On election day this November, some Marylanders will be voting on bond issues in addition to candidates and referenda. These ballot questions ask voters if their city or county should borrow money to fund particular projects, such as improvements to parks, schools and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.

At a time when government budgets are on everyone’s mind, Sheilah Kast of WYPR’s Maryland Morning asks UMBC political science professor Roy Meyers to shed light on these bond issues.

_Music of the Mind: Cliche Verre Photographs and Digital Imagery of Jaromir Stephany_, with an essay by Tom Beck, UMBC chief curator, has been published by the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery. The life and work of Jaromir “Jerry” Stephany, an Associate Professor of Art from 1973 to 1999, are presented in a monograph for the first time. Stephany has the distinction of being one of only a few artists ever who devoted so much of his career to making cliché verre photographs. He learned the technique from his mentor Henry Holmes Smith (acolyte of Moholy-Nagy), and made such “cosmic” series as “Landscapes of Outer Space” and “Psychosis.” Later in his career, he scanned his negatives into a computer and added vibrant colors to the work, thereby achieving an emotional load much like the classical music that he enjoyed throughout his life. Stephany’s last body of work, “Dark Music,” captures the last movement of a life inspired by such music as Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor. The book will be distributed by D.A.P. (Distributed Art Publishers).

UMBC political science professor Thomas F. Schaller appeared on television, radio and online media across Australia yesterday in coverage on the U.S. presidential election.

Schaller told “The World Today” and news.com.au that he expects the Democrats to hold the Senate and the Republicans to hold the House, by small margins, and President Obama to win the election by three or four points. Although one might expect high unemployment to hurt Obama’s chances, Schaller noted, many in the U.S. still blame former President Bush for current economic woes.

In a television interview on Australia World News, Schaller discussed Romney’s remarks about “the 47%,” which have dominated U.S. election news, and also the limited impact at this point of remaining undecided voters in key swing states. See the extended interview video for additional commentary.

Greg Cantori ’85, geography, will take the helm of Maryland Nonprofits, on October 1, the organization reports.
From the Maryland Nonprofits website:

Greg brings an impressive record of leadership experience to the position – as the CEO of two nonprofit organizations and key leadership roles in the region’s foundation community. He began his career as a Senior Cartographer at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (formally known as the Defense Mapping Agency), where he helped support our forces during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He then joined the nonprofit sector, serving seven years as Executive Director of the Light Street Housing Corporation, where he implemented a comprehensive vision of “homelessness to homeownership.” Moving to the philanthropic community, he directed the general operations of the Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation for 12 years. He served as an advisor to many nonprofits including the Bearman Foundation, as President of One Less Car, and as a boardmember of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers. Most recently he served as the Executive Director of the Downtown Sailing Center.

Read stories about the appointment in:

• Baltimore Business Journal
• The Washington Examiner
• Maryland Reporter

Cantori is the son of Lou Cantori, late professor of political science, and brother of Eric Cantori ’86, computer science.

Greg Cantori ’85, geography, will take the helm of Maryland Nonprofits, on October 1, the organization reports.

From the Maryland Nonprofits website:

Greg brings an impressive record of leadership experience to the position – as the CEO of two nonprofit organizations and key leadership roles in the region’s foundation community. He began his career as a Senior Cartographer at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (formally known as the Defense Mapping Agency), where he helped support our forces during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He then joined the nonprofit sector, serving seven years as Executive Director of the Light Street Housing Corporation, where he implemented a comprehensive vision of “homelessness to homeownership.” Moving to the philanthropic community, he directed the general operations of the Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation for 12 years. He served as an advisor to many nonprofits including the Bearman Foundation, as President of One Less Car, and as a boardmember of the Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers. Most recently he served as the Executive Director of the Downtown Sailing Center.

Read stories about the appointment in:

• Baltimore Business Journal
• The Washington Examiner
• Maryland Reporter

Cantori is the son of Lou Cantori, late professor of political science, and brother of Eric Cantori ’86, computer science.

Alumnus musician “Leify Green” (Leif Huber) ’10, economics and modern languages & linguistics, will play a concert in Washington, D.C., next month to support Amnesty International. The Leify Green Conspiracy will play at Axum’s Lounge on October 12.

For more information about the event, click here.

The concert will specifically support the Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) and the
General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union’s (GAPWUZ) work to support
the civil and human rights of all Zimbabweans through grassroots activism.

“I believe in supporting human rights and those who struggle to defend them,” said Green. “That belief was a major influence in my decision to study Economics and Modern Languages in Cultures at UMBC, where I focused largely on economic development, particularly in Latin America. I am proud to play in support of Amnesty International and excited that my music is being used to further a cause I believe in.”

Since 2010, The Leify Green Conspiracy has independently released an EP, Give
Me A Push (recorded in UMBC’s own studios), that has sold over 1,000
copies. The band also includes former UMBC student Luke Solomon. Green has toured the United States extensively as a solo act. His latest single, Sweet On The Phone, will be available on iTunes and other digital stores on October 8th. For more information about the band, click here.

UMBC senior midfielder [Milo Kapor](http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/msoccer/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=5597) ’13, chemistry and health administration policy, was named America East Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for games ending September 23, 2012. Kapor and the Retrievers (4-2-2) welcome La Salle (5-2-0) to Retriever Soccer Park on Tuesday, September 25, at 7 p.m.

Kapor factored in all four UMBC goals last week, scoring once and adding three assists, to earn the honor for the first time in his career. The senior midfielder, whose eight assists are tied for the most in the country, set up both scores in the Retrievers’ 2-0 win over Loyola on Wednesday. He then had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over George Washington on Saturday, converting a penalty kick in the 15th minute, then setting up [Jordan Becker’s](http://sports/msoccer/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=5614) game-winning score just three minutes later.

Kapor, who was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week, has contributed to all 10 of UMBC’s goals this season (2G, 8A). He has moved into a tie for tenth place on UMBC’s all-time assist list with 18.

Jim Thomas, part time instructor of philosophy, has been named one of the top ten university professors in the country by the website RateMyProfessors.com.

RateMyProfessors.com is the largest online destination for professor ratings. Over 4 million college students use RateMyProfessors.com each month.

Thomas is regularly included in the site’s top ranks. Several years ago, he was the subject of a Baltimore Sun profile about his popularity on the site.

UMBC Faculty will be appearing at the Baltimore book festival this weekend.

On Friday, September 28 at 7 p.m., Craig Sapier, chair of the language, literacy, and culture program, will be part of a panel at the Radical Pavillion, where he will discuss the piece he contributed to the new collection of essays exploring the structure and strategy of the Occupy movement being published by Baltimore’s AK Press.

From noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30, “Illuminating Childhood,” by Ellen Handler Spitz, honors college professor of visual arts, will be featured in the Authors’ Tent.  Spitz will be present to answer questions about the book.

More information about the Baltimore Book Festival can be found here.