The Original Firesoul: Mary Wyatt ’74, American Studies

Feb 24, 2011 / 4 minutes of reading

When Mary Wyatt ’74, American studies, was a little girl, she loved to retreat to a secret space in her backyard. There, in a patch of grass surrounded by a grove of apple trees, she spent lazy summer days lying on her back and gazing up at the passing clouds. Flash forward to the present day, where the concept behind Wyatt’s favorite childhood ritual – connecting to nature in a ‘sacred’ space – plays a central role in the organization for which she serves as executive director. While the parallels between Wyatt’s favorite childhood indulgence and her current job may… Continue Reading The Original Firesoul: Mary Wyatt ’74, American Studies

Choosing Public Service: Kaliope Parthemos ’93, Psychology

Feb 24, 2011 / 4 minutes of reading

Back in 2001, Kaliope Parthemos ’93, psychology, got some career advice that has resonated with her over a decade of public service. Parthemos was clerking for Baltimore Judge John C. Themelis at the time, and she recalls that he turned to her one day and said: “You belong in the courtroom and you belong as an advocate. Don’t be one of those people who talks about how things should be done, but has never actually worked it and lived it. You know the people. You understand the people. Go fight for the people.” As Baltimore City Deputy Mayor of Economic… Continue Reading Choosing Public Service: Kaliope Parthemos ’93, Psychology

Building Relationships: Diane Bell-McKoy ’73, Sociology

Feb 24, 2011 / 4 minutes of reading

In an office on Chase Street in Baltimore, a fiery one-woman pep rally for a young African-American professional is under way. Diane Bell-McKoy ’73, sociology, is holding forth on the necessity of building as many business alliances as this young woman can, regardless of whether or not she knows precisely where her career is headed. Bell-McKoy is emphatic for a reason. She is determined to see young African-American professionals succeed in the workplace. And she knows first-hand that the strategy she espouses works. Bell-McKoy credits her long-term career success with her own ability to choose mentors carefully and to build… Continue Reading Building Relationships: Diane Bell-McKoy ’73, Sociology

Man (of the) Walking Dead: Arnold Blumberg ’93, English

Feb 24, 2011 / 5 minutes of reading

Zombies have been multiplying rapidly in our popular consciousness in recent years. Whether it’s the high drama of AMC’s new television hit The Walking Dead or the high comedy of Seth Grahame-Smith’s Jane Austen parody Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the dead aren’t just walking, but marching on popular culture. Arnold T. Blumberg ’93, English, thinks a lot about zombies and pop culture. He’s written a book – Zombiemania – about the phenomenon and even teaches a course on zombies in media at the University of Baltimore. (He’s also written widely and taught on other topics in popular culture, including… Continue Reading Man (of the) Walking Dead: Arnold Blumberg ’93, English

Fishing Without a Net

Feb 24, 2011 / 10 minutes of reading

In UMBC’s Department of Marine Biotechnology, Yonathan Zohar and his colleagues are creating sustainable fish farms that may revolutionize our notions of fishing and seafood. – By Anthony Lane A well-known proverb appears on a wall near the entrance to the Columbus Center on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor: Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. A worthy sentiment, yes. But what happens if we use up the bounty of the world’s oceans and seas? Talk for a few minutes with aquaculture pioneer Yonathan Zohar and you might… Continue Reading Fishing Without a Net

Marching Into the Future

Feb 24, 2011 / 10 minutes of reading

UMBC associate professor of history Anne Sarah Rubin is at the forefront of using digital approaches to research history and other areas in the humanities. – By Scott McLemee The very thought of a website devoted to Sherman’s March may inspire mild dread. After all, the path of destruction that General William Tecumseh Sherman and the Union Army blazed across Georgia during the final weeks of 1864 was one of the most violent episodes in American history. But by some unwritten law of the Internet, historical trauma nearly always returns as digital kitsch. One braces for a cross between a… Continue Reading Marching Into the Future

Extend & Elevate: Dance at UMBC

Feb 24, 2011 / 5 minutes of reading

Like any campus, UMBC is a blur of movement when school is in session. But when that motion is concentrated, studied, refined or performed – it can become truly special. UMBC’s Dance Department is the core of that activity, blending the grit of classes and rehearsal with the grace of performance. But the celebration of dance is not confined to classrooms or concert halls. At UMBC dance is contagious, filling up The Commons, the RAC and even Beuys Sculpture Park with the beauty of bodies in motion. REBECCA M. JUNG ’87 In a master class for UMBC students, Rebecca M.… Continue Reading Extend & Elevate: Dance at UMBC

Excellence and Affordability – UMBC Recognized by Princeton Review

Feb 24, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

UMBC is one of 50 public institutions in the United States recognized by The Princeton Review as a “Best Value College” offering a combination of educational excellence and affordability. The ranking was announced February 22 on the Today Show and in USA Today. Read the full story here.

A Comic Life: Donna Lewis '86

Jan 31, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

A comic strip created by Donna Lewis ’86, English, an attorney in Washington, D.C., will be syndicated through the Washington Post Writers Group, according to the Baltimore Jewish Times. Enter Lizzie, the “star” of “Reply All,” a new comic strip scheduled to debut on Monday, Feb. 28, through the Washington Post Writers Group syndicate. Penned by Baltimore-born cartoonist Donna A. Lewis, “Reply All” is loosely based on the artist’s own life: Lizzie is a single woman who is doing well in her career, but who still harbors self-doubts. “She’s modeled after successful women who like who they’ve become,” says Ms.… Continue Reading A Comic Life: Donna Lewis '86

Brian Dannelly '97 to Direct Glee Star

Jan 31, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

Brian Dannelly ’97, visual arts, has been tapped to direct actor Chris Colfer in the high school comedy film, “Struck by Lightning.” Colfer recently won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel in the popular TV show “Glee.” On January 20, Variety reported, “Dannelly will be in familiar territory with ‘Lightning,’ having previously helmed teen dramedy ‘Saved!,’ which starred Jenna Malone, Mandy Moore and Macauley Culkin. Dannelly’s smallscreen directing credits include the pilot for ‘Weeds,’ as well as ‘Pushing Daisies’ and ‘United States of Tara.’” Dannelly received a UMBC Alumni of the Year Award in 2005. More information… Continue Reading Brian Dannelly '97 to Direct Glee Star

Goldman '97 Expanding Cake Biz to LA

Jan 26, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

As his Food Network show “Ace of Cakes” comes to an end, celebrity chef Duff Goldman ’97 is expanding his immensely successful Charm City Cakes business to Los Angeles, says the Baltimore Sun. Read the Sun story here.

Dave Giegerich '88, Founder of the Hula Monsters, Passes Away

Jan 26, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

Dave Giegerich ’88, a well known Baltimore-Washington area musician, has passed away. Giegerich founded the Hula Monsters, and had played at the White House and the Kennedy Center. Read the full story in the Washington Post.

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