Among the highlights of UMBC’s Homecoming 2011 is a ceremony that honors university alumni who have achieved distinction in a wide range of disciplines and careers. The UMBC Alumni Association – which selects recipients and presents the awards – moved the annual Outstanding Alumni of the Year ceremony back to campus in 2009, and it has since become a key element of the university’s celebration of school spirit. This year’s recipients of the awards – which will be presented on Thursday, October 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery – include alumni who’ve reached prominence in… Continue Reading Alumni Accolades – Outstanding Alumni of the Year 2011
This year’s Arts and Humanities Afternoon at UMBC Homecoming on Saturday, October 15, 2011 will focus on alumni filmmakers. To whet your appetite for our afternoon discussion on the art of moving images, we’d like to introduce you to some of the filmmakers who’ll be coming to the event, which will be held in the Skylight Room of the UMBC Commons from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. We’re also planning some screenings of the work of these filmmakers on campus in the week before the event. Please stay tuned! Films by the alumni filmmakers will be shown at the Skylight… Continue Reading Filmmakers at UMBC Homecoming
Once upon a time, Joseph T. Jones, Jr. thought he couldn’t escape the city’s mean streets. Now he’s leading efforts to help reclaim the families broken by urban ills. By Elizabeth Heubeck ’91 Photos by Bruce Weller Searing waves of heat already ripple through West Baltimore at 9 a.m. on a Friday in July. The streets around 2201 N. Monroe Street – headquarters of the Baltimore-based nonprofit Center for Urban Families (CFUF) – are all but deserted. Inside the center’s air-conditioned conference room, 40 or so adults – men and women, black and white, some as young as 18 and… Continue Reading Striving to Make a Difference: Joseph T. Jones, Jr. '06
Once upon a time, Joseph T. Jones, Jr. thought he couldn’t escape the city’s mean streets. Now he’s leading efforts to help reclaim the families broken by urban ills. By Elizabeth Heubeck ’91 Photos by Bruce Weller Searing waves of heat already ripple through West Baltimore at 9 a.m. on a Friday in July. The streets around 2201 N. Monroe Street – headquarters of the Baltimore-based nonprofit Center for Urban Families (CFUF) – are all but deserted. Inside the center’s air-conditioned conference room, 40 or so adults – men and women, black and white, some as young as 18 and… Continue Reading Striving to Make a Difference: Joseph T. Jones, Jr. ’06
The tale of a successful capital campaign is often told by the numbers. And by that yardstick, UMBC’s Exceptional by Example Campaign was a success. The campaign exceeded its $100 million goal by $15 million – and strengthened UMBC in ways that improve access to the university, attract and retain the best students and faculty and support vital research. But look past the spreadsheets and statistics and you’ll find stories of individual people – those who gave to the campaign and those whose lives and education were advanced in the effort. Read the full story in UMBC Magazine‘s Fall 2011… Continue Reading Measure of a Mission
Congratulations to Scott Ward ’92, director of aquatics at the McDonogh School, who was recently recognized for his excellence in teaching with the Thomas R. Harper Endowed Teaching Chair. From the Reisterstown Patch: Scott Ward, director of aquatics at the McDonogh School, isn’t much for personal accolades. Ward, a 1992 UMBC graduate, doesn’t know his record of wins as swimming and water polo coach at McDonogh, where he thinks he’s worked for about 18 years, give or take. That Ward doesn’t even keep track of the most simple statistic – time of service – makes his point. “I just feel like… Continue Reading Focusing on Students: Scott Ward '92 Wins Endowed Chair
Do you think clouds are cool? Have a penchant for prognostication? Well, Bob Marshall ’88, mechanical engineering, is your man. A story in the Washington Post says Marshall — owner of Earth Networks — “prays for crazy weather.” “We buzz off this stuff,” Marshall says, staring at his computer monitor as it follows a path of lightning across Massachusetts. His company, Earth Networks, grosses $50 million from its 10,000 suitcase-size weather stations spanning the globe. The information pours in to the privately held company’s Germantown headquarters, home to Marshall and a posse of scientists and meteorologists. Local emergency crews subscribe… Continue Reading Catching the Weather Bug: Bob Marshall '88, Mech Eng
Maria Satyshur ’11 is helping keep UMBC and our amazing students in the headlines. This recent grad just published an article in the Arbutus Patch. The article profiles two UMBC students who cycled across the United States to support the fight against cancer. From the article: Now that summer is coming to an end, most of us are reminiscing about lazy afternoons at the pool or our favorite vacation spot. But UMBC students Omar Bukhari and Adam Gerber are reflecting on their amazing 70-day journey, biking 4,000 miles from Baltimore to San Francisco to help support the fight against cancer… Continue Reading Covering the UMBC Beat
Joseph Schmitz ’80, sociology, a former principal and 20-year veteran within the Harford County Public School System, has been named executive director of high school performance for that system, a press release from HCPS announced. According to the Harford County Dagger website: Mr. Schmitz served as assistant principal of Edgewood High School before being promoted to principal of Edgewood High and then Fallston High schools. Prior to his administrative experience, Mr. Schmitz taught at Edgewood High for six years. “Mr. Schmitz has served in administrative positions at the high school level for 13 years,” said Harford County Superintendent of Schools… Continue Reading Veteran Educator Promoted in Harford County
Commercials will tell you to blame your cell phone carrier for problems with reception. They’re partly right, though location also plays a role — a Metro train might not be the best place for a heart-to-heart with a loved one. But a seldom acknowledged source of bad reception comes from a basic challenge of signal processing. Cell phones convert data from two distinct channels of radio waves into information that can be used and understood. The same signal processing challenge applies for a wide range of devices used in communications, medicine and other fields. For decades, engineers made various assumptions… Continue Reading Can You Hear Me Now?
Maryland House Speaker Pro Tem Delegate Adrienne Jones ’76, psychology, toured the new Performing Arts & Humanities building this morning along with UMBC president Dr. Freeman Hrabowski and others. “It is clear that our governor and other state officials understand how important this project is for our campus. And the leadership of our alumna, Del. Jones, was pivotal in ensuring the building’s completion,” said Dr. Hrabowski. The first phase of the building will open in Fall 2012; the second phase will open in 2015. Read more about the PAHB here. (L-R): UMBC architect Joe Rexing, Patty Carper (Whiting Turner), Dr.… Continue Reading Del. Adrienne Jones '76 Visits Performing Arts & Humanities Building
