All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in The Hill

An article published October 19 in The Hill examines several elections in the South where Democratic candidates have close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton in states such as Arkansas and Kentucky. The article mentions how it may be difficult for Democratic candidates in those states to distance themselves from an unpopular current president.

Tom Schaller

Thomas Schaller, professor and chair of political science, was interviewed for the article and said, “I’m constantly puzzled when other people are surprised that there hasn’t been this Democratic revival in the South.” Schaller has argued that Democrats should make the South less of a priority in winning elections, adding, “my feeling is that the underlying fundamentals in the region work against the Democrats.”

Schaller said Hillary Clinton is the Democrats’ best chance to win in the South in 2016, but even if she’s successful, it wouldn’t necessarily mean significant changes for Democratic strategy in the South.

“I think she’s a good test case for how competitive the Democrats can be in the South, because she can pair her husband’s appeal in the more rural South and presumably draw support in the places where Obama did well,” Schaller said. “If she can’t start flipping states, then who is?”

To read the full article in The Hill, click here.

George Derek Musgrove, History, in the Washington Post

Derek MusgroveAn article published October 18 in the Washington Post analyzed the Washington, D.C. mayoral election and the state of the race leading up to Election Day on November 4. Council member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) is running against council member David Catania (I-At Large) and early voting is underway.

George Derek Musgrove ’97, history, associate professor of history, is writing a book about race and democracy in the District and was interviewed for the article.

“There is not a great deal of policy difference between them,” said Musgrove when describing the two mayoral candidates. “They are, quite frankly, running on style,” Musgrove said. “Bowser is trying to portray Catania as a hothead, and Catania is trying to portray Bowser as a lightweight.”

To read the full article titled, “D.C. mayoral choice: Muriel Bowser’s caution or David Catania’s combativeness?” click here.

Round Up: UMBC in the News, 10/24

One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community.

Read more at UMBC Insights!

UMBC: Building on Student Success

Building on Student Success

UMBC launches holistic student support initiative following White House STEM education workshop on campus.

Faculty researchers, administrators, and staff across UMBC cheered when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced by teleconference on October 22, 2014, a groundbreaking series of awards for the university. NIH has granted UMBC over $18 million to create a national model of comprehensive support to expand and increase the success of students seeking degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

This funding is part of a $240 million, five-year NIH investment to enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce. Ten projects across the United States were awarded Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) grants, including the STEM BUILD@UMBC initiative. This initiative includes collaborations with five community colleges, Gallaudet University, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The STEM BUILD@UMBC initiative combines innovation with leveraging effective components of existing UMBC programs to create a multifaceted new student support model. It builds on the best that UMBC has to offer, from the supportive peer networks of our living-learning communities to the experiential learning of the Shriver Center and internship opportunities of the Career Center. The initiative pulls in the rigorous undergraduate research preparation that is a hallmark of the MARC U*STAR program, McNair Scholars Program, and our partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. It expands the community college partnerships of the Gates STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative and the proactive mentorship of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, and much more.

Bill LaCourse, dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, and UMBC Provost Philip Rous, together serve as the award’s principal investigators and will direct the STEM BUILD@UMBC initiative.

“At UMBC, we believe large numbers of students from all backgrounds have the potential to excel in the sciences,” shares Bill LaCourse. “Through a university culture that values both innovation and assessment, we’re constantly developing more effective ways to support learning and degree completion, building on the diverse strengths our students bring to the table.”

Philip Rous shares, “This award recognizes the commitment of our faculty and staff and their demonstrated record of achievement in supporting the success of all students. It recognizes our ability to develop transformational initiatives that have a profound impact on the lives of our students and also serve as national models of student support.”

Unlike programs that focus on supporting students at extreme ends of the achievement curve, STEM BUILD@UMBC will focus on high-potential students who are at risk for not completing their STEM degrees but who, with extra support, are likely to succeed.

After a planning period, the program will launch with 20 BUILD Trainees from UMBC and 18 BUILD Affiliates from collaborating institutions and grow to provide direct support to a total of 80 trainees and 72 affiliates. Hundreds of additional undergraduates will benefit indirectly from BUILD initiatives that expand UMBC’s STEM success infrastructure, including new active learning courses, student professional development workshops, faculty training opportunities, a STEM milestone certificate, and group research experiences. The program will seek to establish a model that can be implemented on a national scale.

A White House College Opportunity Initiative workshop held September 16, 2014, at UMBC revealed a real hunger for well-evaluated approaches to improving STEM education nationwide, as many other universities struggle with lagging retention rates and achievement gaps, particularly in STEM. Building on momentum from President Obama’s College Opportunity Summit, the workshop engaged education leaders in discussing ways to improve STEM teaching and learning, to make STEM degrees more accessible to underrepresented students, and to increase degree completion and the production of highly skilled professionals in STEM areas.

STEM BUILD@UMBC directly responds to the concerns of top education leaders and the workforce needs identified by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. The initiative represents an exciting step forward in developing an effective model to boost the success of more students in STEM and in all fields, at UMBC and nationwide.

(10/22/2014)

Head Swimming and Diving Coach Chad Cradock Earns 200th Career Victory

Head Swimming and Diving Coach Chad Cradock earned his 200th career win at the CCSA North Invitational this past weekend. Cradock swept the competition, earning wins over Gardner-Webb, NJIT, and VMI to accomplish the feat.

“It is a pleasure for a milestone like this to occur at home,” Cradock said about winning number 200. “I want to thank all the coaches who have been a part of this over the years, including Chris Gibeau who has been here with me for most of it,” he added. “I am proud to work with talented athletes both in the past and the present for their spirit of hard work and upholding UMBC tradition.”

Cradock has amassed a record of 200-66-1 over his 13 plus year career at UMBC. He has a total men’s record of 105-23-1, while holding a 95-43 mark with the women.

The Retrievers will close out the month of October with a dual meet at George Washington on Saturday, October 25. The meet with the Colonials is set to begin at 1:00 p.m.

Lego Legend

For children, a tub of Legos isn’t just a collection of brightly colored building blocks. It’s a means of self-expression and a tool for learning.

But while many of us drift away from Legos, Jason Burik ’00, psychology, hasn’t stopped exploring their potential.

Burik’s parents and grandparents gave him Lego sets as a child, and his ambitions grew with each set. In seventh grade, he built a scale model of his parents’ house using the blueprints. And by the time he was at UMBC and the Baltimore Ravens were building a new stadium, Burik made a model of that as well.

“I still remember my roommates laughing when I told them I was going to build a Lego stadium on our apartment kitchen table,” he recalls.

Burik sent a photo of that stadium model to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who were in the process of building PNC Park. The photo landed him the first of many commissions. To date, Burik has constructed more than 100 Lego projects for clients around the world – including Yankee Stadium, Stanford University, and the U.S. Capitol. Among his favorites? A model of The Commons at UMBC.

His love for both education and Legos is contagious. When he’s not building with colorful blocks, Burik works as assistant to the superintendent in the Montour School District, west of Pittsburgh. Burik has managed to combine his passion for teaching and Lego modeling as well, conducting Lego building camps for children who may someday go on to build great things of their own.

-Meredith Purvis

Read more from the UMBC Magazine!

Round Up: UMBC in the News, 10/17

One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community.

Read more at UMBC Insights!

Two Students From the English Department Named HASTAC Scholars for 2014-2015

Two students in UMBC’s English Department have been named HASTAC Scholars for 2014-2015. HASTAC (Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory) is an alliance of social scientists, artists, humanists, and other individuals and institutions committed to exploring new possibilities technology offers in shaping how people learn, teach, and communicate.

Corey Kirk ’15, English, and Dorothy Stachowiak, a Master’s student in the English Department’s Texts, Technology, and Literature Program, will share their research with a lively international community of scholars throughout the year. Kirk’s primary research interests include digital humanities, technology and gaming. Stachowiak’s interests include 21st century literacies and digital humanities. The students will receive a stipend to spend on materials to advance their research, and Steph Ceraso, an assistant professor of English, will serve as the students’ HASTAC mentor. The program presents an opportunity for the students to connect with peers and share their work.

For more information on the HASTAC Scholars program, click here.

Kimberly Moffitt, American Studies, on The Marc Steiner Show

On October 8,  WEAA’s The Marc Steiner Show hosted a segment discussing the challenges, complexities and joys of raising and educating boys. Kimberly Moffitt, an associate professor of American studies, was a guest on the program and discussed her experience as a founding parent and trustee of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys – a charter school opening in Baltimore City next year to serve boys in grades 4 through 12.

In a discussion about improving high school graduation rates among boys, Moffitt said: “This is a movement that is happening from the ground up.” Adding, “it’s about folks in the community who recognize something that’s happening with our children and want to do something about it instead of waiting for someone else within the federal government, or higher ups, or individuals who have their philanthropic ability to contribute. This is now very much about folks who are part of the community who see something real that needs to change because this is an epidemic for our boys and we want to see a shift in change.”

Moffitt appeared on the program with Jack Pannell, founder of Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys, and David Banks, President and CEO of the Eagle Academy Foundation and founding principal of the Eagle Academy for Young Men in the Bronx. To listen to the full segment, click here.

Moffitt also recently returned from Vienna, Austria where she gave two presentations based on her research. The University of Vienna and the American Embassy hosted “Transgressive Television: Politics, Crime, and Citizenship in 21st Century American TV Series,” where Moffitt gave a presentation on “Black Motherhood as Victimhood in The Wire.” Also, at the University of Graz (Austria), Department of American Studies “When I Talk about American Studies, I Talk about… Lecture,” Moffitt presented a talk entitled, “(In)visibility in Black and White: The Case of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.”

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, Op-Ed in the Baltimore Sun

Tom SchallerIn his latest column in the Baltimore Sun, Political Science Professor and Chair Thomas Schaller writes about the increasingly competitive Maryland gubernatorial election. He compares the campaign strategy of Connie Morella, a former moderate Republican congresswoman from Maryland’s 8th District, to Republican candidate Larry Hogan, stating that Hogan needs to focus on certain issues to have a chance at winning the election.

“The Sun’s new poll shows Mr. Brown leading Mr. Hogan statewide by 7 points, a margin similar to the average yielded by the three previous statewide polls. Among men, Mr. Hogan leads by 8 points, 43 percent to 35 percent,” Schaller writes. “But Mr. Brown’s lead among women — 49 percent to 33 percent — is twice that. Mr. Hogan is within striking distance, but he can win only if he keeps the focus exclusively on topics related to job growth, the economy, state spending and fiscal management.”

To read Schaller’s full column in the Baltimore Sun titled, “The Connie Morella effect,” click here.

Eric Ford, Shriver Center, Advises Prospective College Students on Paths to Success in College Express

First-generation and underrepresented minority students can face unique challenges in applying to college and completing their degrees. In an article in College Express, Eric Ford, director of operations for the Shriver Center’s Choice Program, writes about his conversations with four college graduates about the support systems that helped them succeed.

Ford identifies several common factors that helped the students graduate, including high parental expectations, dedicated guidance counselors, and supportive university programs. Ford also discussed UMBC’s Choice Program as providing new opportunities for students who might not otherwise see college as a realistic possibility. He shared, “The Choice Program is just one component of a multifaceted partnership seeking to remove some of the many barriers faced by first-generation college students, and it has shown positive outcomes…exemplifying the shared responsibility between universities, public [K-12] schools, and individuals in breaking down barriers to higher education.”

Click here to read “Common Denominators: College Success Factors Among Minority and First-Generation Students” in College Express.

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