All posts by: Catalina Sofia Dansberger Duque

UMBC’s Erle Ellis crowdsources global archaeological research to trace the history of human impacts on Earth

For decades, UMBC’s Erle Ellis, professor of geography and environmental systems, has examined the history of humanity’s impact on the planet, but he’s had lingering questions about just how far back in time scientists can trace that impact. To answer these questions, he and a team of colleagues from all over the world created ArchaeoGLOBE, an international collaborative for archaeologists to document the history of human impacts on the environment. Their crowdsourced findings, dating back thousands of years, now appear in Science and the New York Times.

Archaeological perspective

The ArchaeoGLOBE crowdsourcing project brought together research from over 250 archaeologists from around the world. The experts shared their historical knowledge on how humans have used land across 146 regions, spanning all continents except Antarctica, through a questionnaire.

“Archaeologists have unrivaled tools for investigating human changes in environments over the long term,” explains Ellis. “The ArchaeoGLOBE project brought this expertise together at global scale.”

The results represent the first global inventory of archaeological research about how humans have impacted the Earth through hunting and gathering, raising livestock, and cultivating crops for millennia. Findings suggest that foraging was common around the world 10,000 years ago, raising livestock began 8,000 years ago (originating in Southwest Asia), and by 6,000 years ago agriculture was practiced in some form across nearly half of the world, becoming common by 3,000 years ago.

ArchaeoGLOBE world map of hunting and gathering from 10,000 to 100 years ago. (Click to view GIF)

From this data the first global archaeological map of long-term changes in land use was created. “Human use of land created the transformed planet of the Anthropocene that we live in now, by driving species extinct, deforesting the planet, tilling Earth’s soils, and releasing carbon into the atmosphere, changing Earth’s climate,” explains Ellis.

Importantly, the research team found that these changes began earlier than other studies have reported. ArchaeoGLOBE brings clarity to this transformation by using archaeological expertise to map global land use, the underlying cause of these changes, past, present, and future.

Collaborative approach to research

Ellis and former UMBC post-doctoral fellow Lucas Stephens, current senior research analyst at the Environmental Law & Policy Center, led the process of analyzing data from the 250 archaeologists, with critical support from three undergraduate researchers. Alexa Thornton ‘18, environmental science and geography; Santiago Munevar Garcia ‘18, environmental science and geography; and Jeremy Powell ‘18, geography, made essential contributions to the work, focusing on geospatial analysis and mapping the data set.

(L to R) Thorton, Ellis, and Powell working in the GES lab. Image courtesy of Erle Ellis.

Stephens recollects how challenging it was to collect a data set that would be a first approximation of the global history of land use. “Figuring out how to split the world up into analytical regions was a big challenge in and of itself. Clicking through an unsolicited email to participate in someone else’s project is a very generous act, so to receive over 700 contributions from over 250 archaeologists was fantastic,” remembers Stephens.

He notes that the response from the scholarly community was, “surprising and uplifting,” and he hopes this example will spur more synthetic research in the future.

ArchaeoGLOBE map on the growth of urban centers 10,000 to 100 years ago. (Click GIF to view)

“Our hope is that this is only the first achievement of what will become a new, massively collaborative scientific approach to understanding the global environmental changes caused by humans over the long term,” shares Ellis.

The ArchaeoGLOBE project was conducted in collaboration with the Global Land Programme. The Programme is scientific community promoting the study of land systems and the co-design of solutions for global sustainability. ArchaeoGLOBE is also an extension of the NSF-funded GLOBE (Global Collaboration Engine) project. GLOBE is a platform for researchers to share, compare, and integrate local and regional studies with global data, and to measure the global relevance of their research.

Learn more

Ellis will be speaking about Understanding Human Transformation of Earth at The Center for Social Science Scholarship on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at noon in the Information/Technology building room 229.

The complete findings on this research can be found in the Science article “Archaeological assessment reveals Earth’s early transformation through land use.” Additional insights comparing previous mapping projects can be found in “Humans Dominated Earth Earlier Than Previously Thought” (The New York Times).

The Conversation published an article by Ellis and Stephens, as well as Ben Marwick of the University of Washington and Nicole Boivin of the Max Planck Institute, which reviews different points of view on the history of human impacts on the Earth. This piece has surpassed 120,000 views and has been republished by Popular Science, EcoWatch, ScienceAlert, EarthSky, and Live Science. (Click here for a complete list of media coverage.)

Banner image: Val de Navarrés, País Valenciano, Spain with permission from Michael Barton. All maps courtesy of Lucas Stephens.

Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities hosts literacy-focused institute for Baltimore teachers

UMBC’s Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities recently welcomed to campus early childhood educators from four Baltimore City public schools. They gathered for a Summer Teacher Institute focuses on improving literacy and outcomes for pre-K-2 students, particularly young English language learners.
Participants represented four of UMBC’s partner elementary/middle schools: Lakeland, Maree G. Farring, Curtis Bay, and Bay-Brook. These schools have strong connections with UMBC, including providing placements for UMBC student teachers and welcoming volunteer tutors. The institute addresses topics identified by the teachers as essential focus areas, explored through a series of interactive, research-based workshops.

Our language toolbox

Jennifer Mata-McMahon, associate professor of early childhood education, led the main two-day workshop. She shared with the teachers her research on translanguaging and early literacy strategies for diverse learners. Translanguaging, the use of a person’s unique linguistic repertoire shaped by their cultural and social context, can be a powerful instructional tool.
Mata-McMahon offered teachers a deep dive into how to use students’ formal, informal, home, school, and playground languages to access curriculum content. Her presentation responded to a crucial need teachers are experiencing: effective strategies to support the increasing number of English language learners in their schools.

Meta-McMahon (third from left) working with Baltimore City teachers. — Mata-McMahon (third from left) working with Baltimore City teachers.

Quiana Zamarron, a first grade teacher at Curtis Bay Elementary/Middle School, experienced the benefits of having additional resources to support English language learners last year. UMBC literacy volunteer, Maia Parker ’22, English, a Sherman STEM Teacher Scholar, worked with students in Zammarron’s class as part of the Sherman Center/Shriver Center Literacy Fellows Program.
“Many of my students are English language learners. Maia, who was learning Spanish at UMBC, was not only able to work with small groups but also to provide support to my Spanish non-English speaking students,” explains Zamarron. “What she gave my class was something I wasn’t able to offer.”
She notes that continuing to learn about literacy strategies for English language learners will make her more confident in her classroom, and help her meet the needs of her students.

Quiana Zamarron (third from left) with fellow teachers from Curtis Bay Elementary/Middle School. — Quiana Zamarron (third from left) with fellow teachers from Curtis Bay.

Diverse books

The institute also focused on how teachers can use diverse books in the classroom as an effective translanguaging strategy. Each teacher received a copy of Derrick Barnes’ The King of Kindergarten and Crown:Ode to the Fresh Cut. Mavis Sanders, director of the Sherman Center, invited Barnes as the keynote speaker to share his path as an award-winning author of children’s literature and perspectives on the importance of culturally diverse books in early childhood classrooms.
Barnes described his core motivations for writing books that place the experiences of young black families front and center. “I set out to write the blackest children’s books I could write to show the diversity within black culture and simply because there are so few that show that strength,” he said. “Teachers need more books that reflect not only their students’ cultural and social experiences, but also their language.”

Sanders with Barnes reviewing The King of Kindergarten. — Sanders (left) with Barnes reviewing *The King of Kindergarten*.

Patricia Escafer has been teaching since 1997 and is currently teaching second grade at Lakeland Elementary/Middle School. She finds translanguaging training through the use of diverse books has been pivotal for her and her students.
“This training is about representing the whole child. It gives me and the children hope because it shows how they can also be heroes and that they matter,” says Escarfuller. “Through diverse books students can reflect on their talents and know that those career choices are an option for them. Learning through diverse books is about respecting all of who a child is, socially and academically.”

The science lesson guide and diverse books given to teachers at the Institute.

Reading together

Kindel Nash, associate professor of early childhood education, and doctoral student Josh Michael ’10, political science and education, assistant director of UMBC’s Sherman STEM Teachers Scholars Program, also presented their Read Two Impress Plus research, funded by the Sherman Center.
Nash discusses this new research in the article, “Parents can help kids catch up in reading with a 10-minute daily routine,” published in The Conversation. “By activating the senses of hearing, seeing and touch, this approach makes recognizing familiar words easier and faster, increasing fluency,” explains Nash. “The strategy works best when it’s repeated regularly – ideally 10-15 minutes per day.”
Nash points out that this approach is enhanced by involving family members. Further, she writes, “We also found that when families read books that reflected their culture and language, they enjoyed reading together more.”

(L to R) Michael, Nash, and Grimes discussing Grimes' new science lesson guide. — (L to R) Michael, Nash, and Grimes discussing Grimes’ new science lesson guide.

Skill integration

Teachers walked away from the conversations on translanguaging, literacy, and diverse books with strategies to help their students access content knowledge at a higher level. Olivia Grimes ‘19, individualized study, also demonstrated how the educators could apply their new strategies to teaching specific topics in a science classroom.
Grimes, a current first year early childhood teacher at Maree G. Farring Elementary/Middle School, presented each teacher with a copy of Integrated Learning: Science Through Diverse Books, a lesson guide she created. The guide is based on her research as a Sherman STEM Scholar and program assistant at the Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities. The center funded and provided support for the research, development, creation, and dissemination of the guide. It provides lesson plans and learning activities based on 13 books covering ecology, space, engineering and design, the senses, and weather from the Sherman Center’s Diverse Books Collection.
This type of applied, research-based resource is the reason teachers value this professional development event and want to return for future trainings.
“Integrating science into our lessons, along with diverse texts, exposes students to science content beyond state-tested subjects. The books help reflect the diversity of the science field and allow students to see themselves as scientists, making science personal,” explains Grimes. “These strategies support and build on the skills students have and open worlds of unexplored possibilities.”
Banner image: Zamarron with colleague reviewing Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut. All images by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

UMBC partners with Latino Racial Justice Circle and Maryland Humanities in community-engaged research in Baltimore

In their work with communities in Baltimore, the Latino Racial Justice Circle (LRJC) observed a recurring issue: immigrant, white American, and African American communities share faith-based spaces but rarely engage in community dialogue. As a result, members of these communities may never get to know each other – or may even live in fear of each other.

Through a partnership with LRJC, UMBC’s Felipe Filomeno, professor of political science and global studies, a member of LRJC, and Tania Lizarazo, assistant professor of modern languages, linguistics, and intercultural communication and global studies, worked to develop, design, execute, evaluate, and disseminate the Honest Conversations on Immigration project. Through a course of dialogue, interviews, and digital storytelling, the program aims to foster dialogue between U.S.-born citizens and immigrants.

“Our goal as researchers was to use dialogue and digital stories as two ways to bring different communities together around religion, race, and immigration,” explains Filomeno, “and through that process create the potential to change the relationships within individuals, and between communities and society for the better.”

Community intersections

The Latino Racial Justice Circle (LJRC) is a volunteer, faith-based, immigrant support group based in Baltimore. It funds legal services, scholarships, and advocacy for federal immigration reform on behalf of Latino communities. This new project – similar to one addressing racism that has been implemented in more than 18 Catholic parishes in Baltimore – aims to bring faith-based groups from different backgrounds together to reveal their commonalities and build on shared strengths.

“We fear what we don’t know. And what we need to learn is vast,” shares Ryan Settler, president of the Maryland Chapter of Call To Action (CTA), a progressive social justice organization that created the Racial Justice Circle (RJC ) five years ago. “Immigrant and refugee stories in the media leave us confused, concerned, and even fearful. Honest Conversations begins to address those concerns.”

Through the Honest Conversations projects, volunteers from the LRJC, immigrants, and U.S.-born citizens in faith communities agree to engage in dialogue about perceptions of immigration and race. These initial steps towards understanding highly politicized issues can lead to collective action for racial justice and immigrant rights.

“Our project crosses boundaries between the humanities and the social sciences, academia and community, between immigrants and U.S.-born citizens, inner-city and suburbs,” explains Filomeno.

https://youtu.be/YFAKEE-X3EQ

Defining dialogue

The goal of the Maryland Humanities-funded project is for communities to move from confusion and anger to collaboration. For that to happen, participants first took part in two group dialogues consisting of 12-14 members from three faith-based communities. The dialogues were followed by the collection and sharing of personal experiences of religion, race, and immigration in Baltimore through digital storytelling. Both processes centered around the power of community dialogue to create respectful places in which difficult conversations might be had.

“Dialogue is a process of listening to others with the purpose of understanding. It does not aim to pass judgment, ‘just talk,’ mediate, debate, or negotiate,” explains Filomeno. He led the scientific implementation of structured dialogue and provided a framework for active listening. He also served as the facilitator at four churches in and around Baltimore: St. Ann’s Catholic Church; St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church; Church of the Annunciation; and St. Clement Mary Hofbauer Church.

“Because the dialogues happened in a familiar shared faith space the participants began with prayer, which was an entry point into a shared experience,” explains Filomeno. “I was then able to support where the participants wanted to take the conversation and guide them through clarifications,” he reflects.

Giuliana Valencia, co-chair for the LRJC, found the structured talks powerful and hopes other faith-based organizations will begin the program in their communities. “We recognize dialogue is the best way to change the human heart,” Valencia shares. “No matter how controversial the topic, you can always find common ground.”

Dialogue through digital storytelling

Digital storytelling is another key aspect of community-engaged research because it shifts the focus from the researcher creating information towards information being created by the community.

“Collaborative audiovisual pieces can share personal perspectives. These not only complement academic writing but help disrupt mainstream narratives as the only sources of knowledge,” explains Lizarazo. They can also create new ways for academics to think about primary sources. “Digital stories can serve as primary sources in different fields because they engage audiences and give access in ways writing doesn’t.”

This type of community-based digital storytelling also addresses the issue of access. Lizarazo explains how academic journals, while useful in academic circles, also limit who shares in the knowledge. The power of digital storytelling is in its accessibility – often opening spaces for nonacademic conversations through social media networks. “These stories where the narrative and the message is controlled by the community member can be used for pedagogical and research purposes,” notes Lizarazo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PNZi3PyZyE

The digital stories Lizarazo helped create for Honest Conversations on Immigration present personal experiences of faith, race, and immigration in Baltimore. Some delve into the first reactions of relocation to Baltimore. Others focus on employment experiences as well as how faith-based organizations supported their transition into Baltimore.

The research also shows lived experience is linked to scholarship and the context in which it’s produced, explains Lizarazo, who brings a personal component to her work. “As a Colombian immigrant, I understand first-hand global hierarchies of passports that affects mobility. I also know how stereotypes affect people’s daily life and recognize the privilege a tourist, student, and work visa brings.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5AzE_wQszA&authuser=1

Romi Pal ‘20, assisted Lizarazo in recording, transcribing, and producing the video testimonials along with a multimedia story for the overall project. Pal appreciated the opportunity to see the theories about race and immigration, learned through her global studies and political science majors, play out first-hand in a unique and relevant project.

Similar to Lizarazo, Pal was drawn to the project because of her immigrant background. “The dialogue emphasized how immigrant communities are not a monolith,” notes Pal. “As the daughter of immigrants myself, it made me feel thankful for the sacrifices my parents made when they came to the U.S. Baltimore still has a long way to improve race relations within religious communities.”

Lessons from Baltimore communities help others

After the talks, Filomeno and Lizarazo presented the research results to the general public at the Enoch Pratt Southeast Anchor Library in Highlandtown. The data revealed that private structured group dialogues had great advantages.

With the support of faith leaders and in collaboration with familiar community organizations, Honest Conversations on Immigration helped facilitate critical dialogue about controversial topics in a respectful manner. Participants also developed empathy toward each other and organized a multi-parish potluck as an initial step to collaborate across differences.

This initial project serves as a foundation for organizations across the United States who are working with similar issues and need support. Filomeno has created a digital guide for communities outside of Baltimore to implement their own Honest Conversations on Immigration project.

“As xenophobic discourses become mainstream,” notes Lizarazo, “I’m committed to learning and collaborating with members of immigrant communities. I want to help produce knowledge and show the nuances of our experiences.”

Learn more about Honest Conversations on September 10, 4 – 5:30 p.m., in the Theatre Rehearsal Space of the Performance Arts and Humanities Building (PAHB 127) at UMBC.

Banner image: (L-R) Pal getting ready to record and Lizarazo storyboarding with participant. All images and digital stories courtesy of the Honest Conversations project.

Preminda Jacob focuses on building connections as new associate dean of research and community engagement

Preminda Jacob, visual arts, has been named the new associate dean of research and community engagement for UMBC’s College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CAHSS). She will join the current team of associate deans in providing support for the College’s many departments, programs, and research centers. Together they will continue to implement CAHSS’ strategic goals and objectives, focusing on projects around recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and further developing community engagement work.

Scott Casper, dean of CAHSS, is excited about the level of expertise Jacob brings to the team. “Preminda Jacob brings a wealth of experience as a scholar, teacher, and UMBC citizen, and leader to the Dean’s Office,” says Casper. “I am delighted that she has joined our leadership team and look forward to her continued contributions to the College and the University in this new role.”

Engaging faculty

Jacob will begin by joining the team of associate deans in working to further foster the current research community within CAHSS and build broader awareness of CAHSS research. One way Jacob hopes to share faculty research is by collaborating with campus partners on updating the university’s current faculty research database capabilities. This digital tool will help academics, researchers, educators, and students from around the world more easily access information about UMBC researchers and their areas of study.

“I see part of community engagement as an accessibility issue,” explains Jacob. “UMBC faculty conduct top-level research. A searchable database elevates our commitment to provide research-based answers to the world’s most pressing questions by placing the research within everyone’s reach.”

Jacob will also help faculty better connect with each other across departments, including for research that involves community partnerships. She looks forward to working with faculty who have research expertise on community engagement by exploring topics through existing brown bag lunch series and working groups in the five CAHSS research centers as well as across UMBC’s colleges.

Engaging the community

Prior to joining the Dean’s Office, Jacob served as chair of visual arts from 2015 to 2018. As a professor of visual arts specializing in art history and visual culture, she worked to connect her passions for research and community engagement.

Jacob recalls a four-year partnership between the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum in Catonsville and her Space, Place, and Public Art class as a particularly significant collaboration. Jacob partnered students with the museum’s staff to create public art pieces from start to finish in one semester. “Students were excited to work directly with a local organization and leaders within the organizations were equally excited to serve as guides and mentors in the process,” she says.

Over the years, Jacob’s students have created object and wall labels, interactive and interpretive recordings, and works of art for the museum. They produced a video featuring interviews with local leaders and archaeologists talking about the archaeological dig conducted by the Maryland Historical Trust in the 1980s on Benjamin Banneker’s property.

Victor Pineda ‘15, visual arts, who went on to serve as a museum intern after participating in Jacob’s class, helped record an actor’s interpretation of the voice of Benjamin Banneker. The recording became part of an interactive device in the Banneker Gallery. Today, visitors can listen to Benjamin Banneker discuss his letter to Thomas Jefferson.

“Through the museum’s partnership with the visual arts department at UMBC,” says Willa Banks, the museum’s former director of education and curatorial affairs, “Dr. Jacob’s public art class provided a phenomenal service that not only benefited UMBC faculty and students but also the museum and the general public as well.”

Jacob plans to work with faculty already engaged with community partners in the Baltimore region to amplify relationships like this one. She is also dedicated to opening pathways for new community engagement opportunities, in the greater Baltimore region and beyond.

Banner Image: Preminda at MFA celebration. All images by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC with the exception of the images of student work at the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum which were courtesy of Willa Banks.

UMBC’s Mejdulene B. Shomali receives Woodrow Wilson Foundation fellowship for research on gender and sexuality in transnational Arab culture

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation has selected UMBC’s Mejdulene B. Shomali as a Career Enhancement Fellow. She is one of just 32 professors selected from institutions from across the country. The program, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, supports junior faculty with particularly promising research. The fund seeks to increase the presence of faculty members who are underrepresented in their fields and other faculty committed to eradicating racial disparities in the arts and humanities.

The highly competitive fellowship funds career development opportunities for junior faculty whose scholarly projects promote the well-being of diverse and democratic societies. Shomali’s award includes funding for a sabbatical year; a stipend for research, travel, or publication support; mentoring from a tenured faculty member in a related field of study; and a professional development retreat.

Diversity in the Arab world

Shomali came to UMBC in 2015 as a member of the third cohort of UMBC’s Postdoctoral Fellows for Faculty Diversity. She is now an assistant professor in gender, women’s, and sexuality studies and is the fourth UMBC junior faculty member to receive the Career Enhancement Fellowship.

Shomali is devoting her fellowship year to completing a book manuscript, Femininities: Queer Critique and Transnational Arab Culture. Her research is a cultural study about how femininity and queerness in Arab and Arab-American cultures are represented by Arab and Arab-American writers and artists. “I am very interested in how Arab and Arab-American artists, producers, and writers navigate the discourse that shapes their culture,” explains Shomali.

Cultural productions by Arab and Arab-American creative professionals create and communicate identities not defined by the West and can help dispel monolithic views of Arab identities. However, to fully understand the meaning and process of this work, explains Shomali, it has to be contextualized within a wider world—a world that does not truly understand who Arabs are and what Arabness is.

“Most people don’t know there are twenty-two countries in the Arab league. These countries share Arabic as the primary national language. Many are Muslim-majority nations,” shares Shomali. “Many, but not all.” She notes, “There is great linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity within the Arab world.”

Shomali’s work explores how Arab perspectives are countering stereotypes of Arab culture created by the United States and other Western nations, which are exacerbated by racial and political tensions. She shares, “Arab and Arab-American artists must create while managing the effects of Orientalism, anti-Arab racism, Middle Eastern politics, and politics of cultural authenticity, which influence how they portray gender and sexuality in their worlds.”

Representations of gender and sexuality

Shomali’s teaching also focuses on the diversity of Arab cultures, identities, and experiences, helping students move past stereotypes of the Arab world as being uniformly misogynistic, anti-woman, and homophobic. As a professor of transnational queer literature, Shomali teaches multiple interdisciplinary courses about issues related to gender, sexuality, race, the media, and transnational feminism.

In these courses, Shomali has seen some students struggling with stereotypes created by Western media about Arab culture and identity. “The creation of these gender and sexuality stereotypes is a tactic that the U.S. and the West have used to feel exceptionally inclusive about gender and sexuality,” explains Shomali. “The same statistics of homophobia, anti-queer legislation, and gender-based sexual violence exist in the Western world.”

A strong tradition of humanities scholarship

The Career Enhancement Fellowship will help Shomali delve further into the complexities of Arab identity and its effect on Arab and Arab-American artistic work through text analysis. It will also inform her teaching practices and course development upon her return.

“I want to document, analyze, and create an awareness of this creative process to spotlight the amazing work that is happening within the Arab art world as defined by Arab and Arab-American artists,” says Shomali.

Shomali’s work reflects a strong tradition of UMBC faculty doing important humanities scholarship recognized by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. Professor Michelle Scott, history, was UMBC’s inaugural recipient of this fellowship in 2005-2006. Scott also served as a program mentor in 2013 and continues to support faculty through the application process.

Scott used her fellowship year to complete a draft her first manuscript, Blues Empress in Black Chattanooga: Bessie Smith and the Emerging Urban South. “The fellowship time was invaluable in creating a network of like-minded scholars to help me navigate manuscript research and publishing while learning the landscape of my first tenure-track job,” remembers Scott.

Viviana MacManus, a former assistant professor of gender and women’s studies, now at the University of Maryland, College Park, was UMBC’s second Woodrow recipient. She used the sixth-month fellowship to work on her book manuscript We Are Protagonists of This History: Gender, Political Violence, and Testimonies of Resistance in Latin America’s Dirty Wars. It centered on Latin America’s history of gender and state violence during the “Dirty Wars” of Argentina and Mexico from the 1960s through the 1980s.

Maleda Belilgne, assistant professor of Africana studies and English, is currently completing her year-long fellowship. She used her award to complete her book manuscript, which explores space, sound, and the speculative in the literature of the African diaspora.

After her year of research and writing Shomali plans to return to the classroom to share new perspectives and resources with her UMBC students.

To learn more about professor Shomali’s work visit her website, read her blog, and watch the Race and Religion in the U.S. panel she organized in spring 2019 with the UMBC Dresher Center for the Humanities. Follow @UMBCHumanities on Twitter for more stories.

Banner image: Postdoctoral fellows for 2015 (L to R) Keisha Allen, Nkiru Nnawulezi, and Mejdulene Shomali. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. Race and Religion in the U.S. video by UMBC New Media Studio.

Jessica Berman is named the 2019 UMBC Lipitz Professor for her global radio research

UMBC has named Jessica Berman, professor of English and director of the Dresher Center for the Humanities, the 2019 – 2020 Lipitz Professor. This prestigious endowed professorship is awarded to one UMBC faculty member each year in recognition of innovative and distinguished teaching and/or research in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS). Berman has been selected for both her original research in global radio and her impactful work leading the Dresher Center.

Global radio research

The Lipitz professorship will support Berman’s travel to research different cultural approaches to producing radio. It will also provide time for her to write about the complex collection of voices, languages, literatures, and music that are interconnected through radio programming.

“I will now have the opportunity to research and outline my book’s third chapter as well as shape my existing archival resources,” explains Berman. “I hope to delve deeper into research about global radio environments and the power of media to create complex transnational and often interlinguistic relationships in Latin America, which will inform later research in West Africa.”

Jason Loviglio, founding chair and associate professor of media and communication studies, primarily researches media history and radio studies. As part of the selection committee, Loviglio saw Berman’s research as pathbreaking work in understanding this transnational movement.

“Berman’s new book will be an important contribution to the growing academic literature on a previously ignored medium,” shares Loviglio, “pushing radio studies and modernist studies in important new directions.”

The value of sharing research

For faculty in CAHSS, the Lipitz professorship doesn’t only mean an opportunity to focus extra time on research. It is also an opportunity for scholars to share their work with the campus community. The Lipitz Lecture is the culminating event of the professorship. Each spring the selected faculty member shares their work with faculty, staff, and students as part of the Humanities Forum lecture series hosted by the Dresher Center for the Humanities.

Dan Bailey, a professor of visual arts who focuses on animation and interactive media, was the 2018 – 2019 recipient. In the spring of 2019, he presented his work about human scale, perception, and natural landscapes.

Bailey continues to work on projects involving long-duration photography of landscapes and reconstruction of Baltimore’s geographic past. “Research requires time,” he reflects. Through the Lipitz professorship, he says, “I was able to focus on my research and collaborate with professors in history and visual arts, and work with UMBC’s Imaging Research Center and student interns.”

Berman will share her work with the campus community in the spring of 2020 Humanities Forum.

Banner image: Berman at the Dresher Center for the Humanities faculty book celebration. All images by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. Lipitz lecture video by UMBC New Media Studio.

UMBC’s Erickson School celebrates new grads as innovators in aging services

Lauren Mortimer ‘19, management of aging services, remembers visiting a nursing home for the first time during middle school. What she saw deeply saddened her. “It was the first time I had been in a nursing home,” she recalls. “All I could see were disregarded senior citizens who were lonely and being talked to like children.” Mortimer knew at that moment that she needed to change the senior care experience.

This year, a decade after she found her career path, the Centreville local earned an Erickson School alumni pin, marking her graduation from UMBC’s aging services program. At the end-of-year Erickson School ceremony, students also presented their capstone projects on research designed to inform and improve aging services. Topics included strategies for working with patients with dementia, workforce development, combating financial exploitation, exercise and sports, and communication between health care providers.

Joining the longevity economy

“Our ceremony provides an opportunity to reflect upon the tremendous personal growth of each of our graduates,” explains Dana Bradley, dean of the Erickson School. “We celebrate the amazing opportunities our graduates have as leaders in aging services to ensure that our society is ready to embrace the longevity economy.”

Jackie Hrabowski with Dean Bradley at the Meyerhoff 30th anniversary.

At UMBC’s Erickson School, Mortimer developed leadership skills through internships in aging care focusing on dementia, transitional housing, assisted living care, and independent living. Her last internship, at Brightwood Senior Living in Severna Park, evolved into a full-time staff position.

Her new role with the facility is enabling her to move forward on her career plan. Rather than provide direct care, she shares, “I wanted to be in health administration to help influence policy and improve the care of senior citizens” more broadly.

With this in mind, Mortimer has focused on growing as a leader. As a student, she served as president of the aging services council of majors, where she organized service activities to support local older adults. And while pursuing her new role at Brightwood, she’ll also begin a master’s in healthcare administration at the University of Maryland University College.

Path to innovation

Diane Tichnell ’70, political science, a member of UMBC’s first graduating class, shared advice with the program’s graduating students at the celebration event. She encouraged them to stay connected to UMBC as they launch their careers, to help open doors for future innovators. Tichnell recalled, “Even in the earliest days, UMBC was about innovation. Stay innovative and stay connected to UMBC.”

Tichnell’s emphasis on UMBC’s innovative and community-oriented spirit struck a chord with Mortimer. She used her capstone project as an opportunity to create a new support for people with dementia. Mortimer’s “Comfort Book” (currently going through the patent process) provides tools for people with dementia to soothe themselves during periods of confusion and irritability. Filled with familiar sounds, sights, and materials, it’s designed to de-stress and empower people with dementia who are experiencing challenging moments.

This is the type of creative thinking that John C. Erickson, founder of Erickson Retirement Services, had in mind when he gave a $5 million gift to establish the UMBC Erickson School in 2004. “UMBC’s forward thinking is the pathway to new products, service development, and delivery” in the field of aging, Erickson shared at the event. “It influences better aging policy, and is the foundation for innovative uses of technology to improve the quality of life for all seniors.”

Banner image: 2018 commencement mortarboards. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. Video, “Why MAgs,” courtesy of the Erickson School of Aging Services.

UMBC convenes research forum on immigration and mobility in higher education

In the late spring, the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship (CS3) convened researchers for the 2019 Research Forum: Immigration and Mobility in Higher Education. The event was the fifth in a UMBC research forum series that highlights original research and interdisciplinary discussions about pressing national and international issues. Christine Mallinson, director of CS3, co-hosted the event with Karl Steiner, vice president for research, to spotlight UMBC’s immigration research and to enable new collaborations.

Through the forum, Mallinson aimed to create a space for discussion and brainstorming for both students and faculty. “This critically relevant forum creates new collaborations and research that can change conversations about the effect immigration has on education, economics, workforce, and policy,” she explained.

Panelists and attendees included UMBC faculty, staff, and students from the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS), College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT), and College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS), as well as the Office of International Education Services.

Julie Park, associate professor of sociology and director of Asian American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, delivered the event’s keynote address. Park spoke to the changing demographics and intergenerational mobility of new immigrants who are working to attain secondary and postsecondary degrees.

Trauma-informed services

The first panel, “Borders of Opportunity: Migration, Education, and Mobility and Immigration Policies,” focused on global education, the social welfare of immigrants in the U.S., and the information-seeking behavior of highly educated immigrants.

In this panel, Jayshree Jani, associate professor of social work, shared research on the burdens that undocumented students carry. Daunting situations such as being separated from their parents, having a parent incarcerated, and being unable to access social services cause long-term trauma for children, even years after reunification or receiving support services. “When someone is undocumented and living in fear, it is really hard for them to have a stable life,” explained Jani.

Jani, center, discussing immigrant family separations.

Her research showed how visible and invisible consequences of trauma currently overwhelm local schools, communities, and law enforcement. She described a significant need for training in how to provide trauma-informed services, and noted that this gap has had major negative impacts.

Jani’s call to action was to inspire her colleagues and future providers to conduct more research. “In order to support trauma-informed services in schools,” she argued, “universities need to encourage research on this population and prepare future professionals to create, expand, and provide services.”

International student perspective

Awareness of and access to services is a hurdle that undocumented and documented immigrants, as well as international students and faculty, must navigate. Doctoral student Wajanat Rayes, information systems, attended the forum, bringing to the event her perspective as both an international student and a researcher.

Rayes investigates the role that information networks play in the lives of international students. She specifically focuses on the transition to the U.S. of highly skilled Saudi Arabian international students who are also mothers. “I like how information can empower people and mitigate the challenges we have day today,” she says.

“I am a faculty member at a university in Saudi Arabia and a mother,” Rayes shares. “I have had a lot of challenges in my transition to studying in the U.S. I hope my research will help other mothers navigate the system in the future.”

Immigration and higher education

The second panel examined “Immigration Policies and Politics: Local, National, and International Impact.” Four UMBC faculty presented the latest research about higher education policies and their effects on immigrant and international students. They also discussed the current landscape of international research exchange in higher education and the role of higher education associations in immigration policy debates.

In this session, UMBC researchers Tim Gindling, professor of economics, and Lisa Dickson, associate professor of economics, focused on access to higher education for undocumented youth. Their ongoing research covers the cost-benefit analysis of policies that determine the price of higher education for undocumented students—access to-state resident tuition and additional financial aid. They also examine the impact of the national Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy on students’ enrollment, graduation, and persistence in higher education.

“The takeaway, however we looked at the data, was that the benefits were greater than the costs,” explained Gindling. The research results showed that for each undocumented student who graduates from a four-year college, who would not have gone otherwise, the net benefits to the state were $350,000.

“Providing access to higher education and financial aid to undocumented youth is a good investment for the individual, for the state, and for the government as a whole,” said Gindling.

The power of listening

After participants and audience members listened to the panelists they were given an opportunity to share different perspectives on these issues through microtalk roundtables. Groups joined sessions on law and policy, transnational migration, and higher education.

One discussion centered around what a stronger, more positive relationship between immigrants and the United States would look like. Immigrants who are able to access higher education and financial aid are more likely to move into the white-collar workforce. Entering the professional workforce means immigrants also earn more and pay higher taxes. Greater earning power opens opportunities to buy property, start businesses, and contribute to a thriving state and national economy.

“It is important to listen to the array of immigrant experiences,” explained Ruth Temesgen ‘19, sociology, who attended the event as part of her Immigration and Refugee Law class. Her parents were highly skilled government employees in Ethiopia who left during the country’s civil war. Their credentials did not transfer in the United States. They could only access service-level jobs.

Seeing how much her parents and other immigrants have struggled inspired Temesgen to pursue a path to law school. “Reaching beyond our comfort zones to understand how global events impact people at a personal, economic, educational, and mental health level can change what is now an isolating experience to a welcoming and prosperous partnership.”

To learn about future CS3 events, join the conversation on Twitter at @UMBCSocSci.

Banner image: (L to R): Steiner, Mallinson, Don Engel, assistant vice president for research, and Casper. All images by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

UMBC honors social work students for commitment to social change

“I am learning at fifty-four that when you walk into communities and do the work that you are all doing, you have to be your authentic self,” said Jodi Kelber-Kaye, in a room of UMBC social work students days before their graduation.

Kelber-Kaye with President Freeman Hrabowski. — Kelber-Kaye with Pres. Freeman Hrabowski at an Honors College event.

Kelber-Kaye is the associate director of UMBC’s Honors College. She joined the students at the induction ceremony for the UMBC Delta Omicron Chapter of the Phi Alpha Honor Society, the national social work honor society, to accept an honorary membership.The twenty-four inductees were poised to hear advice from leaders in the field as they prepared to enter social work careers, known for being both highly rewarding and demanding.

Megan Meyer, associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, also spoke at the event. She reminded the new members to have hope and embody the ideals of the Phi Alpha Honor Society—compassion, social justice, and equity—by being present in the moment. “In order for you to maintain, lead, and make your greatest contribution you have to engage in self-care,” explained Meyer.

UMBC student executive board of Phi Alpha Honor Society. Photo courtesy of the social work program.

Her message resonated with the social work students from both UMBC’s Shady Grove and Catonsville campuses, several of whom have overcome personal challenges through self-care and community support. Encouraged by their own abilities to persevere through personal obstacles, they are now pursuing careers in social work to connect families to the services they need to care for themselves.

Self-actualization

“I decided to become a social worker because I survived the last six years of my life with the help of social workers,” remembers Maria Bruno ‘19, social work, who experienced a difficult divorce and the death of her mother in the same year. “If it wasn’t for one in particular social worker, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

A single mom of three teenagers, Bruno felt the best way to take care of herself was to be the first person in her immediate and extended family to attend college. She plans to earn a master’s degree and a doctorate in social work as well. She shares, “I am really proud of myself. I am getting a Ph.D. because I want to give opportunities, just as I have been given.”

Phi Alpha Honor Society inductees. Bruno is fourth from the right. Rantas is first on the left in the back row. Courtesy of the social work program.

Upon hearing Bruno’s story, Jennifer Rantas ‘20, social work, felt an instant connection with her classmate. “There were many times I also felt lost,” explains Rantas. “I spent a couple of years out of school battling mental illness.” The youngest of four, Rantas leaned on her family for support. When she was ready, Rantas committed herself to a social work major wholeheartedly.

Still, sometimes her confidence falters, and it is in these moments when community affirmation means so much. “It is incredible to be recognized,” says Rantas. “Sometimes I very much doubt my work and it is an honor to have people tell you that you are on the right path and are doing really well.”

At one memorable moment during the event, students paused in anticipation, preparing to hear their names and light white candles to symbolize their transition to full honor society members.

Carolyn Tice, associate dean of social work at UMBC, spoke to the group, encouraging them to stay strong through self-doubt and to always remember their motivation. “You committed to academic excellence,” she said, “but you also demonstrated a commitment to community and overwhelming service to people—people who are often left behind.”

To maintain a lasting focus on people who truly need support, over the course of a career, Meyer emphasized her strategy for staying centered. “Be appreciative of the moment that you are in. Mindfulness is an important part of self-care,” she shared. “Taking care of yourself will allow you to endure beyond overwhelming demands into the rewards of being a catalyst for great positive change.”

Visit UMBC social work website to learn more about programs and locations.

Banner image: Graduation cap from UMBC commencement. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC unless otherwise noted. “Why Study Social Work” video courtesy of the UMBC Division of Professional Studies. “Networking Advice from Dr. Tice…” video courtesy of the UMBC Career Center.

The Power of Community

One student’s story could appear to inspired onlookers as a meteoric rise: excelling from private school to lauded scholarship programs and landing an ivy school opportunity post-graduation. But Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman M26 ’19, mathematics, is clear that her success is firmly grounded in a support network formed early on—and hard fought for—when circumstances seemed to isolate her from the community she knew was necessary in order for her to thrive.

In kindergarten, her principal, Anna Puma, took special notice of her skills and ability and funded a scholarship that helped Opoku-Agyeman’s family keep her in a small private elementary school. The additional support helped her prepare and be accepted to a private school in the area for middle through high school, which would later give Opoku-Agyeman access to unique academic opportunities that would not otherwise have been available. She flourished during her years in her small, supportive school and was excited about college.

However, before Opoku-Agyeman would ultimately create the first conference for Black women in economics, graduate from UMBC surrounded by peers and mentors, and join The Research Scholar Initiative (RSI) program at Harvard University, she would have to learn to keep creating support networks along the way.

“My success is not mine, it is the work of many who saw my potential before I saw it in myself,” she says.

Creating a supportive network

At the first institution Opoku-Agyeman attended—a large campus near Washington, D.C.—she found it difficult to navigate the size and make relationships. Fear, anxiety, and loneliness quickly engulfed her. Attending her classes became difficult. Thinking about her future was overwhelming. Opoku-Agyeman’s elementary school principal, with whom she retained a close relationship, was one of many who helped her see through the clouds. Her family, faith community, and various mentors all listened to the obstacles Opoku-Agyeman was facing, gave her advice, and cheered her on as she figured out her path.

Opoku-Agyeman ultimately transferred to UMBC for its diversity, community, and academic support. Within her first year on campus, she began building critical connections with staff and students. She gained the support of Simon Stacey, director of UMBC Honors College, who referred her to Jacqueline King, assistant director of the MARC U*STAR Program and Meyerhoff team member.

“I’ve witnessed Anna’s metamorphosis from a student who was unsure of her academic capabilities to a young woman who is positioning herself to impact the economic and public policy field,” King says. “Her superpower is her ability to foster connections and collaborations to make a difference.”

With newfound supports in place, Opoku-Agyeman quickly transitioned from feeling lonely and lost to being part of both program communities. She tapped into the drive she had in high school, created strong friendships, and built a professional network.

As she embarks on her graduate studies, Opoku-Agyeman is now aware of how important it is to embrace and learn from the fear, anxiety, and confusion that sometimes occurs with new experiences. “Don’t let the temporary absence of community deter you from pursuing your goals’” says Opoku-Agyeman. “Being alone helped me to build coping skills, value my family and friends, and develop humility in my achievements.”

A family foundation

In pursuing her goals, Opoku-Agyeman conducted research on the impact of malaria on educational achievement in Ghana, pioneered the first Sadie T.M. Alexander Conference for Economics and Related Fields, and tutored middle and high school students in math throughout Howard County. Opoku-Agyeman shines her way through life with a steadfast dedication for creating opportunities for others. To balance the demands of her many pursuits, she fosters strong relationships, a method modeled by her father, she says.

“I encouraged Anna to study hard from kindergarten through college,” says Ernest Opoku- Agyeman, a registered nurse who holds his Ph.D. in epidemiology. “I wanted her to equip herself for the future and vowed to support her with anything she needed to excel in college and finish debt-free. It has been a pleasure being partners in her education and seeing her present her work widely.”

Reciprocating kindness

As a Meyerhoff and MARC*U*Star Scholar and Honors College student, Opoku-Agyeman was able to depend on a network of faculty and staff to help navigate academic decisions and responsibilities. Her friends, Olanike Awotunde M26 ’18, biochemistry and molecular biology, Naomi Mburu M26 ’18, chemical engineering, and Brandon Enriquez M25 ’17, economics and mathematics, listened to her concerns, celebrations and, at times, served as her role models. Most importantly, her peers have provided a supportive community sharing joy, adventures, and prayer.

After Opoku-Agyeman transferred to UMBC, Awotunde was able to repay a kindness her friend had shown her in high school. “Anna approached me on my first day bubbling with excitement. She immediately introduced me to her friends making me feel welcome,” Awotunde remembers. Awontude introduced the new Retriever to Mburu and her welcoming community. ”I was impressed by her ability to lead. She voiced her opinions even when they were not popular amongst our peers in a high school with little diversity,” says Awotunde.

Throughout college, the two balanced the pressures of rigorous academic and professional paths by having fun. “We prayed together, brainstormed career ideas, and unwound by eating out, shopping, attending on-campus events, and going to the movies,” says Awotunde. A friendship they fostered even after Awotunde graduated and transitioned into a post-baccalaureate fellowship at the National Eye Institute, a part of the National Institute of Health, in preparation for a career as a physician-scientist.

Faith in friendship

Opoku-Agyeman’s strong faith is also something she shares with Mburu. “I am incredibly proud of her achievements and inspired by her discipline to stay humble and point to God throughout all of her success,” says Mburu. Their bond has grown stronger over the last year. Mburu has enjoyed cheering for Opoku-Agyeman as she inaugurated the Sadie T.M. Alexander conference for Black women in economics. “It has been beautiful to see Anna focus her energy on creating spaces for Black women and empowering other women of color to pursue and thrive in economics,” shares Mburu.

Opoku-Agyeman has also been there for Mburu, helping prepare possible interview questions on a wide array of topics for her Rhodes scholarship interview, providing support on her road to being the first Rhodes Scholar in UMBC’s history. “Our relationship is based on mutual respect for our goals. We learn actively from each other’s experiences and habits,” says Mburu.

Sharing is caring

Opoku-Agyeman also learns from her friends who, like her, are often pursuing paths unfamiliar to them. When she began to think of switching her major from biological sciences to economics she had concerns. She wanted to find a way to combine education and health research to improve economic mobility for underrepresented groups. After Opoku-Agyeman learned about human capital in macroeconomics class, she found that education and health had a high correlation on social and economic mobility.

Her vast network encouraged her to reach out to Enriquez, who is currently a doctoral student in economics at MIT. “We talked about how economists study more than finance, banking, and insurance,” recalls Enriquez. “I was able to share with her how economists also study strategic behavior in labor markets, public health, political systems, and other socially relevant contexts.”

In addition to questions about economics, Opoku-Agyeman had questions about life post-graduation. Topics that Enriquez could answer. “Anna was strongly leaning towards going down the Ph.D. economics route. She was especially interested in my experience during my Harvard summer research program.” Together they discussed research and classes that would help her prepare for a Ph.D. program. “I was beyond thrilled when Anna shared she will be completing a post-baccalaureate research program at Harvard.”

Strength in community

Over the summer, she will be participating in the prestigious American Economic Association’s Summer Program for Minorities, at Michigan State University, which has been a major pipeline for underrepresented people groups in economics.

In fall of 2019, Opoku-Agyeman will join Harvard’s Research Scholar Initiative (RSI) program. Over the next two years, she will have the opportunity to conduct mentored research and enroll in graduate level courses in preparation for doctoral studies.

“As a high achieving student, many people have erroneously perceived my path to this moment as one without twists and turns,” reflects Opoku-Agyeman. “I have struggled greatly. I transferred after my first semester in college, changed my major several times, and dealt with mental health challenges.”

By way of these obstacles, she discovered a network of supporters who care about her well being and success in all facets of her life.

“I hope that my journey shows people that in order to achieve, you must surround yourself with unconditional love, joy, and laughter.”

*****

Header image by Marlayna Demond ’11.

UMBC celebrates student achievement in the arts, humanities, and social sciences

Faculty and staff in UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) celebrated students in the annual CAHSS awards ceremony this spring. Scholars programs and departments recognized undergraduates for academic achievements, public service, and innovation within their major and beyond.

“CAHSS’s amazing students do it all: think and learn across boundaries and borders, develop their identities as scholars and citizens, and contribute their imagination and expertise to local and global communities,” says Scott Casper, dean of CAHSS. “Given all they’ve already accomplished, it’s exciting to envision what they’ll do next.”

Dance students receive end of year CAHSS awards. — (L to R): Dean Casper; **Carol Hess**, dance department chair; **Doug Hamby**, director of the Linehan Artist Scholars program; **Samantha Siegel**; **Giavanni Powell**; **Kasey Mannion** ’19, dance; **Emily Godfrey**. Photo courtesy of CAHSS.

Combining dual passions

Among the many accolades were twelve awards to graduating students in the college’s hallmark scholar programs: the Humanities Scholars, Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars, and Linehan Artist Scholars. These include several students with dual majors.

For example, four honored dance majors were also earning a degree in another field: Linehan Artist Scholars Emily S. Godfrey ’20, dance and a psychology minor; Melissa Hudson ‘18, dance and economics; and Giavanni Powell ‘19, dance with an entrepreneurship and innovation minor; and Honors College member Samantha L. Siegel ‘19, dance and psychology.

Giavanni Powell. — Linehan Artist Scholar Giavanni Powell

Baltimore on my mind

The ceremony also honored students who committed to giving back to Baltimore communities during their time at UMBC. Vanessa Gonzalez ‘19, American studies, worked as a student teacher in Baltimore City as a Sherman STEM Teacher Scholar and received the award for outstanding achievement in American studies.

Belgian international student Tanguy Ringoir ‘18, financial economics and M.S. ‘20, economic policy analysis, was named the outstanding graduating senior in financial economics. Ringoir, a chess grandmaster, learned to play chess from his father at age seven. As he strengthened his skills he began to enjoy teaching the game.

During his time at UMBC, Ringor was part of a volunteer chess coach team for a program by TouchPoint in collaboration with UMBC and the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY). TouchPoint is a community organization in Baltimore that provides free chess lessons to Baltimore youth. The coaching team included volunteers from both the UMBC chess team and chess club.

Ringoir, chess grandmaster, working with CTY students. Photo courtesy of Ringoir.

Ringoir also received a Community Service Outreach and Leadership award from the UMBC Division of Professional Studies for his dedication to creating accessible chess teams. He will continue his work with Baltimore K-12 students through the CTY program.

“I personally stay in Baltimore because I can combine my passion for finance with chess,” shares Ringoir. “UMBC gives me an education at the same time that it supports my chess development through the chess team and community volunteer opportunities.”

Like Ringoir, Ciara Jones ‘19, social work, is also an award recipient who has chosen to begin her professional career in Baltimore. She received the excellence award from Africana studies, her minor. Upon graduation, Jones will work with Sarah’s House in Druid Park, as a forensic social worker. She will also serve the Canton community through Renaissance Baltimore Church.

Global skills

In addition to maximizing their academic experience on campus and participating in an exchange of skills within Baltimore communities, CAHSS students seek to sharpen their personal and professional skills by studying abroad.

Miriam Newman-Marshall ‘19, Asian studies with a Japanese minor, received the Constantine Vaporis Academic Excellence in Asian Studies Award. Newman-Marshall has traveled to Thailand and Cambodia, and has completed three study abroad trips to Japan. These trips strengthened her research skills and historical knowledge, which were critical for her work as a research assistant. She assisted Constantine Vaporis, Asian studies director, on his book, Samurai: An Encyclopedia of Japan’s Cultured Warriors.

Newman-Marshall next to a volcano in Hakone, Japan. Photo courtesy of Newman-Marshall.

Vaporis encourages all students to study a foreign language overseas to accelerate and deepen their understanding of that language and culture. “Learning a language in its country of origin equips students with skills to conduct more complex research, using multi-lingual sources,” explains Vaporis. “Miriam’s knowledge of Japanese history and her ability to read Japanese greatly facilitated her work in support of my research on the samurai.”

For more CAHSS news follow @UMBC_CAHSS on Twitter.

Banner image: Linehan Artist Scholar Emily Godfrey. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC unless otherwise noted.

An Ounce of Prevention

Recovery from the flooding in Ellicott City has been long and difficult, and communities have often been left with more questions than answers. UMBC Magazine sat down with experts in public policy and emergency health services for some insight into policy issues and options for flood hazard management. Included are Susan Sterett, director of the School of Public Policy, on the role of public policy in natural disasters; John Rennie Short, public policy, researcher of urban infrastructure; Ryan Miller’99, emergency health services (EHS), former director of emergency management director and deputy chief of fire and rescue for Howard County; and Matt Levy‘00, M.S. ‘08, emergency health services, medical director for EHS, and medical director of Howard County Fire and Rescue Services.

By Catalina Sofia Dansberger Duque

Could you tell us about your emergency response to the Ellicott City floods?

Levy: Our 911 operators and dispatchers are some of the biggest heroes of the Ellicott City Floods that most people won’t know about. They were the ones managing the phone lines and keeping people calm, giving them direction about what to do and not do as flood waters were rising and people were rightfully panicking and scared.

Once our responders received notification, they went into immediate response mode, which is to rescue and to get people out of harm’s way. We train for this. Our responders will risk their lives to try to affect rescues if it is technically feasible and capable. That is not just us but firefighters, police officers, sheriff deputies, and anyone who is responsible for getting people out of harm’s way. Rescuers from the lay public also help – neighbors helping neighbors.

We have the right equipment and use a variety of strategies and tactics to affect as many rescues as possible. Our responders have flotation devices on their apparatus to safely make entry into that environment as well as boats, rigging to remove people, and aerial ladders on trucks to reach people.There are also specially trained swift water rescue teams. The immediate response is to rescue everyone with as many strategies as possible. Once the immediate rescues are done, there is an ongoing process to try to determine that everyone is accounted for.

Eventually we shift to recovery. Once those rescues are made there is a methodical process of assessing the damage to structures after water has rescinded. We look for any potential survivors or casualties and provide a degree of stabilization of those structures to minimize the chance of secondary collapse while our personnel are in them until they can be safely turned over to private contractors who take over that work. Responder work is not as iconic as the media makes it to seem but the work is very important. We continuously train for this and are always looking for improvement to prepare for whatever may come.

What was your role in rescue operations? And how do you work with local government to create policy changes?

Miller: I have been part of three Ellicott City floods. The first one was in 2012. It was associated with Tropical Storm Lee. That is when I personally saw the hazards associated with Ellicott City and flash flooding. It was a relatively minor storm now that we have 2016 and 2018 in perspective. Tropical Storm Lee causes roadway flooding and set off a lot of planning and mitigation planning within the county. It was the predecessor to the 2016 and 2018 which were severe.

Our role in both storms was to set up the emergency operation center in Ellicott City and bring together all the county agencies toward a common response goal and lead the recovery. We also work with the State of Maryland and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency to pull in resources from outside of the region and outside the state and interact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and all federal agencies that are brought in resources to assist us. After the initial response, we chart the recovery plan, which can be anywhere between six months to a year. Howard County is unique in that we had a similar disaster twice in a short period of time. Alot of our plans and systems that we created in 2016 helped in 2018.

During emergencies, the directors work side by side with the county executive who creates policy. The director then has delegated authority or direct authority to coalesce those county resources toward a response. We are appointed by the governor, so should there be a catastrophic event, the governor can then work through the 26 directors to affect statewide responses and recovery.

What is the impact of floods on local governments? And are there policies that can be implemented to help prevent flooding?

Sterett: It is a challenge for local governments to restrict development in flood-prone zones. Even if there is a potential for risk at the national level, local governments have reasons to want people to rebuild in flood-prone zones because they depend on property taxes. It is also an issue in areas that are fire risks like in California or Arizona where people build in areas where they don’t have access to the water that they need.

We need to be aware of changes in extreme weather events and rethink the National Flood Insurance program. The insurance models need to be reevaluated so that insurance can be priced accordingly.

Building codes would make a difference, but we need to evaluate overbuilding in areas that are at tremendous risk. Local governments need to work with developers to build communities that reduce risks. However, this is not simple. Implementing accurate government maps of flood levels would decrease property values drastically and local government taxes. There is no easy answer.

We also must think of renters and how they are affected by extreme weather. Owners have a range of choices in a devastating situation, but renters are not in control of whether their home will be rebuilt. It is also important to take into account how disasters can deepen existing racial and economic inequalities.

So much of this is about land-use planning. We don’t have a big national plan, and we are not getting rid of flood insurance. Local governments can help by developing adaptation plans as climate changes and more extreme weather occurs.

Is there a model in the U.S. to look towards?

Sterett: Many local governments have adaptation plans developed with the help of different city departments. The Rockefeller 100 Resilient Cities, a non-profit organization, brings people together to think systematically about environmental problems. They fund a resilience officer who provides support and guidance as cities recover from a disaster.

Norfolk, Virginia can also be an example even though it has a military base. The city has a committed local government that has a multipronged plan. It tries to take advantage of every opportunity to engage the community in its adaptation plan. They hold fun community celebrations like “Retain Your Rain,” to encourage rain barrel use, and bring the public into decisions on how they repave, where public housing is built, and how traffic is guided.

It is important to approach public problems with awareness of what the problems are, a bit of hope, and a commitment to try to work on various parts. There is no quick fix. Addressing flooding across different communities is a complicated issue that depends on collaboration between governments, residents, business owners, developers, and environmentalists.

Is there a connection between flooding and global climate change?

Short: It is impossible to discuss flooding without talking about global climate change. When you have two, one-in-a-thousand-year flood, 22 months apart, it creates a new normal. Higher frequency of extreme events like larger hurricanes, longer lasting storm seasons, and more snow make cities more vulnerable to flooding.

What is the relationship between development and long-term environmental impact?

Short: Suburban tracks are everywhere. Acres upon acres of roads, sidewalks, strip malls, housing, and parking lots, all create an impermeable surface leaving water nowhere to go. When you have a green field and it rains two to three inches, you can get some flooding, but it can get absorbed. Cement does not absorb large amounts of water— it just runs off.

This happens because developers push the envelope, local authorities want the revenue, and politicians want the notion of growth. There is so much growth without any sense of the long-term environmental impact. Research has shown that when more impermeable surfaces are built, there is a higher risk of flooding.

Ellicott City is very vulnerable because of its location. It originally was placed there because it was needed for hydraulic power for the mill. Over time, it became more vulnerable because of increased development in the watershed and ignored infrastructural deficits, which, when paired with larger, more frequent storms, created catastrophic events.