“The theatre department…has prepared me for a career,” says Levenberg. “Since the department conducts all classes, rehearsals, and shows as if they were professional productions, there are no surprises when entering the field.” Continue Reading Brielle Levenberg, distinguished artist and scholar, eager to begin career in theatre
“My mentors often reminded me…to seek out opportunities to use the skills I learned in class to create positive change in the community around me, even as a student,” Mysore shares. Continue Reading Ganesh Mysore combines social science and engineering degrees with commitment to civic engagement
Fredericks says, UMBC “has provided all the tools to help better equip me for my future and has also allowed me access to numerous internship and service opportunities to help me prepare for my future.” Continue Reading Essence Fredericks, standout scholar-athlete, heads to multinational PricewaterhouseCoopers
“As a first generation college student, I feel extremely fortunate to be pursuing higher education, let alone a career in scientific research,” says Daniel Ocasio. “To me, earning the Goldwater Scholarship is recognition of all those who made it possible…” Continue Reading Three UMBC students receive Goldwater Scholarships, a national investment in future STEM leaders
“Bosch is less a master of composition than a master of draughtsmanship, color, and light,” Ellen Handler Spitz writes in a New Republic review of the exhibition. Continue Reading UMBC scholar reflects on a new exhibition commemorating artist Hieronymus Bosch’s 500th anniversary
“Today, with few exceptions, the presence and cultivation of the arts have diminished in schools nationwide,” Spitz said. Continue Reading Ellen Handler Spitz speaks to the profound impact of the arts on children’s education
The last five years have witnessed a wave of significant new fairy tale books. In a recent article published in the New Republic, Honors College Professor Ellen Handler Spitz explains why the fascination with classic fairy tales still exists even as the world continues to change. “The core of fairy tales seems to reach deeper—well beyond the delights and shocks caused by improbable events…towards a species of raw, non-contingent honesty and authenticity,” Spitz wrote. “It is through the sharply-focused lenses of psychology, particularly those of child development…that we can parse some whys and wherefores of our irresistible draw into these enchanted… Continue Reading Ellen Handler Spitz explains the recent surge of interest in classic folk stories
Honors College Professor Ellen Handler Spitz recently traveled to Sewanee, Tennessee to participate in the Program on Child, Family, and Community Development in Rural Appalachia. The program is co-sponsored by the University of the South, Scholastic Books, and the Yale Child Study Center. In addition to presenting a public lecture at the University of the South library on Appalachian-based children’s books, Spitz taught several classes jointly sponsored by the psychology and arts departments and read aloud to children at three elementary schools and two day care programs sponsored by the program and the university. The trip took place April 14-18,… Continue Reading Ellen Handler Spitz, Honors College, Participates in Community Development Program 2015 in Appalachia
On December 19, Honors College Professor Ellen Handler Spitz participated in a discussion on CBC Radio on “The Secret Lives of Children.” The segment centered around the idea that advances in technology combined with a strong focus on achievement can often suppress creativity, and children’s imagination can be a strong shield against cultural confinements. During the segment, Spitz says that high tech toys should be traded in favor of letting children explore their inner worlds: “I think that children, when we allow them to make believe, this kind of vision and this kind of connecting…we should treasure it and not… Continue Reading Ellen Handler Spitz, Honors College, on CBC Radio
A new e-book published by Honors College Professor Ellen Handler Spitz analyzes the artwork of Belgian Surrealist artist René Magritte and takes on questions that are rarely asked when studying Magritte’s work. The book, entitled “Magritte’s Labyrinth,” introduces a psychological perspective and examines the emotional impact of Magritte’s paintings. Below is an excerpt from a book review posted on Amazon.com: Trained in art history, philosophy, and nonclinical psychoanalysis, Ellen Handler Spitz, the author of “Magritte’s Labyrinth,” was introduced to Magritte’s art by a New York psychologist who studied bereavement in childhood. Spitz found the images impossible to expunge. She reflects on them… Continue Reading Ellen Handler Spitz, Honors College, Publishes New E-book
The Baltimore Sun special section on education recently featured UMBC’s Honors College in an article on the rich educational experiences honors programs provide. The article discusses requirements and opportunities for Honors College students, and describes UMBC’s program as “respected and known for producing well-rounded intellectuals.” Simon Stacey, director of the Honors College, comments, “interdisciplinary, highly collaborative and discussion based classes” allow Honors College students to study, in greater depth, topics that interest them. This article is not yet available online.
Honors College Professor Ellen Handler Spitz is leading the 2014 Austen Riggs Center Creativity Seminar, which will be held from August 1-2. Spitz is the author of six books and brings psychological perspectives to bear on the arts and on children’s aesthetic lives. The conference has the theme of “Translation,” and organizers have posted the following description on the conference website: “we will learn about the process of translation in different areas of creative endeavor in the visual medium of photography, through the embodied work of translation by an orchestral conductor, via the interpretative work of translation by a psychoanalyst, and… Continue Reading Ellen Handler Spitz, Honors College, to Direct Creativity Seminar at Austen Riggs Center
