All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Meet the Newest Alums: Schuster, Hester, Owusu-Boaitey, and Hawkins

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.

Schuster2014-6820_modFor seven of her eight semesters at UMBC, Kat Schuster, theatre, dedicated her time to the costume shop on campus. A Linehan Artist Scholar, she has been recognized by the theatre department, local theatre companies and their audiences. While aiding younger students through UMBC Residential Life and the Wilde Lake High School Theatre Department, Schuster was awarded the Outstanding Departmental Service Award along with the Linehan Summer Award. She now plans to work in theatre administration and technician and costuming positions at Daydreams and Nightmares Aerial Theatre, Historical designs, and the Jim Rouse Theatre.

Hester2014-7065_modMary Hester, dance and interdisciplinary studies, used her love of dance and advocacy to serve as president of the Dance Council of Majors, receive the Linehan Summer Research and Study Award, and perform at the American College Dance Festival. Her project “Arts Advocacy: Promoting Policy Change,” analyzed “the benefits of dance lessons and the political implications for arts education.” She now plans to complete an M.P.P. at UMBC.

Oswusu-Boaitey2014-7072_modA campus leader and driven student, Kwadwo “Kojo” Owusu-Boaitey, philosophy and biological sciences, was a Meyerhoff Scholar, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Scholar, and Salutatorian for the Class of 2014. He was greatly involved as a member of the club soccer team, president of the Meyerhoff Scholars, co-founder and treasurer of the Minority Association of Premedical Students, and vice president of Philosophers Anonymous. Owusu-Boaitey has completed breast cancer research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, has done research at MIT labs for two summers, and is now contributing to a research manuscript. He plans to earn his M.D./Ph.D. from Harvard and MIT after graduation.

Hawkins2014-0170_modMiss Baltimore 2014, Miss Maryland 2013 runner-up, and winner of two Miss America Academic Awards, Samantha Hawkins, cultural anthropology and interdisciplinary studies, visual research methodology, was a member of the Honors College and received the Undergraduate Research Award. She has volunteered weekly at St. Francis Neighborhood Center, was a goodwill ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and interned at Maryland State Arts Council and the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Hawkins plans to earn her Ph.D. in socioanthropology with a fully-funded fellowship at Harvard University.

Learn more about the Class of 2014!

Center for Aging Studies Researchers Present at 2014 Gerontological Society of America National Meeting

Public Policy bldng.UMBC’s Center for Aging Studies had a strong presence at the 2014 Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting earlier this month in Washington, D.C. The conference brought together more than 4,000 leading researchers in the field of aging. The annual meeting is the premiere gathering of gerontologists from the United States and around the world. The theme of this year’s meeting was to challenge researchers to present aging-related connections and findings on alliances that improve policies and communities for older adults.

Center for Aging Studies researchers presented several papers, posters, and symposia. A complete list can be found below. Names in parentheses are researchers who are not currently affiliated with the Center. For more information on the 2014 GSA Meeting, click here.

GSA 2014 Symposia:

Implementing Autonomy into the Daily Lives of Residents with Dementia: Challenges in Assisted Living.  Symposium Chairs: Ann Christine Frankowski and Robert L. Rubinstein

Papers:

Autonomy in Assisted Living: Observations of Dementia as a Complicating Factor. P.J. Doyle, G.G. Tucker, (R. Perez)

Whose Autonomy? Challenges of Integrating Persons with Dementia in Assisted Living Populations. L.A. Morgan, A.C. Frankowski,  (R.P. Perez)

Behind Locked Doors: “Free” Expression of Autonomy in Dementia Care Units. A.D. Peeples, C.R. Bennett, A.C. Frankowski

Family Involvement in Dementia Care Units:  Promoting Autonomy in Everyday Life. A.C. Frankowski, C.R. Bennett, M.A. Brazda, G.G. Tucker, A.D. Peeples, M. Nemec, R. Hrybyk, (R. Perez)

Older Adults and Diabetes: The Social and Cultural Contexts Shaping Patients’ Illness Management.  Symposium Chairs: Sarah Chard and Kevin Eckert

Papers:

Defining ‘Healthy’ on Their Own Terms: Reflections of Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. (A.M. Reese)

Exploring African-American Women’s Expressions of Power and Strength as a Means to Managing Diabetes. B.H. Wallace

“You’re Cured!” A Physician’s Words and Their Effects. E. Roth, L.M. Girling

Operationalizing Diabetes Self-Management: the Patient’s Perspective. S. Chard, (C. Quinn)

Connecting Researchers and Respondents: Ethical Dilemmas in Qualitative Research. Symposium Chairs: Colleen R. Bennett & Amanda D. Peeples

Papers:

Ethical Concerns as a Participant Observer: Physical Safety of the Researcher and Respondent. C. R. Bennett

“I know who that is…” Confidentiality and Anonymity in Ethnographic Research. A.D. Peeples, C. R. Bennett

“I’ll be your friend for a month”: Simulated Friendships and Recruiting Informants in Assisted Living. R. Hrybyk, C. R. Bennett

Ethically Analyzing and Reporting Data: Qualitative Considerations. L.M. Girling

GSA 2014 Posters:

Perceived Barriers to Exercise in Persons with Parkinson’s Disease.  L.M. Girling, L.A. Morgan

GSA Papers:

Childlessness, Chronic Illness, and Religion in Later Life Care Needs.  (S. Hannum), H. Black

Evaluating the Rapid Emergence of Geriatric Emergency Departments (GEDs).  J. Schumacher, (J. Hirshon, E. Couser, P.D. Magidson)

Anne Rubin, History, on WYPR’s Humanities Connection, Receives Wall Street Journal Book Review

On Thursday, November 20, History Associate Professor Anne Rubin appeared on WYPR’s Humanities Connection to discuss her research and digital humanities project, “Mapping Memory: Digitizing Sherman’s March to the Sea.” The project uses digital storytelling to explore Sherman’s historic 1864 March to the Sea during the Civil War. On December 2, Rubin will further discuss her research with Visual Arts Associate Professor Kelley Bell at the Humanities Forum at UMBC.

Through the Heart of Dixie

Earlier this year, Rubin published, Through the Heart of Dixie: Sherman’s March and American Memory (UNC Press 2014). In the book, Rubin analyzes stories and myths about Sherman’s March, one of the most symbolically potent events of the Civil War, as a lens for examining how Americans’ ways of thinking about the Civil War have changed over time.

On November 14, the Wall Street Journal published a review of Rubin’s book. Written by author Fergus M. Bordewich, he states: “Anne Sarah Rubin…offers an engrossing exploration of the ways in which the march has been recounted and understood over the years. She notes that it ‘has come to stand for devastation and destruction, fire and brimstone, war against civilians, and for the Civil War in microcosm.'”

He later adds: “Ms. Rubin is more interested in the often contradictory ways in which white and black Southerners, and Union veterans, remembered the march…In essence, there is no single story of Sherman’s March but thousands, and though the Union forces wreaked havoc on the towns in Sherman’s path, their actions do not add up to the apocalyptic barbarism that plays such a role in Lost Cause mythology. That mythology, Ms. Rubin makes clear, was crafted by the Jim Crow politics and resurgent Southern chauvinism of the post-Reconstruction period.”

To read the complete review titled, “The Path to Power,” click here (subscription required).

Performing Arts and Humanities Building Reviewed in Baltimore Business Journal

UMBC’s Performing Arts and Humanities Building received a positive review in the Baltimore Business Journal in an article published November 18. Written by Klaus Philipsen, president of ArchPlan Inc., an architectural firm in downtown Baltimore, the review describes how the building is poised to make a lasting impact: “…this state-of-the art performance venue, designed by top-level experts, will indeed let students create community. It gives UMBC — and Baltimore County — a cutting edge in the region.”

Photo by Marlayna Demond

The author comments on specific features of the building and highlights the PAHB’s ability to house several different academic programs while providing modern facilities and spaces for performances, teaching, and research.

“The 176,000-square-foot center accommodates a diverse program ranging from classrooms for philosophers and English majors to dance and music studios, a concert hall, black box and proscenium theaters and a high-tech recording studio.” He later adds, “each theater, music room, practice studio and classroom represents perfection of its own, visually, functionally and acoustically.”

To read the complete review titled, “UMBC’s new arts building creates community,” click here.

Young and Hungry

What to do when you achieve a dream job before 30? Brigitte Pribnow Moore ’05, theatre, says you should expand the scope and ambition of that dream. Moore is the executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Young Playwrights’ Theater (YPT), a group that fosters arts education in area schools via playwriting and allows highschool writers to collaborate with professional theatre makers to see their own work on the stage.

The 2013 recipient of the UMBC Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award in the Visual and Performing Arts has big plans. Over the next three years, Moore aims to expand her organization to an even larger portion of greater Washington and increase its budget to $1 million. And her early successes – including YPT being named as the 2014 winner of The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management – have already earned her the status of a rising arts management leader.

Moore says UMBC gave her a great start. She arrived at UMBC from her small hometown in Connecticut helped by a University Fellow scholarship. “UMBC’s acting program was amazing: It was kind of conservatory-like in its style but also allowed us to explore other liberal arts,” she says.

Continue reading “Young and Hungry” →

New Hope for People Living with Paralysis

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UMBC and UMB scientists are working together to build sensors that can be sewn into clothing to detect the gestures of people with paralysis. This technology has tremendous potential as a cost-effective way to empower people with limited mobility, such as enabling a person to turn on a light by waving a hand over their arm or knee.

The goal says, Nilanjan Banerjee, an assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering is to, “use these sensors,” to sense “gestures for controlling the environment.” So that patients could control light switches or call 911.

Learn more by watching the video.

http://research.microsoft.com/apps/video/?id=231786

The team working on this project is comprised of Nilanjan Banerjee and Ryan Robucci, both assistant professors from the computer science and electrical engineering department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Sandy McComb Waller, associate professor of physical therapy and rehabilitation science at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Student Scholarship Q&A: Ariana Seidman, music performance with vocal emphasis

Every so often, we highlight the importance of student scholarships by introducing you to the very students they help to succeed. Today, we’re featuring Ariana Seidman ‘17, music performance, who is an Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship and Linehan Artist Scholarship recipient. This scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student who is a child or grandchild of a UMBC graduate, with great community involvement.

Name: Ariana Seidman
Major: Music Performance (Vocal Emphasis)
Extra Curricular Activities: UMBC Stilettos and Musical Theater Club
Scholarships received: Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship and Linehan Artist Scholar

Q: Why did you decide to attend UMBC?
I liked the warm and welcoming music department and the benefits of the Linehan Artists Scholars program. Additionally, my father and older sister attended UMBC and had great experiences.

Q: What’s been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here?
I have been amazed by the students at UMBC and the friendships I have made. I love the diversity of the student population and the sense of community throughout the university.

Q: Tell us about a class or club that has really opened your mind.
I have loved being a part of the Stilettos (UMBC’s all-female a cappella group). The a cappella environment is very friendly at UMBC and all the groups are very supportive of each other. I look forward to leading the Stilettos as music director this year.

Q: How important is it to you as a student to get scholarship support?
It is very important to me to receive scholarship support. After graduation I hope to continue my education in graduate school, so support now can help me to go further later.

Q: What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time at UMBC?
I was very proud to be elected Music Director of the Stilettos. It is a position with a lot of responsibility and I’m flattered that the members trust me to do the job.

Q: What would you say to the people who provided your scholarship?
I would thank them repeatedly for supporting my education and allowing me to continue to study what I love both now and in the future.

Q: What do you hope to do after graduation?
I hope to continue on to graduate school to study music therapy, speech therapy/pathology, or vocal pedagogy.

Support UMBC’s scholarships today!

UMBC: Fan Favorites

Fan Favorites

Energized by Retriever fans, men’s soccer wins America East championship, earning NCAA bid.

The UMBC men’s soccer team clinched the America East Conference championship on Saturday, November 15, with a 2-1 victory over Hartford. The win earned the Retrievers an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, the team’s fourth NCAA tournament berth in five years.

Coach Pete Caringi’s crew is unbeaten in the past 25 games against America East foes — a conference record. The Retrievers are also just the second team in America East history to win both regular season and tournament titles in back-to-back seasons.

The excitement on campus is palpable; during the game it was electric. For those who couldn’t witness the victory first-hand at Retriever Soccer Park, The Baltimore Sun reports, “When the 90 minutes were up, UMBC fans and students stormed the field and celebrated with the players at midfield.”

This level of fan energy is a hallmark of UMBC. Fans fill Retriever Soccer Park for home games and stadiums on the road. UMBC men’s soccer consistently ranks among the top 25 NCAA Division I teams in home game attendance.

The crowd exploded during UMBC’s November 12 America East semifinal tournament game against Vermont when forward Kay Banjo, the league’s Striker of the Year, broke a 1-1 deadlock with a phenomenal back-heel goal. Banjo’s story exemplifies the impact fans have on the game — how the support our student-athletes feel from the UMBC community makes a difference for them on the field.

Faced with the elimination of Towson’s men’s soccer program in 2013, Banjo ’15, media and communication studies, had to decide how to use his final year of collegiate eligibility. Considering his options, he remembered the fan support he saw at Retriever Soccer Park when he attended a contest there in 2013, and this year he is competing for the Retrievers. UMBC, he told The Baltimore Sun, “fits like a glove.”

At the core of “Retriever Fever” is Lot 17, named for the old moniker of the Stadium Lot, where fans have historically gathered before and after games. Lot 17 members make their presence known with gold t-shirts, chants, flags, a beating drum, and unbridled enthusiasm for UMBC.

Lot 17 President Zach Trout ‘15, business technology administration, is plugged into the country’s rapidly growing passion for soccer. He shares, “My main goal is to grow Lot 17 so future students can experience the feeling of attending a professional soccer game right here at UMBC.”

For Retriever fan Margaret Glassman ’16, management of aging services, Lot 17 is about making lifelong friends and memories. She says, “It was great to find a group of people that love watching soccer as much as I do, and I think it definitely gives UMBC a home field advantage.”

Ben Alkon ‘16, history, agrees, saying, “UMBC has a diverse student body culturally as well as socially. If there’s something a student likes to do, I’d bet there are other students at UMBC with the same passion.” For Alkon, that group is Lot 17.

With this new championship, Lot 17’s vision of soccer glory is becoming a reality. The Retrievers will carry the energy and support of a powerful fan community wherever NCAA takes them.

For information on UMBC men’s soccer in the upcoming NCAA tournament, visit www.umbcretrievers.com.

(Updated 11/17/2014)

UMBC is Changing the World with a Giving Heart

UMBC students understand the importance of charitable engagement and giving back: they know that making a difference in the lives of others is what makes the world go around. That’s why we’re celebrating our students and our community on National Philanthropy Day. This special day is a unique opportunity to acknowledge the importance of giving, volunteering, and charitable engagement to our society and our world.

So, in honor of National Philanthropy Day, UMBC is proud to highlight three student initiatives that are lending a helping hand:

Making connections, building friendship.

Students will spend the week at the ARC of Carroll County, where they’ll get to know and offer support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Learn more and support this project.

Examining the stigma, lending a hand.

Students will make a difference right here in Baltimore as they learn about the experiences and challenges of homelessness and reflect on approaches to addressing the issue through public policy and community action. Learn more and support this project.

Clowning around to change lives.

UMBC students explore alternative healthcare and interact with patients to bring laughter, joy, and creativity as an integral part of the healing process. Learn more and support the project.

 Celebrate National Philanthropy Day and support a student project! 

Ramon Goings, Sherman Scholars Program, Writes About the Future of HBCUs in Diverse

In an article for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, Ramon Goings, program coordinator for the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars, writes about the changing landscape in higher education and how historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) can embrace change to thrive in the future.

Goings and co-author Marybeth Gasman, a professor from the University of Pennsylvania, encourage HBCUs to adopt a growth mindset in order to thrive in spite of changing demographics. “The future of HBCUs rests on the ability of education stakeholders to adopt a growth mindset and shift our conversations to focus on opportunities to enhance the strengths while providing support for areas of concern,” they write.

Click here to read “Future of HBCUs May Rest on Adopting a Growth Mindset.”

Political Science and Public Policy Faculty Provide Additional Election Analysis

Following last week’s election, UMBC political science and public policy faculty continued to provide analysis as the final vote totals were tallied and future policy issues were discussed. Tom SchallerPolitical Science Professor and Chair Thomas Schaller wrote a column in the Baltimore Sun in which he analyzed the results in Maryland’s gubernatorial election. He noted that Governor-Elect Larry Hogans’s victory was, “less about turnout than a conversion of the Maryland electorate.” Schaller discussed his column on WYPR’s “Midday with Dan Rodricks” (begins at 23:40) and WBAL’s “The C4 Show.” Donald Norris UMBCPublic Policy Professor and Chair Donald Norris was interviewed for a Washington Post article in which he commented on how the Congressional elections will affect Maryland: “’It’s going to be a really ugly two years’ for Maryland, said Norris. In particular, he said, federal funding for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup will likely be at risk. Republicans may also do their best to blunt federal regulations governing the bay environment.” Roy Meyers (UMBC)Political Science Professor Roy Meyers was quoted in Grist and discussed Maryland’s stormwater management fee. He stated, “there’s no way to reduce your tax burden if you come up with ways of mitigating stormwater runoff at your home.” Meaning, for example, if you install equipment in your roof that captures the rain, preventing runoff, you still have to pay the stormwater fee. Tyson King-MeadowsTyson King-Meadows, Chair of the Africana Studies Department and Associate Professor of Political Science, was quoted in a Salt Lake Tribune article and discussed a political study in Utah that he conducted with colleagues at Brigham Young University on racial attitudes and campaign messaging. To read and listen to complete election coverage by UMBC faculty during the week of November 10, click below. Thomas Schaller: Race had a role in Hogan’s win (Baltimore Sun op-ed)  Midday with Dan Rodricks (WYPR) The C4 Show (WBAL- audio not posted) Donald Norris: With new Congress, D.C. Region is Losing Clout (Washington Post) Roy Meyers: Was the shocking outcome of Maryland’s gubernatorial race about rain, or something else? (Grist) Tyson King-Meadows: Mia Love: Utahns care little about race (Salt Lake Tribune)

Dennis Coates, Economics, Participates in Heinz College Carnegie Mellon University Panel: “Olympic Opportunity: Going for the Gold or Spending in the Red?”

Dennis CoatesEconomics Professor Dennis Coates participated in a panel at Heinz College Washington, D.C., Carnegie Mellon University, on the complex business of bidding for large scale events such as the Olympics. Coates has done extensive research on public choice, public finance, and sports economics.

Other panelists included Ngiste Abebe, Co-author, Bidding for Development, Trina Bolton, Co-author, Bidding for Development, and Chris Watts, Managing Director, 4POINT4. The event took place on Thursday, November 13 in Washington, D.C. and the description can be found below:

“This panel will explore the complex business of bidding for mega-events. The panelists will weigh a city’s potential for long-term strategic development against the extreme price tag of bidding to host. The dialogue will focus on the largest global mega-event, the Olympic Games, and span dynamic policy areas from transportation and urban development to sports economics and diplomacy. Panelists will also share insights from the recent Springer publication Bidding for Development: How the Olympic Bid Process Can Accelerate Transportation Development.”

For more information, click here.

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