Throughout our 50th anniversary year, the UMBC community celebrated like it’s never celebrated before. We shared memories and images of our earliest years, and of our pioneering professors and students. We embraced the research and the relationships that make this place great. And, we tied it all up in a black and gold bow – with music and fireworks that lit up the campus night. So, what’s next for UMBC? Well, as President Freeman Hrabowski likes to say, “Success is never final.” That’s why in late spring, UMBC launched Grit & Greatness: The Campaign for UMBC, and made public a… Continue Reading Grit, Greatness…and Beyond
In the face of a harrowing national epidemic, UMBC researchers and alumni work to break through the darkness of opioid addiction and the stigma that surrounds its victims. By Jenny O’Grady On a recent rainy morning, a steady stream of men and women enters and exits Riverside Treatment Services in Rosedale. They look like anyone and everyone – a neighbor, a schoolmate, a grandparent – wandering in on their way to work, leaving with steaming paper cups of coffee. They are purposeful, upbeat. “For many of them, we’re the one positive part of their day,” says center director Chuck Watson… Continue Reading Shining a Light
Seniors in Neil Rothman’s capstone mechanical engineering class experience the ups and downs of designing for real-life clients. By Megan Hanks In the real world, the more projects and problems an engineer works on, the better they get at coming up with solutions that actually work. That’s why, during the final year of UMBC’s mechanical engineering curriculum, students spend a semester working through the “hard knock design experiences” they need to succeed as engineers. The projects are presented to the class at the beginning of each semester by Neil Rothman, professor of practice of mechanical engineering, and come from a… Continue Reading The Big Build
Chuck Watson ’12, social work, is a leader in the fight against substance abuse. In addition to co-owning two Riverside Treatment Centers in Maryland, Watson is president of the Maryland Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence. There’s a reason Watson has dedicated his life to helping those struggling with opioid addiction. He knows what his clients are going through because, more than 12 years ago, Watson was going through it himself. Watson began experimenting with drinking alcohol and smoking pot in middle school and high school. It was recreational, he says, until he lost interest in activities he previously… Continue Reading A Second Chance at Life
For decades, artist David Hess has assembled life-size sculptures of assault rifles from what he calls “rescued” objects — everything from an old black sneaker and vintage turquoise sewing machine, to a raggedy crutch and pink Barbie bike frame — to foster dialogue about one of the most volatile issues of our time. UMBC’s Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture hosted “Gun Show,” the first-ever display of all 112 sculptures, this fall, as curated by Kathy O’Dell, associate professor of visual arts and special assistant to the dean for education and arts partnerships.
The sun is pouring through the large windows in the Performing Arts & Humanities third floor dance studio. About 20 girls, 7th – 9th graders, are sprawled out on mats following the movements of the yoga instructor at the front of the room. They are learning about flexibility, how to “think outside the box, kind of like there’s no set answer to the question.” These girls are not at UMBC exclusively to learn yoga, however, but rather to challenge their computing skills. How Girls Code: Mind, Body, and Coding summer camp at UMBC is an extension of the after-school program… Continue Reading Beyond Coding
For most in sports media, working for ESPN is a dream, but UMBC has made that dream a reality for several students. Through a partnership with the America East Conference, UMBC’s Department of Athletics streams many athletic events live on the online channel ESPN 3, and students make up a large part of the broadcast team. Starting in 2016, UMBC’s Director of Athletics Tim Hall and head of athletic communications Steve Levy ’85, interdisciplinary studies, reached out to UMBC alum Eli Eisenberg ’86, interdisciplinary studies, the president of VPC (a video production company based in Owings Mills, Md.), to create… Continue Reading Broadcast Ready
A white box the size of a refrigerator, called Cosmic Ray Energetics and Mass (CREAM), headed to the International Space Station (ISS) in August, thanks to the work of UMBC astrophysicist Jason Link and colleagues. Inside, four scientific detectors will work together to detect cosmic rays coming from far flung regions of the universe. The instruments will transmit the data from the ISS to Earth, to scientists reckoning with the tantalizing question, “What is the universe made of?” Link, an astrophysicist with UMBC’s Center for Space Science and Technology, part of the recently-renewed Center for Research and Exploration in Space… Continue Reading Space Station-Bound
The Lion Brothers Building, part of the southwest Baltimore landscape for over 130 years, was once used for sewing Girl Scout patches and screen printing. Now the former factory space is a physical tie between downtown and UMBC. The exposed brick walls and floor-to-ceiling windows house spaces to learn, create, exhibit, and connect to the culture that is unique to Baltimore. Academic programs in the arts, humanities, and social sciences now have a designated space to experience civic engagement, service learning, and cultural exploration outside of a traditional campus setting. Located just off MLK Boulevard, the building has provided unique… Continue Reading Bmore Engaged
The story of Christos FC and its unlikely ascent into the national U.S. Open soccer tournament in June is truly the stuff of fairy tales – especially considering the fact that the amateur team lacks a home field, and does not practice. And yet, the team – a third of which played for UMBC as students – not only blasted into the fourth round of the tournament, but gave the professional players of D.C. United quite a scare before ultimately losing 4-1. “The players were good on the team, but it was a men’s league team that really just got… Continue Reading A Magical Run
UMBC Athletics Director Tim Hall has been named the new president of the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (ADA) for the 2017–18 academic year. Hall, who recently entered his fifth year as the Retrievers’ athletics director, previously served as ADA 1st vice president in 2016 – 17. The organization serves more than 1,600 institutions. “There are so many critical issues that athletic directors face in today’s climate and this group has always put the studentathlete in the center of its bulls-eye,” said Hall. “I am anxious to get started guiding this committed group of leaders.” Hall currently serves on the… Continue Reading Good Sport
Several alumni have recently taken top government positions, bringing their expertise to national groups overseeing health and justice, as well as Maryland’s top office. The U.S. Senate has formally confirmed Jerome Adams ’97, M4, biochemistry and molecular biology, for the position of U.S. surgeon general. He replaces Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams Ph.D. ’06, public policy, who served as acting U.S. surgeon general beginning in late April. Both alumni have prioritized serving vulnerable populations and maintaining connections with local communities throughout their careers. In the opening statement for his nomination hearing, Adams, who has served as a practicing anesthesiologist, associate professor… Continue Reading Service at the Highest Levels
