In The News

Two Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery Exhibits Named Baltimore City Paper Critic’s Pick
“Celebrating Samuel Beckett at 100” and “Photographs of the Athenian Acropolis: The Restoration Project,” two exhibits at the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery have been selected as Baltimore City Paper Critic’s Pick. “Celebrating Samuel Beckett at 100” will be on display from Jan. 29-March 24 and “Photographs of the Athenian Acropolis will run from Jan. 29-March 4.
http://www.citypaper.com/calendar/event.asp?whatID=85733
http://www.citypaper.com/calendar/event.asp?whatID=85732
Tom Schaller in the News
Schaller and his latest book Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South, took the national stage on Jan.22 as a guest on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.” To watch the video, visit http://www.umbc.edu/NewsEvents/releases//archives/2007/01/umbc_political.html.
On Jan. 19, Schaller was quoted in Time magazine’s “The Democrats’ New Western Stars” about the newly elected Democratic state officials in Colorado.
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1580387,00.html
On Jan. 19, Schaller wrote “Is Harold Ford Built for the Road Ahead?” for Salon.com which discusses the appointment of former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/01/19/harold_ford/index.html
techcenter@UMBC in Digital Harbor Online
Two techcenter@UMBC stories appeared in Digital Harbor Online on Jan. 22. The first news brief announced that two biotech firms, Tradezyme and Biomedica Management, will join the techcenter@UMBC as its newest tenants. Tradezyme, formerly known as GeneTrade, is developing a registry and exchange for plasmids, which are specially designed pieces of DNA used in scientific research. Biomedica, which helps scientific investigators obtain and manage funding, pursue patents and market the commercialization, will relocate from its Michigan-based facilities.
The final news brief announced the selection of David J. Fink, Ph.D., as director of entrepreneurial services at UMBC’s techcenter@UMBC. In his role, Fink will mentor many of the companies in the center.
Two UMBC Alumni in the Baltimore City Paper
Emily Hunter ’06, American studies and visual arts, and Arthur Soontornsaratool ’05, photography, appeared in the Baltimore City Paper’s Jan. 24 “Pressing On.” Hunter and Soontornsaratool are the founders of Locus magazine (www.locusartmagazine.org), a publication that focuses on emerging Baltimore artists. Also, working for the magazine are Emily Hauver ‘06, visual arts, who works as the acting curator of exhibitions at the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery, and Neil Cotterill ’04, visual arts.
http://www.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=13168
Erickson’s Retirement Living TV in the Baltimore Examiner
Baltimore Examiner profiled the relocation of the Retirement Living Television studio to UMBC. “Retirement TV Reaches Viewers with UMBC,” was published on Jan. 25. Retirement Living Television, owned by Erickson Retirement Communities, broadcasts programming for people over 55 years of age and reaches more than 25 million homes five days a week.
http://www.examiner.com/a-527637~Retirement_TV_reaches_viewers_with_UMBC.html
January 26, 2007
Brian Hodges, Men’s Basketball, in the Baltimore Sun
On Jan. 18, the Baltimore Sun profiled junior guard Brian Hodges in “A Quick Study at UMBC.” Hodges, a financial economics major, averages 16.2 points a game, making him the lead scorer on the men’s basketball team although he rarely starts a game. In the article, UMBC coach Randy Monroe said the team depends on Hodge’s scoring ability.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bal-sp.hodges18jan18,0,2374569.story?coll=bal-college-mbasketball
UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski in the News
UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski gave the keynote address for a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast in Huntsville, Ala on Jan. 15.
http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1168769843138810.xml&coll=1
On Jan. 14, the Indianapolis Star published, “Diversity Can Help Overcome Disparities,” a Q and A with Hrabowski, who discussed the need to increase minority representation in the medical, scientific and mathematical fields. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070114/OPINION03/701140347/-1/ZONES04
FIRST LEGO Competition, Anne Spence in the Baltimore Sun
“Students Compete by Learning to Think Small,” a feature story on the Maryland FIRST LEGO League competition, which will be held on Jan. 20 at UMBC, was published in the Baltimore Sun on Jan. 19. The competition, a partnership between LEGO Group and For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) is designed to inspire young children to think more about math and science. Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Anne Spence was quoted in the article.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.lego19jan19,0,4271674.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
On Jan. 13, the Washington Post cited Associate Professor of Political Science Tom Schaller and his book Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South in “West Is Going in Democrats’ Direction” about the Democrats’ decision to host the 2008 nomination convention in Denver. The selected location reflects the changing political demographics – from Republican to Democrat – in the mountain states.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011201927.html
Hotline, the National Journal’s daily briefing on politics, mentioned Schaller’s Whistling Past Dixie in its Jan. 12 article “HRH Extra: Southern Comfort”.
http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/01/hrh_extra_south.html
UMBC Chess Program in the Record (N.J.)
On Jan. 13 in “Chess Starts Early in North Jersey,” the Record (N.J.) mentioned UMBC as one of the colleges or universities in the nation to offer chess scholarships to top chess players. The article featured students in the International Chess Academy, a New Jersey-based program that trains young, aspiring chess champions.
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkyJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MDU2Mjk5
January 12, 2007
Warren Belasco, American Studies, on Two NPR Shows
American Studies Professor Warren Belasco was a guest on two National Public Radio shows, WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi Show in Washington, D.C. and KPCC’s Larry Mantle Show in Los Angeles, to discuss his new book, Meals to Come: A History of the Future of Food.
Kojo Nnamdi Show
http://www.wamu.org/programs/kn/07/01/08.php#12852
Larry Mantle Show
http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/listings/2006/12/airtalk_20061211.shtml
Margie Burns, English, Writes for Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal
Margie Burns, an adjunct faculty member in English, wrote “Jane Austen and Birthdays,” which was published in Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal, published annually by the Jane Austen Society (http://www.jasna.org). The article appears in Volume 28 in April.
Kristin Drabyn, Women’s Basketball, in the Baltimore Examiner
Junior Kristin Drabyn, a guard on UMBC’s Women’s basketball team, was featured in the Baltimore Examiner’s “Sharpshooter Sparks Retrievers” on Jan. 5. According to the article, Drabyn is the most improved player in the America East Conference. Women’s Basketball Head coach Phil Stern was quoted in the article about Drabyn’s performance.
http://www.examiner.com/a-491626~Sharpshooter_sparks_Retrievers.html
UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski in the News
UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski will be a guest speaker during Indiana University School of Medicine’s fifth annual Diversity Week from Jan. 15-19. Dr. Hrabowski will speak on Tuesday, Jan. 16 and will lecture on “Beating the Odds: Preparing Minorities for Medical and Bio-Medical Research Careers.”
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070108/LOCAL/70108037/1195/CUSTOMPUB21
On Jan. 27, Hrabowski will also participate in an Anne Arundel County public school system high school panel discussion on “Defining A High-Performing School.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-ar.ednotes07jan07,0,2571068.story?coll=bal-education-top
Matt Mainen, Political Science, in the News
On January 8, the Baltimore Sun published junior political science major Matt Mainen’s “Condemn the Arab League’s Stance on Somalia.” Mainen claims the Arab League’s blatant disrespect of Somalia’s national sovereignty should prompt the international community to express disapproval of the Arab League.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.somalia08jan08,0,2257246.story?coll=bal-oped-headlines
Mainen wrote the editorial, “Wahhabism in America,” which appeared in the Washington Times. Mainen discusses the dangers of Wahhabism in America. “A fringe Islamic sect created more than 1,000 years after the time of Muhammad,” Wahhabism is reportedly responsible for advancing terrorism and is significantly supported by Saudi Arabia.
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20060214-102148-7766r.htm
U.S. allies for the war on terror should be chosen by the way a country treats its women according to Mainen in his column, “A Test For US Allies: How They Treat Women,” which was published in the Christian Science Monitor on Jan. 3. Mainen said Pakistan, unlike Saudi Arabia, earns the distinction of being called a U.S. ally.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0103/p09s01-coop.html
Mainen also did an audio interview on the Christian Science Monitor to discuss this article.

Claudia Morrell, CWIT, Participates in Conference of Women Leaders in Science, Technology, and Engineering
Claudia Morrell, executive director of the Center for Women and Information Technology, was among several U.S. professionals who served as speakers, panelists, moderators or workshop leaders for the Conference of Women Leaders in Science, Technology and Engineering in Kuwait from January 8-10. Women from 20 majority-Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa attended the conference to foster stronger relationships with their U.S. counterparts and to build their skills as leaders in science, technology and engineering.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/78465.htm
Tom Schaller in the News
Tom Schaller and his book, Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South, which advises Democrats to abandon Southern states and target Western voters, were prominently featured in columnist Froma Harrop’s editorial “John Edwards and the Non-Southern Strategy.” Published on Creators.com, Harrop discussed Southern Democrat John Edwards’ bid for President in the 2008 election.
http://www.creators.com/opinion/froma-harrop/john-edwards-and-the-non-southern-strategy.html
The Houston Chronicle carried this column on Jan. 7 with the headline “Resolved: Not to Obsess Over 2008 Campaign — Yet.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/4453160.html
In his Jan. 5 Washington Examiner column, “Dem Rookies McCaskill, Tester Have Pivotal Roles,” Schaller interviewed, the night before they were sworn-in, two Democratic rookie U.S. senators, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Jon Tester of Montana, about the war in Iraq and working across party lines on key issues.
http://www.examiner.com/a-491656~Thomas_Schaller__Dem_rookies_McCaskill__Tester_have_pivotal_roles.html
UMBC Men’s Basketball in the Baltimore Examiner
On Jan. 11, the Baltimore Examiner published, “Retrievers on the Rise in AEC,” about the UMBC men’s basketball team’s successful wins on the road. The previous week, the team defeated Binghamton, 73-71, and Stony Brook, 72-53. Coach Randy Monroe was quoted in the article, which also featured junior guard Brian Hodges and freshman forward Justin Fry.
http://www.examiner.com/a-502518~Retrievers_on_the_rise_in_AEC.html
January 5, 2007
Junior Jon Aumann in the Baltimore Sun
On Dec. 20 in “It Pays to be a Geek,” the Baltimore Sun published a career profile on Jon Aumann, a junior computer engineering major, who for two years has worked as a member of Best Buy’s Geek Squad, computer technicians that repair or upgrade customers’ computers.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/careers/bal-bz.wk.atwork20dec20,0,5860594.story?coll=bal-business-headlines
Senior Brian Bailey in the Baltimore Examiner
Senior political science major Brian Bailey was quoted in the Dec. 29 Baltimore Examiner’s “Supporters of Edwards Getting an Early Start.” Bailey, who is the new vice chair of the Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee, supports John Edwards, the former North Carolina senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee, who is one of three democrats currently running in the 2008 Presidential elections.
http://www.examiner.com/a-480048~Supporters_of_Edwards_getting_an_early_start.html
Computer Science Doctoral Students in the Monterey County Herald
On Dec. 27, the Monterey County Herald published, “ ‘Recommender’ Sought By Netflix,” an article that featured Marc Pickett and Sandor Dornbush, both computer science doctoral students, who are creating computer programs that can recommend specific products to internet shoppers based on their tastes or mood. Pickett is part of a UMBC team working on improving a “recommender,” a computer program that deciphers a person’s cinematic tastes. The team is competing to win a $1 million prize offered by Netflix for the program that increases the accuracy of its current recommender by 10 percent. Dornbush’s research was also mentioned. He is working on an XPOD, an MP3 player that chooses songs based on a person’s mood.
This article first appeared in the Baltimore Sun on Dec. 10.
http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/business/16326562.htm
Christopher Corbett, English, in the Baltimore Style Magazine
Christopher Corbett, interim chair of the Department of English, wrote “For Better or Verse” in the January/February 2007 edition of Baltimore Style magazine about the not-so-easy task of finding an appropriate marriage poem to recite at the wedding of his friend’s daughter.
http://www.baltimorestyle.com/index.php/style/backpage/
Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher in Harvard Magazine
“Where the Eyeballs Are,” an article in Harvard Magazine, profiled cartoonist Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher, an artist-in-residence for the UMBC Imaging Research Center (IRC). Kallaugher, with the assistance of researchers from the IRC, created an animated three-dimensional caricature of President George Bush. Kallaugher sees his research project as the next phase for political cartoonists who have lost their voices and readers as a result of declining newspaper sales and readership.
http://www.harvardmagazine.com/on-line/010776.html
Joan Lewis Kennedy, Community and Governmental Relations, in the Baltimore Sun
On Dec. 27 in “Ulman Announces Choices as Legislative Director, Cable Chief,” the Baltimore Sun reported that Howard County Executive Ken Ulman selected Joan Lewis Kennedy, UMBC director of community and governmental relations, as the county’s new legislative director.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-ho.appoint27dec27,0,4255515.story?coll=bal-local-howard
Kriste Lindenmeyer, History, in the Baltimore Sun
In “Ex-President’s Death Reminds Nation of Betty Ford’s Candor,” which appeared in the Baltimore Sun on Dec. 28, Kriste Lindenmeyer, professor and chair of history, talked about Betty Ford’s gregarious personality.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.bettyford28dec28,1,3772718.story
Robert Provine, Psychology, in Edge.Org
Psychology professor Robert Provine is among several famous thinkers from across the globe who contributed to Edge.Org’s 2007 The World Question Center. Each contributor responded to the question, “What Are You Optimistic About?” Provine’s “Things Could Always Be Worse” explains why this optimistic phrase is best “suited for everyday life.”
http://edge.org/q2007/q07_3.html#provine
Don Norris, Public Policy and MIPAR, in the Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education quoted Don Norris, professor of public policy and director of MIPAR, in its Jan. 5 article, “As Democrats Take Over More States, College Leaders Grow Optimistic,” about Gov. Martin J. O’Malley’s campaign promise to suppress college tuition increases.
[Requires Subscription.]
http://chronicle.com/free/v53/i18/18a01801.htm
Tom Schaller, Political Science, in the News
Tom Schaller, associate professor of political science, appeared on Warren Olney’s “To the Point,” which runs on many NPR stations across the nation, on Jan. 4 to talk about the 110th congress.
http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/tp/tp070104bipartisanship_in_a_
In “Advice for Democrats: Look Away,” a Dec. 27 Baltimore Sun article, the author discussed the different political opinions concerning Schaller’s book, Whistling Past Dixie: How the Democrats Can Win Without the South, which advises Democrats to disregard Southern states and pursue Western voters.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.schaller27dec27,0,800385.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
“In Should U.S. Democrats Secede From the South?,” which was printed on Bloomberg.com on Dec. 27, Schaller discussed why the Democratic Party should ignore Southern voters.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_ferguson&sid=aLQv33nLP0E0
Brad Simpson, History, in the Christian Science Monitor
Brad Simpson, assistant professor of history and foreign relations, was quoted in the Christian Science Monitor’s “Report: Gerald Ford Disagreed With Bush’s Iraq Policy” on Dec. 28. The article mentions a radio interview in which Simpson discussed former President Gerald Ford’s handling of the Indonesian/East Timor invasion in 1975.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1228/dailyUpdate.html
UMBC Chess Team in Regional and National Media
On Dec. 29 in “Comeuppance For the Ivies,” the Washington Post covered the Pan Am National Intercollegiate Chess tournament, which UMBC hosted in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 27-30. UMBC defeated the chess teams at Yale, Northwestern and Harvard. The team placed third in the competition, qualifying for the “Final Four of College Chess.” UMBC chess team member Chris Bechis and Alan Sherman, associate professor of chemistry and the team’s advisor, were quoted in the article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/28/AR2006122801447.html?referrer=emailarticle
On Dec. 27, the New York Times’ “Good Opening Can Be a Scholarship” discussed the chess scholarship programs at universities such as UMBC, Texas Tech and the University of Texas at Dallas. UMBC’s scholarship program is the oldest in the nation. Alan Sherman was mentioned in the article as well as computer science major Katerina Rohonyan and information systems major Bruci Raul Lopez.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/education/27chess.html
“UMBC Looks To Retain Title at Chess Tournament,” a Dec. 28 WJLA.com news brief, reported on the chess team’s hope to win the Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championships.
“http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1206/383544.html
Coverage of the tournament and UMBC’s Chess program also appeared in the Baltimore Sun’s Dec. 28 editorial, “Board of Dreams.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-ed.chess28dec28,0,584137.story?coll=bal-opinion-headlines
The Baltimore Sun also published on Dec. 28 “Plotting Their Move To Be A King.” Sherman and several UMBC team members were featured or quoted.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.chess28dec28,0,3924453.story