Expectant father, UMBC alumnus and UMBC development office Jordan Hadfield ’07, ’08, shares memories of his father, Ken Hadfield, Jr., in an essay in the Dundalk Patch. While a student at UMBC, Jordan served as president of the Student Government Association, and also was a founding member of the a cappella group The Mama’s Boys. Read the full story here.
Congratulations to the Class of 2011! The UMBC Alumni Association is proud to welcome you as its newest members. – Read about members of the Class of 2011 on our special Commencement site. – Read the Baltimore Sun’s inspiring story about political science major Matt Courson, who walked across the stage five years after being paralyzed. Congratulations, Matt!
Eduardo Gonzalez ’06, Aaron Merki ’05, and Alicia Wilson ’04, all political science graduates, were named to The Daily Record’s 2011 list of “Twenty in Their 20s” award honorees. Merki was also the recipient of the 2010 UMBC Rising Star Award for young alumni service and is an associate at Venable, LLP. Wilson was the (inaugural) 2009 UMBC Rising Star Award winner and is an associate at Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC. Gonzalez writes for the Daily Record’s “Generation J.D.” blog. Read more about Merki and Wilson on our UMBC Alumni Awards page: Aaron Merki ’05 Alicia Wilson… Continue Reading Three PoliSci Alumni named “Twenty in Their 20s” by Daily Record
Benyam Kinde ’10, biological sciences, is one of 10 students in 2011 to be named a Gilliam Fellow by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Kinde, who was UMBC’s 2010 valedictorian and a member of the 18th cohort of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, is in the Harvard-MIT combined MD-PhD Program. Read more about the award here.
Sideshows featuring amazing feats and astonishing freaks became an industry in the United States in the 19th century. But these traveling caravans have been on the endangered list in recent decades. Collecting the artifacts and celebrating the artistry of this vanishing industry has proven addictive to James Taylor ’73, interdisciplinary studies. Read more in the Winter 2010 issue of UMBC Magazine…
In just over 40 years, UMBC has progressed from a fledgling university to a nationally renowned institution of higher education. And when it comes to areas such as undergraduate teaching or encouraging diversity in scientific and technological disciplines, UMBC is now regularly mentioned in the same breath with Harvard University, MIT and Stanford University. But that growth didn’t happen without a lot of help. And an important element in helping UMBC rise in national prestige has been the university’s successful Exceptional by Example campaign. This year, the board of UMBC’s Alumni Association has recognized the key role played by its… Continue Reading “Exceptional” Alumnus: Gene Trainor ’86
“People know what NPR sounds like,” says Vikki Valentine ’96, English. “But they don’t really know what it looks like. And on the Web, it’s what you look like that’s important.” That’s the daily challenge for Valentine, who is a senior editor in NPR’s science division – and recipient of the 2010 UMBC Alumna of the Year Award in the Humanities. Public radio is changing at light speed; so much, in fact, that National Public Radio isn’t even National Public Radio anymore. In July, the name became simply NPR. “The core product of NPR will always be audio storytelling,” says… Continue Reading See Hear: Vikki Valentine ’96
After a stellar basketball career at UMBC, Rick Moreland ’83, interdisciplinary studies was drafted in the ninth round of the National Basketball Association’s annual draft by the Washington Bullets. And though he never made a basket or grabbed a rebound for the Bullets (renamed the “Wizards” in 1995), Moreland eventually made the team in a different way – and he’s lasted 25 years with them. “I have had a longer career than most of the NBA players,” says Moreland, who is the team’s senior vice president for corporate marketing and executive seating. Moreland’s job with the team is to make… Continue Reading Game Face: Rick Moreland ’83
Blair. P. Grubb ’76, biological sciences, is a distinguished professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Toledo’s College of Medicine. He was also a recipient of UMBC’s Alumni of the Year Award in 1994. But Dr. Grubb – who is one of the world’s foremost authorities regarding syncope (or “fainting”) and disorders of the autonomic nervous system – is also a widely published essayist. UMBC Magazine asked him to share his thoughts on the confluence of medicine and literature. In the midst of the current debates on the future of American health care, a much less discussed crisis… Continue Reading The Healing Hands of the Humanities: Blair P. Grubb ’76
Shari Elliker ’83, interdisciplinary studies, and Neil Beller ’83, interdisciplinary studies, spend Thursday mornings together on WBAL-AM in the glow of the “On Air” sign, with Beller as a regular weekly co-host on Elliker’s successful AM talk radio show. Read the full story in the Summer 2010 issue of UMBC Magazine…
The Erickson School’s masters program for the Management of Aging Services (MAgS) counts among its alumni 08professionals as diverse as lawyers, publishers, artists, nursing directors, and, of course, seniors housing executives – hailing from states as far away as Texas. But one small retirement community in particular – Quaker-directed Broadmead in Cockeysville, Md. – dominates the school’s young crop of alumni with seven graduates, including the company’s CEO, Rich Compton ’08. Read more in the Summer 2010 issue of UMBC Magazine…
When Robin Keller Mayne ’69, American studies, graduated from UMBC, she wore no robes and no mortarboard. There was no crowd to cheer her across the stage. In fact, there was no stage. It was 1969, just three years after the university opened its doors, and one year before its first official commencement ceremony. Read more in the Summer 2010 issue of UMBC Magazine…
