The Project

The Charlestown Digital Story Project teams UMBC students with residents of Charlestown Retirement Community to create digital stories. Drawn from the life experiences of the residents, the stories combine narration, animation, photos and music in short movies to be shared with others. Residents work closely with student partners, acting as author and creative director of their individual story. Each student brings their own style and talents to the project, helping to create some unique examples of intergenerational storytelling.

Over thirty stories have been produced to date. In 2007, the project was recognized with a Bronze Telly Award.

The project is organized by the New Media Studio with funding from Retirement Living TV.

View a short feature on the project.

The Stories

Filming the “Plight of the Puffins”

Puffins: the flighted, more stylish-looking cousins of the penguin. To the island nation of Iceland, they are as culturally significant as blue crabs are to Maryland. Now a Fulbright-funded documentary film made by Maria Frostic of UMBC’s Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology (GEST) Center, to be broadcast nationally by PBS on July 23, may help spotlight how climate change could impact the unique birdsí future.

Shot on location in Iceland’s Westman Islands, a shorter version of Frostic’s 13-minute documentary “Plight of the Puffins” will air on PBS’s “Wild Chronicles” series on July 23. The full film will routinely screen at the Project Puffin Visitor Center in Maine, and will be submitted to several science and wildlife-themed film festivals.

Originally from Richmond, Va., Frostic arrived at the GEST Center last year after receiving a master’s degree in natural history filmmaking from Montana State University. An earth science film producer at GEST, Frostic makes short, research-oriented videos for the Web. It’s another extension of her many interests and unusual career path.

An avid outdoorswoman, she did her undergraduate studies in biology, English language and literature, and environmental science at the University of Virginia. A two-time alumna of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Frostic spent a semester backpacking the Grand Canyon, winter camping in Yellowstone, caving in Big Horn National Forest and later joined a NOLS sea kayaking expedition in Baja, Mexico.

Her experience with NOLS sparked a lifelong interest in biology and ecology. Frostic has also worked as a teacher, park ranger, newspaper reporter and researcher.

“I look back at my career and it all makes perfect sense, even though it seemed disjointed at the time,” said Frostic. “I always had a foot in both the arts and the sciences, and when I found science filmmaking, it enabled me to combine my many interests: research, writing, travel and ultimately communicating science in a creative way.”

In July 2007, Frostic loaded up her high-def film equipment and journeyed to Iceland, known for its otherworldly landscapes and harsh winters. Icelanders have a close historical and cultural tie to puffins. Long ago, smoked puffin was relied upon as a winter survival staple. But today puffins are more like the Icelandic official mascot, their images displayed on street signs, murals, shot glasses and sweaters.

Frostic’s film shoot coincided with the launch of a research study by noted Icelandic biologist Erpur Hansen on how climate change may be impacting the puffinís food source. Puffins rely on a tiny fish known as the sand eel or sand lance, and the abundance of this fish in Icelandic seas have made the Westman Islands the largest breeding ground for Atlantic puffins in the world.

In recent years the fish have became scarce, and puffin reproduction is plummeting. “Islanders have seen puffin parents try to feed their young (known as pufflings) with larger fish like herring, but they were too large for the juveniles to swallow. Many pufflings have starved to death,” said Frostic.

A recent analysis of the 2007 field data revealed that climate change is being felt in many global ocean ecosystems. “Some of the effects are obvious, and others are more complex and harder to understand,” Frostic said. “What I’m gathering is that every part of the marine ecosystem is affected, starting with phytoplankton and working through the food chain to larger organisms.”

Frostic hopes that “Plight of the Puffins” will hold equal appeal to environmental activists and film lovers. She’s submitting her work to several film festivals while exploring potential tie-ins with Barbara’s Bakery, Inc. — which donates a percentage of profits from its Puffins brand cereal to conservation groups and other charities — and the National Audubon Society’s Project Puffin. She also is interested in teaching a course on science filmmaking at UMBC.

“This project has been like a dream come true,” Frostic said. “Film is a powerful tool for heightening awareness on issues like this, and for inspiring viewers to take action to protect their home planet.”

5/12/08

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Putting Student Research Center Stage

• Watch the IRC Fellows’ award winning video

UMBC’s Visual Arts Imaging Research Center (IRC) Fellows recently won an animation competition presented by the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra. The Fellows created a video to accompany a five-minute contemporary violin composition, Try to Believe, by Randall Woolf, that was screened during the Orchestraís performances in New York in April.

Over 28 paper, foam core and mixed media sculptures were created to make a dizzying, surreal accompaniment to Woolf’s composition. The 10 Fellows in the Visual Symphony course, taught by Eric Dyer ‘95, assistant professor of visual arts, mixed the concept of the zoetrope – a pre-cinema optical toy – with digital video technology for this form of “live” animation. The visual content loosely follows a modern-day “Alice” through a  dream-like landscape – a narrative that, like Woolf’s music, is a balance between abstraction and the familiar.

“The IRC Fellows ran with this project from the start and they poured an enormous amount of smart creativity and enthusiasm into it,” said Dyer. “They managed to successfully visualize the music of a great contemporary composer while maintaining their own distinct artistic voice. We’re proud of them – the public presentation of their video in New York City is a well-deserved award.”

In addition, the Fellows will perform the animations live at the Baltimore Creative Alliance on May 13. They will be accompanied by violinist Martin Shultz of the Peabody Conservatory.

The Visual Arts Imaging Research Center (IRC) Fellows Program is a unique fellowship designed to recognize, reward and encourage students who have displayed exceptional  talent and skill in art and technology during their first two years as undergraduate art majors. Each semester, students in the program participate in a small specially designed seminar style course that focuses on aspects of emerging technologies, media criticism and related themes. These courses usually serve as electives within the student’s degree requirements. Often, the courses are unique offerings developed exclusively for IRC Fellows. For more information on the program, visit www.irc.umbc.edu/ircfellows/.

5/12/08

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Men’s Lacrosse to Dance Again

The UMBC men’s lacrosse team completed a miraculous comeback and edged Albany, 14-13, to capture the 2008 America East Conference championship. UMBC posted its school Division I record 12th win and has won a school record 11 in a row. They have now reached the NCAA Tournament three straight years for the first time in school history.

“I am so proud of this team and I have been all year long,” Head Coach Don Zimmerman said. “We’ve handled adversity incredibly well and showed what our team is capable of doing.”

The UMBC men’s lacrosse team will open the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships at second-seeded Virginia on Sunday, May 11 at 5 p.m.  Both teams enter the tournament with identical records of 12-3.

Click here for more information on men’s lacrosse.

(updated 5/5/08)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Men’s Lacrosse Advances to Shot at America East Championship, NCAA Bid

Junior attackman Ryan Smith scored 53 seconds into overtime as top-seeded UMBC (ranked 7th nationally in the April 28 USILA poll) survived a major scare from fourth-seeded Binghamton and edged the Bearcats, 6-5, to advance to the America East Conference championship game. The Retrievers will meet second-seeded Albany Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for their third straight title game face-off with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament at stake.

The UMBC men have won 10 straight. The Great Danes advanced with an earlier 12-9 victory over No. 3 Stony Brook. 

The Retrievers are now 3-0 in overtime this season and have won six straight in extra time over the past two seasons. The 11 wins for the 2008 squad ties the 1999 and 2007 squads for most Division I victories by a Retriever team.

Tickets for the championship game are available through the UMBC Retrievers Ticket Center. Individual tickets will be $8 for adults and $2 for youths and America East students.

Read all about the latest game here or the Baltimore Sun coverage here.

(updated 5/2/08)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

On Friday, May 16 UMBC participated in the International Day for Sharing Life Stories, a day celebrated around the world through the sharing of stories in gatherings and virtual environments. UMBC students from classes in Media and Communications, the New Media Studio, Modern Languages & Linguistics and the English Language Center presented digital stories they produced this semester. This gathering is was held at Flat Tuesdays (Commons).

Stories from MLL, ELC and MCS students as well as stories from CCBC's Katrina writing project were shown. RL-TV and the New Media Studio's "Charlestown Digital Stories" project were also highlighted.

This event was sponsored by the Media and Communications Council of Majors, the English Language Center and the New Media Studio. For more information on the International Day for Sharing Life Stories visit: http://internationaldayblog.storycenter.org

Some of the stories presented are available for viewing at http://youtube.com/umbcmcs .

Men’s Lacrosse on a Roll, Ready to Host AEC Championship

The men’s lacrosse team (ranked 5th in the country in the April 21, 2008 USILA poll) won its school-record ninth straight game with a hard-fought 8-6 victory at Vermont on Saturday. The Retrievers are now focused on hosting this weekend’s America East Championships. UMBC will face fourth-seeded Binghamton on Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m.

The Retrievers finished regular season play with a record of 10-3 overall while going undefeated in the America East at 5-0. This is UMBC’s third consecutive 10-win season, also a school record.

The nine consecutive wins sets a new UMBC Division I record, breaking the previous record winning streak of eight games set in 1999.

Fans can purchase tickets online and see the full pairings for this weekend’s America East Conference tournament here.

Tickets for the tournament are on sale now and available through the UMBC Retrievers Ticket Center. All-session passes for adults will be $15, while all-session tickets for youths 14 and under and America East students with a valid ID will be sold for $4. Individual tickets will be $8 for adults and $2 for youths and America East students.

Read more about the latest game here.

Read Baltimore Sun coverage here.

(update 4/28/08)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Student Receives Competitive Scholarship

Junior Alex Pyles, the new editor-in-chief of The Retriever Weekly, is extending UMBC’s recent run of NCAA prominence. As Pyles continues to land prestigious internship opportunities in sports journalism, the NCAA recently offered him a 2008-2009 Freedom Forum/NCAA Sports Journalism Scholarship Award.

This selective scholarship is a $3,000 award to a student who has an interest in sports journalism as a profession. 

During the summer, Pyles will intern with the sports department of the Wilmington (Del.) News-Journal as one of eight students who received the Maryland, Delaware D.C. Press Association’s Reese Cleghorn Internship. He was selected from a group of 37 finalists.

“UMBC should be especially proud of Alex Pyles because the competition for these internships and awards is ferocious. Alex is up against the largest journalism schools in the country. This is not an easy thing to do,” said Christopher Corbett, professor of the practice in the Department of English. A veteran award winning journalist, Corbett serves as faculty advisor to the Retriever.

Although some sports reporting opportunities have surfaced in the blogosphere, jobs in sports journalism remain scarce and the competition for them is intense.

“It certainly is a confidence-booster, and makes me feel like I can make a name for myself in this business,” said Pyles.

Pyles’ journalism experience includes three internships with the Baltimore Sun, freelance work for the college sports Web site www.cstv.com and his earlier role as the Retriever sports editor.

The unprecedented exposure borne out of the UMBC men’s basketball team’s first appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament brought things full-cycle for Pyles. Just days removed from receiving his NCAA scholarship, Pyles was a live guest on a prominent national sports-radio talk show, carried on Fox Sports Radio via its network of 290 affiliates in the U.S. and Canada. He was the last of a group of national journalists asked to educate listeners about the academic hallmarks and locations of the respective universities they were covering at the Big Dance.

(4/28/08)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Putting Student Research Center Stage

The mysteries of autism. The art of animation. A chronicle of a blue-collar Baltimore neighborhood. The potential of rattlesnake venom as a drug delivery system.

These are just a few of the topics to be found at two upcoming campus events that put UMBC students’ intellectual curiosity and artistic creativity front and center.

The 12th annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) will be held Wednesday, April 23, followed by the 30th annual Graduate Research Conference (GRC) on Friday, April 25. Both events are extraordinary opportunities to discover original research and to enjoy free arts performances and exhibits.

Led by the Office of Undergraduate Education, URCAD gives students valuable experience preparing for graduate school or future careers, and in many cases, competitive grants of up to $1,500 over an academic year to support selected work. Over 130 student participants are expected at this yearís event.

“URCAD allows students and faculty from all departments to benefit from the research, scholarship and creative work of our undergraduate students,” said Teresa Viancour, associate vice provost for undergraduate education. “URCAD presenters have made the transition from ‘student’ to ‘young professional.’ They are engaged in the creation of new knowledge and the sharing of that knowledge with their colleagues. The scope and importance of their work marks them as contributors to their fields of study.î

The GRC is a partnership between UMBC and University of Maryland, Baltimore and is sponsored by UMBC’s Graduate Student Association (GSA). Through its mentorship, support, outreach, social life and advocacy efforts, the GSA serves the more than 2,300 graduate students on campus. This year’s GRC keynote speaker is Diane Auer-Jones ’88, assistant secretary for postsecondary education with the U.S. Department of Education. Over 80 UMBC and UMB graduate students are scheduled to present at the GRC.

“The GRC is an important opportunity to present research results in an interdisciplinary setting to peers, faculty members, the University of Maryland community at large and the public,” said Archana Ambike, the GSA’s graduate research chair.

“The GRC demonstrates what UMBC is all about: outstanding research within a dynamic, supportive, community,” said Jessy Warner-Cohen, president of the GSA. “The conference tops off an outstanding year for the GSA.”

Selected highlights of 2008 URCAD and GRC presentations and performances include:

• Andrej Bevec, a senior visual arts major, will screen his short animated film “Morning,” which blends a pen-and-ink animation style, three-dimensional backgrounds and elements of silent film to tell a complex story.
• Senior history major Sarah Blusiewicz will examine the impact of deindustrialization and the decline of Baltimoreís steel industry on her hometown.
• Biological sciences Ph.D. candidate Ananth Bommakanti’s work looks at what ribosome formation in yeast can tell us about how normal human cells become cancerous.
• Public policy doctoral student Frances Carter (’07 M.S., physics) is using UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholarship program as a rich data set as she explores how enhancing undergraduate research experiences could help to increase the number of scientists and engineers produced at UMBC and across the U.S.
• Pei-Chun Chen, a senior majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, is exploring how crotamine, a South American rattlesnake venom protein, could have potential for anti-cancer and gene therapy drugs.
• Senior modern languages and linguistics major Christianna Stavroudis is studying how a social skills curriculum could improve how people with autism learn to communicate. Stavroudis recently was accepted into the prestigious Erasmus Mundus master’s program in clinical linguistics, which will fully fund her graduate studies at three European Union universities.

URCAD will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the University Center and Fine Arts Building. A morning session will be devoted to dance and music presentations and an afternoon session will focus on film and video. For more information, visit the URCAD Web site.

The 2008 Graduate Research Conference will be held on Friday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University Center. For more information, please visit the GSA’s Web site.

(4/21/2008)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �