All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Robert Deluty, Graduate School, Publishes His 33rd Book

Robert Deluty, associate dean of the graduate school, has published a new book of poetry, “Between Nothing and All.”
In his review, Richard Berlin writes, “The French poet and critic Stephane Mallarme said that poetry purifies the language of the tribe and puts it on display. Robert Deluty’s poems take this idea a step further by purifying our vision of ourselves: our behavior, our love and our humanity. He has achieved full mastery of his poetic form, and uses his skill to make us laugh out loud and to make us cry over our heartbreaks. ‘Between Nothing and All’ is another volume of Deluty’s poetry to cherish.”

Copies of “Between Nothing and All,” as well as of Deluty’s other books, are on sale at the UMBC Bookstore.

Humanities Forum: Rebecca Boehling Reads (9/14)

In 2002, Suzanne Ostrand-Rosenberg, professor of biology, found hundreds of WWII-era family letters in her parents’ home. She contacted Rebecca Boehling, professor of history and director of the Dresher Center for the Humanities, and the result is was a collective biography about a German Jewish family in Nazi Germany.

Co-authored with Uta Larkey, of Coucher College, Life and Loss in the Shadow of the Holocaust reveals the family’s struggle over whether to go or to stay while confronting ever increasing obstacles to emigration and immigration. The book documents family members’ hopes and fears as they are scattered over three continents, forced to contend with wartime postal delays and the deafening silence of loved ones left behind.

Boehling will read from and sign copies of Life and Loss on Wednesday, September 14, at 4 p.m. on the seventh floor of the Albin O. Kuhn Library.

Christopher Corbett, English, in Style Magazine

“‘The Amiable Baltimoreans’ was published in 1951—just 60 years ago—and yet the city contained within it is as remote from our time as Carthage, and as alluring as the Seven Cities of Cibola,” writes Christopher Corbett, professor of the practice of English, in his latest essay for Style magazine.

“This little book does not merely make me wonder where the amiable Baltimoreans have gone and if there are any about now,” he continues. “It makes me long for the tables they set, and lament that it is no longer possible to savor such cuisine.”

“Appetite for the Past,” Corbett’s lament that certain Baltimore delicacies have been lost to downtown chain restaurants, was published in the September-October issue of the magazine.

Quality Assisted Living: A New Book from UMBC’s Center for Aging Studies

Today, 75 million baby boomers are poised to become the next generation of assisted living residents. The sheer size of this population emphasizes the importance of creating, sustaining and evaluating quality in these settings to ensure that elders can access housing that fits their wants and needs. With this in mind, a team of researchers at the UMBC Center for Aging Studies has published “Quality Assisted Living.” This innovate volume explicitly delves into the lives of those who inhabit assisted living facilities, seeking to understand their perceptions of what constitutes quality of life.

Looking for a high quality assisted living facility can be a stressful experience for older adults and their families. Co-author Leslie Morgan, professor of sociology and co-director of the UMB/UMBC Gerontology Doctoral Program, notes the challenge starts when we ask, “What is high quality?” In a preview video introducing the book, Morgan suggests a more helpful question would be: “What facility would best meet the individual personality and needs of my loved one?” “Quality Assisted Living” provides accessible discussion of assisted living topics ranging from dining preferences to housing regulations to financial issues.

Donald Norris, Public Policy, in the Baltimore Sun

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake had raised $1.4 million this year, the Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday, more than all her opponents combined and enough, according to her campaign, to fund an aggressive television campaign in the Baltimore mayoral race’s final weeks. But Donald Norris, chair of public policy, argues that now is not the time for her to relax if she wants to win re-election. “No matter what the poll numbers, no candidate, whether incumbent or challenger, can take their campaign for granted,” Norris said. “She’s got to raise money, and she’s got to campaign.” Norris also notes, however, that Rawlings-Blake’s challengers will likely be less effective due to their sheer numbers, as the multiple competing candidates will carve up anti-incumbent contributions and votes.

Norris frequently offers media insight on state and local politics and was also quoted in the recent Washington Post story, “For Maryland Lawmakers, High Stakes as Annual Lobbying Ritual Begins at Ocean City.”

Omar Bukhari ’13, Biochemistry, in the Gazette

Omar Bukhari ’13, biochemistry and EHS, will soon begin his junior year at UMBC, but for the last several weeks he’s been hard at work for another cause. Bukhari just finished a 4,000 mile bike ride from Baltimore to San Francisco through 4K for Cancer, fundraising and meeting cancer patients and their families across the country. Working as a volunteer EMT in Baltimore and hearing patients’ stories about cancer, as well as researching anti-cancer compounds as an intern, motivated Bukhari to become involved with 4K for Cancer. He documented his journey at omar4k.tumblr.com and since returning home has been featured in the Gazette. There, he discussed an inspiring conversation with one young cancer patient, Jenny, whom he met during his trip.

UMBC Men’s Soccer Receives Votes In Two Preseason Polls

The UMBC men’s soccer team has garnered votes in two national preseason soccer rankings and has been tabbed as the second choice amongst America East Conference coaches in the league’s preseason poll.

UMBC was the only America East squad to earn votes in the NSCAA Division I national rankings and College Soccer News’ 2011 Pre-Season Top 30 poll. The NSCAA rankings included 25 teams, plus 14 teams which received votes, while CSN’s poll included 12 squads receiving votes.

The Retrievers open the 2011 campaign at home on Saturday, August 27, against local rival Mount St. Mary’s.

Read the full press release here.

Energizing Maryland’s Workforce

Energizing Maryland’s Workforce

UMBC students were out in full force at top Maryland companies and research labs this summer. Their work as interns not only supported their career skills development; it also contributed to Maryland’s economic success. Each year Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 employers like Constellation Energy, SAIC, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Stanley Black & Decker, Booz Allen Hamilton and T. Rowe Price actively recruit interns through UMBC.
           
“Internships provide employers with an opportunity to attract and train talent early in their careers,” says Christine Routzahn, director of professional practice for UMBC’s Shriver Center. “Curious, hard-working interns with fresh perspectives enable companies to remain innovative in extremely competitive fields.”

This summer, over 700 graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in the Shriver Center’s internship, co-op and research practicums. Around Maryland, in Washington, D.C., and across the country, these UMBC students linked theory to practice in solving real-world problems. Their experiences enabled them to develop technical expertise and project portfolios as well as cultivate essential soft skills. Additionally, nearly 70% were paid, at an average rate of $14.93 per hour.

Employers like Joe Domiano, operations manager for Siemens Industry, praise the level of talent coming from UMBC. “Siemens has been very fortunate to have a relationship with UMBC,” says Domiano. “Many of our student interns have been hired by Siemens full-time and have contributed to our success.”

Beyond accessing employment opportunities, interns get a realistic glimpse of possible career paths and connect with senior mentors in their fields. Student evaluations show that 89% experienced an increase in self-confidence as a direct result of their placement; 88% indicated an increase in the clarity of their career goals.

In return for supporting their growth, companies, government agencies and research centers benefit from the fresh energy and ideas that young scholars, eager to contribute, bring to their internship sites. Here we feature a few examples of UMBC student interns energizing Maryland workplaces.

Piotr Gwiazda, English, in the Times Literary Supplement

Piotr Gwiazda, associate professor of English, has published a review in the Times Literary Supplement.

Gwiazda says that in his new book, “Unseen Hand” (translated by Clare Cavanagh), Polish poet Adam Zagajewski “shares his fascination with transience and metamorphosis” and “celebrate[s] the twofold pleasures of recollection and meditation”

“Now in his sixties, [Zagajewski] finds solace in the world’s capacity for self-renewal,” Gwiazda writes, noting that “realm, often epitomized by the change of seasons or images of birds and trees, serves as the gateway to epiphany.”

Dennis Coates, Economics, in AP

Councilman William Cole argues that the Grand Prix will change how people view Baltimore and Tom Noonan, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore, hopes it will draw 100,000 visitors to the city, but Dennis Coates, professor of economics, suggests the economic benefits of the event are far from certain. “If you think the goal of government is to convince people that they live in a quote-unquote world-class city—whatever that means—then it will probably be a success,” he told the AP. “Will people have a good time? No doubt about it. But in terms of actually creating jobs, creating a better business environment? No.” In the past, similar events have under-delivered, he noted, calling into question organizers’ estimate that the Baltimore Grand Prix will have a $70 million impact on the region.

David Salkever, Public Policy, in the NY Times

“Fear-inspired hyperbole about the so-called ‘debt crisis’ and ‘explosion of government spending’ has twisted the public discourse about fiscal policy,” argues David Salkever, professor of public policy, in the New York Times. “The upshot is a feeling that our long-range fiscal problems must be solved today, lest we descend into ‘ruin’ (as Jeffrey Manns warned in an August 10 Op-Ed article).”

Salkever has been a health policy researcher for three decades, focusing on determinants and regulation of hospital cost inflation, access to health care for the urban poor, economic impacts of children’s disabilities and public benefit activities of non-profit hospitals. His New York Times letter suggests that approaching changes to Medicare and Social Security from a perspective of extreme urgency could have negative repercussions. He writes, “It’s too bad that we’re in the midst of a ‘crisis’ and cannot address these problems in a more thoughtful way.”

Will Redman ’98, Music, in the Baltimore Sun

Composer Will Redman ’98, music, was profiled by Tim Smith in the Baltimore Sun.

He went to University of Maryland, Baltimore County to study percussion with notable composer and percussionist Stuart Saunders Smith, who encouraged his student to listen to recordings of jazz pioneer John Coltrane and pathbreaking 20th-century classical composer Luciano Berio.

“I didn’t know anything about avant-garde music or free jazz,” Redman said. “I decided I needed to do both things. I thought of free jazz as sort of like the punk-rock of jazz.”

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