The roar of the crowd. The squeak of sneakers on the court. The swish of the basket. These sounds – and the exciting atmosphere surrounding them – are just one part of what keeps UMBC basketball season ticket holders coming back game after game.

Just feet away, you have a different kind of excitement coming from a particularly dedicated brand of black and gold bedecked dawg – the season ticket holder, whose energy is infectious and absolutely vital to the team. As the men head into late season play with wins in nine out of their last ten appearances – including two victories against the University of Vermont, the Catamounts’ first losses of the year – they do so with Retriever Nation loudly cheering them on.

“Our team has been so pleased with the fan support this season in our first full year in the new arena,” says men’s basketball head coach, Ryan Odom. “Our players feed off of our fans’ passion for UMBC and we are hopeful that it will continue to grow in years to come. The Event Center has become the place to be and our team is so thankful for the support.”

Fans have come to know Odom and his coaching style well since he took over the helm in 2016, helping the team secure their spot in history last March. “Coach Odom is such a positive mentor,” says Kathie Jarva, an avid fan and ticket holder since 2002. “We appreciate his approach and demeanor. He makes each game much more pleasing to us these last three years.

The academics-first approach by the program and by the America East have always appealed to Jarva.

“We know that these young people are learning many important life skills while practicing and playing competitively, while balancing their studies and their love of the sport, while winning and while losing.”

James L. Wiggins Esq. ’75, political science, has been attending games since 1971, never losing the love of the sport over the many lean years.

“This season has been most satisfying. With the number of injuries the team has suffered so far this season, I believe that Coach Odom is doing his best coaching since being at UMBC,” says Wiggins. “The team plays an exciting style of basketball. They are well coached and the players puts forth maximum effort each game. You can’t ask for more than that.”

Reflecting on the growth and changes over the years, Wiggins can certainly see a difference.

“Now the energy around the program is off the charts. The sports marketing department is doing one heck of a job keeping alumni informed. You can feel the administration’s commitment, through the athletic department, to provide the teams the resources to be competitive.”

John Lotz has been buying tickets for UMBC basketball for years. One might assume it’s because he’s an alumnus, that he was predisposed to bleed black and gold. However, this Boston University graduate attended his first game on a whim and has been hooked ever since.

“I started going to away games, when UMBC would play at BU in Boston. I realized that I enjoyed seeing UMBC play at other locations, so when I’m able to get out of town I try and go,” says Lotz. He travels to other America East schools and non-conference games up and down the east coast, and has even had the chance to witness some defining moments in Retriever history.

“My favorite moment as a fan was being able to be in Vermont last year to see UMBC beat Vermont for the America East championship. Seeing the team being able to cut down the net was very moving,” recalls Lotz.

Defeating UVM was a pivotal moment that would define the history of UMBC men’s basketball. But what came next for fans was definitely one they would never forget.

Brian Ault ‘80, sociology, was at that history-making game last March. He’s been a season ticket holder for 12 years and traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina for the big dance. He describes the atmosphere in the Spectrum Center as “total euphoria. The mass of UMBC backers was so loud and confident as the game wore on. It was like we collectively willed them to the big victory.”

So what does it mean to be a fan? For Mimi Dietrich ‘70, American studies, “it means connecting with people at the games…old friends, new friends, professors, and sometimes getting a hug from Dr. Hrabowski after the game!”

As one of the first university graduates and an integral member of the Fab Four, Dietrich has truly seen the evolution of UMBC basketball.

“My husband and I have watched games in Gym I, the RAC, and now we love the new Event Center. Growing up, we always played basketball and went to high school games,” says Dietrich. “As a fan, I appreciate all the work that goes into the game plan, and I like understanding the referee calls.”

The Retrievers have now defeated University of Vermont both on the road and at the Event Center. Fans will surely remember the last time UMBC stunned UVM with the March buzzer beater to give the Retrievers the 2017-2018 conference title. With the latest slew of wins, Academic All-American graduate student Joe Sherburne ’18, moves into seventh place on UMBC’s all-time scoring list and the Retrievers are second in the conference.

This article was updated February 22 to reflect UMBC’s latest win against University of Vermont. The Retrievers travel to University of Albany for the next game on February 23.

Header Image: Retriever fans take fashion to new heights. Photo courtesy of Marlayna Demond ‘11.

At midnight on Thursday, February 28, UMBC Giving Day will officially begin, kicking off the university’s second annual 24-hour marathon of giving. The goal: for as many UMBC alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and students as possible to make a gift, supporting UMBC students and projects. UMBC is relying on Retriever Nation to make the 1,000 donor goal a reality.

“Last year was our very first 24-hour giving day—Black and Gold Rush—and it was simply amazing,” says Joanne Meredith, director of annual giving. “The entire UMBC community came together to support scholarships, athletics, campus life, academics… They gave to what mattered most to them.”

Making an impact

For Giving Day 2019, UMBC will shine a spotlight on eighteen funds as key areas for support. The Stay Black and Gold Fund, for example, directly supports students who are facing financial hardship as they seek to finish their degrees. The Retriever Essentials fund supports work to tackle food insecurity in the UMBC community. Donors can also give to other UMBC funds that they choose, beyond the eighteen featured.

“This is a special time for UMBC,” said UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski. “We want you to give to whatever it is that you want to give to—whether it’s academics or athletics, scholarships or Student Affairs.”

President Hrabowski will once again be taking over UMBC’s Twitter account in the midst of the excitement on UMBC Giving Day 2019.

Joining the festivities

In the spirit of the #blackandgoldrush Giving Day theme, all Retrievers are encouraged to wear black and gold on Thursday, February 28. To help support the cause, the UMBC Bookstore is offering 50 percent off all clearance merchandise from February 25 through March 1.

Join in the festivities on Thursday, February 28 by dropping by Giving Day headquarters at Main Street in the Commons, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. There will be games, live performances, prizes, snacks, and more.

The celebration will also be online, where ambassadors are competing to see who can raise the most donors and visibility for Giving Day. Since January, Retrievers have been signing up to serve as social media ambassadors and helping to boost awareness about Giving Day throughout Retriever Nation. On Giving Day, ambassadors will be able to track their progress on a leaderboard, to see who helped generate the most clicks and donations for their UMBC causes. The top individual, department, and student ambassadors will all receive special prizes.

“This is such caring community, full of energy and UMBC pride,” says Greg Simmons, M.P.P. ’04, public policy, and vice president of institutional advancement. “To be successful, Giving Day is definitely an all-hands-on deck effort. We are excited to see how support from UMBC alumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff on Giving Day can extend the reach and impact of the work we do together.”

Wherever you are on Thursday, February 28, you can follow all of the Giving Day 2019 festivities on UMBC’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat (@UMBCLife), and post your own thoughts on why supporting UMBC students is so important using #UMBC and #blackandgoldrush.

Featured Image: Thank-you notes from Giving Day 2018. All photos by Marlaynd Demond ’11 for UMBC.

“At the beginning of the year, our captains chose the theme ‘enjoy it’ to help guide our season and that’s exactly what we did. We got to the championships and we added ‘live it’ and ‘love it,’ and we used that thinking to be the most relaxed and confident team,” says Coach Chad Cradock ’97, psychology. “From the minute the events started, we all rallied around each other to compete at our best.”

Setting new records

Throughout the competition, UMBC swimmers shattered record after record, both individually and as a team. The men’s team racked up an awe-inspiring 1113.5 points, their highest total ever in conference play, and the women finished strong with 894.5.

Danish national champion Alexander Gliese ‘19, mechanical engineering, is no stranger to breaking records. Just last month, Gliese broke Michael Phelps’ 16-year-old NBAC record during the back split of the 400 medley relay. During preliminaries of the 200 back for America East, Gliese set a new UMBC and conference record with a time of 1:42.56 and broke the UMBC and America East record in the 100 back with a time of 47.16. In addition to event wins, Gliese also received the Dave Alexander Coaches’ Award as the senior who accrued the most points over the course of the meet.

“This championship was the most exciting and enjoyable one of my collegiate career,” says Gliese. “Our team went into the season with the end result in mind and it was incredible to see it come to fruition. The team atmosphere this whole year has been incredible and I could not have asked for a better group of people to share this moment with.”

Hania Moro ‘19, economics, earned gold and set a new school record for the 1650 free with a time of 16:39.98. In the 500 free, Moro bested the 14-year-old school record with a time of 4:49.26. Previously, at the Egyptian Nationals, Moro’s 400 free time of 4:18.95 made her the Egyptian National Record Holder. Moro also received the Dave Alexander Coaches’ Award on the women’s side.

“This weekend was unbelievable, every day exceeded my expectations,” says Moro. “The whole team came together to perform so strongly and it was everything I ever wanted and more. I’m so happy to end my college swimming career with these results and next to favorite people.”

America East accolades

The team bus made the trip home from Worcester, Massachusetts, despite being weighed down with so much hardware from the America East. Matt Bennici ‘22, economics, and Luka Zuric ‘22, shared America East’s Most Outstanding Rookie award. Gliese was named Most Outstanding Swimmer and broke the America East 100 and 200 back records. Elijah Wright ‘19, visual arts, took home gold in the 3- and 1-meter dives and was named Most Outstanding Diver of the meet. Connor Ganley ‘19, chemical engineering, was recognized as having the highest GPA among competing student-athletes and was named the America East Elite 18 recipient.

Cradock and his staff were again named the men’s and women’s Coaching Staff of the Year.

“I would like to thank the university and athletic administration for all the support we get to be as successful as we are, and the faculty and staff for challenging our student-athletes to be their best and focus on academics,” says Coach Cradock. “Our staff are so dedicated to our program and I am grateful for all they do. And our alumni laid the foundation, which has allowed us to be our best.”

“To our student-athletes,” Cradock says, “thank you for giving your best every day for the whole Retriever family.”

For more UMBC Swimming and Diving news, see UMBC Athletics.

Banner image: A member of UMBC’s women’s swim team dives in at America East Championships. Photo courtesy of Colleen Humel.

In the decade since she graduated from UMBC, Bethany Meyer ‘08, information systems, has become a rising leader in the online learning field. Meyer, now chief technology officer and co-founder of CourseArc, is also dedicated to identifying and training emerging tech talent for her company. The Maryland Technology Internship Program (MTIP) is helping her move that work forward.

MTIP launched in fall 2018 to increase the number of paid technical internships in the state by providing financial assistance to businesses, as well as state and local agencies, to hire more interns. The goal of the UMBC-based, statewide program is particularly to enable smaller companies to support student interns and retain talent, while giving students a chance to gain experience in technical and creative roles that require science, technology, engineering, and math skills.

Through MTIP, Meyer brought onboard Jessica Hutchinson, a student at Towson University, for a CourseArc internship last fall. “It’s been great having someone on our team who is eager to take on a wide range of tasks,” says Meyer. She notes that Hutchinson has worked on projects ranging from market research and quality assurance, regularly sharing fresh ideas and insights with her team.

Strengthening the pipeline

MTIP made headlines this fall when Technical.ly Baltimore interviewed UMBC’s Christine Routzahn about the program. Routzahn is director of UMBC’s Career Center and the MTIP, which is funded by the State of Maryland and administered by UMBC. She explains that the program is especially beneficial for smaller companies that don’t yet have established internship programs or existing funding to support an intern.

The program is open to current students and recent graduates, who have completed their degree within the past year. To participate, companies must be located in Maryland and must be technology-focused. Through the MTIP, employers can be reimbursed for up to half of an intern’s wages, with a maximum reimbursement of $3000 each year for each intern. Companies also designate a supervisor for each intern, to mentor them throughout the semester.

Career pathways

UMBC’s Sheldon Broedel explains, though his experience, that MTIP is not just a useful tool for companies, but has quickly become “part of our hiring strategy.” Broedel is assistant graduate program director of UMBC’s master’s in biotechnology program, as well as founder and CEO of biotech company Athena. Through MTIP, he was able to hire Stevenson University chemistry major Gavin Burton as an intern at Athena Environmental Sciences, Inc.

Hiring new talent and bringing them up to speed is “an iterative process of training that can be expensive and time-consuming,” says Broedel. He sees MTIP as “a way to offset the risk and lower the risk barrier” of bringing on potential new team members. The program helps students expand their knowledge and strengthen their resumes while reducing the expense to the companies who are doing that training, says Broedel.

During his time at Athena, Burton has developed a stronger understanding of the manufacturing process for specialty pharmaceuticals. He explains that having professional experience outside of a university lab has been incredibly valuable, sharing, “It reassured me that I’m on the right path with what I want to do with my life.”

UMBC students also participate in MTIP, and are regularly recognized through MTIP’s intern of the month.

Banner image: Lauren Mazzoli ’15, computer science, M.S. ‘17, computer science, and Priyanka Ranade ’18, information systems, working together during Ranade’s summer internship at Northrop Grumman. The internship was not through the MTIP. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

by John Rennie Short, Professor, School of Public Policy, UMBC

As cities strive to improve the quality of life for their residents, many are working to promote walking and biking. Such policies make sense, since they can, in the long run, lead to less traffic, cleaner air and healthier people. But the results aren’t all positive, especially in the short to medium term.

In Washington D.C., for example, traffic fatalities as a whole declined in 2018 compared to the year before, but the number of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths increased by 20 percent. Pedestrian deaths also have risen in New York, and pedestrian and cycling fatalities have increased in Los Angeles in the past several years.

Across the nation, cyclist fatalities have increased by 25 percent since 2010 and pedestrian deaths have risen by a staggering 45 percent. More people are being killed because cities are encouraging residents to walk and bike, but their roads are still dominated by fast-moving vehicular traffic. As my research has shown, this shifting mix can be deadly.

The long decline in traffic fatalities

From a long-term perspective, traffic fatalities in the United States are declining. In the early 1970s, almost 55,000 Americans were killed in traffic accidents yearly, including people in vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. By 2017 that figure had fallen to around 40,000, even with an increase in the number of vehicle miles driven.

The overall decline is a confirmation of Smeed’s Law, named after R.J. Smeed, a scholar at the United Kingdom’s Road Research Laboratory. Smeed found that initially, with the early introduction of motor vehicles, traffic deaths tend to rise. Around the world, almost 1.35 million people die each year in traffic accidents, but 93 percent of those fatalities occur in low- and middle- income countries where mass vehicle usage is a recent phenomenon.

As manufacturers produce safer vehicles, cities improve roads and drivers become more adept, fatalities tend to decline. But Smeed’s Law only seems to hold up for people in cars – not for other road users.

A global status report shows that road traffic injuries are now the single biggest cause of death for children and young adults, and that more than half of all traffic deaths are pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists. In the United States, driver fatalities fell from 27,348 in 2006 to 23,611 in 2017, but pedestrian and cyclist fatalities increased from 5,567 to 6,760.

The vehicle-centric city

Modern U.S. cities are designed largely for motor vehicles. At the turn of the 20th century, people and cars shared city streets, which served as places for children to play, adults to walk and neighbors to meet. From the 1900s to the early 1930s a battle was fought as motor vehicles became increasingly dominant. As traffic fatalities rose, angry mobs dragged reckless drivers from their cars, and some cities printed “murder maps” showing where people had been killed in traffic.

However, automotive interests won out. From the 1950s forward, city streets lost their conviviality. Roads were engineered for fast-moving and unhindered vehicular traffic, with few pedestrian crossings or bike lanes.

Even today, motorists in many cities are able to turn onto streets at intersections where pedestrians are also crossing. Most pedestrians and bicyclists are killed or injured while they are obeying the law.

A new Wild West

In the 21st century, a new city ideal has emerged of a more bike-friendly, walking-oriented city. But piecemeal implementation of bike lanes, pedestrianized zones and traffic calming measures often just adds to the confusion.

Many bike lanes and pedestrianized zones only extend for short distances. Most American drivers have yet to fully appreciate that urban streets are to be shared. And even in the best of times, cars and trucks are not good at sharing the road. Vehicle drivers are often moving too fast to identify and respond to pedestrians and bicyclists. Blind spots for drivers can be death traps for other road users.

Then there’s the asymmetry. Drivers are operating fast-moving lethal weapons, and are encased in a protective shield. And speed literally kills. A car hitting a pedestrian at 36 to 45 mph per hour is four times more likely to cause death than a vehicle traveling between 26 to 30 mph.

Adding to the dangers are distracted drivers and pedestrians and the introduction of electric scooters. Some observers also believe an epidemic of narcissism is causing more aggressive driving.

All of these factors are making walking and bicycling more dangerous. While pedestrian deaths in Norway declined by 37 percent from 2010 to 2016, in the United States they increased by 39 percent. Non-driver traffic fatalities are increasing in the United States at higher rates than most other wealthy nations.

A better vision

Vision Zero, a strategy first proposed in Sweden in 1997, imagines cities with no traffic fatalities or serious injuries. At least 18 U.S. cities and states have signed on to reach that goal by 2024, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington D.C.

Strategies vary from one city to another. Boston, for example, has reduced the city speed limit from 30 miles per hour to 25 mph. Washington D.C. is improving 36 intersections that pose threats to pedestrians and enacting more bicycle-friendly policies. These cities still have far to go, but they are moving in the right direction.

There are many more options. Manufacturers can make vehicles less threatening to pedestrians and bicyclists by reducing the height of front bumpers. And cities can make streets safer with a combination of speed limit reductions, traffic calming measures, “road diets” for neighborhoods that limit traffic speed and volume, and better education for all road users.

Initiatives to create more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly infrastructure should also be sensitive to social and class differences that may shape local priorities. And advocates contend that shifting to autonomous vehicles could make streets safer, although the verdict is still out on this claim.

The most radical shift will require not only re-engineering urban traffic, but also reimagining our cities. In my view, we need to think of them as shared spaces with slower traffic, and see neighborhood streets as places to live in and share, not just to drive through at high speed.

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John Rennie Short, Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Header image by Erik Witsoe on Unsplash