On August 27, 2016, Sonora Review published Abby Dockter's review of Professor Piotr Gwiazda's latest collection of poetry, Aspects of Strangers. Here Dockter writes that:

Aspects of Strangers styles itself an ethnography: a series of cultural observations that have been cut, dried, and gathered into poems. A true anthropologist would not have been able to resist fleshing them out into a treatise—context, you know—but the speaker in these poems is more interested in blank space. There is a fresh, field-notes quality preserved in these records, and somehow his cherry-picked observations gradually suggest the beauty and complexity of what’s under description. Poems are for moments, and Gwiazda provides a gorgeous rush of them.

As Dockter reminds us, Gwiazda’s words provide us access to a side of the world worth exploring more and more. We are excited with every poem about the journey he encourages us to take. To read the full review, please visit https://sonorareview.com/2016/08/27/a-review-of-piotr-gwiazdas-aspects-of-strangers/#more-8998.

Baltimore Magazine recently released its “Best of 2016” edition, which highlighted leaders in arts and culture from across the city over the past year. Lia Purpura, Writer in Residence in UMBC’s Department of English, was named Baltimore’s top poet.

The magazine states: “In It Shouldn’t Have Been Beautiful, her latest collection published this year, Purpura impressively delivers poignant insight into our existence without pomp and circumstance. Her verses are little gems with short stanzas and an absence of flowery language, but that doesn’t make them any less profound. Instead, Purpura . . . proves how meaningful simplicity can be.”

Purpura has also been awarded a Pushcart Prize for her essay “Scream, or, Never Minding,” which was originally published in The Georgia Review. Also receiving recognition last month was Purpura’s poem “Resolution,” which was featured on The Academy of American Poets website as the national “Poem-a-Day” on August 8.

Lia Purpura’s work frequently appears in The New Yorker, Orion, The Paris Review, Best American Essays, The Iowa Review, and other national journals. Among her numerous honors are a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts and Fulbright Fellowships, and four Pushcart prizes. Her collection of essays, On Looking was a finalist for the National Books Critics Award. 

We offer our congratulations to our Writer in Residence, Lia Purpura, for this outstanding recognition of her work.

The CAHSS Dean’s Research Fund (CDRF) provides a biannual (proposals due Oct 1 and Apr 1) competitive funding opportunity for up to $5,000 to support the research endeavors of CAHSS tenured and tenure-track faculty and lecturers. Funds will support developing or established scholarly and creative projects. Faculty on visiting or short-term appointments are not eligible to apply. Awarded funds will be available through the end of the fiscal year following the award year. After completion of the grant term, awardees must provide evidence of work produced and a short report describing how funds were spent and how any equipment purchased has been designated for continued College use.

Items that are eligible for CDRF funding include: travel, equipment, supplies, books, research participant costs, undergraduate or graduate student support, and other items necessary for research endeavors. No faculty salary support or course releases may be funded through this initiative. Funds supporting this initiative are provided by the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Applications will be reviewed by the CAHSS Research Advisory Committee, which will make recommendations to the Dean. Proposals will be judged on: the quality of the proposed project, feasibility of the work, and how the project will benefit from CDRF assistance.

Limit one application per faculty member per funding cycle. Limit one award per faculty per two years.

Link for application materials: http://cahss.umbc.edu/cahss-deans-research-fund/ 

Information from CAHSS Dean's Office

Take the next step in your career!

  

Explore what you can do with an APSIA Degree!

APSIA schools share the same passions you have for solving global challenges.

Talk with admissions experts about masters degrees, financial aid, and other questions you may have.

Come learn how an APSIA degree can transform your career at our Washington DC graduate school fair:

September 14, 2016

Participating Schools

• American University, School of International Service
• Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs
• Duke University, Sanford School of Public Policy
• George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs
• Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
• Georgia Institute of Technology, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs
• Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government
• IE University, School of International Relations
• Johns Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
• National University of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
• Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
• Sciences Po, Paris School of International Affairs
• Stockholm School of Economics
• Syracuse University, The Maxwell School
• Texas A&M University, Bush School of Government & Public Service
• Tufts University, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
• University of California San Diego, School of Global Policy and Strategy
• University of Denver, Josef Korbel School of International Studies
• University of Maryland, School of Public Policy
• University of Michigan, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
• University of Minnesota, Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs
• University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public And International Affairs
• University of Southern California, Master of Public Diplomacy
• University of St. Gallen, Master of Arts in International Affairs and Governance
• University of Washington, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies
• Yale University, Jackson Institute for Global Affairs

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Are you looking to study terrorism? Are you hoping to work in the intelligence community? Are you considering graduate school?

Designed for both future practitioners and scholars, START’s flexible and fully online program provides students with advanced education on the causes, dynamics and impacts of international and domestic terrorism. The unique online format enables students to work full or part-time while advancing their education. No pre-requisite knowledge is required, yet our coursework is appropriate for both new and experienced learners.

Program Description
START's Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis aims to train the next generation of scholars and analysts to examine questions related to the behavior of terrorists and terrorist groups, and how societies can best prepare and respond to terrorist threats and attacks. Students also develop the methodological skills necessary to pursue advanced research on and analysis of terrorism. This four-course, twelve-credit, fully online program can be completed in as little as nine-months –  or a more expanded two years. To learn more about the program and courses, visit http://www.start.umd.edu/education/graduate-certificate-online. 

Eligibility
Eligible applicants must have earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited U.S. institution, or an equivalent degree at a foreign university. A 3.0 GPA is preferred, but experience may substitute. GRE scores are not required.

Application Information 

The program accepts applications at two points during the calendar year. This allows upcoming fall, spring, and summer graduates to begin the program soon after they have earned their four-year degree. Applications for spring admission are due December 1 for domestic applicants. More information regarding the application deadlines and term timelines can be found on our website.

Interested? 

An online information session will be held on September 27 at 6:00pm EST. To join the discussion, rsvp to START Education ateducation@start.umd.edu with “Grad Cert Info Session” in the subject line of the email. 

More Information?

Request a virtual information packet by emailing education@start.umd.edu and be sure to check out other opportunities at START, like our internship program and summer/winter courses on our website.

The Political Science Department is accepting applications to the the 68th Annual Student Conference on U.S. Affairs (SCUSA) at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York. This is an excellent opportunity to get involved in international and security debates with a large number of students and experts from around the country.

Every year, the Department sends two students to represent UMBC at this conference. Past participants have found the conference to be extremely rewarding. The Department covers registration fees and transportation to West Point, while the conference organizers provide room and board while there. If you are interested, please send a brief (one paragraph) letter of interest, including why you would like to go, what makes you qualified to represent the Department and your GPA to: Dr. Brian Grodsky,bgrodsky@umbc.edu. All applications must be received by September 19. 

For more information, see below. 

On behalf of Colonel Suzanne Nielsen, the head of the Department of Social Sciences, I would like to extend an invitation to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, to send two student delegates to participate in the 68th Annual Student Conference on U.S. Affairs (SCUSA), hosted by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. The conference meets from November 9th through November 12th, 2016.  West Point hosts SCUSA every fall, and it is the oldest and largest undergraduate conference of its type in the world. Approximately 200 undergraduate students from over 100 colleges and universities around the world attend SCUSA. Throughout the conference, the student delegates and cadets debate and formulate policy recommendations that realistically model American strategic responses to significant national and global challenges. The highlights of the four-day conference include the opening senior panel discussion on the evening of November 9th, an evening keynote banquet address, four roundtable sessions, and a closing-report session on November 12th. Recent keynote speakers have included Secretary Madeleine Albright, Ambassador Thomas Pickering, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Brent Scowcroft, and Admiral James Stavridis.   Our organizing theme this year is "Democracy & Democratization: Challenges & Opportunities." Beginning the day after the U.S. presidential election, the conference invites participants to consider the challenges and opportunities facing the United States as it responds to key questions concerning the health and future of democracy. Among the questions to be explored are: what are the political, normative, and material limits to promoting democracy in the world? Does democracy confront greater challenges in some countries and regions? How does political radicalism in its many forms challenge democracy? What does the survival of authoritarian and hybrid regimes indicate about the long-term prospects for democracy internationally? Can democracy successfully navigate ethno-religious conflict?   

Octava, a program notes app developed by our own Dr. Linda Dusman, is testing their new app during the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's performances of the Beethoven Symphony No. 5 on Friday, September 23 and Sunday, September 25, and they need your help! Some study participants will be asked to use the application and others will experience the concert as usual. They will also be experimenting with an interdisciplinary approach that explores the integration of science concepts that relate to the music in these pieces. Participants will be randomly assigned to different research groups.

Study participants must be available to attend the concert in its entirety (using the app if assigned to do so) and complete online surveys sent before the concert, shortly after the concert and about a month after the concert. As a thank you for your participation, you will receive $60 at study completion. See the flyer for more details!

Live in New York City. Defend workers’ rights. Get paid and earn college credits.

New York Union Semester is a full-time intensive academic and internship program that provides students with an opportunity to put their passion for social justice to work, both inside and outside the classroom. The Spring 2017 semester runs from January 30 to May 26, 2017.

When should students apply for New York Union Semester?
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and early applicants are given priority. Apply now! Final deadline for Spring 2017 is November 1, 2016.

Do Union Semester interns get paid?
New York Union Semester students receive a stipend of $7,000 over the course of semester to cover tuition and living expenses. 

Where are New York Union Semester interns placed?
New York Union Semester has partnerships with a variety of unions, worker organizations across the five boroughs. Students intern four days a week for fifteen weeks. We try to pair students’ interests and experience with the needs of our partners.

What is the academic program?
During the evenings and all-day on Fridays, students take classes with the renowned Labor Studies faculty at the Murphy Institute. Students who successfully complete NY Union Semester earn a total of 16 undergraduate credits or 12 graduate credits. Students are responsible for tuition and fees, but pay tuition at the in-state resident rate.

How do students apply for New York Union Semester?
Go to www.unionsemester.org and start an application today!

To speak with the NY Union Semester Coordinator, Sarah Hughes, call (212) 642-2075 or email unionsemester@sps.cuny.edu

www.unionsemester.org