All posts by: UMBC News Staff

In an editorial in Chevy Chase Patch, Mary Rivkin, associate professor of education, argues the importance of environmental justice, community health and childhood development to the decision-making process that is determining the future of the Capital Crescent Trail.

“Planners take many variables into account, but the variable of economic development should not dominate the decision-making as it has in the case of the Purple Line. I suggest that other variables—environmental justice, community health and childhood development—now take precedence,” Rivkin writes.

She urges developers to follow the model of “Highline Park in New York City, where a repurposed railway right-of-way has become a linear urban park so notable it has attracted both development and philanthropic funds.”

Her piece, “Re-envision the Trail—Plan Bigger” appeared on the website on November 9.

Carrie Evans, adjunct faculty member in Gender and Women’s Studies, was named the Executive Director of Equality Maryland.  Equality Maryland is Maryland’s largest LGBT civil rights group.

“We wanted the next Executive Director to have intelligence, compassion, a record of leadership on LGBT issues, and most importantly, an understanding of the unique needs of Maryland. We are confident that we have found that leader in Carrie Evans,” the organization’s board of directors wrote in an e-mail to supporters.

Evans appointment was covered in the Washington Blade in a November 9 story entitled “Equality Md. names new exec director.”

““This is an organization that is like a dear friend to me … and the stakes are high, marriage is on the table, as well as the gender identity bill. We have a whole new board of tremendously accomplished people and I can hit the ground running — it’s full speed ahead,” Evans told the publication.

Her appointment was also mentioned in November 10 Washington Post blog post, “Md. bishops: Same-sex marriage erodes religious freedom.”

Theodore Gonzalves, associate professor of American Studies, is the co-author, with Roderick N. Labrador, of the new book Filipinos in Hawaii. This pictorial history is the latest volume in the “Images of America” series by Arcadia Publishing.
Nearly one in four persons in Hawaii is of Filipino heritage. Representing one-fifth of the state’s workforce, Filipinos have been in Hawaii for more than a century.  This book traces that history from 1946—the last year that sakadas (plantation workers) were imported from the Philippines—to the centennial year of their settlement in Hawaii.
A portion of the profits from the sale of the book are being donated to the Filipino American Historical Society of Hawaii.

On November 8, 2011, absentee voters in Takoma Park, Maryland, will have the option to verify their votes for mayor and city council using a new Internet voting system called Remotegrity. Internet voting has been used to elect government officials before (for example, in Switzerland, Estonia and Norway), but what is new here is that voters mail in paper ballots and use the Internet to independently verify that their votes have been received by the city and recorded correctly. Anyone can check online that the recorded votes were tallied correctly.

Continue reading “UMBC Researchers Survey Voters About New Voting System” →

From Nancy Young, Vice President, Student Affairs

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Daniel Barnhart will be joining our division as the new Director of Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS). Dan comes to UMBC from Stevenson University with many years of prior experience in off-campus student services, student activities, veteran affairs and the military. He received his doctoral degree in Education from George Washington University and earned a Counseling degree from Wake Forest University. His demonstrated leadership skill, best practice research and strategic visioning will be valuable assets to the department of OCSS and the Division of Student Affairs. We do not yet have a firm start date, but I hope you will join me in welcoming Dan at danbarnhart@yahoo.com.

I would like to thank the search committee for the time and energy they shared on behalf of our students to identify outstanding candidates, organize the interview process and make recommendations based on evaluations. Under the leadership of Anne Scholl-Fiedler (Career Services), Chair, and Fritzie Charne-Merriwether (VPSA), VP liaison, the committee completed their work efficiently, effectively and professionally. Please join me in recognizing the work of Anne, Fritzie, Dale Bittinger (Admissions), Hans Cooper (Registrar),
Donna Huynh (OCSS), Abdias Irizarry (Commons) and Andrea Wynter (Transit). Our students and our campus will benefit from their efforts for years to come. Thanks also to colleagues across the division and camps who interviewed and submitted feedback to the committee.

I would also like to recognize Ben Goldberg and the staff of OCSS, Eraline Sabino, Donnell James and the Commuter Assistants, for keeping their department operating smoothly during the past year. Ben’s leadership as Acting Director has been instrumental in keeping program and service delivery coming off without a hiccup during this interim period. Ben will continue his leadership in OCSS, the division and the campus as he resumes his role as Assistant Director of OCSS in a full-time capacity and focuses on doctoral work as well.

Great people are key to our students’ success! Thank you in advance for helping make Dan’s transition to our division a smooth and pleasant experience.

On Thursday, November 10, Michael Fallon, senior lecturer of English, will read from his two new books of poetry:

“Since You have No Body,” winner of the 2011 Plan B Press Poetry Chapbook Competition

“Overall, Since You Have No Body is about making peace with the organic, as well as the ontological world, with death, with the shadow, and hence with the void…” -Contest Judge, poet Corey Mesler

and

“The Great Before and After”

In The Great Before and After, George C. Tumulty, a comic everyman, contemplates the origins and fate of himself, humanity, and the universe, raising the big questions.

Books will be available for purchase, and light refreshments will be served. The even twill take place at 4:00 p.m. in UC 310.  For more information, visit here.