While You Were Away

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:06:00 -0500

Here's a brief update on a few UMBC-related happenings since mid-December:

UMBC’s chess team placed second among 28 teams competing in the Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship in Milwaukee. The University of Texas-Dallas won the event. The top four finishers at the event will compete in the President’s Cup (also known as the Final Four of College Chess) in April.

Coke is out. Pepsi is in.

The Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced a $300,000 donation to support UMBC's College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) Active Science Teaching and Learning Environment (CASTLE).

Professor Judah Ronch was named Dean of the Erickson School and Professor Pat McDermott was named Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.

UMBC was once again named to Kiplinger’s annual list of the Top 100 Values in Public Colleges.

District II of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education awarded UMBC a Gold Accolade Award, recognizing the Superheroes campaign as the best multimedia advertising campaign among colleges and universities in the region.

With unemployment still high and federal stimulus dollars dwindling, state officials started making plans to fill a $1.6 billion gap in the state budget. After several years of cuts, it will be more challenging than ever for them to find savings. In a January 3rd email to the UMBC community, President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Elliot Hirshman explained that “Higher education will be required to participate in the budget reduction, and the Chancellor and other USM leaders are actively working with the Administration to minimize base budget cuts, maintain tuition flexibility, and reduce or end furloughs,” and declared that “UMBC is well prepared to respond to the outcomes.”

UMBC’s University Health Services office was awarded a 3-year term of accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc., a significant honor reflecting the quality of patient care.

The Office of Residential Life hired two new Community Directors. Amanda Pelar, the new Community Director for Erickson Hall, earned a master’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and worked most recently at Duquesne University. Shivany Trujillo, the new Community Director for the West Hill/Terrace communities, earned a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University and worked most recently at Joliet College. In addition, Marsha Scott, who had worked in UMBC’s Physics Department, is the new Administrative Assistant for Office of Residential Life Director Katie Boone.

43 participants and 12 coaches made UMBC’s STRiVE 2011 leadership retreat an experience to treasure.