Donald F. Norris, professor and chairman of UMBC’s Dept. of Public Policy, has been named an inaugural honoree of the new Urban Affairs Association (UAA) Service Honor Roll. This award recognizes Norris’s contributions to both the association and the field of urban studies. The UAA credits honorees with contributing to the current breadth and richness of the discipline. Norris will be reorganized at an award luncheon for Honor Roll inductees on April 5 at the UAA conference in San Francisco.

The Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) has selected professor Leslie A. Morgan, Sociology & Anthropology, as recipient of the David A. Peterson Award for her Gerontology & Geriatrics Education article “Paradigms in the Gerontology Classroom: Connections and Challenges to Learning.”

The AGHE will present Morgan with this “best paper” award at its 2013 annual meeting. The group notes, “The purpose of this award is to recognize excellence in scholarship in academic gerontology.” Manuscripts are evaluated on “innovation, the soundness of their approach, and their significance to and implications for gerontology and geriatrics education.”

Morgan’s research focuses on social dimensions of aging. A recent book explored how people understand what “quality” means in their search for an assisted living facility (watch video). She is is author, co-author or editor of six books and dozens of peer-reviewed articles and chapters. UMBC named her 2011-2012 Lipitz Professor in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, in recognition of her decades of exemplary scholarship, teaching and service to the university.

The AGHE also named UMBC Ph.D. student Colleen R. Bennett, gerontology, as honorable mention recipient for its Graduate Student Paper Award, recognizing her paper “What’s ‘Glee’ Got To Do With It? Lesbians’ Future Care Concerns and Popular Media.”

For All the World to Hear brings the Civil Rights Movement to our ears.

In the 1950�s, Woodrow �Woody� B. Grant, Jr. sat in his Virginia Union University classroom mesmerized by the guest speaker. The magnetic young minister tapped into the deep longings of the African-American college students in the audience, showing how passive resistance could be used to change their plight. The young leader who spoke that day was, of course, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and hearing him changed Grant�s life.

Following the speech, Grant immediately became a �foot soldier� for freedom and dedicated his life to fighting for civil rights. He was joined in that work by his wife, Janice Grant, a strong force in her own right as a civil rights activist and leader. The Grants are among ten individuals sharing their stories through For All the World to Hear: Stories from the Struggle for Civil Rights, an oral-history performance project led by UMBC�s Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture (CADVC). The group of storytellers met every week in Baltimore�s Druid Hill Park, from September through December, to develop performances that capture their experiences growing up during a time of Jim Crow Laws and recreate their participation in the civil rights movement.

For All the World the Hear debuted at UMBC in November and returns to campus for a performance on Friday, February 15, as part of a tour throughout the Baltimore area. The storytellers bring to life the personal sacrifices, risks and humiliations endured at that time � realities that escape many young people and adults, today. Most of us don�t know what it�s like to not be able to eat at any restaurant we choose. We can all swim or play tennis in public parks and drink from any water fountain.

For All the World to Hear brings to life a different, but not distant, time � and it asks how far we�ve actually come. Organized by Sandra Abbott, curator of collections and outreach for the CADVC, in collaboration with oral historian, dramaturg and director of the performance, Harriet Lynn, For All the World to Hear is an outreach project inspired by the exhibition For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights, on display in the CADVC�s gallery through March 10, 2013.

In addition to live performances, the project will include digital stories available through foralltheworldtohear.org, stories.umbc.edu and iTunesU. The entire project will culminate in a documentary film produced by Abbott with the help of UMBC students who have also participated as facilitators throughout the project.

See For All the World to Hear: Stories From the Struggle for Civil Rights Friday, February 15, at 10:30 a.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Admission to this event is free and open to the public. For information on other performances, please visit foralltheworldtohear.org.

This project was made possible by a grant from the Maryland Humanities Council, through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Maryland Humanities Council.

(2/12/13)

© 2012 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

On Tuesday, February 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the AOK Library Gallery, artist and UMBC alum, Hadi Gharabaghi will speak about the works in the exhibition currently on display in the gallery, Persian Visions: Contemporary Photography from Iran.

Gharabaghi, originally form Tehran, Iran, will speak about the photographs, shedding light on the appearance of some of the cultural, historic and religious symbolism and imagery depicted. The lecture will also touch upon the way in which the current political climate in Iran affects practicing artists.

Hadi Gharabaghi’s background in photography, film, art history, theory and criticism includes a B.A. in Photography from Montgomery College, a B.A. in Visual Art with a concentration in Art History from UMBC, and from numerous exhibitions and educational projects. He is a Jack Cooke Kent Foundation Scholar, and is currently a doctoral candidate in Cinema Studies at NYU where his focus is Iranian film.

This event is free and open to the public.

“What we take for granted now has not always been that way. Someone had to pay for that. It cost dearly. Some people gave their lives and careers,” says Robert Houston, discussing the battle for equality during the American civil rights movement in an interview with WJZ. Robert Houston is one of ten storytellers involved in the CADVC community outreach project, For All the World to Hear: Stories from the Struggle for Civil Rights, and one of a number of people, including project coordinator Sandra Abbott of the  CADVC, interviewed in a segment for CBS Baltimore.

The feature relates the For All the World to Hear performance at the Maryland Historical Society, to the gallery exhibition on display there and the impact of Baltimore’s diverse communities in the civil rights movement.

Read more, and watch the feature, “Oral, Visual History Exhibit Showcases Civil Rights in Baltimore.”

Today’s Baltimore Sun features a front-page story about students in two UMBC BreakingGround courses and projects through which people from UMBC are solving problems and working with community partners to make innovative contributions to the common good. For additional details on BreakingGround, see the project website, myUMBC group or #digUMBC on Twitter.

In the current legislative session, Maryland Republicans plan to focus on transportation funding, school safety and the budget, writes reporter Daniel Leaderman in the Gazette. Donald F. Norris, professor and chairman of UMBC’s Department of Public Policy, doesn’t think they’ll have much success in their efforts.

Norris anticipates, for example, that even with some conservative Democrats joining Republicans in opposition to bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazine clips, those proposals are still likely to pass. In Maryland, Norris says, Republican legislators “have virtually no influence” — a position he describes as “not enviable.” Read the full article online.

Joshua Budich ’00 is one of a small group of artists selected to create original screen prints inspired by the nine best picture nominees in this year’s Academy Awards. Budich, who created artwork based on the film Silver Linings Playbook, earned his BFA from UMBC in 2000, and currently works as an independent illustrator for a number of galleries and media-outlets around the globe. This work was commissioned by The Academy in conjunction with Gallery 1988.

See all of the artwork at the Oscars’ official website.

Read a Q&A with Budich at Retreiver Net.

UMBC alumnus and staff member Kevin Gibbons-O’Neill ’86, economics, shared this photo of himself and his team of family and friends shortly after emerging from the cold waters of the Chesapeake Bay at this year’s Polar Bear Plunge.

Gibbons-O’Neill, who works in development for the Department of Athletics, is also a co-chair of UMBC’s annual Homecoming. Together, his team raised more than $2,000 for Special Olympics of Maryland.

Pictured in front: Bryce Gibbons-O’Neill. Middle (L-R): Rory Gibbons-O’Neill, Olivia McNulty, Brittan Gibbons-O’Neill, Keira McNulty, Cole McNulty. Back:  Kevin Gibbons-O’Neill ’86.

UMBC Alumni: Did you take the plunge this year? Send your photos and a caption to jogrady@umbc.edu, and we’ll post your accomplishment for the world to see!

Every so often, we’ll chat with an alum about what they do and how they got there. Today, we’re talking with independent illustrator Joshua Budich ’00, visual and performing arts, about what it’s like to start a business in the arts — and to create screenprint designs for some pretty big names. Most recently, he was one of a small group of young international artists to create original screen prints inspired by this year’s nine Best Picture Academy Awards nominees (he illustrated Silver Linings Playbook).

Name: Joshua Budich
Job:  Independent Illustrator
Based In: Maryland
Website:  www.joshuabudich.com

Q:  What would you most like people to know about the work you do?

A:  I’ve been working as an independent illustrator for various galleries, and media agencies around the globe for the past 6 years or so. My main focus has been in producing small-edition screenprints. I work primarily in a digital format, utilizing various software tools in conjunction with a Wacom drawing tablet; everything from the initial sketch to final illustration.

Q:  What’s the coolest job you’ve done so far?

A:  It’s hard to pick just one job as the “coolest,” as I consider this my dream job. So, each and every new piece is more exciting than the last! But, if I had to choose, I’d put these at the top of my list:

• “Team GB – ADIDAS “Take the Stage Campaign”” for the London Summer Olympics 2012
• “Resist” print, commemorating the final season of FRINGE, collaboration with Gallery1988
• “Peyton Rides Again” cover illlustration for SI Kids Magazine
• “Inglorious Basterds” movie poster, collaboration with Spoke Art Gallery and The Castro Theatre

I’ve also had some serendipitous opps to rub shoulders with some big names: Arnold Palmer, Weird Al Yankovic, Seymour Cassell, and the cast of Silver Linings Playbook. Not too shabby!

Q:  What’s the toughest thing about running your own business?

A:  The toughest thing has always been the careful balancing act between being the artist that actually produces the work, and being the all the more logistical roles that are the backbone of the business (buying supplies, tracking sales, running the website, promotional emails to the mailing list, social media director, packing and shipping, etc.). On those days where I’m chomping at the bit to dive back into a really engrossing illustration, and having to quiet my mind enough to focus on packing and shipping print orders… Those are the really challenging days!

The reality of all this is that there is no one without the other. In order to make this whole “art thing” work for my life and provide for my family, I must play both roles, artist and business manager, and play them well.

Q:  What advice would you give to students trying to make art their work?

A:  You are your biggest supporter. Be a shameless self-promoter! Get your work out there, with no fear. Learn to accept criticism for what it is, constructive or otherwise.

When dealing with clients, always give yourself a “way out” or a “back door” for making changes to your work, and work on anticipating the types of changes that clients will make. Use “non-destructive” design if you work digitally in programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator. Understand the difference between a concept and a final piece, and never over-commit.

Q:  Do any UMBC experiences stand out, when you think about moving from student life into professional life?

A:  I always loved the critique sessions we would have at the end of each project we were assigned. You learn more from your peers than you ever will working in a vacuum. Everyone’s perception of your work is unique and valid in its own way, and many times they’ll see things you won’t. These critiques with faculty and students really helped me to prepare for the transition from student to professional artist.

Another experience that definitely stands out, would be meeting my wife our sophomore year. We’ve grown up together. She’s kept me humble, and given me a lot of perspective. Her critical eye has been invaluable to me as my work continues to evolve.

Q:  What job (commission or personal) would be your dream job?

A:  I’m living my dream job, so each new project I get is absolutely amazing to me! I can’t complain, I’m a lucky guy. If I had to choose, I’d love to continue working in other media; editorial/commercial illustrations for magazines, movie poster designs for a Hollywood movie studios, or concept art for Pixar or Lucasfilms.