By Matthew Fagan, UMBC; Leighton Reid, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Margaret Buck Holland, UMBC

Tropical forests globally are being lost at a rate of 61,000 square miles a year. And despite conservation efforts, the global rate of loss is accelerating. In 2016 it reached a 15-year high, with 114,000 square miles cleared.

At the same time, many countries are pledging to restore large swaths of forests. The Bonn Challenge, a global initiative launched in 2011, calls for national commitments to restore 580,000 square miles of the world’s deforested and degraded land by 2020. In 2014 the New York Declaration on Forests increased this goal to 1.35 million square miles, an area about twice the size of Alaska, by 2030.

Ecological restoration is a process of helping damaged ecosystems recover. It produces many benefits for both wildlife and people – for example, better habitat, erosion control, cleaner drinking water and jobs.

That’s why the Bonn Challenge is so exciting for geographers and ecologists like us. It brings restoration into the center of global discussions about combating climate change, preventing species extinctions and improve farmers’ lives. It connects governments, organizations, companies and communities, and is catalyzing substantial investments in forest restoration.

However, a closer look shows that a struggle remains to fully realize the Bonn Challenge vision. Some reforestation efforts provide only limited benefits, and studies have shown that maintaining these forests for decades is critical to maximize the economic and ecological benefits of establishing them.

Putting trees back on the land

So far, 48 nations and 10 states and companies have made Bonn Challenge commitments to restore 363,000 square miles by 2020 and another 294,000 square miles by 2030. The United States and a Pakistani province have already fulfilled their commitments, restoring a total of 67,000 square miles.

Restoring forests poses political and economic challenges for national governments. Letting forests grow back inevitably means pulling land out of farming. Natural forest regeneration mainly occurs where farmers have abandoned poor quality land, or where governments discourage poor farming practices – for example, near wetlands or on steep slopes. Opportunities for natural regeneration elsewhere are limited.

As a result, much forest landscape restoration under the Bonn Challenge focuses on improving existing landscapes using trees. Restoration activities may include creating timber or fruit plantations; agroforestry, or planting rows of trees in and around agricultural fields; and silviculture, or improving the condition of degraded forests.

One early success, the “Billion Tree Tsunami” in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has exceeded its 350,000-hectare pledge through a combination of protecting forest regeneration and planting trees. Similarly, Rwanda has restored 700,000 of the 2 million hectares it pledged, primarily through agroforestry and reforesting erosion-prone areas, and created thousands of green jobs.

Green deserts

However, these “restored forests” are often poor replacements for natural habitat. For animals dwelling in tropical forests, agroforestry and tree plantations can look more like green deserts than forests.

Many tropical forest wildlife species are only found in mature tropical forests and cannot survive in open agroforests, monoculture tree plantations or young natural regeneration. Truly restoring tropical forest habitat takes a diversity of forest species, and time.

Nonetheless, these working “forests” do have ecological value for some species, and can spare remaining natural forests from axes, fire and plows. In addition, scientists have estimated that restored forests could sequester up to 16 percent of the carbon needed to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, while generating some US$84 billion in assets such as timber and erosion control.

Restored, but for how long?

Benefits for wildlife and Earth’s climate from forest restoration accrue over decades. However, many forests are unlikely to remain protected for this long.

In a 2018 study we showed that forests that naturally regenerated in Costa Rica between 1947 and 2014 had only a 50 percent chance of enduring for 20 years. Most places where forests regrew were subsequently re-cleared for farming. Twenty years represents about a quarter of the time needed for forest carbon stocks to fully recover, and less than one-fifth of the time required for many forest-dwelling plants and animals to return.

Unfortunately, 20 years may be more than most new forests get. Studies in Brazil and Peru show that regenerating forests there are re-cleared even faster, often after just a few years.

This problem is not limited to natural forests. Agroforests worldwide are under pressure. For example, until recent decades, coffee and cocoa farmers in the tropics raised their crops in agroforests under a shady canopy of trees, which mimicked the way these plants grow in nature and maximized their health. Today, however, many of them grow their crops in the sun. This method can improve yield, but requires pesticides and fertilizer to compensate for added stress on the plants.

And although timber plantations sequester additional carbon with every harvest and replanting, their replanting is dependent on shifting market demand for wood. Once they are harvested after six to 14 years of growth, tropical timber plantations can be abandoned as a bad investment and replaced with higher-yielding row crops or pasture.

Solid foundations for recovery

If the Bonn Challenge is to achieve its goals, nations will have to find ways of converting short-term restoration pledges into long-term ecosystem recovery. This may require tightening the rules.

Some countries have pledged to protect unrealistically large areas. For example, Rwanda committed to restore 77 percent of its national territory, and Costa Rica and Nicaragua pledged to restore 20 percent of their territories apiece. Another flaw is that the Bonn Challenge does not prevent countries from deforesting some areas even as they are restoring others.

It will be impossible to track overall progress without an international commitment to monitor and sustain restoration successes. International organizations need to invest in satellite and local monitoring networks. We also believe they should consider how large international investments in sectors such as agriculture, mining and infrastructure drive forest loss and regrowth.

Countries like Indonesia that may be considering a Bonn Challenge pledge should be encouraged to focus on long-term impacts. Instead of restoring 10,000 square miles of one-year-old forest by 2020, why not restore 5,000 square miles of 100-year-old forest by 2120? Countries like Costa Rica that have already pledged can lock in those gains by protecting regrown forests.

The U.N. General Assembly recently approved a resolution designating 2021 to 2030 as the U.N. Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. We hope this step will help motivate nations to keep their promises and invest in restoring Earth’s deforested and degraded ecosystems.

* * * * *

Matthew Fagan, Assistant Professor of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Leighton Reid, Faculty Associate, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Margaret Buck Holland, Associate Professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Header image: A regenerating stand of rainforest in northern Costa Rica. Matthew Fagan, CC BY-ND

This season has been another remarkable one for Retriever Nation. After a series of incredible nail-biter victories and another trip to the America East title game, the UMBC men’s basketball season has ended.

New faces joined the team this year, ensuring the Retrievers would continuing competing at a high level after last year’s historic season. This includes standouts like junior guard K.J. Jackson, sociology, and R.J. Eytle-Rock ‘22, psychology. Arkel Lamar ‘21, sociology, and Brandon Horvath ‘21, financial economics, returned with the same ferocity they brought to the historic 2017-2018 season.

Joe Sherburne ‘18, financial economics, ’19 data science, continued to amaze both on and off the court. Sherburne was named the 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for Division I men’s basketball, an honor bestowed to only one player out of the estimated 4,500 DI athletes. He completed his undergraduate degree in three years and managed to maintain a 4.0 GPA, even while spending over 4,000 minutes competing on the court during his career.

But even with all these statistics, the most important number of all may be 3,042. That’s how many fans showed up on March 12 to cheer the Retrievers on through a double overtime semifinal victory against Hartford.

The support from Retriever Nation has been invaluable for the team this season. Both the players and coaching staff wholeheartedly agree, with head coach Ryan Odom grabbing the microphone after last week’s game to thank the audience.

As the season comes to a close, UMBC recognizes #RetrieverNation—the fans who donned their best black and gold, screamed themselves hoarse, and never wavered in their support.

Event Center photos taken by Suzanne Kashnow for UMBC Magazine.

A delegation of UMBC Africana studies students recently joined teams from three continents for the 17th annual International Model African Union (MAU) Conference in Washington D.C., hosted by Howard University. Participants represented the 54 countries on the African continent in the simulation event, discussing economic, social, political, and security issues.

“The MAU is an important experiential learning exercise to study the role, structure, and activities of the African Union,” explains Gloria Chuku, professor and chair of the Africana studies, and the delegation’s faculty advisor. “As model representatives, students enhance their skills and understanding of global diplomacy and public speaking through simulations.”

UMBC’s team included Damarius Johnson ’19, Africana studies; Maurice Cates ’21, Mahlet Gebre-Egziabher ’21, and Marion Sillah ’22, political science; Kemi Biaou ’21, biological sciences; and Enzo Walker ’20, computer science. The group represented the southwestern island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Johnson served as head delegate and member of the simulation’s Committee on Pan Africanism and Continental Unity. In preparation for the event, he led the independent study group in researching the country’s history and current status. This advance preparation proved essential for drafting policy proposals to present to parliament during the simulation.

Understanding Africa’s core policy issues

Participants started the conference at the African Union (AU) Representational Mission in Georgetown. A panel of scholars of  Africana and African diaspora studies, including professor Chuku, and a member from the African Union Representation Mission led a question and answer session on significant topics discussed by African policymakers today, a half-century after independence. The session included discussion of economic development, youth employment, female genital mutilation (FGM), LGBTQ civil rights, collaboration with countries in the African diaspora, and the emigration of high-skilled African professionals to other continents.

“The world seems small when we stay in one place, but when we travel we come to understand issues beyond our own culture,” Silla shares. Silla moved to the U.S. from Sierra Leone four years ago and, during the simulation, she served on the Committee on Democracy, Governance and Human Rights. She says, “Broadening my point of view made me think about where I stand as a woman, a black woman, a Muslim woman, and an immigrant on a global scale.”

Simulating the Pan-African Parliament

Over a four day-period, committees presented their proposals during a simulated session of the Pan-African Parliament. They followed parliamentary procedure, led by a student chair, parliamentarian, rapporteur, and vice chair. Committees presented, debated, amended, and adopted, their proposals during the moderated caucus, before moving on to negotiations and proposal revision. They then submitted the revised proposals for a final vote leading to a resolution.

“I learned that compromise is an integral process of diplomacy,” Johnson reflects. “You must listen and engage with fellow delegates in ways that demonstrate the value of their interests and their needs.”

In addition to the committee proposals, the event also included a simulated crisis situation, managed through the African Union’s Executive Council. This year’s crisis was a contested election in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with allegations of voter fraud.

Cates, a member of the Executive Council, helped decide what course the AU would take. “We deliberated on whether to send AU troops and make it an international matter. This meant discussing how to manage refugees,” he explained. “It was not a simple process. Governments are often challenged to choose between peace and democracy.”

Common vision for a prosperous Africa

The simulation proved to be a pivotal moment of inspiration for the UMBC delegation. They were excited to live out their aspirations as leaders in supporting the development of a stable and prosperous Africa.

Cates hopes to become a lobbyist and Johnson will soon head to a Ph.D. program in history at The Ohio State University. As African American students who see themselves as part of the African diaspora, but have not had an opportunity to travel to Africa, they particularly valued the chance to speak with African representatives who were at the event. “It was a unique opportunity to discuss issues like pan-Africanism and current affairs in African countries with Africans who have an investment in their countries,” shares Cates.

Biaou, a member of the simulation’s Peace and Security Committee, and Walker, part of the Economic Matters Committee, are immigrants from Benin and Liberia, respectively. “My parents left their engineering and business careers to be in a country that grants me a great deal of privilege,” explains Biaou. “The MAU helped confirm my desire to use my professional skills to be part of a thriving Africa.”

Both Biaou and Walker aim to eventually return to West Africa to contribute, as professionals, through STEM, business, and education initiatives.

Gebre-Egziabner and Sillah, originally from Ethiopia and Sierra Leone, plan to pursue careers as diplomats focusing on women’s issues. “The official African Union is located in my home city of Addis Ababa,” says Gebre-Egziabner. “It excited me to think of what I can do when I return.”

Sillah, who left Sierra Leone for the United States to avoid FGM, hopes to address FGM and economic issues facing women in Africa. She sees her UMBC experience as giving her a strong foundation for that future work.

“That is something UMBC has done for me. It makes me interact with different people and different ideas every day,” Silla says. “Every day is a learning experience.”

Banner image: [L to R] Biaou, Walker, Sillah, Chuku, Johnson, Gebre-Egziabher, and Cates holding their certificates of completion. Photo courtesy of Chuku.

Q: What’s the real story behind True Grit? Why was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever chosen as the school’s mascot?
—Zozscha Bomhardt ’93

In the fall of 1966, a piece in the inaugural issue of UMBC News (later dubbed The Retriever Weekly) announced a contest to choose a mascot for the new university. Entreating readers to choose a mascot “that will become the loveable pet of students for years to come,” the contest garnered dozens of entries, ranging from whimsical fancies (unicorn, angel) to prosaic suggestions (muskrat, crab).

On October 30, 1966, the university announced that student Tom Berlin had won the contest with his nomination of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. And soon after, UMBC received its first live mascot in the form of a spirited Chesapeake Bay Retriever pup with curly brown fur. Dog breeder Claude L. Callegary – whose son Peter Callegary attended UMBC and played lacrosse for the Retrievers – donated the dog to the school in the spring of 1967. Another contest failed to yield a name for the puppy, which eventually became known as “Campus Sam.” Lacking any formal arrangements to care for the dog, Guy Chisolm, UMBC’s first director of physical plant, volunteered to take the mascot to live with his family in their Catonsville home, which was adjacent to the campus.

Richard Chisolm ’82, interdisciplinary studies, who has made a notable career as a documentary filmmaker, recalls that “Sammy” (as he and his siblings Mac and Susie called the puppy that their father brought home) grew into a large dog with a fierce bark who loved to swim in the family’s swimming pool. He and his siblings were responsible for training and walking Sammy. From time to time, coaches or faculty members from UMBC would borrow Sammy for games or campus events, where he would be adorned for the occasion with a black and gold UMBC scarf.

While Campus Sam’s life was largely peaceful, Richard Chisolm recalls that it was nearly cut short when the mascot escaped a fenced yard to chase after a deer. Richard ran after and witnessed the determined dog crash headfirst into a moving car. Sammy survived with a permanent bump on his head.

UMBC has had a number of other live Chesapeake Bay Retriever mascots – as well as mascot images to represent the university. (Two of these images, including the most recent, have been created by Jim Lord ’99 – design director of UMBC’s Creative Services.)

But perhaps the most prominent symbol of the university is a 500-pound bronze cast sculpture of the mascot, dubbed “True Grit,” which graces the plaza between the Administration Building and the Retriever Athletic Center (RAC).

UMBC commissioned artist and alumna Paulette Raye ’87, who had graduated summa cum laude from the university with a degree in philosophy, to create the sculpture. Raye created the work in a studio at Towson University, using “Nitty Gritty” – a champion Chesapeake Bay Retriever owned by Howard County residents and veterinarians James and Brenda Stewart – as her model.

In an email to UMBC Magazine, Raye recalls that “the mascot was the first dog I had ever sculpted – of any size. It was the only large size sculpture that I had ever done.”

Raye relates that a number of setbacks delayed the completion of the project. In fact, she writes, the project almost literally melted down.

“The wax casting was made and then sat in the foundry – very warm in there – for a full year before [UMBC President Michael] Hooker released the funds to complete the casting in bronze,” she recalls.

“In the meantime, the wax casting had distorted – not terribly, but it did not cast nearly as detailed and beautiful as it had been sculpted because of some warping from the heat that it had sat in for a year.”

Raye also helped UMBC Magazine solve one enduring mystery about UMBC’s mascot that an extensive search for details about the project in the university archives did not reveal: The model’s name was “Nitty Gritty,” so what was the origin of the name “True Grit?”

“‘True Grit’ was the name of Nitty Gritty’s father,” writes Raye.” Exactly why the mascot received that name, I am not sure, other than it sounded bold and strong – like the team.”

Hooker and UMBC director of athletics Rick Hartzell oversaw an unveiling of the statue – with a tug from model Nitty Gritty himself – at a ceremony on December 7, 1987. In a letter to Hoke Smith, then president of Towson University, Hooker lauded the statue’s creation at Towson’s art studios as an historic truce in the “traditional Retriever-Tiger” rivalry, and graciously invited Towson’s president to stop by and “see us, and True Grit, when you can.”

True Grit remains a steadfast and enduring campus presence – greeting new students and visitors on their arrival to campus, and bidding a fond farewell to UMBC’s proud new alumni with cap on his head and diploma in his teeth as they graduate. And that shine on his muzzle? UMBC students have developed a tradition of rubbing True Grit’s nose for luck in their exams.

— Theresa Donnelley ’13 and Richard Byrne ’86

Read more Histories & Mysteries

Good luck, Retrievers!

UMBC men’s basketball is officially heading to the America East championship final to defend our title. The Retrievers take on the Vermont Catamounts this Saturday, March 16, 11 a.m., in Burlington.

UMBC men’s basketball advances to the America East final after a gripping semifinal victory

Learn more about ways of watching the game here.

Fan Favorites

This year’s trip to America East evokes memories of last year’s historic season when against all odds, the team beat number one-seeded University of Virginia to become the first-ever no. 16 seed to defeat a no. 1 seed in an NCAA men’s basketball championship tournament. Here’s some history of that exciting week.

Timeline of the Retrievers’ Historic 2018 Run

One Shining Moment — The Shot Heard ‘Round the World

UMBC Athletics

Frances Carter-Johnson, M.S. ’07, applied physics, and Ph.D. ’11, public policy, is used to getting questions about why she jumped from physics to public policy and explaining how, in her career path, it’s really all connected.

“I thought I was going to go to law school but I found physics and fell in love,” says the UMBC triple alumna. Carter-Johnson earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and engineering, then a master’s degree in physics. “During that time, I also realized I enjoyed working in the community,” she says. Her mentors, President Freeman Hrabowski, Associate Vice Provost Renetta Tull, and Dean Janet Rutledge, pointed her in the direction of a Ph.D. in public policy. Today, she combines her love of analytics, physics, and math as an education data scientist at the National Science Foundation.

Learning from stories like Carter-Johnson’s, the UMBC School of Public Policy is working to create more opportunities for diverse students to see future careers for themselves in the field.

Reaching out

To move this work forward, the UMBC School of Public Policy is partnering with the Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM), a national organization that fosters excellence in research, analysis, and education in public policy. On March 12, the partners hosted a day-long public policy camp to connect with undergraduate and graduate students, particularly from underrepresented groups, who may not be exposed to public policy as a field of study.

Susan Sterett, director of the School of Public Policy, and Jane Lincove, associate professor of public policy, envisioned the event and proposed it to APPAM. Their goal was to draw diverse students from across UMBC and the broader mid-Atlantic region.

“We felt that UMBC was uniquely positioned to meet APPAM’s goals in helping to diversify the field because of UMBC’s strong, diverse student scholars, many of whom are first-generation or come from underrepresented groups,” shares Lincove. UMBC’s proximity to Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York also provided an opportunity to connect with a large number of students about professional possibilities that exist in the field.

Sterett and Lincove worked with UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology and the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences to reach students usually not exposed to public policy. They also drew participants from other University System of Maryland schools, area HBCUs, local community colleges, and additional private universities, such as Johns Hopkins, Temple, American, Virginia Commonwealth, and Columbia.

Alumni share their perspectives

Several public policy alumni, as well as faculty and current doctoral public policy students, participated in the event, to share how they have applied their skills in the field in a broad range of ways. They shared their experiences through both small group conversations and a panel discussion.

Understanding the practical value of a diverse team was an important message for Steve Sharkey, M.P.P. ’06, public policy, who serves as director of Baltimore’s Department of General Services. “We need more women and people of different races [in the policy field]. That is the future,” explained Sharkey. “Different perspectives are important for creating policy and to understanding community impact.”

Other participants focused on the need to develop policy through a more holistic, systems approach. This approach allows Margarita Cardona, a UMBC doctoral student in education policy, to implement rules and regulations for research with human subjects in her work as assistant provost of sponsored research at the University of Baltimore. “I manage a review board that depends on implementing policy to ensure the best practices in research,” explains Cardona. “Having real-world conversations about policy-driven solutions to community problems helps demystify what public policy is and can do.”

Qubilah Huddleston, M.P.P. ’17, education policy, a program manager for Code in the Schools, agrees. Huddleston is avid about sharing the realities of policy implementation at the local level. “There are only four Baltimore City schools that provide computer science education,” she explains. “Managing a program that fills that need means understanding government and education policy. We have to be intentional about making decisions for long-term positive impact.”

Hands-on learning

Throughout the day, students also focused on interactive activities led by alumni and other professionals in the field. Groups practiced foundational public policy skills like interviewing and active listening. They also practiced conducting research and implementing policy on two current Baltimore City issues: food deserts and lack of reliable heating in public schools. The second half of the camp focused on an interactive game to understand budget and fiscal policy.

Incoming freshman Shriya Samala ‘23, who has been interested in public policy and political science, appreciated the opportunity to network with professionals and peers who are in different stages of their journey. She compared notes with Emmanuel Caintic, a CCBC student interested in constitutional law, and Daniel Kozlowski ‘19, mechanical engineering and a Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar, who, like Carter-Johnson, is combining his love of a STEM field with public service. Together, they were excited about the many future paths open to them in public policy.

“The public policy camp was a great opportunity to meet UMBC’s public policy faculty and professionals in different areas,” explains Samala. “I have been working in local politics in Virginia throughout high school. I want to run for office someday,” she says. “Today was a step towards meeting my goal.”

Banner image: Amanda Latimore (left), assistant scientist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, leads a table discussion with students. All photos courtesy of UMBC’s School of Public Policy.

Maryland Historical Society to launch year-long display of quilts by Mimi Dietrich ’70, American studies

When Mimi Dietrich sews, the corners of her mouth form a soft, confident smile as she pieces together scraps of the colorful fabric in her lap. On the walls of her Catonsville home hang years of quilting work made during moments like this – intricate swirls and complex geometries of color and texture – that tell her stories and the stories of her hometown, Baltimore.

On the middle finger of her right hand, she wears a tiny silver thimble in the shape of a bee – an apt companion for a woman who for more than 30 years has taught thousands of students and written 17 books about her art, garnering national audiences and acclaim. And the buzz about her quilting continues to grow just as fast as she can stitch.

This March 23, in celebration of Maryland Day, the Maryland Historical Society will launch a year-long retrospective of Dietrich’s work at its Baltimore headquarters. Titled “Hometown Girl,” the show dives deep into her decades-long quilting career, with an emphasis on her Baltimore album quilts, a style of appliqué quilt made popular in the 1840s and 1850s.

“To me, it’s just so unbelievable,” says Dietrich ‘70, American studies, who in 2013 was named Teacher of the Year by the International Association of Professional Quilters and in 2015 was inducted into the Quilters Hall of Fame. “I’m just so excited.”

INTERPRETING HISTORY

Among Dietrich’s works to be shown are an array of scenes that peek into modern and historic Baltimore life. Some of the more traditional quilts feature baskets, wreaths, and flowers popular to the album quilt style. Yet others push the limits a bit more. Her 1981 Baltimore: Through a Glass Brightly features a rainbow gradient skyline, complete with the Bromo Seltzer tower, the Constellation, the Baltimore Shot Tower, and other buildings framed by the state flower, the Black-Eyed Susan.

In another, Baltimore Hon, from 2012, a blonde with a beehive and cat-eye glasses peers from within a scene of flowers, crab cake – that is, a birthday cake with a freshly-steamed crab on top – and a flamingo garnished with shiny pink buttons and three-dimensional fluffy feathering. Beneath her feet, careful script declares: “There’s no place like home, Hon!”

Dietrich’s work was a natural fit for the Maryland Historical Society, where she has volunteered in various capacities over the years.

“Mimi is … one of the finest quilters in the state as well as the nation, and, to me, her work embodies MdHS’s mission to interpret the history of Maryland. She loves Maryland, particularly Baltimore, and stitches that love metaphorically and aesthetically into the quilts she creates,” says Alexandra Deutsch, vice president of Collections and Interpretation at the Maryland Historical Society.

“Her legacy as a teacher is also extraordinary. For more than 30 years, she has been sharing her knowledge, skill, and passion for appliqué with hundreds of quilters from novice to expert.”

LEARNING AND TEACHING

Dietrich made her first quilt in 1974, when she and two friends were pregnant with their first children. (She wound up making a sweet quilt of blue and yellow.)

“I’ve always loved sewing, and I figured if I could sew, I could quilt,” she said. And it was true. As the nation caught Bicentennial fever, the preponderance of flag and celebration imagery – as well as interest in national history – took root in her own work. As she learned to quilt with friends, she quickly became a local expert in the traditional (and Charm City originating) album quilt style.

In 1983, she and fellow alumna Laurie Griffith Gregg ‘95, visual and performing arts, formed their first guild, The Village Quilters. The group, which has grown to more than 120 members, still meets today, bringing artist speakers, antiques dealers, and fellowship to the area’s quilting enthusiasts. They also volunteer their time regularly to groups like the Linus Project and Quilts of Valor, which make quilts for babies and veterans, respectively.

Dietrich has also built a professional life around her art, teaching classes regularly in Maryland and around the world while building a loyal following for her popular instructional books. As a teacher, she’s known for her creative spirit and generosity.

“Mimi wants her students to have fun while learning to quilt,” said Gregg, who met Dietrich in 1972 when they were both working at the former Stretch “n” Sew Fabrics in Catonsville. “She shares everything she knows with her students, while encouraging them to ‘do your own thing.’ … She has a large following of loyal appliqué quilters. Every student in her class, actually every person she meets, considers Mimi their friend. Mimi is as friendly and down to earth as she was at the very beginning of her quilting journey.”

RETRIEVER ROOTS

Considering the tight community she has built among fellow quilters, it’s no surprise that Dietrich also maintains close ties to her alma mater. She and her husband Bob Dietrich ’70, biological sciences, serve as consistent volunteers, leaders, and athletic supporters. Stanyell Odom, director of UMBC’s Office of Alumni Engagement, shared Dietrich’s excitement about her upcoming show.

“I am so happy for her. Mimi has been a dedicated alumni leader for decades,” says Odom. “From her leadership as a founding member of the Fab Four [graduates of the first four classes], to her avid volunteerism for many years with the Alumni Association Board of Directors, to her role in leading up several initiatives in celebration of UMBC’s 25th and 50th anniversaries, Mimi has demonstrated her love and commitment to UMBC.”

In 2018, the Alumni Association recognized Dietrich with the Distinguished Service Award at the 30th Anniversary Alumni Awards. “It was wonderful to celebrate her many contributions to the UMBC community,” says Odom.

As for her successes and her upcoming show, Dietrich is excited but humble. Her friends, however, crow about her whenever they can. Gregg, for one, can’t wait for the world to see Dietrich’s work on display.

“It’s about time!” says Gregg. “Seriously, no one deserves this more than Mimi. She is a very proud Baltimorean. Mimi’s love for her hometown is expressed in her quilts… I’m thrilled that so many people will have the opportunity to see her exhibition.”

* * * * *

“Hometown Girl: Contemporary Quilts of Mimi Dietrich,” opens March 23, 2019, at the Maryland Historical Society, 201 West Monument St., Baltimore. A reception for Dietrich’s year-long exhibit will be held Saturday, March 23, 2019, 2-5 p.m. For more information, visit the Maryland Historical Society.

Images by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC Magazine unless otherwise noted.

They never said it would be easy, but they did say it would be exciting. After battling through two rounds of fatiguing overtime, UMBC men’s basketball bested Hartford 90-85 to advance to the America East championship game and defend their title.

While the Retrievers set a comfortable lead after the first half, never trailing, the Hawks ramped their offense and began to close the gap with six minutes left in gameplay. The final moments of regulation time were decided by fouls, with UMBC and Hartford alternating from the free throw line. With 16 seconds left, the Hawks pulled ahead by one. Junior guard K.J. Jackson, sociology, answered the call and sunk one out of his two free throws to tie up the game with 3.7 seconds left, forcing the game to overtime and keeping Retriever Nation on the edge of their seats.

Five minutes were added to the clock and, after a taxing back and forth, UMBC tied again with Brandon Horvath ‘21, financial economics, sinking both of his free throws. Starting with the second overtime, the Retrievers found their footing and pulled ahead, capitalizing on foul shots and pulling out a five-point victory.

“It was a crazy game, but this is what March is all about,” reflects Horvath.

Team mentality

Just after the win, Jackson spoke with the Baltimore Sun’s Edward Lee about the players’ team mentality. “I’ve got Joe, I’ve got Brandon, I’ve got everyone here with me playing just as hard,” he said. “It’s not time to be tired…It’s time to go make plays, and that’s what I did.”

Leading the pack, Jackson accounted for 21 of the Retrievers’ points, with R.J. Eytle-Rock ‘22, psychology, netting 16; Horvath posting up 14; and Joe Sherburne ‘18, financial economics and Arkel Lamar ‘21, sociology, each contributing 12.

Sherburne has been a force both on and off the court during his career at UMBC. He was recently named the 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for Division I men’s basketball. In addition to his All-American of the Year accolade, Sherburne was also named to the America East All-Academic Team for the third time in his career and to the America East First Team for the first time.

Ready for Vermont

Retriever Nation won’t have a chance to catch their breath from last night’s adrenaline-filled win as there’s still one more victory in this tournament to claim. UMBC travels to Vermont to take on the Catamounts for the second year, to battle it out for the America East Championship title.

The final game is on Saturday, March 16, at 11 a.m. at the Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2, with Retriever watch parties across the nation. UMBC will host a free family-friendly watch party in the Event Center for anyone interested, including community fans. Students interested in attending the game in Vermont have until 2 p.m. on March 14 to secure their spots. More information available here.

Banner image: Brandon Horvath dunks for two during UMBC’s semifinal for the America East. All photos by Maryland Demond ’11 for UMBC.

According to U.S. News rankings released today, UMBC graduate programs are some of the best in the nation for 2020. The rankings are developed based on expert opinions and statistical indicators for quality. Over 2,000 programs and more than 22,000 individuals were polled to determine this year’s honorees. While some programs have been newly recognized on 2020 rankings lists, others continue to lead on lists developed in prior cycles.

It was another strong year for the graduate programs in UMBC’s College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS). Five CNMS fields are recognized in U.S. News graduate program rankings, including mathematics, statistics, biological sciences, chemistry, and physics.

“The breadth of programs recognized in CNMS is a testament to the dedication and extraordinary effort of the faculty and staff across the college,” says Bill LaCourse, dean of CNMS. “I gratefully appreciate their commitment to setting high standards and providing a quality education for all our students.”

As a whole, UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) stands as one of the best engineering colleges in the nation. Just three other Maryland institutions appear on the overall 2020 list of best engineering programs. COEIT remains on the lists of the country’s best electrical, mechanical, and environmental engineering graduate programs, and is featured on the new 2020 list for chemical engineering.

“All of our researchers, faculty, staff, postdocs, and especially graduate students, contribute to an environment that enables innovations that help keep UMBC at the forefront of engineering and computing,” says COEIT Dean Keith J. Bowman.

UMBC’s School of Public Policy welcomed new director Susan Sterett in 2017. Since then, the school’s graduate programs in public policy have continued to thrive. Their success is evident with a 2020 U.S. News ranking in the top 100 of all public affairs graduate programs across the nation.

“UMBC’s School of Public Policy is proud of our excellent faculty and students, who contribute every day to informing the public about health and education policy, equity in cities, and public management and regulation,” says Sterett. “With such excellent scholars in publicly significant fields, we look forward to growing and continuing to contribute to the field in a way that rivals our larger, older peers.”

Graduate programs in fine arts, psychology, and clinical psychology also continue to be recognized as among the best. Earlier this year, U.S. News heralded UMBC’s online master’s degree in information systems as one of the top 20 in the nation, up four spots from last year.

Banner image: UMBC graduates at May 2018 Commencement. Photo by Catherine Borg for UMBC. All other photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

UMBC men’s basketball team captain Joe Sherburne ‘18, financial economics, has nabbed top national honors as the 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for Division I men’s basketball.

Sherburne earned his bachelor’s degree in three years, with a 4.0 GPA, and is now pursuing his master’s degree in data science. Throughout his UMBC career, he has continually played at a high level. He is ranked seventh in all-time scoring and fourth in minutes played per game for UMBC. This remarkable record and consistency on and off the court led the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) to choose Sherburne for this high achievement.

“A lot of credit goes to my parents and the schools I grew up in, really attentive, good schools that I went to. You would not have expected a couple of years ago that a player from UMBC could get this award. If we didn’t have the success we’ve been having, this might not have happened, so there’s a big team aspect to this individual award,” says Sherburne.

In addition to his All-American of the Year accolade, Sherburne was also named to the America East All-Academic Team for the third time in his career and to the America East First Team for the first time. The Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin native is only the fourth Retriever to earn a spot on on the America East all-league team in the past 16 seasons.

“With the passion he brings on the court and the dedication he brings to the classroom, Joe truly serves as a role model for our university,” says President Freeman Hrabowski. “We’re so proud of how he represents UMBC and the leadership he’s brought to the team.”

America East also recognized the substantial contributions of two new additions to the Retriever team. Junior guard K.J. Jackson, sociology, was named to the America East Second Team and All-Defensive Team, while R.J. Eytle-Rock ‘22, psychology, was selected for the America East All-Rookie team.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment. Those out there that have been through all levels of education understand how hard it is,” says Coach Ryan Odom. “You add to it that he is a Division I athlete and his time is taken up with all kinds of weight training and practices, etc., to be that consistent is really impressive. It’s great recognition for Joe, we’re really proud of him.”

Legacy of excellence

These academic and athletic honors are nothing new for the teams of Retriever Nation. Closing the fall semester, scholar-athletes produced a department record GPA of 3.14, with ten teams achieving a 3.0 GPA or higher. Women’s volleyball and men’s lacrosse closed their 2018 seasons with 3.52 and 3.38 average GPAs respectively. More than 40 UMBC scholar-athletes achieved a perfect 4.0 average.

Looking ahead

This past weekend, a record high of nearly 3,000 spectators cheered on UMBC men’s basketball as the team defeated UAlbany in the America East quarter-final match-up. The Retrievers came into the contest seeded third to UAlbany’s No. 6. Arkel Lamar ‘20, sociology, Jackson, and freshman guard José Placer, all posted up double digits to contribute 32 out of UMBC’s 62 total points.

After this weekend’s contests, the bracket has been re-seeded and new matches have been set. Binghamton upset Stony Brook on Saturday, marking only the third time in America East history a No. 7 seed defeated a No. 2 seed in quarterfinals.

On the heels of Saturday’s win, UMBC advances to the semifinal contests and will host Hartford on March 12 at 7 p.m. Tickets are now available online for both students and the general public.

Featured image: UMBC team captain Joe Sherburne during a game against Drexel. Photo by Ian Feldmann.