The Interdisciplinary Studies Program and Council of Majors present the 2012 Petrovich Lecture and Film Screening with director Richard Chisolm ’82, interdisciplinary studies. Chisolm will discuss the interdisciplinary mission of his film company Recipe for Change Films and his latest film, Cafeteria Man.

The movie concentrates on Chef Tony Geraci’s efforts as food director of the Baltimore City Public School system to educate school kids about nutrition, food preparation and locally sourced organic food, as well as his efforts to reform the food purchasing system.

The lecture, discussion and screening will take place on February 22 at 7 p.m. in the Skylight Room. There will be a small reception following the lecture.

This post originally appeared on UMBC Insights.

At one point in her life, Sheila Williams ’11 was homeless and separated from her children. But scholarships for mature female students at UMBC – funded by the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation – helped Williams obtain a sociology degree and begin a career dedicated to service.

“Honestly, without my experiences here, I wouldn’t know how to serve them,” she says. “I know I would not have made it through without that support system.”

Since 1981, The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation has provided scholarship funding for mature women students at UMBC. According to the Foundation, “[UMBC]’s commitment to academic excellence, its diverse student body, and its early and continuing commitment to establishing a way to meet the needs of women students are exceptional. The Newcombe Foundation is delighted to join with UMBC in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Women’s Center on the campus of UMBC. ”

Read more about the scholarship on the Newcombe Foundation’s site.

Each year, the America East conference celebrates Black History Month by recognizing a Black faculty or staff member from each of the nine schools school in the conference.These features highlight the connection each of these individuals have on campus as well as in the surrounding communities.

This year, the conference highlighted Kimberly Moffitt, assistant professor of American studies. “As a community member and a fan for Retriever sports, Dr. Kimberly Moffitt has been introducing students to how African-Americans are portrayed through various media outlets,” they write.

A video interview with Moffitt produced by America East can be seen here.

Denis Provencher, associate professor of Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication, has been awarded a Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship to the European Union. This is a $180,000 fellowship from the European Commission’s CORDIS (Community Research and Development Information Service).

For a one-year period beginning in September 2012, Provencher will lead a research group of scholars in French studies, cultural studies and linguistics at Nottingham Trent University (UK) while also pursuing research on his second scholarly monograph, currently titled “Queer-Arab-France: Sexuality, Islam and Citizenship in France.”

Andrea Appleton at City Paper reviewed the MFA Imaging and Digital Arts Thesis Exhibition at the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture in the publication’s February 8th issue, concluding with, “Bravo, class of 2012. This is a show not to be missed.” The exhibition, on display through February 18, features work by Visual Arts graduate students Meghan Flanigan, Gary Kachadourian, Timothy Noble and Ali Seley.

To read City Paper‘s review—”A UMBC MFA exhibition dazzles with its scope, quality, and sense of fun”—click here. For additional information about the exhibition, visit the Arts & Culture Calendar.

Photo by Steve Bradley.

UMBC political science professor Thomas Schaller’s latest Baltimore Sun column offers a primer on corporate tax policy. Although the top nominal corporate tax rate in the U.S. is 35%, the Wall Street Journal reports the average, effective corporate tax rate for FY 2011 was 12.1%. “So we are not taxing our corporations to death,” Schaller argues, “Nor are we funding our government on the back of corporations.”

Schaller writes, “To their credit, several of the Republican presidential candidates and President Obama advocate lowering the nominal rate in exchange for eliminating various tax loopholes and exemptions.” This suggests an opportunity for bipartisan compromise, Schaller continues, until we consider the influence of politically powerful companies and trade associations lobbying for lower effective tax rates.

The Interdisciplinary Studies Program and Council of Majors present the 2012 Petrovich Lecture and Film Screening with director Richard Chisolm ’82, interdisciplinary studies.  Chisolm will discuss the interdisciplinary mission of his film company Recipe for Change Films and his latest film, Cafeteria Man.

The movie concentrates on Chef Tony Geraci’s efforts as food director of the Baltimore City Public School system to educate school kids about nutrition, food preparation and locally sourced organic food, as well as his efforts to reform the food purchasing system.

The lecture, discussion and screening will take place on February 22 at 7 p.m. in the Skylight Room. There will be a small reception following the lecture.

A Scrabble competition at UMBC on Saturday, February 4, featured students from surrounding schools and adult scrabble enthusiasts.

Linda Oliva, an assistant professor of education and competitive Scrabble player, helped to organize the competition.  She has worked with schools, including Arbutus Middle School, to develop Scrabble clubs where students can learn the game. “Kids really love this game. It’s a game where you can become a lot better very quickly. And they enjoy learning new words and making great plays,” she said.

The story, “Scrabble helps students sharpen their skills,” appeared in the Catonsville Times on February 6.

The New York Times Economix blog today explored the possible impact of the Giants’ Super Bowl victory on the New York economy, referencing a study coauthored by UMBC economics professor Dennis Coates. Reporter Catherine Rampell calls Coates’ study, “The Economic Impact of Postseason Play in Professional Sports,” the “godfather” of this area of research. Curious about the results? Check out the story.

Timothy Nohe, associate professor of visual arts, has been invited to screen his experimental video and sound work People as Verbs in the 8th Berlin International Directors Lounge, a festival for contemporary media and film, February 9 through 19, 2012. This marks the European debut of the piece, which was first featured in a solo show at in/flux gallery, Baltimore, November 5 through 26, 2011.