All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Women Tech Leaders at bwtech@UMBC Encourage Inclusive Work Environments in Baltimore Business Journal

As the country struggles to attract more women to technology, an article in the Baltimore Business Journal this week explored how women tech leaders in Baltimore are encouraging diverse and inclusive work environments. Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of bwtech@UMBC, and Zuly Gonzalez, founder and CEO of Light Point Security based in bwtech@UMBC, were featured in the article for the example they are setting for women entrepreneurs.

Gonzalez shared her experiences as a women in the cyber security industry, recounting the sexism she has faced in her career. However, she is determined to perverse, saying, “I try not to let that kind of thing affect me.” Hemmerly was also mentioned in the article as one of Baltimore’s several “strong female leaders who others can turn to for inspiration and mentorship.”

“We’re trying to build a stronger innovation economy in Baltimore and Maryland, and we have to harness all the talent and all the brainpower and all ideas to make it happen,” the article quoted Baltimore venture capitalist David Wise as saying. “It’s just common sense to be as inclusive as possible.”

Read “Leveraging leadership to get women to the top of Baltimore’s tech community” in the Baltimore Business Journal.

UMBC Alums: Educating the Community

Here at UMBC our students and alumni understand the importance of education can have on not only our own lives but in the lives of the younger generations. Knowledge allows you to break through social, political, and economic barriers while producing self-pride and a motivation to share the resources we have been given.

Courtesy of Zach Sparks

Austin Murdock ’15, computer science, shares college advice with students from Bodkin Elementary and Chesapeake Bay Middle School. Murdock presented the students with a motivating and educational message about the lessons that he learned throughout his collegiate career and how the “path you take is not as important as what you get out of it.” He shared his story about how he was accepted to all eight ivy league schools but chose not to attend any of them.

To read the full article, click here.

Wutoh photoDr. Anthony K. Wutoh ‘87, biochemistry & molecular biology, was appointed the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Howard University. Dr. Wutoh ascends to his new role after educating students since 1996, when he began his career at Howard University as an assistant professor. In his academic career, Dr. Wutoh’s passion for research has resulted in over $50 million dollars in grants from such reputable organizations such as National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read the full article here.

Have a story of your own to share? Tell us about it in a class note.

Alums Impact Communities Through Careers

mario-alvarado-profileMario Angulo Alvarado ‘15, political science, wants to bring positive change to his community. Studying at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) campus, he made a start on his life’s ambition by serving as USG Student Council president, with guidance from Dr. Andrew Nolan and Chelsea Moyer, program coordinator and Peer Advisory Team manager. He has received numerous scholarships and honors while at UMBC, and this spring the political science department recognized his contributions through the Outstanding Scholar-Leader Award. After graduation, he will continue in a position he started as a student at the nonprofit organization Identity, which serves Latino youth and their families.

amelia-meman-profileAmelia Meman ‘15, gender and women’s studies, understands that even among high-achieving students, not many create a major university program that regularly rallies students around a shared passion for community impact. But Amelia did just that with Critical Social Justice, a campus-wide initiative promoting civic engagement and critical thinking around social justice and the related challenges today’s communities face. During her UMBC career Amelia combined campus leadership, participation in national conferences, and a research assistantship in gender and women’s studies with stellar academic work. She earned a 4.0 GPA and election to Phi Beta Kappa. Inspired by mentor Dr. Kate Drabinski, she plans to earn a Ph.D. in women’s studies following her AmeriCorps service.

Meet More of Our Newest Alums!

UMBC Honored as 2015-2016 College of Distinction

14930051824_16e91d55c2_zUMBC was named a 2015-2016 College of Distinction this month, one of only four Maryland universities to receive the honor. Colleges of Distinction is a college guide for guidance counselors, parents, and students focusing on graduate success, teaching quality, campus atmosphere, innovate learning, and engaged students.

Colleges of Distinction describes UMBC as a “dynamic public university integrating teaching, research and service,” and notes that the university is “consistently cited as one of the best universities for undergraduate teaching and a leading innovator in higher education.” UMBC is also a member of the 2015-2016 Public Colleges of Distinction cohort, joining universities such as the College of William and Mary, University of North Carolina- Wilmington, and University of Texas- Dallas.

Universities are nominated for the distinction by high school counselors, college administrative members, and the Colleges of Distinction selection team. Once nominated, colleges are chosen through a mix of qualitative and quantitative information, including interviews with administration, faculty, alumni, and current students, as well as a college visit by the selection team.

Learn more about Colleges of Distinction.

Ramon Goings, Sherman Scholars, Calls for Increased Representation of African-American Male Doctors

A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) found that African-American males had the lowest application rate for medical school. Ramon Goings, program coordinator for the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program, responded to this report by issuing a call to action to increase the representation of African-American males in the medical profession.

ramongoingsIn a column for The Edvocate, Goings points to barriers in the education pipeline and advocates for improving STEM education and supporting historically Black colleges and universities as they train African-American doctors. “We must work collaboratively to increase the amount of African American males not only attending medical school, but graduating from these institutions,” he wrote. “Solving this issue will require educational institutions (K-12 and higher education) generally, and medical schools specifically to examine how the school climate and culture negatively impact the socialization of African American males.”

Read “Increasing the representation of African American male medical doctors: A call to action” on The Edvocate.

Round Up: UMBC in the News

One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community.

Read more at UMBC Insights!

UMBC Students Collaborate to Produce Audio Documentary About Station North’s Hour Haus on WYPR

Hour Haus

On July 30, a longtime music and arts space in Station North closed its doors permanently. The Hour Haus served as a music practice facility and performance venue for 25 years. American studies student Adam Droneburg produced an hour-long audio documentary which recently aired on WYPR’s The Signal. Dan Goodrich, an interdisciplinary studies major, collaborated with Droneburg on the project and provided photography.

The two students took an American studies course in the spring, “Community in America,” which focused on oral history/audio/mapping work in Station North. The class was funded by a Hrabowski Innovation Grant. Droneburg and Goodrich continued working in Station North over the summer after the class ended. Below is a description on WYPR’s website about the documentary:

“At midnight on Thursday, July 30th, 2015, the final amps and drum kits were reluctantly lugged out of Station North’s longtime music rehearsal space, The Hour Haus. After 25 years as a music practice facility and performance venue, the building is being converted to office space. Audio producer Adam Droneburg and photographer Dan Goodrich spent the past few months chronicling the end of the Hour Haus era, collecting interviews and portraits of the building’s final musical residents.  Today, with a stroke of the clock and the change of a lock, their documentary work has become instant history.”

Listen to “The Last Days of the Hour Haus” on WYPR’s The Signal.

Manil Suri, Mathematics, Writes New York Times Op-ed About Abortion Policy in India

manil suriMathematics Professor and New York Times Contributing Opinion Writer Manil Suri recently published his latest op-ed about abortion politics and legislation in India. In his column, Suri reacted to an amendment proposed last year by the Indian government that would allow abortions to be performed by specially trained registered nurses and licensed practitioners of traditional and alternative medicine systems. Suri analyzed the ongoing debate in India over the proposal, stating that “the real root of the tension is the government’s promotion of alternative medicine as a medically equivalent but cheaper alternative to allopathic (modern) medicine.”

Providing further context, Suri explained that, “There are legitimate concerns against giving equal status to Ayush and allopathic medicine. Although Ayush treatments can be effective in managing chronic conditions, very few are backed by scientifically rigorous evidence…Nevertheless, Ayush doctors provide invaluable services in rural and impoverished urban areas, where allopathic doctors are reluctant to practice. A long-term government goal, consistent with recommendations from the World Health Organization, is to integrate the two systems. This presents ethical and logistical challenges, so progress can be expected to be slow and marked by bouts of friction.”

Read “India’s Inverted Abortion Politics” in The New York Times.

Kristin Waters, Operations, Explores Teleworking in C&U

Kristin Waters, associate director of operators for Admissions and Orientation, published an article about teleworking in higher education in the College and University Journal (C&U), a publication of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). C&U is an educational policy and research journal specializing in emerging concerns, new techniques, and technology in higher education.

In the article, Waters recounts the history of teleworking, the role of modern technology in making remote work possible, and how changing social structures has increased the need for teleworking. She also outlines challenges with teleworking, including inconsistent policies, and makes recommendations for managers, saying, “Communication, management, and trust are impacted by teleworking. Managers should be aware of these impacts in order to implement a successful teleworking policy.” She concludes, “Institutions of higher education have evolved, or shifted, as a result of societal influences…as a result, employees are now able to telework, providing benefits to both the employee and employer.”

Read “Teleworking in Higher Education” in C&U, beginning on page 28.

Andrew Miller, Geography and Environmental Systems, Highlights UMBC’s Role in the Urban Water Innovation Network

UMBC is a founding member and partner of a new consortium of 14 institutions to develop strategies to keep urban water systems healthy and address challenges that threaten them both nationally and internationally. The Urban Water Innovation Network, or UWIN, is led by Colorado State University and will build locally on research by UMBC geography and environmental systems professors Andrew Miller and Christopher Swan, with Claire Welty, a professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering and associate director of research for UWIN, leading UMBC’s participation in the program.

Andrew MillerUMBC was recently featured in The Daily Record for its role in the project. “In the Chesapeake Bay region, there’s a lot of interest in how urban development affects water quality, said Professor Andrew Miller…” the article stated.

“Miller says his own work is concerned with how urban development changes the landscape of an area — such as by flattening hills and diverting surface water underground —  and how those changes can affect water quality…Swan, will look at biodiversity and the impact of green infrastructure projects, such as green roofs and pervious pavement, Miller said.

UMBC’s efforts will contribute to the development of an Urban Water Sustainability Blueprint, which the participating universities will produce in connection with government agencies, nonprofits and private-sector partners, Miller said,” according to the article.

Read more about the project on UMBC’s research news website. Read “UMBC faculty join urban water research project” (subscription required) in The Daily Record.

UMBC Named One of Nation’s Best Colleges by Princeton Review

Involvement_Fest-9906 (1)The Princeton Review has named UMBC one of the nation’s top universities of 2016 in The Best 380 Colleges. At the forefront of UMBC’s profile is the university’s standout academic reputation as a place where “students take education seriously” and “it is cool to be smart.” As one student told The Princeton Review, “UMBC wants to see every student succeed—they provide you with the tools, people, and resources to make sure you get where you want to go in life.”

Prin_9780804126304_cvr_all_r1.inddThe Best 380 Colleges guide reviews colleges based on a survey of over 130,000 students in areas such as academics, administration, student body, financial aid and admissions selectivity. Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s Senior Vice President-Publisher, shares, “Every college in our book has outstanding academics. While our purpose is not to crown one college academically ‘best’ overall or to rank the schools one to 380 on any single topic, our lists provide direct student feedback on the schools’ campus culture, program offerings and cost. Our goal is to help applicants choose and get into their dream college — the college best for them.”

UMBC’s profile in The Best 380 Colleges recognizes a growing reputation in the arts that complements the university’s strong reputation in the sciences, highlighting the Performing Arts and Humanities Building. This stunning new building is now home to programs from music and theatre to English and ancient studies, as well as several performance spaces.12662579304_bb8d3f50d2_zAlso receiving high marks are UMBC’s dedicated and accessible faculty and a campus culture that values diverse perspectives and enthusiasm for learning. “[UMBC has] extremely intelligent professors that have a knack for inspiring the students,” a student told The Princeton Review. The publication notes, “[UMBC] has a strong reputation for diversity and students feel ‘it enriches our school.'” One student shared, “People fit in by being intellectually creative and finding a community with which to discuss important issues.”

Lorraine Remer, JCET, Honored as American Geophysical Union Fellow

LorraineRemerLorraine Remer, research professor of physics and at the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, will become an American Geophysical Union (AGU) fellow at their Fall Meeting in San Francisco. AGU is an international scientific society of geophysicists. This is a tremendously prestigious honor, as only .1% of members are elected as AGU fellows.

Fellowships are given to AGU members who have made exceptional contributions to Earth and space sciences. Remer is the only 2015 fellow from Maryland and will be honored at the AGU Fall Meeting in December.

“Election to AGU Fellow is a tremendous and unexpected honor,” Remer said. “I am hoping that my election to AGU Fellow will help the broad scientific community become better aware of the excellent Earth science research taking place at UMBC.”

UMBC UMBC
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 Directions & Parking

Resources

Important Contacts

Emergency Info

Contact Us

Apply

Top Stories of the Week

© UMBC: A University System of Maryland Member Institution