Stephen Braude, Philosophy, Receives Research Grant
Stephen Braude, chair and professor of philosophy, has been awarded a research grant from the BIAL Foundation in Portugal. The grant will enable Braude to take a year's leave starting January, during which he will write his next book, tentatively entitled Parapsychological Investigations: Reflections, Adventures, and Cautionary Tales. This project will deal with the conceptual confusions about causality and agency underlying the concept of synchronicity, and with Braude's own investigations into apparently (sometimes only apparently) paranormal phenomena.

Kate Brown, History, Receives Book Award
Kate Brown, assistant professor of history, has won the 2004 Heldt Prize of the Association for Women in Slavic Studies for the best book by a woman in any area of Slavic/East European/Eurasian studies. For more information on Brown's book, A Biography of No Place: From Ethnic Borderland to Soviet Heartland (Harvard University Press), visit www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/BROBIO.html.

Matea Pender Named America East Wilson Co-Player of the Week for Second Time This Season
The America East Conference announced that UMBC Women's Basketball junior forward Matea Pender was named Wilson Co-Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 12. This is Pender's second player of the week accolade this season. As of this week, she leads America East in scoring (18.1 ppg), three-point field goal percentage (63.9 percent) and three-point field goals made (3.29 per game), while ranking third in field goal percentage (58.2 percent). Pender and the Retrievers have two more non-conference games to gear up for the America East Conference: Drexel on Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. and cross-town rival Towson on Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.umbcretrievers.com.

Public Policy Faculty, Students to Present at Urban Affairs Association Meeting
UMBC public policy doctoral students Bernadette Hanlon, Steve Sharkey and Tom Vicino will present their research with the Center for Environmental Research and Education (CUERE) during several sessions at the Urban Affairs Association Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah in April. Professor of Public Policy and Director of MIPAR Donald Norris will moderate a panel discussion. Professor and Chair of Geography and Environmental Systems John Rennie Short will also present research.

Govind Rao, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, to Speak at Biotechnology Conference
Govind Rao, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, will speak at the NRC-Biotechnology Research Institute's annual symposium in February at the NRC-Biotechnology Research Institute in Montreal, Canada.

Victor H. Aulestia Honored with President's Volunteer Services Award
The President's Volunteer Service Award was presented to Victor H. Aulestia, UMBC's director of instructional technology, on December 3. This award recognizes the many hours Aulestia volunteered to translate, edit and produce a Spanish version of the "ABC's of Protection?--a video presentation designed to educate and empower children of the world by instilling the knowledge and awareness for self-protection and the inspiration to champion others. The Bronze Medal and signed letter from President George W. Bush was presented in a ceremony by a White House representative at the site of the Children Network in Beltsville, Md.

CAVC Traveling Exhibition Opens at International Center of Photography
"White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art," organized by Maurice Berger and the Center for Art and Visual Culture (CAVC) opened December 9 at the International Center of Photography in New York, where it will remain on view through February 27. For more information, visit www.icp.org. Watch a Newsweek feature on the exhibition.

Freshman Michael Knight Named America East Conference Rookie of the Week
Freshman guard Michael Knight was named America East Conference Rookie of the Week in men's basketball for games played on Monday, November 28-Sunday, December 5. Knight's top performance occurred on Saturday, as he led the Retrievers (2-3) with 13 points, leading UMBC to a 63-61 victory over cross town rival Towson. The 6'3? guard hit 5 of 8 shots from the floor and 2 of 5 from behind the arc in 26 minutes of action. In the second half of play, Knight replaced UMBC's injured guard Chris Pugh, and scored 6 points in a 13-7 run which gave the Retrievers a ten-point lead midway through the half. Knight had posted a season high 14 points a week earlier in an 82-70 loss at James Madison. He is averaging 8.2 ppg and is the team's leading free throw shooter at 82.4 percent (14/17).

Amy Rynes and Tom Vicino Nominated to the CPHA Housing Committee
CUERE Assistant Director Amy Rynes and Tom Vicino, public policy doctoral student and CUERE research assistant, have been asked to serve on Citizen Planning and Housing Association's (CPHA) Regional Housing Committee, under the leadership of Michael Sarbanes. CPHA's committee will meet quarterly to create a strategy aimed at developing and promoting environmentally friendly smart growth strategies by promoting communities of opportunity throughoutthe region. This group will bring together policy makers, researchers, practitioners and community stakeholders to discuss regional housing issues and community development.

Sam Williams '99 Named Assistant Athletic Director
Sam Williams, history '99, was recently named UMBC's assistant athletic director for operations. His responsibilities include the coordinating, scheduling and upkeep of all athletic facilities, managing game day operations and supervising the equipment room staff.

Williams has been head equipment manager at UMBC since July 2000 and was recreation/physical education equipment manager for the 1999-2000 academic year. He was on the Game Operations staff at the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships held at M&T Bank Stadium; served as assistant meet director of the NEC Track & Field Championships in 2001 and 2002; and has worked for the Baltimore Orioles as a production assistant since May 2003.

As an undergraduate, Williams was a four-year letter winner in cross country and track and field (1994-98) for the Retrievers, and captained the squads in his senior year.