A variety of Blackboard workshops have been added to the training schedule including:

* Getting Started in Blackboard (Aug. 8)
* Creating Assessments and Managing the Gradebook (Aug. 10)
* Building Interactivity with Communication Tools (Aug. 16)
* Getting Started in Blackboard (Aug. 22)
* How to Use Blogs & Wikis in Bb (Sept. 26)

Please visit www.umbc.edu/training for more information and to register.

The Office of Summer, Winter and Special Programs is currently accepting course proposals for Winter Session 2008 (Jan. 2–25). The course proposal form is online at www.umbc.edu/course_proposal. Due to publication deadlines, winter session course proposals must be submitted by Sept. 4 to be included in the winter catalog. Please consult with the department chair or scheduling coordinator BEFORE submitting proposals. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Office of Summer, Winter and Special Programs at ext. 5-2335 or winter@umbc.edu.

The Language, Literacy and Culture (LLC) Doctoral Program at UMBC is hosting an interdisciplinary conference to be held April 11-12, 2008.

The conference is designed to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue about issues of language, community and culture in the contemporary city and its surroundings, and to promote dialogue about these issues as they relate specifically to Baltimore. The featured speaker will be Barbara Johnstone, professor of rhetoric and linguistics at Carnegie Mellon University.

Interested participants should submit a 250-word abstract by Aug. 31 to LLCBALTIMORE@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/llc or contact Christine Mallinson (mallinson@umbc.edu) or Denis Provencher (provench@umbc.edu).

Faculty and staff: Advance your career or that of a family member with UMBC Training Centers’ non-credit certification training. All classes are open to the public, but we offer a 50% tuition discount to UMBC faculty and staff, spouses and immediate family members!*

UMBC Training Centers offers programs in Information Technology, Biotechnology, Engineering, Business and Professional Development and Test Preparation.

Please inquire for more details: www.umbctrainingcenters.com, or contact Crisandra Harrison, 443-543-5400, info@umbctrainingcenters.com .

*Discounts apply only to publicly scheduled courses, not online courses or Sonography.

The training schedule has been updated to include offerings through September. Please visit www.umbc.edu/training to view and register for classes.

PROMISE: Maryland's Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP, a program of the National Science Foundation) presents 5th Annual Summer Success Institute (SSI), August 16-18. PROMISE is dedicated to increasing the numbers and diversity of Ph.D.s in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and provides a supportive environment for underrepresented graduate students in all fields. All students, regardless of ethnic background, full-time/part-time status, or discipline who are dedicated to the mission of AGEP (www.umbc.edu/promise/pages/aboutus.html) are invited to participate in this free event. Faculty and staff are also invited to attend. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/promise/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2407.
Registration will be open until August 10.

SkillSoft e-Learning at UMBC provides faculty and staff online courses to enhance their professional and personal skills. With over 2,200 program titles to choose from, SkillSoft provides a wide variety of online courses that will assist in:

*Building the competencies needed for top performance in your current position
*Developing your potential as you prepare for increased responsibilities and promotions
*Learning skills that will help you develop personal interests

In this one-hour workshop you will learn how to navigate SkillSoft, search for courses, create a learning plan and practice running a course. The workshop will be offered in Engineering, Room 025 on:

Monday, August 6, 1-2 p.m.
Tuesday, September 11, 10-11 a.m.
Wednesday, October 10, 1-2 p.m.
Thursday, November 15, 10-11 a.m.

Space is limited, so you must register at www.umbc.edu/training.
* If you have registered for a workshop and cannot attend, please e-mail hrtraining@umbc.edu – we have a waiting list for this program.

For a SkillSoft Demo, FAQs and a Quick Start Guide, go to http://www.umbc.edu/skillsoft.
Questions? Contact Training and Organization Development ext. 5-6262 or e-mail hrtraining@umbc.edu.

Commonvision, UMBC’s print and copy center, is launching its new digital storefront. The new system will allow you to send a print request, track the progress of your request and receive a message when the request is completed – all without ever leaving your desk. Training sessions are available through August 9. For more information and to register, please visit www.umbc.edu/training.

New undergraduate students will be on campus August 8-9 and 27 for Orientation Course Selection Days. Please welcome these incoming students as we continue to enroll our fall 2007 class. If you encounter a new student who has any questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation at ext. 5-3244 or e-mail orientation@umbc.edu.

Representatives from the USM Office of Internal Audit are scheduled to begin a follow-up review at UMBC the week of August 6. The auditors’ names are Melissa Schuch and Lennox Brown. The purpose of the follow-up review is to determine our level of compliance with recommendations made by the Legislative Auditors in their most recent report dated May 2006. The auditors are planning to be on campus for several weeks and will be randomly contacting individual departments to conduct interviews and review financial records (e.g., purchasing card, payroll and cash receipt documentation).

As always, we appreciate your cooperation in helping to facilitate their reviews. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the auditors, please contact Michelle Evans at ext. 5-1354 or mevans@umbc.edu.

TO: Faculty and Staff

FROM: Arthur T. Johnson, Provost

We look forward to your participation in Convocation 2007, the formal opening of the academic year at UMBC, on Tuesday, August 28 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Retriever Activities Center (RAC). I encourage you to participate in the academic procession that symbolizes for our talented and enthusiastic new students the community of scholars they have joined. President Hrabowski will address the gathering and Robert Reno, Presidential Teaching Professor for 2006-09, will make brief remarks.

REGALIA and RSVP
The deadline for ordering rented regalia without a late fee has passed. If you own your own regalia, you are asked to RSVP for Convocation today, so that seating can be planned, using the form at http://my.umbc.edu/convocationform.

Regalia pick-up will take place at the Bookstore beginning August 22. Faculty and staff must pick up their regalia at the Bookstore by August 27, which will also be open for their convenience on the weekend of August 25 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Faculty and staff are asked to return their regalia to the Bookstore after the ceremony.

NEW LOCATION FOR LINE UP
Faculty and staff will line up for the procession no later than 2:30 p.m. The line-up location is The Study Place (formerly The Pub) on the first floor of the University Center (UC). (The UC is located between AC IV and the Meyerhoff Chemistry Bldg.) There will be a table where faculty and staff can leave personal items and a Student Marshal to attend them. However, this will not be in a locked room; for the best security those marching are encouraged to leave valuables in their offices.

After lining up, faculty and staff will lead the procession of new students through campus to the RAC and will welcome them at the doors to Convocation. In case of inclement weather or the threat of it, announcement of an alternative line-up location will be made on the morning of Convocation.

ALL-CAMPUS PICNIC
After Convocation, all faculty and staff are invited to join new and returning students for a free Community Picnic from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m., on the Quad. (Rain location will be the Residence Life Dining Hall.)

I look forward to seeing you at Convocation - Fall 2007.

Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship in the Baltimore Sun
Vivian Armor, director of the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, was quoted in a July 22 Sun article on entrepreneurship programs at Maryland universities. The article also mentioned UMBC’s role in the Kauffman Campuses Initiative, a national effort to help colleges spread entrepreneurship education across disciplines.

www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.entrepreneurship22jul22,0,2160786.story

Rick Carback, Alan Sherman, Computer Science on Slashdot
VoComp, an international voting systems technology competition organized by Alan Sherman, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering, was featured July 24 on Slashdot, a leading political blog. Rick Carback, Ph.D. student in computer science, was a member of Punchscan, VoComp’s $10,000 grand prize-winning team.

http://politics.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/24/1823211&from=rss

Ellen Hemmerly, bwtech@UMBC, Neal McDonald, Visual Arts, in the Catonsville Times
The July 25 Catonsville Times recapped how Money magazine recently ranked Catonsville as one of top places to live in the U.S. The Times article quoted Catonsville residents Ellen Hemmerly, director of the UMBC Research Park Corporation, and Neal McDonald, professor of visual arts, on what makes Catonsville an attractive place to live and work.

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=351&NewsID=824564&CategoryID=8381&show=localnews&om=1

Roy Meyers, Political Science/Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program, in the Baltimore Sun
Roy Meyers, professor of political science and director of the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program, was quoted in the July 23 Sun. Meyers lent his expertise on state budget issues to the article “O'Malley's Frugality Under Scrutiny.”

www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.spend23jul23,0,1556758.story

Patricia Ordonez, Computer Science, Jason Reid ’07, in the Baltimore Sun
Patricia Ordonez, Ph.D. student, computer science and Jason Reid ’07, mechanical engineering, are both winners of 2007 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, one of the nation’s most competitive and prestigious awards for graduate students. The pair’s achievement was noted in the July 26 Sun's “Health Today” section. Ordonez plans to stay at UMBC to pursue her doctorate while Reid is headed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to continue his studies.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-to.hs.names26jul26,0,4245020.story

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
Associate Professor of Political Science Tom Schaller penned Salon.com’s lead story for July 26. Schaller’s article, “Why the Republicans Don't Like Their Candidates,” was his fourth in recent years for the independent online magazine.

www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/07/26/none_of_the_above/index.html

Schaller’s regular Baltimore Sun political column ran on July 25 and focused on the growing national power of Maryland’s congressional delegation.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-op.schaller25jul25,0,3766806.column?coll=bal-opinion-utility

Will Stanley, Mechanical Engineering, in the Maryland Gazette
Will Stanley, a rising junior majoring in mechanical engineering, was featured in a July 25 Gazette article on summer internships. Stanley described how despite being unpaid, his internship with Melkus Sportwagon KG -- a family owned sports car company in Dresden, Germany – was still a very valuable experience. “Not only did I get hands-on experience, but I got language skills and a chance to study German culture,” said Stanley. “It's a lot more than you would learn in a classroom."

www2.hometownglenburnie.com/vault/cgi-bin/gazette/view/2007G/07/25-14.HTM

Junior Cornelia Carapcea Named America East Conference Women's Tennis Scholar-Athlete
Junior Cornelia Carapcea has been named America East Conference Scholar-Athlete in the sport of women’s tennis for the 2006-07 academic year.

www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/tennis/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3514

Seniors Kelly Fahey and Heather Licht Named to Lacrosse Coaches Academic Honor Roll
Seniors Kelly Fahey and Heather Licht were selected to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Division-I Academic Honor Roll, the organization announced Friday. Both players earned the honor for the second year in a row.

www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/wlacrosse/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3513

Rising Senior Joe Fowler MVP of Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball All-Star Game
Retriever rising senior Joe Fowler hit a bases-clearing three-run double in the second inning to give the West All-Stars a lead that they never relinquished, and the West pitching staff combined to shutout the East All-Stars, 6-0, in the Cal Ripken, Sr., Collegiate Baseball League All-Star game on Monday night before 2,406 fans at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen.

www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/baseball/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3515

Incoming Women’s Basketball Freshman Jenny Lidgren’s Swedish National Team Places Fifth at European Championship
Incoming UMBC women’s basketball freshman Jenny Lidgren, a member of the Under-20 Swedish National Team, spent last week competing at the European Championship, where she helped the Swedish squad to a fifth-place finish in Division B.

www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/wbball/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3512

UMBC and Catonsville in Money Magazine
Money magazine named Catonsville one of its 2007 "Top 100 Best Places to Live" this week. The magazine ranked Catonsville at 49th nationally and included a photo of the UMBC campus at night taken by Imaging Research Center Director Dan Bailey. The profile described Catonsville as “undergoing a renaissance, thanks in large part to the University of Maryland at Baltimore County, which has transformed itself from a commuter school into a dynamic research center.”

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0707/gallery.BPTL_top_100.moneymag/49.html

Andrew Sears, Bria McElroy, Information Technology Enrollment in the News
The recent 40 percent rise in fall 2007 enrollment for incoming information systems majors at UMBC was noted by regional and national media this week. The encouraging numbers are due in part to the information systems department’s continuing efforts to educate high school counselors, teachers and parents of the revitalized information technology (IT) job market.

InformationWeek magazine’s online edition published “Outreach Programs Help Pump Up Tech Degree Enrollment at UMBC” on July 19, quoting Andrew Sears, chair and professor of information systems.

www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=HMUB5KRTUWHC4QSNDLRSKHSCJUNN2JVN?articleID=201002335

Sears and Bria McElroy, director of international relations at the Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT), were quoted in the July 18 Baltimore Examiner.

www.examiner.com/a-836005~UMBC_sees_enrollment_boost_in_computer_science.html

Rick Carback, Alan Sherman, Computer Science, in the News
Rick Carback, Ph.D. student in computer science, and Alan Sherman, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering, were in the news this week for their work with VoComp, an international competition to design more accurate and secure voting machine systems. Carback was a member of Punchscan, the $10,000 grand-prize winning team which also included members from the University of Ottawa and George Washington University. Sherman organized the contest, which brought teams from Canada, the U.S., U.K. and Poland to Portland, OR, for the event.

VoComp was covered by the July 19 Baltimore Sun: www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.voting19jul19,0,2178033.story

“Threat Level,” a Wired magazine blog focused on online information security, privacy and security, covered VoComp on July 16 and 19:

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/07/uncle-sam-wants.html

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/07/us-team-wins-vo.html

Kavita Krishnaswamy '07, Muddappa Gowda, Mathematics, in the Catonsville Times
Summa cum laude Kavita Krishnaswamy '07, computer science and mathematics, was profiled in the July 18 Catonsville Times. Krishnaswamy was born with spinal muscular atrophy and is only able move the index finger of her right hand.

Despite the obstacles she faces, Krishnaswamy graduated with a 4.0 GPA. Muddappa Gowda, professor of mathematics, lauded her “tenacity and her determination” in the article and described Krishnaswamy as “a role model for me.”

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=351&NewsID=822765&CategoryID=11091&on=1

EHS Alumni in the Jeffersonian and Catonsville Times
Emergency Health Services alumni Taka Hayakawa ’04 and Rae Oliveira ’00 were featured in the Catonsville Times and Jeffersonian newspapers as they transition from paramedic to nursing careers thanks to the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville’s accelerated Paramedic to RN Bridge program.

Hayakawa, a native of Nagoya, Japan, worked at the Arbutus and Carroll County fire departments prior to the CCBC program. Oliveira has over 21 years of experience as an emergency responder and is a battalion chief paramedic in the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue.

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=811&NewsID=822528&CategoryID=9045&show=localnews&om=1

Don Norris, Public Policy/MIPAR, in the Baltimore Sun
Don Norris, director of MIPAR and professor of public policy, was quoted in the July 17 Baltimore Sun. Norris weighed the prospects of two top contenders in the Democratic primary race for Baltimore City Council president.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-te.md.ci.president17jul17,0,4457877.story

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
Associate Professor of Political Science Tom Schaller continues to author regional and national political opinion articles of note. Schaller’s latest column in the Baltimore Sun discussed President Bush’s handling of the U.S. economy.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-columnist-schaller,0,5743439.columnist?coll=bal-opinion-utility

Schaller also contributed a humorous look at a recent study on Americans’ declining average height for the July 18 UK Guardian.

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/thomas_f_schaller/2007/07/the_long_and_short_of_it.html

In the July 15 New York Daily News, he examined the potential impact of the International Association of Firefighters on former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani’s chances in the 2008 presidential election.

www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2007/07/15/2007-07-15_how_americas_mayor_just_lost_his_golden_-1.html

Keri Burneston ’99 in the Baltimore Sun
Keri Burneston ’99, visual and performing arts, and Fluid Movement, the performance art troupe she founded, were in a July 18 preview of “War and Fleas,” the group’s upcoming water ballet adaptation of War and Peace, the classic novel by Leo Tolstoy. “War and Fleas” will be performed this weekend at Riverside Park and next weekend at Patterson Park in Baltimore.

www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/today/bal-to.ballet18jul18,0,3863551.story

President Hrabowski in the Baltimore Sun
UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski was quoted in the July 16 Baltimore Sun obituary for William Percy Hytche Sr., the former president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a national advocate for historically black colleges and universities. Hrabowski described Hytche as a mentor for himself and other younger educators and as also known for his positive attitude, humor and smile.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.ob.hytche16jul16,0,2559464.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Robert Deluty, Psychology, Publishes 13th Book
Robert Deluty, associate professor of psychology, has published The Thread of Revelation: Poems & Prose (Gateway Press). In his review, Joseph L. DeVitis (professor of education, Georgia College and State University) writes that "Deluty weaves seemingly ordinary events into a remarkably rich mosaic of personal meaning and discovery." The Thread of Revelation, as well as Deluty's earlier books, may be purchased at the UMBC Bookstore.

To: The UMBC Community

Fr: Arthur Johnson, Provost

Re: New Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees, Program Tracks

I am pleased to announce several new degree and program track opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. With these programs recently approved by the Board of Regents and the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the university continues to provide students with the knowledge and skills to be successful in their careers and employers with talented graduates in a variety of fields.

UNDERGRADUATE

Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Communication Studies
As communication becomes increasingly digital, interactive and pervasive, knowledge of new media technology is essential. The B.A. in Media and Communications Studies is an interdisciplinary program that combines a liberal arts education with an understanding of the dynamic and complex changes in communication, culture and knowledge. Students will gain critical media literacy while learning to use relevant new technologies to communicate effectively. Internships and capstone projects will introduce students to the worlds of radio, television, print and web journalism; public relations and advertising; non-profit policy work and advocacy; as well as careers in education, health and administration. Students in the program must complete an additional major, minor or certificate. Visit the Media and Communications Studies web site at www.umbc.edu/mcs or contact program director Jason Loviglio (loviglio@umbc.edu) in the Department of American Studies for more information.

Bachelor’s Degree in Gender and Women’s Studies
Gender and Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry that seeks to understand and articulate how gender makes a difference – in the lives and experiences of women, as well as men; in the practices and institutions of human societies; and in the cultural products of societies, such as art and literature. Emphasizing the importance of historical, cross-cultural, and international perspectives, Gender and Women's Studies critically examines the intersections of gender, class, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age and ability to make visible structures of power that otherwise remain hidden. Graduates with a degree in Gender and Women’s Studies enter careers in business, education, public service, healthcare, social services, law, politics and news media. Contact program director Anne Brodsky (brodsky@umbc.edu) in the Gender and Women’s Studies Program (www.umbc.edu/wmstudies/) for more information.

Program Track in Computer Science: Game Development
Program Track in Visual Arts: Animation and Interactive Media
The Baltimore/Washington region is ranked third in the number of computer game companies nationally. Employers are looking for talented programmers and artists to meet increasing demands in the gaming field. Based on employer feedback, UMBC has created a game development track for students pursuing a B.S. in Computer Science, and an animation and interactive media track for students pursuing a B.A. in Visual Arts. Visit http://gaim.umbc.edu/ for more information, or contact program directors Marc Olano (olano@umbc.edu) in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering or Eric Dyer (dyer@umbc.edu) in the Department of Visual Arts.

Program Track in Health Administration and Policy: Public Health
The Health Administration and Policy Program (HAPP) is designed for career-oriented students who recognize that health and health care in the U.S. are major public concerns and plan to seek employment in one of a variety of administrative, supportive, planning, research or policy positions. The new track in Public Health provides students the opportunity to add courses in the natural sciences as part of their program requirements. Visit www.umbc.edu/happ/ or contact associate program director Joyce Riley (riley@umbc.edu) in the Department of Sociology for more information.

GRADUATE

Master’s Degree in Professional Studies: Biotechnology
Designed for current and aspiring biotech professionals, the M.P.S. in Biotechnology program incorporates advanced life science courses with regulatory and management courses. In addition to providing advanced instruction in the life sciences, the program provides practical instruction on how to successfully bring new products to market. The program also includes coursework in leadership, management and financial management to a life science-oriented business. Visit the M.P.S. Biotechnology program web site (www.umbc.edu/biotech) or contact program director Rick Wolf (biotechinfo@umbc.edu) for more information.

Master’s Degree and Ph.D. Degree in Geography and Environmental Systems
The environment is an emerging focus on the UMBC campus, and the graduate programs in Geography and Environmental Systems (GES) will emphasize the kinds of interdisciplinary collaboration needed to address critical problems affecting the natural environment and human society. Students will have the opportunity to earn an M.S. or Ph.D. degree in three areas: Environmental Systems, including water resources and earth-surface processes, ecosystem science and atmospheric processes; Human Geography, with an emphasis on coupled human-natural systems including impacts of human activities on the environment, the socioeconomic consequences of environmental degradation and environmental policy; and Geographic Information Science and Remote Sensing. Visit the GES graduate program web site (www.umbc.edu/ges/GES_graduate_program) or contact program director Andrew Miller (miller@umbc.edu) in the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems for more information.

Master’s Degree in Professional Studies: Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Pending Approval by the Maryland Higher Education Commission)
UMBC’s Master’s in Professional Studies: Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology program will be offered at the Universities at Shady Grove campus in Rockville. The program will offer an applied curriculum for early and mid-career students planning to enter or advance in the I/O workforce. It explores and integrates such topics as organizational behavioral management, human factors, and professional human resources practice, and culminates with a professional capstone experience. The program enables students to develop a portfolio while building strong relationships with faculty and industry professionals. Upon completing the M.P.S., students will possess advanced knowledge of organizational behavior management, ethical issues in organizational psychology, the dynamics of interpersonal relationships, the dynamics of teamwork, and employee motivation. Evening, weekend and select online courses will be available for busy professionals. For more information, contact Diane Alonso at 301-738-6318 or dalonso@umbc.edu or visit www.umbc.edu/shadygrove/iop.

Master’s Degree in Management of Aging Services
The newly formed Erickson School is offering an applied professional M.A. degree program focused on preparing leaders in practice and scholarship who will improve society by enhancing the lives of older adults. The unique program is designed for professionals working in the growing array of aging-related services, including in government, business and non-profit sectors. It will provide a solid interdisciplinary foundation in human aging, management and policy. Graduates will leave the program with the skills and knowledge to make a unique contribution to organizations addressing the needs of an aging society. Contact program director Leslie A. Morgan (lmorgan@umbc.edu) in the Erickson School (www.umbc.edu/erickson/) for more information.

Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering (Pending Approval by the Maryland Higher Education Commission)
The Master’s of Science in Systems Engineering will provide the technical background required for successful systems engineers in the 21st century. The program is designed for engineering professionals who want practical experience that can be immediately applied on the job. Students will learn from industry experts how to develop complex systems that meet customer requirements. The core curriculum will consist of five courses developed and taught by senior systems engineers to equip students with the processes, techniques and tools required to practice systems engineering. These courses will address the entire systems engineering life cycle, including requirements analysis, systems architecture and design, modeling, simulation and analysis, and system implementation and testing. The elective portion of the program consists of courses that provide an overview of technical disciplines that lie at the heart of today’s systems and courses in a related technical discipline chosen to meet the specific career needs of each student. Contact program director Ted Foster (tfoster@umbc.edu) for more information.

Visual Arts Professor and Alumnus Eric Dyer in City Paper
Eric Dyer ‘95, assistant professor of visual arts and co-director of the Games, Animation and Interactive Media program, is one of seven finalists for the 2007 Janet and Walter Sondheim Prize. Dyer’s work, “Bellows March” was reviewed in the July 11 issue of Baltimore'sCity Paper. The work is on display with the other Sondheim finalists at the Baltimore Museum of Art through August 5. For more information, see the “Kudos” section of Insights Weekly.
www.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=13829

Carol Hess, Doug Hamby in the Baltimore Sun
Carol Hess, associate professor and chair of the Department of Dance, and Doug Hamby, associate professor of dance, are cited in a July 12 Baltimore Sun preview of “Strange Soup.” The dance show, known “for its imaginative staging and innovative combination of dance and technology,” is a production of the Baltimore Dance Project, a modern dance company based at UMBC. UMBC theatre professor and puppetry director Colette Searls also contributes to the program. “Strange Soup” will be performed July 13-14 at the Creative Alliance in Highlandtown.
www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-li.three12jul12,1,6254854.story

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun
Associate Professor of Political Science Tom Schaller’s latest column in the Baltimore Sun discussed problems former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson might encounter should Thompson, a Republican, officially declare his candidacy for president. Schaller writes that “the Republicans’ 2008 savior-in-waiting … turns out not to be as infallible as some might have hoped.” The column, “Thompson Loses His Sheen,” appeared on July 11.
www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.schaller11jul11,1,6402160.column

Michael Summers, Chemistry and Biochemistry/HHMI, in Science
Michael Summers, Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was part of a recent panel discussion sponsored by Science magazine on improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the U.S. “Straight Talk About STEM Education” appeared in the July 6 issue of Science.
www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/317/5834/78

Lisa Akchin, Institutional Advancement, Elected VP of Collegetown Board
Lisa Akchin, associate vice president of marketing and public relations, has been elected vice president of the Baltimore Collegetown Network (BCN) Governing Board. BCN's mission focuses on advocacy, marketing and partnerships that help the Baltimore region attract, engage and retain a robust student population. For more information on Collegetown, visit www.baltimorecollegetown.org.

Computer Science Graduate Student Rick Carback in University Voting Systems Competition
CS graduate student Rick Carback will compete in Portland, Oregon, as part of the Punchscan Team (www.punchscan.org) in the VoComp 2007 University Voting Systems Competition (www.vocomp.org). Four finalist teams from Poland, England, Canada and the U.S. will engage in a mock election July 16-18 in this
NSF-funded competition. The winner will receive $10,000.

New Patent for Professor Brian Cullum, Chemistry/Biochemistry
Congratulations to Brian Cullum, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, for his issued U.S. patent #7,242,470, entitled "Multilayered Surface-enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates." This invention provides dual- and multi-layer film over nanostructure substrates. To view this patent in its entirety, go to www.uspto.gov and click on Patents. If you would like more information on patents, copyrights or start-up companies, visit the Office of Technology Development’s Web site at www.umbc.edu/otd.

Professor and Alumnus Eric Dyer a Finalist for Sondheim Prize
Assistant Professor of Visual Arts Eric Dyer ’95, visual and performing arts, is a finalist for the 2007 Janet and Walter Sondheim Prize, to be announced the evening of Friday, July 13. The $25,000 prize – awarded in conjunction with Baltimore’s annual Artscape festival – is designed specifically to assist Baltimore and D.C. artists by allowing them to pursue work that may not otherwise be possible. Seven finalists were chosen from a field of 320 applicants. For more information on Dyer’s work, visit www.ericdyer.com. Visit the In the News Section of Insights Weekly for a recent review of Dyer's work.

July 9, 2007

To: The UMBC Community

From: Arthur T. Johnson, Provost

Re: Director of the Honors College

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Anna Marshall Shields has been appointed as Director of the Honors College and Associate Professor of Modern Languages and Linguistics. Dr. Shields received a B.A. in French and Comparative Literature from Washington University in St. Louis, an M.A., in East Asian Studies from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from Indiana University in Chinese. She has held academic appointments at the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Michigan, and the University of Arizona, where she was Associate Professor of Chinese.

Dr. Shields comes to UMBC with an outstanding record as a scholar, teacher, mentor, and faculty leader. Her first book was published by Harvard University’s Asia Center in 2006 and research for her second book on "The Literature of Friendship in Late Medieval China," has been supported by National Endowment for the Humanities Research Fellowship. She spent last year as a visiting professor at Princeton University. At the University of Arizona, she was appointed by the Dean of the College of Humanities an Honors College Faculty Member where she taught for six years and was nominated for the Honors Faculty Teaching Award.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Shields to the UMBC community. I would also like to extend special thanks to Dr. Rebecca Boehling, Associate Professor of History, and to Dr. Geoffrey Vaughan, Associate Professor of Political Science, who served as Interim Directors of the Honors College over the past two years. Thanks to their leadership, the College has moved forward and continues to be a center of excellence in the Honors University.

UMBC arts and cultural events

M. Appa Anjanappa, Mechanical Engineering, Receives Patent
The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted M. Appa Anjanappa, professor of mechanical engineering, a U.S. patent for "High Speed Metal Drill Bit" (#7,237,986). The drill bit is capable of drilling a metallic material with an increased rate of drilling while minimizing energy consumption. To view this patent in its entirety, visit http://ww.uspto.gov and click on Patents. If you would like more information on patents, copyrights or startup companies, visit the Office of Technology Development's Web site at http://www.umbc.edu/otd.

Former UMBC Attackman Brendan Mundorf Selected to Major League Lacrosse All Star Game
Former UMBC attackman Brendan Mundorf has been selected to play in the sixth annual Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game, which will be held on Sunday, July 8 at Harvard Stadium at 12:30 p.m. The All-Stars were selected by the League's head coaches, general managers and players.
http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mlacrosse/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3502

Renee van der Stelt, Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, in the Baltimore Sun
Artwork by Renee van der Stelt, project coordinator for the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, is part of the Maryland Art Place’s exhibition “Obsessive Aesthetics,” which runs through July 21. A review of her drawings and sculptures appeared in the Baltimore Sun’s “Four Good Shows - In Advance of Artscape” on July 4.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.artcol04jul04,0,1083398.column?coll=bal-artslife-today