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James Collins
Interdisciplinary Studies ’99
Keyboardist/Songwriter, Fertile Ground
Founded in 1997 by UMBC alumnus James “The Light” Collins,
Fertile Ground just returned from an international tour (including performances
with Erykah Badu) and released its third album “Seasons Change.”
Collins, who is also CEO of Baltimore-based Blackout Studios, says he
loves promoting art, and the only thing not fun about his job is when
he’s unable to do it. The Web site “All About Jazz”
calls Fertile Ground’s music “a grooveable-high of a laid
back funky music outing.” How do you characterize your style of
music? “Duke Ellington said there are two types of music...good
and bad. I like to think that we are good music. We get put in the neo
soul, jazz categories a lot though."
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James Mathias
Political Science ’74
Mayor, Ocean City, Md.
Thirty years ago, when James Mathias began working at a pizza shop in
Ocean City, Md., he never dreamt that eventually he would become the city’s
mayor. That formerly pony-tailed kid now presides over a tourist town
hosting 8 million people during the 2002 season. During his tenure, he
and the Ocean City Council have redeveloped the boardwalk (it’s
all wood now), restored City Hall and won last year’s All-America
City Award from the National Civic League. Favorite part of being mayor?
“Watching the children, watching the people on the boardwalk with
ice cream, cotton candy and French fries...It’s always fun.”
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Christopher Barton
Political Science ’98
Franchise Co-Owner, Sonic Drive-In
Although he’d never worked in the fast food world before, Christopher
Barton, has returned to Texas to work at Sonic Drive In, his family’s
business. In fact, he is co-owner of more than 20 franchises. A throwback
to the 1950s, Sonic customers put in their order at a call box and, upon
delivery, eat in their car. In spite of the 60-hour work week, Barton,
a political science major, acknowledges he’s got no regrets—banana
splits beat politics any day! Best and worst things about working with
your family? “The best thing is that I get to see my father and
my brothers every day. The hardest is that my dad is more demanding of
us than of anyone else.”
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Jason Burik
Psychology ’00
Lego Designer
Jason Burik acknowledges that he was never interested in conventional
toys, such as fire trucks and wagons. From a very early age, his great
love was Legos. And that romance is still going strong today. As Burik
grew, so did his Lego projects—he built a scale model of his parents’
home and painted it to match. As though that wasn’t enough, Burik—who
is a grade school teacher in Pennsylvania—took 3,600 Legos and re-created
Oriole Park at Camden Yards. From there it was on to the Baltimore Raven’s
stadium and a commission from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He even built a
model of The Commons, UMBC’s new student union. Burik turned down
a job offer as a designer for Legoland in Carlsbad, Calif., saying he
would rather teach. He does, however, use Legos in his math lessons.
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Neil Beller
Information Systems
Management ’83
Author and Comedic Cooking Show Host
Martha Stewart he is definitely not. Neil Beller likes to use power tools
and sports equipment to prepare his recipes—like the suspicious-sounding
Embryonic Salad (a twisted version of egg salad). It all started with
his bizarre, R-rated Cooking Without a Conscience, a cookbook “for
real people with real hobbies like drinking beer and spending as little
time as possible in the kitchen.” The book, co-written by buddy
Greg Hoffman, attracted the attention of Baltimore’s local morning
shows and led to some hilarious television and event appearances. Now
Beller, a former stand-up comic, is hoping to sell his own wacky, man-targeted,
cooking show concept to one of the cable networks.
Is this your real job? “I also own a television
production company and have edited stuff for the Orioles and Ravens.”
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Cheryl Burke-Schwarz
Biological Sciences ’82
Veterinarian, Paradise Animal Hospital
At 12 years old, Cheryl Burke-Schwarz enjoyed shadowing her horse’s
vet during check-ups. She decided to become a veterinarian herself years
later, but always knew that her love for animals was serious. Now owner
and practicing physician of Paradise Animal Hospital in Catonsville, Md.,
Burke shares that the most satisfying part of her practice is in the area
of rehabilitation and physical therapy for injured animals. With therapy
pools and progressive treatments, Burke concentrates on animals after
surgery or accidents and tends to them while they are on the mend—and
running around on all fours again.
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Jeff Strong
Interdisciplinary Studies ’88
Director of On-Air Creative, The Discovery Channel
When programmers at the Discovery Channel asked Jeff Strong to make the
15th Anniversary of “Shark Week” exciting, he literally shot
for the stars. Strong, as director of on-air creative for Discovery’s
advertising and promotions department, helped recruit stars like David
James Elliott from “JAG” and Mark McGrath from Sugar Ray to
go “swimming with the fishes” in South Africa as part of “Celebrity
Shark Week.” He also hired and directed the film crew to shoot it,
composers to write original scores and the graphics team to create the
right look for all of the promotional pieces involved. Not bad for a guy
who started in Discovery’s mailroom 13 years ago.
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Dennis Marsico
Theatre ’84
Actor, Walt Disney World
Dennis Marsico faces the hot seat everyday as an actor at Disney’s
MGM Studios in Orlando, Fla. Having had his turn at performing throughout
the Magic Kingdom in roles from mice to men, Marsico brightens over his
latest Disney assignment, host of hot park attraction, “Who Wants
to be a Millionaire?” Because of his 13-year run with Disney, Marsico
gratefully boasts he’s never been an out of work as an actor. Favorite
Millionaire guest? “Regis Philbin surprised us and sat in the hot
seat. He got out at $16,000. He couldn’t decide whether ‘au
gratin’ meant with cheese or onions.”
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Steve Butz
Biological Sciences ’97 and M.S. Biological Sciences ’99
Mascot, The Baltimore Orioles
When he wasn’t hitting the books, Steve Butz put in a three-year
stint masquerading as the UMBC Retriever mascot. So, it makes perfect
sense that when Baltimore resident Butz, who is now pursuing a Psy.D.
in clinical psychology, heard about auditions for the Oriole mascot, he
threw his hat in the ring and promptly got hired. These days, most of
his appearances aren’t on the field, but at summer reading programs
and Little League banquets.
Your most memorable mascot moment? “When after
I coaxed a very shy boy to accept a baseball card, he looked up at me
in absolute awe.”
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Julia Hanlon
M.A. Historical Studies ’01
Assistant to the Chairman,
Sotheby’s International Jewelry Department
Julia Hanlon knows that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, as are
rubies, emeralds and all baubles Cartier. She works at the acclaimed New
York City auction house, Sotheby’s, with clients and their sky’s-the-limit
budgets to acquire the most valuable gems and treasures. A typical day
consists of handling, studying, displaying, wearing and admiring the finest
jewels from the most exclusive collections in the world. Favorite piece
you’d like to call your own? “A Tutti Frutti jeweled bracelet
designed by Cartier, which later sold for $950,000.”
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Loretta Cormier
Ancient Studies ’76
Jazz Vocalist
Little about Loretta Cormier indicated she’d have a career as a
renowned and respected jazz singer. After graduation, she landed a position
as a medical editor with the Johns Hopkins University. While taking piano
lessons, her teacher encouraged Cormier to pursue singing lessons and,
in short order, a new career was born. Today the San Antonio-based vocalist
has just released her second CD, “Under a Blanket of Blue,”
and has a devoted following in this country, as well as Europe.
Jazz artist not to be missed (other than yourself, of course)?
“I most admire Helen Forrest, who was a big band vocalist in the
1940s.”
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Dennis Moellers
Visual and Performing Arts ’00
Artist/Animator, Firaxis Games
Dennis Moellers’ childhood fascination with video and computer
games has really paid off. As an artist/animator at Firaxis, a Hunt Valley,
Md.-based game development company, he helps bring highly acclaimed titles
like “Sid Meier’s SimGolf” and “Sid Meier’s
Antietam!” into the hands of today’s gamers. One of his recent
projects involved researching castles and Scottish buildings for the “Sid
Meier’s SimGolf” game, then creating a virtual castle using
two and three-dimensional computer animation programs. Although Moellers’
job isn’t all fun and games—he does face looming deadlines—he
gets to play games from other companies with co workers during lunch hour
and after work, all in the name of research.
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Frank Reeves
Information Systems Management ’86
Inventor
One might call Frank Reeves’ invention—the Rage Cage—the
“laptop” of the lacrosse world. That is, he has taken the
heavy and cumbersome standard NCAA lacrosse goal and transformed it into
a portable regulation version, which teams easily can set up, break down
and transport. In three years, Reeves’ Severn, Md.-based company,
First Goal, has sold 500 Official Rage Cages and has pre orders for 20
Rage Cage Practice goals, a less expensive spin-off of the official version,
which is perfect for the backyard. This former UMBC lacrosse player—who
worked at NASA-Goddard and several high-tech companies as a system administrator
before becoming an inventor—doesn’t plan to stop with lacrosse
goals; he sees soccer, street hockey and water polo in his future. He
also hopes to apply his patented joint technology (the mechanism that
makes the goals collapsible) to other arenas including road signs and
M.A.S.H. tents.
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Sandy Fukumura Winterbottom
Visual and Performing Arts ’91
Manager, Maui Tropix Surf Shop
Where is Jaws? is the most frequent question Sandy Fukumura Winterbottom
is asked in her line of work. Winterbottom manages a surf shop, Maui Tropix,
in Hawaii, and Jaws is a surf spot on the north shore where the waves
can get 30 to 50 feet high. Winterbottom, who studied photography at UMBC,
still photographs on the side, saying, “Where could you ask for
a more beautiful place than Maui?” She also continues to hone her
own surfing skills. “It is such an incredible feeling to be propelled
along on a wave of water,” she says. “What a rush!”
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Rick Moreland
Interdisciplinary Studies ’83
Vice President of Sales,
Washington Sports & Entertainment
Rick Moreland knows about combining a life-long passion and a career.
According to the former UMBC basketball star (still on record for the
second highest all-time scorer, and all-time leading rebounder) his position
with Washington Sports & Entertainment, where he manages sponsorship
sales and executive seating for the Washington Capitols, Wizards and Mystics,
is one that he enjoys every day. Why? His career philosophy is simple:
“Find what you enjoy doing and get a job making money doing it.”
Most interesting person you’ve met on the job?
“Michael Jordan, who after you get past the celebrity, is a great
guy.”
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Kathleen Warnock
Interdisciplinary Studies ’80
Editor, Frommer’s Travel Guides
Want to know the best places to visit in Paris, or Australia, or even
in Maryland? Just ask Kathleen Warnock. After all, for the past year and
a half she’s been an editor for Frommer’s travel guides in
New York City. Her own extensive travel experience in the United States
and abroad helped the former sportswriter land the job. Warnock, still
a devoted Orioles fan, says “I love London, but I also love pointing
my writers to the undiscovered side of Baltimore.” In addition to
her “day job” as an editor, Kathleen is a published author,
essayist and playwright.
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Keith Puryear
Economics ’90
Head Coach, UMBC Tennis Teams
Keith Puryear never had a formal tennis lesson and didn’t start
playing the game until he was 16 years old. Yet, he would not only go
on to play for UMBC, but at 25 years old, would become what is believed
the country’s youngest Division I head coach at the time. Tennis
and coaching tennis are his passion, he says. As UMBC men’s and
women’s coach the past 14 years, Puryear’s teams have excelled
on the court and in the classroom. “I owe who I am and what I have
accomplished to one thing,” he says. “Persistence.”Serving
as the assistant tennis coach is fellow alum, Bob Hoffman ’97. In
addition, the following UMBC alumni work as head coaches for UMBC teams:
Chad Cradock ’97, swimming; David Bobb ’02, track; and Kristy
Hartman ’99, field hockey.
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Matthew White
History ’87 and
M.A. Historical Studies ’88
Director, The Smithsonian’s Hands-On Science Center
Last year Matthew White saw 196,000 people—the vast majority of
them children between the ages of 6 and 12 years—tramping through
the Smithsonian Institution’s Hands-On Science Center. As the center’s
director, he reports that the kids love getting involved in the experiments—all
of which are presented in a historical context. White professes to love
the scholarship of the Smithsonian Institution and absolutely delights
in watching his young visitors and their look of wonder when they discover
something new.
Most popular experiment? “Probably the one that
involves carbon dioxide. The kids love all the fizzle and smoke.”
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Andrew Colyer
Economics ’89
Mountain Climber
Andrew Colyer felt the recession first hand after being let go from his
banking position at Merrill Lynch in New York over a year ago. His antidote
to having a little time on his hands? Climb and conquer. Two weeks after
his last day on the job, Colyer was 11,000 feet up Mt. McKinley. Soon
after, he signed up with Mountain Madness, the expedition with which he
nearly summitted Mt. Everest this past summer. Although Colyer believes
he will someday return to the working world, he doesn’t see a suit
and tie in his immediate future, but rather a few more mountain peaks.
Food thousands of feet above civilization? “A
lot of pancakes
and potatoes.”
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Jennifer Rade
Theatre ’90
Wardrobe Stylist to the Stars
Like many other people, during her downtime at work Jennifer Rade hangs
out with colleagues. The difference is that her colleagues are often people
like Marilyn Manson, Eminen, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre, the Dave Matthews
Band and Will Smith. As a wardrobe stylist for music videos and commercials,
Rade designs costumes and outfits, rents items from Warner Brothers or
Universal Studios, and sometimes actually shops for the clothes at everywhere
from L.A.’s trendy stores to Goodwill.
Favorite artist to work with? “I would definitely
say Manson. He’s such a great guy. He’s really responsible,
really creative and is just hilarious.”
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