All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Shana Palmer ’15, MFA in Visual Arts, Exhibits in Finland

Shana Palmer, an MFA candidate with Visual Arts for 2015, is participated in the Invisible Time exhibition at the MUU Gallery based in Helsinki, Finland. Palmer contributed  to the track “Lunar Storm” from her band Secret Secrets’s latest album Chiromagica, to the “Wall of Sound” portion of the exhibit, alongside ten other track by other participating artists. Secret Secrets is a duo of Palmer on vocals and electronics with drums provided by Melissa Moore.

Invisible Time opened at the MUU Gallery on June 8th and closed on June 21st. More information on the exhibit and its participants can be found here.

Dance Piece by Josephine Kalema ’13, Dance, Performed in D.C. in July

Josephine Kalema, a senior dance major, will have her piece Past, Present, and Future performed at the Washington, D.C. performance space Dance Place as part of the  annual New Release Choreographer’s Showcase this coming July.

It will feature dancers Arnesha Reives, Jonique Holcomb, Alexis Renee, Candice Grace, and Jasmynn Speight, and  mixes traditional and modern African dance. Kalema dedicates Past, Present, and Future to her Ugandan family, as well as “every culture that has gone through life changing barriers,” according to Dance Place’s website.

The dates for the New Release Choreographer’s Showcase are July 7th at 8 p.m., and July 8th at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Dance Place’s webpage for the event, located here.

President Hrabowski Inducted into U.S. News STEM Leadership Hall of Fame

President Freeman Hrabowski has been named one of five inaugural inductees into the U.S. News STEM Leadership Hall of Fame, recognizing UMBC’s work advancing science education on campus, throughout Maryland and across the country.

Here’s what Brian Kelly, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News & World Report, had to say: “Freeman Hrabowski is one of STEM’s brightest luminaries. His work at UMBC focusing on STEM is a true success story. Talk about filling the pipeline—Freeman turned UMBC into one of the country’s top producers of science, math, and engineering grads.”

That is a testament not just to leadership — but more importantly, to the vision, creativity and dedication of UMBC’s faculty and staff. It is also a testament to our partners, whose expertise and financial support have made UMBC’s successes possible.

On Friday, President Hrabowski joins business executives, philanthropists, policymakers and other educators at the U.S. News STEM Solutions 2012 Summit, an unprecedented gathering focused on one critical objective: creating a national consensus on the development of a STEM workforce.

As UMBC continues to address that pressing issue, the expertise and commitment of our faculty, staff, alumni and partners will be as crucial as ever. We are grateful for all you’ve already done and hope you share in our excitement about this honor.

STEP T for ELLs Program Awarded Additional Year of Funding

UMBC’s Secondary Teacher Education and Professional Training for English Language Learners (or STEP T for ELLs) program has been awarded an additional year of funding by the U.S. Department of Education. The program is funded through the Office of English Language Acquisition.

The STEP T for ELLs Program helps secondary teachers of math, science, and social studies to provide effective instruction to ESOL students. This program provides professional development in areas such as teaching strategies and cross-cultural communications.

The program has surpassed its original goal of training 880 in-service teachers and 60 teacher leaders in the state of Maryland. The program has already trained 1,040 in-service teachers (math, science, social studies, and ESOL) and 273 teacher leaders.  These teacher leaders in Montgomery County Public Schools, Howard County Public School System, and Frederick County Public Schools will be training teachers in their school systems using STEP T for ELLs Program modules.  In addition, the program leaders are developing online professional development modules to be offered in the Maryland State Department of Education.

This program builds an understanding of who ELLs are and how to communicate across cultures effectively. More information about the program can be found here.

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in The Washington Post

On June 24, The Washington Post published an Associated press article entitled “Md. governor struggles at home while critics say he’s too focused elsewhere.” O’Malley’s critics have claimed he has been delinquent in his obligations at home and that he is treating Maryland as a weigh station to a national office.

Donald Norris, chair of public policy, said that O’Malley’s recent difficulties regarding the expansion of gambling in the state reflected more on the dynamics between Maryland’s Senate and House leaders.

“This is the strongest gubernatorial office in the country and this particular governor is a strong governor, so my guess is if he wanted this badly enough and he thought the timing was right, he’d pull out all the stops, but I don’t think that’s the case,” Norris said.

Rebecca Boehling, History, in the News

News that Dresher Center for the Humanities director Rebecca Boehling’s was recently named Director of the International Tracing Service, has recently been covered in several news outlets.

On June 22,  The Baltimore Jewish Times published a story entitled “Professor To Head International Tracing Service,” which explored Boehling’s background and that of the ITS. Boehling spoke on a number of topics which ranged from anecdotal experiences related to the ITS’s profile and the shifting discourse within Germany on the war to the possible advantage of being an American “outsider” holding such a sensitive post as hers. As to her plans for the ITS during her expected 2 1/2 year tenure in Germany, Boehling said that “[t]he ITS is burgeoning… but I’m going to make sure it burgeons more.”

Boehling was also a guest on WYPR’s Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast on June 26th, where she spoke on her appointment to the ITS, its evolution from its original purpose of tracing and reuniting family members and other survivors of the Holocaust to incorporate more scholarly research, and being the first American appointed to its directorship.

Kate Drabinski, Gender and Women’s Studies, on the Marc Steiner Show

On June 26, Kate Drabinski, lecturer in gender and women’s studies and director of UMBC’s Women Involved in Learning and Leadership (WILL) program, was a guest on the Marc Steiner show for a discussion on the dynamics of gender in contemporary society and whether the differences between the genders are innate or socially constructed. Drabinski was joined by former American Psychological Association (APA) head Diane Halpern and Goucher College women’s studies visiting associate professor Jennifer Williams.

“In feminist theory the debate about the difference between sex and gender is an old one, sex being biological and gender being social,” Drabinski said. “But there’s no way to isolate the biological from the social because the second we ask the question we’re bringing our social world into it.”

The full conversation can be heard here.

Marlo Zeroth Named Assistant Director of Budget and Resource Analysis

From Ben Lowenthal, Associate VP, Financial Services and Charlene Hughins Uhl, Director of Budget and Resource Analysis, Financial Services

Financial Services and the Office of Budget and Resource Analysis are very pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Marlo Zeroth as Assistant Director of Budget and Resource Analysis in Financial Services, effective July 2, 2012.

Marlo has over twenty-nine years of experience in financial and budgetary analysis and application that spans the public and private sectors. He comes to UMBC from the Maryland State Treasurer’s Office, where he was the Deputy Director of Banking Services. He also worked in the financial offices of two former but well-known Maryland companies – Hechinger’s and Woodward & Lothrop, as well as at the top ranked auditing firm of Arthur Andersen & Company. Marlo received his Bachelor of Sciences degree in accounting from the University of Maryland, College Park and earned the prestigious EW Sells Award ranking him among the top 100 scores in the country on the CPA exam. His accounting and budgeting background, data management skills, and experience in solving complex business problems will be valuable to UMBC in the years to come.

We are fortunate to have such an experienced accounting professional joining our team. Marlo will be located in the Budget Office; 3rd floor, Administration Building. He can be reached at mzeroth@umbc.edu or 5-2627. Please join us in giving Marlo a warm welcome to UMBC.

Striking the Balance

Striking the Balance

Balance and focus. Those are the keys to success for student athletes. And, judging by their GPA’s, UMBC’s athletes have mastered both. This past fall, the Retrievers’ average GPA registered above 3.0 – the first time since the university started keeping track.

“In high school, you just had practice and games,” said Iman Kennedy ‘12, psychology, a member of the women’s volleyball team. “Here, you have practice, games, traveling, film, team meetings, coaches’ meetings, conditioning and lifting. There are all these things that go along with being an athlete. And on top of that, you still have classes. The professors aren’t going to come after you if you’re missing work or help you make up an exam. You have to stay in touch with them. All this stuff is on you. You have to learn that coming in.”

UMBC has several programs in place to help first year students adjust to their demanding schedules. The Academic Center for Student-Athletes (ACSA), located conveniently in the RAC, provides tutors and study space, and the Exceeding Common Educational Limits and Liabilities (EXCELL) program requires new students to attend study hall and advisor meetings while they acclimate to the rigors of college coursework.

“We have a terrific support system here with our EXCELL program, run by Jessica Hammond,” said Don Zimmerman, head coach of men’s lacrosse. “She and her staff do a terrific job. We want our guys to set their goals high, we want to win championships in lacrosse and we want to be outstanding students in the classroom. If we can develop a consistent attitude across the board, then that’s what we’re really striving to do.”

First-year athletes aren’t the only ones turning to the university for support, said Joseph Adewumi ‘12, biochemistry, a member of the men’s tennis team. “I know second and third years who go in, have their meetings with tutors,” he said. “The advisors know exactly how you’re doing in class, and your schedule can be made so you don’t fall behind.”

In addition to EXCELL, students take responsibility for helping their teammates develop strong study skills. “I tell our freshmen, ‘Get ahead of your work. Once travel starts, it gets crazy, so you need to make sure you know what you’re doing,’” said Michelle Kurowski ‘11, psychology, a graduate student studying early childhood education and a member of the women’s basketball team. “We help the freshmen and sophomores find their way through the transition from high school to college and playing sports.”

Striking a balance between academics and athletics is a challenging art, but those student-athletes who master it reap major rewards.

For Kennedy, her athletic life has prepared her for postgraduate life. “I’m going to dental school in the fall, and this past summer I did a program at UNC-Chapel Hill where they mimic the first year. The first year medical and dental school students were on an 8 to 5 schedule, went to classes all day and studied all night. And for them, they said, ‘There’s no time! I can’t get this work done!’ Even the instructors and TAs asked why I wasn’t freaking out. For me, it felt like life, like my schedule back at UMBC.”

(5/24/12)

 

 

Gary Kachadourian ’12, MFA in Visual Arts, to Participate in MAP’s Young Blood 2012

Gary Kachadourian ’12, imaging and digital arts, will be participating in the Maryland Art Place’s Young Blood 2012: Work by Recent MFA Graduates exhibition this summer. In addition to Kachadourian’s large-scale installation, the fifth annual exhibition will feature work by artists from the Maryland Institute College of Art, The University of Maryland-College Park and Towson University.

The exhibition runs from July 18th to August 25th, and will feature an artists’ talks and reception at 6 p.m. on the 18th. For more information, visit the Maryland Art Place’s website here.

Seth Sawyers ’99, History, in The Baltimore Sun

For Father’s Day 2012, The Baltimore Sun published an essay written by alumnus Seth Sawyers ’99, history, entitled “Driving with Dad.” Sawyers, who teaches essay writing for the English Department, recounted his memories of riding around Western Maryland with his father and brothers as a boy. The piece is at times poignant, but often humorous, such as when Sawyers remembers one incident involving his father convincing another driver to go through a broken light which only flashed red.

He writes:

“Somebody behind us honked. Dad craned his neck, looking at the light. Somebody honked again. Dad yanked on the parking brake handle and opened his door. ‘Don’t let anyone touch those,’ he said to Jake, pointing at the pedals. We watched him, easy, loose, walk up to the first car. He leaned in to the driver’s-side window. There was gesturing. Dad pointed to the light and then, finally, the other guy nodded. Dad jogged back and slid into the Escort. He put the car in gear and when the cars in front of us went through the red light, we followed.

‘Light’s broken,’ he said, his front teeth flashing in the sun. ‘Had to do something.'”

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