UMBC's array of programs that empower women to be both successful students and successful professionals has been recognized for the third year in a row by CosmoGIRL! magazine's guide to the 50 best colleges for girls. Featured in the magazine's October 2006 issue, it also includes such institutions as Bowdoin College; Carnegie Mellon University; Middlebury College; Stanford University; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; and Washington University in St. Louis.

In compiling the list for its readership of young women ages 12 through 17, editors at CosmoGIRL! consulted admissions officers and guidance counselors across the country. “We select schools that provide the best environment specifically for female students,” said CosmoGIRL!'s Editor-in-Chief, Susan Schulz. “We bring attention to important factors that girls may overlook or not even consider, such as female role models on campus, quality of women’s sports programs, availability of entrepreneurial courses, career centers that excel at internship and job placements and the effectiveness of alumni networks.

“We found that UMBC possesses all of these factors and more. We’re confident that the girls who go there are given the opportunity to encounter women who are innovative thinkers and successful leaders—inspiring students to follow in their footsteps to become the powerhouses of tomorrow,” Schulz added.

UMBC impressed the magazine's editors with a variety of programs that empower women. UMBC’s Gender and Women’s Studies Program emphasizes the importance of historical, cross-cultural and international perspectives. The Women’s Studies Coordinating Committee worked with the Office of Student Affairs to develop Women Involved in Learning and Leadership (WILL), which engages the campus in a learning community that promotes academic excellence, leadership development, career exploration and civic engagement on women's issues. The University’s Women’s Center provides programs that support women’s academic and intellectual growth, professional development and personal empowerment.

Other innovative programs include the Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT), dedicated to achieving women's full participation in all aspects of information technology. Through UMBC’s Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, students gain targeted expertise through internships, test their skills through competitions, accelerate a business concept through the Idea Lab, and attend courses and lectures tailored to spark their entrepreneurial spirit.

In addition, UMBC is one of only 16 schools in the country chosen by the National Science Foundation to sponsor an ADVANCE program to support the recruitment and advancement of women faculty in science, technology, engineering and math. ACTiVATE, sponsored by a grant from the NSF, trains women with significant technical or business experience to be entrepreneurs and to create start-up companies.

Other programs that help women prepare for success after graduation include the UMBC Alumni Association’s popular “Backpack to Briefcase” program, which offers students the opportunity to network with the University’s alumni. UMBC’s Career Services Center and Shriver Center offer internship and coop placement, as well as other initiatives that help students make a successful transition from UMBC to the workforce.

Kate Brown, History, in Harper’s Magazine
On Sept. 22, Harper’s Magazine published “Six Questions on the American ‘Gulag’ for Historian Kate Brown.” Brown, associate professor of history at UMBC and scholar on Soviet history and prisoner abuse in Gulag, the Soviet system’s forced labor camps, answered questions about the American penal and detention system and its evolving developments post-9/11.
http://harpers.org/sb-six-questions-kate-brown-1158926209.html

Don Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun
Don Norris, professor of public policy and MIPAR director, appeared in the Sept. 22 Baltimore Sun’s “Democrats Accuse Steele of 'Political Identity Theft'” about the new campaign signs for Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, which seem to identify the U.S. Senate candidate as Democrat, when in fact Steele is a Republican. Norris classifies the new signs as “underhanded” and a “dirty trick.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.democrat22sep22,0,4470420.story

Bernard Rabin, Psychology, in New Scientist Space
New Scientist Space highlighted the research of Bernard Rabin, professor of psychology, in “Future Mars Astronauts Have Radiation on Their Minds” about how the radiation that astronauts have encountered on Mars and the moon affect their brains. Rabin’s research investigates how radiation affects the behavior and cognitive abilities of rats.
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn10132-future-mars-astronauts-have-radiation-on-their-minds.html

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
On Sept. 20, Tom Schaller, associate professor of political science, did a live radio segment for Washington Post radio with Paul Farhi and host Victoria Jones on the subject of Michael Steele's new campaign ads.

On Oct. 1, look for a review by Andrew Hacker on Schaller’s new book, Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South, in the New York Times Book Review. Brian Mann's "Welcome to the Homeland" in the New York Times will also include Schaller in a piece entitled "What's the Matter with Democrats?"

On Oct. 8, the New York Times will feature a few quotes from Schaller’s book in a feature profile on Montana Gov. Mark Schweitzer.

U.S. News and World Report quoted Schaller in the Sept. 13, “Cardin Defeats Former Colleague for Democratic Nod for Senate in Maryland” about Rep. Ben Cardin defeating former Rep. and NAACP president Kweisi Mfume in the Md. Senate primary.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060913/13mdprimary.htm

Senior Gregory H. Winger in the Christian Science Monitor
Senior Gregory Winger, a history and political science major, wrote a Sept. 25 Christian Science Monitor article, “Get Ethiopian Troops Out of Somalia.” In the article, Winger explains why the U.S. should be cautious of the Ethiopian government’s involvement with the war on terrorism as it relates to Somalia.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0925/p09s02-coop.html

UMBC Legal Resource Center in the Baltimore Examiner
UMBC’s Legal Resource Center continues to receive press coverage after opening in June 2006. The latest article appeared in the Sept. 25 edition of the Baltimore Examiner. Entitled, “UMBC Legal Center Helps Smaller Outfits Stay Afloat,” the article discusses the type of assistance the Center has provided since its opening.
http://www.examiner.com/a-309393~UMBC_legal_center_helps_smaller_outfits_stay_afloat.html

UMBC in the Baltimore Sun
UMBC Jewish and Muslim student groups are planning a joint Ramadan-Yom Kippur celebration in observance of each of the group’s religious holy days, which coincide with one another. Rabbi Jason Klein, director of UMBC Hillel, said the event will occur after both communities complete their fast. The Sept. 22 Baltimore Sun article, “Muslim, Jewish Holy Days Overlap,” details how other Muslim and Jewish groups on college campuses will use this coincidence to promote interfaith tolerance.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.calendar22sep22,0,5585596.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

September 22, 2006

Don Norris, Public Policy, in the News
Don Norris, professor of public policy and MIPAR director, appeared in “Phony Fliers, Real Lift,” a Jeffersonian article printed on Sept. 19 about a fake campaign flier in which Martin O’Malley purportedly endorsed several candidates in the 7th House District.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=811&NewsID=748260&CategoryID=16986&on=1

On Sept. 13, in the Towson Times’ “County Will be Key in Governor's Race Ehrlich's Home Turf Will,” Norris said Baltimore County will likely serve as the battleground for Maryland’s gubernatorial race on Nov. 7.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=659&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=1214015&om=1

Norris appeared in the Baltimore Sun on Sept. 11 in “Independents Trade Primary for Unaligned Voice in Nov.,” an article about Independent voters’ inability to vote in the Maryland primary.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.independent11sep11,0,2865401.story

Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery in the Baltimore Sun
“The Faces From Troubled Times,” a Baltimore Sun article printed on Sept. 20, profiles the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery’s latest exhibition “Reflections from the Heart: Photographs by David Seymour,” which runs through Dec. 10.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.artcol20sep20,0,7969272.column?coll=bal-artslife-today

McKenzie Bowling ’06 in the Baltimore Sun
McKenzie Bowling ’06, theatre was mentioned in the Baltimore Sun’s theatre review, “ 'Opus' Strings Together a Perfect Collaboration,” about the production “Opus,” which currently is playing at Everyman Theatre in Baltimore and will run until Oct. 15. http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/stage/bal-to.opus13sep13,0,1370809.story

A review, “Brilliant OPUS at Everyman Theatre,” also appeared on Broadwayworld.com.
http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=12138

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
In the Washington Post’s Sept. 19 “Where’s the Party? Nowhere To Be Found In Steele Ads,” Tom Schaller, associate professor of political science, explains why Maryland senatorial candidate Michael Steele chose non-traditional political television advertisements.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/18/AR2006091801236_pf.html

In the DC Examiner’s Sept. 15 “In Rating the Winners and Losers in the Maryland Primaries,” Schaller analyzes in his column the results of the Maryland primaries.
http://www.examiner.com/a-287258~Thomas_Schaller__Rating_the_winners_and_losers_in_the_Maryland_primaries.html

Brad Simpson, History, on the Marc Steiner Show
Brad Simpson, assistant professor of history, appeared as a guest on WYPR’s Marc Steiner Show on Wednesday, Sept. 20 to discuss President Bush’s speech to the United Nations, which he delivered on Sept. 19, and the war in Iraq. Listen to the show at http://www.wypr.org/M_Steiner.html.

September 22, 2006

ACTiVATE program in the Baltimore Business Journal
On Aug. 28, the Baltimore Business Journal published “What's In a Name? Maybe a CEO Job Title.” The article mentioned that nearly one-third of the publicly traded companies in Baltimore have CEOs with the name Robert, Michael or David. However, none of these companies have women CEOs. Despite this, many state organizations are working to improve these numbers, including UMBC’s ACTiVATE program, as mentioned in the article.
http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2006/08/28/story11.html

Rachel Brewster, Biological Sciences, in the Baltimore Sun
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Rachel Brewster appeared in the Sept. 8 Baltimore Sun’s “Names in the News” for receiving the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the nation’s top award for young scientists.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-hs.names08sep08,0,7832168.story?coll=bal-health-headlines

UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski in the Baltimore Sun
On Sept. 9, the Baltimore Sun’s “Science, Math Teacher Bid Gets a Boost,” reported on the latest endowment presented to UMBC from George and Betsy Sherman, who pledged $5 million in scholarships for UMBC math and science students who plan to teach in schools with many low-income students. UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski made the announcement during the University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents’ meeting held on campus Sept. 8.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.regents09sep09,0,3549530.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Don Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun
“How Much Can State Trust Electronic Voting?, a Baltimore Sun article, printed on Sept. 10, quoted Don Norris, professor of public policy and director of MIPAR, about the security of the computers used for voting in Maryland’s state-wide primary.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-id.issues.vote.10sep10,0,6456225.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines

On Sept. 7, the Baltimore Sun’s “Democrats Gallop to the Finish” quoted Norris about the final stretch leading to the U.S. Senate race for former NAACP president and congressman Kweisi Mfume and US. Rep. Ben Cardin.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.senate07sep07,0,2069590.story

In “Lots of Primary Candidate, Little Grass-Roots Activity,” a Sept. 7 Baltimore Sun article, Norris discuss the Md. Voter Information Clearinghouse, a new Web site run by UMBC’s Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/realestate/bal-md.urban07sep07,0,6724073.story

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the Capital
The Sept. 6 Annapolis Capital’s “Personal Attacks Take Over in State Comptroller Race” quoted Tom Schaller, associate professor of political science, about the political insults Comptroller William Donald Schaefer has repeatedly directed towards one of his opponents County Executive Janet S. Owens.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2006/09_06-03/TOP

Wendy Salkind, Theatre, In the News
Wendy Salkind, associate professor of theatre, was interviewed for “Theatre Offers both Majors and Non-Majors Skills for Life” in the July 9 Baltimore Sun’s education supplement. Salkind noted that, "UMBC recognizes that research in the theater department applies to directing, design and acting. We are given the opportunity to explore texts that are not often done in undergraduate departments...Beckett, Pinter, Ionesco, Lorca."

Tim Finin, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, in the Hindustan Times
Tim Finin, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, appeared in the Hindustan Times’ “Blogs Get Bogged Down by Splogs,” published on Sept. 10. The article mentioned the research conducted by UMBC’s eBiquity group on splogs.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1792225,00020020.htm

September 08, 2006

Sophomore Zainab Alkebsi in the Baltimore Sun
Zainab Alkebsi, a sophomore Sondheim Scholar who is also deaf, appeared in “A Different Cue for the Deaf, a Baltimore Sun article published on Sept. 6. The article discussed cued speech, a technique that educators use to teach English to the deaf using hand signs that signify phonetic sounds.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.deaf06sep06,0,512794.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Duff Goldman ’97 in the Carroll County Times
The Carroll County Times profiled Duff Goldman ‘97, history and philosophy, in its Sept. 4 article, “Duff Goldman Doesn't Make Any Ordinary Cakes.” Goldman owns Charm City Cakes and is the host of the Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes,” which debuted in August.
http://www.carrollcounty.com/articles/2006/09/04/features/food/food30-01.txt

Next Breath LLC and Flourometrix, techcenter@UMBC, in the Business Monthly
The Business Monthly’s Sept 5 issue reported in “Two More techcenter@UMBC Incubator Members Graduate” that Next Breath LLC and Flourometrix are the latest firms to graduate from the techcenter@UMBC. To date, more than 30 companies have graduated from the center.

Don Norris, Public Policy, in the News
The Sept. 1 Baltimore Sun quoted Don Norris, professor of public policy and director of MIPAR, in “Rivals Able to Show They’re Both Qualified” about the televised debate between former NAACP President and Rep. Kweisi Mfume and Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin. Norris said the two were respectful of each other and that each candidate proved they were senate-worthy.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.analysis01sep01,0,266929.story

On Aug. 31 in the Baltimore Sun’s “Challenge Moves to TV,” Norris explained that former Rep. Kweisi Mfume and Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin needed to distinguish themselves among voters during the candidates’ televised debate. Norris said both Mfume and Cardin could not afford to make any mistakes, especially Mfume.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.debate31aug31,0,182805.story

Robert Provine, Psychology, in the New York Times
On Sept. 5, the New York Times printed “Dogs May Laugh, But Only Cats Get the Joke,” in which Robert Provine, professor of psychology, provided an analysis about the science of laughter. Provine said laughter is not always done out of humor, rather it is often seen as social behavior.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/05/science/05side.html?_r=2&ref=science&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Alan Rosenthal, Modern Languages and Linguistics, in the Baltimore Sun
Alan Rosenthal, associate professor emeritus of modern languages and linguistics, wrote the Sept. 5 Baltimore Sun’s op-ed, “The Dirty Secret About Professors. Rosenthal recounts a story he overheard between two professors discussing their roles as educators. The conversation serves as Rosenthal’s basis for why Ivy League or top-tier research universities are not always the best choice for undergraduate students.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.professors05sep05,0,7454267.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
Tom Schaller’s “Tactics Makes Perfect” appeared in the American Prospect on Aug. 31. In the article, Schaller offers several political ideas that Democrats can cultivate and use to help “magnify and humanize their criticisms of President Bush and the Republican Congress.”
http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=11942

On Sept. 3, the Las Vegas Sun’s “Will What Happened in Kansas Stay in Kansas?,” an article about Democrats in Kansas, referred to Schaller’s newest book, Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South. http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2006/sep/03/566640124.html?coolican%20and%20kansas

UMBC Athletes in the Baltimore Examiner
On Sept. 2, the Baltimore Examiner published “For UMBC Athletes, Trip to New Orleans Unforgettable” about several Retriever women’s basketball players and one member of the track team’s Spring Break visit to New Orleans. Basketball players Kristin Drabyn, Morgan Hatten, Stacy Hunt and Amanda Robinson, and track team member Quiteelia Boyd, traveled to the hurricane-ravaged city to assist with the clean up efforts.
http://www.examiner.com/a-259160~Ron_Snyder__For_UMBC_athletes__trip_to_New_Orleans_unforgettable.html

UMBC’s Maryland Voter Information Clearinghouse in the News
On Aug. 31, the Washington Post printed “UMBC Web Site Has Election Information” about the Maryland Voter Information Clearinghouse, maintained by the University’s National Center for the Study of Elections.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/30/AR2006083000012.html

The Post’s online Md. Community Voters Guide online offers a "Find your polling site" page, which links to the site.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/elections/2006/

September 01, 2006

President Freeman Hrabowski in the News
In the September issue of Baltimore Magazine, UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski writes about the school's commitment to diversity and its significance for the region. The story, which begins on page 158, includes photos of UMBC students and a summary of UMBC scholars programs.

Hrabowski appeared in the Aug. 30 Baltimore Business Journal’s “NEA Founder Bonsal the Pick for BETA Award.” Frank Bonsal, founder of New Enterprise Associates (NEA), “is one of the first venture capital firms to focus on early-stage companies.” "His passion for innovative, creative endeavors has touched many entrepreneurs. It also has placed Maryland on the venture capital map globally and contributed substantially to its thriving technology business community," said Hrabowski.
http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2006/08/28/daily16.html?surround=lfn

Maryland Voter Information Clearinghouse in the Washington Post
The August 24 Washington Post’s “Council Race is on For Campaign Money” referred readers to the Maryland Voter Information Clearinghouse, a new Web site that provides campaign finance data and other information to Md. voters. UMBC’s National Center for the Study of Elections, a research center within the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research, operates the site.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/23/AR2006082300985.html

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
US News and World Report interviewed Tom Schaller, associate professor of political science, for its Aug. 24 article, “Mfume Snags Glendening Endorsement.” "Having the endorsement of the Democrats' most recent governor provides the sort of imprimatur Mfume's political endorsements had to this point been lacking," said Schaller.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/campaign_diary/maryland/archive/2006/08/maryld.htm

On Aug. 23, Schaller appeared in the Washington Post’s “Cropp Begins Airing TV Ads; Steele Does the Same in Maryland” about the sudden appearance of local politicians’ campaign advertisements on television. Schaller said most candidates wait for voters to return from their vacations before airing ads.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/22/AR2006082200639.html

Anne Spence, Mechanical Engineering, on WYPR
Anne Spence, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was a live guest on WYPR (88.1 FM) Radio's Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast on Aug. 30. She discussed her ongoing leadership role with the UMBC-BCPS STEM Partnership, an innovative project with Baltimore County Public Schools that facilitates the implementation, testing, refinement and dissemination of promising practices for improving STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) student achievement.

The story can be heard by going to http://www.wypr.org/MD_Morning.html and clicking "BCPS and UMBC STEM Collaboration."

UMBC Legal Resource Center in the News
The Baltimore Sun’s Aug. 25 “County Will Give $75,000 to UMBC's Legal Center” highlighted UMBC’s new Legal Resource Center, which opened Aug. 24. The Center, staffed by University of Maryland Law students, offers free legal assistance to local small businesses.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.digest25aug25,0,6718378.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

On Aug. 24, The Baltimore Business Journal’s published “Free Legal Center Opens Office at UMBC.”
http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2006/08/21/daily29.html

On Aug. 24, Tammi Thomas, director of marketing and business development for UMBC’s Research Parks, appeared in the Baltimore Examiner’s “Baltimore County to Donate $75,000 for Legal Center.” “This is a great success story for us,” Thomas said. “When you add in the Baltimore County funding, it’s the merging of government, academia and business.”
http://www.examiner.com/a-239549~Baltimore_County_to_donate__75_000_for_legal_center.html

Tom Schaller Tapped to Write New York Times Online Column
Tom Schaller, associate professor of political science, was chosen to write two columns for each of the four weeks leading up to and one immediately after the 2006 midterms for the New York Times’ online, subscription-only "Times Select."

UMBC Faculty Participates in Baltimore Book Festival
Several UMBC Department of English faculty members and one member from the Department of Political Science will participate in the Baltimore Book Festival on Sept. 29 - Oct.1.

English instructor Laura Oliver, winner of a 2006 Maryland State Arts Council's Individual Artists grant for fiction writing, will read Friday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Creative Café. The same evening from 6-8 p.m., Piotr Gwiazda, assistant professor of English and published poet, will join other Baltimore poets for a Literary Happy Hour hosted by Aaron Henkin of WYPR-FM radio's “The Signal.” Christopher Corbett, acting chair of the English department and author of Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express (Random House/Broadway Books), will sit on a panel discussion on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 1:30 p.m. about journalists becoming authors.

English instructor and poet Barbara Simon, president of the Maryland State Poetry & Literary Society, will host all of the events in the Creative Café. She will also introduce and sponsor Slam poetess Gayle Danley and her band in the Literary Salon on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Another UMBC faculty member participating is Tom Schaller, associate professor of political science, who will discuss his new book, Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South, at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30 in the Literary Salon.

For further information about the book festival, visit
http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com

Also a reminder: Faculty member Nicole Pekarske will read at the Minas Gallery Third Sunday series on Nov. 19 at 4 p.m. The Gallery is located in Hampden (815 W. 36th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211)

Mike Novey, Ph.D. CSEE, Receives ICASSP Best Paper Award
Mike Novey, a Ph.D. student in UMBC’s Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, received the best paper award at the 31st International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP) in Toulouse, France in May. The ICASSP meeting is the world's largest and most comprehensive technical conference focused on signal processing and its applications. Novey received the honor in the Machine Learning for Signal Processing category for the paper titled, “Stability Analysis of Complex-valued Nonlinearities for Maximization of Nongaussianity,” co-authored by Tulay Adali, professor of computer science and electrical engineering.

September 22, 2006

Sari Bennett, Geography and Environmental Systems, Receives NCSS Outstanding Service Award
Sari Bennett, clinical associate professor in geography and environmental systems, received the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) 2006 Outstanding Service Award, which recognizes exceptional service to the social studies profession (K-16) both at the local and national levels. Bennett will receive the award at the NCSS national conference, which will be held in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 1-3, 2006.

BDMetrics, bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park Company, to Sponsor “Tommy Jr.” for the 2007 DARPA Challenge
BDMetrics has been selected as a Vehicle Analytics Sponsor for Team Jefferson, creator of Tommy Jr., the autonomous robotic vehicle competing in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge. The Urban Challenge, sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and scheduled for November 2007, offers a $2-million prize to the team that can build an unmanned, autonomous, ground robotic vehicle that can operate safely in an urban environment.
http://www.umbc.edu/techcenter/pdf/bdmetricstommy.pdf

September 15, 2006

Todd Eberly Receives NASPAA 2006 Annual Dissertation Award
Todd Eberly, Ph.D. public policy ’06 has been selected to receive the 2006 Annual Dissertation Award from the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). NASPAA selected Eberly's dissertation, "Managing the Gap: Evaluating the Impact of Medicaid Managed Care on Service Use and Disparities in Health Care Access," from 25 dissertations nominated for this year's competition. Cheryl Miller, associate professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, presided over Eberly's dissertation committee. NASPAA will present Todd with a $500 cash prize and plaque at its annual conference in Minneapolis, Minn. on Nov. 19. Todd is a senior research analyst at UMBC's Center for Health Program Development and Management.

Kenneth Maton, Psychology, Wins 2006 SCRA Award
Kenneth Maton, professor of psychology and director of the Community-Social Ph.D. program in human services psychology, was awarded the 2006 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Theory and Research in Community Psychology from the Society for Community Research and Action. Maton’s research focuses on minority youth achievement and well-being, community settings as resources for empowerment and well-being and the social transformation of environments.

Two Visual Arts Students Participating in Baltimore Museum of Art Exhibit
The artwork of UMBC visual arts students Christina Ralls and Katharine Better will be on display from Oct.1-29 as part of the first Baltimore Museum of Art “siteMaryland: Governor's Arts Initiative,” a month-long juried exhibition of art by leading contemporary artists from Maryland. For more information, visit http://artbma.org/exhibitions/index.html.

September 01, 2006

UMBC Featured Member on Greater Baltimore Technology’s Council Web site
The Greater Baltimore Technology Council highlighted UMBC, the techcenter@UMBC and bwtech@UMBC on its blog as its feature member. “UMBC understands what it takes to grow and build a company. It's the entrepreneurial spirit fostered by their leader, Freeman Habrowski, III, that drives their efforts to support the regional business community.” To read the full entry, visit http://www.4syndication.com/content.do?id=10908&blog=10.

September 26, 2006

To: The UMBC Community

Fr: Lasse Lindahl, Professor and Chair, Biological Sciences
Bryan McKay, Senior Lecturer, Biological Sciences

Re: Passing of Dr. Carl Weber

We are deeply saddened to inform you that Dr. Carl Weber, Assistant Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biological Sciences, passed away on September 20.

A celebration of Carl’s life will be held at UMBC on Saturday, September 30 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on the 7th floor of the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery. Carl’s family is establishing The Carl S. Weber Award for Excellence in Teaching. Contributions to the fund should be made to the UMBC Foundation, with “The Carl S. Weber Award for Excellence in Teaching” in the memo section of the check. Contributions can be sent to Kim Robinson in the Office of Institutional Advancement (Administration, Room 805).

Carl received a B.A. in Music from Southern Methodist University in 1957, attended one year of medical school at University of Texas-Southwestern in 1957-58, and received a B.S. in Chemistry from Southern Methodist University in1960. He then attended graduate school at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana to pursue and earn an M.S. and Ph.D. in Biochemistry. In 1965, he came to Baltimore as a Post-Doctoral Fellow with Donald Brown at the Carnegie Institution, Department of Embryology, before beginning his 39-year career as Assistant Professor of Biological Studies at UMBC.

He joined the Department of Biological Sciences in 1967, just one year after UMBC opened. One of only a few faculty members in the department charged with delivering an entire curriculum, Carl taught almost every course offered by the department in its first few years. He was instrumental in establishing the core curriculum concept in biological sciences and developed over a dozen new courses, including Sub-cellular and Cellular Biology, Advanced Biochemistry, Nutrition, Biology of Cancer and Heart Disease and Ecology of Rivers and Streams.

Carl quickly acquired the reputation of being the best teacher in the department, due to both his breadth of knowledge and his infectious intensity in the lecture hall. He also became a legendary undergraduate advisor, the one to whom the department always referred students with the most complex issues.

By the early 1970's, Carl was teaching a course in biochemistry for senior undergraduates as well as the Department of Biological Sciences’ first batch of part-time graduate students. His tests were legendary. The final exam began at 6 p.m.; at midnight, Carl made a run for doughnuts, the last survivor staggering home about 3:30 a.m. His lectures on metabolic control were inspirational.

In the 1980's, Carl established two courses designed to introduce non-majors to patterns of logic-based thinking and methods of scientific investigation. He taught Biology of Cancer and Biology of Heart Disease in alternate years for more than a decade. As a service to pre-nursing students, he taught nutrition as well.

In the 1990's, Carl turned his attention to stream ecology. He was a key figure in the Maryland Save Our Streams “Project Heartbeat” monitoring program and served for a decade as Chairman of the Steering Committee and Chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee. Based on his new-found expertise, he began to teach courses in Ecology and in Stream Ecology to biology majors. His interest in the water monitoring endeavor led him to hold terms of service on numerous committees and organizations, and he presented papers and was keynote speaker for a variety of conferences. In 2001 he was nominated for a UMBC Regents Award for Excellence in Public Service for “Project Heartbeat.”

In addition to his passion for classroom teaching, he was on the UMBC Faculty Senate, was the Library Faculty Liaison for the Science Division and was responsible for designing and coordinating designs of the laboratory facilities in the science building construction and science department course scheduling. He was Chairman of the Science Committee on Recommendations to Health Professional Schools, Undergraduate Advisement Coordinator in Biological Sciences and a member of the Academic Standards Committee and Undergraduate Council. In 2002, Carl was honored with an Alumni Association Award for Faculty Advising and Mentoring.

Carl was a man of diverse interests. As an undergraduate, he found it difficult to choose between music and science, finally receiving a bachelor’s degree in both music and chemistry. He was reputedly a violinist of substantial ability, but never played for his scientific colleagues because he no longer got the opportunity to practice. In the last decade, he rekindled an interest in folk, bluegrass and Celtic music, attending concerts and local festivals. He and his wife Cathy greatly enjoyed travel to Ireland and Scotland. They also enjoyed birding, keeping records of what species visited their backyard feeders. For example, hummingbirds arrived on the same day, April 24, for four consecutive years, after which Cathy and Carl journeyed to Arizona to observe more than a dozen new species of these colorful aerial jewels.

Carl retired in June, 2005, but continued to teach Biochemistry that fall. He was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma around the New Year, and entered a NIH clinical trial for treatment. His colleagues joked that within days, he probably knew more about the biology of his disease than any of his doctors. Unfortunately, the treatments were unsuccessful, and Carl passed away at home on September 20, surrounded by his family.

He is survived by his wife, Catherine (Cathy) Saunders Weber; his sisters, Margaret Watson and Helena Swanson; his brothers, Robert Weber and Walter Weber; his children, Karen Weber, Liese Weber-Frutchey and Mark Weber; son-in-law Scott Frutchey and daughter-in-law Anne Weber; and six grandchildren.

Condolences may be sent to:

Cathy Weber
2506 Amber Orchard Court West #301
Odenton, MD 21113

An obituary appeared in the Baltimore Sun on September 27.

September 25, 2006

To: The UMBC Community

Fr: Lynne Schaefer, Vice President, Administration and Finance

Re: New Housekeeping Contract Update

On August 1, UMBC began a new performance-based approach to housekeeping. A contract was awarded to multiple vendors to provide these services to the campus. The bulk of the buildings are covered by the firm OneSource and the remaining buildings are covered by contractors from Maryland Works, a statewide membership association dedicated to promoting economic and workforce development for individuals facing barriers to employment. This is a significant change that affects all of us, and I would like to address the concerns I have heard from the campus community and explain why we made this change.

The USM procurement policies and procedures require us to periodically re-bid these types of services in order to make sure we are getting the best services for the best price. Over the past year, we analyzed our housekeeping needs and our current outsourced staffing configuration, and compared them to national norms and benchmarks. We found that the staffing level in place was higher than what one would find in comparable facilities and environments.

We also determined that a performance-based contract could provide UMBC with a higher standard for cleanliness than what was required in our previous contract with Abacus. Under the new contracts with OneSource and Maryland Works, four percent of the total contract amount is structured as an incentive that will go to the contractors upon meeting our required performance level. The performance levels will be evaluated by campus input and outside expertise.

Working with these new companies, after contracting with Abacus for over 15 years, requires a significant transition. It normally takes about 90 days for a new operation to complete the hiring, training and equipping needed, and to make necessary adjustments to staffing and schedules. Where we are today is not where we expect to be when the transition is complete. We appreciate the feedback we have received during the first month of the transition and are sharing it with OneSource and the Maryland Works vendors. Please contact Jim Donlan at extension 5-3656 or donlan@umbc.edu if you have additional questions or concerns.

Of the 95 custodians currently working for OneSource and the Maryland Works vendors, approximately 55 were previously employed by Abacus. Our contract workers play an important role in our community, and we requested additions in the new contract in order to provide more support for them. We have included a $9.30 per hour Living Wage requirement in the new contract, as determined by the Baltimore City Wage Commission. The Abacus contract wage was $7.80. The contract also includes 10 paid holidays, which goes beyond the definition of a Living Wage. OneSource and Maryland Works employees who were hired from Abacus have moved into new jobs and are subject to a new payroll system, new rules, requirements and benefits. This is a transition period for them as well.

Again, we appreciate your feedback and patience, and look forward to working with you to make this transition a success.

By Jack Prostko, Director, Faculty Development Center

Throughout this academic year there will be much campus discussion about the assessment of student learning, given that the Middle States Commission’s recent accreditation report, while extremely positive, included recommendations for increased attention to assessment. President Hrabowski has recently written about the importance of assessment in higher education, and Provost Johnson has announced that he will be forming a university committee to focus on this issue.

For many instructors, assessment means setting standards and testing students against those standards. It doesn’t seem all that different from traditional forms of measuring student success--which results in grades and then grade point averages. How much more specific can assessment get? To a certain extent, there seems to be a lot of fuss about something we already do well enough.

This view of assessment, however, misses the mark. Assessment isn’t just summative evaluation, something that takes place at the end of a process. Assessment is a tool for helping us determine--as we teach and as our students progress through classes and programs--how well (not just how much) our students are learning. At its most effective, assessment provides formative information that helps students know if they are studying properly--and helps teachers know if the strategies we’re using are working.

What good assessment can tell us is whether our teaching is helping students develop independent learning skills--that is if our teaching results in deep rather than surface learning. The distinction between these two approaches to learning is fairly straightforward: “Simply stated, deep learning involves the critical analysis of new ideas, linking them to already known concepts and principles, and leads to understanding and long-term retention of concepts so that they can be used for problem solving in unfamiliar contexts. Deep learning promotes understanding and application for life. In contrast, surface learning is the tacit acceptance of information and memorization as isolated and unlinked facts. It leads to superficial retention of material for examinations and does not promote understanding or long-term retention of knowledge and information.” (The Higher Education Academy, Engineering Subject Centre: Deep and Surface Approaches to Learning)

We’re familiar with this classic distinction, and undoubtedly intend to promote deep learning in our classes. But achieving this goal isn’t simply a matter of doing a rousing job in the classroom of covering or explaining material. We know we intend that our students be more than the sum of all the material they’ve studied in courses; our new General Education requirements demonstrate that we’ve given careful consideration to the skills and aptitudes we expect of our students, and every major program has, to some extent, made efforts to outline the basic cognitive and creative skills and skill levels demanded of their students.

Good teaching, then, starts with being clear in our own minds about what we want students to learn--and letting them know that our learning goals aren’t just about what material needs to be learned, but also what conceptual (or writing or creative) skills will be developed (and how). While this is becoming common practice in some disciplines (engineering or education, for example, because of long-standing accreditation demands), many programs don’t ask faculty to explain what students are expected to get out of a course.

For faculty who want to know more about how to develop comprehensive and explicit learning goals and ways to assess progress toward those goals, there are many resources. One of the best is the brief (33 page) summary of how to create effective courses based on specific learning goals by Dee Fink, available at his Significant Learning Web site. More examples are available in Fink’s excellent book, Creating Significant Learning Experiences, which can be borrowed from the Faculty Development Center (FDC). And later this month, the FDC will sponsor a brownbag panel discussion of this issue (see below for details).

Finally, an essential component of teaching students how to learn more deeply is providing continual feedback about their work. Giving feedback takes time--so we tend to rely on testing, and usually testing after long intervals of teaching, during which students receive little help in staying on track or developing specific skill sets. But feedback (both graded and ungraded) is what powers the assessment process and keeps students progressing in their studies. Without knowing precisely what is wrong in a student’s thinking processes (and why it’s wrong), he or she can only continue to try to work harder, not better, and mostly stumble in the dark hoping to find the right path.

If you would like to comment on this article, please do so below (following the list of resources).

Resources

Fink, L. Dee. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

The Higher Education Academy, Engineering Subject Centre
Deep and Surface Approaches to Learning
www.engsc.ac.uk/er/theory/learning.asp

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Assessing Student Learning and Institutional Effectiveness: Understanding Middle States Expectations
www.msche.org/publications/Assessment_Expectations051222081842.pdf

Stanford University Center for Teaching and Learning
Speaking of Teaching
Vol. 15, No. 2- Getting more "Teaching" out of "Testing" and "Grading"

Hrabowski, Freeman A. III
Inside Higher Education, June 23, 2006
Getting the Faculty On Board
www.insidehighered.com/views/2006/06/23/hrabowski

The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents awarded Emma Sellers ’03, English, program management specialist in the Department of Political Science, the Regents’ Staff Award for Outstanding Service to Students in an Academic or Residential Environment.

Sellers’ outstanding interpersonal skills and exemplary service to the students made her an ideal candidate for the honor, according to Cheryl Miller, chair of political science, who along with Cynthia Hody, associate professor of political science, nominated Sellers for the award.

Sellers, who is working towards a master’s in instructional systems development, has worked at UMBC for 19 years, 12 of which she has spent in the political science department.

“I love working with students,” said Sellers. “[They] are the pulse of UMBC, and it makes me feel good to help them.”

Sellers is often the first point-of-contact for political science majors and for the students who are required to take courses in the department. Miller said Sellers’ ability and commitment to perform duties outside of her job requirements are remarkable. In addition to performing administrative duties, Sellers advises students on selecting courses, connects them to professors when they need further assistance, coordinates events and often serves as a confidant.

Beyond her service to students, Sellers co-chairs the President’s Commission for Women, which works to ensure that all women on campus receive equal access to UMBC’s educational and employment opportunities. She also serves as a member of the University’s Professional Staff Development Team.

The award is particularly special for Sellers because she was previously nominated twice for the award.

“I feel like I won an Oscar,” she exclaimed. “This is my Oscar.”

The USM Board of Regents presented the 2006 Regents' Staff Awards during its meeting on Friday, Sept. 8. For a list of additional winners, visit http://www.usmd.edu/newsroom/news/99.

9/8/06