Do you think clouds are cool? Have a penchant for prognostication? Well, Bob Marshall ’88, mechanical engineering, is your man.

A story in the Washington Post says Marshall — owner of Earth Networks — “prays for crazy weather.”

“We buzz off this stuff,” Marshall says, staring at his computer monitor as it follows a path of lightning across Massachusetts.

His company, Earth Networks, grosses $50 million from its 10,000 suitcase-size weather stations spanning the globe.

The information pours in to the privately held company’s Germantown headquarters, home to Marshall and a posse of scientists and meteorologists.

Local emergency crews subscribe so they can jump on flash floods or lay down sand before the snow hits. Sports leagues need to know whether that thunderstorm heading their way is going to hit the stadium.

Bob was honored by the UMBC Alumni Association during its 2007 Outstanding Alumni Awards.

Read the full Washington Post story here.

Read more alumni stories on Retriever Net.

Student Division Mixer on Wednesday, October 5, 2011

(6:00 – 9:00 pm)

Where: Looneys Pub South @ Maple Lawn
8180 Maple Lawn Blvd Fulton, Maryland 20759

Appetizers provided (But not the Drinks)

To ensure enough food, please RSVP at our website invite.

What Are the Benefits of Joining the Student Division?

• Build your network of INCOSE colleagues through the Student Division.
• Share your interests on systems engineering issues that matter most to you.
• Access INCOSE resources on:

• Symposium, conferences and special events.
• Systems Engineering reference materials.
• Professional certification programs

• Attend Chesapeake Chapter activities and events
• Discuss system engineering topics with members of the Chesapeake Chapter.
• Enjoy benefits of Chesapeake Chapter membership

 We will work together on the issues that matter most to you

The INCOSE Chesapeake chapter is an award-winning chapter with accomplished systems engineers with a wide variety of experiences. We can help you answer questions like:

• What is systems engineering? How is it  different than other kinds of engineering?
• Given my interests and aspirations, what do I need to do to realize them?
• How can I ensure I am on the cutting edge of  the profession?
• How can I create a network of peers and mentors?
• How can I harness our region’s formidable systems engineering resources?
• Who can provide objective guidance on a challenging work problem?

Lipitz Professor Leslie Morgan, sociology and anthropology, responded to the announcement that an advocate against elder abuse received a MacArthur “genius” grant through a powerful letter in the Washington Post, recognizing the importance of this advocacy but also the unsung heroes of elder care. “Studies show that 60 million Americans provide care to adult relatives, with an average lifetime economic cost per person of $300,000, mostly from early retirement or reduced work hours… The great majority of these caregivers do exemplary jobs, sacrificing free time, sleep and sometimes their own health,” she wrote.

Morgan went on to reference research she conducted with colleagues at UMBC’s Center for Aging Studies that shows “older people in residential-care settings describe both exemplary paid care providers and some who are mediocre or poor.” She argued, “This positive quality of care, however, is not newsworthy, and most news stories focus on the few, horrific cases where abuse or neglect leads to harm or death. In elder care, there are most certainly a few villains but many, many unsung heroes.”