How UMBC is pushing the frontiers of research and training in cyber security – and keeping its own networks safe from attacks.

By Joab Jackson ’90
Photo Illustrations by Aaron Goodman

Defending UMBC from web attacks is a more than a full-time job. It’s a 24/7/365 undertaking.

Earlier this year, for instance, Mike Carlin ’96, biological sciences, Ph.D. ’09 information systems, was driving to New York. UMBC’s assistant vice president of Infrastructure and Support paused to check his Blackberry at a rest stop in New Jersey when he received what looked to be an official UMBC e-mail, informing him that his UMBC account password was about to expire, and that he should log in and re-register immediately.

The missive had a UMBC logo. And the link at the bottom of the page seemingly took the recipient to a UMBC Web site. But Carlin, who oversees network security at the university, would have known if there was system-wide reset of passwords.

The spammers had sent their e-mail to one of the people at UMBC who knew definitively that it was a fake.

But Carlin also knew that thousands of other UMBC faculty, staff and students who likely got identical phony dispatches might not know. Some would take the bait, be led to a fake Web site and unwittingly submit their passwords and other information. The spammers could then log into these user accounts and send out millions of spam messages to the rest of the cybersphere.

Carlin and his department responded swiftly. First, they alerted all UMBC e-mail account holders about the fake notices, and followed up with a campus-wide blog post providing more information. They also blocked the Web address of the fake UMBC log-on, so people on campus couldn’t access the site – and alerted the university’s help desk to respond to incoming inquiries.

For Carlin and his colleagues in the university’s Office of Information Technology, this sort of fakery is nothing new. But each new attack is a bit more sophisticated than the one before, and each round of potentially devastating e-mails is more polished and more personalized.

“This has been going on throughout higher education,” said Jack Suess ’81 mathematics, M.S. ’95 operations analysis, vice president of information technology and chief information officer at UMBC. Suess and others in the division acknowledge that spammers see higher education as a prime target. Universities have open networks. They have good bandwidth. Universities also boast powerful servers and a fresh crop of new students each year who may know little of the spammers’ scheming ways.

The payoff for such scams can be immense. Andy Johnston, network security coordinator for UMBC, discovered that in one case alone, over six million e-mails were sent from a single account. It’s very doubtful that this was a legitimate use of this account, he adds.

UMBC is not alone in battling electronic intruders seeking profit, secure data, or even a bit of mischief. Network security has become a key demand for almost every organization – and the stakes for getting it right only grow.

As knowledge and the economy become more global and more connected via the Web, organizations and individuals grow increasingly reliant on computers for essential tasks such as online banking, shopping, and even basic information. Computer security has assumed a more critical role in civilization.

The good news is that UMBC is playing offense as well as defense in this increasingly critical arena. The university also helps government, business and other organizations keep the bad guys at bay through research and training that provide expertise and tools to secure the online world today and in the future.

The nascent but growing practice of electronic voting is just such a frontier. The benefits are manifold: ease, expense, speed of counting and even the potential to increase turnout by allowing voting from one’s computer or phone. The downside, however, is that the integrity of democracy demands that the system be foolproof. Every participant must have absolute faith that the system is immune to fraud. Witness the furor over the hanging chads in the 2000 U.S. presidential election.

UMBC associate professor of computer science Alan Sherman has been part of an effort to create such a foolproof electronic voting tabulation system. Noted cryptologist David Chaum originated the idea, and Sherman and fellow researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, George Washington University, the University of Ottawa and Waterloo University have all pitched in to try and make it a reality.

“The reason voting is hard is that you must have both outcome integrity and ballot privacy,” Sherman says. “If you drop either one of those constraints it becomes easier,” Sherman said.

In a functioning democracy, no one wants to make the choice between getting the count right and the right to cast one’s vote privately in the sanctity of the ballot box. But Sherman and his fellow researchers think they’ve cracked the problem. Last November, they tested Scantegrity – a prototype electronic voting system – in Takoma Park in a local election.

For a voter in Takoma Park or elsewhere, Scantegrity works almost the same as any other optical scan ballot. Voters mark choices by filling in bubbles on a printed form, which are then scanned into a machine for tabulation.

What’s different, however, is that the voter casts a vote with a special pen that holds invisible ink. A pen stroke reveals a unique code in the bubble where the mark was made. The voter can write down the code on a receipt. Later, in the privacy of their home, the voter can check the code on a Web site to verify that a vote with this code has been tallied.

The code doesn’t reveal the nature of the vote; only that it was properly counted. Through the use of encryption, voting officials and even third parties can audit the integrity of the vote count without revealing personal details – an approach known as zero-knowledge proof.

About 66 of the 1,700 Takoma Park voters who used the system checked their votes online. The next step is to try the system state-wide, Sherman says.

Voting is just one aspect of modern life that is being moved into the electronic realm. Banking, health records, online shopping, education and official record-keeping all have moved into the realm of cyberspace.

So it’s not surprising that the federal government sees network security as a matter of national security, and believes that attacks on our networks will be thought of as acts of war in the future.

Recently the search engine company Google found that its own servers were being attacked by computers in China, putting the search service we use every day at risk of being disrupted. Google’s corporate officers weren’t the only ones who were alarmed; U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also pressed the Chinese government for an explanation for the apparent attack.

Though the ultimate creators of the Google attacks remain hidden in the murk of cyberspace, the message is clear – aggression can be unleashed in virtual space as well as in real space. And the effects can be nearly as devastating.

“As the most wired nation on Earth, we offer the most targets of significance, yet our cyber defenses are woefully lacking,” wrote ex-National Security Agency (NSA) director Mike McConnell in a recent opinion piece in The Washington Post.

UMBC is lending a hand in this battle, as well. Though the university does presently offer a specialized degree in computer security, Sherman says that the fundamentals it teaches its students should give future security professionals the solid basis in computer science which will allow them to quickly formulate knowledgeable responses to future threats. “Computer science is evolving very rapidly,” said Sherman. “It is very important that our priorities are on the fundamental skills and teaching students how to learn to keep up with things.”

A UMBC education in computer science also offers students interested in the battlefields of cyberspace some experience with what may await them. Sherman is also the director for the UMBC Center for Information Security and Assurance, which seeks to bring together the best cyber security practices from across the school’s different academic disciplines. One of the center’s programs is the Cyber Defense Lab, which was set up with the help of a grant from the Defense Department.

The lab runs a mobile cyber defense exercise. Thirty laptops are loaded on a cart, which can be wheeled around from classroom to classroom. On the laptops are pre-configured scenarios covering many of the typical attacks of the day: buffer overflows and wireless intrusions. The students work through the exercises to get a better feel of how to handle an attack.

“Students learn more efficiently when they are in more hands-on exercises,” says Sherman.

UMBC students are also motivated enough to find those experiences for themselves. A group of undergraduates recently created a team to compete in various intercollegiate cyberwarfare competitions. Teams are assessed on their ability to reduce vulnerabilities to cyber attacks and to keep systems running, and UMBC’s contingent took first place overall in the qualifying rounds of the 5th Mid-Atlantic Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.

Proximity is also a UMBC advantage. The university is close to the headquarters of the National Security Agency (NSA) – an agency which is on the front lines of the cyber battlefield.

The federal government’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) plan is helping to settle an influx of 60,000 military people moving into the area to work at the U.S. Army’s Fort George G. Meade. Among those reassigned will be those who will need to defend the country on its computer networks, both public and private. And last December, the state of Maryland awarded UMBC an $83,000 grant to help train this workforce.

The university will use the money to set up a Center for Cyber Security Training as an extension of UMBC’s Training Centers. The centers already offer technical, scientific and professional non-degree training programs to working professionals – and even specialized programs in information security and “ethical hacking.”

The new grant money will go towards expanding those offerings and developing 15 new programs that will meet the specific needs of the NSA and Defense Department, says Kent Malwitz ’92, information systems, vice president of the UMBC Training Centers. Some courses will be taught at UMBC. Others will be designed to allow employers the chance to offer the courses at their offices or other remote sites.

Already about 25 percent of the courses taught at the center are cyber security related. Thanks to this grant, that number will increase.

“You will see thousands of people coming into the area, people coming out of the military and looking to get retrained with the G.I. Bill and then go back into careers in the computer field – those will all be big drivers for us,” says Malwitz.

In order to train the most pertinent personnel – those on the front lines of cyber warfare – the center is also undergoing a certification process set up by the Department of Defense (DOD). This certification will allow the center to develop educational materials more specific to military cyber defense.

“We can really dive into addressing what is the mission you are ultimately trying to accomplish, not just what skills you need,” adds Malwitz.

The UMBC Training Centers are also gaining valuable input in this effort from a security advisory group made up of members of some of the largest Defense Department agencies and contractors who work closely with them – including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.

These days, such specified help is sorely needed. The military has a long backlog of workers who need to get security clearances. So those who do have them need to be trained on the latest cyber-security measures. Right now, one contractor will pilfer workers from another contractor, which keeps the entire U.S. military and security establishment weaker as a whole.

Whether it is cyber warfare, electronic voting or just making sure a university’s networks stay up so its students can continue to learn, the message is clear: Cyber security is becoming an increasingly vital part of the nation’s well-being. And UMBC is making sure that its students and the larger community have the tools and expertise to meet the challenges ahead.

UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III takes your questions.

Q. Many UMBC students are finding that internships are an integral part of the university experience. What’s your view about the benefits of internships for students, employers and the university?

— Richard Byrne ’86, English Editor, UMBC Magazine

A. It’s a very important part of a UMBC education. Large numbers of students across disciplines are engaged in experiences that give them the chance to explore the relationship between what they’re studying and how what they’ve learned can be used in real situations.

UMBC students in the arts and humanities may go to CenterStage or to the Walters Art Gallery. Students in engineering may go to BG&E. And students in the social sciences may work at Medicare and Medicaid Services or the Social Security Administration.

As a university, we have worked to build strong relationships with potential partners in the larger community. And these employers say that getting a chance to know students before they graduate can help them decide who they may want to hire.

I hear all the time about the quality of our students as interns. That they’re not only good thinkers, but also good people. They work well with others. They are dependable. And I talk regularly with students who have internships with companies who have been offered full-time jobs where they are working.

When we talk about internships, we also have to broaden our definition. How are students gaining work experience? They’re also doing it through regular jobs, part-time work and research experience. I recently testified to the Maryland Legislature that over 2,000 students work on our campus each year. Think about it: 2,000 students. And all of it is hands-on experience.

Q. What is UMBC doing to educate all students, not just those in environmental majors, about sustainability?

— Mark Stewart ’03, psychology

A. We’re very proud of our faculty members who focus on these issues at UMBC, particularly our Geography and Environmental Systems department. Their teaching and cutting-edge research give us an excellent foundation for wider outreach to students and others in the campus community on the urgent need to become a more sustainable planet – starting right here at UMBC.

Our primary way to reach all UMBC students about sustainability issues is an annual Teach-In, which we held again in February of this year.

This two-day event draws upon the expertise of faculty members who deal regularly with these issues in their research. There were classes that focused on how global warming is affecting population patterns, what physics teaches us about climate change, and how we use mathematics to model its effects.

Our teach-in is a cross-disciplinary program that also draws in the social sciences and humanities. Our economists spoke about the roots of climate activism in the philosophy of John Stuart Mill. UMBC literary scholars examined how the media tackles the subject. Our public policy experts weighed in on what the proper role of government in addressing the problem should be. It was an event that offered everyone at UMBC something to think about regarding sustainability as they pursue their own studies.

We also educate through our approach to campus issues. As we grapple with the challenges posed to our campus traffic and parking patterns by a desire to create a more sustainable campus and construction on UMBC’s new Performing Arts and Humanities building, we’re bringing students into the discussion of how we design and implement plans to reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles on campus.

The university’s Climate Change Task Force and its Transportation Work Group are ways that students collaborate on initiatives that improve access to public transportation, increase use of bicycles and ride-sharing programs, and upgrade campus walkways.

Reducing our carbon footprint is an important goal. But learning about the challenges as we reach that goal is also part of the UMBC experience.

Can a Parking Lot be Good for the Chesapeake Bay?

To view scenes from UMBC CUERE’s pervious concrete installation, click the play button below.

9/3/2008

The answer could be yes, if it’s made of pervious concrete, a ‘green’ building material and the subject of a recent how-to workshop hosted by UMBC’s Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education (CUERE).

Pervious concrete allows stormwater to slowly drain through it like a sponge. Traditional concrete causes runoff that erodes waterways and carries pollution into the Chesapeake Bay.

The August 27 event drew 90 public and private sector attendees from all of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed states (New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and Delaware) to UMBC. Attendees included state and local regulators and managers for planning, stormwater, environmental protection and highway/transportation departments as well as private sector engineers, architects, developers, builders and concrete suppliers and contractors. 

“We were delighted by the overwhelming turnout and interest,” said Stu Schwartz, organizer of the event and a senior research scientist at CUERE with more than 15 years experience in land use and water quality issues. “It was a great success in providing practitioners consistent information on how to use pervious concrete effectively.”

According to Schwartz and his colleague Norb Delatte of Cleveland State University, the workshop also taught attendees how to navigate Maryland’s recent changes in development laws, such as the Maryland Stormwater Act of 2007, which calls for “environmental site design” for new construction and development.

The highlight of the day was the arrival of a concrete mixing truck for a lesson in the proper pouring and installation of the material at two instrumented test plots outside the Technology Research Center building. The test beds are equipped with scientific instruments to give UMBC researchers long-term data on pervious concrete’s effectiveness as a building material and for environmental stewardship. Gwen Stanko, a doctoral student in CUERE’s prestigious IGERT program, and other UMBC students will help monitor the test beds.

The workshop and research effort was funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, part of the organization’s new Pioneer Grant Program, which focuses on larger, higher-impact grants to improve the health of the Bay. All labor, equipment and supplies to prepare the sites were donated by Increte of Maryland, and the test beds were installed by Z-Con Inc.

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Green Skies: A Better Environment for Air Travel

Hillol Kargupta logs thousands of frequent flier miles each year to do research, conduct business for a successful, global firm and to visit his family. But it was his quest to make those flights friendlier to the environment that recently won him a highly competitive IBM Innovation Award and a $20,000 grant.

Kargupta, an associate professor of computer science, is an expert on deep data mining in mobile environments. He is also the founder and president of Agnik, a company that pioneered the use of sensor technology to improve efficiency in ground transportation.

Now he’s looking to take his research and business skyward. And when the European Union includes aviation pollution in its ambitious cap-and-trade emissions market system next year, Kargupta hopes his sensors will analyze the data that makes skies greener in the EU and around the world.

“Every second of flight burns about a gallon of fuel.” says Kargupta. Airplanes already have sensors that monitor and adjust fuel/air ratios to yield the best fuel economy, he observes, but analyzing that data for emissions purposes “is a chance to meet a real market need.”

The available information is staggering. New York’s JFK Airport, says Kargupta, produces a continuous stream of about 100 megabytes of data per minute. “Multiply that times all the world’s airports,” he continues, “and it equals a huge amount of data changing rapidly over a large area.”

Kargupta is enthusiastic about the daunting task, however: “It’s just the type of challenge we like at UMBC.”

In addition to his research and business success, Kargupta is also a dedicated mentor. His former graduate students have gone on to careers at NASA, Columbia University, IBM, New Mexico State University and Haifa University, Israel.

(2/20/09)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Each year, the UMBC Alumni Association presents awards to honor alumni for their professional and personal achievements and service to the University.   Learn more about our past award winners.

ENGINEERING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Dr. James P. Clements ’85, ’91 & ’93, Information Systems, was recently appointed President of West Virginia University in Morgantown, WVa. He is the first UMBC alumnus to lead a major university. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Clements was Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Towson University. A TU employee since 1989, he also served as a faculty member, Vice President for Economic and Community Outreach and Chairman of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences. Dr. Clements has published and presented more than 70 papers on management, information systems and technology. The fourth edition of his project management book is used in more than 20 countries and published in four languages.

HUMANITIES

Jeffrey “Duff” Goldman ’97, History, is known for turning traditional confections into out-of-this-world creations on his Food Network show “Ace of Cakes.” After completing his UMBC degree, Goldman attended the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. His company, Charm City Cakes, has baked cakes for events including the “Kung Fu Panda” premier and the Maryland Zoo’s annual Zoomerang gala. In 2000 he was a featured speaker at UMBC’s Alex Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. He also holds a Guinness Book record for baking the world’s largest cupcake, created in March 2008.

NATURAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

Dr. Crystal Watkins ’95, Biological Sciences, studied at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She received the David E. Rogers Award for the highest standards of professionalism, medical ethics and community leadership. Dr. Watkins’ graduate research was featured in the Wall Street Journal and led to a U.S. patent for a treatment of diabetic disorders. She has also traveled to Ghana and worked with the Princess of Ada and Ministry of Health to implement HIV/AIDS health education and prevention programs.

SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

The Honorable Jon S. Cardin M.P.P. ’96, Policy Sciences, represents residents of northwest Baltimore County in the Maryland House of Delegates where he serves on the Ways and Means Committee. Much of his legislation focuses on election, tax and education reform. In February he was awarded the Humane Society of the United States’ Humane Legislator Award for developing legislation that gives shelters access to drugs needed to properly sedate animals prior to euthanasia. Cardin also serves as a member of the Board of Directors/Advisors for the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, the Camp Shohola Scholarship Fund, Baltimore Hebrew University, UMBC Hillel, The American Council of Young Political Leaders, Institute for Progressive Leadership and the Maryland Public Interest Law Project.

VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

Laura Pasquini ’98, Visual Arts, is the director of Youth and Family Programs at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in the Washington, D.C. She oversees the operation of all classes, programs and camps for children and their families. In her time there she has redefined the overall vision and mission of the Corcoran’s after school program, Corcoran ArtReach. She installed and supported fundraising efforts for the annual ArtReach exhibit. At UMBC, Pasquini worked in the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture as an undergraduate intern where she worked to make art exhibits accessible and interesting to public school students through a series of creative projects based on gallery exhibits.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Gustavo Matheus, Esq. LLC ’90, Biological Sciences, is always thinking of new ways to connect with UMBC alumni and is particularly interested in engaging alumni in the Washington, D.C. area. He is intimately involved in growing and maintaining the Esperanza Endowment, which supports and inspires current and future UMBC students of Latino or Hispanic ancestry and/or students who are committed to the advancement of minorities. Matheus, who practices law in Rockville, Md., mentors student members of the scholarship committee and has been instrumental in connecting with alumni who choose to support the fund.

RISING STAR AWARD

Alicia Wilson ’04, Political Science, is an associate at Gordon Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger and Hollander, LLC. Prior to her position the firm’s Litigation Practice Group, she served as a clerk for the Honorable David Young for the Circuit Court of Baltimore City. Wilson spent her third year of law school at Susan Leviton’s Juvenile Law, Children’s Issues and Legislative Advocacy Clinic. She also coached the Mock Trail team at the Baltimore Freedom Academy – a high school with curriculum and culture focused on social justice and activism.

Erickson School Helps Launch Nation’s
First Elder ER

In partnership with aging experts from the Erickson School at UMBC, Holy Cross Hospital (Silver Spring, Md.) recently launched one of the nation’s first emergency medical centers designed specifically for older adults.

The Seniors Emergency Center at Holy Cross Hospital opened its doors November 5, 2008, featuring a specially designed environment to reduce patients’ anxiety and risk of falling. After a 90-day observation period and review of patient outcomes conducted with Erickson School researchers, the center becomes fully operational in February.

Erickson School faculty, including internationally renowned geriatrician Bill Thomas and long-term care reformer Judah Ronch, led a team of researchers in designing the Seniors Emergency Center and providing specialty training in geriatrics for Holy Cross medical staff.

Holy Cross Hospital is part of Trinity Health, the nation’s fourth-largest Catholic healthcare system. Holy Cross provided emergency care to over 12,000 seniors in its emergency centers and admitted over 5,700 to its hospital in 2008. The hospital projects a sharp increase in older patients during the next decade as the nation’s population of older adults increases.

The Erickson School at UMBC offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs in the Management of Aging Services and cutting-edge research through its Center for Aging Studies.

The Washington Post reports: “Serenity in Emergencies.”

(2/2/09)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Q. We’ve named this feature “Up on the Roof” because taking visitors up to the very top of the Administration Building is one of your trademarks as UMBC’s president. How did it begin?

– Richard Byrne ’86, English
Editor, UMBC Magazine

A. Actually, I’ll tell you the first person to take me there – and it’s a special memory. (Former president of UMBC) Michael Hooker took me there. He talked about the fact that the campus – prior to his coming – had been far more oriented towards Washington than Baltimore. The real question was: What should be our focus? And we decided at that time to balance the areas of focus. To talk about the fact that we are, in many ways, in the center of the corridor. When we go to one end of the roof, we see downtown Baltimore. When we go to the other end, we’re looking right into the driveway of the airport that is only 40 minutes from Washington. We had a conversation about the advantages of being connected to both metropolitan areas. Connected with the corporate community, with the cultural institutions, with the national science and health-care infrastructure, with the schools throughout the region.

So it became clear to me that the tour to the roof gave me the chance to make the point about our central location. To make the point about the development of the campus. To make the point about the connection between the campus and the broader community. And finally, going to the roof allows us to dream about the possibilities for UMBC.

Q. Do you remember the first person you took up there as president?

A. The Baltimore Sun. The day I was appointed president. They had been hearing that I said it was a great place to be, and they wanted to go up there and get a picture with me and the Baltimore skyline. And the photographer asked me to get on top of the ledge. And I was so young and naïve, and excited, that I began to climb up to the top of the ledge. And as I was getting ready to get over there, I thought about it and said: What am I doing? Because I’m really afraid of heights, by the way. And I said, “I will do many things for UMBC, but this is not one of them… This is taking it too far. It was a great lesson for me. It’s great to be enthusiastic, but don’t let your enthusiasm get in the way of your reason.

When alumni go there, they are able to put our recent development in perspective.

Sometimes, if alumni have not been back to campus recently, they can be somewhat disoriented. Where’s the old gym? And when we go up on the roof, I can point out the Commons, which is built on top of the roof of the old gym. Or they can see where the new engineering building is in relationship to buildings they knew when they were here. And once they become oriented, they begin to connect to the past. This is the place where I was. And people are excited by the growth on campus. The development. The investment.

Q. “Will the state’s financial issues interfere with the funding of the new Fine Arts building?”

– Anne Lepore Burger ’87, English

A. First, we have received the money for the planning of the Fine Arts building. We are scheduled to get the money for construction in the next legislative session in 2010. We are ready to put the shovel in the ground, and we will be reminding people this year in preparation for next year. That building will cost about $150 million. And that process will involve our receiving approximately 80 million for the first half of the building in 2010.

Q. “As an educator and alum I continue to be concerned with the repeated cuts in higher education across the UM system. Beyond writing letters, what can we — as individuals — do to more effectively communicate to decision makers that critical infrastructure is being disproportionately affected with every cut?”

– Darniet K. Jennings ’98, ’99 M.S., ’03 Ph.D., information systems management and ’03 computer science

A. The budget cuts have meant that we have had to have a hiring freeze. And we have cut operating budgets. Our goal is to insure that we continue to protect people on the campus and the academic program. That means supporting students and faculty and staff, and making sure that we provide a first-rate education, even when we decide not to do things that can enhance the institution. In many cases, it’s a matter of delaying or postponing initiatives, and not necessarily stopping them completely. Or taking three years to do what we had hoped to do in two years.

Alumni can help us in several ways. Number one, coming back to campus and knowing people here can be helpful. Building relationships. Especially when alumni are working in places that may be hiring. This is a period for… “friend-raising” is what I call it. We want people who care about the university to help us support students in terms of jobs and internships. Opportunities for alumni to come back and speak to classes, or mentor students. Because jobs for students are as good as money. If students have jobs, they can stay in school. If you help the student, you help the university.

Alumni can also help by sending us well-prepared students: their own sons and daughters and relatives, or their students in classes, or their neighbors. When alumni tell their stories to friends – their stories related to their experiences at UMBC – people are impressed.

Q. UMBC has made great strides in its programs and its physical campus over the past 20 years, mainly under your leadership. What is your vision for UMBC over the next 10 years?

– Kellie M. McCants-Price ’95, interdisciplinary studies

A. I want alumni to know as much as possible about UMBC. Because by knowing about UMBC – and the world beyond UMBC – they can help us in shaping the vision for our future.

I’m certainly hoping that the Obama administration, along with our state leadership, will continue to build public universities and invest in them, and build the infrastructure of public universities.

The name of the game, the theme in America, will be greater access to higher education. And that greater access may lead to us being slightly larger than we are if we can get the money to grow. We’re at 12,000 students right now. It would be good if we receive the enrollment growth funds, in this next ten year period, to grow to 14 or 15,000 students. That would make us more comparable to many of our peers in size.

We will be continuing to build the academic program. People know we’re strong, but success is never final. We’ll continue to build the athletic program. We’ve gotten stronger than ever, but, again, success is never final. We’ll be building national visibility. It’s great to be in the Up and Coming list: Top 10 at Top 5. It’s great to be one of the best values in public universities. But that reputation will be enhanced. We’ll be known for our strong programs. We’ll be known for our excellence in diversity. We’ll be known for caring deeply about our students. The best is yet to come.

Welcome to UMBC Magazine!

Q&A: Provost Elliot Hirschman

On July 1, Elliot Hirshman became the new Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at UMBC. Hirshman has a strong cross-disciplinary background (undergraduate degrees in economics and mathematics from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from UCLA) and brings with him notable successes as a research and administrator – including a position as Chief Research Officer at George Washington University. UMBC Magazine asked Hirshman a few questions about his first few months on the job and how he traveled a path from a career as a researcher to the position of chief academic officer at UMBC.

Q: What attracted you to UMBC?

A: UMBC is an extraordinarily exciting university. The university has a strong focus on student’s personal, professional, and intellectual development, faculty members who are leading their fields in research and creative activity, and dedicated, hard working staff. Together, students, faculty and staff combine to create a supportive community that is focused on academic excellence. This combination of academic excellence and communal spirit is why UMBC was recently rated one of the top 5 up-and-coming national Universities by U.S. News & World Report.

Q: Why transition from a successful career as a researcher into academic leadership?

A: My primary motivation for becoming an educator and researcher was recognition of the transforming power of the university. For students, the university creates possibilities for personal, professional and intellectual development that dramatically enhance and alter the trajectory and purpose of students’ lives. Similarly, as one of our society’s central institutions for the creation and dissemination of knowledge and creative work, the University plays a critical role in enhancing economic development, cultural experiences, and the functioning of our democratic political system.

As with many academic leaders, my transition from a faculty role, emphasizing my personal role as an educator and research, to a leadership role, encompassing a broader purview, was spurred by personal mentoring. Dr. Michael Hooker, former President of UMBC and, at the time, Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, encouraged me to pursue an academic leadership role. Observing Michael’s dynamism and innovative perspectives helped me understand the role that academic leadership can play in advancing our educational and research missions. His example, and those of other mentors and friends, continues to provide motivation and encouragement on a daily basis.

Q: Most people know the provost is a very high-ranking job at UMBC, but might be at some loss to describe it specifically. How do you view the job of the provost?

A: The provost is responsible for the academic program, including instruction, research and academic services. In this context, the Provost plays a critical role in facilitating academic planning and budget development. I view the position as a highly collaborative one in which the provost works closely with the president, vice-presidents, vice-provosts, deans, chairs, directors, faculty, staff and students to coordinate the development and advancement of the academic program and other important University initiatives.

Q: Undergraduate research is increasingly important to students – as a selling point for prospective students and a key element in educating current students. What role does it play at UMBC?

A: I am very excited about the many opportunities UMBC offers for undergraduate research and creative activity. In addition to formal programs such as the Undergraduate Research Awards and the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Day, undergraduate students participate as research assistants on externally-funded faculty projects, in theatrical, dance, musical, and visual arts performances and exhibitions, and as leading authors on scholarly and creative works that are published in the UMBC Review and Bartleby. In addition, our location in the Baltimore-Washington corridor provides many opportunities to conduct research in collaboration with federal government agencies and USM partners such as the downtown medical campus. Participating in research and creative opportunities as an undergraduate provides critical preparation for graduate and professional studies, as well as participation in economic development that is increasingly focused on information and bio-medical technology. We began a pilot project to expand our undergraduate research and creative activity programs this year and I look forward to the further development of these programs.

Behind the Rankings

The August release of U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges Guide is one of the most-eagerly awaited dates in higher education. So when UMBC found itself at number five in a new category in the guide – “Up-and-Coming National Universities” – the sense of pride at the university was palpable.

The lofty ranking even spawned a promotional slogan: “You Knew It All Along!” What you might not know, however, is just how and why U.S. News created the category in the first place.

To find out, UMBC Magazine went straight to the source: Robert Morse, the director of data research for U.S. News. Put simply, Morse is the guru of college rankings and the other educational rankings that U.S. News creates. He also writes a blog called “Morse Code” that demystifies the methodologies behind the numbers.

Morse says that the “Up-and-Coming” list has its roots in the critiques of the overall rankings in the Best Colleges Guide. He says that some observers believe “that the peer survey doesn’t capture rapid movements or changes at a school, and that it doesn’t change much on the upside or the downside. So we wanted to come up with another way of recognizing schools that are changing rapidly and making improvements that the regular rankings don’t pick up.”

The “Up and Coming” category was created from nominations made by administrators and academics in an annual survey that U.S. News sends to universities. Morse says that the magazine is considering making the list “more granular” by breaking it down further into categories such as “academic innovations” or “facilities.”

Morse says that achieving a high place in the new category does give the primary consumers of Best Colleges Guide – high-school students and their parents – an important message. “It tells them that the school isn’t sitting still,” he says.

“And, assuming they understand how we did it, that other top academics think that [school] is innovative and that they are coming up with new ways of education.” It’s especially useful, he says, “if people are interested in schools that are trying new things and being innovative in programs and not just sticking with the tried and true.”

— Richard Byrne ’86

Diversity & Dollars

Diversity and value are hallmark qualities of the UMBC experience. But ranking them can be difficult.

The Princeton Review is one organization that tries to do just that. And the nation’s preeminent education services and test preparation company has ranked UMBC in the upper tiers of its recent rankings of diversity and “bang for the buck” in higher education.

In The Princeton Review’s annual guide to The Best 368 Colleges: 2009 Edition, UMBC was ranked second on the list of schools with the “Most Diverse Student Body.” Only Baruch College – part of the City University of New York system – ranked higher than UMBC. At present, the minority population of the student body at UMBC stands at 37 percent: 18 percent Asian, 15 percent African American and 4 percent Hispanic and Native American.

“UMBC has met with tremendous success in attracting a diverse student body,” says Yvette Mozie-Ross ’88, assistant provost for enrollment management.

And in January, UMBC figured highly in another Princeton Review project: its annual examination of the “100 Best Value Colleges,” published in collaboration with USA Today. The university was among the 50 public universities listed as a great value.

In writing about UMBC, the Princeton Review noted that “Seventy-three percent of UMBC students receive some form of financial aid in the form of scholarships, loans, and grants.”

The Review’s conclusion was succinct: UMBC is a great value for the price.

— Kaitlin Taylor ’09 and Richard Byrne ’86

Regents Awards

The annual University System of Maryland’s Regents Awards are the most important benchmark of excellence for employees at the state’s higher education institutions. So the news that UMBC staffers took five of the six 2007-08 Regents Awards on offer this year is a big deal on campus.

The recipients include:
• Catherine Bielawski ’77, director of undergraduate student services for the College of Engineering and Information and Technology – “Outstanding Service to Students in an Academic or Residential Environment.”

• Patricia Martin, program management specialist, Student Support Services, and Dennis Cuddy, manager of administration and facilities, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry – “Exceptional Contribution to the Institution and/or Unit to Which a Person Belongs.”

• Earnestine Baker, executive director, Meyerhoff Scholars Program, and Karen Sweeney-Jett, executive administrative assistant, Office of Institutional Advancement – “Extraordinary Public Service to the University or to the Greater Community.”

“UMBC has a system-wide reputation for doing well,” says Beth Wells ’74, assistant vice provost and chairperson of the university’s nomination board. “That can be accounted for in two ways: we have some awfully good staff, and we have made a commitment as an institution to put resources into promoting these awards, making it as convenient as possible to pause and recognize staff members.”

All five UMBC Regents Awards winners will be honored at a ceremony in the University Center Ballroom on April 1.

— Joseph Cooper ’08

Talk to Paula Whittington ’01, biological sciences, and you might not guess she’s a researcher who’s getting potentially life-saving results. Modest and soft-spoken, the former Meyerhoff Scholar recently published the findings from experiments that could help thousands of women with breast cancer.

In her research, Whittington has shown that a form of vaccination using DNA can treat breast cancers that are resistant to other drugs. Her research was done on mice, but if the vaccine works similarly in people, it could give hope to women whose cancers either did not shrink when treated, or whose cancers have come back despite initial treatment success.

Whittington did that research at Wayne State University, where she is a student in the M.D./Ph.D. program. She published it along with her co-workers and her advisor, Wei-Zen Wei, in September in the journal Cancer Research. Whittington defended her dissertation in late 2007 and is now finishing her medical degree – which she hopes to complete in 2010.

The joy in discovery is not just in the brainstorming, says Whittington, but in the process of testing and winnowing that accompanies it.

“I like the creative aspect of research, the idea of coming up with something and then testing it to prove it right or wrong. Then it’s really cool that you might actually see a benefit in patients,” she says. “Even just the hope of it is really cool.”

Whittington already has impressed other scientists with her persistence and intelligence. “She’s a very hard worker,” says Suzanne Ostrand-Rosenberg, a professor of biological science at UMBC. “She just keeps trying and going for things. She’s smart and things work out for her.”

Whittington did research as an undergraduate in the laboratory of Angela Brodie, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center. Brodie says that Whittington “had a spark about her” and impressed her by keeping in touch even after finishing her laboratory work.

“Paula has a lively, thinking mind,” agrees her dissertation adviser, Wei. “She has a lot of interesting ideas.”

It was during her work in Wei’s laboratory that Whittington decided to take a cancer vaccine that her adviser has been working on since 1996 and see whether it works for tumors that are resistant to other treatments.

The vaccine is simply DNA injected into a muscle. The cells of the organism – mouse or human – then go to work making the protein encoded by the DNA, thereby alerting the immune system to the protein. Since it is the same protein that is overproduced by cancer cells, the organism’s immune system then attacks any cells that have that protein.

About a quarter of breast cancers produce too much of a protein called Her2, which instructs the cancer cells to grow. Tumors that produce Her2 grow and spread more quickly than do other breast cancers, and patients with so-called Her2-positive tumors tend to die sooner.

Their best treatment option is a drug called Herceptin, which shuts down the Her2 protein. But Herceptin works for only a small fraction of Her2-positive tumors – and even those tumors that do shrink sometimes come back after the cancer cells become resistant to the treatment.

So Whittington, Wei, and their co-workers were delighted to discover that a DNA vaccine saved mice that had breast-cancer cells injected into their sides, regardless of whether the cells were resistant to other therapies.

Wei’s vaccine has already undergone one small clinical trial, performed by researchers in Sweden, to test its safety. It had no adverse effects, Wei says. “They are planning another trial as we speak.”

But Whittington has moved on – for now – to patient care in medical school. As she learns about internal medicine, surgery, and other specialties, she now ponders her future options.

“There are an infinite number of paths you can take,” she says. “Strictly clinical? Strictly research? Both? Which field?”

Regardless, she’s not likely to lose touch with faculty members that have discussed her research with her, mentored her, or taught her. Good at making scientific allies, Whittington keeps them abreast of her work, even from afar.

“I want them to know how I’m doing and that I’m working really hard,” she says. “As appreciation for them taking the time to invest in me.”

– Lila Guterman