Mathematics professor Manil Suri has been named a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. In this role, Suri will publish columns around once a month. To read an announcement published in Capital New York, click here.

In light of Pi Day celebrated on March 14 and this year celebrated as a once-in-a-century event with the full date in line with the first five digits of pi’s decimal expansion, Suri published his first column about understanding what pi truly is, the history behind it, and why it remains so significant.

At the beginning of his column, Suri explained how pi’s importance can be found in many places: “And yet pi, being the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, is manifested all around us. For instance, the meandering length of a gently sloping river between source and mouth approaches, on average, pi times its straight-line distance. Pi reminds us that the universe is what it is, that it doesn’t subscribe to our ideas of mathematical convenience.”

Suri also discussed what pi can tell us about computers as they’ve developed over the last several decades: “With the advent of computers, pi offered a proving ground for successively faster models. But eventually, breathless headlines about newly cracked digits became less compelling, and the big players moved on. Recent records (currently in the trillions of digits) have mostly been set on custom-built personal computers. The history of pi illustrates how far computing has progressed, and how much we now take it for granted.”

To read the full column published in the New York Times, click here.

An article published March 20 in the Wall Street Journal’s “Expat” blog looked at the recent growth in numbers of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, which grant people of Indian origin who have passports in another country lifetime entry into India with several economic benefits.

Amy Bhatt, an assistant professor of gender and women’s studies, was quoted in the article and provided historical perspective on OCI cards.

“The economic benefits of the OCI scheme, introduced in 2005, made it easier for citizens to keep their economic ties with India while changing to another passport for convenience,” said Bhatt. “Ms. Bhatt’s research found that more Indian nationals were applying for American Permanent Residency status with an ultimate aim to gain a U.S. passport,” the article stated.

Bhatt also discussed the Indian government’s decision this year to phase out a similar system to the OCI cards called Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards, which gave non-resident Indians a 15-year entry into the country.

The Indian government likely did this to “reduce confusion between the two programs,” said Bhatt, “but also to make it easier for Diaspora Indians to have a lifetime connection with India.”

To read the full article in the Wall Street Journal titled “When Indians Renounce Their Citizenship: An Expat Explains,” click here.

Psychology Research Professor and Professor Emeritus Robert Provine has been in the news recently for his research on crying. In an article published in Canada’s Globe and Mail, Provine shared insight about his work.

He discussed how someone else’s crying “is appealing to you to provide caregiving, and at least sympathy,” which can be emotionally tiring, if not exhausting. “Dealing with crying people can be ‘expensive’ in the sense that they have needs that you’ll be expected to meet,” said Provine. He also discussed how the idea of crying making someone feel better is “complicated”: “Some people may report it feeling good, but the evidence about that is unclear,” he said.

In an article in New York Magazine‘s “Science of Us” section, Provine discussed how crying isn’t easy to do on command and is hard to stop, once started. “Emotional tearing is under very weak conscious control — most people can’t do it voluntarily,” Provine said.

To read both articles, click below:
Crying daily isn’t a sign of weakness – it’s an all-human super-power (Globe and Mail)
How to stop yourself from crying (New York Magazine)

The Department of Geography and Environmental Systems (GES) is delighted to announce that Dr. Stuart Aitken, Professor of Geography and the June Burnett Chair of Children’s and Family Geographies at San Diego State University, will be presenting a talk on Children’s Rights from a Critical Geographic Perspective as part of the GES Seminar Series on March 25th, from 12-1 p.m., in ITE 231.

Dr. Aitken directs the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Young People and Space (ISYS) and is internationally recognized for his research on children’s geographies, youth activism, critical theory, and qualitative methodologies. His recent books include The Ethnopoetics of Space and Transformation (2014), The Fight to Stay Put (2013), Young People: Border Spaces and Revolutionary Imaginations (2012),Qualitative Geographies (Sage 2010), and The Awkward Spaces of Fathering (2009).  In addition, he has published over 200 papers in academic journals and edited book collections. Dr. Aitken is serving as an Eminent Scholar Mentor for Dr. Dena Aufseeser, Assistant Professor in GES whose research is focused on childhood, poverty and inequality.

Director of Program Planning & Administration

Finance & Administration Division

We are seeking a results-oriented, highly motivated professional with public relations and social media experience and a commitment to the highest levels of excellence. The salary range for this position is $35,000 to $45,000.

As a professional researcher with a severe physical disability, Kavita is motivated by a powerful, innate force: autonomy is the soul of independent daily living that is achieved with the advancement of technology. Her research involves the development of robotic systems to provide assistance and increase independence for people with disabilities. She is developing several prototype robotic systems that will support transferring, repositioning, and personal care, with a focus on accessible user interfaces for control that are feasible for persons with severe disabilities.

Kavita attends many events and conferences with the Beam Telepresence Robot, allowing her independence and mobility to meet, learn, and network with professionals all over the world. The Beam gives her independence to be visible in the community to explore and expand technological boundaries from her home.

Show off your Retriever Fever and volunteer! Alumni are invited to share their experiences at UMBC with prospective students and their families. Help future students establish themselves as a fellow dawg! Dates and locations vary, so find the one that is perfect for you:

Rockville/Strathmore Reception
Tuesday, March 24, 7 – 9 p.m.
Strathmore Music Center
Rockville, MD

Reception for Academically Talented African American Students
Thursday, April 2, 7 – 9 p.m.
UMBC

Reception for Academically Talented Hispanic & Latino Students
Tuesday, April 7, 7 – 9 p.m.
UMBC

New Jersey Reception
Tuesday, April 21, 7 – 9 p.m.
Olde Mill Inn & Grain House Restaurant
Basking Ridge, NJ

New York Reception
Wednesday, April 22, 7 – 9 p.m.
The Carltun, Eisenhower Park
East Meadow, NY

Pennsylvania Reception
Thursday, April 23, 7 – 9 p.m.
The Mercer Museum
Doylestown, PA

Click here to volunteer!