To: The UMBC Community
From: Philip Rous, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Robert Carpenter as Special Assistant to the Provost for Institutional Assessment, effective April 1, 2014. Dr. Carpenter is Professor of Economics and Public Policy and a Faculty Associate at the Maryland Institute of Policy Analysis and Research at UMBC.

As Special Assistant to the Provost, Dr. Carpenter will serve as co-chair of the UMBC Middle States Accreditation Steering Committee and will work collaboratively with the Provost and the Strategic Planning Leadership Group liaisons to coordinate accreditation activities with those of the planning strategy groups. In this capacity, he will survey current institutional assessment practices within academic affairs and will study best practices occurring outside of UMBC, with particular attention to institutions accredited by the Middle States Commission for Higher Education. Working with the Provost and a wide range of constituent groups, Dr. Carpenter will develop and propose plans to incorporate best practices into UMBC decision-making and assessment processes.

Dr. Carpenter completed his Ph.D. in economics at Washington University in 1992 and previously served as assistant professor at Emory University before joining the UMBC community in 1999. He teaches finance, macroeconomics, monetary theory and policy, and banking. The current focus of his research is the performance of minority-owned banks, and the impact of policies enacted to combat the financial crisis. His work has appeared in the economic profession’s leading academic journals, including Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, The Economic Journal, The Journal of Banking and Finance, The Journal of Money Credit and Banking, and The Review of Economics and Statistics. Bob’s policy interests are broad, and he speaks frequently nationally and internationally on US macroeconomic conditions, fiscal and monetary policy, the European sovereign debt crisis, the subprime housing crisis, banking and regulatory policy, and the economic impact of state sponsored gambling. He has consulted for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the National Science Foundation, the Advanced Technology Program, and the Jerome Levy Economics Institute. He is a past president of the UMBC Faculty Senate.

UMBC is fortunate to have someone of Dr. Robert Carpenter’s stature serve in this capacity. Please join me in congratulating and supporting him in this important endeavor.

The Maryland Cybersecurity Roundtable will be launched at an open meeting at the Hotel at Arundel Mills Preserve from 1:30-2:30 on Thursday, May 29. Attend to learn about the Roundtable, hear about the organization’s goals and initiatives and discover ways to get involved. RSVP online by May 27.

The Maryland Cybersecurity Roundtable is a premiere forum for the discussion of cybersecurity challenges and solution development, advancement of cyber-related business innovation and growth, programs, policies, and education within Maryland and the region. The Roundtable is dedicated to creating connections and building relationships among current cyber professionals and businesses and fostering the development of the next generation of cyber thought leaders.

The UMBC Alumni Association is accepting nominations for this year’s Alumni Awards ceremony. Now in its 26th year, this is the premier alumni event designed to recognize and celebrate professional and personal achievements and service to the university. Four different types of awards are given: Outstanding Alumnus/a of the Year, Distinguished Service, Young Alumni Rising Star and Outstanding Faculty (the latter is a new award category designed to acknowledge extraordinary teaching).

Nominations for this year’s awards will be accepted until May 30, 2014. The awards ceremony will be held during Homecoming on Thursday, October 9, 2014.

If you have any questions, please contact Irina Vishnevetsky ’99, Alumni Awards Chairperson, at alum@umbc.edu or Stanyell Bruce, Director of Alumni Relations, at bruce@umbc.edu or 410-455-2632.

Learn more and nominate an alum and/or faculty member.