All posts by: UMBC News Staff

UMBC’s 100th MARC U*STAR alumnus to earn Ph.D. inspires today’s scholars

Lasse Lindahl’s goal for the MARC U*STAR Scholars program is to “light the fire in the belly so students are hooked on science.”

Lindahl, director of the MARC U*STAR program at UMBC and professor of biological sciences, founded the UMBC chapter of the intensive research training program with a grant from the National Institutes of Health in 1997. The program engages individuals from historically underrepresented groups in the biomedical sciences, with the goal that they go on to complete advanced degrees. UMBC’s MARC U*STAR program celebrated its first alumnus to earn a Ph.D. in 2004, and just honored its 100th Ph.D.

MARC U*STAR stands for Maximizing Access to Research Careers Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research. Students receive a yearly stipend, significant tuition assistance, and funding for travel to conferences where they present their research. Biomedical experts present regular seminars to MARC students on campus. With 40 students in the program on campus each year, UMBC’s MARC U*STAR program is now one of the largest in the country; 386 students have participated since its inception.

The cornerstone of the program is research experiences. Students are paired with a research mentor at the outset of the program and conduct research during the school year and over the summer. “Research is not just a summer excursion,” says Lindahl, “It is a lifelong pursuit.”

He and associate director Jackie King Ph.D. ‘09, psychology, are instrumental in helping students obtain research opportunities off campus as well as helping with the graduate school application process, from selecting appropriate schools to preparing for interviews. Keith Harmon, director of the UMBC Meyerhoff Scholars Program, also mentors MARC students, many of whom are also Meyerhoff Scholars.

King sees mentorship as essential to the program’s success, connecting students directly with people “who have high expectations, but also provide resources and support.”

MARC Scholar and 2016-17 Goldwater Scholar Andreas Seas ‘17, chemical engineering, says, “The support I get from Dr. King and Dr. Lindahl is really amazing,” particularly as he has continued to seek out new research opportunities. Seas regularly shares with them the setbacks and his accomplishments on his path to a research career.

cabreraErwin Cabrera ‘10, biological sciences, was the 100th MARC Scholar to complete a Ph.D., earning his in 2016 in Basic Biomedical Sciences – Neuropathology from the New York University School of Medicine. “As an undergraduate filled with self-doubt, the MARC program, and especially Mrs. Taifa Hibbert Simpson (the assistant director at the time), provided the love and confidence that allowed me to excel,” he shares. The research experience bolstered his confidence, too. “The MARC program allowed us a safe space to be who we were and incorporate the title of ‘researcher’ into that mosaic,” Cabrera reflects.

Lindahl hopes the program will have a “multiplier effect,” because MARC alumni “serve as role models for underrepresented groups,” he says. Cabrera has embraced that charge, as he takes on a new role as associate director of the Research Aligned Mentorship program at Farmingdale State College, part of the State University of New York.

The MARC program “solidified my career passion for work in higher education,” Cabrera says. “It showed me that mentorship is a key component in a student’s success, and that I would like to contribute the same wisdom to others that was given to me.”

Another of Lindahl’s goals is to help students “see the impact research has on the larger community.” Seas has taken that to heart. After homing in on his passion through undergraduate research, he plans to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. related to vascular surgery. His favorite part of UMBC’s MARC program, he says, is “being surrounded by people that are interested in science and want to improve people’s lives with science.”

Image: Andreas Seas ’17 presents his research at URCAD 2016; Photo Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. Erwin Cabrera ’10, photo courtesy Farmingdale State College.

 

 

 

 

Delegation from the University of Kassel in Germany visits UMBC to grow interdisciplinary exchange program

Eight administrators and faculty members from the University of Kassel in central Germany visited UMBC from August 29 to September 2 to build on a thriving university partnership between the two schools by continuing to cultivate broader research collaborations and student exchange programs.

Both UMBC and Kassel are young, innovative institutions known for promoting interdisciplinary programs and with particular strengths in STEM fields and the arts. “This visit is very important for us, as Kassel recognizes UMBC to be an international partner of strategic importance,” shares David diFuccia, professor of chemistry education at Kassel, at a lunch celebrating the partnership. “I hope our cooperation will grow and deepen, and that with every meeting we will take a step further.”

The partnership began when Matthias Gobbert, professor of mathematics at UMBC and a Kassel native, spent his sabbatical at Kassel during the 2011–2012 academic year. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two universities’ math departments grew out of that visit, leading to fruitful exchanges of graduate students and faculty. In 2014, the MOU expanded to the university level, and undergraduate students have been studying abroad at each institution since fall 2015.

Karl Steiner, UMBC vice president for research, and Antonio Moreira, vice provost for academic affairs, have visited Kassel and discussed ways to grow the relationship, including development of a streamlined study abroad program. Now, Moreira says, “It’s truly expanding to the whole campus here at UMBC and at Kassel.”

Fields of study where UMBC and Kassel teams are already conducting complementary research and which are rife for collaboration include renewable energy, cybersecurity, nanoscience, remote sensing, and education. Other departments such as visual arts; economics; modern languages, linguistics, and intercultural communication (MLLI); and computer science are also exploring opportunities to partner.

Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park, discussed potential future business collaborations with the German guests. “We think global opportunities are really significant for companies,” she says, “so we’re always looking for natural ways to form partnerships.”

Both universities also see student academic exchange, beyond language classes, as a major priority in the partnership. Given course and lab research requirements, many students with majors in the hard sciences and engineering perceive study abroad as unrealistic—an option not truly available to them. However, UMBC and Kassel are committed to making it a clear and accessible process for students of any major. Julie Ross, dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology, notes, “The things they’ll be working on in engineering and IT are global issues,” so it’s important for students to gain international exposure.

Study-Abroad-Fair16-8994

Susanne Sutton, coordinator of German in MLLI at UMBC, adds, “We have many STEM majors in our German classes. This is a tremendous opportunity for them to study abroad, as well as for students who are less familiar with the language and culture of Germany but have an interest in exploring it.”

Scott Casper, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, is particularly excited to see his global studies students and Humanities Scholars travel abroad. “The problems our students are tackling are not limited to the U.S.,” he says.

Students in UMBC’s teacher education program, including those in the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program, will also have opportunities to visit German schools and learn about teaching methods in Germany through collaboration with Kassel. In this digital age, “the students they will be teaching are global students,” says Casper, so it’s important teachers come to the classroom with a global perspective. The delegation also met with leaders of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, who see excellent opportunities for their students to study abroad at Kassel.

The next step for the burgeoning UMBC–Kassel relationship is to expand the undergraduate exchange component. Already, many courses at the German university are taught in English, expanding the number of UMBC students who are able to complete discipline-specific coursework through an international exchange experience.

UMBC and Kassel are growing their cooperation steadily in many directions, with over a dozen faculty and staff working to make productive international exchanges possible for faculty and students on each side of the Atlantic. “When something comes together and it seems effortless,” says UMBC Provost Philip Rous, “you know that means a tremendous amount of effort has gone into it.”

UMBC students interested in learning more about study abroad should attend a Study Abroad 101 seminar offered twice a week by the Study Abroad Office, 2nd floor Administration building. Apply by October 10 to study abroad in the following spring semester.

Images: The University of Kassel delegation and UMBC representatives, August 30, 2016; students at UMBC’s Study Abroad Fair, September 2, 2016, interact with University of Kassel representatives. Photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Ellen Handler Spitz publishes letter in The New York Times on why handwriting is still important

Note: This article was updated on September 30, 2016.

Following a letter she published in The New York Times, Honors College Professor Ellen Handler Spitz was a guest on the BYU Radio Network program “Top of Mind with Julie Rose” to discuss the importance of handwriting and the psychological and intellectual benefits it can have for students.

During the interview segment, Spitz talked about a writing exercise that students in her seminar do to answer a question that she poses at the beginning of each class.

“They take out their pens, they think about the question, and they write,” explained Spitz. “The whole rest of class we talk to each other, and if they take notes, I want them to take it with a pen…what I get from them is something very intimate, personal, and immediate. There is nothing that comes between their thoughts and what I am experiencing. When they go on the Internet, their laptops, or devices, there isn’t that immediacy.”

Spitz also referenced prior research that found students remember notes better when they are handwritten, rather than typed out on a laptop or device, and she emphasized the value of cursive handwriting to connect letters to words, sentences, and thoughts.

The radio interview followed a response Spitz wrote to a column published August 20 in The New York Times Sunday Review titled “Handwriting just doesn’t matter.” Spitz wrote a letter to explain the value of handwriting in the classroom.

“As a humanities professor at a large public university with a diverse student population, I ask my students to write longhand in class each week. At first, some protest, but I persist, for I have found that intimacy, immediacy and personal quality infuse their handwritten essays,” Spitz wrote in the letter published August 30.

“Socrates argues in the ‘Phaedrus’ that speech is preferable to writing. I concur, believing that lively class discussion outshines written work in the educational process. But I also hold that writing by hand is second best: informal and quirky, sometimes messy, but straight from one heart and mind to another’s.”

Read the complete letter on The New York Times website.

Spitz is the author of six books on the arts and psychology. She teaches interdisciplinary seminars in aesthetics, literature, psychology, and the visual arts. Read more on the Honors College website.

Image: “Handwritten” photo. CC by 2.0. 

Baltimore Magazine features UMBC in its 2016 College guide

Readers of this year’s Baltimore Magazine guide to popular colleges in Maryland opened the publication to see a full-page vibrant photo of UMBC’s campus, taken from a rooftop above the tree canopy. UMBC is one of nine area colleges featured in the guide, with a university profile emphasizing the growing reach of UMBC’s positive reputation, the diversity of UMBC programs, and the university’s affordability.

“We are a best-value institution with national name recognition for undergraduate education, entrepreneurship, and innovation,” shared Diane Lee, vice provost and the dean of undergraduate education. UMBC’s strength in undergraduate research across all academic fields also earned a mention.

“We are producing great outcomes and people see it,” added Yvette Mozie-Ross, vice provost of enrollment management and planning, emphasizing how UMBC graduates are well prepared for the workforce and for graduate degree programs.

The magazine lists STEM fields as popular areas of study at UMBC, while also calling attention to the LEED Gold-certified Performing Arts and Humanities Building (“The PAHB”).

Faculty members Manil Suri, mathematics and statistics, and Kimberly Moffitt, American studies, are listed as “popular professors.” In addition, Kaye Whitehead Ph.D. ‘09, language, literacy, and culture, is highlighted as a popular professor at Loyola University.

Andrew Belasco, head counselor at College Transitions, an independent college-counseling company, says UMBC today is underrated. According to him, the Retrievers “have arrived.”

Image: The UMBC library in spring; photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Senator Ben Cardin visits bwtech@UMBC to discuss support for small businesses in the tech sector

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) visited Amethyst Technologies at the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park August 31. He met with Amethyst CEO Kimberly Brown and employees to discuss ongoing projects, the benefits of being part the bwtech@UMBC community, and how policymakers can most effectively support small businesses in the technology sphere.

Amethyst provides program development and compliance software and services to government agencies, private companies, and the U.S. military. Cardin was most impressed with Amethyst’s work in developing African nations, including support for disease prevention and diagnosis, clinical trials, and training programs in Tanzania, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ghana, with a new project on the horizon in Ethiopia.

Brown and Cardin discussed funding opportunities for small businesses like Amethyst, which currently employs 20 people in the U.S. and 20 in Africa, with plans to bring on 20 more as part of an expansion to a new site in Frostburg, MD. The senator was excited to find ways to make receiving government support easier for technical companies through programs like the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), Small Business Administration (SBA), and Small Business Innovation Research program.

“The work you’re doing is critically important,” said Cardin, “and the applications are so diverse. I recognize the importance of the small business community and the creativity you bring.”

Brown credits Amethyst’s success in part to her involvement with UMBC’s ACTiVATE program (Achieving the Commercialization of Technology in Ventures through Applied Training for Entrepreneurs), housed in UMBC’s Alex Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. ACTiVATE supports women who want to start technology companies.

“UMBC was critical to our success,” Brown said. The university offered space in the life sciences incubator at bwtech@UMBC South, connected them with a qualified attorney and a business advisor, and assisted them with accessing high tech equipment.

Brown’s positive experiences with UMBC have led her to put down roots at bwtech@UMBC and continue to develop her relationship with the university. Since the company arrived in 2007, it has established an internship program for UMBC students and hired UMBC alumni.

“We are very pleased to have Amethyst Technologies as part of our bwtech community,” shares Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of bwtech@UMBC. “Dr. Brown is not only a great role model for our other entrepreneurs, but she also creates opportunities for both faculty and students at UMBC.”

Image: CEO Kimberly Brown and Senator Ben Cardin at Amethyst Technologies’ lab in the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park; photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

 

Lia Purpura named “Best Poet of 2016” by Baltimore Magazine

Baltimore Magazine recently released its “Best of 2016” edition, which highlighted leaders in arts and culture from across the city over the past year. Lia Purpura, writer in residence in UMBC’s Department of English, was named Baltimore’s top poet.

The magazine states: “In It Shouldn’t Have Been Beautiful, her latest collection published this year, Purpura impressively delivers poignant insight into our existence without pomp and circumstance. Her verses are little gems with short stanzas and an absence of flowery language, but that doesn’t make them any less profound. Instead, Purpura…proves how meaningful simplicity can be.”

Purpura has also been awarded a Pushcart Prize for her essay “Scream, or, Never Minding,” which was originally published in The Georgia Review. Also receiving recognition last month was Purpura’s poem “Resolution” which was featured on The Academy of American Poets website as the national “Poem-a-Day” on August 8.

Lia Purpura’s work frequently appears in The New Yorker, Orion, The Paris Review, Best American Essays, The Iowa Review, and other national journals. Among her numerous honors are a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts and Fulbright Fellowships, and four Pushcart prizes. Her collection of essays, “On Looking” was a finalist for the National Books Critics Award.

Read more about Purpura’s work on the English department website.

Ian Anson examines how biased perceptions of the economy could influence the presidential election

In a new article published in The Conversation, Ian Anson explains how biased economic perceptions can be shaped by news media coverage. Anson, an assistant professor of political science, argues that in such a partisan presidential election year, Republicans and Democrats are more likely to have different interpretations of the economy.

Anson’s article, titled “A tale of two GDPs: Why Republicans and Democrats live in different economic realities,” focuses on two recent research papers in which he investigates why the political parties can’t agree on even basic, straightforward economic facts.

“I take up this question by investigating how biased economic perceptions are formed and maintained. The results do not paint a particularly rosy picture of the future of economic accountability, for two reasons,” Anson writes.

“One is that contemporary partisan media play a subtle yet powerful role in forming these biases. Another is the discovery that partisans perform Simone Biles-esque mental gymnastics to maintain biases in their economic beliefs – even when they know things about the economy that go against their favorite partisan talking points.”

Anson has research interests in the study of American voting behavior, public opinion, media and politics, inequality, quantitative methods, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. He teaches courses on American politics, media, and political behavior.

His article was also picked up by other media outlets. For a complete list, see below.

Why Republicans and Democrats live in different economic realities (Newsweek) 
The next president needs the support of all to rebalance the economy (U.S. News and World Report)
The different economic realities of Democrats and Republicans (BYU Radio) 
Why Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on basic economic facts (New Republic)
A tale of two GDPs: Why Republicans and Democrats live in different economic realities (Observer Politics) 

Image: Ian Anson presents his research at a Dresher Center event. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

College students from across the U.S. gain summer research experience at UMBC

Each summer dozens of college students from around the nation travel to UMBC to take advantage of the university’s leading research facilities and faculty.  This year, 28 students studied climate change, diabetes, and other topics as part of UMBC’s Interdisciplinary Program in High Performance Computing, a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) housed in the mathematics and statistics department. At the same time, 10 students tackled projects through the new Chemical Sensing and Imaging REU, hosted by the chemistry and biochemistry department. Students learned new scientific skills, refined career goals, and practiced teamwork.

Matthias Gobbert, professor of mathematics and director of the Interdisciplinary Program in High Performance Computing, explains that the program emerged from a collaboration between the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Consulting (CIRC) and the High Performance Computing Facility. Gobbert and math department colleagues match each student team with a client from a local company who comes to the table with a problem they’d like the students to solve. It’s not about imagined scenarios, Gobbert says, “It’s real consulting.”

“It’s a good chance to get used to working with teams,” says Lois Miller, a rising senior at DePauw University. Abigail Kramer, a rising senior at Kent State University, agrees, adding, “It’s been great to talk to math majors from other schools.”

The interdisciplinary projects have exposed students to new options. “People don’t think about how math can overlap with other things,” says Danielle Sykes ‘19, mathematics and statistics and a Meyerhoff Scholar, whose team applied a data analytics model to huge amounts of climate data from across the Missouri River Basin. “It’s definitely expanded my thinking about what my career options are,” she shares.

The National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and National Security Agency all contributed funding for the program this year, enabling a larger student cohort to participate. Fifty percent of students come from institutions with limited research opportunities, so the program gives them rare first-hand experience and helps them decide if they’d like to pursue research further. A graduate student and faculty member are assigned to each undergraduate team, “so teams can be really well supported,” says Gobbert.

UMBC’s new chemistry REU “embraces the UMBC mission to provide research and education opportunities to students from all backgrounds, including students from underrepresented minorities in STEM,” says Zeev Rosenzweig, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry. Supporting these students is a team effort. “I greatly appreciate the dedication of our UMBC faculty and graduate student mentors to the participating students,” he says.

MathREU cohort 2015 surfThe 10 students in the program had eye-opening experiences in their research projects. “I’ve gained an appreciation for the principal science behind a lot of the things we use,” says Kalen Sullivan, a pre-med student at Iona College who worked with Marcin Ptaszek, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry. Sullivan didn’t meet his project’s goal to produce a specific novel compound in the lab, although he worked long and hard, but he’s found an even greater respect for people who work “in the trenches” of science.

Kathy Barron, a 2016 chemistry graduate from Virginia Tech, worked with Jennie Leach, associate professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering (CBEE), and Erin Lavik, professor of CBEE. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn about a field of research I was unfamiliar with,” she says. It went so well that Lavik asked her to stay on after the REU ended. She’ll continue doing research in the lab and is considering graduate study in the same field.

Becca Pontius, a rising senior chemistry major at Clemson University, has been inspired to pursue a new field after working to develop quantum dots in Rosenzweig’s lab. Slightly uncertain about her project at first because it contained a significant biology component, “Now I know I can stretch out to new things and still be successful,” she shares. “The REU program at UMBC was a big step towards my dream job of becoming a research professor.”

All UMBC REU students presented their work at the 19th annual Summer Undergraduate Research Fest on August 10.

Rosenzweig hopes the students take away more than research knowledge from UMBC. “It is my hope that the REU students will become ambassadors of UMBC in their academic institutions, and help us to promote and expand the UMBC culture of inclusive excellence.”

Faculty Mentors for Chemical Sensing and Imaging REU:
Brad Arnold, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Marie Christine Daniel-Onuta, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Lisa Kelly, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Minjoung Kyoung, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Erin Lavik, professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering
Jennie Leach, associate professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering
Matt Pelton, assistant professor of physics
Marcin Ptaszek, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Zeev Rosenzweig, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry, REU director
Ryan White, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry

Interdisciplinary Program in High-Performance Computing REU:
Nagaraj Neerchal, professor of mathematics and statistics, REU co-director
Brad Peercy, associate professor of mathematics and statistics, REU faculty mentor
Kofi Adragni, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics, REU faculty mentor

Banner image: 2016 Chemical Sensing and Imaging REU cohort at SURF.
In-text image: 2016 High-Performance Computing REU cohort at SURF.
Photos by Tim Ford for UMBC.

UMBC Police awarded national accreditation

On July 30, 2016, the UMBC Police Department was awarded accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) for the quality of its personnel, policies, processes, and procedures.

CALEA is a national credentialing authority that reviews public safety services. UMBC joins several other University System of Maryland (USM) institutions that have become accredited by the organization.

“This exceptional acknowledgement reflects the quality and commitment of our police department and its leadership,” said Vice President of Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer. “We have one of the finest departments in the System and the state, and this accreditation reaffirms that.”

During the three-year review, the accrediting body looked at the campus’s effectiveness and adherence to industry standards. The review team analyzed the department’s policies and procedures by reviewing its documentation and interviewing faculty, staff, and students from the campus.

“Being acknowledged by CALEA as an institution that upholds the highest standards of excellence is an incredible honor,” said Chief of Police Mark Sparks. “This exhaustive accreditation process presented a great opportunity for our department to review its processes and procedures, and it helped us to recognize ways in which we can continue to support the unique needs of our campus community.”

An important part of the accreditation process includes identifying ways in which the department plans to advance its mission to support members of the campus community. Implementing these approaches, of which there were nearly 200, is integral in maintaining compliance with CALEA. Some key areas identified include fair enforcement across all populations on campus, overall department diversity, and systems for reviewing and reporting on officer activity and behavior.

The CALEA accreditation team will visit the campus again in 2020 to review the department’s progress on its commitments.

 

UMBC and Reginald F. Lewis Museum announce first Africana studies postdoctoral fellow

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum, in partnership with UMBC’s Department of Africana Studies, will host postdoctoral fellow and instructor Iyelli Ichile during the upcoming year. As part of the fellowship, Ichile will be in an instructor in the Africana studies department, and she will conduct research on Maryland African American history and culture to support the Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s permanent collection.

Ichile holds a Ph.D. in African diaspora history from Howard University and a master’s degree in African American studies from Columbia University. Her research and teaching revolves around the themes of spirituality, liberation movements, music, folklore and gender among African people globally.

The fellowship is made possible by a grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services. For more information, visit the Reginald F. Museum website.

Image: Iyelli Ichile. Photo courtesy Reginald F. Lewis Museum. 

Tim Gindling and global colleagues discuss minimum wage policies in live video chat

On August 22, the World Bank Group’s Development Policy Research Unit hosted an hour-long virtual discussion on labor regulations and enforcement. Tim Gindling, a professor of economics and expert on minimum wage policy impacts in Latin America, joined the discussion with other leading experts from around the world for the event which was broadcast live on the World Bank Group website.

The focus of the discussion was on the role wages and enforcement of minimum wage policy play in understanding both employment and economic outcomes in the developing world. Gindling has spent the last fifteen years researching minimum wage policy in Latin America and has recently expanded his research to look at policies in other developing countries such as China. He discussed his work in these areas during the broadcast.

“In a number of developing countries, mostly through Latin America, wages tend to be thought of in monthly terms. For that reason, minimum wages tend to be set for monthly minimum wages or daily minimum wages for full-time workers,” explained Gindling. “One thing this does is that it makes it very difficult for part-time workers to be paid minimum wages or to impose compliance on employers for part-time workers or overtime work effectively.”

Gindling’s research has helped lead to change in minimum wage policies and compliance in countries such as Costa Rica, where he helped implement a government program to increase compliance. The program included increased inspections, easier access for employees to voice concerns over their wages, and a large scale publicity campaign to bring attention to minimum wage non-compliance.

During the discussion, Gindling joined other experts including Haroon Bhorat, director of the Development Policy Research Unit at the World Bank Group; Piotr Lewandowski, president of the Board at the Institute for Structural Research (IBS), a research institute based in Warsaw, Poland; Lucas Ronconi, economist and Ph.D. in public policy scholar at the University of California, Berkeley; and Uma Rani, senior economist at the International Labour Office Research Department.

Watch the complete discussion on the Development Policy and Research Unit website. For more on Tim Gindling’s research, read “Living (With) Wages” in the Winter 2016 edition of UMBC Magazine. 

Image: Tim Gindling. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

Craig Berger named to new leadership position with the American Democracy Project

Craig Berger, coordinator of student life for campus and civic engagement, has been named chair of the American Democracy Project (ADP) Steering Committee for 2016-17. The multi-campus ADP initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is focused on higher education’s role in preparing the next generation of highly informed and civically-engaged students.

As steering committee chair, Berger will preside over meetings throughout the year and work closely with the ADP national manager to craft the organization’s strategic plan and to coordinate the annual awards and upcoming Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement (CLDE) leadership meeting in Baltimore.

“I’m really honored by this selection,” shares Berger. “I wholeheartedly agree with and support the mission of ADP, which is to view institutions of higher education as venues and forums for young adults to think about and experiment with being empowered in solving shared public problems.”

Berger previously served as chair-elect of the steering committee last year. He explains that his involvement with the American Democracy Project has been rewarding and has helped him in his daily work as a staff member in the Office of Student Life at UMBC.

“So much of what ADP does is something that UMBC prides itself on…being creative and entrepreneurial. I owe being named chair-elect last year and now chair of the ADP steering committee to the tradition and culture that I’ve grown in professionally in the last five years at UMBC.”

During his time at the university, Berger has been heavily involved with BreakingGround, an initiative that aligns closely with the American Democracy Project mission by fostering connections across campus and beyond to demonstrate the power of individuals and group collaboration in creating meaningful change. Last year, Berger helped organize the 2015 Imagining America Conference, which brought leaders together from around the country to emphasize the power of many voices coming together to envision our nation’s future, engaging with topics like race, inequality, and community-based approaches to spur collective action.

In his new leadership position, Berger says that he will largely benefit from the lessons he’s learned so far at UMBC.

“My experience at UMBC has taught me…that democratic engagement work is not just an activity that we do at institutions…it is a part of the campus identity.”

The 2017 CLDE National Meeting will be held June 7-10, 2017 in Baltimore. For more information, visit the ADP website.

Image: Craig Berger. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

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