UMBC News

UMBC Researchers Use IBM Technology to Fight Rising Threats of Forest Fires

2009-11-19T15:07:52Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Jason Stolarczyk 914-766-4469 jrstolar@us.ibm.com New System will Monitor Wildfire and Smoke Patterns, Offer Real-Time Analysis ARMONK, NY – Nov. 19, 2009 – IBM (NSYE: IBM) today announced researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) are using IBM technology to analyze smoke patterns during wildfires. The goal of the research is to provide fire and public safety officials with a real-time assessment of the fire, allowing them to make more informed decisions on public evacuations and health warnings. Current analysis of smoke patterns is limited to weather forecasting data that is updated every six hours, observations from front-line workers and low resolution satellite imagery. Using a cluster of IBM BladeCenters housed at the UMBC College of Engineering and Information Technology’s Multicore Computational Center (MC2), the team of faculty and student researchers will be able to instantly process the massive amounts of data available from drone aircraft, high-resolution satellite imagery and air-quality sensors to develop more effective models for smoke dissipation. According to the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center, wildfires present a serious and dangerous threat to commercial buildings, private homes and people. In the last year alone, there have been more than 76,000 individual fires, consuming an approximate 5.8 million acres. And according to the agency’s recent Quadrennial Fire Review 2009, the threats are only expected to increase due to drier conditions associated with climate change and increasing population growth. “By combining the resources and expertise of IBM and UMBC, together we not only hope to prevent a threat to lives and property, but also present a smarter, long-term system of fighting wildfire when they do occur,” said Dr. Milton Halem, director, UMBC’s MC2. “We expect this research will be of great interest for many groups – especially in state’s where these types of fires are commonplace.” In addition to the IBM blade servers, researchers also will be using the recently announced IBM InfoSphere Streams, a technology designed to help organizations analyze information from any source; narrow it down what people are specifically looking for; and continuously refine the answer in real-time. Together, the UMBC team will have the first-ever opportunity to capture data from a network of surface, aerial and satellite sensors already established by organizations such as NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and provide more timely: • identification of the location and progression of wildfires and smoke coverage; • model forecast of fire and smoke behavior and plume dispersion for air quality monitoring; • retasking of sensors to create new measurements; • assistance by issuing real-time forecasts in the fire-fighting effort; and • issuance of public safety and health alerts. The research work is in-part funded by IBM’s Shared University Research (SUR) awards program, which is designed to connect the research and researchers at universities with IBM Research, IBM Life Sciences, IBM Global Services and IBM’s development and product labs. The SUR Awards program’s goal is, among other things, increase access to and successful use of IBM technologies for research and in curriculum. “We are pleased to be working with the researchers at UMBC to create a breakthrough Smarter Planet application that will help save lives by predicting the movement of wildfires,” said Bernie Meyerson, vice president of innovation and global university programs, IBM. “UMBC students and faculty will have access to IBM’s latest hybrid computing platforms with incredibly fast predictive analytic capabilities.” The new system will be based on a set of blade servers designed by IBM, including the JS22, HS22 and QS22 models. Together, the computing power of the blades will help process a massive amount of real-time data streams of smoke plume models, helping discern the scope and projection of wildfire lines. The UMBC MC2 research team is currently in the design stages of their monitoring technology, and expects to have a prototype available next year. About the University of Maryland, Baltimore County The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is a mid-sized, public research university located between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. UMBC offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, and its student body includes over 9,900 undergraduates and 2,900 graduate students. UMBC’s leadership in technology, business and industry partnerships and ability to place students in promising careers are just a few of the reasons why students who could attend any college are choosing UMBC. About the UMBC College of Engineering and Information Technology The College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) at UMBC includes over 3400 undergraduate and graduate students in the Departments of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Information Systems and Mechanical Engineering. Departments work collaboratively to exchange ideas with internal and external colleagues, which are housed at various locations on UMBC campus and at bwtech@UMBC, a 71-acre research and technology community. With over $14.6 million in R&E expenditures, COEIT works in partnership with state and federal agencies and industry to promote the transfer of research applications that benefit society. The College distinguishes itself by a continued commitment to cross-disciplinary research and education, and provides outstanding education opportunities for students to contribute to the professional workforce. About IBM For more information about IBM, visit www.ibm.com. # # #

UMBC Engineering Chair and Professor Selected to Participate in NAE's First Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium

2009-11-12T16:59:39Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: B. Rose Huber E-mail: brhuber@umbc.edu BALTIMORE – Julia Ross, professor and chair of chemical and biochemical engineering at UMBC, has been selected to attend the National Academy of Engineer’s (NAE) first Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) symposium. Ross will join 49 of the nation’s brightest engineering researchers and educators who are developing and implementing innovative educational approaches in a variety of disciplines and are in the first half of their careers. Ross was the only participant chosen from a Maryland institution. Throughout the 2-1/2-day event, educators and researchers will share ideas, learn from research and best practices in education and leave with a charter to bring about improvement at their home institution. The participants were chosen from a competitive pool of applicants and were nominated by fellow engineers or deans. Ross’s research focuses around the application of chemical engineering principles to examine how cells bind to one another. Her goal is to identify and understand the mechanisms involved in the process so cells can be manipulated to achieve advances in engineering. When it comes to education, Ross feels the need to recruit more students into engineering fields is urgent. Although employment opportunities for engineering graduates are stable, enrollments have declined. Ross’s goal is to attract more students to the engineering fields by preparing them at the high school level. She is currently working on high school curricula that will make this possible. The FOEE program will give Ross and others a unique venue to share and explore innovations in teaching and learning. NAE President Charles M. Vest hopes that FOEE will become “a major force in identifying, recognizing and promulgating advances and innovations to build a strong intellectual infrastructure and commitment to 21st-century engineering education.” Ross was nominated by Warren DeVries, dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology and a professor of mechanical engineering. The symposium will be held Nov. 15-18 in Herndon, Va.

UMBC Statement Regarding Baltimore County Police Presence on Campus

2009-11-10T01:29:30Z

On Monday, November 9, a UMBC student left an off-campus residence following a domestic discussion. The student’s boyfriend was concerned for her safety and contacted Baltimore County Police, who mobilized in order to locate her and contacted UMBC Police. The student was located on campus and found to be safe. If there are additional updates, the UMBC Community will be notified. If this was a situation that impacted campus safety, we would have used our E2Campus emergency text messaging system. If you have not done so, please sign up today at my.umbc.edu/notifications.

First Voter-Verifiable Election for a Public Office

2009-10-27T17:07:57Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Dr. Alan T. Sherman Email: sherman@umbc.edu TAKOMA PARK, Md. -- For the first time, a government election will allow voters to check that their private votes are correctly recorded and included in the final tally using a new optical-scan voting technology developed by Scantegrity, an open source election verification system. Takoma Park, Md., is running its bi-annual election for mayor and city council using the Scantegrity system. After casting their optically-scanned ballot at the polling place this Tuesday, voters will be able to check “confirmation codes” for their votes on the city’s website. The codes are revealed, for each oval a voter fills on the ballot, by an invisible ink system akin to that used in children’s puzzle books. Voters may, if they wish, note the codes and the ballot serial number while in the booth. Because the codes are separately randomized for each oval and for each ballot, nothing about who a voter has voted for is revealed by the codes on the website. The cost of the system is significantly lower than that of current systems since it is fully open source, the scanning setup uses commercial off-the-shelf scanners, and all printing is done with office printers. The Scantegrity technology to be used was developed by cryptographer David Chaum together with researchers from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, The George Washington University, MIT, the University of Ottawa and the University of Waterloo. The group has run a number of elections for universities and other organizations and also successfully demonstrated Scantegrity last April during a public mock election administered by Takoma Park’s Board of Elections. Student members of the project won first prize in the National Science Foundation sponsored University Student Voting Competition in 2007, and the Scantegrity system has evolved from there. A broader research community has grown around proposals for such “voter-verifiable” election systems. The number of academic conferences on the subject has seen an increase from one every two years during the early part of the decade to two every year for the last few years and the National Institute of Standards also held a related workshop in October. Before the election, encrypted items of data were posted on the election website. Some will not be decrypted, but the individual keys needed to decrypt others will be posted after the close of polls. Which keys will be revealed depends not only on the results and confirmation codes, but also on impossible-to-predict statistics of a set of high-tech stocks. This lets anyone verify a full public audit ensuring that the official election results are consistent with the confirmation codes published on the website. “Something I find particularly exciting about the technology,” says David Chaum, “is that it is robust enough to be used anywhere in the world -- scanners at polling places can speed posting of results, but with centralized scanning polling places need only pens, ballots and ballot boxes.” “We learned a lot from working with the Board of Elections of Takoma Park, who generously shared with us the wisdom obtained from running real elections,” says Prof. Poorvi L. Vora of The George Washington University, “it’s one thing to develop an academic voting system, it’s quite another to have one that can be used in a real election.” “This represents a significant step in the evolution of election systems,” says Prof. Ron Rivest of MIT, “and though we’ve worked hard within the constraints of this volunteer project, it is a first step for a whole range of promising new types of such systems.”

Eyes of Mantis Shrimp Shed Light on DVD/CD Players, According to Research Performed at UMBC

2009-10-27T16:23:05Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: B. Rose Huber Telephone: 410-455-8117 Email: brhuber@umbc.edu Baltimore – The eyes of mantis shrimp may improve the next generations of DVD and CD players, according to new research conducted at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and published in the November issue of Nature Photonics. Lead researcher Nicholas Roberts from the University of Bristol and colleagues from UMBC found that eyes of mantis shrimp, marine crustaceans, contain an optical structure that works almost perfectly across the whole visible spectrum. “Our work reveals, for the first time, the unique design and mechanism of the quarter-wave plate in the mantis shrimp’s eye,” Roberts said. “It is really exceptional and outperforms anything humans have been able to create.” Mantis shrimp have the ability to not only distinguish between different forms of polarized light but also convert linearly polarized light to circular and vice versa. Their visual systems have special light-sensitive cells that act as quarter-wave retarders. While man-made plates also perform this function, they only work well for one color of light. Roberts spent a month working at UMBC last summer in collaboration with Thomas Cronin, professor of biological sciences, and alumnus Tsyr-Huei Chiou, Ph.D. ‘08. The research also involved Justin Marshall of the University of Queensland, Australia. With the high-speed computer systems in Cronin’s laboratory at UMBC, what would have taken Roberts five days only took him 30 minutes. This allowed the researchers to change the parameters more easily and speed up the analysis by a factor of 100 or more. Cronin focused on the biological elements of the project while Roberts utilized a mathematical approach and his knowledge of optics. “Biological inspiration has been put to use for many optical devices,” said Cronin. “The optics we discovered in the mantis shrimp eye outperforms any artificial optical device and can serve as a model for building better optics for use in devices such as DVD players, optical displays and other photonic applications.” The unique design and structure of the eyes of mantis shrimp means that it performs well at all visible wavelengths, ranging from blue to red – a task that has eluded man-made designs. The researchers hope that optical designers will now be able to copy the design to create man-made wave plates with much better performance than currently available.

UMBC Forum Addresses Immigrant Youth Education Challenges

2009-10-19T16:16:38Z

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.]]>

UMBC Announces 2009 Alumni of the Year and Distinguished Service Award Winners

2009-10-16T18:48:32Z

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.

UMBC Presents DEVIATED THEATRE's LORE--A MYSTERY AWAITS

2009-10-16T16:51:51Z

Friday, October 23, 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 24, 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 25, 6 p.m.
UMBC Fine Arts Studio 317

Contact: B. Rose Huber
410-455-8117
brhuber@umbc.edu
or
Tom Moore
410-455-3370
tmoore@umbc.edu

Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file.

UMBC presents LORE--A MYSTERY AWAITS, created and performed by DEVIATED THEATRE, on October 23rd, 24th, and 25th in Fine Arts Studio 317.

DEVIATED THEATRE, comprised of over twenty actors and dancers, is a vehicle for the creation of new works by Co-Directors Enoch Chan and Kimmie Dobbs Chan. The Chans' original productions can be described as 'operas of movement,' in which scenes range from pure physical acting to those of powerful dance choreography, and everywhere in-between. Full musical scores carry the audience from moment to moment, and a minimalist stage allows for stark imagery to resonate: a beloved white umbrella, a 40 foot swath of red fabric, a glowing crystal amulet, a magical mirror more than 14 feet high. The productions are characteristically fantastical in nature, and the Chans' initial production was described by Ruth Reader in the Baltimore City Paper as "reminiscent of one of Edward Gorey's children's books."

LORE--A MYSTERY AWAITS, an evening length work which can be described as 'Grimms'-fairytale-meets-Dr.-Seuss,' takes place in a quirky old-world town during 'the age of the amulets,' complete with a court and a peasantry. The heir to the throne steps into the market place, finds a lost skeleton key, and a mystery ensues. The inscrutable queen, an overlooked jester, and the beloved apothecary of the town all wield dark secrets, and the shuffling homeless woman can be spotted aimlessly searching for something...or someone. The troubles of this town are compounded as the court and peasantry fight viciously, as an impending plague sweeps the land, and as people begin to eerily disappear...one by one. What becomes of a town where so much has gone wrong? Can things ever go back to the way they were? This production's contemporary dances, numbering up to twelve dancers at a time, meld with comedic and dramatic physical acting to produce an epic that sweeps from scene to scene.

Presented by the InterArts Series with the Department of Dance.

Admission
General admission: $20.00. Students and seniors: $15.00.
Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or by calling MissionTix at 410-752-8950.
Tickets will also be available at the door (cash or check only) immediately prior to the concert.

General Public Information
UMBC Arts Website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts

Directions
-- From I-95 take exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
-- From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
-- Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/

Images for Media
High resolution images for media are available online:
http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/
or by email or postal mail.

UMBC Presents in Concert the ClancyWorks Dance Company with Lacy & Shade

2009-10-08T19:31:44Z

October 16 and 17, 2009
8 p.m.
UMBC Fine Arts Studio 317

Contact: B. Rose Huber
410-455-8117
brhuber@umbc.edu
or
Tom Moore
410-455-3370
tmoore@umbc.edu

Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file.

UMBC presents the acclaimed ClancyWorks Dance Company in concert with artists Sandra Lacy and Mary Williford-Shade (Lacy & Shade), on October 16 and 17, 2009 at 8 p.m. in UMBC Fine Arts Building Studio 317.

The ClancyWorks Dance Company is a collective of performing artists directed by Adrienne Clancy. The group has more than 17 years experience in dance and choreographic experience and have held major choreographic, performance and administrative positions in numerous recognized companies, festivals and universities. Clancy's company approach is partnering work that is simultaneously dynamic and sensitive. Now in their eighth season as a Maryland-based dance company, ClancyWorks is the Company in Residence for the D.A.R.E. Dance Program in Baltimore and conducts arts education programs with the Maryland State Arts Council, the Baltimore Public School System, the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and Fairfax County Public School System.

Sandra Lacy is an instructor of dance at UMBC and holds a degree in psychology and title of associate from the Royal Academy of Dancing in London. She has performed with numerous companies including the Maryland Ballet, Impetus, Path Dance and Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane and Company, and has commission works by choreographers such as Irene Hultman, Lisa Race and Mark Taylor.

Mary Williford-Shade is a professor at Texas Woman's University where she teaches bodywork, modern technique, repertory, pedagogy and artistic process. She holds an MFA from The Ohio State University and a certificate as a Laban movement analyst. An nationally and international recognized master teacher, she has teaching credits that include The Klutz Pedagogic Tanz Schule, Mukagowa University, the University of Quebec, Connecticut College, George Washington University and others. Described as "extraordinary" by The New York Times, she was a principal dancer with Mark Taylor, Mark Dendy, Pittsburgh Dance Alloy and Maryland Dance Theater, and is the recipient of numerous awards.

On the program:

-- An ensemble performance by ClancyWorks: On Taking Steps to Climbing Mountains (2007, pictured above) is a recent work that demonstrates Adrienne Clancy's passion for inventive partnering and her capacity to work creatively with unusual spatial and topographical features. The work is composed for 5 dancers working with 5 ladders of graduated sizes. Interdependence versus relational dependency clearly emerges as a theme. As ladders partner the dancers and provide support for horizontal, elevated, and off-balance movement, On Taking Steps to Climbing Mountains's metaphorical content comments on the process and abilities of individuals to shift the center of their own challenges, be they personal relationships, institutional partnerships or ideological obstacles. Placed sky-ward or repositioned on their sides, the ladders create windows, doors, and pathways through which the dancers navigate alternative ways of seeing, relating to, knowing and creating a world.

-- An ensemble performance by ClancyWorks: Light Armor (2004) is a journey that plays with the powers of light in order to find the balance between the potential self and the actualized self. Inspired by the scrutiny of chaos theories and an investigation into illusion and perception, this piece calls upon us to gird oneself with a shower of light, and asks us to question the truth of what we allow people to see and how we protect ourselves from seeing our own truths. Light Armor transforms the theater into a world that hails references to a mythic past yet at the same time propels the audience into sci-fi dance theatre.

-- The presentation of a new duet choreographed and danced by Adrienne Clancy and Sandra Lacy.

-- The second installment of a work in progress by Lorraine Chapman and Sandra Lacy. Boston choreographer Lorraine Chapman was a member of the Eliot Feld Ballet and was hailed in 2008 as one of Dance Magazine's 25 Choreographers to Watch. Danced to Elvis and Tom Waits, the piece investigates the surreal world of the performer.

-- Mary Williford-Shade and Sandra Lacy will dance I, The Girl with the Red Hands, a duet choreographed by Melissa Briggs that was inspired by two characters in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.

-- Drawing from the personal experiences of American performer Mary Williford-Shade and Hong Kong choreographer Sau Mui Cheung comes a solo that is both tense and mesmerizing. Eternity is a series of imagistic explorations with an oversized costume where the performer illustrates the "comings and goings" of her life as a performer. Beginning as a moving sculpture the performer enacts the concepts of manipulation, transformation and voyeurism that occurs when performing for an audience and in the end, a terse realization of time passing.

Presented by the InterArts Series with the Department of Dance.

Admission
General admission: $20.00. Students and seniors: $10.00.
Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or by calling MissionTix at 410-752-8950.
Tickets will also be available at the door (cash or check only) immediately prior to the concert.

General Public Information
UMBC Arts Website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts

Directions
-- From I-95 take exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
-- From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
-- Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/

Images for Media
High resolution images for media are available online:
http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/
or by email or postal mail.

UMBC Department of Theatre Presents Kiss Kiss: An Evening of Magical Realism

2009-10-06T14:32:43Z

The Frog Prince by David Mamet and The Winged Man by José Rivera

Directed by Eve Muson

October 21 - 25, 2009
UMBC Theatre

Contact: Thomas Moore
Director of Arts & Culture
410-455-3370
tmoore@umbc.edu

You may view or download this release as a pdf file.

The Department of Theatre presents Kiss Kiss: An Evening of Magical Realism, featuring two short plays--The Frog Prince by David Mamet and The Winged Man by José Rivera--directed by Eve Muson. The production features scenery and costume design by Elena Zlotescu, and lighting and sound design by Enoch Chan.

These two visually arresting and poetic plays ruminate on the nature of beauty, faith and fidelity, asking what it means to hold onto one's beliefs, and what it takes to let them go. In The Frog Prince, David Mamet spins a comic tale of an arrogant prince serving time as an amphibian. In Academy Award nominee José Rivera's The Winged Man, the only thing we know for certain is that Daysi is pregant. Was the baby conceived with the mystical "Winged Man," as she insists?

About the Director, Eve Muson
Eve Muson is an assistant professor of theatre at UMBC, where she teaches acting, directing and other performance courses. She is a professional stage director and theatre educator, and her particular research interests include collaborative playmaking, the development and production of new works, the adaptation of mythological and archetypal stories in contemporary settings, and theatre for young audiences. She most recently held the position of director of the Olney Theatre Institute, the educational and community outreach arm of Olney Theatre Center. From 1991 to 2007, she was an assistant professor at Boston University's School of Theatre. She has directed new plays at Boston Playwrights Theatre, dozens of original plays for young audiences at American Stage Festival (New Hampshire), and Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Craig Lucas's Blue Window). She was twice cited for Outstanding Direction by the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival. She holds a BFA in production and an MFA in direction from Boston University.

Performances
Wednesday, October 21st, 8 pm (preview)
Thursday, October 22nd, 4 pm (free performance for the UMBC campus community)
Friday, October 23rd, 8 pm (opening night)
Saturday, October 24th, 8 pm
Sunday, October 25th, 4 pm

Admission
$10 general admission; $5 students and seniors; $3 for the preview.
The performance on Thursday, October 22nd is free for the UMBC campus community.
Information and reservations: 410-455-2476 or http://www.umbc.edu/theatre/res_kisskiss.html

Public Information
UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts

Media Resources
Online News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/news
High resolution images: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/

Directions
-- From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Theatre.
-- From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Theatre.
-- From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Theatre.
-- Visitor parking is available in the Commons Garage. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked.
Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/

UMBC Presents Contemporary Music Concert Featuring Six American Premieres

2009-10-06T13:56:54Z

"3x3" Features Works by Three American Composers, Including Linda Dusman of UMBC, and Three Composers Based in Greece

Sunday, October 18, 2009
8 p.m.
UMBC Fine Arts Recital Hall

Contact: Thomas Moore
Director of Arts & Culture
410-455-3370
tmoore@umbc.edu

Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file.

The UMBC Department of Music Presents 3x3, a concert featuring American premieres of compositions by Linda Dusman (professor of music at UMBC), William Kleinsasser (Towson University), Matthew Burtner (University of Virginia), and Sofia Kamayianni, Tim Ward and Theodora Panagopolous (the last three all based in Greece). On October 2nd, all six compositions received their world premieres in Greece; the concert at UMBC on October 18th marks the American premiere, with all six composers in attendance for both events.

In 2009, Matthew Burtner ventured onto a lava flow on the erupting Pacaya Volcano in Guatemela. Armed with recording equipment, he sought to capture sound he later described as "a pane of glass shattering in slow motion." The searing heat--2000 degrees at the source--melted some of his expensive recording equipment.

William Kleinsasser utilized a sonic exploration of West Baltimore, recordings that capture sometimes troubled streets, sirens wailing, people shouting and traffic. Linda Dusman recorded the sounds of an artist at work, using contact microphones to literally grab the sound of pen scratches from inside the paper.

Armed with their source material of ambient sound, the composers returned home to write new pieces, interweaving the "soundscape" material with composed parts for live performers--clarinet, flute and percussion.

Greek composers Sofia Kamayianni, Theodora Panagopolous and Tim Ward (British by birth and based in Greece) are members of Spiza, an artistic society founded in 2003 that includes musicians, choreographers, dancers, actors and directors. It was under the auspices of Spiza that the six works received their world premieres in Athens.

The featured works include:
Matthew Burtner: A'aa (excerpt pictured above)
Linda Dusman: Skra
William Kleinsasser: Adagio (amore)
Sofia Kamayianni: Clepsydra Mm
Theodora Panagopolous: 3x3x3
Tim Ward: Cambos

All six works will be performed by members of Ruckus, UMBC's professional new music ensemble.

Admission
$7 general admission, $3 seniors, free for students, free with a UMBC ID. Ticket are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or 410-752-8950. Tickets will also be available at the door (cash or check only).

General Public Information
UMBC Arts Website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts

Directions
-- From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
-- From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
-- From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
-- Daytime metered visitor parking is available in Lot 10, near the Administration Building. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked.
-- Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/

Images for Media
High resolution images for media are available online:
http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/

Tracking Global Sources of Local Pollution

2009-10-01T16:40:58Z

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.

Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture presents Mixed Signals: Artists Consider Masculinity in Sports

2009-09-27T20:59:21Z

October 8 – December 12, 2009

Contact: Thomas Moore
Director of Arts & Culture
410-455-3370
tmoore@umbc.edu

Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file.

UMBC's Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture (CADVC) presents Mixed Signals: Artists Consider Masculinity in Sports, opening on October 8th and closing on December 12th, 2009. Mixed Signals is curated by Christopher Bedford of the Wexner Center for the Visual Arts in Columbus, Ohio, and features works by Matthew Barney, Mark Bradford, Marcelino Gonçalves, Lyle Ashton Harris, Brian Jungen, Kurt Kauper, Shaun El C. Leonardo, Kori Newkirk, Catherine Opie, Paul Pfeiffer, Marco Rios, Collier Schorr, Joe Sola, Sam Taylor-Wood and Hank Willis Thomas.

Mixed Signals explores and investigates the subject of the male athlete in contemporary art. This particular artistic theme has become increasingly prevalent during the past several years, building upon several decades of discourse about identity and gender. Mixed Signals demonstrates that today's male athlete is a far more ambiguous, polyvalent figure in our collective cultural imagination than ever before. Using elements of wit, sarcasm, and controversy, the artists challenge cultural assumptions that gender is natural or innate. Instead, they emphasize the many ways masculinity is performed, coded, and socially constructed, especially in the spectacular, media-saturated field of sports.

Despite all that has changed as a result of the identity politics of the 1970s, '80s, and '90s, one American stereotype still remains particularly entrenched: that of the aggressive, hyper-competitive, emotionally undemonstrative, heterosexual male athlete. This subject has, until recently, been overlooked by critically minded artists, critics, art historians, and curators. Adopting methodologies inspired by feminist and queer theory, gender studies, and racial politics, Mixed Signals brings together a significant body of recent work that explores the polyvalent figure of the contemporary male athlete, one that has only recently attained sufficient critical mass for such an exhibition to take place.

The foundational figure for this exhibition is American multi-media artist, Matthew Barney, who has mined a range of materials--Vaseline, dumbbells, chalk, and wrestling mats, for example--and imagery--much of it related to football--to foreground the way young men are socio-culturally and psychosexually formed by the intimate experience of competitive sport. Barney isolates themes, imagery, and materials within the culture of sport that hint at related economies of sexuality, objectification, homosociality, and desire, and developed an aesthetic practice to grapple with these difficult themes. Accordingly, Mixed Signals will present screenings of an early film (CREMASTER 4, 1994) and a later film (Drawing Restraint 10, 2005) by Barney, which in combination emphasize the persistence of this theme within the artist's oeuvre.

Rituals of male bonding in sports are explored in Mixed Signals. These "homosocial behaviors" (non-sexual expressions of affection and desire, sometimes accompanied by violence) within male-dominated social networks appear in a number of works on view. Here, Shaun El C. Leonardo's performance-based sculpture and video work is a salient point of reference, as are Marcelino Gonçalves's sensual paintings of young football stars, and Joe Sola's video work of football players sparring with the artist.

Another key theme of this exhibition pertains to the materials, symbols and regalia of sports that signify the prowess of the wearer, and are often construed as synonymous with the identity of the male athlete. Brian Jungen's mixed media works, for example, rework sports merchandise into suggestive works that address the artist's individual identity, while Hank Willis Thomas's haunting image of a head that has been branded with the Nike swoosh logo, using Photoshop, equates athletes with commercialized products, while simultaneously referencing the practice of branding African-American slaves. The concept of athletic events as gendered theatre arises in the works of Paul Pfeiffer, Mark Bradford, and in the work of Catherine Opie, whose vivid color photographs of Friday night high school football heightens the dramatized atmosphere. In her individual portraits of the players, she "manages to capture the tentatively constituted self-image of her teenage subjects….[They] hesitate about themselves, aware of the archetypes they aspire to," in the words of Christopher Bedford.

Mixed Signals: Artists Consider Masculinity in Sports is a traveling exhibition organized and circulated by iCI (Independent Curators International), New York. The exhibition and tour are made possible, in part, by The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the iCI Advocates, the iCI Partners, Agnes Gund, Gerrit and Sydie Lansing, and Barbara and John Robinson. Mixed Signals is an expanded version of Contemporary Projects 11: Hard Targets---Masculinity and American Sports, an exhibition curated by Bedford, which was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

About the Curator
Christopher Bedford is a curator at the Wexner Center for the Visual Arts. Formerly assistant curator in the department of contemporary art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, he is now conducting a survey of Silvia Kolbowski's work. Bedford is on the editorial board of the Los Angeles-based journal X-TRA, and is editing a volume of essays for Duke University Press. He has written extensively on art for publications including Artforum, Art in America, and October.

About the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture (CADVC)
The Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture is dedicated to the study of contemporary art and visual culture, critical theory, art and cultural history, and the relationship between society and the arts. The CADVC serves as a forum for students, faculty, and the general public for the discussion of important aesthetic and social issues of the day. Disciplines represented include painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, digital art, video, film, television, design, architecture, advertising, and installation and performance art.

Since 1989, the CADVC has incorporated a number of public programs into its exhibition programming schedule to further impact the communities it serves. Symposia, lecture series, conferences, film series, visiting artist series, and residencies have all been fundamental in an effort to create an ongoing dialogue about contemporary art and culture. The Center has also initiated a number of projects with Baltimore and surrounding schools to integrate the contemporary artist and their concerns into the classroom. These projects take place on-site at both middle schools and high schools and are team taught by the instructors at these schools, professional artists, and students from the CADVC's Internship Program.

The Center produces one to two exhibition catalogues each year. Each document is fully illustrated and contains critical essays on the given subject by a variety of distinguished professionals in the field. Recent publications include Postmodernism: A Virtual Discussion and Paul Rand: Modernist Design. These books and catalogues are published and are distributed internationally through Distributed Art Publishers.

Since 1992, the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture has actively pursued the organization of exhibitions that contain the aesthetic, theoretical, and educational potential to reach both a national and international audience. Over the years, the CADVC has traveled these exhibition projects to a broad spectrum of museums, professional non-profit galleries, and universities national and internationally. Recent traveling exhibitions include:

- White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art (2003)
- Fred Wilson: Objects and Installations (2001)
- Adrian Piper: A Retrospective (1999)
- Bruno Monguzzi: A Designer’s Perspective (1998)
- Minimal Politics (1997)
- Kate Millett, Sculpture: The First 38 Years (1997)

Beyond the scope of these traveling exhibitions, the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture also undertakes projects such as the Joseph Beuys Tree Partnership. As part of the educational mission of the CADVC, one graduate thesis exhibition and one undergraduate senior exhibition are presented each year.

This multi-faceted focus for presenting exhibitions, projects and scholarly research publications focused on contemporary art and cultural issues positions the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture in a unique position within the mid-Atlantic region.

Hours and Admission
Tuesday through Saturday — 10 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Admission is free.

Telephone
UMBC Artsline (24 hour recorded message): 410-455-ARTS
Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture: 410-455-3188

Web
UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts
Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture: http://www.umbc.edu/cadvc

Directions
- From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
- From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
- From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
- Daytime metered visitor parking is available in the Administration Drive Garage.
- Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/

Images for Media
High resolution images for media are available online:
http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/
or by email or postal mail.

Smog Blog Launches Panama Spin-Off on 6th Anniversary

2009-09-23T14:28:08Z

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.

ACTiVATE® Graduate Wins Business Plan Competition

2009-09-17T17:19:03Z

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.