From: Provost Rous

As we prepare for the 2015 May Commencement, President Hrabowski and I cordially invite you to participate in the Commencement ceremonies of the Undergraduate and Graduate School Programs. Doctoral and Master’s degrees will be conferred on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. in the UMBC Retriever Activities Center (RAC). Baccalaureate degrees will be conferred on Thursday, May 21, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. at the Royal Farms Arena. As you know, these events mean a great deal to our students, their parents, and guests, so I hope you will make a special effort to share in their celebrations.

RENTING REGALIA: As in the past, UMBC will subsidize the rental of academic regalia for faculty, and administrative and associate staff. Faculty and staff may order regalia beginning Tuesday, March 3 through March 29. Click on this to reserve regalia: https://my.umbc.edu/go/commencementform. If you have ordered regalia at UMBC before, your information will automatically appear on the screen when you enter your username. If you have not ordered before, you must enter the following information: your cap size, height with shoes, weight, degree earned, and the name of the school where the degree was earned.

DEADLINE TO ORDER: Please order your regalia no later than March 29. Beginning March 30, you will be asked to pay a late charge of $25.00 for your order. Please note that it will not be possible to order regalia after May 4. Even if there is a slight chance that you will attend Commencement, you should order regalia. It is easier for the Bookstore to return unused gowns and hoods then it is to place a late order and not receive delivery on time. Regalia will be ready for pick-up beginning May 6. If you have any questions, please call Gail Dupree at the Bookstore, x53904.

LUNCH AND BUSES: You are invited for lunch at 11:00 a.m. at the Royal Farms Arena before the Undergraduate Commencement. Bus transportation from UMBC to the Arena will also be provided, leaving at 10:30 a.m. for lunch and 11:30 a.m. for ceremony only.

RSVP: Following is the information we need for planning and seating purposes.

• Your name
• Your plans to process in the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony, including whether you will come for lunch, and whether you will ride either the 10:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. bus from UMBC to the Arena.
• Your plans to process in the Graduate School Commencement Ceremony.

If you plan to participate, please send your response for either or both Commencement ceremonies by May 4, by clicking this link: https://my.umbc.edu/go/commencementform.

For additional information about the 2015 May Commencement Ceremonies, please visit the Commencement website: www.umbc.edu/commencement. We look forward to your participation in the Ceremonies.

The president of Portugal has honored Antonio “Tony” Moreira, vice provost of academic affairs and professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, with the title Commander of the Order of Public Instruction.

Ambassador Nuno Brito bestowed the honor upon Moreira this week at the Portuguese Embassy in Washington, D.C. At the ceremony, Moreira discussed how he works to foster connections between UMBC and Portugal. “In my almost 25 years working at UMBC… I felt that I need to support the youth of Portugal and provide them opportunities,” he said.

President Hrabowski praised Moreira’s work at UMBC during the ceremony. “Portugal has a rich tradition of exploration and of working across cultures,” he said. “Tony’s efforts to expand international opportunities for UMBC students clearly reflect this tradition. It’s very fitting that he was selected for this honor.”

Name: Hiba Zia

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Federal Reserve Board | Title of Your Position: Graphic Design Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Graphic Design

Expected Graduation Year: May 2015

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

Being an intern for the Office of Inspector General at the Federal Reserve Board for the summer was an outstanding experience and I was extremely heavy hearted that I was only there for the summer. Luckily, I landed an opportunity to be an intern for the year at the Board but for a different division. I am now interning at the Office of Chief Data Officer. What I love most about my internship are the people I encounter everyday. They have insightful advice and are always willing to help. Some of the assignments I complete include website implementation, branding and marketing, and also developing templates for reports and documents.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I obtained my internship by applying to every opportunity that was relative to my major.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

I love that I work on varieties of projects. I enjoy coming into work not knowing what assignments I will work on. I also love the office side of my internship as opposed to working in a studio. Even though I take three trains and a shuttle to get to my building, I enjoy my commute I wouldn't trade it for anything.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

I have gained the experience of working as a graphic designer in the office environment. Other internships I have had, I worked from home or a studio.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

I advise that you apply early and don't wait til last minute. The federal Reserve board is always looking for interns!

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History Professor James Grubb has been selected to serve as one of three trustees of the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, a philanthropic foundation headquartered in New York.  According to its website, the The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation “promotes the advancement and perpetuation of humanistic inquiry and artistic creativity by encouraging excellence in scholarship and in the performing arts, and by supporting research libraries and other institutions which transmit our cultural heritage.”

The Foundation sponsors projects in four areas in which the founder was keenly interested: libraries, humanities, artistic performance in New York, and Venetian studies.  The annual budget is about $2.5 million. Grubb will oversee the programs in the humanities and Venetian studies, although all decisions are made by the three trustees jointly.

The selection of Prof. Grubb is a recognition of his prominence in the field of Early Modern Studies, Venetian Studies, and Italian history. For more information on the foundation, click here.

Psychology Research Professor and Professor Emeritus Robert Provine was recently interviewed by Radio National (RN) in Australia about his research on yawning, sneezing, and hiccuping. Provine’s interview appeared on the RN program “The Body Sphere” and the title of the segment was “Breathing Through Pain.”

“One of the most striking things about contagious yawning is that it reminds us that we are not a conscious being with total voluntary control of our behavior. When you see someone else yawn, you don’t decide, I’m going to do what that person over there just did. We simply do it,” Provine said during the program. “When we yawn, and when we hear other people yawning, we’re synchronizing our behavior with other members of the group,” he added.

To listen to the full RN segment, click here.

The Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication Department has announced the lineup for its spring film festival series. Films from across the different areas of MLLI are represented. To view a video promoting the series, see below.

MLLI will also participate in a Short Film Festival during ArtWeek at UMBC. The information is below:

Short Film Festival during Art Week
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Sports Zone, The Commons

A screening of foreign film shorts will be shown in the Sports Zone. We
will have drinks and free popcorn! Come and see short films from France,
India, Israel and more. For more information, click here.

UMBC All-American soccer standout Oumar Ballo has been signed by the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.

The Dynamo selected Ballo in the second round with the 30th overall selection of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. Ballo helped lead UMBC to the NCAA Tournament College Cup (Final Four) in 2014 for the first time in program history. A two-time NSCAA-All American, Ballo was named America East Conference Defender of the Year in 2014.

Ballo has appeared in two games this preseason.

The Dynamo open their tenth season on Saturday, March 7, 2015 at BBVA Compass Stadium against Columbus Crew SC.