Think. Create. Engage.

What makes UMBC offerings in the arts and humanities unique? Why might you choose to attend a UMBC theatre performance, humanities forum lecture or arts exhibition? And, perhaps most important, what does the arts and humanities experience at UMBC feel like?

Those are some of the questions that a committee of from UMBC’s Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA), the provost’s office and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) started asking last year. Beginning today, the results can be seen in a new branding and marketing campaign that reflects—and sets expectations of—the experience at UMBC.

The most noticeable feature of the campaign is a box emblazoned with the “think, create, engage” tagline. The three words signify how people interact with the arts and humanities at UMBC, which have a reputation for being provocative and unique. Promotional materials will also engage people by placing them directly in the experience.

“The words nicely reflect what the arts and humanities departments—faculty, students, curricula—are all about,” said CAHSS Dean John Jeffries.

The path to the new campaign started last year when discussions about the Performing Arts and Humanities Building (PAHB) made clear that the broad range of UMBC’s arts and humanities offerings needed increased awareness both on and off campus.

Based on feedback from an initial survey of UMBC event attendees and other research, teams of OIA staff members produced three sample campaigns, with logos, ads and other materials. The approaches were then tested in an online survey, where nearly 400 UMBC students, faculty, staff and alumni weighed in. 

“We received feedback that was very thoughtful and deeply felt, which helped us to build a campaign that speaks to the authentic experience people have through UMBC’s arts and humanities departments and events,” said Miriam Tillman, assistant vice president of marketing and creative services.

Following revisions and refinement with input from CAHSS department chairs and directors, the current branding campaign emerged.

The logo will soon be making a big impact on campus on the fence surrounding the PAHB construction site, and the brand will also be visible online, on posters, on campus digital signage and on a new umbc.edu/engage website.

The brand is expected to raise awareness off campus as well, as its launch signals the start of a new advertising campaign for arts and humanities events.  In the near future, “Think Create Engage” advertisements will be seen and heard in local media.

“It is important that the arts and humanities at UMBC get wider visibility for the nature and quality of the work that the departments do.  This campaign is intended to do just that,” said Jeffries.

(8/28/11)

UMBC freshman forward Jordan Becker was named America East Conference Men’s Soccer Rookie of the Week for games ending August 28.

Becker scored the lone goal as the Retrievers edged visiting Mount St. Mary’s, 1-0, in the opening game for both teams. The contest was played in steady rain on Saturday, August 27, as the Baltimore area felt the first effects of Hurricane Irene.

Read more on umbcretrievers.com.

What makes UMBC offerings in the arts and humanities unique? Why might you choose to attend a UMBC theatre performance, humanities forum lecture or arts exhibition? And, perhaps most important, what does the arts and humanities experience at UMBC feel like?

Those are some of the questions that a committee of from UMBC’s Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA), the provost’s office and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) started asking last year. Beginning today, the results can be seen in a new branding and marketing campaign that reflects—and sets expectations of—the experience at UMBC.

The most noticeable feature of the campaign is a box emblazoned with the “think, create, engage” tagline. The three words signify how people interact with the arts and humanities at UMBC, which have a reputation for being provocative and unique. Promotional materials will also engage people by placing them directly in the experience.

“The words nicely reflect what the arts and humanities departments—faculty, students, curricula—are all about,” said CAHSS Dean John Jeffries.

The path to the new campaign started last year when discussions about the Performing Arts and Humanities Building (PAHB) made clear that the broad range of UMBC’s arts and humanities offerings needed increased awareness both on and off campus.

Based on feedback from an initial survey of UMBC event attendees and other research, teams of OIA staff members produced three sample campaigns, with logos, ads and other materials. The approaches were then tested in an online survey, where nearly 400 UMBC students, faculty, staff and alumni weighed in.

“We received feedback that was very thoughtful and deeply felt, which helped us to build a campaign that speaks to the authentic experience people have through UMBC’s arts and humanities departments and events,” said Miriam Tillman, assistant vice president of marketing and creative services.

Following revisions and refinement with input from CAHSS department chairs and directors, the current branding campaign emerged.

The logo will soon be making a big impact on campus on the fence surrounding the PAHB construction site, and the brand will also be visible online, on posters, on campus digital signage and on a new umbc.edu/engage website.

The brand is expected to raise awareness off campus as well, as its launch signals the start of a new advertising campaign for arts and humanities events. In the near future, “Think Create Engage” advertisements will be seen and heard in local media.

“It is important that the arts and humanities at UMBC get wider visibility for the nature and quality of the work that the departments do. This campaign is intended to do just that,” said Jeffries.

Cristina Dalton ’12, Spanish, spent the summer at Greenbriar State park, where she translated common park announcements to Spanish and helped the multicultural patrons understand park rules.

“I love that moment when I explain something to both people in a situation and see their faces light up when they get it,” she says.

Her job was part of a growing effort within Maryland’s state parks, which are learning to adapt to a rapidly growing and enthusiastic clientele: Hispanic families. The Baltimore Sun reported on this trend in an August 20 story entitled “Demographic Shift Causes State Parks to Adapt.”

The Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery presents “A Legacy of Love: Italian Memorial Sculpture.” Dramatic social, political and artistic changes swept across Italy in the 19th and early 20th centuries, finding expression in remarkable funerary sculptures commissioned by the newly affluent middle class. Featured in “A Legacy of Love” are photographs of memorial sculptures created between 1820 and 1840 and ranging in style from Neoclassicism through ever more astonishing forms of Realism, Symbolism and Art Deco. These sculptures, artifacts of both a personal and a public history, express the values, aspirations, virtues and sins of a rising social and economic class which had attained an unexpected degree of power.

The 62 photographs presented in this exhibition are by renowned photographers and friends Robert Fichter and Robert Freidus. Fichter is noted for his satirical images reflecting on American culture and Freidus is highly respected for his dedication to documenting and advocating for the preservation of Italian funerary sculpture.

On Tuesday, November 1, 4 p.m., Robert Fichter and Robert Freidus will present a public talk on their work.

The Gallery is open Monday through Friday, noon-4 p.m., on Thursday until 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call ext. 5-2270.

For more information, visit http://www.umbc.edu/arts.

Christopher Corbett, professor of the practice of English, will give a talk at the National Postal Museum on Sunday, October 8, at 1 p.m.

The subject of his talk will be his book, “Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express,” and the 150th anniversary of the end of the Pony Express. A book signing and opportunity to tour the exhibit “Pony Express: Romance vs. Reality” will follow.

The National Postal Museum, a Smithsonian Institution museum, is located in the old Post Office building next to Union Station in Washington, D.C.

Jaimes Mayhew ’10, MFA in imaging and digital arts, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship to Iceland, where he will spend the next nine months working on a social practice art project, Autonomous Energy Research Lab.

Mayhew states, “Autonomous Energy Research Lab is an art research project that will investigate the idea of autonomy through conversations, art events, visits from other Baltimore-based artists and any other methods of research that may come about. All of these events will take place involving my research lab, which is a modified bike cart that includes a table, chairs, protection from the rain and is capable of producing and storing energy in a mobile battery. I will be using this lab to research ideas of autonomy, with special interest in Iceland’s use of geothermal power, of preservation of the Icelandic language and culture and, of course, in talking to people about Iceland’s economic collapse and strategies to recovery.”

From Renetta Tull, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Development and Director, PROMISE

Dear Colleagues,

The Graduate School and the PROMISE Program are sponsoring more than 20 professional development seminars for all graduate students throughout 2011-2012. There are seminars on teaching, the IRB, how to teach at a Community College and receive a stipend (through the PROF-it program), a Saturday seminar on developing fellowship and funding applications, leadership workshops, and the Dissertation House for Ph.D. Candidates. This list of activities can be found at http://promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com/umbc-grad-student-success-seminars/. Some of the current and future workshops (to be added) will cover hot topics such as developing presentations and academic integrity (understanding plagiarism). Please inform your students. The Graduate School posts these events on myUMBC to allow students to register at http://my.umbc.edu/groups/promise.

Campus-wide teaching workshops for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are co-sponsored by PROMISE, the Graduate School and the Faculty Development Center. That listing and more information about PROF-it can be found at http://promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com/professors-in-training-prof-it/. Topics include syllabus creation, teaching portfolio development, public speaking and learning styles.

Workshops for Postdoctoral Fellows can be found at http://promisesuccessseminars.wordpress.com/postdocs/. This page will be updated to include additional workshops from the Office of Sponsored Programs.

We hope that these workshops will assist our graduate students and postdocs as they prepare for their research at UMBC, and their future careers.

Kind regards,
Renetta

Lisa Drouillard, human resources, recently competed in the Rockville Economic Development’s StartRight business plan competition. The Washington Post covered the all-women’s competition and recorded the “elevator” pitches for each of the semi-finalists. “Pick the Pitch: Cast Your Vote on the Best Business Elevator Speech” highlights each company’s video and allows you to vote for your favorite pitch.

Drouillard was selected as a semi-finalist for “My Hopeful Journey,” a web-based organizer for women that are going through infertility treatment, and is in the running for best pitch. Voting is open through Tuesday, September 6.

Just posted on Free Matthew VanDyke: “Great news! [Matthew VanDyke ’02] called from Tripoli a few minutes ago. The prison where he has been held has been “liberated” and he reports that he is safe and well. More details to follow once the State Department sorts everything out. Thank you all for your ongoing support.”
*Updates*

-Video interview in the Washington Post
– Story on CNN.com
– Interview with VanDyke on BBC.com