All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Constantine Vaporis, Asian Studies, in National Museum of Japanese History Magazine

The National Museum of Japanese History recently published an article by Constantine Vaporis in its bi-monthly magazine “REKIHAKU.” Vaporis, who is the Asian studies program director and professor of history, was the lead article in the magazine’s special edition on processions.

vaporis

The article, titled “Alternate Attendance as Performance,” examines Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868) and the system of alternate attendance when the daimyo were required by the shogun to alternate their residences between their domains and Edo. The article studies alternate attendance from two perspectives: as a symbol of authority and as performance or theater. It does so by analyzing the form in which alternate attendance movements were made as depicted in oral literature, popular culture forms, and contemporary accounts of Japanese and foreigners.

The article is published in the latest edition of “REKIHAKU.” For more information on the National Museum of Japanese History and “REKIHAKU,” click here.

A Special Video Message from President Hrabowski

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX-TY7a22Us&w=560&h=315]

Time is running out for your chance to win the Maryland Charity Campaign grand prize: two round-trip tickets to anywhere that Southwest Airlines flies!

The deadline for the grand prize drawing has been extended. Be sure to make your gift or pledge before the end of the day, Tuesday, December 3, to be eligible for the grand prize drawing. Everyone who has contributed to the fall campaign is automatically entered into the drawing.

There’s still time to give. The campaign is accepting all donations through the end of the week. If you have not yet had a chance to do so, we encourage you to help support the many nonprofit organizations that serve our surrounding community, and consider a gift of any amount.

Please make your donation by completing your pledge form or visiting mdcharity.org. If you have not received a form, please download and fill out a pledge card and turn it into your coordinator.

#GivingTuesday at UMBC, 12/3

We’re less than a week away from #GivingTuesday, a national day of giving on December 3rd. UMBC’s students and alumni are working to change the world, and on #GivingTuesday, you can be a part of it.

Throughout the last month, the UMBC Annual Fund has shared stories of how our students, faculty, staff, and alumni are working to change the world. We’ve gotten a peek at how the Engineers Without Borders group will bring clean water to Isongo, Kenya. We’ve learned about UMBC’s mission to create a more inclusive campus through LGBTQ programs and initiatives. And we’ve tapped our feet to songs that will be on the Down and Dirty Dawg Band’s new CD.

Here are just a few things the people involved with those projects had to say:

Giving Tuesday_EWB_Square

“Engineers Without Borders-UMBC relies on gifts to fulfill our mission of implementing environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects, while developing globally aware and internationally responsible students and engineers. We especially appreciate gifts from alumni because we believe that EWB-UMBC not only promotes projects in the developing world, but also transformative experiences for UMBC students.”

~Lee Blaney, assistant professor and advisor for EWB

Giving Tuesday_DDB_Square

“[Your support] means the world to the band. If you’re an alumni of the band and had a great experience, your donation will help ensure that the next generation of students have the same positive experience.”

~Matt Basch ’08,  ’10, Director, Down and Dirty Dawg Band

GT_rainbow flag_square“To support UMBC as an alum is a no-brainer. As a student, I felt the positive impact [of donor support], and I want to live up to Dr. Hrabowski’s motto that of those to whom much is given, much is expected.”

~Chris Magaha ’03, donor to LGBTQ programs & initiatives

They’ve had their say. Now it’s your turn.
Will you join us in making a difference on #GivingTuesday?

We’re grateful for you!

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Today we wanted to pause for a moment and tell you what we’re thankful for. The answer is you, our wonderful alumni. Thank you for all that you do and all that you are. UMBC would not be same without you.

We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you enjoy the time with family and friends, eat plenty of tasty food, and, if you travel, do so safely.

Tell us: What are you thankful for? 

 

Find us on Facebook. // Follow us on Twitter.

Ted Lawler ’99, bio sci & psych, named to Big South All-Decade Team

Ted Lawler ’99, biological sciences and psychology, was recently named to the Big South Network’s All-Decade Team for men’s soccer in the 1990s.

From Big South’s website: 

As part of the Big South’s 30th Anniversary celebration in 2013-14, the Conference is announcing its first-ever All-Decade Teams to recognize the student-athletes and coaches who excelled in their respective sport since the Conference’s founding in 1983. A committee of Big South Conference administrators served as the official voting panel to determine the All-Decade Teams, with fan voting comprising 20 percent of the overall total.

During his time at UMBC, Lawler was named Player of the Year and was two-time All-Conference.

Read more.

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Donald Norris, Public Policy, in The Washington Post

Attorney General Douglas Gansler and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown both put forth campaign pledge proposals last week in what has become a hotly contested Democratic primary in the Maryland race for governor.

Donald Norris UMBC

Gansler asked fellow Democrats to sign a pledge discouraging outside spending on the race. Brown then proposed abandoning all negative ads in the campaign.  The candidates campaign’s have gone back and forth in recent days attacking the proposals. Del. Heather Mizeur, a third candidate in the race, has largely stayed out of the disputes.

Public policy professor and chair Donald Norris was interviewed by The Washington Post for an article about the pledge proposals.

“I don’t think either one was about anything but political maneuvering,” Norris said. “It’s about who’s trying to get advantage over whom and how. . . . At the end of the day, both campaigns will have their pledge to wave around and say, ‘I asked them to behave themselves, and they wouldn’t agree.’ ”

You can read the full article in The Washington Post here.

Alumni take the stage in production of “Annie”

Annie_112513Now through December 7, see Tom Bethards ’90, computer science, and Rebecca Feibel ’03, history, in Annie at Colonial Players of Annapolis. Stevie Mangum, a UMBC senior theatre major, plays Rooster Hannigan – a role he’s coveted since elementary school.

“In this age of cynicism, Annie is a play that speaks to that very special part inside us that is still optimistic and has an innocent faith that even in the face of impossible odds, dreams can still come true and hope can be triumphant.” – director, Joe Thompson

To learn more about the play and cast, click here.

Theatre lover? Support UMBC’s theatre department and give today!

UMBC: Into Orbit

Into Orbit

A tiny satellite is a big new step in Earth science research at UMBC.

It may only be the size of a tall coffee mug, but the launch of Qubscout-S1 on November 21 at 2:10 a.m. represents a big leap forward for UMBC researchers who have long awaited the chance to put a satellite in space.

Qubscout-1 was propelled into a low Earth orbit from a launch site in Yasny, Russia on a Dnepr LV rocket. The satellite was built as a joint venture between the university and Science and Technology Corporation (STC) – a small high-tech company based in Hampton, VA. The satellite measures 2 inches x 2 inches by 4 inches – and it is designed to test a micro sun-sensor that can be used to find and point instruments toward the sun.

UMBC students designed, constructed and tested the sun sensor, while STC built the satellite frame and provided funding for the project. Though the project has been in the works for almost three years, changes in attached payload availability kept the Qubscout-S1 out of orbit until now.

“STC came to us with a launch opportunity in early September 2010 and asked if it was possible to put together a small satellite mission to test a sun-sensor,” says J. Vanderlei Martins, an associate professor of physics who is the principal investigator on the mission. “They needed it in about two months. Our students had already been working on small satellites, so we had the capability and know how. Nonetheless, putting something together this quickly has to be some kind of record.”

After a few months in orbit, the satellite will unfold into a larger configuration to increase its drag and change its rotation rate. The team that built the Qubscout-S1 was able to make the project cost-effective by involving students in production and by building the satellite with materials already available on the market.

“We have a very innovative design that uses commercial off-the shelf materials,” observes Martins.

UMBC students will also stay involved in the project by checking the performance of the sensors installed on the Qubscout-S1, monitoring data transmitted from the satellite to radio receivers at the university.

The satellite that went into orbit on November 21 also represents the fulfillment of the plan set out by the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), which operates in a cooperative agreement between UMBC and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) at its founding in 1995.

“With the launch of the Qubscout satellite, JCET has now achieved all of the original goals defined when JCET was established in 1995,” says Danita E. Eichenlaub, the administrative director of JCET. “The center congratulates Dr. Vanderlei Martins and his entire team on this accomplishment.”

Adarsh Deepak, the president of STC, also hailed the launch of the Qubscout-1, observing that “this joint venture sets the stage for more exciting collaborations between STC and UMBC in the future. It also shows how small companies, working with a university team, can be part of America’s space future.”

(11/22/2013)

UMBC: Looking Back On a Phenomenal Year for UMBC Soccer

Net Gains

Looking Back On a Phenomenal Year for UMBC Soccer

An amazing season for both UMBC soccer squads finally came to a close in below-freezing temperatures at Retriever Soccer Park on November 24, 2013 when the men’s team – ranked at #5 in the nation – played a 2-2 see-saw second-round NCAA tournament game against the University of Connecticut that ended with the Retrievers bowing out of the tournament on penalty kicks.

Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams had an incredible ride, however –breaking new ground for UMBC’s athletics program while proving that winners on the field can also excel in academics.

The UMBC men’s squad won their NCAA bid – and the right to host the university’s first-ever home game in the tournament – with resounding 4-0 victory against the University of Hartford at Retriever Soccer Park on November 16, 2013. It was a campaign during which the Retriever men also won the America East regular season championship and compiled a 16-1-3 record overall.

The Retriever women’s soccer team ended their season with a hard-fought 2-0 loss in the first round of the women’s NCAA to the fourth-ranked team in the nation – Virginia Tech – in Blacksburg, VA on November 15, 2013.

The UMBC women’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament capped off a reversal of fortune that saw the squad improve from last place to first place in the America East conference, earning a 13-6-2 record, a regular season title and a conference tournament championship along the way. The women’s team bested Stony Brook University 2-1 in the America East final at Retriever Soccer Park On November 9, 2013 to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The success of the UMBC soccer program in 2013 has netted players and coaches numerous honors from the America East conference. Men’s head coach Pete Caringi, Jr. and his staff were voted by the league’s coaches as the Coaching Staff of the Year. Three of the team’s players also received the league’s highest honors, including senior forward Pete Caringi, III (Striker of the Year); senior midfielder Kadeem Dacres (Midfielder of the Year) and junior fullback Oumar Ballo (Defender of the Year).

Women’s head coach Leslie Wray and her staff received the Coaching Staff of The Year award from the America East conference, while junior midfielder Jessy Brown shared Midfielder of the Year honors with Hartford University’s Stephanie Santos. (Brown was also names as the MVP of the America East tournament.)

UMBC soccer players are not just making their mark on the field of play. Both the men’s and women’s teams at the university have matched their success between the lines with excellence in the classroom. In the last round of College Team Academic Awards given by the National College Coaches Association for the 2011-2012 seasons, UMBC was among only 150 schools where both the men’s and women’s teams received this academic honor for having team cumulative grade point averages at 3.0 or higher.

And as the America East conference gave out its individual honors for competition, both women’s team standout Jessy Brown (who has a 3.70 GPA in biology) and junior midfielder Michael DiCesare (who scored the only goal in the November 6 win that clinched the men’s regular season title for UMBC) were also named to the America East’s All-Academic team.

“Our campus takes pride in connecting athletics with the life and academic culture of the university,” says Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of UMBC. “The achievements of our women’s and men’s soccer teams this season demonstrate that the concept of a scholar-athlete is alive and well at UMBC.”

Retriever Fever is also catching on among students, alumni and other local college soccer fans. UMBC ranked 13th in attendance nationally among men’s soccer programs, and those numbers are up from 995 in 2012 to 1,228 per game in the current campaign.

For more information on UMBC’s soccer program, visit www.umbcretrievers.com.

(Updated 11/25/2013)

Visibility Machines’ at CADVC in City Paper

VM_cadvc_img“Are we creating a world where atrocities can be committed at the push of a button, and then immediately forgotten?,” asks City Paper’s H. Dean Freeman in response to the exhibition currently on display in the CADVC, Visibility Machines: Harun Farocki and Trevor Paglen. Using the exhibition as a vehicle with which to discuss “what happens when technology sets its sights on mimicking human perception,” Freeman describes works in the exhibition, as “arresting” and “invigorating.”

Read the article, “Droning On: UMBC show takes on technology, capitalism, and warfare”

Visibility Machines, organized by visiting curator Niels Van Tomme, is on display through Feburary 22. The CADVC is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

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