All posts by: UMBC News Staff

UMBC Awarded Maryland Humanities Council Grant for “Mapping Dialogues” Project

As part of its latest major grant cycle, the Maryland Humanities Council awarded UMBC a $10,000 grant for “Mapping Dialogues,” a project that focuses on the history and culture of the Baybrook and Sparrows Point communities.

Working with industrial neighborhoods in Baltimore, the project uses maps as starting points for discussions on the past, present, and future of industrial space. The project centers on two historically interrelated yet geographically separate areas: Baybrook in the southern tip of Baltimore and the Sparrows Point Steel Mill communities situated just across the southwestern city border in Baltimore County.

46-Mill-Stories-640x425Dialogues will be held with residents in both local communities and then brought to the general public at the Baltimore Museum of Industry (BMI). People will interact with large maps to engage in conversation and share their stories and memories, including their experiences of how neighborhoods change when industry declines and leaves.

“Grant categories and criteria encourage free public programming in many forms, using the humanities as the central tools to explore and understand the complexity of our human experience. Grant awards aim to engage diverse audiences and serve Maryland communities that are not currently served by other MHC programs,” a press release announcing the grant stated.

Pres. Hrabowski Discusses the Power of Education on The Kojo Nnamdi Show

President Hrabowski visited WAMU’s The Kojo Nnamdi Show on July 7, 2015 to discuss how his upbringing during the Civil Rights movement inspired his passion for making higher education more inclusive.

hrabowskiDuring the interview, Dr. Hrabowski touched on the themes in his latest book, Holding Fast to Dreams: Empowering Youth from the Civil Rights Crusade to STEM Achievement. As a child, the importance of well-rounded education was impressed upon him and he spoke about prioritizing multiple disciplines.

“We have to stop making this major distinction between STEM…and reading and the humanities and the arts,” he said. “These are false distinctions.”

Pres. Hrabowski highlighted the power of education to enable talented students from all backgrounds to contribute to solving the world’s most complex problems, which require creative, collaborative solutions.

“Recent reports from the National Academy of Sciences say that two-thirds of Americans of all races who begin with a major in science or engineering will leave within the first year or two.” He explained how at UMBC “we have rethought how we teach” to make courses more engaging and learning communities more supportive. This has boosted student success in STEM as well as across the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

“We have people of all backgrounds from all over the world becoming scientists and solving the problems of humankind, while others are thinking about social science issues from health disparities…to issues of economic inequality,” Pres. Hrabowski explained. “Those problems are bigger now than ever… Those are the things we are thinking about and focusing on at UMBC.”

The interview also covered the Baltimore protests and Common Core standards, as well as the need to teach students about the necessity of struggling with issues and subjects, rather than expecting instant gratification. Additionally, several alumni called in to the show to thank Dr. Hrabowski for his work and share their UMBC experiences.

Listen to Dr. Hrabowski on the Kojo Nnamdi Show.

David Hoffman, Student Life, Outlines Attributes for Civic Engagement on American Democracy Project

When the American Democracy Project met in New Orleans last month, founder George Mehaffy described some early civic engagement efforts as “marginal, episodic, and celebratory.” David Hoffman, assistant director of student life for civic agency, responded to Mehaffy’s comments by suggesting language to describe positive attributes of civic learning and democratic engagement efforts.

david_hoffman_300x375“We need equally clear and concise language to describe the positive attributes of profoundly valuable and impactful civic learning and democratic engagement efforts,” Hoffman wrote on the American Democracy Project’s website. He proposed four attributes that should describe civic engagement efforts, including integral, relational, organic, and generative.

“Our civic learning and democratic engagement efforts are strongest when they embody all four of these attributes,” Hoffman said. “To the extent that one or more of them is missing, we risk teaching and learning lessons we do not intend about the intractability of our problems, the rigidity of our roles and relationships, and the limits of human agency and democracy itself.”

Read “Describing Transformative Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Practices” on American Democracy Project.

UMBC: Quality and Value

Quality and Value

The Fiske Guide to Colleges names UMBC as a “Best Buy” for students.

In a moment when both the quality and the price tag of a college education are being scrutinized closely by parents, students and government officials, UMBC is consistently recognized as a standout in both categories.

The latest evidence? UMBC has been named a “Best Buy” university for the second consecutive year in the 2016 Fiske Guide to Colleges. UMBC is one of only 20 public universities, and the only Maryland institution, on the 2016 list, which also includes 24 private universities.

Fiske selects “Best Buy” schools based on the quality of their academic offerings and their affordability. By highlighting UMBC, Fiske researchers recognize UMBC as one of the best values in higher education.

In addition to noting UMBC’s “killer chess team that regularly mops the floor with the competition,” this year the Fiske Guide highlights UMBC’s strong academic programs across the social sciences, humanities, arts, and STEM fields. It specifically recognizes the strength of programs in information systems, psychology, biological sciences, computer science, and visual arts. The guide also notes UMBC’s investment in new facilities, including the Performing Arts and Humanities Building.

Fiske commends UMBC’s supportive campus community, mentioning how First-Year Seminars allow students to closely connect with faculty early in their college careers. The publication notes, “UMBC [provides] students with intimate learning communities, solid academics, and ample resources.”

One student quoted in the guide shares, “Students here tend to be on the nerdy end of the spectrum…but we embrace it.” Another reflects, “We’re focusing on doing big things and being influential people.”

The Fiske Guide to Colleges provides college-bound students and their families with an insider’s look at the academic and extracurricular climates at top colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain. Founder Edward B. Fiske served 17 years as education editor of The New York Times.

Fiske’s high ranking of UMBC in its guide is part of a growing consensus among publications that assess American higher education. UMBC has made consistent appearances over the past decade in other notable guides to U.S. universities that place a premium on quality and affordability, including The Princeton Review and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

(7/9/2015)

© University of Maryland, Baltimore County • 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 • 410-455-1000 •

Career Q&A: Jim Lord ‘99, Visual and Performing Arts

Every so often, we’ll chat with an alum about what they do and how they got there. Today we’re talking with Jim Lord ‘99,Visual and Performing Arts, about his work as the Director of Creative Services here at UMBC.

Jim LordQ: What drew you to UMBC for your studies?

A: I was really impressed with campus and the faculty in the visual arts department when I attended a campus visit. As a transfer student, I was glad to be able to move right into the graphic design program my first semester. UMBC had a great articulation agreement with my community college, so the majority of my credits transferred over with no issue.

Q: You now work at the university. Could you tell us how you got the position and talk a bit about what you do there?

A: I work in the Creative Services department. During my final semester, I ran into a classmate that was stepping down from a part-time position with the group. She advised me to speak with the creative director at the time who was also a past professor of mine. Jeanne Ivy hired me as a part-time web assistant. Four months later they informed me a full-time position was opening up, and allowed me to interview. I got the job and have been with the group in various roles ever since. I am currently the director of Creative Services. I oversee the day-to-day operations of the studio and continue to design materials for the campus community.

Q: You recently received your MFA from UB and were the first student to complete the 60-Credit Integrated Design Program. What was that experience like?

A: The experience was interesting to say the least. Juggling a full-time job, family obligations, and school work was a challenge, but I kept my head down and got through the program without too much heartache. I have my family and friends to thank for their support. I could not have done it without them.

Q: What aspect of creative design do you enjoy most?

A: Seeing my work become a reality. I love walking across campus and seeing my work in the hands of a student, on the side of a bus, or hanging on the side of a building.

Q: What advice would you give to students considering UMBC?

A: Don’t judge this place based on its reputation among your peers. Come to campus and see for yourself what UMBC has to offer. Your experience here is what you make it.

 

Lipitz Professor Named

Shari Waldstein, professor of psychology, has been named the Lipitz Professor for 2015-2016. This professorship is supported by an endowment created by Roger C. Lipitz and the Lipitz Family Foundation “to recognize and support innovative and distinguished teaching and research in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.”

A clinical psychologist who specializes in cardiovascular behavioral medicine and medical neuropsychology, Dr. Waldstein is known internationally for fundamental contributions to the understanding of the links among early, multi-level risk factors for cardiovascular disease, sub-clinical brain pathology, neurocognitive performance, and their development across the lifespan. In recent years she has increasingly focused on identifying the multi-level mechanisms underlying race and socioeconomic status-related disparities in cardiovascular and brain health.

Since coming to UMBC, she has been awarded more than $6,000,000 in grants and contracts. Dr. Waldstein’s contributions to the profession of psychology are numerous. She has served for 18 years as director of the behavioral medicine track in our human services psychology Ph.D. program and has mentored 22 Ph.D. students. She also works closely with colleagues at UMB, where she holds a secondary faculty appointment as professor of medicine.

Read more about Dr. Waldstein’s work. 

Green Works

Here at UMBC, we honor our recent graduates’ accomplishments and look forward to seeing their education and experience continue to grow. We would like to take the time to meet a few of our newest alumni and discover what the future has in store for the Class of 2015.

anna-johnson-profileAnna Johnson ’15, Ph.D., Geography and Environmental Systems has combined her love of gardening with her research interests to have a lasting impact through improving Baltimore’s urban environment and serving an important–and often overlooked—population. As an active participant in the Maryland Green Prisons Initiative, Anna worked with inmates at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women to understand how different plants interact with weeds in vacant lots to improve urban ecology. She has received significant recognition and support for her work as an NSF IGERT Trainee through the UMBC Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education and as a Phipps Botany-in-Action Fellow. She received a Maryland Native Plant Society Research Grant award and served as the Baltimore Ecosystem Study graduate student representative. During her two-year NSF post-doctoral fellowship in biology, she will use herbarium specimens to reconstruct historic plant-pollinator interaction networks, mentored by Dr. Tia-Lynn Ashman at the University of Pittsburgh.

 

Andres CamachoAndres Camacho ’15, B.A., Entrepreneurship and Digital Communication in Interdisciplinary Studies,  is a two-time winner of the Alex Brown Center for Entrepreneurship Idea Competition, Shattuck Family Entrepreneurial Fellow, and was a finalist in the 2015 Cangialosi Business Innovation Competition. For UMBC’s 2012 Idea Competition, he and his collaborators won the top award for Banana Bones, a campus wayfinding mobile app they developed and later sold to Tecore Networks. The team donated a portion of the revenue to help build UMBC’s Entre-space, which is specifically designated to support students as they develop skills in entrepreneurship. For the 2014 Idea Competition, he pitched True Greens, which empowers students to shape their own campus food system. Andres was also the recipient of the 2014 Joseph and Frieda Faiman Eisenberg/VPC Endowed Scholarship.

 

kelsey-donnellan-profileKelsey Donnellan ’15, B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies (Community Health and Nutrition), is a McNair Scholar who has received two BreakingGround grants to launch and extend community initiatives with impact. One supported a seed saving effort in The Garden at UMBC, a community learning space that Kelsey co-founded, where she has served as director of academics. The other grant supported a cooking class with the SUCCESS program that serves young adults with intellectual disabilities. In 2014, Kelsey was also awarded an Undergraduate Research Award to study vegetable and fruit consumption of UMBC students, and co-wrote a winning proposal for the Prove It! competition. She was also selected as UMBC’s nominee for the nationally prestigious Truman Scholarship. This year she has been honored as a Shattuck Family Scholarship recipient and received the Mary Jo Kleiner Award for Outstanding Service to Interdisciplinary Studies. Kelsey has also supported and mentored students as a resident assistant at Harbor Hall and the Walker Avenue Apartments.

Meet more of our newest alums!

Fiske Guide to Colleges Names UMBC a 2016 “Best Buy”

FiskeBestBuy_1UMBC has been named a “Best Buy” university for the second consecutive year in the newly published 2016 Fiske Guide to Colleges. UMBC is one of only 20 public universities, and the only Maryland institution, on the 2016 list, which also includes 24 private universities.

Fiske selects “Best Buy” schools based on the quality of their academic offerings and their affordability. By highlighting UMBC, Fiske researchers recognize UMBC as one of the best values in higher education.

In addition to noting UMBC’s “killer chess team that regularly mops the floor with the competition,” this year the Fiske Guide highlights UMBC’s strong academic programs across the social sciences, humanities, arts, and STEM fields. It specifically recognizes the strength of programs in information systems, psychology, biological sciences, computer science, and visual arts. The guide also notes UMBC’s investment in new facilities, including the Performing Arts and Humanities Building.

Fiske commends UMBC’s supportive campus community, mentioning how First-Year Seminars allow students to closely connect with faculty early in their college careers. The publication notes, “UMBC [provides] students with intimate learning communities, solid academics, and ample resources.”

One student quoted in the guide shares, “Students here tend to be on the nerdy end of the spectrum…but we embrace it.” Another reflects, “We’re focusing on doing big things and being influential people.”

The Fiske Guide to Colleges provides college-bound students and their families with an insider’s look at the academic and extracurricular climates at top colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain. Founder Edward B. Fiske served 17 years as education editor of The New York Times.

Thank you for supporting UMBC!

phonathon thank youOn behalf of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, we’d like to say thank you to all those who supported us in throughout the last fiscal year! Your contribution goes a long way in funding the #1 up-and-coming national university in the United States.

Last year’s contributions made a big difference in funding some new and exciting developments on campus, including the grand opening of the Performing Arts and Humanities Building and the men’s soccer team’s journey to the NCAA tournament. Your gifts also provided support for student scholarship funds, new equipment and curricula to academic departments, grants for undergraduate research…the list goes on.

We are very lucky to have a network of donors so committed to UMBC’s message of innovation and engagement. Thank you again for your continued support!

Manil Suri, Mathematics, Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage on Public Radio International

manil suriJust hours after the U.S. Supreme Court announced a nationwide right to same-sex marriage on Friday, June 26, Manil Suri was interviewed by Public Radio International (PRI) for his reaction to the ruling. Suri, a professor of mathematics and award-winning author, has written extensively about his experience as a gay Indian American. He has also written in the Washington Post and New York Times about Indian government policies and during the interview discussed Section 377 of the Indian penal code, reinstated by the Indian Supreme Court in 2013, which criminalizes homosexual conduct.

Suri shared his thoughts on PRI about what the implications of the U.S. ruling could mean for other nations around the world, including India. “They are bound to really look at what the US is doing,” Suri says. “It’s one of the largest countries in the world and it’s really putting its seal on this, saying marriage equality is here to stay.”

He added the American milestone is an important one as the worldwide conversations surrounding same-sex marriage continue. “There’s back and forth. And I think we’re going to see that in other parts of the world as well.” To listen to the complete interview that aired on PRI, click here.

UMBC Campus Improvements

UMBC has been making some major cosmetic changes to our campus lately and construction workers have become the newest members of the Retriever community. The Alumni Association wanted to spread the news to all of our Alums, especially those of you who have not been to campus in awhile.

Renovations to the West Hill Apartment communities

West Hill ApartmentsOver the past year, construction crews have been working on the renovation of the West Hill Apartment complex. This is the last of the three 1970’s-era apartment complexes that have been fully refurbished within the last five years. Improvements have been made to the building’s outdoor common spaces, exterior and interior finishes, and all of the systems within the complex. This project is set to be completed in the Fall of 2016.

Renovation of the Fine Arts Building

If you have been on campus lately, you are sure to notice the fences that line the perimeter of the Fine Arts Building as it receives partial renovations to the areas that have since moved to the Performing Arts and Humanities Building. Upon completion, the Fine Arts Building will provide a new home to a number of campus departments.

Renovation of the Child Care Center

UMBC’s Child Care Center has been receiving a facelift of its own as the exterior and building’s systems have been updated. The Child Care Center will reopen in August of 2015.

UMBC Event Center

UMBC Events CenterThe university is in the midst of designing a new Events Center that will be able to house 5,000 people. The Center will be used for commencement ceremonies, athletic competitions (specifically for basketball and volleyball), housing UMBC’s athletic department offices and programs, and providing additional space for student life activities and events. The location for the new building will be next to the UMBC Stadium and Soccer Park.

Stormwater Management (Pond) Repair Project

Pond ImprovmentsWork began in December of 2014 to repair the pond in front of the Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid building. The stormwater facility required extensive repair due to the deterioration of major structural components which have significantly reduced the water retention capacity. The improvements that are being made will help to increase the control of stormwater and improve the quality of water flowing to the Chesapeake Bay.

New Campus Entrance

The New Campus Entrance project has seen some major milestones over the past few weeks as access to the new traffic circle at the UMBC Blvd. entrance has opened to drivers. This project was created to reflect the “growth, innovation, and creativity of our university. The university’s goal was  to create an entrance to campus that welcomed students, faculty, staff, and guests that would emphasize UMBC’s high regard for educational opportunity.

Check out Facilities Management for more information!

 

 

Govind Rao, CBEE, Describes Medicines on Demand Research to Bioprocess Online

When the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Battlefield Medicine site found that soldiers posted overseas can sometimes go months without biopharmaceuticals, they looked for a way to quickly produce pharmaceuticals on demand for wartime and disaster situations by seeking out research teams to address the problem.

raoGovind Rao, chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering, is the principal investigator of one such research team focused on creating medicines on demand. He spoke to Bioprocess Online, a leading source of biotherapeutic industry and technical information, about his cutting edge research.

Rao was initially skeptical about the feasibility of the project, but reached a breakthrough when he found Thermo Scientific, a company that that could remove the need for cold chain shipping due to their ability to produce large proteins within hours. After partnering with Thermo Scientific, Rao found David Wood, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio State University, to help purify the proteins in a small container.

The team recently finished the project’s first phase, which proved that their basic ideas could work. They are now in their second phase, which includes creating the device that can produce therapeutic proteins in a ready-to-inject form. “We are entering a new realm of figuring things out,” Rao said. “Everything that happens today to manufacture a biopharmaceutical has to be miniaturized into this briefcase-sized device.”

Click here to read “DARPA’s Challenge: Manufacture A Biopharmaceutical In Less Than 24 Hours” in Bioprocess Online.

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