry.” The other Board members announced today are: Ron Baker, Manager, Cosmetic Claim Development & Support, Procter & Gamble; Paul Behrens, Director of Physiology, Martek Biosciences; April Brys, Manager, Biosciences, Battelle; Stacey Franklin, Vice President, BioTech Primer; Peter Hughes, Chief Technologist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Peter Kiener, Senior Vice President of Research, MedImmune; Alvin LaVoie, Director, Emerging Technologies, Rohm and Haas; Jerry Skotnicki, Director, Chemical and Screening Sciences, Wyeth Research; Terry Turpin, Chief Scientist, Essex Corp; Nancy Welker, Chief Technical Officer, National Security Agency; George Young, VP, Business Development, GRACE Davison. UMBC’S College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences includes the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics. The College has more than 100 full time faculty members, and includes approximately 1500 majors in 7 undergraduate programs and 280 graduate students in 13 graduate programs. These four departments administer close to half of the Ph.D. programs at UMBC. Research expenditures currently are nearly $13M per year. More information online at http://www.umbc.edu/CNMS/ Posted by crose October 17, 2006 Managed Care Boosts Access to Health Services for Children Enrolled in Maryland Medicaid UMBC Researcher Todd Eberly Wins National Dissertation Award CONTACT: Anne Roland, UMBC Public Policy Department 410-455-8457 anne@umbc.edu The Maryland Medicaid managed care program has had a positive impact on the receipt of preventive health services by black, white, and Hispanic children and adolescents, as well as black and Hispanic adults, according to a new study from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Following a nationwide trend, Maryland implemented the HealthChoice managed care program in 1998 as a means to control Medicaid costs. Under managed care, the state contracts with private insurers to provide preventative health care services to Medicaid enrollees, such as well child visits, immunizations, and physicals. However, there had been conflicting research on whether managed care meets the needs of socially vulnerable populations, particularly minorities. Medicaid currently covers 600,000 Maryland residents, including 30 percent of the state’s children. Studies have shown that a significantly larger percentage of black and Hispanic Americans are covered by Medicaid than white Americans, but these populations make less use of routine health procedures and services. These disparities in the use of health care services are significant because studies have shown that a lack of preventive care puts disadvantaged populations at greater risk of serious health problems later in life. Todd Eberly, a researcher at the Center for Health Program Development and Management at UMBC, analyzed health care data for Medicaid clients in Maryland before and after the adoption of managed care to determine whether the program has had any impact on the preventive care use. He found that Maryland’s managed care program has had a positive impact on the receipt of primary preventive care by black, white, and Hispanic children and adolescents, as well as black and Hispanic adults. All children and adolescents experienced increases in the use of preventative health services, but increases for black and Hispanic youths were significantly greater than for their white peers. “The improvements for minority youth were particularly noteworthy,” said Eberly, “because children are especially vulnerable. Access to preventive care is key to the promotion of good heath and quality of life.” Eberly, who received his Ph.D. in Public Policy at UMBC in 2006, conducted the research for his dissertation, which has been selected for the 2006 Annual Dissertation Award from the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). He will receive his award this week in Minneapolis at the NASPAA Annual Conference. Posted by crose Dr. Bill Thomas, Innovative Authority On Aging, Offers Lecture At Erickson School On Nov. 9 Developer Of The “Eden Alternative” And “Green House” Approach To Long-Term Care To Deliver 7 P.M. Lecture CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu Dr. Bill Thomas, an international authority on later life and eldercare, will deliver a talk, “What Are Old People For?” at The Erickson School on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. Thomas has been long recognized as an innovator in formulating approaches to long-term care. Thomas has brought plants, dogs, cats and birds into nursing home facilities to share with patients. This unique approach, known as the Eden Alternative, shifted attention toward enhancing the emotional well-being of residents. Thomas is focused now on a new endeavor, the Green House Project. With a five-year, $10 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, he is developing a plan to replace more than 100 nursing homes in the United States with groups of smaller homes. Each will house eight to ten residents in private rooms. The grant will result in the creation of Green House projects in all 50 states. The lecture will take place on the 7th floor of the Albin O. Kuhn Library. To RSVP and for further details, please contact The Erickson School toll-free at 1-877-853-0439 or e-mail Kristanna Jones at krista@umbc.edu. Recently, U.S.News & World Report described Thomas as a “revolutionary” thinker whose “startling common-sense ideas and his ability to persuade others to take a risk” bring critically needed approaches to the science of aging. “Bill Thomas is a pioneering thinker who inspires legions of people who have committed their study and careers to the business and science of aging,” said Dr. J. Kevin Eckert, dean of The Erickson School. “We know that his lecture will be another inspiring evening and are delighted to present it at The Erickson School.” Thomas graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1986, and he was selected by the Mead Johnson Foundation as one of the top Family Medicine residents in the country during his three-year residency at the University of Rochester. He earned board certification in Family Medicine in 1992 and added a certificate in Geriatrics in 1994. Thomas also maintains a part-time appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor in Family Medicine for Upstate Medical Center. Thomas is the recipient of a three-year fellowship from the global nonprofit organization Ashoka, which searches the world for individuals with unprecedented ideas for community change. He won the America's Award, established by Norman Vincent Peale and sometimes called "The Nobel Prize for Goodness" in 1997. Thomas has published six books, including "What Are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World." Named 2005 “Book of the Year” by the American Medical Writers Association, it explores the virtues concealed within the necessity of aging. Thomas also recently authored "In the Arms of Elders: A Parable of Wise Leadership and Community Building." His books "Learning from Hannah" and "LifeWorth Living" explore the concept of the Eden Alternative and its impact on long-term care. Thomas is currently working on a book about the relationship between aging, health and healing. About The Erickson School: The Erickson School was established at UMBC in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson. The school focuses on credit and non-credit professional education, research, and policy in aging services and care. UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education, and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology. More information online at: http://www.umbc.edu/erickson Posted by crose October 12, 2006 CommUniversity Fest to Give Whole Family Free Samples of UMBC Fun, Free Events to Expand Minds, Move Bodies Oct. 21 CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Note to Media: High-resolution photos are available for download at the bottom of this advisory. UMBC is throwing the biggest party in its 40-year history on Saturday, Oct. 21, and the public is invited to enjoy CommUniversity Fest, a day of free activities for all ages reflecting UMBC's diverse mix of arts, culture, athletics and intellect. Feed Your Head with thought-provoking lectures and discussions by UMBC faculty on topics ranging from politics and infinity to parenting and rock n’ roll. Or put the fun back in “fundamental laws of physics” with a hands-on engineering lesson using balls, hot-air balloons and biplanes. Soak Your Senses in free arts exhibits, audio tours and gallery crawls, plus live music and dance performances by alumni and student groups. Cruise Down Memory Lane with a classic car show or savor the spirit of the Orioles 1966 World Series victory with Baltimore Sun sports columnist Peter Schmuck. Playtime for Kids of All Ages features face painting, carnival games, rock climbing wall, moon bounce, a soccer clinic by Baltimore Blast players, a parade of 40 Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and a giant-size chess challenge against members of UMBC’s world championship team. Event Details: UMBC CommUniversity Fest Saturday, Oct. 21 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Erickson Field (in front of Albin O. Kuhn Library & across from Erickson Hall) UMBC 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 All events are free and open to the public. Free parking on campus. Rain or Shine. For more information and a full schedule of events, please visit http://www.umbc.edu/communiversity/ or call 410-455-8000. Note to Media: High resolution photos & captions related to this advisory are below. Click on the smaller photo to access a high-resolution copy. Contact Chip Rose, UMBC News, at 410-455-5793 or crose@umbc.edu if any questions about downloading. Caption for photo above: UMBC's mascot dog will lead 40 other Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and volunteer owners and breeders from across the region in the "March of the Retrievers." The parade of 40 dogs starts at the "True Grit" status outside UMBC's Retriever Activities Center on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 12:15 p.m., continuing to the Commons and ending at the Soccer Field. Caption for photo above: UMBC professors Anne Spence (left) and Taryn Bayles put the fun back in "fundmental laws of physics" as they present "Balls, Balloons, and Bi-Planes: Hands-on Engineering for the Whole Family," from 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday on UMBC's Erickson Field. Caption for Photo Above: UMBC student dance performances are among the many arts and culture events open to the public at CommUniversity Fest. Caption for photo above: At 1 p.m., UMBC Men's Soccer takes on Hartford University, followed by a soccer clinic led by UMBC Alumni, now pro players for the Baltimore Blast. Posted by crose October 3, 2006 UMBC Public Policy Professor Don Norris to Appear on WBAL-TV 11, Discuss African-American Vote in State Elections CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Dr. Donald Norris, professor of public policy and director of the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (MIPAR) at UMBC, will appear from 11:30 a.m. to Noon on Sunday, Oct. 8 on the WBAL-TV (Ch. 11) program 11 TV Hill. Norris will discuss the importance of the African-American vote in various Maryland political races as the Nov. 7 general election approaches. MIPAR serves as UMBC’s premier center for applied scholarly research on significant issues of public policy and links the analytical resources of the University with public policy makers in the state and region. Norris has been the director of MIPAR since 1989. He holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Government from the University of Virginia. He is a specialist in public management, urban affairs and the application, management and impacts of information technology in public organizations. Posted by mlurie September 28, 2006 Barak, Woodward, Gore Headline 'The Maryland Forum' Speaker Series at UMBC Sept. 28, 2006 CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – The Maryland Forum, a prestigious speaker series at UMBC in partnership with the Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce (AAACCC), will debut this fall with an appearance by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 24. The Maryland Forum, held at the UMBC Retriever Activities Center, continues with three other notable speakers: • Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Bob Woodward (7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 8) • Former Baltimore Orioles great Cal Ripken, Jr. (April, 2007, TBD) • Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore (7 p.m., Tuesday, May 8, 2007) “Our campus is delighted to be the host site for The Maryland Forum. Our mission as a public research university includes stimulating the intellectual and cultural life of the region. Therefore, we are also pleased that our partnership with The Maryland Forum will continue to build UMBC as a destination for cultural programming,” said UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski. Tickets for UMBC faculty, students and staff for each speaker are $5 (cash and campus ID account only) and can be obtained at the information desk in The Commons, beginning Oct. 9. When presenting their ticket, UMBC faculty, students and staff must show their UMBC identification card. For the general public, tickets can be purchased by calling 1-866-49-FORUM, online at www.themarylandforum.com and by mail at AAACCC, P.O. Box 346, Annapolis, MD 21404. Prices are $100 for the series and $35 for a single lecture. UMBC alumni are offered the opportunity to buy up to two tickets at a discounted price of $85 (series) or $25 (single lecture). The Maryland Forum offers an opportunity for the general public to interact with world leaders, Pulitzer Prize winners, former national and international statesmen and authors in an informal setting with a central, convenient location. “Growing and nurturing the mind knows no jurisdictional boundaries,” said AAACCC President Bob Burdon. “We are grateful to UMBC and President Hrabowski for forming this partnership with us.” Proceeds from the speaker series will benefit the AAACCC educational foundation, which supports education programs and scholarships throughout the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan region. Posted by mlurie September 27, 2006 UMBC, U. Maryland & USRA Join Forces with NASA Goddard to Create New Center for Space Science and Technology Partnership Builds on Astrophysics, Other NASA Research at UMBC CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Picture Caption: Jane Turner (left) and Ian George of UMBC's Joint Center for Astrophysics in the UMBC Physics Building telescope dome. The team of UMBC, the University of Maryland, College Park and the Universities Space Research Association has been selected by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to establish and operate the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST). CRESST will bring together NASA Goddard researchers and scientists from the Maryland campuses and USRA to build upon the many capabilities and strengths in space science of the participating organizations. CRESST research will initially focus on the study of neutron stars, black holes, and extremely hot gas throughout the universe. The Center also will work to increase the involvement of minority and women scientists in space science research and to facilitate university student participation in such research. The Center will be supported through a five-year cooperative agreement from NASA with funding anticipated to be $7.5 million per year. A five-year extension is possible. The university partnership group will operate and provide funding for a management/scientist support office. "This is a great day for Maryland,” said Maryland Senator Barbara A. Mikulski. “The creation of CRESST is the kind of collaboration between our universities and government laboratories that fosters discovery, innovation, creates new technologies, new ideas and helps Maryland remain a world class center for space science and exploration. As the Senator that funds NASA and our other great federal science agencies, I applaud the creation of this institute and hope to expand cooperation among our universities and government laboratories to keep Maryland competitive." "This is a fitting reward for UMBC's investment in astrophysics, and a great opportunity to expand the research and educational activities performed here,” said Ian George, director of the Joint Center for Astrophysics and associate professor of physics at UMBC. “This award further bolsters UMBC's position in only its 40th year as one of the leading research universities in the mid-Atlantic region,” George said. In support of NASA strategic science mission objectives, CRESST will carry out observational, experimental, and theoretical research in three general areas: -- The Sun and Solar System, stars, galaxies, and the universe at large; -- The informational and computational sciences related to the unique needs of data systems required to interpret space science data; -- The development of technology required to achieve these scientific challenges. CRESST is the latest addition to UMBC’s relationship with NASA. UMBC is ranked 13th nationally among all universities in research funding received from NASA. UMBC is already home to several other multimillion-dollar NASA research centers in collaboration with the Goddard Space Flight Center, including the Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology (GEST) Center, the Joint Center for Earth Systems and Technology (JCET), the Center for the Advanced Study of Photonics Research (CASPR) and the JCA. According to George, NASA partnerships like CRESST will help bring more internationally-recognized space scientists to UMBC. “UMBC scientists are making major contributions to currently flying NASA high-energy astrophysics missions like the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), and the forthcoming Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) mission, scheduled to launch in August 2007,” George said. George noted that UMBC scientists were also involved in the NASA Swift and Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) missions. “What’s really exciting is the impact CRESST will have on students, “said George. “UMBC has recently started both undergraduate and graduate-level astrophysics courses, so CRESST will help us to expand astrophysics education and research.” About Space Science at the University of Maryland, College Park: Through its highly regarded departments of astronomy and physics, the University of Maryland, College Park brings to this collaboration internationally recognized expertise in many areas of space science, including high-energy astrophysics, galaxy structure and dynamics, star formation, planetary science, space physics, gravitational theory and particle astrophysics. Maryland also has a long history of collaboration with the Goddard Space Flight Center in research and educational programs. About USRA: The Universities Space Research Association is a national consortium of 100 universities established in 1969 by the National Academy of Sciences. USRA operates programs and facilities in space-related science, technology, and related education. USRA has been an important participant in space science at NASA Goddard for many years, working alongside NASA researchers in conducting space science research, leading-edge instrumentation and technology development, and effectively communicating space science news and information to the educational community and the general public. For more information, go to www.usra.edu. Posted by crose September 19, 2006 Brad Simpson on WYPR's Marc Steiner Show, September 20, Noon CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu Assistant Professor of History Brad Simpson is scheduled to be a guest on WYPR's (88.1 FM) Marc Steiner Show on Wednesday, September 20 at noon. Simpson, who teaches the history of U.S. foreign relations and international history at UMBC, will discuss President Bush's speech to the United Nations and the war in Iraq. For more information on the show, please click here. Audio archives of past stories are posted after their original air date. Posted by elewis September 13, 2006 TWO EXECUTIVE EDUCATION COURSES OFFERED AT ERICKSON SCHOOL OF AGING STUDIES: OCT. 24-27, NOV. 1-4 “FINANCE, UNDERWRITING AND INVESTMENT ANALYSIS” AND “DEVELOPMENT” TO ANCHOR FALL SCHEDULE CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – The Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) teams once again with the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry (NIC) to offer a set of Executive Education courses. The series continues at UMBC with two sessions, “Finance, Underwriting and Investment Analysis” on Oct. 24-27 and “Development” on Nov. 1-4. "‘Finance, Underwriting and Investment Analysis’ and ‘Development’ combine several of the most important ingredients of successful seniors housing and care,” said Kevin Heffner, CAE, CFRE, who recently joined the Erickson School of Aging Studies as its new Director of Executive Education. “Finance, Underwriting and Investment Analysis” is led by Ray Braun, President, Chief Operating Officer & Financial Officer of Health Care REIT, Inc. The course, scheduled for Oct. 24-27, is designed for lenders and equity investors as well as financial professionals within management and development companies. The course will compare seniors housing and care facilities to other real estate asset classes. It will also explore the issues of business-versus-real estate components and how to measure each. “Development” is led by Phil Golden, Chief Operating Officer of Brightview Senior Living. The course, scheduled for Nov. 1-4, is designed to examine the entire development process of the professionally managed company. The course includes a thorough overview of complex aspects of the seven segments of the development process. It also examines the critical roles of strategy, market and consumer research, financial feasibility and site selection. Assessment of the difference between project-financing viability and market viability will be a central component of the sessions. “Ray Braun of Health Care REIT and Phil Golden of Brightview Senior Living are two of the most respected leaders in their fields,” Heffner said. “The two programs promise to provide attendees with knowledge, real-world experience, and networking opportunities that they simply cannot get anywhere else. “We're very fortunate,” Heffner added, “to have Ray and Phil leading the teaching teams. ‘Finance’ and ‘Development’ are two of the signature courses of The Erickson School's Executive Education program.” About The Erickson School of Aging Studies: The Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC was established in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson. The school focuses on credit and non-credit professional education, research, and policy in aging services and care. The Executive Development Program at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC is presented in partnership with NIC, a nonprofit organization that has been the leading source of business and financial information for the senior living industry since 1991. For the last six years, NIC has conducted executive development courses in operations, management, sales, marketing, development, finance, and service quality for emerging industry leaders. UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education, and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology. For further details, please call the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC at 443-543-5622. More information online at: http://www.umbc.edu/erickson # # # Remaining 2006 NIC Executive Education Courses At the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC Sales and Marketing Led by David Smith, President, One on One, Service to Seniors September 18-21, 2006 Finance, Underwriting and Investment Analysis Led by Ray Braun, President, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer, Health Care REIT, Inc. October 24-27, 2006 Development Led by Phil Golden, President and COO, Brightview Senior Living November 1-4, 2006 Organizational Excellence and Continuous Quality Improvement Led by Tony Ingelido, Vice President, Asbury Services, Inc. TBA Risk Management TBA Posted by mlurie September 8, 2006 UMBC LAUNCHES SHERMAN “STEM” TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM $5 MILLION GIFT FROM GEORGE AND BETSY SHERMAN FUELS INITIATIVE TO TRAIN SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHERS FOR URBAN SCHOOLS; KICKS OFF $100 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, LARGEST IN UMBC HISTORY CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – A leadership gift of $5 million from George and Betsy Sherman will fund the Sherman STEM Teacher Training Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), a program that will dramatically increase the number of UMBC graduates who move immediately into science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teaching careers in at-risk and challenged schools in Baltimore City and throughout Maryland. The gift is a cornerstone of UMBC’s new $100 million capital campaign, the largest in the University’s history. Through the Sherman STEM Teacher Training Program, UMBC seeks to become one of the nation’s leading institutions for training STEM teachers to work in at-risk schools. The program will provide scholarships for undergraduate and transfer students and fellowships for recent college graduates or mid-career professionals pursuing UMBC’s Master of Arts in Teaching. “There is no more important education issue right now to the U.S. and to Maryland than getting more students interested in science and math,” said Dr. Geoffrey Summers, dean of the UMBC College of Natural & Mathematical Sciences. “In fact, if we add four physics teachers per year in Maryland public schools, we will double the rate of physics teachers that Maryland currently produces.” The Sherman gift anchors a $100 million capital campaign ― chaired by John Erickson, CEO of Erickson ― which will seek endowment gifts, annual gifts, grants and gifts-in-kind to support academic initiatives strategically important to the development of UMBC, the region and the nation. The campaign will launch publicly in September with $63 million already raised. A report from the National Academies designed to assess America’s ability to compete in the 21st century, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” calls for the recruitment of 10,000 new science and math teachers each year through competitive scholarships in math, science and engineering that lead to a bachelor’s degree accompanied by a teaching certificate. George Sherman, retired president and CEO of Danaher Corporation and his wife, Betsy, a former teacher, chose UMBC as a partner to improve K-12 STEM education in urban schools. The $5 million gift began with $1 million to support the existing Sherman Family Teacher Scholars Program in the UMBC Department of Education. A university widely recognized for its excellence in technology, science and teacher training, UMBC is well-positioned to fulfill the Shermans’ vision. Within five years, UMBC will host 50 Sherman Scholars (undergraduate students) and 10 Sherman Fellows (graduate students) annually. The inaugural Sherman STEM cohort will be assembled for fall, 2006 from existing UMBC students whose studies are concentrated in the STEM disciplines. “World events of the past five years have further weakened one of our nation’s most competitive advantages: our ability to train, produce and retain graduates in science and technology,” George Sherman said. “The international marketplace is clearly growing and developing at a faster pace than we are right now. To win this race, we must start training tomorrow’s talent today. UMBC’s leadership and faculty are superb and are providing the fresh thinking needed to address contemporary issues.” Said UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, “This leadership gift from George and Betsy Sherman reflects the generosity and vision of two people closely connected to our campus for a long time. It demonstrates their commitment to preparing teachers for the youth in America and their confidence in UMBC’s ability to train teachers who will improve the quality of science and math education in Maryland.” Summers, dean of the College of Natural & Mathematical Sciences, added, “Students get to college and don’t realize what a rewarding career teaching can be. Moreover, a very small percentage of science teachers actually earned their undergraduate degree in science. This program will allow us to work with students early in their college career and develop their interest in teaching math and science in public schools where the need for such education is great.” For an overview of the UMBC $100 million capital campaign, click here. Posted by mlurie September 5, 2006 UMBC Computer Science Research in Wired Magazine eBiquity Group's Research Part of Article on Spam Blogs Research on detecting "splogs" by UMBC Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Professors Tim Finin, Anupam Joshi and Tim Oates and PhD students Pranam Kolari and Akshay Java was cited in an article in the September issue of Wired Magazine. Splogs are spam weblogs that are automatically generated to host advertisements or to raise the rank or affiliated web sites. The UMBC eBiquity Group recently published a study showing that more than half of the active English language blogs were actually splogs and has a number of ongoing blog related research projects. Posted by crose August 29, 2006 Anne Spence on WYPR 88.1 FM's "Maryland Morning," Wednesday, Aug. 30 Mechanical Engineer to Discuss Improving Science, Math Education in Baltimore County Schools CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu Anne Spence, UMBC assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is scheduled to be profiled at 9:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30 during Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast on WYPR-88.1 FM. She will discuss her ongoing leadership role with the UMBC-BCPS STEM Partnership. The partnership between UMBC and Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) is an innovative project that facilitates the implementation, testing, refinement and dissemination of promising practices for improving STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) student achievement. The project also facilitates teacher quality and retention in selected high-needs elementary, middle and high schools in Baltimore County Public Schools. Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast airs from 9-10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays on WYPR-88.1 FM. More information about the program is available at http://www.wypr.org/MD_Morning.html. Audio archives of past stories are posted after their original air date. Posted by crose Anne Brodsky on WYPR's "Marc Steiner Show" Wednesday, Aug. 30 Advocate for Muslim Women to be Part of Show on Afghanistan CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Anne Brodsky, UMBC associate professor of psychology and director of the Gender and Women's Studies program, is scheduled to be part of a panel of experts on Afghanistan for the noon to 1 p.m. hour of WYPR 88.1 FM's "Marc Steiner Show" on Wednesday, Aug. 30. Brodsky has traveled and worked with the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) and other women's rights groups in the Middle East for over five years. She is the author of "With All Our Strength," which chronicles her work with the group as Afghan women risked their lives to seek work, education and basic human rights under the Taliban regime. Posted by crose August 15, 2006 $1.5 Million NIH Grant Boosts UMBC's Research on HIV, Cancer Powerful Instrument to Be Shared by Other UMBC Labs Studying Retroviruses CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Dan Fabris, associate professor of chemistry at UMBC, is one of just 14 researchers nationally to receive a NIH National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) High-End Instrumentation grant announced today. The $1.5 million grant will fund the purchase of an extremely powerful, high-resolution, mass spectrometer that greatly boosts UMBC's capabilities to analyze nucleic acids for research on drug resistance by HIV, other retroviruses and cancer. The Fabris lab was the only one in Maryland to receive the NIH NCCR instrumentation grant this year, making UMBC one of just a handful of U.S. institutions to have such a powerful mass spectrometer. The custom built instrument, a hybrid, 12 Tesla quadrupole-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (Q-FTICR) mass spectrometer, won't arrive at UMBC for another six months or so. It will be shared by several other labs at the University working on research that could lead to new and more effective inhibitor drugs for AIDS therapy. "This is extremely exciting for many of us at UMBC," said Fabris, who has studied the nucleic acid structure of HIV since joining the faculty of the Chemistry and Biochemistry department in 1999. "We are particularly happy that this grant will not only expand our lab's capabilities, but will also benefit the work of other researchers in UMBC's departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Sciences and possibly other labs in the Baltimore area." "The High-End Instrumentation program provides numerous investigators access to essential equipment, often benefiting entire research communities and dramatically advancing their research projects," said Barbara M. Alving, M.D., Acting Director of NCRR, in an NIH press release. "These awards spur the kind of scientific discoveries necessary for the development of treatments for a broad spectrum of diseases." Other NIH NCCR High-End Instrumentation grants went to hospital labs in Boston and university labs at Purdue, Stanford, UCLA, U. Cal Santa Barbara, U. Penn., Yale and others. Posted by crose August 14, 2006 New Web Site Encourages Maryland Voters to Look and Learn UMBC Public Policy, Information Technology Experts Team Up With State Board of Elections for Voter Info Site CONTACT: Anne Roland, UMBC Public Policy Department 410-455-8457 anne@umbc.edu A new web site at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County uses state-of-the-art technology to help voters in Maryland access information that will help them make decisions about voting in the upcoming 2006 Primary and General Elections. The web site, called the Maryland Voter Information Clearinghouse (mdelections.umbc.edu), is a joint project of the Maryland State Board of Elections and UMBC’s National Center for the Study of Elections (NCSE). SBE asked researchers at UMBC to design new publicly accessible, easily searchable databases for voter information. “It’s where, who, and how,” said NCSE Director and Professor of Public Policy Donald F. Norris. “The site is actually three separate databases that each give Maryland voters information to help them learn where to vote, who is running for office, and how candidates are financing campaigns.” “We initiated the Center last summer with the goal of using the academic and research capabilities of UMBC to apply expert analysis, study, and educational techniques to the various programs at the State Board of Elections,” said Linda Lamone, State Administrator of Elections. “This project is a good example of how well that partnership is working. UMBC’s multi-disciplinary approach to this project has lead to a terrific outcome for all Maryland citizens.” Visitors to the site can look up information on candidates for federal and state offices, and search the state’s campaign finance database, which includes publicly available reports on campaign finance activity for all candidates, political action committees (PACs), and parties. Registered voters, after entering required information, can verify their voter registration information, learn their voting districts, and find their polling places. "These web-based tools leverage departmental expertise in the areas of database design and implementation, human-centered computing, and accessibility, providing a great opportunity for Information Systems faculty and students to apply what we teach in the classroom to develop important tools for the citizens of Maryland,” said Andrew Sears, Chair and Professor of Information Systems. Dr. Sears is Associate Director of NCSE. The National Center for the Study of Elections is a center within the UMBC Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research (MIPAR), in partnership with UMBC’s Department of Information Systems, the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and the State Board of Elections. The Center provides technical assistance and research support to the State Board of Elections, and also conducts studies about voting technologies, election administration, and other issues related to voting and elections. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/mipar/ncse. Posted by crose August 4, 2006 Inaugural Wyeth Fellow Announced as UMBC and Wyeth Research Finalize Partnership CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and Wyeth Research, having signed a formal agreement establishing a three-year partnership, have awarded the inaugural Wyeth Fellowship to Orrette R. Wauchope, a Ph.D. candidate studying synthetic organic chemistry. The partnership includes graduate fellowships for talented students conducting research in fields of joint interest to UMBC faculty and Wyeth scientists. Students selected for the two-year fellowships will be designated Wyeth Fellows and will receive an annual stipend and mentoring support from an industry scientist at Wyeth Research. As the inaugural 2006 Wyeth Fellow, Wauchope was recognized as a rising Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Wauchope will have the opportunity to present his or her research findings to a group of senior scientists at Wyeth Research. His doctoral research is being conducted under the guidance of Dr. Katherine Seley-Radtke, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry and a 2006 Jefferson Science Fellow for the U.S. Department of State. Wauchope’s research focuses on the design and methodological development of chemical agents that potentially serve as anticancer, antiviral and antiparasitic catalysts. Wauchope is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Brooklyn College, where he majored in chemistry. “Orrette has a keen interest in the use of synthetic organic chemistry to solve problems in medicinal chemistry,” said Dr. Jerauld S. Skotnicki, senior director of chemical and screening sciences with Wyeth Research. “His Ph.D. project with Professor Seley-Radtke is quite challenging and will enable him to enhance, apply and expand his interests and skills. “As the Wyeth mentor, I am looking forward to the interactions and to contribute to their program. The Wyeth Fellowship exemplifies the ideal partnership of two innovative cultures from two distinct sectors, bringing out the best in people and their science.” The Wyeth-UMBC partnership includes a three-year commitment to Gold-Level sponsorship for UMBC’s annual life science symposium - A Look Ahead: Futures in Biomedical Research. A signed memorandum of understanding between UMBC and Wyeth was completed on July 25, 2006 at the Wyeth Research facility in Collegeville, Pa. An additional Wyeth Fellow will be selected in the second year of the partnership. “I am privileged to have mentoring support from the scientists at Wyeth,” Wauchope said. “I will have the opportunity to share and discuss aspects of my research in an industrial setting with chemists who possess years of experience.” Wyeth, headquartered in Madison, N.J., is a global leader in pharmaceuticals, consumer health care products and animal health care products. The company is a leader in the discovery, development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life people worldwide. With research and development programs focused on small molecules, vaccines and biotechnology, Wyeth is exploring more than 60 new therapies for medical conditions such as diabetes, breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV, Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. UMBC is a mid-sized, public research university located between Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. UMBC is a major center for cutting-edge research in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The campus is home to more than 20 research centers and institutes. UMBC’s College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences includes the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics. These four departments administer close to half of the Ph.D. programs at UMBC. The College has more than 100 full time faculty members, and includes approximately 1500 students in 7 undergraduate programs and 280 students in 13 graduate programs. Research expenditures currently top $13M per year. For inquiries directly to Wyeth Pharmaceuticals: Gerald Burr Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Office: 484-865-5138 Cell: 484-686-6998 Email: burrg@wyeth.com Posted by crose EXECUTIVE EDUCATION COURSES CONTINUE AT ERICKSON SCHOOL OF AGING STUDIES, SEPT. 18-21 “SALES AND MARKETING” TO BE LED BY DAVID SMITH CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – The Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) teams once again with the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry (NIC) to offer a set of Executive Education courses. The series continues at UMBC on Sept. 18-21 with a four-day seminar, “Sales and Marketing,” led by David Smith. David Smith is president of One On One, Service to Seniors, a consulting group based in St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Smith has nearly 20 years of hands-on sales and marketing experience and is also co-owner, developer, and manager of the The Gatesworth at One McKnight Place and Parc Provence, both nationally acclaimed senior housing communities in St. Louis. A number of high caliber guest lecturers from the senior living industry will join Smith in facilitating discussions on best practices. The four-day, interactive course focuses on how to generate higher occupancies and faster fill rates using better marketing and sales practices. Specific course work includes discovering customers’ wants and needs, segmenting markets through research, understanding the relationship of pricing and value, and obtaining honest feedback. Students also learn about the science of promotion and how to develop leads, design an effective marketing plan and use successful selling techniques. Finally, the best way to manage the marketing and sales process is discussed, including the use of mystery shopping and sales training. Smith has been a regular contributor to the NIC Executive Education program at the Erickson School. He is also a frequent lecturer and presenter at NIC, ALFA, ASHA and other industry conferences. Instructor Profiles: Anthony Mullen Chair, Research Committee National Investment Center Anthony J. Mullen brings almost twenty years of experience in seniors housing and care to NIC. He has been an executive officer in three major companies within the industry, and was the founder and CEO of Traditions of America, a mid-Atlantic builder of active adult communities, which he sold in 2000. He has experience across the entire spectrum off the continuum of care. Mr. Mullen was also a founder of the NIC, where he served on the Board and Executive Committees for 12 years. Mr. Mullen has been one of the industry's leading applied researchers, and has developed key industry guidelines for understanding penetration rates for general feasibility purposes. He has published several groundbreaking articles in the field and has won awards for his pioneering research on absorption rates. A certified public accountant, Mr. Mullen holds a Master's degree from Drexel University and an undergraduate degree from St. Joseph's University. Daniel P. Rexford Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales Erickson Retirement Communities Mr. Rexford is the Executive Vice President of Marketing. He is responsible for developing and implementing the marketing and sales strategies for all Erickson continuing care retirement communities. He also served as the Executive Director of Charlestown, Erickson’s flagship community in Catonsville, Md. He originally joined the company in 1990, as the Director of Marketing for Charlestown. Prior to joining Erickson, Mr. Rexford managed the marketing and operations for two companies that provided technical services to the National Cancer Institute, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Treasury, General Services Administration, and Department of Defense. Brian C. Swinton Retired, Executive Vice President Sunrise Senior Living Brian Swinton has been an industry pioneer and leader for the past 19 years. Starting in 1986, he headed the team that created Marriott’s Brighton Gardens, one of the nation’s most successful assisted living concepts, while at the same time he headed the sales and marketing efforts for the entire Marriott Senior Living Division—the nation’s leading provider of quality tier senior living at the time. He also spearheaded the successful Marriott CCRC prototype, Stratford Court, and was a key executive in the development of life care communities (i.e. The Fairfax, The Quadrangle, The Colonnades), senior condominiums (i.e. The Jefferson), and senior cooperatives (i.e. Maplewood) for Marriott. Following a successful 7 year stint at Marriott, Brian joined The Forum Group team as Senior Vice President in 1993 and again spearheaded the development of another assisted living mainstay, the cottage concept, Hearthside (now MapleRidge), and successfully headed the sales and marketing, product development and construction aspects of the company resulting in the company’s sale to Marriott in 1996. Mr. Swinton joined Sunrise in 1996 as Executive Vice President where he once again headed the sales and marketing efforts, as well as market feasibility, customer and employee satisfaction and product development. He also headed the innovative Sunrise concept, At Home Assisted Living, currently in major markets around the country. Brian has served in various industry positions including Chairman of the National Council on Senior’s Housing (NCOSH), an affiliate of the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). He also served as a director and vice president of the National Association of Senior Living Industries (NASLI) and participated in dozens of conferences speaking on a variety of industry topics. Mr. Swinton holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with Distinction from Harvard Business School specializing in Marketing and Real Estate. Margaret Wylde, Ph.D. President/CEO ProMatura Group, LLC Margaret Wylde began conducting research on mature consumers more than 25 years ago. ProMatura Group, LLC, the company founded by Wylde, has played an integral role in understanding what mature consumers want and practically applying this information to seniors housing, service sector, retailers and consumer product developers. Wylde’s mature market, senior housing, product research and development experience includes work for Fortune 100, and start-up corporations, for large companies and single proprietorships, for national associations, and state agencies (see list of Clients). Wylde’s knowledge and expertise of senior housing business issues come from practical day-to-day experience. During her career Wylde has designed, developed and managed seniors housing properties. Wylde’s knowledge of the senior housing industry is widely recognized as being among the industry’s best. Her contribution to the industries serving mature consumers has been to conduct both proprietary and publically disseminated research. Recent research completed by ProMatura include: a study of 1,056 independent living residents and the communities they chose; a comparative study of independent living residents and a matched sample of household who have chosen not to move to an age-qualified community; a multi-year study of 4,500 60+ households to learn their awareness, knowledge, attitudes and opinions about seniors housing; a study of 12,600 satisfaction surveys from residents of independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing communities; surveys of 1,023 residents of assisted living communities throughout the 48 contiguous states, and a survey of 1,500 adults between 45 and 64 years of age about their responsibilities for parents and other relatives. These studies, and dozens more, were completed for the American Seniors Housing Association, the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industries (NIC) and the Assisted Living Federation of America. NIC is the premier organization that focuses specifically on financing senior housing developments and the myriad of issues that affect how these properties are financed. Wylde serves on the Boards of Directors of the American Society on Aging, the National Association of Home Builders Seniors Housing Council and LifeSpec Cabinet Systems, Inc. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the National Center for Universal Design at Florida State University, and the Association of Marketing & Sales Executives in Senior Housing. Wylde was a Forum Group Board member during its successful acquisition by Marriott Senior Living Services. Her other professional affiliations include the International Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, the American Seniors Housing Association, the American Statistical Association, Assisted Living Federation of America, American Marketing Association, Human Factors Society of America, and the Gerontological Society of America. Wylde has authored four books, dozens of technical papers and articles, and is a prolific contributor to trade and business publications and scholarly journals. Her most recent books include Boomers on the Horizon: Housing Preferences of the 55+ Home Buyer published by Builder Books in 2002, Building for a Lifetime: The Design and Construction of Fully Accessible Homes published by The Taunton Press. She is a frequently sought after speaker, providing keynote addresses to many different audiences. Specific Areas of Expertise: finding answers and putting information to work; mature consumers, attitudes, opinions and behaviors; research design and analysis; practical application of primary and secondary research to the design and development of seniors housing communities, technology use by mature adults, human factors of older adults, Federal regulations of accessibility. About The Erickson School of Aging Studies: The Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC was established in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson. The school focuses on credit and non-credit professional education, research, and policy in aging services and care. The Executive Development Program at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC is presented in partnership with NIC, a nonprofit organization that has been the leading source of business and financial information for the senior living industry since 1991. For the last six years, NIC has conducted executive development courses in operations, management, sales, marketing, development, finance, and service quality for emerging industry leaders. UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education, and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology. For further details, please call the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC at 443-543-5622. More information online at: http://www.umbc.edu/erickson # # # Remaining 2006 NIC Executive Education Courses At the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC Sales and Marketing Led by David Smith, President, One on One, Service to Seniors September 18-21, 2006 Finance, Underwriting and Investment Analysis Led by Ray Braun, President, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer, Health Care REIT, Inc. October 24-27, 2006 Development Led by Phil Golden, President and COO, Shelter Properties November 1-4, 2006 Organizational Excellence and Continuous Quality Improvement Led by Tony Ingelido, Vice President, Asbury Services, Inc. TBA Risk Management TBA Posted by mlurie August 1, 2006 Warren R. Devries is New Dean of Engineering & Information Technology at UMBC Former National Science Foundation Official to Pursue Business Partnerships, Innovation CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) announced today the appointment of Warren R. DeVries, former National Science Foundation official and department chair of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University, as its new Dean of Engineering and Information Technology (IT). DeVries is a leader in the national drive for excellence in engineering education and is also well known in his field for his pioneering research in manufacturing processes and systems. Since 2002, he has served as Division Director for the NSF’s Division of Design and Manufacturing Innovation, where he led a staff of 15 and managed an annual budget of $65 million. DeVries came to the NSF on assignment from Iowa State University, where he was a Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. DeVries said he believes that UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology will thrive in the 21st century by developing: diverse knowledge-enabled graduates, faculty and staff who advance the frontiers of scholarship and innovation to benefit society, and partnerships with government and industry to create new opportunities that have an impact beyond the bounds of the campus. DeVries, whose initial responsibilities at the NSF included work with the Small Business Innovation Research program, said that he would like to use his experience to spur innovation through education, research and industry partnerships, especially with small or startup technology-based firms. DeVries said he first became acquainted with UMBC programs and faculty during a visit to the campus over a decade ago. “I saw that exciting things were really starting to happen here,” he said. Another strong impression was that “When you come into UMBC’s campus, the Research and Technology Park is right at the front door. I think that’s very interesting and an important opportunity,” DeVries said. “I’d like to work with faculty and staff building on UMBC’s reputation for integration of education and research covering the whole spectrum of innovation, from discovery of new knowledge and creativity to that first commercial step of a small technology businesses,” DeVries said. “This isn’t only important for the economic vitality of Maryland and the nation, but because knowledge and people are key to the research-education-innovation cycle its part of the University’s mission," said DeVries. "Students benefit too, since according to NSF data, the largest fraction of science and engineering graduates today, about 36 percent, are employed by small technology-based firms.” Another of DeVries’ priorities will be giving students a multidisciplinary education that prepares them to be competitive in today’s global economy. He pointed out that the College of Engineering and Information Technology’s name is indicative of the multidisciplinary opportunities in the College at UMBC. “In order for our students to have a good life and career, we first need to provide a relevant and solid education,” DeVries said. “We’ll need a truly global view so that our graduates not only have good career opportunities, but also aspire to be leaders in their chosen fields.” In addition to being a member of the Iowa State faculty, DeVries has also held faculty positions at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Michigan and University of Wisconsin-Madison. DeVries has supervised 11 Ph.D. students and nearly 40 M.S. students, and he has overseen more than $4 million in total research and educational contracts and grants. He has authored or co-authored numerous technical papers, as well as two textbooks, and taught graduate and undergraduate courses. He received his Ph.D., M.S. and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and also received a B.S. in Letters and Engineering from Calvin College. DeVries has served on the Board of Governors and as Senior Vice President for Engineering for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and on the Board of Directors and as President for the North American Manufacturing Research Institution of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). He is a Fellow of both the ASME and the SME. DeVries replaces Dr. Shlomo Carmi, who served as Dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology and Professor of mechanical engineering since 1996. Carmi, who was the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Senior Vice President for Engineering Education from 2003 to 2006, will continue to serve UMBC as a member of the mechanical engineering faculty. DeVries begins his appointment at UMBC August 1. Note to Media: To download a high-resolution, color photo of Dr. DeVries, please click on the image at the top of this release. Posted by crose July 26, 2006 NASA Scientists Conduct Census of Nearby Hidden Black Holes UMBC Astrophysicist, International Team, Searching X-Ray Sky CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Scientists on a quest to find hidden black holes in the local universe have found surprisingly few. The observation implies that if these hidden black holes exist - and most scientists are convinced they do - they must be from the more distant, earlier universe, a concept that has interesting implications for galaxy evolution. This work constitutes the first census of the highest-energy part of the X-ray sky, where the most dust-enshrouded black holes are thought to shine. A team from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., conducted the census, comprised of nearly two years of continuous data from the European Space Agency's International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, or INTEGRAL, satellite. "Naturally it is difficult to find something we know is hiding well and which has eluded detection so far," said Volker Beckmann of Goddard and the Joint Center for Astrophysics at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, lead author on a report in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal. "INTEGRAL is a telescope that should see nearby hidden black holes, but we have come up short." The X-ray sky is thousands to millions of times more energetic than the visible sky familiar to our eyes. Much of the X-ray activity is from black holes violently sucking in gas from their surroundings. Recent breakthroughs in X-ray astronomy, including a thorough black hole census with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, have all dealt with lower-energy X-rays. The energy range is roughly 2,000 to 20,000 electron-volts. Optical light, in comparison, is about 2 electron volts. The INTEGRAL survey is the first of its kind to glimpse into the largely unexplored higher-energy, or "hard," X-ray regime of 20,000 to 40,000 electron-volts. "The X-ray background, this pervasive blanket of X-ray light we see everywhere in the universe, peaks at about 30,000 electron volts, yet we really know next to nothing about what produces this radiation," said co-author Neil Gehrels of Goddard. The theory is that hidden black holes, which scientists call Compton-thick objects, are responsible for the peak at 30,000 electron volts. These X-rays are so energetic that they would penetrate even the most dust-enshrouded black holes yet remain beyond the range of powerful lower-energy X-ray observatories such as Chandra. High-energy light in general is harder to focus than optical and lower-energy (longer-wavelength) forms of light. As a result, INTEGRAL doesn't have the resolution to make sharp images like Chandra and Hubble can. "Basically, the higher you go in energy, the harder it is to detect faint sources," said Chris Shrader of Goddard, another co-author. "This is why no hard X-ray mission has been able to study many individual objects in the distant universe. That would require a next-generation telescope. But INTEGRAL is now the first to resolve the local universe." INTEGRAL can obtain an unbiased count of black holes in the local universe by virtue of seeing even those that are hidden. Of all the black hole galaxies that INTEGRAL detected---that is, galaxies with supermassive black holes in their cores actively accreting gas---about 40 percent were unobscured black hole galaxies, called Seyfert 1 galaxies. About 50 percent were somewhat obscured black hole galaxies called Seyfert 2 galaxies. And less than 10 percent were the heavily shrouded "Compton thick" variety. This implies that if hidden black holes make up the bulk of the X-ray background, they aren't local. Why? One reason could be that, in the modern local universe, these black holes have had time to blow away the gas and dust that once enshrouded them, leaving them unobscured. This liberation of gas and dust would have its consequences; it would blow away to influence star and galaxy formation elsewhere. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," Beckmann said. "In a few more months we will have a larger survey completed with the Swift mission. Our goal is to push this kind of observation deeper and deeper into the universe to see black hole activity at early epochs. That's the next great challenge for X-ray and gamma-ray astronomers." Simona Soldi and Nicolas Produit of the INTEGRAL Science Data Centre near Geneva, Switzerland, also participated in this result. This release courtesy of NASA Goddard News. For images, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/starsgalaxies/integral_blackholes.html Posted by crose July 25, 2006 ERICKSON SCHOOL OF AGING STUDIES KICKS OFF "HOT TOPICS" SERIES ON AGING TRENDS CHARLES LONGINO, JR., PH.D., ASSESSES MIGRATION OF OLDER AMERICANS CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu July 25, 2006 BALTIMORE – The Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) introduces its “Hot Topics” series, an ongoing resource regarding aging issues and trends available for easy access by researchers and the general public. The series can be accessed at anytime at www.umbc.edu/erickson. The inaugural “Hot Topics” installment, Migration of Older Americans: Where and Why, is offered by Charles F. Longino, Jr., Ph.D., and Visiting Professor to the Erickson School. Longino’s research has unearthed trends in the movement of older Americans that should be of interest to developers, planners and bankers, politicians and scholars. A thorough understanding of migration trends among the aging population, Longino argues, depends on knowing who moves and why they move. Widely known and celebrated for his work on the migration of people ages 60 and older, Longino assesses the threads common to older people more likely to make an interstate move. They are independent, have moved previously for career-related reasons and now make a relocation decision focused more on the place than the people. The reasons older members of the population relocate for retirement, Longino says, “depend on the jelling of four factors: 1) demographic particulars (age, gender, race); 2) economic and health resources; 3) previous experience traveling; and 4) ties to people and places at the origin and the destination. Longino argues that planners are well-advised to be armed with a realistic appraisal of the attractiveness of existing and planned communities and an understanding of the older people they can hope to attract and keep. With that knowledge, planners can be assured that retirement housing and related services can provide an environmentally friendly industry and the income, jobs and new citizens likely to help enrich their new community. Longino is the president of the Gerontological Society of America, past president of the Association of Gerontology in Higher Education and served for four years as the editor of the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences. The second edition of Longino’s book Retirement Migration in America is due to be published in the near future. The publisher of more than 140 scholarly articles, Longino is the Washington M. Wingate Professor of Sociology at Wake Forest University where he directs the Reynolda Gerontology Program. About The Erickson School of Aging Studies: The Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC was established in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson Retirement Communities. The school focuses on credit and non-credit professional education, research, and policy in aging services and care. For further details, please call the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC at 443-543-5622. More information online at: http://www.umbc.edu/erickson # # # Posted by mlurie July 7, 2006 $2.9 Million National Science Foundation Grant Funds New UMBC PhD Training Program in Urban Water, Environment Grant to Provide Multidisciplinary Training for 20 PhD Students Over 5 Years CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC News 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded UMBC a $2.9 million grant to establish a new doctoral student training program in “Water in the Urban Environment.” The NSF funding, part of a highly competitive and nationally prestigious Integrated Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program, will provide 20 Ph.D. students with annual stipends plus assistance with tuition and fees as UMBC recruits and trains teams of graduate students in the ecology, economics, engineering, public health and policy impacts of urbanization on the Chesapeake Bay region’s water resources. The “Water in the Urban Environment” Ph.D. training program will involve 32 faculty members from nine UMBC departments and six partner institutions. Like all IGERT programs, the UMBC training will emphasize an interdisciplinary team approach for Ph.D. students. The program includes internships in industry, government, and non-governmental organizations. “The NSF IGERT program is nationally recognized as a mark of academic excellence,” said Claire Welty, director of the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education at UMBC. “This grant puts UMBC’s environmental programs on the national map in graduate environmental education and offers Marylanders a superb environmental educational opportunity right in their own back yard.” According to Welty, “We’ve already recruited four outstanding students for the Fall 2006 semester– from North Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Virginia -- and will recruit an additional five for fall 2007,” The program takes advantage of UMBC’s longtime research partnerships with public agencies, nonprofits, and private consultants in the field of urban environmental and hydrology studies, as well as the proximity of Baltimore to the Chesapeake Bay. UMBC is home of the field headquarters of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, one of two urban sites in the NSF Long-Term Ecological Research network. In June, UMBC broke ground for the US Geological Survey’s Maryland/Delaware/District of Columbia Water Science Center new home at bwtech@UMBC, the university’s on-campus research and technology park. The UMBC program is one of approximately 20 new IGERT awards granted this year by the NSF. For more information on the NSF’s IGERT programs, visit www.igert.org. Posted by crose June 27, 2006 UMBC, USGS to Celebrate Groundbreaking of Water Science Center Chesapeake Bay Watershed Researchers, Officials to Mark Site of Tech Park’s 3rd Building Thursday CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu The University of Maryland, Baltimore County celebrates a milestone for science in the state’s public interest Thursday as it breaks ground for the new home of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Maryland-Delaware-Washington, D.C. Water Science Center at bwtech@UMBC, the University’s on-campus research and technology park. Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, UMBC President Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, and other federal, state and local government officials will join UMBC and USGS environmental scientists at 5523 Research Park Drive, the future site of the one-story, 24,000 square-foot facility for a groundbreaking ceremony starting at 11:30 am. Construction of the USGS building is scheduled to begin later this month. The real estate development firm Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) is managing construction of both the USGS building and a 110,000 square-foot, four-story, multi-tenant building at bwtech@UMBC, the park’s fourth of five planned buildings. The USGS center employs over 60 scientists and support staff, who are expected to strengthen collaborative work with UMBC and U.S. Forest Service scientists who monitor the ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the health of the region’s water supply, rivers and streams. The USGS’s decision to move from its previous location in White Marsh was strongly influenced by the longtime research partnership between USGS and UMBC’s Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, Center for Urban and Environmental Research and Education (CUERE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the U.S. Forest Service and the Baltimore Ecosystem Study. According to UMBC and USGS officials, the move will give USGS scientists easier access to student employees, labs, scientific instruments, and university researchers. It is expected that UMBC science and engineering students will benefit from on-campus opportunities to combine classroom training with hands-on research experience. UMBC’s formal connection with USGS goes back to 1997, the beginning of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES), a National Science Foundation-funded Long-Term Ecological Research Project whose field headquarters are located on the UMBC campus. BES, which was renewed for another six-year term in 2004, makes Baltimore’s streams, rivers and water quality among the most highly monitored in the country thanks in large part to an extensive network of USGS equipment and personnel. The USGS building is the latest in the progress of bwtech@UMBC, Maryland's first university research park, and the only research and development park in Baltimore County. The 41-acre park's first building was completed in 2001 and is occupied by RWD Technologies. The second building was completed in 2004 and is fully leased to 15 entities. The park’s first two buildings were sold to Merritt Properties for $22.5 million in December, 2005. Posted by crose June 26, 2006 HEFFNER NAMED DIRECTOR OF EXECUTIVE EDUCATION AT ERICKSON SCHOOL OF AGING STUDIES JOINS ERICKSON SCHOOL FROM THE BEACON INSTITUTE CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Kevin D. Heffner, CAE, CFRE, an executive with the Beacon Institute, has been selected as the new Director of Executive Education for the Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Heffner brings to the Erickson School of Aging Studies considerable experience and expertise in senior care. He will coordinate a program of executive education courses offered by the Erickson School for leaders in the seniors housing and care industry. The Executive Education Program at the Erickson School is presented in partnership with the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry (NIC), a nonprofit organization that has been the leading source of business and financial information for the senior living industry since 1991. “The National Investment Center welcomes Kevin to this position. He brings a proven track record, interpersonal and leadership skills and the desire to help make this a world-class program,” says Tony Mullen, Research Director at NIC. Mullen served as Acting Director of Executive Education during the search process. Heffner has led the Beacon Institute, a charitable organization founded to encourage quality of life and quality of care for seniors, since its inception nine years ago. The Beacon Institute is the largest senior-case association in the greater Maryland/Washington D.C. region. He oversaw the development of its Handelman Learning Center, a site in Columbia, Md., that hosts more than 70 educational programs each year. Heffner also developed the Mid-Atlantic Wellspring Program, a nationally acclaimed quality-care improvement model. “I look forward to leading the growth of the Executive Education Program at the Erickson School,” Heffner says. “The 2006 series of NIC Executive Education sessions is just one example of the resources our program delivers to leaders in our industry. We are eager to continue the cultivation and growth of this tradition.” About The Erickson School of Aging Studies: The Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC was established in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson Retirement Communities. The school focuses on credit and non-credit professional education, research, and policy in aging services and care. The Executive Development Program at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC is presented in partnership with NIC, a nonprofit organization that has been the leading source of business and financial information for the senior living industry since 1991. For the last six years, NIC has conducted executive development courses in operations, management, sales, marketing, development, finance, and service quality for emerging industry leaders. UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education, and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology. For further details, please call the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC at 443-543-5622. More information online at: http://www.umbc.edu/erickson # # # 2006 NIC Executive Education Courses At the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC Business and Strategy of Seniors Housing and Care Led by Brian Swinton, Retired, Executive Vice President, Sunrise Senior Living February 22-25, 2006 Management and Operations Led by Chris Hollister, CEO, Southern Assisted Living, Inc. Date: May 17-20, 2006 Sales and Marketing Led by David Smith, President, One on One, Service to Seniors September 18-21, 2006 Finance, Underwriting and Investment Analysis Led by Ray Braun, President, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer, Health Care REIT, Inc. October 24-27, 2006 Development Led by Phil Golden, President and COO, Shelter Properties November 1-4, 2006 Organizational Excellence and Continuous Quality Improvement Led by Tony Ingelido, Vice President, Asbury Services, Inc. TBA Risk Management Led by Allen Lynch, Partner, Nixon Peabody, LLP TBA Posted by mlurie June 14, 2006 Wyeth Research and UMBC Form Partnership CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and Wyeth Research have formed a three-year, multi-level partnership. The partnership will include graduate fellowships for talented students conducting research in fields of joint interest to UMBC faculty and Wyeth scientists and a three-year commitment to support UMBC’s annual life science symposium as a Gold-Level sponsor. Wyeth’s sponsorship of the symposium, A Look Ahead: Futures in Biomedical Research, will provide direct support for the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry and Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at UMBC. The annual life science symposium features nationally recognized speakers, promotes the research of UMBC students, and attracts hundreds of scientists, educators and biotechnology business leaders. “Wyeth’s contribution to UMBC is outstanding. They are an ideal partner for UMBC in the life sciences, demonstrating a strong commitment to scientific excellence, diversity and higher education,” said Dr. Geoffrey Summers, dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. The students selected for the two-year fellowships will be designated Wyeth Fellows and will receive an annual stipend and mentoring support from an industry scientist at Wyeth research. The 2006 Wyeth Fellowship will be awarded to a rising, second- or third-year Ph.D candidate in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Each Wyeth Fellow will have the opportunity to present his or her research findings to a group of senior scientists at Wyeth Research. “We are very pleased to be working with UMBC at this new level,” said Dr. Parimal Desai, Vice President, Analytical & Quality Sciences at Wyeth. “UMBC produces some of our most promising new scientists. Our experiences working with UMBC students and faculty have been excellent.” UMBC and Wyeth have established a steering committee to identify promising areas of research and expand collaborative relationships between Wyeth scientists and UMBC faculty and students. The steering committee will build on the momentum of Wyeth’s active recruiting of UMBC students for internships and full-time positions. Wyeth, headquartered in Madison, NJ, is a global leader in pharmaceuticals, consumer health care products and animal health care products. The company is a leader in the discovery, development and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life people worldwide. With research and development programs focused on small molecules, vaccines and biotechnology, Wyeth is exploring more than 60 new therapies for medical conditions such as diabetes, breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV, Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. UMBC is a mid-sized, public research university located between Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C. UMBC is a major center for cutting-edge research in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The campus is home to more than 20 research centers and institutes. UMBC’s College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences includes the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics. These four departments administer close to half of the Ph.D. programs at UMBC. The College has more than 100 full time faculty members, and includes approximately 1500 students in 7 undergraduate programs and 280 students in 13 graduate programs. Research expenditures currently top $13M per year. For inquiries directly to Wyeth Pharmaceuticals: Gerald Burr Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Office: 484-865-5138 Cell: 484-686-6998 Email: burrg@wyeth.com Posted by mlurie June 12, 2006 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Awards $2.2 Million to HHMI Scholars Program at UMBC CONTACT: Mike Lurie 410-455-6380 office 443-695-0262 cellphone Email: mlurie@umbc.edu The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has awarded a $2.2 million teaching grant to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) to further develop the HHMI Scholars Program, a science education initiative that focuses on students from diverse backgrounds. The HHMI Scholars Program provides a summer “bridge” structure that helps freshmen make a smooth college transition. During their freshman year, Hughes Scholars rotate through several labs and eventually choose a "home" laboratory in which they will do long-term research. The summer before their sophomore year, they start working in that lab. Scholars also complete at least one summer of research with an HHMI investigator elsewhere in the country, usually before their junior year. Each scholar also has the option of spending his or her junior year as an exchange student in the lab of another HHMI investigator. Hughes Scholars also provide math and science tutoring for elementary and high school students in Baltimore to inspire the next generation of science majors. They might also tutor fellow UMBC undergraduates. UMBC is one of 50 universities in the nation to receive an HHMI grant in this round of funding. The first UMBC Hughes Scholars supported by an undergraduate science education grant from HHMI graduated from UMBC in 2005. All three students have gone on to Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. programs at Stanford University, The Johns Hopkins University, and Case Western Reserve University. Five additional students recently graduated and all have been accepted into a Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D. or M.D. program at Baylor College of Medicine, University of Florida, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, and Cornell University. "They're not just getting into graduate programs, they’re getting into the very best programs," said Michael Summers, the only HHMI investigator at a Maryland public university and director of the Hughes Scholar Program at UMBC. Of 25 Hughes Scholars so far, 23 are African American. While many Hughes Scholars are from Maryland, students also come to the program from as far away as California, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. Hughes Scholars will interact with students who are in the UMBC Meyerhoff Scholarship Program, a program open to high-achieving high school seniors with an interest in pursuing doctoral study in the sciences or engineering and advancing minorities in the sciences and related fields. “With this support, some of the brightest young students who are interested in biomedical research and issues of diversity will have the opportunity to focus on their studies and research while undergraduates and work with some of the nation’s best biomedical researchers,” Summers said. Hughes Scholars are selected as incoming freshmen. An HHMI grant provides funds for summer research and travel to scientific meetings. The grant also covers tuition and room and board for their first two years of college. Tuition, room and board are covered for the students' junior and senior years through a federal grant. Before classes start, Hughes Scholars attend a summer program to familiarize themselves with the campus and the research being done at UMBC. “Summer bridge programs—a component of several of the new grants—are particularly important in helping minority students make a successful transition to the world of the research university,” said Peter J. Bruns, HHMI vice president for grants and special programs. “Individualized mentoring and early research experiences with working scientists also are vital components of a university education that prepares undergraduates for graduate school and careers in science. The universities want to offer their students these opportunities, and HHMI is pleased to help them do so.” In selecting recipients of the new grants, HHMI reviewed 158 applications. A panel composed of leading scientists and educators, including HHMI professors and an invited 214 HHMI investigators, reviewed the applications. “We believe it is vital to bring fresh perspectives to the teaching of established scientific disciplines and to develop novel courses in emerging areas, such as computational biology, genomics, and bio-imaging, said Thomas R. Cech, HHMI president. “Our grantee universities are providing hands-on research experiences to help prepare undergraduates, including women and minorities underrepresented in the sciences, for graduate studies and for careers in biomedical research, medicine, and science education.” A nonprofit medical research organization, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute was established in 1953 by the aviator-industrialist. The Institute, headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is one of the largest philanthropies in the world, with an endowment of $14.8 billion at the close of its 2005 fiscal year. HHMI spent $483 million in support of biomedical research and $80 million for support of a variety of science education and other grants programs in fiscal 2005. Posted by crose UMBC Scientists Spot the Greatest of Great Balls of Fire Contact: Chip Rose 410-455-5793 office 443-690-0307 cellphone Email: crose@umbc.edu A research effort led by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County has found a comet-like ball of gas over a billion times the mass of the sun hurling through a distant galaxy cluster over 500 miles per second. This colossal "ball of fire" is by far the largest object of this kind ever identified. Dr. Alexis Finoguenov and Prof. Mark Henriksen of the UMBC Department of Physics and visiting UMBC scientist Dr. Francesco Miniati discovered the gas ball with a European X-ray satellite called XMM-Newton. The gas ball is about three million light years across, or about five billion times the size of our solar system. It appears from our perspective as a circular X-ray glow with a comet-like tail nearly half the size of the moon. This observation is described in the Astrophysical Journal. "The size and velocity of this gas ball is truly fantastic," said Finoguenov, who is an adjunct assistant professor of physics at UMBC and an associated scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Extra-Terrestrial Physics in Garching, Germany. "This is likely a massive building block being delivered to one of the largest assembly of galaxies we know." The gas ball is in a galaxy cluster called Abell 3266, millions of light years from Earth, thus posing absolutely no danger to our solar system. Abell 3266 contains hundreds of galaxies and great amounts of hot gas that is nearly a hundred million degrees. Both the cluster gas and the giant gas ball are held together by the gravitational attraction of unseen dark matter. "What interests astronomers is not just the size of the gas ball but the role it plays in the formation and evolution of structure in the universe," said Miniati, who worked on this data at UMBC while visiting from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. Abell cluster 3266 is part of the Horologium-Reticulum super-cluster and is one of the most massive galaxy clusters in the southern sky. It is still actively growing in size, as indicated by the gas ball, and will become one of the largest mass concentrations in the nearby universe. Using XMM-Newton data, the science team produced an entropy map, which is a thermodynamical property that allows for the separation of the cold and dense gas of the comet from the hotter and more rarefied gas of the cluster. This is based on X-ray spectra. The data show with remarkable detail the process of gas being stripped from the comet's core and forming a large tail containing lumps of colder and denser gas. The researchers estimate that a sun's worth of mass is lost every hour. "In Abell 3266 we are seeing structure formation in action," said Henriksen. "Dark matter is the gravitational glue holding the gas ball together. But as it races through the galaxy cluster, a tug-of-war ensues where the galaxy cluster eventually wins, stripping off and dispersing gas that perhaps one day will seed star and galaxy growth within the cluster." XMM-Newton was built by and is operated by the European Space Agency. For images and more information about the result, refer to http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMWD1AATME_index_0.html. For a directory of high-resolution images, refer to: http://universe.nasa.gov/press/xmm Special Thanks to Christopher Wanjek at NASA-Goddard News for this release. Posted by crose May 19, 2006 UMBC Set to Graduate 1,200 Students 46th Commencement Ceremonies Award Degrees to 1,000 Undergraduates, 200 Graduate Students on May 24, 25 MIT Physicist/Author, Hopkins Neuroscience Pioneer are Speakers CONTACTS: Mike Lurie 410-455-6380 office 443-695-0262 cellphone Email: mlurie@umbc.edu Chip Rose 410-455-5793 office 443-690-0307 cellphone Email: crose@umbc.edu The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) will award degrees to over 1,000 undergraduates and 200 graduate students from the Class of 2006 during the University’s 46th commencement ceremonies to be held Wednesday, May 24 and Thursday, May 25. The UMBC Class of 2006 includes students accepted by prestigious graduate programs at some of the world’s top universities, including Yale, Harvard, Stanford, King’s College London, the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Johns Hopkins, the University of Chicago, Tufts University, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the University of Michigan. UMBC graduates have also secured jobs with a wide spectrum of corporations, nonprofits and government agencies, including Microsoft, Northrop Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Science Applications International Corporation, T. Rowe Price, Mercantile Bank, Xerox and the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Graduate student commencement will be held Wednesday, May 24 at 10 a.m. on the UMBC campus at the Retriever Activities Center. Dr. Alan Lightman, a physicist and author and adjunct professor of humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree for his significant contributions to the literary, scientific and education communities. Lightman’s 1993 novel, "Einstein's Dreams," was an international bestseller and has been translated into 30 languages. The undergraduate ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 25, at 1 p.m., at the 1st Mariner Arena in downtown Baltimore. Dr. Solomon Snyder, distinguished service professor of neuroscience, pharmacology and psychiatry at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, will deliver the commencement address and receive an Honorary Doctor of Science degree for his research accomplishments in neuroscience. Snyder’s discoveries and techniques for identifying receptors for neurotransmitters and drugs have resulted in major advances in molecular neuroscience and drug design. He shared the prestigious Albert Lasker Award in 1978 for the discovery of the brain’s opiate receptors and, in 2003, received the National Medal of Science, the United States’ top scientific recognition. Dr. Richard Brodhead, president of Duke University, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at the undergraduate ceremony for his achievements as a scholar, teacher and advocate for the advancement of higher education. Brodhead, an expert in 19th-century American literature who has written or edited more than a dozen books, arrived at Duke after a 32-year career at Yale University. He has been involved with national higher education issues as a member of the Business-Higher Education Forum, a trustee of the Carnegie Corporation and a Presidential appointee to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. His scholarly work has been honored by his election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Amber McGuigan, UMBC’s 2006 valedictorian, will also speak at Thursday’s ceremony. McGuigan, a Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar who maintained a 4.0 G.P.A. as a double major in social work and economics, recently completed a year-long internship in the children's program at the House of Ruth Maryland. McGuigan is a native of Blackwood, N.J. and graduated from Highland Regional High School. The Co-Salutatorians are Joe Howley, an ancient studies major from Silver Spring, M.D., and Roxann Brooks, a biological sciences major from Chesapeake, V.A. Howley, a Rhodes Scholar nominee and graduate of Montgomery Blair High School, will pursue graduate studies in classics at the University of St. Andrews. Brooks, a graduate of Norfolk Academy and a Meyerhoff Scholar, will pursue a doctorate of veterinary medicine and a Ph.D. in the veterinary scientist training program at the University of California, Davis. For more information on UMBC Commencement Ceremonies, please visit: http://www.umbc.edu/commencement Posted by crose May 2, 2006 UMBC, Johns Hopkins, Join Princeton in Multi-Million NSF Engineering Research Center Advanced Research in Mid-Infrared Spectrum Could Yield Sensor Breakthroughs for Medicine, Environment, Military, Homeland Security CONTACTS: Mike Lurie 410-455-6380 office 443-695-0262 cellphone Email: mlurie@umbc.edu Chip Rose 410-455-5793 office 443-690-0307 cellphone Email: crose@umbc.edu BALTIMORE– The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and The Johns Hopkins University are part of a newly announced multimillion-dollar National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center based at Princeton University that is expected to revolutionize sensor technology, yielding supersensitive devices that can detect minute amounts of chemicals found in the atmosphere, emitted from factories or exhaled in human breath. The goal of the Center’s research is to produce devices that are so low in cost and easy to use that they transform the way physicians monitor patients, states track air quality, governments guard against terror attacks and scientists understand the evolution of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Other partner institutions with Princeton, Johns Hopkins and UMBC are Rice University, Texas A&M University and City College of New York. NSF and industrial funding for the Center could exceed $40 million over 10 years. NSF funding started May 1 with $2.97 million for the first year. The center – named MIRTHE, for Mid-Infrared Technologies for Health and the Environment – will combine the work of about 40 faculty members, 30 graduate students and 30 undergraduates from the six universities. The center also is collaborating with dozens of industrial partners on technology commercialization and is partnering with several educational outreach partners to apply MIRTHE research in improving science and engineering education. “The sensors we are creating will be portable and easy to use,” said Claire Gmachl, associate professor of electrical engineering at Princeton and MIRTHE’s director. “Today’s state-of-the-art sensors are very sensitive, but require an expert to operate and are bulky and expensive. Our vision is to make sensors with the same or better level of sensitivity at a fraction of the size and cost.” Sensor technologies developed by MIRTHE team members are expected to have a variety of commercial, military and educational applications. UMBC is home to several NASA-Goddard related atmospheric, environmental and earth science research centers and the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, where MIRTHE technologies should improve monitoring of pollution in the soil, water and air. Another potential application is an “invisible fence” sensor system that can vastly improve detection of chemical and biological hazards for military troops in the battlefield and homeland security first responders. MIRTHE is a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, one of several interdisciplinary centers located at universities across the United States. The centers are among the foundation’s largest and most prestigious grants. MIRTHE team members’ expertise ranges from fundamental science to applied technology. Work on MIRTHE at UMBC will be led by MIRTHE deputy director Anthony Johnson, a past president of the Optical Society of America and director of UMBC’s Center for Advanced Studies in Photonics Research (CASPR). “This is an exciting day for engineering research in the Baltimore-Washington region” Johnson said. “With seven faculty researchers each from The Johns Hopkins University and UMBC, this is incredible news for science in the state of Maryland.” As deputy director of MIRTHE, Johnson brings a wealth of knowledge on the design, workings and manufacture of next-generation sensors based on novel optoelectronic materials. These sensors will be capable of detecting chemical and biological molecular markers in the mid-infrared portion of the spectrum. Other UMBC researchers on the MIRTHE team include: L. Michael Hayden, chair of physics; Yanhua Shih, professor of physics; Joel Morris, Curtis Menyuk and Fow-Sen Choa, professors of computer science and electrical engineering; and Claire Welty, director of the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education. Johns Hopkins researchers involved in MIRTHE include: Terence H. Risby of the Bloomberg School of Public Health; Katalin Szlavecz, a geologist and lecturer at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences; Robert Brown of the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine in the School of Medicine; Jacob Khurgin of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Whiting School of Engineering; Charles Lowenstein and Steven Solga of the Department of Medicine in the School of Medicine; and Michael Trush of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences in the Bloomberg School of Public Health. MIRTHE’s other key mission is in education – working to train a new and diverse generation of engineering students in the U.S. The center will incorporate extensive efforts to engage college and K-12 students in hands-on science and engineering projects, with major outreach programs taking place at UMBC, City College of New York and Princeton. At UMBC, MIRTHE will link with the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, which is recognized nationally as a model for preparing high-achieving undergraduate students, particularly African-Americans, for research careers in science and engineering. Johnson also has extensive experience with K-12 optical science education outreach to under-represented minority students through his work with the Optical Society of America’s Hands-On Optics (HOO) program. “PROMISE: Maryland’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), which is also sponsored by the NSF, will focus on the cultivation, retention and successful graduation of graduate students from populations that are underrepresented in MIRTHE’s core disciplines,” said UMBC’s PROMISE Director Renetta Tull. The work of creating the successful proposal to the NSF already has established a sense of community among the participants. “We are delighted to be partnering with Princeton and the other fine institutions in the Engineering Research Center’s critical work,” said Freeman Hrabowski, president of UMBC. Posted by crose May 1, 2006 Grasmick to Be Honored for Fighting Tech Gender Gap at UMBC’s Computer Mania Day Fashion Designer Cynthia Rowley to Link High-Tech, High Fashion For 100’s of Middle School Girls Saturday CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu BALTIMORE - State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nancy Grasmick will be honored for her contributions to fighting the gender gap in information technology this Saturday at UMBC’s fourth annual Computer Mania Day event. Fashion designer Cynthia Rowley headlines the day of free, fun, hands-on activities which brings hundreds of middle school girls from across Maryland for tech career path inspiration by women role models from industry and academia. The Center for Woman and Information Technology (CWIT) at UMBC, which addresses and rectifies women's under-representation in information technology and enhances the understanding of the relationship between gender and IT, will present the Joan Korenman Award to Grasmick during the start of the day’s activities at 10:10 AM in UMBC’s Retriever Activities Center. The Joan Korenman Award is named for the founder of CWIT and honors an individual or group of individuals who have supported, promoted, and encouraged girls and women to strive to achieve personal and professional growth through the use of, employment in, or leadership in information technology or a related field, where women are traditionally underrepresented. “I’m thrilled to be a recipient of the Joan Korenman Award this year,” said Grasmick. “I continue to encourage women to persevere in their efforts to achieve their objectives. We must strive to have equity in all fields, including those that are technology based. I truly believe that we should continue to create and sustain pathways for all individuals to enter and remain in Information Technology or a related technology field.” Many Baltimore-Washington area technology firms give financial and volunteer support to Computer Mania Day, which they see as an effective way to increase gender diversity in high-tech industries. Research shows that the information technology (IT) gender gap opens as early as the middle school years, when girls are most image-conscious and do not want to be labeled as “geeks” or “nerds.” Girls also make up only 14 percent of Advanced Placement students in computer science, a key to success in IT-related fields at the college level. "We are thrilled to continue our support of CWIT and its goal to encourage students', especially girls', interest and involvement in information technology," said Jennifer Jones, Sales Vice President for AT&T, who will present the award to Grasmick. "Computer Mania Day demonstrates that science and computer skills not only facilitate our fast-paced, 24/7 connected lives, these skills enhance job performance and improve efficiencies across all industries,” said Jones. “This message is especially important to share with our nation's young people so that the U.S. will not continue to lose its competitive advantage in the global marketplace." The AT&T Foundation is a sponsor of Computer Mania Day. "There is no greater imperative for protecting the future technological strength and security of our nation than getting today's primary and secondary-school children interested in math, science and engineering-related disciplines,” said James F. Pitts, Corporate Vice President and President of Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems sector. “That's why we at Northrop Grumman strongly support activities such as Computer Mania Day at UMBC." Katherine A. Gray, VP of F16 Sensor Systems at Northrop Grumman Electronics Systems, will give the welcoming address to Computer Mania attendees. Rowley, whose signature designs are found in Cynthia Rowley boutiques, better department stores and specialty stores across the U.S. and globe, has won multiple awards from The Council of Fashion Designers of America. Her creations have been featured in Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar and The New York Times. She is also the co-author of a best-selling series of books on personal and home style and an entrepreneur. At Computer Mania Day, kids will get the chance to meet Rowley and participate in workshops led by positive female role models from UMBC along with business, government and education leaders. Girls’ events highlights include “Hardware Rocks,” “Google of Opportunities,” digital art and imaging, and the physics of do-it-yourself hot air balloons. Adult workshop highlights include how to prepare your kids for college, “Computers 101,” and “Cyber Safety: Keeping Your Child Protected Online.” All attendees will have the chance to win great giveaways like the HP iPAQ, Dell USB Memory Key and Cisco Routers. EVENT DETAILS: Saturday, May 6, 2006. 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Check-in at UC Ballroom, UMBC. FREE lunch included. All adult and student attendees MUST register ahead of time online at www.computer-mania.info. To sign up or for more information, visit www.computer-mania.info or call 410-455-8433. NOTE TO MEDIA: A hi-resolution, color photo of Cynthia Rowley is available online at: http://www.umbc.edu/NewsEvents/PhotoGal/CynthiaRowley.jpg About the AT&T Foundation: The new AT&T Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AT&T Inc., supports programs that build communities and improve access to information technologies, technology training and professional skills development. The new AT&T Foundation will provide more than $60 million in 2006 in charitable contributions, thereby placing it among the top five largest corporate foundations in the country. The new AT&T Foundation combines over forty years and $1.7 billion of philanthropic commitment to communities across the country. Posted by crose April 24, 2006 COPT to Develop Second Building for bwtech@UMBC Research Park 110,000 Square-Foot Building to be Multi-Tenant Facility CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu UMBC's on-campus research and technology park, bwtech@UMBC, and Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) announced today that COPT will build and own a second building at the park. The 110,000 square foot, four-story office building will located at 5520 Research Park Drive on ground leased from UMBC Research Park Corporation and will target large and small technology companies as tenants. The total construction cost of the project is projected to be approximately $22 million. “We are very pleased to further our relationship with UMBC by being given the opportunity to develop a second building for their expanding research and technology park and to create more critical mass for COPT within the park,” said Randall M. Griffin, President and CEO of Corporate Office Properties Trust. This building will be adjacent to a development project recently announced within bwtech@UMBC which is the 23,500 square foot new home for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Water Science Center located at 5522 Research Park Drive. This would bring COPT’s total square foot ownership in the park to 133,900 square feet. bwtech@UMBC was Maryland's first university research park and is the only research and development park in Baltimore County. The 41-acre park's first building, completed in 2001, is occupied by RWD Technologies. A second building, completed in 2004, is fully leased. About COPT: Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) is a fully integrated, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) that focuses on the ownership, management, leasing, acquisition and development of suburban office properties located primarily in submarkets within the Greater Washington, DC region. As of December 31, 2005, the Company owned 183 office properties totaling 14.6 million rentable square feet, which included 18 properties totaling 885,000 square feet held through joint ventures. The Company has implemented a core customer expansion strategy that is built around meeting, through acquisitions and development, the multi-location requirements of the Company’s existing strategic tenants. The Company’s property management services team provides comprehensive property and asset management to company owned properties and select third party clients. COPT’s development and construction services team provides a wide range of development and construction management services for company owned properties, as well as land planning, design/build services, consulting, and merchant development to select third party clients. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol OFC. More information on Corporate Office Properties Trust can be found on the Internet at www.copt.com. About bwtech@UMBC: bwtech@UMBC is a 41-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). bwtech@UMBC has a total development capacity of up to 330,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. The USGS building will be the third of five planned state-of-the-art buildings containing over 300,000 square feet of office and wet lab space. The park’s 62,000 square-foot first building has been leased by the information technology firm RWD Technologies since 2001. The second building, a 60,000-square-foot multi-tenant building, is fully leased with tenants including The NASA Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center, software maker BD Metrics Inc., healthcare media and education firm Med-IQ, the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC, the engineering/design firm Edwards & Kelcey, and UMBC’s Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. UMBC began planning for a new research and technology park in the early 1990s, based on the success of other U.S. parks and the vision of the late Michael Hooker, UMBC president from 1986-1992. To date, UMBC’s research park and technology incubator have received public and private sector funding from the Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO), the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, Baltimore County, the U.S. Department of Commerce, The Abell Foundation, and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO.) bwtech@UMBC is part of Baltimore County's Southwest Enterprise Zone, making companies moving to the park eligible for credits on real property and income taxes, as well as credits for job creation. Posted by crose April 18, 2006 Executive Education Courses Continue at Erickson School of Aging Studies, May 17-20 "Management and Operations" to be Led by CEO of Southern Assisted Living, Inc. CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE - The Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) teams once again with the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry (NIC) to offer a set of Executive Education courses. The series continues at UMBC on May 17-20 with a four-day seminar, "Management and Operations," led by Chris Hollister, CEO of Southern Assisted Living, Inc. The seminar is the latest in a series of four-day Executive Education seminars which the Erickson School at UMBC will host in 2006. A complete schedule and overview of the full 2006 series is available at the bottom of this advisory. Although "Management and Operations" can be completed as a non-credit course, industry executives also may complete this course for credit toward one of two new graduate credit options. Executives can take this course for 3 credits, or they can complete it as part of their enrollment in the 4-course graduate certificate in Seniors Housing Administration. (Those interested in the graduate-certificate option should contact Dr. Leslie Morgan for further information at 443-543-5622.) "Management and Operations" is designed to examine best practices in the management and operations of the professional seniors housing and care company. It begins with an explanation of the diversity, size and complexity of the industry. It proceeds to focus on the science of management and ethical leadership as it applies to the field, and the importance of strategic thinking, obtaining a sustainable competitive advantage through uniqueness, lower cost or better objective value, and providing economic value above the cost of capital. Chris Hollister is co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Assisted Living, Inc. (SALI). SALI is the largest provider of assisted living services in the state of North Carolina and one of the top 20 assisted living providers in the nation. Before founding SALI, he held various management positions in the assisted living and seniors housing industry for over 19 years and continues to be a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences. He served on the board of the Assisted Living Federation of American (ALFA) from 2000-2004, serving as Treasurer from April, 2002 to April, 2004. He received a BS in Economics from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Guest speakers will include a variety of other experts from the seniors housing and care industry. "Management and Operations" will examine the crucial role of employee engagement, loyalty and service quality in detail, with the necessary passion for understanding residents and achieving resident loyalty. The role of corporate culture, organizational excellence and performance measurement, including the balanced scorecard, are explained in the context of delivering service quality and clinical outcomes in health care. The course proceeds to examine operations of the various functional areas including the role of management information systems and technology. It also addresses best practices in food service, hospitality, maintenance, social activities and other areas. The course concludes with an examination of financial management and reporting and the critical role of risk management in an increasingly regulated, litigated and competitive environment. NIC is an active partner with the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC and works closely with the Erickson School on numerous initiatives. NIC brings to this seminar and the rest of the 2006 Executive Education series a legacy of expertise in the field of senior living executive development. The series will be held on the grounds of the Erickson School, known for training emerging industry leaders in the burgeoning seniors housing and care business. "The 'Management and Operations' course offers an opportunity for executives to enhance their credentials with graduate credits while focusing on best practices in the management and operations of the professional seniors housing and care company," says Tony Mullen, Acting Director of Executive Education at the Erickson School and the NIC Research Director. About The Erickson School of Aging Studies: The Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC was established in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson. The school focuses on credit and non-credit professional education, research, and policy in aging services and care. The Executive Development Program at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC is presented in partnership with NIC, a nonprofit organization that has been the leading source of business and financial information for the senior living industry since 1991. For the last six years, NIC has conducted executive development courses in operations, management, sales, marketing, development, finance, and service quality for emerging industry leaders. UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education, and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology. For further details, please call the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC at 443-543-5622. More information online at: http://www.umbc.edu/erickson Remaining 2006 NIC Executive Education Courses At the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC Management and Operations Led by Chris Hollister, CEO, Southern Assisted Living, Inc. Date: May 17-20, 2006 Risk Management Led by Allen Lynch, Partner, Nixon Peabody, LLP June 7-10, 2006 Sales and Marketing Led by David Smith, President, One on One, Service to Seniors September 18-21, 2006 Finance, Underwriting and Investment Analysis Led by Ray Braun, President, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer, Health Care REIT, Inc. October 24-27, 2006 Development Led by Phil Golden, President and COO, Shelter Properties November 1-4, 2006 Organizational Excellence and Continuous Quality Improvement Led by Tony Ingelido, Vice President, Asbury Services, Inc. TBA Posted by crose April 3, 2006 Drs. Hrabowski, Summers Share Success Strategies for Producing Minority Scientists, Engineers 'Preparing Minority Scientists, Engineers' Appears in Science Magazine CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – President Freeman Hrabowski and Dr. Michael Summers of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), have published an article in the March 31 issue of Science Magazine, "Preparing Minority Scientists and Engineers," that examines successful strategies for educating minority scientists and engineers in college and fostering their pursuit of doctorates and medical degrees. The authors begin by noting that well-prepared minority students are originally interested in pursuing scientific or engineering careers, but far too few of those students actually graduate with degrees in those subjects. Students who entered UMBC's Meyerhoff Program, for example, were twice as likely to earn a science or engineering bachelor's degree and 5.3 times more likely to enroll in post-graduate study, when compared to those who were accepted to UMBC's Meyerhoff Program but attended other institutions. Hrabowski and Summers then identify several factors necessary for minority student success, such as involving the students in scientific research projects as early as possible. The Meyerhoff Program (named after its founders, Baltimore philanthropists Robert and his late wife Jane Meyerhoff), focuses on producing bachelor's degree recipients, particularly African-Americans, who go on to doctoral programs in science and engineering. UMBC is leading the nation as a producer of minority scientists who have gone on to earn Ph.D.s and medical degrees. Meyerhoff students with completed advanced degrees now number 44 with Ph.Ds or M.D.-Ph.Ds, 72 with master's degrees and 32 with medical degrees. Meyerhoff Program alumni include a clinical fellow in cardiovascular medicine at Harvard Medical School, a post-doctoral fellow in neuroscience at Johns Hopkins Medical School and a research and development scientist at Eastman Kodak. Dr. Michael Summers, professor of chemistry/biochemistry and investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) at UMBC, has worked closely with Meyerhoff Scholars in the course of his research on the application of nuclear magnetic resonance to studies of the structure and function of proteins. Hrabowski and Summers identify five elements in achieving positive outcomes in retention and development of minority scientists and engineers. Those elements are recruiting a substantial body of high-achieving minority students with interests in math and science; offering merit-based financial support; providing an orientation program for freshman; recruitment of active research faculty to work with the students; and involvement of students in scientific research projects early in their undergraduate careers. Posted by crose UMBC Wins 2006 College Chess Final Four Without Top Player, National Champs Rise to Occasion, Defeat Arch-Rivals CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu DALLAS – While the Cinderella story of George Mason University men’s basketball ended this weekend, the nearby University of Maryland, Baltimore County‘s (UMBC) chess team emerged from the “Final Four” of college chess with a hard-fought victory over its arch-rivals the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) at the 2006 President’s Cup Tournament. UMBC claimed the title with a final score of nine to UTD’s eight. Emerging national chess power Miami-Dade College placed a respectable third with five points. Duke University found the chessboard less hospitable than the basketball court, coming in last with two points. International Grandmaster Pawel “The Polish Magician” Blehm was the hero for UMBC, leading his team to victory in the absence of UMBC’s top player and U.S. individual chess champion Alex Onischuk. “Pawel really rose to the occasion on Board One,” said UMBC chess program director and associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering Alan Sherman. “He defeated two grandmasters with decisive play.” Other UMBC players who performed solidly in the “Final Four” included Pascal “The Frenchman” Charbonneau, Bruci “The Cuban Cyclone” Lopez, Women’s International Grandmaster Katerina “The Kiev Killer” Rohonyan, and first alternate Beenish “The Indian Tiger” Bhatia. UMBC and UTD are two of just a handful of U.S. universities to offer full scholarships for chess. As the recognized national powerhouses in their sport, they share a competitive fire on par with North Carolina vs. Duke in college basketball or the NY Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox in major league baseball. UMBC and UTD have traded the “Final Four” title in a series of close matches since the event began six years ago. UTD claimed the title for the first two years, but UMBC since went on to win the last four in a row. Unlike most chess tournaments, the “Final Four” is a team round-robin format. The teams qualified for the “Final Four” by being the top four finishing U.S. teams in the Dec. 2005 Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship, the Western Hemisphere’s most prestigious college chess competition. UMBC’s victory in the 2005 Pan Am was even tougher than the “Final Four,” with only a half-point deciding the outcome over UTD. UTD claimed the Pan-Am title in 2004 and 2003 and tied UMBC for first in 2001 and 2000. UMBC will host the 2006 Pan Am tournament this December in Washington, DC. Posted by crose March 29, 2006 UMBC Student Featured on PBS Newshour Tonight UMBC student Joe Jones, founder of the Center for Fathers, Family and Workforce Development, will appear on "The Newshour with Jim Lehrer" tonight, March 29, 2006. UMBC student Joe Jones, founder of the Center for Fathers, Family and Workforce Development, will appear on "The Newshour with Jim Lehrer" tonight, March 29, 2006. "Newshour" airs locally at 6 p.m. on Maryland Public Television (Channel 22) and WETA in Washington (Channel 26). For more information, visit http://www.pbs.org/newshour. 3/30/06 Update: Jones is one of several commentators offering analysis following reporter Ray Suarez' "Losing Ground" feature on "the plight of black men, who have not kept up with the income, health, education, civil justice and civic engagement of other groups." To hear the report (and Jones' comments), visit http://audio.pbs.org:8080/ramgen/newshour/expansion/2006/03/29/20060329_black28.rm?altplay=20060329_%20black28.rm. Posted by fritz March 28, 2006 Gigabytes of Glamour: Fashion Designer Cynthia Rowley to Help UMBC Make Tech Savvy Girls in Style Award-Winning Designer to Lead Hundreds of Middle School Girls, Parents, in Day of Hands-on, High-Tech Fun: Computer Mania Day, May 6 CONTACT: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu If there’s one sure way to get more girls interested in technology careers, just show them how computers help design some of the world’s most glamorous clothes. Cynthia Rowley, one of America’s most honored fashion designers, will show hundreds of middle school girls, parents and teachers from across Maryland how high technology helps create high fashion clothes worn by supermodels as she headlines Computer Mania Day at UMBC on Saturday, May 6. Rowley, whose signature designs are found in Cynthia Rowley boutiques, better department stores and specialty stores across the U.S. and globe, has won multiple awards from The Council of Fashion Designers of America. Her creations have been featured in Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar and The New York Times. She is also the co-author of a best-selling series of books on personal and home style and an entrepreneur. Computer Mania Day is an annual day of free, hands-on, high-tech, fun activities for adults and kids sponsored by UMBC’s Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT). The half-day event helps to get girls interested in technology and computing careers while helping parents and teachers sharpen their own computer skills. While boys are welcome, the focus is on girls because of their continuing under-representation in science, technology, engineering and math. Research shows that the information technology (IT) gender gap opens as early as the middle school years, when girls are most image-conscious and do not want to be labeled as “geeks” or “nerds.” Girls also make up only 14 percent of Advanced Placement students in computer science, a key to success in IT-related fields at the college level. At Computer Mania Day, kids will get the chance to meet Rowley and participate in workshops led by positive female role models from UMBC along with business, government and education leaders. Girls’ events highlights include “Hardware Rocks,” “Google of Opportunities,” digital art and imaging, and the physics of do-it-yourself hot air balloons. Adult workshop highlights include how to prepare your kids for college, “Computers 101,” and “Cyber Safety: Keeping Your Child Protected Online.” All attendees will have the chance to win great giveaways like the HP iPAQ, Dell USB Memory Key and Cisco Routers. EVENT DETAILS: Saturday, May 6, 2006. 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Check-in at UC Ballroom, UMBC. FREE lunch included for students. All adult and student attendees MUST register ahead of time online at www.computer-mania.info. To sign up or for more information, visit www.computer-mania.info or call 410-455-8433. NOTE TO MEDIA: A hi-resolution, color photo of Cynthia Rowley is available online at: http://www.umbc.edu/NewsEvents/PhotoGal/CynthiaRowley.jpg Posted by crose January 30, 2006 EXECUTIVE EDUCATION COURSES RETURN TO ERICKSON SCHOOL OF AGING STUDIES, FEB. 22-25 “BUSINESS AND STRATEGY OF SENIORS HOUSING & CARE” MARKS START OF ONGOING 2006 SERIES CONTACT: Mike Lurie Office: 410-455-6380 Cellphone: 443-695-0262 mlurie@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – The Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) teams once again with the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry (NIC) to offer a set of Executive Development courses. The series begins at UMBC on Feb. 22-25 with a four-day seminar, “The Business and Strategy of Seniors Housing & Care.” The seminar is the first of seven, four-day Executive Education seminars that the Erickson School at UMBC will host through Nov. 4, 2006. A complete schedule and overview of the full 2006 series is available at the bottom of this advisory. Although the initial seminar, “The Business and Strategy of Seniors Housing & Care,” can be completed as a non-credit course, industry executives also may utilize two new graduate credit options. Executives can take one course for 3 credits, or they may enroll in the 4-course graduate certificate in Seniors Housing & Care. (Those interested in the graduate-certificate option should contact Dr. Leslie Morgan for further information at 443-543-5622.) “The Business and Strategy of Seniors Housing & Care” provides historical, philosophical and management overviews of the entire continuum of long-term care, from independent housing to skilled nursing. The course will analyze the strategy and underpinnings of seniors housing and care, including the drivers of success, real demographics of aging, cost of capital and the evolving marketplace. The course has a major focus on the role of health care delivery within seniors housing. It also explores the current legal, regulatory and public policy environments confronting seniors housing and the challenges they pose for management. “The Business and Strategy of Seniors Housing & Care” will be led by Brian Swinton, retired executive vice president of Sunrise Senior Living. John Erickson, Chairman of the Board and CEO for Erickson Retirement Communities, also will serve as a guest instructor during the course. NIC, a presenting partner with the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC, brings to this seminar and the rest of the 2006 Executive Education series a legacy of expertise in the field of senior living executive development. The series will be held at the Erickson School, known for training emerging industry leaders in the burgeoning seniors housing and care business. “NIC is proud to have created with UMBC the premier, advanced-level program for executives in the industry,” says Tony Mullen, Acting Director of Executive Education and the NIC Research Director. “The courses are truly advanced level material with many examples of best practices in the field taught by recognized industry leaders. The sharing among the different companies that attend is exceptional and a unique benefit in and of itself. There is nothing else like the program in the country today.” About The Erickson School of Aging Studies: The Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC was established in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson. The school focuses on credit and non-credit professional education, research and policy in aging services and care. The Executive Development Program at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC is presented in partnership with NIC, a nonprofit organization that has been the leading source of business and financial information for the senior living industry since 1991. For the last six years, NIC has conducted executive development courses in operations, management, sales, marketing, development, finance and service quality for emerging industry leaders. UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology. For further details, please call the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC at 443-543-5622. More information online at: http://www.umbc.edu/erickson # # # Upcoming NIC Executive Development Courses At the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC Business and Strategy of Seniors Housing and Care Led by Brian Swinton, Retired, Executive Vice President, Sunrise Senior Living February 22-25, 2006 Organizational Excellence and Continuous Quality Improvement Led by Tony Ingelido, Vice President, Asbury Services, Inc. March 22-25, 2006 Management and Operations Led by Chris Hollister, CEO, Southern Assisted Living, Inc. Date: May 17-20, 2006 Risk Management Led by Allen Lynch, Partner, Nixon Peabody, LLP June 7-10, 2006 Sales and Marketing Led by David Smith, President, One on One, Service to Seniors September 18-21, 2006 Finance, Underwriting and Investment Analysis Led by Ray Braun, President, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer, Health Care REIT, Inc. October 24-27, 2006 Development Led by Phil Golden, President and COO, Shelter Properties November 1-4, 2006 Posted by crose December 20, 2005 Merritt Properties Purchases bwtech@UMBC Buildings From Grosvenor Strong Market Demand for UMBC Research Park Buildings CONTACTS: Chip Rose, UMBC 410-455-5793 crose@umbc.edu Leslie Braunstein, Grosvenor 703.871-1831 lbraunstein@schum.com International property development and investment firm Grosvenor announced today the sale of two buildings at bwtech@UMBC, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s on-campus research and technology park, to Baltimore-based Merritt Properties, LLC. Merritt acquired the 63,000 square foot three-story building at 5521 Research Park Drive, delivered in 2001 and fully occupied by RWD Technologies, and the 60,000 SF 5523 Research Park Drive building delivered in mid-2004. 5523 Research Park Drive is leased to multiple tenants including BDMetrics, Inc., Edwards and Kelcey, Invoke Systems, Convergent Technologies, Physicians Practice, Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center, and other organizations including several UMBC program offices. The sale includes transfer of a long-term ground lease for the two building lots, totaling approximately eight acres. However, the sale terminated Grosvenor’s prior development agreement and plan for the remainder of the 41-acre site. “Our successful sale of bwtech@UMBC is part of Grosvenor’s overall U.S. strategy to concentrate our holdings in four major markets -- Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco -- while focusing on urban office and boutique retail product,” said Andrew Galbraith, Senior Vice President, Grosvenor. “In divesting this suburban office park, we found a perfect match with Merritt Properties, which is locally based and has developed more than 13 million square feet of office, flex, and industrial property in the Baltimore-Washington corridor.” "We were pleased to see such high market demand for our buildings," said Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the UMBC Research Park Corporation. "Our team was also delighted to have a top-notch manager like Merritt Properties on board who will maintain the high standards and reputation in the real estate industry that Grosvenor had established so well with bwtech@UMBC." "We look forward to working with UMBC and are excited about the acquisition of these two Class A office buildings which help further strengthen our position in the marketplace,” said Robb Merritt, Vice President of Merritt Properties. Merritt manages several other top properties in the greater Baltimore region, including Columbia Corporate Park, Columbia Corporate Park 100, Beltway Business Park, Schilling Square, Timonium Business Park and Merritt Owings Mills. About bwtech@UMBC: bwtech@UMBC allows tenants to benefit from access to UMBC’s expertise, students, technology, programs, and facilities. Businesses moving to the Research Park, which is part of Maryland’s Southwest Enterprise Zone, may receive tax incentives in exchange for creating new jobs and making capital investments. UMBC began planning for a new research and technology park in the early 1990s, based on the success of similar endeavors in other parts of the U.S. In 1998, UMBC forged ahead with its approved plan for a research and technology park that would house more mature companies, potentially including “graduates” of the techcenter@UMBC incubator program. UMBC searched for a development partner and ultimately selected Grosvenor, based in part on the firm’s experience in developing other research parks including one at The University of Edinburgh in Scotland. About Merritt Properties, LLC: Merritt Properties, LLC defines its mission simply: Creating Homes for Businesses. Since 1967, this privately held commercial real estate firm has developed more than 13 million square feet of industrial and office properties in the Baltimore/Washington area. Merritt designs, builds, leases and manages their properties for the long-term and is committed to providing the highest quality service to all of its customers. For more information about the company, please visit www.merrittproperties.com. About Grosvenor: Grosvenor is a privately owned real estate development and investment company that has been active in North America for more than 50 years. The Company’s North American portfolio consists of more than six million square feet of space, including office, retail, industrial properties, and residential units. Internationally, Grosvenor has interests in properties with a total value of $20 billion, with operating companies in the Americas, UK and Ireland, Continental Europe and the Australia/Asia Pacific region. For more information about the Company, please visit the Grosvenor Web site at: www.grosvenor.com. Posted by crose December 7, 2005 $200,000 Given to Erickson School of Aging Studies Donations to be Used for Student Scholarships Contact Mike Lurie UMBC News 410-455-6380 mlurie@umbc.edu The Erickson School of Aging Studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), has been the happy recipient of $200,000 in donations from two prominent sources in the seniors housing and care industry. The first $100,000 donation was made in honor of William E. Colson, president and CEO of Holiday Retirement Corp., by the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry (NIC). Colson had received NIC’s first Lifetime Achievement Award at the 15th Annual NIC Conference in Washington, D.C. Colson, a recognized industry leader and innovator, recently matched the gift, bringing the total donation to $200,000. The gifts will be used to fund a new scholarship program for students attending the Erickson School of Aging Studies. It will be named The William E. Colson Scholarship Fund. “These major contributions are just two examples of the senior living industry’s recognition of the importance of this new school,” said Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of UMBC. “NIC’s and Mr. Colson’s gifts will help us significantly in our efforts to educate the next generation of leaders, both in the seniors housing and care industry, as well as other services for the aging population.” The first scholarships will likely be awarded in fall 2006, when the School is expected to debut its undergraduate program. The Erickson School of Aging Studies currently offers a series of Executive Education courses in seniors housing and care, ranging from business and operations issues, to marketing and finance. To date, every course has sold out. The next one, “Risk Management of Seniors Housing and Care,” takes place on December 5-7 at the School’s campus, just outside of Baltimore, Md. For more information about the Erickson School of Aging Studies and its educational tracks, visit www.umbc.edu/erickson or call (410) 455-3361. About The Erickson School of Aging Studies The Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC was established in April 2004 with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder of Erickson, a national developer and manager of campuses for middle-income people more than 62 years of age. The school focuses on academic programs, credit and non-credit professional education, research, and policy in aging services and care. The Executive Development Program at the Erickson School of Aging Studies at UMBC is presented in partnership with NIC, a nonprofit organization that has been the leading source of business and financial information for the senior living industry since 1991. For the last six years, NIC has conducted executive development courses in operations, management, sales, marketing, development, finance, and service quality for emerging industry leaders. UMBC, an Honors University in Maryland, is a four-year, public research university that is home to leading experts on aging who are active in research, education, and service in the field of gerontology. It is one of a handful of universities in the nation to offer a Ph.D. in Gerontology. Note to editors: Photographs of William E. Colson receiving the NIC Lifetime Achievement Award are available upon request. Posted by crose December 5, 2005 University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Montgomery College Partner in New Institute for Global and Cultural Studies at Wheaton High School Specialized Program Open to Students in the Downcounty Consortium in Fall 2006 Contacts: Mike Lurie UMBC 410-455-6380 mlurie@umbc.edu Kate Harrison Montgomery County Public Schools 301-279-3077 Kate_Harrison@mcpsmd.org ROCKVILLE, MD -- The new Institute for Global and Cultural Studies (IGCS) at Wheaton High School will offer an opportunity for students to earn up to 15 college credits before graduating from high school, thanks to Montgomery County Public Schools’ partnerships with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and Montgomery College (MC). This addition to the specialized academy programs currently available at Wheaton High School is designed to connect students to college in new and innovative ways. The program is scheduled to open in the fall of 2006. Leaders of the partnership institutions gathered at Wheaton High School on December 5 to announce the new venture, which has been two years in the making. They include Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of UMBC; Dr. Charlene R. Nunley, president of MC; Mrs. Patricia B. O’Neill, president of the Montgomery County Board of Education; and Dr. Jerry D. Weast, superintendent of schools. They were joined by Congressman Chris Van Hollen, who serves on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan. While other academy programs at Wheaton are science and technology oriented, the IGCS will respond to the academic needs of students whose interests include fields such as journalism, international relations, history, and human rights. It is a particularly good fit for the highly diverse student population in the consortium schools, where many of the students will be the first in their family to attend college. “The IGCS is a wonderful opportunity for any student, but particularly for those whose families are new to the college application process and experience,” said Dr. Weast. “This program will open up a whole