There isn’t an NCAA in Estonia. No college recruiters or flashy promoters. So back in 2011, rising UMBC senior Lauri Käi had to get onto the radar of UMBC men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach Chad Cradock ’97, psychology, the old fashioned way: grit, determination, and some timely word of mouth from other Estonians – including Herol Marjak ’13, history, and Johan Rohtla ’14, biochemistry – who have swum competitively at UMBC.

Flash forward three years. Käi is one of the top performers on UMBC’s successful swimming and diving teams, chalking up individual achievements and helping the university’s 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams finish at the top of the America East Conference.

And like many UMBC student-athletes, Käi has been just as successful in the classroom, double majoring in political science and philosophy with minors in international affairs and legal policy.

UMBC was a very different experience from higher education in Estonia. “It seemed really big!” Käi observes. “Universities back home are just buildings that are spread out around the city, but there’s no actual campus.”

Käi hopes to attend law school in the United States after graduation and plans to enjoy his last year of competitive swimming for UMBC.

Cradock observes that “it has been great to watch [Käi] grow as a person. He’s someone that supports his teammates, cares a lot for the sport, and is invested in the betterment of himself. I know when he gets into the real world, whatever he does, he’s going to be extremely successful.”

— Katharine Scrivener

Read more from the UMBC Magazine!

Semester Academic Honors – 3.5
Danae Bell
Daniel Goodrich
Sharde Hoff
Kelsey Hughes
Kayla Lilly
Stephanie Musselman
Maciej Naszkiewicz
Paul Vanik
Hao Wang
Charra Wudtee

Dean’s List – 3.75
Meagan Bennaman
Brendan Berger
Julianna Brightman
Annette Cappellino
Vivian Chioma *
Wyatt Griffith
Mary Hester *
Madhu Karamsetty
Melanie Keys
Sarah Miller
Shannon Mulcahy
Jack Neumeier
Joyce Ohiri *
Jessey Ortiz
Shyam Patel *
Alyson Stetyick

President’s List – 4.0
Caitlin Box
Emily Eaglin
Nimasha Fernando
Nicole Fiore
Adam Freitag
Samantha Hawkins *
Chana Honick
Maniraj Jeyaraju
Yoo-Jin Kang
Rachel Kelly *
Joseph Kennedy *
Randy Kimery *
Charles Lechner
Himadri Patel
Rosa Rada
Sophia Venero

Street to Stream

New environmental research challenges how municipalities think about development.

Clarksburg, Maryland is a small, unincorporated area in northern Montgomery County. Last spring, the Montgomery County Council made the decision to limit new development in Clarksburg�s Ten Mile Creek watershed, a tributary to Little Seneca Creek. The reason: Despite state-of-the-art efforts to control stormwater in previous developments, concern remains about the water quality impacts of additional hard surfaces such as roofs, parking lots and roads that prevent water from seeping into the ground, increasing surface runoff. The question is: will limiting such surfaces (referred to as impervious surfaces by scientists) be enough to protect the Ten Mile Creek and others like it?

�Probably not,� says Matthew Baker, an associate professor of geography and environmental systems at UMBC. Impervious surfaces are a useful index of the transformation caused by urban development, but they are not the only reason development creates problems in streams and estuaries. �One of the dangers of focusing on impervious surfaces is that it leads to the presumption that these kinds of surfaces are the only problem. Fortunately, the County has mandated additional protections in Clarksburg.�

Baker and Andrew Miller, a professor of geography and environmental systems at UMBC, recently co-authored a study with UMBC master�s student Dan Jones, Taylor Jarnagin of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Dianna Hogan of the U.S. Geological Survey. They analyzed detailed maps showing the shape of the land surface. These maps were developed from repeated aerial LiDAR (light detection and ranging) flights and captured terrain modifications during development in several tributary watersheds of Little Seneca Creek. Using these measurements, the researchers were able to assess how moving large amounts of earth might alter the way water travels to streams.

Jones and his co-authors found that earth movement during construction led to the creation of small ridges and swales where there had previously been none, as well as removal of existing hills and valleys. These modifications altered the direction that water flows across the land surface, moved or lengthened stream channels and subsequently shortened the distance required for runoff to reach streams.

It�s all about efficiency, says Miller. He explains, �Preparing land for construction typically involves engineering efficient drainage around roads, buildings and other structures, but when we add those modifications up across watersheds, we find they affect not only the way the land looks but how it functions.�

Baker and Miller expect that the terrain modification they describe will deliver more water more rapidly to streams during rainstorms, even without adding impervious surface. In Clarksburg�s special protection areas, Montgomery County has required that developers go to great lengths to capture and store excess stormwater until it can recharge groundwater, but such protections are costly and typically not included in new developments elsewhere.

Scientists from the county, federal agencies and universities are watching closely. �Lessons learned in Clarksburg are essential for helping us better understand how well new mitigation approaches work,� says Baker.

Both scientists and policymakers have called attention to the substantial impacts of impervious surfaces. �What we�re showing is that other aspects of development should also be considered,� Baker explains. �Controlling impervious surface alone may not be sufficient to protect streams of high conservation value.�

In the Ten Mile Creek watershed, Montgomery County faces the classic dilemma of wanting to preserve natural resources while still promoting economic development. Can development here be done in a sustainable way? As it becomes clear that impacts on habitat and living organisms occur for many different reasons, and with even very modest levels of development, that task has become more challenging.

Homepage photo: courtesy Marlayna Demond.

(08/06/2014)

Interested in helping new computing majors transition to UMBC and their majors?

1 Teaching Fellow (aka TA) and 2 Peer Mentor positions are available for fall 2014. The course, CMSC101/IS101Y is for new freshmen computing majors (BTA, CS, CMPE, and IS) that will be taught by Dr. Seaman (IS) and Dr. Martin (CWIT).

Please read the attached job descriptions for more details. Must be a continuing BTA, IS, CS, or CMPE major.

TA Requirements: Juniors with at least a 3.0 GPA are eligible. Must be able to attend the lecture which meets on Tuesday and Thursday 1-2:15. 10 hours/week, $10 per hour.

Peer Mentor Requirements:Sophomores with a 3.0 are eligible for the peer mentor position. Must be able to attend the professional development session Fridays 1-2 pm. 4 hours per week, $9.25 per hour.

To apply send your resume, unofficial UMBC transcript and class schedule to Dr. Susan Martin, susan@umbc.edu by 5 PM, Friday August 8th.

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of former Chancellor of UMBC, Dr. John W. Dorsey. President Freeman Hrabowski addressed the UMBC community regarding his passing:

I know I speak for the entire UMBC community in mourning the death of Dr. John W. Dorsey, the third Chancellor of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, at the age of 78. Chancellor Dorsey died on July 28 at his home in Laurel of respiratory failure.

John was named UMBC’s Chancellor in 1977. He came to UMBC from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he held a number of academic leadership positions during the 1970s, including Vice Chancellor of Administrative Affairs and Acting Chancellor (1974-1975). He served as Chancellor at UMBC until 1986, overseeing nine years in which the university boosted its enrollment and raised its academic profile significantly.

When I heard the news, I thought immediately about his thoughtful and effective approach to leadership. He was always dedicated to advancing the University and spoke to me with such pride about our progress over the years. It’s very clear that UMBC made considerable progress under his strong leadership.

Among Chancellor Dorsey’s key achievements was bringing stability to the University, which experienced a number of growing pains after its founding in 1966. He led a major reorganization of the University’s administration, which paved the way for sustainable growth. UMBC’s enrollment grew steadily over his nine-year tenure and surged past the 6,000 mark in his last year as Chancellor.

His intimate knowledge of Maryland’s university system also allowed UMBC to substantially expand its academic offerings. UMBC added 30 new degree programs during his tenure.

Most important, he always spoke strongly when the University and its mission were threatened. The most memorable example occurred when he took a strong and persuasive stand against a 1981 proposal to convert UMBC into an industrial park. Chancellor Dorsey understood not only that UMBC was a great institution but also that the people of Maryland needed this University. Upon his departure from UMBC in 1986, he worked with John S. Toll, President of the University of Maryland system. Chancellor Dorsey also returned to teaching economics at UMCP and retired from there in 2001.

Chancellor Dorsey is survived by his wife, Jeanne, his daughter and son-in-law, Rachel and Tim Small, and three grandchildren. I encourage you to read the obituary in The Baltimore Sun reflecting on his legacy. Dr. John W. Dorsey will always be a very special part of the history of UMBC.

-Freeman A. Hrabowski, III
President, UMBC