Public Policy Professor and Chair Donald Norris discussed the upcoming gubernatorial election in The Baltimore Sun and Jewish Times this week.

In an article in the Jewish Times about Republicanism in Maryland, Norris predicted that a win for the Democrats, explaining that Republican nominee Larry Hogan’s focus on the economy would not sway voters. In The Baltimore Sun, Norris commented on Hogan’s attention to environmental issues. Hogan has questioned Democratic nominee Anthony Brown’s commitment to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. “I’ve been in the state since 1986, and I don’t remember the bay being an issue, at least in this way,” said Norris.

Click here to read “Being Purple” in the Jewish Times and here to read “A political divide over the environment” in The Baltimore Sun.

Norris also spoke to the Baltimore Sun about Governor Martin O’Malley’s possible bid for the presidency and how it might affect his relationship with the Clintons. “He’s a got a relationship with the Clintons,” Norris said. “And I don’t know how you run against someone without ticking them off.”

Click here to read “Subtly, O’Malley draws distinctions with Clinton” in The Baltimore Sun.

Kimberly Moffitt, American Studies, joined The Marc Steiner Show on Monday, September 29 to discuss police brutality, societal perceptions of Black children and recent attacks on the Obamas. Other panelists in the roundtable included Marshall Bell, host of Midday Magazine with Marshall Bell and author of Baltimore Blues: Harm City, and Ray Winbush, Director of the Institute for Urban Research at Morgan State University.

In the conversation about attacks on Michelle Obama, Moffitt related it to her research on body politics. “Oftentimes we look at the black body as being this space that occupies a position of being revered and reviled, all at the same time. And so, when you look at someone like Michelle Obama, she occupies that space constantly,” she said.

To hear the full segment on The Marc Steiner Show, click here.

Political Science Professor and Chair Thomas Schaller writes about his views on religion, war and the political practices of ISIS in his latest column in The Baltimore Sun.

Schaller notes the dangerous nature of what ISIS purports to want: a return to the era of Islamic caliphates. “Political leaders hungry for power and control often peddle to potential followers the intoxicating promise of reviving a high-varnished, glorified past that never really existed,” he writes. “Such delusions often turn lethal, especially when revanchist aspirations cannot be delivered to adherents and are met with resistance from opponents.”

To read “The Islamic State’s false promise,” click here.

UMBC’s Professional Graduate Programs are designed to prepare working professionals to grow academically and professionally, and become leaders in some of today’s most in-demand fields.

Participate in upcoming information sessions to learn about Professional Graduate Programs in Systems Engineering, Engineering Management, Health Information Technology, Biotechnology, Cybersecurity, Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Geographic Information Systems offered at UMBC’s Main Campus and at The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, MD.

Fall Info Sessions:

• Systems Engineering & Engineering Management Virtual Info Session: Oct. 9, 12 – 1 p.m.
• Health Information Technology Virtual Info Session: Oct. 16, 12 – 1 p.m.
• Biotechnology Virtual Info Session: Oct. 21, 12 – 1 p.m.
• Cybersecurity Virtual Info Session: Oct. 23, 12 – 1 p.m.
• Industrial/Organizational Psychology Info Session: Oct. 29, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
• Geographic Information Systems Info Session: Nov. 5 & 6, 6 – 8 p.m.

RSVP here!

Each information session will highlight program format and curriculum, as well as the application process. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions during the session.