Formula for Success: Ronita Marple '05 Ph.D., chemistry

Oct 3, 2011 / 2 minutes of reading

As an analytical chemist and senior scientist for consumer goods giant Proctor & Gamble, Ronita Marple ’05 Ph.D., chemistry, observes that it’s not unusual for her to walk past a lab and catch a glimpse of a robot testing a product by performing a household chore over and over again, for hours on end, to identify a product’s weaknesses without stressing out human testers in the process. Such grueling tests are part of how all of the nearly 125 products marketed by Proctor & Gamble end up in a consumer’s shopping cart. So is Marple’s own job mundane and robotic?… Continue Reading Formula for Success: Ronita Marple '05 Ph.D., chemistry

How To Grow Your Big Idea: Vivian Armor '73

Sep 30, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

With Vivian Armor ’73, director, Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship You wake up one morning with a big, bright light bulb bobbing above your head. You start your day, feed the dog, the light getting brighter by the minute. Pretty soon, it’s keeping you up at night. Well, congratulations. Your “big idea” has arrived – and with it, a world of possibility. So, now what? Do you cash in your life savings for seed money? Get a fancy business degree? Buy the book by that guy in the suit covered in question marks? Maybe you take some (absolutely) free advice… Continue Reading How To Grow Your Big Idea: Vivian Armor '73

A Decade of Service: Shriver Living Learning Center

Sep 30, 2011 / 3 minutes of reading

When Jason Woody ’04, sociology, received his acceptance letter to be part of the first class of the Shriver Living Learning Center (SLLC) ten years ago, he wanted to be a film major. And though he was interested in the social justice focus of the new center, he was also enticed by Erickson Hall, the sleek new dorm on campus that SLLC students would call home. Woody found the SLLC’s service mentality contagious and it quickly came to define his worldview. In his sophomore year, he came across a poster asking students to dedicate service hours to honor those killed… Continue Reading A Decade of Service: Shriver Living Learning Center

Climbing the Ladder: Zach Clark '06, psychology

Sep 30, 2011 / 2 minutes of reading

In 2008, former UMBC Retriever pitcher Zach Clark ’06, psychology, was with the Frederick Keys – a Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles – when he got the news that he was needed at Class AAA Norfolk Tides for a spot starting assignment. The good news traveled fast, but Clark didn’t. It was only after a long bus trip with the Keys from Kinston, NC, to Myrtle Beach, SC, and an early morning flight to Syracuse, NY, that Clark finally joined his new club. He pitched for the Tides that same night. “I slept at the hotel during the… Continue Reading Climbing the Ladder: Zach Clark '06, psychology

Words and Music: Adam Trice '04, English

Sep 30, 2011 / 2 minutes of reading

Open the door to Annapolis’ Rams Head Tavern and the sounds of upbeat banjo and guitar fly out into the warm night air, followed by closely by the gruff voice of Adam Trice ’04, English – who’s in the middle of a 45-minute set with his band, Red Sammy. “It ain’t you, it ain’t her,” Trice growls tunefully in a song called “It Ain’t You (Carolina Road Anthem).” “I’m heading south, but I’m not sure. You got me high, it’s kind of funny. I’m playing bars for gas money.” Trice dubs Red Sammy’s music as “graveyard country” because he likes… Continue Reading Words and Music: Adam Trice '04, English

Alumni Accolades – Outstanding Alumni of the Year 2011

Sep 30, 2011 / 3 minutes of reading

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

Filmmakers at UMBC Homecoming

Sep 30, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

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

Striving to Make a Difference: Joseph T. Jones, Jr. ’06

Sep 30, 2011 / 11 minutes of reading

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

Striving to Make a Difference: Joseph T. Jones, Jr. '06

Sep 30, 2011 / 11 minutes of reading

Measure of a Mission

Sep 30, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

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

Focusing on Students: Scott Ward '92 Wins Endowed Chair

Sep 29, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

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

Catching the Weather Bug: Bob Marshall '88, Mech Eng

Sep 26, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

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

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