All posts by: UMBC News Staff

UMBC Hosts Media Workshop for Faculty Researchers and bwtech@UMBC Entrepreneurs

Nearly two dozen UMBC faculty researchers and bwtech@UMBC entrepreneurs attended a media workshop held in the research and technology park’s new CyberHive on Thursday, February 20th. UMBC’s Office of Institutional Advancement organized the event in collaboration with bwtech@UMBC as an opportunity for researchers and entrepreneurs to learn about media relations and strategies to gain visibility for their work.

Attendees heard from three local journalists: Sarah Gantz from the Baltimore Business Journal, Liz Gormisky from Defense Daily, and Lisa Palmer, an NSF-funded science communication fellow at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center and freelance journalist who has written for publications such as The New York Times, Scientific American and Slate.

In their talks and the Q&A session that followed, Gantz, Gormisky and Palmer discussed how to communicate and build relationships with journalists to generate interest in new research or technologies. Additional topics included how various types of publications work on different timetables and use different types of sources, and how to tailor story pitches to fit particular news outlets.

Anne Brodsky, Psychology, Receives SCRA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Theory and Research in Community Psychology

Anne Brodsky, psychology professor and associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, has received the 2014 SCRA Award for Distinguished Contributions to Theory and Research in Community Psychology. The award was announced by American Psychological Association (APA) Division 27. The announcement from the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) states:

Anne Brodsky

Dr. Brodsky’s contributions cover various topics of central importance to community psychology. The award refers to both theory and research and she has significant contributions in both areas (theory- resilience, PSOC; research – qualitative methods). Her contributions regarding research relate not only to engaging in excellent research but in writing about methodology itself and contributing to the development of qualitative methodology. Her work has substantially enhanced our understanding of women’s engagement in multiple roles (i.e., parent, change agent) and the ways in which sense of community and empowerment are intertwined. 

She has also been successful in “giving psychology away” and in facilitating the development of others who can contribute to the discipline.  Dr. Brodsky’s work embodies community psychology values and concepts – largely on processes that support community-based/social action, empowerment, and community-level self-determination.

Cinematic Arts Students Matthew Roe and Max Eilbacher to Screen Films at Baltimore FIlm Festival

Cinematic Arts Students, Matthew Roe and Max Eilbacher, will screen films this week at the 2nd Annual Best of Baltimore Student Film Festival. The Festival, held at the Creative Alliance, will take place Thursday, February 27 beginning at 7:30 p.m., and features the work of students from Goucher, JHU, MICA, Morgan, Towson, Stevenson, University of Baltimore and UMBC. Each college showcases two films.

Tickets for the screening are available now.

Meet the Staff: Greg Simmons ’04, M.P.P.

Here in the Office of Alumni Relations, we spend a lot of time telling stories about and talking with our wonderfully supportive alums. However, we’ve decided to turn the tables and take time to get to know the people behind the scenes – the advancement and alumni relations staff members who are hard at work on behalf of our alumni. Today we’ll be hearing from Greg Simmons ’04, M.P.P., the Vice President for Institutional Advancement.


greg-simmonsName: Greg Simmons
Job Title: Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Focus Area: Building relationships and secure investments that help UMBC faculty, staff and students be successful
Years at UMBC: 20

Q: Where are you from originally?

A: I grew up in Southington, CT, and came to Baltimore in 1988 to attend Loyola College in MD.

Q: What do you love most about UMBC?

A: The generosity, drive and commitment of the people here.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about your job?

A: I get to tell stories about the wonderful work students and faculty do at UMBC every day, and use those stories to help people understand what is unique and special about this community.

Q: What’s the most recent book you’ve read?

A: I am half way through The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers. Recently read Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow.

Q: If you could be another staff member for a day, who would it be and why?  

A: Dr. Mike Summers or Don Zimmerman. Both are nationally renowned experts in their field. And their fields are so different from the work I do on a day-to-day basis. I would love to know how it feels to be a world-class scientist and teacher, or a coach who has vision and understanding of a game and uses it to help prepare young people for success in real life.

Q: If you could be a superhero, who would you pick and why?

A: …Six words say it all…”With great power comes great responsibility.”

Round-Up: UMBC in the News

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.

Check out all the other great campus news on Insights Weekly.

Carlo DiClemente, Psychology, on New Books Network

New Books Network recently interviewed Carlo DiClemente, presidential research professor and professor of psychology, about his co-authored book Substance Abuse Treatment and the Stages of Change: Selecting and Planning Interventions (Guilford Press, 2013).

Carlo DiClemente

The network, a consortium of author-interview podcasts designed to enhance public conversation on given topics, interviewed DiClemente as part of its “New Books in Alcohol, Drugs and Intoxicants” series.

In a comprehensive interview, DiClemente discussed the stages of change model as it relates to substance abuse and drug addiction treatment, as well the need for careful consideration of stage status and the complexities surrounding substance abuse.

“The message in the book is tailor your treatments to your clients, to the client’s motivation, to the client’s characteristics, to the client’s context, how they live and where they live, and if you’re doing that, then you are at least helping them engage in this process of change,” DiClemente said.

You can listen to the full interview on the New Books Network website here.

Alums in the News

We are proud of our alums and their constant achievements. Three of UMBC’s alums, in particular, have made it in the news and we thought you should know! Read about Sean Scheidt, Zofie Lang, Terry Nolan and their stories of success.

Sean Scheidt ‘05, visual arts photography, is featured on BuzzFeed for his before-and-after photographs of burlesque performers. Take a look at his ability to create and capture these artful transformations, or as BuzzFeed’s Matthew Tucker puts it, his ability to challenge “preconceptions of the performance art.”

11 Eye-Opening Before-And-After Photos Of Burlesque Performers

If you are a UMBC alum and have a story of success, we’d love to hear it. Add a class note here: Submit class note.

Pres. Hrabowski and Diane Bell-McKoy ’73 Named Influential Marylanders

The Daily Record recently named President Hrabowski and Alum Diane Bell-McKoy ’73, sociology, in their 2014 list of Influential Marylanders.

Influential Marylanders celebrates people who have made significant impacts in their fields and continue to be leaders in Maryland. Winners are chosen in the categories of civic leadership, communications, education, finance and more.

Bell-Mckoy, President and CEO of Associated Black Charities, was selected in the civic leadership category, while Dr. Hrabowski was chosen for his work as UMBC’s president in the education category. Dr. Hrabowski will also be inducted into the Circle of Excellence, as it is his third year as an Influential Marylander.

Congratulations, President Hrabowski and Diane Bell-Mckoy!

Dave Marcotte, Public Policy, in The Atlanta Journal Constitution and Bloomberg Businessweek

Many school districts up and down the East Coast and in the Midwest have been forced to cancel several school days this winter, and some districts in the Northeast have already announced students will forgo part of their spring breaks to make up for lost time.

Dave Marcotte

Public Policy Professor and Graduate Program Director Dave Marcotte was cited in two recent articles in The Atlanta Journal Constitution and Bloomberg Businessweek for a study he did on the impact of winter weather on schools.

“Dave Marcotte, in a 2010 online article for Education Next, found that each additional inch of snow reduced the percentage of third-, fifth-, and eighth-grade students on math assessments by from one-half to seven-tenths of a percentage point,” reads the Bloomberg Businessweek article.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution article cites Marcotte’s research while examining the impact on learning a significant loss of time due to snow days can have on students.

“To put that seemingly small impact in context, Marcotte reports that in winters with average levels of snowfall (about 17 inches) the share of students testing proficient is about 1 to 2 percentage points lower than in winters with little to no snow,” the article stated.

You can read about Marcotte’s research in The Atlanta Journal Constitution here and Bloomberg Businessweek here.

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

Political Science Professor Thomas Schaller writes in his latest op-ed published in The Baltimore Sun that while polls show Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown with a commanding lead in the Democratic primary for governor, continuing with a mistake-free campaign will be the key to victory in June.

Tom Schaller

Schaller writes Attorney General Douglas Gansler and Del. Heather Mizeur, Brown’s opponents in the race, haven’t gained traction statewide and are competing for votes in Montgomery County while Brown has gained widespread support.

“Mix in a string of union endorsements and the backing of Gov. Martin O’Malley, U.S. senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, half of the state’s U.S. House delegation, and scads of state legislators and county officials, and there’s little doubt Mr. Brown is the party establishment’s choice,” Schaller writes.

In his column titled “Slow and steady wins the race for Brown,” Schaller argues even with strong backing from the Democratic establishment, Brown should focus on not making any major missteps in the months ahead.

“That said, and given the large chunk of undecided Democrats, Mr. Brown’s task is simple: Don’t blow it. As sometimes happens, being perceived as inevitable is no guarantee of inevitability,” Schaller added.

You can read the full op-ed in The Baltimore Sun here.

Justin Vélez-Hagan, Public Policy, Op-Ed in Fox News Latino

In an op-ed published February 17 in Fox News Latino, Justin Vélez-Hagan, Public Policy Ph.D. student and Executive Director of The National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce, argues recent policies put forth by Puerto Rico’s government are not the solution for long-term economic growth and development.

Vélez-Hagan writes Puerto Rico’s “Jobs Now Act” was intended to grow the economy by offering tax exemptions and credits along with incentives for hiring underemployed groups, but the cost to hire and train new employees far outweighs the benefits of the new policy.

“It’s especially surprising given the latest employment numbers,” writes Vélez-Hagan. “According to the Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico, employment trends have yet to improve. While unemployment actually fell by a full percentage point in 2012, it completely reversed this trend in the first year of this administration, climbing from 14.6 percent to 15.4 percent by December.”

In the column, Vélez-Hagan offers alternative solutions for improving Puerto Rico’s economy and creating jobs.

“Even if they are finally able to balance their budget, the governor is going to have to push beyond his political limits to focus on incentives for growing businesses in Puerto Rico, such as rolling back the higher tax rates, expanding the incentive for foreign investment, and explicitly targeting companies in high-growth industries for residency in Puerto Rico,” he adds.

You can read the full article titled “Puerto Rico Still Doesn’t Get What Makes an Economy Tick” on Fox News Latino’s website here.

Dennis Coates, Economics, in The Daily Iowan

The Daily Iowan’s editorial board recently published a column arguing that the Iowa Senate should reject a $9 million tax break for a motor racing track in Newton, Iowa purchased by NASCAR. The authors contend that accepting tax breaks and appropriating public funds to build and maintain complexes for organizations such as NASCAR can harm the local economy.

A study by economics professor Dennis Coates was referenced in the article in which he argued sports welfare negatively impacts local residents because most money generated by sports stadiums ends up going to the owners.

“The professional sports environment in the 37 metropolitan areas in our sample had no measurable impact on the growth rate of real per capita income in those areas. The professional sports environment has a statistically significant impact on the level of real per income in our sample of metropolitan areas, and the overall impact is negative,” the Coates study noted.

You can read the full column published February 17 here.

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