UMBC has again been named one of America’s “Great Colleges to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

“We are a ‘Great College’ because of the people here,” says President Freeman Hrabowski. “This honor yet again affirms what we all know: UMBC is a place that supports people, values collaboration, and fosters trust, respect, and enthusiasm for educating our students.”

An annual survey by The Chronicle asks faculty and staff at institutions across the country to rank their workplaces on a host of factors. More than 500 UMBC alumni currently work for their alma mater in staff, faculty, graduate assistant, part-time and other positions.

UMBC has made the list of “Great Colleges” for three years running. This year, it landed on the survey’s “Honor Roll” because it was ranked highly in seven categories:

• Collaborative governance
• Professional and career development
• Work/life balance
• Confidence in senior leadership
• Supervisor/department chair relationship
• Respect and appreciation
• Tenure clarity and process

You can read more on The Chronicle’s website. Congratulations to all our faculty, staff, alumni, and students – you truly make UMBC a great place to work!

Photo Courtesy bioparks.aurp.net

A year ago, Northrop Grumman partnered with bwtech@UMBC to form the Cync program with the goal of “identifying, developing, and commercializing technologies that will meet the cybersecurity needs of the DOD, DHS, DOJ and Intelligence communities,”says the website. Since then, the program has supported five technology startups—AccelerEyes, Five Directions, KoolSpan, Oculis Labs, and Rogue Networks—by providing them with office and laboratory space in UMBC’s research park, business mentorship, and access to the incubator’s resources.

According to a press release, the Cync companies are thriving, and two have earned Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Fast Track awards. Interest in the program—which seeks out companies that focus on situational awareness/visualization, sensors, processing, workflow management, and modeling simulation–is growing. Throughout the country, there are over 100 additional companies interested in participating.

Dr. Freeman Hrabowski spoke about the benefits of the program:

“This university-industry partnership is helping companies develop solutions to guard against current and future cyber threats, and it’s bringing some of the best minds in cybersecurity to our campus,” said Freeman Hrabowski, president of UMBC. “The companies provide educational and internship opportunities for our students while also contributing to the strength of Maryland’s economy.”

Chris Valentino, director, contract research and development, Cyber Intelligence division, Northrop Grumman Information Systems says the company has plans to extend the program on a global level.

To learn more about the Cync program, visit the program's website.
 

Labor We Love

UMBC is a major research university, but one of its successes is that it still retains the personal touch of a much smaller institution. 

One reason that UMBC has managed to be so welcoming is the university’s dedicated faculty and staff – many of whom go the extra mile to ensure students success, create environments for exceptional teaching and research, or keep the campus looking attractive and inviting.

That UMBC’s faculty and staff enjoy their work is also part of this reputation. The Chronicle of Higher Education confirms that in its 2012 survey of “Great Colleges to Work For.” UMBC was again named to the “Honor Roll” in the Chronicle’s annual survey because its own faculty and staff ranked it highly in seven of the 12 areas canvassed by the newspaper.

 “We are a ‘Great College’ because of the people here,” says President Freeman Hrabowski. “This honor yet again affirms what we all know: UMBC is a place that supports people, values collaboration, and fosters trust, respect, and enthusiasm for educating our students.”

UMBC’s faculty and staff said the university was particularly strong when it came to:

• Collaborative governance
• Professional and career development
• Work/life balance
• Confidence in senior leadership
• Supervisor/department chair relationship
• Respect and appreciation
• Tenure clarity and process

“The upper administration understands that working with the faculty is an effective way to move the university forward,” says Tim Topoleski, a professor of mechanical engineering and former president of the Faculty Senate. “Because the faculty are directly involved with UMBC’s primary mission, listening to their ideas – everything from increasing campus efficiency to innovative ways to deliver the curriculum – is hugely beneficial to the university.”

Staff, too, are encouraged to play a major role in moving UMBC forward. Carrie Sauter, an assistant director in the interdisciplinary studies program and president of the Professional staff Senate, says she’s thrilled to help shape the university she graduated from.

“I feel so lucky to be able to return to the campus that provided so much to me as a student, and to serve in a role that helps students to achieve their goals,” Sauter says.

Terry Aylsworth, executive administrative assistant in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and president of the Non-exempt, Excluded Staff Senate, draws energy from her co-workers and especially the students.
“I have always felt that it was a privilege to work at UMBC, and after 16 years, I still feel the same,” she says. “I have had wonderful, brilliant bosses and smart and generous co-workers.  I still get a thrill walking across campus and feeling the energy radiating from the students.”

To read the full survey results, visit The Chronicle.

(8/6/12)

Ephesians 4:17-21 (NIV)

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.

Reflection:

It’s only when light shines that we can see things clearly. Paul shines the light of the gospel upon us so that we can clearly see who we are. The difference between the unbeliever and the one who believes becomes like night and day. We are no longer living apart from God but we can know Him and actually live a life in Christ! It’s about that new “DNA” that has changed every part and every fiber of our beings.

Responding to the Transmission:

Everyday we’re faced with situations that can blur our identities as Christians and make us forget how we’re called to live. But as we come to the Word again, we see the privilege we have as Christians to know and be with God, to live according to Christ, and how lost others are without Christ. Let’s receive this truth about who we are once again. As we put on this 20/20 vision again, let’s also pray for those who are still living in the dark and murky waters apart from God - may the light of the gospel shine on them!

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) held its 2012 Agency Honor Awards on August 2nd to honor individuals who “have distinguished themselves by making outstanding contributions to the Agency’s mission.” Among those honored was Raymond Hoff, physics, who received the Distinguished Public Service Medal (DPSM) at an awards ceremony held at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The DPSM serves as NASA’s “highest form of recognition that is awarded to any non-Government individual or to an individual who was not a Government employee during the period in which the service was performed, whose distinguished service, ability, or vision has personally contributed to NASA’s advancement of United States’ interests,” according to the agency’s website. Hoff received his medal for Hoff is receiving the medal “for distinguished service and leadership in Earth observations and their application for societal benefit.”

Footage of the entire ceremony can be watched on NASA’s YouTube channel here, with Hoff’s award coming at approximately 30:15.

Alex Onischuk ’07, modern languages and linguistics, was named the director of Texas Tech University’s chess program on July 30th, according to an article in The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

The Ukraine-born grandmaster was captain of UMBC’s chess team during a period in which the team won four consecutive national championships, from 2002 to 2006. Texas Tech’s team are also champions, winning the President’s Cup for the second consecutive year this year.

Onischuk, currently ranked third in the country among chess players, released a statement saying, “I am thrilled to be selected as head coach of the defending national collegiate championship chess team at Texas Tech, and I hope to use my national and international chess experience to help the Texas Tech chess team successfully defend its championship.”

This post originally appeared in UMBC Insights.

Alex Onischuk ’07, modern languages and linguistics, was named the director of Texas Tech University’s chess program on July 30, according to an article in The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

The Ukraine-born grandmaster was captain of UMBC’s chess team, during a period in which the team won four consecutive national championships from 2002 to 2006. Texas Tech’s team are also champions, winning the President’s Cup for the second consecutive year this year.

Onischuk, currently ranked third in the country among chess players, released a statement saying, ““I am thrilled to be selected as head coach of the defending national collegiate championship chess team at Texas Tech, and I hope to use my national and international chess experience to help the Texas Tech chess team successfully defend its championship.”

Hi All,

We are checking in with you at this time to see how things are going.  Please feel free to use the discussion board as a member of this group to connect with each other.  We will be getting an update soon on which apartment complexes on the Shuttle Route still have vacancies.  Stay tuned for updates.  Let us know if we can provide any assistance as you continue your work to secure a rental close to campus.

Best Wishes,

Jes Lassiter & Jackie Wilson

Residential Life

NASA and UMBC issued a joint press release August 2nd announcing the first measurement-based estimate of the amount and composition of tiny airborne particles that arrive in the air over North America each year. Co-authored by Lorraine Remer, senior research scientist and Tianle Yuan, research associate in the climate and radiation laboratory of UMBC’s Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), along with NASA and University of Maryland, College park scientists the study determined that it was dust and not pollution which constituted the main ingredient in small airborne particles which arrive in the air over North America every year.

The results published in Science Magazine showed that 64 million tons of dust and other particles with the potential to effect climate and human health survive their trans-ocean journeys to North America, a figure which parallels the estimated 69 million tons of aerosols produced domestically from natural processes, transportation and industrial sources.

Speaking on how this imported dust particles account for a third of the reduction in solar radiation over North America, Remer said that “[g]lobally this can mask some of the warming we expect from greenhouse gases.”

Furthermore, Remer noted that climate change resulting from greenhouse gases could greatly increase dust’s influence in the future, saying, “[d]esertification and reclamation, [and] the land use modifications that change the exposure of dusty soils to wind erosion, are going to have a big impact on particle distribution and climate around the planet.”