CAHSS

News and Updates about UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Roy Meyers, Political Science, on PolitiFact

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Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., recently took an unusual approach to opposing the Keystone XL oil pipeline: arguing that it’s an earmark and thus not in line with current House rules. The fact-checking site PoliFact asked UMBC political science professor Roy T. Meyers to weigh in on the accuracy of that statement. Meyers told PolitiFact, “Earmarks have been criticized, often justifiably, for not being subject to sufficient scrutiny on their policy merits.” He continued, “Unlike most research grants that are subject to demanding peer reviews, or many contracts that must undergo extensive agency review and competitive bidding, earmarks are awarded only… Continue Reading Roy Meyers, Political Science, on PolitiFact

George La Noue, Public Policy/Political Science, in the Washington Times

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In a new Washington Times article on Maryland’s minority-contracting program, UMBC political science and public policy professor George La Noue argues that definitional and structural program flaws translate to too few businesses “graduating” from the program (i.e., losing eligibility through successful growth to a certain size). La Noue argues that the definition of what qualifies a business as “disadvantaged” for program eligibility is too broad. He suggests, “To argue that someone is economically disadvantaged who has that kind of money is a very tortured definition of that concept; it would mean that 95 percent of all Americans are disadvantaged. The… Continue Reading George La Noue, Public Policy/Political Science, in the Washington Times

Christine Mallinson, Language, Literacy & Culture, Publishes “Data Collection in Sociolinguistics: Methods and Applications”

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Christine Mallinson, associate professor in the Language, Literacy & Culture Program, is co-editor, with Becky Childs and Gerard Van Herk, of the new book, Data Collection in Sociolinguistics: Methods and Applications (Routledge, 2013). The book website notes, “This edited volume provides up-to-date, succinct, relevant, and informative discussion about methods of data collection in sociolinguistic research. It covers the main areas of research design, conducting research, and sharing data findings with longer chapters and shorter vignettes written by a range of top sociolinguists, both veteran and emerging scholars. Here is the one-stop, go-to guide for the numerous quantitative, qualitative, and mixed… Continue Reading Christine Mallinson, Language, Literacy & Culture, Publishes “Data Collection in Sociolinguistics: Methods and Applications”

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun and Daily Record

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In this week’s news of Maryland’s 2014 gubernatorial race, Harford County Executive David R. Craig set a date to announce his Republican candidacy and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown’s campaign confirmed that his running mate in seeking the Democratic nomination will be Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. Donald F. Norris, professor and chair of public policy at UMBC, told the Baltimore Sun that in selecting Ulman, Brown’s campaign is “appealing to a different Democratic base.” He predicts that while Brown’s strength is among Baltimore and Prince George’s County voters, Ulman can help Brown pick up votes in Howard, Anne Arundel… Continue Reading Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun and Daily Record

Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun

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In his latest Baltimore Sun column, UMBC political science professor Thomas F. Schaller, responds to the White House’s challenging month, including more Benghazi developments and scandals involving the IRS and journalist bugging. “Taken separately, none of these episodes is fatal,” writes Schaller, “But, taken together, these three political problems reveal an underlying fault in President Obama’s leadership style. […] Mr. Obama too often seems politically detached.” How has this become problematic in the Obama presidency? Schaller suggests, “We tend to equate the abuse of presidential power with its use…In Mr. Obama’s case, however, the abuse of power emanates from non-use.… Continue Reading Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in the Baltimore Sun

Tyson King-Meadows, Political Science, Elected to WYPR Board of Directors

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UMBC’s Tyson King-Meadows, associate professor of political science and incoming chair of Africana studies, has been elected to the WYPR Board of Directors for a three-year term (July 1, 2013–June 30, 2016).For the past year, King-Meadows has participated in the prestigious American Political Science Association (APSA) Congressional Fellowship Program, with his experience on Capitol Hill complementing his teaching and research on the U.S. Congress.King-Meadows is the author of When the Letter Betrays the Spirit: Voting Rights Enforcement and African American Participation from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama (Lexington Books, 2011). He is currently writing a book on post-Reconstruction Era efforts… Continue Reading Tyson King-Meadows, Political Science, Elected to WYPR Board of Directors

Kimberly Moffitt, American Studies, on the Marc Steiner Show

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On May 23, Kimberly Moffitt, assistant professor of American Studies, was a guest on the Marc Steiner Show for a segment entitled “Is President Obama’s Message To Black America Different From The Rest Of America?,” in which Moffitt and her fellow guests analyzed President Obama’s messages to Black America, looking at his recent commencement speeches.  Moffitt was joined by Kai Wright, editorial director of Colorlines.com and Keith Snipes, an actor and writer. “I think as a politician, he’s fairly consistent with providing us middle-class rhetoric,” said Moffitt. “But I think the difference with what we see happening at HBCUs [historically… Continue Reading Kimberly Moffitt, American Studies, on the Marc Steiner Show

Robert Provine, Psychology, in the American Journal of Human Biology

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Psychology professor Robert Provine’s latest book, “Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping and Beyond,” was recently reviewed in the American Journal of Human Biology. “Provine brings together ethology, neurophysiology as well as psychology to describe the secrets of our daily behaviors in detail,” writes the reviewer. “Aimed at a wide readership, Provine’s book consists of 13 chapters written with humor… using only minimal resources, available to anyone, he is studying behaviors that raise serious questions.” The full review can be read here.

Roy Meyers, Political Science, on MarylandReporter.com

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This week the OpenGov Foundation and MarylandReporter.com led a focus group to examine transparency in Maryland politics and government. Conversation centered on the Maryland General Assembly website, redesigned in December 2012. The groups also asked for feedback on the website from external experts, including UMBC political science professor Roy T. Meyers. Meyers told MarylandReporter.com that he was glad the new site moves away from the previous subscription model, which charged a fee to access the most current legislative information. However, he critiqued “delays in [posting] voting records on second and especially third reading.” The article suggests this problem is in… Continue Reading Roy Meyers, Political Science, on MarylandReporter.com

Sunil Dasgupta, Political Science, in the Gazette

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“The lesson we’ve learned over these last 10, 15 years is no matter how good your [crisis management] plan is, it’s always going to fall short,” says Sunil Dasgupta in today’s Gazette. Dasgupta, director of UMBC’s political science program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) and non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, is co-teaching a crisis management class at USG. The point of the course, he explains, is not to prepare for specific disasters, but to get students thinking about how to build resilience and make decisions in catastrophic situations that they cannot fully plan for or predict.… Continue Reading Sunil Dasgupta, Political Science, in the Gazette

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