Policy & Society

Robert Provine, Psychology, in the Washington Post

Oct 26, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

There is a growing body of research indicating that laughter may improve immune function, help lower blood pressure, boost mood and reduce stress and depression, the Washington Post reported on October 24 in a story entitled “Laughing may help ease blood pressure, boost mood and enrich health in other ways.” Robert Provine, professor of psychology, agrees. He said that laughter might benefit the body because it is “an energetic, stressful activity that stirs up all of our physiological systems… involving strong vocalization, an increase in heart rate and blood pressure and muscle contractions all over the body.”

UMBC’s Ellen Hemmerly Receives Innovator of the Year Award

Oct 26, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

Ellen Hemmerly, Executive Director at the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park will receive the 2011 Innovator of the Year Award from The Daily Record on Wednesday, October 26. Hemmerly, who has been Executive Director at bwtech for more than fifteen years, says that the award is less about her and more about the park’s cybersecurity incubator and the community of cybersecurity companies that have clustered there. The incubator currently has thirteen companies. While there are about twenty incubators in Maryland, only one other focuses on cybersecurity. The bwtech@UMBC incubator is home to the CyberHive, which Hemmerly says is a unique… Continue Reading UMBC’s Ellen Hemmerly Receives Innovator of the Year Award

Dennis Coates, Economics, on “NBC Nightly News”

Oct 24, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

UMBC sports economist Dennis Coates appeared on NBC Nightly News on October 23, discussing the effects of a possible NBA season cancellation. Although a lost season would negatively impact related businesses, such as sports bars, some suggest keeping a sense of perspective. Compared to the possible negative economic impact of a lost NFL season—recently averted—Coates argues that a lost NBA season would be “a drop in the bucket. The industry is just too small.” NBC notes that both fans and local business continue to hope for a resolution.

Christopher Corbett, English, Speaks at National Postal Museum

Oct 19, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

Professor of the Practice of English Christopher Corbett spoke at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum on Saturday, October 8, at 1 p.m. Corbett’s talk commemorated the 150th anniversary of the end of the Pony Express. Corbett is the author of “Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth & Lasting Legend of the Pony Express.” A video of Corbett’s talk can be seen here.

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun

Oct 19, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

In his latest Baltimore Sun column, UMBC political science professor Thomas Schaller explores the meteoric rise of Herman Cain as a GOP presidential candidate. Schaller argues, “his surprising showing actually tells us a lot more about the state of the national Republican Party” than about Cain himself. He suggests, “key segments of the Republican primary electorate desperately want an alternative to Mr. Romney,” who “presents himself as the candidate to fall in line behind, not fall in love with.” Read the full commentary to learn about Schaller’s take on Cain’s 9-9-9 plan and identification as a novice in government.

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun

Oct 19, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

The Baltimore Sun reports that following a strong win in last month’s Democratic primary, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is meeting with each of her 40 Cabinet members “with an eye toward a possible shake-up of city leadership.” Such a move is not unusual, says Donald Norris, chair of public policy at UMBC, in the article. “This is a reasonable time to expect those kinds of things to begin happening,” Norris remarked, continuing, “She now has been elected on her own. She’s clearly going to be setting her own agenda and putting her own people in power.”

Dennis Coates, Economics, in the News

Oct 19, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

The economic impact of the 2011 Baltimore Grand Prix was “vastly smaller than the projections by the events promoter,” UMBC economics professor Dennis Coates asserts in a newly released study (pdf), coauthoed with Michael Friedman of the University of Maryland. They estimate attendee spending as closer to $25 million than the anticipated $70 million and argue, “The bottom line is that the Baltimore Grand Prix was not a game changing event.” After appearing on the front page of the Baltimore Sun and in the Baltimore Business Journal, the story was picked up by AP and printed in the Washington Post.… Continue Reading Dennis Coates, Economics, in the News

Jason Loviglio, Media and Communication Studies, in the Baltimore Sun

Oct 19, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

Baltimore’s version of the Occupy Wall Street protests, Occupy Baltimore, is settled into a site at the Inner Harbor for what its website calls an “indefinitely long peaceful demonstration.” One visitor to the protest site was Jason Loviglio, director of the media and communication studies program, who was impressed by the movement’s growth and what appeared to be a sincere effort to discuss the nation’s problems across partisan lines. “I don’t think we can predict the power this is going to have,” Loviglio said. “It’s just beginning to kindle.” The full story, “Occupy Baltimore: an open-ended conclusion,” appeared in the… Continue Reading Jason Loviglio, Media and Communication Studies, in the Baltimore Sun

Joan Korenman, English, on ABC

Oct 17, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

Tweens, teens, and kids of all ages are “plugged in,” and parents are always looking for ways to make sure their time on the internet is safe and productive. ABC reports that Joan Korenman, professor emerita of English, is helping parents achieve that goal: she created a page on UMBC’s web site that holds a host of links to “websites for girls.” Korenman is also the founding director of UMBC’s gender and women’s studies program and CWIT. She moderates WMST-L, one of the longest running online academic discussion lists, and she started work on the “websites for girls” while directing CWIT.… Continue Reading Joan Korenman, English, on ABC

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun

Oct 11, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

Maryland Congressmen Christopher Van Hollen and Roscoe G. Bartlett have met with Governor Martin O’Malley to request changes to the state’s redistricting proposal. The Baltimore Sun reports, “An analysis released by the Maryland Democratic Party shows that in making Bartlett’s district more Democratic, the map makes Van Hollen’s district significantly less so.” However, political analysts suggest Van Hollen will still likely be safe in the next election. Although State Sen. David Brinkely is considering a run against Van Hollen, Donald Norris, chair of public policy at UMBC, said, “I don’t think he’s in any jeopardy.” He continued, “If it is… Continue Reading Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun

Theo Gonzalves, American Studies, to Moderate Discussion

Oct 11, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

Theo Gonzalves, associate professor of American studies, will moderate a conversation with Oscar-nominated director John Sayles on Thursday, October 20. The conversation will follow a screening of Sayles’ film, “Amigo,” which is presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program in honor of Filipino American History Month. “Amigo” provides an optic on the easily forgotten history of the Philippine-American War, a short lived but brutal war that claimed the lives of about 4,000 Americans and between 200,000 to 600,000 Filipinos. The screening and discussion will take place on Thursday, October 20, at 6 p.m., at the National Museum of the… Continue Reading Theo Gonzalves, American Studies, to Moderate Discussion

Marie desJardins, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Selected for NAE Symposium

Oct 11, 2011 / 1 minute of reading

Marie desJardins, Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, has been selected by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) to participate in NAE’s Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) symposium. desJardins was one of sixty-five faculty members selected from all over the country to participate in the symposium. “I am very excited about having been selected to attend NAE’s symposium on Frontiers of Engineering Education,” says desJardins. At the symposium desJardins will be presenting the interdisciplinary approach that she uses for teaching students about complex systems and computational modeling in her Honors seminar on “Computation, Complexity, and Emergence.” desJardins says her… Continue Reading Marie desJardins, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Selected for NAE Symposium