“This is the moment [Obama] and his presidency promised to deliver,” writes UMBC political science professor Thomas Schaller in Salon, of the fight over the payroll tax cut extension. “This is,” he suggests, “a moment  for the president to demonstrate the resolve that earned his hopeful believers’ support three years ago, and it comes as he begins asking the electorate for another four-year lease on the Oval Office.”

Beyond supporting the payroll tax cut extension, Schaller argues, “the president should go a step further and call out the GOP’s Tea Party wing,” which blocked the passage of a two-month extension earlier this week. “He can’t let their stalling tactics break him,” Schaller writes, “Because this is not just the fight of his presidency — it could very well be the fight for his presidency.” Read the full column at Salon.com.

From the entire UMBC community to you, our alumni, have a wonderful holiday season!

We hope you enjoy this short video featuring the UMBC Mama’s Boys singing “Let it Snow.”

-View the holiday e-card here.

Author and medical student Sheg Aranmolate ’05 has released his second book, a novel set in the African savannah entitled Bountiful Famine.

The story follows a young man through the memories of his childhood on a subsistence farm after awaking in the dark bound, injured and afflicted with amnesia.

Aranmolate “hopes to transport readers into a unique world and reveal not only some of the suffering of Africans, but also some of the rich culture and the joyful moments that are shared with family and friends,” he said.

A medical student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN, Aranmolate earned his bachelors in biochemistry and molecular biology (with a minor in psychology) from UMBC in 2005. In 2008 he was featured on the ABC television show, Oprah’s Big Give and appeared twice on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

– Read more about Aranmolate here.
– View a Memphis television interview with Aranmolate here.

Every year, the President’s Commission for Women (PCW) recognizes a faculty or staff member on campus who has directly contributed to promoting women’s issues and/or eliminating gender inequality. Nominations are available and are awaiting you to nominate that awesome someone on campus. This is your chance to tell someone, “thanks for the work you’ve been doing… it hasn’t gone unnoticed!”

Nominations have been attached to this post. For additional information feel free to contact Dawn Stoute (co-chair of the PCW) at dstoute@umbc.edu.

Nominations are due January 23^rd.

From the entire UMBC community to you, our alumni, have a wonderful holiday season!

We hope you enjoy this short video featuring the UMBC Mama’s Boys singing “Let it Snow.”

-View the holiday e-card here.