Robert H. Deluty, Psychology, Authors New Book of Poetry
Robert H. Deluty, associate professor of psychology, recently debuted his sixth book of poetry, “Present Sense: New and Selected Poems” published by Gateway Press in July 2005. One critic noted, “Deluty’s fresh, clear poetry intensifies daily experiences and illuminates characters and events in vivid, humane ways.” “Present Sense” can be purchased at the UMBC Bookstore, selected bookstores in the Baltimore/Washington area and from the author. For more information, e-mail Deluty at deluty@umbc.edu.

July 22, 2005

In Vitro Technologies Ranked 12th as the Largest Bioscience Firm in Baltimore
In Vitro Technologies, a techcenter@UMBC emerging technology company and an incubator graduate, made the Baltimore Business Journal's Largest Bioscience Firms in the Baltimore Area list (ranked by number of Baltimore-area employees). In Vitro (http://www.invitrotech.com/) is number 12.

Uri Tasch, Mechanical Engineering, Receives Patent for New Invention
Uri Tasch, professor of mechanical engineering, received patent US 6,916,295, on July 12 for his invention, Method and System for Dynamic Recordation and Analysis of Animal Characteristics. The invention provides a new method and system for recording and analyzing animal characteristics. The patent can be viewed it its entirety on the US Patent and Trademark Office's web site: http://www.uspto.gov, click search under Patents (left side of the screen), under Issued Patents, click Patent Number Search, type in the patent number and press the search button. For more information about patents, copyrights, trademarks, or start-up companies, visit the Office of Technology Development at 5523 Research Park Drive Ste. 310, or call ext. 5-1414.

7/15/05

Shawn Bediako, Psychology, and Matthias Cinyabugama, Economics, Awarded Henry C. Welcome Fellowships
Shawn Bediako, assistant professor of psychology, and Matthias Cinyabugama, assistant professor of economics, are recipients of the Henry C. Welcome Fellowships, a competitive incentive program to help eligible Maryland universities recruit and retain a diverse and accomplished faculty. Welcome Fellows receive $20,000 over three years to support their research, publications and speaking engagements. The fellowship grant program is named for Henry C. Welcome, a former member of the State Board of Higher Education, the predecessor of the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

Barbara DiPietro and Richard Kimball, Public Policy, Authored A Report on Baltimore Homelessness
Public Policy Doctoral students Barbara DiPietro and Richard Kimball helped author “Baltimore City 2005 Census: The Picture of Homelessness.” In the report, the authors provide a summary of the census taken January 30, 2005 and identify methods to end homelessness in Baltimore. The report was a collaboration with Baltimore Homeless Services, Inc., the Center for Poverty Solutions and other service providers.

Charles Fey, Vice President for Student Affairs, Elected to Leadership Council of NASULGC
Charles J. Fey, vice president for student Affairs, has been elected to the Executive Committee of the Council on Student Affairs of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC). He will serve a three-year term on the Executive Committee and provide leadership on the issues confronting students in our universities and providing guidance to the overall organization and the Council of Presidents.

Freeman Hrabowski, President, Recognized as One of the Top Minorities in Science
Science Spectrum magazine has recognized Freeman Hrabowski, president of UMBC, as a Science Spectrum Trailblazer. The Trailblazers represent outstanding Hispanic, Asian American, Native American, and Black professionals in the sciences whose exemplary work have made a significant impact in the industry and their communities. The honorees, all selected by Science Spectrum editors, will be honored at a luncheon on Friday, September 16 in Baltimore at the Minorities in Research Science Conference, the premier awards and professional development event for minority professionals in a broad range of scientific fields.

Don Norris, Director of Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research (MIPAR) To Speak at E-Democracy Conference
Don Norris, director of MIPAR and professor of public policy, will speak at the first International E-Democracy conference in Minneapolis on July 26-27. Sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the symposium will explore leading democracy trends around the world.

Ishita Shah, ‘05, wins the 2005 Nat L. Sternberg Thesis Prize
Ishita Shah, ’05 Ph.D, molecular and cell biology, won the 2005 Nat L. Sternberg Thesis Prize, a prestigious prize given annually for the best thesis in
prokaryotic molecular biology. She completed her thesis with Rick Wolf, professor of biological sciences. Visit http://meetings.cshl.org/nsaward.htm to read more about the award and the significance of Shah’s research contributions.

7/01/05

Piotr Gwiazda, English, Two Poems Published in Poetic Voices Without Borders
Piotr Gwiazda, assistant professor of English, has two poems featured in Poetic Voices Without Borders (Gival Press, 2005), an anthology that includes national and international poets in three languages (English, French and Spanish) from six continents.

Charles Milligan, CHPDM, Testifies Before U.S. Senate Finance Committee
Charles Milligan, director of the Center for Health Program Development and Management, gave testimony on state Medicaid financing before the US Senate Finance Committee on June 28. Milligan joined other panel members including Dennis Smith, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Kathryn Allen, Government Accountability Office; Barb Edwards, Ohio Medicaid director; and George Reeb, Health and Human Services.

Dan Norris, Director of Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research (MIPAR) To Speak at E-Democracy Conference
Dan Norris, director of MIPAR and professor of public policy, will speak at the first International E-Democracy conference in Minneapolis on July 26-27. Sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the symposium will explore leading trends in democracy around the world.

Jim Pfrogner, former UMBC coach, wins the Senior National Association of Left-handed Golfers Championship
Former UMBC Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Jim Pfrogner shot rounds of 73-80-79 to win the Senior National Association of Left-handed Golfers Championship held earlier this month on the Moorlands Course of the Legends at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Last week, Pfrogner, 63, traveled to Dublin, Ireland to compete with over 300 golfers in the World Left-Handed Championships. He finished in second place in the Senior Division (55+) with a 72-hole score of 308.

Pfrogner, a member of UMBC’s Athletic Hall of Fame, coached the Retriever teams from 1973-2000. He was the 1998 Maryland State Senior Golf champion.

Renee van der Stelt, CAVC Projects Coordinator, and Calla Thompson, Visual Arts, Works Displayed at the Baltimore Museum of Art
The contemporary works of Renee van der Stelt, CAVC projects coordinator, and Calla Thompson, assistant professor of visual arts, can be seen at Artscape at the BMA Obersvation Deck through July 31. Renowned artist Gary Simmons selected the artists whose works examine the theme of vantage point.

BDMetrics Inc, a bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park company, Named one of the Best of Baltimore 2005 in Business
BDMetrics Inc., a bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park company, was named as one of the Best of Baltimore in 2005 by Baltimore Magazine in the business category for its success in creating networking software for business people and journalists that attend trade shows in the United States.

CAVC Recognized as one of the Best of Baltimore 2005 in Arts and Entertainment
The Center for Art and Visual Culture, UMBC’s art gallery, was recognized by Baltimore Magazine as one of the Best of Baltimore 2005 in Arts and Entertainment for becoming a “budding contemporary art powerhouse.”

George LaNoue, Political Science, in several Knight Ridder Newspapers
George LaNoue, professor of political science, provided commentary in “Roberts’ Record Lacks Particular Ideological Bent” about U.S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. The article was placed in several Knight Ridder newspapers nationwide on July 21.

Roy Meyers, Political Science, in the Washington Post
Roy Meyers, associate professor of political science and director of the Public Affairs Scholars Program, was quoted in the July 26 Washington Post article, “Md. Seeks Role In Special-Ed For Baltimore,” about the prospect of state education officials restructuring special education.

Felicia McGinty, Student Affairs, in the Digital Collegian
Felicia McGinty, former associate vice president of Student Affairs, was highlighted in “McGinty Passionate about Student Affairs,” on July 26 in the Digital Collegian, an online newspaper independently published by students at Penn State. On August 15, McGinty will begin her new role as first associate vice president for Student Engagement at Penn State.

techcenter@UMBC in the Daily Record
The techcenter@UMBC was mentioned in the Daily Record for expanding its biotechnology start-ups with its new tenant, Lentigen Corp.

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
In the July 26 Baltimore Sun’s “Rove’s Role in Fundraiser for Steele Sparks Debate,” Thomas Schaller, assistant professor of political science, predicted Karl Rove’s presence at Lt. Gov. Steele’s campaign fundraiser is an indication of The White House and the Republican National Committee’s desire to win the U.S. Senate seat.

Schaller was also in “Schaefer, Ehrlich Has Ally Across The Aisle” in the Washington Post on July 25 and “If High Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Decision Would Undermine the GOP,” a Baltimore Sun article on July 24.

July 22, 2005

Walt Schulz, director of techcenter@UMBC, was in the Gazette
Walt Schulz, director of techcenter@UMBC, was quoted in the Gazette in the July 15 article, “Tech Grads Hatch,” about the success of several companies in the techcenter@UMBC.
http://www.gazette.net/200528/business/news/285125-1.html

Schulz was also in “Names & Faces” on July 15 in the Gazette for being named treasurer for the Maryland Business Incubation Association in Baltimore.
http://www.gazette.net/200528/business/names/285142-1.html

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
Thomas Schaller, assistant professor of political science, discussed the 3rd congressional district race in the July 14 the Baltimore Sun article, “Veteran Politician Hollinger Begins Run for Congress.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.hollinger14jul14,1,5128098.story

Jack Suess, Chief Information Officer, in the Chronicle of Higher Education
Jack Suess, UMBC's chief information officer and chair of
Educause's national task force on computer security, is quoted
in the July 8, 2005 Chronicle of Higher Education story "Rounding up 'Rogue Servers.'"
Subscription is required to view article.

7/15/05

Albert Forero, UMBC Hispanic Student Union, on WTOP.com
Albert Forero, president of UMBC’s Hispanic Student Union, was quoted in the July 13, WTOP.com story, “Symposium Caters to Development of Hispanic Youth,” about Md’s first symposium for Hispanic youth on UMBC’s campus. More than 100 Hispanic high school students attended the first day of the three-day symposium.
http://www.wtopnews.com/?sid=542573&nid=25

The story also appeared on WJZ.com at http://wjz.com/localstories/local_story_194205442.html and the Baltimore Sun http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.hispanic14jul14,1,181809.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Christopher Hewitt, Sociology, in United Press International
Christopher Hewitt, associate professor of sociology and a resident terrorism expert, was quoted by the United Press International on July 7 in “Econ Toll of 7/7 Attack Mixed,” about the effects of the London terrorism attacks.
http://news.tradingcharts.com/futures/5/6/68154165.html

Hewitt also appeared on WBAL Radio and WYPR 88.1 FM's The Marc Steiner Show on July 11.

Freeman Hrabowski, President, in The New York Times
Freeman Hrabowski, president, commented on the federal test results that measured the reading and mathematical skills of American elementary school students in The New York Times’ July 15 story, “Young Students Post Solid Gains in Federal Tests.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/15/education/15educ.html?ei=5094&en=bced55af42edb4eb&hp=&ex=1121486400&partner=homepage&pagewanted=all

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Gazette
Thomas Schaller, assistant professor of political science, provided political commentary in the July 7 the Gazette article, “Cardin, Van Hollen top $1 million; Mfume lags in cash in Senate race.”
http://www.gazette.net/200527/princegeorgescty/state/283621-1.html

Vikki Valentine, ‘96, on NPR.org
Vikki Valentine, ’96 English, wrote a NPR.org July 8 article, “An American in London, Watching Brits 'Press On'” recounting her day after the terrorist attacks in London.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4735216

7/8/05

Columbia Technologies, techcenter@UMBC company, in The Daily Record
Columbia Technologies, a techcenter@UMBC company, was in The Daily Record on July 1 in “Baltimore County Company Making Green by Helping Others Staying Green” discusses this company’s ability to save its customers money and employing environment-friendly practices.

Renee van der Stelt, CAVC Projects Coordinator, in the Baltimore Sun
The artwork of Renee van der Stelt, CAVC projects coordinator, was described in the July 5 Baltimore Sun’s article, “ 'Artscape at BMA' is Simply Terrific.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.artcol05jul05,1,2987412.column?coll=bal-artslife-today

7/1/05

Christopher Corbett, English, in Baltimore Style
Christopher Corbett, journalism lecturer, wrote “Alarmed and Dangerous” in the July/August 2005 Baltimore Style magazine expressing his frustrations after his home was burglarized.
http://www.baltimorestyle.com/ja05issue/backpage-ja05.html

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
Thomas Schaller, assistant professor of political science, explained Mayor Martin O’Malley’s speaking style in “Deciphering O'Malley's Rhetoric,” in the Baltimore Sun on June 26.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-pe.omalley26jun26,1,2129665.story

Walt Schulz, director of techcenter@UMBC, in The Daily Record
Walt Schulz, director of techcenter@UMBC, will serve a second term as treasurer of the Maryland Business Incubator Association, as mentioned in “W. Md Exec Leads State Incubator Association,” in the Daily Record on June 23.
http://www.mddailyrecord.com/archives/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printable?client.id=mddailyrecord&story.id=169303

On July 19, UMBC’s men’s track and field standout Adam Grossman was named the 2004-05 Scholar Athlete for indoor track and field and shared the honor for outdoor track and field, making him a winner for two consecutive years in both the scholar athlete category for indoor and outdoor men’s track and field.

A committee of athletics administrators and NCAA Faculty Athletics Representatives chose an honoree in each of the conference's 22 championship sports. Grossman shared the outdoor accolades with Albany’s Andy Allstadt.

The scholar-athletes were selected from the more than 3,500 student-athletes who competed at America East institutions in 2004-05. Each honoree was a starter or prominent reserve and carries a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.20.

Grossman holds a 3.70 GPA following his junior year and won gold in four conference championship events this past season. He broke the conference record in the 200m outdoor event in 21.32 seconds as part of three first place medals at the outdoor championships. Grossman went on to win the 200m dash in 10.64 seconds and anchor the 4x100m dash team the won in 41.68 seconds. During the indoor track and field championships he successfully defended his 55m dash championships from the previous year.

An environmental sciences major, Grossman excels in the classroom as well. Through six semesters, Grossman holds two 4.0 semesters, four dean’s list (3.5 GPA or greater) semesters and five semester (3.0 GPA or greater) accolades.

He was selected as the UMBC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year for 2005 and selected to the 2005 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country University All-District II team, becoming the only junior out of 10 to earn the accolades.

By Patrick Coyle

Since its inception in 1987, artists and researchers across disciplines have collaborated in the creative environment of UMBC’s Imaging Research Center (IRC), a state-of-the-art R&D studio for digital media, animation and visualization.

One of the IRC’s most recent projects is Euphoria, a full-length feature film about the pursuit of happiness. Written, directed and narrated by Lee Boot, the IRC’s associate director, Euphoria received a gold medal for best documentary at the WorldFest-Houston festival and had its Baltimore premiere at the Maryland Film Festival in May. (Watch a trailer for the film online.)

As a teacher with 15 years experience, a classically trained artist with a degree in painting and owner of the Baltimore-based educational media company InfoCulture, Boot is in a unique position to bring his life experience to the role of director, researcher, artist, but above all, educator. Here, he talks about the IRC’s research mission and the making of Euphoria.

Would you describe the IRC as a comprehensive imaging lab?

Yes, but we take that word “imaging” and we stretch it a lot, and I think that’s important. One of the reasons the IRC is more than a traditional imaging lab is that we don’t want to be just a service bureau or technical design shop. We do research, that’s our mission.

We produced a high-end kiosk for the Baltimore Museum of Art, digitally recreating the Cone sisters’ incomparable collection of early 20th Century painting. Now a lot of museums want us to create something similar for them. But I say no, because to repeat ourselves doesn’t constitute a research challenge, but a production challenge, and that’s not our goal.

Is this imaging in a philosophical sense?

It is. In fact, a major goal of the IRC is to be a part of research that increases our ability to track the way research affects culture.

Euphoria is a full-length film, with graphics and editing done by the IRC, that will hopefully revolutionize the approach to education films. How is it different?

Euphoria is an attempt to create an “information-based film” for entertainment. Specially, it’s a film that conveys what we know about what creates long-term fulfillment, happiness, euphoria—including neuroscience, psychology, the history of the pursuit, etc.

The story is told by juxtaposing visual metaphors against information-based narration, so essentially the story is told with metaphors, a very different way to approach this information. Initially some worried that it would be too challenging for teenage audience members, but nobody thinks twice in high school about teaching difficult texts and artwork like Shakespeare, Faulkner, Van Gogh. They’re not considered beyond the high school mind. We’d like to raise this media to a higher form of art. We count on the teacher to deconstruct them. So we’re asking, “Why should an informational film always be understood completely in real time?”

What was the research process for the film?

Similar to the way a researcher might proceed with a science grant, I targeted a program at the National Institutes of Health that promoted neuroscience education, and began to assemble a team. I was able to recruit two neuroscientists, one oriented toward the physiology of the neuron and another with a more global orientation to the brain, an addiction psychiatrist, a science-media expert, a great anthropologist and two people from different ends of the film business.

Then I set out to learn how to write the research grant, which was very hard and new for me because my background is not in science—I’d never done it. The grant came in two phases, the first to prove feasibility and the second to produce the full film and evaluate its effect on teenagers’ beliefs, attitudes and intentions. Sometimes I find that people think we were paid by the NIH to make a film. That’s not true. The NIH supported a research question which asked: is our plan a way to make a different kind of science education film that teenagers will find engaging enough to really hear the information and allow it to help them find a way to feel good without drugs?

How would you describe Euphoria’s potential effects on culture?

Euphoria is funded by the National Institutes of Health, in particular, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, because they believe that by talking about what does create “euphoria” in a believable way, it could go a long way toward preventing kids from becoming dependent on substances. They also like our approach that we’re aiming for something beyond a typical educational film. There’s also an extensive Web site that teachers can use at www.TheEuphoriaProject.com .

* * *

The IRC is currently working on a new project called Fieldtrip, a plan to use an array of media to help students and their parents better understand a range of issues related to learning, so they can make informed choices and take a more active role in education. This will likely include the IRC’s first-ever video game, which will complement the Fieldtrip Web site and film.

Learn more about the IRC at www.irc.umbc.edu .

Watch a Maryland Public Television feature on the IRC.

By Mike Lurie

Two prominent members of the greater Baltimore business community are assuming new positions in their ongoing volunteer leadership roles with UMBC. Mayo A. Shattuck, III is the new chair of the UMBC President’s Board of Visitors. Greg Barnhill will succeed Shattuck as chair of the external advisory board for the UMBC Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. The appointments became effective July 1.

Shattuck, now the chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer of Constellation Energy, was the impetus behind a generous gift of $1 million from the Alex. Brown Foundation in spring 2000 to start the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. As new chair of the UMBC Board of Visitors, an advisory board, he succeeds Earl L. Linehan of Woodbrook Capital, Inc. Shattuck received his B.A. from Williams College and his M.B.A. from Stanford University.

The Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship works closely with the Baltimore business community to establish entrepreneurial learning opportunities and business experiences for UMBC students.

Barnhill, a partner and member of the Board of Brown Advisory Securities, will help guide the Alex. Brown Center’s mission of developing entrepreneurs for the region. Barnhill and Shattuck have served together on the Center’s board.

“We're very grateful to Mayo Shattuck for his leadership and active involvement in establishing and guiding the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship,” said Vivian Armor, director of the Alex. Brown Center. “We've made tremendous progress over the past few years, and we're excited about the opportunity to work with Greg Barnhill to continue to expand our initiatives.”

“Mayo Shattuck is a major asset for greater Baltimore,” said UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III. “UMBC is honored to have him as one of our leading ambassadors in the business community.”

“Greg Barnhill brings 28 years of investment industry experience to this position with the Alex. Brown Center," said Shattuck. "That background, coupled with his extensive participation in various civic projects throughout the Baltimore region, position Greg well to continue expanding the center’s impact on UMBC students.”

Barnhill is well-known for his extensive activity in civic activities throughout the region. He played a lead role in the winning bids that made Baltimore and Annapolis stopovers in the 1998 and 2002 Volvo Ocean Race, an around-the-world sailing regatta. More recently, he was co-chair of the finance committee for the 2005 Miss USA pageant, broadcast live from the Hippodrome Theater in Baltimore.

“My ongoing relationship with UMBC faculty and students has shown me that the University, through the Alex. Brown Center, is an ideal resource in providing students who make an entrepreneurial impact in our community,” Barnhill said.

Walt Schulz, director of techcenter@UMBC, was in the Gazette
Walt Schulz, director of techcenter@UMBC, was quoted in the Gazette in the July 15 article, “Tech Grads Hatch,” about the success of several companies in the techcenter@UMBC.
http://www.gazette.net/200528/business/news/285125-1.html

Schulz was also in “Names & Faces” on July 15 in the Gazette for being named treasurer for the Maryland Business Incubation Association in Baltimore.
http://www.gazette.net/200528/business/names/285142-1.html

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
Thomas Schaller, assistant professor of political science, discussed the 3rd congressional district race in the July 14 the Baltimore Sun article, “Veteran Politician Hollinger Begins Run for Congress.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.hollinger14jul14,1,5128098.story

Jack Suess, Chief Information Officer, in the Chronicle of Higher Education
Jack Suess, UMBC's chief information officer and chair of
Educause's national task force on computer security, is quoted
in the July 8, 2005 Chronicle of Higher Education story "Rounding up 'Rogue Servers.'"
Subscription is required to view article.

7/15/05

Albert Forero, UMBC Hispanic Student Union, on WTOP.com
Albert Forero, president of UMBC’s Hispanic Student Union, was quoted in the July 13, WTOP.com story, “Symposium Caters to Development of Hispanic Youth,” about Md’s first symposium for Hispanic youth on UMBC’s campus. More than 100 Hispanic high school students attended the first day of the three-day symposium.
http://www.wtopnews.com/?sid=542573&nid=25

The story also appeared on WJZ.com at http://wjz.com/localstories/local_story_194205442.html and the Baltimore Sun http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.hispanic14jul14,1,181809.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Christopher Hewitt, Sociology, in United Press International
Christopher Hewitt, associate professor of sociology and a resident terrorism expert, was quoted by the United Press International on July 7 in “Econ Toll of 7/7 Attack Mixed,” about the effects of the London terrorism attacks.
http://news.tradingcharts.com/futures/5/6/68154165.html

Hewitt also appeared on WBAL Radio and WYPR 88.1 FM's The Marc Steiner Show on July 11.

Freeman Hrabowski, President, in The New York Times
Freeman Hrabowski, president, commented on the federal test results that measured the reading and mathematical skills of American elementary school students in The New York Times’ July 15 story, “Young Students Post Solid Gains in Federal Tests.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/15/education/15educ.html?ei=5094&en=bced55af42edb4eb&hp=&ex=1121486400&partner=homepage&pagewanted=all

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Gazette
Thomas Schaller, assistant professor of political science, provided political commentary in the July 7 the Gazette article, “Cardin, Van Hollen top $1 million; Mfume lags in cash in Senate race.”
http://www.gazette.net/200527/princegeorgescty/state/283621-1.html

Vikki Valentine, ‘96, on NPR.org
Vikki Valentine, ’96 English, wrote a NPR.org July 8 article, “An American in London, Watching Brits 'Press On'” recounting her day after the terrorist attacks in London.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4735216

7/8/05

Columbia Technologies, techcenter@UMBC company, in The Daily Record
Columbia Technologies, a techcenter@UMBC company, was in The Daily Record on July 1 in “Baltimore County Company Making Green by Helping Others Staying Green” discusses this company’s ability to save its customers money and employing environment-friendly practices.

Renee van der Stelt, CAVC Projects Coordinator, in the Baltimore Sun
The artwork of Renee van der Stelt, CAVC projects coordinator, was described in the July 5 Baltimore Sun’s article, “ 'Artscape at BMA' is Simply Terrific.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.artcol05jul05,1,2987412.column?coll=bal-artslife-today

7/1/05

Christopher Corbett, English, in Baltimore Style
Christopher Corbett, journalism lecturer, wrote “Alarmed and Dangerous” in the July/August 2005 Baltimore Style magazine expressing his frustrations after his home was burglarized.
http://www.baltimorestyle.com/ja05issue/backpage-ja05.html

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
Thomas Schaller, assistant professor of political science, explained Mayor Martin O’Malley’s speaking style in “Deciphering O'Malley's Rhetoric,” in the Baltimore Sun on June 26.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-pe.omalley26jun26,1,2129665.story

Walt Schulz, director of techcenter@UMBC, in The Daily Record
Walt Schulz, director of techcenter@UMBC, will serve a second term as treasurer of the Maryland Business Incubator Association, as mentioned in “W. Md Exec Leads State Incubator Association,” in the Daily Record on June 23.
http://www.mddailyrecord.com/archives/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printable?client.id=mddailyrecord&story.id=169303

In Vitro Technologies Ranked 12th as the Largest Bioscience Firm in Baltimore
In Vitro Technologies, a techcenter@UMBC emerging technology company and an incubator graduate, made the Baltimore Business Journal's Largest Bioscience Firms in the Baltimore Area list (ranked by number of Baltimore-area employees). In Vitro (http://www.invitrotech.com/) is number 12.

Uri Tasch, Mechanical Engineering, Receives Patent for New Invention
Uri Tasch, professor of mechanical engineering, received patent US 6,916,295, on July 12 for his invention, Method and System for Dynamic Recordation and Analysis of Animal Characteristics. The invention provides a new method and system for recording and analyzing animal characteristics. The patent can be viewed it its entirety on the US Patent and Trademark Office's web site: http://www.uspto.gov, click search under Patents (left side of the screen), under Issued Patents, click Patent Number Search, type in the patent number and press the search button. For more information about patents, copyrights, trademarks, or start-up companies, visit the Office of Technology Development at 5523 Research Park Drive Ste. 310, or call ext. 5-1414.

7/15/05

Shawn Bediako, Psychology, and Matthias Cinyabugama, Economics, Awarded Henry C. Welcome Fellowships
Shawn Bediako, assistant professor of psychology, and Matthias Cinyabugama, assistant professor of economics, are recipients of the Henry C. Welcome Fellowships, a competitive incentive program to help eligible Maryland universities recruit and retain a diverse and accomplished faculty. Welcome Fellows receive $20,000 over three years to support their research, publications and speaking engagements. The fellowship grant program is named for Henry C. Welcome, a former member of the State Board of Higher Education, the predecessor of the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

Barbara DiPietro and Richard Kimball, Public Policy, Authored A Report on Baltimore Homelessness
Public Policy Doctoral students Barbara DiPietro and Richard Kimball helped author “Baltimore City 2005 Census: The Picture of Homelessness.” In the report, the authors provide a summary of the census taken January 30, 2005 and identify methods to end homelessness in Baltimore. The report was a collaboration with Baltimore Homeless Services, Inc., the Center for Poverty Solutions and other service providers.

Charles Fey, Vice President for Student Affairs, Elected to Leadership Council of NASULGC
Charles J. Fey, vice president for student Affairs, has been elected to the Executive Committee of the Council on Student Affairs of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC). He will serve a three-year term on the Executive Committee and provide leadership on the issues confronting students in our universities and providing guidance to the overall organization and the Council of Presidents.

Freeman Hrabowski, President, Recognized as One of the Top Minorities in Science
Science Spectrum magazine has recognized Freeman Hrabowski, president of UMBC, as a Science Spectrum Trailblazer. The Trailblazers represent outstanding Hispanic, Asian American, Native American, and Black professionals in the sciences whose exemplary work have made a significant impact in the industry and their communities. The honorees, all selected by Science Spectrum editors, will be honored at a luncheon on Friday, September 16 in Baltimore at the Minorities in Research Science Conference, the premier awards and professional development event for minority professionals in a broad range of scientific fields.

Don Norris, Director of Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research (MIPAR) To Speak at E-Democracy Conference
Don Norris, director of MIPAR and professor of public policy, will speak at the first International E-Democracy conference in Minneapolis on July 26-27. Sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the symposium will explore leading democracy trends around the world.

Ishita Shah, ‘05, wins the 2005 Nat L. Sternberg Thesis Prize
Ishita Shah, ’05 Ph.D, molecular and cell biology, won the 2005 Nat L. Sternberg Thesis Prize, a prestigious prize given annually for the best thesis in
prokaryotic molecular biology. She completed her thesis with Rick Wolf, professor of biological sciences. Visit http://meetings.cshl.org/nsaward.htm to read more about the award and the significance of Shah’s research contributions.

7/01/05

Piotr Gwiazda, English, Two Poems Published in Poetic Voices Without Borders
Piotr Gwiazda, assistant professor of English, has two poems featured in Poetic Voices Without Borders (Gival Press, 2005), an anthology that includes national and international poets in three languages (English, French and Spanish) from six continents.

Charles Milligan, CHPDM, Testifies Before U.S. Senate Finance Committee
Charles Milligan, director of the Center for Health Program Development and Management, gave testimony on state Medicaid financing before the US Senate Finance Committee on June 28. Milligan joined other panel members including Dennis Smith, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Kathryn Allen, Government Accountability Office; Barb Edwards, Ohio Medicaid director; and George Reeb, Health and Human Services.

Dan Norris, Director of Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research (MIPAR) To Speak at E-Democracy Conference
Dan Norris, director of MIPAR and professor of public policy, will speak at the first International E-Democracy conference in Minneapolis on July 26-27. Sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the symposium will explore leading trends in democracy around the world.

Jim Pfrogner, former UMBC coach, wins the Senior National Association of Left-handed Golfers Championship
Former UMBC Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Jim Pfrogner shot rounds of 73-80-79 to win the Senior National Association of Left-handed Golfers Championship held earlier this month on the Moorlands Course of the Legends at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Last week, Pfrogner, 63, traveled to Dublin, Ireland to compete with over 300 golfers in the World Left-Handed Championships. He finished in second place in the Senior Division (55+) with a 72-hole score of 308.

Pfrogner, a member of UMBC’s Athletic Hall of Fame, coached the Retriever teams from 1973-2000. He was the 1998 Maryland State Senior Golf champion.

Renee van der Stelt, CAVC Projects Coordinator, and Calla Thompson, Visual Arts, Works Displayed at the Baltimore Museum of Art
The contemporary works of Renee van der Stelt, CAVC projects coordinator, and Calla Thompson, assistant professor of visual arts, can be seen at Artscape at the BMA Obersvation Deck through July 31. Renowned artist Gary Simmons selected the artists whose works examine the theme of vantage point.

An international team of scientists led by a UMBC astrophysicist has uncovered a rare type of neutron star so elusive that it took three satellites to identify it. The discovery highlights the complementary nature of European and U.S. satellites to reveal new insights about star birth and death in our galaxy.

The neutron star, an ultradense ember of an exploded star, was first seen by the European Space Agency's INTEGRAL satellite. The neutron star is in a "double hiding place," the scientists said: deep in a spiral arm of our Milky Way galaxy, obscured by dust; and buried in a two-star system enshrouded by dense gas. The scientists couldn't immediately decipher the nature of the object, so they enlisted NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and the newly launched Swift satellite to observe it in different wavelengths.

"Our Galaxy's spiral arms are loaded with neutron stars, black holes and other exotic objects," said Volker Beckmann of NASA and UMBC’s Joint Center for Astrophysics, lead author on a paper appearing in the Astrophysical Journal. "The problem is, the spiral arms are too dusty to see through. The right combination of X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes can reveal what's hiding there. And this provides new clues about the true star formation rate in our Galaxy."

Neutron stars are the core remains of supernovas, exploded stars once about ten times as massive as the Sun. Neutron stars contain about a sun's worth of mass compacted into a sphere about 15 miles across. The subject of today's announcement is a neutron star called IGR J16283-4838 in the direction of the spiral arm Norma, about 20,000 light years away.

IGR J16283-4838 is the seventh so-called "highly absorbed," or hidden, neutron star identified. Neutron stars, born of fast-burning massive stars, are intrinsically tied to star formation rates. They are also energetic beacons from a region too dusty to study in detail otherwise. As more and more neutron stars are discovered, new insights about what is happening in the Galaxy's spiral arms begin to emerge, Beckmann said.

The star revealed itself during an outburst on or near its surface. Neutron stars such as IGR J16283-4838 are often part of binary systems, orbiting a normal star. Occasionally, gas from the normal star, lured by gravity, crashes onto the surface of the neutron star and releases a great amount of energy. Outbursts can last for weeks before the system returns to dormancy for months or years.

INTEGRAL, the Rossi Explorer and Swift each detect X rays and gamma rays, which are far more energetic than the visible light our eyes can detect. Yet each satellite has different capabilities. INTEGRAL has a large field of view, enabling it to scan the Milky Way galaxy for neutron star and black hole activity.

Swift contains a high-resolution X-ray telescope, which allowed scientists to zero in on IGR J16283-4838. The Rossi Explorer has a timing spectrometer, a device used to uncover properties of the light source, such as speed and rapid variations on the order of a millisecond. The Galaxy's spiral arms block visible light from reaching us, but not energetic X rays and gamma rays.

Simona Soldi, a doctoral candidate at INTEGRAL Science Data Centre in Geneva discovered the new, bright source with INTEGRAL on April 7. "We are always hunting for new sources," she said. "It's exciting when we find something so elusive. How many more like this are out there?"

Because gamma rays are hard to focus into sharp images, the science team used the X-ray Telescope on Swift on April 13 and 15 to determine a precise location. Swift confirmed that the light was "highly absorbed," which means the binary system was filled with dense gas from the stellar wind of the companion star. Starting on April 14, the scientists used the Rossi Explorer to observe the source as it faded away. This observation revealed a familiar light signature clinching the case for a fading "high-mass X-ray binary" with a neutron star.

"Piece by piece we solved this puzzle," said Jamie Kennea of the Swift science team at Penn State. "Swift was built primarily to detect gamma-ray bursts, so it was a thrill to use the X-ray Telescope to do something quite different, to discover a neutron star."

INTEGRAL, the International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, was launched in 2002. The Rossi Explorer and Swift launched in 1995 and 2004, respectively.

M E M O

TO: Faculty and Staff

FROM: Arthur T. Johnson, Provost

DATE: July 12, 2005

RE: Convocation - Fall 2005

We look forward to your participation in Convocation 2005, the formal beginning of the academic year at UMBC, on Tuesday, August 30 from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Retriever Activities Center. This is a special opportunity for faculty, staff and administrators to welcome students to the UMBC academic community. I encourage you to participate in the academic procession that symbolizes for our new students the community of scholars they have joined. President Hrabowski will address the gathering and we will continue the tradition of pinning the new students. The Presidential Teaching Professor for 2004-05, Cindy Hody, associate professor and chair of the political science department, will also make brief remarks.

REGALIA: Faculty and staff--including members of the platform party and all those in the academic procession--will march in regalia. We are on a tight schedule in working with our regalia supplier this summer, so if you will be attending Convocation, the deadline for ordering is Monday, July 18. The cost of regalia rental is underwritten by the Provost's Office if ordered by this deadline. Faculty and staff who order after the July 18 deadline will be charged a $10-15 late fee.

To order regalia, go to http://my.umbc.edu/convocationform. If you have ordered from UMBC before, your information will appear on the screen. If this is your first time to order, you should be prepared with the following information: height, weight, cap size, highest degree earned, and name of the school where degree was earned.

PICK UP: Regalia will be available for pick-up at the Bookstore August 26-29. Faculty and staff must pick up their own regalia at the Bookstore, which will be open for your convenience on the weekend of August 27 and 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

RSVP: Even if you own your own regalia, please reply through the response form at http://my.umbc.edu/convocationform by July 18, so we can plan seating for you.

Following Convocation, faculty and staff are invited to the "Taste of Maryland" dinner with new and returning students. For more information or to RSVP, contact Pat Damm at damm@umbc.edu by August 25.

We look forward to welcoming a talented and enthusiastic group of new students to UMBC this fall and to the start of a new year that holds much promise for excellence in teaching and learning, research and service in our academic community. I hope you will join us to begin the school year at Convocation on August 30.

By Kim Harris

David “Dave” Dietsch, safety specialist for the Environmental Health and Safety Department, and Vicki Greisman, IT programmer assistant in the Graduate School, have been named Employees of the Quarter.

Dietsch is the Exempt Employee of the Quarter. He is responsible for many aspects of safety on campus, including reporting injuries related to workers compensation. He began his career at UMBC in 1987 and has worked for the past 18 years in the area of environmental health and safety.

Nancy Gunkel, administrative assistant in the Physical Plant, nominated Dietsch for the award. “Dave is always looking out for others,” said Gunkel. “He provides personal care and attention when someone is injured on campus.” When an injury occurs “he personally visits the area where the person was hurt and identifies the hazard to the Physical Plant.”

Gunkel added that Dietsch is “always looking out for employees’ safety and doesn’t hesitate to point out potential hazards. He personally began a fire prevention and evacuation program on campus. He continues to monitor the time it takes people to evacuate buildings due to the threat of fire or some other life-threatening situation. He has been responsible for creating the asbestos abatement program on campus and educating Physical Plant employees regarding OSHA regulations and safety.”

Dietsch received his award at a presentation on June 27.

Greisman, the non-exempt Employee of the Quarter, began her career at UMBC 16 years ago as a data entry clerk and has advanced over the years to her current position.

She was nominated by the Graduate School’s senior management staff, spearheaded by Betty Douglass, and by several other colleagues, including Cheryl Putro, Dave Hollander and Linda Thomas.

Douglass said, “Vicki’s long tenure and devoted service to the Graduate School and to our clients have made her one of our most valued staff members. She is the primary 'problem solver' in the Office of Graduate Enrollment. If a staff member, faculty, or student has a question or problem, Vicki will know who to call, how to reach them, what requests are appropriate and how to resolve the problem.”

Greisman has received letters of appreciation from several students over the years. Douglass said, “Vicki exhibits a genuine interest in the students who come to the Graduate School for help, addressing their complex needs with patience, kindness and good humor. One of our master’s degree students put this statement in the acknowledgement page of her thesis: ‘Vicki Greisman, who never failed to find a way to make things happen, and always made them turn out well.’ ”

Over the years, Greisman has continued to take courses to learn new and updated skills and to enhance her job knowledge and performance. She is currently working towards three certifications at Howard Community College in Internet and Core Computing, Microsoft Office Specialist and Office Automation Specialist. She frequently volunteers for campus events and committees. In addition, she has a black belt in Taijutsu and is working toward earning a second degree black belt. In her spare time, she shares her skills by teaching children’s Taijutsi classes in her community.

Greisman received her award at a presentation ceremony held on June 29.

Learn how to nominate a colleague for Employee of the Quarter.