All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Kelley Bell, Visual Arts, Receives Recognition for Design of ‘Command Z’ Catalog

CommandZ_Cover_PDF_000Kelley Bell, associate professor of Visual Arts, received an honorable mention for her design of the catalog Command Z: Artists Working with Phenomena and Technology in the 2013 Museum Publication Design Competition — for the category of “exhibition catalogs” — presented by the American Alliance of Museums.

The catalog, designed by Bell and published by the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, was written by Lisa Moren, associate professor of visual arts, and curator for Command Z.

Bell’s honorable mention was one of only nine acknowledgements in the category, in this nationwide, juried competition open to all “noncommercial cultural institution[s] offering exhibits to the public.”

Command Z was presented in the spring of 2012 in the CADVC.

Jason Loviglio, Media and Communication Studies, Joins Board of Wide Angle Youth Media

Jason Loviglio, director of the media and communication studies program, has been elected to the Board of Directors of Wide Angle Youth Media.

Wide Angle Youth Media provides Baltimore youth with media education to tell their own stories and become engaged with their communities. Through after-school programming, in-school opportunities, summer workshops, community events, and an annual Youth Media Festival, Wide Angle supports young people making a difference through media.

Congratulations!

Brown ’13, M21, biochem, to Attend Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

Brian Brown ’13, M21, biochemistry and molecular biology, will travel to Germany next week to attend the 63rd Annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

The meeting, which will be held June 30- July 5, will bring thirty-five Nobel Laureates together to meet the next generation of leading scientists and researchers. More than 600 young researchers from nearly 80 countries will attend.

‘‘I am impressed and carried away by the competence, curiosity and energy of the young participants – networking, discussing, asking the right questions. This makes me think confidently about the perspectives of a global scientific community’’, said Hartmut Michel, a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry.

Brown attended UMBC as a Meyerhoff Scholar and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Societies. He twice received UMBC Undergraduate Research Awards. This fall, he will begin pursuing his M.D./Ph.D. at the New York University School of Medicine.

Reposted from the UMBC News Blog. Read the full release.

Stephen Freeland selected as new director of Interdisciplinary Studies

Interdisciplinary Studies (INDS) is pleased to welcome Dr. Stephen Freeland as its new Director. Dr. Freeland succeeds Patricia La Noue, praised for building a solid foundation during her time in the position.

In his new role, Dr. Freeland will extend the strengths of INDS. He has particular interests in the interface of science and religion and in using the full spectrum of creative arts to visualize and communicate social science, natural science and engineering. In this capacity, Dr. Freeland initiated activities by presenting a public lecture in Washington D.C. for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) dialogue on science, ethics, and religion.

As Dr. Freeland begins to build new bridges, he would be delighted to hear from members of the campus community. Feel free to reach out to him directly at freeland@umbc.edu.

UMBC video documentaries in The Baltimore Sun capture voice, history of Sparrows Point steelworkers

In a gripping Baltimore Sun feature story on the lives of former steel mill workers after the closing of Sparrows Point, video documentaries from the UMBC project “Documenting Cultural Heritage in Partnership with Communities” (supported by BreakingGround) offer important first-person perspectives on life and work in the community.

UMBC students interviewed former mill employees while learning about oral and audiovisual storytelling and documentation. The steelworkers shared their stories of working at the mill, the impact the Sparrows Point closure has had on the community, and the future of the industry locally and nationally. Bill Shewbridge (New Media Studio) and Michelle Stefano (American Studies) collaborated to bring to life a project that introduced students to the ideas, techniques and ethical considerations that underpin qualitative research, particularly from a community-based, out-in-the-field perspective.

UMBC Earns Accolades in Ranking Reports

UMBC recently earned accolades in three college ranking reports.

The Online College Database recognized the high salaries of UMBC graduates in its list of most affordable colleges.  The website used data from the “2012-2013 PayScale College Salary Report” to rank UMBC as having the second-highest post-graduation starting salary of colleges in Maryland with annual tuition under $20,000.  According to the report, the average starting salary of a UMBC graduate is $50,300.

On June 19, Business Insider placed UMBC at number seven on a list of the 25 most underrated colleges in America.  The site combined the PayScale ranking with those produced by U.S. News & World Report to discover colleges and universities with a large disparity between their college rank and their salary rank.  When the data was combined, UMBC emerged as a school with a stronger outcome than expected, earning a top spot on the list.

UMBC was also included on the Times Higher Education‘s 100 Under 50 list for the second consecutive year, ranking 60th on a list of the best young universities across the globe. The list highlights colleges and universities established less than 50 years ago that have promising futures. Particular attention was given to institutions with strong research, innovation and international outlook.

Sandra Abbott, CADVC, Appointed to Baltimore City Public Art Commission

Abbott with Mayor Rawlings-Blake

Curator of collections and outreach for the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, Sandra Abbott, was sworn in to the board of the Baltimore City Public Art Commission on Monday, June 10, 2013 by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

As a member of the board of the Public Art Commission, Abbott juries public art projects along with eight other members under the City’s 1% for Art Program. The 1%-for-Art Ordinance requires at least one percent of the City’s capital construction project’s eligible funds be used for the selection, acquisition, commissioning, fabrication, placement, installation, display and maintenance of public fine artwork. The program is administered through the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts (BOPA).

With her experience on the steering committee of the Highlandtown Arts and Entertainment District since 2008, Abbott is well-positioned to work with BOPA and the other city arts districts on the recent $200K ArtPlace America grant for the City’s three arts districts in partnership with the European Union. The Grant will fund Transit, a project that brings together European and Baltimore artists, arts organizations, city planners and transportation officials to strategically transform transit environments within the city’s A&E districts. The project was chosen from more than 1,200 applications as an exceptional example of creative placemaking.

Abbott is co-author of the chapter on museum internships in A Life in Museums (American Alliance of Museums, 2012), and serves as the Maryland representative to the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries. She often speaks at national conferences and most recently won the Collegetown Network’s Staff Award for outstanding service at the 6th annual Service-Learning and & Civic Engagement Conference.

The UMB-UMBC Research and Innovation Partnership Seed Grant Program

FROM: Philip Rous, Provost

TO: The UMBC Community

RE: The UMB-UMBC Research and Innovation Partnership Seed Grant Program

We are delighted to announce the first set of grants awarded in the UMB-UMBC Research and Innovation Partnership Seed Grant Program. This program is designed to promote structured collaboration between UMBC and UMB and to advance the institutions’ joint goals in research and innovation.

We would like to acknowledge the creativity and hard work of all UMBC faculty that submitted proposals and we recognize that it was not possible to fund in this first round every deserving project from over 40 proposals received. We encourage those not funded this year to revise and resubmit their proposal next year.   Proposals submitted to the program were evaluated using a peer review process that included faculty from both the UMB and UMBC campuses. Each proposal was reviewed for: (1) how well the project meets the goals of the Seed Grant Program; (2) meeting criteria (e.g., relevance to future public health concerns, significance, innovation, approach and qualification of investigative team/environment to carry out the aims); and (3) likelihood of attracting outside funding in the future. The grant recipients were chosen based on merit as assessed by peer review.

Although we had anticipated making only four or five awards, based on the outstanding overall quality of the submitted proposals, we selected six projects for funding in FY2014, each of which brings together creative teams of investigators from UMBC and UMB working across disciplinary boundaries and campuses to support new research foci.

Please join me in congratulating this year’s grant recipients. The RFP for the next round of the UMB-UMBC Research and Innovation Partnership Seed Grants will be announced later this fall.

Awarded Research Grants

Pain after Spinal Cord Injury: Experimental and Computational Studies
UMBC PI: Kathleen Hoffman, Mathematics and Statistics
UMB PI: Asaf Keller, School of Medicine

Targeted Inhibition of Protein Kinase CK2 (CK2) and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase (ERK) in Cancer Cells
UMBC PI: Charles Bieberich, Biology
UMB PI: Paul Shapiro, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Independent Vector Analysis to Investigate Cognitive Neural Networks after Stroke: A Comparison between Two Rehabilitation Interventions
UMBC PI: Tulay Adali, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
UMB PI: Kelly Westlake, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science

Novel Anti-biofilm, Anti-caries and Anti-fatigue Dental Nanocomposites
UMBC PI: Dwayne Arola, Mechanical Engineering
UMB PI: Huakun Xu, Dental School UMB Clinical Co-Investigator: Ashraf Fouad, Dental School

Comparative Studies of the Intracellular Trafficking of Several Classes of Dendronized Drug Nanocarriers
UMBC PI: Marie-Christine Daniel, Chemistry and Biochemistry
UMB PI: Peter Swaan, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Seed Grant for Monitoring and Modeling the Nuclear-cytoplasmic Movements of the Atrophy Promoting Transcription Factor Foxo1 in Cultured Adult Skeletal Muscle Fibers
UMBC PI: Bradford Peercy, Mathematics and Statistics
UMB PI: Martin Schneider, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

UMBC Students Need Alumni Support by June 30!

quinn-8321For Caitlynn, a biology major, one family emergency nearly meant having to leave UMBC. Thankfully, she’s now on track to finish what she started — fulfilling her dream not only of helping people as a radiology assistant, but being the first in her family to graduate from college.

Imagine working and studying hard for years, then losing it all because you can’t quite make one tuition bill payment. Imagine having to pay off years of student debt without a degree to show for it.

Sadly, hundreds of UMBC students experience need that isn’t fulfilled by scholarships or financial aid. Many of them work two or more jobs while attending school – and sometimes, that still isn’t enough. Those are the times when they need you most.

When students have the scholarship support they need, they can do AMAZING things. And during the month of June, we’re showcasing students who are doing just that — making the most of their time at UMBC, and changing the world for the better, with the aid of scholarships. Our aim? To raise enough money to award 30 scholarships of $1,000. It’s a big goal, but you can help us reach it, and when you do, you’ll be helping students in need.

>> Make your gift to support students today

While Caitlynn was fortunate enough to receive support that enabled her to stay at UMBC, there are many students who still need your help. That’s why your support is more important this month than ever before. Please, make a gift today and help us raise the funds for 30 scholarships in 30 days.

>> Read student scholarship success stories

Sileo ’11 MPP on Daily Record’s “20 In Their Twenties” List

Greg Sileo ’11, masters of public policy, has been named one of Baltimore’s “20 in Their Twenties” by the Daily Record. Sileo is director of the Office of Home Energy Programs within the Maryland Department of Human Resources.

According to the Daily Record, the award:

“honors Maryland’s up-and-comers who are in their 20s. Selected by a panel of previous award winners, honorees will be chosen on the basis of professional accomplishment, civic involvement and impact of achievement. The program celebrates the best and brightest under 30 who may have not earned their first million but whose creativity and spirit are already contributing to a new energy in Maryland”

See the full list of winners here.

UMBC Welcomes Tim Hall as Athletic Director

timhallTO: The UMBC Community
FROM: Dr. Nancy Young, Vice President for Student Affairs
RE: Announcing the Appointment of Tim Hall as Athletic Director

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Tim Hall as Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation, effective July 8, 2013.

Hall joins the UMBC community from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), where for the past six years he has served as Director of Athletics. Prior to leading UMKC athletics, he served as Associate Athletics Director for Development at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Hall’s appointment builds on substantial UMBC momentum, including championships in seven different sports over 10 seasons in the America East Conference. He succeeds Dr. Charles Brown, who will retire June 30, completing a 24-year tenure that has elevated both the Retrievers’ athletic and academic performance.
On behalf of the entire campus community I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to all members of the Search Committee, chaired by Jack Suess. Their commitment and hard work constitutes an outstanding contribution to the future of the UMBC athletics program.

During his time at UKMC, Hall propelled the university to new heights at the NCAA Division I level in athletic competitiveness, academic success, fundraising and community service efforts. He led UMKC to conference championship wins in men’s soccer, men’s golf, men’s tennis and softball and, most recently, drove the UKMC athletics program into a new era, announcing that it would join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) on July 1, 2013. Hall is also in a three-year term on the NACDA Division I-AAA Executive Committee and serves on the NCAA volleyball rules committee, as well as the NCAA committee on Women’s Athletics.

Hall will have direct responsibility for the UMBC’s NCAA Division I Intercollegiate Athletics program, all campus recreational programs (intramurals, club sports, recreational activities) and the Physical Education program. His primary responsibility will be to encourage and support the total development of all students and student-athletes at UMBC through competitive, recreational and educational sports programs and activities sponsored by the university.

We couldn’t be more enthused to welcome an athletic director with a competitive spirit, integrity and a proven track record of success. I know Tim Hall will be a valuable addition to our campus community. Please join me in welcoming and supporting him.

Visit UMBC Athletics

Smoke-Free Campus Policy

The USM Board of Regents has required all USM institutions, including UMBC, to provide a healthy, smoke-free environment for all faculty, staff, students, contractors, and visitors by July 1, 2013.

In response, a Smoke-Free Campus Task Force was appointed – with representatives from UMBC’s shared governance organizations, including students, faculty, and staff members – to make recommendations about how best to implement this policy on our campus.

After working throughout the spring semester, the task force has recommended that smoking be allowed in two designated areas removed from major pedestrian traffic, in order to provide a safe space for any students, faculty, or staff who may continue to smoke – especially after dark. For students, faculty, and staff who would like to stop smoking, University Health Services offers free visits with a medical provider who will provide support and discuss various options for quitting.

This new policy reflects a national movement to provide healthy, smoke-free environments on college campuses and brings UMBC in line with more than 800 colleges in the United States that are already smoke free. Your support and assistance is appreciated, as UMBC implements this new policy designed to make our campus community healthier for all who study, work or visit here.

More information about the full implementation plan will be provided in the coming weeks.

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