Sarena C Glenn, RD, LDN, MS – Campus Dietitian umbcrd@umbc.edu  

Your son or daughter can start the day with fresh cut seasonal fruit, yogurt, and their choice of eggs scrambled, sunny side-up or omelet style made with eggs whites or whole eggs. Yum! Your child has his or her choice of omelet fillings such as fresh baby spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and peppers, in addition to hot or cold whole grain breakfast cereals, and Belgian waffles made to order. He or she can take a piece of fruit with them on their way out of True Grit’s as a snack for later. Lunch and dinner could be their choice of over 20 different fresh vegetables, hot entrees, which include lean proteins, whole grains, hot sautéed vegetables, hot soups one of which is always vegetarian, pizza station that includes thin crust pizza, and sandwiches made to order which include your choice of whole grain breads. We have over 15 different events each semester, which includes a National Nutrition Month celebration where your son or daughter can create their own grain bowl or enjoy our vegetarian/vegan specials on meatless Mondays. Providing nutritious well-balanced meals that offer the convenience of not having to cook, shop, or drive and a cashless service that is money saving and budget friendly is the commitment of Chartwells.

Our wellness initiatives implemented on campus through our Balance U program identifies and labels within our menus: Balanced, Sustainable, Vegetarian, Vegan, and Avoiding Gluten. “These items are labeled through our Dineoncampus Website, Dineoncampus App, LCD screens, iPad Kiosk in True Grits, and labeled at the point of service or on the packaged item,” explains Chartwells marketing director Mark Tarkanick.  “Balance U is supported by our tremendous resources which includes our Campus Executive Chef Kevin Werner, and Registered Dietitian Sarena Glenn as a guide to healthy eating on campus”. How can students take advantage of these opportunities? Mark describes Chartwells dining options, “Students living on campus prefer the 225 Block and the Ultimate meal plans. The 225-meal plan is popular due to students managing their allotment of meals over the 16-week semester and ability to use multiple meals in True Grit’s. The Ultimate meal plan allows for unlimited access to True Grit’s and having the ability to dine anytime on campus with friends from the residence halls, classrooms, and student groups”. The Flexible Plans (14&10) are popular as well. “The Flexible meal plans allow your son or daughter to use their allotted meals anytime,” explains Mark. Is your child a commuter? “Commuter students love the 50 block plan, a small commitment that saves them time and money”. So the next time you wonder “Is my child eating well balanced meals?” feel free to put yourself at ease by enrolling your child in our program, a place where hungry minds gather.

Susan V. Plitt, Associate Director, Employer Relations & Recruitment Programs

The Career Center

Who hasn’t, at some point in time, wished for a crystal ball to see the future?  It is, among many other things, the uncertainty about how our children will make it on their own that keeps many a parent up at night.   When it comes to the careers and professional paths our children will follow, there are likely outcomes, but, with no guarantees, the future is ultimately theirs to make.                                  

For instance, we can look to occupational forecasts, such as data shared by Maryland’s Office of Workforce Information and Performance.  They have created a list occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher that expect the largest number of annual openings through 2017.  A sample of those on the list with at least 500 openings each year includes:  Managers, Teachers, Accountants, Computer Systems Analysts, and Software Engineers.  If your student wants to stay in Maryland following graduation and is majoring in IT, education or a business-related field, they are set.  Except, maybe they’re not.  A degree, even in a “hot” field, does not guarantee a rewarding and successful professional future.  First and foremost, it is important that students pick majors and make career decisions based on their true strengths and genuine areas of interest -- not just on predicted job prospects.  Additionally, it is also crucial, that students prepare well beyond the classroom.  Relevant experience, be it through internships, service, or research, can make the difference between multiple job offers and no job offers.

Another factor that may predict success is access to leading employers.  CollegeGrad.com compiles an annual list of top entry-level employers and at the top of this year’s list (those hiring at least 1000 entry-level employees in 2016) you will find a number of employers that actively recruit UMBC students, including:  Deloitte, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency, General Electric, Amazon.com, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Enterprise Holdings, and the United States Air Force.  To embark on their professional careers, students are actually able to connect with these and other employers by using services offered by the UMBC Career Center, never having to leave campus:  Spring Career & Internship Fair (February 17), UMBC Connects corporate visibility days; employer information sessions, on-campus interviews, and their UMBCworks account. In the end, all this proximity requires student action for meaningful results and we ask for your support by encouraging your student to utilize the Career Center’s services.

Luckily, in an uncertain world, the UMBC Career Center (careers.umbc.edu) can help to stack the deck in your student’s favor.  Tomorrow may be unknown, but today – from self-assessment and individual advising, to a calendar full of recruitment events -- students have advocates and resources here to help them make informed decisions and significant connections.  It may not be a crystal ball, but we hope it helps you rest a bit easier!

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) Robotics Internship Program sponsors a 10-week summer internship program for students majoring in computer science, engineering, mathematics and statistics, physics and other physical sciences disciplines.  The program provides opportunities for recent high school graduates, undergraduates, graduates and postgraduates, to intern at federal national laboratories and private sector organizations throughout the United States.  This program is a partnership between the public and private sectors to continue the development of the future robotics technical, engineering, and advanced manufacturing workforce.

Undergraduate students receive a $600 per week stipend

Graduate students receive $750 per week stipend

10-week research experiences are offered in: Private sector industries and U.S. National Laboratories

Areas of research:  Robotics technical, engineering, and advanced manufacturing workforce research and development

Interns will be reimbursed for inbound-outbound travel expenses to their appointment site up to a combined maximum of $1,000.

Interns whose home location is more than 50 miles from the hosting facility will receive a $150 per week housing allowance.

U.S. citizenship required

Must be at least 18 years old by May 1, 2017

Application deadline:  February 13, 2017, 8:00 AM EST

How to Apply:  Applications and supporting materials must be submitted at

https://www.zintellect.com/Posting/Details/2878

Program Information:  Detailed information about the internships can be found at

2 Timothy 2:8 (NIV) -“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel…”

Psalm 93:1-2 (NIV) - “The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.Your throne was established long ago;you are from all eternity.“

In this season of a recent presidential election and the inauguration of a new president, we are reminded of how it matters who is leading our country. Whoever is leading can set the tone in all sorts of matters whether it is health care and so forth. We want to know that whoever is leading the country will consider the best care for all of the people. So, in the end, who would not want to be in the best care possible?

But, thankfully, we know whose reign and care that we are really in - Jesus, raised from the dead, descended from David. Our King Jesus reigns over all and is over all. We can rest assured that we are in the best leading and best care possible. So no matter what we need to face or to go through, he is in control and his care will always be over us. He will always be with us.

So, let’s trust him with today and let’s humbly bring all of our cares and needs before him. In thankfulness, let’s be wonderfully reminded of his care in all aspects and in all details as we close worshipping with this song, “The Father’s Song”, by Matt Redman.
https://youtu.be/esapsbVXXsc

-EK

Opening on January 30 and continuing until March 26, the Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery will present Altered State: Painting Myanmar in a Time of Transition, an exhibition of paintings by 36 contemporary artists from Myanmar, the Southeast Asian nation formerly known as Burma.

Created following the transition period of 2011, when a military-backed civilian government replaced oppressive rule by military junta and the country once famous for its seclusion re-entered the world stage, the paintings illustrate current artistic practice in Myanmar and present a series of creative viewpoints on a rapidly changing society. Paintings included in Altered State: Painting Myanmar in a Time of Transition are from the collection of contemporary Myanmar paintings of Ian Holliday, vice president and pro-vice-chancellor (teaching and learning) at the University of Hong Kong.

“The exhibition is important because it highlights the work of a large group of contemporary artists from Myanmar (Burma), many of whom experienced censorship of their work in the past. Myanmar is a country that is gradually transitioning from a long postwar history of military rule to a more democratic form of government,” says Constantine Vaporis, founding director of the Asian Studies Program and professor of history. “Barack Obama was the first U.S. president to visit the country, and his efforts to promote the peaceful democratic transformation of the country were important to the U.S.’s strategic rebalance to Asia.”

On February 1 at 4 p.m., the Humanities Forum and Social Sciences Forum will present a lecture by Christina Fink, professor of the practice in international affairs at The George Washington University, who will speak on “Myanmar: Perspectives on a Society in Transition.”

Professor Fink is a cultural anthropologist who has combined teaching, research, and development work throughout her career. Her areas of expertise are Burma/Myanmar in particular and Southeast Asia more broadly, equitable development, gender and development, civil society in ethnically diverse states. She received her B.A. in international relations from Stanford University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in social/cultural anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley. She has taught at the Elliot School for International Affairs at George Washington University since 2011. She served as a visiting lecturer at the Pacific and Asian studies department at the University of Victoria in 1995, and, from 2001 to 2010, she was a lecturer and program associate at the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute in Thailand.

Presentation of the exhibition at UMBC is supported in part by an arts program grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support comes from the Friends of the Library & Gallery, the Libby Kuhn Endowment, and individual contributions. Professor Fink’s lecture is sponsored by the Asian Studies Program, the Dresher Center for the Humanities, the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery, the Global Studies Program, the Department of Visual Arts, and the Social Sciences Forum.

Exhibition hours will be 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with extended hours on Thursday until 8 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. Admission to both the exhibition and lecture is free. Complete information is available on the UMBC Arts & Culture calendar here (exhibition) and here (lecture).