Real People Profiles: Delana Gregg

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:25:00 -0400
real-people-profiles

I’m asking some of the people you might encounter on the UMBC campus, including students, faculty, staff and alumni, to answer a few questions about themselves and their experiences. These are their responses.

Name: Delana Gregg

Hometown: Harrisburg, IL (pop. 9,582)

Q: How long have you been at UMBC?

A: 8 years

Q: What is your current title (job or student organization position)?

A: Assistant Director of the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program (UMBC's scholars program for students interested in lives of public service).

Q: In 12 words or less, what role(s) do you play on campus?

A: Mentoring, teaching, organizing events, internships and service opportunities for Sondheim Scholars.

Q: What aspect of your UMBC role(s) do you enjoy most?

A: Connecting individually with students. As an advisor and teacher, I get to learn students' stories and (hopefully) help them become more engaged in their communities, public policy issues, and solving social problems. I firmly believe that experiences are our most important teachers, and helping students get involved in service, internships, research, and study abroad is very gratifying.

Q: What is the most important or memorable thing you learned in college/have learned at UMBC?

A: An organization/institution (UMBC, USA, Peace Corps, a club, a church etc) is not a "person", it does not "do" things or make decisions...it is a group of people working together, and if that is true, than any institution/organization can change and improve through the actions of people.

Q: Complete this sentence: "I am a big fan of __________"

A: JOSS WHEDON! Firefly, Serenity, Buffy, he is one of my favorite writers, his love of language and ability to create new worlds with strong female heros always empowers me and makes me laugh out loud.

Q: Do you have any UMBC stories, little-known facts about UMBC, favorite spots on campus, or anything else you’d like to share?

A: CERA (Conservation and Environmental Research Area, http://www.umbc.edu/cera/) is about 50 acres of wildland at UMBC, you cross the new wooden foot bridge across the circle from Administration Building and you can visit Pig Pen Pond, a lovely trail through the woods. It is peaceful and always helps me connect to the land of UMBC, to its historical and agricultural roots, and to the research being done here on trees, grasses, animals and water. Definitely my favorite place on campus. Also, the Women's Center,, http://www.umbc.edu/womenscenter/, is my home away from home on campus, a relaxing place to have lunch, meet friends, get help and support (Commons, bottom floor). Both totally worth a visit.