Tresys CEO Gary Latham

Tresys Technology, a provider of technology and engineering services for customers with high-security requirements, announced this week it has established and awarded the first two grants of its new “Tresys Technology Scholarship” to UMBC students. The two merit-based scholarships of $2,500 each were awarded for the Spring 2013 semester to juniors Sven Rivera and Sean Hoover.

The scholarship is intended to support incoming sophomore or junior computer science majors at UMBC with demonstrated financial need and who have obtained or transferred a grade point average of 3.0 or greater. There is a preference given to students interested in computer security. The scholarship, managed by the UMBC Foundation, may be renewed for a second year, contingent on the student’s academic performance and continued financial need. Scholarship recipients are also invited to apply for paid internship positions at Tresys.

“Tresys is truly honored and delighted to give back to the community through this scholarship,” said Tresys CEO Gary Latham. “By investing in tomorrow’s computer security professionals at the outset of their careers, we are helping deserving students pursue careers that will make a significant difference—not only to them specifically—but to the communities Tresys serves and to the future security of our nation.”

For more information or to apply for future awards of this scholarship, visit http://www.coeit.umbc.edu/coeit-scholarships.

About Tresys Technology

Based in Columbia, Maryland, with offices in Ashburn, VA, Tresys Technology solves the most complex information security problems for a wide array of defense, intelligence, and commercial customers. Tresys provides innovative product and services solutions for hard problems in Cross Domain, Deep Content Inspection, secure operating systems—including SELinux—mobile devices and OSs, and software assurance. Our knowledge of the secure design, certification, and accreditation of complicated custom hardware and software solutions, combined with insight into the sophisticated requirements of our customers, allows us to deliver innovative solutions to modern security challenges. The experience gained from solving real-world problems has enabled Tresys to develop industry-leading and authoritative services. For more information, visit: http://www.tresys.com.

Students kicked off Career Week 2013 a bit more “dressed to impress” than normal this year thanks to alumni, staff and faculty donations to “Clothes The Deal,” a program through which students improved their career wardrobes (for free!) and better prepared themselves for future job searches.

See the full Career Week schedule here.

Several dozen students waited in line outside UMBC’s Women’s Center Thursday morning for the first crack at hundreds of pieces of donated business attire: skirts, blazers, ties, and suits. By the end of the event Friday afternoon, 362 students had taken at least one piece of clothing, much of which was supplied by staff and faculty, but also UMBC alumni working at T. Rowe Price — the main sponsor of this year’s Career Week — who organized a clothing drive at their offices.

“I think I’m in love,” cooed senior psychology major Comfort Oke, who had her friend, junior Regine Charlot, take a photo with her smartphone as she tried on a navy blue blazer with shiny brass buttons. “This was a fabulous idea. I think it’s an amazing thing for students, and it’s exciting that alumni helped make this possible.”

Senior theatre major Amalia Mark left “Clothes The Deal” with a cute little number she plans to wear on interviews for jobs in student engagement. “I got the best dress ever!” she exclaimed, showing off her new frock.

Special thanks to the Pikesville ZIPS for donating the cleaning of 300 items for “Clothes The Deal.” Other event sponsors were the Career Services Center, the Student Alumni Association, the Office for Academic and Pre-Professional Advising, UMBC Athletics, Chartwells, the Shriver Center, and the Division of Student Affairs.

The 2011 Shriver Peaceworker grads (L-R): Duncan Cohen, Meghann Shutt, Lindsay Walberg (down front in green), Melissa Esmero (right behind Lindsay), Iris Laurencio (sitting), Dusty Hogenson

Making a positive mark on society is part of the lifelong drive for graduates of UMBC’s Shriver Peaceworker Fellows Program — so when we found out that the program’s 2011 cohort made (and fulfilled) a pledge for 100% giving to UMBC, we were obviously excited, but not a bit surprised!

Program director Joby Taylor ’05, Ph.D., LLC, shared news recently that the six members of the Class of 2011 achieved their participation goal, donating $650 to support the purchase of “books and resources for both the Fall and Spring Pracs this year for all 14 of our current Fellows!”

This is the second cohort to set and achieve such a goal, Taylor said, and he hopes the 2011 group’s efforts spark some similar challenges among the other 18 Peaceworker alumni cohorts. He tries to instill a “Time, Talent, and Treasure” model of philanthropy within these groups of already socially-conscious students.

“Almost all our grads go into service careers, so they are ‘giving back’ as a way of life really (and many depending on foundations and philanthropy for their own work),” he said. “They are entering important professional fields and positions, but not typically high-paying ones…Still, there is a high sense of connection to our Peaceworker Program and a desire to support it.”

Congratulations, Peaceworkers!

Thank you to all of the wonderful donors and scholarship students who came out for last week’s 2nd annual Scholarship Luncheon, March 13. Often, this event marks the first meeting of donors and their scholars, making it a truly memorable occasion for all. The event drew more than 100 guests, and featured remarks by McCormick & Company President Alan D. Wilson and senior Nia N. Hampton ’14, media and communications studies, who is the recipient of a number of scholarships at UMBC, along with UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III.

We’ll be sharing stories of connections made at the luncheon over the course of the next couple months, but in the meantime, we hope you’ll enjoy this photo slideshow!

Dr. Hrabowski speaks at TED2013. Photo by TED2013.

It’s all too easy to take successes for granted, especially when you see them every day around campus. At UMBC, the concept of pushing students of all backgrounds and academic levels to succeed is such a part of campus culture, we sometimes forget that’s not necessarily standard practice at other schools.

So when UMBC President Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, III, challenged audiences at the TED2013 conference in California last month to set higher expectations for all students at all levels of education, we were delighted — but not at all surprised. During his session — which fell within a grouping of talks based around the idea “The Spark” — Hrabowski explained how setting high standards for all students lets many who might otherwise be left behind excel. Case in point, he told the group:

“What makes our story especially important is that we have learned so much from students who are typically not at the top of the academic ladder.”

Read the TED blog’s take on Dr. Hrabowski’s talk.

UMBC sets incredibly high standards for its students. Professors and students know it will take a lot of hard work, but the results speak volumes. Our students and alumni are better for being pushed. Dr. Hrabowski touches on a few such examples in his talk.

Just as we sometimes take successes for granted, it’s also easy for forget that without the financial backing of UMBC’s donors, our efforts would be futile. Thank you for believing in Dr. Hrabowski’s message, and for supporting UMBC’s students!

Name:  Kate Hunsicker ’14
Majors: English and Dance
Scholarships: Alumni Association Scholarship (Legacy), Senatorial Scholarship, UMBC scholarship

Q: Why did you decide to attend UMBC?
A:  I decided to come to UMBC because this school was able to offer me everything that I wanted. I wanted a mid-sized campus, in-state and not too far from home, where I could major in both Dance and English. My dad, uncle, and older brother all went to UMBC, so I knew that it was a great school and that I would be happy in the community life here.

Q:  What has been the most amazing discovery you’ve made so far as a student here?
A:  The most amazing discovery that I have made at UMBC so far is the way that I’ve been able to extensively pursue both Dance and English at a school that is known for STEM. I have been able to balance both of my passions, and even go far beyond classroom learning for both of them. In dance, I have had many opportunities to perform since my first semester here, and have even been performing with Baltimore Dance Project (a professional faculty company) since my freshman year. I was also awarded the Summer Research award for dance from the department, and was able to study in New York for three weeks under Doug Varone and his dance company. In English, I was recommended to become a tutor and now I work in the UMBC Writing Center. Now, as an experienced tutor, I have been given the opportunity to become a Writing Fellow. I will be starting next semester and some fellow tutors and I will be assisting English 100 teachers and facilitating the writing lab sections of the Composition 100 classes. I am extremely excited about all of my opportunities and very happy that UMBC has allowed me to fulfill all of these things in both of my areas of interest.

Q:  Tell us about a class or club that has really opened your mind (and why)…
A:  In the beginning of my freshman year, I joined a club called Intervarsity. This is one of the many Christian groups on campus, and it has really opened my mind and been a good thing for me on campus. Intervarsity has given me a place of refuge and rest, the opportunity to grow spiritually at school with people my age, and has allowed me to meet many amazing, supportive people; some of whom have become my closest friends. For the past two years, it has also given me the opportunity to be a leader in a campus club, and has influenced my abilities to speak in front of people, to manage my time, and to care for others on our campus.

Q:  What do you hope to do after graduation, and why?
A:  After graduation, I am hoping to find a way to incorporate both dance and English into my life/career. I am interested in finding an editing position for a magazine or for some type of published work. If I find a full time job in such a position, I would still like to be performing for dance with a local company or maybe even in community theater, as I also love to sing and act. I am also interested in the idea of writing dance criticism as a way to combine both of my interests and even if that is not a full time pursuit, I could potentially do freelance dance writing while performing or working at another job.

Q:  How important is it to you as a student to get scholarship support?
A:  As a student, it is so important to get scholarship support. Everyone wants to be able to complete their education and pursue their dreams, but financial concerns are always looming regarding student loans and making payments. Receiving scholarships significantly eases the financial burden of the college student, and allows us to carry out our studies with less stress about money and loans.

Q:  What would you say to the alumni who contributed to your scholarship?
A:  I would very much like to thank the alumni who contributed to my scholarship. Their generosity has given me the opportunity to continue my studies with less financial stressors above my head. Their willingness to make such contributions is an indication of the wonderful opportunities that they themselves once had at UMBC, and I think it is amazing that they want to help current UMBC students have an experience at this school as beneficial as their own experience here.

FROM: Freeman Hrabowski, President, and Philip Rous, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
TO: The UMBC Community
RE: Inaugural Grants from the Hrabowski Fund for Innovation

We are delighted to announce the projects receiving inaugural grants from this fund. These projects build on our faculty’s strong track record of, and commitment to, reimagining what it means to teach and learn. We received a large number of outstanding applications and, unfortunately, could not fund all of the projects. Those selected for awards represent each of our colleges and a wide range of disciplines, and many of them take an interdisciplinary approach to their work.

IMPLEMENTATION AND RESEARCH GRANTS

The Math Gym – A team led by Nagaraj Neerchal, professor and chair of mathematics and statistics, will develop The Math Gym, which will feature “conditioning coaches” and “personal trainers” who will help students keep their foundational math skills in good working order. Moreover, the gym will promote healthy math habits among all our students, drawing a clear analogy between the regular work outs and conditioning needed to maintain both athletic and mathematical skill.

Active Computing Teaching and InnoVation Environment – A team led by Marie desJardins, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, will create ACTIVE, a dynamic “laptop laboratory.” The lab will support innovation in computing courses – with a particular focus on improving the retention and success of women, underrepresented minorities and transfer students. The laboratory will extend active-learning environments, such as CASTLE and the new English writing labs, to a new area of the university.

SEED GRANTS

The Wisdom Institute – A team led by Craig Saper, professor and director of UMBC’s language, literacy, and culture program, will create an institute to expand the role for emeritus professors at UMBC.

Putting Students’ Language Skills to Work – A team led by Susanne Sutton, lecturer in modern languages, linguistics, and intercultural communication, will develop new experiential and service-learning course requirements for undergraduates studying German, with a particular focus on connecting students to Baltimore’s German community.

Service-Learning in Statics – A team led by Anne Spence, professor of the practice in mechanical engineering, will develop new service-learning requirements for undergraduates studying mechanical engineering, with a particular focus on identifying components that increase retention and student success.

EHS – Bruce Walz, professor and chair of emergency health services, will lead a project to integrate individual cameras into EHS exercises, so that students can receive more personalized and immediate feedback on their performance.

Begun with major grants from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Heinz Awards, the Innovation Fund has benefited from substantial support from alumni and friends, the local community and businesses, and State and national leaders. That support is a testament to the work we’ve already done and a vote of confidence for the national model we’re continuing to build. Projects supported by the Innovation Fund will complement the many other creative and enterprising initiatives already underway at UMBC – from the STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative to composition course redesign in English – and will build on our strong history of finding novel approaches to teaching and scholarship.

The competition for the next round of Innovation Fund grants is underway, with proposals due by Friday, February 8. For more information on how to apply, click here. We want to thank everyone who has submitted a proposal, and encourage those whose proposals could not be funded in the first round to apply again.

We are truly inspired by the creative ideas we hear each day and are delighted to be able to support more of them through this fund.

From time to time, we’ll interview donors who are making a difference at UMBC. Today, we’re talking with Ira Steven Allen ’81, biological sciences, and Elizabeth Ward Allen ’82, political science, who fell in love with track and field — and each other! — during their time together as students. The couple established the C. James Pfrogner Endowment April 1998 (and amended in March 2002) to honor their former coach and support both the men’s and women’s track and field programs at UMBC. 

* * * *

Ira and Liz Allen enjoying time on the water.

Q:  What made you decide to make your planned gift to UMBC, and how does that decision relate to your experiences here as students?

A:  At UMBC, we received a terrific education and had great fun at the same time. We also had the good fortune to be members of the track and field team under coach Jim Pfrogner, who taught us alot about always giving your best and achieving your goals through hard work and perseverance. The lessons we learned, both in the classroom and on the track, prepared us extremely well to be successful in life. A number of years ago, we started an endowment fund for the benefit of the track and field program because we wanted to give something back to UMBC, something significant and something perpetual, as a way to show our appreciation for how much our college experience meant to us.

Q:  Could you share a favorite memory or two from your time here?

A:  Besides our track and field experiences, we have many “favorite” memories of our time at UMBC, the most important being when we met each other and began a relationship that has been going strong for 34 years. Other special memories are Thursday night parties in the basement of “Dorm III”, studying for the MCATs in the same basement room until the wee hours of the morning, decorating Ira’s dorm room on the “Yippee Dog” floor while Styx and Boston play at full volume, and meeting many people we still call friends today.

Q:  How do you hope your support will make UMBC a better place?

“Ira doing his Dracula imitation”

A:  UMBC has grown in many ways since we graduated in the early 80′s. Freeman’s vision and accomplishments have raised the University to a lofty level. UMBC is now on the national radar as one of the best Universities in the country. Of course, track and field was never the “glamour” sport that received the attention and major funding of, say, lacrosse or basketball. We wanted to help the track and field program grow and advance to a level that matched the prestige of the rest of the University, so we decided to add the endowment fund as a beneficiary in our will. Our hope is that, one day, the track and field program will be so independently well-funded that it will be the envy of college sports programs throughout the region, joining other stellar UMBC programs and academic achievements that shine in the national spotlight.

Thank you to the Allens for all they do!  Want to share your own giving story? Contact Jenny O’Grady at jogrady@umbc.edu.

Planned Giving at UMBC

It’s Friday, and the sun is out after a long, long week of rain in Baltimore. So, you know what? We’re going to give ourselves a little virtual high five.

You see, we recently found out that UMBC’s Giving Blog — the very blog you’re reading RIGHT NOW — won a silver award among all sorts of competing blogs in the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education’s District II Accolades Awards.

As always, thank you to our Retriever Believers for giving us so much exciting philanthropy news to write about. It really is a joy. Give yourselves a huge high five…and if you’d like a special Friday treat, click on the hand.