Kevin Maxwell ’02, has been appointed chief executive officer of Prince George’s public schools. As CEO, Maxwell will be tasked with turning around the struggling school system and closing the achievement gap so it is more aligned with surrounding county systems.

Maxwell has a long history in public education, having spent more than 20 years as a teacher, principal and chief educational administrator of Prince George’s County. Most recently, he was superintendent of Anne Arundel County.

Maxwell received his Ph.D. in Language, Literacy and Culture from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

You can read more on Kevin Maxwell’s appointment below:

Washington Post article »
Baltimore Sun article »
The Bowie Blade-News article »
Afro-American Newspapers article »

Last Tuesday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced it would give companies with more than 50 full-time workers more time to understand the requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) before implementing penalties for businesses that do not provide health insurance to employees.

In her report on this development, The Baltimore Sun‘s Andrea K. Walker cites analysis by The Hilltop Institute at UMBC, published last year, which found that delaying the employer mandate would affect about 10,000 people in Maryland. As individuals would still be required to buy insurance by Jan. 1 or face a $95 penalty, that report predicted around 5,000 would enroll as individuals through the state insurance exchange established under the ACA. Another 5,000 would remain uninsured. WYPR’s Maryland Morning also cites this finding in today’s segment “How the Health Care Law is Affecting Maryland’s Small(ish) Businesses.”

The WebMD Health News story “Maryland Delays Small-Business Enrollment” and Herald-Mail story “Maryland Health Connection to assist families, small businesses in comparing health insurance options” cite related figures.

It’s been a busy few weeks in the news for UMBC political science professor Thomas F. Schaller. In addition to his regular Baltimore Sun op-eds — most recently on immigration reform and the GOP’s demographic future — Schaller was quoted in The New Republic article “He’s Handsome, He’s Progressive, He’s a Rocker…” on Gov. Martin O’Malley’s presidential prospects. There, Schaller argues that it’s hard do build a national campaign on being a competent manager, without having a clear, coherent political identity.

Additionally, Schaller commented in the Baltimore Sun on Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s endorsement of Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown as governor, calling the announcement “big.” Schaller reflected that Brown “is well known mostly in the suburbs [and] Prince George’s County,” and the mayor’s support “gives him a huge head start.”

On Monday, July 8, Fox News visited the UMBC campus as part of a story on the new USM requirements that all state institutions become smoke free by July 1. Students interviewed for the story shared their thoughts on past rules for smoking and how the new policy will impact life on campus.

“On one side you kind of want to have personal freedoms, but at the same time we’re at a public university that’s getting public money,” said a UMBC student.

Read the full article »

UMBC first-year Cybersecurity (CYBR) MPS student Andrew Shiffer placed third in Microsoft’s “Cybersecurity 2020” student essay contest. The contest allows Microsoft to solicit original research about cybersecurity policy challenges from university students at any stage in their educational careers. Andrew’s paper is entitled “A Cybersecurity Triumvirate: Policies, Outcomes, and Emerging Trends.”

Andrew will receive $2,000 and the opportunity for his work to be published by Microsoft. Andrew says the money will go toward his studies at UMBC. According to Microsoft, Andrew is the only American finalist.

Erin O’Keefe ’08, MPP, has been named to the Daily Record’s VIP list, which honors leaders under 40 for their professional accomplishments and commitment to inspiring change in their communities. Erin is the director of the York Road Initiative at Loyola University.

Greg Sileo ’11, MPP, was named to the Daily Record’s 20 Under Twenty list, which honors Maryland up-and-comers who are in their 20s. Greg is the Director of the Office of Home Energy Programs at the Maryland Department of Human Resources, and was formerly the Director of Community Outreach for the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services.

Chosen by a panel of previous award winners, honorees are chosen based on professional development, civic involvement and impact of achievement.

When UMBC’s search committee met Tim Hall it was clear he embodied all the characteristics and values ingrained in the campus culture, Dr. Nancy Young, Vice President of Student Affairs, told the crowd at a June news conference. The Baltimore Sun article also highlighted the enthusiasm of the new AD joining a university with strong academics, as well as Division I sports programs.

“I really look at UMBC as an institution athletically that is under the radar and I don’t see any reason why we can’t be one of the best comprehensive Division I programs that doesn’t sponsor football in the country,” Hall said. “It’s a great academic institution.”

The UMBC Chess team was featured in the July, 2013 Washingtonian magazine. The article highlighted Washington, DC for, “We’re great at sports you didn’t even know existed.”

The short piece focuses on the team’s history and how they are seeking to reclaim their once former dominance in college chess. You can play UMBC’s team in the September annual UMBC chess championship.

In a recent Chicago Tribune article, UMBC’s Bob Provine explained the origin and meaning behind some of our most curious behaviors. From the contagious yawn to the annoying hiccup, Provine unravels the mysteries of these often embarrassing, uncontrollable instincts in hopes of shedding new light on our evolution as a social animal.

“It’s your body, and you like to think you’ve got it under control,” says Provine. “But underneath the calm exterior lurk unruly instincts and urges that are struggling to escape, putting you at risk of embarrassment or ridicule.”

You can also hear Provine discuss his research in a June interview on WCBM’s radio show, The Medical Hour.

Ellen Handler-Spitz’s, most recent publication, Barbara Chase-Riboud: The Malcolm X Steles, in which she is a principal contributor, is featured now on the Yale University Press’ website.

The publication, a catalog for the exhibition of the same name, features Handler-Spitz’s writing alongside photography of the work of Barbara Chase-Riboud’s “monumental series of sculptures dedicated to the assassinated civil rights leader Malcolm X.” It includes a fascinating analysis of the Malcolm X sculptures in light of critical debates on abstract art’s role in memorializing the past.

Barbara Chase-Riboud: The Malcolm X Steles will be on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art September 14 – December 8, 2013.