Ashley Barbera ’08, Josh Michael ’10 on WYPR Radio
Ashley Barbera ’08 and Josh Michael ’10 were among the politically active college students who joined talk-show host Marc Steiner to discuss how the youth vote will impact the 2008 presidential election. They joined WYPR Radio’s (88.1 FM) “Marc Steiner Show” on Jan. 30.

www.wypr.org/M_Steiner.html

Men’s Basketball in the Baltimore Sun

The Baltimore Sun featured the men’s basketball team on two recent occasions. The paper covered the Retrievers’ 69-65 latest win, over America East Conference rival Albany. The story, “UMBC Holds On,” ran on Jan. 31. The Sun also profiled the team’s status as a new force in the conference with legitimate hopes of reaching the NCAA Division I tournament. That article, “UMBC Basketball on the Rise,” ran on Jan. 22.

www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/mens/bal-sp.umbc31jan31,0,7333457.story

www.baltimoresun.com/services/newspaper/printedition/bal-sp.umbc22jan22,0,7194405.story

Bob Carpenter, Economics, in Stateline.org
In its annual “State of the States Report,” Stateline.org assessed the proliferation of gambling venues throughout the country. Bob Carpenter, associate professor of economics, disputed the idea that allowing slots in Maryland would help the state recoup the $650 million gamblers spend in other states. “Slots are oversold,” Carpenter told Stateline.org. “Yes, it’s new revenue, but not anywhere near what is promised.” The article is available to registered users at the link below.

www.stateline.org

Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture in the Baltimore Sun
The Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture will feature eight photo series from Andrea Robbins and Max Becher, the husband-and-wife photography team. The exhibit, which runs through March 15, was featured in “The Free Sheet” in the Baltimore Sun “Live” section on Jan. 31.

www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/live/bal-li.free31jan31,0,6005452.story?page=1

Christopher Corbett, English, in the Washington Independent
In a humor piece for the Washington Independent, Christopher Corbett, professor of the practice in English, noted a potential connection between actress Mary-Kate Olsen and major international news. “The tragic death of the Australian actor Heath Ledger last week in a Soho loft and the subsequent news that Mary-Kate Olsen was contacted before the police has resulted in a series of revelations showing the former child star playing a pivotal role in a number of national and world events,” Corbett wrote. His column, “The Jaundiced Eye: First Responder,” appeared on Jan. 28.

www.washingtonindependent.com/view/the-jaundiced-eye

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
Associate Professor of Political Science Tom Schaller will appear on WJZ Channel 13 news to comment on the “Super Tuesday” Feb. 5 presidential primary elections. Schaller will appear on all major news updates from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. to provide expert political commentary on the day’s returns. An unprecedented 24 states hold primaries or caucuses on this date, with 52 percent of all pledged Democratic Party delegates and 41 percent of Republican Party delegates in play. "Never before in American electoral history have we had a primary with so many delegates at stake on the same day and with both party's nominees still uncertain," said Schaller, the author of Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win without the South.

Schaller wrote for Salon.com about the fading campaign of then-presidential candidate John Edwards in advance of the South Carolina Democratic primary. “The truth for Edwards is that, after more than four years and two tries, the remaining question for his presidential candidacy is how his continued presence in the race will affect the contest between Clinton and Obama,” Schaller wrote. The column, “When Principles Aren’t Enough,” ran on Jan. 25.

www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/01/25/edwards/

Schaller assessed former President Bill Clinton’s impact on the Democratic race as he campaigns for wife Hillary Clinton. “Team Obama’s frustration derives from a painful truth: Bill Clinton is an electoral powerhouse, a surrogate nonpareil,” Schaller wrote for The American Prospect. The column, “Super Surrogate,” appeared on Jan. 25.

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

Stuart Saunders Smith, Music, in the Baltimore Sun

The Baltimore Sun cited the contemporary classical music performance of works by Stuart Saunders Smith in advance of the campus performance on Jan. 31. The item appeared in the Music Column, headlined “Works with a Political Message,” on Jan. 29.

www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-to.musicol29jan29,0,5340854.column

UMBC’s resident expert on presidential elections, Tom Schaller, will appear on WJZ Channel 13 news to comment on “Super Tuesday’s” Feb. 5 primary elections.

Schaller will appear on all major news updates from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. to provide expert political commentary on the results of the night’s presidential primary elections. An unprecedented 24 states hold primaries or caucuses on this date with 52 percent of all pledged Democratic Party delegates and 41 percent of Republican Party delegates at stake.

"Never before in American electoral history have we had a primary with so many delegates at stake on the same day and with both party's nominees still uncertain," said Schaller.

Schaller is associate professor of political science and author of Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats can win without the South. The Jan. 20 New York Times Sunday Magazine cited "Whistling Past Dixie" and recognized Schaller as the “political scientist and liberal blogger (who) won over a lot of his fellow progressives with an entire book devoted to the premise that Democrats should ignore the South and instead focus their finite resources … on the West and Southwest.”

Schaller is a weekly national political columnist for The Baltimore Sun, and has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The American Prospect, The New York Sun, The Boston Globe, The Washington Examiner and Salon, and has appeared on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, MSNBC's Hardball, National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation and Morning Edition, PBS's The Tavis Smiley Show, and C-SPAN's Washington Journal.

Tim Brennan, Public Policy, Speaks at American Enterprise Institute Conference
Tim Brennan, professor of public policy and economics, participated in the American Enterprise Institute’s conference Electricity Deregulation Texas Style on Friday, January 25 in Washington, D.C. Appearing with other nationally recognized energy industry experts, he discussed competition in the electricity industry and how well markets are performing.

Track and Field's Alex Hyland Picks Up Third Straight Weekly Award
Junior Alex Hyland was named the America East Women’s Track Performer of the Week for the week ending Jan. 28, the conference announced Tuesday. Hyland has won the weekly women’s track award for the past three weeks, the most times a Retriever has been honored since Mike Zyvoloski garnered four weekly awards during the 2004-05 indoor season.

www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/track/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3828

Swimming and Diving Sweeps Weekly Swimming Awards for Third Week; Kutt, Kaplanova Honored
The swimming and diving teams have swept the weekly conference swimming awards for the third time this season as sophomores Rasmus Kutt and Tereza Kaplanova earned the respective Men’s and Women’s Swimming Performer of the Week awards for the week ending Jan. 28, the conference announced Tuesday.

www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/swimming/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3830

Men's Soccer's Moffa, Bissohong Selected in Major Indoor Soccer League Amateur Draft
Men’s soccer players Bryan Moffa and Philippe Bissohong were selected in yesterday’s Major Indoor Soccer League amateur draft. Moffa was selected in the first round (fifth pick) by the hometown Baltimore Blast, while Bissohong was picked in the third round by the first-year New Jersey Ironmen. Since 1990, 21 Retrievers have been selected or signed as free agents with the MISL or NPSL (National Professional Soccer League).

www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/msoccer/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3831

Brad Simpson, History, Edits Suharto: A Declassified Documentary Obit
As Indonesia buries the ex-dictator Suharto, who died Sunday at the age of 86, the National Security Archive posted a selection of declassified U.S. documents detailing his record of repression and corruption, and the long-standing U.S. support for his regime. Suharto: A Declassified Documentary Obit is edited by Brad Simpson, assistant professor of history. For more information, visit www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB242/index.htm.

In March, Stanford University Press will publish Simpson’s Economists with Guns: Authoritarian Development and U.S.-Indonesian Relations, 1960-1968. For more information, visit www.sup.org/book.cgi?book_id=5634%20%20.

Fr: Lynne C. Schaefer, Vice President for Administration and Finance

Winter is upon us. So that we can all be prepared, this would be a good time to review UMBC’s Inclement Weather Policy which is posted at www.umbc.edu/facultystaff/snowpolicy.html.

During inclement weather events, you will find up-to-date information posted on the UMBC homepage and myUMBC. Please note that there is a new campus hotline phone number – 410-455-6789 or ext. 5-6789 from on campus – which will be updated as situations change during such events as well.

I also encourage you to sign up for E2Campus, an emergency alert text-messaging system that will permit the University to notify you regarding any campus-related emergency (such as potential campus safety hazards or campus closures due to weather). The system is compatible with mobile phones, Blackberries, “smart phones,” satellite phones, e-mail, wireless PDAs and pagers. Normal text-messaging rates apply. There are no additional charges. Please sign up for this important service today at http://my.umbc.edu/notifications.

Thank you.

bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park in the Baltimore Business Journal
Leaders of bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park have developed a plan to create office space suited for small but growing bioscience incubator enterprises that can’t afford the higher rents typically charged at new research parks. Enhanced marketing efforts at the research park are led by Associate Director of Business Development Alex Euler and Marketing Manager Deborah Shapiro, both of whom are pictured in a Baltimore Business Journal story. The article, “UMBC Targeting Emerging Tech Firms with New Space,” ran on Jan. 18.

http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/01/21/story6.html

Kafui Dzirasa ’01, Chemical Engineering, in Ebony Magazine
Ebony magazine featured Kafui Dzirasa ’01, Chemical Engineering, in its “30 on the Rise” collection of 2008 Young Leaders of the Future. Dzirasa earned his Ph.D. in neurobiology from Duke, where he is a fourth-year medical student and postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Neurobiology at the Duke Medical Center. The magazine cited several of his UMBC achievements, including his studies as a Meyerhoff Scholar and a conference championship in the long jump. Ebony also noted that Dzirasa received Duke’s Somjen Award for Outstanding Dissertation Thesis. The “30 on the Rise” section, in the February 2008 issue, is available to registered Ebony subscribers at www.ebonyjet.com/ebony/.

Leslie Morgan, Sociology, in the Baltimore Sun
Senior citizens in the Baltimore region believe that the presidential candidates are paying scant attention to issues that concern not only themselves but their children and grandchildren. “There is an assumption out there that older people vote differently than young people and that somehow older people only will vote in self-interested ways,” Leslie Morgan, professor of sociology and former associate dean of the Erickson School, told the Baltimore Sun. The story, “Seniors Tell Candidates: Listen Here,” ran on Jan. 24.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.oldervoters24jan24,0,6694168.story?page=1

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
Associate Professor of Political Science Tom Schaller’s latest column in the Baltimore Sun noted that, for Bill Clinton, “more is at stake in 2008 than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s political future. Obama is also a threat to Clinton’s presidential legacy and to the Clinton machine’s lording over the national Democratic Party.” The column, “Obama Victory Would Damage Clinton Legacy,” appeared on Jan. 23.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.schaller23jan23033219,0,7221669.column

The New York Times Magazine cited Schaller’s book Whistling Past Dixie and recognized Schaller as the “political scientist and liberal blogger (who) won over a lot of his fellow progressives with an entire book devoted to the premise that Democrats should ignore the South and instead focus their finite resources … on the West and Southwest.” The article, “South Poll,” ran on Jan. 20.

www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/magazine/20wwln-lede-t.html?_r=3&ref=magazine&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

In the days after Hillary Clinton’s primary victory in Nevada, Schaller told the Christian Science Monitor that Clinton “has an advantage in California and Obama will have a better chance in the Northeast and the Southeast.” The story, “Clinton Wins a Polarized Nevada Vote,” appeared on Jan. 19.

www.csmonitor.com/2008/0120/p25s04-uspo.html?page=1

Before the Nevada presidential primary, the Las Vegas Sun reported that the Democratic candidates were using every available tactic to leave the state victorious. “The Clintons understand cutthroat politics from A to Z, and they’re willing to use the whole alphabet,” Schaller told the newspaper, adding that the Obama campaign has “its own roster of up-and-coming jugular hunters.” The story, “Democrats Toughen Up,” ran on Jan. 24.

www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jan/18/democrats-toughen/

Carlee Cassidy Earns WBCA National Player of the Month Honorable Mention
UMBC sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy earned honorable mention from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for National Player of the Month for the month of December, the organization announced last week.
www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/wbball/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3817

Alex Hyland Records Second ECAC-Qualifying Mark; Madison Edged Out for First as UMBC Track and Field Competes at Maryland Invite
The UMBC men’s and women’s track and field teams finished competition at the Maryland Terrapin Invitational at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex on Saturday. Junior Alex Hyland led all competitors with a second-place finish in the one-mile run as she picked up her second ECAC qualifying time in as many events this season.
www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/track/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3814

Human Resources has announced the Employees of the Quarter, effective January 1-March 31, 2008: Arthur Brown, administrative assistant II for International Education Services (Non-exempt), and Margarita “Magui” Cardona, senior grants and contracts manager for the Office of Sponsored Programs (Exempt).

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

Brown, administrative assistant II for International Education Services, began his career at UMBC in 1998 working as an administrative assistant for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. He transferred to his current department in 2005.

Director of International Education Services Arlene Wergin said, “Arthur is the first person to greet our international students and faculty as they visit our office. In each case, he does so in a warm and friendly manner, making each person feel welcome and attended to. He goes out of his way to make sure that students have all their questions answered. Arthur has a very friendly and approachable demeanor and this reassures our visitors, many of whom are newly arrived in the country and uncertain in their interactions or shy about speaking in English.

“At a time when our international population feels somewhat daunted by the many Department of Homeland procedures they must endure, it is essential that the staff in our office goes out of their way to reassure our international students and scholars that we are happy to have them on our campus,” added Wergin. “Arthur is an excellent ambassador of UMBC and gives our international population a positive and welcoming first impression.”

Brown is currently taking courses at UMBC and plans to pursue a B.A. in History.

Provost Arthur Johnson presented Brown with his award on January 17. Staff from International Education Services, the Graduate School and Human Resources attended the celebration.

Cardona has been employed at UMBC for the past two years, initially as a grants management specialist.

Jocelyn Bauer, acting director for the Office of Sponsored Programs, said, “Magui has served the entire campus for more than two years in an office that has had nothing but constant transition since her first day. Even though there were many obstacles, Magui has always remained positive and professional by providing the best service to faculty and staff. She has thorough knowledge of the field of research administration and can guide any faculty member through the web of administrative requirements for managing their grants and contracts.

“Magui has become the unofficial expert user for PeopleSoft for the grants module on the pre-award side,” said Bauer. “She is writing user manuals for the whole pre-award side of PeopleSoft. In addition, she was instrumental in the implementation of the ‘electronic routing’ of proposals to the campus. Recently, Magui has written a paper to the HUGS conference to receive free travel to the annual conference. All of these activities are in addition to her daily responsibilities.

Cardona received a Master’s Certificate in Government Contracting from George Washington University, in addition to a Certified Research Administrator certificate. She is working on a Ph.D. in Public Policy.

The Office of Sponsored Programs surprised Magui during a staff meeting on January 14. Cardona’s husband, Ruben Delgado, a research associate with JCET, attended and presented Magui with a bouquet of roses.

Read more about the January 2008 recipents at www.umbc.edu/hr/EOQ/awardreceipent.html.

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 April.

Christopher Corbett, English, in Baltimore Style Magazine
In his latest column for Baltimore Style magazine, Christopher Corbett, professor of the practice in English, discussed the seemingly endless solicitations he receives for money. “It never ends,” he wrote in “The Back Page,” his column for the January/February issue.
www.baltimorestyle.com/index.php/style/backpage/

President Hrabowski in the News
UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski was scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the 20th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dinner on Jan. 18 at La Fontaine Bleu in Glen Burnie. The largest and oldest celebration of its kind in the Baltimore-Washington region, the dinner includes an awards ceremony honoring individuals who have carried on Dr. King’s legacy. The news item appeared in the Neighborhoods section of the Annapolis Capital on Jan. 9 and in the Anne Arundel Datebook of the Baltimore Sun on Jan. 16.

www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/01_09-05/NBH

www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-ar.datebook16jan16,0,7561089.story

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Washington Post
For state politicians who back the right presidential candidate, there can be rewards. Should Hillary Clinton win the presidency, Clinton supporter Gov. Martin O’Malley “will not only get his phone calls returned faster, it’s conceivable there will be appointment opportunities either for him directly or for him to influence,” Donald Norris, professor of public policy, told the Washington Post. The article, “Who’s Backing Whom?” ran on Jan. 14.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/13/AR2008011303608.html?sid=ST2008011400712

Robert Provine, Psychology, in the Washington Post
The Washington Post profiled Robert Provine, professor of psychology, and his research on the science of laughter. The question-and-answer interview, “A Laughter Guru on the Science of Ha-Ha-Ha,” appeared on Jan. 13.

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/10/AR2008011003224.html

Amy Rhodes ’04, Theatre, in the Baltimore Sun
Amy Rhodes ’04 was featured in a Jan. 14 Baltimore Sun story on how consumers and retailers are driving demand for some of the world’s most exotic coffee. Rhodes and her husband Thomas own Zeke's Coffee of Baltimore.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.coffee14jan14,0,1896251.story

Suzanne Rosenberg, Biological Sciences, in Science
Science magazine cited the research that Suzanne Rosenberg, professor of biological sciences and Robert and Jane Meyerhoff chair of biochemistry, and her laboratory partners have conducted on novel ways to fight tumor growth.

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/319/5860/154

Anne Spence, Mechanical Engineering, in the Baltimore Sun
Anne Spence, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is one of the catalysts behind the local division of an annual worldwide event involving LEGO robotics. The worldwide FIRST LEGO League offers youngsters 9-to-14 the chance to build LEGO robots with electronic brains, motors and sensors for competition. “I’m hoping for kids to get excited about opportunities open to them in fields of science, technology and mathematics, especially kids who don’t have a parent in the field. It’s a chance to meet engineers and to really think about problem-solving,” Spence told the Baltimore Sun. The article, “How to Build Young Scientists,” appeared on Jan. 13.

www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-al.work13jan13,0,2621548.story

Bill Thomas, Erickson School, in the Baltimore Business Journal
The Baltimore Business Journal profiled Bill Thomas, a professor in the Erickson School. In a question-and-answer interview, Thomas discussed his affiliation with the Erickson School and his visions for the future of eldercare. The interview appeared in a special section, “Boomer Business,” that is not available online.

Meghan Colabella Tabbed America East Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week
UMBC freshman forward Meghan Colabella was named the America East Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Week for the week ending Jan. 13, the conference announced Monday.
www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/wbball/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3801

Films by Assistant Professor of Visual Arts Eric Dyer '95 Screened at Creative Alliance (1/18)
Two films by Assistant Professor of Visual Arts Eric Dyer ‘95 will be screened prior to the Nana Projects Magic Lantern Show at Baltimore’s Creative Alliance. For more information, visit www.creativealliance.org/events/eventItem1251.html.

Alex Hyland Shatters 3000m Record at Bucknell Gulden Relays
Junior Alex Hyland set a new 3000-meter run record and was one of four Retrievers to capture gold at the Bucknell Gulden Relays on Saturday in Lewisburg, Pa.
www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/track/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3798

Scott Kecken ’88 Co-directs Jan. 20 Episode of “The Wire”
Scott Kecken ’88, Geography and Environmental Systems, and his wife, Joy, directed the January 20 episode of HBO’s “The Wire.”

Kecken received an M.A. in Visual Anthropology at Temple and currently teaches at Villa Julie.

English Major Alexander Pyles Wins Reese Cleghorn Internship
Alexander Pyles recently won a highly competitive Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association's Reese Cleghorn Internship. Pyles was one of 37 finalists competing for eight paid summer newspaper internships. Currently the sports editor for The Retriever Weekly, Pyles has completed two internships with the Baltimore Sun.

UMBC Swimming and Diving Sweeps Weekly Swimming Awards for Second Time in 2007-08
For the second time this season, UMBC swimming and diving has earned both the men’s and women’s swimming weekly awards as sophomore Rasmus Kutt and junior Tina Cantwell have been named the America East Men’s and Women’s Swimming Performers of the Week for the week ending Jan. 14, the conference announced Tuesday.

www.umbcretrievers.com/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3802

Stephen Braude, Philosophy, in the Chronicle Review
The Chronicle Review profiled Stephen Braude, professor of philosophy, calling him “one of the few mainstream academics applying his intellectual training to questions that many would regard at best as impossible to answer, and at worst absolutely ridiculous: Do psychic phenomena exist? Are mediums and ghosts real? Can people move objects with their minds or predict the future?” Braude’s new book is The Gold Leaf Lady and Other Parapsychological Investigations. The article, “The Truth is Out There,” appeared in the Jan. 11 issue.

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v54/i18/18b01101.htm

Lou Cantori, Political Science, on WMAR-TV 2
Lou Cantori, emeritus professor of political science, was interviewed on WMAR-TV 2 News about the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The segment aired on Dec. 28.
www.abc2news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=57bf6c77-cc8b-4157-956c-9b06d71fe3e5

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun
Some of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s accomplishments during his first year in office are pointing him toward the national stage. “He’s making waves nationally in the Democratic party,” Donald Norris, professor of public policy, told the Baltimore Sun. “That should be beneficial to the state, regardless of whether he gets any kind of national political mileage out of it.” The article, “O’Malley Trading in Goodwill,” ran on Jan. 6.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.session06jan06,0,3957740.story

Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
Associate Professor of Political Science Tom Schaller’s latest column in the Baltimore Sun reviewed new developments in the race between Democratic presidential frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, particularly Obama’s appeal to the broadest possible constituency. “Whether or not Mrs. Clinton can come back to win the nomination, (Obama’s) victory in Iowa and strong showing (Tuesday) night in New Hampshire dented any notion of her inevitability,” Schaller wrote. The column, “Rise of Obama Jolts Democrats – and GOP,” appeared on Jan. 9.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.schaller09jan09,0,5097170.column

An op-ed column by Schaller in the Baltimore Sun assessed Obama’s presidential candidacy. Schaller wrote that “the real question is this: Beyond Iowa, would the novelty presidency by itself be capable of truly transforming national politics? I think so – and the evidence is found not in the man or his message, but in the expressed appetite in the country for difference for difference’s sake.” The column, “Obama Campaign Turns on Issue of Readiness – His and Ours,” ran on Jan. 2.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-op.schaller02jan02,0,4361203.column?coll=bal-opinion-utility

Schaller’s final 2007 op-ed for the Baltimore Sun assessed the presidential candidacy of Republican Mike Huckabee in the context of Republican Party changes during the past 40 years. “In short, “(Huckabee) is to the Republicans what Howard Dean was for the Democrats four years ago: the candidate running for his party's nomination by running against his party,” Schaller wrote. The column, “Born of GOP’s Southern Strategy,” ran on Dec. 19.

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.schaller19dec19,0,2606791.column

In a column for The American Prospect after Huckabee’s Iowa caucus victory, Schaller wrote that the win is a testament to Huckabee’s personal charm and strong evangelical support. “Huckabee's win proves that, at least in a low-turnout caucus event in a traditionalist state, a resource-deficient but likable social conservative can defeat a well-funded corporate Republican with a dubious record on important partisan litmus issues,” Schaller noted. The column, “The Republicans’ Accountability Moment,” appeared on Jan. 4.

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

Writing before the Iowa presidential caucus, Schaller suggested in The American Prospect that a victory for Republican candidates Huckabee or Mitt Romney “could turn out to be a springboard to, well, nothing.” The column, “Why Iowa Means Nothing to the GOP,” ran on Jan. 3.

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

Strategists for several Democratic presidential candidates told the Boston Globe there is little incentive to get involved in a Republican primary dispute over religion. “Religion will be in the general election without dispute,” Schaller told the paper. “The question is whether Democrats are going to bring it into their primary.” The article, “Republican Candidates Returning to the Fold,” appeared on Dec. 16.

www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/12/16/republican_candidates_returning_to_the_fold/?page=1

UMBC Flag Football on WJZ-TV 13
The UMBC club co-ed flag football team headed for Dallas and the national collegiate championship during the weekend of Jan. 5-6. To qualify, UMBC outlasted 14 other squads during a mid-Atlantic competition, including local rival University of Maryland, College Park on that team’s home field. WJZ-TV 13, the CBS television affiliate in Baltimore, profiled the UMBC squad before it competed in Texas. The team lost in the quarterfinals.

http://wjz.com/video/?id=34440@wjz.dayport.com

UMBC in the News
InsideHigherEd.com and the Baltimore Sun reported that Elliot Hirshman, chief research officer at George Washington University, has been named provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at UMBC (effective July 1, 2008).

www.insidehighereducation.com/news/2008/01/02/presidents

www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.briefs21dec21,0,2865183.story

Darryl Proctor Named America East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week
UMBC junior forward Darryl Proctor has been named America East Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week, for games ending January 6, 2008.
www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/mbball/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=3789

Recognition for Theatre in City Paper
UMBC students, faculty and alumni and students were "major players" in 4 out of 10 of
Baltimore City Paper's top picks for area theatre productions of 2007. The article listing season highlights also cites as "memorable" two UMBC productions directed by Xerxes Mehta—“The Threepenny Opera” and “Silence, Cunning, Exile.”

www.citypaper.com/special/story.asp?id=14967

Below are the UMBC connections to the City Paper 2007 theatre picks:

Two by Pinter: "The Collection" and "The Lover" (Rep Stage)

Faculty
Xerxes Mehta (Director)
Elena Zlotescu (Set & Costume Design)
Lynn Watson (Voice & Dialects)
Shelley Steffens Joyce (Costume Draper)

Alumni
Michael Stebbins (Artistic Director, Rep Stage)
Steven Fleming (Assistant Stage Manager)

Students
Laurel Haac (Assistant to the Costume Designer)
Sarah Norton (Assistant to the Costume Designer)

"Bach at Leipzig" (Rep Stage)
Alumni
Michael Stebbins (Artistic Director, Rep Stage)

"Assassins" (Spotlighters Theatre)
Alumni
Rob Oppel (Director)
Brian Rudell (Sound Design)

Students
Frank Miller (Lighting Design)

"Blood Wedding" (Run of the Mill Theatre)

Alumni
Beverly Shannon (Actor)
Jessie Dulaney (Actor)
Karen Landry (Actor)

Photo Caption: Devin Hagerty on the flight deck of the U.S.S. Tarawa.

He’s more accustomed to students in flip-flops instead of combat boots, but Associate Professor of Political Science Devin Hagerty was proud to sail with the U.S. Navy and Marines as he educated officers en route to South Asia.

For a week in November 2007, Hagerty was one of three “embedded Ph.D.s” through a U.S. Navy program that looks to include lessons from academic experts as part of military mission training.

Hagerty sailed from San Diego, California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii with an Expeditionary Strike Group led by the amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Tarawa, as it headed to the Indian Ocean. Originally slated to conduct joint exercises with regional militaries, the Group was chosen to lead humanitarian relief efforts in Bangladesh after Cyclone Sidr struck the region on Nov. 15, killing over 3,200 people.

Hagerty commuted from ship to ship by helicopter or inflatable speedboat to deliver briefings on Bangladesh, the Maldives, Asian-Pacific culture, and U.S. strategic interests in the region. His deployment was part of the Regional Security Education Program, run by the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey, California.

During his week aboard, he picked up naval lingo like “cranials” (ear plugs and goggles for braving flight deck and helicopter winds and noise), “floaties” (life preservers), and “mobys” (cellphone-size, salt-water-detecting beacons to alert the bridge in case of a person overboard). Hagerty bonded so well with his hosts that by week’s end the Marines offered to give him a regulation flattop haircut and take him to the Indian Ocean with them.

“It was a blast, but more importantly, I felt like my efforts had some immediate relevance as our sailors and Marines helped victims of the cyclone,” said Hagerty.