Monday, March 9, 2015, 4 p.m.: “Visual Ecology: The Unexpected Abilities of Animal Eyes,” a presentation by Dr. Tom Cronin in the Library Gallery

Humans are visual creatures. We’re also introspective and curious, a combination that makes us all by nature amateur visual ecologists (even if we don’t know it, or even what it means!) Since vision dominates how we experience our world, we naturally wonder how other animals see their own worlds. When a cat is entranced by images of fish on a television screen, does it see colors? Does it think they are real fish? What is it experiencing? When a wasp flies up and stares us in the face, just what is it seeing? These questions have probably been asked for as long as our species have been around.

Professor Cronin’s studies of vision have included animals ranging from the tiny plankton, through many marine creatures, to whooping cranes and even whales. In his talk, he will focus mainly on his favorite animals of all, the fearsome “mantis shrimps,” known for their abilities to break aquarium walls and impale human flesh. Their eyes are some of the strangest in nature, seeing things that humans can only duplicate with high-tech imagery.

• A reception, sponsored by the Libby Kuhn Endowment Fund, will follow the program.
• Co-Sponsored by the Friends of the Library & Gallery and the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences

For more information on this event and other Friends of the Library & Gallery events, click here.

This day-long symposium is designed to highlight research in the mid-Atlantic region and provide an intimate environment to foster discussion at all levels. The schedule will include invited and submitted talks as well as poster sessions. There is no charge to attend this symposium, and everyone – Research Scientists, Faculty, Post-Docs and Graduate Students – involved in research from academic, government and local industrial institutions is encouraged to participate.

This year’s symposium is held at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in Baltimore (MD) on May 16, 2015.

Sometimes, it pays to talk.

An articulate young New Yorker by the name of Vidal learned this last month when he made big bucks after speaking to the photographer from the immensely popular “Humans of New York” photo blog.

The blog’s author, Brandon Stanton, posted a picture of the middle school student explaining why he admires his principal on January 19.

This spiraled into a two week-long blog series on Vidal’s school (the grandly named Mott Hall Bridges Academy) in an under-resourced Brooklyn neighborhood, a spot on Ellen… oh, and more than 1.2 million dollars in donations to the school. 

Surprised? Don’t be. 

Mott Hall Bridges Academy’s windfall is just the most-dramatic example of a growing trend: turning internet compassion into cash.

Already this month, hundreds of individuals donated a total of more than $200,000 to buy a Detroit man a car, after his story of walking 21 miles to work went viral.  GoFundMe  and other crowdfunding websites offer dozens more such examples.

What does the rise of direct donations  mean for charity?

Hard to say. Most crowd-funded projects appeal to donors’ compassion through individual stories. While Mott Hall Bridges Academy can clearly use a million dollars, so many other inner-city schools. Can individual spend their funds effectively to create long-term change?

Then again, maybe maximum efficiency isn’t the only goal. Recent events have proven that the internet can spark neighborly compassion between people who will never meet. 

Just ask Vidal. 

Deadline Extended until Sunday, Feb 8th! 

Critical Social Justice 2015 is quickly approaching and we’re looking for art submissions to add to the CSJ 2015 Art Gallery! This year’s CSJ theme is Creating Brave Spaces and we’re asking for art submissions that explore and/or address what it means to create brave spaces.

Last year’s CSJ art gallery located on the Mezzanine of The Commons.

CSJ invites different types of activists — students, teachers, artists, musicians, doctors, and more — to talk critically about social justice and how they are creating change in their own unique ways. In addition to our discussions, keynotes, and reflections, the CSJ Art Gallery is intended to give another kind of voice and experience to the conversations we’re having on campus about social justice.

All UMBC community members are invited to submit their work by Wednesday, February 4th at 4pm. Artists are asked to complete this form and email a jpg image of their artwork to womens.center@umbc.edu. 

Accepted artwork must be dropped off to the Women’s Center no later than Wednesday, February 11th at 5pm to ensure timely installation. Additional information will be provided once your artwork has been submitted and confirmed for inclusion in the gallery.

The Critical Social Justice 2015 Art Gallery will be on display from February 16th-20th in The Commons Mezzanine Gallery. For more on last year’s art gallery, check out former student staff member Kelly Martin Broderick’s reflection about art and activism.

For additional questions, contact the Women’s Center staff at womens.center@umbc.edu or 410-455-2714.