Opening on February 2 and continuing though March 16, UMBC’s Center for Art and Visual Culture (CAVC) presents "What Sound Does a Color Make?," a traveling exhibition organized and circulated by Independent Curators International (iCI) that explores the fusion of vision and sound in electronic media.

"What Sound Does a Color Make?" connects the recent boom of digital audiovisual art to its pre-digital roots, presenting ten contemporary works by an internationally diverse group of artists. The exhibition will include a selection of single-channel videos from the 1970s and feature several sensuous new media environments that fascinate both technophiles and general audiences alike, heightening awareness of human perception and cognition.

For some people, a stimulus to one of the five senses evokes the sensation of another sense, as when hearing a sound produces the visualization of a color. For contemporary audiovisual artists, the possibilities inspired by this phenomenon, known as synesthesia, have expanded with the advent of recent digital technologies that translate all electronic media, whether sounds or moving images, into the zeros and ones of computer bits.

United by similar and overlapping premises, the works in the exhibition are widely divergent in their results. They range from large-scale immersive installations with moving forms that morph to corresponding tonal compositions, to discrete DVD stations inviting viewers to access electronic music pieces in different combinations with videos. One of the recent works, Self-Portrait of Paul (DeMarinis) by Jim Campbell, is a portrait of a colleague who uses sound in his own art. In Campbell’s work, an LED grid is activated by playing a recording of that man’s voice, and the gridded lights resemble pixels that gradually build up an image of the man, with his voice’s high tones representing white and the low tones representing black.

Another contemporary work is an interactive installation by D-Fuse, a London-based collective of artists and musicians, which layers different music soundtracks onto dynamic video clips, creating a distinctive audiovisual experience.

The earlier works from the 1970s, by such pioneers of video art as Nam June Paik, Steina Vasulka, and Gary Hill, place the current interest in synesthetic media art in a broader historical context, offering a unique perspective on this phenomenon. The exhibition will encourage a high degree of individual engagement and self-reflection, as well as further thought about the ways that visual and aural stimuli are electronically, digitally and perceptually connected.

On Thursday, February 2 from 5 to 7 p.m., the CAVC will host an opening reception for What Sound Does a Color Make? At 6 p.m., Kathleen Forde, curator of the exhibition, will lead a gallery tour. Forde is curator at the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. She also curates and writes on a freelance basis.

On Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m., the CAVC hosts a lecture by sound a media artist Stephen Vitiello, location to be announced. In his work, Vitiello is particularly interested in the physical aspect of sound and its potential to define the form and atmosphere of a spatial environment.

For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/cavc or call (410) 455-3188.

Photo credit: Atau Tanaka, Bondage, 2004

UMBC’s Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery presents "Extraordinary Bodies: Photographs from the Mütter Museum," on display from January 30 through March 12, 2006.

Photographers and medicine are no strangers. The visual representation of anatomy and pathology as viewed by the camera dates back to the advent of the daguerreotype, and early pathology was used by doctors and scientists to create anatomical atlases as well as document disease and trauma. Photographs also allowed physicians to keep exact visual records of cases long after patients died.

The historical bond between photographers and medicine carries forward to the present day with "Extraordinary Bodies: Photographs from the Mütter Museum," the culmination of more than a decade of work that includes contemporary photography by Shelby Lee Adams, Max Aguilera-Hellweg, Gwen Akin & Allan Ludwig, Candace diCarlo, Dale Gunnoe, Steven Katzman, Mark Kessell, Scott Lindgren, Olivia Parker, Rosamond Purcell, Richard Ross, Ariel Ruiz i Altaba, Harvey Stein, Arne Svenson, William Wegman and Joel-Peter Witkin. For some of these photographers, the medical manipulation of the body — an act that amounts to the isolation of the part from the whole — becomes a visual metaphor for the human condition. Others experiment with the juxtaposition of real or artificial body parts and the public and private spaces of the Museum itself.

"Extraordinary Bodies: Photographs from the Mütter Museum" presents these works by current photographers alongside powerful images from the Mütter Museum’s renowned historical photography collection. The images in the exhibition extend the boundaries of traditional photographic subject matter, finding beauty not in conventional forms, but in internal marvels and in the enigma of those whose bodies — deformed, broken, and disfigured — have suffered physical abnormality, trauma or destructive disease.

The Mütter Museum, one of the last medical museums from the nineteenth century, comprises a sublime anatomical and pathological collection that originated with Thomas Dent Mütter, a professor of surgery who collected unique specimens and models for teaching purposes. Under the care of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, to which Mütter offered his collection in 1856, the Mütter Museum has grown and survived where most others did not; today a new audience has emerged to appreciate its collections.

"Extraordinary Bodies: Photographs from the Mütter Museum" offers a rare opportunity for people who have not experienced the medical student’s rite of passage and initiation into the singular mysteries of the profession to encounter powerful, inspiring and enthralling images of nature’s challenges to human life.

The publication Mütter Museum (Blast Books, 2002) by Gretchen Worden, the late director of the Mütter Museum, accompanies the exhibition and will be available for sale.

On Tuesday, February 21 at 4:30 pm, the Library Gallery will host a lecture by Mark Alice Durant, professor of photography in the Department of Visual Arts at UMBC, who will discuss the photographers in the show, as well as other photographers whose work illustrates the continued fascination of the contemporary artist with the aesthetics of the human form. A reception will follow the lecture.

For more information, visit http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/gallery/ or call (410) 455-2270.

Photo credit: Rosamond Purcell, Human Head Prepared by Batson, 2000, Iris print

Find out more about arts events in spring 2006 at www.umbc.edu/arts.

By UMBC Retrievers News

Jerrell Dinkins has had a remarkable start to the 2005-06 season. From the depths of the depth chart before the season began, he rose into a starting role and is averaging nearly 11 points per game and doing a solid job as an undersized player in the paint. We recently sat down for our "Ten Questions" segment with the Bronx, New York native.

You have obviously skyrocketed up the depth chart this year. As someone who may have been an afterthought before the season began, you are now a prominent player, a starter. How has this happened?

I think my mindset and my goals have changed. I set my goals very high and I work very hard to achieve them. Every game, I set rebound goals or assist goals and all of my goals very high and I am able to achieve more every day.

Was there ever a time over the past couple of years where you gave up hope?

There were a few times where I felt, it’s just not going to happen, I’m not going to play at UMBC. A big part of me coming back and changing my mindset was Coach Monroe noticing that I was down. He really pushed me to work hard. All the other coaches, including Coach Kehoe and Coach Presley coming in — as soon as they came in, they were pushing me. Coach Baggett told me if I worked on certain things, I would play.

You guys right now are playing a very undersized frontcourt, with you, John (Zito) and Mike (Housman) getting most of the minutes. Yet, you are holding your own and outrebounding most opponents. How are you doing this, given the fact that the biggest guy is 6-foot-6?

We work every day with Coach Baggett and his big man drills, especially rebounding drills. Coach Monroe emphasizes rebounding and Coach Baggett shows us how to deny and defend the low post. We work on that for twenty minutes before practice every day. We are very confident whether we’re going up against a great rebounding team or the poorest rebounding team — we are going in with the same mindset that we are going to rebound as best as we can.

How did it feel when at the banquet before the season began, Coach Monroe named you one of the tri-captains?

It was indescribable. I knew I had worked hard, but I didn’t see that coming. When he announced it, it just showed that hard work didn’t go unnoticed. He noticed me working hard and the effect I had on my teammates. I am very appreciative of this honor.

With you, Mike and John getting most of the minutes, the freshman post players must be experiencing some frustration. How have you tried to keep their spirits up in this time when they are frustrated?

That goes with being a captain. I have been through it. I tell them that you have to be patient. I have talked to all the guys, and tell them to keep pushing because you never know when your time is going to come. Even with a veteran player like Mike Housman, when John Zito got hurt for the Delaware game, I told Mike to be ready and he certainly was!

This year, the team is 3-1 at home. Talk about the affect the student section has had on the team at home.

It is great. If people watch the games, they will see that I love running down that side of the court because the way they boost our confidence and get on the other team’s players. I can hear them telling me that they know I can beat my man. In a way, they are kind of like coaches because they are seeing things too. Most times, I listen to them and it’s worked out.

When recruits come to UMBC, what do you tell them about this place?

The main thing I tell recruits is that UMBC is an upfront, honest place. There is no lying, no one tells you that you will definitely play. The atmosphere, besides basketball, is great — all the people are very friendly. There has never been a time where I couldn’t go to any individual on campus and talk to them about a problem. I also love the campus and downtown Baltimore is really nice.

As a Philadelphia Eagles’ fan, put yourself in Andy Reid’s shoes. How would you have handled the Terrell Owens situation?

I think it was handled right. It’s something we talk about here. We don’t want anybody that is going to disrupt our team unity or the university in any way. He was clearly disrupting the team and you can’t have somebody that is going to bring the team down in any way.

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate this team’s attitude now and why?

I’d say about an eight. We have a great attitude and we are all willing to work. But we do have to avoid getting a negative attitude when Coach is telling us something to try to improve us or when we lose a game. You have to understand that Coach isn’t yelling at me because he doesn’t like me—he is because he knows I can do it. That’s when the level may drop, but we have guys like John Zito or Mike Housman or Chris Pugh to lift the spirits back up again to a nine or a ten.

Suppose you could look into a crystal ball and see yourself five years from now. What will you be doing?

I was just talking to Rashad (Bilal) about this yesterday. I told him five years from now, I would like to have my master’s degree and hopefully be a guidance counselor or be mentoring kids. I love to work with children. I told him that my plan was to take some time off, then get my master’s and become a guidance counselor.

By UMBC Retrievers News

Why did you decide to leave Maryland?

I left Maryland because academically it wasn’t the place for me. The classroom sizes of over 300 kids and not having a relationship with the professor was really tough for me to experience me freshman year. I wanted a smaller setting. Regarding athletics, the athletic program in general just wasn’t close. There was no real bond between any of the teams, especially my sport.

Why did you decide to come to UMBC?

I wanted to come here because I wanted to be closer to home. I grew up with Tom [Himes, assistant coach]; he was my club coach for six or seven years. He was a main contributor to why I came here, because I did want to swim for him again. Probably the happiest I’ve been in the pool is when I’ve been swimming for him. Also, being in the club scene, I did grow up with Chad [Cradock, head coach] and Chris [Gibeau, assistant coach], so I was familiar with their coaching, and I really liked them.

What’s the biggest difference between the two schools?

The closeness, the bonds. Even when I first came here on my tour, it was a close-knit family, you were involved. It’s something that you don’t experience at a big school.

When you’re swimming and you’re so far ahead of the competition, do you ever feel like slowing down?

Never. I know that I won’t be that person in every race. I know that I’ve worked for whatever accomplishments I’ve got, and I’m just going to keep going after them.

What’s it like to look up at the records on the wall and see your name there so many times?

It’s amazing. I’ve swam in this pool since I was little, and growing up I always thought my name would be up there one day. It’s so satisfying. But I know how much work I put into it.

Swimming is more of an individual sport. How do you maintain the team unity?

You have to go out of your way. You have to know that you’re a teammate and you’re a supporter of everybody else. As a team, we schedule things outside of the pool – we have dinners or we go to the movies. It’s important because it is individual and people do fall behind.

You swam at North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC) with Olympian Michael Phelps. Talk about your relationship with him.

He was actually my best friend growing up through NBAC. But at the same time, he was my idol because of his determination. His social life was limited just like mine, so we kind of came together. We wanted to go to the Olympics. We had the same dreams and the same goals.

Talk about swimming at the Olympic Trials in 2004.

It was so nerve-wracking! I’ve been swimming for 17 years and I didn’t swim with my goggles in the 800 [meter freestyle] at Olympic Trials. I was so nervous that I forgot them. Overall, the general sense of being there was amazing.

Who has been your biggest influence throughout your career?

My parents. The lessons that I’ve learned from them, I have so much respect for them knowing how much money, how much time, how much extra effort they put forth for me and swimming. When I wanted to quit, the motivation factor, the time management; they know that I’m stressed, they know that I’m tired, but they don’t ever give up on me. I just appreciate so much that they’ve given me. It’s hard to show it by swimming laps, but I hope they know.

What are your goals for this season?

I want to be back at the NCAA Championships, and I want to be a finalist in more than one event. For the team, I know that we can win the conference. I want the team to know that we need to stick together and have the same goal and not forget about it. I feel that we need to stay positive and just keep going.

By Jessica Bernheim, UMBC Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

Most college students can only dream of a 3.99 grade-point average. But for UMBC senior Erin Voss, a captain on the women’s basketball team, that GPA is a reality.

A biochemical engineering major who plans to attend medical school after graduating next December, Voss is the epitome of the student-athlete. The 6-foot forward has been a regular starter for the Retrievers since early last season, all the while receiving top grades in one of the toughest majors on campus.

“The one B I’ve gotten here was in a one-credit beginner-level class last year,” Voss said. “It’s kind of ironic that I can get A’s in organic chemistry and fluid mechanics, but not in a one-credit course that was supposed to be easy.”

While many athletes may lean toward less-demanding areas of study in order to maximize practice time and minimize off-the-court stress, Voss believes the end result will be more rewarding.

“I realize that a more difficult four years in college has the ability to help me for 30 or 40 years after I graduate,” she said. “It seems like putting a little more effort into these four years and really enjoying what I get to do when I’m done is worth it.”

Though it may be unusual for an athlete to choose biochemical engineering as a major, Voss selected it the way any other student chooses a major – based on her strengths in the classroom and her career ambitions.

“I wanted to pick a major that allowed me the maximum possibilities when I got done with school because I wasn’t really sure exactly what I wanted to do,” she said. “I figured I like science a lot, and I was really strong in mathematics, so biochemical engineering is the epitome of putting all those things together. It allows me to do something in biology, chemistry, medical school or engineering. I could take it and go with it wherever I wanted.”

Voss has narrowed those options down and now plans to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in the spring in hopes of attending medical school. While she hasn’t decided for sure what will be her focus in med school, she is considering orthopedics and sports medicine or neurology.

“I love the brain; I think it’s fascinating,” she said.

Following that passion, Voss volunteers at St. Agnes Hospital in the Delirium Prevention Program, where she works with at-risk elderly people, talking to them and stimulating them mentally in an effort to avert dementia and other mental illnesses. She has also recently begun research on Alzheimer’s disease and its prevention for a professor at UMBC.

Despite all her class and volunteer work, Voss is still able to handle the responsibilities of being a team co-captain, a position she has held for two seasons, as well as maintain a high level of performance on the basketball court. Through six games this season, she is averaging 3.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game. She matched a career high with seven rebounds in UMBC’s 71-51 rout of Longwood on Dec. 3. For her career, Voss has averaged 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 81 of a possible 92 games.

“Erin has improved dramatically over her four years,” UMBC Head Coach Phil Stern said. “She went from a post player to now someone who can step out and shoot the three. She has added to her game every year. She is a leader in our program, and now in her senior year is an integral part in our starting five.

“Erin’s maturity is beyond her years. Her ability to juggle athletics and her academic workload has amazed us since she stepped on campus. Her commitment to her academics is second to none. All that being said, it’s never once gotten in the way of her athletic performance. Erin is the ultimate student-athlete.”

In order to keep up with her busy schedule, Voss quickly learned the art of time management, an extremely useful skill which many college students never quite seem to master. In doing so, Voss not only can keep up with her school work, her basketball schedule and her volunteering, but she also finds time to relax and have fun.

“It’s all about time management,” she emphasized. “It’s about using every minute that you have as effectively and efficiently as you can instead of wasting 15 minutes here and there, which eventually add up to hours during your day. I use those 15 minutes and do a problem or read 10 pages, and by doing little things all at once and using my time efficiently during the day, I’m able to fit everything in.”

Voss credits her mother, a former basketball player at Ohio State, with instilling in her the desire to excel both on the court and in the classroom.

“She has really inspired me both athletically and academically to always work hard, be determined and set goals,” Voss said.

One of those goals – to play Division-I basketball – brought the Brookfield, Wis., native halfway across the country to Baltimore.

“I was really looking for a school that I could play basketball and get a good education, and I had a difficult time finding a good combination of those two things,” said Voss, who considered numerous different schools before selecting UMBC. “I chose UMBC because it was the best fit of both.”

Voss also travels to local elementary schools to talk about the importance of getting a good education and being the complete student-athlete as part of UMBC’s community outreach program.

“Academics are so important because I only have four years to play basketball,” she said. “My academics are going to allow me success for the rest of my life. By striving to do so well academically, I open up so many doorways for myself in the future, and I can do whatever I want for the rest of my life.”

Don Norris, Public Policy, MIPAR, in the Herald-Mail
Don Norris, professor of public policy and director of MIPAR, said gubernatorial candidate Martin O’Malley avoided criticism by selecting Del. Anthony Brown as his running mate. Norris appeared in “O’Malley Taps Brown as Running Mate” in the Herald-Mail on Dec. 9.

J. Thomas Sadowski ‘89 in the Baltimore Sun
J. Thomas Sadowski, political science ’89, is the new executive vice president for the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, a public-private partnership. Sadowski will oversee the organization's information technology/defense and financial services. Sadowski was profiled in “Harford Official to Market Area in New Post,” a Baltimore Sun article published on Dec. 7.

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the Post and Courier
Associate Professor of Political Science Tom Schaller was quoted in a Post and Courier report, “Virginia Warner Wows S.C. Democrats,” which appeared on Dec. 8. According to Schaller, Gov. Warner has already won the South Carolina Primary based on the responses the Governor received from S.C. democrats while attending a dinner in the state. Schaller attended the event as part of his research for an upcoming book.

James Smalls, Visual Arts, on Absolutearts.com
James Smalls, associate professor of art history and theory, is the guest curator for a Baltimore Museum of Art exhibition that features paintings from the Des Moines Art Center and works by 20th-century African-American artists. Smalls was mentioned in the Absolutearts’ article, "Henry Ossawa Tanner and the Lure of Paris."

Due to the threat of inclement weather on Thursday, December 15, the NEESS Holiday Open House has been postponed to Tuesday, December 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom.

We hope you will be able to attend.

TO: The UMBC Community

FROM: Freeman Hrabowski

RE: Maryland Charity Campaign

During this season of giving, it is important for all of us to think
about others, particularly those less fortunate. If you have not yet
made your annual contribution to the Maryland Charity Campaign, I
encourage you please to do so before the Thursday, December 15th
deadline.

Currently, we are only one-third of the way to our $60,000 goal. Please help the campus meet our goal. More important, in the spirit of giving, your gift will make a real difference in the lives of others in need.

Please fill out your pledge form or contact Norah Freeston , in the Office of
Institutional Advancement, to make your contribution.

Thank you and best wishes for the holiday season.

“The Love of Don Perlimplín,” Named Critics Best Pick
“The Love of Don Perlimplín for Belisa in the Garden” was chosen as the Baltimore City Paper’s Critic's Pick during the week of Dec.5-9. http://www.citypaper.com/calendar/event.asp?whatID=66367

George LaNoue, Political Science, To Speak on Disparity Studies for Government Contracts
George LaNoue, professor of political science, is a member of a panel that will address the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) on racially discriminatory practices in federal government contract bids. The briefing occurs Dec. 16 at 9:30 a.m. at the USCCR in Washington, DC.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=57621

Brendan Mundorf Represents Australia in 2006 World Lacrosse Championships
UMBC senior attackman Brendan Mundorf (Baltimore, Md./Mt. St. Joseph) has been selected to represent Australia in the 2006 World Lacrosse Championships, to be held in London, Ontario, Canada from July 13-22. Mundorf, whose father is Australian, was the 2005 America East Conference Men’s Lacrosse Player of the Year. One of the UMBC team captains of the 2005 and 2006 teams, Mundorf also was invited to try out for Team USA this past June. http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mlacrosse/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=2335

“’UMBC Ladies 9’” Wins $10,000 in Mega Million Drawing
The Graduate school employees who call themselves “UMBC Ladies 9” recently won $10,000 in the Md. Lottery’s Mega Million prize, just in time for Christmas. For approximately six months, the women, who prefer to remain anonymous, have pulled their money together in hopes of winning a big prize. Every two weeks, four dollars is contributed towards purchasing a ticket. One woman in the group is responsible for a two week period to buy what’s hoped to be the winning ticket. The group, who has previously won smaller monetary awards, will continue playing together in hopes of claiming an even bigger “jackpot.”

Brian Bailey, junior, in the Baltimore Messenger
Junior Brian Bailey was in the Baltimore Messenger’s “Students Talk Turkey-Want Week Off,” in which the university system of Student Council, of which Bailey serves as vice chairman, is proposing to the system’s Board of Regents that all universities in the system grant a week off for students for Thanksgiving. The article was published on Nov. 25.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=574&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=1150043&om=1

Dennis Coates, Economics, on MSNBC.com
Dennis Coates, professor of economics, was quoted on Nov. 27 in an MSNBC.com article, “Reds Could Hear New Media Pitch,” about the prospect of the Cincinnati Reds owning a radio station to boost profits.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10235535/

Erickson School of Aging Studies in the Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun Education Supplement profiled the doctoral program in gerontology offered by the Erickson School of Aging Studies on Nov. 27.
http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/baltimore/education/20051128/p02.asp

Freeman Hrabowski, President, in the Baltimore Sun
A Baltimore Sun article reported that UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski has no interest in being gubernatorial candidate Doug Duncan’s running mate. Hrabowski’s name was mentioned in earlier reports as a potential candidate for Lieutenant Governor. “Hrabowski Tells Duncan 'No'” was published on Dec. 6.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.duncan06dec06,1,5488973.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Stephen Holden, Information Systems, on GovExec.com
Stephen Holden, assistant professor of information systems, discussed the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to fund the Customer Data Account Engine which replaces the 40-year-old Master File tax administration system. As mentioned in “IRS Accounting System Cumbersome Despite Updates,” Holden is a former IRS modernization program director. This story was reported on GovExec.com on Dec.1.
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=32905&dcn=e_gvet

Blur of the Otherworldly, CAVC, in the Baltimore City Paper
On Nov. 30, the Baltimore City Paper profiled Center for Art and Visual Culture exhibit “Blur of the Otherworldly: Contemporary Art, Technology and the Paranormal” in “Perfectly Paranormal.”
http://www.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=11172

Bryan Kelly, UMBC Economics Advisory Council, in the Baltimore Sun
Bryan Kelly, a member of the board of directors for UMBC’s Economic Advisory Council, was mentioned in the Baltimore Sun’s Education Beat section for being one of two people Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich appointed to the community college board. Kelly, who is also managing partner and owner of Kelly Financial Group LLC, joins Susan Mull, secretary of Youth’s Benefit Elementary School. They will serve five-year terms. Ehrlich Appoints 2 Members to Community College Board was printed on Nov. 27.

Igor Kukelyansky, UMBC Student, in the Towson Jeffersonian
While working as a volunteer at Northwest Hospital, Igor Kukelyansky realized that many Russian immigrants were unfamiliar with health care options in Baltimore. With the help of Maryland Delegate Dan Morhaim, Kukelyansky, a 19 year-old UMBC student, created an emergency services pamphlet in Russian. “Pamphlet In Russian May Reduce ER Visits” was published on Nov. 30 in the Jeffersonian.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=811&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=1150494&om=1

The Lentigen Corporation, techcenter@UMBC, in the News
An article on the Lentigen Corporation, a techcenter@UMBC incubator company, ran in the Baltimore Business Journal's printed version on Dec. 2 and its online version Dec.5. “Big venture Win for UMBC Biotech Shows Industry is Hot” is available at
http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2005/12/05/story3.html.

MSNBC.com also picked up this story.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10235535/

Don Norris, Public Policy, in the News
MIPAR Director Don Norris said challengers for state office will have an edge on incumbents because of a new campaign law that restricts current elected officials from raising money while state legislators meet the first three months of next year. “Campaign Law Gives Challengers an Edge,” appeared in the Baltimore Sun on Dec. 1.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.donations01dec01,1,7623039.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Norris later commented that candidates for the governor’s race are trying to capture endorsements from community leaders that are prominent and can persuade voters. On Dec 2, the Baltimore Sun carried “Race for Endorsements Picks Up.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.endorse02dec02,1,3361969.story

On Nov. 26, Norris appeared in an Associated Press story “How Race Plays into Senate Race in Md.” The article is posted on WTOP’s Web site.
http://www.wtopnews.com/?sid=632061&nid=25

Teresa Viancour, Provost’s Office, in the Kensington Gazette
Teresa Viancour, associate vice provost, said pop culture provides students with examples that cheating in school is acceptable. Viancour appeared in the Kensington Gazette’s “Universities Cope with Growing Culture of Internet Cheating,” on Dec. 7.
http://www.gazette.net/stories/120705/kensnew215338_31943.shtml

12/02/05

CAVC Exhibit in the Baltimore Sun
Blur of the Otherwordly, an exhibit that explores the paranormal, was profiled in the Baltimore Sun on Nov. 26. Murk Durant, co-curator, Symmes Gardner, gallery director, and Chris Banbacus, a junior, were also cited in the story, headlined “UMBC Exhibit Offers Glimpse into World of the Otherworldly.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.paranormal26nov26,1,2902331.story

Christopher Corbett, English, in Baltimore Style Magazine
Christopher Corbett, journalism instructor, wrote a column on his love of coffee in “Good to the Last Drop,” included in the December 2005 edition of Baltimore Style Magazine.

http://www.baltimorestyle.com/dec05issue/backpage-dec05.html

Elena Zlotescu, Theatre, in the Baltimore Sun
Elena Zlotescu, associate professor of costume design, described how her family recognizes Thanksgiving in “Newcomers Give Thanks,” a Baltimore Sun article, which illustrates how non-Americans celebrate the holiday. The article was printed on Nov. 24.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.thanksgiving24nov24,1,7460008.story?page=1

The UMBC holiday luncheon, originally scheduled for Friday, December 9, will now be held on Monday, December 12 at noon in the University Center Ballroom.

By Jack Prostko, Director, Faculty Development Center

(Please feel free to add comments and/or information on your own experiences with group learning at the end of this article.)

While engaging students in classroom discussions is an excellent pedagogical strategy, we know that not all students participate (or even pay attention), especially in larger classes. One logical extension of discussion, then, is to divide students into groups and have them work together, for example, to solve a problem, answer a question, create a report or presentation. Lecturing may be a good way of communicating information, but group work, both in and out of class, is probably the most effective way of developing students’ skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making.

In November, five UMBC faculty members discussed their use of student groups at a brownbag session sponsored by the Faculty Development Center and the New Media division of OIT. This session, archived at OIT’s Brownbag site, highlights the work of professors from four different disciplines who use groups in a variety of ways (both in and out of class).

•Professor Mark Perks explains the new format for Chemistry 101 classes in which lectures are complemented by weekly formal group-work sessions led by TA’s and overseen by Doug Papenmeier.

•Professor Marilyn Goldberg of the Department of Ancient Studies discusses her use of less formal in-class group work to develop critical-thinking skills, and Linda Oliva of the Department of Education describes a group role-play exercise on academic integrity.

•Two mechanical engineering faculty, Professors Uri Tasch and Tony Farquhar, describe examples of structured project work outside of class and lab work in class.

These examples illustrate the variety of ways groups can be used, including some of the principles of organizing, monitoring, and grading student group work. The key issues are easy to describe, though working out the details often requires time and attention.

•If you are considering adding group work to your class, outline the learning goals that will be achieved by the activity—goals that would not be achieved fully or partially by any other teaching strategy. How will the student interaction better promote the development of critical thinking or teamwork skills, for example? Will the students have a clear sense of the purpose of the activity and how to monitor their work?

•Don’t assume that students know how to work together, how to structure their time, or how to delegate tasks. While your learning goals may focus on a discipline-specific skill (as in a chemistry lab), teaching with groups also requires us to teach students how to work productively as a group. Procedures for how to organize the group, including how to divide up the roles (if appropriate) need to be spelled out and discussed before the groups begin their work.

•Prepare clear and explicit instructions for what the students are supposed to do in the time allotted for group work. If the work takes place in class, what questions are to be answered or what problems are to be solved? If the work takes place outside of class over a period of time, what are the deadlines? Are their guidelines for measuring progress?

•Develop a grading rubric and give it to your students. What is being graded in the group work you assign? Will you be grading the students’ ability to interact productively? If so, how will you measure this? Will students also grade their own work as a group, including their own contribution to the final product (as well as the contribution of all members of the group)?

Of course, because so many faculty at UMBC have experimented with student group work, ask colleagues for advice about their experiences with in-class exercises or long-range projects. And please contact me at the Faculty Development Center for information on or suggestions about using group activities in your class. You may also add comments or suggestions at the end of this article.

As the faculty on our brownbag panel in November would attest, students enjoy and greatly benefit from well-designed collaborative tasks, so be assured that the time invested in developing new activities will produce better learning and more engaged students.

(Please feel free to add comments and/or information on your own experiences below.)

Web Resources
“Collaborative Learning: Group Work and Study Teams,” Barbara Gross Davis in Tools for Teaching: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.html

Active Learning: http://www.cat.ilstu.edu/additional/teachRelRes.php
look under Teaching Tips for Active Learning section

Team Based Learning: http://www.ou.edu/idp/tips/index.htm

“Designing Effective Group Activities”: http://www.ou.edu/idp/tips/ideas/groupact.html

“Three Keys to Using Learning Groups Effectively”: http://www.ou.edu/idp/tips/ideas/3keys.html

“Helpful Resources” see “Using Small Groups”: http://www.ou.edu/idp/tips/ideas/quick5.html

Books (available at the Faculty Development Center)

Cooper, James L., Robinson, Pamela, & Ball, David. (eds.) (2003). Small Group Instruction in Higher Education: Lessons from the Past, Visions of the Future. Stillwater, OK: New Forums.

Hurd, Sandra N. & Stein, Ruth Federman. (2004). Building and Sustaining Learning Communities: The Syracuse University Experience. Bolton, MA: Anker.

Jaques, David. (2000). Learning in Groups: A Handbook for Improving Group Work. 3rd Ed. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Laufgraben, Jodi Levine & Shapiro, Nancy S. (2004). Sustaining & Improving Learning Communities. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

McManus, Dean A.. (2005). Leaving the Lectern: Cooperative Learning and the Critical First Days of Students Working in Groups. Bolton, MA: Anker.

Michaelsen, Lary K., Knight, Arletta Bauman, & Fink, L. Dee. (2002). Team-Based Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Millis, Barbara J. & Cottell, Philip G. Jr. (1998). Cooperative Learning for Higher Education Faculty. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx.

Stein, Ruth Federman, & Hurd, Sandra. (2000). Using Student Teams in the Classroom. Bolton, MA: Anker.

By UMBC Retrievers News

Major: Psychology

Minor: Pre-Nursing

When you were recruited three years ago, what made you decide UMBC was the place you wanted to be?

I came on my visit and I really liked the campus. It was nice and had a comfortable feel. I really liked the coaching staff because they made me feel at home and the girls made me feel like I was already a part of the team.

You’re not the only member of the team that is from the Hoosier state. How nice is it to have two other players on your team from your home state of Indiana?

It is really nice because it is easy to bond with them. I already knew (Kristin) Drabyn from before because we played on the same team and it was just easy to have friends right away. It is also nice to have someone to travel with when you go home and to have a buddy to ride eight or nine hours with when you drive home. All three of us have a little Indiana bond.

Are you excited about heading home to play two games right before Christmas in front of family and friends?

Yes, very excited. All of my friends and family who haven’t been able to see me play yet are going to be able to see me play. Some of my family that can’t travel out this far because they don’t have time to take off from work and my close friends will be able to see me and my team and see how good we are gong to be this year so it is exciting.

You are working on a minor in Pre-Nursing. Is that the type of profession you are looking to go into one day?

Hopefully I will be going to nursing school when I graduate. That is what I had planned on when I first came here. I want to be a nurse or dab with coaching a little bit. They are kind of totally different though.

Just last week you hit a three-point shot to end the first half against South Florida. Did you know it was going in right away and what were your emotions after it did go in?

I kind of threw it up and at first I thought it was going to hit the top of the shot clock but after it was half way there and I saw the ball swirling I knew it was going in. When it went in it was like a different feeling that I have never felt in a basketball game. It was just complete shock and I turned around and everybody was jumping up and down. I was smiling and it was just exciting.

With your team off to a 3-1 start, how has the season been so far for you and the team?

It has been great. It is really nice to have 13 people on the team who can come in at anytime and knowing that if you are not having a good night someone else can fill your shoes.

What is the best thing about UMBC?

The best thing about UMBC is everybody is pretty tight. The athletes around here support each other pretty well. That is the best thing about it because you know the other athletes are going to be supportive of you.

Being a native of Indiana, finish this phrase: Steamed Crabs are to Maryland as ______(what)_________ is to Indiana?

Corn, any type of corn. It is just better out there. It’s everywhere and it’s what Indiana is known for.

How has your role changed since you were a freshman at UMBC?

I’ve taken more of a leadership role. Freshman year was kind of like come in, play hard and learn all this stuff. Now it is concentrating on keeping the team together when they are in rough spots and keeping spirits up and making sure everyone is in the right spots.

Q: What can we expect out of UMBC Women’s Basketball this year?

SR: Definitely a winning season and lot’s of surprises. Great surprises!