UMBC Alumni Map Sports
International Mapping Associates (IMA), owned by Scott Edmonds, geography '75, produced the 28-page spread of atlas maps in the December 27, 2004 issue of Sports Illustrated. James Miller, geography '01, was a key cartographer working on the project. Formerly Maryland Cartographics and later part of GeoSystems, IMA has offered numerous internships to UMBC students, where they learn the fine points of custom mapping that blend the science of digital cartography with the age-old art of mapmaking. IMA is internationally known for preparing high quality graphics used by law firms in the International Court of Justice.

Robert Deluty, Psychology, Publishes Book of Poetry
Robert Deluty, associate professor of psychology, recently published his fifth book, Treasuring the Details: Poems by Robert H. Deluty (Gateway Press). Written in the Japanese form called senryu, Deluty's poems examine the comic, ironic and pathetic aspects of human nature. The book is available at the UMBC Bookstore and at selected bookstores in the Baltimore/Washington area.

Brian Hodges Named America East Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week
UMBC freshman guard Brian Hodges was named America East Conference Rookie of the Week for games played Monday, January 17-Sunday, January 23. Hodges continues to emerge as a key component of a gritty UMBC squad. On Saturday, he drilled a three-pointer with 1.2 seconds to go to give the Retrievers a 61-59 win over Binghamton. Hodges averaged 9.9 ppg over his last nine games, and 12.0 ppg in UMBC's home conference wins. For the season, he is averaging 7.9 ppg and 3.1 rpg and leads UMBC with 23 three-point goals. Hodges is UMBC's third freshman to earn the conference's Rookie of the Week honors this season. Michael Knight earned the award on December 7, 2004, and Rashad Bilal was the league's co-recipient on January 10, 2005.

Christopher Corbett, English, Publishes Essay in Anthology
Down The Dark Pine Green: Leo Connellan and His Poetry, an anthology of essays on the late Maine poet Leo Connellan, will include a piece by Christopher Corbett, English lecturer. The Connellan anthology, edited by Connecticut's Poet Laureate Marilyn Nelson and Sheila Murphy, will be published next fall by Bibliopola Press in association with the University Press of New England. Other contributors include prominent American poets such as Hayden Carruth, Robert Creeley and Richard Wilbur.

Corbett's essay, which appeared originally in the magazine Down East, is entitled "In The Clear Blue Water Lobster Country With Leo Connellan? and takes its title from one of Connellan's best known poems.

UMBC Joint Center for Astrophysics scientists and their colleagues at Oxford University used a speed-gun technique typical of the highway patrol to clock three separate clumps of hot iron gas whipping around a black hole at 20,000 miles per second, over 10 percent of light speed.

The observation, made with the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton satellite, marks the first time scientists could trace individual blobs of shredded matter on a complete journey around a black hole. This provides a crucial measurement that has long been missing from black hole studies: an orbital period. Knowing this, scientists can measure black hole mass and other characteristics that have long eluded them.

Jane Turner, jointly affiliated with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and UMBC's Joint Center for Astrophysics (JCA), presented this result today at a press conference at the American Astronomical Society in San Diego. Her co-presenter is Lance Miller of Oxford University.

"For years we have seen only the general commotion caused by massive black holes, that is, a terrific outpouring of light," said Turner. "We could not track the specifics. Now, with XMM-Newton, we can filter through all that light and find patterns that reveal information about black holes never seen before in such clarity."

Miller noted that if this black hole were placed in our Solar System, it would appear like a dark abyss spread out nearly as wide as Mercury's orbit. And the three clumps of matter detected would be as far out as Jupiter. They orbit the black hole in a lightning-quick 27 hours (compared to the 12 years it takes Jupiter to orbit the Sun).Black holes are regions in space so dense that gravity prevents all matter and light from escaping. What scientists see is not the black hole itself but rather the light emitted close to it as matter falls towards the black hole and heats to high temperatures.

Turner's team observed a well-known galaxy named Markarian 766, about 170 million light years away in the constellation Coma Berenices (Bernice's Hair). The black hole in Markarian 766 is relatively small although highly active. Its mass is a few million times that of the Sun; other central black hole systems are over 100 million solar masses.

Matter funnels into this black hole like water swirling down a drain, forming what scientists call an accretion disk. Flares erupt on this disk most likely when magnetic field lines emanating from the central black hole interact with regions on the disk.

"Calculating the flares' speeds and the black hole mass was straightforward, based on Doppler shifting, the technique used by law officers to nab speeders." said Ian George of UMBC's JCA and NASA Goddard, a co-author on a scientific journal article the team has prepared. "Light appears to rise in energy as an object moves towards us and then fall in energy as it moves away. A similar phenomenon happens with the sound of a passing car on a highway, going 'eeeeeeyyoool.'"

"We think we're viewing the accretion disk at a slightly tilted angle, so we see the light from each of these flares rise and fall in energy as they orbit the black hole," Miller said.

When the scientists made a graph of energy (on the y-axis) and time (on the x-axis), they saw near-perfect sinusoidal curves from each of the three clumps of matter they observed. The width, or period, of the curves is proportional to black hole mass. The height of the curves is related to the viewing angle of the accretion disk. With a known mass and orbital period, the scientists could determine velocity using relatively simple Newtonian physics.

Two factors made the measurement possible. The scientists observed particularly persistent flares during a long observation, nearly 27 hours. Also, "no telescope before XMM-Newton has had the light-collecting power to allow for a comparison of energy over time," said James Reeves of NASA Goddard, also part of the team.

Turner said this observation confirms a preliminary XMM-Newton result announced by a European team in September--that something as detailed as an orbital period could be detected with the current generation of X-ray telescopes. The combination of results indicates that scientists, given long observation times, are now able to make careful black hole measurements and even test general relativity in the domain of extreme gravity.

Thanks to NASA Public Relations for their collaboration on this story.

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Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery, in Baltimore's City Paper
The new exhibit opening Jan. 31 in the Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery, "Suburban Journals: The Sketchbooks, Drawings and Prints of Charles Ritchie,? was chosen as a Critic's Pick and featured in this week's City Paper.

Scott Bass, Graduate School, in Parade
Scott Bass, vice provost of research and planning and dean of the Graduate School, was quoted in a Jan. 23 Parade article by Norman Mailer, "One Idea,? about the crisis in America's education system and TV's effect on concentration. The article is not available online.

Alumnus Anthony Burlay in the Catonsville Times
Local psychiatrist Anthony Burlay, biological sciences '87, recently published a book, Foundation Diet: Your Body Was Designed to Eat (Zen-Fusion Publishing Co.), featured in the Catonsville Times on Jan. 20. The story was also published by the Arbutus Times.

Center for Art and Visual Culture (CAVC) on NPR
The "WHITE? exhibit organized by the Center for Art and Visual Culture (CAVC) will be featured on the nationally broadcast "NPR News with Tony Cox? on Friday, Jan. 28 (locally at 6 p.m. on WEAA 88.9 FM). Check the NPR Web site for more information. The interview will be posted on the NPR Web site after 1 p.m. Jan. 28.

Alumnus Jason Lee in the Detroit Free Press
Alumnus Jason Lee, mechanical engineering '96, was the subject of a Jan. 23 Detroit Free Press story, "The Transformer,? about the journey that led him to his position as executive director of the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering program.

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun
Donald Norris, professor and director of public policy, was quoted in a Jan. 23 Baltimore Sun story, "Survey Shows Growing Division,? about the increasingly divergent political views of Baltimore City and County residents.

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Daily Tar Heel
Thomas Schaller, assistant professor of political science, was quoted in a Jan. 21 Daily Tar Heel story, "Freedom, Liberty Key in Address,? about President Bush's inaugural speech.

President Freeman Hrabowski, Mike Summers, Chemistry and Meyerhoff Scholars in "College Track?
President Freeman Hrabowski, Professor of Chemistry Mike Summers and Meyerhoff Scholars were featured in "College Track III: Get In, Stay In,? to be re-aired on High Definition channels of MPT and WETA. For viewing schedules, go to www.pbs.org/tvschedules/ and www.weta.org/tv/index.php.

Dennis Coates, Economics, in Cato.org and the Daytona Beach News Journal
Dennis Coates, professor of economics, was quoted in a Jan. 18 Cato.org news update, "Deadline Looms for D.C. Stadium Private Financing,? about the financial commitments still needed to secure the stadium.

He was quoted in a Jan. 16 Daytona Beach News Journal story, "How Much is NASCAR Hall Worth to Daytona?? about the proposal to build a NASCAR Hall of Fame in Daytona.

Alumna Denise Hickman, in the Muskogee Daily Phoenix
Denise Hickman, psychology '99, was featured in a Muskogee Daily Phoenix story about her job as supervisor of the Muskogee Recreation Center.

President Freeman Hrabowski, in the Chicago Daily Herald
President Freeman Hrabowski was highlighted in a Jan. 18 Chicago Daily Herald story, "King Lessons Learned Firsthand,? about Hrabowski's personal encounter with King and his subsequent speech at the 10th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast.

President Hrabowski was also quoted in a Jan. 17 Al.com story, "Rice Keeps Warm Spot for Caring Community,? about the destinies of the children that lived in an Alabama community visited by Martin Luther King Jr.

Anthony Johnson, Physics, CASPR), in the Baltimore Sun
Anthony Johnson, professor of physics and computer science and electrical engineering, and director of CASPR, was quoted in a Jan. 14 Baltimore Sun story, "Laser-beam Cases Prompt U.S. Warning,? about the dangers of recent incidents where lasers or industrial-power lights were aimed at aircraft.

George La Noue, Political Science, in the Kansas City infoZine
George La Noue, professor of political science, was quoted in a Jan. 16 Kansas City infoZine story, "States Look Beyond Quotas to Promote Minority Firms,? about new programs across the country aimed at promoting women and minority business owners.

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Washington Post
Donald Norris, professor of public policy and MIPAR director, was quoted in a Jan. 19 Washington Post story, "Ehrlich's Campaign Coffers Filling Faster Than Foes',? about the governor's success in raising funds for his re-election campaign.

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
Thomas Schaller, associate professor of political science, wrote a Jan. 14 Baltimore Sun op-ed story, "Ehrlich's Tax Dodge,? about the governor's attempt to use semantics to justify his opposition to the medical malpractice bill.

Schaller was also quoted in a Jan. 16 Baltimore Sun story about the similar "likeable? characteristics of Maryland Governor Ehrlich and President Bush.

Alumnus Mike Beyer in the Dundalk Eagle
Mike Beyer, biological sciences '04, was the subject of a Dundalk Eagle story, "Charlesmont Man Chooses to Take the Path of Art Over Medicine,? about Beyer's cross-continental adventures as a poet.

Louis Cantori, Political Science, in USA Today
In his Jan. 13 op-ed in USA Today, Professor of Political Science Louis Cantori discussed the reasons elections should be postponed in Iraq.

Center for Art and Visual Culture (CAVC), in the New York Times
"White: Whiteness and Race in Contemporary Art,? an exhibit developed by the Center for Art and Visual Culture (CAVC), was the subject of a Jan. 10 New York Times story, "Playing on Black and White: Racial Messages Through a Camera Lens.?

Christopher Corbett, English, in Baltimore Style
English lecturer Christopher Corbett discusses the amount of talk on public radio in "Talk is Cheap,? in the Jan./Feb. issue of Style.

Carlo DiClemente, Psychology, in the Los Angeles Times
Carlo DiClemente, professor and chair of psychology, was mentioned in a Jan. 3 Los Angeles Times story, "What keeps us at it?? for his trans-theoretical model, used by other psychologists to understand the phases of behavior change.

Lafayette Gilchrist, Music, in the Baltimore Sun
Lafayette Gilchrist, music instructor and jazz pianist, was quoted in a Jan. 13 Baltimore Sun story, "Murray Here One Night Only,? about tenor saxophone player David Murray's upcoming performance at An Die Musik in Baltimore.

President Freeman Hrabowski, in the Newshouse News Service
President Freeman Hrabowski was quoted in a Jan. 11 Newshouse News Service story, "What Would Martin Luther King Have Made of Condoleezza Rice?? on the future Secretary of State's fulfillment of King's "dream.?

Robert Provine, Psychology, in Time
Robert Provine, professor of psychology, was featured in the Jan. 10 issue of Time magazine in, "The Funny Thing About Laughter,? about Provine's research on laughter. The article is one of a series in this Time special issue devoted to happiness.

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
Thomas Schaller, associate professor of political science, was quoted in a Jan. 12 Baltimore Sun story about ads run by the state Republican Party in Anne Arundel County in an attempt to strengthen their hold on the region for the next elections.

His op-ed, "Ehrlich's Tax Dodge," appeared in the Baltimore Sun on January 14.

The Shriver Center, in the Hagerstown Morning Herald
The Shriver Center was mentioned in a Jan. 10 Hagerstown Morning Herald story, "Caseworkers Provide Help to Troubled Youth 24/7,? about Hagerstown's youth-focused Choice Program, one of seven funded by the Shriver Center.

David Smith, Music, in the Baltimore Sun
David Smith, music lecturer and head of UMBC's choral activities, was mentioned in a Baltimore Sun story, "Concert Calendar Shrinks, but SuperBach Lives On,? for his tenor solos with the Concert Artists of Baltimore and an award he recently received from the Liederkranz Foundation.

Jane Turner and Ian George, Physics, in PhysicsWeb.org
Jane Turner and Ian George, associate research professors of physics and affiliates of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, were mentioned in a Jan. 11 PhysicsWeb.org story, "X-Ray Satellite Chalks Up Black Hole First,? about the first-ever observation of clumps of gas making a complete orbit around a black hole.

The story was also covered by Space.com, NASA, Xinua online, RedNova.com, Space Ref, the Register, PhysOrg.com., MSNBC, Stuff.co.nz, Daily Times, Independent Online, Hindustan Times, ABC Online, Reuters, News24, South Australia Advertiser, the South African Star, the Australian, NEWS.com.au, Reuters (UK) and Melbourne Herald Sun.

Ted Alexander, M.A. '87, in the Waynesboro Record Herald
Ted Alexander, historical studies M.A. '87, was the subject of a Jan. 4 Waynesboro Record Herald feature for his recently published book, History and Tour Guide of The Burning of Chambersburg and McCausland's Raid, about southern Pennsylvania's role in the Civil War.

Aurora Analytics, techcenter@UMBC, in the Baltimore Business Journal
Aurora Analytics, a biotech company headed by Assistant Professor William Lacourse and Aris Kalivretenos, who are currently developing technologies to detect food quality, was highlighted in a Jan. 4 Baltimore Business Journal news feature announcing the four UM-based companies to receive Tedco grants.

The story was also covered by the Washington Business Journal.

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
Thomas Schaller, assistant professor of political science, was quoted in a Jan. 1 Baltimore Sun story, "Balto. County executive shows signs of becoming 'renaissance' man,? about the significance of Co. Exec. James T. Smith Jr.'s frequent use of the word "renaissance? in his speeches and administrative documents.

UMBC in the Washington Post
UMBC was listed in a Jan. 3 Washington Post feature, "In Profile,? as one of the big-name clients to sign up for a new technology developed by Real User Corp. that uses face profiling instead of passwords for computer user verification.

UMBC Visionaries in IT Forum, in the Business Monthly
UMBC's Visionaries IT Forum, started in 1999, was highlighted in the Business Monthly as one of the key events that promotes new development in Maryland's IT industry. Over 1,000 businesspeople, scientists, students and professors attend the event annually.

By Steffany Magid

In 2003, after one of Brady Walker’s former high school teachers was involved in a serious car accident on the infamously dangerous Route 113 in southeastern Maryland, he decided to take action. Walker formed a student advocacy group called KRASH II (Kids Requesting Action for Safer Highways II) and succeeded in obtaining $16 million in federal funds to begin improvements on stretches of the highway.

Today, a freshman in the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars program, Walker is the statutory representative for the 18-24 age group on the Governor’s Council for Service and Volunteerism Commission, which develops, updates and implements strategic plans for service programs. As the youngest voting member of the Commission, he provides recommendations for ways to recruit students and young adults for service projects and fosters relationships with local service organizations through on-site visits and evaluation of projects for allocated funds.

In addition to his administrative duties, Walker is involved in several community service projects, including initiatives pioneered by Civic Works, Baltimore’s non-profit service corps that creates usable communal spaces by transforming abandoned lots into parks and play areas, and provides academic support to inner city youth. Walker also sits on the Governor’s Work Group on Young Drivers and is a Sondheim volunteer at North Bend Elementary School in Baltimore.

Walker hopes to use his experience as a council member to raise awareness in the UMBC community about service opportunities and to take advantage of campus resources, like the Shriver Center, to create partnerships with Baltimore City organizations. “I think that students at UMBC want to serve the community, and if we mobilize people we could provide a valuable resource to organizations like Civic Works that count on volunteers,” he said.

Looking to the future, Walker anticipates a career in Maryland public service. “First, I’d like to attend law school to study corporate law and government policy,” he said. His interest in policy goes back to elementary school, where he got his first taste of leadership as a classroom representative. But what keeps Walker motivated is the “overwhelming number of people willing to commit time and energy to improve their communities,” he said. “It really is true that anyone can make a difference with the right motivation.”

In November 2004 the Council of Graduate Schools announced that 21 universities, including UMBC, would receive up to $100,000 to "address the issues of doctoral attrition and completion in Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics (SEM) and in Humanities and Social Science disciplines."

In many universities less than half the students who begin a doctoral program complete the degree. The council's initiative will assist participating schools in determining the causes of attrition and designing effective interventions to stem this pattern. Pfizer, Inc., and the Ford Foundation are funding the project.

On February 10, Daniel Denecke from the Council of Graduate Schools described the Ph.D. Completion Project to the UMBC's graduate program directors. Denecke's presentation provides more details about the project.

Dean Scott Bass is the principal investigator of UMBC's grant, and Janet Rutledge, associate dean of the Graduate School, is the project director. Connie Pierson in the Office of Institutional Research and Renetta Tull, director of the PROMISE program, are co-principal investigators on the project.

Updates on the project will appear in future issues of Insights.

UMBC's Center for Art and Visual Culture (CAVC) presents three exhibitions as part of the Baltimore area-wide Tour de Clay, held in conjunction with the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts 2005 Conference. The exhibitions open on March 10 and continue through April 2. An opening reception for all three exhibitions will be held on Wednesday, March 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the CAVC.

The largest of the exhibitions--and the largest Tour de Clay exhibition in Baltimore--is the "NCECA 2005 Clay National Exhibition,? a nationally juried exhibition of over 70 emerging and established artists. This exhibition will be presented in CAVC's main exhibition space on the first floor of the Fine Arts Building.

"Series of Echoes: Anderson Ranch,? featuring work by past and present Anderson Ranch resident artists, is curated by Jill Oberman and organized by the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village, Colorado. "Series of Echoes? showcases the diversity and individual strengths of the artists in residence, and highlights the emerging and established artists who have left a legacy at the Anderson Ranch while contributing to the field of contemporary ceramics. It will be presented in the Gallery on Upper Main at The Commons.

"Contemporary Codex: Ceramics and the Book? is a traveling invitational exhibition exploring the written word, curated by Holly Hanessian and Janet Williams and organized by the University Art Gallery, Central Michigan University. Ceramics and books share a common history: The earliest book forms, imbued with power and intimacy, were cuneiforms, small terra cotta tablets with orderly symbols easily tucked into a side sleeve and carried around. The book objects or installations in this exhibition stretch the boundaries of both ceramics and the book form, interpreting the book with integrity and a variety of aesthetic viewpoints. "Contemporary Codex" will be on display on the Second Floor of The Commons in Room 2B24.

A full-color catalog with essays from both curators will be available for purchase at the CAVC for $10. For more information, call 410-455-3188.

Credits:
Top photo: Dana Morales, DNA 78
Middle photo: Bede Clark, Lidded Jar
Bottom photo: Tom Bartel, Figure in Diaper and Glasses

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Warren Belasco, American Studies, on A&E
Warren Belasco, professor of American studies and American food culture expert, appears on A&E's Biography series about Glenn Bell, founder of Taco Bell, Feb. 25 at 9 p.m. EST.

Alumni Ed Davis and Garrett Oie, in the Baltimore Sun
Former UMBC soccer players Ed Davis, sociology "85, and Garrett Oie, visual and performing arts "91, were quoted in a Feb. 20 Baltimore Sun story, "It's a "Liga' of Their Own,� about La Liga, a men's first division soccer league at Soccer Dome Inc. that draws American and international players alike.

David Hoffman, SGA; Cynthia Hody and Roy Meyers, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
David Hoffman, advisor to the student government association; Cynthia Hody, chair of political science; and Roy Meyers, professor of political science and director of the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars program, were quoted in a Feb. 20 Baltimore Sun "Education Supplement� story, "Political Science Interests Increase,� about students' growing concern over issues relating to the government and the opportunities UMBC's affords these students to pursue their interests. This story is not yet available online.

Qiana Moody, Senior, in the Baltimore Sun
Senior Qiana Moody was quoted in a Feb. 21 Baltimore Sun story, "Giving City Youths Tools to be a Cut Above the Rest,� about a Baltimore outreach program that is boosting the confidence of inner city youth by training them in grooming and styling techniques.

Randy Monroe, Athletics, in the Catonsville and Arbutus Times
Basketball Head Coach Randy Monroe was the subject of a Feb. 16 Catonsville and Arbutus Times story, "Passion for the Game Drives UMBC's New Head Coach,� about Monroe's unfaltering enthusiasm and faith in his team.

Alumnus Terrence Nolan, in the Arbutus Times
Terrence Nolan, political science "82, was the subject of a Feb. 24 Arbutus Times story, "Terry Nolan Takes Helm at ABPA,� about his recent appointment as president of the Arbutus Business and Professional Association, which works to boost local commerce and improve community relations.

Robert Provine, Psychology, in the Los Angeles Times
Robert Provine, professor of psychology, was the subject of a Feb. 18 Los Angeles Times story, "Voyage to the Center of the Yuk,� about Provine's research on laughter and the surprising insights it provides into human nature.

Mary Rivkin, Ecucation, in the London Free Press (Canada)
Mary Rivkin, associate professor and chair of education, was quoted in a Feb. 18 London Free Press story, "Bringing Children's Festival Inside Gives Me the Chills,� about a proposal to move a children's festival from a park to a mall.

Thomas Blass, Psychology, in the Register-Guard
Thomas Blass, professor of psychology, was quoted in a Feb. 13 Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon) story, "Scientists Found to Resort to Self-Censorship to Avoid Backlash,� on the recent debates about scientists tailoring research to conform to outside expectations.

The story also ran in the Baltimore Sun.

Emergency Health Services in the Bangor Daily News
The Critical Care Emergency Medical Transport Program developed by Emergency Health Services was discussed in a Feb. 15 Bangor Daily News story, "NMCC Course Aids Emergency Transport,� about the implementation of a similar program at Northern Maine Community College.

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun
Donald Norris, director and professor of public policy, was quoted in a Feb. 13 Baltimore Sun story, "Managing a Rumor Quietly, Then Openly,� about Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley's handling of an 18 month-old rumor accusing him of infidelity.

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, on WPYR
On Feb. 17, Thomas Schaller, associate professor of political science, discussed Howard Dean's new role as head of the Democratic National Party on the Marc Steiner Show (WYPR, 88.1 FM).

UMBC in the Baltimore Sun
UMBC's ESTEEM program, a partnership between the Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT) and the Shriver Center, was the subject of a Baltimore Sun story, "Building Up Girls' Technology Skills,� about the reception of the program in two Anne Arundel Middle Schools.

The ESTEEM program was also highlighted in a Feb. 15 Contra Costa Times (California) story, "What's Up at Chabot,� on UMBC's recent partnership with the Chabot Space and Science Center and the Techbridge program, which will be tested in six Maryland middle schools.

Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery Exhibition in City Paper
The current Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery exhibition "Suburban Journals" is reviewed in the February 9 City Paper.

Thomas Blass, Psychology, in the News
Professor of Psychology Thomas Blass's book, The Man Who Shocked the World, was the focus of a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) review essay, "Medical Ethics: Consent or Obedience? Power and Authority in Medicine,� about how Stanley Milgram's infamous obedience experiments should alert physicians about their potential abuse of power. Blass's book also appeared in the latest catalog of offerings by the Behavioral Science Book Club (Winter 2005).

Blass is also quoted in the February 11 Baltimore Sun.

Barry Dove, Music, in the Northeast Reporter
Barry Dove, percussion instructor, was the subject of a Feb. 10 Northeast Reporter story, "Percussionist's Lifestyle Took and Offbeat Path,� about Dove's upcoming solo performance with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and his incredible journey across the globe that ultimately led him back to his childhood home.

President Freeman Hrabowski in the Shreveport Times
President Freeman Hrabowski's Black History Month address at Little Union Baptist Church in Louisiana was the subject of a Feb. 6 Shreveport Times story, "University President Focuses on Past to Build Future,� which addresses Hrabowski's background and his impact on the young audience.

Hrabowski and his vision for minority education were also highlighted in a Feb. 4 Shreveport Times story about his anticipated visit to the area.

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Delmarva Daily Times
Thomas Schaller, associate professor of political science, was quoted in a Feb. 6 Delmarva Daily Times story, "Under the Radar,� about U.S. senator Paul Sarbanes' low-key style and his consequential lack of public recognition.

Schaller was also quoted in a Feb. 4 Gazette.Net story, "Democrats Dream of Hoyer,� about Congressman Steny Hoyer's appeal to Maryland democrats and their unrequited wish for him to run for governor.

UMBC in the Baltimore Sun
UMBC's initiative to recruit and tenure women faculty members in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines was highlighted in a Feb. 6 Baltimore Sun story, "Women Advancing, But Their Pay Isn't,� about the salary gap that continues to differentiate men and women professionals.

UMBC's efforts to become a more attractive institution to women faculty and staff were also highlighted in a Feb. 7 Baltimore Business Journal story, "Hopkins, UMBC Step Up Gender Diversity Plans.�

IRC Fellows; Tim Nohe, Visual Arts; and Dance Alumni in the News
A collaborative performance between the IRC Fellows; Tim Nohe, associate professor of visual arts; and movement/addiction, directed by dance alumni Renee Brozic '99 and Sarah D. Seely "99, was featured on the Feb. 2 MPT "Artworks� and in the Feb. 3 Baltimore Sun. The "Artworks� feature will also air on Feb. 5 at 9 a.m.

-Steffany Magid

By Jack Prostko, Director, Faculty Development Center

Effort is felt only when there is a conflict of interests in the mind. The idea A may be intrinsically exciting to us. The idea Z may derive its interest from association with some remoter good. A may be our sweetheart, Z may be some condition of our soul's salvation. Under these circumstances, if we succeed in attending to Z at all it is always with an expenditure of effort.

-William James, The Principles of Psychology

The wry, understated humor of that last sentence in James' passage above seems particularly compelling as February gives the lie to many a New Year's resolution. That remoter good--a trimmer waist, a healthier routine, a calmer and more organized life--may have already been eclipsed by a tempting immediate pleasure (or crisis). Of course we all know that changing habits of behavior and response is never as simple as we would hope. Sometimes, the more difficult challenge is admitting to ourselves that troubling habits exist and might need serious attention.

Starting a new term with the best of intentions and a high level of motivation, we might be looking forward to teaching a new class--or seeing whether the changes we've made in a class we've taught frequently work to our satisfaction. But it's also the case that for many of us teaching habits are what propel us through the semester. We have succeeded in many aspects of teaching--lecturing, discussion leading, grading essays--and we rely on our experience and well-honed instincts to guide us as we meet new classes and attempt to travel with them through the semester (often over well-worn paths). Despite our initial enthusiasms, though, our motivation to keep things fresh and challenging sometimes begins to fade as the semester unfolds, accompanied by a notable drop in students' attention, especially as warmer weather beckons.

Yet developing one specific habit could probably help professors more than any individual teaching strategy in keeping students engaged until the final weeks of the term. That habit is a regular, more sustained critical reflection on what we are doing, day to day, as instructors--both in and out of the classroom. In Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher, Stephen D. Brookfield explains that reflection becomes critical reflection when one of its purposes "is to question assumptions and practices that seem to make our teaching lives easier but actually work against our own best long-term interests� (p.8). It's hard to keep James' Z in mind in the midst of assignments, meetings, an avalanche of email, and preparing for class; but our pedagogical goals need to be revisited regularly, and measured against daily classroom events, in order for us to keep courses on track.

In the simplest sense, being reflective means taking the time to review what went well, or not so well, in class every time we teach. Few faculty keep a teaching journal of any sort, but such a record can help us make decisions about what to do in upcoming class sessions. Rather than rushing off to the next meeting, or office hours, or the lab, consider taking a short break after each class period to note successes, concerns, points to be re-explained, or questions to be addressed:

*Did the class seem to work the way you wanted it to work?

*Are there problems that need to be addressed that keep cropping up?

*Do you believe your students are achieving the learning goals you set out for them at the beginning of the semester?

*Are there ways of figuring out what students need more or particular help with?

Brookfield notes that without the habit of reflection, we risk making bad judgments and take action on the basis of unexamined assumptions, thinking we can read our students' minds: "We fall into the habits of justifying what we do by reference to unchecked "common sense� and of thinking that the unconfirmed evidence of our own eyes is always accurate and valid. "Of course we know what's going on in our classrooms,' we say to ourselves. "After all, we've been doing this for years, haven't we?' Yet unexamined common sense is a notoriously unreliable guide to action� (pp. 3-4).

In his book, Brookfield, of course, develops the notion of critical reflection in much greater detail. He explains not only why critical reflection is a crucial part of teaching, but also describes "how we can view what we do and think as teachers through four distinctive lenses. These are our autobiographies as teachers and learners, our students' eyes, our colleagues' perceptions, and theoretical literature� (pxvii).

By thinking about our own learning experiences, by getting more student feedback, and by discussing teaching concerns with other faculty members, we can gain greater insight into our teaching practices and the options that might improve our work. The fourth lens, literature about teaching, is also often extremely useful--so much so that I would like to offer any faculty member at UMBC who is willing to join a discussion about reflective practice a copy of Brookfield's book; just contact me at 410-455-1829 or prostko@umbc.edu and I'll fill in the details. (I hope to meet for a group book discussion several times later in the semester over lunch, if schedules permit.)

And dare we think of habits as an insignificant part of the goal of gaining or imparting knowledge, William James offers yet another pity comment on our condition, both as learners and teachers, in the concluding paragraph of his chapter "Habit� in The Principles of Psychology: "The physiological study of mental conditions is thus the most powerful ally of hortatory ethics. The hell to be endured hereafter, of which theology tells, is no worse than the hell we make for ourselves in this world by habitually fashioning our characters in the wrong way. Could the young but realize how soon they will become mere walking bundles of habit, they would give more heed to their conduct while in the plastic state. We are spinning our fates, good or evil, and never to be undone.�

A brief excerpt from Stephen Brookfield's Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995)

Notes on one of Brookfield's workshops.

In collaboration with Dance Baltimore, the Phoenix Dance Company, the modern dance company in residence at UMBC, performs at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

The program will feature Common Axis III, a multimedia work for eight dancers by Carol Hess and Doug Hamby, featuring video by Timothy Nohe and sound performed live by Joe Reinsel.

The concert begins at 7 p.m.. The Baltimore Museum of Art is located at 10 Art Museum Drive in Baltimore City. For more information, call 410-396-6314.