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Innovation Beyond the Classroom UMBC continues to gain national recognition for its commitment to and innovation in engaging students in community service, internships, co-ops, research and service-learning.  For the second year in a row, the University has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction.  Eighty-three institutions received this designation and UMBC was the only Maryland institution in this category.  Additionally, UMBC’s effective Internship, Co-op, and Research Programs through The Shriver Center received the 2009 Best Practice Award from the Cooperative Education and Internship Association (CEIA).  The purpose of the CEIA’s Best Practice Award is… Continue Reading Innovation Beyond the Classroom

Celluloid Deities Can street paintings and advertisements be studied as art? And can examining other cultures inform our answer to that question? Preminda Jacob, an associate professor of art history and theory in UMBC’s Department of Visual Arts, replies in the affirmative to both questions. In her new book, Celluloid Deities (Lexington Books), she examines the collision of cinema, politics and religion in South Indian culture at street level. Movie posters in the city of Chennai, she found, not only advertise a film – they can also be improvised into religious shrines or impart a political message. “The street is… Continue Reading Celluloid Deities

The Future of Information Sharing As the world embraces Web 2.0, the effects of social media are on the minds of several researchers at UMBC. Assistant Professor of Sociology Zeynep Tufekci studies the impact that technology, gender and inequality have on new media. Two of her current research projects specifically examine online social networks. The first project studies how these networks are situated within social practices. The other project, funded by the National Science Foundation, examines interactions between gender, race, social class and technology in relation to career choice and inequality. A former computer programmer, Tufekci studies social media with… Continue Reading The Future of Information Sharing

New Spin on Wind Power What do you get when you combine geography, visual arts and a splash of humor? “The Mills Family Gets a Wind Turbine,” a Web site created by students in both the visual arts and geography and environmental systems departments. The retro, 1950s-style site includes five Webisodes about the fictional Mills family, who decide to put a wind turbine in their backyard. The project was initiated by Professor and Chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems Sandy Parker, who contacted UMBC’s Imaging Research Center (IRC) about doing a documentary-style film on wind turbines and… Continue Reading New Spin on Wind Power

Students Give Back, Gain Affordable Experience through Alternative Spring Break UMBC’s Alternative Spring Break trips share one common theme: helping others locally. Through the four trips offered March 16-20, students have the chance to work with children and people with disabilities, assist with trail building and experience homelessness firsthand. “These trips are for students who want to volunteer with Alternative Spring Break but don’t have the money,” said Jordanna Spencer ‘09, graduate coordinator for service and volunteerism. “Financial opportunities are tight; these trips will give students an opportunity to become immersed and have an extensive experience at a low price.”… Continue Reading Students Give Back, Gain Affordable Experience through Alternative Spring Break

Passionate Promoting Not many people discover their life’s passion at 14. But after doing “street team work” (passing out flyers and promoting bands online) Baltimore native Christine Osazuwa ’11, interdisciplinary studies and music journalism, knew the music world was the place for her. While some high school students dream of being rock stars, Osazuwa wanted to work behind the scenes by promoting bands. At age 16, she hosted a party featuring six local bands that drew 400 people, netting several thousand dollars in profits for the bands. Soon after, Osazuwa received requests from other local bands and venues to help… Continue Reading Passionate Promoting

Through The Shriver Center at UMBC, hundreds of students are foregoing their summer trips to the beach to boost their resumes with internships, co-ops, service-learning and research positions at organizations throughout the U.S. Benjamin LinkExpected graduation: December 2009Major: Chemical Engineering CovidienNew Haven, Connecticut “Engaging in a summer internship was a terrific way to transition from an academic environment into a professional engineering role. The breadth of experience I received through my industry placement has helped me define the direction my career path will take. Above all else, my internship experience has reinforced the engineering principles and validated the critical thinking… Continue Reading How UMBC Students Made the Most of Summer

Researching Cancer, Serving the Uninsured Paula Whittington ’01 is a healer in more ways than one. As a doctor in training, she gives medical treatment to patients at an inner-city Detroit medical center, many of them uninsured. Outside of the clinic, her research may offer hope for millions of breast cancer patients. The former MARC*U*STAR and Meyerhoff scholar at UMBC has already earned her Ph.D. and is working towards her M.D. at Wayne State University. She was recently lead author on a Cancer Research article announcing a potential new vaccine for a type of breast cancer. Whittington, who has always… Continue Reading Researching Cancer, Serving the Uninsured