UMBC's Student Social Work Association Receives Award for Outstanding Student Organization

The Office of Student and Academic Services (SAS) at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) celebrated more than 170 outstanding student leaders at USG during the second annual Student Leadership Luncheon on April 25th. Student leadership was celebrated across five categories: orientation leaders, student ambassadors, Guided Study Sessions (GSS) leaders, writing fellows, and student clubs & organizations.

Students were recognized for their continued and exceptional service to fellow students on the USG campus, and the community at large, during the 2011 - 2012 academic year. Forty of the 170 student leaders were involved in more than one role.

During the luncheon, Dr. Stewart Edelstein addressed the audience of more than 100 student leaders, faculty, and staff, emphasizing the important role that the leadership experience plays in student lives at USG. He highlighted the concept of “servant leadership”, a philosophy that focuses on serving others through leadership.

Prof. Judy Streeter, program director for the Hotel and Restaurant Management program with UMES, was recognized with an award for outstanding support of USG student leaders, honoring her many efforts in creating leadership opportunities for her students on campus as well as with various community partners.

In each of the five leadership categories, one individual student or student group received an award for outstanding service:

Merab Okeyo, a graduating senior with the University of Baltimore, School of Nursing, received the award for the outstanding GSS leader of the academic year 2011-2012. GSS leaders are seniors or 2nd semester juniors who facilitate guided study sessions every week for pre-selected courses. Having been successful in the class themselves, these leaders create a collaborative learning environment and stress not just what to learn, but how to learn it. Merab has served as a GSS leader since her 2nd junior year for three different courses in the nursing curriculum and has stepped in whenever needed to assist another student with any nursing related questions.

Charles Bolton, a graduating senior with the Biological Sciences program, University of Maryland, College Park, was selected as the outstanding student ambassador. Student ambassadors represent their home institution and USG at recruiting events such as open houses, give tours to campus visitors and prospective students, and serve as the face of USG on various other occasions. Among the 20 ambassadors, Charles stood out because of his high level of professionalism, his flexibility, and his superb communication skills.

Nicole “Niki” Brush, a graduating senior with the Psychology program, UMBC, received the award for the outstanding writing fellow. Writing fellows are trained undergraduate peer writing tutors who work with students in discipline specific, writing-intensive courses and provide feedback on the structure and content of paper drafts. Niki has been a member of the planning group for a collaborative project with Montgomery College that focused on understanding the transition experience of transfer students in the area of writing in the disciplines since summer 2011. She has recruited many of her peers as writing fellows for the program in addition to being a fellow herself.

Carla Gott, a graduating senior with the Social Work program, UMBC, was selected as the outstanding orientation leader for the 2011-2012 academic year. Orientation leaders play an important role in supporting new students at USG in their transition to the new environment. Carla has always been willing to help out, has welcomed new students with great energy, and has encouraged them to get involved on campus. She is also a member of the Student Event Board and the Social Work Student Association and has been a writing fellow for two different writing-intensive classes at USG.

The Social Work Student Association (SWSA), UMBC, was selected as the outstanding student club & organization of the year out of 29 active students club and organization at USG. SWSA aims to promote interest in social work and social issues and has organized numerous service opportunities to benefit local communities, social work students, and the USG community.

In addition, all eight voting members of the USG Student Council were recognized for their tireless and continued work on behalf of all students at USG. The Student Council serves as a student advocacy and advisory group and identifies and engages in activities that enhance the student experience and are supportive of the USG community at large.

The celebration was catered by students in the Hotel and Restaurant Management program with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).

UMBC senior midfielder [Milo Kapor](http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/msoccer/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=5597) ’13, chemistry and health administration policy, was named America East Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for games ending September 23, 2012. Kapor and the Retrievers (4-2-2) welcome La Salle (5-2-0) to Retriever Soccer Park on Tuesday, September 25, at 7 p.m.

Kapor factored in all four UMBC goals last week, scoring once and adding three assists, to earn the honor for the first time in his career. The senior midfielder, whose eight assists are tied for the most in the country, set up both scores in the Retrievers’ 2-0 win over Loyola on Wednesday. He then had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over George Washington on Saturday, converting a penalty kick in the 15th minute, then setting up [Jordan Becker’s](http://sports/msoccer/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=5614) game-winning score just three minutes later.

Kapor, who was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week, has contributed to all 10 of UMBC’s goals this season (2G, 8A). He has moved into a tie for tenth place on UMBC’s all-time assist list with 18.

Jim Thomas, part time instructor of philosophy, has been named one of the top ten university professors in the country by the website RateMyProfessors.com.

RateMyProfessors.com is the largest online destination for professor ratings. Over 4 million college students use RateMyProfessors.com each month.

Thomas is regularly included in the site’s top ranks. Several years ago, he was the subject of a Baltimore Sun profile about his popularity on the site.

UMBC Faculty will be appearing at the Baltimore book festival this weekend.

On Friday, September 28 at 7 p.m., Craig Sapier, chair of the language, literacy, and culture program, will be part of a panel at the Radical Pavillion, where he will discuss the piece he contributed to the new collection of essays exploring the structure and strategy of the Occupy movement being published by Baltimore’s AK Press.

From noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30, “Illuminating Childhood,” by Ellen Handler Spitz, honors college professor of visual arts, will be featured in the Authors’ Tent.  Spitz will be present to answer questions about the book.

More information about the Baltimore Book Festival can be found here.

There's nothing like the energy of hundreds of young sustainability advocates gathered in one spot. The enthusiasm is palpable, the conversations full of momentum, and the resulting collaborations carry the power of change. AASHE is inspired year after year by the students who attend our conferences. This year, we hope to attract more than ever. With this in mind, here is a snapshot of what students can expect at AASHE 2012:

"I just wanted to say that I loved the conference, and feel fundamentally changed for the better because of it."
-- AASHE 2011 student attendee

• AASHE 2012 Student Summit
  One of the largest gatherings of sustainability student scholars in North America, this year's day-long summit will feature peer-to-peer presentations, workshops and activities designed to enable students to bring sustainability initiatives back to their campuses. From sharing best practices to learning innovative new tactics, this summit attracts sustainability novices and die-hards alike.

• Student Summit Keynote Speaker Billy Parish
  Named a "Climate Hero" by Rolling Stone Magazine and one of Utne Reader's “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World,” Billy Parish will share his experience of dropping out of Yale University to start the Energy Action Coalition. Now one of the largest youth advocacy organizations in the world working on the climate crisis, the coalition is comprised of 50 youth-led environmental and social justice organizations.

Parish is also co-founder and president of Solar Mosaic, a solar investment marketplace, and co-author of Making Good: Finding Meaning, Money & Community in a Changing World.

• Discounted Hotel Option
  We realize that students are on a budget! Within walking distance of the Los Angeles Convention Center, the student hotel is $99. Faculty members who are coordinating travel arrangements for students, or planning to attend with a group of students, are able to stay at this hotel too.

• L. Hunter Lovins Opening Conference Keynote
  How can we "kickstart capitalism to save our economic ass"? During her "Innovation in Higher Education: Leading the Change" keynote, Lovins will outline ways that higher education institutions can take a lead role in creating the next generation of thought leaders by including sustainability as part of their campus management programs, curriculum and offerings.

• Tree Campus USA Community Service Event
  Join community volunteers and local college students for a day of planting trees at the Los Angeles Valley College campus. Besides getting your hands dirty for a great cause, you'll meet lots of conference attendees and get a tour of the college's sustainability initiatives. Volunteers will receive a free Tree Campus USA t-shirt, hat, gloves and boxed dinner.

• Blue Cow Kitchen Dine-Around
  Curious about the sustainable food scene in L.A.? Dine with fellow conference attendees at Blue Cow Kitchen, a New-American restaurant that supports farms, ranches, fisheries and artisans that are guided by the principals of sustainability. $50 per person includes tax, tip and a three-course meal.

Also check out the AASHE's Resources for Students on the AASHE website!

For more information and to register for the conference, visit the AASHE 2012 website. Registration ends October 8.

• Find a campus where they can see themselves working at everyday for the next 20+ years (even if they are not planning to stay that long, the field is always changing and you have to gauge when to make a move to another university, so just in case…)
• Find a department where they have a connection with the other professors (they will be your campus family and you will need them to support your annual reviews, your tenure package, your teaching…)
• Find a university whose mission fits with the way that you see the world; if you want to focus solely on research then look only at R1 universities and if you want to focus on both your teaching and your research – look for places like Loyola.

Earlier this week, I left class, walked across my campus, and realized how much I love being a university professor. I get paid to make an impact on the lives of the next generation; to think deeply about issues that are important to me; and to be engaged in the world around me!

What’s it like adjusting to life as a professor?

For language, literacy and culture Ph.D. grad Karsonya “Kaye” Whitehead ’09, it was just as much about embracing a new sort of teaching — the Jesuit educational traditions upheld by her employer, Loyola University Maryland — as the challenges found in the everyday classroom. A member of Loyola’s full-time communications faculty since 2009, Whitehead was recently interviewed by the university about her experiences so far.

Read the full story here.

Whitehead earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University and her M.A. in international peace studies from the University of Notre Dame. She answered some additional questions about the professor’s life for UMBC’s Alumni Blog.

Q:  As a relatively new Ph.D. grad, what has it been like adjusting to your new work?

A:  One of the things that I enjoyed the most about my doctoral program was working so closely with my dissertation committee. I had both the support and the ear of five very accomplished scholar teachers who were committed to my success. They read every word that I wrote, listened when I felt overwhelmed, cheered for my every accomplishment, and believed in me even during the times when I could not believe in myself. My co-chairs were Drs. Christine Mallison (LLC) and Kriste Lindemeyer (former chair of the History department) and my committee members were Drs. Michele Scott (History), Cristel Temple (former associate professor in Africana Studies) and Debra Newman Ham (History, Morgan State). My biggest adjustment has been adjusting to the fact that I am now the teacher scholar and that I must do for others, what was done for me. I miss my committee and there are days when I miss being the student (who could focus only on myself) rather than the professor (as I must look outward to ensure that my students are learning and growing and are not being left behind).

Q:  What has been your most surprising discovery so far?

A:  I am constantly amazed by how much I enjoy teaching at a Jesuit university. I was first introduced to the Jesuit teachings when I was in graduate school at the University of Notre Dame. I was living in the “Peace House,” while I was working on my masters in international peace studies (fourteen graduate students in the peace program—students were from all around the world with no more than two from one country—were selected every year to live in the peace house and to actively work on building and maintaining a peaceful community. It was a yearlong commitment and it forced us to listen to one another and to bear one another’s burden. We had a white and a black student from South Africa, a student whose mom was Jewish and her father was Palestinian, students from China, Korea, Vietnam, Russia…) and someone mentioned that the Jesuits were committed to promoting peace when peace was an option and protesting when it wasn’t. I had never really heard of the Jesuits but I was familiar with protest and resistance and I was interested in hearing more about this group that did both and that did them in the name of love.

Since arriving at Loyola, I have immersed myself in the culture. I have gone on an Ignatian Pilgrimage, visiting all of the places in Spain and Rome where St. Ignatius developed the Jesuit teachings; I have participated in an Ignatian pedagogy class, where I learned how to infuse Jesuit teachings into my classroom; I have attended the Collegium program, a week-long retreat for faculty members from Jesuit and Catholic universities; and I have worked with a Jesuit priest to learn about the Examen process of daily meditative reflection and discernment. I enjoy being at a place where we take seriously the idea of cura personalis – the care of the entire student. We are concerned about them as people and we want them to think seriously about what they have to offer the world and how they can make a difference in whatever field they choose to enter.

Q:  And what advice might you give to current UMBC students looking to begin careers as professors?

A:  I am going into my fourth year and what I value the most about my colleagues is the feeling of collegiality and community. Loyola is a good fit for me and for my family. I like the way the school values both teaching and scholarship. For students that are considering becoming a university professor, I would advise them:

• Find a campus where they can see themselves working at everyday for the next 20+ years (even if they are not planning to stay that long, the field is always changing and you have to gauge when to make a move to another university, so just in case…)
• Find a department where they have a connection with the other professors (they will be your campus family and you will need them to support your annual reviews, your tenure package, your teaching…)
• Find a university whose mission fits with the way that you see the world; if you want to focus solely on research then look only at R1 universities and if you want to focus on both your teaching and your research – look for places like Loyola.

Earlier this week, I left class, walked across my campus, and realized how much I love being a university professor. I get paid to make an impact on the lives of the next generation; to think deeply about issues that are important to me; and to be engaged in the world around me!