Today we wanted to pause for a moment and tell you what we’re thankful for. The answer is you, our wonderful alumni. Thank you for all that you do and all that you are. UMBC would not be same without you. We wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. We hope you enjoy the time with family and friends, eat plenty of tasty food, and, if you travel, do so safely. Tell us: What are you thankful for? Find us on Facebook. // Follow us on Twitter.
A film by Joe Tropea ’06 History B.A. and ’08 Historical Studies premiers locally at the Maryland Film Festival next week. The Baltimore Brew covered the film in a May 1 story entitled “A fiery act of civil disobedience in Catonsville still resonates, 45 years later.” “Hit & Stay’ tells the story of nine Catholic activists who protested the Vietnam War by burning draft files in Catonsville on May 17, 1968. Tropea and fellow filmmaker Skizz Cyzyk tell the story using old footage, recent interviews with surviving members of the group and their supporters, images of war horrors, and the… Continue Reading Joe Tropea ’06 History B.A. and ’08 Historical Studies M.A, in the Baltimore Brew
Teresa Foster ’09, gender and women’s studies and history, ’11 M.A. historical studies, and a LLC Ph.D. candidate, is the winner of the 2013-2014 Wing Graduate Fellowship in Colonial Chesapeake History from the Maryland Historical Society. The purpose of the Wing Fellowship is to assist a graduate student in undertaking a significant project in Chesapeake colonial history.
Vivian Ekey ’11, political science and modern languages and linguistics, was recently chosen to be a Rangel Fellow. The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service in which they can help formulate, represent and implement U.S. foreign policy. Each year, the Rangel Program selects 20 outstanding Rangel Fellows in a highly competitive nationwide process and helps support them through two years of graduate study, internships and professional development activities, and entry into the Foreign Service. Ekey will be earning an M.A in Latin American Studies and International… Continue Reading Vivian Ekey ’11 Chosen as Rangel Fellow
Alumnus Gregory Cantori ’84, geography (cartography), was named the new president for Maryland Nonprofits beginning October 1st, according to an article in Maryland Reporter published September 25th. Cantori will head an organization that includes roughly1,400 nonprofit organizations and 300 associate members in the state, of which many are used by statewide and local government agencies to provide social, health, housing and educational services. The new president has significant experience with such efforts, having worked in various capacities at the Downtown Sailing Center, the Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation, and the Light Street Housing Corporation among others over the years. Speaking with… Continue Reading Alumnus Greg Cantori ’84, Geography, Named President of Maryland Nonprofits
It’s the open road for the next few months for recent alumna Rachel Younghans ’12, geography, as she and her boyfriend, photographer Rob Brulinski, cross the country in search of “Only-in-America Americans” for their art-project/website Freak Flag America. The couple were profiled by The Washington Post‘s Michael Rosenwald on September 17th, one day after they had set out on their cross-country trip. The two will travel to the Pacific and back in a Toyota Yaris packed with supplies ranging from a tent to rolls of film, from an American flag from Goodwill to a stuffed rat from IKEA which Brulinski plans to bug… Continue Reading Alumna Rachel Younghans ’12, Geography, in The Washington Post
Alumna Jeehye Yun ’97, computer science, was profiled along with her cybersecurity company Secured Sciences Group (SSG) by The Baltimore Business Journal‘s Jack Lambert in an article published on September 7th. Yun told Lambert that SSG–a member of UMBC’s Research and Technology Park, and which is in the process of working with the research park on a plan to attract investors–is particularly adept at cutting through red tape and redundancies which can occur in government applications, saying, “We can take a lot of disparate policies and figure out where the overlaps are.” The alumna, who is CEO/President of SSG as well as a… Continue Reading Alumna and Former Teacher Jeehye Yun ’97, Computer Science, in Baltimore Business Journal
Alumnus Bryan Kelly ’92, economics, won reelection as Chair of the Harford Community College Board of Trustees, according to local news website The Dagger. Kelly, who is also managing partner and owner of The Kelly Group, has served on the board since 2005 and is also co-chair of the Board of Directors of the UMBC Economics Visitors Council. Other current positions include President of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges; the chairman of the board of the Academy of Finance, Harford County Public Schools; and membership of the Harford Leadership Academy Alumni Association at Harford Community College. He was named the 2007 UMBC Economics Alumnus… Continue Reading Bryan Kelly ’92, Economics, Wins Re-Election to Harford CC Board of Trustees
Alex Onischuk ’07, modern languages and linguistics, was named the director of Texas Tech University’s chess program on July 30, according to an article in The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. The Ukraine-born grandmaster was captain of UMBC’s chess team, during a period in which the team won four consecutive national championships from 2002 to 2006. Texas Tech’s team are also champions, winning the President’s Cup for the second consecutive year this year. Onischuk, currently ranked third in the country among chess players, released a statement saying, ““I am thrilled to be selected as head coach of the defending national collegiate championship chess team at Texas Tech,… Continue Reading Alex Onischuk ’07, Modern Languages and Linguistics, Named Director of Texas Tech Chess Program
Alumnus Jeremy “Jerry” Yap ’08, biological sciences, was recently honored as one of four national winners of a 2012-2013 American Chemical Society (ACS) Medicinal Chemistry Predoctoral Fellowship. Yap is currently attending the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, where his work “focuses on the design and synthesis of small-molecule inhibitors (drugs) of oncogenic protein–protein interactions,” according to University of Maryland here. The story also notes that the fellowship will allow Yap to pursue his research by providing a full, year-long stipend. “This is as an excellent example of how important collaboration is in any professional setting,” said Yap upon being… Continue Reading Jeremy Yap ’08, Biological Sciences, Wins Predoctoral Fellowship
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
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
