Terp Winter 2004

TERP

CONNECTING

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COMMUNITY

VOL. 1, NO. 2 WINTER 2004

Jim Henson and Kermit ComeHome

KIDS’ CAMPS SIGNAL SUMMER 6 PARTNERSHIP POWER 2

18

CUPID STRIKES AT MARYLAND 8

TERP PUBLISHER

Brodie Remington Vice President, University Relations ADVISORY BOARD

J. Paul Carey ’82 M.B.A. CEO, Enumerate Terry Flannery ’83, ’87 M.Ed., ’95 Ph.D. Executive Director, University Marketing and Communications John Girouard ’81 President and CEO, Capital Asset Management Group Anil Gupta Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Strategy and Organization, Robert H. Smith School of Business Danita D. Nias ’81 Executive Director, Alumni Relations Vicki Rymer ’61, ’66 M.B.A., ’83 Ph.D. Teaching Professor, Robert H. Smith School of Business Keith Scroggins ’79 Bureau Head of General Services, City of Baltimore, Dept. of Public Works Lee Thornton Professor and Eaton Chair, Philip Merrill College of Journalism MAGAZINE STAFF

Dianne Burch Executive Editor Beth A. Morgen Managing Editor John T. Consoli ’86 Creative Director Jason Quick Art Director Jennifer Paul ’93 Contributing Designer Monette Bailey Tom Ventsias Writers Carol Casey Pam Stone Ellen Ternes ’68 Mark Walden ’96 Contributing Writers Desair E. Brown Mike D’Angelo Stacy L. Kaper Robin Lundberg Magazine Interns E-mail terp_alum@umail.umd.edu Terp magazine is published by the Division of University Relations. Letters to the editor are welcomed. Send correspondence to Managing Editor, Terp magazine, Alumni Association, Rossborough Inn, College Park, MD 20742. Or, send an e-mail to terp_alum@umail.umd.edu.

The University of Maryland, College Park, is an equal opportunity institution with respect to both education and employment. University policies, programs and activities are in conformance with pertinent federal and state laws and regulations on non-discrimination regarding race, color, religion, age, national origin, political affiliation, gender, sexual orientation or disability.

Dear Alumni and Friends, A NEWBERRY MEDAL WINNER. A student mentor. A passionate fundraiser.

And the man who touched millions with his beloved Muppets.

Karen Hesse, Steven Shade, Susan Braun and the late Jim Henson are all graduates of the University and Maryland, and they have all made unique contributions to society through their work. Reading about them in this issue of Terp, I am reminded of the many, many people who were once students at Maryland and then went on to make an impact on the world. At the alumni association, we often refer to them as our “shining stars.”

The alumni association now has two ways that we honor these distinguished individuals. In April, we will host our Fifth Annual Alumni Awards Gala to celebrate the achievements of 18 people.

Last year members from all areas of the university community nominated graduates for traditional association awards, such as the President’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, as well as for separate honors given by the university’s colleges and schools. I hope you will join us on April 17 for a grand affair to congratulate these well-deserving alumni. (For more details, see center spread.)

We are now accepting nominations for the Alumni Association Hall of Fame. In 2005, a third group of alumni will be inducted into a society whose members include world-class soprano Carmen Balthrop, football great Boomer Esiason, and, of course, performer and creator Jim Henson.The Hall of Fame ceremony is a milestone that happens only once every five years, and induction is the highest honor that

the alumni association may bestow upon any university graduate.To nominate a fellow alumnus, simply visit www.alumni.umd.edu.We hope to hear from many of you.

Members of the Maryland community did not hesitate to contact us about the premiere issue of Terp.We received so many comments that we created “Your Words” for some of your letters.

(See page 3.) We also heard from lots of couples responding to our question in the fall issue asking if they met their spouse at Maryland.The response prompted us to host a special Valentine’s Day party, so alumni can share their stories of campus courtship firsthand.

(Read some in “Matched at Maryland” on page 8.)

So, Maryland is a place for many great beginnings, both personal and professional. And, more than ever, there is no better time to be a Terp!

Danita D. Nias ’81 Executive Director, Alumni Relations

2 BIG PICTURE Henson and Kermit come home; Terps go bowling; Terp cover girl reprise; New wings spread on campus; Students’ project hits the street; Letters from readers 6 THE SOURCE Kids’ camps signal summer 7 ASK ANNE School colors trivia and our first African American students 8 CLASS ACT Alumni Association throws a wedding; Cupid strikes at Maryland; Hope for breast cancer; Engineering grad mentors high-schoolers; Admissions symposium 12 M-FILE Adding oysters to the Chesapeake Bay; Anthrax answers; Obesity and suburbia; Treating the “silent killer” 16 MARYLAND LIVE Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education; Cyrano de Bergerac; Sadat Lecture for Peace; Maryland Day 2004 and more 29 IN THE LOOP Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center and special gifts 30 PLAY-BY-PLAY Cheerleading makes varsity 31 SPOTLIGHT Liz Lerman’s Near/Far/In/Out unites LGBT community 32 INTERPRETATIONS President Mote asks you to speak up for your university

departments

features18

22 CARRIED BY

CREATIVE CURRENTS

Alumna and children’s author, Karen Hesse, puts prestigious half-million dollar MacArthur Fellowship for creativity and achievement into perspective.

BY CAROL CASEY

PARTNERSHIP POWER2

Discovery-producing, people-helping research initiatives result in a better understanding of our world and a better education for Maryland students.

BY ELLEN TERNES

26

LIVE AND LEARN

How out-of-the-box thinking transformed the undergraduate experience at Maryland to make the big store small.

BY DIANNE BURCH

COVER PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI, SEE UNVEILING OF HENSON STATUE ON PAGE 2

bigpicture

YOURwords CLASS GIFTS CREATE MARYLAND MEMORIES

Okay, you’ve got me. The new Terp arrived yesterday. It is such a vast improvement, and it contains so many worthwhile articles, programs, quotations, and offerings, I am sending you another check at the end of the month. It isn’t much, and I am certainly not one of your involved philanthropists, but achievement should be rewarded. …

Keep up the good work.

—Ella Jane Peebles Davis ’67

A sampling of class gifts that make your alma mater what it is today:

1910 The Memorial Gateway, an ornamental iron arch by the Rossborough Inn was built in 1941.

1933 Students raised funds for the bronze Testudo by holding their prom on campus instead of downtown Washington.

1943 This class raised funds to help furnish the new Memorial Chapel.

1965, 1990 The Sundial is a joint gift from the classes, the Departments of Physics and Astronomy, and friends of professor Uco Van Wijk.

Terps Bowling for Third Straight Year Three years ago the Terrapin football team entered the last game of the season in the same position they were the previous year. They needed a win to become bowl eligible. That day the Terps fell to Georgia Tech just as they had been defeated by Virginia the previous season.

The loss ensured a 10th consecutive year without a bowl bid. Enter alumnus and coach Ralph Friedgen ’70, ’72. In Friedgen’s first year he guided a remarkable turnaround and Maryland won 10 games en route to an Orange Bowl

Senior C.J. Feldheim and appearance. The following fellow Terps give the year Maryland won another 10 “Fridge” the traditional games and added another vicvictory soak following Maryland’s 41–7 win. tory with a Peach Bowl championship and a 30–3 pasting of Tennessee. This year Friedgen and the Terps did it again by earning a berth in the Toyota Gator Bowl against West Virginia and for the second straight season came away with a resounding bowl victory, trouncing the Mountaineers 41–7. —RL

1986 &1987 The gift of light—the “M” traffic circle is illuminated.

Henson and Kermit Come Home 1991 Jim Henson ’60 used his ingenuity while an art student at Maryland to make Muppetry—and created a whole new world of children’s icons with his craft. Now Henson and his beloved Muppet protagonist, Kermit the Frog, —best known for saying, “It’s not easy being green”—are cast in bronze on a bench at the entrance to the Stamp Student Union.

The sculpture, designed by Jay Hall Carpenter, and Memorial Garden, landscaped by Chapel Valley Landscape Company, are gifts of the classes of 1994, 1998 and 1999. They signify a salute to how a little imagination can go a long way. The largest class gift at Maryland so far, the sponsoring classes contributed some $45,000 for the memorial, about 20 percent of the total cost.

Many members of the Henson family came in from the West and East Coasts for the statue unveiling and dedication ceremony, held on what would have been the late Henson’s 67th birthday, Sept. 24, 2003. During the week-long celebration, a Muppet movie fest was held in Hoff Theater.

“This is a wonderful honor for Jim,” says Henson’s wife Jane, ’55, who is pictured above next to the statue. “It was at the University of Maryland that Jim explored his interest in the fine and performing arts that would later bring him worldwide recognition and success. Jim never lost sight of that and was forever grateful to his fellow classmates and instructors who encouraged him in his work.” —SLK

A multicultural book endowment was given to Hornbake Library and college banners were placed on Hornbake Mall.

2000 A free-standing clock was given by this class for display outside the Adele Stamp Student Union.

The Terrapin football team saw a new season attendance record set last year with more than 50,000 people attending all six home games. Maryland students had their best-ever attendance by averaging 10,450 per game.

Terp quarterback Scott McBrien originally attended West Virginia before transferring to Maryland.

The Gator Bowl was McBrien’s third win against his former school. McBrien earned MVP honors in the Gator Bowl, his final game as a Terp, by completing 21 of 33 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns.

The Terps closed out their 2003 season by winning 10 games in three consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.

Only four other schools have three straight 10-win seasons during the same span: Miami, Texas, Oklahoma and Washington State.

I was amused to find on page 6 of the fall 2003 issue of Terp the following item: “Who it benefits”! This being an entry in an item touting Maryland’s Grammar Hotline makes me wonder: What’s happened to “whom”? Is this the way the trained tutors prefer to express the object of the “benefits”? Just curious.

—Reynold Greenstone, MS ’58.

I recently received the debut issue of Terp. It is outstanding. I found myself wanting to read everything on each page of the new magazine. You captured so many of the different flavors of the campus, and things in which the alumni will be interested.

I am so impressed with it. My big question is, how can you possibly have that many more great things to write about every issue? I know you will, but it will be a daunting task.

Congratulations on a well conceived format and a very clever name. Keep up the great work. You make this honorary alumnus very proud.

—Leonard Raley ’96 (Honorary Alumnus) Vice President for University Advancement, Ohio University

Letters to the editor are welcome. Send correspondence to Managing Editor, Terp, University of Maryland Alumni Association, Rossborough Inn, College Park, MD 20742. Or send an e-mail to terp_alum@umail.umd.edu

2

TERP WINTER

2004

“M” CIRCLE PHOTO BY GLEN DIMOCK; ALL OTHERS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

FRIEDGEN AND MCBRIEN PHOTOS BY LLOYD FOX, BALTIMORE SUN

TERP WINTER

2004

3

bigpicture

YOURwords CLASS GIFTS CREATE MARYLAND MEMORIES

Okay, you’ve got me. The new Terp arrived yesterday. It is such a vast improvement, and it contains so many worthwhile articles, programs, quotations, and offerings, I am sending you another check at the end of the month. It isn’t much, and I am certainly not one of your involved philanthropists, but achievement should be rewarded. …

Keep up the good work.

—Ella Jane Peebles Davis ’67

A sampling of class gifts that make your alma mater what it is today:

1910 The Memorial Gateway, an ornamental iron arch by the Rossborough Inn was built in 1941.

1933 Students raised funds for the bronze Testudo by holding their prom on campus instead of downtown Washington.

1943 This class raised funds to help furnish the new Memorial Chapel.

1965, 1990 The Sundial is a joint gift from the classes, the Departments of Physics and Astronomy, and friends of professor Uco Van Wijk.

Terps Bowling for Third Straight Year Three years ago the Terrapin football team entered the last game of the season in the same position they were the previous year. They needed a win to become bowl eligible. That day the Terps fell to Georgia Tech just as they had been defeated by Virginia the previous season.

The loss ensured a 10th consecutive year without a bowl bid. Enter alumnus and coach Ralph Friedgen ’70, ’72. In Friedgen’s first year he guided a remarkable turnaround and Maryland won 10 games en route to an Orange Bowl

Senior C.J. Feldheim and appearance. The following fellow Terps give the year Maryland won another 10 “Fridge” the traditional games and added another vicvictory soak following Maryland’s 41–7 win. tory with a Peach Bowl championship and a 30–3 pasting of Tennessee. This year Friedgen and the Terps did it again by earning a berth in the Toyota Gator Bowl against West Virginia and for the second straight season came away with a resounding bowl victory, trouncing the Mountaineers 41–7. —RL

1986 &1987 The gift of light—the “M” traffic circle is illuminated.

Henson and Kermit Come Home 1991 Jim Henson ’60 used his ingenuity while an art student at Maryland to make Muppetry—and created a whole new world of children’s icons with his craft. Now Henson and his beloved Muppet protagonist, Kermit the Frog, —best known for saying, “It’s not easy being green”—are cast in bronze on a bench at the entrance to the Stamp Student Union.

The sculpture, designed by Jay Hall Carpenter, and Memorial Garden, landscaped by Chapel Valley Landscape Company, are gifts of the classes of 1994, 1998 and 1999. They signify a salute to how a little imagination can go a long way. The largest class gift at Maryland so far, the sponsoring classes contributed some $45,000 for the memorial, about 20 percent of the total cost.

Many members of the Henson family came in from the West and East Coasts for the statue unveiling and dedication ceremony, held on what would have been the late Henson’s 67th birthday, Sept. 24, 2003. During the week-long celebration, a Muppet movie fest was held in Hoff Theater.

“This is a wonderful honor for Jim,” says Henson’s wife Jane, ’55, who is pictured above next to the statue. “It was at the University of Maryland that Jim explored his interest in the fine and performing arts that would later bring him worldwide recognition and success. Jim never lost sight of that and was forever grateful to his fellow classmates and instructors who encouraged him in his work.” —SLK

A multicultural book endowment was given to Hornbake Library and college banners were placed on Hornbake Mall.

2000 A free-standing clock was given by this class for display outside the Adele Stamp Student Union.

The Terrapin football team saw a new season attendance record set last year with more than 50,000 people attending all six home games. Maryland students had their best-ever attendance by averaging 10,450 per game.

Terp quarterback Scott McBrien originally attended West Virginia before transferring to Maryland.

The Gator Bowl was McBrien’s third win against his former school. McBrien earned MVP honors in the Gator Bowl, his final game as a Terp, by completing 21 of 33 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns.

The Terps closed out their 2003 season by winning 10 games in three consecutive seasons for the first time in program history.

Only four other schools have three straight 10-win seasons during the same span: Miami, Texas, Oklahoma and Washington State.

I was amused to find on page 6 of the fall 2003 issue of Terp the following item: “Who it benefits”! This being an entry in an item touting Maryland’s Grammar Hotline makes me wonder: What’s happened to “whom”? Is this the way the trained tutors prefer to express the object of the “benefits”? Just curious.

—Reynold Greenstone, MS ’58.

I recently received the debut issue of Terp. It is outstanding. I found myself wanting to read everything on each page of the new magazine. You captured so many of the different flavors of the campus, and things in which the alumni will be interested.

I am so impressed with it. My big question is, how can you possibly have that many more great things to write about every issue? I know you will, but it will be a daunting task.

Congratulations on a well conceived format and a very clever name. Keep up the great work. You make this honorary alumnus very proud.

—Leonard Raley ’96 (Honorary Alumnus) Vice President for University Advancement, Ohio University

Letters to the editor are welcome. Send correspondence to Managing Editor, Terp, University of Maryland Alumni Association, Rossborough Inn, College Park, MD 20742. Or send an e-mail to terp_alum@umail.umd.edu

2

TERP WINTER

2004

“M” CIRCLE PHOTO BY GLEN DIMOCK; ALL OTHERS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

FRIEDGEN AND MCBRIEN PHOTOS BY LLOYD FOX, BALTIMORE SUN

TERP WINTER

2004

3

bigpicture

GROWTH spurt arts of campus have taken wing, so to speak, over the past 18 months. The expansions and renovations to three buildings enhance the academic experience, take technology to new levels and most important, accommodate the needs of students in the 21st century.

P

Computer Science Instructional Center Expansion of: College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences Where: North campus, south side of the A.V. Williams building. Size: 37,000 sq. ft.

Purpose: Instruction and home of Center for Scientific Computation and Mathematical Modeling. Features: 140-seat lecture hall equipped with video cameras to allow lectures to be broadcast over the Internet; classrooms with built-in video projectors, computers, laptop connections, wireless Internet access and a cutting-edge video conference capability. Funding: Public funding. Private funding of four classrooms.

Contact: Mary Kearney, 301.405.0007

CSIC Chemistry Wing (unofficially, the “West Wing”) Expansion of: Department of Chemistry.

Where: Facing Stadium Drive and connected to Chemistry Building. Size: 66,636 sq. ft.

Purpose: Instruction and research; improved safety. Features: Three-floor wing includes

six organic chemistry labs (two more to follow) and research labs with ample hood space to filter noxious air. Funding: Public funding. Atrium funded privately.

Contact: Steve Rokita, 301.405.1816

The park’s full design plan keeps ecology in mind. For instance, a rain garden will collect runoff from adjacent parking lots and filter the water before it reenters the Paint Branch Watershed.

Student-Designed Park Coming Soon FOR MOST STUDENTS, class

projects begin and end in class.

But for some Maryland landscape architecture students, class projects begin in class and end on Route 1. A studentdesigned project for a five-acre North Gate Park at the Paint Branch Watershed has garnered more than $33,000 in grants

for design development and construction documentation from university, municipal and state agencies.

Soon to be under way, the design for the park is set across from the College Park Volunteer Fire Station on both university and MarylandNational Capital Parks and

Planning Commission land.

Students incorporated five landscape scenarios, including an orchard and a wildflower meadow, into their design that will seek to beautify the local environment, while incorporating methods to mitigate traffic associated with future planned residential development.—SLK

Baby Terrapin Saved by Photo Shoot RARELY DOES A cover girl start her career fresh out of the, um, egg.

the “West Wing” New Van Munching Hall Expansion of: Robert H. Smith School of Business. Where: South campus, off Mowatt Lane. Size: 103,300 sq. ft. Purpose: Unites

undergraduate and graduate classes in one building. Features: State-of-the-art classrooms, including a 250-seat auditorium and 129-seat lecture hall—each seat outfitted with power jacks; finance lab with electronic stock ticker; expanded career center facilities featuring 16 interview rooms. Funding: Primarily private funding. Leadership gift from Leo ’50 and Peggy Van Munching.

Contact: Tom O’Rourke, 301.405.7134

However, it is just that entrance into the world that put one of eight new terrapin hatchlings on the cover of last fall’s debut issue of Terp magazine.

A fortuitous decision to move the yet-to-hatch terrapins and their incubator for a photo shoot to Turner Hall at the university, from their home at the Wildfowl Trust-Horsehead Wetlands Center, probably saved their lives. Just days later, Tropical Storm Isabel destroyed Marguerite Whilden’s terrapin laboratory at the center. Not unlike expectant fathers, University Photographer John Consoli could not predict when he could capture the hatchlings’ debut on film.

Whilden hopes people will remember the cute Terp cover baby and do what they can for terrapin preservation.

“We won’t have baby hatchlings to enjoy because the species will be declared endangered by the year 2008,” Whilden worries. “At a time when the university is riding high in all areas, it would be a crime if we let our mascot slip into endangered territory.”—MB To reach Whilden about the terrapins, send a message to mwhilden@comcast.net, or call 410.757.0112.

“We won’t have baby hatchlings to enjoy because the species will be declared endangered by the year 2008,”Whilden worries. “At a time when the university is riding high in all areas, it would be a crime if we let our mascot slip into endangered territory.”

Finance Lab 4

TERP WINTER

2004

PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

BOTTOM PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; PARK RENDERINGS COURTESY OF JACK SULLIVAN

TERP WINTER

2004

5

bigpicture

GROWTH spurt arts of campus have taken wing, so to speak, over the past 18 months. The expansions and renovations to three buildings enhance the academic experience, take technology to new levels and most important, accommodate the needs of students in the 21st century.

P

Computer Science Instructional Center Expansion of: College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences Where: North campus, south side of the A.V. Williams building. Size: 37,000 sq. ft.

Purpose: Instruction and home of Center for Scientific Computation and Mathematical Modeling. Features: 140-seat lecture hall equipped with video cameras to allow lectures to be broadcast over the Internet; classrooms with built-in video projectors, computers, laptop connections, wireless Internet access and a cutting-edge video conference capability. Funding: Public funding. Private funding of four classrooms.

Contact: Mary Kearney, 301.405.0007

CSIC Chemistry Wing (unofficially, the “West Wing”) Expansion of: Department of Chemistry.

Where: Facing Stadium Drive and connected to Chemistry Building. Size: 66,636 sq. ft.

Purpose: Instruction and research; improved safety. Features: Three-floor wing includes

six organic chemistry labs (two more to follow) and research labs with ample hood space to filter noxious air. Funding: Public funding. Atrium funded privately.

Contact: Steve Rokita, 301.405.1816

The park’s full design plan keeps ecology in mind. For instance, a rain garden will collect runoff from adjacent parking lots and filter the water before it reenters the Paint Branch Watershed.

Student-Designed Park Coming Soon FOR MOST STUDENTS, class

projects begin and end in class.

But for some Maryland landscape architecture students, class projects begin in class and end on Route 1. A studentdesigned project for a five-acre North Gate Park at the Paint Branch Watershed has garnered more than $33,000 in grants

for design development and construction documentation from university, municipal and state agencies.

Soon to be under way, the design for the park is set across from the College Park Volunteer Fire Station on both university and MarylandNational Capital Parks and

Planning Commission land.

Students incorporated five landscape scenarios, including an orchard and a wildflower meadow, into their design that will seek to beautify the local environment, while incorporating methods to mitigate traffic associated with future planned residential development.—SLK

Baby Terrapin Saved by Photo Shoot RARELY DOES A cover girl start her career fresh out of the, um, egg.

the “West Wing” New Van Munching Hall Expansion of: Robert H. Smith School of Business. Where: South campus, off Mowatt Lane. Size: 103,300 sq. ft. Purpose: Unites

undergraduate and graduate classes in one building. Features: State-of-the-art classrooms, including a 250-seat auditorium and 129-seat lecture hall—each seat outfitted with power jacks; finance lab with electronic stock ticker; expanded career center facilities featuring 16 interview rooms. Funding: Primarily private funding. Leadership gift from Leo ’50 and Peggy Van Munching.

Contact: Tom O’Rourke, 301.405.7134

However, it is just that entrance into the world that put one of eight new terrapin hatchlings on the cover of last fall’s debut issue of Terp magazine.

A fortuitous decision to move the yet-to-hatch terrapins and their incubator for a photo shoot to Turner Hall at the university, from their home at the Wildfowl Trust-Horsehead Wetlands Center, probably saved their lives. Just days later, Tropical Storm Isabel destroyed Marguerite Whilden’s terrapin laboratory at the center. Not unlike expectant fathers, University Photographer John Consoli could not predict when he could capture the hatchlings’ debut on film.

Whilden hopes people will remember the cute Terp cover baby and do what they can for terrapin preservation.

“We won’t have baby hatchlings to enjoy because the species will be declared endangered by the year 2008,” Whilden worries. “At a time when the university is riding high in all areas, it would be a crime if we let our mascot slip into endangered territory.”—MB To reach Whilden about the terrapins, send a message to mwhilden@comcast.net, or call 410.757.0112.

“We won’t have baby hatchlings to enjoy because the species will be declared endangered by the year 2008,”Whilden worries. “At a time when the university is riding high in all areas, it would be a crime if we let our mascot slip into endangered territory.”

Finance Lab 4

TERP WINTER

2004

PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

BOTTOM PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; PARK RENDERINGS COURTESY OF JACK SULLIVAN

TERP WINTER

2004

5

the Source

ask Anne Questions for Anne Turkos, University Archivist, may be sent to terp_alum@umail.umd.edu.

PUT YOUR ALMA MATER TO WORK FOR YOU. CONSIDER HOW MARYLAND CAN HELP MAP OUT YOUR CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES IN THE SUMMER MONTHS AHEAD.

Q. I purchased the attached

postcard from a man in Rome, Georgia. I am curious if you know exactly where this building was or is?

—Lynn Watson-Powers ’86 Atlanta, Ga.

Physics for Girls

Bugging Out Unique Factor: Making science fun for kids, the Department of Entomology offers students an opportunity to learn about insects through interactive hands-on activities and by keeping a pet bug at the Insect Summer Camp.

Geared Toward: Ages 7-12.

Dates to Remember: One-week day camp sessions are offered from July 12 through Aug. 6.

Most students participate in camp during one of the first sessions and come back for an advanced repeat course near the end. Camp slots are limited and start to fill by March.

Unique Factor: Girls learn how to make ice cream with liquid nitrogen, build an 8-foot-tall roller coaster and partake in other hands-on experiments while learning the fundamentals of physics. The Physics Summer Girls Outreach Program is designed so that young women can explore physics and science-related career paths. Class reunions are held later to track their career endeavors.

Geared Toward: Eighth-grade girls.

Dates to Remember: Two, twoweek summer sessions of camp are offered in July. Apply between March and April for best consideration.

The Arts! at Maryland Young Scholars Program Unique Factor: High school students have a chance to earn college credit and experience a discipline they may want to pursue later as a career. The program offers courses in kinesiology, architecture, government and politics, history, astronomy and more. The program also features recreational and social activities, field trips and guest speakers. Students are encouraged to live in a residence hall during the program.

Geared Toward: Rising high school juniors and seniors with competitive grades.

Dates to Remember: Course runs July 11 to 30. Application process begins Feb. 16. Apply

by May 14 for best consideration.

Unique Factor: This new program offers a three-week course in one of seven arts classes including, jazz, musical theatre, music, print making, dance, poetry and fiction writing, giving the student a taste of Maryland art studios, the Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Students earn college credit and are encouraged to live on campus during the program.

Geared Toward: Rising high school juniors and seniors as well as college freshmen and sophomores.

Dates to Remember: Course runs June 20 through July 10.

Application process begins Feb. 16. Apply by May 9 for best consideration.

HOT LINE INSECT SUMMER CAMP www.entomology.umd.edu Click on “Outreach” 301.405.3925 PHYSICS OUTREACH PROGRAM www.physics.umd.edu/outreach/summgirls.html 301.405.5949 YOUNG SCHOLARS PROGRAM www.summer.umd.edu/youngscholars 301.314.3572 THE ARTS! AT MARYLAND www.summer.umd.edu/arts 301.314.3572 6

TERP WINTER

2004

PHYSICS FOR GIRLS PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; YOUNG SCHOLARS AND THE ARTS! AT MARYLAND PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHUCK WILSON

A. The image you have is one of the present-day Rossborough Inn, located next door to the Dairy.This building has had many uses during its lifetime, including as the headquarters for the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station.The Rossborough underwent a major renovation in the 1930s and 1940s and looks quite different today from the image you have.

Q. In honor of Black History Month (February), who were our first African American students?

A. Our first African American

students arrived prior to the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the 50th anniversary of which we will celebrate on campus this spring. Hiram Whittle (left), our first African American undergraduate arrived in the spring of 1951 to study engineering. Parren Mitchell (below), who later represented the state of Maryland in the U. S. Congress, received his master’s in sociology in 1952. Elaine Johnson, our first female African American student, graduated in 1959 with a bachelor of science in business education.

MARYLAND FLAG PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Q. Why does the University of Maryland have four school colors?

A. The four official colors of the University of Maryland are drawn from the striking Maryland state flag.

The red, white, black and gold represent the coat of arms of George Calvert, the original colonial proprietor of Maryland, and combines the colors of his paternal family, the Calverts, with those of his maternal family, the Crosslands.

The university did not always have four official colors. Early athletic uniforms were gray or maroon and gray, and each graduating class selected its individual colors.The official transition to black and gold had occurred by the 1920s, and these two hues dominated until 1942, when football coach Clark Shaughnessy changed the team’s colors to red and white. Black and gold sometimes returned as the predominant colors, such as in men’s basketball uniforms in the mid to late 1980s.

TERP WINTER

2004

7

the Source

ask Anne Questions for Anne Turkos, University Archivist, may be sent to terp_alum@umail.umd.edu.

PUT YOUR ALMA MATER TO WORK FOR YOU. CONSIDER HOW MARYLAND CAN HELP MAP OUT YOUR CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES IN THE SUMMER MONTHS AHEAD.

Q. I purchased the attached

postcard from a man in Rome, Georgia. I am curious if you know exactly where this building was or is?

—Lynn Watson-Powers ’86 Atlanta, Ga.

Physics for Girls

Bugging Out Unique Factor: Making science fun for kids, the Department of Entomology offers students an opportunity to learn about insects through interactive hands-on activities and by keeping a pet bug at the Insect Summer Camp.

Geared Toward: Ages 7-12.

Dates to Remember: One-week day camp sessions are offered from July 12 through Aug. 6.

Most students participate in camp during one of the first sessions and come back for an advanced repeat course near the end. Camp slots are limited and start to fill by March.

Unique Factor: Girls learn how to make ice cream with liquid nitrogen, build an 8-foot-tall roller coaster and partake in other hands-on experiments while learning the fundamentals of physics. The Physics Summer Girls Outreach Program is designed so that young women can explore physics and science-related career paths. Class reunions are held later to track their career endeavors.

Geared Toward: Eighth-grade girls.

Dates to Remember: Two, twoweek summer sessions of camp are offered in July. Apply between March and April for best consideration.

The Arts! at Maryland Young Scholars Program Unique Factor: High school students have a chance to earn college credit and experience a discipline they may want to pursue later as a career. The program offers courses in kinesiology, architecture, government and politics, history, astronomy and more. The program also features recreational and social activities, field trips and guest speakers. Students are encouraged to live in a residence hall during the program.

Geared Toward: Rising high school juniors and seniors with competitive grades.

Dates to Remember: Course runs July 11 to 30. Application process begins Feb. 16. Apply

by May 14 for best consideration.

Unique Factor: This new program offers a three-week course in one of seven arts classes including, jazz, musical theatre, music, print making, dance, poetry and fiction writing, giving the student a taste of Maryland art studios, the Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Students earn college credit and are encouraged to live on campus during the program.

Geared Toward: Rising high school juniors and seniors as well as college freshmen and sophomores.

Dates to Remember: Course runs June 20 through July 10.

Application process begins Feb. 16. Apply by May 9 for best consideration.

HOT LINE INSECT SUMMER CAMP www.entomology.umd.edu Click on “Outreach” 301.405.3925 PHYSICS OUTREACH PROGRAM www.physics.umd.edu/outreach/summgirls.html 301.405.5949 YOUNG SCHOLARS PROGRAM www.summer.umd.edu/youngscholars 301.314.3572 THE ARTS! AT MARYLAND www.summer.umd.edu/arts 301.314.3572 6

TERP WINTER

2004

PHYSICS FOR GIRLS PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; YOUNG SCHOLARS AND THE ARTS! AT MARYLAND PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHUCK WILSON

A. The image you have is one of the present-day Rossborough Inn, located next door to the Dairy.This building has had many uses during its lifetime, including as the headquarters for the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station.The Rossborough underwent a major renovation in the 1930s and 1940s and looks quite different today from the image you have.

Q. In honor of Black History Month (February), who were our first African American students?

A. Our first African American

students arrived prior to the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the 50th anniversary of which we will celebrate on campus this spring. Hiram Whittle (left), our first African American undergraduate arrived in the spring of 1951 to study engineering. Parren Mitchell (below), who later represented the state of Maryland in the U. S. Congress, received his master’s in sociology in 1952. Elaine Johnson, our first female African American student, graduated in 1959 with a bachelor of science in business education.

MARYLAND FLAG PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Q. Why does the University of Maryland have four school colors?

A. The four official colors of the University of Maryland are drawn from the striking Maryland state flag.

The red, white, black and gold represent the coat of arms of George Calvert, the original colonial proprietor of Maryland, and combines the colors of his paternal family, the Calverts, with those of his maternal family, the Crosslands.

The university did not always have four official colors. Early athletic uniforms were gray or maroon and gray, and each graduating class selected its individual colors.The official transition to black and gold had occurred by the 1920s, and these two hues dominated until 1942, when football coach Clark Shaughnessy changed the team’s colors to red and white. Black and gold sometimes returned as the predominant colors, such as in men’s basketball uniforms in the mid to late 1980s.

TERP WINTER

2004

7

classact

Are You Engaged?

Matched at Maryland Move over Harry and Sally. Maryland alumni have their own stories of courtship that rival those of the two characters played by Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in the cinematic classic, When Harry Met Sally. In response to our question asking alumni if they met their spouse at the university, we heard from generations of graduates, including Mary (Garner) ’37 and Charles Wantz ’35.

When Hugh Met Helen

When Cheryl Met Daniel

“… I was in the cafeteria line to get something to eat, right behind was Helen … She suddenly turned around with a big smile and said, ‘Are you following me?’ … New Year’s Eve we ended up at the same party, I with some little blonde I’d met, she with one of my best friends …

At midnight we ended up in a passionate kiss, and have been ‘each other’s’ ever since. I proposed to her on St. Patrick’s Day, 1966.”

—Hugh Michael Mealy ’71 married to Helen Louise Wason ’69, Sept. 3, 1966

“I met my husband, Daniel P. Clemens Jr., the winter of 1986 outside my advisor’s office in the journalism building. He was unlike any guy I’d met on campus—he dressed up to come to class, drank coffee before it was cool, read several newspapers every day … It took me a year and a half to persuade him to even go out with me … Someday we’ll take our kids to the fourth floor of the journalism building and show them where it all began.”

—Cheryl Chapwick Clemens ’87 married to Dan Clemens ’87, October 21, 1989

When Bev Met Mike

When Marie Met Oscar

“My husband-to-be and I met at the first coed dorm at the University of Maryland, Hagerstown Hall. ... What a scandalous notion for the times! … Mike introduced himself to me as I was standing on a chair trying to install a hanging pole in the upper part of a dorm closet … Our developing dating pattern consisted of many long walks and late night talks …”

—Bev (Brawley) Billingslea ’72 married to Mike Billingslea ’71, June 23, 1973

“Oscar, pursuing his degree in animal sciences, and myself, growing up on a dairy farm, took the same class in the artificial insemination of cattle. We happened to end up with cows that were side by side. We now laugh that our relationship started out with the rectal palpation of cattle. … We still have careers in agriculture.”

—Marie (Speak) Sipler ’96 married to Oscar Sipler ’96, March, 1997

The Maryland Alumni Association wants to host your dream wedding—compliments of us! As part of the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center Dedication activities, we will host a wedding for an engaged University of Maryland couple in May 2005. Imagine walking down the aisle in the grand Alumni Hall surrounded by your friends, family and other distinguished guests. Or taking a turn around the Moxley Gardens, a lovely backdrop for the reception and photo opportunities. If you’re interested in returning to campus for the event of a lifetime, apply by April 30, 2004.

General Application Information: • The couple must be University of Maryland, College Park, alumni and members of the alumni association by the application deadline.

• Share the story (in no more than 500 words) of how you and your betrothed met and why you wish to say “I do,” in the Riggs Alumni Center.

• Include a photo of you and your fiancée.

For more information, including additional application criteria, visit www.alumni.umd.edu, or contact Linda Roth at 301.403.2728 ext.22 or lsroth@terpalum.umd.edu.

alumniprofile

BYalumni Hope Fuels Foundation’s Drive AS ANNIVERSARIES GO, this one was bittersweet. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation recognized, last year, 20 years of success and loss in the fight to cure breast cancer.

Alumna Susan “The celebration had to look at how much closer we’ve [come] to the goal, but Braun, president and we would be remiss if we did not recognize the losses along the way,” says Susan CEO of the Susan G. Komen Breast Braun ’86 M.A., president and CEO. “Though there are a lot less than otherwise.”

Cancer Foundation As with many people in such fights, Braun came to the foundation in 1996 with a personal story. A close friend from her undergraduate days died as a result of breast cancer, leaving two young children and a husband behind. Braun, who at the time also had a small child, felt the loss deeply.

Her commitment to the foundation’s work pulls from this painful experience.

“There are things we can do today and tomorrow. I’m convinced that we can and will find a cure.”

The foundation works through its 118 affiliates, and the Komen Race for the Cure Series®, to raise money for research and to create greater awareness of the disease. Since its inception, the foundation awarded more than $112 million for research projects through 850 grants. Braun says a “very strategic … very real world” approach to fighting breast cancer keeps the high-profile foundation moving forward. Though Komen-affiliated volunteers number in the thousands, Braun insists that the organization “is very grassroots … We’re lean, mean and targeted to make a difference for real people … Hope is a huge part of what we do.”

And once they work and hope themselves out of business? “Then we’ll work on world peace,” says Braun, only half-jokingly. —MB

The Komen Race for the Cure Series® raises money for research on breast cancer. To locate your nearest Komen Foundation affiliate, visit www.komen.org.

CLASS E-NOTE: Peter

H. Michael ’66

Down on the Farm Peter H. Michael ’66 is the seventh consecutive generation of his family to purchase Cooling Springs, the Michael ancestral farm. Located in Frederick County, Md., the farm was founded by the family in 1768 and was used by Michael’s great-great-grandparents as a station on the Underground Railroad.

—Submitted to the Terp Alumni Network

The wedding photo of Julia (Martin) ’53 and Seth Harter ’55 that appeared in the fall issue of Terp prompted other alumni to share their memories of romance at Maryland. The Harters, who were married on Aug. 1, 1953, returned to Maryland over Homecoming Weekend 2003 for another walk down the aisle of Memorial Chapel.

8

TERP WINTER

2004

FAR LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIA AND SETH HARTER; LEFT PHOTO BY MIKE MORGAN; RIGHT PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Share your news and catch up with classmates by visiting Class e-Notes on the Terp Alumni Network.

This online alumni community also allows you to update your alumni profile, search the alumni directory and establish a Terp e-mail forwarding address. Reconnect at www.alumni.umd.edu. If we print your Class e-Note, we will send you a mouse pad featuring the Terp athletics logo from the Maryland Alumni Association.

TOP LEFT PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SUSAN G. KOMEN BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION; RIGHT PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Liz Kelly ’84 wants you to find a good man. Her new book Smart Man Hunting: How to Get Out There, Get Dates, and Get Mr. Right! is a dating guide for women who want to meet the perfect match and build self esteem. Kelly gives tips on everything from when to avoid a guy to when you should trust your gut.

Bob Violino ’80 is a kidney recipient and knows receiving a transplant can be an overwhelming ordeal.

He shares his story as well as the stories of other organ recipients in New Life: Lessons in Faith and Courage from Transplant Recipients. The book displays the courage, faith, and strength it takes to turn such a difficult situation into a positive experience.

Jessica Gregg McNew ’92 profiles the courage of a group of rescue workers who fought to save lives after a powerful tornado plowed through Birmingham, Ala. In Eyes In A Storm: How One Community Weathered Life After a Deadly Tornado, McNew follows the actions of the workers during the tornado and how they coped with life after a storm that killed 32 people.

TERP WINTER

2004

9

classact

Are You Engaged?

Matched at Maryland Move over Harry and Sally. Maryland alumni have their own stories of courtship that rival those of the two characters played by Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in the cinematic classic, When Harry Met Sally. In response to our question asking alumni if they met their spouse at the university, we heard from generations of graduates, including Mary (Garner) ’37 and Charles Wantz ’35.

When Hugh Met Helen

When Cheryl Met Daniel

“… I was in the cafeteria line to get something to eat, right behind was Helen … She suddenly turned around with a big smile and said, ‘Are you following me?’ … New Year’s Eve we ended up at the same party, I with some little blonde I’d met, she with one of my best friends …

At midnight we ended up in a passionate kiss, and have been ‘each other’s’ ever since. I proposed to her on St. Patrick’s Day, 1966.”

—Hugh Michael Mealy ’71 married to Helen Louise Wason ’69, Sept. 3, 1966

“I met my husband, Daniel P. Clemens Jr., the winter of 1986 outside my advisor’s office in the journalism building. He was unlike any guy I’d met on campus—he dressed up to come to class, drank coffee before it was cool, read several newspapers every day … It took me a year and a half to persuade him to even go out with me … Someday we’ll take our kids to the fourth floor of the journalism building and show them where it all began.”

—Cheryl Chapwick Clemens ’87 married to Dan Clemens ’87, October 21, 1989

When Bev Met Mike

When Marie Met Oscar

“My husband-to-be and I met at the first coed dorm at the University of Maryland, Hagerstown Hall. ... What a scandalous notion for the times! … Mike introduced himself to me as I was standing on a chair trying to install a hanging pole in the upper part of a dorm closet … Our developing dating pattern consisted of many long walks and late night talks …”

—Bev (Brawley) Billingslea ’72 married to Mike Billingslea ’71, June 23, 1973

“Oscar, pursuing his degree in animal sciences, and myself, growing up on a dairy farm, took the same class in the artificial insemination of cattle. We happened to end up with cows that were side by side. We now laugh that our relationship started out with the rectal palpation of cattle. … We still have careers in agriculture.”

—Marie (Speak) Sipler ’96 married to Oscar Sipler ’96, March, 1997

The Maryland Alumni Association wants to host your dream wedding—compliments of us! As part of the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center Dedication activities, we will host a wedding for an engaged University of Maryland couple in May 2005. Imagine walking down the aisle in the grand Alumni Hall surrounded by your friends, family and other distinguished guests. Or taking a turn around the Moxley Gardens, a lovely backdrop for the reception and photo opportunities. If you’re interested in returning to campus for the event of a lifetime, apply by April 30, 2004.

General Application Information: • The couple must be University of Maryland, College Park, alumni and members of the alumni association by the application deadline.

• Share the story (in no more than 500 words) of how you and your betrothed met and why you wish to say “I do,” in the Riggs Alumni Center.

• Include a photo of you and your fiancée.

For more information, including additional application criteria, visit www.alumni.umd.edu, or contact Linda Roth at 301.403.2728 ext.22 or lsroth@terpalum.umd.edu.

alumniprofile

BYalumni Hope Fuels Foundation’s Drive AS ANNIVERSARIES GO, this one was bittersweet. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation recognized, last year, 20 years of success and loss in the fight to cure breast cancer.

Alumna Susan “The celebration had to look at how much closer we’ve [come] to the goal, but Braun, president and we would be remiss if we did not recognize the losses along the way,” says Susan CEO of the Susan G. Komen Breast Braun ’86 M.A., president and CEO. “Though there are a lot less than otherwise.”

Cancer Foundation As with many people in such fights, Braun came to the foundation in 1996 with a personal story. A close friend from her undergraduate days died as a result of breast cancer, leaving two young children and a husband behind. Braun, who at the time also had a small child, felt the loss deeply.

Her commitment to the foundation’s work pulls from this painful experience.

“There are things we can do today and tomorrow. I’m convinced that we can and will find a cure.”

The foundation works through its 118 affiliates, and the Komen Race for the Cure Series®, to raise money for research and to create greater awareness of the disease. Since its inception, the foundation awarded more than $112 million for research projects through 850 grants. Braun says a “very strategic … very real world” approach to fighting breast cancer keeps the high-profile foundation moving forward. Though Komen-affiliated volunteers number in the thousands, Braun insists that the organization “is very grassroots … We’re lean, mean and targeted to make a difference for real people … Hope is a huge part of what we do.”

And once they work and hope themselves out of business? “Then we’ll work on world peace,” says Braun, only half-jokingly. —MB

The Komen Race for the Cure Series® raises money for research on breast cancer. To locate your nearest Komen Foundation affiliate, visit www.komen.org.

CLASS E-NOTE: Peter

H. Michael ’66

Down on the Farm Peter H. Michael ’66 is the seventh consecutive generation of his family to purchase Cooling Springs, the Michael ancestral farm. Located in Frederick County, Md., the farm was founded by the family in 1768 and was used by Michael’s great-great-grandparents as a station on the Underground Railroad.

—Submitted to the Terp Alumni Network

The wedding photo of Julia (Martin) ’53 and Seth Harter ’55 that appeared in the fall issue of Terp prompted other alumni to share their memories of romance at Maryland. The Harters, who were married on Aug. 1, 1953, returned to Maryland over Homecoming Weekend 2003 for another walk down the aisle of Memorial Chapel.

8

TERP WINTER

2004

FAR LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIA AND SETH HARTER; LEFT PHOTO BY MIKE MORGAN; RIGHT PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Share your news and catch up with classmates by visiting Class e-Notes on the Terp Alumni Network.

This online alumni community also allows you to update your alumni profile, search the alumni directory and establish a Terp e-mail forwarding address. Reconnect at www.alumni.umd.edu. If we print your Class e-Note, we will send you a mouse pad featuring the Terp athletics logo from the Maryland Alumni Association.

TOP LEFT PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SUSAN G. KOMEN BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION; RIGHT PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Liz Kelly ’84 wants you to find a good man. Her new book Smart Man Hunting: How to Get Out There, Get Dates, and Get Mr. Right! is a dating guide for women who want to meet the perfect match and build self esteem. Kelly gives tips on everything from when to avoid a guy to when you should trust your gut.

Bob Violino ’80 is a kidney recipient and knows receiving a transplant can be an overwhelming ordeal.

He shares his story as well as the stories of other organ recipients in New Life: Lessons in Faith and Courage from Transplant Recipients. The book displays the courage, faith, and strength it takes to turn such a difficult situation into a positive experience.

Jessica Gregg McNew ’92 profiles the courage of a group of rescue workers who fought to save lives after a powerful tornado plowed through Birmingham, Ala. In Eyes In A Storm: How One Community Weathered Life After a Deadly Tornado, McNew follows the actions of the workers during the tornado and how they coped with life after a storm that killed 32 people.

TERP WINTER

2004

9

classact

alumniprofile Mentor Motivates with Robots ALTHOUGH IT WASN’T so long ago that he was

travel 2004 National Parks, May 25–June 5 Visit the artist colony of Sedona as well as the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Grand Teton and Yellowstone—home of the Old Faithful Geyser.

Journey through Britain: England, Scotland & Wales, May 27–June 11 Enjoy city life and countryside on

Take a Look at Us Now!

this regional

Alumnus Marvin Rabovsky ’81 is already talking about college with his 13-year-old daughter. “It’s not your mother’s and father’s university any more,” he tells her. “The university is more popular than ever.”

As chair of the Alumni Association’s Admissions Committee, Rabovsky is helping

rural South

Checklist for Aspiring Terps The Maryland Undergraduate Admissions Office offers this advice.

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

10

Follow directions and meet deadlines: Students who meet the application deadline are given the best consideration for admission.

Write it down and pin it up: Make a calendar of senior year activities and responsibilities. Include college application and financial aid deadlines.

Post the calendar in a prominent place.

Show who you are: A thoughtful, well-written essay gives admissions officers insight into the applicant that high school transcripts and standardized test scores can’t.

Avoid “Senioritis”: The admissions office receives and reviews a final transcript of all high school work.

Visit us: To plan a visit that suits you best, contact the admissions office at 301.314.8385 or 800.422.5867 or check out www.uga.umd.edu.

TERP WINTER

2004

tour—from cosmopolitan London to

a student himself, Steven Shade ’03 now makes mentoring science students part of his routine. An electrical engineering graduate, he has dedicated himself to working with high school students who compete in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, since he was a freshman at Maryland.

The competition includes about 1,000 different high school teams in the United States and abroad who are given six weeks to build a robot under specific criteria to compete in a new game each year.

Teachers and professional engineers mentor students who design robots that weigh up to 130 pounds and are as tall as 5 feet.

Shade says the competition is a good exercise for combining math, science and business (much like Maryland’s interdisciplinary QUEST program, which Shade participated in), since students deal with time, monetary and technical pressures to produce a successful end product. He hopes the competition will encourage more young people to consider a career in engineering. “Across the board, engineering enrollment is dropping,” says Shade, who is now an associate

engineer at Anteon Corp., ETC, in Annapolis, Md., where he develops computer models of Navy ships.

By day, Steven Shade develops computer Dispelling the misconception that engineers models of Navy must be quasi-genius is important to Shade. ships. Off hours, he “It’s not necessarily about being ‘book smart.’ creates robots like this one with high Creativity plays a huge part in designing new school students. things. It requires thinking out-of-the-box, so the technical work becomes better ... You get to do a lot of cool things, but you really have to want it.” —SLK

Wales, from gracious Edinburgh to

the alumni association and the university’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions plan for an April 21st Admissions Symposium at the Bethesda, Md., Marriott.The event is for children between the ages of 12 and 14 and their parents, but all are welcome.

The symposium will give prospective students and their parents a sense of what they need to do to prepare for the college admissions process.

They will also learn about the factors that contribute to an applicant’s profile, including grades, test scores, extracurricular activities and community service.

Barbara Gill ’85, director of undergraduate admissions at the university, looks forward to meeting alumni and their children at the symposium. “We want to create a personal connection between them and the university,” she says. “We want them to understand what we value in University of Maryland undergraduate admissions.”—BAM For more information about the Admissions Symposium on April 21 at the Bethesda Md., Marriott, contact Llatetra Brown at 301.403.2728 ext. 11 or llatetra@terpalum.umd.edu

medieval York.

Join for three or five years and receive an official alumni association windbreaker as a FREE gift.

From the classroom to the playing field, Maryland is making impressive gains. Maintain the momentum by joining the Maryland Alumni Association. Support student scholarships and receive valuable benefits, such as

Canadian Rockies Panorama and the Calgary Stampede, July 6–15 This tour in the Canadian province of Alberta combines the beauty of the natural surroundings with the luxury of the Fairmont Chateau

• Invitations to social and networking events • Savings on insurance, hotel rates, auto rentals, financial services and more • Discounts on Kaplan test prep courses for you and your family • Campus perks including discounts at the Campus Recreation Center

Lake Louise.

Alumni College in Ireland–Ennis, July 7–15 Discover the beauty and mystery of the

Join today or renew your membership online at www.alumni.umd.edu. Or call us at 301.405.4678 or 800.336.8627.

Emerald Isle in historic County Clare, including Ennis, its vibrant,

Membership Options 1-Year Single $45 3-Year Single $108 5-Year Single $157.50

charming capital.

Explore the Travel 2004 catalog at www.alumni.umd.edu. Or contact 301.403.2728 ext. 14 or 800.336.8627.

TOP LEFT PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

1-Year Joint $70 3-Year Joint $168 5-Year Joint $245

Your membership dues include an optional $5 (1-Year), $10 (3-Year), $20 (5-Year) tax deductible contribution to the Maryland Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.

STEPHEN SHADE AND ROBOT PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

TERP WINTER

2004

11

classact

alumniprofile Mentor Motivates with Robots ALTHOUGH IT WASN’T so long ago that he was

travel 2004 National Parks, May 25–June 5 Visit the artist colony of Sedona as well as the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Grand Teton and Yellowstone—home of the Old Faithful Geyser.

Journey through Britain: England, Scotland & Wales, May 27–June 11 Enjoy city life and countryside on

Take a Look at Us Now!

this regional

Alumnus Marvin Rabovsky ’81 is already talking about college with his 13-year-old daughter. “It’s not your mother’s and father’s university any more,” he tells her. “The university is more popular than ever.”

As chair of the Alumni Association’s Admissions Committee, Rabovsky is helping

rural South

Checklist for Aspiring Terps The Maryland Undergraduate Admissions Office offers this advice.

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

10

Follow directions and meet deadlines: Students who meet the application deadline are given the best consideration for admission.

Write it down and pin it up: Make a calendar of senior year activities and responsibilities. Include college application and financial aid deadlines.

Post the calendar in a prominent place.

Show who you are: A thoughtful, well-written essay gives admissions officers insight into the applicant that high school transcripts and standardized test scores can’t.

Avoid “Senioritis”: The admissions office receives and reviews a final transcript of all high school work.

Visit us: To plan a visit that suits you best, contact the admissions office at 301.314.8385 or 800.422.5867 or check out www.uga.umd.edu.

TERP WINTER

2004

tour—from cosmopolitan London to

a student himself, Steven Shade ’03 now makes mentoring science students part of his routine. An electrical engineering graduate, he has dedicated himself to working with high school students who compete in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, since he was a freshman at Maryland.

The competition includes about 1,000 different high school teams in the United States and abroad who are given six weeks to build a robot under specific criteria to compete in a new game each year.

Teachers and professional engineers mentor students who design robots that weigh up to 130 pounds and are as tall as 5 feet.

Shade says the competition is a good exercise for combining math, science and business (much like Maryland’s interdisciplinary QUEST program, which Shade participated in), since students deal with time, monetary and technical pressures to produce a successful end product. He hopes the competition will encourage more young people to consider a career in engineering. “Across the board, engineering enrollment is dropping,” says Shade, who is now an associate

engineer at Anteon Corp., ETC, in Annapolis, Md., where he develops computer models of Navy ships.

By day, Steven Shade develops computer Dispelling the misconception that engineers models of Navy must be quasi-genius is important to Shade. ships. Off hours, he “It’s not necessarily about being ‘book smart.’ creates robots like this one with high Creativity plays a huge part in designing new school students. things. It requires thinking out-of-the-box, so the technical work becomes better ... You get to do a lot of cool things, but you really have to want it.” —SLK

Wales, from gracious Edinburgh to

the alumni association and the university’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions plan for an April 21st Admissions Symposium at the Bethesda, Md., Marriott.The event is for children between the ages of 12 and 14 and their parents, but all are welcome.

The symposium will give prospective students and their parents a sense of what they need to do to prepare for the college admissions process.

They will also learn about the factors that contribute to an applicant’s profile, including grades, test scores, extracurricular activities and community service.

Barbara Gill ’85, director of undergraduate admissions at the university, looks forward to meeting alumni and their children at the symposium. “We want to create a personal connection between them and the university,” she says. “We want them to understand what we value in University of Maryland undergraduate admissions.”—BAM For more information about the Admissions Symposium on April 21 at the Bethesda Md., Marriott, contact Llatetra Brown at 301.403.2728 ext. 11 or llatetra@terpalum.umd.edu

medieval York.

Join for three or five years and receive an official alumni association windbreaker as a FREE gift.

From the classroom to the playing field, Maryland is making impressive gains. Maintain the momentum by joining the Maryland Alumni Association. Support student scholarships and receive valuable benefits, such as

Canadian Rockies Panorama and the Calgary Stampede, July 6–15 This tour in the Canadian province of Alberta combines the beauty of the natural surroundings with the luxury of the Fairmont Chateau

• Invitations to social and networking events • Savings on insurance, hotel rates, auto rentals, financial services and more • Discounts on Kaplan test prep courses for you and your family • Campus perks including discounts at the Campus Recreation Center

Lake Louise.

Alumni College in Ireland–Ennis, July 7–15 Discover the beauty and mystery of the

Join today or renew your membership online at www.alumni.umd.edu. Or call us at 301.405.4678 or 800.336.8627.

Emerald Isle in historic County Clare, including Ennis, its vibrant,

Membership Options 1-Year Single $45 3-Year Single $108 5-Year Single $157.50

charming capital.

Explore the Travel 2004 catalog at www.alumni.umd.edu. Or contact 301.403.2728 ext. 14 or 800.336.8627.

TOP LEFT PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

1-Year Joint $70 3-Year Joint $168 5-Year Joint $245

Your membership dues include an optional $5 (1-Year), $10 (3-Year), $20 (5-Year) tax deductible contribution to the Maryland Alumni Association Scholarship Fund.

STEPHEN SHADE AND ROBOT PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

TERP WINTER

2004

11

m-file NEWSdesk UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND FACULTY ARE THE SOURCE NEWS MEDIA TURN TO FOR EXPERTISE—FROM POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY TO SOCIETY AND CULTURE TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

Working on Peace From the Inside Out TO MEET WHAT is per-

“The main reason why it’s so controversial is a great many people want ‘under God’ because they do think it’s an endorsement of religion ... And those of us who are opposed want it out because we also think it’s an endorsement of religion. …”

“Imagine a piece of spaghetti and imagine holding each end of that piece out to its full length while shrinking its width to zero.That’s what a string is, mathematically speaking.”

—JIM GATES, PHYSICS, APPEARING ON A THREE-HOUR NOVA MINISERIES ABOUT STRING THEORY, OCTOBER 28 AND NOVEMBER 4

—MARK GRABER, GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS, ON THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, VOICE OF AMERICA, NOVEMBER 11

“The first thing we have to recognize is that hatred for Saddam Hussein does not translate into love for America.We didn’t learn that after toppling the regime last spring. And I think we must learn it now.”

—SHIBLEY TELHAMI, GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS, ON THE CAPTURE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARTICLE PICKED UP

BY DOZENS OF PAPERS NATIONWIDE, DECEMBER 2003

“Only in the West are we affluent enough to bear the ‘burden’ of exercising to stay in shape.”

—CLAUDIA DEMONTE, ART, ON AMERICAN WOMEN NOT DOING A GOOD JOB IN “EXPORTING THE WOMEN’S REVOLUTION,” ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, NOVEMBER 4

“This is sort of the Lewis and Clark space expedition.We’re in the foothills, and we’ll soon be getting to the mountains in our view.”

—FRANK MCDONALD, INSTITUTE FOR PHYSICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ON THE VOYAGER 1 SPACECRAFT EXPLORING THE EDGE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, NOVEMBER 6

“The idea of universities representing themselves this way is part of the natural course. As the dinosaurs taught us, adapt or die.”

—C.D. MOTE JR., UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND PRESIDENT, (PICTURED BELOW WITH TERRY FLANNERY, UNIVERSITY MARKETING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR) ON BRANDING AND MARKETING AT UNIVERSITIES, CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, OCTOBER 24

12

TERP WINTER

2004

ceived as a lack in the country’s capabilities in public diplomacy, a 13-member advisory group was formed by Congress last summer to make recommendations for substantial changes in America’s international communications.

Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and professor in the Department of Government and Politics, was chosen to serve on the Advisory Group on Public Diplomacy for the Arab and Muslim World. He joins notable figures such as Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, chairman of the group and founding director of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.

Telhami is frequently quoted in the media, and he organizes the high-profile Sadat Lecture for Peace at the university, which this year features former President of Ireland Mary Robinson. (For details, see center spread) His best-selling book, The Stakes: America and the Middle East (Westview Press, 2003), will be updated for 2004 and was selected by Foreign Affairs magazine as one of the top five books on the Middle East last year. —MB

PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Restoring Maryland’s Once-Bountiful Oyster Population OFFICIALS FROM THE state of Maryland have predicted that this year’s oyster harvest, ending on March 31, will be the worst ever, with a projected total yield of only 20,000 to 25,000 bushels.This saddening figure is less than half of last year’s record low of 50,000 bushels and reflects a dramatic decline from the 2.5 million bushels per year harvested from the Chesapeake Bay in the early 1980s.

But don’t give up on the survival and resurgence of the Crassotrea virginica (the official name of the native Chesapeake Bay oyster) just yet, says Ken Paynter, associate professor and director of the Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences, or MEES, graduate program. Paynter works with a group of University of Maryland scientists and students who have teamed up with federal, state and nonprofit groups in an ambitious effort to restore several Chesapeake Bay oyster habitats. “These restoration efforts will have both economic and ecological benefits,” says Paynter, explaining that a vibrant and healthy oyster reef, also called an oyster bar, helps to filter the bay’s waters while simultaneously promoting other marine life.

A current project involves planting new oyster beds on top of oyster bars that were decimated during the past decade by a combination of over-harvesting, bivalve-related diseases such as Dermo and MSX, and the severe drought that occurred in 2001–2002, which affected the bay’s salinity.The first step in restoring these lifeless beds, Paynter says, is to remove any remain-

PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

ing dead or diseased oysters and replace them with a fresh bed of empty shells.Then, disease-free oyster seed, called spat, is placed on the empty shells at a rate of one- to-two-million spat per acre.

The spat is grown at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science oyster hatchery in Cambridge, with the actual restoration process carried out by the state’s Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Oyster Recovery Partnership, a nonprofit group that helps coordinate restoration efforts with state and federal agencies.

Paynter, working with MEES graduate students and undergraduate biology students, is charged with monitoring and assessing the restored oyster bars.

“Our divers will determine how many spat have survived, their growth rate, as well as their current disease status, if any,” he says.

Some of the oyster bars that have been rehabilitated are already teeming with thousands of new and healthy oysters, as well as large numbers of other aquatic life. “We believe that this type of [oyster bar] restoration could really help restore entire ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay,” Paynter concludes. —TV For more information on the University of Maryland’s involvement in oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay, go to www.oyster.umd.edu.

TERP WINTER

2004

13

m-file NEWSdesk UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND FACULTY ARE THE SOURCE NEWS MEDIA TURN TO FOR EXPERTISE—FROM POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY TO SOCIETY AND CULTURE TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

Working on Peace From the Inside Out TO MEET WHAT is per-

“The main reason why it’s so controversial is a great many people want ‘under God’ because they do think it’s an endorsement of religion ... And those of us who are opposed want it out because we also think it’s an endorsement of religion. …”

“Imagine a piece of spaghetti and imagine holding each end of that piece out to its full length while shrinking its width to zero.That’s what a string is, mathematically speaking.”

—JIM GATES, PHYSICS, APPEARING ON A THREE-HOUR NOVA MINISERIES ABOUT STRING THEORY, OCTOBER 28 AND NOVEMBER 4

—MARK GRABER, GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS, ON THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, VOICE OF AMERICA, NOVEMBER 11

“The first thing we have to recognize is that hatred for Saddam Hussein does not translate into love for America.We didn’t learn that after toppling the regime last spring. And I think we must learn it now.”

—SHIBLEY TELHAMI, GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS, ON THE CAPTURE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARTICLE PICKED UP

BY DOZENS OF PAPERS NATIONWIDE, DECEMBER 2003

“Only in the West are we affluent enough to bear the ‘burden’ of exercising to stay in shape.”

—CLAUDIA DEMONTE, ART, ON AMERICAN WOMEN NOT DOING A GOOD JOB IN “EXPORTING THE WOMEN’S REVOLUTION,” ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, NOVEMBER 4

“This is sort of the Lewis and Clark space expedition.We’re in the foothills, and we’ll soon be getting to the mountains in our view.”

—FRANK MCDONALD, INSTITUTE FOR PHYSICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, ON THE VOYAGER 1 SPACECRAFT EXPLORING THE EDGE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, NOVEMBER 6

“The idea of universities representing themselves this way is part of the natural course. As the dinosaurs taught us, adapt or die.”

—C.D. MOTE JR., UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND PRESIDENT, (PICTURED BELOW WITH TERRY FLANNERY, UNIVERSITY MARKETING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR) ON BRANDING AND MARKETING AT UNIVERSITIES, CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, OCTOBER 24

12

TERP WINTER

2004

ceived as a lack in the country’s capabilities in public diplomacy, a 13-member advisory group was formed by Congress last summer to make recommendations for substantial changes in America’s international communications.

Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and professor in the Department of Government and Politics, was chosen to serve on the Advisory Group on Public Diplomacy for the Arab and Muslim World. He joins notable figures such as Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, chairman of the group and founding director of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.

Telhami is frequently quoted in the media, and he organizes the high-profile Sadat Lecture for Peace at the university, which this year features former President of Ireland Mary Robinson. (For details, see center spread) His best-selling book, The Stakes: America and the Middle East (Westview Press, 2003), will be updated for 2004 and was selected by Foreign Affairs magazine as one of the top five books on the Middle East last year. —MB

PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Restoring Maryland’s Once-Bountiful Oyster Population OFFICIALS FROM THE state of Maryland have predicted that this year’s oyster harvest, ending on March 31, will be the worst ever, with a projected total yield of only 20,000 to 25,000 bushels.This saddening figure is less than half of last year’s record low of 50,000 bushels and reflects a dramatic decline from the 2.5 million bushels per year harvested from the Chesapeake Bay in the early 1980s.

But don’t give up on the survival and resurgence of the Crassotrea virginica (the official name of the native Chesapeake Bay oyster) just yet, says Ken Paynter, associate professor and director of the Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences, or MEES, graduate program. Paynter works with a group of University of Maryland scientists and students who have teamed up with federal, state and nonprofit groups in an ambitious effort to restore several Chesapeake Bay oyster habitats. “These restoration efforts will have both economic and ecological benefits,” says Paynter, explaining that a vibrant and healthy oyster reef, also called an oyster bar, helps to filter the bay’s waters while simultaneously promoting other marine life.

A current project involves planting new oyster beds on top of oyster bars that were decimated during the past decade by a combination of over-harvesting, bivalve-related diseases such as Dermo and MSX, and the severe drought that occurred in 2001–2002, which affected the bay’s salinity.The first step in restoring these lifeless beds, Paynter says, is to remove any remain-

PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

ing dead or diseased oysters and replace them with a fresh bed of empty shells.Then, disease-free oyster seed, called spat, is placed on the empty shells at a rate of one- to-two-million spat per acre.

The spat is grown at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science oyster hatchery in Cambridge, with the actual restoration process carried out by the state’s Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Oyster Recovery Partnership, a nonprofit group that helps coordinate restoration efforts with state and federal agencies.

Paynter, working with MEES graduate students and undergraduate biology students, is charged with monitoring and assessing the restored oyster bars.

“Our divers will determine how many spat have survived, their growth rate, as well as their current disease status, if any,” he says.

Some of the oyster bars that have been rehabilitated are already teeming with thousands of new and healthy oysters, as well as large numbers of other aquatic life. “We believe that this type of [oyster bar] restoration could really help restore entire ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay,” Paynter concludes. —TV For more information on the University of Maryland’s involvement in oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay, go to www.oyster.umd.edu.

TERP WINTER

2004

13

m-file Seeking Answers to the “Silent Killer” in African Americans

Maryland’s Michael Brown is studying the role that exercise plays in improving the renal function of African Americans suffering from high blood pressure.

HYPERTENSION, OR HIGH blood pressure, is often called the “silent killer” because of its propensity to go undiagnosed. Left untreated, it can lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. Hypertension is particularly dangerous for African Americans, with some studies placing it as the second leading cause of death among this group.

Michael Brown, an assistant professor of kinesiology in the College or Health and Human Performance, is currently studying the role that exercise plays in improving the renal function of African Americans who suffer from hypertension. “Most all of the theories on why African Americans develop hypertension will usually circle back to renal function,” Brown explains.

Funded by a $500,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, Brown says that he is looking at African Americans who are either pre-hypertensive or those with Stage I, or moderate, hypertension. This group, he says, are people who either do not

need to be on medication, or for whom it is recommended that they first initiate lifestyle changes for six months before trying pharmalogical treatment.

The common belief, Brown says, is that exercise can help relieve the symptoms of diseases such as hypertension for almost everyone. What the research has found thus far, though, is that some people have a particular genetic make-up that makes them more likely than others to benefit from exercise for certain medical conditions. “There are genes that we have identified as our candidate genes,” Brown says, “that will tell us who may ultimately benefit the most from our exercise program in terms of their kidney function, which will in turn affect their blood pressure.”

Brown hopes the results of his study will provide insights into the ability of exercise to improve renal function, sodium balance and blood pressure in African Americans, as well as serve as an important step in identifying subjects at risk for renal failure who can improve their renal function as a result of exercise training. —TV

City Living Could Mean Slimmer Living LIVING IN THE suburbs could expand your

waistline, according to a study co-authored by campus researcher Reid Ewing, of the university’s National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education.

“Relationship Between Urban Sprawl and Physical Activity, Obesity and Morbidity,” published in the American Journal of Health Promotion is the first national study to show that as suburban sprawl increases so does the likelihood of obesity, which health experts say occurs in nearly one in three American adults. After adjusting for age and other factors, people who live in spread-out suburban developments are likely to walk less, weigh more and have higher blood pressure than

14

TERP WINTER

2004

people living in denser communities.

The study used Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data to look at health characteristics of more than 200,000 adults living in 448 U.S. counties in major metropolitan areas. Using census and other federal data for each county, they calculated a “sprawl index.” Lower values of the index signify more sprawl, higher values less sprawl.

New York County (Manhattan), rated at 352, is the most compact county in the nation.

Geauga County outside of Cleveland is the most sprawling with an index of 63.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation contacted Ewing to conduct the study. “They asked me to be a part of a national group of

public health officials and urban planners … to build bridges between the fields.”

Since the study’s release Ewing said he has learned that health problems related to obesity could be costing the country an estimated $117 billion a year. “This is getting policy attention because it’s costing us a fortune.

While obesity is on the rise internationally, we happen to be the nation that wins the prize.”

Although the study makes no direct recommendations, Ewing suggests mixing land uses, shortening blocks and improving pedestrian facilities. He manages his weight by walking around campus or playing tennis. —DEB

MICHAEL BROWN PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

The FBI asked for help from chemistry professor Catherine Fenselau (near left) to track the sources of deadly anthrax.

UM Researchers Develop Anthrax Tracking Method IN THEIR HUNT for the perpetrators of the

anthrax attacks shortly after September 11, the FBI came to Maryland chemistry professor Catherine Fenselau to find a way to track the origins of the killer spores.

After turning her state-of-the-art mass spectrometry lab to the forensic task of sleuthing how bacillus spores, such as anthrax, are prepared, Fenselau and her team have developed a technique that may help lead the FBI to the sources of deadly anthrax.

“There are several common types of chemicals that are used to grow anthrax spores,” says Fenselau. “One is agar, and another is a blood-based medium containing heme. People tend to develop and use their own recipe to grow the spores.

“By analyzing for traces of these media, we can say a lot about how the spores were grown.That information can help investigators connect the growth with a certain recipe.”

Molecules of organic compounds have specific weights. Mass spectrometry can determine what even a single molecule is, based on its unique weight. Mass spectrometry analysis has been accepted as evidence in court cases for about 35 years.

“It’s very sensitive and very specific,” says Jeff Whiteaker, the postdoctoral researcher who developed the process for detecting traces of the heme medium. “The mass spectrometry-based method is more specific for the heme molecule compared to the traditional methods. Even if we encounter compounds that have the same weight, we can confirm which molecule it is by the way it breaks up in the mass spectrometer.”

“Our theory was that if you look at what is stuck to the out-

CATHERINE FENSELAU PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

side of a spore, you can find out how it became a spore.” Fenselau says. “Even when you try to clean up the spores, there are still scraps of stuff on the surface.”

The Maryland team worked with five of the most frequently used recipes for blood agar to develop a method to detect and identify heme in any medium.

“These bacteria grow on anything that has lots of nutrients available, which the heme, or blood-containing, medium does,”Whiteaker explains.

“Microbiologists like to use blood agar to grow bacteria like anthrax, because it mimics conditions in the body.”

The Maryland researcher worked with non-toxic bacillus spores, “first cousins that have a similar genome to anthrax, but don’t have the capability to synthesize the killer toxins,” says Fenselau.

The University of Maryland’s mass spectrometry laboratory is one of the most sophisticated in the Washington-Baltimore region.

Other research in the lab includes studies of how drug resistance develops in breast cancer patients and development of methods for rapid characterization of airborne microorganisms. —ET

University of Maryland Merchandise

The Maryland Alumni Association Official Online Store is open for business!

Stock up on exclusive Maryland Alumni Merchandise including caps, polos, pullovers, shirts, sweatshirts, t-shirts and our specially designed scarves and ties.

Get your favorite Terrapin Gear at your convenience!

OnlineStore Shop today online at www.alumni.umd.edu.

TERP WINTER

2004

15

m-file Seeking Answers to the “Silent Killer” in African Americans

Maryland’s Michael Brown is studying the role that exercise plays in improving the renal function of African Americans suffering from high blood pressure.

HYPERTENSION, OR HIGH blood pressure, is often called the “silent killer” because of its propensity to go undiagnosed. Left untreated, it can lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. Hypertension is particularly dangerous for African Americans, with some studies placing it as the second leading cause of death among this group.

Michael Brown, an assistant professor of kinesiology in the College or Health and Human Performance, is currently studying the role that exercise plays in improving the renal function of African Americans who suffer from hypertension. “Most all of the theories on why African Americans develop hypertension will usually circle back to renal function,” Brown explains.

Funded by a $500,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, Brown says that he is looking at African Americans who are either pre-hypertensive or those with Stage I, or moderate, hypertension. This group, he says, are people who either do not

need to be on medication, or for whom it is recommended that they first initiate lifestyle changes for six months before trying pharmalogical treatment.

The common belief, Brown says, is that exercise can help relieve the symptoms of diseases such as hypertension for almost everyone. What the research has found thus far, though, is that some people have a particular genetic make-up that makes them more likely than others to benefit from exercise for certain medical conditions. “There are genes that we have identified as our candidate genes,” Brown says, “that will tell us who may ultimately benefit the most from our exercise program in terms of their kidney function, which will in turn affect their blood pressure.”

Brown hopes the results of his study will provide insights into the ability of exercise to improve renal function, sodium balance and blood pressure in African Americans, as well as serve as an important step in identifying subjects at risk for renal failure who can improve their renal function as a result of exercise training. —TV

City Living Could Mean Slimmer Living LIVING IN THE suburbs could expand your

waistline, according to a study co-authored by campus researcher Reid Ewing, of the university’s National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education.

“Relationship Between Urban Sprawl and Physical Activity, Obesity and Morbidity,” published in the American Journal of Health Promotion is the first national study to show that as suburban sprawl increases so does the likelihood of obesity, which health experts say occurs in nearly one in three American adults. After adjusting for age and other factors, people who live in spread-out suburban developments are likely to walk less, weigh more and have higher blood pressure than

14

TERP WINTER

2004

people living in denser communities.

The study used Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data to look at health characteristics of more than 200,000 adults living in 448 U.S. counties in major metropolitan areas. Using census and other federal data for each county, they calculated a “sprawl index.” Lower values of the index signify more sprawl, higher values less sprawl.

New York County (Manhattan), rated at 352, is the most compact county in the nation.

Geauga County outside of Cleveland is the most sprawling with an index of 63.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation contacted Ewing to conduct the study. “They asked me to be a part of a national group of

public health officials and urban planners … to build bridges between the fields.”

Since the study’s release Ewing said he has learned that health problems related to obesity could be costing the country an estimated $117 billion a year. “This is getting policy attention because it’s costing us a fortune.

While obesity is on the rise internationally, we happen to be the nation that wins the prize.”

Although the study makes no direct recommendations, Ewing suggests mixing land uses, shortening blocks and improving pedestrian facilities. He manages his weight by walking around campus or playing tennis. —DEB

MICHAEL BROWN PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

The FBI asked for help from chemistry professor Catherine Fenselau (near left) to track the sources of deadly anthrax.

UM Researchers Develop Anthrax Tracking Method IN THEIR HUNT for the perpetrators of the

anthrax attacks shortly after September 11, the FBI came to Maryland chemistry professor Catherine Fenselau to find a way to track the origins of the killer spores.

After turning her state-of-the-art mass spectrometry lab to the forensic task of sleuthing how bacillus spores, such as anthrax, are prepared, Fenselau and her team have developed a technique that may help lead the FBI to the sources of deadly anthrax.

“There are several common types of chemicals that are used to grow anthrax spores,” says Fenselau. “One is agar, and another is a blood-based medium containing heme. People tend to develop and use their own recipe to grow the spores.

“By analyzing for traces of these media, we can say a lot about how the spores were grown.That information can help investigators connect the growth with a certain recipe.”

Molecules of organic compounds have specific weights. Mass spectrometry can determine what even a single molecule is, based on its unique weight. Mass spectrometry analysis has been accepted as evidence in court cases for about 35 years.

“It’s very sensitive and very specific,” says Jeff Whiteaker, the postdoctoral researcher who developed the process for detecting traces of the heme medium. “The mass spectrometry-based method is more specific for the heme molecule compared to the traditional methods. Even if we encounter compounds that have the same weight, we can confirm which molecule it is by the way it breaks up in the mass spectrometer.”

“Our theory was that if you look at what is stuck to the out-

CATHERINE FENSELAU PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

side of a spore, you can find out how it became a spore.” Fenselau says. “Even when you try to clean up the spores, there are still scraps of stuff on the surface.”

The Maryland team worked with five of the most frequently used recipes for blood agar to develop a method to detect and identify heme in any medium.

“These bacteria grow on anything that has lots of nutrients available, which the heme, or blood-containing, medium does,”Whiteaker explains.

“Microbiologists like to use blood agar to grow bacteria like anthrax, because it mimics conditions in the body.”

The Maryland researcher worked with non-toxic bacillus spores, “first cousins that have a similar genome to anthrax, but don’t have the capability to synthesize the killer toxins,” says Fenselau.

The University of Maryland’s mass spectrometry laboratory is one of the most sophisticated in the Washington-Baltimore region.

Other research in the lab includes studies of how drug resistance develops in breast cancer patients and development of methods for rapid characterization of airborne microorganisms. —ET

University of Maryland Merchandise

The Maryland Alumni Association Official Online Store is open for business!

Stock up on exclusive Maryland Alumni Merchandise including caps, polos, pullovers, shirts, sweatshirts, t-shirts and our specially designed scarves and ties.

Get your favorite Terrapin Gear at your convenience!

OnlineStore Shop today online at www.alumni.umd.edu.

TERP WINTER

2004

15

7 p.m.

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center A reenactment of the arguments before the Supreme Court culminates a series of lectures and activities marking the 50th anniversary of the decision to end federally sanctioned racial segregation in public schools. The reenactment will be followed by a panel discussion led by The Hon. Robert M. Bell, chief judge, Court of Appeals of Maryland.

APRIL 29 And Justice for All Learning from 50 Years of Brown v. Board of Education

Johns Hopkins University, Homewood Field 8 p.m.

The 100th meeting between Maryland and archrival Johns Hopkins highlights the 2004 schedule for men’s lacrosse. The Terps, who reached the NCAA Semifinals in 2003 and finished the season ranked No. 3, will take on eight teams that finished last season ranked in the top 20. The season opens on February 28 when the Terps travel to Georgetown for a noon face-off.

APRIL 17 Men’s Lacrosse: 100th Meeting Between Maryland and Johns Hopkins

At last year’s Awards Gala, University President C.D. Mote Jr. presented entrepreneur Brian Hinman ’82 with the Ralph J. Tyser Medallion.

7 p.m.

The College of Arts and Humanities is pleased to announce that Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner, will speak on campus this spring.

Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She has focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children. The address at the university will be one of Ebadi’s first events in the Washington, D.C. area.

MAY 12 Nobel Peace Prize Winner to Address Campus

6 p.m. Cocktail Reception 7 p.m. Dinner and Awards Ceremony University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center In what has become a signature event hosted by the alumni association, the annual black-tie gala will honor 18 individuals whose extraordinary achievements reflect proudly on their alma mater. Six alumni will receive awards from the alumni association, including the President’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, and 12 others will accept awards from their respective colleges and schools. Join the Maryland family in congratulating this year’s shining stars. RSVP required.

APRIL 17 Fifth Annual Alumni Association Awards Gala

Featuring, Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights The University of Maryland welcomes Mary Robinson to campus as the keynote speaker for the Sadat Lecture for Peace. The annual lecture is part of the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development that was established at the University of Maryland in the fall of 1997 in memory of the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The chair was made possible by the commitment of Anwar Sadat’s widow, Jehan Sadat, to her husband’s legacy of leadership for peace.

MARCH 17 Sadat Lecture for Peace

TOP LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER; CENTER LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF MARYLAND ATHLETICS; CENTER RIGHT PHOTO BY MIKE MORGAN; BOTTOM RIGHT COURTESY OF THE EUROPEAN PRESS PHOTO AGENCY/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

sbarone@umd.edu

SHIRIN EBADI LECTURE 301.405.5790,

SADAT LECTURE 301.405.6734, www.bsos.umd.edu/SADAT/EVENTS.htm

marylandday@umd.edu

MARYLAND DAY 301.405.4615,

www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu/

CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 301.405.ARTS (Ticket Office),

301.405.5790, www.brown50.umd.edu

BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION

www.umterps.com

ATHLETICS 301.314.7070 (Ticket Office),

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 301.405.4678 or 800.336.8627, www.alumni.umd.edu

H OT L I N E

10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Campuswide The university’s open house is a day of learning, exploration and fun for the entire community. There is something for everyone to experience—from handson research demonstrations, exhibits and workshops to live music and dance performances, sporting events, tours, lectures and petting zoo.

APRIL 24 Maryland Day 2004

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center What is the difference between how we look and who we are? In this classic beauty-and-the-beast tale

by Edmund Rostand, who is the beauty and who is the beast? Guest Artist Susan Einhorn, prominent offBroadway director, joins critically acclaimed actor and Department of Theatre professor Mitchell Hébert, as Cyrano, in this unassailably idealistic play that pays homage to unapologetic love.

MARCH 5–13 Cyrano de Bergerac

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center offers up love and laughter in its version of Cyrano de Bergerac.

Then, follow your nose to an array of activities hosted on campus from visits by international dignitaries to a black-tie gala to the university’s annual open house.

7 p.m.

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center A reenactment of the arguments before the Supreme Court culminates a series of lectures and activities marking the 50th anniversary of the decision to end federally sanctioned racial segregation in public schools. The reenactment will be followed by a panel discussion led by The Hon. Robert M. Bell, chief judge, Court of Appeals of Maryland.

APRIL 29 And Justice for All Learning from 50 Years of Brown v. Board of Education

Johns Hopkins University, Homewood Field 8 p.m.

The 100th meeting between Maryland and archrival Johns Hopkins highlights the 2004 schedule for men’s lacrosse. The Terps, who reached the NCAA Semifinals in 2003 and finished the season ranked No. 3, will take on eight teams that finished last season ranked in the top 20. The season opens on February 28 when the Terps travel to Georgetown for a noon face-off.

APRIL 17 Men’s Lacrosse: 100th Meeting Between Maryland and Johns Hopkins

At last year’s Awards Gala, University President C.D. Mote Jr. presented entrepreneur Brian Hinman ’82 with the Ralph J. Tyser Medallion.

7 p.m.

The College of Arts and Humanities is pleased to announce that Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner, will speak on campus this spring.

Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She has focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children. The address at the university will be one of Ebadi’s first events in the Washington, D.C. area.

MAY 12 Nobel Peace Prize Winner to Address Campus

6 p.m. Cocktail Reception 7 p.m. Dinner and Awards Ceremony University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center In what has become a signature event hosted by the alumni association, the annual black-tie gala will honor 18 individuals whose extraordinary achievements reflect proudly on their alma mater. Six alumni will receive awards from the alumni association, including the President’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, and 12 others will accept awards from their respective colleges and schools. Join the Maryland family in congratulating this year’s shining stars. RSVP required.

APRIL 17 Fifth Annual Alumni Association Awards Gala

Featuring, Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights The University of Maryland welcomes Mary Robinson to campus as the keynote speaker for the Sadat Lecture for Peace. The annual lecture is part of the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development that was established at the University of Maryland in the fall of 1997 in memory of the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The chair was made possible by the commitment of Anwar Sadat’s widow, Jehan Sadat, to her husband’s legacy of leadership for peace.

MARCH 17 Sadat Lecture for Peace

TOP LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER; CENTER LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF MARYLAND ATHLETICS; CENTER RIGHT PHOTO BY MIKE MORGAN; BOTTOM RIGHT COURTESY OF THE EUROPEAN PRESS PHOTO AGENCY/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

sbarone@umd.edu

SHIRIN EBADI LECTURE 301.405.5790,

SADAT LECTURE 301.405.6734, www.bsos.umd.edu/SADAT/EVENTS.htm

marylandday@umd.edu

MARYLAND DAY 301.405.4615,

www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu/

CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 301.405.ARTS (Ticket Office),

301.405.5790, www.brown50.umd.edu

BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION

www.umterps.com

ATHLETICS 301.314.7070 (Ticket Office),

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 301.405.4678 or 800.336.8627, www.alumni.umd.edu

H OT L I N E

10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Campuswide The university’s open house is a day of learning, exploration and fun for the entire community. There is something for everyone to experience—from handson research demonstrations, exhibits and workshops to live music and dance performances, sporting events, tours, lectures and petting zoo.

APRIL 24 Maryland Day 2004

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center What is the difference between how we look and who we are? In this classic beauty-and-the-beast tale

by Edmund Rostand, who is the beauty and who is the beast? Guest Artist Susan Einhorn, prominent offBroadway director, joins critically acclaimed actor and Department of Theatre professor Mitchell Hébert, as Cyrano, in this unassailably idealistic play that pays homage to unapologetic love.

MARCH 5–13 Cyrano de Bergerac

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center offers up love and laughter in its version of Cyrano de Bergerac.

Then, follow your nose to an array of activities hosted on campus from visits by international dignitaries to a black-tie gala to the university’s annual open house.

NIST

PARTNERSHIP POWER ALLISON COFFIN

NIH

B I L A L AY Y U B

2

STORY BY ELLEN TERNES

AS FAR AS DENNIS O’CONNOR is concerned, there’s a

J O A N N E P I L L S B U RY

Maryland faculty research has had an impact on everything from the environmental health of the Chesapeake Bay to international politics to genetics to understanding how the universe came about.

The major sources of faculty research funding are grants from government and private organizations and fee-for-service contracts from government agencies and private business. In fiscal year 2003, Maryland researchers received more than $322 million in research grant and contract awards.

And, in the same way that the university is forming new alliances in many areas to enhance academic excellence, research partnerships are becoming powerful engines for sustaining leading-

D U M B A RTO N O A K S

18

TERP WINTER

2004

simple reason why doing cutting-edge research is critical to maintaining Maryland’s status as a top public university.

“Our mission is to increase and diffuse knowledge—to benefit students, the state of Maryland and the needs of the world,” says O’Connor, the vice president for research and graduate studies. “If you don’t do research, you’re not increasing the knowledge base.

The drivers in the economy today all came from curiosity-driven research in university labs.”

TOP RIGHT PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; BOTTOM LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF DUMBARTON OAKS; BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY OF JOANNE PILLSBURY

TOP PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

edge research at Maryland. In a number of academic disciplines, university researchers and scientists from government agencies, nonprofits and even other universities are officially teaming up to conduct joint research.

Maryland and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently signed a major partnership agreement to expand research collaborations.The university and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are partners in the Joint Institute of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, studying emerging food safety issues.The National Institutes of Health and a university center that studies the evolution of hearing have joined forces to bolster both of their research efforts.

Done right, the partnership can be a marriage made in heaven.

Everyone benefits. Faculty researchers and students get to work with state-of-the-art equipment in government labs, as well as have regular contact with world-class researchers outside the university. Outside scientists get to work with bright and motivated students. Some of the partnering researchers come to campus to teach classes, and, in some cases, to get mentoring from Maryland faculty on ways to improve their teaching.

Partnerships can add muscle to applications for research grant money, and they can be a magnet to attract top students and other collaborators. Even businesses looking for a place to light, much as the Silicon Valley tech industry boomed around Stanford and its IT research, will look for access to the kind of high powered research that partnerships can generate.

TERP WINTER

2004

19

NIST

PARTNERSHIP POWER ALLISON COFFIN

NIH

B I L A L AY Y U B

2

STORY BY ELLEN TERNES

AS FAR AS DENNIS O’CONNOR is concerned, there’s a

J O A N N E P I L L S B U RY

Maryland faculty research has had an impact on everything from the environmental health of the Chesapeake Bay to international politics to genetics to understanding how the universe came about.

The major sources of faculty research funding are grants from government and private organizations and fee-for-service contracts from government agencies and private business. In fiscal year 2003, Maryland researchers received more than $322 million in research grant and contract awards.

And, in the same way that the university is forming new alliances in many areas to enhance academic excellence, research partnerships are becoming powerful engines for sustaining leading-

D U M B A RTO N O A K S

18

TERP WINTER

2004

simple reason why doing cutting-edge research is critical to maintaining Maryland’s status as a top public university.

“Our mission is to increase and diffuse knowledge—to benefit students, the state of Maryland and the needs of the world,” says O’Connor, the vice president for research and graduate studies. “If you don’t do research, you’re not increasing the knowledge base.

The drivers in the economy today all came from curiosity-driven research in university labs.”

TOP RIGHT PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; BOTTOM LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF DUMBARTON OAKS; BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO COURTESY OF JOANNE PILLSBURY

TOP PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

edge research at Maryland. In a number of academic disciplines, university researchers and scientists from government agencies, nonprofits and even other universities are officially teaming up to conduct joint research.

Maryland and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently signed a major partnership agreement to expand research collaborations.The university and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are partners in the Joint Institute of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, studying emerging food safety issues.The National Institutes of Health and a university center that studies the evolution of hearing have joined forces to bolster both of their research efforts.

Done right, the partnership can be a marriage made in heaven.

Everyone benefits. Faculty researchers and students get to work with state-of-the-art equipment in government labs, as well as have regular contact with world-class researchers outside the university. Outside scientists get to work with bright and motivated students. Some of the partnering researchers come to campus to teach classes, and, in some cases, to get mentoring from Maryland faculty on ways to improve their teaching.

Partnerships can add muscle to applications for research grant money, and they can be a magnet to attract top students and other collaborators. Even businesses looking for a place to light, much as the Silicon Valley tech industry boomed around Stanford and its IT research, will look for access to the kind of high powered research that partnerships can generate.

TERP WINTER

2004

19

WITH SO MANY MAJOR federal agencies and laboratories

within 50 miles of College Park, the University of Maryland sits in the middle of a gold mine of partnership opportunities. Here’s a sampling of university faculty and students

who already are enjoying the synergy that research partnerships can bring.

1. DYNAMIC DUO

BILAL AYYUB, ENGINEERING/NIST

to campus to teach, Ayyub says “the interaction with students is very stimulating.They are the people who will be coming into the field with a fresh look at things.”

And Ayyub isn’t afraid to think that the partnership could one day be the magnet that draws intelligent systems businesses to the College Park area.The Department of Defense is investing lots of research money in intelligent ground and air vehicles. Civilian agencies, such as the Department of Transportation, have ideas for civilian needs for the smart vehicles.“It’s the wave of the future,” says Ayyub.

2. UNBEATABLE COMBINATION

The thing that spurred engineering professor Bilal Ayyub to forJOANNE PILLSBURY, ART HISTORY/DUMBARTON OAKS malize a partnership with NIST was that he needed a place to Joanne Pillsbury doesn’t look much older than some of the underpark his Humvees. graduates in her classes on pre-Columbian art and archaeology.Yet, Ayyub, director of the university’s Center for Technology and says her boss, art history and archaeology department chair Steven Systems Management and Intelligent Systems Laboratory, has Mansbach, she’s so well known in her field that top graduate stuteamed up with NIST to develop autonomous intelligent vehicles dents looking for the best place to get their art history degrees ask, that can drive themselves and think, not just for themselves, but as “Where is Pillsbury affiliated?” a group.Without any human input, they will be able to make Pillsbury came to Maryland two years ago, because only here quick decisions about what to do when confronted with a change could she also be the Dumbarton Oaks Professor of preof conditions.

Columbian Studies.The partnership allows a Maryland faculty Ayyub and his students had been working informally with member to study with other world-class researchers at Dumbarton NIST scientists on intelligent system research, when AM General Oaks in Washington, D.C., which Pillsbury calls “the single best donated three military research site for pre-Columbian studies in the world,’” while Humvees to the project.That teaching at Maryland. was the good news.The bad “The opportunity to come to a great research university, with news was there’s not yet a good its Center for Latin American Studies and Dumbarton Oaks, place on campus to store all three makes the area unbeatable for the research I do,” says of the behemoths. So, thanks to the Pillsbury. recently inked partnership agreeThe benefit for her students? Some of her gradment, the Humvees will be kept at uate students are able to use the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, at Dumbarton Oaks for their own “Working with students least for now. research, and even undergraduates get a is more satisfying than all The long-term benefits of the parttrip with Pillsbury to the beautiful my accomplishments—to nership go well Georgetown estate. beyond garage space.

“My Dumbarton see the students grow and Ayyub’s graduate and upper Oaks work is know that I’ve mentored level undergraduate students, will be hugely influential in my students who have gone able to work with more than 30 NIST teaching, because I’m surrounded by on to become internascientists who are leaders in intelligent scholars at the cutting edge of learning,” says tional caliber scientists.” systems research. New courses and Pillsbury.“I think my students are excited that —Rufus Chaney, U.S. Department eventually a major area of study I don’t just get my information from a in the Clark School of textbook, but from colleagues, of Agriculture Engineering are already sometimes information that being planned, says hasn’t even been published Ayyub. yet.”

For the NIST scientists, who work with students at the NIST site and also come 20

TERP WINTER

2004

3. POWER AT THE ROOTS

SCOTT ANGLE, AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES/USDA

When Scott Angle arrived in College Park in 1981 as a young associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, one of the first things he did was pick up the phone and make a cold call to Rufus Chaney at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville.

Chaney is the world authority on phytoremediation, a process that uses plants to remove metals and other contaminants from the soil, and Angle wanted to see about working with him.

Twenty-two years later, out of the partnership that grew from that call, Angle and Chaney have brought together the resources of the university and USDA to create what Chaney calls “the most proven, successful RUFUS CHANEY phytoextraction USDA technology ever developed … “Neither of us could have done this by ourselves.”

“What we get from USDA is intellectual capacity and great facilities, some of the best in the world,” says Angle.

For Chaney, the payoff is being able to work with the university graduate students who help with the research in his USDA lab.

“The students are challenging,” says Chaney. “They have the freedom to question the ideas of their advisors. “Working with students is more satisfying than all my accomplishments—to see the students grow and know that I’ve mentored students who have gone on to become international caliber scientists.”

4. FORCES MULTIPLIED

ALLISON COFFIN, LIFE SCIENCES/NIH

Doctoral student Allison Coffin felt lucky to land a spot in the University of Maryland lab of Professor Arthur Popper, a worldrenowned scientist who recently discovered that ocean fish can suffer irreparable hearing loss from manmade sound such as oil drilling equipment. Coffin found out just how fortunate she was when she learned she also would be able to do some research in state-of-the-art labs on the Shady Grove campus of the National

LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF USDA; RIGHT PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

SCOTT ANGLE

Institutes of Health.

Popper’s lab is part of the university’s Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing (CCEBH), which partners with NIH to study many facets of hearing.The relationship has evolved into a good partnership for both sides, says Bob Dooling, who, with Popper, developed the NIH partnership.

“We have evolution expertise they don’t have, and NIH has a lot of genetic and molecular expertise that we don’t have,” says Dooling, whose bird acoustics lab is also part of C-CEBH. In return for sending students to NIH labs, Dooling and Popper and other experienced teacher-researchers on the Maryland faculty mentor NIH postdoctoral students on how to teach.

For Allison Coffman, it’s a win-win situation.“The resources at NIH are amazing,” she says.“And I’ve ended up having two mentors. Dr. Popper at Maryland is one of the creative forces in fish hearing studies, and Dr. Matt Kelley at NIH gives me ideas in method and technique.”

Some of the program’s graduate students come to Maryland, Coffin says, because they don’t have to choose between working at NIH and getting their graduate degree. In this partnership, they can do both at the same time. “The excitement of being at this premier research institution [NIH] is a great draw for graduate students,” says Coffin. TERP TERP WINTER

2004

21

WITH SO MANY MAJOR federal agencies and laboratories

within 50 miles of College Park, the University of Maryland sits in the middle of a gold mine of partnership opportunities. Here’s a sampling of university faculty and students

who already are enjoying the synergy that research partnerships can bring.

1. DYNAMIC DUO

BILAL AYYUB, ENGINEERING/NIST

to campus to teach, Ayyub says “the interaction with students is very stimulating.They are the people who will be coming into the field with a fresh look at things.”

And Ayyub isn’t afraid to think that the partnership could one day be the magnet that draws intelligent systems businesses to the College Park area.The Department of Defense is investing lots of research money in intelligent ground and air vehicles. Civilian agencies, such as the Department of Transportation, have ideas for civilian needs for the smart vehicles.“It’s the wave of the future,” says Ayyub.

2. UNBEATABLE COMBINATION

The thing that spurred engineering professor Bilal Ayyub to forJOANNE PILLSBURY, ART HISTORY/DUMBARTON OAKS malize a partnership with NIST was that he needed a place to Joanne Pillsbury doesn’t look much older than some of the underpark his Humvees. graduates in her classes on pre-Columbian art and archaeology.Yet, Ayyub, director of the university’s Center for Technology and says her boss, art history and archaeology department chair Steven Systems Management and Intelligent Systems Laboratory, has Mansbach, she’s so well known in her field that top graduate stuteamed up with NIST to develop autonomous intelligent vehicles dents looking for the best place to get their art history degrees ask, that can drive themselves and think, not just for themselves, but as “Where is Pillsbury affiliated?” a group.Without any human input, they will be able to make Pillsbury came to Maryland two years ago, because only here quick decisions about what to do when confronted with a change could she also be the Dumbarton Oaks Professor of preof conditions.

Columbian Studies.The partnership allows a Maryland faculty Ayyub and his students had been working informally with member to study with other world-class researchers at Dumbarton NIST scientists on intelligent system research, when AM General Oaks in Washington, D.C., which Pillsbury calls “the single best donated three military research site for pre-Columbian studies in the world,’” while Humvees to the project.That teaching at Maryland. was the good news.The bad “The opportunity to come to a great research university, with news was there’s not yet a good its Center for Latin American Studies and Dumbarton Oaks, place on campus to store all three makes the area unbeatable for the research I do,” says of the behemoths. So, thanks to the Pillsbury. recently inked partnership agreeThe benefit for her students? Some of her gradment, the Humvees will be kept at uate students are able to use the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, at Dumbarton Oaks for their own “Working with students least for now. research, and even undergraduates get a is more satisfying than all The long-term benefits of the parttrip with Pillsbury to the beautiful my accomplishments—to nership go well Georgetown estate. beyond garage space.

“My Dumbarton see the students grow and Ayyub’s graduate and upper Oaks work is know that I’ve mentored level undergraduate students, will be hugely influential in my students who have gone able to work with more than 30 NIST teaching, because I’m surrounded by on to become internascientists who are leaders in intelligent scholars at the cutting edge of learning,” says tional caliber scientists.” systems research. New courses and Pillsbury.“I think my students are excited that —Rufus Chaney, U.S. Department eventually a major area of study I don’t just get my information from a in the Clark School of textbook, but from colleagues, of Agriculture Engineering are already sometimes information that being planned, says hasn’t even been published Ayyub. yet.”

For the NIST scientists, who work with students at the NIST site and also come 20

TERP WINTER

2004

3. POWER AT THE ROOTS

SCOTT ANGLE, AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES/USDA

When Scott Angle arrived in College Park in 1981 as a young associate professor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, one of the first things he did was pick up the phone and make a cold call to Rufus Chaney at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville.

Chaney is the world authority on phytoremediation, a process that uses plants to remove metals and other contaminants from the soil, and Angle wanted to see about working with him.

Twenty-two years later, out of the partnership that grew from that call, Angle and Chaney have brought together the resources of the university and USDA to create what Chaney calls “the most proven, successful RUFUS CHANEY phytoextraction USDA technology ever developed … “Neither of us could have done this by ourselves.”

“What we get from USDA is intellectual capacity and great facilities, some of the best in the world,” says Angle.

For Chaney, the payoff is being able to work with the university graduate students who help with the research in his USDA lab.

“The students are challenging,” says Chaney. “They have the freedom to question the ideas of their advisors. “Working with students is more satisfying than all my accomplishments—to see the students grow and know that I’ve mentored students who have gone on to become international caliber scientists.”

4. FORCES MULTIPLIED

ALLISON COFFIN, LIFE SCIENCES/NIH

Doctoral student Allison Coffin felt lucky to land a spot in the University of Maryland lab of Professor Arthur Popper, a worldrenowned scientist who recently discovered that ocean fish can suffer irreparable hearing loss from manmade sound such as oil drilling equipment. Coffin found out just how fortunate she was when she learned she also would be able to do some research in state-of-the-art labs on the Shady Grove campus of the National

LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF USDA; RIGHT PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

SCOTT ANGLE

Institutes of Health.

Popper’s lab is part of the university’s Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing (CCEBH), which partners with NIH to study many facets of hearing.The relationship has evolved into a good partnership for both sides, says Bob Dooling, who, with Popper, developed the NIH partnership.

“We have evolution expertise they don’t have, and NIH has a lot of genetic and molecular expertise that we don’t have,” says Dooling, whose bird acoustics lab is also part of C-CEBH. In return for sending students to NIH labs, Dooling and Popper and other experienced teacher-researchers on the Maryland faculty mentor NIH postdoctoral students on how to teach.

For Allison Coffman, it’s a win-win situation.“The resources at NIH are amazing,” she says.“And I’ve ended up having two mentors. Dr. Popper at Maryland is one of the creative forces in fish hearing studies, and Dr. Matt Kelley at NIH gives me ideas in method and technique.”

Some of the program’s graduate students come to Maryland, Coffin says, because they don’t have to choose between working at NIH and getting their graduate degree. In this partnership, they can do both at the same time. “The excitement of being at this premier research institution [NIH] is a great draw for graduate students,” says Coffin. TERP TERP WINTER

2004

21

Carried

Story by Carol Casey

by Creative

Currents

I

In 2002, University of Maryland alumnae Karen Hesse was among 24 American scientists, scholars, artists, writers, musicians and activists to receive what is arguably the nation’s most prestigious private award given for personal creativity and achievement, a MacArthur Fellowship.The $500,000 “no strings attached”grants are given annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to individuals who, according to the foundation, “lift our spirits, illuminate human potential, and shape our collective future.”

Hesse, a writer of children’s and young adult novels, was born

in Baltimore, Md., and earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1974. Now she writes from her home in Brattleboro,Vt. How did this woman from seemingly ordinary circumstances become

“The feeling I get when I write is akin to dropping through a trap door into the

an artist recognized as an exceptionally creative national treasure?

flow of an underground river,” Hesse says. “I stand in the current and just as a

How did Karen Hesse learn to follow her interior voice?

plant absorbs nutrients and energy from its surroundings, I absorb the energy of this subterranean river through my soul. This is not willed, it simply happens.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATAS

TERP WINTER

2004

23

Carried

Story by Carol Casey

by Creative

Currents

I

In 2002, University of Maryland alumnae Karen Hesse was among 24 American scientists, scholars, artists, writers, musicians and activists to receive what is arguably the nation’s most prestigious private award given for personal creativity and achievement, a MacArthur Fellowship.The $500,000 “no strings attached”grants are given annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to individuals who, according to the foundation, “lift our spirits, illuminate human potential, and shape our collective future.”

Hesse, a writer of children’s and young adult novels, was born

in Baltimore, Md., and earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1974. Now she writes from her home in Brattleboro,Vt. How did this woman from seemingly ordinary circumstances become

“The feeling I get when I write is akin to dropping through a trap door into the

an artist recognized as an exceptionally creative national treasure?

flow of an underground river,” Hesse says. “I stand in the current and just as a

How did Karen Hesse learn to follow her interior voice?

plant absorbs nutrients and energy from its surroundings, I absorb the energy of this subterranean river through my soul. This is not willed, it simply happens.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATAS

TERP WINTER

2004

23

THE KAREN HESSE FILE

Leaving Baltimore Behind Hesse may have grown up in a Baltimore rowhouse, but her imagination took her far beyond the city’s gray streets, and her writerly instincts appeared at a young age. “I’m not certain when I realized I wasn’t like my friends,” she says. “From an early age, it felt right to keep my inner world a secret. As a result, people thought of me as shy; I was an observer of life more than a full-fledged participant.”

On her sometimes unhappy Baltimore street, however, Hesse experienced sublime communications with another realm. One night after a celebration of the Jewish holiday Purim, she stayed up late, peering out the window to see angels who were to come out at midnight. She recalls that as she watched, the roof of the sky opened and she could see angels descending.

This cherished gift has never left her. “I think that this receptivity to mystical experience also welcomes the unconventional reality of fictional characters and worlds,” she says.

Hesse caught the drama bug in high school and initially pursued a theatre major at Towson. But she left the actor’s life behind when she met Randy Hesse.

The couple eloped in 1971, a time of particular danger for young American men, who were being assigned so-called “lottery numbers” to determine the order of draft call-ups for the Vietnam War. Randy Hesse’s assignment aboard a World War II-vintage destroyer often landed him in dry dock, but the ship had standing sailing orders for Vietnam. “I left school for two years and waited there, in Norfolk, Va.,” recalls Karen, “in a tiny apartment, in a volatile neighborhood, as Randy’s ship would sail in for a week, leave for two weeks, come back for a month, leave for a week. And always the threat 24

TERP WINTER

2004

AGE: 51 GRADUATION YEAR: 1974 RESIDENCE: Brattleboro, Vermont CAREER: Writer, 1969–present.

BOOKS PUBLISHED

1991: Wish on a Unicorn 1992: Letters from Rifka 1993: Poppy’s Chair 1993: Lester’s Dog 1993: Lavender 1994: Sable 1994: Phoenix Rising 1995: A Time of Angels 1996: The Music of Dolphins 1997: Out of the Dust 1998: Just Juice 1999: Come on, Rain 1999: A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia 2000: Stowaway 2001: Witness 2002: The Stone Lamp: A Hanukkah Collection: Eight Days of Dark, Eight Nights of Light 2003: Aleutian Sparrow Her books have been translated into several languages, including Chinese and Spanish.

SELECTED AWARDS

In addition to being named a MacArthur Fellow in 2002, Hesse’s works have garnered prestigious awards including the Newberry Medal, National Jewish Book Award, International Reading Association Young Adults’ Choice, Best Books for Young Adults and Notable Books selections, American Library Association.

of Vietnam hung over our heads. I did a lot of growing during those years.That growth is certainly reflected in my work today.”

After her husband’s discharge from the Navy, both Karen and Randy enrolled at the University of Maryland.“I loved my years at the university,” she says.“I never had a sense of isolation.The English department provided me with one circle of friends, the library [her work-study assignment] presented me with a separate circle of friends.

Fellow students gave generously of their ideas.The entire atmosphere fostered exciting discussions and enhanced my understanding of the world.”

In that atmosphere, Hesse also gained confidence as a writer.“The writing program, under the wise and gentle tutelage of then-director Rod Jellema, provided a fertile bed in which writers were encouraged to grow,” she says. Hesse developed her poetic skills, a sensitivity to the nuances of language apparent in her books, particularly ones in which the entire story is told in blank verse.

After Randy Hesse graduated from Maryland, the couple and their two cats took a six-month camping trip across the country.They ended their travels in Brattleboro.“I knew as soon as we crossed the Connecticut River from New Hampshire into Vermont that I’d come home,” Karen says. In Brattleboro, among the numerous jobs she held was that of a typesetter, which led her to believe she could succeed as a children’s book writer.“Some of the work I set struck me as very unsatisfying,” she recalls.

“I thought I could write at least as well, if not better.”

This nascent feeling about her own abilities came into full expression after the births of her daughters, who now are young adults. “When I began reading children’s literature to my daughters, I felt I’d discovered at last the key to releasing my secret inner world,” she says.

Since her first book, Wish on a Unicorn, was published in 1991, Hesse has published 13 novels and four picture books. In addition to her skills with language, Hesse draws on her ability to delve deeply into herself to create fiction.“The feeling I get when I write is akin to dropping through a trap door into the flow of an underground river,” Hesse says.“I stand in the current and just as a plant absorbs nutrients and energy from its surroundings, I absorb the energy of this subterranean river through my soul.This is not willed, it simply happens.”

To read her books is to be caught up in that same feeling of immersion. She tackles difficult and often grim subjects, evoking what her editor calls “a profound and visceral sense of place.” Place in Hesse’s books includes not only physical locations from Russia to Vermont to a sailing ship in the Pacific Ocean to the windswept Aleutian Islands, but also emotional and mental terrain. In Phoenix Rising, death and hope after a nuclear disaster; the question of what it means to be human in The Music of Dolphins; and how human beings can transcend the most devastating circumstances in Out of the Dust.

Putting the Grant in Perspective Imagine being at home one day and the phone rings.“It’s for you,” says your spouse.The person on the other end of the line says,“This is the MacArthur Foundation.We’ve decided to give you a half-million dollar grant.”That’s basically what happened to Karen Hesse.

When she got the call, Hesse was setting out to make a speech at a library conference in Baltimore. “The phone call came moments before I boarded the train,” she said. “Randy walked me to the train station. I’m not certain my feet ever made contact with the sidewalk. I’m amazed I remembered to breathe. Once on the train I gazed in wonder out the window. Every sense was heightened.The smells from the lounge car, the fine tracery of autumn light in the trees.The cushion of the train seat. Not often are sensations experienced with such an acute awareness.The recognition by the MacArthur Foundation rocketed me into that rare hyper-aware state. Amazing.” TERP

In Aleutian Sparrow, narrated by Vera, an Aleutian girl on the cusp of womanhood, Hesse examines the hardships faced by the Aleuts following their 1942 evacuation from the Aleutian Islands to the interior towns of Wrangell and Ketchikan, Alaska, after the Japanese invasion of their islands. Aleutian Sparrow was inspired by a school visit Hesse made in Ketchikan. It was published in 2003.

University of Maryland MacArthur Award Winners

I

t isn’t the first time the University of Maryland has claimed a MacArthur Fellow, although it is the first time two alumni from

the university were named the same year. In 2002, dancer and choreographer Liz

Lerman ’70

founder and creative director

of Liz Lerman’s Dance Exchange, was also named a winner, along with Karen Hesse ’74. In 1989,

Ellendea Proffer Teasley ’66

was

recognized for her work as an author, publisher and translator of Russian literature into English.

Stricken Alfred’s grandmother is at my side. “Two hundred years ago,” she says, “our people lived outside the concern of white men; Aleuts were fishermen, seal hunters, sea riders.

Then Russians came.Then Americans. Now Japanese, and bombs drop through openings in the fog, Japanese take control of our islands, and without any say we are herded under the bulging tent of war.”

Our villages empty of Aleuts, and all along the windswept chain the islands grieve for the loss of our laughter.

I look into Alfred’s grandmother’s eyes and recognize there the Bering Sea, which is no more, no less, than an ancient woman pacing in her dark robe.

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Oct. 2003

TERP WINTER

2004

25

THE KAREN HESSE FILE

Leaving Baltimore Behind Hesse may have grown up in a Baltimore rowhouse, but her imagination took her far beyond the city’s gray streets, and her writerly instincts appeared at a young age. “I’m not certain when I realized I wasn’t like my friends,” she says. “From an early age, it felt right to keep my inner world a secret. As a result, people thought of me as shy; I was an observer of life more than a full-fledged participant.”

On her sometimes unhappy Baltimore street, however, Hesse experienced sublime communications with another realm. One night after a celebration of the Jewish holiday Purim, she stayed up late, peering out the window to see angels who were to come out at midnight. She recalls that as she watched, the roof of the sky opened and she could see angels descending.

This cherished gift has never left her. “I think that this receptivity to mystical experience also welcomes the unconventional reality of fictional characters and worlds,” she says.

Hesse caught the drama bug in high school and initially pursued a theatre major at Towson. But she left the actor’s life behind when she met Randy Hesse.

The couple eloped in 1971, a time of particular danger for young American men, who were being assigned so-called “lottery numbers” to determine the order of draft call-ups for the Vietnam War. Randy Hesse’s assignment aboard a World War II-vintage destroyer often landed him in dry dock, but the ship had standing sailing orders for Vietnam. “I left school for two years and waited there, in Norfolk, Va.,” recalls Karen, “in a tiny apartment, in a volatile neighborhood, as Randy’s ship would sail in for a week, leave for two weeks, come back for a month, leave for a week. And always the threat 24

TERP WINTER

2004

AGE: 51 GRADUATION YEAR: 1974 RESIDENCE: Brattleboro, Vermont CAREER: Writer, 1969–present.

BOOKS PUBLISHED

1991: Wish on a Unicorn 1992: Letters from Rifka 1993: Poppy’s Chair 1993: Lester’s Dog 1993: Lavender 1994: Sable 1994: Phoenix Rising 1995: A Time of Angels 1996: The Music of Dolphins 1997: Out of the Dust 1998: Just Juice 1999: Come on, Rain 1999: A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia 2000: Stowaway 2001: Witness 2002: The Stone Lamp: A Hanukkah Collection: Eight Days of Dark, Eight Nights of Light 2003: Aleutian Sparrow Her books have been translated into several languages, including Chinese and Spanish.

SELECTED AWARDS

In addition to being named a MacArthur Fellow in 2002, Hesse’s works have garnered prestigious awards including the Newberry Medal, National Jewish Book Award, International Reading Association Young Adults’ Choice, Best Books for Young Adults and Notable Books selections, American Library Association.

of Vietnam hung over our heads. I did a lot of growing during those years.That growth is certainly reflected in my work today.”

After her husband’s discharge from the Navy, both Karen and Randy enrolled at the University of Maryland.“I loved my years at the university,” she says.“I never had a sense of isolation.The English department provided me with one circle of friends, the library [her work-study assignment] presented me with a separate circle of friends.

Fellow students gave generously of their ideas.The entire atmosphere fostered exciting discussions and enhanced my understanding of the world.”

In that atmosphere, Hesse also gained confidence as a writer.“The writing program, under the wise and gentle tutelage of then-director Rod Jellema, provided a fertile bed in which writers were encouraged to grow,” she says. Hesse developed her poetic skills, a sensitivity to the nuances of language apparent in her books, particularly ones in which the entire story is told in blank verse.

After Randy Hesse graduated from Maryland, the couple and their two cats took a six-month camping trip across the country.They ended their travels in Brattleboro.“I knew as soon as we crossed the Connecticut River from New Hampshire into Vermont that I’d come home,” Karen says. In Brattleboro, among the numerous jobs she held was that of a typesetter, which led her to believe she could succeed as a children’s book writer.“Some of the work I set struck me as very unsatisfying,” she recalls.

“I thought I could write at least as well, if not better.”

This nascent feeling about her own abilities came into full expression after the births of her daughters, who now are young adults. “When I began reading children’s literature to my daughters, I felt I’d discovered at last the key to releasing my secret inner world,” she says.

Since her first book, Wish on a Unicorn, was published in 1991, Hesse has published 13 novels and four picture books. In addition to her skills with language, Hesse draws on her ability to delve deeply into herself to create fiction.“The feeling I get when I write is akin to dropping through a trap door into the flow of an underground river,” Hesse says.“I stand in the current and just as a plant absorbs nutrients and energy from its surroundings, I absorb the energy of this subterranean river through my soul.This is not willed, it simply happens.”

To read her books is to be caught up in that same feeling of immersion. She tackles difficult and often grim subjects, evoking what her editor calls “a profound and visceral sense of place.” Place in Hesse’s books includes not only physical locations from Russia to Vermont to a sailing ship in the Pacific Ocean to the windswept Aleutian Islands, but also emotional and mental terrain. In Phoenix Rising, death and hope after a nuclear disaster; the question of what it means to be human in The Music of Dolphins; and how human beings can transcend the most devastating circumstances in Out of the Dust.

Putting the Grant in Perspective Imagine being at home one day and the phone rings.“It’s for you,” says your spouse.The person on the other end of the line says,“This is the MacArthur Foundation.We’ve decided to give you a half-million dollar grant.”That’s basically what happened to Karen Hesse.

When she got the call, Hesse was setting out to make a speech at a library conference in Baltimore. “The phone call came moments before I boarded the train,” she said. “Randy walked me to the train station. I’m not certain my feet ever made contact with the sidewalk. I’m amazed I remembered to breathe. Once on the train I gazed in wonder out the window. Every sense was heightened.The smells from the lounge car, the fine tracery of autumn light in the trees.The cushion of the train seat. Not often are sensations experienced with such an acute awareness.The recognition by the MacArthur Foundation rocketed me into that rare hyper-aware state. Amazing.” TERP

In Aleutian Sparrow, narrated by Vera, an Aleutian girl on the cusp of womanhood, Hesse examines the hardships faced by the Aleuts following their 1942 evacuation from the Aleutian Islands to the interior towns of Wrangell and Ketchikan, Alaska, after the Japanese invasion of their islands. Aleutian Sparrow was inspired by a school visit Hesse made in Ketchikan. It was published in 2003.

University of Maryland MacArthur Award Winners

I

t isn’t the first time the University of Maryland has claimed a MacArthur Fellow, although it is the first time two alumni from

the university were named the same year. In 2002, dancer and choreographer Liz

Lerman ’70

founder and creative director

of Liz Lerman’s Dance Exchange, was also named a winner, along with Karen Hesse ’74. In 1989,

Ellendea Proffer Teasley ’66

was

recognized for her work as an author, publisher and translator of Russian literature into English.

Stricken Alfred’s grandmother is at my side. “Two hundred years ago,” she says, “our people lived outside the concern of white men; Aleuts were fishermen, seal hunters, sea riders.

Then Russians came.Then Americans. Now Japanese, and bombs drop through openings in the fog, Japanese take control of our islands, and without any say we are herded under the bulging tent of war.”

Our villages empty of Aleuts, and all along the windswept chain the islands grieve for the loss of our laughter.

I look into Alfred’s grandmother’s eyes and recognize there the Bering Sea, which is no more, no less, than an ancient woman pacing in her dark robe.

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Oct. 2003

TERP WINTER

2004

25

Live and Learn

Gemstone

CIVICUS

Hinman CEOs

Global Communities

Story by Dianne Burch

How out-of-the-box thinking transformed the undergraduate experience at Maryland

I

magine the experience of examining evolution first-hand in the Galapagos Islands. On campus, you walk down the stairs of your residence hall to discuss an assignment with a professor.You and your classmates personally make the rounds to officials on Capitol Hill.Your name is listed as a co-contributor on a paper submitted to an academic journal.Your residence hall is also your team’s start-up company headquarters.

All these scenarios are the real deal for undergraduate students at Maryland who are invited into a growing array of programs that meld on-campus living and real-world learning 24/7. With opportunities comparable to those found at Ivy League institutions, Maryland’s most talented high school graduates experience an educational experience that is second to none.

26

TERP WINTER

2004

MAKE THE BIG STORE SMALL

A decade ago, many of the most qualified students chose to go out of state for their education. But change was on the horizon. Fully 10 percent of the entering class was enrolled in the university’s Honors program, under the direction of Maynard “Sandy” Mack.

These were the first students to enjoy a home of their own— Anne Arundel Hall.The folks in academic affairs and undergraduate admissions liked what they saw.

Ira Berlin, professor of history, and Mack were among a group asked to consider ways to recruit and retain the best and brightest students.They “blue-skied” how to present a friendly port of entry, to better connect freshmen with faculty, to challenge students intellectually. As Berlin coined it: “Make the big store small.”

Easier said than done. Not unlike today, 1993 was a difficult time financially for the university as the state was in a fiscal slump.

That meant shifting existing resources, rather than requesting new funding. It called for “buy-in” of behind-the-scenes staff from facilities, residence life and admissions as well as the financial support of the academic deans to create on-campus living spaces that were more than just a place to hang your hat. Such “out-of-thebox” thinking produced programs that encourage students to be just as inventive in their own approach to learning.

The seeds of a living-learning community were planted in 1994 as the first College Park Scholars found their niche in one of four interdisciplinary programs. “Personally, I thought College Park Scholars would make a real difference,” recalls Mack, “because we would be a school with a broad array of exciting options for top students—not just an outstanding new Honors program.” Nancy Shapiro, College Park Scholars’ first director, recalls that it took about five years to reverse the out-of-state exodus. By then stu-

College Park Scholars

dents saw that they need not attend a small school to have personal interaction with the university’s top-notch faculty members and a supportive network that didn’t end at the close of class.

EXPANDING THE FIELD

While dean of the Clark School of Engineering,William Destler (now senior vice president for academic affairs and provost) saw evidence that students were capable of serious research projects, too. He had only to look at the invitational freshman and sophomore Technology & Society Program of College Park Scholars, which he supported.Why not, he wondered, allow students to pursue a research project throughout their entire undergraduate career, teamed with students from other majors. Gemstone, funded by generous grants from the GE Fund,AT&T Foundation and the National Science Foundation, accepted its first students in 1996, drawn from those invited to participate in the university’s Honors program.

Each fall, about 185 new freshmen enter the program with about 500 total students enrolled at any given time. “It does provide a context for learning … and I think it provides really meaningful intellectual contacts between engineering students and students in the social sciences, humanities, business,” says Destler.

According to an internal survey, more than 75 percent of students

10 years, 12 programs, one community Little did the university know that an initiative back in 1994—College Park Scholars—would grow into a nationally recognized living-learning program. In fall 2004, the 10th class of freshmen will enter into 12 interdisciplinary programs, occupying the entire Cambridge Community on the north side of campus. During the upcoming celebratory year, CPS alumni are encouraged to reconnect and reminisce with friends and faculty. If you are one of the 7,421 CPS alumni, log on to www.scholars.umd.edu/alumni to learn about all of the ways you can participate. For example, the just-launched Mentor a Student program matches interested scholars with alumni professionals.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS

TERP WINTER

2004

27

Live and Learn

Gemstone

CIVICUS

Hinman CEOs

Global Communities

Story by Dianne Burch

How out-of-the-box thinking transformed the undergraduate experience at Maryland

I

magine the experience of examining evolution first-hand in the Galapagos Islands. On campus, you walk down the stairs of your residence hall to discuss an assignment with a professor.You and your classmates personally make the rounds to officials on Capitol Hill.Your name is listed as a co-contributor on a paper submitted to an academic journal.Your residence hall is also your team’s start-up company headquarters.

All these scenarios are the real deal for undergraduate students at Maryland who are invited into a growing array of programs that meld on-campus living and real-world learning 24/7. With opportunities comparable to those found at Ivy League institutions, Maryland’s most talented high school graduates experience an educational experience that is second to none.

26

TERP WINTER

2004

MAKE THE BIG STORE SMALL

A decade ago, many of the most qualified students chose to go out of state for their education. But change was on the horizon. Fully 10 percent of the entering class was enrolled in the university’s Honors program, under the direction of Maynard “Sandy” Mack.

These were the first students to enjoy a home of their own— Anne Arundel Hall.The folks in academic affairs and undergraduate admissions liked what they saw.

Ira Berlin, professor of history, and Mack were among a group asked to consider ways to recruit and retain the best and brightest students.They “blue-skied” how to present a friendly port of entry, to better connect freshmen with faculty, to challenge students intellectually. As Berlin coined it: “Make the big store small.”

Easier said than done. Not unlike today, 1993 was a difficult time financially for the university as the state was in a fiscal slump.

That meant shifting existing resources, rather than requesting new funding. It called for “buy-in” of behind-the-scenes staff from facilities, residence life and admissions as well as the financial support of the academic deans to create on-campus living spaces that were more than just a place to hang your hat. Such “out-of-thebox” thinking produced programs that encourage students to be just as inventive in their own approach to learning.

The seeds of a living-learning community were planted in 1994 as the first College Park Scholars found their niche in one of four interdisciplinary programs. “Personally, I thought College Park Scholars would make a real difference,” recalls Mack, “because we would be a school with a broad array of exciting options for top students—not just an outstanding new Honors program.” Nancy Shapiro, College Park Scholars’ first director, recalls that it took about five years to reverse the out-of-state exodus. By then stu-

College Park Scholars

dents saw that they need not attend a small school to have personal interaction with the university’s top-notch faculty members and a supportive network that didn’t end at the close of class.

EXPANDING THE FIELD

While dean of the Clark School of Engineering,William Destler (now senior vice president for academic affairs and provost) saw evidence that students were capable of serious research projects, too. He had only to look at the invitational freshman and sophomore Technology & Society Program of College Park Scholars, which he supported.Why not, he wondered, allow students to pursue a research project throughout their entire undergraduate career, teamed with students from other majors. Gemstone, funded by generous grants from the GE Fund,AT&T Foundation and the National Science Foundation, accepted its first students in 1996, drawn from those invited to participate in the university’s Honors program.

Each fall, about 185 new freshmen enter the program with about 500 total students enrolled at any given time. “It does provide a context for learning … and I think it provides really meaningful intellectual contacts between engineering students and students in the social sciences, humanities, business,” says Destler.

According to an internal survey, more than 75 percent of students

10 years, 12 programs, one community Little did the university know that an initiative back in 1994—College Park Scholars—would grow into a nationally recognized living-learning program. In fall 2004, the 10th class of freshmen will enter into 12 interdisciplinary programs, occupying the entire Cambridge Community on the north side of campus. During the upcoming celebratory year, CPS alumni are encouraged to reconnect and reminisce with friends and faculty. If you are one of the 7,421 CPS alumni, log on to www.scholars.umd.edu/alumni to learn about all of the ways you can participate. For example, the just-launched Mentor a Student program matches interested scholars with alumni professionals.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS

TERP WINTER

2004

27

in

theloop who enter Gemstone have stated that admission to the program was the single most important factor in determining their decision to attend the university.

AN ALUMNUS WITH A WISH LIST

Brian Hinman, electrical engineering ’82, himself a successful entrepreneur, was eager to find a way to get students more interested in starting their own businesses. So was born the concept of an upper-class residence hall where students would live in corporate teams, pursuing business ideas to the point of a real business plan by the time they graduated. Hinman CEOs was launched in fall 2000 with an initial $1.7 million commitment from Hinman.

It has become a national model and a number of institutions are considering adopting similar programs, says Destler. A recent story in The Boston Globe hailed its success, stating: “The entrepreneurial spirit pervades the program; 16 start-ups based in the dorm this year are already generating revenue.”

Both Gemstone and Hinman CEOs are home to some of the university’s stellar students. For example, in fall of 2000, halfway through their four-year Gemstone experience, a 13-member student-team was recruited to join the first cohort of Hinman CEOs. Recalls Tia Gao ’02, who was majoring in computer engineering, “While the premise of Gemstone is to conduct research to benefit society, we wanted to go one step further and form our own start-up company.” These young entrepreneurs took their initial Gemstone research in wireless and global-positioning satellite technology and developed a prototype GPS tracking system that could be used to monitor prisoners being transported to and from court appearances.

“We didn’t see this as more work [being in both programs],” says Adam Lutz ’02, “we saw it as more opportunity.” Lutz gradu

ated with a dual major in electrical engineering and mathematics and is now studying for a master’s degree in finance at Princeton.

Gao received a National Science Foundation fellowship to complete her graduate studies in electrical engineering at Stanford, where she is focused on developing new technologies for medical imaging devices.

COMPARISON SHOPPING

Today, more than 40 percent of incoming freshmen participate in a living-learning program and fully 60 percent of all undergraduates take advantage of some special experience that provides a realworld context for their classroom studies. “All of our programs provide a kind of thread around which this learning occurs,” says Destler, who explains that, usually, the students meet all of the requirements for a normal degree in addition to taking on the obligations of these living-learning programs.

Our success today is touted in circles that matter. In the most recent ranking by U.S. News & World Report, Maryland placed third for its learning communities. Perhaps more telling is that intimate St. John’s College down the road in Annapolis tied for 15th. Other large institutions, including Iowa State and the University of Florida, are turning to Maryland as they establish their own livinglearning programs.

So, what is on the horizon at Maryland? Destler muses about a potential Left Brain-Right Brain House that would bring together creative students from the technology side and the arts side. Or, perhaps, an Inventors’ House. Just wishful thinking?

Don’t bet on it. TERP

Visits to museums, media outlets, cultural venues and natural wonders in Baltimore, the Chesapeake Bay and Washington, D.C., with annual expeditions to New York City. Within CPS, the Life Sciences Program sponsors regular study abroad initiatives to Belize and Australia. The Earth, Life and Time Program examines evolution through tours to the Grand Canyon and the Galapagos Islands. www.scholars.umd.edu

28

TERP WINTER

2004

THE MARYLAND ALUMNI

Association took the ship in a bottle to a new level when it built a building inside a building to celebrate the virtual groundbreaking of the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center.

Full-scale representations of key spaces in the Riggs Alumni Center were erected in Cole Field House for the September 24th celebration. Nearly 400 alumni and friends toured the models even as construction workers were preparing to pour foundations for the center at its actual location near Byrd Stadium.

The event featured toasts made in conjunction with vignettes portraying university successes through the year 2050. Each scenario invited the audience to imagine the “endless possibilities” available to a campus on the move.

Academically talented students are invited to feast on a wide array of living-learning experiences.

Alumni continue to support the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. In recent months, John ’71 and Louise ’80 Brophy named the Alumni Lounge, A. Ford Hall ’68 named the glass ocular, and Hal ’65 and Diane Brierley named the east terrace and staircase.

GEMSTONE

Team-building exercises include Gems Cap, an off-campus outdoor retreat that introduces students to the program, to each other and to the concept of critical thinking skills. www.gemstone.umd.edu

HINMAN CEOS

GLOBAL COMMUNITIES

Perks include voice, data and video communications capability for each resident’s personal computer; wireless access that allows connection to the data network anytime, anywhere in the residence hall or on campus, provided by Avaya. www.hinmanceos.umd.edu

Students from more than 30 countries share a residence hall and a desire to build bridges of cooperation and understanding between cultures. www.inform.umd.edu/globalcommunities

“A preeminent university needs a central address for its alumni—they are playing a critical role in Maryland’s future,” noted campaign cabinet co-chair Phil Rever ’64.

Alumni are also playing an integral part in the center’s construction. Architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen ’51, ’93 (Honorary Doctorate) designed the 69,000 square-foot facility while numerous alumni are working on the project for contractor and long-time university sponsor Whiting-Turner.

Others, like Mary Charlotte Chaney ’42, are taking advantage of naming opportunities by making gifts to the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center Fund.

“I was honored to name the library because it will hold the

chronicle of Maryland’s rich history and achievement—yearbooks, The Diamondback, books by alumni authors,” said Chaney.

The groundbreaking highlighted a number of named spaces—the Moxley Gardens, the Rever Alumni Hall of Fame, the Crist Boardroom, Chaney Library, the Maryland Club and Alumni Hall.

The Riggs Alumni Center will open its doors early in 2005. For information on naming opportunities, visit www.alumni.umd.edu. —MW

Stan Cousins (far right) of The WhitingTurner Contracting Company, corporate donor and builder of the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, is greeted by university president C.D. Mote Jr. (left) and his wife, Patsy (far left).

ARTIST WANTED The alumni association is seeking a Maryland graduate and artist to paint a portrait from a photo of the late Samuel Riggs IV ’50. If interested, contact Brian Shook at 301.405.3375 or bshook@umd.edu.

specialGIFTS

Students Sample a Smorgasbord of Perks COLLEGE PARK SCHOLARS

Alumni Toast Future Campus Home

JIMÉNEZ-PORTER WRITERS’ HOUSE

Established authors visit on a monthly basis. www.writershouse.umd.edu

CIVICUS

Students use residence hall as test ground for creation of an ideal civil society. www.bsos.umd.edu/ civicus

Maryland received a five-year, $688,769 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation under the Clare Boothe Luce Program to hire two new female faculty members in engineering and computer science. The award recognizes the university’s longstanding commitment to increasing the number of women on the faculty and building an inclusive and equitable community.—PS

John Brophy

The Baltimore Incentive Awards Program got a significant boost with a gift from The France-Merrick Foundation. The prominent Baltimore philanthropic organization has made a four-year, $400,000 pledge in operating and endowment support for this special program for Baltimore City public high schools graduates who have overcome significant adversity along the way to a college education.

TOP PHOTO BY LISA HELFERT; BOTTOM PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

These nine students became the third class of Baltimore Incentive Award Scholars last September.

TERP WINTER

2004

29

in

theloop who enter Gemstone have stated that admission to the program was the single most important factor in determining their decision to attend the university.

AN ALUMNUS WITH A WISH LIST

Brian Hinman, electrical engineering ’82, himself a successful entrepreneur, was eager to find a way to get students more interested in starting their own businesses. So was born the concept of an upper-class residence hall where students would live in corporate teams, pursuing business ideas to the point of a real business plan by the time they graduated. Hinman CEOs was launched in fall 2000 with an initial $1.7 million commitment from Hinman.

It has become a national model and a number of institutions are considering adopting similar programs, says Destler. A recent story in The Boston Globe hailed its success, stating: “The entrepreneurial spirit pervades the program; 16 start-ups based in the dorm this year are already generating revenue.”

Both Gemstone and Hinman CEOs are home to some of the university’s stellar students. For example, in fall of 2000, halfway through their four-year Gemstone experience, a 13-member student-team was recruited to join the first cohort of Hinman CEOs. Recalls Tia Gao ’02, who was majoring in computer engineering, “While the premise of Gemstone is to conduct research to benefit society, we wanted to go one step further and form our own start-up company.” These young entrepreneurs took their initial Gemstone research in wireless and global-positioning satellite technology and developed a prototype GPS tracking system that could be used to monitor prisoners being transported to and from court appearances.

“We didn’t see this as more work [being in both programs],” says Adam Lutz ’02, “we saw it as more opportunity.” Lutz gradu

ated with a dual major in electrical engineering and mathematics and is now studying for a master’s degree in finance at Princeton.

Gao received a National Science Foundation fellowship to complete her graduate studies in electrical engineering at Stanford, where she is focused on developing new technologies for medical imaging devices.

COMPARISON SHOPPING

Today, more than 40 percent of incoming freshmen participate in a living-learning program and fully 60 percent of all undergraduates take advantage of some special experience that provides a realworld context for their classroom studies. “All of our programs provide a kind of thread around which this learning occurs,” says Destler, who explains that, usually, the students meet all of the requirements for a normal degree in addition to taking on the obligations of these living-learning programs.

Our success today is touted in circles that matter. In the most recent ranking by U.S. News & World Report, Maryland placed third for its learning communities. Perhaps more telling is that intimate St. John’s College down the road in Annapolis tied for 15th. Other large institutions, including Iowa State and the University of Florida, are turning to Maryland as they establish their own livinglearning programs.

So, what is on the horizon at Maryland? Destler muses about a potential Left Brain-Right Brain House that would bring together creative students from the technology side and the arts side. Or, perhaps, an Inventors’ House. Just wishful thinking?

Don’t bet on it. TERP

Visits to museums, media outlets, cultural venues and natural wonders in Baltimore, the Chesapeake Bay and Washington, D.C., with annual expeditions to New York City. Within CPS, the Life Sciences Program sponsors regular study abroad initiatives to Belize and Australia. The Earth, Life and Time Program examines evolution through tours to the Grand Canyon and the Galapagos Islands. www.scholars.umd.edu

28

TERP WINTER

2004

THE MARYLAND ALUMNI

Association took the ship in a bottle to a new level when it built a building inside a building to celebrate the virtual groundbreaking of the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center.

Full-scale representations of key spaces in the Riggs Alumni Center were erected in Cole Field House for the September 24th celebration. Nearly 400 alumni and friends toured the models even as construction workers were preparing to pour foundations for the center at its actual location near Byrd Stadium.

The event featured toasts made in conjunction with vignettes portraying university successes through the year 2050. Each scenario invited the audience to imagine the “endless possibilities” available to a campus on the move.

Academically talented students are invited to feast on a wide array of living-learning experiences.

Alumni continue to support the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. In recent months, John ’71 and Louise ’80 Brophy named the Alumni Lounge, A. Ford Hall ’68 named the glass ocular, and Hal ’65 and Diane Brierley named the east terrace and staircase.

GEMSTONE

Team-building exercises include Gems Cap, an off-campus outdoor retreat that introduces students to the program, to each other and to the concept of critical thinking skills. www.gemstone.umd.edu

HINMAN CEOS

GLOBAL COMMUNITIES

Perks include voice, data and video communications capability for each resident’s personal computer; wireless access that allows connection to the data network anytime, anywhere in the residence hall or on campus, provided by Avaya. www.hinmanceos.umd.edu

Students from more than 30 countries share a residence hall and a desire to build bridges of cooperation and understanding between cultures. www.inform.umd.edu/globalcommunities

“A preeminent university needs a central address for its alumni—they are playing a critical role in Maryland’s future,” noted campaign cabinet co-chair Phil Rever ’64.

Alumni are also playing an integral part in the center’s construction. Architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen ’51, ’93 (Honorary Doctorate) designed the 69,000 square-foot facility while numerous alumni are working on the project for contractor and long-time university sponsor Whiting-Turner.

Others, like Mary Charlotte Chaney ’42, are taking advantage of naming opportunities by making gifts to the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center Fund.

“I was honored to name the library because it will hold the

chronicle of Maryland’s rich history and achievement—yearbooks, The Diamondback, books by alumni authors,” said Chaney.

The groundbreaking highlighted a number of named spaces—the Moxley Gardens, the Rever Alumni Hall of Fame, the Crist Boardroom, Chaney Library, the Maryland Club and Alumni Hall.

The Riggs Alumni Center will open its doors early in 2005. For information on naming opportunities, visit www.alumni.umd.edu. —MW

Stan Cousins (far right) of The WhitingTurner Contracting Company, corporate donor and builder of the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, is greeted by university president C.D. Mote Jr. (left) and his wife, Patsy (far left).

ARTIST WANTED The alumni association is seeking a Maryland graduate and artist to paint a portrait from a photo of the late Samuel Riggs IV ’50. If interested, contact Brian Shook at 301.405.3375 or bshook@umd.edu.

specialGIFTS

Students Sample a Smorgasbord of Perks COLLEGE PARK SCHOLARS

Alumni Toast Future Campus Home

JIMÉNEZ-PORTER WRITERS’ HOUSE

Established authors visit on a monthly basis. www.writershouse.umd.edu

CIVICUS

Students use residence hall as test ground for creation of an ideal civil society. www.bsos.umd.edu/ civicus

Maryland received a five-year, $688,769 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation under the Clare Boothe Luce Program to hire two new female faculty members in engineering and computer science. The award recognizes the university’s longstanding commitment to increasing the number of women on the faculty and building an inclusive and equitable community.—PS

John Brophy

The Baltimore Incentive Awards Program got a significant boost with a gift from The France-Merrick Foundation. The prominent Baltimore philanthropic organization has made a four-year, $400,000 pledge in operating and endowment support for this special program for Baltimore City public high schools graduates who have overcome significant adversity along the way to a college education.

TOP PHOTO BY LISA HELFERT; BOTTOM PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

These nine students became the third class of Baltimore Incentive Award Scholars last September.

TERP WINTER

2004

29

play-by-play

spotlight SCOREcard

Cheerleading Extends to Varsity Sports The Comcast Center is filled, and the crowd is on its feet.

The atmosphere is electric and Terrapin athletes have taken the court. However, the athletes in question are not the men’s basketball team.They are cheerleaders, many of whom now perform gravity defying stunts in their own competitive arena instead of on the sidelines.

Despite being a staple of Maryland athletics, cheerleading, along with women’s water polo, was designated as a varsity sport last summer. By adding 20 women’s scholarships, eight for women’s water polo and 12 for cheerleading, the university is ensuring future compliance with Title IX guidelines, which require that scholarships be distributed proportionately between men’s and women’s sports.

Lura Fleece, head coach of the cheerleading squad, defends the university’s decision and feels it is long overdue.“Cheerleaders must be in excellent condition.We have a lot of former competitive gymnasts who say this is harder than what they are used to,” says Fleece.“If any one doubts us being true athletes, come watch us practice.”

According to Fleece, cheerleaders practice four days a week for three hours doing gymnastics, stunts, and elements of dance and jumps in addition to weight lifting three days a week.

The competitive cheer team is separate from two spirit squads.The former began traveling to competitions in December, while the spirit squads continue to rev up the crowd at Terp matches.—RL

Liz Lerman ’70 is a gifted teacher, choreographer and performer whose work

THE MEN’S SOCCER team

made it to the NCAA “final four” for the second straight year.

has redefined where dance takes place and who can dance. Twenty-five years ago, she created the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, an internationally renowned company based in Takoma Park, Md.

Congratulations to Terrapin Volleyball Coach Janice Kruger who was named 2003 ACC coach of the year. Kruger led the team to a 23-7 record and a second place finish in the ACC. On December 10, the men’s basketball team upset then No. 1 Florida in overtime, giving Maryland its ninth victory over a top-ranked program in school history and bringing Coach Gary Williams ’68 his 300th victory.

The men’s basketball team announced the signing of national top 40 prospect James Gist. The 6-foot-8 power forward, averaged 14 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks for Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Md., last year.

Far More than Dance Alone LIZ LERMAN ’70 has always

Members of the 2003-2004 Competitive Cheer Team.

30

TERP WINTER

2004

on gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered experiences across multiple generations.While the work will also be created in multiple communities across the United States and even abroad, the University of

Maryland is the first institution of higher learning to sign on as a community partner.

Members of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange are in residency at the university for the academic year, participating in a range of activities that extend far beyond dance.

The residency will culminate with a public performance at the university’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on April 17, 2004.

Driving this performance initiative is a dialogue among four generations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.Through a series of workshops, students, faculty

Former Men’s Lacrosse Coach Dick Edell had a walkathon held in his honor in the fall.

“Muscling Out Myositis” raised nearly $50,000, funds that will support research for finding a cure for the inflammatory muscle disease that affects Edell and 50,000 other Americans. Some 500 people participated in the walk sponsored by the College of Health and Human Performance Alumni Chapter. —RL

pushed the boundaries of dance and for her inspired creations she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 (joining fellow alumna Karen Hesse ’74).

In towns and cities throughout the country, her workshops have inspired local people— from shipyard workers to clerics—to participate in shaping and performing new work.

Her latest creation, Near/Far/In/Out, under the direction of Peter DiMuro, is a community-based performance work that explores the issues of sexuality today, with a focus

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARYLAND ATHLETICS

TOP LEFT AND TOP RIGHT PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER; BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

and staff work alongside company members exploring issues of sexuality today by asking questions, telling stories and sharing experiences.

It is these that will be woven into the theatrical event that incorporates text, movement, metaphor and music as it “unfolds and intersects individuals’ personal stories to reveal a greater history.”

—DB

Above: Liz Lerman’s Hallelujah was performed at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in 2002.

Left: The creative development of Near/Far/In/Out begins with a series of movement workshops held on campus in which students, faculty and staff members participate.

A WELCOMING CLIMATE Maryland has placed significant emphasis on issues of racial diversity and equality, but sexual orientation has risen to the top of campus diversity efforts only in recent years. In 1997, the university established a President’s Commission on Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual and Transgender Issues, recognizing that a considerable segment of the campus community felt disenfranchised.

In spring 2002, the Board of Regents endorsed a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Certificate Program. At the same time, a survey of students revealed

that the topic of LGBT students elicited the greatest variety of perceptions and experiences.

Near/Far/In/Out was selected as the focal point of this year’s campuswide Provost’s Diversity Conversation in November, designed to foster understanding and promote a dialogue.

TERP WINTER

2004

31

play-by-play

spotlight SCOREcard

Cheerleading Extends to Varsity Sports The Comcast Center is filled, and the crowd is on its feet.

The atmosphere is electric and Terrapin athletes have taken the court. However, the athletes in question are not the men’s basketball team.They are cheerleaders, many of whom now perform gravity defying stunts in their own competitive arena instead of on the sidelines.

Despite being a staple of Maryland athletics, cheerleading, along with women’s water polo, was designated as a varsity sport last summer. By adding 20 women’s scholarships, eight for women’s water polo and 12 for cheerleading, the university is ensuring future compliance with Title IX guidelines, which require that scholarships be distributed proportionately between men’s and women’s sports.

Lura Fleece, head coach of the cheerleading squad, defends the university’s decision and feels it is long overdue.“Cheerleaders must be in excellent condition.We have a lot of former competitive gymnasts who say this is harder than what they are used to,” says Fleece.“If any one doubts us being true athletes, come watch us practice.”

According to Fleece, cheerleaders practice four days a week for three hours doing gymnastics, stunts, and elements of dance and jumps in addition to weight lifting three days a week.

The competitive cheer team is separate from two spirit squads.The former began traveling to competitions in December, while the spirit squads continue to rev up the crowd at Terp matches.—RL

Liz Lerman ’70 is a gifted teacher, choreographer and performer whose work

THE MEN’S SOCCER team

made it to the NCAA “final four” for the second straight year.

has redefined where dance takes place and who can dance. Twenty-five years ago, she created the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, an internationally renowned company based in Takoma Park, Md.

Congratulations to Terrapin Volleyball Coach Janice Kruger who was named 2003 ACC coach of the year. Kruger led the team to a 23-7 record and a second place finish in the ACC. On December 10, the men’s basketball team upset then No. 1 Florida in overtime, giving Maryland its ninth victory over a top-ranked program in school history and bringing Coach Gary Williams ’68 his 300th victory.

The men’s basketball team announced the signing of national top 40 prospect James Gist. The 6-foot-8 power forward, averaged 14 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks for Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Md., last year.

Far More than Dance Alone LIZ LERMAN ’70 has always

Members of the 2003-2004 Competitive Cheer Team.

30

TERP WINTER

2004

on gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered experiences across multiple generations.While the work will also be created in multiple communities across the United States and even abroad, the University of

Maryland is the first institution of higher learning to sign on as a community partner.

Members of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange are in residency at the university for the academic year, participating in a range of activities that extend far beyond dance.

The residency will culminate with a public performance at the university’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on April 17, 2004.

Driving this performance initiative is a dialogue among four generations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.Through a series of workshops, students, faculty

Former Men’s Lacrosse Coach Dick Edell had a walkathon held in his honor in the fall.

“Muscling Out Myositis” raised nearly $50,000, funds that will support research for finding a cure for the inflammatory muscle disease that affects Edell and 50,000 other Americans. Some 500 people participated in the walk sponsored by the College of Health and Human Performance Alumni Chapter. —RL

pushed the boundaries of dance and for her inspired creations she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 (joining fellow alumna Karen Hesse ’74).

In towns and cities throughout the country, her workshops have inspired local people— from shipyard workers to clerics—to participate in shaping and performing new work.

Her latest creation, Near/Far/In/Out, under the direction of Peter DiMuro, is a community-based performance work that explores the issues of sexuality today, with a focus

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARYLAND ATHLETICS

TOP LEFT AND TOP RIGHT PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER; BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

and staff work alongside company members exploring issues of sexuality today by asking questions, telling stories and sharing experiences.

It is these that will be woven into the theatrical event that incorporates text, movement, metaphor and music as it “unfolds and intersects individuals’ personal stories to reveal a greater history.”

—DB

Above: Liz Lerman’s Hallelujah was performed at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in 2002.

Left: The creative development of Near/Far/In/Out begins with a series of movement workshops held on campus in which students, faculty and staff members participate.

A WELCOMING CLIMATE Maryland has placed significant emphasis on issues of racial diversity and equality, but sexual orientation has risen to the top of campus diversity efforts only in recent years. In 1997, the university established a President’s Commission on Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual and Transgender Issues, recognizing that a considerable segment of the campus community felt disenfranchised.

In spring 2002, the Board of Regents endorsed a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Certificate Program. At the same time, a survey of students revealed

that the topic of LGBT students elicited the greatest variety of perceptions and experiences.

Near/Far/In/Out was selected as the focal point of this year’s campuswide Provost’s Diversity Conversation in November, designed to foster understanding and promote a dialogue.

TERP WINTER

2004

31

Interpretations Speak Up for Your University C A L L TO AC T I O N

IN VARIOUS FORUMS over the last year,

including the fall issue of Terp magazine, I have commented on long-term trends that are posing unprecedented challenges to public higher education. At a time when more young people are graduating from high school and choosing to enter college and when our knowledge-based economy requires both cutting-edge research and a highly educated workforce, the nation is investing less in higher education.

Concurrently, everyone—federal and state officials, students and parents, corporate leaders—is demanding higher quality.

What is a university to do? Here at Maryland we are determined to build on our

success and keep moving forward.We intend to enhance our academic quality, which now includes 50 programs ranked nationally among the top 15, and remain accessible to talented students regardless of their financial means.

Achieving these ambitious goals in the face of many challenges requires “outside the box” thinking, entrepreneurial behavior and the involvement and support of our alumni and friends.

Scholarship support will be the linchpin to Maryland’s continued success. A high percentage of our students come from families with modest means. Many are the first in their family to attend college. Not surprisingly, then, the average debt load of graduating seniors is more than $20,000.

Last year our state appropriation fell to the level of funding in 2000. Over the long term, state support will represent a diminishing percentage of our total budget (currently it is 26%), but even if there is not a reinvestment in higher education, at least support should be stable and predictable.That way we can plan intelligently, act creatively, and operate in a more business-like fashion. In the end, it will be up to all of us to make sure that Maryland remains a flagship institution in every respect: preeminent in education and research and a place where bright students, regardless of their financial means, come to prepare for leadership roles in society.

If you benefited personally from your education, or if you hire our graduates, or if you believe in investing in the future of our citizenry, consider helping the university with your advocacy and your support of scholarships.

“Scholarship support will be the linchpin to Maryland’s continued success.”

32

TERP WINTER

2004

T o ensure that Maryland achieves its place among the nation’s finest public research universities, we need your involvement and assistance. Your support can be expressed in a host of ways, but two are especially important.

◗ If you are a Maryland resident, speak to your state delegate and senator about the importance of stable and predictable funding for public higher education. Over the long term, state support will represent a diminishing percentage of our total budget (currently it is 26 percent).

Check our Web site www.stategov.umd.edu for how you can contact your legislators.

◗ Consider joining the ranks of our donors (41,000 alumni and friends last year) or adding to support you already provide by funding scholarships. Increases in tuition are inevitable, and we are doing everything we can to raise the level of financial support from alumni and friends. For more information on scholarship support, contact Patricia Wang at 301.405.7764 or pwang1@umd.edu.

Dan Mote, President

PHOTO BY JEREMY GREENE

Student Loan Rates Plummet!

Consolidate today and lock in an incredibly low rate!

To help borrowers take advantage of the falling interest rates on student loans, the University of Maryland Alumni Association has teamed with Nelnet to offer student loan consolidation. Qualifying borrowers who choose to consolidate can lock in a very low rate for the entire life of the loan and dramatically reduce their monthly payment.

Today, eligible borrowers may be able to lock in a fixed interest rate as low as 2.875%.1 Nelnet also offers incentives that reduce the rate even further.

By completing and electronically signing a loan application online, borrowers can earn a 1.0% interest rate reduction after 36 initial, regular, on-time payments.2 In addition, borrowers can get a .25% rate reduction

Consolidate PLUS loans at 4.125%.

for direct debit payments. Together, these benefits can reduce the consolidation loan’s interest rate by another 1.25%!

Nelnet, a national leader in education finance, brings you over two decades

Parent loans for students

of experience funding education. For more information on how you can

are also eligible for

consolidate your student loans, call 1.866.4CONSOL (426.6765) or visit

consolidation. Call

our Web site at www.alumniconsolidation.nelnet.net to learn more.

1.866.4CONSOL to learn more.

1The

consolidation loan interest rate is calculated by taking the weighted average of the rates on the federal loans you are consolidating, rounded up to the nearest one-eighth percent. 2Applicants who complete and electronically sign the loan application online are eligible for the 1% rate reduction after 36 initial, regular, on-time payments. Borrowers completing applications through the mail are eligible to earn a 1% interest rate reduction after 48 initial, regular, on-time payments.

Nelnet reserves the right to modify or terminate the interest rate reduction programs at its discretion without prior notice. Terms described above are in effect as of July 1, 2003. Student loan interest rates adjust every July 1 and remain in effect through June 30 of the following year. Other conditions including the length of repayment are as important as the interest rate when considering whether consolidation is right for you. Your borrower’s rights may change when you consolidate your student loans; please refer to your Borrower Rights and Responsibilities statement or contact a Nelnet Loan Advisor for more information. Nelnet is a trademark of Nelnet, Inc. All rights reserved.

To qualify, borrowers must be in repayment or in the grace period with a combined total of at least $7,500 in qualified student loan debt, and less than 90 days delinquent.

...

........

... .. .... .. ..

Save the date!

On Saturday, April 24, 2004, the University of

..

......

free!

10-4

....

..

Maryland will open its doors to the community. Bring your family and friends to our College Park campus for a day of fun and learning for all ages. Enjoy more than 300 hands-on demonstrations, live performances, sporting events, teaching exhibits and more.

1.877.UMTERP S

Division of University Relations College Park, Maryland 20742-8724 Change Service Requested

Printed on Recycled Paper

www.marylandday.umd.edu

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 10 College Park, MD