Announcing the U.S. Department of State Student Experience Program (formerly known as the U.S. Department of State Internship Program).

This program offers U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to participate in 10-week, unpaid internships that provide intensive educational and professional experience within the environment of America’s principle foreign affairs agency.

The unpaid internships are available at many of the over 265 U.S. embassies, consulates and missions to international organizations around the world, as well as at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and other locations throughout the U.S. Participants gain first-hand, hands-on experience, and learn the realities of working in – and with – Foreign and Civil Service professionals who are at the forefront of America’s diplomatic efforts.

As a Student Experience intern, you may have the opportunity to:

• Participate in meetings with senior level U.S. government or foreign government officials;
• Draft, edit, or contribute to cables, reports, communications, talking points, or other materials used by policy makers in furthering U.S. foreign policy objectives;
• Help organize and support events, including international and/or multi-lateral meetings and conferences on critical global issues;
• Contribute to the management and administration of the Department of State and America’s foreign policy; and
• Engage directly with U.S. or foreign audiences to promote U.S. foreign policy and improve understanding of U.S. culture and society.

So consider spending your summer 2013 with the U.S. Department of State, witnessing and participating in the formulation and implementation of U.S. foreign policy, working closely with the U.S. diplomats and civil servants who carry out America’s foreign policy initiatives. You’ll not only have an experience of a lifetime, you may even earn educational credit.*

* Applicants who are selected for a U.S. Department of State Student Experience can contact the selecting bureau, or the central Student Programs office, if they require further details about the program to support their request for academic credit.

Please visit http://careers.state.gov/students/programs for more information about the Student Experience Program, and to start the online application process via USAJobs. Please note that the deadline to submit completed applications is November 2, 2012.

We appreciate your interest in a career with the U.S. Department of State.

Visit our forums if you have any questions, or to search for topics of interest. The forums can be found under Engage on the careers.state.gov website. You can also search our FAQs for more information.

The UMBC Alumni Association will honor six alumni and UMBC president Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, at the annual Outstanding Alumni of the Year Awards ceremony on Thursday, October 11, 2012.

The following alumni will receive awards:

Outstanding Alumnus of the Year in the Humanities
Greg Cangialosi ’96, English
Co-founder, Betamore
After graduating from UMBC in 1996, Greg Cangialosi launched Baltimore-based email service provider Blue Sky Factory, a company that in 2011 marked a ten-year successful track record and a global reach. In 2010, the company was named a Future 50 company by Baltimore SmartCEO magazine, an award which recognizes the 50 fastest-growing companies in the Greater Baltimore area based on employee and revenue growth. The company also made the INC 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in the United States for four consecutive years. In 2011, Cangialosi sold Blue Sky Factory to Atlanta-based company WhatCounts. Most recently, Cangialosi co-founded Betamore, an 8,000 square foot “urban campus for entrepreneurship and technology, focused on three main areas, education, community and incubation.” Cangialosi has served as a longtime leader and member of the UMBC Alumni Association and Board, and he was a member of the University’s “2016 Committee.” He has served as a frequent speaker at the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, and he has also been a judge for the Center’s Idea Competition. At UMBC’s 2012 Career Week, Greg was keynote speaker at a networking event for students and alumni.

Outstanding Alumna of the Year in Engineering & Information Technology
Stephanie C. Hill ’86, computer science and economics
President, Information Systems and Global Solutions-Civil, Lockheed Martin Corporation
In a guest essay published this year in the Washington Post’s “College Inc.” blog, Stephanie Hill made a strong argument in favor of educating a new generation of female engineers. In her position at Lockheed Martin, Hill is an excellent example of how a woman can excel in this field. Hill began her career in 1987 with Lockheed Martin as a software engineer. Over the years she has assumed positions of increasing responsibility including Systems Engineering Manager and Director of Quality and Mission Success; Director of Technical Operations; Vice President and General Manager of the Electronic Systems-Mission Systems & Sensors Baltimore site; and, most recently, President for Information Systems and Global Solutions-Civil, which delivers IT systems and services to various U.S. government agencies, international governments and regulated commercial industries, such as energy, health care and transportation. Hill was named one of the Top 100 Women of Maryland in May 2006, Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) Alumni in 2006; Lockheed Martin’s Engineer of the Year in 1999 and was named Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) Most Promising Engineer in 1993. Hill also lends her expertise to the Governor’s P-20 Leadership Council (STEM Task Force) and serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Baltimore Committee. She has steadily supported UMBC as a willing volunteer and a mentor to students.

Outstanding Alumna of the Year in Visual & Performing Arts
Deborah Randall ’94, theatre
Founder, Venus Theatre
Deborah Randall is the founder and visionary behind Venus Theatre. Born in Washington, DC, and raised in Prince George’s County, she began directing as a student and president of the Drama Club at Prince Georges Community College. Her first paid acting gig was at Wild World Theme Park in 1986. She later went on to graduate cum laude from UMBC under the guidance of Xerxes Mehta, Wendy Salkind, Sam McCready, Alan Kriezenbeck, and Alice Robinson. She was in Mehta’s Marat/Sade at UMBC with the Maryland Stage Company and in McCready’s Merry Wives of Windsor with Shakespeare on Wheels. After college, Randall worked as an actor regularly in Washington, DC, and then began performing her own monologues. She has performed four solo shows, written two, and had one published. She has also written and staged works for multiple casts. She began doing public staged readings of other living playwrights in 2002, which led to cultivating strong relationships with many writers. The works of Randall and Venus have been seen up and down the Eastern seaboard. Venus Theatre began in 1995 as an all female improv troupe called Venus Envy. Venus led Take Back the Night Marches and did improvisational games at the House of Ruth as well as other empowerment projects. In 2000, Randall founded Venus Theatre, known for immersion staging and award-winning world premiere work. In 2006 Venus dropped roots in the county where the founder grew up. Venus hopes to bring culture to the community that has given her so much.

Outstanding Alumna of the Year in the Social Sciences
Elizabeth Rossman ’85, political science
Vice President-Government Relations, Honeywell International, Inc.
Rossman began her pursuit of a career in public service while still a student at UMBC, where she majored in political science and interned in the Baltimore City Mayor’s office. She received her master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) and began work with the federal government in 1987 as a Presidential Management Intern, a prestigious program designed to bring bright young people into government service. She quickly moved from the General Services Administration to the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget (OMB). After leaving the OMB for a brief stint with the Department of Interior’s Office of the Secretary as chief of the Budget Division, in 2001, she returned to OMB as Associate Director for Legislative Affairs, during which Rossman routinely engaged in negotiations with members of Congress and their staffs during the annual federal budget process. She had lead responsibility in the Executive Branch for the development of Statements of Administration Policy on appropriation bills, and she represented the White House, OMB, and agency officials in budget negotiations. Rossman contributed to the development of the legislative strategy that was central to the enactment of the $40 billion Emergency Response Fund (ERF) omnibus spending bill to address immediate needs in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks. After completing a stellar career with the federal government in 2005, Rossman was appointed by Honeywell International to her current role as vice president of Government Relations.

Outstanding Alumnus of the Year in Natural & Mathematical Sciences
Dr. Kimani A. Stancil ’94, physics and mathematics
Howard University, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Specialty Area – Soft Condensed Matter Physics
After receiving his degrees in physics and mathematics from UMBC in 1994, Dr. Kimani Stancil proceeded to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he obtained in 2002 his Ph.D. in Physics studying polymer gels. Before beginning a postdoctoral fellowship in 2004 in nanoscience at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at University of California Berkeley, he spent a little over a year teaching mathematics, science, and chess to grades 3 through 8 at Baltimore City’s Maarifa Elementary and Middle School; he later donated all his wages earned to the Maarifa School. After his postdoc in 2008, Dr. Stancil was appointed Assistant Professor of Physics at Howard University, where he currently teaches courses in calculus-based introductory physics – mechanics, electricity, and magnetism, and a course in graduate statistical mechanics. In his short career, Dr. Stancil has also produced one Physics PhD (Graduated Summer 2012), five publications (plus two recently submitted and three more in preparation), and has received external and internal research grants. He is a master level chess player and former Maryland High School Chess Champion, and has steadily found ways to combine his interests in math and science to attract students from under-represented groups to science. He is currently seeking external funding for his program, “AYA-All You can Aspire,” which combines physics and chess in an effort aimed to inspire youth and community. Dr. Stancil regularly serves as an unofficial mentor for students at UMBC – always giving back when possible. A member of the first cohort of Meyerhoff Scholars, he was the keynote speaker at the Meyerhoff Parent Association graduate reception this year. His speech included his original poetry written when he was a UMBC student.

Rising Star Award
Christopher Valentino ’02, M.S. ’06, information systems management
Director, Contract Research & Development, Northrop Grumman
Christopher Valentino is a Cyber Security expert and business leader who provides innovative technology solutions to a diverse set of U.S. Government customers. A recognized leader in developing enterprise cyber security and information assurance solutions for critical national systems, Valentino is responsible for managing contract research and development portfolios for Northrop Grumman’s Cyber Intelligence Division. Prior to his current assignment he led the Cyber Operations business area where he managed a team of more than 200 cyber security professionals providing research, development, testing and operations support to a variety of defense and intelligence customers. As a founding member of the former company Windermere, Valentino helped to develop and build a successful technology company that was acquired first by Essex Corporation and then Northrop Grumman. Throughout his career, Chris has demonstrated ongoing involvement and support of UMBC, its students and alumni. His achievements on behalf of UMBC include developing a UMBC / Northrop Grumman strategic partnership which includes technology incubation, research, recruiting, training education; and contributing to the development of the Cyber Security MPS Graduate Degree and Certificate program. Chris is also an active member of the UMBC Cyber Security External Advisory Board.

In addition, the Alumni Association will honor UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, with the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his 20 years of service to university as president.

The Alumni Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, October 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery. The event is free, but guests should register online at http://alumni.umbc.edu/homecoming.

2 Kings 18:17-25

The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. 18 They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.
19 The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:
“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? 20 You say you have the counsel and the might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? 21 Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. 22 But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?
23 “‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! 24 How can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25 Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’”

Reflection:

This passage tells the account of when the Assyrian commander threatened King Hezekiah. While taunting him, he brought up a good point about Egypt, “that splintered reed of staff that pierces the hand” - ultimately Egypt will only bring grief. Interestingly, even the Assyrians knew such things about Egypt, but Hezekiah made alliance with thinking that they could be a help. What he thought was smart thing to do was ultimately foolish. Thinking about our own circumstances, what were you thinking when not trusting the Lord? What is truly the most rational thing to do when making tough life decisions?

Response:

It might not be obvious at first glance, especially if we are faced with situations where our very actions can either be harmful or beneficial to ourselves, but it remains true that trusting the Lord in the midst of chaos is truly the most rational thing to do. Let’s pray today that the Spirit will turn our hearts once more to seek the One that is higher than us!

this is the account of when the Assyrian commander is threatening King Hezekiah. While taunting he brings up a good point about Egypt, “that splintered reed of staff that pierces the hand” - ultimately Egypt will only bring grief. Interestingly, even the Assyrians knew such things about Egypt, but Hezekiah made alliance with thinking that they could be a help. What he had thought was smart thing to do, was ultimately foolish. What were you thinking when not trusting the Lord? Because trusting the Lord in the midst of chaos is truly the most rational thing.

Renewable U – Green and Clean
Rally 2012 on the Quad September 20, 2012 11a.m. – 2p.m..

Fun, Food and Prizes.

Highlighting sustainable practices, programs and research that impact
your life on campus, at home, and around town . Contact Recycle@umbc.edu for more information

The theme for this year’s Green and Clean Rally is Renewable U, highlighting the impact of sustainable practices on our daily lives. Departments and Student organizations are invited to show off their contributions to UMBC sustainability as it affects University living and the broader society. There are volunteer opportunities and tables are available for organizations to display. A sustainability maze will be constructed on the Quad to offer a fun way to learn what individuals can do to enhance their “Green Footprint”.

During the event, free secure paper shredding will be available for students , faculty and staff, free food, and giveaways. Participants will have a chance to
receive great prizes sponsored by Campus Card and Mail Services Department and Pepsi . Green and Clean Rally is sponsored by ReSET, Retriever Sustainability Events Team ,is a partnership between Student Affairs and Facility Management.

For more information contact Saderrick Johnson, johnsons@umbc.edu or Donna Anderson , d_anderson@umbc.edu .