All posts by: UMBC News Staff

UMBC Faculty and Staff Discuss Mental Illness at Mosaic Rountable

UMBC Faculty Violinist Airi Yoshioka Honored for Music Education and Outreach

Assistant Professor of Music Airi Yoshioka was recently honored with the McGraw-Hill Companies’ Robert Sherman Award for Music Education and Community Outreach. The $10,000 award recognizes outstanding musicianship and includes a program of her live performances on prominent New York City classical music radio station WQXR.

A violinist and graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, Yoshioka plans to use her award to start a Web site for music teachers and music education majors with resources for exploring teaching skills and personal development as a musician.

She has created two programs at UMBC that provide music majors teaching experience in local elementary schools. Teaching Artist Fellows collaborate with classroom teachers to give each child an opportunity to make connections with music from his or her own perspective. Instrumental Fellows learn to teach their respective instruments in a group setting. (The Teaching Artist Fellowship was originally known as the Burchard Fellowship, in honor of Robert Burchard, professor emeritus of biological sciences, who established the award.)

Yoshioka has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and Canada as a recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. She was an original member and concertmaster of The New Juilliard Ensemble, is a founder of the Damocles Trio and a member of various new music ensembles, including Ruckus, UMBC’s resident new music ensemble. Yoshioka taught music at New York City public schools through the Morse Fellowship program, Lincoln Center Institute and the New York Philharmonic, and brings her aesthetic education work to Japan this fall.

UMBC Teaching Artist and Instrumental Fellows often pursue careers in education. For example, Charlene Woo ’05 received a master’s degree in education from the Johns Hopkins University and is currently teaching in a first grade classroom where every student takes music lessons. Robert Zuzin ’06 has built a reputable guitar studio while sustaining an extensive performing career.

(11/27/07)

UMBC Faculty and Staff Discuss Mental Illness at Mosaic Roundtable

UMBC Students Collaborate with Elementary and High School Students to Map the Community

Fourteen UMBC cartography and graphic design students are collaborating with seven elementary and high school students from Baltimore city and country schools to research and create maps that focus on important issues in their community. The project, “Mapping Their Community,” is the latest outreach program coordinated by the University’s Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture (CADVC).

The UMBC mentors are teaching elementary and high school students the relevance of maps and visual literacy in their lives, as well as critical geography and graphic design skills. Students gather information for the maps, develop the technical and conceptual development of designs and participate in group discussions and critiques.

The exhibition includes over 100 maps by participating students and additional maps and designs by their UMBC mentors. It will be on view from November 29 through January 5 at The Commons and Department of Visual Arts hallway gallery at UMBC. A winner from each school will be announced at a public opening reception on November 29, 5-7 p.m., at the CADVC.

”Mapping Their Community” concludes in the spring with bus trips for the participating students to see a map exhibition at the Walters Art Museum. Selected maps from “Mapping the Community” will also be shown in a weekend exhibition at the Museum in April.

Schools involved in “Mapping Their Community” include the Academy for College and Career Exploration, Augusta Falls Savage Institute of Visual Art, Baltimore City College, Lansdowne High, Samuel F.B. Morse Elementary, Towson High and Woodlawn High.

(11/27/07)

UMBC Faculty and Staff Discuss Mental Illness at Mosaic Roundtable

UMBC Faculty and Staff Experts Discuss Mental Illness and the Campus Community

UMBC faculty and staff experts from across the campus will discuss “Mental Illness and the Campus Community,” at this year’s Mosaic Roundtable, sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Studies (INDS) program. The free, public event will be held Tuesday, November 27, 4-6 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom.

“Substance abuse, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and other dimensions of mental illness have reached crisis proportions on campuses nationwide, and suicide is among the top three causes of death among college students. One in three Americans will experience a form of mental disorder at some point in their lives,” said Patricia LaNoue, INDS director. “The Mosaic Roundtable, created to address complex issues from a multidisciplinary perspective, is one way we can contribute to sharing knowledge and provide an opportunity for the campus community and the public to ask questions.”

Speakers for this event are:

J. Lavelle Ingram, director of University Counseling Services, who will address what kind of support is available at UMBC, what behaviors signal danger and reasonable responses.

Charles Milligan, executive director of the Center for Health Program Development and Management, will discuss patient confidentiality and counselors’ responsibilities in protecting the safety of third parties.

Carlo DiClemente, professor of psychology, will address addictions and the overlap between drinking, drug use and mental illness, as well as how abuse can contribute to emotional programs and mental illness.

Carolyn Tice, associate dean of the School of Social Work, will focus on how the media portrays people with mental illness – stigmas and stereotypes – and how these portrayals serve as a barometer of social awareness and public beliefs.

For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/mosaic.

(11/16/07)

UMBC Peaceworker Alumni Remain Engaged in Baltimore Communities

While nearly 85 percent of UMBC’s Shriver Peaceworker Fellows originally come from outside the Baltimore region, 60 percent have settled and remain engaged in service careers in local communities.

“With 100 percent of Peaceworker alumni continuing in public service careers and more than half staying in our region to engage in community service careers, the Shriver Peaceworker Program is proving to be a ‘creative-class’ infusion for the City,” said Program Director Joby Taylor ’05, Ph.D. language, literacy and culture.

The Peaceworker program at UMBC’s Shriver Center was founded by Sargent Shriver in 1994, and now has 100 alumni. The program focuses on finding ways for returning Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) to serve their states and communities when their missions abroad are completed.

Few people have had a greater impact on public service in America than Shriver, who founded and directed the Peace Corps under President John F. Kennedy. Both men envisioned a powerful impact of RPCVs on American society, and as a native Marylander, Shriver realized this vision concretely in the establishment of the Peaceworker program at UMBC, with an urban problem-solving focus on the Baltimore region. Shriver will be honored in an upcoming PBS documentary to be pre-screened on Thursday, November 15, at the Patterson Theater at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore.

“Shriver’s genius in the Peace Corps and Peaceworker programs was his ability to marshal a sense of ‘practical idealism,’ which is optimism about making a difference matched with realism about the hard work this involves,” said Taylor.

Peaceworker alumni working in the Baltimore region include:

Erin Hood ’07
Graduate Degree: UMBC Master’s Degree in Public Policy focused on Human Services, with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management.
Peace Corps Volunteer: Jamaica.
Peaceworker Fellowship: UMBC Coordinator for Service and Volunteerism to foster student’s sense of social responsibility through community service.
Where she is now: Director of Development, Community Mediation Program, Baltimore City

Brian Greenan ’05
Graduate Degree: UMBC Master’s Degree in Intercultural Communications focused on Spanish language study and Latin American history and politics
Peace Corps Volunteer: Niger
Peaceworker Fellowship: Centro de la Communidad, serving Baltimore’s growing Latino community. As a mayoral fellow and then with the Downtown Partnership, he provided direct outreach to homeless persons in the downtown area for which he was given a commendation by the Baltimore City Council.
Where he is now: Organizer with Neighborhood Housing Services

Sarah Morris-Compton ’07
Graduate degree: UMBC Master’s Degree in Public Policy focused on Human Services Policy
Peace Corps Volunteer: Turkmenistan and Kenya.
Peaceworker Fellowship: Coordinator of a service-learning project that linked college Web design classes to non-profit organizations at the University of Baltimore’s School of Information Arts and Technologies
Where she is now: Program Associate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore working on large-scale state child welfare and juvenile justice system reform.

Sargent Shriver’s legacy through the Shriver Center at UMBC was featured on WYPR 88.1-FM’s Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast on November 12. Click here to listen.

(11/13/07)

Meet An Eco-Opportunity Employer

Now that the U.S. Geological Survey’s Maryland-Delaware-Washington, D.C. Water Science Center is on campus at bwtech@UMBC, research partnerships with faculty and career opportunities for students are growing.

For example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association recently awarded a three-million-dollar grant to UMBC, USGS, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Princeton University to provide real-time, wireless, online data on Baltimore’s Gwynn Falls watershed. As the USGS-UMBC team’s eco-research reputation increases, more opportunities for student internships and employment will take root. Just ask Lonnie Lanham ‘98.

Lanham, a geography and environmental systems (GES) major with a certificate in Cartography, connected with USGS during his last semester at UMBC thanks to the advice of GES mentors like Joe School, Keith Harries and Tim Foresman. His internship and work experience in departmental laboratories helped Lanham land a job at USGS combining his geographic information systems (GIS), mapmaking, technical illustration and Web design skills.

“The experience that I gained while actually working within my major was very valuable,” Lanham said. “I feel that it gave me a definite edge when it came to getting ‘a real job.’” Lanham has remained at USGS since, working his way up from webmaster to lead information technology specialist for the USGS Center.

In his job, Lanham makes sure a multitude of USGS servers, workstations, network equipment, printers, scanners, cameras, data projectors, hand-held devices, and as he puts it, “lots of other things that a geography major would not likely want to get involved with,” are all working reliably. He credits several USGS officials for their mentorship, including USGS acting chief information officer Paul Exter, publications unit chief Jean Hyatt and Jim Gerhart, director of the MD-DE-DC Water Science Center.

Dan Soeder, hydrologist and information and outreach coordinator for the USGS Center, notes that while the USGS is seeking to be more efficient and streamlined in staffing, they are always looking for talented interns to fill highly competitive student positions. “We want to attract students who demonstrate the talent, skills, and abilities the USGS needs,” Soeder said.

“The work is fascinating and there are many opportunities in the Federal Government as well as in the private sector,” said Lanham. “A major in the arena of environmental sciences, especially geography, can offer a good foundation on which to build a career.”

Students, faculty and staff looking to learn more about the USGS should attend the MD-DE-DC Water Science Center’s Open House event on Wednesday, Oct. 24.

(10/19/07)

UMBC Presents Work by Award Winning Playwright, Alumna

Kara Lee Corthron ’99, theatre, is emerging as one of theatre’s most promising playwrights. Her new play, Wild Black-Eyed Susans, which will be performed at UMBC October 17-21, received the 2007 Helen Merrill Award for Emerging Playwrights. In addition, her play Like a Cow or an Elephant was awarded the 2007 Theodore Ward Prize for African-American Playwrights and was produced at the DePaul Theatre School in Chicago. She was also the winner of the 2006 New Professional Theatre Writer’s Award, is a three-time recipient of Lincoln Center’s Lecomte du Nouy Foundation Award and was a semi-finalist for the 2007 Sundance Theatre Lab and Princess Grace Award. Corthron’s plays have been developed with the Ensemble Studio Theatre, Center Stage (Baltimore), African Continuum Theatre (D.C.) and at the Julliard School.

Corthron says UMBC’s theatre department helped to prepare her for the challenges of a career in theatre, encouraging her to understand the business of theatre as well as the research and work that goes into a production. Classes in script analysis gave her an appreciation for dramatic literature and helped to inspire her passion for writing.

She also believes that taking classes in theatre will benefit non-majors as well. “Even taking a class in dramatic literature can help you to learn about the human experience,” says Corthron. “You read about people who have to make decisions and work through problems. Or, if you choose to get involved in a production, when you are in character you have to figure out how you will work with that person is going through. In theatre, you learn to understand other perspectives, empathy and compassion.”

Lynn Watson, chair of the theatre department, says that students are benefiting from working with Corthron’s play. “As I watch the actors in rehearsal and work with them on the text of Wild Black-Eyed Susan’s (as a voice specialist, I coach our students as well as professional actors in speech and text), I’m particularly struck by the sophistication of Kara’s writing. She has a keen ear for the emotional underpinning of a casual comment. Her characters are believable and identifiable working class people living in a region where jobs are drying up yet she imbues their speech with poetic imagery and lyricism. Her ability to intermingle lyricism and rough urgency in the speech of contemporary characters is exceptional.

“For our students, the opportunity to play these roles has made for marvelous acting lessons,” adds Watson. “As actors dig into it, the play constantly yields up more and deeper layers. It’s exciting to see Kara’s talents passed on through her play to the development of another generation of UMBC theatre students.”

A schedule and ticket information for Wild Black-Eyed Susans is available online. The production is also part of UMBC’s Homecoming and Family Celebration events. For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/homecoming.

(10/15/07)

Dresher Center Expands Humanities Scholarship at UMBC

UMBC Collaborative Digital Storytelling Project Wins International Award

A pioneering and unique Digital Storytelling Project created by UMBC and Charlestown Retirement Community and funded by Retirement Living TV (RLTV) has won a Bronze Telly Award. The prestigious Telly Award cites the Digital Storytelling Project as being among the world’s best in local, regional and cable television commercials and programs, as well as among the finest in video and film production. This year’s Telly Awards received over 13,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents.

The Digital Storytelling Project is the nation’s first three-way partnership between a media company, a university and a retirement community. UMBC students (hands-on with the media technology) worked with Charlestown residents (autobiographical story and narrative) to create a series of 17 digital stories and music in two-to-three minute videos. The project was organized and supervised by UMBC’s New Media Studio.

“Being able to be a part of such a powerful project like the Digital Storytelling Project has not only expanded my awareness of the powerful influence that new media can have on society, but has also allowed me to develop my skills in creative thinking, communication, team work and technology,” said interdisciplinary studies senior Cathryna Brown. “To have received the honor and recognition of a Telly award makes me proud because it shows that we are accomplishing our goals and opening America’s eyes to the beauty of living beyond retirement.”

RLTV, a cable network dedicated to informing, involving and inspiring people aged 55 and over, was launched in September 2006. The RLTV network roots are in Erickson Retirement Communities, the National Institutes of Health, non-profit research foundations, UMBC’s Erickson School and leading gerontologists across the country.

Winners received their Telly Award statues at a September 12 ceremony at Charlestown

Dresher Center Expands Humanities Scholarship at UMBC

A recent gift from the Dresher Foundation will expand the scope and reach of UMBC’s James T. and Virginia M. Dresher Center for the Humanities, originally established in 1996 as the Center for the Humanities. A dedication will be held Tuesday, September 18, 4 to 6 p.m. at the Albin O. Kuhn Library.

“The new Dresher Center will engage scholars, students, visiting fellows and the community with the wide-ranging perspectives of scholarship in language, linguistics, literature, philosophy and ethics, history, culture, gender, race and ethnicity,” said Rebecca Boehling, director of the Dresher Center and associate professor of history.

The Dresher Center is also home to the Humanities Forum, an annual series of speakers and events, and the Humanities Scholars Program, which provides financial support and special academic experiences for outstanding UMBC undergraduates concentrating in the humanities. The center will begin sponsoring grant-writing workshops and forums for UMBC and visiting scholars to present their works in progress.

Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences John Jeffries said, “The Dresher Center for the Humanities marks a significant step forward for UMBC. Research and teaching in the humanities are central to UMBC, as to any research university. While humanities scholarship at UMBC is already exceptional, as demonstrated by the level of faculty publications and distinctions, the new Dresher Center will not only enable additional support for faculty and student research but will also make UMBC’s humanities scholarship better known both on campus and off.

“With Rebecca Boehling as director and Michele Osherow as associate director, and with endowment money from the Dresher Foundation and other sources as part of UMBC’s capital campaign, the Dresher Center is already off to a splendid start,” Jeffries added.

Please click here to RSVP to the Dresher Center dedication.

(9/7/07)

The Serious Science of Human Nature

Robert Provine’s groundbreaking research into what makes us human has earned him attention from scientists and media from around the world. Provine studies how instinctive behaviors like laughter, yawning and tickling give new insights into evolution, brain function and social science. Two of his essays were recently chosen for “best of year” literary anthologies, placing him alongside top comedic minds from “The Simpsons,” “The Daily Show” and “The Onion” as well as leading scientists.

One of his essays appears in The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006, a book introduced by “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening and compiled by novelist Dave Eggers. The book also includes contributions from Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman and satire from “The Daily Show,” “This American Life” and “The Onion.”

On the more serious side, a Provine essay on yawning was chosen for “The Best American Science Writing 2006,” putting him in the company of top writers from The New York Times, Wired, The New Yorker and others. Other well-known works have cited Provine’s unique research, including bestsellers like Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind, Steven Pinkner’s How the Mind Works and Kay Redfield Jamison’s Exuberance.

“It’s a pleasure being in the company of scientists and writers whose work I admire,” said Provine, a professor of psychology who’s been at UMBC for 32 years.

Provine is also one of the most cited researchers in leading textbooks in his specialty, not surprising for a former student of the Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist Rita Levi-Montalcini. Comedians Jay Leno and Arsenio Hall have mentioned his ideas in their monologues, and Provine has been involved in television shows with humorists Bill Cosby, Conan O’Brian, Al Franken and Alan Alda.

A man of diverse academic and personal interests, Provine enjoys racing his Corvette, painting and playing jazz saxophone. But one of his biggest passions is teaching and researching with students. All of the co-authors on his research papers are UMBC undergraduates, several of whom are featured in his 2000 book Laughter: A Scientific Investigation which he calls “in part, a story about undergraduate research at UMBC.”

Provine’s future plans include a forthcoming article on how tickling is the basis for the self/other perception, the root of social play and a good source of information on how to build better robots. He joins other scientific and literary luminaries in “What is Your Dangerous Idea,” his third contribution to the Today’s Leading Thinkers series of texts based on essays for Edge.org.

He seems very happy to have found a niche that carries his ideas around the world and can take him to the chimpanzee section of the zoo, the opera house and then to the toy store for research. “Unlike most jobs, professors are lucky to be able to pursue their ideas where ever they lead,” he said.

Provine suspects there is a good reason why his research and writing have wide appeal. “The social sciences have traditionally focused on the environmental influences on behavior and the differences between individuals and cultures,” he said. “But my work has attended to basic elements of human nature that all individuals and cultures have in common.”

(12/11/06)

Alumnus Ian M. Ralby Receives Prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Ian M. Ralby, UMBC’s 2002 Valedictorian, will enter the M.Phil. program in International Relations at Cambridge University with funding provided by the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, considered one of the world’s most selective academic awards.

“President Hrabowski and UMBC helped me to become a Gates Cambridge Scholar,” said Ralby, who graduated with a B.A. in Modern Languages and Linguistics and a M.A. in Intercultural Communication. “UMBC nurtured my intellectual curiosity. My work in modern languages and linguistics and intercultural communication helped solidify my passion for international affairs. Through study abroad in Switzerland–made possible by my Humanities Scholarship–I discovered the field of international conflict resolution. UMBC has continued to support me throughout my time in law school and in the practice of law. President Hrabowski remains an important mentor and role model for me. His support has been instrumental in helping me get to where I am today.”

While completing his J.D. at the College of William and Mary in 2005, Ralby was part of a legal team that worked with the U.S. Department of Justice to provide legal research and support for the Iraqi High Tribunal as it prepared its legal case against Saddam Hussein.

When Ralby begins his studies at Cambridge in fall 2007, he plans to focus on means of establishing the rule of law in post-conflict societies, examining how post-conflict justice processes could be better used to facilitate reconstruction. He intends to continue studying for a Ph.D. in International Relations. Ultimately, Ralby plans to devote his career toward assisting failed states as they attempt to recover from collapse.

Since earning admission to the Virginia state bar, Ralby has served as an associate in the Norfolk, Va., office of Hunton & Williams, an international law firm with offices in New York, Washington, D.C., London, Beijing and Brussels.

Read the full news release.

(3/5/07)

Realizing Their Potential: UMBC Interns and Co-ops

Through the Shriver Center at UMBC, hundreds of students stepped outside the boundaries of the classroom this summer and gained real-world experience by participating in an internship or co-op. These students were able to obtain professional opportunities, grasp the links between theory and practice and learn valuable job-related habits and skills at Wyeth Research, Maryland Department of Labor, Department of Defense, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Otto Bock HealthCare, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, W.R. Grace, T. Rowe Price, U.S. Department of State, GE and the Maryland Department of Transportation, among others.

Employers, on the other hand, were given a chance to evaluate potential new employees. John Sheridan, special agent and regional recruiter for the FBI, said, “At UMBC, I always meet a qualified, intelligent, eager and mature student body. UMBC should be very proud.”

Christine Routzahn, associate director of internships and co-ops, said, “The Shriver Center is dedicated to providing employers with the talent and energy that UMBC students offer. By complementing classroom teaching and research with the internship and co-op program, UMBC continues to develop our students as tomorrow’s leaders.”

Click here to read about some of UMBC’s summer interns and co-ops.

(8/29/07)

Realizing Their Potential: UMBC Interns and Co-ops

Realizing Their Potential:
UMBC Interns and Co-ops

Name: Nadeesha Ranasinghe Arachchige
Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Graduation: December 2008
Placement: Wyeth Research

“What I liked most about my internship with the drug safety and metabolism group was the opportunity to work with extremely talented and skilled scientists in sophisticated labs.”

Duties:

Conduct microsomal incubations.

Use HPLC to analyze data.

Perform protein assays.

Future Career Plans: “It has been my lifelong dream to become a doctor.”

Name: Sarah Blusiewicz
Major: History
Minors: Geography, Judaic Studies
Graduation: May 2008
Placement: Governor’s Summer Internship Program Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Office of the Secretary

“Not only did I learn how to better prepare my resume and gain interview skills, I also obtained experience in a career that I am considering after graduation.”

Duties:

Research information for press conferences, meetings, legislation and reports.

Attend labor/community meetings and Federal hearings.

Help resolve issues from Marylanders that are forwarded to the Office of the Secretary.

Assist with writing talking points as well as the department newsletter.

Future Career Plans: “I would like to work for the Maryland Department of Labor or the Federal Department of Labor. At this time I am considering becoming a wage investigator.”

Name: Jillian Dembek
Major Financial Economics
Minor: Biology
Graduation: May 2009
Placement: Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Service Information Technology Management Directorate Business Services Division (WHS/ITMD/BSD)

“This internship has given me a unique insight into the management of funds in the Department of Defense. I am so grateful to the Shriver Center. Without it, I would never have known about this internship!”

Duties:

Research and collect data on government license and maintenance contracts.

Gather law and policy information and ensure it is easily accessible to everyone in the department.

Future Career Plans: “I would love to continue to work for the Department of Defense. It is wonderful to know that through my work I am doing my part to help support our troops and our country.”

Name: Iffat Fatima
Major: Health Administration and Policy
Graduation: December 2007
Placement: Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Compliance

“I was so honored to be selected for the intern position at CMS. I am also very proud to be part of the UMBC community which has been a tremendous help for me since I started my career. My internship at CMS is a great experience because it allows me to understand health administration better and helps me demonstrate my knowledge.”

Duties:

Develop and evaluate national medicare policies and standards on payment methods for services provided by for DMEPOS.

Develop and evaluate Medicare polices for the DMEPOS Competitive Billing Program.

Future Career Plans: “I just obtained a junior analyst position at CMS for the Chronic Care Policy Group. I am really excited and look forward to starting work. I will be attending UMBC full-time while taking graduate level courses and completing my undergraduate degree in December 2007.

Name: Josh Hogge
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Graduation: May 2009
Placement: Otto Bock HealthCare

“Everyday is a day to learn, innovate and change someone’s life.”

Duties:

Research groundbreaking technologies in prosthetic sockets.

Work to improve the manufacturing process.

Research, select, and supervise installation of various machines and systems.

Future Career Plans: “I would like to become involved in Prosthetic R&D or R&D for other health care fields.”

Name: William Joyner, III
Major(s): Psychology and Biology
Minor: Chemistry
Graduation: May 2010
Placement: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Center for Learning and Health

“The Shriver Center gave me an opportunity to earn academic credit while conducting research and gaining work experience at one of the most elite institutions in my chosen career field.”

Duties:

Assist research program in conducting quantitative analysis of alcohol, opiate, cocaine and methadone consumption of substance abuse patients.

Help with urine and breath sample collection, laboratory maintenance and organization, and purchasing and distributing items for participants.

Learn about psychological research, particularly research focused on behavioral therapy.

Future Career Plans: “I plan to pursue a career in psychiatry.”

Name: Guy Kamguia
Major: Chemical Engineering
Graduation: May 2008
Placement: W.R. Grace

“Thanks to the Shriver Center, I am working for one of the best chemical companies in the world. I am acquiring important technical skills and most importantly I am finally applying what I learn in class. My internship has been a tremendous opportunity for me to gain experience as a future chemical engineer and I am loving it.”

Duties:

Use chemical engineering principles to identify and quantify opportunities to reduce materials and energy usage through process improvement.

Collect and analyze operating data from plant process control systems to identify current operating conditions and areas for improvement.

Design and conduct lab-scale experiments to evaluate potential process improvements

Collect and test plant samples to aid in identification of improvement opportunities.

Assist with plant quality improvement projects and testing to confirm the effectiveness of projects.

Future Career Plans: “After obtaining my Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, I plan on working for one of the best chemical companies in the US for a couple years. I also plan on obtaining my M.B.A and becoming a leader in the engineering world.”

Name: Laura Kull
Major: Information Systems
Graduation: May 2008
Placement: T. Rowe Price

“My internship gave me an opportunity to apply knowledge I’ve gained in the classroom to real work experience. I now feel more prepared to enter the workforce after graduation. Through this internship, I was able to expand my knowledge of the System Development Life Cycle, SQL, Oracle and DB2.”

Duties:

Work with a development team in the Retail Department of T. Rowe Price Investment Technologies.

Participated in the steps of T. Rowe Price’s System Development Methodology process.

Draft investigation documents, requirements and test cases; perform testing, and participate in production support meetings.

Future Career Plans: “After graduation, I plan on pursuing a career as a business analyst and continuing the Combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science program in order to receive a Master’s Degree in Information Systems.”

Name: Winnie Nham
Major: Political Science
Minor(s): Music (Violin Performance), International Affairs, and Intercultural Communication
Graduation: May 2009
Placement: United States Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor East Asia section at the Asia and Western Hemisphere Office

“Working at the State Department has exponentially increased my awareness of the role the United States plays in affecting the lives of so many ordinary individuals throughout the world. My internship has also helped me focus my personal career goals and has provided me with the opportunity to meet important members of the State Department, the NGO community, and other talented college students across the nation.”

Duties:

Write and respond to constituent letters written to the President/Secretary of State on human rights abuses in East Asia.

Meet with NGOs who receive grant money from the U.S. Government to work on humanitarian aid.

Comment on asylum applications for the immigration courts.

Brief checklists for undersecretary/assistant secretary meetings with various ambassadors and diplomats.

Future Career Plans: “Next fall I will be studying abroad for a semester in Beijing, China. After I graduate from UMBC, I plan to pursue a Master’s degree in International Relations and take the Foreign Service Officer Test to hopefully become a Foreign Service Officer and represent the United States overseas.”

Name: Justin Pickering
Major(s): Information Systems and Economics
Graduation: May 2009
Placement: GE Money Americas IT Testing Center of Excellence, Enterprise Platforms

“The best part about my internship was that I was the lead on an actual project that directly impacted the productivity of my team. In other words, my results mattered to my team, in that if I did not complete my project, their process would continue to suffer. That drove me to give 120% all the time. In addition, the fact that I can gain credit for my internship within my major is a huge plus.”

Duties:

Plan, build, document, and capture metrics on a process workflow to allow for the automation and tracking of this process, step by step, in a form online that is viewable and accessible by everyone.

Research additional online tools by which user-defined fields used by many credit card clients are tracked and shared.

Complete some actual account testing that my department is in charge of.

Turn all of the documentation that I have created into a “Best-Practice” model that others at GE will be able to follow in order to automate their own processes using workflows.

Future Career Plans: “I plan on working toward my Master’s degree in Information Systems and continuing to pursue an employment role that blends together both IT and business. I would like to continue to work for GE because of their strong credentials in IT as well as their good reputation for molding their employees into dedicated leaders who motivate others and drive change.”

Name: Amanda Rosenbush
Majors: Political Science and Spanish
Graduation: May 2008
Placement: MD Department of Transportation Fellows Intern Program State Highway Administration, Office of Equal Opportunity

“Having studied this past semester abroad in Spain, the Shriver Center proved to be the link I needed to acquire a meaningful summer internship upon my return home, even while still thousands of miles away. I can’t describe my gratitude for the connections and partnerships that the Shriver Center has established for UMBC students — they get your foot in the door and then some.”

Duties:

Design and develop a Spanish Language Instruction Program partnership between SHA and UMBC.

Translate documents to Spanish as a part of OEO’s Limited English Proficiency Program.

Attend meetings and seminars to help brainstorm changes and improvements for the Limited English Proficiency program.

Research and compose a policy paper for the MDOT Fellows Intern Program.

Future Career Plans: “Upon graduating, I plan to teach in a bilingual classroom in New York City as a part of the Teach for America program or teach international education in Brazil through the Fulbright program. I then aspire to attend law school to study international law in order to prepare myself to advocate for international human rights at an international organization such as the United Nations or the World Bank.”

(8/29/07)

All posts by: UMBC News Staff

UMBC Faculty and Staff Discuss Mental Illness at Mosaic Rountable

UMBC Faculty Violinist Airi Yoshioka Honored for Music Education and Outreach

UMBC Faculty and Staff Discuss Mental Illness at Mosaic Roundtable

UMBC Students Collaborate with Elementary and High School Students to Map the Community

UMBC Faculty and Staff Discuss Mental Illness at Mosaic Roundtable

UMBC Faculty and Staff Experts Discuss Mental Illness and the Campus Community

UMBC Peaceworker Alumni Remain Engaged in Baltimore Communities

UMBC Peaceworker Alumni Remain Engaged in Baltimore Communities

Meet An Eco-Opportunity Employer

UMBC Presents Work by Award Winning Playwright, Alumna

UMBC Presents Work by Award Winning Playwright, Alumna

Dresher Center Expands Humanities Scholarship at UMBC

UMBC Collaborative Digital Storytelling Project Wins International Award

Dresher Center Expands Humanities Scholarship at UMBC

Dresher Center Expands Humanities Scholarship at UMBC

The Serious Science of Human Nature

The Serious Science of Human Nature

Alumnus Ian M. Ralby Receives Prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Alumnus Ian M. Ralby Receives Prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Realizing Their Potential: UMBC Interns and Co-ops

Realizing Their Potential: UMBC Interns and Co-ops

Realizing Their Potential: UMBC Interns and Co-ops

Realizing Their Potential:
UMBC Interns and Co-ops

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UMBC Faculty Violinist Airi Yoshioka Honored for Music Education and Outreach

UMBC Students Collaborate with Elementary and High School Students to Map the Community

UMBC Faculty and Staff Experts Discuss Mental Illness and the Campus Community

UMBC Peaceworker Alumni Remain Engaged in Baltimore Communities

UMBC Presents Work by Award Winning Playwright, Alumna

UMBC Collaborative Digital Storytelling Project Wins International Award

Dresher Center Expands Humanities Scholarship at UMBC

The Serious Science of Human Nature

Alumnus Ian M. Ralby Receives Prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Realizing Their Potential: UMBC Interns and Co-ops

Realizing Their Potential:UMBC Interns and Co-ops

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Important Contacts

Emergency Info

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Top Stories of the Week

UMBC Faculty and Staff Experts Discuss Mental Illness and the Campus Community

Realizing Their Potential:
UMBC Interns and Co-ops