A Closer Look at the Inner Space of Disease Dan Fabris, associate professor of chemistry, became fascinated with the machinery of life at an early age. Now his passion for understanding the inner workings of cells is bringing UMBC a powerful new tool in the fight against diseases like cancer and AIDS. Fabris was recently honored as one of just 14 U.S. researchers and the leader of the only lab in Maryland to receive a National Institutes of Health National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) High-End Instrumentation grant. With the $1.5 million grant, UMBC has purchased an extremely powerful, high-resolution,… Continue Reading A Closer Look at the Inner Space of Disease
Getting Ready for a Birthday Bash for Darwin When UMBC history professor Sandra Herbertstyle> first saw the Charles Darwin Archives at Christ’s College, Cambridge as a graduate student, “It was like finding out Shakespeare had left unpublished plays behind,” she said. This fall, Christ College will welcoming Herbert as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar for the 2006-2007 academic year, an international honor recognizing her expertise on the University’s most famous and controversial alumnus, Charles Darwin. Herbert travels to Cambridge in September, where she will help with plans for the 2009 celebration of Darwin’s 200th birthday and 150th anniversary of his seminal… Continue Reading UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland
Designing the Future of Animation Shane Lynch,style> a senior computer science major, and Chad Eby ’06,style> MFA, imaging and digital arts, are members of a UMBC research design team responsible for the newest development in editorial cartoons. Led by famed-cartoonist Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher, Lynch, Eby and staff from UMBC’s Imaging Research Center designed a 3-D virtual bust of President George W. Bush.style> The project’s concept, making a three-dimensional caricature talk, walk and interact with the public in real-time, is considered unprecedented for animation. The digital bust is the brainchild of Kallaugher, a cartoonist for the Economist and former cartoonist for… Continue Reading UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland
A Destination for Cultural Life: UMBC hosts world-renowned speakers UMBC will host The Maryland Forum, a new speaker series featuring Ehud Barak, former prime minister of Israel; Bob Woodward, Pulitzer-prizewinning journalist; Cal Ripken, Jr., record-breaking former Baltimore Oriole; and former Vice President Al Gore. The series is presented in partnership with the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce, Inc. “UMBC’s mission as a public research university includes stimulating the intellectual and cultural life of the region,” said President Freeman Hrabowski. “We are pleased that our partnership with The Maryland Forum will continue to build the University as a… Continue Reading UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland
UMBC’s New Homepage & Portal UMBC is launching a new home page on the Web (www.umbc.edu) and (http://my.umbc.edu). The strategy for the August 2006 launch and future phases is to refocus the UMBC homepage on the needs of external users, while making myUMBC more useful to internal users through richer content and self-service options. The redesign, a collaborative effort between the Offices of Institutional Advancement (OIA) and Information Technology (OIT), reflects input gathered over the last three years during talks with prospective undergraduate and graduate students, and UMBC students, faculty and staff. UMBC’s enrollment goals play an important role in… Continue Reading UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland
Capturing Distant Sounds: Fulbright Winner Tim Nohe Tim Nohe,style> associate professor of visual arts, has received a Fulbright Scholars award, one of the nation’s most notable and highly competitive grants. Nohe will use the award in hopes of drawing awareness to the often ignored sounds of Australia’s Botany Bay. Nohe’s research, entitled, “Sounding Botany Bay,” explores the sonic environment of one of Australia’s richest cultural and natural attractions. Nohe will record sounds from the city of Botany Bay, Sydney Airport and the Botany Bay National Park. He will edit and compose these sounds to create an “immersive surround-sound audio experience.”… Continue Reading UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland
A Presidential Honor UMBC biologist Rachel M. Brewsterstyle> recently made a short drive to Washington, D.C. that was a big leap forward for her and the University. She received the nation’s top honor for promising young scientists, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), at a White House ceremony in July. The PECASE provides up to five years of financial support to the honored scientists for research and community outreach. Awardees must be nominated by a participating federal agency or department. Brewster was one of just three U.S. biologists nominated by the National Science Foundation (NSF) who… Continue Reading UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland
A New Map for American Politics As an associate professor of political science specializing in the U.S. electoral system, Tom Schaller is usually excited come Election Day. But Nov. 7 will bring added anticipation as Schaller celebrates the publication of his latest book, Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South and waits to see how his strategic map for Democrats electoral success holds up to the will of the people. The book argues that religion and race have already swung the South irrevocably to the GOP and “values voters.” Schaller advises the Democrats to focus on the… Continue Reading Tom Schaller Whistles Past Dixie
Monitoring the Health of Vulnerable Populations Working in the nation’s capital changed Todd Eberly ’06 (Ph.D. public policy) from a political scientist to a specialist in poverty and public health. The shift seems to be a good fit, as Eberly recently won the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration’s dissertation award for his work on how managed care affects services received by enrollees in Medicaid, the nation’s health insurance program for low income individuals. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania’s Clarion University, Eberly went to work in Washington, DC analyzing federal health policy. “I saw good… Continue Reading Monitoring the Health of Vulnerable Populations
Capturing Distant Sounds: Fulbright Winner Tim Nohe Tim Nohe,style> associate professor of visual arts, has received a Fulbright Scholars award, one of the nation’s most notable and highly competitive grants. Nohe will use the award in hopes of drawing awareness to the often ignored sounds of Australia’s Botany Bay. Nohe’s research, entitled, “Sounding Botany Bay,” explores the sonic environment of one of Australia’s richest cultural and natural attractions. Nohe will record sounds from the city of Botany Bay, Sydney Airport and the Botany Bay National Park. He will edit and compose these sounds to create an “immersive surround-sound audio experience.”… Continue Reading UMBC: An Honors University in Maryland
Closing the IT Gender Gap Every college diploma represents the culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice by students and their families. But for the seven young women who were the first graduating class of UMBC’s Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT) Scholars program, graduation was also a giant step forward for shrinking the high-technology workforce “gender gap.” CWIT, the award-winning program that ABC News.com called “one of best resources for women on the web,” is dedicated to achieving women’s full participation in all aspects of information technology (IT). The CWIT Scholars Program recruits talented male and female… Continue Reading Closing the IT Gender Gap
Mentoring the Next Generation of Journalists “There are some very bright students at UMBC – our best could compete anywhere.” Christopher Corbett, who recently became acting chair of the English department, knows of whom he speaks. For 16 years, he’s offered his quarter century experience as a professional reporter and editor to a growing list of former Retriever Weekly student newspaper staffers who have gone on to begin promising journalism careers. “I tell them you are only of value to someone if you’ve had a job,” Corbett said. “It’s like baseball, there’s a farm system. You go work for a… Continue Reading Mentoring the Next Generation of Journalists
