Maryland’s own Towson University is in the heat of the national spotlight.

TU’s claim to fame (or shame) is the  attempt by one undergraduate to launch a White Student Union organization on campus.

A senior studying U.S. History at Towson, founder Matthews Heimbach explained to the university’s newspaper, The Towerlight, that the Union would:

…replicate what every student union does on campus…you have a Black Student Union who promotes black heroes; we want to do the same thing.

He also argued that the organization would serve as:

a safe space for members who have filed hate/bias reports and who have had anti-white language used against them.

With the exception of having a faculty adviser, the club has met all of the requirements to be formally recognized as a legitimate student organization by the Student Government Association. However, it has met with a great deal of contention, though apparently this is nothing terribly new for Heimbach.

He once started an anti-multiculturalism, right-wing group at Towson that eventually lost recognition with the resignation of its adviser. However, Heimbach is attempting to reach out to a broader audience with the White Student Union, insisting that the organization is open to everyone.

In a video interview with the Huffington Post, he stated: “if you’re fighting for white interest, and you’re fighting to advance my culture, that’s fine. Join.”

Some argue that the Union should be allowed as a club on campus, but, as Towson’s Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs for Diversity Victor Collins puts it:

In my observation in American society and history, I don’t know if white students have been discriminated against or denied access to intuitions. This is a predominantly white institution. I don’t understand why they have to [form.]

Others, rather ironically, reacted to what they viewed as racism in a rather racist manner. Said one black student during a forum on the matter:

What is white history? What is white culture? Because if you look back over history, nothing positive has come out of white history or white culture, because you’ve done nothing good.

Apparently this individual is not terribly familiar with history.

Regardless of some of the misguided responses to this contentious issue, there were some students who expressed their concerns more tactfully. For instance, one white student said that he was initially excited about the prospect of a White Student Union, but he came to realize that its intentions were not as he had anticipated, stating: ”I feel like this is for all the wrong reasons.” 

What’s your view on the matter?

If other ethnic groups are allowed to organize on university campuses, then should it naturally follow that white individuals be allowed to organize for the same purposes as well? Or should the idea of separating into different groups based on ethnicity be discouraged altogether to promote true equality in America? 

Perhaps you’re somewhere in between the two extremes, depending on the circumstances. After all, there are very few issues that can really be viewed in plain black and white.

Over the weekend Felix Baumgartner broke all kinds of records with his free fall from the edges of outer space. Most impressive was how Felix broke the sound barrier with his own body. 

After flying to an altitude of 39,045 meters (128,100 feet) in a helium-filled balloon, Felix Baumgartner completed Sunday morning a record breaking jump for the ages from the edge of space, exactly 65 years after Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier flying in an experimental rocket-powered airplane. The 43-year-old Austrian skydiving expert also broke two other world records (highest freefall, highest manned balloon flight), leaving the one for the longest freefall to project mentor Col. Joe Kittinger.

The Redbull sponsored mission was designed to gather data about the extreme conditions on the outer limits of our world. A video of the jump can be found here. 

Truly cool stuff. This has been a great year for space geeks. What do you think is the next great stunt?

Contact: Ben Souder

Email: bensouder@targetgov.com

Phone: 410-772-3914

TargetGov and bwtech@UMBC are Teaming Up to Create the Government Contracting Institute

bwtech@UMBC and TargetGov are working together to bring early-stage companies the Government Contracting Institute, a series of courses aimed at helping businesses learn about the federal government marketplace.

October 15, 2012 – Baltimore, Maryland – Today, TargetGov and the bwtech@UMBC Research Park announce a plan to team up and produce a series of courses geared towards early-stage companies to help them learn more about the federal marketplace. The courses will take place at bwtech@UMBC.

Courses offered will include: Federal Contracting Gap Analysis, Market Identification Strategies and Tactics, Illuminating the Federal Sales Process, Marketing to Win Government Contracts, Navigating the GSA Schedule System, Proposal Writing Tools for Success, Fundamental Contract & Project Management, Essential Accounting Components, Clarifying Legal Requirements, Demystifying Security Clearances, Merits and Qualifications of  Socioeconomic Certifications and more. TargetGov president Gloria Larkin will coordinate instructor selection.

This partnership uniquely positions bwtech@UMBC and TargetGov to offer this kind of training  in the State of Maryland.

“Government contracting is a multi-billion dollar market and the fact that bwtech@UMBC Research & Technology Park is partnering with TargetGov on the Government Contracting Institute is testimony to their vision of supporting business incubation, acceleration and growth,” says Gloria Larkin.

Space for the courses will be limited to ensure an optimal learning environment. While companies in the park are encouraged to participate, companies outside the park are welcome as well. Forthcoming information will be posted on the TargetGov and bwtech@UMBC web sites.

“One of the important parts of this program,” says Ellen Hemmerly, president and executive director of bwtech@UMBC, “is that it will help early-stage companies learn how to expand their customer base into the government sector.”

“Being admitted to the bid process can take months or years,” says Vic Hess, entrepreneur in residence at bwtech@UMBC. “In today’s highly competitive environment, businesses must plan an acceleration strategy to rise above the pack.” And helping early-stage companies plan this strategy is just what this partnership aims to do.

About TargetGov:

TargetGov provides national support with expertise in federal government procurement related business development and marketing services including minority certification services, contract development (GSA Schedules, BPAs, IDIQs, GWACs, etc.), business development, proposal management and development, contract administration and expert federal contracting services. Gloria Berthold Larkin has been recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal and TheStreet.com, and she is the author of “The Basic Guide to Government Contracting” and "The Veterans Business Guide: How to Build a Successful Government Contracting Business." Visit http://www.TargetGov.com or call 443-543-5067 for more information.

About bwtech@UMBC: 

bwtech@UMBC, www.bwtechumbc.com is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the Life Science and Technology, Clean Energy, and Cyber Incubators, home to over 100 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a capacity of 525,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech@UMBC’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million. 

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Below is a link from the University of Michigan that explains this process and the impacts to federal spending.

Welcome to the 2013 Academic Year. We have a lot to celebrate in our department. We welcome two new Assistant Professors: Nilanjan Banerjee and Jian Chen, and new Lecturer John Park. Dr. Banerjee directs UMBC’s new Mobile, Pervasive, and Sensor Systems Laboratory, which will carry out research that focuses on renewable energy driven devices. Dr. Chen specializes in visualization techniques that help scientists make better sense of their data. John Park has extensive indsutry experience in areas including operating systems, real-time control systems, artificial intelligence/machine learning, digital imaging and graphics, and bioinformatics. This Fall he will teach CMSC 104 and 201.

We will have a very busy recruiting season this year. We are searching for two lecturers in Computer Science and a third lecturer/Professor of Practice in Computer Science with expertise in CyberSecurity.

Our research efforts continue to remain strong and our expenditures were approximately at the $5 million level for last fiscal year. Our awards starting January 1, 2012 to date exceed $5.5 million! CSEE Professor Dr. Alan Sherman (PI) and Dr. Rick Forno (Co-PI), Graduate Program Director, Cybersecurity have received an NSF grant of $2.5 million over five years to fund 22 students studying Information Assurance (IA) and Cybersecurity. The scholarships are part of the Federal Cyber Scholarship for Service (SFS) program. UMBC CSEE Professor Penny Rheingans received an NSF research award, Transforming the Freshman Experience of Computing Majors, to develop and evaluate an innovative first-year seminar for computing majors aimed at increasing retention, completion, and success among students, especially women and those from underrepresented groups. Dr. Rheingans will serve as the principal investiga-tor for this three year project, which will also include Drs. Marie desJardins (CSEE), Carolyn Seaman (IS), and Susan Martin (CWIT).

Both the Computer Engineering and Computer Science undergraduate programs were successful in their ABET accreditation. Have a great Fall semester. Keep up to date by visiting www.csee.umbc.edu

-Gary

CWIT Director and CSEE professor Penny Rheingans was interviewed by Sheila Kast on today's Maryland Morning show on WYPR as part of a segment on Ada Lovelace Day (October 16). You can listen to the WYPR interview here.

Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer in the mid nineteenth century. She is considered the "first computer programmer" because she was the first person to develop an algorithm intended to be executed by a machine. Ada Lovelace Day is about "sharing stories of women — whether engineers, scientists, technologists or mathematicians — who have inspired you to become who you are today. The aim is to create new role models for girls and women in these male-dominated fields by raising the profile of other women in STEM."