Making Leadership History

Three women students now hold leadership positions on campus, but none of them care � about being women, that is.

While Yasmin Karimian (SGA president), Jen Kent (SGA vice president) and Gaby Arevalo (Retriever Weekly editor) care about the history they’ve made, they’re more interested in their work. The 2009-10 academic year marks the first time in UMBC history that three females hold these top campus positions at one time, including the first female duo in the SGA.

“While I think it’s wonderful that Yasmin, Jen and I are all women and minorities that isn’t what we’re known for,” said Arevalo. “We’re known for the positions we hold, not for our backgrounds or gender.”

Karimian and Kent actually had no idea they were the first female duo in SGA history until after turning in their applications to run. Both say more recent generations are different.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to have grown up in a generation where female leadership is encouraged, and the idea of gender equality is second nature,” says Kent.

All three women feel lucky to be at a school where it’s not uncommon for women and minorities to hold leadership positions. They realize it wasn’t always so common or easy in generations past.

“We take for granted the support we receive by being women and being able to hold these positions without skeptics surrounding us,” says Karimian. “That certainly was not the case for some of our predecessors, like the first female SGA President Lisa Dickerson.”

Dickerson gave a speech at the SGA Inauguration in Spring 2009 and noted the struggles she faced 32 years ago.

“Those struggles paved the way for women like us to be merely able to seek the positions of president and vice president,” says Karimian.

(8/28/09)

Medieval Text Goes Digital

Thomas Field, professor of linguistics and french, is making inaccessible language more available. He and his research assistants spend hours in front of computers inputting and reviewing Occitan and Gascon words, searching for the cultural significance of this endangered language of southwestern France and the Pyrenees area of Spain.

Being one of the few people immersed in this language, Field is currently building the first Medieval Gascon digital corpus of its kind. And being named the 2009-10 Lipitz Professor of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will only help him dig deeper and make discoveries about this peculiar language.

“This text is not easily accessible,” said Field. “But I’m hoping to make as much as I can available online with search functions. This professorship will really help me get an extensive amount of work done.”

For the past year, Field has been working with students from the modern languages and linguistics department and one student from the computer science department, who all help with inputting data, Web site design and trouble shooting. For Field, working with students is one of the most exciting parts of his work.

“I love the instructional side as much as the research itself,” he said. “I love teaching so my work is both.”

Although they’ve only been working together since fall 2008, Field and his assistants have already begun to notice patterns and themes in the language.

“We’re finding out that in southwestern France, the cultural influences are also linguistically influential,” he said. “In many ways, linguistics is like a science. Language is part of everything, and the sentences structured part of more scientific hypothesis.”

With discoveries already underway, Field hopes to travel to France in order to obtain more important texts for his research. With the professorship money, he will be able to do just that – along with employing more student help to maintain the database and finish web-related design. He will also use the money to set up a fall series on Morocco that will include musical groups, films and speakers.

“I’m humbled to have been chosen for the professorship,” said Field, “and I’m happier to be at UMBC now than I’ve ever been. This is a really good place to be right now.”

About Thomas Field
Field joined the UMBC faculty in 1979 and has been chair of his department (1992-96) and director of the Center for Humanities (1999-2005). A teacher of French and linguistics, Field was the UMBC Presidential Teaching Professor (1992-95), Carnegie Foundation Maryland Professor of the Year (1996), and in 1982 he shared the Glbert Chinard Pedagogical Prize given by the American Assocation of Teachers of French. He is the author of two books and more than two dozen articles, and his research has been supported by a number of organizations including the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Fulbright commission.

About the Lipitz Professorship
The Lipitz Professorship is supported by an endowment created by Roger C. Lipitz and the Lipitz Family Foundation “to recognize and support innovative and distinguished teaching and research in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the UMBC.”

(9/11/09)

Men�s Lacrosse Team Travels to Japan

The UMBC men’s lacrosse team just returned from an 11-day trip to Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan, where they participated in the 2009 International Friendship Games. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Games and a nearly-two-decade-long relationship between UMBC and the Japan Lacrosse Association (JLA).

While in Japan, the team competed against the Under-20 Tokyo squad, the Japan National squad, Under-22 Japan National Squad, the Nagoya Regional team and other collegiate teams. They won all games with the closest being a one-goal win over the Japan National squad. UMBC players noticed a different playing style between themselves and the Japanese squads.

“The best word to describe their playing is ‘raw’,” said Alex Hopmann ’09, business technology administration. “Their skills aren’t as polished but with some good direction and coaching, they’ll catch up.”

Not only did the players learn about lacrosse while in Japan, they also had ample time to socialize. They toured the Toyota Plant, Nagoya Castle and Tokyo Tower. They spent time with players from opposing teams, bringing the Friendship Games full circle. One of the JLA’s principles is “making friends,” and Coach Don Zimmerman and the UMBC team noticed the JLA’s warm welcome.

“Everyone in Japan was very hospitable,” said Hopmann. “It really opened my eyes to the other side of the world and was a great experience for men our age.”

“The key element of this journey was the sharing of cultures, the camaraderie which is established and the continued development of the game in the Far East,” said Steve Levy, interdisciplinary studies ’85, associate director of athletic communications.

To find out more about the trip, read the UMBC Dawg Blog. 

(7/2/09)

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

Men�s Swimming and Diving Win Championship for Sixth Consecutive Season

The UMBC men’s swimming and diving team has won the America East Championship for the sixth consecutive season and 12th overall conference title. The Retrievers finished with 900 points, beating Boston University by 27 points. The women finished in second place behind Boston with 687 points.

Coach Chad Craddock ’97, psychology, said, “I am so proud of our men and women. They really came together and showed how they are a true championship team. When the meet looked grim for UMBC, they found a way to come from behind to win (for the men) and take a strong second (for the women).

“This team truly deserved the positive outcome as they are hard working and dedicated individuals who accepted every challenge we have given them,” added Craddock, who was a four-year letter-winner for the Retriever swimming and diving program.

This year’s championship highlights included a gold medal for sophomore Brad Reitz, who broke the school record in the 200 fly. On the women’s side, junior Jennifer Esposito broke the school record she set in the 200 fly during the preliminary session, finishing first. More results are available online.

Both the men’s and women’s teams are also known for their academic success. Athletics Director Charles Brown said, “The swimming and diving team at UMBC sets the bar for all our athletic programs. Their excellence in both the swimming pool and in the classroom is outstanding.”

The NCAA’s most recent Academic Progress Report ranked UMBC’s women’s swim team in the top 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally.Last season, for the second straight year, 11 men and women were selected to the America East Swimming and Diving All-Academic teams, and women’s swimming and diving were the only America East team to win an America East championship and post the highest GPA among the conference’s teams. For the fall 2008 semester at UMBC, the men’s and women’ teams GPAs were among the best of all Retriever athletics teams.

Read more about UMBC Athletics at www.umbcretrievers.com.

(2/27/09)

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

New Spin on Wind Power

What do you get when you combine geography, visual arts and a splash of humor?

“The Mills Family Gets a Wind Turbine,” a Web site created by students in both the visual arts and geography and environmental systems departments. The retro, 1950s-style site includes five Webisodes about the fictional Mills family, who decide to put a wind turbine in their backyard.

The project was initiated by Professor and Chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems Sandy Parker, who contacted UMBC’s Imaging Research Center (IRC) about doing a documentary-style film on wind turbines and wind power. At the time, IRC Researcher and Associate Director Lee Boot was about to begin teaching a spring 2009 IRC Fellows class about social media.

“The plan for the course was to take on an issue and treat it in a way that might engage the public more than the PBS-style formula,” said Boot. “The project seemed like a perfect match.”

Work was divided evenly as geography students worked on content, and the visual arts team created the videos, animations and the Web site. The storyline follows a consistent outcome: even though wind power may not be perfect, it’s a solid solution for now.

For some, the project was an opportunity to work in areas beyond their comfort zones.  IRC Fellow Abbey Salvo ’10 found herself collecting and creating props, performing the voice over for an off-screen character and writing dialogue for the Webisodes. She worked on the creative side for the site, which she said was her “first crack at web design.” That first experience is now encouraging her to expand her knowledge while at UMBC.

“Though it may seem rudimentary to some, I had so much fun designing, redesigning, troubleshooting and creating that I have decided to pursue a graphic design major,” she said. Salvo is currently at work designing an IRC Fellows Web site and a personal portfolio.

Almost everyone involved with the project noted how much they covered in a short amount of time.

“A semester is not a lot of time to wrap their brains around an issue, come up with a concept, write a script, scout locations, hire actors, create numerous animations and then edit the whole thing together,” said Boot. “Plus I wanted it on the Web with commenting capability. They made it happen.”

To view the site and watch the film, visit www.themillsturbine.com.

For more information on the IRC Fellows, click here. For more information on the geography and environmental systems department, click here.

(7/16/09)

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

New Year�s Resolutions for the World

The year 2009 promises to be historic in many ways, as world leaders face intertwined challenges for the global economy, sustainability and security.

These challenges are also opportunities for UMBC’s diverse group of internationally respected faculty scholars, researchers and artists to share their expertise with the broader community.

Recently, the UMBC News team launched “Talking Heads,” a blog where faculty experts from across disciplines can post their takes on current events. The blog is also becoming a destination for members of the media seeking new sources.

In the New Year’s spirit of change and renewal, UMBC experts recently answered the question:

“In 2009, the world should resolve to _____________.”

The resulting video and text blog posts offer new ideas that could impact our planet and society in positive ways: sustainable hamburgers, cleaner cars, rethinking biofuels, sanitary drinking water for developing countries, valuing the input of elders and more.
As the global resolutions suggested by experts in aging studies, public policy, sociology, ecology, economics, American studies and engineering show, UMBC faculty members are a rich source of ideas and innovations that have a positive impact on Maryland and the world beyond.

(1/10/09)

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

Off-Road Engineers Excel

Safety goggles are required gear in many campus labs. Mechanical engineering graduate student Sam Markkula and his teammates just prefer one that also requires a helmet, rollbars and lots of mud.

Markkula is a member of the UMBC chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), a student club of hands-on engineers who design, build and race an off-road vehicle for Baja SAE, a series of annual endurance races against national and international competition.

The group just returned triumphant from the SAE Baja East race in Auburn, Alabama, with the best overall score (7th out of 100 teams) in UMBC SAE history. Team UMBC finished ahead of cars from Georgia Tech, Auburn University, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Bucknell, Virginia Tech and other prestigious universities.

“Our months and countless hours of hard work have definitely paid off,” said Mark Foster, a senior mechanical engineering major and president of UMBC Baja SAE.

In addition to a four-hour long endurance race, Baja SAE teams are graded on their cars’ maneuverability, suspension, traction, speed, ergonomics and production cost. The 2009 UMBC team continued its tradition of excelling in the cost category, achieving their Top 10 overall results with the cheapest-to-produce car in the field.

“UMBC’s Baja SAE team is now in the top 10 nationwide, but in our eyes, they are number one,” said Shlomo Carmi, professor and chair of mechanical engineering. “It is especially impressive that during this difficult budget cycle, they delivered again on the ‘best bang for the buck.’ We are so proud of this team of outstanding students.”

The Baja SAE endurance race is a sensory overload of noise and nerves. Drivers have to resist the urge to drive at top speeds so the car can last the entire duration without being disqualified, tumbling down steep hills, or crashing into logs, rocks and other cars. Other team members serve as pit crew for fuel or repair stops.

“Imagine over 100 lawnmowers all running in close proximity,” said Markkula. “It’s quite loud. We cleaned off at least 30 pounds of mud from each car, and the drivers probably have breathed in at least a half pound by the end of the race.”

This year’s team owes a tip of the helmet to nearby Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) Catonsville. A change to an independent rear suspension required moving and custom-designing the gearbox. The UMBC team was fortunate to receive help from Bill Werneke, an expert machinist and instructor of CCBC-Catonsville’s manufacturing technology program.

Werneke programmed blueprints for the gearbox design into computer-assisted manufacturing and design software, and built the rig in the workshop with the help of his students. Werneke and the CCBC program serve as an apprenticeship path and hands-on training for future machinists from across Maryland. 

Baja SAE is open to graduate or undergraduate students willing to contribute their time, learn how to operate the shop tools and who are in good academic standing. UMBC Baja SAE is advised by mechanical engineering professor Tony Farquhar.

The UMBC team’s next race is in Wisconsin in June. For more information, visit www.sae.org and click on the Baja SAE link.

To watch video of UMBC’s Baja SAE team in action at a 2008 event, click on the video player below:

(4/22/2009)

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

Passionate Promoting

Not many people discover their life’s passion at 14. But after doing “street team work” (passing out flyers and promoting bands online) Baltimore native Christine Osazuwa ’11, interdisciplinary studies and music journalism, knew the music world was the place for her.

While some high school students dream of being rock stars, Osazuwa wanted to work behind the scenes by promoting bands. At age 16, she hosted a party featuring six local bands that drew 400 people, netting several thousand dollars in profits for the bands. Soon after, Osazuwa received requests from other local bands and venues to help them with promoting their shows.

In 2006, Osazuwa founded Scene Trash Promotions, an all-girl promotions company based in Baltimore that supports and promotes bands, shows and events throughout the east coast. As part of that business, she oversees the production of Scene Trash Magazine, which builds awareness of unsigned or independent-label pop punk rock bands through album reviews and interviews. Originally, the magazine focused on local bands but has expanded to cover bands from New York to South Carolina. Produced out of Osazuwa’s house with a staff of 15, the monthly magazine is distributed online to individual subscribers and in print at record stores and concerts.

Osazuwa continues to do street team work for record companies such as Island Records and Atlantic Records and this past summer got the opportunity to travel with Vans Warped Tour, a touring punk rock festival, for two weeks. She served as assistant to the press coordinator, which gave her a behind-the-scenes look at how a large tour is promoted and also allowed her to meet many journalists and photographers. The experience was not without its wild moments: Osazuwa fondly recalls dancing with a member of the band 303 at the after-party at one of the tour stops.

In addition to her business and academic work, Osazuwa holds several part-time jobs and has taken additional courses during summer vacation, noting that she likes to keep busy. She advises students interested in starting a business to “be organized, plan things out and manage your time wisely.”

In her last year at UMBC, Osazuwa will produce a documentary on fandom in the pop rock genre. Through concert footage and interviews with fans, artists, record label executives and concert promoters, she hopes to capture the intensity of the concert experience and how bands can brand and market themselves effectively to a teenage audience. Following her graduation from UMBC, she plans to pursue her MBA in marketing and hopes to one day start her own record company.

(2/19/10)

Preview UMBC�s Homepage �Refresh�

On Friday, August 28, UMBC will launch a “refreshed” version of its homepage in order to provide a better user experience for the variety of visitors that use the page.

“Our last full redesign launched in August 2006 and since then we have been challenged with keeping an increasing amount of content organized on the page. The new page provides new, clearer content areas for a cleaner look. We also want to give users access to the many ways people can connect with the UMBC community through our social networking sites,” said Eleanor Lewis, senior communications director.

The new homepage was designed by Michelle Jordan ‘93, with input from UMBC’s Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA) and Creative Services, as well as Collier Jones in the Division of Information Technology (DoIT).

UMBC’s homepage refresh highlights:

• Audience navigation was moved from the left side of the page to underneath the panoramic campus life image to free up space for new content areas
• A new Community section on the lower right side of the page provides information about UMBC’s social networking sites
• The black tool bar above the panoramic campus life image now includes links to the UMBC Campaign  and giving information as well as our sustainability initiatives and research
• The What’s New section has been renamed Headlines and has moved to the left side of the page in order to allow for a larger number of stories
• The Events section now includes a link to the myUMBC calendar in order to provide more information about campus life
• UMBC featured stories are now on the left side of the page and the section has been redesigned to make it easier for users to scroll through each story
• Announcements that are posted in the column between the homepage feature and Events/What’s New column on the current UMBC homepage have been reorganized into two sections in order to better define the type of information presented: Announcements and Did You Know?

During the 2006 UMBC homepage redesign, OIA, Creative Services and DoIT worked together to refocus the UMBC homepage on the needs of external users, and made myUMBC more useful to internal users through richer content and self-service options.

If you have a comment about the UMBC homepage you would like to share, please e-mail elewis@umbc.edu.

(8/24/09)

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

Prove It!

The 2008-09 UMBC Prove It! Campaign, a UMBC Student Government Association (SGA) initiative, provided $50,000 for a new Green Space, located near the entrance of the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture at the Fine Arts building and Lot 16 – a highly traveled area of campus. With the help of her peers and faculty, Elani Odeyale ’09 led the Green Space initiative through the planning and construction phases. A dedication ceremony will be held Friday, September 4, at noon.

The Prove It! contest gives students the challenge to create a novel and innovative project, service, or event on the UMBC campus that makes everyone proud to be a member of the community.

Green Space highlights UMBC’s environmental sustainable practices through its design, which includes a retaining wall to better handle storm water and run off along with flooring made of precast concrete for better water drainage. Hybrid plants and trees also shade, protect and decorate the area. The area has Wi-Fi internet access and will soon have benches and picnic tables.

Since the implementation of the space, the Prove It! concept was highlighted in a November 2008 meeting of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. It’s currently being used as a model at other national universities such as Portland State University and Towson University. And other student government associations have reached out to the SGA including Western Kentucky University and Central Connecticut State University.

Prove It! 2008-09 winners receive $50,000 to complete the project and a $5,000 reward for the winning idea. Past projects include the transformation of the Student Organizations Area in The Commons along with the investment of $45,000 into a GPS tracking system with UMBC Transit Services.

Prior to Green Space’s opening, Elani Odeyale ’09 talked about the project in process.

(8/28/09)