All posts by: UMBC News Staff

UMBC students produce radio series “The World that Brought Us Freddie Gray”

A year after the death of Freddie Gray and the Uprising that followed, a group of UMBC students went out into the neighborhoods directly affected by the events of last year to interview residents and examine important social, political, and economic issues. The final product was a powerful and influential radio series that aired on WEAA’s The Marc Steiner Show last month.

The students were part of the spring semester’s American studies course “Radio in American Culture.” As part of the class, students worked with the Center for Emerging Media’s host Marc Steiner and senior producer Stefanie Mavronis ’12, political science and media and communication studies, and American studies associate professor and chair Nicole King to produce the radio segments. The series, titled “The World that Brought us Freddie Gray,” examined the legal system, policing and police-community relations, education, housing, and the current situation that Baltimore faces and solutions.

The course was part of the ongoing Baltimore Traces project, a collaborative teaching initiative bringing together several disciplines to produce media focused directly on Baltimore residents and neighborhoods. In previous years, the project has produced radio segments related to deindustrialization and the Station North and Highlandtown/Greektown neighborhoods.

After “The World that Brought us Freddie Gray” aired, student producers Turrel David ’16, media and communication studies and American studies, and Dalton Maize ’18, media and communication studies and sociology, participated in a roundtable discussion reflecting on their work and the impact of their radio series.

To listen to each podcast and for a list of students and interviewees involved in the project, visit The Marc Steiner Show website. Learn more about the Baltimore Traces project.

Image: The Creative Alliance at The Patterson, where community events related to Baltimore Traces have been held. Photo by UMBC New Media Studio. 

UMBC historian says President Obama’s visit to Japan could have a lasting impact on his legacy

As President Obama prepared for his historic trip to Japan and Vietnam, Constantine Vaporis wrote a powerful op-ed for The Conversation, calling the trip “a key opportunity to showcase the power of remembrance and reconciliation.”

In the article “A trip to be remembered: Obama in Japan and Vietnam,” Vaporis, a professor of history and director of Asian studies, wrote that the president’s trip to Hiroshima presented a significant opportunity given his policies and the United States’ standing in the world.

“Given his history as Nobel Peace Prize winner and as a major advocate for nuclear nonproliferation, the president’s trip should be seen as an act of commemoration for all who died in the Pacific War,” wrote Vaporis. “As the leader of the only country in the world to use nuclear weapons, Obama’s presence and any remarks of remembrance and acknowledgment of the terrible human toll of war will be powerful acts of reconciliation.”

Vaporis provided important context for President Obama’s trip by recounting the history of U.S./Japan differences on the Pacific War, including plans for a joint 50th anniversary commemoration of the war’s end that fell apart.

“Differing national perspectives on the Pacific War will likely persist. Yet, by expressing his remorse at the great loss of life on both sides in the Pacific War and advocating again for the end of nuclear proliferation, President Obama will demonstrate to Japan and our other allies that we too can confront history,” Vaporis explained.

Read the full article, including Vaporis’s thoughts on the president’s Vietnam trip, in The Conversation and the Associated Press.

Image: Constantine Vaporis. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

Chesapeake Bay Foundation highlights UMBC’s focus on environmental stewardship

UMBC’s commitment to sustainable environmental practices and the health of the Chesapeake Bay is the focus of “Stewardship in Practice,” an article in the spring 2016 issue of Save the Bay, the magazine of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

“From the beginning, we emphasized the importance of being good stewards of the environment,” writes President Freeman Hrabowski, recalling how UMBC got its start as a contemporary campus built on 500 acres of farmland. “Our students, faculty, and staff have collaborated for years on greening initiatives and groundbreaking sustainability research.”

Hrabowski signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in 2007 along with 330 other college presidents nationwide. Since then, UMBC has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 16 percent, “even as our campus community has grown substantially,” he writes. The university now also gets 20 percent of its energy from wind and solar.

The article highlights several notable elements of UMBC’s physical plant, such as stormwater ponds, a rainwater harvesting system, pervious pavers, and three green roofs, including one recently installed on the administration building. “This one happens to sit directly above my office,” writes Hrabowski, “and I cannot contain my excitement about it.”

Recycling and composting programs are growing, and 15 student “eco-ambassadors” help organize the annual “RecycleMania” and other sustainability-focused projects and awareness campaigns. Eco-ambassador Elias Weston Farber ’17, political science and environmental science, explains, “We are working to take on the daunting challenge that climate change and environmental injustice pose to humanity through increasing awareness, investing in research, and transitioning to more sustainable infrastructure.”

Hrabowski supports the work of Farber and other UMBC students to take environmental health seriously—to understand it in a broader context and take positive steps to mitigate our environmental impacts.

“Today, 16,000 people live and work on campus, and we recognize that our actions, or inactions, are tied directly to the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” he writes. “To protect our environmental health while educating future leaders is truly something to be treasured.”

Image: President Freeman Hrabowski and students on the Administration Building green roof, spring 2016. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

 

“Because We Can”: Endowed Scholarship Luncheon Celebrates Philanthropy at UMBC

As UMBC heads into its 50th year, we’ve been looking back on our tales of grit and moments of greatness. What better time to do that than the Endowed Scholarship Luncheon, a yearly event where donors meet the students who’ve benefited from their contributions? Throughout this spring’s luncheon, speakers stressed the importance of investing in young people, and how education can bring forth greatness from humble beginnings.

Sylvia Brown came from such beginnings in rural Virginia, and said that she wouldn’t have been able to get where she is today – teacher, administrator, philanthropist – without the help of caring parents and teachers in her youth. She’s since dedicated much of her life to ensuring access and opportunities for young people across the Baltimore area. She and her husband Eddie Brown were some of the first donors to invest in the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, and they have provided abundant support to UMBC over the years.

Mrs. Brown spoke of the importance of giving, and said that it fills her with gratitude to see a beneficiary of her gifts turn around to help someone else. As she looked around the room at students sitting with the donors who funded their scholarships, she said, “I think it’s been working.”

Jackie Hrabowski, former faculty member at UMBC, current board member at T. Rowe Price, and wife of UMBC President Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, also cited key influences from her childhood on her choice to give back. Her parents were known in their community for their generosity, and she remembered asking her father, as a teenager, why their family had to be the ones to help out all the time.

Her father answered, quite simply, “Because we can.”

The people who have established scholarship funds for UMBC students have done so not out of obligation, but because they could, because they wanted to invest in the success of future generations. Scholarship recipients, in turn, have a habit of paying it forward.

Awardees use their gifts not only to put themselves through school, but to give back to the institution and the community. One such beneficiary is Parker James ’16, health administration and policy, who, as a France-Merrick Fellow and Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar, co-created Students for a Healthy Baltimore, an organization that places undergraduate volunteers at health clinics throughout the city. He says these opportunities have affirmed his commitment to removing barriers to health care access for the underprivileged.

As Vice President of Institutional Advancement Greg Simmons ’04, M.P.P. public policy, put it, stories like these matter, and the establishment of endowed scholarships demonstrates the university’s commitment to elevation. Dr. Hrabowski agreed, citing UMBC’s contribution to the growth of the middle class and to the next generation of leaders.

As Dr. Hrabowski said, if we can do all this in 50 years, imagine where we’re headed next.

— Julia Celtnieks ’13

Give our students a hand, and pay it forward by making a gift today. For more photos from the event, head to Flickr.

NIDA’s deputy director visits campus to promote resources available to faculty

Wilson Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), visited UMBC on April 20, meeting with President Freeman A. Hrabowski, Vice President for Research Karl V. Steiner, and other distinguished faculty. Michael Summers, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and recent electee to the National Academy of Sciences, discussed his groundbreaking HIV research with Compton. Compton also made a presentation to UMBC faculty about NIDA’s goals and opportunities for researchers, ensuring that UMBC faculty are aware of the range of resources available to them.

Joe Frascella, senior science advisor to the director of NIDA and previous director of the division of clinical neuroscience and behavior research at NIDA, is currently at based UMBC in the Office of the Vice President for Research under a one-year Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) agreement. He is working with UMBC faculty to increase awareness of NIH research opportunities, mentoring students and faculty on grant-writing strategies, and establishing collaborations between NIH institutes and UMBC. He is also working to boost diversity at NIH by expanding connections between UMBC and NIH.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with students and faculty at UMBC during this year,” said Frascella. “I have been very impressed with the unique strengths of UMBC to attract and prepare students from a broad variety of backgrounds for future careers, especially in the biomedical field. My goal is to establish long-term relationships and learn from UMBC how NIH could enhance its own programs.”

Image: President Hrabowski signs a copy of his book for Wilson Compton, deputy director of NIDA.

Former Apple CEO and tech investor John Sculley learns about engineering innovations at UMBC

John Sculley, former CEO of Apple and Pepsi-Cola and currently entrepreneur and investor in high-tech startups, visited the Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST) at UMBC on April 15 to learn more about the innovative work conducted by CAST researchers. Sculley met with Govind Rao, CAST director and professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering, as well as staff and students.

President Freeman Hrabowski and Karl V. Steiner, vice president for research, welcomed Sculley and his wife, Diane, to campus.

“It is an honor to share some of the exciting and path-breaking research underway at UMBC with an internationally recognized technology leader like John Sculley,” said Karl Steiner. “The world-class work that Govind Rao and his outstanding team at CAST are pursuing has the potential to change some well-established paradigms.”

Sculley was particularly interested in learning more about CAST’s “biologics on demand” program, part of the BioMOD program supported by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). He also spoke with team members about a non-invasive respiration and glucose sensor project and a low-cost cardboard neonatal incubator for developing nations.

Image: John Sculley and wife, Diane, visit with CAST students, staff, and faculty at UMBC.

President of German Research Foundation visits UMBC, discusses academic globalization and UMBC initiatives

Peter Strohschneider, president of the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, or DFG), visited campus on April 13 for a half-day as part of a visit to Washington, DC. He met with President Hrabowski, Vice President for Research Karl V. Steiner, and faculty to discuss globalization aspects of UMBC’s strategic plan and other UMBC initiatives.

Max Voegler, director of DFG’s North America Office, commented on how impressed the delegation was “by the way in which the university has sought to define and act on its mission.”

Steiner recently returned from Germany, where he met with colleagues at the University of Kassel to discuss a growing international partnership, and attended the Hannover Trade Fair with the State of Maryland. The world’s largest industrial fair was opened this year by President Obama and German Chancellor Merkel.

Michael Nance, assistant professor of philosophy, is UMBC’s most-recent recipient of the Humboldt Award, a prestigious award that provides up to 18 months of support for travel to Germany for research. Other faculty and graduate students have ties to German research institutions, and this visit from the president of Germany’s largest research-funding agency will further cement UMBC’s positive research relationships with this influential country and grow the university’s international reputation.

Image: DFG president Peter Strohschneider and UMBC president Freeman Hrabowski converse on the Administration Building’s green roof; photo: Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Capstone research program brings Baltimore high school students to UMBC

For eighteen students at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly), the spring semester provided an opportunity to delve into high-level academic research and offered an early glimpse into life as a college student.

The Poly students were part of a new AP class offered by the College Board that is a year-long, research-intensive course. Last fall, the students conducted group research projects, and the second semester was spent working on individual research papers.

The inaugural cohort of Poly AP capstone students spent the last several months working closely with the Honors College and UMBC faculty and graduate students in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) who served as mentors for the students’ individual research projects. The students visited campus to receive feedback from faculty on their work, use the resources of the Albin O. Kuhn Library, and present their final projects to their faculty mentors.

“Access to any part of the professorial ranks is difficult for most high school students,” shares Josh Headley, chair of the Poly history department. “The fact that the built in gatekeepers of academia were removed, and these students had direct access, with honest critiques of their work, was invaluable.”

Poly partnership

Christopher Corbett, professor of the practice in the English department, served as a faculty mentor and visited Poly each week throughout the semester.

“This is an excellent opportunity for UMBC to connect with Baltimore in a real way. We need more of those connections,” explains Corbett. “I was impressed at how thoughtful and eager the students at Poly were. It’s a very friendly place. It was a pleasure to go there. I also had an opportunity to observe the classes in session and they were very engaged.”

May Chung, a Ph.D. student in language, literacy, and culture and another faculty mentor, observed the students develop skills and interests over the course of the semester as they grappled with their research questions and had direct access to college-level resources.

“I think this is a really important connection for students who are considering college to talk to and discuss what they are interested in with college educators. And it’s also equally valuable for we faculty to listen to what they have to say,” she says.

“The academic growth in this first cohort of AP Capstone students has been nothing less than phenomenal,” says Headley. “When they began, most of the students had only brief experiences with the academic research process, possibly a term paper that needed three valid sources and citations. As they went along, validating source material, and refining their arguments, their body of literature grew, and they began to recognize the author’s voice and tone more rapidly.”

The program was a chance to expand research offerings for high school students beyond STEM disciplines, and stimulus material was provided to the students at the beginning of the semester to help them generate research questions based exclusively in the arts and humanities.

“For CAHSS, this collaboration with Poly helps us not only to showcase the wonderful and important work of the university beyond the STEM disciplines, but is also a very clear example of the college’s commitment to civic engagement by reaching out and working with our partners in the Baltimore City Public School System,” says John Stolle-McAllister, associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

“The goal of this program is twofold,” adds Simon Stacey, director of the Honors College. “The first is to provide an opportunity for high school students interested in college access to come to campus to work directly with a professor or graduate student on a research project. The second goal is getting Baltimore high school students interested in coming to UMBC.”

The hope is for systemic adoption of the program, continuing it into next year to work with additional high school students.

“Partnerships like these allow both parties to increase student access to higher learning that is often fraught with roadblocks and hurdles,” says Headley. “When partnerships like these work well, it is always the students who benefit, with their increased academic ownership, and ability to succeed in their post-secondary goals.”

Images: (Top) Albin O. Kuhn Library, where students had access to resources for their research projects. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. Poly AP capstone students before presenting their research at UMBC. Photo by Lisa Bolton.  

Felipe Filomeno and students examine immigration policies and urban revival in post-industrial America

As post-industrial cities in the United States across the Northeast and Midwest have experienced population decline and economic challenges in recent decades, many local governments are implementing policies to socially integrate immigrants in those cities to promote local economic development.

Felipe Filomeno

Felipe Filomeno, an assistant professor of political science and global studies, worked with students in his “Immigration Politics” course last year to conduct research on the impact of these policies, and they published an article in the National League of Cities blog CitiesSpeak summarizing their findings.

Filomeno and the students looked at a range of issues in post-industrial cities, including economic development policies, multicultural policies, law enforcement policies, collaboration with the civil society, and policy advocacy.

Focusing on Baltimore, the researchers found that the city has moved forward with several initiatives, including seed funding and technical assistance to the Latino Economic Development Center, which provides training and consultation for immigrant entrepreneurs, disseminating public information in Spanish and support for an annual Latino festival, and collaboration among the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs and hundreds of community leaders and representatives from city agencies, social service providers and philanthropic organizations.

“A development-oriented inclusionary approach for immigration governance is consolidating in the rust belt. The task now is to monitor the implementation of those policies. In Baltimore, the number of immigrants increased 50 percent between 2000 and 2013, contributing to the first population growth the city experienced in decades. If other cities in the region share similar experiences, the ‘rust belt model’ might start to inspire higher levels of government and cities in other areas,” Filomeno and the students concluded.

The article “Immigrants and Urban Revival in Post-Industrial America” received widespread circulation and it was published in The Weekly, The National League of Cities’ official newsletter, which reaches more than 15,000 local elected officials and their staff, and the Illinois Municipal League magazine, as part of its issue on cultural diversity. The article was co-authored by Filomeno and undergraduate students Arielle Erenrich ’15, global studies and English; Edward Sauer ’16, political science; Emily Wigfield ’16, social work; Estelle Bol ’15, biology and political science; Danielle McGrogan ’17, global studies; Samuel Damesa ’16, global studies and political science; Charles Brother ’15, history and political science; Ghislain Tapsoba ’16, global studies; and Richard Coaxum ’15, political science.

Image: Baltimore Skyline from I-95 south. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11. 

Scholarship Q&A: Cindy Alms ’17, Biological Sciences

As the academic year draws to a close, we thought we might take the time to introduce you to some of our Alumni Association Scholarship recipients. Today, we hear from Cindy Alms ’17, biological sciences.

Name: Cindy Alms

Major/Minor: Biological Sciences/Mathematics

Grad Year: 2017

Extracurriculars: Cross country and track team, Couple and Family Relationships Lab, RAC staff member, Peer Advisor in the Office of Academic and Pre-professional Advising, Scribe at Baltimore Washington Medical Center, SUCCESS Peer Volunteer

Why did you decide to attend UMBC? UMBC is a strong STEM school and I love how students really care about their academic work. I value a quality education, and there are so many other ways to become involved and gain experience on campus.

What’s been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here? The most amazing discovery [I’ve made] is the amount of opportunities to get experience and be involved, as well as the amount of people willing to help you reach your goals. I have made close relationships with professors and staff on campus who genuinely want to […] see their students succeed.

What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time at UMBC? My involvement on campus. I feel like I have met so many people and made so many connections from my time here. Some of the relationships are going to last for the rest of my life.

What would you say to the people who provided your scholarship? I cannot begin to explain the gratitude I feel for the people who provided my scholarship. I am very lucky to be a recipient and I will continue to work hard at UMBC.

What do you hope to do after graduation? I am hoping to go to medical school to get a doctorate in medicine.

Give to UMBC today to support scholarships for students like Cindy.

 

Scholarship Q&A: Joelle Cusic ’16

As the academic year draws to a close, we thought we might take the time to introduce you to some of our Alumni Association Scholarship recipients. Today, we hear from Joelle Cusic ’16, biochemistry and molecular biology.

Name: Joelle Cusic

Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Grad Year: 2016

Extracurriculars: Shock Trauma volunteer at UMMC, URA scholar, Woolie, hospital lab volunteer, violin

Why did you decide to attend UMBC? I decided to attend UMBC because I felt that I would receive a strong science education with the opportunity to do research, which would provide me with a strong foundation upon which I can build when I enter medical school.

What’s been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here? The most amazing discovery I’ve made so far as a student at UMBC is that I can achieve my goals and far exceed my own expectations. I’m still amazed that I’m a Biochem major. There is always room to improve and grow and looking back over the last few years here, I have seen just how far I’ve come as an individual and as a student.

What are you most proud of accomplishing in your time at UMBC? If there is anything I’m most happy about accomplishing, it is that I have had the opportunity to expand my own mind through research while helping other through being a teaching assistant.

What would you say to the people who provided your scholarship? I would say thank you for helping me pursue my dream of becoming a medical doctor. Your gift has helped me immensely as I finish out my last year of undergrad and my parents and I are truly grateful. Your gift has allowed me to take another step closer to reaching my goal.

What do you hope to do after graduation? Once I graduate with my bachelor of science in biochemistry and molecular biology in May 2016, I will be applying to medical school in the hopes of matriculating in fall 2017. During my year off, I plan to find a position in a local hospital and perhaps a research internship. I am also in the midst of applying for a spot in a six-month medical missions trip, which is based in New Zealand and will run from January to June of 2017, that will serve the islands of the South Pacific. However, my ultimate goal is to become an oncologist, which I believe would allow me to be able to have the opportunity to treat patients and promote health wellness and prevention within the community while also opening the door for me to do research on genetic diseases.

Help students like Joelle pursue their educational goals by making a gift today.

 

Carrie Cleveland shares her inspiring story in Baltimore Sun Class of 2016 profile

A new article in The Baltimore Sun profiles members of the Class of 2016 from Baltimore-area colleges and universities and their unique journeys toward earning their degrees. Carrie Cleveland ’16, social work, shares her uplifting story in the article and describes how she developed a passion for social work.

Cleveland initially enrolled at Rutgers University, but left after three semesters in 1997 after she decided college wasn’t for her at the time. She moved to Maryland in 2006 and began taking classes at Anne Arundel Community College. The article explains that when her daughter was undergoing a medical evaluation after she was born with a congenital heart defect, Cleveland had such a positive interaction with a hospital social worker that she thought to herself: “I want that job.”

On May 19, Cleveland graduates with a bachelor’s degree in social work from UMBC. She explains that the support she received from the UMBC community while working toward earning her degree was tremendous.

“Here I think of myself as a college dropout and this isn’t my place to occupy,” Cleveland said. “But mostly the students are great and have appreciated my experiences and contributions.”

She plans to bring her daughters to her commencement ceremony to inspire them to pursue college degrees, and will begin graduate studies in social work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore in the fall, where she will be doing field work with middle school children with emotional disabilities.

The secret to Cleveland’s success? She says, “It took me finding what my passion was to be able to excel.”

Read the complete article “The unique roads of Baltimore college graduates” on The Baltimore Sun website.

Image: Carrie Cleveland. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

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