All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Link Roundup: UMBC in the News

Here’s just a sampling of how UMBC made the news this week:

For more campus community updates, head to UMBC News!

Donald Norris weighs in on what’s next for former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley

Following Monday’s Iowa Caucuses, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley officially ended his bid for the presidency. WJZ-TV ran a story examining what’s next for O’Malley as he begins the next chapter in his political career.

Donald Norris, professor and director of UMBC’s School of Public Policy, is an expert in Maryland state politics and has closely followed former Gov. O’Malley’s career. He was interviewed for WJZ’s story and said it’s possible that O’Malley could serve in an advisory role to the next president.

“He could become a Cabinet secretary, even though he said he doesn’t want to,” said Norris. “But if the president calls, it’s awfully hard to say no. I think he would be a terrific Cabinet secretary. He could take transportation, he could take HUD, he could take Homeland Security.”

Watch the story “Martin O’Malley officially suspends presidential bid” on WJZ’s website.

In other recent news, a previous Norris interview about the pros and cons of metropolitan governance and his new book Metropolitan Governance in America was referenced in a Dan Rodricks Baltimore Sun column about the snow cleanup effort in Baltimore.

Image: Donald Norris speaks at UMBC’s 40th anniversary event for public policy. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Freedom of Expression: Majid, Alexander

Every so often, we shine a spotlight on alumni who have made the news recently, in Baltimore and beyond. Today, we’re featuring two alums who are making an impact through creative expression, whether through storytelling or visual art.

Asif Majid ’13.

Asif Majid ’13, interdisciplinary studies, former class valedictorian and current instructor at UMBC, will relay his tale of getting lost on a pilgrimage to Mecca at the February 10 Stoop Storytelling event at the Senator Theatre in Baltimore. Stoop Storytelling is now in its 10th year, and was created to “foster empathy and build a community” in Baltimore, both by empowering citizens to tell their own unique stories and give audiences a different perspective on other people’s lives.

Photo by John Alexander ’98.

John Alexander ’98, visual arts, has mounted a solo photography exhibit at the Savannah (Ga.) Jewish Educational Alliance art gallery called “Connecting with Nature.” As an artist, Alexander is inspired by Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Mary Cassatt, and says that being out in nature is his “great escape.” The Columbia native has established himself as a wedding, portrait, and commercial photographer since graduating from UMBC.

Got news to share with us? Send in a class note!

 

 

Kimberly Moffitt reflects on Black History Month and today’s social movements

As local educators and museum officials are in the midst of planning events for Black History Month, the Baltimore Sun published an article reflecting on the events of 2015 and opportunities to expand commemorations in remembrance of recent history.

Kimberly Moffitt, an associate professor of American studies, was interviewed for the article and discussed the importance of connecting the past with the present.

“If you think about it, history is occurring daily, right? So yesterday is history,” said Moffitt. “So even though the Black Lives Matter campaign in particular is seen as recent and current history, it is something that has so much of its foundation in historical movements and events.”

UMBC was mentioned in the article as one of several local institutions that have scheduled events in February that go beyond focusing on slavery and the civil rights struggle of the 1960s including a panel discussion “Black Lives Matter: More Than a Hashtag! It’s a Movement.” Read more about upcoming events on the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences website.

Moffitt also recently appeared on WEAA’s “The Marc Steiner Show for a discussion remembering Sandra Bland, who died last July in the Waller County, TX, jail, after being arrested on a traffic stop. The discussion took place in advance of a January 30 event at Red Emma’s in Baltimore with Sharon Cooper, Sandra Bland’s sister. Listen to the complete segment on the WEAA website.

Image: Kimberly Moffitt in her office. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

Link Roundup: UMBC in the News

Here’s who (and how much snow) made the news this week:

For more campus community happenings, head to UMBC News.

UMBC faculty provide 2016 election analysis in local and national media outlets

With the Iowa Caucuses just days away, UMBC faculty have been in the news weighing in on the current state of the presidential race. Kimberly Moffitt, an associate professor of American studies, was a guest on the Baltimore Sun podcast “Roughly Speaking with Dan Rodricks” to discuss the recent Republican presidential debate on Fox Business Network. During the segment, Moffitt shared her thoughts on the interactions between candidates and economic and foreign policy issues in the race, among other topics of discussion.

Political Science Professor and Chair Thomas Schaller wrote an opinion piece for The Hill that focused on the rise of Sen. Ted Cruz, drawing on arguments made in his latest book The Stronghold that the Republican Party’s recent focus on its congressional wing has had an impact on presidential elections.

Focusing on local election issues, School of Public Policy Professor and Director Donald Norris was quoted in a Baltimore Sun article about former Md. Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown’s campaign finance status and provided context for a NorthJersey.com article about a ballot question this fall that would authorize expanding casino gambling in New Jersey. Norris described the media campaign surrounding the 2012 ballot question in Maryland over whether to allow a new casino in Prince Georges County.

For the full list of recent news items, see below:

Roughly Speaking: GOP Debate (Baltimore Sun podcast)
Ted Cruz opinion piece (The Hill)
Brown chips away at campaign debt (Baltimore Sun)
Jackson: Ballot questions to trigger ad barrage (NorthJersey.com)

Image: Photo by Elliott P., CC by 2.0.  

Washington Post chronicles the life and career of Erickson School Professor Bill Thomas

Bill Thomas, an international authority on geriatric medicine and eldercare, was recently featured in a Washington Post profile on his life achievements. Thomas, who is a physician and Erickson School professor, has spent more than twenty years trying to make life better for seniors. His is well-known for developing “The Eden Alternative” — a radical system of humanizing nursing homes by introducing live animals and plants with the idea of making nursing homes feel more like gardens and less like hospitals.

The article describes in detail Dr. Thomas’s goal to make his generation reinvent what it means to be old. “We need to get people out of hospitals, we need to create a rich set of community-based alternatives.” He argues, the goal is “normalizing the entire lifespan instead of separating and stigmatizing one part as something different.”

Dr. Thomas’s numerous achievements include replication of The Eden Alternative in all 50 states and hundreds of institutions in Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia, creation of small, intimate residences called “Green Houses,” and traveling the country to raise awareness of the enrichment opportunities that “post-adulthood” provides.

“His genius was to recognize in the nursing-home situation a larger societal problem,” said ­Judah Ronch, dean of the Erickson School. “He’s two, three, four steps ahead of most people, and they don’t necessarily see how to get there. He’s working on ways to get there, but he’s fighting an uphill battle, because people and society have very entrenched views of aging and what aging is about.”

Read the full article “We’re lucky if we get to be old, physician and professor believes” in the Washington Post. For more on Dr. Thomas’s work, visit the Erickson School website.

Image: Bill Thomas. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

Link Roundup: UMBC in the News

Here’s how we made the news this week:

For more UMBC community news, head to our news site!

Update: Campus closed on Tuesday, Jan. 26 due to ongoing snow removal

Last updated on Monday, Jan. 25 at 3:35 p.m.

Due to ongoing snow removal following last week’s winter storm, UMBC will be closed Tuesday, January 26. Residential student move-in is postponed until Wednesday, January 27, beginning at 12 p.m., and all classes on Wednesday are cancelled.

The new schedule reflecting these changes is as follows:

  • Monday, Jan. 25 and Tuesday, Jan. 26: University is closed
  • Wednesday, Jan. 27: University is open. Residential student move-in day, starting at 12 p.m. Classes are cancelled.
  • Thursday, Jan. 28: First day of classes

As the university continues to monitor its snow removal and cleanup progress, please be sure to sign up for our E2Campus emergency alert text-messaging system to stay apprised of how inclement weather and other emergencies may impact campus schedules, events, and activities. We will also continue to inform you via campus email, the UMBC homepage, and social media.

When you arrive on campus, be aware that some areas of campus may be more accessible than others. Please be patient and take your time when traversing campus. See below for additional details on how these schedule changes may impact the access and availability of campus services and activities.

Residential Move-in

  • The university will be open for residential move-in on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 12 p.m. Please plan to arrive after 12 p.m. to allow the university ample time to clear roadways, parking lots, and sidewalks.
  • Because of limited space along roadways, pick-up and drop-off parking in front of residential halls and apartments are reserved for incoming students. We ask that all returning students use assigned parking locations during move-in.

Transportation and Shuttle Service

  • Due the current state of secondary and access roads in the region and across campus, UMBC transit will not be in operation on Monday, Jan. 25 or Tuesday, Jan. 26.
  • UMBC transit will return to normal operation on Wednesday, Jan. 27; however some routes may change due to limited access to secondary roads. Please refer to the UMBC transit website and the Transit Tracker for further updates and information.
  • If you have any questions regarding transportation or shuttle service operation on Wednesday, Jan. 27, please call 410-455-2454.

Parking

  • To assist the university with its snow removal efforts, Facilities Management asks that all cars parked on the inner and outer loop of Hilltop Circle be moved to Lot 23 as soon as possible. Any vehicles left unattended in traffic areas critical to snow removal may be relocated to Lot 23 by university police. If you are staying on campus and have any questions, please contact the PMC Front desk, 443-612-0700, or Apartment Community Desk, 443-612-7100.
  • UMBC follows its snow removal plan when clearing roads, parking areas, and walkways in the event of inclement weather.
  • The university will work to make as much parking available as possible for the return of students, faculty, and staff to campus, but due to the amount of snow—and the process for removing it—some parking areas may remain inaccessible over the next few days.

Dining and Commons

  • True Grits will be open on Monday, Jan. 25 and Tuesday, Jan. 26.
  • Commons and all of its services, including food stations and the bookstore, will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Commons will reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 27, with limited food services available.
  • The Administration Building coffee shop will be open under normal business hours on Wednesday, Jan. 27.
  • For more information on UMBC dining services, please visit www.dineoncampus.com/UMBC/.

Campus Events and Athletics

  • When the campus is closed, all events and activities are cancelled. Please view myUMBC events for any additional information regarding cancellations or rescheduling.
  • No athletics events on campus are scheduled until Wednesday, Jan. 27. To date, all events scheduled for Wednesday will continue as planned. Visit umbcretrievers.com for more information.
  • All recreation programs scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 26 have been cancelled.

Academics

  • The schedule adjustment period will be adjusted accordingly. More information will be available soon.

Alums in the Community: Vitale, Barbosa

UMBC is proud of all that our alumni go on to achieve, and we’re especially proud that we’ve graduated so many people who bring their talents and skills back to their communities. Today, we recognize Clolita Vitale ’75, theatre, a former UMBC employee who has just been appointed to the USM Foundation Board of Directors, and Ray Barbosa ’09, a former Retriever basketball player who, after playing professionally for several years, has been honored by his high school, and is now coaching in his home state of Pennsylvania.

 

Vitale on a recent visit to UMBC.

Clolita Vitale ’75, theatre, has been named to the University System of Maryland (USM) Foundation Board of Directors, after over thirty years of USM experience. In addition to her degree from UMBC, she holds a B.S. from the University of Maryland University College and a J.D. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She worked at UMBC as a director of procurement before becoming University Counsel, a position she held until she moved on to Constellation Energy (later Exelon) in 2008. Now retired, she continues to volunteer with Senior Legal Services and the Esperanza Center in Baltimore.

 

Barbosa as a high school basketball player.

Ray Barbosa ’09, American studies, has been inducted into the Allentown-William Allen Hall of Fame for basketball. As a Retriever, he helped the men’s basketball team to an NCAA tournament berth, and played basketball professionally in Puerto Rico for five years after graduating. He is now head coach at Bethlehem Catholic High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

 

Share your good news with us in a class note!

 

 

Link Roundup: UMBC in the News

One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community.

For more on what’s happening in our community, head to UMBC News.

Remembering Dr. Homer Schamp, Jr.

It is with great sadness we share with you that Dr. Homer Schamp, Jr., an icon in Maryland’s higher education system and a founding leader in the UMBC community, passed away on Tuesday, January 12, 2016.

In 1965, a year before UMBC opened, Dr. Schamp was appointed dean of the faculty, with responsibility for hiring the university’s first faculty members. “Homer was both a pioneer and visionary leader,” says President Freeman Hrabowski. “A renowned physicist, he and other early leaders laid the foundation for the high quality education and research that UMBC is known for today.”

Throughout his career at UMBC as a provost, vice chancellor for academic affairs, and research professor, Dr. Schamp’s enthusiasm for learning inspired all those around him. His penchant for using new education techniques has led to advances in pedagogy, scholarship, and creative achievement reflected throughout the campus’s history. His belief in the importance of connecting the university to its surrounding community established UMBC as a catalyst for economic development and quality of life in the Baltimore region.

Dr. Schamp dedicated his life to education, serving more than 50 years in higher education roles at the campus and system levels. Prior to his appointment at UMBC, he was a rising star in the physics program at the University of Maryland, College Park. He became a key player in developing the UMCP’s Institute for Molecular Physics and became its director in 1964. Known as an exceptional problem-solver, Dr. Schamp was called upon once more toward the end of his career at UMBC to assist the chancellor of the newly established University System of Maryland. His long record of building consensus was critical in helping the System navigate complex personnel and academic issues.

Viewing services for Dr. Schamp will take place on Friday, January 15, 2016, 5–8 p.m. and Saturday, January 16, 2016, 2–4 p.m. at Ruck Towson Funeral Home, 1050 York Rd., Towson, MD 21204. A memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the Dr. Homer W. Schamp Memorial Scholarship. This newly established fund will support students interested in teaching science in K-12 schools after graduation.

Please make your checks payable to the UMBC Foundation, and note in the memo line Dr. Homer W. Schamp Memorial Fund. Send to:

UMBC Foundation
Dr. Homer W. Schamp Memorial Scholarship
8th Floor Admin. Building, c/o Kimberly Robinson
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, Md. 21250

Update: Baltimore Sun obituary for Dr. Homer W. Schamp, Jr.

Image: Albin O. Kuhn, Guy Chisholm, and Homer Schamp at the UMBC Groundbreaking. Photo by UMCP Photo Services, 1966.

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