Jewish Studies' Myrna Goldenberg Co-authors Book, Presents Paper
Myrna Goldenberg, Jewish studies, is the co-author, with Elizabeth R. Baer, of Experience and Expression: Women, the Nazis, and the Holocaust (2003) published by Wayne State University Press. She will also present a paper titled "Poetry in Minor Mode: Holocaust Poems by Sklarew, Katz, and Tham" at the 35th Annual Conference of the Association for Jewish Studies on December 22 in Boston. Goldenberg teaches Literature of the Holocaust (JDST 320) at UMBC.

EHS' John Droneburg Becomes New Executive Director of Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)
Maryland Governor Bob Erhlich will announce that EHS department Project Director John Droneburg, MBA, CEM, will become the new executive director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), with a January 2004 start-up date. Droneburg has worked with EHS professor Rick Bissell on the $6 million National Disaster Medical System project for the last three years, and has recently collaborated with Bissell to initiate new projects with Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and other state and federal agencies. Prior to coming to UMBC, Droneburg was for ten years the emergency manager for Frederick County, and also served for many years as an instructor for the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute.

If you have questions regarding Droneburg's departure to MEMA, please feel free to contact him at ext. 5-1666. The EHS department will miss John's competent and cheerful project leadership, but are happy to see him go on to a new and exciting assignment.

Tom Goldstein, Music, Doug Hamby, Dance and UMBC Students/Alumni Present Collaboration at International Convention
At the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Louisville,Kentucky on November 19, dance faculty member Doug Hamby andmusic faculty member Tom Goldstein collaborated to present "Opus 98,"choreographed by Hamby, with a live, solo percussion score -- "GenderangSenja" by Ben Pasaribu -- performed by Goldstein. Dancers included UMBCstudents Mandi Brown and Margaret Terry, and UMBC alumni Allyson Gebkin('03) and Emily Gibbs ('03).

History's Kriste Lindenmeyer on Marc Steiner Show
UMBC history professor Kriste Lindenmeyer was a guest on WYPR 88.1 FM's Marc Steiner Show to discuss how teen substance abuse and criminal behavior is not limited to the inner city. Lindenmeyer joined Steiner and a panel of educators and drug treatment providers to explore problem behavior among teens and its consequences in more affluent communities, as well as what is considered normal adolescent behavior across different cultures.

Ellen Hemmerly in the Daily Record
Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of UMBC Research Park Corp., discussed the technology industry and its future in the Daily Record on December 5. Part two of the Q&A with Hemmerly will run next week. The article is available to subscribers only.
www.mddailyrecord.com/archives/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printable?client.id=mddailyrecord&story.id=148819

Donald Norris in the Baltimore Sun
Donald Norris, director of MIPAR and professor of public policy, was quoted in the December 5 Baltimore Sun story "Think the store carries PR tools? President Bush makes a stop at the Halethorpe Home Depot."
www.sunspot.net/features/lifestyle/bal-to.depot05dec05,1,5539814.story

Norris was also quoted in a December 11 Baltimore Sun article on the Federal indictment of Maryland State Police Superintendent Edward T. Norris.
www.sunspot.net/news/local/crime/bal-te.md.politics11dec11,0,5790457.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Warren Cohen, History, in the London Times Literary Supplement
Distinguished University Professor Warren Cohen's article on North Korea appeared in the December 12 (London) Times Literary Supplement.

By Melisa Steffans, Assistant Director, Career Development Center

Do you have some free time over winter break? Are you wondering what to do with this time? Not only is winter break a great opportunity for you to take a load off from classes, but you can also take advantage of this time to explore your career interests. The Career Development Center (CDC) has some ideas to help you occupy your time while preparing you for life after UMBC:

1. Career Exploration: Meet with a CDC Career Specialist in MP 204 to explore your skills, interests, and values. Self-assessment is number one in finding a career that fits you.

2. Job Fairs: These events provide a great opportunity for you to meet with local employers to learn about internships, full-time job opportunities and what recruiters are looking for in a candidate. Check the career section of the weekly e-mail student announcements for updates on local job fairs.

3. Part-Time Jobs: This is a great way to get some hands-on experience with the skills you are learning in your classes or just earn some extra money. Check out the following part-time job binders in the Career Resource Center (CRC), MP 212:
*Art
*Math
*Computers & other
*Science
*Psychology, Social Work & Education
*On-Campus/Off-Campus

4. Full-Time Jobs: If you are thinking a full-time job better suits your needs, then check out the following full-time job binders in the CRC:
*Government Jobs
*Full-time Miscellaneous Jobs
*Education Jobs
*Full-time Career Related Jobs
*Arts, Entertainment and Writing Jobs

5. CDC Web site: For those of you who already have a fun-packed schedule for winter break, check out this convenient way to learn about upcoming events and career resources. Events are listed on the home page, click on "students" and then "career websites" for direct links to job banks (a great tool to search specific careers right from the comfort of your home!)

6. Internships: You are in a unique position to try out many different career-related interests without making a long-term commitment. Most internships last one semester, enabling you to try out many interests during your time at UMBC. Contact the Shriver Center, ext. 5-2493, to learn about internship opportunities.

7. Learn a New Skill: Consider learning a new skill to help prepare you and your resume for the job market, such as Power Point, CPR, JAVA, public speaking, etc.

8. Job Shadow: Have you have been thinking about a couple of career options and wondering which would be the best fit for you? Job shadowing and informational interviewing are great ways to get exposure to the work environment while building networking skills and making great contacts.

9. Don't Procrastinate: We all have hectic lives and, at times, neglect important areas of our personal and professional development. Let the CDC help you explore major/career options, learn about professional organizations, practice interviewing skills and much more. Make an appointment today!

10. Resumes: So, you're thinking you might be interested in the ideas mentioned above, but you don't know where to start with your resume. Take a look at resume guidelines and examples in the free Career Development Guide at www.careers.umbc.edu and make an appointment with a Career Specialist in the CDC to get a personalized resume critique.

For more information, contact the CDC at (410) 455-2216, Math/Psychology 204, careers@umbc.edu or www.careers.umbc.edu.

UMBC graduate student Jennifer Davis, information systems '02, was named to the 2003 Academic All-District II University Division Volleyball Team on November 14.

After graduating magna cum laude from UMBC with a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems, Davis enrolled as a graduate student in the same program. She was one of four winners of the Maryland Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics 2003 Post-graduate scholarship award. As an undergraduate, she earned the Outstanding Senior Award in Information Systems.

Davis, who currently holds a 3.94 GPA, has been just as sensational on the court as she is in the classroom. She is the fifth player in UMBC volleyball history to reach the 1,000 kills plateau, passing the mark against New Hampshire on November 8. She also ranks fifth all-time on UMBC's kills chart (1,008) and fourth in career blocks (258). Davis entered the week ending November 10 ranking fifth in the America East Conference in hitting percentage at .316.

She was named first team District II Verizon Academic All-American in 2002 and second team District II Verizon Academic All-American in 2001. She is a two-time All-NEC selection and earned all-tournament honors at the Retriever Invitational three years in a row.

Davis is one of six first team honorees and will advance to the national ballot for Academic All-American consideration.

UMBC and companies with UMBC connections had a distinct presence at the Greater Baltimore Technology Council's annual TechNite awards ceremony in October. Four of the twelve nominees for "Purple Cow" awards – named for the best seller by entrepreneur Seth Godin and given to innovators whose new approaches stand out from the competition – had links to UMBC, and two of them took home "Purple Cow” awards.

Computer Mania Day was one of five "Purple Cow" award winners. This event hosted by UMBC's Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT) brought hundreds of middle school girls to UMBC for a day of technology-related activities designed to address the under-enrollment of girls in IT courses. Computer Mania Day started as the brainchild of Shirley Collier, CEO of Paragon Smart Technologies, and a member of the CWIT advisory board. Through innovative programming, a corps of enthusiastic volunteers, and outstanding corporate support, Computer Mania Day was a great success – and a lot of fun. Computer Mania Day returns on May 8, 2004, and CWIT is seeking sponsors and volunteers.

CWIT advisory board member Deb Tillett, president of BreakAway, Ltd.,also took home a "Purple Cow." BreakAway turned its expertise in developing sophisticated video games toward new markets, creating advanced training models, simulations, and 3-D visualization tools for military applications.

Direct Dimensions, a "Purple Cow" award nominee, got its start at UMBC's business incubator, techcenter@UMBC. The company uses lasers to create 3-D engineering-grade drawings and models of complex structures – from satellite components to prosthetic devices – for rapid prototyping and development.

Another nominated company, 180s, whose trademark wraparound earmuffs and sunglasses can be found in sporting goods stores nationwide and in catalogs like L.L. Bean, has a UMBC connection as well. Chief Financial Officer Gib Mason earned his bachelor's degree in economics from UMBC in 1995. You can read more about Mason in Generations, UMBC's alumni newsletter.

The Center for Art and Visual Culture presents "White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art," organized by curator Maurice Berger, from October 9 through January 10. The exhibition features works by Max Becher & Andrea Robbins, Nayland Blake, Nancy Burson, Wendy Ewald, Mike Kelley, William Kentridge, Barbara Kruger, Nikki S. Lee, Paul McCarthy, Cindy Sherman and Gary Simmons.

"White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art" is the first exhibition of art that explores race and racism from the perspective of white people. Over the past 20 years, the cultural and scholarly discourse around race has expanded to include the study of whiteness and white privilege. This inquiry represents a radical shift in the way we think and talk about race in the United States.

Since the advent of the modern civil rights movement, people of color have usually been responsible for leading the debate and discussion about race and racism -- a discourse that has traditionally centered on the issue of African-American, Latino, Asian-American, and American-Indian victimization. While people of color are forced to evaluate the status of their race in relation to the prejudice they experience every day, most white people, even the most liberal, are usually oblivious to the psychological and political weight of their own color.

It is precisely this unwillingness to mark whiteness, to assign it meaning, that has freed most white people from the responsibility of understanding their complicity in the social and cultural economy of racism. The study of whiteness asks all Americans -- and especially white people -- to take stock of the political, psychological, economic, and cultural implications of white skin, white entitlement, and white privilege.

A number of visual artists -- some white, some of color -- have taken their lead from progressive writers and scholars who have used the concept of "whiteness" to denote the racial counterpart of "blackness." To these artists, whiteness is something that must be marked, represented, and explored. To them, whiteness is not just a color. It is also a ubiquitous and unexamined state of mind and body -- a powerful norm that had been so constant and persistent in society that white people have never needed to acknowledge or name it.

"White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art" gives voice to 12 contemporary artists who explicitly address the issue of whiteness: Max Becher and Andrea Robbin's German Indian series (1997-98) -- photographs of German men, women, and children who regularly attend carnivals dressed up as Native Americans -- examines white people's fascination with and appropriation of racial otherness.

The exhibition also includes Nancy Burson's Untitled (Guys Who Look Like Jesus) (2000-01), the culmination of a national search for people who believe they look like Christ, depicts eight men of varying ages and races. The series challenges one of Christianity's (and whiteness') most generative and foundational myths: that of Aryan purity as a metaphor of godliness and the triumph over evil.

Wendy Ewald's White Girl's Alphabet-Andover, Massachusetts (2002), a project created in collaboration with teenage subjects, represents a poignant, humanistic exploration of the vulnerabilities and ambivalence that underwrite both whiteness and femininity.

"White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art" will be accompanied by a 100-page catalog edited by Maurice Berger, and is the first book devoted to the subject of whiteness, race and art.

CAVC Curator Maurice Berger is the author of the critically acclaimed White Lies: Race and the Myths of Whiteness (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1999) -- which was named as a finalist for the 2000 Horace Mann Bond Book Award of Harvard University and is being adapted as a television documentary for PBS. Berger is also a fellow at the Vera List Center for Art and Politics of the New School for Social Research in New York. His articles have appeared in many journals and newspapers, including Artforum, Art in America, The New York Times, The Village Voice, October, Wired, and The Los Angeles Times.

The CAVC is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (410) 455-3188 or go to www.umbc.edu/cavc. For more information on other works in the exhibition or the catalog, visit the online press release.

Photo Credits

Cindy Sherman, Untitled (#405) (2000), color photograph, edition of six, 44" x 33". Courtesy the Broad Art Foundation, Santa Monica, and Metro Pictures, New York.

Gary Simmons, Big Still (2001), painted foam, fiberglass, wood, metal. Courtesy of the artist and Metro Pictures, New York.

UMBC's Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery presents "Intermedia: The Dick Higgins Collection," on display through December 23. The Dick Higgins Collection, acquired by UMBC in 1999, features works by leading Fluxus artists, including Joseph Beuys, Alison Knowles, Seiichi Niikuni, Jackson Mac Low, Wolf Vostell, Ben Patterson, Al Hansen, George Brecht, Mieko Shiomi and Dick Higgins.

The exhibition is curated by Lisa Moren, assistant professor of visual arts at UMBC. A scholarly illustrated catalog accompanies the exhibition, and includes essays by Ina Blom, Ken Friedman, Hannah Higgins and others.

Dick Higgins (1938-1998) was an influential visual artist, composer, poet and art theorist. Because his work transgressed many art forms, he coined the now-popular term intermedia, stating, "I find I never feel quite complete unless I'm doing all the arts-visual, musical and literary…that's why I developed the term intermedia, to cover my works that fall conceptually between these."

As a young artist in New York in the late 1950s, Higgins studied with composers John Cage and Henry Cowell. By 1961, he co-founded Fluxus, a seminal experimental art movement that held that change is the only constant. Immediately interdisciplinary and international, Fluxus blurred the boundaries of music, theatre, poetry, and visual art, and engaged artists, musicians, and poets from Japan, Korea, Europe, Brazil, New York and California.

By 1964 Higgins founded Something Else Press, a publishing house, in part to help disseminate the work of Fluxus artists and writings about their work. Something Else Press published editions of work by John Cage, Emmett Williams, Allan Kaprow, Claes Oldenberg, Gertrude Stein, Marshall McLuhan, Merce Cunningham, Dick Higgins and many other influential artists. By 1987, he authored the first scholarly work on pattern poetry through SUNY Press.

After Higgins's death in 1998, his wife, Fluxus artist Alison Knowles, and daughters Hannah Higgins and Jessica Higgins contributed much of Higgins's remarkable collection to UMBC's Albin O. Kuhn Library Special Collections. "Intermedia: The Dick Higgins Collection" is the first opportunity for the public to view this remarkable material, which includes visual and audio art, over a dozen limited edition boxes and hand printed folios (objects, printed matter, silkscreens, hand letter press prints including concrete poems), books, book jackets, pamphlets, newsletters, audio recordings, catalogs, journals, and other items.

"Intermedia: The Dick Higgins Collection" has received major funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The programs of the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery are supported in part by an arts program grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts, and by the Friends of the Library & Gallery. At UMBC, support has been provided by the Department of Visual Arts, the Dean of Arts & Sciences, and the Humanities Forum.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. The Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery hours are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 12 to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 12 to 8 p.m.; and Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. The Gallery is closed on Sundays. For more information, call (410) 455-2270.