The perpetual refinement of our knowledge of the human past continues. As is often the case, a new, more archaic find pushes our understanding of the fossil record while leaving many questions unanswered. This newly found australopithecine may lead to a better understanding of the emergence of the genus Homo. However, as is usually the case in paleoanthropology, vying interpretations abound, and this find reflects the politics of human taxonomy, as well.

Read about how a part of this skeleton was found by accidnet when a nine-year-old boy was playing with his dog in South Africa.

For those of you in ANTH 302 this semester, Tattersall is quoted in this particular article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/science/09fossils.html

Images thanks to Politico!

You can stand under Obama’s umbrella-ella-ella-ay-ay-ay.  Because apparently he won’t.

Mark your calendar!  Michele Bachmann stops by Late Night next week.

Senator Barbara Mikulski sponsors repeal on DOMA, and the WashPost writes about the new Democratic support for same-sex marriage.

Tension in Turkey.

And just in case you haven’t heard about Schweddy Balls yet…

Image from the Washington Post

On Thursday night, President Obama gave a much anticipated speech to Congress about his plan to reduce unemployment – The American Jobs Act.  Your trusty USDemocrazy bloggers have rounded up some of the coverage for you.  Watch, read, listen, enjoy!

Don’t have a half hour to watch the President’s Thursday night speech?  How about 2 minutes?  CNN gives you the highlights.

How the American Jobs Act will (or won’t) impact people of color.

The markets were certainly listening – the Dow Jones takes a dip.

Perspectives on Obama’s plan and the “woman-cession.”

Let the rallies begin!  As he promised, Obama presents the plan to the people.

And just in case you have some extra time, check out the full video from Thursday’s speech, enhanced with some super cool graphics from whitehouse.gov.

CSEE Graduate Seminar

Nonlinear Optical Signal Processing in
Optical Fibers and Waveguides

Dr. Gary M. Carter
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
University of Maryland, Baltimore County

1-2pm Friday, 16 September, 2011, ITE 227

postponed until later in the Fall

Advances in optical fiber and semiconductor technology have progressed to the degree that nonlinear optical signal processing can be demonstrated at extraordinarily high data rates. This talk will review some of the work of Dr. Carter's research group in photonic crystal fibers, silicon nano wires, and AlGaAs optical waveguides.

Hosts: Profs. Joel M. Morris and Yelena Yesha

Upcoming CSEE talks

AVAILABLE POSITIONS:

The Shriver Center's Service-Learning Program is recruiting for 2 Fellowships this fall as part of the POWER Project, starting late September-December 2011.  Interested applicants should be available on Wednesdays (12:30-3:15 pm) and Fridays (12:30-3:45 pm) for positions that will serve at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (located 15 minutes from UMBC).  The shifts factor in adequate travel time to the school from UMBC.  Ideally, applicants would be available on BOTH days.  

STIPENDS:

Each Fellow will receive $500 per semester.  Students will be enrolled in the 096 Service-Learning Practicum, and may also have the chance to receive credit for their involvement.  UMBC students with majors in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (particularly in Physics and Environmental Science) and/or STEM Education are encouraged to apply. 

This opportunity is made possible through a partnership with UMBC Physics Professor Dr. Lynn Sparling, WeatherBug, the Albright Foundation, and two local schools, Federal Hill Preparatory School (Baltimore City) and Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Howard County), the Shriver Center was awarded a one-year grant through Constellation Energy's "Energy to Educate" program.  This is the second semester of this project, which runs January-December 2011. 

This project is a unique intersection of three areas:  Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, Energy and Environmental Public Awareness, and Service-Learning.  Using these areas, the POWER project seeks to teach 6th-8th grade students the basics about wind energy and other sustainable energy resources.  Each grade level across schools will focus on a research question and will make presentations on their findings by the end of the semester.  WeatherBug has installed weather monitoring stations at both of the schools to assist the students in their research.  Selected UMBC students (Fellows) will deliver the science curriculum and help the students perform activities related to their research question.  We had great experiences in Spring 2011.

HOW TO APPLY:

Interested students should fill out the attached, one-page application and submit it to POWER Fellows Supervisor Stephanie Pully at spully1@umbc.edu or in-person to The Shriver Center by Friday, September 16th, NO LATER THAN 5 pm.  The Shriver Center is located on the 1st Floor of the Public Policy Building, just past the elevators.  Interviews will be scheduled immediately the week after, starting Monday, September 19th and selections made by Friday, September 23rd.  We plan for Fellows to begin at OLPH starting Wednesday, September 28th.  

The PROMISE Success Seminars and Workshops website contains full lists of workshops for:

• Graduate Students
• Postdoctoral Fellows
• Interest in teaching and the professoriate (PROF-it)

Archived posts by title on the PROMISE Success Seminars site include the following:

• September 2011 Seminars for Graduate Students at UMBC
• Summer Success Institute Registration is open! (August 19-20, 2011)
• Summer Horizons Graduate School Preparation Program: July 20
• UMBC Provost Elliot Hirshman (PROMISE PI) will be the new president at San Diego State University
• Apply for UMBC-CCBC Teaching Fellows program FALL 2011
• PROMISE Cookout – Saturday May 7
• UMBC Will Participate in a Pilot for the Council of Graduate Schools
• Events for March 2011: Dissertation House, Proposals, Teaching Portfolios, Lift Up (Haiti) Movie, Career Roundtables
• PROMISE Spring Opening Dinner Meeting: “Getting to Level 10″ — Friday, 2/18/11
• Preparing for Global Leadership: Cultural Competence and Connections with and for International Students and Colleagues
• Advice for Preparing and Delivering Graduate Level Presentations by Barrett Whitener @PROMISE Symposium, Jan. 21, 2011
• “Reflections” @UMB: Complementary/Alternative Medicine (Tai Chi, Acupressure, and more!)
• PROMISE Research Symposium, Coming January 21, 2011
• PROF-it Professors-in-Training 12/3, January 2011 $$ opportunities for Grad Students, & 2011 Dissertation House. Plus, SREB’s Dr. Bob Belle comes to UM College Park to discuss interviewing Dec. 3!
• PROMISE Fall Harvest Dinner Welcomes Dr. Erica Corral, winner of Hispanic award for STEM, Nov. 19
• Grad Student Workshops on Writing. Nov. 17 & Nov. 19
• Practical Steps for Completing Your Thesis or Dissertation. Saturday, Nov. 13
• “Preparing for the Professoriate” Workshops on Fri. Nov. 5
• Faculty Forum with Grad Students! Fri. 10/22 (Free Dinner!)
• Date changes for October! 10/8 seminar [Fac(x,y)] moved to 10/22, 10/20 seminar [IRB, RCR] moved to 10/26
• PROF-it “Professors-in-Training” Seminars, Fall 2010
• Grad Student Success Seminars and Meetings, September 2010
• Secrets of the Faculty Interview. Coming Aug. 20. 10:30 AM
• Mini “Graduate Horizons” Session at UMBC: Tuesday, July 13, 2010
• Reminders of SSI 2007 & 2008
• Summer Success Institute (SSI) 2010, Coming August 21
• New home for PROMISE Success Seminars