Winter 2011

The Original Firesoul: Mary Wyatt ’74, American Studies

When Mary Wyatt ’74, American studies, was a little girl, she loved to retreat to a secret space in her backyard. There, in a patch of grass surrounded by a grove of apple trees, she spent lazy summer days lying on her back and gazing up at the passing clouds. Flash forward to the present day, where the concept behind Wyatt’s favorite childhood ritual – connecting to nature in a ‘sacred’ space – plays a central role in the organization for which she serves as executive director. While the parallels between Wyatt’s favorite childhood indulgence and her current job may… Continue Reading The Original Firesoul: Mary Wyatt ’74, American Studies

Choosing Public Service: Kaliope Parthemos ’93, Psychology

Back in 2001, Kaliope Parthemos ’93, psychology, got some career advice that has resonated with her over a decade of public service. Parthemos was clerking for Baltimore Judge John C. Themelis at the time, and she recalls that he turned to her one day and said: “You belong in the courtroom and you belong as an advocate. Don’t be one of those people who talks about how things should be done, but has never actually worked it and lived it. You know the people. You understand the people. Go fight for the people.” As Baltimore City Deputy Mayor of Economic… Continue Reading Choosing Public Service: Kaliope Parthemos ’93, Psychology

Building Relationships: Diane Bell-McKoy ’73, Sociology

In an office on Chase Street in Baltimore, a fiery one-woman pep rally for a young African-American professional is under way. Diane Bell-McKoy ’73, sociology, is holding forth on the necessity of building as many business alliances as this young woman can, regardless of whether or not she knows precisely where her career is headed. Bell-McKoy is emphatic for a reason. She is determined to see young African-American professionals succeed in the workplace. And she knows first-hand that the strategy she espouses works. Bell-McKoy credits her long-term career success with her own ability to choose mentors carefully and to build… Continue Reading Building Relationships: Diane Bell-McKoy ’73, Sociology

Man (of the) Walking Dead: Arnold Blumberg ’93, English

Zombies have been multiplying rapidly in our popular consciousness in recent years. Whether it’s the high drama of AMC’s new television hit The Walking Dead or the high comedy of Seth Grahame-Smith’s Jane Austen parody Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the dead aren’t just walking, but marching on popular culture. Arnold T. Blumberg ’93, English, thinks a lot about zombies and pop culture. He’s written a book – Zombiemania – about the phenomenon and even teaches a course on zombies in media at the University of Baltimore. (He’s also written widely and taught on other topics in popular culture, including… Continue Reading Man (of the) Walking Dead: Arnold Blumberg ’93, English

Fishing Without a Net

In UMBC’s Department of Marine Biotechnology, Yonathan Zohar and his colleagues are creating sustainable fish farms that may revolutionize our notions of fishing and seafood. – By Anthony Lane A well-known proverb appears on a wall near the entrance to the Columbus Center on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor: Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. A worthy sentiment, yes. But what happens if we use up the bounty of the world’s oceans and seas? Talk for a few minutes with aquaculture pioneer Yonathan Zohar and you might… Continue Reading Fishing Without a Net

Marching Into the Future

UMBC associate professor of history Anne Sarah Rubin is at the forefront of using digital approaches to research history and other areas in the humanities. – By Scott McLemee The very thought of a website devoted to Sherman’s March may inspire mild dread. After all, the path of destruction that General William Tecumseh Sherman and the Union Army blazed across Georgia during the final weeks of 1864 was one of the most violent episodes in American history. But by some unwritten law of the Internet, historical trauma nearly always returns as digital kitsch. One braces for a cross between a… Continue Reading Marching Into the Future

Extend & Elevate: Dance at UMBC

Like any campus, UMBC is a blur of movement when school is in session. But when that motion is concentrated, studied, refined or performed – it can become truly special. UMBC’s Dance Department is the core of that activity, blending the grit of classes and rehearsal with the grace of performance. But the celebration of dance is not confined to classrooms or concert halls. At UMBC dance is contagious, filling up The Commons, the RAC and even Beuys Sculpture Park with the beauty of bodies in motion. REBECCA M. JUNG ’87 In a master class for UMBC students, Rebecca M.… Continue Reading Extend & Elevate: Dance at UMBC

Up on the Roof – Winter 2011

UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III takes your questions. Q. Innovation is something that you talk about in many venues across the country, and you’ve been acknowledged as an innovator in higher education. How do you view the overall importance of innovation in the university and the nation as a whole? How does UMBC instill a desire to innovate in students, faculty and staff? — Richard Byrne ’86, English Editor, UMBC Magazine A. I talk a lot about Daniel Pink’s book A Whole New Mind and the need to have a balanced approach to solving problems. His new book is… Continue Reading Up on the Roof – Winter 2011

To You – Winter 2011

A modern university such as UMBC thrives on excellence in teaching and innovation in research. We all know good teaching when it touches our lives and the lives of those close to us. But research poses difficulties in definition and assessment. The work done in UMBC’s laboratories and libraries often takes years to touch the lives of everyday citizens. How do we approach it? As the UMBC Magazine team applied the finishing touches to this issue, I noticed that all three of our main features in the Winter 2011 edition touch on the role of research in the university. Our… Continue Reading To You – Winter 2011

The News – Winter 2011

SUPER CAMPAIGN The high achievement and affordability of UMBC makes the university an attractive option for high school students. But a university built on innovation is always looking to do the job better. Enter a creative team led by UMBC associate director of marketing Erika Ferrin, Creative Services designer Erin Ouslander ’03 and marketing director Ed Neenan. Together, they created a new advertising campaign depicting high-flying UMBC students in the humanities and social sciences as superheroes using both their brainpower and their desire to enact positive changes in their own lives and the lives of others. The campaign used images… Continue Reading The News – Winter 2011

Over Coffee — Winter 2011

In 1999, Giuliano Celenza ’03, sociology, led the UMBC men’s soccer team to its first NCAA tournament. Eleven years later, Levi Houapeu ’11 has done the same thing (and more), leading the 2010 men’s soccer squad to UMBC’s first tourney win at Princeton before suffering a shootout loss at William & Mary. The professional soccer world beckoned Celenza – who is now in his 11th year with the Baltimore Blast – and Houapeu was drafted by the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. These two Retriever soccer standouts recently sat down to talk UMBC and the beautiful game. What’s it… Continue Reading Over Coffee — Winter 2011

How to (Not) Break Your Heart

With Jennifer Lepus, Director, University Health Services It’s February, and many of us have love on the brain. Storefronts are bathed in pink and red, and boxes of chocolates line the store shelves. You’ve made reservations at that French restaurant downtown, prettied yourself up for the big night… but wait! You’ve forgotten something: there’d be no love – or life – without the palpitating pump that makes it all possible. In honor of Valentine’s Day and National Heart Health Month, Jennifer Lepus, director of UMBC’s University Health Services, is here to share a few tips for keeping your heart happy,… Continue Reading How to (Not) Break Your Heart

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