UMBC Chess in the News
Collegiate chess is ruled today by two powerhouses, UMBC and the University of Texas at Dallas, institutions that have passed Columbia, Yale and Harvard as dominant forces. The American magazine profiled this trend and UMBC’s history of success in chess. “Rah! Rah! Block That Rook!” appeared in the magazine’s November issue.

www.american.com/archive/2007/november-11-07/rah-rah-block-that-rook

Members of the UMBC chess team are volunteering two hours per week at Arbutus Middle School to help the school establish a chess club. The Catonsville Times reported that UMBC provides the club’s equipment, which includes 30 chess sets and boards and 15 chess timers. The article, “Middle School Club an Opening Gambit for UMBC Chess Team,” ran on Nov. 21.

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=351&NewsID=855980&CategoryID=11091&show=localnews&om=1

Christopher Corbett, English, in Baltimore Style Magazine
Christopher Corbett, professor of the practice in English, wrote “Lessons and Carols” for the December issue of Baltimore Style magazine. The column paid tribute to the annual Festival of Lights and Carols at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.

www.baltimorestyle.com/index.php/style/backpage/

Erle Ellis, Geography and Environmental Systems, in the News
Erle Ellis, associate professor in the department of geography and environmental systems, and a colleague at McGill University have proposed a new model of measuring changes to the environment by focusing on “human-centered” ecological communities such as residential rangelands. The research was published in the Nov. 19 edition of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Since its publication, the research has been reported by the Wired magazine “Wired Science” blog, United Press International, Der Spiegel, Earth & Sky, Science Daily, Digg.com, Propellor.com, TerraDaily.com and Earthtimes UK.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126112255.htm

http://blogs.earthsky.org/dankulpinski/2007/11/27/new-human-centric-map-of-the-world/

www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2007/11/27/human-centric_mapping_is_proposed/8011/

http://digg.com/environment/Ecologists_Remap_the_Biosphere_to_Include_Humans

Interdisciplinary Studies Mosaic Roundtable in the Baltimore Examiner
The Baltimore Examiner profiled a UMBC campus forum devoted to understanding the prevalence and complexity of mental illness among college students. “It is a topic hat doesn’t get discussed enough, particularly on a college campus,” said Patricia Lanoue, director of interdisciplinary studies. The newspaper also cited Carlo DiClemente, professor of psychology, and J. Lavelle Ingram, director of University Counseling Services. The story, “Understanding Mental Illness in College,” appeared on Nov. 28.

www.examiner.com/a-1072616~Understanding_mental_illness_in_colleges.html

Matthew Loftus ’07 in Baltimore Magazine
Matthew Loftus ’07, chemistry, a first-year medical student at the University of Maryland, was profiled in Baltimore magazine’s “Most Intriguing Baltimoreans of 2007” list. He is the recent recipient of a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Program Scholarship, which provides up to $50,000 a year for six years of graduate study. The magazine noted that his future plans “include bolstering community health in underserved populations throughout Africa and the Middle East.” The article appeared in the December issue.

www.baltimoremag.com/

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
Associate Professor of Political Science Tom Schaller’s latest column in the Baltimore Sun noted that Hillary Clinton’s win-loss record in political conflicts with Republicans is not consistent. “Yes, she handily won both of her Senate contests in New York. But her adopted home state isn’t exactly unfavorable partisan terrain, and her opponents were none too impressive,” Schaller wrote. The column, “Is Hillary the Republican-Slayer She Claims to be?” ran on Nov. 21.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.schaller21nov21,0,1160423.column

Schaller told the Las Vegas Sun that Hillary Clinton’s campaign has some potential weaknesses. Before the Democratic candidates gathered in Las Vegas for a debate broadcast on CNN, Schaller said Clinton “needs to prove” that she truly can deliver a political counterpunch to Republicans. The article, “Many Just Tuning in as Clinton Suddenly Finds Herself in a Fight,” appeared on Nov. 15.

http://politics.lasvegassun.com/2007/11/many-just-tunin.html

In his monthly opinion column for The American Prospect, Schaller examined the status of moderate Republicans. As the hard right dominates, neo-Eisenhower moderates have worked to re-center the party. But even in their old habitats, Wall Street and the media, moderates are struggling to be noticed. The column, “Whatever Happened to Moderate Republicans?” appeared in the December issue.

www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=what_ever_happened_to_moderate_republicans

Renowned writer, critic and essayist Thomas Mallon will speak on Tuesday, December 4, 4-6 p.m., at the Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery. A reception and book signing will follow.

Mallon is the author of several novels, including Henry and Clara, Bandbox and the recently published Fellow Travelers (Random House, 2007). He has written non-fiction about plagiarism (Stolen Words), diaries (A Book of One’s Own) and the Kennedy assassination (Mrs. Paine’s Garage). His essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly and The New York Times Book Review. He is the recipient of Guggenheim and Rockefeller fellowships, as well as the National Book Critics Circle award for Reviewing. He is a former deputy chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The event is sponsored by the Department of English. For more information, call ext. 5-2384.

Contrary to long-held beliefs that brain power inevitably declines as we age, the mind actually experiences a surge of creativity and brain function well into the second half of life, says Gene Cohen, who will present his groundbreaking research on “Creativity and Aging” at UMBC on December 3.

Sponsored by the Erickson School at UMBC, Cohen will speak at the University Center Ballroom at 10 a.m. He is director of George Washington University’s Center on Aging, Health & Humanities and author of the book The Mature Mind: the Positive Power of the Aging Brain. Drawing on the latest scientific research as well as in-depth interviews with older women and men, Cohen has demonstrated for the first time how there are actually positive changes taking place in our minds as we age.

In his presentation, Cohen, 63, will explore how late-blooming artists such as Grandma Moses, Picasso and Georgia O’Keeffe reached their creative peak late in life. He will explain how the mind gives us “inner pushes” of creativity and positive change throughout adult life.

According to Cohen, not only can older brains produce new brain cells, but the latest research shows that the brain can draw on areas of itself underused in earlier years, compensating for effects of aging. From age 60-80, the brain’s information processing center achieves its greatest density and reach. And the brain has the capacity to “re-sculpt” itself as certain genes are activated by experience as we age.

Cohen is at the forefront of a movement to focus attention on the capacity for positive change and creative expression in the second half of life, rather than on aging as a problem.

About Gene Cohen

Cohen, a graduate of Harvard and Georgetown University medical school, earned a doctorate in gerontology from the Union Institute. He was the first chief of the National Institute of Mental Health’s Center on Aging, and served as acting director of the National Institute on Aging and coordinated Alzheimer’s-disease programs at the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Cohen is founding director the Washington, DC-based think tank Center on Aging, and is past president of the Gerontological Society of America. He now directs George Washington University’s Center on Aging, Health & Humanities. He is also a professor of behavioral sciences and psychiatry at GW.

About the Erickson School

The Erickson School at UMBC was created with a $5 million commitment from John Erickson, CEO and founder Erickson Retirement Communities, and matching state funds. The School integrates aging, management and policy in each of its programs, with a strong emphasis on preparing leaders for the 21st century. The School offers credit and non-credit educational programs at the undergraduate, masters and executive levels.

Renee van der Stelt, CADVC Receives Pollack Krasner Award, Accepted into MacDowell Colony
Renee van der Stelt, museum educator and exhibition registrar for the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, received a prestigious Pollock Krasner Foundation Award for $20,000. Pollock-Krasner grants have enabled artists to create new work, purchase needed materials and pay for studio rent, as well as personal expenses. Past recipients of Pollock-Krasner grants acknowledge their critical impact in allowing concentrated time for studio work, and in preparing for exhibitions and other professional opportunities such as accepting a residency.

This spring, van der Stelt will be an artist-in-residence at MacDowell Colony (in New Hampshire), the oldest artists' colony in the United States. The Colony's mission is “to nurture the arts by offering creative individuals of the highest talent an inspiring environment in which to produce enduring works of the imagination.”

UMBC Swimming and Diving's Reitz and Cantwell Earn America East Weekly Awards
The UMBC men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams combined to earn both America East Swimming Performer of the Week awards for the week ending Nov. 19. Freshman Brad Reitz and junior Tina Cantwell garnered the awards after their outstanding performances at the George Mason Patriot Invitational.
www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/swimming/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3718

It's that time of year! Commencement is right around the corner -- Thursday, December 20, at 10 a.m. in the RAC. Assistance is needed from 8 a.m. until the end of the ceremony, about noon.

Seating in the RAC Arena will be by ticket ONLY and we will offer overflow seating in Lecture Hall III. We will need staff to direct people into the RAC and to the overflow seating, line up
undergraduates, line up faculty, assist with special accommodations, coordinate student movement thru the tunnel, hand out programs, etc.

We really need your help this year and are asking you to join us for this wonderful event! E-mail Sandy Campbell at campbell@umbc.edu.

November 15, 2007

TO: UMBC Community

FR: Lisa Akchin
Associate Vice President
Marketing and Public Relations

A conference committee of Maryland Senate and House leaders will meet this
week to resolve differences between Senate legislation that dedicates
supplemental funds for higher education and House legislation that
eliminates dedicated funding and proposes cuts to higher education
budgets.

It is vital that the House members serving on the conference committee
hear from students, faculty, staff and alumni about the importance of
ensuring affordable, accessible, high quality higher education in
Maryland. Please visit http://capwiz.com/usmd/home/ to express your views
today.

ACTiVATE in the Baltimore Sun
The ACTiVATE program received a national 2007 Innovation Award from the Association of University Research Parks. As the Baltimore Sun noted in the “In Business” digest, ACTiVATE participants have evaluated 97 technologies from Maryland research institutions and formed 12 companies. The program also received a $50,000 grant from the Maryland Technology Development Corp. The item ran on Nov. 3.

www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.industry03nov03,0,5858130.story

Erickson School in the Baltimore Business Journal
The UMBC Erickson School plans to grow its enrollment tenfold during the next decade, boosted by additional funding from its chief backer, retirement community developer John Erickson, and other business leaders in the long-term care industry. J. Kevin Eckert, dean of the Erickson School, told the Baltimore Business Journal that the school hopes to enroll as many as 1,000 additional degree students during the next 10 years. The article, “UMBC Plots Aggressive Growth for School on Aging,” appeared on Nov. 2.

http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2007/11/05/story9.html

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
Associate Professor of Political Science Tom Schaller’s latest column in the Baltimore Sun addressed legislation under consideration in the Maryland General Assembly to oppose a tax on snack food items. Schaller wrote that “no state government – certainly not Maryland’s, with its huge base of taxable incomes – should fix its structural-deficit problem by imposing highly regressive taxes on food.” The column, “Instead of Responsible Fiscal Policy, They Give Us Snack Taxes,” ran on Nov. 7.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.schaller07nov07,0,2733295.column

Schaller was interviewed on ABC’s World News Tonight regarding the Republican Party’s traditional hold on the West. For decades, Democrats have had problems attracting Southern voters but the party sees promise in the West partly because of its changing demographics. “The Republican Party out west is fundamentally different than the Republican Party in the South,” Schaller told ABC News on Nov. 6.

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Vote2008/story?id=3826860&page=1

UMBC in the Catonsville Times
UMBC hosted a Good Neighbor Expo Resource Fair on Oct. 31 to help students gain familiarity with programs and resources available to them on and off campus. The Catonsville Times interviewed Phil Carroll, a UMBC information technology communications specialist who was at the fair to raise awareness of the University’s Campus Card payment program with merchants in Catonsville and Arbutus. The article, “Local Businesses Hoping to Register with UMBC Students,” ran on Nov. 7.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=351&NewsID=851968&CategoryID=8381&show=localnews&om=1

November 8, 2007

TO: The UMBC Community

FR: Lisa Akchin
Associate Vice President
Marketing and Public Relations

RE: Important Legislative Update

A dedicated funding source for higher education is at risk as the Maryland Senate prepares to vote on Governor O’Malley’s budget plan tonight. The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee approved a one percent increase in the corporate income tax rate but did not support the Governor’s proposal to immediately dedicate half of the revenue raised to new investments in higher education.

It is possible to restore the provision for dedicated funds through amendment of the legislation in the full Senate. It is critical that students, faculty, staff, and alumni contact senators, who will vote on the matter tonight, and delegates, who will vote on the matter tomorrow, urging them to dedicate half of this new revenue to investments in high-quality, affordable higher education.

Please indicate your support for strong, accessible higher education in Maryland by e-mailing your elected officials at http://capwiz.com/usmd/home/.

Brian Hodges Named to America East Pre-Season All Conference Team; Retrievers Picked Fifth in Pre-Season Poll
Senior Brian Hodges was a unanimous selection to the 2007-08 America East Preseason All-Conference team in voting conducted by the conference’s head coaches.
www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mbball/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3675

Levi Houapeu Named America East Conference Men's Soccer Rookie of the Week
Freshman midfielder Levi Houapeu was named America East Conference Men’s Soccer Rookie of the Week for games ending Nov. 4. Houapeu scored in the 47th minute to give UMBC a 1-0 lead over UNH in an eventual 1-1 double overtime tie. The one point earned for the draw was crucial as the Retrievers earned a spot in the America East Tournament. Houapeu scored three goals in his first season, including a game-winner vs. Stony Brook.

Public Policy Students and Alumni Presenting at Annual Meeting of the American Public
Health Association
Public policy students and alumni will be presenting research at the Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association in Washington, D.C.: doctoral student Elyse Grossman; Robert Alexander ’05, Ph.D.; Keith Elder ’02, Ph.D.; Sunny Kang, ’06, M.P.P.; and Annette Snyder ’06, Ph.D.

Keith Elder was elected to be a section councilor for the Gerontological Health Section and begins a two-year term at the close of the meeting.

Visual Arts Students, Faculty and Alumni Films in Takoma Park Film Festival
The following visual arts faculty and students are showing work in the Takoma Park Film Festival November 15-18: Vin Grabill, professor; Paula Durette ’96, ’02 MFA; Justin Plakas ‘04; Joanna Raczynska ‘98; and Nathan Duncan ‘05. For more information, visit http://takomaparkfilmfestival.org/.

The Department of Human Resources congratulates Employees of the Quarter Debra Arnold and Kay Smith.

Debra Arnold, IT support specialist for the Office of Information Technology (OIT), has been named UMBC's Nonexempt Employee of the Quarter effective October 1 to December 30, 2007. Arnold began her career at UMBC in 1980 working as an office secretary in the Department of Human Resources. She transferred to the Department of Administrative Computing Department (later to merge with University Computing) in 1988. She continued to grow and advance in her career, holding various positions in the department.

Nancy Abell, executive administrative assistant in the Office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance, nominated Deb for the award. “When I hear the term ‘customer service’, I always think of Debra Arnold,” says Abell. “I have known that if I called her, she would help in any way she could, on-the-spot, willingly and with a smile, even offering to come to my office and desktop to help me solve a problem. From a Word or Excel document nightmare, to a glitch in e-mail, she always stopped whatever she was doing to help. When the campus was being introduced to PeopleSoft and mandatory training was offered, I knew that the classes Deb taught would be spot-on, and geared as much as possible for user understanding.”

John Fritz, director of instructional technology and new media, agrees. “Deb is an exceptional IT support specialist, with a particular talent for one-on-one support” says Fritz. “Deb is patient, clear and absolutely goes the extra mile to help people understand Microsoft products, Oracle Calendar, basic web development, PeopleSoft or whatever is necessary for them to succeed. At the same time, she consistently gets glowing recommendations from her participants in her training workshops. She doesn’t tout it much, but Deb is a very gifted teacher.”

"Deb is one of the most responsible, conscientious and efficient colleagues I have ever worked with,” adds Fritz. “She anticipates the needs of others, is extremely responsive and has incredible attention to detail and commitment to customer service.”

CIO and Vice President for Information Technology Jack Suess says, “Debra does an outstanding job and always goes the extra mile to make sure the needs of others are accommodated. She has a great mix of skills and fills a number of different needs for OIT.”

Arnold has continued to develop professionally and personally during her career. She earned a certificate as a Certified Web Master in 2000. In May 2007, she graduated from University of Maryland University College with a bachelor’s degree, and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Instructional Systems Development at UMBC. This program has allowed her to immediately apply new knowledge and skills of instructional design to UMBC’s training initiatives. She is a former senator and vice president of the Classified Staff Senate. During her free time, she volunteers for the local Ravens Roost club and heads up the charity campaign.

Deb was presented with her award on November 8 at an OIT staff meeting.

Kay Smith, coordinator for the UMBC Bookstore, was selected as the Exempt Employee of the Quarter for the period of October through December 2007. Smith began her career at UMBC in the Bookstore in 1993 as a service worker and has advanced in her career over the past 14 years to become the coordinator.

Smith was nominated by Bob Somers, director of the Bookstore. “Kay has succeeded not only due to her ability to quickly master new positions, but because of her willingness to take on whatever is necessary to further the goals of the Bookstore,” says Somers. “She is the first to offer to work extra hours and is generally the last the leave every night during the chaotic first few weeks of the term. Through Kay’s suggestion, the Bookstore was able to deal with the auditor mandated security issues, by assuming the duties of security officer in addition to her ‘normal’ duties. Kay was responsible for migrating the Bookstore Computer resale department from a stand alone system to the same point of sale system that the rest of the store utilizes.

"For the third time, Kay is currently functioning as the Bookstore accountant due to the position being vacant," Somers adds. "Kay was responsible for streamlining the entire accounting procedures through working closely with UMBC's accounting office. Her efforts have decreased the number of key accounting employees necessary to professionally and efficiently operate the Bookstore accounting office. In an unprecedented effort, Kay familiarized herself with all the various departments in the Bookstore and is able to fill in whenever a need arises. Kay is the penultimate Bookstore employee as far as dealing with customer issues. She is a leader in customer service. The number of complaints which are escalated to the Bookstore Director are few and far between. She is the most respected employee in the Bookstore, both by the Bookstore staff and the rest of the UMBC community.”

In addition, Smith has taken courses to further her formal education. To create comradery, she offers her residence as the location for the annual Bookstore picnic. She stays in touch with employees out on medical leave with calls and personal visits. "Kay is selfless in ALL her associations with the UMBC Community, constantly offering herself as the one to do whatever it takes to further the goals of the University,” Somers says.

Kay received her Employee of the Quarter Award at a presentation on October 8. A special cake was made by Bookstore employee, Loretta Whitnall, for the occasion. Members of the Bookstore staff and representatives from Administration and Finance attended the celebration.

Each recipient will receive 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.

Human Resources offers special thanks to everyone that nominated an employee for the award. Previous nominations received will be eligible for consideration for one year from the date received. The next Employee of the Quarter recipients will be selected in January.

Learn how to nominate an employee that you feel is deserving of this award for the next quarter.

David Clurman, Residential Life, Named VP of the Mid-Atlantic College and University Housing Officers Association
David Clurman, assistant director of residential education in the Office of Residential Life, has been elected vice president/president elect of the Mid-Atlantic College and University Housing Officers association.

Hyland and Zwama Named All-Conference as Cross Country Places Fifth and Seventh at America East Championships
The UMBC men’s and women’s cross country teams finished competition on Saturday at the 2007 America East Championships with the men finishing fifth with 125 total points and the women seventh with 182 points. Both teams improved from last year’s meet as the men finished sixth and the women finished eighth in 2006.
www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/xcountry/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3659

Morgan Warrington Earns America East Women’s Soccer Rookie of the Week
UMBC freshman defender Morgan Warrington was named America East Women’s Soccer Rookie of the Week for the week ending Oct. 28, the conference announced Monday. Warrington becomes the second Retriever in as many weeks to win the award, joining forward Ashley Singer. It also marks the first conference honor of Warrington’s career.
www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/wsoccer/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3663

Joseph Gribbin, Erickson School, in the Baltimore Sun
An opinion column by Joseph Gribbin, an affiliate professor in the Erickson School, focused on the threats posed by the nation’s long-term fiscal challenges. The editorial promoted the Concord Coalition’s “Fiscal Wakeup Tour” that came to UMBC on Oct. 29. “As currently configured … landmark entitlement programs that have lifted us up as a people and that continue to provide economic security for older adults represent the most significant threat to our security,” Gribbin wrote. The commentary, “Time to Face Reality of Nation’s Crushing Liabilities,” ran on Oct. 28.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.socialsecurity28oct28,0,1138661.story

Freeman Hrabowski, UMBC President, in the News
A recent report by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shows that the state is falling behind in producing graduates with degrees in science and technology. Part of the problem is the “big-lecture format” in certain college science classes, an issue UMBC successfully addressed by incorporating group work into the teaching structure. “Unfortunately, this lecture and sitting quietly approach is just not effective with many students,” UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski told the San Antonio Express-News. The article, “Students Mostly Not Ready for Math, Science College Courses,” appeared on Oct. 31.

www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/stories/MYSA103007.01A.SCIENCESHORTAGE.346bc07.html

A divided Maryland State Board of Education voted on Oct. 31 to continue requiring high school students to pass exit exams in order to graduate, starting in 2009. In testimony before the board, President Hrabowski said, “This is not about setting the bar where we see it in China. This is at the basic level.” The Associated Press story on the hearing, “State Keeps Tests as Graduation Requirement,” appeared in Maryland daily newspapers such as the Salisbury Daily Times and Baltimore Examiner on Nov. 1.

www.dailytimesonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071101/NEWS01/71101004/1002

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the News
It is legal for lawmakers to hold fundraisers during special sessions of the legislature, though Maryland bans state officials from holding fundraisers during the formal 90-day session that begins each January. A ban on fundraising during a special session is “less of an issue because special sessions tend to be very narrow in focus and short in duration,” Donald Norris, professor of public policy, told the Baltimore Sun. Norris added that, “in a perfect world,” it likely would be best if no fundraising were allowed during any General Assembly session. The article, “Raising Money Raises Doubts,” ran on Oct. 29.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.fundraisers29oct29,0,2750588.story?page=1

Norris told the Washington Post that the special legislative budget session offers Gov. Martin O’Malley the prospect of both political gain and risk. “If he succeeds, he solves a very big problem in state government which no one has been willing to touch for years,” Norris said. “If he is not able to get this through, he loses face and he loses a lot of political capital.” The story, “Session Has High Stakes for O’Malley,” ran on Oct. 29.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/28/AR2007102801525.html

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in Mother Jones Magazine
Mother Jones magazine recognized associate professor of political science Tom Schaller’s research on how the Democrats can capitalize on new demographic trends. “The new strategy, as scholar Thomas Schaller has noted, is essentially the long-overdue progressive response to the GOP’s Southern Strategy, which ripped the South from Democratic control and was critical to the right’s recent ascendancy,” the publication noted. The article, “The 50-Year Strategy: A New Progressive Era (No, Really!),” appeared in the November/December 2007 issue.

www.motherjones.org/news/feature/2007/11/the-50-year-strategy.html