Honoring America’s Veterans

For as long as he can remember, freshman Greg Winger has always had a love of history and an interest in foreign affairs. Now, as a Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar at UMBC, he has the opportunity to participate in the Veterans History Project, a program established by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to record the personal histories and testimonials of American war veterans, covering World War I to the Persian Gulf War.

To date, Winger has interviewed over 20 veterans at the VA Hospital in downtown Baltimore and describes his experience as “ranging from tragic to triumphant.” He’s listened to veterans describe the tragic moments that led to their disfigurement and shared in their bittersweet joy when he hears a veteran proudly recall how his African-American lieutenant was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor over 50 years after serving in WWII. The experience has given Winger a deeper understanding of war and soldiers that books and documentaries can only touch upon.

“Through these interviews, I hope to gain a true understanding of Veterans affairs, warfare and the individual soldier,” says Winger. “I have found that there are many misconceptions about America’s wars and warriors and I hope to learn the truth and comprehend these men and events.”

Greg’s interviews, along with all the interviews and documents collected as a result of the Veterans History Project, will be cataloged by the Library of Congress and used to develop online presentations for the Library’s American Memory website.

Click here for more information or to learn how to get involved with the Veterans History Project.

Exploring the Sonic Landscape

Performing classical music�whether by Bach, Stravinsky, Mozart or a host of others�presents tough challenges for concert artists, who not only learn the music’s notes, but also master phrasing, articulation and other elements to bring the music to life. But for performers of contemporary classical music (or “new music” in the common parlance�music written in the past 10 or 20 years), the challenge intensifies: the music is often unfamiliar and far more difficult to play. Sometimes learning just a few seconds of music can take repeated hours or days of rehearsal.

At UMBC, Department of Music performance faculty relish the opportunity to study and perform new music. Two years ago, several faculty banded together to form Ruckus, a group dedicated to performing contemporary music. The newest member is violinist Airi Yoshioka, who joined the department this fall. She describes working with the ensemble as “an eye opening experience…Playing with Ruckus is all about being in the moment and tapping into one’s creativity. Although I’ve played a lot of new music, I previously hadn’t been challenged to improvise as extensively or even compose a portion of a piece.” Other members of Ruckus include flutist Lisa Cella, cellist Franklin Cox, percussionist Tom Goldstein, clarinetist E. Michael Richards, and pianist Kazuko Tanosaki.

By providing an opportunity for intensive collaboration and investigation of new music, Ruckus functions as a research laboratory for the Department of Music. Says Richards, “It’s a rigorous environment. Working closely with each other, and often with composers, helps each of us broaden our insight and understanding.”

In addition to its concerts in the campus’ Fine Arts Recital Hall, Ruckus has extended the visibility of music at UMBC by performing at the University of Virginia, the University of Maryland, College Park, Hartwick College, and the Smithsonian Institution¹s Freer Gallery of Art. This Thursday, November 6, Ruckus will play at the Baltimore Museum of Art as part of the Museum’s First Thursdays program.

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Ruckus will perform twice at the Baltimore Museum of Art on November 6. At 6:30 p.m., the group will present pieces by Fluxus composers, and a concert at 8:00 p.m. will include John Cage’s Variations II and music by Randolph Coleman and Louis Andriessen. Information is available on UMBC’s arts calendar.

Immigration and America’s Future

 On Nov. 5, UMBC�s Interdisciplinary Studies program is sponsoring its third Mosaic Roundtable (http://www.umbc.edu/mosaic/), a panel discussion by a diverse cross section of UMBC experts on controversial, timely issues.  This semester�s Mosaic examines changes in attitudes and laws regarding immigration after 9-11, and the impact of those changes on research, higher education and the high-tech economy. The panel is made up of four immigrants � an international educator, a physicist, a computer engineer, and a sociologist � three of whom are now U.S. citizens � all with unique perspectives on the issue.

Dr. Arlene Wergin, Director, International Education Services

Arlene Wergin helps over 1,000 international undergraduate and graduate students and 150 international faculty and visiting researchers at UMBC navigate increasingly restrictive federal regulations governing student and exchange visitor visas.

�Our international students and scholars contribute not only to the academic mission of the university, but they also add a valuable intercultural diversity to the campus,� she says. �For many of our domestic students, interactions on campus with international students are their first close and extensive contacts with people from other countries.

Wergin adds, �Current immigration policies and lengthy security checks at U.S consulates abroad make it increasingly more difficult for even the best and brightest international students to enter the U.S. to study.�

Dr. Philip Rous, Professor, Physics

Philip Rous, a physicist and a U.K. citizen, will examine both the history and future of immigrant scientists in the U.S. �Immigrants make up 28 percent of all Ph.D.s currently doing research and development in America,� he says. �Between 1901 and 1991, 44 of 100 Nobel Prizes were awarded to immigrant U.S. researchers or their children.�

Rous will discuss how stricter security policies have made it tougher for high-tech immigrant professionals to get visas. One example is the little-known but controversial �Technology Alert List� used by the Homeland Security Department to �red-flag� students based on their field of research.

�Scientific advancement underpins the development of defense and security technology,� says Rous. �Given that a third of people working in high-tech fields are immigrants, perhaps we might think about whether or not an exclusive immigration policy enhances or degrades U.S. security.�   

Dr. Ray Chen, Professor, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

Ray Chen is interested in how immigration affects the information technology industry. He will examine the question of whether or not Silicon Valley is moving overseas as a result of the U.S. failing to recognize that �immigrants and U.S. citizens are partners in the global competition arena.� 

If America fails to recognize this importance, Chen says, �One in 10 tech jobs could move overseas by the end of 2004.� 

Chen believes that America is currently very friendly towards immigration. But he will argue that America should not only welcome immigrants, but try to keep U.S.-educated immigrants in the States in order to to keep up with global competition. �We are in a global competition for the brightest brains,� he says. �The U.S. will be in the best position if we embrace immigration.�

Dr. Sara Poggio, Associate Professor, Modern Languages and Linguistics

Sara Poggio is a sociologist who studies international immigration, especially from Central and South America. She will discuss the historical, cultural and socioeconomic forces surrounding immigration and whether America can afford to not have immigrants.

�Immigration is not easy,� she says, �So there must be reasons for these migrations. Aside from freedom and economic gains, most migrations from one country to another are partly due to political intervention by the receiving country, which leads to the displacement of certain groups.�

Poggio will also discuss stereotypes such as �immigrants are uneducated� or �immigrants take jobs away from Americans.� �These American perceptions and attitudes are not new or recent,� she says. �They have persisted through time, and remind us that many immigrant groups, past and present, have faced these economic, racial, and cultural rejections.�

�Immigration and America�s Future: Paradox & Perception� takes place Wednesday, Nov. 5, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on the 7th floor of the Albin O. Kuhn Library.

A Time to Explore

For freshman Ross Dixon, UMBC is not only a place to obtain a bachelor�s degree and prepare for a career, but also a place to explore the full range of his abilities. Whether he�s studying for his physics courses or adding the finishing touches to his most recent script, Dixon is making the most of UMBC�s many opportunities.

Dixon comes to UMBC as an accomplished 2003 graduate of Hereford High School in northern Baltimore County, with academic credentials that include recognition as a Maryland Distinguished Scholar and recipient of a scholarship from the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce. An aspiring singer and playwright, Dixon was a member of Baltimore County�s All County Choir, Hereford High School�s chamber choir and he performed original works at the Maryland Theatre Festival.

While Dixon is studying physics and plans to attend graduate school for further study in the field of theoretical physics, he intends to continue with his work in music and theater as much as his academic schedule will allow. He currently sings with the Jubilee Singers, under the direction of Janice Jackson, and hopes to add music as either a major or minor. Dixon has also found time to incorporate theater into his busy class schedule by taking a scriptwriting course and using Professor Alan Kreizenbeck�s Performance in Baltimore course to fulfill one of his requirements for the Honors College.

Many students would find the sheer breadth of all these activities to be overwhelming, but Dixon has a common goal that keeps him focused in each of his endeavors. �I consider science, music, and drama all to be alternative forms of communication,� he says, reflecting on his disparate pursuits. �I�m drawn to activities that offer opportunities for sharing ideas and connecting people. When I sing, work on a play, or learn something new in my physics course, I have the opportunity both to learn from the ideas of other people and express my own.�

Click here for more information on UMBC’s freshmen and new graduate students.

A Voice for Students in Maryland

In a time of budget challenges for Maryland, UMBC is fortunate to have an experienced voice for students’ interests as a member of the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents. Phil Shockley, only the second UMBC student to be named to the governing body for the 11-campus system, was appointed by Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich in July for a one-year term.

“Phil Shockley has already begun his career in public service, demonstrated by his various academic and community accomplishments,” said Ehrlich. “His dedication to his fellow students will serve as an asset to the Board.”

“I hope to not only represent the student voice, but also represent those who have a vested interest in the future of higher education in Maryland,” Shockley says. “Having a chance to shape the future of higher education in this state is an awesome opportunity.”

Shockley’s goals for his term include improving communication between the Board and student governments at all System schools and working to increase financial aid available to all students in the midst of significant tuition increases throughout the System.

“I have found that one of UMBC’s core values is making each student feel special, and I want to bring that approach to my position on the Board of Regents,” said Shockley. “I hope to ensure my fellow students that their voice will not only be heard, but listened to as well.”

Shockley, a native of Snow Hill on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has already learned how to work with both sides of the political spectrum. He previously interned with Democratic former Governor Parris Glendening and former Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, while being appointed by Ehrlich, a Republican.

Shockley also has extensive student government experience, having served as UMBC Student Government Association president from 2002 to 2003. He will graduate next year with a BS in information systems, a BA in political science, and a certificate in public administration and policy.

Shockley is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, the Honors College at UMBC, and interned as a business analyst in the summer of 2001 with T. Rowe Price. Shockley is also a T. Rowe Price scholar and received several other scholarships including the Byrd Scholarship from the Maryland Department of Education.

Shockley’s post-graduation plans include law school followed by entering the political realm. His ultimate future goal is to one day become Governor of Maryland, and possibly the President of the United States. But for now his focus is on representing his fellow students.

“Unlocking the Mysteries of the Ancient Past”

The faculty members in UMBC�s Department of Ancient Studies share a common goal to provide a classical liberal arts curriculum with an interdisciplinary approach that includes instruction in languages, ancient history, and classical archaeology. This year, the five faculty members who form the core of the department celebrate 25 years working together to offer a fresh perspective on the study of the ancient past.

The department dates back to UMBC�s earliest days. Professor Walt Sherwin has been on the UMBC faculty since the University�s opening in 1966; within the next two years, he was joined by colleagues Rudy Storch and Jay Freyman. The 1978 additions of Carolyn Koehler and Marilyn Goldberg brought together the foundation of today�s Department of Ancient Studies. From the very beginning, the department has embraced an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating the work of historians and archaeologists with the study of the classic Greek and Latin texts. This approach has since become a model for similar programs across the country.

Ancient studies faculty has also been quick to respond to the expanding educational interests of their students. Study abroad has become an integral part of the academic program, with many ancient studies students taking advantage of the department�s yearly travel and funding opportunities. Recent years have also seen the addition of coursework and field opportunities for students whose primary interests are in New World archaeology.

The department�s alumni have found professional success in a wide range of occupations. In addition to teachers, lawyers, and field archaeologists, the ranks of ancient studies alumni also include corporate executives, a former director of the Baltimore Opera Company, and an owner of a private investigation firm. This professional success comes as no surprise to their former professors. �Our program exemplifies the values of the traditional liberal arts education,� says Sherwin. �The skills of critical reading and writing and the exposure to foreign languages and cultures offered by ancient studies are as important now as they ever have been.�

Ancient Studies will celebrate its 25th Anniversary Reunion during its annual Ancient Studies Week (October 3-10). Festivities begin with a special lecture by former UMBC professor Kaddee Vitelli on October 8 at 4 p.m. in the Library Gallery, followed by a Greek dinner at 6 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. Tickets for the dinner are $20 per person and should be reserved in advance. Contact Joyce Tenney at tenney@umbc.edu, (410) 455-2343 for details or visit the ancient studies Web site.

“Forging” the Way to Success

Since graduating from UMBC, alumnus Paresh Shah has successfully navigated the fickle waters of the business world many times over. Now, the highly accomplished businessman and entrepreneur is paving the way for his own success by helping others do the same.

Shah is founding partner and managing director of Forge Advisors, a leading international management consultancy firm that provides valuable business advice to Fortune 1000 clients and entrepreneurs. Forge Advisors helps clients gain or maintain a competitive edge by working with them to formulate business strategies, to identify and evaluate business opportunities, and to launch new products, services or businesses.

A successful academic as well as businessman, Shah graduated first in his engineering class at UMBC, earning his B.S. with honors, including the Chancellor�s Prize, Phi Kappa Phi and President of the Honors Student Association. �UMBC  provided me with the essential knack for problem solving that all successful entrepreneurs must possess,� says Shah.

From UMBC, Shah went on to the Harvard School of Business Administration to earn his MBA. While at Harvard, he founded his first company, Tribeca Designs, which marketed and manufactured consumer and office products. He authored several Harvard Business School cases studies in marketing and distribution, and is currently president of the Wireless Industries Council for the Harvard Business School�s Technology Alumni Association. He also serves on the board of directors of the Indian CEO council and KSJ Travel holding, and is a charter member of TIE, the Indus Entrepreneur. 

Shah’s consulting expertise draws upon his extensive experience as a businessman and entrepreneur. He was senior vice president of business development and strategic sales at Cidera, a wireless satellite networking company. Prior to this, he was vice president of marketing and business development for Aether Systems, a wireless data communications firm. Shah gained managerial experience working as an operations and program manager for Northrop Grumman Corporations (formerly Westinghouse) and gained consulting experience working for Monitor Company, a strategic consultancy firm founded by Harvard Business School professors, as well as from his work at Gemini Consulting. His strong entrepreneurial spirit led him to found the company SafeExchange, which provided software and services to help companies securely conduct business. He later strategically sold SafeExchange to a publicly traded firm.  

In addition to working with companies, Shah also applies his business skills to help guide students on the road to business success. He is an adjunct professor for the MBA program at the University of Maryland�s Robert Smith School of Business.

Leading the Maryland Bar Association

Harry S. Johnson, Political Science �76, a partner in the Baltimore law firm of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, became president of the Maryland Bar Association in July 2003. He is the first African-American president of the 20,000-member organization. As president, he hopes to encourage lawyers to be leaders in the community and enhance the involvement of minorities in the legal profession.

After graduating from the University of Maryland School of Law, Johnson joined Whiteford, Taylor & Preston and in 1986 became the firm�s first African-American partner. His legal work focuses on product liability, mass tort, professional liability, and other complex litigation. In addition, he continues to be an advocate for minority recruitment in the state�s law firms and has established a mentorship program pairing African-American law students with Baltimore attorneys.

A student-athlete and former president of the Student Government Association, Johnson remains connected to UMBC. He hires UMBC student interns, taught a business law class in the Department of Economics and was instrumental in helping to establish the Second Generation Scholarship Fund for undergraduates who have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of minorities.

Johnson credits UMBC faculty and advisors for guiding him in the direction of law and setting him on a path to success. �UMBC provided a network and a support system that have stayed with me to the present,� he says.

Telling the Story of Afghan Women

In the two years since the horrific attacks of September 11 and the ensuing American invasion of Afghanistan, the world�s attention has shifted away from the plight of the Afghan people, who have been ravaged by decades of war. But even before 9-11, Anne Brodsky, an associate professor of psychology and affiliate professor of women’s studies at UMBC, was already risking her life to tell the story of Afghan women under the oppression of the Taliban and other fundamentalist Islamic factions and she continues that fight today.

Brodsky�s research background studying the resilience of women and the role of communities in resisting societal risks such as violence, poverty and racism led to her current work with the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA).

RAWA is a humanitarian and political women�s organization that has operated clandestinely in Afghanistan and Pakistan for the past 26 years. Brodsky has been working with the group for over three years to help raise awareness of the plight of women who still risk their lives when they stand up for basic freedoms like going to school, having a job, wearing modern clothes, and being able to leave the house unescorted by a male.

As part of these efforts, Brodsky has traveled to underground girls� schools, orphanages and refugee camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. She has risked her life � both from the dangers facing a Western woman in areas controlled by  fundamentalist groups, and from the ongoing fighting and unexploded landmines and ordnance that litter the countryside.

Recent news items have underscored the relevance of Brodsky�s work: a report released this summer by Human Rights Watch detailed how women are still being raped and attacked by Afghan warlords outside of Kabul and a Newsweek story noted the post 9-11 rise in domestic violence in American Muslim families.

Even worse is the apparent resurgence of the Taliban, who have launched several recent attacks on Afghan border police and girls� schools from just across the Pakistan border, a development that doesn�t surprise Brodsky.

�While schools for girls have reopened, only about 32 percent of the students who returned were girls,� she says. �Girls� schools have been fire bombed and threatened; and forced marriages, imprisonment of girls and women for attempting to escape abusive marriages, forced medical chastity tests and other extreme forms of oppression are ongoing, thus RAWA�s activities and message are still urgently needed.�

Since 9-11, Brodsky has continued her research through multiple trips to the region and by helping to bring members of RAWA to the United States and UMBC to tell their stories. Earlier this year, Brodsky published a book about RAWA and her experiences with the group, With All Our Strength: The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (Routledge).

Publisher’s Weekly described With All Our Strength as “Groundbreaking…The first writer with in-depth access to RAWA, Brodsky writes a passionate narrative…[S]tands out as a lone and important study of a remarkable organization.” Ahmed Rashid, author of Taliban, calls it “A powerful story.”

Brodsky will never forget her five months in the field with the brave women of RAWA. �I gained a much deeper understanding and appreciation for their struggle, and was able to record the in-depth stories of real people�s lives under so many years of oppression, war and trauma,� she says. �But more than being victims, RAWA has empowered women, children and men to use education as a tool to fight for democracy, freedom, human rights and peace.�   

According to Brodsky, the fight for democracy and human rights in Afghanistan is far from over. �RAWA remains a threatened group for their outspoken opposition to the oppression of women and all democratically minded people that continue under the current, warlord dominated government,� she says. �They fervently hope that the rest of the world will continue to support them and will not, once again, turn their backs on the long suffering people of Afghanistan.�   

Brodsky�s work on behalf of women at UMBC and beyond was recognized with the 2003 award from the President�s Commission for Women, one of several presented at UMBC�s 37th Anniversary Opening.

UMBC 9/11 Commemorative Events

Join faculty, staff and students for a day of inter-cultural drumming for global understanding and peace from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Main Street, The Commons. Performers include the Global Percussion Trio, founded by Barry Dove, UMBC music faculty; Stream Ohrstrom, drummer and peace-builder; Linda Joy Burke, Baltimore poet and performance artist; Sankofa Dance Theater, acclaimed Baltimore organization featuring dance, music and folklore. The UMBC Study Abroad Fair will be held from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on the Commons Terrace. 

Expression Boards will be placed on Main Street in The Commons beginning Wednesday, September 10 and will remain up through Friday, September 12.

For more information call UMBC’s Student Life office at (410) 455-3462.  

Discovering Her Direction

Reflecting on her life’s work, Karen Osborne, a senior statistical consultant for Fortune 500 executives for the past six years, made an important discovery. “I realized that, in my career, what I enjoyed most was teaching and training customers and internal staff how to use statistics to enhance their marketing,” she says. Now, Osborne is a Ph.D. student and graduate assistant in UMBC�s mathematics and statistics department, in order to pursue her goal of becoming a statistics professor.

With a B.S. in mathematics and statistics and an M.S. in statistics, Osborne has had a keen interest in the field for some time. As a senior statistician, she applied statistical modeling techniques to analyze the marketing needs of corporate clients and to recommend marketing strategies and solutions. Osborne also has a strong background in computer sciences, and worked as an information systems manager and computer software trainer.

It was the events of September 11th that caused Osborne to carefully consider her life’s work. Working near the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia at the time, she explains, �My company had an office in the World Trade Center.  Everyone was fortunate to get out. The event caused me to step back and look at my life and to think about what is important.

�I looked at my entire life’s work, chronologically, and it sort of hit me,� says Osborne, describing her discovery of her love for teaching. From internal staff training to computer training to cooking classes, she realized �I was always hovering around teaching.� Inspired by her long-time involvement with local clean-up and nature clubs (such as the Appalachian Trail club), Osborne decided to concentrate in the area of environmental statistics.

She zeroed in on UMBC for its well-rounded graduate statistics program and–with her interest in environmental statistics–for its well-known Marine-Estuarine Environmental Sciences (MEES) program. She is hoping to work with a MEES graduate student in analyzing biological data.

Osborne was also impressed by caliber of the faculty and their research.  �When I looked at the Web site, it was clear to me that they are doing very active and diverse research.�

This summer, before formally starting the program, she took an environmental statistics course co-taught by Dr. Nagaraj Neerchal, professor of statistics, and Dr. Brian Bradley, professor of biological sciences.  “I loved it,� says Osborne. �It was a great class and it served to reinforce for me that this is what I want to do. I can�t wait to get started!�