Govind Rao, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, in the Baltimore Sun
Govind Rao, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, was quoted in The April 18 Baltimore Sun Education Supplement. In “Opportunities in Biomedicine at All Time High In State,” Rao said UMBC developed an undergraduate biotechnology and bio-engineering track to meet the demands of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

UMBC’s Gender and Women’s Studies Program in the Baltimore Sun
UMBC’s gender and women’s studies program was mentioned in the Baltimore Sun’s Education Supplement on April 18. “Women’s Studies Not Just for Women,” highlighted Jessica Richards, a senior psychology major with a minor in women’s studies. Anne Brodsky, who directs the gender and women’s studies program, said many women’s studies programs have merged a cross-section of gender, race, class and ethnicity.

Amulet Pharmaceuticals, techcenter@UMBC, in the Daily Record
Amulet Pharmaceuticals, a five-year old-company in the techcenter@UMBC Incubator Program, was mentioned in an April 19 Daily Record article about 10 local start-ups that received funding from the Maryland Technology Development Corp. In “Ten Tiny Companies Get Support From the State,” Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich attended the event held at Amulet Pharmaceuticals and toured the facility. UMBC's William R. LaCourse, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, works with the company.
http://www.umbc.edu/techcenter/news/041906.htm

The announcement was reported in an April 20, Jeffersonian article, “Ehrlich Pays Visit to UMBC Startup.”
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=811&NewsID=713051&CategoryID=16986&on=1

UMBC Chess Team on WJZ.com
On April 20, WJZ.com published, “UMBC Chess Team Revels In Championship Win,” on UMBC’s chess team winning the national collegiate chess tournament for four consecutive years. Alan Sherman, team advisor and associate professor of computer science, and Kateryna Rohonyn, a team member, were quoted in the story.
http://wjz.com/local/local_story_110125512.html

Tim Finin, Computer Science in InformationWeek.com
Tim Finin, professor of computer science, appeared in the April 20 InformationWeek.com “As Blogs Grow, So Does Spam about the infiltration of spam on blogging sites.
http://www.informationweek.com/internet/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=186500854&subSection=E-Business

Tom Schaller, Political Science in the Buffalo News
Tom Schaller, associate professor of political science, was quoted in an April 24 Buffalo News story on the possibility of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton running for president in 2008. In “Clinton Dominates Campaigns,” Schaller said, "She obviously can't announce that she's running for president yet, so she's done the next best thing, building up her staff and lining up the contributors.”
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060424/1054786.asp

In “O'Malley Theme: Duncan Who?,” an April 23 Washington Post article, Schaller provided political commentary on Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley’s latest campaign strategy: to limit discussions on Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan. Both are seeking Maryland’s top job as governor. "Engaging Duncan just elevates him," Schaller said. "Until or unless Duncan is within 5, 6, 7 points of O'Malley in the polls, it makes sense for O'Malley to run a general-election strategy."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/22/AR2006042201296_pf.html

UMBC in the News
UMBC appeared in several news articles for announcing it will build its fourth building in the bwtech@UMBC. According to Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the UMBC Research Park Corp., “the new space is needed because the two constructed buildings are already full.” The announcement appeared in the Baltimore Business Journal’s “COPT to Construct Second Building at UMBC tech park” on April 24 and the Daily Record’s “Fourth UMBC tech park Building Announced” on April 25.

Shriver Center in the Baltimore Sun
The Shriver Center’s Choice Refocus & Opportunity program was profiled in the April 26 Baltimore Sun’s “Program Helps Kids Make Right Choices. Lamar Davis, director of Choice, and Dan D'Orazio, deputy director of the program, appeared in the article. According to Davis, the Refocus & Opportunity program, is designed to provide intensive support to “youths who have more extensive criminal histories and require closer supervision.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.choice26apr26,0,5583298.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

UMBC ILE Program in the Baltimore Sun
UMBC’s Intercultural Living Exchange Program (ILE) was highlighted in an April 26 Baltimore Sun article on students who share their culture through food. ILE is one of the University’s nine Living Learning Communities and incorporates linguistic and cultural components to promote diversity. The article is entitled “They Make Food Connections that Stir Memories at UMBC.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/dining/bal-fo.students26apr26,0,4555670.story?coll=bal-pe-alacarte

Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery Exhibit in the Baltimore Sun
“The River Runs Serenely Through Pfahl's Photographs,” a review of an Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery’s exhibit was published in the Baltimore Sun on April 26. The exhibit, “Luminous River: Photographs of the Susquehanna” by John Pfahl, photographically documents the Susquehanna River from its source at Otsego Lake, in upstate New York, to where it clears into the Chesapeake Bay near Havre de Grace.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.artcol26apr26,0,100358.column?coll=bal-artslife-today

Christopher Corbett, English, in the Baltimore Sun
On April 23, Christopher Corbett, journalism lecturer, was quoted in the Baltimore Sun’s “Baltimore Becomes a Two-Newspaper Town Once Again” about the distribution of Baltimore’s newest newspaper, the Examiner. Corbett said, "What the Examiner has done in two weeks is make Baltimore grateful for the Sun. It reminds us that the Sun is still an important American newspaper."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-id.moore423,0,1073989.column?coll=bal-news-columnists

Tom Cronin, Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences, on Maryland Public Television’s “Artworks This Week”Tom Cronin, professor of marine-estuarine-environmental sciences, will appear on Maryland Public Television’s “Artworks This Week” for work he did with his father, William B. Cronin, a former marine scientist for the Johns Hopkins Chesapeake Bay Institute and an explorer of the bay and its tributaries. The senior Cronin just published his first book at age 91, a history of the bay region entitled The Disappearing Islands of the Chesapeake (Johns Hopkins University Press.)

The large-format book offers rich descriptions of the bay’s people and places alongside maps and historical photos including shots by noted photographer A. Aubrey Bodine and by the author.

The Cronin men’s work will be highlighted during the week on Maryland Public Television as part of the station’s “Chesapeake Week” programming. "The Disappearing Islands of the Chesapeake" aired on “Artworks This Week” on MPT on Saturday, April 29 at 9 a.m. and Monday, May 1 at 5:30 a.m. It also airs on Comcast Ch 8 on Friday, April 28 at 1 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. The interview was taped at the UMBC’s Imaging Research Center.

More info online:

http://www.mpt.org/artworks/thisweek/
http://www.jhu.edu/jhumag/1105web/islands.html

4/21/06

UMBC in the News

Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of UMBC Research Park Corporation, Stephen Auvil, director of the Office of Technology Development and David Fink, techcenter@UMBC entrepreneur in residence, appeared in an MX: Business Strategies for Medical Technology Executives article. In “Harnessing Academic Innovation,” Hemmerly, Auvil and Fink discuss how UMBC has recognized the importance of forming partnerships with medical technology companies.
www.devicelink.com/mx/archive/06/03/luechtefeld.html

Christopher Corbett, English, in Baltimore Style Magazine

Journalism instructor Christopher Corbett’s May/June 2006 Baltimore Style magazine column, “Must-see TV,” offers suggestions for Baltimore-based television shows.
www.baltimorestyle.com/mj06issue/backpage-mj06.html

Joseph C. Morin, Music, in the Baltimore Sun

Joseph Morin, adjunct assistant professor of music, was quoted in the Baltimore Sun’s April 13 article, “They’re the Next Best Thing” on the success of tribute bands.
www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/music/bal-li.scene13apr13,0,4744182.story?coll=bal-artslife-music

Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery in the Washington Times

The Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery was mentioned in the April 15 Washington Times’ “Photos that Touch the ‘Heart’” about the Corcoran Gallery of Art's "Reflections From the Heart: Photographs by David Seymour." The exhibit showcases many photographs from the 1948 UNESCO and UNICEF series known as "Chim's Children. The Library Gallery, in collaboration with the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the George Eastman House, Rochester (N.Y.), organized the exhibition.
http://washingtontimes.com/entertainment/20060414-091809-8313r.htm

Don Norris, MIPAR, in the News

Don Norris, professor of public policy and director of MIPAR, was quoted in the April 15, Baltimore Sun’s “‘Opt in’ for Rate Hike” about Gov. Robert Ehrlich considering a plan to ease this summer’s electricity rate increases.
www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.rates15apr15,0,3104409.story?page=2&coll=bal-home-headlines

On April 16, Norris was quoted in the Baltimore Sun’s, “Spring Fundraising Dash Begins” about the expected influx of campaign fundraisers by state politicians.
www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.campaign16apr16,0,1059018.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Also on April 18, Norris commented on the state’s provision that bans candidates from appearing in state sponsored promotional ads in the Baltimore Sun’s “Candidates Can't Show Faces on State's Dime."
www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.ads18apr18,0,7633194.story?page=2

Paul Iwancio, Office of Information Technology, to Perform at the Kennedy Center
Paul Iwancio ‘79, American studies and social work, coordinator of instructor television at UMBC, will perform at the Kennedy Center on May 1. Iwancio was chosen from hundreds of Mid-Atlantic songwriters to be part of the first American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Songwriters Showcase to be held in Washington, D.C. He is one of the founders of the Baltimore Songwriters Association.

The evening opens with a presentation by musical writer Stephen Schwartz and concludes with a showcase by 12 writers chosen by ASCAP judges. The judges chose Iwancio's original song "Morning Glories" which he will perform with his partner Nita Paul.

Iordan Kostov, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Patents Ion-sensitive Fluorescence Optical Sensor
Iordan Kostov, research assistant professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, was recently issued a patent for inventing Ion-sensitive Fluorescence Optical Sensor (patent number U.S. 7,029,630). This invention will be used in liquid media in the fields of biology, biotechnology, chemistry, medicine, etc. The patent can be viewed in its entirety on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Web site at http://www.uspto.gov. Information about patents, copyrights, trademarks and start-up companies, can be found on the Office of Technology Development's Web site at http://www.umbc.edu/otd.

William LaCourse Patents Vacuum Membrane Extraction System
William LaCourse, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, recently received a patent for the Vacuum Membrane Extraction System (patent number US 7,028,562). This apparatus is designed for sampling and analysis of gas phase molecules. The patent can be viewed in its entirety on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Web site at http://www.uspto.gov. For more information about patents, copyrights, trademarks or start-up companies, visit the Office of Technology Development located at 5523 Research Park Drive Suite 310, or http://www.umbc.edu/otd.

4/21/06

Stephen Braude, Philosophy, Completes European Lecture Tour

Stephen Braude, professor of philosophy, recently completed a brief European lecture tour. First, in Portugal he gave a keynote address at an international conference on memory, sponsored by the BIAL Foundation. Next, in the Netherlands he lectured on problems with Jung's theory of synchronicity to the Parapsychological Institute in Utrecht. Then in Scotland, Braude presented his most intriguing paranormal case investigation ("The Gold Leaf Lady") at Glasgow University.

Raymond Hoff, Physics, Part of NASA Satellite Launch

Raymond Hoff, professor of physics, is a member of the CALIPSO science team that will launch the CALIPSO satellite on Friday, April 21. The launch will Web cast live at 6:01 EST from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
(www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/calipso/launch/launch-index.html).

CALIPSO is a two-wavelength laser radar operated from a polar orbiting satellite. It will pass over the mid-Atlantic states twice per day (once approximately at 2:30 p.m. and once about 2:30 a.m.). UMBC's focus on the mission is to take the lead on using the data to determine the movement of particulate air pollution, which is routinely done from the ground. Discussions of the UMBC group's activities can be found on the "U.S. Air Quality Weblog (the Smog Blog)" (http://alg.umbc.edu/usaq). Several students are also working on this project, two of whom are physics graduate students (Ray Rogers and Zhu Li) and three are marine-estuarine-environmental sciences students (Nikisa Jordan, Kamonayi Mubenga and Amy Corner Erwin). In addition, Ruben Delgado, a visiting student from the University of Puerto Rico, does the nighttime observing with UMBC’s lidar system.

CAVC’s Museums of Tomorrow: A Virtual Discussion Wins 2006 AAM Museum Publications Design Competition

Museums of Tomorrow: A Virtual Discussion, designed by Franc Nunoo-Quarcoo, chair of visual arts, won first place in the 2006 American Association of Museum Publication Design Competition, in the category of Scholarly Journals. The book was edited by Maurice Berger, curator for UMBC’s Center for Art and Visual Culture (CAVC) and includes contains contributions by UMBC Associate Professor of Visual Arts Mark Alice Durant and other nationally known writers.

Museums of Tomorrow: A Virtual Discussion is based on the proceedings of an online symposium, "Museums of Tomorrow: An Internet Conference of Art Historians, Artists, Critics, Curators and Directors," moderated by Berger and held on the Georgia O"Keeffe Museum’s Web site from Oct. 6 through Oct 19, 2003.

The book is co-published with the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and Research Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is the eighth title in CAVC’s Issues in Cultural Theory series. The book is distributed through Distributed Art Publishers in New York. For more information, call etc. 5-3188.

Jonathan A. Peters, Africana Studies, Producing Theater Production; Fundraiser to be Held April 27

Jonathan A. Peters, associate professor of Africana studies, spent spring break in his native Sierra Leone interviewing individuals and groups as he lays the foundation for the production of his play, “Acres and Acres of Diamonds,” for performance at the “First World Conference” of the black world in Aswan, Egypt, from July 21-23. This poet, playwright and now autobiographer of Seven Laws of Love, says the play was inspired by the folktale, “Tricking All the Kings,” from the Roger Abrahams collection, Afro-American Folktales.

To raise funds for the Aswan production, Peters has enlisted the help of Cape Aloe Ferox Worldwide, Inc. a company whose majority shares are owned by founder and CEO Arthur Smith, a Sierra Leonean. The company is chief sponsor for the Sierra Leone at 45 Celebration at Zanzibar at the Waterfront, 700 Water Street, Washington, D.C. on April 27, Sierra Leone’s Independence Day.

Five poets, including Peters, will read at the formal reception. Members of the campus community interested in attending the event, which lasts from 5:30 p.m. to midnight and includes dancing at 10 p.m. should email peters@umbc.edu or call ext. 5-2923. Donations are welcome.

The estimated cost for the production in Sierra Leone and expenditures for 16 cast and crew members is $49,100.

Cathy Powell and Mary Ellen Jackson Named Employees of the Quarter

Cathy Powell, academic program specialist in academic services, and Mary Ellen Jackson, program director for the ADVANCE Program, have been selected as the Employees of the Quarter.

Powell, the nonexempt Employee of the Quarter, has been an employee with UMBC for 17 years. “… Cathy has been devoted to working at UMBC and her contributions to this campus have only continued and strengthened at the academic services office,” said Naomi Sweigard, assistant director of admissions and chair of the Enrollment Management Staff Development Committee.

Jackson, who has been at UMBC since 1999, is the exempt Employee of the Quarter. “Mary Ellen is outstanding in every way,” said Lynn Zimmerman, vice provost for academic initiatives.
“She has led the initiative [ADVANCE Program] with incredible skill, thoughtfulness and independence.”

Each recipient receives a check for $500, a personalized parking space, one day of administrative leave, a certificate, his/her name on the Employee of the Quarter plaque and an invitation to the annual service award ceremony for all the recipients.

For more information on the winners or the Employee of the Quarter Program, visit the Department of Human Resources’ Web site at: www.umbc.edu/hr/EOQ/EOQ.html

UMBC Faculty and Staff Receive Awards from Maryland State Arts Council

Several UMBC faculty and staff recently received Individual Artist Awards from the Maryland State Arts Council. The Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards are grants awarded to Maryland artists through an anonymous, competitive process to encourage and sustain their pursuit of artistic excellence. Recipients include:

Matt Belzer, Music

Lynn Cazabon, Visual Arts

Linda Dusman, Music

Eric Dyer, Visual Arts

Sandra Lacy, Dance

Lisa Moren, Visual Arts

Renee van der Stelt, Center for Art and Visual Culture

UMBC’s Women’s and Men’s Swimming Teams Named Academic All-American Team

The College Swim Coaches Association of America has selected UMBC’s women’s and men’s swimming teams as the Academic All-American Team for the fall semester of 2005. This past semester, 290 teams meet the criteria for the award. To qualify for this award, the grade point average of the entire swimming and diving squad, including all team members on the eligibility list, must average at least a 2.8 on a 4.0 scale.

Cathy Powell, Academic Services

Cathy Powell, academic program specialist in Academic Services, is the Non-exempt Employee of the Quarter. Powell began her career at UMBC in 1989 as a registration aide in the Office of Admissions. Since then, she has held various positions in the department including office clerk II, administrative assistant I and word processing supervisor. In 2001, Powell became the Honors College’s program management specialist. Last summer, she assumed her current position.

UMBC’s Enrollment Management Staff Development Committee nominated Powell for the award. Naomi Sweigard, chair of the committee and assistant director of admissions said, “Cathy is a person with a can-do attitude, as well as an impressive array of skills and an instinct for process improvement.

“Cathy’s advance computer skills (largely self-taught) have enabled us to use technology in a more effective and efficient manner allowing us to provide information to our colleges in a timely and precise fashion. In addition, she has the ability to assess a situation, design a plan of action and bring that plan to fruition very quickly,” Sweigard added. “Cathy has decreased the departmental graduation review process from a three to four week process to a one week process. She cares very much about students and their UMBC experience and works diligently to insure that it will be a positive one. In short, Cathy has been devoted to working at UMBC and her contributions to this campus have only continued and strengthened at the Academic Services office.”

Powell received her award during an Academic Services staff meeting on April 12, 2006.

Mary Ellen Jackson, Office of the President

Mary Ellen Jackson, ADVANCE Program director, was selected as the Exempt Employee of the Quarter. Jackson is responsible for creating the structure and implementation of all the activities of UMBC’s ADVANCE program, which is supported by a $3.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Jackson began her career at UMBC in 1999 working as a technical coordinator and associate director for the Meyerhoff Program prior to starting her current position in 2004.

Lynn Zimmerman, vice provost for academic initiatives, said, “Mary Ellen is outstanding in every way. She has led the initiative with incredible skill, thoughtfulness and independence. She has independently been able to transform good ideas into consistently outstanding programs through her tremendous attention to detail, her exceptional organizational skills and her highly developed people skills. She brings these skills forward with an irrepressible positive attitude that elevates everyone who works with her.”

“As the director of ADVANCE, Mary Ellen has created a variety of programs and structures to allow us to meet the goals of the grant, including a distinguished speaker series, a competitive program for graduate student support, a scholar mentor program for junior faculty, a series of success workshops for faculty and other workshops for deans and chairs of departments,” added Zimmerman. “Each program was newly initiated with Mary Ellen’s leadership, requiring all the thought and planning that goes into any new program and each one has been outstanding. One special program of note that Mary Ellen organized for the first time was the Faculty Horizons program – a success and outreach program for 50 aspiring women faculty from across the country. She was completely responsible for the success of the program in which 100 percent of the participants evaluated it as highly valuable. Mary Ellen is, in a word, superb!”

Beyond her job responsibilities, Jackson serves as a senator for the Professional Staff Senate. In addition, she is the proud mother of two boys.

She received her award on April 10, 2006.

TO: The UMBC Community

FR: Lee Calizo, Associate Director, Student Life

Our annual spring festival, Quadmania, will take place on-campus Saturday, April 22 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on The Commons Quad, and the headlining act will be in the RAC from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. As a reminder, due to market prices and national entertainment availability, we had to move this annual event from April 29 to April 22. Campus colleagues immediately and directly impacted by this decision have already been consulted about this date change, and we are prepared to host a wonderful UMBC tradition on April 22, rain or shine!

I want to take this opportunity to invite you, your family and friends to attend. Along with diverse local and national music talent, the Quad will host a variety of food and gift vendors, as well as carnival games suitable for all ages. Quadmania is much more than a concert and I encourage you to take part in all this day has to offer!

In order to facilitate a successful and enjoyable event, we need to prepare space for vendors and musicians. On April 22, Administration Drive will be closed to all non-essential vehicles and Lot 10 will be used for vendor and band parking. The Commons Circle will also be closed.

Due to the large number of people coming to campus on Saturday, April 22, we are advising campus members of the following:

• Please do not leave your car on-campus over this weekend;

• All buildings, except The Commons and the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery, will be closed and secured on this day - buildings will be locked and patrolled by campus police starting at 12 p.m.;

• If you need access to your building for any reason on the day of Quadmania, please contact Campus Police prior to your arrival. In order to keep the buildings secured and members of the campus community safe, Campus Police will grant access only to those faculty and staff members who present valid identification; and

• If you would like more information regarding Quadmania please call the Office of Student Life at x53462, email me at Calizo@umbc.edu and/or check out our Quadmania Web site at www.umbc.edu/seb.
  

  Thank you for your cooperation and support of this annual, festive community event.

Greg Cantori ’85, Geography, in the Baltimore Sun
Greg Cantori ’85, geography, was quoted in the April 2 Baltimore Sun article “Peddling Car-Free, Bike Friendly Days for Baltimore.” Cantori would like Baltimore to adopt its own version of Bogota’s “Ciclovia,” a tradition where city streets are closed to traffic on every Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. During that time, people take to the streets bicycling, rollerblading, jogging or walking. Cantori, who experienced Ciclovia while in Bogota for five weeks, said, “I felt like I was in Utopia.”

UMBC Student Joseph Jones on “The Newshour with Jim Lehrer”
UMBC student Joseph Jones, who will graduate in May with a bachelor of arts in social work, appeared on “The Newshour with Jim Lehrer" on March 29 to discuss an organization he founded - the Center for Fathers, Family and Workforce Development (CFWD). According to the Center’s Web site (http://www.cfwd.org/), its mission is to “assist individuals regaining the personal power needed to benefit their families and communities.

To listen to or watch the show, visit http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/economy/jan-june06/blackmen_3-29.html.

UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski in the Baltimore Sun
UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski appeared in the April 7 Baltimore Sun’s “Graduation Rates for Black Athletes Increase in Study.” The study, conducted by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, found that graduation rates for African-American student-athletes increased over a 15-year period from 35 percent to 52 percent.In response to the findings, Hrabowski said, "The good news is the increase. The bad news is that the baseline was so low. We still have plenty of work to do."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/bal-sp.gradrates07apr07,0,5339756.story?coll=bal-sports-more

Robert Provine, Psychology, in CBS News Online
On April 7, CBS News online picked up WebMd.com's article "Is Laughter the Best Medicine," which featured Robert Provine, professor of psychology, who said definitive research on the benefits of laughter has not been done yet.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/07/health/webmd/main1481492.shtml

Don Norris, MIPAR, in the Baltimore Sun
Don Norris, professor of public policy and director of MIPAR, was quoted in the Baltimore Sun’s “Merdon Plays Down Flap Over Smoking Bill.” According to the article, Howard County Council Chairman Christopher J. Merdon, who is running for county executive, denies that he reintroduced a bill that bans smoking to get more votes in the election. In fact, Merdon claims he opposes the bill. However, Norris said, "Clearly, he wouldn't be doing this if he didn't figure it would do something in his favor in the campaign for county executive."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-ho.politics09apr09,0,6561974.story?coll=bal-local-howard

On April 12, Norris also appeared in the Baltimore Sun's "Governor Calls Assembly Session Extremely Partisan." In the article Norris provided analysis on some of the challenges Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr faces in his campaign for re-election.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.campaign12apr12,0,1077654.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Christopher Corbett, English, in the New York Times
Christopher Corbett, instructor of journalism, provided an April 9 review in the New York Times’ “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” of Emily Barton’s newest novel, Brookland. The novel is about the lives of two sisters who inherit their father’s gin distillery. The setting takes place in New York from 1772 to 1822. About the book, Corbett said, "Brookland turns out to be a story not just of risk, daring and ambition but of the courage to fail — and the courage to live on after failing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/books/review/09corbett.html?n=Top%2fFeatures%2fBooks%2fBook%20Reviews&_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1144947660-RSF+dSvwvhhk3yf3IDC2Pg

UMBC Chess Team in the Washington Post
The recent win of UMBC’s Chess Team at the President’s Cup, the Final Four of college chess, was mentioned in the April 10 Washington Post report, “CHESS Lubomir Kavalek.” The team defended its title with a nine point lead against the University of Texas, Dallas.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/09/AR2006040900773.html

04/07/06

Ellen Hemmerly, UMBC Research Park Corporation, in the Daily Record
Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of UMBC’s Research Park Corporation, was interviewed in a March 3 Daily Record article about the formation of Research Parks Maryland, a regional research park industry association comprised of several University System of Maryland’s schools. In “University Research Parks Trade Competition for Cooperation,” Hemmerly said members of the association expect short-term competition, but are willing to work things out when competitive issues arise.
http://www.mddailyrecord.com/archives/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printable?client.id=mddailyrecord&story.id=176589

Lafeyette Gilchrist, Music, on WYPR’s The Signal
On March 10, Lafayette Gilchrist ’92, African American studies, adjunct music faculty and Baltimore Jazz pianist, appeared on WYPR’s "The Signal" on his groundbreaking album Towards the Shining Path.
http://www.signalradio.org/index.php?m=200603

UMBC Exhibit “What Sound Does a Color Make?” on WYPR’s The Signal
The exhibition “What Sound Does a Color Make,” on view earlier this year at the Center for Visual Arts and Culture, was featured on “The Signal” on March 10. Curator Kathleen Forde was interviewed on the show.
http://www.signalradio.org/index.php?m=200603

Fine Arts Recital Hall in the Baltimore Sun
Two performances held at the UMBC Fine Arts Recital Hall were mentioned in the March 12 Baltimore Sun article, “Music Beyond the Meyerhoff” about classical music performances in the Baltimore area. The performances of soprano Rachel Franklin, who performed on March 12, and cellist Franklin Cox, who played on March 13, were mentioned in the article also.
[Fee now required to view full article.]

bwtech@UMBC in the Local News
On March 13, the Baltimore Business Journal reported in “COPT to Expand UMBC Research Park” that the U.S. Geological Survey’s Water Science Center will move from its current location in White Marsh to bwtech@UMBC in spring 2007. The Center’s proximity to the campus provides the students, faculty and federal scientists opportunities to collaborate in the classroom and laboratories.
http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2006/03/13/daily2.html

On March 14, a story on the U.S. Geological Survey’s move was published in the Daily Record in “U.S. Geological Survey Finds Its Way to UMBC” and in the Baltimore Sun’s “Water Science Center is Relocating to UMBC.”
[Subscription required to view Daily Record article. The Baltimore Sun’s story now requires a fee to view.]

Jason Loviglio, American Studies, in the Baltimore Sun
Jason Loviglio, assistant professor of American studies, was interviewed for the March 14 Baltimore Sun’s “WBAL Radio Cancels Rush Limbaugh.” Loviglio said Limbaugh’s success as a popular radio personality might have contributed to his depature. "If this is a trend [right-wing talk radio], he's a victim of his own success, because he's no longer a voice in the wilderness," said Loviglio.
[Article now requires fee to view.]

Claire Welty, CUERE, in the Biz Weekly
Claire Welty, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Center for Urban and Environmental Research and Education, appeared in a March 14 Biz Weekly article about UMBC’s Research Park newest tenant, the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Water Science Center. In “COPT to Develop Next Building at bwtech@UMBC Research Park,” Welty said, “this move gives the citizens of Maryland a unique, new resource in higher education as USGS scientists will work shoulder-to-shoulder with UMBC professors.”

Ellen Handler Spitz, Visual Arts, in the News
Ellen Handler Spitz, Honors College professor of visual arts, discussed her new book The Brightening Glance on two news radio programs on March 15. Handler Spitz was interviewed on the Kojo Nnamdi Show, a National Public Radio program (WAMU-88.5 FM). The previous week she appeared on Boston’s WBZ Women Watch, a news radio feature on issues that concerns women.

UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski and Michael Summers, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Co-authors Science Magazine Article
Freeman Hrabowski, UMBC president, and Michael Summers, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, co-authored “Preparing Minority Scientists and Engineers,” which appeared in Science magazine on March 31. In the article, Hrabowski and Summers explained how the effectiveness of the Meyerhoff Program has helped improve the participation of underrepresented minorities in science.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/311/5769/1870.pdf

Don Norris, MIPAR, in the Baltimore Sun
Don Norris, professor of public policy and director of MIPAR, was quoted in the Baltimore Sun’s “Independent Voters on the Increase in [Howard] County” on April 2. Despite the increase, Norris said, “…don’t look for a strong third party to emerge as a voting alternative.” He also noted that there have been few successful independent leaders since World War II.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-ho.politics02apr02,0,3350696.story?coll=bal-local-howard

Sally Shivnan, English, Essay Included in Two Publications
"Airborne," an essay by Sally Shivnan, lecturer in English, has been published in the fall 2005 issue of The Georgia Review and will be included in Best American Travel Writing 2006, scheduled to be released by Houghton Mifflin in October.

Senior Raelina Howell Wins APS/NIDDK Minority Travel Fellowship Award
Raelina Howell, a senior biochemistry major, is one of 52 fellows to be awarded the American Physiological Society (APS)/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Minority Travel Fellowship. The fellowship program is designed to retain qualified minority students in physiology and the biomedical sciences. The fellowship provides funding for transportation, registration and other costs. Additionally, each fellow is paired with an established researcher, an APS member who is usually in the same research area as the student.
http://www.the-aps.org/press/aps/06/06niddk.htm

Carol Hess, Dance, Video Project Accepted in the Maryland Film Festival
The Maryland Film Festival has selected a video/dance film by Carol Hess, chair of the Department of Dance, as one of its screenings. Hess choreographed, filmed and edited, "Substrata." The choreography consists of modern/experimental movements between two dancers. The film has abrupt music changes with video cuts that become more unpredictable as the dancers perform sharp, fast, punctuated movements.
View the film at http://asp1.umbc.edu/newmedia/studio/stream/qtdetail.cfm?recordID=400

The Maryland Film Festival takes place on May 11-14. Get more information on the festival at http://www.mdfilmfest.com/.

Julia Ross and Taryn Bayles, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Win Regents’ Faculty Award for Excellence
The University System of Maryland Board of Regents honors Julia M. Ross, associate professor of chemical and biochemical engineering; Taryn M. Bayles, professor of the practice of chemical and biochemical engineering; and Bruce Jarrell, vice dean of academic affairs, University of Maryland School of Medicine, for their unique collaborative program that seeks to increase awareness of and interest in engineering and science careers. Ross, Bayles and Jarrell are developing and implementing INSPIRES (INcreasing Student Participation, Interest and Recruitment in Engineering & Science), an innovative and engaging standards-based high school curriculum that uses state-of-the-art tools to present motivational and informative lessons for students.
http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/Awards2006/index.html

Lentigen Corporation, techcenter@UMBC, Finalist for Red Herring 100 North America Award
Red Herring, a California-based media company that covers innovation, technology, financing and entrepreneurial activity, has narrowed the list of contenders for the Red Herring 100 North America Award. Lentigen Corporation, techcenter@UMBC, is among the 200 finalists. The award recognizes new and innovative technology firms and their entrepreneurial founders. More information about Lentigen Corporation is available at http://www.lentigen.com/. For more information on the award, visit http://www.herringevents.com/rhspring06/index.jsp?section=rh100.

04/07/06

Tom Beck, Library, Authors Book on David Seymour
Phaidon Press, the London-based publisher of art books, has issued David Seymour (Chim) by Tom Beck, chief curator of UMBC Special Collections. David Seymour (1911-1956) became a photographer when upheaval in the 1930s Eyope dashed his dreams of studying science at the Sorbonne. He helped redefine photojournalism with his humanistic coverage of world events from the Spanish Civil War to the Suez Crisis. A founder of Magnum Photos with Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson and George Rodger, Seymour was tragically killed while covering the Suex Crisis in 1956.

Beck also spoke on "Photography and the Victorian Mind" at the Historical Society of Talbot County.

Robert H. Deluty, Psychology, Authors Eighth Book
Robert H. Deluty, associate professor of psychology, has published Specks and Flashes, his eighth book. David H. Barlow, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Boston University claims, “Robert Deluty is the master of haiku. In Specks and Flashes, he offers more stunning insights into human behavior and life.” Specks and Flashes may be purchased at the UMBC Bookstore and selected bookstores in the Baltimore area.

Students Win ACSM Award
Several UMBC students were awarded the Digital Map Award during the 33rd Annual American Congress on Surveying and Mapping – Cartography Geographic Information Society Map Design Competition. Under the direction of Tom Rabenhorst, director of instructional cartography in UMBC’s Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, students in the Advanced Cartographic Applications class designed and developed the Digital Atlas of Megalopolis, an atlas that analyzes the socio-economic-spatial changes in the region over the past fifty years. John Rennie Short, professor of public policy, provided a written analysis of the atlas’ graphic content. The student participants are: Brendan B. Bartow, Heidi Lynn Brueckner, Alan S. Belsky, Erin R. Bolton, Jenifer S. Campbell, Eric W. Cook, Matthew J. Coyle, Jonathan D. Curtis, Jonathan L. Gdowik, Michael Panichello, Sarah E. Shank and Patrick L. Varga.

Alexander Onischuk Wins U.S. Chess Championship
Alexander Onischuk, a UMBC chess team member, is the overall U.S. chess champion after beating Yuri Shulman at the U.S. Chess Championship on March 12 in San Diego, Calif. Onischuk won his group alone with seven points.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/12/AR2006031200841.html

Robert R. Provine, Psychology, Authors Mini-Essay and Essay Included in Best American Science Writing of 2006 Robert R. Provine, professor of psychology, joined an interdisciplinary cast of scientists and writers in the recently released collection of mini-essays, What We Believe But Cannot Prove—Leading Thinkers on Science in the Age of Uncertainty. Provine’s essay asserts that most human behavior is unconsciously controlled, with the rationality and conscious control of our actions being an illusion. Provine joins Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, Jared Diamond, Daniel Dennett, Martin Rees, Leon Lederman, Robert Trivers, Freeman Dyson, Craig Venter, Alan Kay, Charles Simonyi, Martin Seligman, Howard Gardiner and others, in this collection featuring an introduction by novelist Ian McEwan. Provine joined many of these same contributors in a previous volume The Greatest Inventions of the Past 2,000 Years—Today’s Leading Thinkers Choose the Creations That Shaped Our World.

Also, Provine’s essay, “Yawning,” was selected for inclusion in the annual Best American Science Writing of 2006 to be published September 1 by Ecco/Harper Perennial. The essay first appeared in the Nov./Dec. 2005 issue of American Scientist.

Two CSEE Professors Granted Patent for WDM Optical Communications Systems
On March 21, Tulay Adali and Curtis Menyuk, both professors of computer science and electrical engineering, were issued a patent entitled, “Error Mitigation System Using Line Coding for Optical WDM Communications,” (patent number US 7,016,606,). WDM stands for Wavelength Division Multiplexing. This invention is an apparatus and method of line coding to mitigate collision induced errors in WDM optical communications systems. The patent can be viewed it its entirety on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's web site at http://www.uspto.gov. If you would like more information about patents, copyrights, trademarks or start-up companies, visit the Office of Technology Development, located at 5523 Research Park Drive Suite 310, or http://www.umbc.edu/otd.

UMBC Students Inducted into UMBC National Residence Hall Honorary
The following students were inducted into the UMBC National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH): Kyle Clelan, Ethel Mojoko, Rendy Yudhistira, Kelly Subramanian, Amanda Gonnsen, Jessica Dulaney and Mary Kate Bukowski. NRHH is comprised of the top one percent of resident student leaders. These students have been inducted for their leadership within the residential community at UMBC.

UMBC Chess Team Becomes Final Four Champions
The UMBC Chess Team is once again the reigning college champions of the President’s Cup Chess Tournament. This is the team’s fourth consecutive win since the tournament began six years ago. The team defeated its rival the University of Texas, Dallas, with a final score of nine to eight.
http://www.umbc.edu/NewsEvents/releases//archives/2006/04/umbc_wins_2006.html

The team’s victory was also reported by WBAL-TV on April 3 in “UMBC Wins Chess College Championship.”
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/health/8435436/detail.html

The Washington Times carried the win in “UMBC Wins College Chess Final Four” on April 4.
http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20060403-110007-3080r.htm

By Jenny O'Grady

We’ve seen many images of the impact of Hurricane Katrina over the last six months: photographs of the hordes displaced from their New Orleans homes, video footage of the volunteers rebuilding, house by house.

But Cindy Dahlstrom McNitt '81, psychology, sees another side of the damage. As a licensed clinical social worker from the small town of Slidell, La. – which sustained major damages, falling within the eye of the storm – she witnesses the emotional effects of the flooding on a daily basis.

“Since everyone here is experiencing some degree of stress, my clinical work is not confined to the office,” said McNitt.

“More people are seeking help (wisely), but are frustrated by the limited help available to them,” due to the destruction of health providers’ offices, records – even suicides by practitioners, she said. “This only adds to the general sense of hopelessness that takes over at times.”

McNitt got her start in social work at UMBC. A native of Illinois, she originally chose UMBC because of the strong psychology program and to be close to her high school sweetheart, Tom, who was attending the Naval Academy at the time.

“While there, I took a social work class that really resonated with me,” she said. After college, she and Tom married and she earned her master’s in social work from the University of Illinois. McNitt spent several happy years working in the schools of Chicago's suburbs while raising their first three children.

In 1995, just after the birth of her fourth child, the Navy transferred the family to New Orleans. McNitt quickly set up her private practice in the town of Slidell, which lost forty percent of its housing to Katrina, she said.

Despite the obvious troubles of the citizens of Slidell, McNitt stays positive in hopes she might help her neighbors. Since her home made it through the storm relatively unscathed, her family has opened the doors to a number of guests, including her older daughter’s family and a local contractor. McNitt’s office was “torpedoed,” however, so she has been working from home and taking to the streets to talk clients through their problems.

In addition to the issues that naturally arise from close-quartered living, loss of jobs and homes, and general disarray, McNitt has dealt with everything from suicides to peoples’ worries about “the next hurricane” to fears of falling branches.

“We’re all trying to assimilate something known locally as the ‘New Normal.’ This is one of the biggest challenges in this huge region of destruction and lost, but evidence of hope, too,” she said. “We’re not ‘all better’ yet, but with help, we can get there. This can be a pretty city again…maybe a ‘New Normal.’”