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A Scholar of Great Gravity Senior physics major Philip Graff will follow the path of science greats Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking to Cambridge University as the second UMBC student in the past two years to win the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, one of the world’s most selective academic awards. Graff, who will pursue a Ph.D. in physics, was one of just 45 U.S. winners chosen from more than 600 applicants and 119 finalists. He is UMBC’s second consecutive Gates Cambridge Scholar, following alumnus Ian Ralby ‘02, who won in 2007. A native of Manalapan, NJ, Graff came to UMBC on… Continue Reading Philip Graff: A Scholar of Great Gravity

Swimming and Diving Sweep America East Championships The UMBC men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams became the first in the history of the conference to win back-to-back dual conference championships. The men’s team set a new championship meet record with 929 points and became the first team to ever win five straight conference titles, in addition to winning their 11th straight league title, while the women amassed a total of 741 points. The women’s team entered the final day of competition 11 points behind meet leader Boston University and crowned three conference champions en route to their second straight… Continue Reading Swimming and Diving Sweep America East Championships

Leading the Field of Aging Services The Wall Street Journal on February 16 featured 12 innovators and entrepreneurs in the field of aging services who are having “the biggest impact on the future of retirement” in America.  One-third of the “change agents” singled-out for honor are affiliated with UMBC’s Erickson School, including school founder John Erickson, faculty member Bill Thomas and a prominent student and a guest-instructor in the school’s new graduate program. In an Encore-section cover story, “12 People Who Are Changing Your Retirement,” The Wall Street Journal identified the nation’s leading pioneers who are “shaping the way Americans… Continue Reading Leading the Field of Aging Services

Alumni, Families Invited to “Pack the RAC” Sunday The American East Conference-leading UMBC men’s basketball team needs the support of alumni, faculty, staff and students this weekend during the crucial home stretch of one of the best seasons in UMBC history. An alumni reception featuring food and family activities highlights the opportunity to cheer on the Retrievers on Sunday (Feb. 17). The first-place Retrievers (17-7, 9-2 America East) will meet pre-season favorite Boston University at 4 p.m. this Sunday at the RAC Arena. The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) will televise the game, the last regular season home contest of the… Continue Reading Pack The RAC

Faculty Recognized for Research UMBC’s science, technology and engineering community ended 2007 on a prestigious note as five faculty members were named as fellows or board members of international societies for excellence in their fields. The honors are just the latest in distinguished careers for the professors, but carry special meaning because they indicate the respect of peers. Julia Ross, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and Tulay Adali, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, were both elected fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. It’s not the first time the… Continue Reading Honoring Excellence

A Formula for Success He’s a celebrated novelist whose second novel, The Age of Shiva (W.W. Norton & Company), will be released in February. But he’s also a mathematics professor who specializes in partial differential equations and is dedicated to fostering interest in mathematics among K-12 students and the general public. Professor of Mathematics and Statistics Manil Suri – who will read from his new novel at UMBC on February 5 – compares his passions for both fiction writing and mathematics to a game of chess. “You need to track each piece along several future moves to see which option… Continue Reading A Formula for Success

UMBC Peaceworker Alumni Remain Engaged in Baltimore Communities While nearly 85 percent of UMBC’s Shriver Peaceworker Fellows originally come from outside the Baltimore region, 60 percent have settled and remain engaged in service careers in local communities. “With 100 percent of Peaceworker alumni continuing in public service careers and more than half staying in our region to engage in community service careers, the Shriver Peaceworker Program is proving to be a ‘creative-class’ infusion for the City,” said Program Director Joby Taylor. The program—which focuses on finding ways for returning Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) to serve their states and communities when… Continue Reading UMBC Peaceworker Alumni Remain Engaged in Baltimore Communities

Alumni Honored for Their Achievements The UMBC Alumni Association will present awards to six distinguished alumni who are leaders in their fields at the 2008 Outstanding Alumni Awards Ceremony and Annapolis Reception on February 6.  For more information about the honorees and the event, please visit http://retrievernet.umbc.edu/annapolis. Engineering and Information TechnologyStephanie Reel ’85, Information Systems, is vice provost for information technology and chief information officer for the Johns Hopkins University, and vice president for information services for the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Reel’s work to develop electronic patient records management was honored by Computerworld magazine and the Smithsonian Institution. HumanitiesKevin M.… Continue Reading Alumni Honored for Their Achievements

Honoring Excellence UMBC’s science, technology and engineering community ended 2007 on a prestigious note as five faculty members were named as fellows or board members of international societies for excellence in their fields. The honors are just the latest in distinguished careers for the professors, but carry special meaning because they indicate the respect of peers. Julia Ross, professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and Tulay Adali, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, were both elected fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. It’s not the first time the two have… Continue Reading Honoring Excellence

National Society of Black Engineers Chapter Excels in Academic Competition While UMBC is known for its accomplished chess team, another campus group is gaining acclaim for blending the life of the mind with the spirit of competition. For the second consecutive year, UMBC’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) represented the university remarkably well in a series of academic competitions against peers from across the country. Teams of UMBC students (all of them scholars from the Meyerhoff, MARC U*STAR or other prestigious programs) swept the competition at the NSBE’s Fall Regional Conference, defeating teams from the University… Continue Reading National Society of Black Engineers

Flag Football Heads to National Championship In a year of athletic achievements on the varsity level, it is only fitting that success on the intramural level would follow. On the heels of a quarterfinal appearance in the NCAA tournament by the men’s lacrosse team and the first-ever NCAA March Madness appearance by the women’s basketball team, one of UMBC’s co-ed flag football teams is advancing to the NIRSA National Championship in Dallas, Texas. Winning the UMBC Championship the last two years, the Warrior Machine participated in the NIRSA Mid-Atlantic Regional flag football tournament this fall. Being defending champions was not… Continue Reading UMBC Flag Football Heads to National Championship

UMBC Faculty Violinist Airi Yoshioka Honored for Music Education and Outreach Assistant Professor of Music Airi Yoshioka was recently honored with the McGraw-Hill Companies’ Robert Sherman Award for Music Education and Community Outreach. The $10,000 award recognizes outstanding musicianship and includes a program of her live performances on prominent New York City classical music radio station WQXR. A violinist and graduate of the Juilliard School of Music, Yoshioka plans to use her award to start a Web site for music teachers and music education majors with resources for exploring teaching skills and personal development as a musician. She has created… Continue Reading UMBC Faculty and Staff Discuss Mental Illness at Mosaic Rountable