Contact:
Dinah Winnick
Communications Manager
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
410-455-8117
dwinnick@umbc.edu

Today, 75 million baby boomers are poised to become the next generation of assisted living residents. The sheer size of this population emphasizes the importance of creating, sustaining and evaluating quality in these settings to ensure that elders can access housing that fits their wants and needs. With this in mind, a team of researchers at the UMBC Center for Aging Studies has published “Quality Assisted Living: Informing Practice through Research” (Springer 2011).

This innovate volume is unique in its approach—explicitly delving into the lives of those who inhabit assisted living facilities, seeking to understand and evaluate their perceptions of what constitutes quality of life. The book also includes staff and family member perspectives, collected through interviews by authors Leslie A. Morgan, Ann Christine Frankowski, Erin G. Roth, Lynn Keimig, Sheryl Zimmerman and J. Kevin Eckert, chair of UMBC’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

Looking for a high quality assisted living facility can be a stressful experience for older adults and their families. Co-author Leslie Morgan notes the challenge starts when we ask, “What is high quality?” In a preview video introducing the book, Morgan suggests a more helpful question would be: “What facility would best meet the individual personality and needs of my loved one?”

“Quality Assisted Living” provides accessible discussion of assisted living topics ranging from dining preferences to housing regulations to financial issues. Grounded in rigorous qualitative research funded by the National Institute on Aging, and conveying residents’ own words, the book is of interest to popular and academic audiences alike.

The Maryland Cyber Challenge and Conference (MDC3) will provide an opportunity for students and professionals to network in a fun environment while participating in exciting games and learning about computer safety and cybersecurity skills. MDC3 teams of up to six players will compete in one of three categories: high school, college and university, and industry professionals. High school teams will focus on cyber defense techniques whereas college, university and professional teams will compete in a capture the flag match.

Students must be enrolled at a Maryland high school, college, or university. Professionals’ employers must have an office in Maryland and must be either a company or government agency. This summer’s final free Maryland Cyber Challenge orientation session will be held Thursday, August 25th at UMBC.

• Professional Session: 4:30 – 5:30pm
• High School & College Session: 6 – 7pm

Who should attend an orientation session?
Students, parents, teachers, administrators, cybersecurity professionals or anyone who wants to learn more about MDC3.

Why should I attend an orientation session?
To learn more about MDC3, including rules, format, scoring and CyberNEXS™, the system used during the competition.

Where are the orientation sessions?
The UMBC Technology Center, Main Seminar Room 1450 South Rolling Road Halethorpe, MD 21224

Photo courtesy of the New York Times

Libya may be the next in the wave of successful Middle Eastern revolutions.

Rebels poured into the capital early Monday morning and arrested two of Muammar el-Quaddafi’s sons.

This shift in the six month civil war is due to the sudden defection of the military unit in charge of guarding Tripoli and Qaddafi. The guards allowed the rebels to enter the city unopposed.

Qaddafi, whose location remains unknown, delivered a series of audio messages on state television calling on his supporters to march in the streets and to, “purify it,” from, “the rats.”

Meanwhile the rebel governing body, the National Transitional Council issued a statement saying,

“We congratulate the Libyan people for the fall of Muammar Qaddafi and call on the Libyan people to go into the street to protect the public property. ”

Thus far the latter advisement is drawing far more supporters than the former.

The likelihood of the end of Qaddafi’s 42 year dictatorship has raised concerns over how the rebel government will handle the transition.

Concerns were particularly high after the assassination of a rebel  leader in late July.

The revolution may soon achieve success in toppling the government… but the true measurement of success is how they govern afterward.