“A Mentor of Many” An accomplished teacher and mentor for countless students at UMBC, J. Lynn Zimmerman credits her parents for her love of teaching and its importance to her. “My mother was a teacher in a one-room school house in rural Canada,” says Zimmerman, a professor of biological sciences who was recently named Presidential Teaching Professor, 2001-2004. “The value of education was always foremost in our home.” But, it was her father and his love of plants that would inspire her most. He was a nurseryman for the city of Detroit. And, “Although he wasnÂ’t educated beyond high school, he… Continue Reading J. Lynn Zimmerman
“The Art of Educational Outreach” UMBC’s Fine Arts Gallery has drawn upon the experience and energy of one of its graduate assistants in the design and organization of its educational outreach initiative for the current exhibition, “Fred Wilson: Objects and Installations, 1979 – 2000.” Imaging and digital arts student Bea Bufrahi ’01, who also worked as an undergraduate intern in the gallery and recently completed another internship with Baltimore’s Contemporary Museum, brought together a rich and diverse offering of educational experiences focusing on museums and their recent collaborations with living artists. Students from Middle River High School, City College, Catonsville High… Continue Reading Bea Buhrafi – The Art of Educational Outreach
“Gifted Young Students Find a Home at UMBC”Compared to their classmates, they’re a little short, and their voices a bit high-pitched, but otherwise, they’re very comfortable as UMBC students pursuing their undergraduate degrees. They are UMBC’s Young Scholars–some, like David Dalrymple, are only 10 years old, others in their early teens–but all are academically gifted and ready for college-level classes. And they are drawn to UMBC as a place that makes them feel welcome. “UMBC is developing a reputation–quietly, and by our actions–as a good place for these academically talented kids to come,” explains John Martello, vice provost for community… Continue Reading Gifted Young Students Find a Home at UMBC
“A Political Insider”History and political science major Tracy Tucker ’00 understands the value of the internships and connections that an honors university can provide. A Humanities Scholar, Tucker participated in UMBC’s Legislative Affairs Internship Program, interning with Maryland State Senator Thomas Middleton. “It was exciting to have such an insider’s view of how our state government works,” she says.Tucker was also one of only 20 students throughout Maryland chosen to participate in the Governor’s Summer Internship Program, coordinated by UMBC’s Shriver Center. She interned with Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s office, an experience which led to her current position as… Continue Reading Tracy Tucker – Political Insider
“Death” Sparks a Writer’s Life For UMBC mathematics professor Manil Suri, it was a publishing debut that brought him attention in a host of national newspapers and magazines, including The New Yorker, Time, the Wall Street Journal, and the front page of The New York Times Book Review. There was also a book tour that took him across the United States and back to his native India, where the audience included many members of his family. There are 19 editions of his book worldwide that have appeared or will appear in the United States, the United Kingdom, and in translation in… Continue Reading “Death” sparks a writer’s life
 “Green Writing” It seems only natural that Jim McKusick would find a way to bring together his passion for nature with his love of literature. His achievement can be found in two new books exploring the emerging field of “ecological literary criticism.” “I’ve been fascinated by the outdoors and the environment since I was a kid,” explains McKusick, chair of UMBC’s English department. “It’s deep in my blood.” As a teenager, he hiked 1,000 miles of the northeast section of the Appalachian Trail, and in subsequent summers, he trekked hundreds of miles of the Sierra Nevada and Pacific Crest trails,… Continue Reading Growing a company on campus
“Growing a Company on Campus” Like many UMBC students, Andy Lufburrow has a job that earns him money and keeps him busy between classes. But Lufburrow’s work is not your usual off-campus employment. He’s the founder and CEO of his own company, Digimo, a web-development firm with a client base of major corporations and headquarters in the UMBC Technology Center. At least it’s an easy commute from work to class. As a freshman, Lufburrow presented his business plan to the UMBC Technology Center and became the first student entrepreneur to set up shop in the center’s high-tech incubator program. It wasn’t… Continue Reading Growing a company on campus
“UMBC’s ‘Aquamen’ Return From Undersea Adventure” UMBCÂ’s own aquamen, biological sciences professor Tom Cronin and graduate student Alex Cheroske, have returned from an undersea adventure as part of the crew of Aquarius, the nationÂ’s equivalent of an underwater space shuttle. The two represented UMBC as part of an eleven-member team studying the unique vision and behavior of marine life off the Florida Keys. For Cronin, the director of UMBCÂ’s Marine-Estuarine and Environmental Sciences (MEES) graduate program, it was another mission in a long career of underwater exploration around the globe and the continuation of ongoing research. Cronin led a 1999… Continue Reading UMBC Aquamen Return From Undersea Adventure
 Karin Readel’s course “Water: an Interdisciplinary Study” introduces students of all majors to science and field research. “An Interdisciplinary Approach to Science”  Hundreds of UMBC undergraduates are fulfilling their laboratory science requirement by getting their feet wet. They are enrolling in Water: An Interdisciplinary Study, a hands-on lab and lecture course that uses the theme of water to explore the process of science. The course, created by Karin Readel, a lecturer in UMBC’s interdisciplinary science program, allows students to work together in small groups to design experiments and analyze results, using the campus as an outdoor ecological laboratory.… Continue Reading An interdisciplinary approach to science
 UMBC students, faculty and staff from the BCURE project participated in the October 13 Race for the Cure in support of breast cancer education and research . “Fighting Breast Cancer in the Lab and on the Street”  While many college students her age spent their summer folding shirts at the Gap or waiting tables, UMBC student Erika Danna spent her break studying the blood, spleen cells, and immune systems of lab mice as part of the fight against a killer. Meanwhile, Greg Small made the daily commute to the University of Maryland, Baltimore to investigate how cells nurture… Continue Reading BCURE Team Fights Breast Cancer
Matthew Levy ’00, was part of an emergency response team that spent 10 days in NY, assisting in the relief efforts following 9/11. “A Rescue Worker’s Chronicle” Matthew Levy was one of the few people rushing towards New York on the morning of September 11.A program manager in UMBC’s Emergency Health Services Program and 2000 graduate of UMBC, Levy is responsible for the online training of disaster medical response teams across the nation. On September 11, though, he was called upon not to train, but to serve.In addition to his duties in the EHS program, Levy is a clinical paramedic and… Continue Reading A Rescue Worker’s Chronicle
Tasch’s patented invention may save the dairy and horse industries hundreds of millions of dollars each year. “Early Detection in the Field”  It’s hard to know if a horse or cow is lame – unlike humans, they don’t complain incessantly about the aches in their limbs – but not knowing is and can be very expensive. Professor of mechanical engineering Uri Tasch has invented a diagnostic device that promises to save animals from pain and their owners from huge veterinary bills.Tasch estimates that the Maryland dairy industry loses close to $500 million a year to livestock lameness, caused by infection, arthritis,… Continue Reading Early Detection in the Field
