All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Alums in the News: Wardlow, Eisenberg, Workin’ the Tease, and the 2014 NSF GRFP Grant Recipients

We are proud of our alums and their constant achievements. Recently, many UMBC alumni, in particular, have made it in the news and we thought you should know!

photo via ASBMBtoday

Rob Wardlow, ’12, biochemistry and molecular biology, is passing on lessons learned from Freeman Hrabowski III by helping teens find their way through high school and into college.

Now finishing his second year working towards a M.D./Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University and member of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), Wardlow spends his Wednesday afternoons mentoring and playing basketball with high school students in the Brotherhood Alliance for Science and Education, or BASE. As Wardlow mentions, “Our focus with these guys is to build a long-term mentorship. But basketball is the part they really look forward to.”

Find Wardlow’s full interview with Johns Hopkins Dome publication here.

photo via The Baltimore Sun

Deborah Eisenberg, ’91, political science, first fell in love with the “thrill of the battle” of law but now finds herself waging a more peaceful war for equal pay for women.

As a professor at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and faculty director of the UM Carey Center for Dispute Resolution, Eisenberg recently started fighting for equal pay for women. After testifying in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions earlier this month supporting the Paycheck Fairness Act, Eisenberg said, “Although women have achieved great success in the workplace, gender pay discrimination between men and women performing the same work persists for several complex reasons.”

Read her full interview with The Baltimore Sun here.

photo via Visual Baltimore

Workin’ the Tease: The Art of Baltimore Burlesque, an exhibition curated at MICA, incorporated the work of three UMBC alum. Mary Volkman, aka Margo Christie, ’92, English, not only donated some classic burlesque items for the event but also held a book reading to celebrate her new nostalgic novel, These Days, which reminisces about the better days of the burlesque Baltimore. Along with Volkman, Sean Scheidt ’05, visual arts photography, contributed to the show with his photography background by photographing the performers, and Keri Burneston, aka Trixie Little, ’99, visual and performing arts, aided the exhibition by performing in the show. Find out more about Workin’ the Tease here.

nsf1The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) recently announced winners for graduate studies. We are pleased to announce that four UMBC alumni, Nathan Fastman, ’13, biochemistry and molecular biology; Kedy Edme,* ’12, biochemical sciences; Korine Duval,* ’13, mechanical engineering; and Colleen Courtney,* ’12, chemical engineering, have all been awarded grants in their respective areas of study while completing their graduate degrees all over the country. The GRFP is designed to recognize and support “outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.” Congratulations to our fantastic alumni! To find out more about the NSF GRFP, click here.

* denotes Meyerhoff or MARC scholar

Rachel Brewster in Science Magazine

Rachel Brewster, an associate professor in the department of biological sciences, was profiled in a recent issue of Science magazine. The article titled, The Adapter, explores how Brewster, in a world of tight funding, adapts her work on neural development, and continues training graduate students.

Jennifer Couzin-Frankel writes in Science:

“Brewster landed at UMBC in 2003, after marrying a biologist she met at New York University (NYU) who accepted a job at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Since securing tenure, she aspired to create a different culture from the one she experienced during her postdoc, in a prestigious lab at NYU’s Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine. “I do not want to have the kind of cutthroat lab where people feel the pressure to work Saturday, Sunday, 16 hours a day,” she says. “But then there’s of course a price to pay,” she admits. “The price to pay is in productivity.”

“Her lab uses zebrafish to disentangle how the early brain is shaped, and Brewster has also made it a priority to support women and students from minority groups. In part that reflects her own background—she grew up in Switzerland, the child of a Jamaican mother and a British Guyanese father who worked for the United Nations. She’s fiercely proud of UMBC, a state school that graduates a remarkable 40% or so of its students, many of them minorities, from science-based majors, well above the national average of 25%. “A lot of our students are daughters and sons of recent immigrants, people who still believe in the American dream and who are investing every penny and dime they have to get their kids an education,” she says.”

If you’re looking for a good read about one of UMBC’s scientists then this article may be for you.

Read more

 

Sizzling Summer Events for Alums

Spend some time with fellow alumni at these great events:

IT & Engineering Alumni Happy Hour
Wednesday, June 25, 6 – 8 p.m.
Union Jack’s
10400 Little Patuxent Pkwy
Columbia, MD 21044

9151107771_05fdac22af_zAn IT and an Engineering alum walk into a bar. The bartender says, “Hey, is this some kind of joke?” to which they reply, “No, we just like networking.” Enjoy a night out with fellow graduates of the College of Engineering and Information Technology and others now working in those fields for a networking happy hour at Union Jack’s for food and drinks. This event is sponsored by the UMBC Training Centers. RSVP to this FREE event now!

Battle of the Beltways: Orioles vs. Nationals
Wednesday, July 9, 5:30 p.m. picnic, 7 p.m. game
Camden Yards, Baltimore

Beltways Baseball_windowThe UMBC Alumni Association is hosting a night at Camden Yards as the Baltimore Orioles take on the Washington Nationals! Join other graduated Retriever Believers for a night of food, fun, and America’s favorite pastime.

The price for admission is $25 per person (limit 4) and each ticket includes a stadium seat and a pre-game picnic in the bullpen. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

UMBC Night at the Nationals Stadium: Nationals vs. Phillies
Saturday, August 2, 5:30 p.m. picnic, 7 p.m. game
Nationals Stadium, Washington D.C.

Baseball 2013If you missed the Battle of the Beltways, you have another chance to join the UMBC Alumni Association for a night of baseball! Come watch the Washington Nationals challenge the Philadelphia Phillies at the Nationals Stadium. The price of admission is $20 per person (limit 4) and each ticket includes a seat in the stadium and a pre-game picnic area. Our group will be seated in the Mezzanine Gallery. To purchase your tickets now or to learn more, click here.

Dr. Belay Demoz Appointed Director of UMBC’s Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET)

Dr. Belay Demoz has been appointed as Professor in the Department of Physics and Director of the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), a cooperative center between UMBC and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Dr. Demoz’s appointment will be effective August 1, 2014.

Dr. Demoz joins the UMBC community from Howard University where he held the position of Professor of Physics and Atmospheric Science. Prior to his appointment at Howard University, he served as a Physical Scientist at NASA GSFC from 2002 to 2008. Between 1998 and 2002 he held the position of Research Assistant Professor at UMBC and JCET.

Dr. Demoz received his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Physics and his M.Sc. in Atmospheric Science from the Desert Research Institute at the University of Nevada-Reno in 1992, after completing his B.Sc. in Physics with a Minor in Mathematics at Asmara University, Eritrea, East Africa, 1984.

Belay Demoz May 2014 copyThe appointment of Dr. Demoz concludes a successful international search for a capable leader to continue building on the strong relationships between UMBC and NASA. Dr. Demoz’s prior experience at NASA Goddard and with JCET makes him an ideal choice to lead JCET into the future. Dr. Demoz will continue on the work of Dr. Raymond Hoff, who served as JCET Director from 1999 until 2011. Since 2011, Ms. Danita Eichenlaub has been the Administrative Director for JCET. She will work closely with Dr. Demoz to continue strengthening JCET’s research and academic mission.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of the members of the Search Committee. Their commitment and hard work represents a strong contribution to secure the continued success of UMBC’s relationship with NASA and the future growth of UMBC as a research university.

Established in 1995 under the Direction of Dr. Harvey Melfi, JCET operates under a cooperative agreement between UMBC and NASA GSFC. JCET meets the common interest of UMBC and GSFC to develop new technology for environmental remote sensing. JCET staff includes tenured faculty, research faculty, research support staff, students and administrative support staff. Currently there are 17 research faculty members with affiliations to academic departments at UMBC and 5 UMBC tenured faculty members with a JCET affiliation. JCET also includes 19 additional research faculty members and four scientific support staff. JCET faculty are affiliated with the Departments of Physics, Geography and Environmental Systems, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Mathematics & Statistics and Education. Both graduate and undergraduate students work with JCET faculty. JCET’s research focuses on themes, which align with NASA’s Earth Science Interests: engineering, mesoscale atmospheric processes, climate and radiation, atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, hydrospheric and biospheric sciences, and solar system science including geodesy and geophysics.

Congratulations to the winner of the Jakubik Family Award!

The UMBC community is full of compassionate, caring people who love to give back to UMBC. Today we’re meeting one of those people, Justine Johnson, Associate Director of the Meyerhoff Graduate Program at UMBC. She was this year’s lucky – and deserving! – recipient of the Jakubik Family Endowment Award. This award was created to recognize a staff member who went beyond the norm in helping UMBC students achieve their goals. Learn more about the award and Stan Jakubik in part 1 of this series.

Q: What is your relationship to UMBC? How did you become involved with UMBC?

A: I love UMBC and I hope to retire from this wonderful place! I am currently the Associate Director of the Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program and I became involved with UMBC in 1999 when I was hired as an Accounting Associate in the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program. I worked in the department during the transition from FAS to PeopleSoft and was later promoted to Business Manager. It was a very rewarding experience and I learned a great deal about higher education. But I learned my biggest lesson from the amazing students in the program. In 2004, I wasn’t looking to make any career changes, however I was working closely with MaryEllen Jackson, my predecessor who was leaving the position with the Meyerhoff Graduate Program. In casual conversation I said, “Your job looks like fun! What do you think about me doing it?” With excitement she said, “You would leave the Meyerhoff Program? I think you would be great for this position!” She immediately shared our conversation with Dr. Summers and the rest is history!

Q: Could you share a favorite memory from your time here?

A: There are so many! When I began working in the Meyerhoff Scholars Program I participated in Summer Bridge with the M11’s. As part of a trust-building field trip, we had to participate in a trust-fall where the students and staff had to catch you as you fell from a 10-foot-tall tree post. Later we had to climb a rock wall and I am afraid of heights. Those incoming M11 Meyerhoff Scholars and the staff rooted and cheered me on like I was an Olympian and I was determined to reach the top. Looking down at them and hearing them root me on was priceless! I knew I was going to love working here.

Q: How did it feel to receive the Jakubik Family Endowment Award?

A: I felt really honored to receive the Jakubik award, and it was especially nice to receive an email from Mr. Jakubik congratulating me on the award. It was also an honor to get nominated by Dr. Summers and the letters of recommendation from Dr. LaCourse, Greg Simmons, and Dr. Hrabowski. It is nice to be acknowledged for the work that you do with students every day. You never know how you are influencing their lives and decisions.  I enjoy working with students and seeing their growth and watching them accomplish their goals.

Q: What would you want to say to the Stan and the Jakubik Family?

A: I would tell them thank you for establishing such an award that acknowledges contributions to students by faculty and staff at UMBC. The acknowledgement itself is an honor and the monetary award is the icing on the cake! It encourages me to continue to do better.

Q: Why do you think it’s important to give back to UMBC and its students?

A: It’s important to give back to UMBC because this institution does so much for its students, staff, and the community at-large. When I think about what working at UMBC has done for me, I’m not sure what my life or my family would be like if I didn’t work here.  Giving back to the students is important because every person needs to feel connected. They also need encouragement along the way! When I think about all that I have gained from working here, giving back to students comes easy.

Read part 1 of this series.

Meet the Donor: Stan Jakubik

Editor’s note: This is part 1 of 2 in a series on the Jakubik Family Endowment Award.

The UMBC community is full of compassionate, caring people who love to give back to UMBC. Stan Jakubik and Justine Johnson are two of those people. Jakubik, a former Assistant Provost at UMBC and now the Assistant Vice Chancellor of the University System of Maryland, along with his family, established the Jakubik Family Endowment in the early 2000s. Their goal was to acknowledge the role that the staff plays in the success of students at UMBC.

Along with the Office of Institutional Advancement, Jakubik created an award that would recognize a staff member who went beyond the norm in helping UMBC students achieve their goals. While the award does include a monetary component, it was designed to highlight the contributions made by all staff to the overall academic and social environment at UMBC.

Today we’re meeting Stan Jakubik, the founder and namesake of the Jakubik Family Endowment, to find out why he’s such a big supporter of UMBC.

Q: What is your relationship to UMBC? How did you become involved with UMBC?

A: I was a member of the UMBC staff from 1980 through most of 1997.  I originally was hired as Registrar, later became Registrar and Director of Academic Advising, finally moving to Assistant Provost in the early 1990s. I reluctantly left UMBC in 1997 to head up a project for the University System of Maryland, where I am currently Assistant Vice Chancellor.

Q: Could you share a favorite memory from your time here?

A: My most fond memories of UMBC involve the growth of team spirit among the staff over the years. In the mid 1980s, Michael Hooker became President and started the transition toward the academic powerhouse that is now UMBC, with Freeman later moving UMBC to the national acclaim it enjoys today. The staff supporting all of the changes became a critical part of UMBC’s success story by joining together to constantly try to find better ways to support students and faculty. There was a strong identity among the staff with the goals of UMBC, pushing bureaucracy aside and finding new ways to “make it happen.”

I must say my other fond memory is my daughter Stephanie’s graduation from UMBC and her first career steps, joining the UMBC staff in both the Shriver Center and Institutional Advancement.

Q: How do you hope your support will make UMBC a better place?

A: My daughter and I wanted to find a way to thank UMBC for the exceptional experiences we both had as staff members. We could think of no better way than to build a program to acknowledge the continuing efforts of UMBC people who want to make the experience of being a member of the UMBC community an exceptional positive period in the lives of our students. We wanted to publicize the achievements of those whose commitment to UMBC – and to the success of its students – set a very high bar for others to follow. I believe the award does that.

Q: Why do you think it’s important to give back to UMBC?

A: I think we all know that financial support from individuals is more critical today than it has ever been. What is most important, however, is that people associated with UMBC have an opportunity to give back in so many different ways. Financial support clearly is one, but volunteerism is another. Becoming involved in recruiting efforts, telling the story of UMBC in social media, mentoring students, and working the legislative issues that impact UMBC all provide the kind of support that UMBC needs. Supporting UMBC in whatever manner is appropriate to you will help UMBC to continue to be the incredible success story it is today.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this series tomorrow.
In the meantime, you can support UMBC, too!

Jodi Kelber-Kaye, Honors College, on The Marc Steiner Show

Jodi Kelber-Kaye, associate director of the Honors College, joined The Marc Steiner Show on May 30 to celebrate the 163rd anniversary of Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech.

Kelber-Kaye spoke about teaching about the intersections of race and gender in the history of women’s rights advocacy, saying, “This is an incredibly interesting conversation that I actually have always had with my students. One of the things that’s really nice about UMBC is that we have an extraordinarily diverse population. So my classrooms have always been filled with people from all over the world and different races who have wanted to have conversations about this word ‘feminism.'”

Other panelists included Lea Gilmore, cultural correspondent for the Center for Emerging Media, dream hampton, co-author of Decoded, and A. Adar Ayira, project manager of the More in the Middle Campaign for Associated Black Charities.

Click here to listen to the full segment titled, “Sojourner Truth’s ‘Ain’t I A Woman?’: African American Women & Feminism.”

Nathan Rehr ’13, Political Science, on Humanities Connection

National History Day is set to take place next month at the University of Maryland, College Park. The competition is an exciting experience for students in grades six through twelve to learn about ideas, events and people in history and apply what they learn through original projects.

Nathan Rehr ’13, political science, participated in National History Day as a high school student. For his project, he decided to research Sargent Shriver and as part of his research he interviewed Joby Taylor, Director of the Shriver Peaceworker Program. He credits Taylor with helping him guide his choice of where to go for college and recently shared his story on WYPR’s Humanities Connection.

“For me, History Day helped me determine a few of the next steps in my life,” Rehr said. By interviewing Taylor, Rehr said, “I learned more about UMBC’s social and academic atmosphere, and I decided to start college there the following fall.”

Rehr is currently serving with the U.S. Peace Corps in Senegal working as a Preventive Health Educator to help improve the health and well-being of the community he is serving. To listen to the full segment on Humanities Connection, click here.

Devin Hagerty, Political Science, Named 2014-2015 Lipitz Professor

Devin Hagerty Devin Hagerty, professor of political science and founding director of the global studies program, has been named the Lipitz Professor of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences for 2014-2015. This professorship is supported by an endowment created by Roger C. Lipitz and the Lipitz Family Foundation “to recognize and support innovative and distinguished teaching and research in the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.”

An internationally recognized scholar of South Asian international relations (India-Pakistan and South Asia-US), Hagerty came to UMBC from the University of Sydney in 2001. Since then he has published two books, five articles, and 13 book chapters. He founded the journal Asian Security in 2003 and has served as its managing editor or co-editor ever since. He teaches courses in international relations and has won the Political Science Teacher of the Year award three times. He has served as chair of the political science department, currently chairs one of the working groups for the university’s strategic planning, and now directs our new, fast-growing global studies program—among a long list of service to UMBC. In November 2013, Hagerty wrote an op-ed published in Inside Higher Ed in which he introduced UMBC’s global studies program and argued that a liberal arts education is essential in developing a “global competence” among students.

During his year as the Lipitz Professor, Dr. Hagerty will work on a book project entitled “Fear, Ambition, and the Sturdy Child of Terror: South Asia’s Triangular Nuclear Dilemma.”

Round-Up: UMBC In the News, 5/30

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.

Check out all the other great campus news on Insights Weekly.

[Video] The End of a Journey, The Beginning of an Adventure

Do you remember these moments? Taking your last final ever, walking across the stage, saying goodbye to tests and teachers and school… forever. These are moments the class of 2014 is living right now. Some of us will, of course, pursue further education, while others will launch new careers. But whether we continue on with school or not, the learning will never stop. UMBC has taught us to be brave, to see the world in a different way, to think outside of the box, and to always embrace the student inside.

I guess they really mean it when they say time flies when you’re having fun. For the class of 2014 this saying cannot be any closer to the truth. For some it seemed to take forever and for others it just flew by; but for all of us, well, the end is finally here. As we look back, we know we have UMBC to thank for preparing us for whatever comes next – because even as this journey ends, another adventure is just beginning.

Editor’s note: Today we say goodbye to our amazing intern, Jessie Orsburn, class of 2014! We are incredibly proud of her and wish her all the best as she moves forward with the next step of her journey. We’re also thankful for all that she has done as a member of our team during her last semester at UMBC, and we’re excited to share with you one of her projects – a video on the experience of graduating from UMBC and becoming an alum that Jessie planned, shot, and edited during the final weeks of her internship. Thanks, Jessie!

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