All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Kasper O’Brien ’09, AmSt, to Coach Lax at VCU

2966Former UMBC women’s lacrosse player Jen Kasper O’Brien ’09, American studies, has been named the head coach of the new Virginia Commonwealth University’s women’s lacrosse program, set to start intercollegiate competition in 2015-16. O’Brien will begin recruiting and will coach the Rams’ club lacrosse team in Richmond in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

“Tony and I are very excited for Jen and her new adventure,” co-head coach Amy Appelt said. “It was always great to compete against her when she was coaching at Johns Hopkins and we are very proud that a fellow Dawg is taking her career to the next level. We wish her the best of luck from the Dawg family.”

Kasper O’Brien competed with the Retrievers from 2003-07, redshirting her junior season after suffering a season-ending knee injury, and concluded her career with 84 goals, 45 assists and 129 points. The two-time captain earned America East All-Conference Second Team honors as a junior and a senior.

The Eldersburg, Md., native spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach at Johns Hopkins University, working primarily with the Blue Jays’ offensive efforts. Kasper O’Brien helped JHU to a top-40 national ranking in goals per game in each of the last five campaigns.

Kasper O’Brien began her coaching career at Stanford in August of 2007 as an assistant coach and was elevated to co-head coach early in the 2008 season. She helped guide the Cardinal to a 12-8 record and a fourth straight Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament Championship.

A version of this story originally appeared on UMBCRetrievers.com.

UMBC Announces DARPA Contract To Reinvent Biologics Manufacturing

UMBC announced last week a $7.9 million contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop technology that would dramatically reduce the time and space needed to manufacture biologics, such as insulin, and make them more accessible in the field.

“This project,” says Govind Rao, the principal investigator and director of UMBC’s Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST), “will completely revolutionize the manufacture of biologics.

Today, protein based drugs, which are used in the treatment of diabetes, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis, among others, are made using cells suspended in large, stationary, tanks of several hundred liters or more of culture medium. Targeted proteins are recovered from the cells, purified, stabilized, put into delivery devices, and shipped out to the patient population. All told, the process is extremely expensive, complicated and takes a several weeks complete.

The proposed prototype would speed up the expression of the protein, producing it more quickly and efficiently by using a cell-free system. In a nutshell, the proposed device would produce, purify and quantitatively determine the purity of the ready-for-delivery therapeutic protein in a few hours using only a few liters of water.

“The new technology,” says Rao, “would essentially shrink the biotech company’s footprint to the size of a small laptop computer, carried in a backpack, housing all the elements necessary to express, purify and analyze any target protein.”

Although the technology is being researched and developed for DARPA, it could eventually be produced for the civilian patient population.

Collaborators are: Thermo Scientific Inc., 
The Ohio State University (OSU), Pfizer Inc., US Food and Drug Administration and
Latham BioPharm Group, Inc. (LBG).

 UMBC

UMBC combines the emphasis on teaching found at the best liberal arts colleges with the innovation of a research university. Our 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students come from more than 150 countries and take full advantage of the educational, business, cultural and recreational resources of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. UMBC students work alongside faculty who are leaders in their fields; think about the hard questions of society, science and creative expression; and then move beyond the classroom to make a difference. The Carnegie Foundation ranks UMBC in the category of universities with high research activity. UMBC is a member of the University System of Maryland and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.

Meyerhoff Alums Featured in “Where Are They Now”

Meyerhoffs

Now celebrating its 25th year, the Meyerhoff Scholars Program boasts more than 800 graduates, many of whom have gone on to pursue careers as scientists, researchers, engineers and doctors. In a story entitled  “Where Are They Now?” in the August issue of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, the magazine highlights the successes of six Meyerhoff alumni.

“The true strength of the Meyerhoff program is that we identify students who have a fire in the belly for sicence, who can’t see themselves doing anything else, who have a passion for inquiry and discovery,” the program’s director, Keith Harmon, told Diverse.

Among the alumni noted in the story:

  • Isaac Kinde ’05 (M13), a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, who was the lead author of research on a new version of the Pap smear;
  • Gerald Lopez ’01 (M9), who earned his Ph.D. in computer engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and who now is in charge of support for a computer company with clients as diverse as Intel, government and university labs;
  • Crystal Watkins ’95 (M3), an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University, where she earned her master’s and Ph.D.;
  • Rabiah Mayas ’00 (M8), director of science and integrated strategies in the Center for the Advancement  of Science Education at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago;
  • Kyla McMullen ’05 (M13), the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Michigan, and who now is an assistant professor at Clemson University, and;
  • Nwokedi C. Idika ’05 (M13), the first African-American male to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from Purdue, who now works on the staff of MIT Lincoln Labs.

As Lopez told Diverse magazine: “Meyerhoff meant a lot to me. It’s support for a lifetime. I use it as a resource even now. We help each other out a lot.”

 

UMBC Alums to make B.F.A.: The Series

A group of UMBC theatre alumni have something to say about life in the arts, and they’re saying it with a new Baltimore-based web series, B.F.A.

On the group’s Indiegogo fundraising page, they explain the series:

B.F.A. is a new web series about young theatre artists in Baltimore. B.F.A. stands for Bachelor of Fine Arts, but also many other things, including Baltimore, Friends, and Artists. In B.F.A., four recent college graduates are trying to find their niche in the Baltimore theatre scene when Ryan, a friendly nemesis from school, returns home after a successful stint in “the biz.” As Ryan tries to make himself at home in a place he is unwelcome, his new habits learned while on the road follow, shaking up the lives of his begrudging roommates and old friends. A web of romances, friendships, and business partnerships intertwine as these 20-something artists attempt to navigate through post-college life in Charm City.

The series is being written, acted, directed and produced by a cast of alumni including Katie Kopajtic ’11, acting; Sean McComas ’11, acting; Kiirstn Pagan ’11, theatre; Katie Hileman ’12, acting; David Brasington ’12, acting; Anderson Wells ’13, acting; and Jessica Poole ’13, acting. 

They’ve already produced the first episode of B.F.A. and held a screening party at the Creative Alliance in June. They are currently working to raise money for the production of the remainder of the the first season. As they explain on Indiegogo, they believe that the series will “change the way people view Baltimore. B.F.A. will not only give jobs to young creative professionals in the Baltimore area, it will promote the arts in Baltimore to a large population of people who are unaware of the exciting emerging independent theatre and art.”

Learn more about B.F.A. and the group of UMBC alumni behind it.

Kate Drabinski, Gender and Women Studies, Headlines City Paper

Photograph by Josh Sisk

In the latest issue of the Baltimore City Paper, Gender and Women Studies professor, Kate Drabinski, pulls back the curtain, giving readers a glimpse into the world of Bronies, a small, but dedicated group of predominantly adult men who are fans of the cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Drabinski traverses the network of fan-made illustrations, full-body fur suits and panel discussions throughout the Baltimore Convention Center, observing and interviewing fans and volunteers to get a better understanding of the world around her.

“To an outsider, this subculture contains all the elements of something creepy. Grown men seemingly obsessed with a little girls’ cartoon program, dressed in giant fur suits and engaging in some kind of ‘pony play,’” Drabinski writes.

But, the deeper Drabinski delves, the more it becomes apparent this subculture born from the Hasbro classic extends well beyond obsession, representing the desire for all genders and all ages to embrace kindness, loyalty and generosity – values instilled in each of the furry, hoofed characters.

“’brony’ is a far more complicated identity, one that tells us as much about the mainstream culture that bronies resist as it does about what makes a man love a cartoon horse,” says Drabinski.

Read the full article »

Fringe NYC Production Featuring Theatre Faculty in The Villager

SusanInexcusable Fantasies, written by Susan McCully, theatre, directed by Eve Muson, theatre, and starring McCully and Rachel Hirshorn ’04, theatre, has been selected as one of The Villager‘s featured Fringe NYC productions, in the article “They came from the Academic Milieu”

The production, has been performed at a number of venues, including the Prague Film Festival in 2012, the Strand Theatre Company this year and various other international festivals since 2004, and will be a part of this year’s New York City International Fringe Festival, Fringe NYC, program Sunday, August 18 through Saturday, August 24.

Learn more about the production at GrrlParts.com; find time and ticketing information at Fringe NYC’s website.

 

Nicole King, American studies, on WYPR’s The Signal

On Friday, Aug. 2, WYPR’s The Signal re-aired last year’s interview with assistant professor of American studies, Nicole King, where she discussed the colorful history of the roadside attraction, South of the Border.

“I think South of the Border—and recreation in general, especially in the South—is important because it’s the politicized aspect of what we do in our free time,” said King. “We often think of politics as happening in board rooms or in political spheres, but they actually happen in places that we go everyday, and especially in the South.”

Listen to the full interview »

Manil Suri, Mathematics, in Metro Weekly

ManilSuriHeadShotApplied mathematics, sexuality and food recipes are abound in Metro Weekly’s review of Manil Suri’s third published novel, The City of Devi. Suri’s latest novel visits a futuristic, war-torn Mumbai as it braces for an impending apocalypse, and amid the chaotic setting lies the stories of three characters. New to Suri’s so-called “trilogy,” however, is the introduction of a gay theme.

”I think so many of these issues, especially we as gay people would face, it’s necessary to work through them, and writing is a great way of doing it,” says Suri. “It also helps you realize which parts of your story might be promising as fiction.”

Read the full review »

Robert Deluty, Graduate School, Publishes His 42nd Book

Robert Deluty, associate dean of the graduate school, has published a new book of poetry, “Saluting from the Shore.”

In his review, Ronald Pies writes, “Once again, Robert Deluty presents us with a splendid collection of short poems, inspired by Cheryl Strayed’s observation that we will never know the lives we have not chosen – the ‘ghost ship that didn’t carry us…’ We wonder, for example, what other ship might have carried the dean who confides that ‘…feigning interest all day/ is wearing him out.’ We wonder how the life not chosen might have spared ‘the dying soldier/ recalling his grandfather/ saying Be a man.’ In a sense, these poems are a salute to paths not taken, lives not chosen, which—through Deluty’s illuminating explorations—are given voice and dignity.”

Copies of “Saluting from the Shore,” as well as of Deluty’s other books, are on sale at the UMBC Bookstore.

Four UMBC Alumni Invited to U.S. National Team Tryouts

Four UMBC alumni are among the 98 invitees for the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships, where the U.S. men seek to defend their title in Denver, Colorado on July 10-19, 2014. Attackmen Brendan Mundorf ’07, and Drew Westervelt ’07, will attempt to earn their second consecutive team selection. They were both members of the 2010 squad that won gold with a 12-10 victory over Canada in Manchester, England. Midfielders Terry Kimener ’08, and Peet Poillon ’10, are embarking on their first journeys to the championships.

Tryouts will be held Aug. 30 – Sept.1 at Goucher College in Baltimore, Md. after which the roster will be cut to 40. That group will then begin preparing for the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships, where the U.S. Men seek to defend their title on July 10-19, 2014.

Lax Alumni Invited to U.S. National Team Tryouts

5168

Four UMBC alumni are among the 98 invitees for the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships, where the U.S. men seek to defend their title in Denver, Colorado on July 10-19, 2014.

Attackmen Brendan Mundorf ’07 and Drew Westervelt ’07 will attempt to earn their second consecutive team selection. They were both members of the 2010 squad that won gold with a 12-10 victory over Canada in Manchester, England.

Midfielders Terry Kimener ’08 and Peet Poillon ’10 are embarking on their first journeys to the championships.

Mundorf is seeking his third appearance on the world stage, as he debuted with Team Australia in the 2006 championships. He has spent his entire MLL career with the Denver Outlaws and was the 2012 Bud Light MLL Season Most Valuable Player. The Mount St. Joseph product earned All-America honors for UMBC in 2005 and 2006 and was the America East Player of the Year in both of those campaigns.

Westervelt is third in scoring at UMBC, racking up 112 goals and 94 assists for 206 points from 2004-07. He capped his career with an All-American selection in 2007. The Bel Air, Md. native has spent seven seasons in the MLL, with Denver and Chesapeake and has earned five All-Star selections.

Both Mundorf and Westervelt have spent multiple seasons competing in the National Lacrosse League (indoors).

Kimener is a six-year MLL veteran, who is in his third year in Denver. He scored a career-high 17 goals for the Outlaws in 2012 and has 14 goals and 10 assists in 2013. The Oakton, Va. native earned All-America honors for UMBC in 2007 and 2008 and was tabbed the 2008 America East Player of the Year.

Poillon is a four-time MLL All-Star, who is now competing for the Charlotte Hounds. He was the 2010 MLL Most Improved Player when he helped the Chesapeake Bayhawks win the league title. The Cranberry Township, Pa. native earned All-America honors for UMBC in 2009.

Tryouts will be held August 30-September 1 at Goucher College in Baltimore, after which the roster will be cut to 40. That group will then begin preparing for the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships, where the U.S. Men seek to defend their title on July 10-19, 2014.

This article first appeared on UMBC Retrievers.com.

UMBC UMBC
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 Directions & Parking

Resources

Important Contacts

Emergency Info

Contact Us

Apply

Top Stories of the Week

© UMBC: A University System of Maryland Member Institution