The Washington Post has named UMBC alumna Shalonda Holt its 2016 Teacher of the Year. The recognition comes after Holt was named Howard County Teacher of the Year in February.

Holt ’07, biological sciences, teaching certificate in education, teaches biology at Centennial High School in Ellicott City, where she began her teaching career after graduating from UMBC.  A panel of experts, educators, and parents chose Holt out of 19 finalists from school systems in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. for The Washington Post Teacher of the Year honor.

A Post feature story published on April 7 describes Holt’s childhood, when she first developed a passion for education and learning: “She became a dedicated student inside the classroom and out, spending her weekend nights reading books while other kids looked for parties.” In describing her current teaching position, the article notes “her peers consider her a model educator and her students regard her as an ideal mentor.”

“Shalonda has such a powerful impact on her students and fellow teachers,” said HCPSS Superintendent Renee A. Foose in a Howard County Public School System press release announcing the recognition. “She is a dedicated educator who truly cares about her students and strives to improve the education experience. I am extremely proud of her and this accomplishment.”

In a Career Q&A on UMBC’s Alumni Blog, Holt discusses her innovative teaching methods and provides more background about why she decided to enter the education profession. Read more about her work in a Baltimore Sun article announcing her recognition as Howard County Teacher of the Year, and learn more about Holt in a Howard County Public School System “Staff Focus” video below.

Image: Shalonda Holt ’07, named 2016 Washington Post and Howard County Teacher of the Year. Photo by Nicholas Griner, Howard County Public School System. 

JOB SUMMARY:

In a new op-ed published in The Conversation, School of Public Policy Professor John Rennie Short comments on the growing infrastructure gap in the United States and questions why there isn’t more investment in public transportation in major cities.

Short’s op-ed “Why is the U.S. unwilling to pay for good public transportation” came after officials in Washington, D.C. closed the entire Metro system after frayed electrical cables were discovered in 26 locations.

“The quality of a country’s infrastructure is directly linked to its competitiveness because it makes businesses more productive and improves the quality of life. Why has the U.S. let its public transit slip so far?,” explains Short in his article.

Having just visited Switzerland, Short described how many European capitals have more advanced public transportation systems, stating that “our competitors are out-investing us in the vital infrastructure necessary to make our economy efficient and internationally competitive.”

Further analyzing what has contributed to growing public transport issues, Short mentions increased use of cars, investment in the national highway system, and constrained funding for transportation improvements, among other issues, but writes “there is some room for optimism.”

Read the full article in The Conversation. The op-ed has been circulated widely and has been picked up by Slate and Sea Change Radio. Professor Short also wrote a similar article on April 13 for Market Watch titled “Our crumbling infrastructure is hurting U.S. competitiveness.”   

Image: John Rennie Short. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

The Arduino microcontroller is a great device for anyone who wants to learn more about technology. It is used in a variety of fields in research and academia and may even help you get an internship. Our instructors have used the Arduino for researching self-replicating robots and remote-controlled helicopters, hacking into a vehicle’s control system, and using radars to detect human activity in a room. Some of the hackathon projects by our IEEE members include developing a drink mixer that wirelessly connects with a Tesla Model S and a full-body haptic feedback suit for the Oculus Rift. The Arduino is a wonderful tool and is fairly easy to use. Everyone should learn how to use it! If you plan to do research, this tool is definitely a must.

UMBC’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is hosting two Level 2 workshops this semester. They are hosted this Saturday, April 9th, and next Saturday, April 16th. These workshops will be ITE 239 from 2pm to 6pm.  These intermediate workshops are open to anyone who satisfies one of the following: (1) has taken or currently enrolled in CMSC 202 or CMPE 212, (2) has taken the Level 1 Arduino Workshop or (3) has equivalent experience.

You can  register here for either workshop. Contact Sekar Kulandaivel (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. ) if you have any questions.

You only need to bring your laptop and charger and download and install the Arduino IDE, which can be downloaded from here. We hope to see many of you this weekend and next! You REALLY don’t want to miss out on this opportunity.