Contact:
Dinah Winnick
Communications Manager
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
410-455-8117
dwinnick@umbc.edu

A year after the February 2010 North American blizzards and in the wake of recent storms, government and business leaders are asking how we can better deal with extreme weather. UMBC faculty researchers offer important perspectives on severe storms and Mid-Atlantic meteorology, emergency/disaster preparedness and response and the impacts of school closures on learning.

Jeffrey B. Halverson is associate professor of geography and environmental systems and associate director-academics at the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET). He has expertise on severe storms, mesoscale meteorology and meteorology/climatology of the Mid-Atlantic region and he helped pioneer the first system to take direct measurements in the eye of a mature hurricane from 70,000 feet. Halverson has worked at both NASA Headquarters and the Goddard Space Flight Center. He has appeared in hurricane specials on The Discovery Channel and NOVA, and has written columns for Weatherwise Magazine and the Baltimore Sun. Contact him at jeffhalv@umbc.edu or 410-455-3350 (o).

Richard A. Bissell, associate professor and graduate program director in emergency health services, is an expert on emergency preparedness and response and EMS system development, with specialties in rural and international EMS. Bissell’s work in emergency health epidemiology and disaster services planning/evaluation has taken him to over 40 countries. He has served on the advisory boards of the American Red Cross and World Health Organization, and as principal investigator on a multi-million dollar U.S. Public Health Service project to train clinicians and logistics personnel in medical response to disasters and terrorism. Contact him at bissell@umbc.edu or 410-455-3776 (o).

Dave E. Marcotte, professor and graduate program director in public policy, can offer insight on how resources impact student performance in primary and secondary education, including the effects of snow days on learning. His research has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Baltimore Sun, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Economist, Education Week, Christian Science Monitor and more. For details, see the Education Next article “Time for School.” Contact him at marcotte@umbc.edu or 410-455-1455 (o).

Cell numbers available upon request.

The Feb. 11 episode of PBS's Need to Know will look at the Meyerhoff Scholars Program and curriculum changes at UMBC that have helped more students succeed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The segment is part of a one-hour special on education. It is scheduled to air on Maryland Public Television MPT2 at 11 p.m. and, in the greater Washington area, on WETA HD and TV 26 at 10:30 p.m. The program also will be available on the Need to Know website.

The program “highlights three dramatic stories of academic transformation – focusing on literacy, physical education and science education.” The segment on UMBC is titled, “Reinventing science education at one Maryland university.”

Contact:
Dinah Winnick
Communications Manager
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
410-455-8117
dwinnick@umbc.edu

Chelsea Haddaway
Communications Manager
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
410-455-6380
chaddaway@umbc.edu

UMBC faculty experts on social media and social/political movements in the Middle East have turned their attention to recent protests in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and across the region. They offer insight into the role of digital communications in coordinating protest efforts, representations of Egypt in the non-Western media, transnational Islamist movements, U.S. foreign and security policy, democratization and transitional justice.

Zeynep Tufekci, assistant professor of sociology, is an expert on how digital communications play a role in political change, social organizing and community dynamics. Her analysis on the role of social media in Tunisia and Egypt has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education, and on public radio. The UN Dispatch described her writing on Twitter and Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution as "the best, most balanced analysis of the role of social media in ousting Ben Ali." Tufekci is well-regarded for her blog Technosociology.org and recent columns in The Atlantic on Wikileaks and Morosov’s "The Net Delusion." Contact her at zeynep@umbc.edu or on Twitter @techsoc.

Rebecca Adelman, assistant professor of media and communication studies, can discuss the media’s visual representations of the protests in Egypt. She is especially interested in how these images fit with historic and contemporary visual rhetoric about Middle Eastern nations. Adelman is currently teaching a class on globalized mass media and media practices in non-Western countries and working on an interdisciplinary project that integrates political and cultural studies to discuss how images are created, defined and used in America’s war on terror. Contact her at adelman@umbc.edu or 410-455-2772 (o).

Brigid Starkey, lecturer in political science, has expertise on transnational Islamist movements in the Middle East, international negotiation, American foreign policy and security issues. She is the lead author of "International Negotiation in a Complex World," heralded as an “engaging book [that] moves us to a new era of international relations characterized by global diplomacy, nonstate actors, and complex, interlinked issues” by Daniel Druckman of the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Contact her at starkey@umbc.edu or 410-744-0706 (o).

Devin Hagerty, professor and chair of political science, focuses on Iran and South Asia and can provide a comparative perspective on regional dynamics over time. He also has expertise on protest movements in the broader context of U.S. foreign and security policy. Hagerty is co-author of "Fearful Symmetry: Indo-Pakistani Crises in the Shadow of Nuclear Weapons" and editor of "South Asia in World Politics." Contact him at dhagerty@umbc.edu or 410-455-2185 (o).

Brian Grodsky, assistant professor of political science, is an expert on democratization and the forms of transitional justice that outgoing leaders can face after they leave power. He is the author of the new book “The Costs of Justice” and the manuscript “Social Movements and the State.” A three-minute video on his current book is available online. Contact him at grodsky@umbc.edu or 410-455-8047 (o).

Cell numbers available upon request.

Contact:
Dinah Winnick
(410) 455-8117
dwinnick@umbc.edu

Marsha Willis
(410) 455-6383
mwillis@hilltop.umbc.edu

The Hilltop Institute at UMBC has released two significant publications this week on health care topics. Hilltop’s Hospital Community Benefit Program posted its first issue brief in a series funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Entitled “Hospital Community Benefits after the ACA: The Emerging Federal Framework,” the brief provides historical background on federal hospital community benefit policy; outlines the new requirements described in the Affordable Care Act (ACA); and identifies new challenges and opportunities for state and federal decision-makers as they begin to develop responses to the new federal requirements.

Hilltop’s other new issue brief—“Overcoming Interagency Data-Sharing Barriers: Lessons from the Maryland Kids First Act”—describes interagency data-sharing barriers that researchers and state officials encountered as they implemented and evaluated the Maryland Kids First Act outreach initiative. It provides an overview of strategies used to identify uninsured children who are eligible for public insurance programs; an update on Maryland’s tax-based outreach program, including a description of the interagency data-sharing barriers encountered and their resolution; a discussion of new data-sharing and outreach opportunities outlined in the ACA; and a discussion of lessons for other states.

The Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council (HCRCC) also released its final report this week, for which Hilltop’s researchers conducted an in-depth analysis of the provisions of the ACA and developed a financial model to project Maryland’s costs and savings associated with implementing health reform. The HCRCC was created by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to make recommendations regarding Maryland’s implementation of the ACA, and this final report sets a blueprint for that implementation. Learn more about this initiative and view the interim and final reports at the HCRCC website.

Contact:
Anthony Lane
(410) 455-5793
alane@umbc.edu

Melissa Koskovich
(703) 676-6762
Melissa.l.koskovich@saic.com

Laura Luke
(703) 676-6533
laura.luke@saic.com

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) today announced that SAIC has committed $300,000 to support a new active-learning initiative at UMBC that draws on the latest technology and education research to help students succeed in critical introductory mathematics and science classes.

By providing an environment that engages and supports students as they begin studying these subjects, UMBC's College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) Active Science Teaching and Learning Environment (CASTLE) facility aims to increase the number of students majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). More graduates are needed in these subjects to help the U.S. maintain economic strength and an innovative edge.

UMBC made a substantial investment to design and construct CASTLE as part of a broad effort to engage students aspiring to major in STEM disciplines. SAIC's support as founding sponsor will enable faculty and staff to implement the best approaches to active learning and to redesign key courses to make full use of the facility's resources.

"In this age of increasing global competition, it is essential that we support the students who will move our country forward in science and technology," said Larry Cox, SAIC senior vice president and business unit general manager. "This commitment to UMBC is an investment in both the number and quality of future scientists and engineers who will be available to work at companies like SAIC."

This collaboration builds on UMBC and SAIC's existing relationship, including SAIC's participation on UMBC advisory boards and the 2010-11 Visionaries in Information Technology Forum. UMBC students are active participants in SAIC's summer internship program.

"We are delighted to collaborate with SAIC to explore innovative ways to help our students excel in introductory math and science courses," said UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski. "As a leader in technology, SAIC is demonstrating a commitment to preparing more students for careers in these critical fields."

About UMBC

UMBC is a dynamic public research university integrating teaching, research, and service. An Honors University with enrollment of 12,800, the campus offers academically talented students a strong foundation that prepares them for graduate and professional study, entry into the workforce, community service and leadership. UMBC emphasizes science, engineering, information technology and public policy at the graduate level. For the second year in a row, U.S. News & World Report America's Best Colleges Guide named UMBC the #1 up-and-coming national university. UMBC was also recognized as a place "where the faculty has an unusual commitment to undergraduate teaching."

About SAIC

SAIC is a FORTUNE 500® scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. The company's approximately 45,000 employees serve customers in the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. Government civil agencies and selected commercial markets. Headquartered in McLean, Va., SAIC had annual revenues of $10.8 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2010. For more information, visit www.saic.com. SAIC: From Science to Solutions®

Contact:
Anthony Lane
Communications Manager: Science, Technology and Environment
(410) 455-5793
alane@umbc.edu

Michael Summers, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been recommended for a fourth five-year term as an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).

HHMI is a nonprofit medical research organization that provides funding for about 350 investigators across the country to equip and staff their labs as they conduct groundbreaking biomedical research.

Summers, who was recently named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has been an HHMI investigator since 1994. His research focuses on HIV, the retrovirus that causes AIDS.

Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, he and his research team — which includes undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows — are mapping the internal structure of HIV and related retroviruses, providing insights that could lead to new treatments for AIDS and other human diseases.

“I am thrilled to have HHMI’s continued support,” Summers said. “HHMI has enabled us to take strides in our understanding of HIV’s structure while also developing the talents of young researchers working in the lab.”

Contact:
Anthony Lane
Communications Manager:
Science, Technology and Environment
(410) 455-5793
alane@umbc.edu

A multi-institution team led by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has received a $5 million water sustainability grant from the National Science Foundation— one of only three awarded nationally in that grant category — to develop a model of urban development sophisticated enough to answer crucial questions about water quality and supply.

What controls the way cities and suburbs develop, how do those development patterns affect present and future climate patterns, and how is all of this linked to the water cycle and water quality?

“Development puts stress on regional water supplies and aquatic ecosystems, and there are lots of questions about how we can better manage those stresses,” said Claire Welty, a UMBC professor who is principal investigator on the grant. “Those questions become even more urgent when we consider the uncertainties associated with climate change. Our team brings together hydrologists, social scientists and ecologists to find answers by analyzing the social, regulatory and economic factors that shape development, and with it the flow of water in the urban landscape.”

Urban development changes water flow in both obvious and subtle ways. Rainwater hitting parking lots, roads, rooftops and compacted soils is quickly shed as runoff, often carrying salt and nitrogen compounds into nearby waterways. Bridges, channels and culverts alter streams and rivers, while wells draw down aquifers and urban water systems shift water upstream or between watersheds. Urban landscapes also influence atmospheric processes, including patterns of evaporation and rainfall, in ways that scientists are just beginning to understand.

Welty, a professor in UMBC’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education (CUERE), said investigators will focus on understanding these and other factors in the context of land-use decisions and regional climate variability.

By documenting processes in the Baltimore region that have led to land conversion from farms and forests to urban and suburban uses, they aim to predict how future changes will affect water and nutrient flows, creating a model that policymakers can use to gauge the impact of various decisions and regulations.

The grant will be shared by 13 investigators at UMBC, the University of Maryland College Park, Pennsylvania State University, Princeton University, Ohio State University, the University of Rhode Island, the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, US Geological Survey and USDA Forest Service.

About $1.5 million of the five-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Water Sustainability and Climate program will go to UMBC.

The research will build on 12 years of hydrological, chemical and socioeconomic data from the NSF-supported Baltimore Ecosystem Study, which is hosted at UMBC by CUERE.

In addition to managing the project, Welty and the UMBC team will work on modeling groundwater/surface water flows and nutrient transport. UMBC co-principal investigators include Andrew Miller, an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems and Michael McGuire, geospatial data services manager and assistant research scientist at CUERE.

Miller said a multidisciplinary approach that includes the natural sciences, engineering and social sciences is crucial to understanding the complex relationships between climate, water, ecosystem processes and the built environment in an increasingly urbanized world.

Contact:
Anthony Lane
UMBC
(410) 455-5793
alane@umbc.edu

Megan Mitchell
Northrop Grumman
(571) 205-1093
megan.mitchell@ngc.com

A partnership between the Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Research Park Corporation will create a new incubator tailored to the specific challenge of developing technology to protect the nation from a growing range of cyber threats.

The Northrop Grumman Cync Program will build on bwtech@UMBC’s successful business-incubation framework by offering a “scholarship program” for companies with the most promising cybersecurity ideas. Participants in the program will draw on UMBC’s research expertise and Northrop Grumman resources to develop tools that will secure and protect the computer hardware, software and networks vital to national defense.

The Cync Program will accept applications from high-potential, early-stage companies from across the country looking to commercialize and develop their technologies. The companies will collaborate in the Advantage Incubator at the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park in Baltimore.

“Northrop Grumman is excited to partner with bwtech on this important initiative,” said Chris Valentino, Northrop Grumman cybersecurity director and technical fellow. “This technology is even more important as our reliance on cybersecurity increases, and collaborating with both academia and small businesses brings a breadth of technological expertise that goes beyond what any one entity is able to supply.”

Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the UMBC Research Park Corporation, which operates the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park, noted that the program is a perfect fit for a region with a strong information technology workforce and a growing array of businesses and governmental agencies working on cybersecurity.

“UMBC and Northrop Grumman share a culture of innovation,” she said. “This program will build on UMBC’s strength in information technology and its success nurturing new companies. Businesses started through this partnership will come from across the country, expanding the local business base and spurring economic growth in the region.”

Applicants with the best ideas for technologies that will protect the country from cyber threats will be selected in a nation-wide search to join the Cync Program. Participating companies will be provided with office space, business support services and academic resources, including access to faculty and student employees. For more on the program and information about applying, visit www.advantageincubator.com.

UMBC ranks fourth among U.S. research universities in the production of IT degrees and certificates, and it is the largest producer of such graduates among research universities in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. The campus offers a master’s degree and a graduate certificate in cybersecurity, and it is rated a Center of Excellence in information assurance education and research. Thousands of UMBC graduates work in the intelligence community for key federal agencies and private partners.

bwtech@UMBC (www.bwtechumbc.com) is a 71-acre research and technology community that is home to nearly 60 technology and life science companies in the Research Park and Incubator and Accelerator programs.

Northrop Grumman is an industry leader in all aspects of computer network operations and cybersecurity, offering customers innovative solutions to help secure the nation's cyber future. For more about cybersecurity at Northrop Grumman, go to www.northropgrumman.com/cybersecurity.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more

# # #

Contact:
Dinah Winnick
Communications Manager
Social Sciences and Erickson School
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
(410) 455-8117
dwinnick@umbc.edu
twitter.com/UMBCSocSci

Today, millions are learning what it means to live in an aging society: postponing retirement, supporting aging parents, seeking long-term care. UMBC’s innovative Erickson School is cultivating a new generation of professionals to respond to the “graying of America” and our growing need for supportive aging services. Our interdisciplinary Erickson, gerontology and aging studies faculty can provide insight from research-, practice- and policy-based perspectives.

Judah Ronch, professor and dean of the Erickson School, is a nationally-renowned expert on improving the treatment and mental wellbeing of elders. His writing has focused on the debilitating effects of dementia and he has pioneered major reforms in the long-term care industry to improve the mental health of older adults and the working conditions of their caregivers. His books include “Culture Change in Long-Term Care,” “Mental Wellness and Aging” and “Alzheimer’s Disease: A Practical Guide for Those who Help Others.”

Joe Gribbin, Erickson School professor, previously served as associate commissioner at the Social Security Administration (1987-2005), where he oversaw quality assurance and international programs for the agency. Gribbin has lectured extensively on global aging, retirement planning and services for older adults, including the nation’s social insurance programs and their impacts across generations.

Bill Thomas, Erickson School professor, is an international authority on geriatric medicine and eldercare, heavily involved in the movement to promote elderhood as an honorable and valuable position in US society. He is the founder of the Eden Alternative program and Green House initiative, which have promoted the de-institutionalization of nursing homes, replacing them with small, home-like environments that support a full and interactive life. Thomas has been profiled by the Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, NPR and Baltimore Sun. He blogs at changingaging.org.

J. Kevin Eckert, professor and chair of sociology/anthropology, and Leslie A. Morgan, sociology professor, are co-authors of “Inside Assisted Living: The Search for Home.” Eckert has written extensively on aging services, senior housing and care with a focus on the social adjustments and wellbeing of older adults in assisted living settings. He is the PI or co-PI on several National Institute on Aging (NIA) studies. Morgan has received generous funding from the NIA for her work on the long-term care industry, care providers and the quality of supportive housing environments. She has also studied the costs to caregivers with relatives suffering from dementia.

Nancy A. Miller, public policy professor, has conducted interdisciplinary health policy research, focusing on disability and aging issues, for the past 18 years. She served as chair of the Gerontological Health Section of the American Public Health Association and is known for her expertise on Medicare and Medicaid.

Robert L. Rubinstein, anthropology professor, has studied aging in the US and South Pacific. He is currently PI on five NIA-funded research grants. His research has explored a range of topics, including food in long-term care facilities, suffering in later life and experiences with death and dying in nursing homes.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact:
Anthony Lane, Communications Manager: Science Technology and Environment
(410) 455-5793, alane@umbc.edu

Day of event:
Bill LaCourse, Chair and Professor of Analytical Chemistry
(410) 937-1803, lacourse@umbc.edu

Dennis Cuddy, Manager, Administration and Facilities
(443) 676-7211, cuddy@umbc.edu

WHAT: Close to 200 students from colleges and universities in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Tennessee, Florida and other eastern states will present their research at UMBC's 13th Annual Research Symposium in the Chemical and Biological Sciences.

WHERE: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) map
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250

WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 30, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

DETAILS: Over 400 students and faculty members will attend this year's symposium, with almost 200 students presenting their research.

9:30 a.m.: UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski delivers opening remarks. (Lecture Hall 5, Engineering Building).

10 a.m. - noon: Research presentations, session 1 (University Center Ballroom).

Noon: Lunch break.

1:10 p.m.: Plenary lecture by Theodore Goodson, a University of Michigan chemistry professor and recipient of a 2010 NSF American Innovation Fellowship (Lecture Hall 5, Engineering).

2 p.m. - 4 p.m.: Research presentations, session 2 (University Center Ballroom).

4:45 p.m.: Awards presentation (Lecture Hall 5, Engineering).

More information is available online:
www.umbc.edu/UGSymp/2010/2010Announce.html