All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Modeling the Subsurface of the Earth

Mathematics and statistics professor Sue Minkoff and two of her Ph.D. students are engaged in a mathematical geoscience project that will lead to greater understanding of the Earth. Now in its second year, the collaborative project with Rice University is funded by a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation.

The overarching mission of the project, Minkoff says, is “to understand statistical properties of the earth at a variety of different scales.” At Rice University, much of the emphasis is on developing a basic understanding of the deep crust of the earth and issues related to near-surface environmental cleanup. At UMBC, students Tanya Vdovina and Oksana Korostyshevskaya are developing efficient mathematical algorithms for modeling the subsurface of the earth.

A large chunk of the project involves inversion, a process in which researchers attempt to learn about material properties of the earth without actually digging up the subsurface and causing environmental damage. The strategy is similar to a CAT or MRI scan, or an ultrasound used to view a developing baby. During inversion, an elastic wave is sent into the earth and interacts with the heterogeneous layers that make up the subsurface. Based on the message that the wave sends back, it is possible to obtain geophysical information without the need to actually dig.

Minkoff’s students are focused on finding a quicker way to solve the wave equation mathematically so that researchers can tackle the large amounts of data one encounters in these problems in reasonable time. The goal is to match this data through repeated solution of the wave equation, all the while tweaking the elastic parameters in the model to better fit the data. “This is a time-dependent problem; one of the algorithms we are looking at for solving the elastic wave equation is staggered in both space and time, so conceptually it gets very challenging,” says Minkoff. “I think they [Vdovina and Korostyshevskaya] understand it better than I do!”

Vdovina and Korostyshevskaya, both of whom have a solid theoretical background, have never engaged in such a large project before. “It’s very different from doing homework for class,” says Korostyshevskaya. “You can feel the difference. It’s interesting to work on a project with such a practical application.”

A National Model for Math and Science Education

A partnership between UMBC, Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS), Maryland State Department of Education, and the Achievement Initiative for Maryland’s Minority Students is helping to create a national model for improving pre-K through 12th grade math and science education.

SUPER STEM [School-University Partnership for Excellence in Research-based (SUPER) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)] is funded by a five-year, $13-million grant from the National Science Foundation Math and Science Partnership program, and promises to accelerate student achievement and reduce achievement gaps by enhancing teacher and school effectiveness.

The SUPER STEM project is an extension of UMBC’s successful Urban Teacher Education (UTE) program for schools in Baltimore County. “Our emphasis is on improving teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and diagnosing student understanding of math and science to accelerate student learning and achievement,” says John Lee, founder and director of UTE. “Teachers learn to access and inventory their students’ current skills and use that as a foundation for further teaching.”

SUPER STEM will increase the number, quality and diversity of teachers from all disciplines by offering performance-based recruitment incentives to attract high-quality teachers and principals to serve in highest-needs (low-performing and underserved) schools and by providing training and professional development to nearly 2000 existing principles and teachers on designing, implementing and assessing STEM-focused educational practices.

In addition, six technology-mediated STEM academies at high needs pre-K through 12 schools will allow students and their teachers to develop the information technology skills required for the 21st century. The project will also provide year-round schooling to students attending the STEM academies and special projects that extend beyond the school day.

Assessments of the outcomes and effectiveness of SUPER STEM will be conducted at the student, teacher, school and BCPS level, and the findings will be disseminated through various education conferences across the U.S.

A Decade of Learning and Service

This month, the Shriver Center celebrates ten years of service to the UMBC community and beyond. Founded on December 14, 1993, in honor of Sargent and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Shriver Center was created to engage the strengths and resources of higher education to find creative solutions to the most pressing of social problems. It has since become a national leader in promoting service-learning, civic engagement, and community-based service delivery.

The following are just a few of the Shriver Center’s many accomplishments over the last ten years:

*The Choice Programs, which have been administered in the Shriver Center since its opening, have served 15,000 youth from across the state of Maryland during its 15-year history.  Choice Programs, which include the Choice Program and Choice Jobs, work directly with young people and their families to provide job skills and reduce delinquency. These programs have now been replicated in California and Connecticut.

*Ninety percent of the Shriver Peaceworker Program’s alumni are currently employed full-time and 100 percent continue in careers of public service. More than 80 percent of the participants in this program for returned Peace Corps volunteers came from outside the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, but 74 percent continue to live in the area after graduation as they pursue careers in public service.

*Over the last ten years, the Shriver Center has placed over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students in internships, cooperative education and service-learning opportunities.

Building upon these accomplishments, the Shriver Center continues to expand its services to UMBC and the surrounding community.

*The Shriver Living Learning Center, now in its fourth year, offers 29 undergraduates with interests in public service the opportunity to live together in Erickson Hall. These students commit to performing five hours of community service per week and taking a practicum class that allows them to reflect on their service experience.

*The Shriver Center collaborates with the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Engineering and five Baltimore areas middle schools in the Teaching Enhancement Partnership Project (TEPP), an effort funded by the National Science Foundation. This program, now in its second year, brings UMBC students into classrooms to provide support to teachers in math, science, engineering and technology education.

*In 2001, the Shriver Center initiated the Kauffman Entrepreneur Internship Program, which provides undergraduates with first-hand learning experience in entrepreneurship. Students in the program work in a semester-long internship with start-up or emerging companies, including some located in techcenter@UMBC.

A ten-year anniversary celebration from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10 will highlight the accomplishments of the Shriver Center through testimonials of participants and beneficiaries of the many Center initiatives serving the Baltimore area and beyond. Opening remarks will be delivered by President Freeman Hrabowski. Honored guests are Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver. The event will be held in the Skylight Room at The Commons.

Standing Out From the Competition

Have you ever seen a clever product – say, a pair of earmuffs with built-in headphones – and said to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” If so, there’s a good chance Gib Mason, economics ’95, was involved.

The “serial entrepreneur” and CPA is chief financial officer of Baltimore-based 180s LLC (formerly Big Bang Products), an innovative sportswear company whose signature products include stylish fleece ear warmers, scratch-resistant sunglasses and gloves that feature “Exhale Heating Technology,” which uses the wearer’s own breath to warm the hands. In October, the Greater Baltimore Technology Council recognized 180s LLC for its innovative products with a nomination for one of its annual “Purple Cow” awards, given to innovators whose new approaches stand out from the competition.

The entrepreneur bug bit Mason early. While in high school, he convinced a local music store to let him offer customers jazz trumpet lessons. During the 1980s, he was involved with a handful of different businesses, ranging from retail to manufacturing and distribution, with mixed results. “It’s interesting that you always learn more from the failures than the successes,” he says.

After the wood heating business he worked for began to go downhill in 1990, Mason decided to go back to school and finish his degree, 13 years after he’d started college at Miami University in Ohio. With enough work experience to know that accounting costs companies big bucks, Mason decided to take a basic accounting class at UMBC.

“Numbers had always intrigued me, and I thought, ‘I’ll probably learn something and maybe reduce my costs,'” he says. After his first class, he walked up to his professor, Elizabeth Gerkin, and said, “I am going to become a CPA,” Mason recalls. “It was so interesting, it was unbelievable. I had years of life experience with numbers, and what I heard that first night began to put definition to what I was dealing with every day.”

After graduating in 1995, Mason spent five years at Wolpoff and Company, a large, entrepreneurial accounting practice that was acquired by American Express Tax & Business Services, where he was involved in strategic planning, staff development and marketing.

Soon after Mason joined 180s in 1999, he founded a company-wide mentoring program, 180s-4-Students. Mason is working to get more companies involved in similar programs through the new b4students Foundation, which 180s formed with EntreQuest, a corporate training company. Mason’s company also hosts an intern from UMBC’s Kauffmann Entrepreneur Internship Program each year, and last fall he participated in the Entrepreneurship Speaker Series hosted by the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship at UMBC.

Mason’s best piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? “You’ve got to learn to have a duck’s back and some thick skin and keep plugging away,” he says.

Honoring America’s Veterans

For as long as he can remember, freshman Greg Winger has always had a love of history and an interest in foreign affairs. Now, as a Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar at UMBC, he has the opportunity to participate in the Veterans History Project, a program established by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to record the personal histories and testimonials of American war veterans, covering World War I to the Persian Gulf War.

To date, Winger has interviewed over 20 veterans at the VA Hospital in downtown Baltimore and describes his experience as “ranging from tragic to triumphant.” He’s listened to veterans describe the tragic moments that led to their disfigurement and shared in their bittersweet joy when he hears a veteran proudly recall how his African-American lieutenant was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor over 50 years after serving in WWII. The experience has given Winger a deeper understanding of war and soldiers that books and documentaries can only touch upon.

“Through these interviews, I hope to gain a true understanding of Veterans affairs, warfare and the individual soldier,” says Winger. “I have found that there are many misconceptions about America’s wars and warriors and I hope to learn the truth and comprehend these men and events.”

Greg’s interviews, along with all the interviews and documents collected as a result of the Veterans History Project, will be cataloged by the Library of Congress and used to develop online presentations for the Library’s American Memory website.

Click here for more information or to learn how to get involved with the Veterans History Project.

Immigration and America’s Future

 On Nov. 5, UMBC’s Interdisciplinary Studies program is sponsoring its third Mosaic Roundtable (http://www.umbc.edu/mosaic/), a panel discussion by a diverse cross section of UMBC experts on controversial, timely issues.  This semester’s Mosaic examines changes in attitudes and laws regarding immigration after 9-11, and the impact of those changes on research, higher education and the high-tech economy. The panel is made up of four immigrants – an international educator, a physicist, a computer engineer, and a sociologist – three of whom are now U.S. citizens – all with unique perspectives on the issue.

Dr. Arlene Wergin, Director, International Education Services

Arlene Wergin helps over 1,000 international undergraduate and graduate students and 150 international faculty and visiting researchers at UMBC navigate increasingly restrictive federal regulations governing student and exchange visitor visas.

“Our international students and scholars contribute not only to the academic mission of the university, but they also add a valuable intercultural diversity to the campus,” she says. “For many of our domestic students, interactions on campus with international students are their first close and extensive contacts with people from other countries.

Wergin adds, “Current immigration policies and lengthy security checks at U.S consulates abroad make it increasingly more difficult for even the best and brightest international students to enter the U.S. to study.”

Dr. Philip Rous, Professor, Physics

Philip Rous, a physicist and a U.K. citizen, will examine both the history and future of immigrant scientists in the U.S. “Immigrants make up 28 percent of all Ph.D.s currently doing research and development in America,” he says. “Between 1901 and 1991, 44 of 100 Nobel Prizes were awarded to immigrant U.S. researchers or their children.”

Rous will discuss how stricter security policies have made it tougher for high-tech immigrant professionals to get visas. One example is the little-known but controversial “Technology Alert List” used by the Homeland Security Department to “red-flag” students based on their field of research.

“Scientific advancement underpins the development of defense and security technology,” says Rous. “Given that a third of people working in high-tech fields are immigrants, perhaps we might think about whether or not an exclusive immigration policy enhances or degrades U.S. security.”   

Dr. Ray Chen, Professor, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

Ray Chen is interested in how immigration affects the information technology industry. He will examine the question of whether or not Silicon Valley is moving overseas as a result of the U.S. failing to recognize that “immigrants and U.S. citizens are partners in the global competition arena.” 

If America fails to recognize this importance, Chen says, “One in 10 tech jobs could move overseas by the end of 2004.” 

Chen believes that America is currently very friendly towards immigration. But he will argue that America should not only welcome immigrants, but try to keep U.S.-educated immigrants in the States in order to to keep up with global competition. “We are in a global competition for the brightest brains,” he says. “The U.S. will be in the best position if we embrace immigration.”

Dr. Sara Poggio, Associate Professor, Modern Languages and Linguistics

Sara Poggio is a sociologist who studies international immigration, especially from Central and South America. She will discuss the historical, cultural and socioeconomic forces surrounding immigration and whether America can afford to not have immigrants.

“Immigration is not easy,” she says, “So there must be reasons for these migrations. Aside from freedom and economic gains, most migrations from one country to another are partly due to political intervention by the receiving country, which leads to the displacement of certain groups.”

Poggio will also discuss stereotypes such as “immigrants are uneducated” or “immigrants take jobs away from Americans.” “These American perceptions and attitudes are not new or recent,” she says. “They have persisted through time, and remind us that many immigrant groups, past and present, have faced these economic, racial, and cultural rejections.”

“Immigration and America’s Future: Paradox & Perception” takes place Wednesday, Nov. 5, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on the 7th floor of the Albin O. Kuhn Library.

Exploring the Sonic Landscape

Performing classical music‹whether by Bach, Stravinsky, Mozart or a host of others‹presents tough challenges for concert artists, who not only learn the music’s notes, but also master phrasing, articulation and other elements to bring the music to life. But for performers of contemporary classical music (or “new music” in the common parlance‹music written in the past 10 or 20 years), the challenge intensifies: the music is often unfamiliar and far more difficult to play. Sometimes learning just a few seconds of music can take repeated hours or days of rehearsal.

At UMBC, Department of Music performance faculty relish the opportunity to study and perform new music. Two years ago, several faculty banded together to form Ruckus, a group dedicated to performing contemporary music. The newest member is violinist Airi Yoshioka, who joined the department this fall. She describes working with the ensemble as “an eye opening experience…Playing with Ruckus is all about being in the moment and tapping into one’s creativity. Although I’ve played a lot of new music, I previously hadn’t been challenged to improvise as extensively or even compose a portion of a piece.” Other members of Ruckus include flutist Lisa Cella, cellist Franklin Cox, percussionist Tom Goldstein, clarinetist E. Michael Richards, and pianist Kazuko Tanosaki.

By providing an opportunity for intensive collaboration and investigation of new music, Ruckus functions as a research laboratory for the Department of Music. Says Richards, “It’s a rigorous environment. Working closely with each other, and often with composers, helps each of us broaden our insight and understanding.”

In addition to its concerts in the campus’ Fine Arts Recital Hall, Ruckus has extended the visibility of music at UMBC by performing at the University of Virginia, the University of Maryland, College Park, Hartwick College, and the Smithsonian Institution¹s Freer Gallery of Art. This Thursday, November 6, Ruckus will play at the Baltimore Museum of Art as part of the Museum’s First Thursdays program.

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Ruckus will perform twice at the Baltimore Museum of Art on November 6. At 6:30 p.m., the group will present pieces by Fluxus composers, and a concert at 8:00 p.m. will include John Cage’s Variations II and music by Randolph Coleman and Louis Andriessen. Information is available on UMBC’s arts calendar.

A Time to Explore

For freshman Ross Dixon, UMBC is not only a place to obtain a bachelor’s degree and prepare for a career, but also a place to explore the full range of his abilities. Whether he’s studying for his physics courses or adding the finishing touches to his most recent script, Dixon is making the most of UMBC’s many opportunities.

Dixon comes to UMBC as an accomplished 2003 graduate of Hereford High School in northern Baltimore County, with academic credentials that include recognition as a Maryland Distinguished Scholar and recipient of a scholarship from the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce. An aspiring singer and playwright, Dixon was a member of Baltimore County’s All County Choir, Hereford High School’s chamber choir and he performed original works at the Maryland Theatre Festival.

While Dixon is studying physics and plans to attend graduate school for further study in the field of theoretical physics, he intends to continue with his work in music and theater as much as his academic schedule will allow. He currently sings with the Jubilee Singers, under the direction of Janice Jackson, and hopes to add music as either a major or minor. Dixon has also found time to incorporate theater into his busy class schedule by taking a scriptwriting course and using Professor Alan Kreizenbeck’s Performance in Baltimore course to fulfill one of his requirements for the Honors College.

Many students would find the sheer breadth of all these activities to be overwhelming, but Dixon has a common goal that keeps him focused in each of his endeavors. “I consider science, music, and drama all to be alternative forms of communication,” he says, reflecting on his disparate pursuits. “I’m drawn to activities that offer opportunities for sharing ideas and connecting people. When I sing, work on a play, or learn something new in my physics course, I have the opportunity both to learn from the ideas of other people and express my own.”

A Voice for Students in Maryland

In a time of budget challenges for Maryland, UMBC is fortunate to have an experienced voice for students’ interests as a member of the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents. Phil Shockley, only the second UMBC student to be named to the governing body for the 11-campus system, was appointed by Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich in July for a one-year term.

“Phil Shockley has already begun his career in public service, demonstrated by his various academic and community accomplishments,” said Ehrlich. “His dedication to his fellow students will serve as an asset to the Board.”

“I hope to not only represent the student voice, but also represent those who have a vested interest in the future of higher education in Maryland,” Shockley says. “Having a chance to shape the future of higher education in this state is an awesome opportunity.”

Shockley’s goals for his term include improving communication between the Board and student governments at all System schools and working to increase financial aid available to all students in the midst of significant tuition increases throughout the System.

“I have found that one of UMBC’s core values is making each student feel special, and I want to bring that approach to my position on the Board of Regents,” said Shockley. “I hope to ensure my fellow students that their voice will not only be heard, but listened to as well.”

Shockley, a native of Snow Hill on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has already learned how to work with both sides of the political spectrum. He previously interned with Democratic former Governor Parris Glendening and former Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, while being appointed by Ehrlich, a Republican.

Shockley also has extensive student government experience, having served as UMBC Student Government Association president from 2002 to 2003. He will graduate next year with a BS in information systems, a BA in political science, and a certificate in public administration and policy.

Shockley is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, the Honors College at UMBC, and interned as a business analyst in the summer of 2001 with T. Rowe Price. Shockley is also a T. Rowe Price scholar and received several other scholarships including the Byrd Scholarship from the Maryland Department of Education.

Shockley’s post-graduation plans include law school followed by entering the political realm. His ultimate future goal is to one day become Governor of Maryland, and possibly the President of the United States. But for now his focus is on representing his fellow students.

“Unlocking the Mysteries of the Ancient Past”

The faculty members in UMBC’s Department of Ancient Studies share a common goal to provide a classical liberal arts curriculum with an interdisciplinary approach that includes instruction in languages, ancient history, and classical archaeology. This year, the five faculty members who form the core of the department celebrate 25 years working together to offer a fresh perspective on the study of the ancient past.

The department dates back to UMBC’s earliest days. Professor Walt Sherwin has been on the UMBC faculty since the University’s opening in 1966; within the next two years, he was joined by colleagues Rudy Storch and Jay Freyman. The 1978 additions of Carolyn Koehler and Marilyn Goldberg brought together the foundation of today’s Department of Ancient Studies. From the very beginning, the department has embraced an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating the work of historians and archaeologists with the study of the classic Greek and Latin texts. This approach has since become a model for similar programs across the country.

Ancient studies faculty has also been quick to respond to the expanding educational interests of their students. Study abroad has become an integral part of the academic program, with many ancient studies students taking advantage of the department’s yearly travel and funding opportunities. Recent years have also seen the addition of coursework and field opportunities for students whose primary interests are in New World archaeology.

The department’s alumni have found professional success in a wide range of occupations. In addition to teachers, lawyers, and field archaeologists, the ranks of ancient studies alumni also include corporate executives, a former director of the Baltimore Opera Company, and an owner of a private investigation firm. This professional success comes as no surprise to their former professors. “Our program exemplifies the values of the traditional liberal arts education,” says Sherwin. “The skills of critical reading and writing and the exposure to foreign languages and cultures offered by ancient studies are as important now as they ever have been.”

Ancient Studies will celebrate its 25th Anniversary Reunion during its annual Ancient Studies Week (October 3-10). Festivities begin with a special lecture by former UMBC professor Kaddee Vitelli on October 8 at 4 p.m. in the Library Gallery, followed by a Greek dinner at 6 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. Tickets for the dinner are $20 per person and should be reserved in advance. Contact Joyce Tenney at tenney@umbc.edu, (410) 455-2343 for details or visit the ancient studies Web site.

“Forging” the Way to Success

Since graduating from UMBC, alumnus Paresh Shah has successfully navigated the fickle waters of the business world many times over. Now, the highly accomplished businessman and entrepreneur is paving the way for his own success by helping others do the same.

Shah is founding partner and managing director of Forge Advisors, a leading international management consultancy firm that provides valuable business advice to Fortune 1000 clients and entrepreneurs. Forge Advisors helps clients gain or maintain a competitive edge by working with them to formulate business strategies, to identify and evaluate business opportunities, and to launch new products, services or businesses.

A successful academic as well as businessman, Shah graduated first in his engineering class at UMBC, earning his B.S. with honors, including the Chancellor’s Prize, Phi Kappa Phi and President of the Honors Student Association. “UMBC  provided me with the essential knack for problem solving that all successful entrepreneurs must possess,” says Shah.

From UMBC, Shah went on to the Harvard School of Business Administration to earn his MBA. While at Harvard, he founded his first company, Tribeca Designs, which marketed and manufactured consumer and office products. He authored several Harvard Business School cases studies in marketing and distribution, and is currently president of the Wireless Industries Council for the Harvard Business School’s Technology Alumni Association. He also serves on the board of directors of the Indian CEO council and KSJ Travel holding, and is a charter member of TIE, the Indus Entrepreneur. 

Shah’s consulting expertise draws upon his extensive experience as a businessman and entrepreneur. He was senior vice president of business development and strategic sales at Cidera, a wireless satellite networking company. Prior to this, he was vice president of marketing and business development for Aether Systems, a wireless data communications firm. Shah gained managerial experience working as an operations and program manager for Northrop Grumman Corporations (formerly Westinghouse) and gained consulting experience working for Monitor Company, a strategic consultancy firm founded by Harvard Business School professors, as well as from his work at Gemini Consulting. His strong entrepreneurial spirit led him to found the company SafeExchange, which provided software and services to help companies securely conduct business. He later strategically sold SafeExchange to a publicly traded firm.  

In addition to working with companies, Shah also applies his business skills to help guide students on the road to business success. He is an adjunct professor for the MBA program at the University of Maryland’s Robert Smith School of Business.

Leading the Maryland Bar Association

Harry S. Johnson, Political Science ’76, a partner in the Baltimore law firm of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, became president of the Maryland Bar Association in July 2003. He is the first African-American president of the 20,000-member organization. As president, he hopes to encourage lawyers to be leaders in the community and enhance the involvement of minorities in the legal profession.

After graduating from the University of Maryland School of Law, Johnson joined Whiteford, Taylor & Preston and in 1986 became the firm’s first African-American partner. His legal work focuses on product liability, mass tort, professional liability, and other complex litigation. In addition, he continues to be an advocate for minority recruitment in the state’s law firms and has established a mentorship program pairing African-American law students with Baltimore attorneys.

A student-athlete and former president of the Student Government Association, Johnson remains connected to UMBC. He hires UMBC student interns, taught a business law class in the Department of Economics and was instrumental in helping to establish the Second Generation Scholarship Fund for undergraduates who have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of minorities.

Johnson credits UMBC faculty and advisors for guiding him in the direction of law and setting him on a path to success. “UMBC provided a network and a support system that have stayed with me to the present,” he says.