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Students and Staff Provide a Choice for Youth from At-Risk Environments To hear about The Choice Program from a former fellow, click the play button below. Over the past two decades, The Choice Program at UMBC’s Shriver Center has served more than 18,000 youth and their families in some of Maryland’s most challenged communities. The staff, fellows and mentors of The Choice Program have provided continuous support to youth from at-risk environments in the Baltimore area through intensive supervision and case management services. The program is recognized nationally by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. “Eighty percent of… Continue Reading Students and Staff Provide a Choice for Youth from At-Risk Environments

Award-Winning Contributions to Baltimore’s Business Community Since its inception in 1989, more than 100 companies have been supported by bwtech@UMBC Incubator and Accelerator. Eighty percent of these companies are still in business, and 85 percent are located in Maryland. The Incubator and Accelerator recently received the 2008 New Directions Award for its positive contributions to Baltimore County’s economy through the many successful companies it has launched. Presented by the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce, this award honors a company or organization that exemplifies the quality of Baltimore County businesses. Half of the Incubator and Accelerator’s 35 companies are in the… Continue Reading Award-Winning Contributions to Baltimore’s Business Community

The Beat of a Different Drum When Steven McAlpine, assistant director of interdisciplinary studies, and Gregory Schroeder ’09 met for academic advising, neither one knew they’d soon be playing drums every Friday outside the University Center (UC) during free hour – with more than 10 other drummers and dancers. “I met with Steve as a new interdisciplinary studies major,” Schroeder said. “We would talk about music a lot and the fact that we both liked to play the drums. We decided we should play outdoors sometime, and for a while it was just him and I playing in front of… Continue Reading The Beat of a Different Drum

Lucia Zegarra ’11 Chosen as a “Leader on the Rise” Challenging situations, encouragement from family and spirituality have all led Peruvian native Lucia Zegarra ’11, biological sciences, to a life of serving. And it was that life of serving that led her to winning the Hispanic Heritage Award sponsored by Governor Martin O’Malley’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs for being a “Leader on the Rise” in October 2008. “I was so flattered to win the award that I almost cried,” she said. “So many other people have gone through so many things; I didn’t think I deserved it.” While her peers… Continue Reading Lucia Zegarra ’11 Chosen as a “Leader on the Rise”

Model for 21st Century Art Spanning all six concentrations — animation/interactive media, art history and theory, film/video, graphic design, photography and print media — UMBC’s 2008 Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition is a opportunity to learn what the university’s faculty are thinking about and what methods and processes they are using. “We focus on contemporary tools and technologies,” said Vin Grabill, interim chair of the visual arts department and a film/video artist. “It’s kept us on the cutting edge in the region, and the challenge is to continue to push that forward and set a model for how 21st century artists… Continue Reading Model for 21st Century Art

Professor’s Breakthrough Highlighted in Nature Chemical Biology A proper balance of nitric oxide (NO), the body’s highly reactive, gas-based signaling molecule and the stuff that makes Viagra work, is crucial to health. Too much NO production caused by one particular enzyme has been linked to inflammation, arthritis, cancer and other illnesses. But NO also has its beneficial side, with closely related enzymes responsible for maintaining enough NO to regulate blood pressure and allow proper blood flow to different organs. Elsa Garcin, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was co-author of a recent Nature Chemical Biology article that described a new… Continue Reading Professor’s Breakthrough Highlighted in Nature Chemical Biology

Taking the Lead on Climate Change Clean energy, green jobs and sustainable resources will be among the topics John Doyle ’09 will be advocating for with his peers at the UN Climate Negotiations in Poznań, Poland, as a SustainUS youth delegate. As one of 23 young environmental activists chosen through a competitive nation-wide process, Doyle and the U.S. youth delegation will meet before the conference with 70-80 international youth to strategize and unify their positions on climate change issues. While in Poland, the youth delegates serve as observers, meeting with representatives from the U.S. State Department and advocating for positions… Continue Reading Taking the Lead on Climate Change

Quality Music, Close to Home For 35 years, the UMBC Symphony has embraced musicians who are students, alumni and neighbors from the surrounding communities. “Our student musicians benefit from the experience of working with a diverse group from the local community, with everyone coming together to produce quality music,” said Conductor E. Michael Richards, associate professor and chair of music. Many of the symphony’s student musicians are attending UMBC as Linehan Artist Scholars and Humanities Scholars. “I am especially excited to participate in this semester’s program because my family is originally from Finland, and we will be playing Sibelius’ ‘Finlandia,’”… Continue Reading Quality Music, Close to Home

USDemocrazy.net Site Explores U.S. Electoral System Confused about how an American democracy works? You are not alone. A new Web site – www.USDemocrazy.net — designed by Economist magazine cartoonist Kevin “Kal” Kallaugher, artist-in-residence at UMBC, aims to demystify and explore America’s crazy 50-state democracy in a fun and engaging way. Designed and hand-drawn by Kal for UMBC’s Imaging Research Center, USDemocrazy.net was built and researched by an interdisciplinary team of UMBC students, including visual arts, web design and social sciences majors. The site features in-depth portraits of all 50 states through exclusive Kal animations, offbeat trivia and factoids and local… Continue Reading It’s Democrazy

Swiss Research Program Opens New Doors Students who’ve participated in the International Field Research Program in Switzerland come back with something to talk about. For one week in June, they have the opportunity to travel to Switzerland for field research study, where they are immersed in the Swiss culture and influenced by Swiss habits and policy. When they return, some have solidified their future career paths and others have decided to go in a new direction. “This course has played a critical role in my decision to continue my education beyond my undergraduate degree,” said Lauren Atkinson ’08. “This program… Continue Reading Swiss Research Program Opens New Doors

Alumni Musicians Reunite at UMBC New Music. Experimental. Avant-garde. Contemporary. Their music has been described in many ways, and in November Jeff Arnal ’97, John Dierker ’88, Will Redman ’98, Jonathan Vincent ’97 and former student Marc Miller, will combine their efforts as a cohesive group for the first time. The event, which promises to raise questions and welcome new discoveries, mirrors how the five musicians met – at UMBC, through music. “This particular group has never performed together before as a quintet, but we have worked together in other capacities,” said Redman, percussionist and organizer of the event. “Even… Continue Reading UMBC: Alumni Musicians Reunite at UMBC

The Entrepreneurial Spirit Duff Goldman ’97 is the founder and owner of Charm City Cakes. Linnyette Richardson-Hall ’84 is the creative director and principal consultant of Premiere Event Management. Bill LaCourse is chair of UMBC’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and co-founder and CEO of Aurora Analytics. What do these three have in common? They are all entrepreneurs. “There are many different types of entrepreneurship,” said Vivian Armor, director of the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. “There are a variety of things a person can do. Most people have no clue until they discover the entrepreneur in themselves.” Finding their… Continue Reading The Entrepreneurial Spirit