Donald Norris, Public Policy, in The Gazette

Jul 13, 2012 / 1 minute of reading

Donald Norris, professor and chair of public policy, recently spoke with The Gazette for on efforts to create a Maryland House of Delegates single-member subdistrict in Montgomery County, which would ostensibly aid in the election of a Latino lawmaker to represent a largely-Latino area. Those in favor feel that such a subdistrict would be beneficial in strengthening populations with common backgrounds and interests, while skeptics argue that these efforts could do long-term harm by creating uncompetitive seats and limiting chances to unseat incumbents. Norris listed a number of complexities to the single-member issue, speaking of issues involving parochialism, partisanship, the benefits and… Continue Reading Donald Norris, Public Policy, in The Gazette

Tom Schaller, Political Science, on Salon

Jul 13, 2012 / 1 minute of reading

In a July 12 piece for Salon entitled “Will Obama’s Bain blows land?” Tom Schaller, professor of political science, analyzed the president’s emerging strategy of focusing on Mitt Romney’s history with the investment firm Bain Capital. Schaller expressed doubts that these critiques will work. ” After all, Obama’s populist record is mixed: undeniably strong on some issues (expanded healthcare coverage, student loans and payroll taxes), and spotty if not weak on others (Wall Street prosecutions and reform, extension of Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and job outsourcing),” he wrote. Schaller concludes the piece by writing that “even if the president,… Continue Reading Tom Schaller, Political Science, on Salon

Michael Bok ’14, Biological Sciences, on io9

Jul 13, 2012 / 1 minute of reading

Michael Bok ’14 Ph.D., biological sciences, was featured in a July 8th blog post on the science blog io9. The piece focused on a video, filmed by Bok and posted on his website Arthropoda, of a dead Longfin Inshore Squid whose chromatophores were still active. Bok set the piece to Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel. You can watch the video and read other posts by Bok at Arthropoda.

Stephanie Archer-Smith ’85, Psychology, Named Executive Director of Local Meals on Wheels

Jul 13, 2012 / 1 minute of reading

Stephanie Archer-Smith ’85, developmental psychology, was recently named the executive director for Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland. “We are delighted to be able to hire someone as experienced and capable as Stephanie to lead Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland,” said board president Jonathan Wachs. “She is well-qualified for the post, and her strengths and abilities are tailor-made to lead our organization into the next phase of growth and sustainabiliy.” Archer-Smith, who received a graduate degree at the University of Baltimore, her served as senior vice president of operations for St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore for the past… Continue Reading Stephanie Archer-Smith ’85, Psychology, Named Executive Director of Local Meals on Wheels

New Play From Alumna Erica Smith ’03, Theater, Debuts

Jul 13, 2012 / 1 minute of reading

The Mobtown Players are producing the latest play by Laurel resident and alumna Erica Smith ’03, theater. The play is entitled Come Out and Say It, and was chosen from among three by local playwrights which were given staged readings last fall by the Mobtown Playwrights Group (MPG), according to theater website BroadwayWorld Baltimore. The synopsis given on The Mobtown Players’ website goes as follows: “Five people. Four pros. Three murderers. Two lovers. One miscalculation. As Vale deals with the aftermath of a heist gone wrong, he sees his plans—and his life—fall apart before his eyes. In Come Out and… Continue Reading New Play From Alumna Erica Smith ’03, Theater, Debuts

Dan Ritschel, History, on Maryland Morning

Jul 12, 2012 / 1 minute of reading

Dan Ritschel, professor of history and director of the Center for History Education, was a guest on Maryland Morning during a July 11th segment on Maryland’s newly-added government assessment test for high school seniors. The test, which will be first given in 2017, was part of a new law passed by the Maryland General Assembly this spring. Ritschel spoke of the importance of the test’s introduction, but noted also that other fields – including his own – remain somewhat neglected as the high school level. “There used to be a Maryland performance assessment in history until 2002, and following the introduction of the… Continue Reading Dan Ritschel, History, on Maryland Morning