A young man and impending PhD graduate from SUNY/Buffalo interviewed at UMBC for a teaching job in February of 1980. The man was Robert Deluty and the meeting came on the heels of a successful one with the University of Virginia, a place which he aesthetically described as “unbelievable” and, in terms of visual appeal, far superior to that of UMBC.

He received job offers from both universities and promptly created a list of advisors he needed to call to help him reach his decision. One by one, they each told him the optimal choice was clear: UVA. But something about it just wasn’t sitting right with him. The last man on his list was Edward Katkin, the former department chair for the Psychology Department at SUNY/Buffalo. Katkin provided Deluty with the answer he was desperately looking for, “Oh that’s a no brainer, you got to go to UMBC.”

That was all the reassurance Deluty needed. He accepted the university’s offer and has been working here in the Department of Psychology ever since. Deluty began as an Assistant Professor of Psychology, but rose to the rank of Associate Dean of the Graduate School. This past week, 36 years since that consequential interview in February, he announced his retirement.

Deluty entered the department during a time when the graduate program did not extend past a master’s degree. Blueprints for a doctoral degree plan were in the process of creation by Leon Levy, department chair at the time, who collaborated with Deluty. He told Deluty about his plan to create a “human services psychology” doctoral program that was intended to be broad because you “have to go beyond the traditional one-on-one therapy if you want to be a clinician.”

The idea resonated with Deluty, who was thinking at the time of the discussion, “This is wonderful.” He added, “So despite UVA’s prestige, reputation and history, I decided to come here.” He cracked a smile when he concluded, “I think I made the right decision.”

Deluty’s students would likely agree. The professor has a 4.9/5 rating on ratemyprofessors.com. The last comment on his page on the site, posted in late September, says “The course material is fascinating and Deluty teaches it beautifully. He’s a phenomenal lecturer. Deserves an A plus!”

In addition to teaching, which he has continued to do during his tenure as associate dean, he has also been an avid writer, specializing in poems and essays. Much of his work has been connected to his studies and discoveries in the field of psychology.

His first published work was spurred by the forthcoming arrival of his son from Korea. Deluty says that it struck him that he was soon to be a father and that it made him think how he would “stack up to his own father.” He said, “All these old stories about my dad were flooding in. I found myself very emotional at times. My wife, a clinical psychologist, picked up on it and asked what was going on. I told her one of my favorite stories about my father, and she advised me to write it up.”

And so he did. Deluty sent the essay to the “Baltimore Evening Sun” and it was, much to his excitement, published in the Op-Ed section.

He has since written 51 books full of mostly poems, in the format of senryu, which he describes as the “first cousin” of haiku. He said he strives to make his poems relatable, which doesn’t always jive with mainstream publishers, some of whom have criticized him for not being “challenging enough” in his work.

“I found that to be a curious response. I would like people to be able to understand what I write. Most poems that I read in the top literary journals, I can’t make heads or tails of. I don’t know what the hell they’re talking about,” he said.

He cites this unnecessary complexity as a reason many people are turned off by poetry. His work has served to combat that stigma.

While Deluty may officially depart from campus as an active staff member, he leaves behind his many published works and plans on returning for guest lectures, which he already gives per request by fellow professors.

When asked what he will miss the most, he candidly replied, “The people. Enormously. I will never miss an administrators’ meeting or a faculty meeting. But I will miss interactions with some of the most amazing people I have ever met in my life.”

The post Associate Dean Robert Deluty retires after 36 years appeared first on The Retriever.

The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Program is offering $60,000 fellowships for five women who are in a postdoctoral program in the STEM fields! Applications will open on November 28, 2016 and close on February 3, 2017. Detailed information about the postdoctoral fellowship is below. For further information, please visit their website at  www.lorealusa.com/forwomeninscience. 

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It’s that time of the semester where students decide which classes to take next semester only to find that a courses they need have already filled up. UMBC’s registration system has its flaws: for one, the credit system currently in place (the more credits a student has, the earlier that student can register) gives upperclassmen access to courses earlier.

While fair in theory, some younger students are frustrated by it. It’s a common scenario that a freshman or sophomore cannot register in a core class for their major because it is full of students who registered early. Despite the fact that they are following the academic pathways set by their department, upperclassmen or students with transfer credits have taken all the slots.

According to sophomore engineering major, Sam Riser, “The system is overall fair, but it has created some issues for my friends. Some people I know came in without AP credits, so even though they take the courses that they’re supposed to take as their advisor suggests, they end up falling behind because other students with more credits register for their [courses] first,” said Riser. “My one friend who is supposed to be taking Calc 3 this semester couldn’t take it because of his credit count.”

Kwame Robertson, a junior computer science major, recognizes the system’s flaws, but understands why this system is in place. “I think it’s a fair system,” said Robertson, “because it keeps you from being here for longer than you need to be.”

Robertson offered a solution, but it may not be feasible. “I think that overall the school needs a lot more money,” said Robertson. “More money means more teachers and more teachers means more sections.”

For most students, the system may actually be working. Freshman or sophomores with high credit counts are not the norm, so the priority system does usually work as intended, prioritizing people who need to graduate soon.

Said Robertson, “This is an anomaly, with some students having more credits that they’re supposed to, just because they’re very smart. That’s actually pretty common here at UMBC, so you might find it more often than usual, but I’m not sure if they take up more of the space than the actual upperclassmen in the class. I’m pretty sure the number isn’t big enough to where the system needs to be changed.”

When asked about potentially implementing a system wherein students registration is based upon the number of years/semesters they have attended, Robertson said, “I think that’s a pretty interesting idea.”

While the credit system may cause some disturbances for students trying to develop that perfect schedule, in many ways, it seems impossible to incorporate a better system, one that is both fair to upperclassmen and still allows freshmen and sophomores to take the classes that they wish to take. Many students may not feel too happy about this, but the credit system is a system that has worked successfully for a while now, and students shouldn’t expect this to change any time soon.

The post First- and second-year students frustrated with registration policy appeared first on The Retriever.

Event: Next PhD Completion Workshop: “Growing Your Community: Skills for Mentoring and Networking” with Dr. Stephen Thomas

Date: Monday, November 21, 2016

Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Location: University of Maryland College Park Campus, 2124 Lee Building – RSVP Required

Register at: go.umd.edu/mentoring2016

Event Details: Learn from experts about the impact of compassionate mentoring, and the importance of this style of mentoring in supporting graduate students. Attendees will learn the differences between a “mentor” vs. an “advisor,” gains skills for networking and learn the importance of networking to build your community, and get insights about mentoring and networking options. Limited seating. Light refreshments, coffee and tea will be provided.

Speaker: Dr. Stephen Thomas

                   Professor of Health Services Administration

                   Director of Maryland Center for Health Equity

For a full biography of Dr. Stephen Thomas, please see the following link: http://sph.umd.edu/people/stephen-b-thomas

This event is sponsored by the UMD Graduate School, Office of Graduate Diversity and Inclusion (OGDI), Graduate Student Government, and PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP.

For questions, please contact:

Christopher Perez

Associate Director Office of Graduate Diversity and Inclusion & UMD PROMISE AGEP Coordinator

Email: cperez6@umd.edu

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Foundations of Leadership Development- 3 credits

PSYC 216 & EDUC 216 (cross-listed); Wednesdays 4:30-7 pm

Syllabus Attached*

This course is designed to help develop effective, ethical leaders. The principles and practices of leadership will be addressed, incorporating opportunities to implement what is learned. It is a highly interactive course that requires extensive in-class discussion. The main goals are to help students better understand themselves, develop intercultural competence, communicate effectively in group settings, develop an ethical decision-making process, value civic engagement and actively apply leadership skills. 

Foundations of Leadership Development is:

• Highly-interactive

• 100% focused on your development

• Project-based

• FOR EVERYONE. No previous knowledge, skills, or experiences required.

• “I have recommended (class) to several friends”

• “The interactions in class and activities inherently enhanced learning about the subject”

• “This was an immensely helpful and enjoyable class with a very unique style of learning the material”

•  “Should be a required course if possible for all majors”