Baltimore

Meet the Newest Alums: Carpenter, Scheerer, Krach, and Berghaus

UMBC is always full of hard-working people who aspire to do great things, and the class of 2014 is no exception. Today, we wanted to share with you what some of our recent graduates are planning to do with their Retriever education. Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar Meghan Carpenter, political science, used her interest in politics to to focus on education policy. She was the director of the Office of Community and Government Relations in the Student Government Association and a Governor’s Summer Intern at the Maryland State Department of Education. As a student, Carpenter proposed a budget to the Maryland… Continue Reading Meet the Newest Alums: Carpenter, Scheerer, Krach, and Berghaus

Go O’s!

Baltimore has been practically giddy in the wake of the Orioles’ first round playoff win, which ushers the team into the Championship Series and one step closer to the World Series. And as the O’s get ready to take on the Kansas City Royals, we’d like to take a moment to highlight two UMBC alums who have also recently made the Orioles-related news. Sergeant First Class Michael Zambito ’99, geography, was honored in Oriole Park’s Salute to Military Service during Game 1 of the Orioles playoffs last Thursday. The Salute is sponsored by the O’s and Bank of America and honors local service men and women for their service… Continue Reading Go O’s!

Stories of a Big City Farm Girl edition 3

Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of three posts from Lexi, our summer intern here in the Alumni Communications office, about her experiences as a new-to-Baltimore student. Even though everyone on the East Coast eats relatively the same things – meat, seafood, corn, potatoes – there are two foods that are incredibly underestimated by those not from the Delmarva and Pennsylvania area: Old Bay and scrapple. I grew up with Old Bay as a seasoning for anything and everything crab. Crab bisque, steamed crabs, crab cakes, even on some sushi that had crab in it. You could… Continue Reading Stories of a Big City Farm Girl edition 3

Stories of a Big City Farm Girl, Vol. 2

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of three posts from Lexi, our summer intern here in the Alumni Communications office, about her experiences as a new-to-Baltimore student. In my last post, I described how different the driving conditions in Baltimore are from rural Delaware. Multiple lane highways, aggressive drivers, lots of honking, and mis-informed GPSes always created interesting adventures. But did you know that in Delaware, a lot of high schools don’t require you to learn how to parallel park during driver’s ed? Well, Milford High School didn’t at least. We just had to be able to… Continue Reading Stories of a Big City Farm Girl, Vol. 2

Stories of a Big-City Farm Girl, Vol. 1

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of three posts from Lexi, our summer intern here in the Alumni Communications office. She’ll be sharing some of her stories and experiences at UMBC over the coming weeks. Let me introduce myself. Hi, I’m Lexi. I’m a 21 year old from Camden, Delaware, where nothing exciting ever really happens, except for a few weekends each year. Slowly but surely, events like NASCAR and the Firefly Music Festival are putting the little old diamond state on the map, and less and less people ask me which state Delaware is in. I’ll… Continue Reading Stories of a Big-City Farm Girl, Vol. 1

Life on the Edge (With a Safety Net)

Mary Volkman ’92, English, is a Baltimore native who writes fiction under the pen name “Margo Christie.” Her first novel, These Days: A Tale of Nostalgia on Baltimore’s Block, relies not only on the author’s time working in show bars on the city’s most notorious stretch of real estate (right under the shadow of City Hall, hon) in the 1970s and ’80s, but also in her careful attention to the reminiscences of those who’d been there during the heyday of burlesque just after World War II. But Margo Christie wrote the book. So let her tell it: It’s often said… Continue Reading Life on the Edge (With a Safety Net)

Alums in the News: Fleischer, Lasson, and Kettelberger

Congratulations to these UMBC alums whose accomplishments have been recognized both inside and outside of UMBC. Take a moment to see what they have been up to! Recently, Corey Fleischer ’05, ’08 M.S., mechanical engineering, was featured in the Baltimore Sun. The paper noted that Fleischer, co-founder of the Baltimore Foundery, partnered with Gene Shirokobrod, doctor of physical therapy, to create the ARC, a product to relieve back and neck pain and retrain muscle. The two developed a prototype of the ARC, a half-circle made of plastic that sits between the user and a chair or can sit underneath someone’s neck… Continue Reading Alums in the News: Fleischer, Lasson, and Kettelberger

The Dawg Days of Search and Rescue

Every morning when Lisa Kakavas ‘94, psychology, gets ready for work, her dog Zildjian (or Z for short), inspects her outfit of choice. “[He] gets excited when I pull certain pants out,” says Kakavas. That’s because Z knows that when search and rescue gear comes out, he gets to go to work, too. Kakavas and Z–a German shepherd–volunteer with the Mason-Dixon Rescue Dogs (MDRD), an organization that trains dogs in search and rescue of both live and deceased people. She learned about the organization years ago when her husband got involved with MDRD. At first, she says, she thought it… Continue Reading The Dawg Days of Search and Rescue

Round-Up: UMBC in the News, 7/25

One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community. Roy Meyers, Political Science on MarylandReporter.com Leslie Morgan, Sociology and Anthropology, in The Baltimore Beacon Nicole King, American Studies, in City Paper Thomas Schaller, Political Science, Op-Ed in The Baltimore Sun Paul Smith, Chemistry, in The Baltimore Sun Read more great news here!

Solitary Refinement

UMBC alumnus Ben Marcin ’80 traveled the world with his camera. But he has found acclaim investigating the often bitter poetry, beauty and truth in local landscapes. The photographs of Ben Marcin ’80, economics, are gaining a much wider audience of late. His work has been shown at venues including the Delaware Art Museum, The Center for Fine Art Photography in Ft. Collins, Colo., and at the C. Grimaldis Gallery in Baltimore – where he is currently represented and recently had a solo show this past winter. His photos are also in a number of group shows this summer, including… Continue Reading Solitary Refinement

Safe House of Hope: Helping People Dream Again

Everyone needs a place where they can feel safe. When people don’t feel secure, it is harder for them to experience love, belonging, and fulfillment. Enter Safe House of Hope. Founded in 2007 by Denene Yates ‘10, health administration and policy, Safe House of Hope is a place where women exploited through human and sex trafficking can feel safe. Yates feels uniquely connected to the women she now serves. She says she grew up without much love and support, and now, as a mother of seven, she understands the value of having a place of safety. Yates says starting this… Continue Reading Safe House of Hope: Helping People Dream Again

kevin and katelyn

Hearts and Minds: Katelyn Niu and Kevin Yang

In the fall of 2003, Kevin Yang ’07 computer science and financial economics and Katelyn Niu ’05, biochemistry, found themselves in the same physics study group. But their relationship began to bloom a year later, when a computer virus brought them together. “Katelyn’s computer was affected by a virus, and she called me for help,” Kevin recalls. He admits that he took his time fixing the computer problem, making several trips to Katelyn’s place at Walker Avenue Apartments. “That gave us time to chat,” he says. Kevin and Katelyn also began bumping into one another more frequently in the dining… Continue Reading Hearts and Minds: Katelyn Niu and Kevin Yang

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