March 21, 2002
Open Forum on the Arts and Humanities at UMBC
Members of the Task Force on the Arts and the Center for the Humanities will sponsor an Open Forum on the Arts and Humanities at UMBC at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 1 in the U.C. Ballroom. The event will be attended by President Freeman Hrabowski, Provost Arthur Johnson and Dean of Arts and Sciences Rickey Welch, as well as students, staff and faculty from across campus.
Members of the Task Force on the Arts and the Center for the Humanities will sponsor an Open Forum on the Arts and Humanities at UMBC at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 1 in the U.C. Ballroom. The event will be attended by President Freeman Hrabowski, Provost Arthur Johnson and Dean of Arts and Sciences Rickey Welch, as well as students, staff and faculty from across campus. The event is an opportunity to share your views, concerns, praise and dreams for the Arts and Humanities at UMBC. Task Force members will take all arts-related issues back to their table and factor them into the group's final report for President Hrabowski. The Center for the Humanities will take humanities-related concerns into committee discussions. A mechanism for providing input beyond the one-hour session will be announced. The event will be moderated by Kathy O'Dell and Tom Field. O'Dell is chair of the Task Force on the Arts, associate dean of arts & sciences and associate professor of visual arts. Field is director of the Center for the Humanities and professor of modern languages & linguistics. The Task Force on the Arts is a shared-governance committee including student, faculty and staff representation, convened in January 2002 by Dean Welch at the request of President Hrabowski. The charge to the group is to "develop long- and short-term strategies for substantially heightening the awareness and appreciation of the Arts at UMBC and their role in the University's life."
March 7, 2002
UMBC Graduate School Rise, Retention Boost Enrollment
Driven by increasing numbers of graduate students and improved undergraduate retention, enrollment this semester has increased significantly from spring 2001. The total headcount has increased by 498 students, a 4.9 percent increase.
Driven by increasing numbers of graduate students and improved undergraduate retention, enrollment this semester has increased significantly from spring 2001. The total headcount has increased by 498 students, a 4.9 percent increase. The increase in graduate school applications is part of a larger trend nationwide. On March 6, the Baltimore Sun reported that more graduates and workers are applying to graduate school in order to gain IT skills and compete in a difficult job market. UMBC is also benefiting from more undergraduates attending UMBC full time. "We're seeing the impact of having enrolled increasing numbers of full-time students and the increased size of the freshman class over the past four years," explains Tom Taylor, assistant provost for enrollment. "Larger numbers of students are attending full time and more students are here for four years. As a result, our overall enrollment has continued to grow." Prospects for fall enrollment also look strong. Graduate School numbers are impressive, with 1366 applications have been received for fall 2002, 30 percent more than this time last year. Graduate School Dean Scott Bass, who was interviewed for the Sun article, says that in addition to the increasing number of applications overall, "so far 361 people have applied to UMBC's computer science master's program and 110 to the doctorate program, compared to 260 and 74 in spring 2001." As for undergraduate enrollment, in-state applications are up significantly (by 615 students for a 10 percent increase). Overall, 135 more students have been admitted thus far this year than last (a 5.4 percent increase). Aiming for another freshman class of about 1400, the Admissions Office expects one of the strongest classes ever. "There's no doubt we're going to have an incredible class this fall," says Yvette Mozie-Ross, director of admissions. "We're seeing an increase in applications and at the same time an increase in the quality of applicants." Mozie-Ross adds, "The increase speaks to our visibility, being recognized regionally and nationally. We've been working hard to get on the radar screens beyond Maryland and are reaping the benefits. But we've also been successful in making UMBC the choice institution for prospective in-state students." In addition to receiving applications from prospective out-of-state students in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, there is an increase in applications from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Ohio. Sometimes the best referrals come from the campus community, Mozie-Ross says. "Often our faculty and staff connect us with some of the brightest kids; in fact, sometimes even their own children or other family." Throughout the spring and summer, the Admissions staff will begin to welcome accepted students to UMBC and help them prepare for their undergraduate career. "It's important that students and their families immediately feel a connection to UMBC," says Mozie-Ross. Fall 2002 freshmen will also be on campus for open houses and other receptions, placement testing and course selection day. The entire community will have a chance to welcome the incoming class at the New Student Celebration on April 20. Read the April issue of Insights for more information about how you can play an important role in this event.
March 7, 2002
Campus Community Settles Into The Commons
Now that The Commons is open for business, the campus community has had a chance to explore the $35 million building. Insights caught up on the latest developments and got some feedback from folks eating, working and just hanging out in the building.
Now that The Commons is open for business, the campus community has had a chance to explore the $35 million building. Insights caught up on the latest developments and got some feedback from folks eating, working and just hanging out in the building. As more dining and shopping has opened, The Commons has seen a steady increase in visitors. A complete opening of the new food court restaurants has brought more diners to the building each day. The full-service Chevy Chase bank is open and pleased to be serving UMBC (phone: 410-869-3418). Many faculty and staff got to know The Commons better last month as they mingled in the Fireside Lounge for coffee and pastries provided by the Office of Institutional Advancement. The Skylight Room restaurant also opened last month, offering buffet and take-out dining, with a variety of foods and menu options for breakfast and lunch. The Skylight Room is open from 8 a.m to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Two campus shops have moved from the old UC to The Commons. The UMBC Bookstore reopened March 4 in its expanded, two-story space. The convenience store, formerly known as the Yum Shoppe, is now the OTC (Over the Counter) Store and can be found on the ground floor next to the Bookstore.  | | Senior IFSM major Kebba Ceesay does homework in his "new hangout spot" in The Commons. |
Students seem to be settling into making The Commons part of their daily routine. Kabba Ceesay, a senior information systems major, can be found most days in the same chair on the second floor of The Commons. "This is my new hangout spot," Ceesay says. "You can probably find me here anytime between classes. I like the view." Ceesay says, typing up some homework on his laptop and gazing out at the window towards the library. Ceesay's suggestion box item, not surprisingly, involved computing. "I probably wish they had the Ethernet connections set up, but I guess I'll have to stick to wireless." According to Commons Director Joe Regier, wireless computers are now available for checkout from the main information desk. Regier says that plans to have high-speed computer ports available to the public ran into information security problems that triggered the decision to maintain a wireless system wherein users' identities are known and "user rights" are more controllable. "The solution for maintaining a controlled computing environment quickly became the priority given the amount of "hacking" from on and off-campus." says Regier. UMBC staff members are also using The Commons in greater numbers. Insights spoke with a group of counselors from the nearby Undergraduate Admissions Office as they enjoyed a lunch on the second floor. "We've been here every day since it opened," says Dana Matassino. "There's lots more room than the old UC," adds Nadine Paulwell. "We can appreciate the shorter walk," Naomi Sweigard says. "I like that it's much brighter and open than the old building."  | | UMBC staff members enjoy lunch at The Commons (left to right, Dana Matassino, Nadine Paulwell, and Naomi Sweigard.) |
Entertainment venues like the expanded Gameroom, Games on Main, and the Cabaret are also drawing more of the campus community. The Cabaret is open and regularly hosting entertainment for students including open mike nights, local bands, and karaoke. UMBC employees who work in The Commons, like Lee Hawthorne, assistant director of student life for major events and programs, have a lot of praise for their new home. "I love walking through the building and seeing students socializing and studying in all corners of the building," Hawthorne says. "It's also nice to see faculty and staff enjoying the space. There is a place here for everyone. The great windows provide lots of natural light and the overall feel is that of positive energy."  | | As more food court restaurants have opened, many more students are dining at The Commons. |
With recently improving weather, The Commons appeal is expanding outdoors. According to Regier, The Commons' outside south-facing plaza is almost complete. Seeding of new grass on the terrace tiers and the recent installation of canopied tables should provide an inviting atmosphere. As with any undertaking at such a large scale, The Commons has had some bumps in the road the first few weeks. The Office of Student Life has been holding regular "speak out" forums for students to voice their concerns and suggestions. At a March 4 forum, junior English major Meghan Bowen wanted to know how and where in The Commons commuter students like herself could access microwave ovens to reheat food from home. At this time, common microwaves have not been installed due to health and maintenance related issues. Matt Jarjoura, a junior Graphic Design major, expressed his concern over Wood Dining Service's perceived monopoly over food choices on campus. This is a misconception. UMBC initially discussed leasing space in The Commons to outside food retailers during the initial planning of the building, according to Leland Beitel, associate vice president for administration and finance. However, national and local retail food vendors could not commit due to UMBC's relatively low number of cash transactions and the fact that for about a third of the year there are fewer customers on campus due to winter and summer breaks.  | | Workers put finishing touches on The Commons patio tile. |
After a national solicitation for food service providers, UMBC awarded a contract to Wood Dining Services to maintain a comprehensive range of food options -- including cash, catering, resident student dining and athletic event concessions -- to support the university throughout the entire year. Oscar Berninger, director of university food service, pointed out that the committee that selected Wood Dining Services included students as well as other representatives of the campus community and did extensive research including visits to other university campuses to get direct feedback on diner preferences. Some students asked how they could register complaints and suggestions. "I wish there was a clear line of communication with Wood Food Services management for students to address grievances," says sophomore Ed Kapuscinski. Berninger and others express their interest in hearing feedback--both in open forums and one-to-one. "Our main goal is to serve the UMBC community and make their experience here as positive as possible," says Berninger.Those looking to share their feedback can email Beitel at beitel@umbc.edu or Berninger at oscarb@umbc.edu. The Wood Company can be contacted at woodco@umbc.edu. Phone calls are welcome to the Wood General Manager at x51201, or the Office of Food Service and Campus Card Administration (OFSCCA) at x52188. Comment boards are also available in resident dining halls and the Resident Student Association has a food committee representative who welcomes feedback.
March 6, 2002
UMBC Women's Studies Celebrates its 20th Anniversary at UMBC
UMBC's latest milestone is the 20th anniversary of UMBC's Women's Studies Program. During March 2002--also Women's History Month--the program has much to celebrate as it marks its anniversary.
UMBC's latest milestone is the 20th anniversary of UMBC's Women's Studies Program. During March 2002--also Women's History Month--the program has much to celebrate as it marks its anniversary. It is now supported by two full-time faculty members and an engaged community of 26 affiliated faculty and staff who teach in the program and/or serve on the coordinating committee.  "This diverse group of active scholars/teachers and campus leaders sustains a rich model of a multi-disciplinary learning community, in which students can become active participants," says Carole McCann, director of the Women's Studies Program and associate professor of American studies. McCann assumed leadership of women's studies in 1998, when founding director Joan Korenman became director of the Center for Women & Information Technology.
Women's studies now offers a growing and diverse list of courses as well as a minor and an undergraduate certificate. A post-baccalaureate certificate is in the works. "When I came to UMBC in 1969 women's studies was just beginning to have an effect on academia," remembers Korenman. "When I went to school, no one thought about women's contributions to history, psychology, literature, etc. If we read women writers, the focus was on their particularities. I remember a discussion about how Emily Dickinson was a recluse but very little about her poetry."  "But when I started teaching at UMBC, women's works were being rediscovered," Korenman adds. "Questions were being asked that hadn't been asked before. People began to rethink women's place in literature, culture, history. It was exciting. Suddenly there were so many compelling questions that should be asked. I wanted to be a part of this extraordinary experience. You ask different questions and the whole nature of your field changes. It transformed the curriculum."
Korenman was part of a team that taught an interdisciplinary course on women. "I wanted students to ask the questions I never asked and learn about women's perspectives and achievements as I never had. As more of us began to offer courses, we needed to have some way for students to study this body of material and we wanted the university to recognize the place of women's studies. We were hardly innovative by this point -- other schools had programs, but we were a new school, we didn't have a lot of tenured women faculty who could lend their weight and influence to this new field, there were budget issues." Korenman remembers an open senate hearing where an administrator asked, "Well, if we have women's studies, shouldn't we have men's studies?" She laughs and says, "He said this in a mocking tone, and thought he'd gotten me. So I pointed out that men's studies was what the university curriculum was at the present time! Of course, men's studies is now very different -- it looks at gender and masculinity as something that's constructed, but nobody meant that in 1982. But there were people who supported us and were happy for the program." McCann says that two departments that have played a seminal role in the program's development are English and American studies. The English department supported Korenman as director, even though it meant she would not be able to teach as many English courses. The women's studies office was donated by American studies, the department that hired McCann to teach gender politics courses, cross-listed with women's studies. "The program's strength has a lot to do with the generous support we received from American studies," McCann says. In addition, other departments across the campus offered cross-listed courses. Angela Moorjani (modern languages and linguistics), Daphne Harrison (Africana studies), Carolyn Koehler (ancient studies), Leslie Morgan (sociology) and Marilyn Goldberg (ancient studies) were among the first to offer courses and/or serve on the coordinating committee. Affiliate faculty and committee members worked together make sure a diverse group of women's experiences were addressed in the program. One of the three required women's studies courses is Black Women: Cross-cultural Experiences, and classes also include work by a variety of women and racial, ethnic, class and sexual orientations. Goldberg, who teaches Women and Gender in the Classical World, says that issues related to women and gay/lesbian/bisexual studies became more prominent on campus "as a result of the years of work by faculty and students who came together to make the Women's Studies Program." The next 20 years should prove to be equally exciting for women's studies. This summer, McCann moves to a women's studies faculty line and will bring on a full-time lecturer. The Women's Studies Coordinating Committee is working with the Office of Student Affairs to develop WILL: Women in Leadership and Learning, which will include a residence hall community and a strong component of co-curricular learning. By participating in student organizations, assisting in the management and programming of a women's studies lecture series and enrolling in special classes, students will not only gain a minor in women's studies but valuable leadership skills and real-world experience. The growth of opportunities for students to participate in women's studies often gives coordinating committee members pause. "About ten or so years ago some of us on the committee had been joined by younger colleagues and it became clear that these younger women had had women's studies courses as undergraduates -- which none of us ever had," explains Koehler. "We were envious and I was taken aback that they had come from a world where taking women's studies classes was a normal thing. It made me realize that even in those first ten years we had entered a new generation and we were bringing about that generational change here at UMBC." More on women's studies: Joan Korenman, Carolyn Koehler and Angela Moorjani reflect on 20 years of women's studies at UMBC. Meet junior Achaia Andoque, who is pursuing a women's studies certificate.
March 6, 2002
Meredith Monk Performs in Concert
On April 3, UMBC welcomes internationally renowned artist Meredith Monk for a performance in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Hailed as a "magician of the voice," "voice of the future," and "a phenomemon," Monk is a pioneer of extended vocal technique and vocal performance.
"No one has better epitomized, in so many different arts, that elemental yearning for the beyond than Meredith Monk." So said John Rockwell of The New York Times of the artistic pioneer who will visit UMBC for one performance only on April 3rd. Monk has been acclaimed by audiences and critics as a major creative force in the performing arts. A composer, singer, filmmaker and director/choreographer, she is a pioneer in what is now called extended vocal technique and interdisciplinary performance. Monk creates works that thrive at the intersection of music and movement, image and object, light and sound, in an effort to discover and weave together new modes of perception. Her ground-breaking exploration of the voice as an instrument, as an eloquent language in and of itself, expands the boundaries of musical composition, creating landscapes of sound that unearth feelings, energies, and memories for which we have no words. She has invented a stunning vocabulary, including her characteristic ululations, multi-phonics, whispers, slides, range skips and hockets. Her wordless music combines the technical virtuosity of classical music, the poignancy and directness of folk music, the freedom and flexibility of jazz the the rhythmic immediacy and excitement of rock and roll. For Monk, the voice itself is a language with limitless possibilities of color, texture, character, landscape, genre and emotion. For her concert on April 3 at 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall, Monk will present selections from three works for unaccompanied voice (Songs from the Hill (1977), Light Songs (1988), and Volcano Songs (1994)) and five works for voice and piano (Gotham Lullaby (1975), Travelling (1973), Madwoman's Vision (1988), Choosing Companions from ATLAS: an opera in 3 parts (1991), and The Tale (1973)). Admission to the concert is free to UMBC students, faculty and staff with a UMBC ID. General admission tickets are $15, and tickets for seniors and non-UMBC students are $7. For additional information please call 410-455-2942 or visit the online arts calendar. The concert is presented by The Arts at UMBC and is sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition to Meredith Monk, new music devotees can enjoy other upcoming concerts, including solo trombonist Abbie Conant (March 4), the Percussion Group Cincinnati (March 6), trombonist James Staley (March 7), the premiere performance of Ruckus (March 14 -- see the article in this issue of Insights), composer Kristine H. Burns (April 16) and pianist Shannon Wettstein (April 17). For more information on all these events, visit the online arts calendar.
March 6, 2002
The Campaign for UMBC Update
Thanks to the generosity of 290 of our colleagues, the Faculty/Staff portion of the Campaign for UMBC has raised $179,388 through February of this fiscal year. Total giving by faculty and staff during the campaign to date is $1,178,981. The campaign will continue through June 30, 2002.
Thanks to the generosity of 290 of our colleagues, the Faculty/Staff portion of the Campaign for UMBC has raised $179,388 through February of this fiscal year. Total giving by faculty and staff during the campaign to date is $1,178,981. The campaign will continue through June 30, 2002. Faculty and staff wishing to donate by using the payroll deduction method are encouraged to have the payroll deduction cards sent to the Alumni House. Donations by check should be made payable to UM Foundation and returned to Gary Rupert in the Alumni House. Gifts may be restricted by using the back of the payroll deduction card or the note portion of your check. Questions should be directed to Gary Rupert at x52124. Faculty/Staff Donors FY '02
Nancy Abell
Lisa Akchin
Dorothy Anderson
Muniswamap Anjanappa
Vivian Armor
Mary Pat Armstrong
Brian Ault
Frank Axell
Scott Bass
John Beck
Mark Behm
Paul Behrens
Leland Beitel
Claire Bender
Cassie Bichy
Catherine S. Bielawski
Dale Bittinger
John Blecheisen
Lauren Blumberg
Susan Bosley
Arthur Brown
Charles Brown
Linda Brown
Kathy Bryan
Gloria Cameron
Robert Campbell
Sandra Campbell
Ina Caplin
Sheldon Caplis
Shlomo Carmi
Gina Cavanagh
Wanda Collins
Beverly Connor
John Cook
Merle Coombs
Christopher Corbett
Joan Costello
Shelia Cotton
Donald Creighton
Dennis Cuddy
Eleanor Danko-Waterman
Vera DaSilva
Corris Davis
Mary B. Davis
Samantha Davis
Robert Deluty
Marilyn Demorest
Andrea DeSantis
Robert Dietrich
James Donlan
Regina Donohue
Sandra Dzija
Robert Earickson
J. Kevin Eckert
Danita Eichenlaub
David Eisenmann
Audrey Ellis
Keith Evans
Stanley Feldstein
Thomas Field
Tim Finin
Jonathan Finkelstein
Ted Foster
Raymond Frazier
Karen Freiberg
Jay Freyman
John Fritz
Andrew Gange
Betty Glascoe
David Gleason
Marilyn Goldberg
Anna Gosden
Muddappa Gowda
Vincent Grabill
Michele Graham
Patricia Granger
David Greenberg
Susan Hahn
Frank Hanson
Linda Hatmaker
Sally Hearn
Saly Helms
Cynthia Hody
Ray Hoff
William Hoffman
David Hollander
Ramachandra Hosmane
Felix Hou
Freeman Hrabowski
Paul Iwancio
Mary Ellen Jackson
Preminda Jacob
Stan Jakubik
Stephanie Jakubik
John Jeffries
Arthur Johnson
Patricia Johnson
Andrew Kane
David Karas
Robin Kearney
Virginia Kellman
Patricia Keys
Anil Khatri
Donald Knight
John Kloetzel
Carolyn Koehler
Severino Koh
Joan Korenman
Marlene Kowalski
Arlin Krueger
Willie Lamouse-Smith
David Langford
George Lanoue
Patricia Lanoue
Hollie Lavenstein
Lisa LeBlanc
Jonathan Lebreton
Diane Lee
Patricia Lehman
Kim Leisey
Steve Levy
Eleanor Lewis
Manuel Lewis
Joel Liebman
Lasse Lindahl
William Lord
Yen-Mow Lynn
Stephanie Lyon
Brian Mackay
Thomas Maier
Margaret Major
Debra Mathews
Ken Maton
Lucille McCarthy
Daphne McClellan
Maureen McCormick
Susan McCully
Janet McGlynn
Pam Hawley McInnis
James McKusick
William McMillian
Xerxes Mehta
Charles Melichar
Barbara Mennel
Curtis Menyuk
Roy Meyers
James Milani
Andrew Miller
Cheryl Miller
Kathlyn Miller
Nancy Miller
Linda Mirvis
David Mitch
Susan Mocko
David Moore
Thomas Moore
Angela Moorjani
Anthony Moreira
Lisa Morgan
Michael Morgan
Debra Moriarty
Barbara Morris
Lawrence J. Moses
Robert Moses
Yvette Mozie-Ross
Ralph Murphy
Barbara Myers
Charles Myers
Kathryn Nee
Nagaraj Neerchal
Shirley Noel
Michael Nolin
Donald Norris
Nancy Ochsner
Robert Ochsner
Kathy O'Dell
Melissa O'Dell
Edward Orser
Pamela Paddy
Tammi Palmer
Gary Pease
Elizabeth Pennington
Moneshia Phillips
Fred Pincus
John Pinkston
Arthur Pittenger
Austin Platt
Henry Plotkin
Ralph Pollock
Theresa Pomeroy
George Preisinger
John Prostko
Cheryl Putro
Kathleen Raab
Lyn Randers
Govind Rao
Eric Rector
Tate Redding
Xiaoqang Ren
Robert Reno
Karen Rhinehart
Linda Robertson
Karen Rose
Suzanne Rosenberg
Alan Rosenthal
Suzanne Rottman
Gary Rupert
Geoffrey Rupert
Wendy Salkind
Patricia SanAntonio
James Sandoz
Angela Sanford
Richard Sanford
Patricia Scully
David Servary
Barbara Shahpazian
Christina Sheckler
Walt Sherwin
Sarah Shin
Gregory Simmons
Kathleen Smith
Lori Smith-Watson
Sara Sommerville
Jusith Sterling
Rudy Storch
Thomas Sullivan
Geoffrey Summers
Michael Summers
Kathy Lee Sutfin
Elizabeth Swancar
Karen Sweeney-Jett
Wendy Takacs
Uri Tasch
Donna Taylor
Thomas Taylor
Joyce Tenney
Barbara Tesner
Jarred Testa
Cynthia Thorp
Miriam Tillman
Christopher Tkacik
Kimberly Trowbridge
Freda Vaughn
Genie Vitak
George Vitak
Thomas Volger
Christian Von Kercyzk
Betsy Vourlekis
Michael Watson
Mary Webster
Craig Weidemann
Elizabeth Wells
Karen Wensch
Arlene Wergin
Victor Wexler
Dale Whalen
Brenda White
Ellen Wiggins
William Wiley
Clolita Williams
Larry Wilt
Andrea Wynter
Li Yan
Nancy Young
Kathy Zerrlaut
Donald Zimmerman
March 5, 2002
Joan Korenman, Carolyn Koehler and Angela Moorjani Reflect on 20 Years of Women's Studies at UMBC
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Joan Korenman, director of the Center for Women and Information Technology, founder of the WMST-L email list and founding director of women's studies "The World Wide Web has had different kinds of impacts on women's studies. Over the past decade there has been a push to make sure we're not just dealing with American and European women but women all around the world. Some of the impetus for this has been email and the Web. It's so easy to be in touch and encounter websites from all over the world. The isolation of the U.S. is considerably lessened - we're more aware of a wider range of women's stories and in a more direct way. It's easier for women inside and outside of academia to keep up with what's going on in women's studies. WMST-L, the email list I founded in 1991, had a significant impact on people's ability to learn and exchange ideas. They can discuss issues related to teaching and research and find a receptive community. It's useful to have a group of colleagues you can turn to at any hour of the day or night. The rest of the world has caught up to issues women's studies has been dealing with for a long time and have been talking about for years. We knew about the Taliban and the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). The feminiist majority has been fighting online and offine to help the women of Afghanistan." Carolyn Koehler, associate professor of ancient studies "Most of us in the original team had grown up in the '60s and were part of the beginning of the second wave of feminism. As the field was becoming a real discipline with its own ways of approaching many different subjects, I began to see a whole other dimension in the ancient world as well. I found that I worked harder at including different perspectives - other elements that touched on race and class, but gender most of all. The ancient world didn't have the consciousness of race and class that we do. But studies in the 18th and 19th century of Greeks and Romans created an understanding of the ancient world that was predicated on assumptions about gender, race and class. And so classicists have had to try to escape them and tried to find new ways to look at ancient sources, both written and archeological, so we can learn more about women and those who were actually writing the texts that we read. There was a whole sense of discovery for me personally and to do it in the company of others who were doing similar things in their own fields was freeing. The Women's Studies Coordinating Committee is unlike any other committee I sit on, and it is a committee where people meet and say what they mean without posturing, paid attention to what each other says, laugh freely and often…Its always been a committee I've really enjoyed." Angela Moorjani, professor of modern languages and linguistics "In 1983 I designed and taught my first Women's Studies course entitled Women and the Media: Myths, Images and Voices. Still being taught and cross-listed with three departments-Africana Studies, English, and Modern Languages & Linguistics-the course emphasizes multi-ethnic and cross-cultural perspectives on and by women. In 1983 we perused folktales from around the world, popular magazines and songs, textbooks and television sitcoms for social myths about women. They weren't hard to find. To counter the feminine mystique discovered there, through which women were made to identify with marginalyzing images of themselves, the course concentrated on the resistance women brought to the double consciousness that is the fate of all subordinated/subaltern groups. Christine de Pisan in the 14th century already found that viewing herself through the eyes of misogynist writers, illustrious as these may be, made her feel alien and abject until she reconnected to the experience of women, including her own activity as a writer supporting a family. Yet, when in 1983 we looked for the traces of women's agency in all fields of human endeavor, from politics to the arts, we found women largely written out of history. Art history books, for example, contained no names of women in the arts, and the slide library contained at the most works by one or two. The world had the appearance of a one-gender domain. So, I "integrated" the slide library and joined in the feminist retrieval of women's lost history. There were many treasures to be discovered and what I learned from this experience has immeasurably enriched my mind and I hope the minds of the students. My research and teaching were utterly transformed. The attention I have paid to visual images has its reasons. Psychoanalysts and neuroscientists agree that visual thinking precedes words and that it is more closely connected to the unconscious habits of mind that we acquire from culture. The need to raise the deep-seated unconscious devaluation of others to consciousness in order to combat it clearly is still with us: the feminine mystique keeps coming back in the form of a backlash against progress made toward social equality and justice. My involvement with the Women's Studies Coordinating Committee at its beginning and again now has always been a constant source of strength and deep satisfaction." Read about Women's Studies 20th anniversary at UMBC.
March 5, 2002
A Coach's Life
UMBC has a rich baseball tradition. After several appearances in the NCAA Tournament as a Division II program, the 1992 team became UMBC's first squad to participate in the NCAA Division I Championships. Last season, with a balanced hitting attack and clutch pitching, John Jancuska's team won the Northeast Conference Tournament and went back to the NCAA's. Coach Jancuska achieved his 500th career victory in 2001 and has seen two of his pitchers, Jay Witasick (San Francisco Giants) and Wayne Franklin (Houston Astros) make it to the major leagues. In his 25th season at the helm, Jancuska still has the same enthusiasm he had when he came to UMBC as a 24-year-old head coach in 1978.
The 2001 season was a magical one for UMBC Head Baseball Coach John Jancuska. He recorded career-win number 500 on March 27 against Coppin State, and his Retrievers captured the Northeast Conference crown, culminating in the school's second Division I NCAA Tournament appearance. "It was great for our program to get back to the NCAA Tournament and the kids deserve all the credit," says Jancuska. "I'm just thankful that I've had the opportunity to be here long enough to win 500 games at UMBC. It's going to sound modest but I don't coach for records. I was in the right place at the right time. That's a blessing in my life, to have the opportunity and the passion to do something for this long. Five hundred is just a matter of time. What I enjoy most is having the opportunity to have a positive impact on my student-athletes. There is so much to be learned." When Jancuska took over the UMBC baseball program in 1978 at the age of 23, it was a fledgling, up-and-down program which had moderate success but lacked direction. Jancuska, a two-year starter and co-captain of his senior squad as a player at Delaware, changed all that and put UMBC on the baseball map. The Retrievers have enjoyed great success under Jancuska, winning 520 games in Jancuska's 24 years. Before entering the Divison I ranks, he turned UMBC into a Division II power, leading the Retrievers to regional appearances in 1978, 1979 and 1986. In 1992, he guided UMBC to a 37-13 mark and their first ever appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament. "Seeing our name on ESPN when we got an at-large bid, that was pretty emotional," says Jancuska, whose team gave top-ranked Miami all they could handle in a 3-1 loss, before being eliminated by Delaware in 10 innings, 6-5. Jancuska, a 1975 graduate of the University of Delaware, was named the 1992 East Coast Conference and 1993 Big South Conference Coach of the Year, and in 2000 was the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year after UMBC won the regular-season championship. The State of Maryland also named Jancuska their Coach of the Year in 1993, and he was honored by the Base-Hit Foundation as a "Legend of Maryland Baseball" last spring. In addition, he has coached 38 All-Region, five All-America, and four Academic All-Americans during his tenure. Furthermore, 16 of Jancuska's pupils have gone on to play professionally. Currently, two of his former players are still active, including Jay Witasick, a reliever for the San Francisco Giants, and Wayne Franklin, a reliever in the Houston Astros organization. "UMBC and Coach Jancuska was the foundation to my baseball career," says Witasick. "I was fortunate to end up there," he adds. "Coming to UMBC and playing for Coach Jancuska was a fantastic experience for me," Franklin says. "It was sort of a stepping stone for my career into the pros." The 2002 season promises to be another outstanding campaign for Jancuska. With seven starting position players returning, UMBC will have an excellent opportunity to repeat as NEC champions. Four Retrievers were selected by Baseball America as pre-season All-Conference players, including catcher Scott Kosmicky, shortstop Jared Boyd, first baseman Jeff Fraley, and designated hitter Greg Deboy. In addition, Kosmicky was named a pre-season All-American by Collegiate Baseball. "The strength of this team will be the leadership among the returning veterans in our line-up," Jancuska explains. "Seven of our nine offensive starters are back and we expect them to have terrific seasons. If our pitchers can give us quality innings, we should be challenging for another NEC championship."
March 4, 2002
Honor Roll
UMBC junior Achaia Andoq is a political science major whose interest in activism inspired her to pursue a certificate in women's studies. Read more about this self-taught web developer who is making her mark on the Web and through a variety of organizations.
 As a high school student interested in web development, Achaia Andoque was disappointed in the technology department at her school. Not only did she think the courses were "minimal and mediocre," but she believed that a gender bias was keeping women away from the program.
Frustrated but not defeated, she began checking out print and online materials about HTML on her own. She sought out web developer friends and together they gained experience by building sites for several school organizations. After arriving at UMBC, Andoque became immersed in biochemistry, the major she had chosen because of her interest in biochemical warfare, and then wondered if she was headed in the right direction. "I found myself more intrigued with the government aspect than the science aspect," she explains. "Therefore, I followed my heart and switched to political science." It wasn't long before she put her web development skills to work when she was recruited to create a website for the UMBC Women's Rugby Club. At that time she discovered the Center for Women and Information Technology and learned more about its efforts to address and rectify gender bias and encourage more women to pursue careers in information technology. Inspired, she decided to pursue a certificate in women's studies. Andoque says, "I feel that diversity, activism and self-identity, qualities emphasized in the program, are an important part of a well-rounded college education. The program not only teaches its students what it means to be a feminist or to be a woman, but it also educates us about what it means to be a person. In my opinion, those lessons are essential to one's experience at an honors university, which is why I consider the Women's Studies Program a great asset to the UMBC community and a great opportunity for its students." As a women's studies student, Andoque found a wealth of other opportunities to use her web development skills. "I became involved with creating the Women's History Month and women's studies websites through the encouragement of wonderful mentors like Carole McCann, director of women's studies; Erin Senack, visiting lecturer in women's studies; and Mikhel Kushner, director of the Women's Center. Sandra Shattuck, former CWIT associate, guided me through the process of putting together the Women' History Month site. That encouraged me to pursue other avenues in which I could volunteer in the Women's Studies Program. Eventually, I became a co-chair of the Women's Studies Student Council, and a member of the Women's Studies Coordinating Committee," she says. Andoque is now working for the Washington, D.C. office of the Carol-Trevelyan Strategy Group, a political research and web firm that caters to progressive organizations and candidates. "My official position there is an intern, though I have been there since the beginning of summer 2001 so people are starting to refer to me as the 'non-intern.'" At CTSG she assists in online marketing research and also helps with project management. At UMBC, she is also communications director for the College Democrats, vice president of the State Federation of College Democrats and co-chair of UMBC ChoiceUSA. Although Andoque is a junior, she hopes to graduate this summer, then take a year off to gain some work experience with CTSG or a similar firm and concentrate on law or graduate school applications. She adds, "As for non-academic goals, I plan to continue my activist pursuits beyond UMBC. As far as I am concerned, I will remain a staunch advocate for reproductive choice, gender equity and progressive values."
March 4, 2002
Welcome New UMBC Faculty and Staff
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PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES AS OF 3/1/02 If you do not see your name here, it was not listed on the current New Hire Roster, but should appear on the next report, depending on your date of hire. Check future issues of Insights. Athletics
Michael D'Archangelo, intern Biological Sciences
Cathleen Hunter, graduate assistant
Shilpa Kalavapudi, graduate assistant Career Development and Placement
LyKeshia Tull, graduate assistant Center for Health Program Development and Management (CHPDM)
Rada Livits, graduate assistant Chemistry and Biochemistry
Eric Butcher, graduate assistant
Jessica Jenkins, graduate assistant
Loryn Keating, graduate assistant
Reddy Chilakuri, graduate assistant Computer Science/Electrical Engineering
Gaurav Gupta, research graduate assistant
Gaurav Jolly, research graduate assistant
Sohel Merchant, research graduate assistant
Kunjan Naik, graduate assistant
Sowmya Pongugoti, research graduate assistant
Nitin Rane, research graduate assistant
Aniruddha Rangnekar, research graduate assistant
Guoyun Ru, graduate assistant
Stephen Saucier, research graduate assistant
Jekkin Shah, graduate assistant
Mithun Sheshagiri, research graduate assistant
Rekha Venkataraman, graduate assistant
Wei Wang, research graduate assistant
Dance
Linda McDevitt, instructor Education
Anne Hluchaniur, graduate assistant
Brian Pritchard, director
Melanie Carter, instructor
Barbara Irwin, instructor
Loris Nebbia, instructor
Sandra Shattuck, instructor
Shane Stiefel, IT support assistant
Lisa Hampton, office clerk
English
Daniela Garofalo, instructor
Raymond Terhorst, instructor
Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center (GEST)
Priyang Rathod, research graduate assistant
Hai Zhang, research graduate assistant
Zhien Wang, assistant research scientist Graduate School
David Ayer, graduate assistant
Thomas Greaney, graduate assistant
Victoria Pilate, graduate assistant
Vera Roquemore, graduate assistant History
Rachel Brubaker, director, Center for History Education
Krystyn Moon, instructor Information Systems
Clarence Lewis, instructor
Gregory Morton, graduate assistant
Aamir Nooruddin, graduate assistant
Robert Smith, instructor Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET)
Jennifer Lukovich, research associate Mathematics and Statistics
Sibabrata Banerjee, graduate assistant
Ionut Bebu, graduate assistant
Yanqiong Zhang, graduate assistant Mechanical Engineering
Chenguang Diao, graduate assistant
Chandrasekhar Ganduri, research graduate assistant
Kyle Gorsky, graduate assistant
Todd McCleaf, graduate assistant
Zekeriya Sener, graduate assistant
Narayana Sundaram, graduate assistant
Todd Wallenstein, graduate assistant Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (MIPAR)
Lisa Garceau, supervisor Physics
Payal Mistry, research graduate assistant
Ludmilla Werbos, research assistant Policy Sciences
Carey Borkoski, graduate assistant
Jennifer Nixon, graduate assistant Psychology
Peter Musser, graduate assistant
George Niederehe, assistant professor
Patricia Tenowich, graduate assistant Residential Life
Pamela Hisop, graduate assistant Shriver Center
Heather Bailley, coordinator
Laura Cody, manager
Seth McCauley, manager
Alysia Strickland, manager
Carlisa Bass, program management specialist
Krystal Jones, manager
Carey Preston, manager
Katrina Gaus, manager
Tamara Sigel, manager Sociology
Shelby Higgins, lecturer
Janet Burgee, administrative assistant Theatre
Kathleen Revelle, coordinator Visual Arts
Eric Dyer, lecturer Women's Studies
John Finch, instructor
March 4, 2002
Journalists Take Time off to Learn About Art and Technology
UMBC showcases its arts and humanities faculty, programs and resources in a three-day media fellowship, awarded by CASE.
More than two hundred journalists from around the world will take time off from their usual schedule to spend time on university campuses this year. The simple reason why… to learn, of course. Each year, the Council Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) helps universities market and develop media fellowship programs, meant to provide journalists the opportunity to explore specific, timely issues in depth. For 2002, CASE selected twenty-four fellowship proposals, covering topics from welfare reform to marine science. Winning institutions include Harvard, UCLA, and the University of Michigan, among others. UMBC's proposal, focused on "The Convergence of Art & Technology,” was one of the selected programs. From February 13-15, UMBC played host to two journalists with a specific interest in learning how art and technology are being intertwined. The three-day program drew on the university's outstanding faculty in the Departments of Visual Arts, Dance, Theatre, English, and Humanities. Other campus resources featured were the Imaging Research Center (IRC), the Center for Women & Information Technology (CWIT), and the Fine Arts and Albin O. Kuhn Galleries. The program began with an in-depth look at the IRC's work on the Baltimore Museum of Art's Cone Collection, which included sessions with the IRC project leaders, the director of the BMA and a first-hand look at the collection. Over the course of the fellowship, reporters sat down with the chairs of UMBC's visual arts, dance, and music departments. They met with and learned about projects developed by performing artists from UMBC and the Maryland Institute, College of Art (MICA). They also saw performances by the Phoenix Dance Company and the Streaming Umbrella Group. "The fellowship gave us the opportunity to showcase our arts programs and resources, both of which are doing some very interesting things with technology,” said Eleanor Lewis, UMBC's online news editor, who conceptualized the fellowship and helped put the program together. The arts and technology program is UMBC's first foray into the media fellowship area, but judging by this year's program it will not be the last. The numbers for this year's program were down, in part because of editorial changes at newspapers due to September 11, as well as a slumping economy which made travel a bit more of a challenge. However, the program was a great success. The journalists were pleased with their experience and we can move forward with other media fellowships – showing off UMBC's prowess in other areas.
March 1, 2002
Kudos
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Tom Beck Publishes, Lectures
Tom Beck, chief curator, Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery, recently had his essay "Duality on the Photographs of Lewis Hine" published in Priceless Children: American Photographs 1890-1925, Child Labor and the Pictorialist Ideal. He also spoke at University of North Carolina, Greensboro on his recent research on the photographs of Lewis Hine. Thomas Blass Quoted, Published
Thomas Blass, professor in the Department of Psychology and a scholar of the life and science of Stanley Milgram, the controversial social psychologist, was recently quoted in the Toronto Star and the Dayton Daily News in articles about email versions of Milgram's Small World Method (the source of "Six degrees of separation") currently in progress at two universities. At the most recent convention of the American Psychological Association (APA), Blass was asked to give a G. Stanley Hall Lecture (named after a founder of APA) in recognition of his Milgram-related work. Blass's most recent book is titled Obedience to Authority: Current Perspectives on the Milgram Paradigm, published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. He has created an informational website about Stanley Milgram at http://www.stanleymilgram.com, which has been receiving about 1,000 visitors a week from throughout the world.In addition, Blass has an article about Milgram titled "The man who shocked the world" in the current (April) issue of Psychology Today magazine. New Book by Kevin Eckert
Kevin Eckert's (Professor, Department of Sociology and Co-Director, Gerontology Doctoral Program) new book Assisted Living: Needs, Practices, and Policies in Residential Care for the Elderly (with S. Zimmerman and P. D. Sloane), Johns Hopkins University Press, has been published. Additionally, a new four-year study titled "Transitions from Assisted Living: Sociocultural Aspects" ($1.7 million) has been funded by the National Institute on Aging (J. K. Eckert, R. Rubinstein, and L. A. Morgan). Combined funding for the Department of Sociology and Anthropology's new Center for Aging Studies now exceeds $3 million. UMBC Faculty Receive Individual Artist Awards
Many UMBC faculty just received Individual Artist Awards from theMaryland State Arts Council. UMBC visual arts faculty took 6 of the 7 awards in the visual arts: new genre. Awards by category: Fiction: Barbara Simon; Media: Jill Johnston-Price, Hollie Lavenstein, Amie Siegel, Jorge E. Castro; Solo Dance Performance: Cathy Paine, Sandra Lacy; Solo Instrumental Performance: Hamid Hossain; Solo Theatrical Performance: Susan B. McCully; Visual Arts, New Genre: David Crandall, Colin Ives, Terry Nauheim, Timothy Nohe, John Sturgeon, Davina Grunstein. Sandra Lacy Praised in the Washington Post
Sandra Lacy, dance instructor and member of UMBC's Phoenix Dance Company, recently performed with Mary Williford-Shade at Dance Place in Washington, D.C. In her Washington Post review, Lisa Traiger said, "Baltimore-based Sandra Lacy is among the most elegant modern dancers in the region, and her richly versatile technique adds depth and dimension to any work she performs." Congratulations to the Resident Student Association
The UMBC Resident Student Association presented a conference bid proposal this past weekend at the Central Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls No-frills Conference. Its bid was accepted and UMBC's Resident Student Association will be hosting the 2003 No-Frills Conference for CAACURH (to be held in February, 2003). The conference will be hosted here at UMBC. Resident Student Associations for colleges and universitites representing NJ, DE, PA, Ohio, DC, MD and WV will be present at the conference. Bimal Sinha Receives Distinguished Achievement Award
Bimal Sinha, mathematics and statistics, received a 2002 Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Statistical Association's Section on Statistics and the Environment. Raymond Starr's Art Published and on Display
Raymond Starr, professor in the Department of Psychology, continues to have his art work exhibited and published. One of his artist's books, Saga to Tell is in a major, international traveling exhibition, "Artists and the Art of the Book" that opens on March 1 in Bethelehem, PA. This show, organized by the Experimental Printmaking Institute at Lafayette College, includes work by 40 artists. Saga to Tell combines poetry that has been designed to read in multiple ways with multiple meanings with photograms and deals with gender and identity issues. In addition, his book, Daddy Loves Me, is featured in a new anthology by Shereen LaPlantz, The Art and Craft of Handmade Books and a photo, "Snow and Trees" is in a special on "Winter" in the current issue of Panorama. Kathy Zerrlaut Appointed to NCAA Management Council
Kathy Zerrlaut, associate athletics director for compliance, was recently appointed to the NCAA Management Council. She has served as athletics' senior woman administrator since UMBC attained Division I status in 1986-87. Zerrlaut also chairs the Northeast Conference's senior women administrators committee and is a member of the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Committee. She has had a distinguished coaching career in both lacrosse and volleyball. She compiled a record of 152-140-5 in 24 seasons as UMBC's head women's lacrosse coach. Her 1985 and 1986 squads were ranked No. 1 nationally among Division II schools, and she was honored as USWLA Coach of the Year on both occasions. Zerrlaut also coached the UMBC volleyball team from 1973 through 1989. She came to UMBC in 1973 after earning a master's degree in physical education from Frostburg State University. She earned four letters there in lacrosse and two apiece in field hockey and basketball.
March 1, 2002
Recommended Reads: Women's History Month
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Mikhel Kushner, director, Women's Center  Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions (New American Library, 1984)by Gloria Steinem: "Steinem's first book explores the political through personalnarratives. Inspiring and insightful, this collection of writings served as a catalyst for my awakening as a woman."
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color (KitchenTable: Women of Color Press, 1981) edited by Cherrie Moraga & Gloria Anzaldua:"A collection of essays where strong and determined women say it as they see it. A powerful and poignant discourse about the intersection of racism, sexism, homophobia. The essays contained in this anthology are direct and to the point, refusing to dance around sensitive issues of oppression in society." Zami: A New Spelling of My Name (Crossing Press Feminist Series) by Audre Lorde: "This narrative vividly describes the cultural and political climate of Harlem in the 1950s and in particular the experiences of a black lesbian of Caribbean decent. Described by Lorde as a biomythography, this coming of age narrative speaks to the experiences of growing up and into one's identity. Zami is a Carriacou name for women who work and live together as friends and lovers and Lorde writes, 'Every woman I have ever loved has left her print upon me.' This book is sure to leave a print on all who read it." The New Our Bodies Ourselves (Simon & Schuster, 1984) by the Boston Women's Health Collective: "Representing a revolution in women's access to information about their bodies and their health care. Included in its pages is a wealth of information and most importantly additional resources." Carole McCann, director of women's studies and associate professor of American studies, consulted with Kriste Lindenmeyer, associate professor of history, on a list of classics and new releases.  Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work,and the Family from Slavery to the Present (Basic Books, 1985) by Jacqueline Jones (Lindenmeyer's Pick) and Cheap Amusements: Working Women and Leisure in Turn-of-the-century New York (Temple University Press, 1986) by Kathy Peiss (McCann's Pick): "Both of these works are classics," says McCann. "They were at the forefront of women's history scholarship when they were published in the mid 1980s."
Both recommend biographies: "Eleanor Roosevelt's experience touches on many of the most important issues in American women's history. Blanche Weisen Cook's two volumes are the best on Eleanor Roosevelt. They are bases on excellentresearch and make for good reading." Women and the City: Gender, Space, and Power in Boston, 1870-1940(Oxford University Press, 2000) by Sarah Deutsch: "It is a masterpiece and on the cutting edge of women's history scholarship," says Lindemeyer. Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America (Hill and Wang, 2001) by Andrea Tone: "This brings an imaginative research approach to uncover fascinating details about what it meant to manufacture, sell, buy and use contraception in the 19th and 20th century," says McCann.
March 1, 2002
Members of UMBC Community Create Staff Endowment and Engineering/Computer Science Scholarship
The Jakubik family have created an endowment to recognize outstanding UMBC staff, while a new scholarship, funded by Shlomo Carmi, dean of engineering, and his wife, Rachel, will support engineering and computer science students.
Investing in the Future: the Shlomo and Rachel Carmi Scholarship for Students in Engineering and Computer Science A new scholarship, funded by Shlomo Carmi, dean of engineering, and his wife, Rachel, will support engineering and computer science students. Carmi explains, "Establishing a scholarship is investment in people, which is the best investment in the future. Engineers are problem solvers who use scientific methods to create products or processes to benefit society, in order for mankind to enjoy a better standard of living. It's a challenge to attract the most talented students to the engineering profession. By establishing the scholarship, Rachel and I decided to contribute towards the goal of recruiting and retaining the best engineering and computer science students to the college, especially from under-represented groups (minority and women). A keen interest in either research, enterpreneurship or technology policy would be particularly desirable attributes for students to acquire, in order to be competitive for the award." Honoring Staff Who Make a Difference: The Jakubik Family Endowment A family of current and former members of the UMBC community have created an endowment to recognize outstanding UMBC staff. Stan Jakubik, his wife Jan and daughter Stephanie hope the award will recognize staff who play a critical role in supporting students. The Jakubik Family Endowment is designed to recognize exceptional staff members who contribute to student academic success through innovative advisement, through the development of new programs to further the learning environment or through the creative application of technology to the student learning process. Stan joined UMBC as registrar in 1980 and was assistant provost for academic services when he left in 1997. He is currently director of IT project coordination for the University System of Maryland. Stephanie, a 1996 UMBC alumna, is now associate director of alumni relations. Stan explains, "We have traditionally created rewards for excellence in teaching and in research, awards generally geared toward our exceptional faculty. As an institution, we also benefit tremendously by a staff equally committed to student success and the advancement of student learning. There is no associate or classified staff position on campus that does not have an impact on student success. Some are obvious, such as staff advisors, coaches, Learning Resources personnel, librarians. Some are less obvious players, but of equal importance in the overall mission of the campus; for example, registrars who facilitate enrollment, financial aid workers who make it possible for students to afford tuition, and IT staff who support our computer services." Insights will publish more information about these awards as it becomes available.
March 1, 2002
In the News
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Tom Beck and UMBC in the Washington Post on February 4
Tom Beck, chief curator, Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery, was among a group of photography experts asked by the Washington Postto analyze the recent wedding photo of Governor Glendening and Jennifer Crawford. Albin O. Kuhn and Fine Arts Galleries in City Paper
Current exhibitions in the Albin O. Kuhn and Fine Arts Galleries were reviewed in the February 27 City Paper. President Freeman Hrabowski Named One of Fast Company's Fast 50
President Freeman Hrabowski was selected as one of 50 leaders, change agents, disrupters, trendsetters, and social entrepreneurs achieving extraordinary results in Fast Company's First Annual Readers Challenge. UMBC in the Washington Post on February 16
In "Fight, Fight for Old Commuter U.," Washington Post reporter Amy Argetsinger looks at UMBC's efforts to build student life, including the opening of The Commons.
March 1, 2002
February Employee of the Month
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Crystal Slowe has been a member of the UMBC community since 1982. Since that time, she has held positions in Accounts Payable as a payable clerk,Delinquent Accounts as a supervisor, Accounts Receivable as a supervisorand now works in Plant Funds/ Inventory Control as a Financial TransactionSupervisor. In her current position, she supervises two clerks, reviews purchase orders and IDT's for proper general ledger account/sub code, reviews p-card purchases of equipment for general ledger, schedules for tagging of property, updates the equipment database for purchases and dispositions and conducts physical inventory. She also produces database reports for inventory, property reports and department requests and updates. Matta Zeinali, plant fund accountant, says, "Crystal has been with the University for 19 years. Her efforts have gone beyond policies and procedures and include the processing of the University's equipment purchases, dispositions and inventory. As UMBC's purchases have increased, so have her responsibilities. We appreciate the large amount of time she spends training and working with her staff. Crystal and her staff are on the front line, working with departments and going the extra mile to coordinate, schedule and resolve department concerns."
March 1, 2002
Student Career Development
Only two more months until graduation. The semester is going by much quicker than you expected and pretty soon--if you haven't begun already--you will be actively interviewing for employment. As you focus on securing an outstanding academic record, here are a few tips to make your interview successful.
This month's column is written by LyKeshia Tull, graduate assistant, Career Development Center Only two more months until graduation. Wow, the semester is going by much quicker than you expected and pretty soon--if you haven't begun already--you will be actively interviewing for employment. As you focus on securing an outstanding academic record, here are a few tips to make your interview successful. 1. Dress appropriately: You only get one chance to make a first impression. Ladies, a conservative black or navy skirt or pant suit will do. Gentlemen, a traditional black or navy suit with a tie will suffice. 2. Make a professional presentation Regardless of how others in the office dress, you're not an employee yet. Be neat, clean and well groomed! 3. Leave fragrances at home Be courteous to your interviewer. They may be allergic to your perfumes, colognes and/or after shaves. If you must use it, use it sparingly. 4. Mind your manners Be polite and courteous. Remember those "please" and "thank you," "yes" instead of "yup" lectures from your parents. 5. Be on time In fact, arrive ten to fifteen minutes early. This will give you a chance to settle down, relax and mentally prepare yourself for the interview. Besides, the interviewer might not know what to do with you if you arrive too early. 6. Keep up with current events Know your stuff. Review the company's website or relevant literature to remain abreast on the latest developments. 7. Sell yourself Be able to comfortably talk about your experiences, your accomplishments, your goals and what you have to offer the employer. 8. Let us help You will find a vast amount of information and tips given at our upcoming Weekly Wednesday Workshop (WWW's) on "Interviewing Skills" April 10. Or you can schedule a mock interview by calling our office at x52216, read our prep tips in the Career Development Guide online and/or stop by the Career Resource Center (MP 212) for the latest books on interviewing skills and techniques. Congratulations, you're almost there!
March 1, 2002
Community Essay
Shlomo Carmi, dean of the College of Engineering and vice president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' (ASME) International Board on Engineering Education, spoke at the State of Technology in Maryland 2002 Summit on February 4.
Shlomo Carmi, dean of the College of Engineering and vice president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' (ASME) International Board on Engineering Education, spoke at the State of Technology in Maryland 2002 Summit on February 4. Other speakers included the Honorable Leonard Teitelbaum, Maryland Senate; the Honorable Kumar Barve, Maryland House of Delegates; Casper Taylor, speaker, Maryland House of Delegates; the Honorable Paul Sarbanes, U.S. Senate; and the Honorable Barbara Mikulski, U.S. Senate. Good morning, I am Shlomo Carmi, vice president of ASME's International Board on Engineering Education, and the dean of engineering at UMBC. It is my pleasure to welcome all of you to the Fifth Annual State of Technology in Maryland Summit. This meeting is being hosted by the Maryland Speaker of the House, the Honorable Casper Taylor, and the Maryland Senate President, the Honorable Mike Miller, and we have just heard from the Honorable Leonard Teitelbaum from the Maryland Senate and the Honorable Kumar Barve from the Maryland House of Delegates. The summit is organized in conjunction with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Greater Baltimore Technology Council, the High Technology Council of Maryland and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies. I would like to acknowledge my colleague Kenneth Kroos, ASME's regional vice president, who joined us today from Villanova University. For those of you not familiar with ASME, let me give just a brief background. ASME is a 130,000-member professional engineering society focused on technical, educational and research issues. It conducts one of the world's largest technical publishing operations, holds 30 technical conferences and 200 professional development courses each year, and of course, sets many industrial and manufacturing standards. You might ask why ASME is co-hosting a meeting of this nature. The answer is both historical and pragmatic. ASME has been providing technical advice to policymakers since it was founded 121 years ago. It is interesting to note that one of the very first things that the Society did was to champion the establishment of the U.S. Department of Commerce, so we have been in this business for a long, long time. In 1973, our interactions at the federal level were extensive, and it became desirable to open an office in Washington. That office maintains a continuous dialogue with the executive and legislative branches, operates a Washington visitation program that brings members into contact with federal policymakers and, also since 1973, conducts a Federal Fellow program, which selects ASME members to serve as engineering fellows in the legislative and executive branches. In 1985-86 I was a congressional fellow myself, and spent my sabbatical as a science and technology advisor to Senator Carl Levin of Michigan. It was a very rewarding experience. Finally, the Washington Center conducts continuous policy analysis and formulates and disseminates position papers on funding proposals for NSF, NASA, NIST and many other agencies. In 1986, it was decided that providing technical advice to lawmakers should go beyond the federal level and become a resource for state governments as well. With that in mind, ASME initiated a State Fellow program in order to establish a pipeline via which ASME, and other professional organizations, could provide relevant technical information, so important to state policymakers. Maryland universities are also full partners in these endeavors. Academic institutions in Maryland, like UMBC, in addition to being heavily involved in education and research, are actively promoting technology transfer and commercialization. At the same time, they are involved in K-12 outreach projects, in order to attract the most talented students to engineering and technology, especially from underrepresented groups (minorities and women). One such project is the introduction of engineering as a discipline in high schools. Another important state program in which many Maryland universities are partners is MAITI, the Maryland Applied Information Technology Initiative, which we hope will continue to enjoy strong support from lawmakers. Educating a highly qualified workforce is the key to future economic development in the state, and is a goal shared by industry and universities. That is the historical perspective. On the pragmatic part, we are interested in these programs because industry is a very important part of ASME. About 90 percent of its members work in industry and the Society is committed to industry. As the state-federal partnerships evolved, it became apparent that there was a need for knowledge about technology development opportunities within our own membership and the industry at large. The answer was to develop meetings such as this one, to help fill that need. We hope that, by bringing the various organizations together, as we have done today, we can all network and learn what these programs offer, and what they have accomplished. And, more importantly, you may identify opportunities that can assist you, or your company or organization, to become more competitive. Thank you very much.
March 1, 2002
Faculty Development
Getting students to participate in a productive discussion can be a challenge, even for seasoned professors. But discussions, while less useful as ways of communicating quantities of information, highlight student learning--whether students are able to understand information, apply it, analyze or evaluate it. Participating in discussion forces students to think critically and recognize the complexity of issues and ideas.
Getting students to participate in a productive discussion can be a challenge, even for seasoned professors. Students often seem unprepared or simply shy. You pose a question and no one responds, as everyone stares at the floor or ceiling, avoiding eye contact. Or the two students who are always interested in speaking once again want the floor (to the relief or disapproval of everyone else). Getting students to talk is one thing; getting them to learn from the discussion is quite another. While lectures can effectively present information and concepts in a well organized fashion, they do not give us useful immediate feedback on whether students are learning the material properly; for that we must eventually rely on tests or quizzes or papers. But discussions, while less useful as ways of communicating quantities of information, highlight student learning--whether students are able to understand information, apply it, analyze or evaluate it. Participating in discussion forces students to think critically and recognize the complexity of issues and ideas. Contrary to what some novice teachers might think, preparing for good classroom discussions can take as much time and thought as preparing lectures (even though the outcome can not be as controlled). And contrary to what many novice teachers do, good classroom discussions don't start in the classroom but begin long before the class convenes; that is, students need to be prepared for discussion just as much as does the instructor. The first important tip on leading good discussions is designing the course so that students come fully prepared to participate. This can be done in a variety of ways; for example, by asking students to submit something in writing to a listserv or discussion board a day or two before the class meets (perhaps their own questions, or their response to a question you pose, or a summary of a text). Or students can be told in advance that they will have to argue a certain position (pro or con) on a topic; or they can be paired or put in teams to open the class with a short summary of a reading and then highlight two or three of the most significant questions or problems that it raised. If students have to think of what they might contribute to discussion in advance of the class, they'll be more interested in and able to participate--even the shy students. In preparing for productive classroom discussions, consider the following suggestions: *Identify the goals for the discussion for yourself and for the students*Explain the ground rules and expectations for discussion early in the semester*Listen carefully and be prepared to teach students how to listen to each other*Paraphrase student comments and offer positive feedback*Give students time to think-get comfortable with silences*Start class with a short writing exercise that students then exchange and discuss*Summarize class discussion (or assign this task to specific students), highlighting what's been accomplished and what still needs to be clarified*Ask students to respond to the discussion by posting to a discussion group or through a reflective paper that synthesizes what they've learned. For more information on discussion leading, see the following: William E. Cashin and Philip C. McKnight, Improving Discussions, Idea Paper 15
http://www.idea.ksu.edu/products/Papers.html Barbara Gross Davis, Lynn Wood, and Robert C. Wilson, A Berkeley Compendium of Suggestions for Teaching with Excellence. See Section 10: Encouraging Class Discussion.
http://teaching.berkeley.edu/compendium/ Barbara Gross Davis, Tools for Teaching, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1993. Several chapters, including Chapter 9, "Encouraging Student Participation in Discussion," are available at http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/teaching.html C. Roland Christensen, David A. Garvin, and Ann Sweet (eds.). Education for Judgment: The Artistry of Discussion Leadership. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. 1991. Stephen D. Brookfield and Stephen Preskill. Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1999. The books listed above may be borrowed from the Faculty Development Center. Jack Prostko is director of the Faculty Development Center.
March 1, 2002
May Roswell, in Memoriam
May Roswell, a UMBC founder who established the foreign languages department--now known as modern languages and linguistics--died on February 16. Known for her devotion to UMBC, even after her retirement in 1981, Roswell played a crucial role in establishing the University, setting high expectations for the campus and nurturing students. Angela Moorjani, professor of modern languages and linguistics, discusses Roswell's life and legacy and talks with her colleagues and former students.
 May Roswell, one of the founding faculty members of the UMBC campus and the original architect of the program in foreign languages, died from heart disease on February 16, 2002. She was eighty-seven years old.
Born May MacGinnis in Dublin, Ireland, on September 19, 1914, she was educated in England, where her father practiced medicine. After returning to Ireland to earn a B.A. in French and German from Trinity College, Dublin, she did graduate work at Cambridge University (M.A. 1937) and the Universities of Munich and Heidelberg, where she met her future husband, C. Alfred Roswell, a chemist from Lexington, Kentucky. On crossing the ocean to join him in the U.S. in 1940, her boat was torpedoed but survived. The Roswells raised a family of three daughters and three sons in a lovely 18th-century home in Elkridge. Continuing her education in College Park, May earned an M.A. in French (1957) and a Ph.D. in German (1961) on completion of a dissertation on "Brecht's Plays in America: The First Thirty Years." After several years of teaching on the College Park campus, she was asked in 1966 to help build the new campus up the road and launch a foreign language program for a group of pioneering students. One of these, Calvin A. Glover, Jr., UMBC class of 1970, contributed the following appreciation of his former professor: "May Roswell was the embodiment of wisdom and, of course, she used her wisdom wisely. She was the ideal person to nurture the school's language department and the school itself. A founding mother of UMBC when the school truly needed one, she taught and parented both students and her colleagues. Her insights helped to shape the UMBC and MLL of today in a subtle Roswellean way. She was able to communicate some of the major concepts of 17th century French literature to a very tough audience-the high school graduating class of 1966. Now that's talent!" As one of UMBC's founders, May was instrumental in laying the foundation for the academic programs and governance structures for which the campus owes her a large dept of gratitude. In its February 21 obituary, The Baltimore Sunincluded expressions of esteem from Albin O. Kuhn, UMBC's founding chancellor, and by Homer Schamp, the campus's first provost. For Kuhn, "May was one of the very strong, yet quiet faculty who brought great strength to UMBC. She was good, constructive and did a lot for the progress of the language department." In Shamp's words, "She was formidable in her talents and in her ability, extremely gracious, kind and motherly. She always knew the right thing-the human thing-to do or say. She was extremely devoted to her students." May's colleagues in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, who worked with her to set the department on its course during those first heady years of curriculum innovation and experimentation, recall her nurturance of academic quality, teaching and gentility as priceless legacies to the department and the campus. There were some innovations that turned out to be too ambitious, such as the comprehensive examinations, written and oral, that we put the first group of pioneering majors through. After they protested that this was one experiment they did not appreciate, no more majors had to face the same ordeal. Alan Bell, professor of Spanish, remembers May's "unflappable equanimity [which] was in evidence in all her interactions as a truly stellar member of this department. For me personally she brought a great sense of security that truth and decency would triumph in the end, not an inconsequential element for a young (back then I mean) recent Ph.D. with promotion and tenure issues looming ahead." This view of the department's first leader is shared by John Sinnigen, professor of Spanish: "Aside from remembering her as a supportive chair who was even tolerantly stern with a radical young colleague who initially did not attend departmental meetings (too bureaucratic for him . . .), I also remember her as a thoughtful senior faculty member in the midst of a group of younger faculty members who were going in directions that were not hers. She was always a voice of reason and respect, serious in her convictions and open to the rather swirling discussions that were going on in those heady times." I, too, recall that May had the gift of bringing out the caring side of people while challenging minds to work at their very best. As a young assistant professor, I was in awe of her intelligence matched by a rare nobility of soul. I deeply appreciated the collegial and open atmosphere she fostered, making her younger colleagues feel her equals in the building of campus and program to which we were devoting our energies. Alan Rosenthal, a professor of French, remembers "May's unfailing kindness, her devotion to her work, and her upholding of high standards. He added that "she held the department together in its formative stage and laid the foundation for a successful program and national recognition." After retiring from UMBC in 1981, May continued her service to the campus by working on a number of committees, including the Friends of the Library and later the UMBC-Charlestown Partnership Committee. Whenever I would visit her in the summer, she would send me home with a bouquet of roses and some fresh raspberries which she continued to grow even at Charlestown. President Freeman Hrabowski granted her a much deserved emerita appointment on the unanimous petition of the MLL faculty. Wishing to honor her and recognize her many contributions, her MLL colleagues established the May Roswell Award for Excellence in Writing for majors. Always intent on clarity and finesse of spoken and written style, in whatever language of expression, May was happy to be able to attend the first presentation of the award at the 1999 Student Recognition Day ceremonies. Her MLL colleagues would like to extend this honor by endowing a May Roswell Memorial Award for Excellence in Writing. Angela Moorjani is professor of modern languages and linguistics.Photo courtesy of UMBC Special Collections.
March 1, 2002
Coming Soon! Shriver Center Receives NSF Grant for Middle School Outreach
March 1, 2002
Tech Tips
You use it for everything, but how well do you understand your email program when it comes to security and virus protection?
You use it for everything, but how well do you understand you email program when it comes to security and virus protection? The Office of Information Technology has recently published a comprehensive Security Information Site that includes draft email guidelines that will help make your email secure, efficient and virus-free. A few tips include: 1. Download and install McAfee anti-virus software Viruses often spread through email attachments and can cripple a networked community by removing important files or swamping network service and support from internally-generated spam. Talk to anyone who's had to rebuild their computer or apologize to recipients of unwanted email, and you'll realize it's worth the time to download virus protection software. If you haven't downloaded McAfee already, it's available to all campus users through myUMBC's "Business Services" tab. Detailed installation instructions--and a very useful virus email-alert service--are also available on the OIT Security Information Site. 2. If you use MS Outlook or Outlook Express, update your software often Because Microsoft software is used so widely, it's a common target for hackers trying to exploit weaknesses. If you use Outlook or Outlook Express, you have to be particularly vigilant about applying Microsoft's Outlook upgrades (or "patches"). There is no email alert service to announce when Outlook updates are available, but OIT is committed to keeping a current link on the OIT Security Information Site. Make a habit to check it regularly. 3. Don't respond to requests to be removed from a mailing list Unless you know and trust the sender, it's generally a bad idea to respond to email messages offering to unsubscribe you from a list. The initial "offer" to unsubscribe is likely a spam attack itself, meant to reach as many people as possible. By responding, you only confirm a valid email address that someone can target with more sinister spam later on. 4. Use your mail client to filter unwanted email and SPAM Wading through junk email and SPAM in your inbox is time consuming. At a campus level, it is difficult to block SPAM without inadvertently blocking legitimate mail. However, most email programs can filter email. Using this to block repeated emails from a specific address is an option to consider. If your email program does not have this capability, OIT has a utility named procmail to assist you. It has to be activated from inside your UMBC unix account. If you need help installing this, contact the OIT Help Desk at (410) 455-3838 or helpdesk@umbc.edu. 5. Get a second, non-UMBC, email account for personal email UMBC policy does not prohibit use of UMBC email accounts for personal communications that are not intended for outside commercial activities and are not in violation of other university policies. However, UMBC email is subject to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and if lawfully requested, your personal email can be released. To avoid this result, users with an outside ISP should use that account for personal use, or establish a second account with one of the free web-based email providers such as Hotmail or Yahoo. Most email clients can be easily configured to support multiple email accounts. For more information on email security and virus protection, visit the OIT Security Information Site at http://www.umbc.edu/oit/security.
March 1, 2002
UMBC Celebrates Women's History Month
March is National Women's History Month, and over the next few weeks UMBC will offer an outstanding lineup of internationally known speakers and inspiring performances and presentations by members of the campus community.
March is National Women's History Month, and in the next few weeks UMBC will offer an outstanding lineup of internationally known speakers and inspiring performances and presentations by members of the campus community. Joining UMBC in the celebration is a group of strong and inspiring women who are making a difference, whether through comedy and consciousness raising (Margaret Cho, who performed on March 1); entrepreneurship (businesswoman Sheila Talton-Henderson looks at "Women's Growing Success as Entrepreneurs in Technology" on March 5); political leadership (former congresswoman Pat Schroeder discusses "Women and Leadership" on March 6); and music (Sweet Honey in the Rock founder and scholar Bernice Johnson Reagon presents "The Healing Power of the Blues" on March 13). Mikhel Kushner, director of the Women's Center, explains, "Women have done and continue to do incredible things without accolades or attention to their efforts and accomplishments. Women's History Month invites us as a community to reflect on what has previously been invisible. We have a chance to celebrate what came before, what is happening now and what we have to look for in the future. We can also pay attention to the ways in which UMBC participates in history. How are women afforded the opportunity to participate in the evolution of our community and how are the accomplishments of women over time acknowledged in our campus' story?" Kushner adds, "This sense of past, present and future that we are reminded of by the exciting lineup of speakers is also reflected in the programs that members of our own community bring to the celebration, such as 'Voices of the Past- Words of Women' (March 4), the International Women's Day Celebration (March 8), a graduate student presentation on African women's perspectives on gender (March 18) and a career panel addressing the challenges and compromises made by women faced with decisions about parenting and career advancement (March 19)." For the complete schedule of Women's History Month events and links to other important resources, visit http://www.umbc.edu/whm.
March 1, 2002
The Department of Music Creates a Ruckus
On March 14, the Department of Music presents a new contemporary music ensemble, featuring E. Michael Richards (clarinet), Lisa Cella (flute) and Tom Goldstein (percussion), joined by guest artist Kazuko Tanosaki. Their program includes music by UMBC composers Linda Dusman, Stuart Saunders Smith, and others.
"The word ruckus," says UMBC clarinetist E. MichaelRichards, "signifies a burst of diverse, and sometimesconflicting, activity -- it seems to conveniently represent the pluralismand diversity of music today." So when Richards and his twocolleagues in the Department ofMusic, percussionist TomGoldstein and flutist LisaCella, searched for a name for their new contemporary musicensemble, they thought Ruckus was ideal. Cella adds, "Thethree of us have such a wonderful time together that we felt the name ofour group should really represent the kinds of personalities we have, andthe way we interact." For the past several months, the three performers, joined by guestpianist Kazuko Tanosaki, have been preparing for their debutconcert, which will be held on Thursday, March 14, at 8 p.m. inthe Fine Arts Recital Hall. "This concert," says Goldstein,"is the result of many hours of playing together, and of sharing ourindividual perspectives on each composition." The program includesmusic by GiacintoScelsi, Jo Kondo,David Macbride, and UMBC'sStuartSaunders Smith. But the program isn't only the premiere of Ruckus; it will also be thefirst performance of magnificat 1, a new work composed bydepartment chair LindaDusman. "When I heard the UMBC Concert Choir perform J.S.Bach's Magnificat last fall," says Dusman, "I becamefixated on the opening line of the Virgin Mary's song: 'My soul dothmagnify the Lord.' What would it mean to conceive of the soul as a lensfor something greater than oneself, rather than the essense of oneself?And how can one shape the fragments of one's life into that unifiedvision? I had stayed home on September 11, 2001 to compose. The events ofthat day added another layer to the piece, for with horror I was remindedthat terrorists also imagine their souls as lenses of God, withdevastating results. So magnificat 1 has both elements at work --the yearning for clarity, and the twists that easily shift intodistortion." The concert also will feature some short works by a loose-knit group ofcomposers and artists who call themselves Fluxus. Often humorousor irreverent, Fluxus pieces usually aren't scored like traditional music,but rather are written instructions. To commemorate the Ruckus kick-off,President Hrabowski agreed to help perform the first Fluxus pieceon the program, Two Inches by RobertWatts. New music, stemming from a long classical avant garde tradition, isn'theard widely outside of academic environments. But Ruckus intends tochange that: "I see our mission in two areas," says Richards."One is to establish the group (and UMBC) as a local, regional, andnational/international research center for composers and performers ofcontemporary music, where we can explore new musical vocabularies. Theother is to serve to educate listeners through performances of music andmusical ideas that they may not have previously experienced." Withthat mission in mind, Ruckus intends to embark on national andinternational tours, representing both contemporary music and UMBC. Admission to the Ruckus concert is free with a UMBC ID. Regular generaladmission is $7, and $3 for students and non-UMBC students. For moreinformation, call the Department of Music at x52942 or visit the online artscalendar.
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