Ahead of final exams this spring, nearly 200 students gathered at UMBC for “Innovate Good,” a hackathon co-hosted by HackUMBC and The Shriver Center, UMBC’s hub for service-learning, civic engagement, and community-based service delivery. During the 24-hour tech innovation marathon, students collaborated to build mobile, web, and hardware projects focused on solving problems and creating positive social outcomes. Four overarching categories inspired participants in their tech development: health and environment, housing, legal and justice, and education.

Collaborating with The Shriver Center to host the hackathon was an exciting experience, says Celeste Wong ‘18, computer science, co-president of HackUMBC. “There were different aspects to the hackathon we had to think about and work through since we’ve never done a social good Hackathon,” she explained. “In the end it was very rewarding to see students who are passionate about different areas of social justice. Seeing the participants demo and explain their projects really showcased their passion and heart for others at our school and in our community.”

Rick Forno, assistant director for UMBC’s Center for Cybersecurity and director of the Cybersecurity Graduate Program, serves as faculty advisor of the HackUMBC student organization. “Hackathons like HackUMBC are diverse, high-energy events that bring together novices, experts, and mentors to share and apply their knowledge, skills, and personal enthusiasm toward exploring the world of technology and/or developing innovative solutions with technology,” he says. He was delighted at the success of this first themed HackUMBC event in bringing together participants with diverse interests, experiences, and perspectives.

Hannah Schmitz, program coordinator of public service scholars programs in The Shriver Center, agreed, sharing, “So often we see a divide between ‘techie’ and ‘non-techie’ students. The Shriver Center and HackUMBC designed ‘Innovate Good’ to bridge that divide, bringing students together to harness their skills and experiences to co-create interdisciplinary solutions to social challenges.” She explained, “Participants had a chance to collaborate with students with varying disciplinary perspectives, and had an opportunity to learn from, work with, and teach each other.”

An “expo” portion toward the end of the event gave participants an the opportunity to share the hacks that they developed with their peers and receive feedback from faculty judges.

“It’s our hope that each participant walked away with new skill sets and a deepened interest in using their talents to make an impact in their community,” says Schmitz.

For more information about upcoming hackathons at UMBC, visit the HackUMBC website.

Adapted from a UMBC News article by Megan Hanks; header image: Students presenting their hacks at the “expo” portion of the hackathon. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

The post UMBC hackathon inspires participants to “Innovate Good” through technology appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

BE ON OUR COMMITTEE

Looking to get involved with Art Week? We are currently looking for awesome folks to join our Art Week 2017 Committee. 

THE COMMITTEE WILL:

• Plan and Organize all events
• Curate and install a gallery show
• Create a marketing campaign
• Get students involved in the arts

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

• One Committee Chair for Performing Arts
  • Stipend + Internship Credits Available
• One Committee Chair for Visual Arts
  • Stipend + Internship Credits Available
• One Committee Chair for Marketing
  • Stipend + Internship Credits Available
• One Assistant Chair for Performing Arts
  • Internship Credits Available
• One Assistant Chair for Visual Arts
  • Internship Credits Available
• 10 -15 Committee Members
  • Free Printing on all Art Week Gallery submissions

WHAT TO EXPECT

Committee Chairs must be available for meetings Summer 2017 - Fall 2017, and be available during Art Week to help organize and run events. 

Assistant Chairs must be available (at least remotely) Summer 2017- Fall 2017, and be available during Art Week to help organize and run events. 

Committee Members must be available Fall 2017 to help out at events. 

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance (GBCA) nurtures and promotes a vibrant, diverse, and sustainable arts and cultural community, essential to the region’s quality of life. GBCA supports the needs of more than 400 members from the Baltimore region (Baltimore City and the five surrounding counties) including arts, culture, history, and heritage organizations, as well as individual artists. GBCA requires a strong infrastructure to steward its members and to develop new programs and initiatives.

The Maryland Department of Commerce is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Executive Director within the Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council.

Description

Baltimore Center Stage seeks candidates for the position of Accounts Payable & Payroll Assistant. The position is responsible for processing weekly payroll, processing invoices for payment in weekly check runs, maintaining vendor files and IRS forms, weekly and monthly journal entries for income, cash, and reposts as well as reconciling selected general ledger accounts, managing employee credit cards and department coding & documentation.

Baltimore Center Stage

Baltimore Center Stage seeks candidates for the position of Business Manager. The position is responsible for cash management, oversight of payroll and benefits, and accounts payable. The Business Manager will supervise the Accounts Payable and Payroll and Benefits Specialist, and is a director report to the Director of Finance.

Baltimore Center Stage

Deuteronomy 8:3 - He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

We cannot live without God.  We simply cannot continue to be without His breath, His presence, His life, His provision. God is committed to teaching His people this, that we may truly live.  Jesus taught us of the true manna:

John 6:28-40 - Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty…For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Today, let’s confess, “God I do not live on bread alone, but I need the word that comes from your mouth.”  And let’s pray, “God, please feed me with the living word of Jesus today.”  Let’s also pray for those whom we love and desire to love according to the Father’s will - “that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA

-BR

Baltimore-area soccer club Christos FC, whose roster features several UMBC alumni, faces off against D.C. United tomorrow as the last amateur team in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Among Christos’ ranks are Pete Caringi III ’15, psychology (also an assistant coach here at UMBC), Phil Saunders ’15, health administration and policy, Geaton Caltabiano ’14, psychology, and Levi Houapeu ’15, financial economics. 

You can read more about the highly decorated “team that doesn’t practice” in this Baltimore Sun profile. Tickets for tomorrow’s game are available here.

Support tomorrow’s champions by making a gift to UMBC Athletics today.