spring 2007
the magazine of university of maryland university college
View from the Top
Dear Friend: PRESIDENT
UMUC continues to grow and make
Susan C. Aldridge, PhD
us proud. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Our continued growth is one of many
Marilyn Eisenstadt
things that keep UMUC fresh and relevant in today’s fast-paced world. Some of the recent advances we’ve made are highlighted in this issue
SENIOR WRITER AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Chip Cassano
of Achiever, alongside the men and women who help support that growth and whose accomplishments testify to its importance.
ART DIRECTOR AND PHOTO EDITOR
Cynthia Friedman You’ll meet Joseph Holston, an acclaimed artist whose lifelong belief in the value of hard work and higher education has led him to make a most generous gift to UMUC (and you’ll learn about our new Friends
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Amanda Agatstein, Allan Zackowitz
of the Arts Program), which promises to help expand and maintain an already impressive collection of art that is on display for all to enjoy at our Adelphi, Maryland headquarters. You’ll read about the opening of
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Kathy Lambird
our new Dorsey Station center, and you’ll learn of several new awards for excellence from the University Continuing Education Association that speak, once again, of the recognition our learning programs have received worldwide. The things we do and the people we touch reflect our commitment to UMUC’s mission. UMUC alumni live throughout Maryland, across the
The Achiever is published three times a year by Marketing and Communications at University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, Maryland. Call 240-582-2509 with your comments and suggestions, or send e-mail to ccassano@umuc.edu. University of Maryland University College subscribes to a policy of equal education and employment opportunities.
United States, and around the world, and their lofty goals and achievements testify to the value of a UMUC degree. There is Arthur Tyler,
eco box
an Air Force draftee in the 1960s, who is now president of Sacramento City College; there is Nancy Grey, director of pharmacovigilance and process documentation for Pfizer Inc. and a committed advocate of e-learning; and there is Stephen Moore, director of advanced
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research computing at Georgetown University, who has coauthored two popular books with a well-known top-40 deejay. You’ll learn more about the activities and achievements that help to fuel UMUC’s continued growth in “News and Updates,” the alumni “Class Notes,” and “Faculty Kudos.” So I hope you’ll take a little time to enjoy this issue of Achiever and to share your pride
Cert Cert no. no. SW-COC-2006 XXX-XXX-000
Using this combination of papers saves the following: 52 TREES 35,000,000 BTUs: TOTAL ENERGY 5,746 LBS CO2: GREENHOUSE GASES 18,839 GALLONS WATER: WASTEWATER 2,752 LBS: SOLID WASTE
The Achiever text pages are printed on forest-friendly Centura Dull FSC paper. The cover is printed on Reincarnation Matte.
by keeping in touch with your friends at UMUC. Environmental impact estimates were made using the Environmental Defense Paper Calculator. Sincerely,
SUSAN C. ALDRIDGE, PHD PRESIDENT UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
10 CONTENTS
COVER STORY
14 Art/Work
BY CHIP CASSANO
From the pinnacle of the contemporary art world, artist Joseph Holston looks back on a career that spans more than 30 years and talks about the hard work, dreams, and determination that brought him to where he is today.
NEWS AND UPDATES
FEATURES
2
An Award-Winning Year at UMUC
6
From the Streets of D.C. to the Halls of Academe BY ALLAN ZACKOWITZ
2
UMUC Enrollments Soar in Fall 2006 10
Research, Writing, and Rock ’n’ Roll
3
UMUC Welcomes Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland
BY AMANDA AGATSTEIN
18 3
Phi Alpha Theta Chapter Wins National Award
4
Couple Opens John Deere Dealership with MBA Expertise
5
UMUC’s Dorsey Station Center Opens in Howard County, Maryland
Nancy Grey, DC, MDE
BY CHIP CASSANO
6
20 Class Notes and Faculty Kudos 24 Stay Connected COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY KATHERINE LAMBERT
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News and Updates
AN AWARD-WINNING YEAR AT UMUC BY CHIP CASSANO
As UMUC nears its 60th anniversary, its 59th year— 2006—promises to go down in history as a banner year for the university. Along with record-setting enrollment increases, UMUC took home an impressive list of honors and awards, starting with four from the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA). For 2006, UCEA granted
★ The Mid-Atlantic Region Award for Credit Program Development to UMUC for its new MS in biotechnology program.
★ The Mid-Atlantic Region Award for Outstanding Continuing Educator New to the Field to John Beyers, academic director of mathematics and statistics in UMUC’s School of Undergraduate Studies.
★ The Mid-Atlantic Region Award for Broadcast Marketing to UMUC for two outreach CDs—“Homeland Security Programs” and “Better Opportunities Through Online Education.”
★ The Mid-Atlantic Region
Those awards were just the beginning. UMUC’s Center for Teaching and Learning captured the Sloan-C Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Teaching award for the
Achiever | 2 | University of Maryland University College
UMUC ENROLLMENTS SOAR IN FALL 2006 BY BETH BUTLER
UMUC President Susan Aldridge kicked off the university’s holiday celebration early this year with a special Town Hall meeting on November 6 to announce the final fall 2006 enrollment figures. Blue and gold balloons adorned the Inn and Conference Center ballroom, and a deejay played lively background music as faculty and staff members gathered to hear the announcement. They didn’t have long to wait. University personnel paraded giant numbers
UMUC President Susan C. Aldridge (top) kicked off the university’s holiday festivities early this year when she announced the enrollment numbers for fall 2006. The 33,096 total enrollments represented a 20.7 percent increase over fall 2005.
across the stage as Aldridge read off the final figures: enrollments totaled 33,096, including 10,028 new students, up 20.7 percent over last fall’s enrollments and well over the university’s own enrollment goals. It was one of the largest year-to-year increases in the university’s 60-year history. New in-state students— including 400 students who transferred from two-year colleges participating in UMUC’s Community College Alliance program—represented almost half of the increase, and more than 2,800 new students on active duty with the U.S. military enrolled, as well. Those figures also represent
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES HAMBRIGHT
Award for Course Development and Academic Support to UMUC for its Constitution Day Web page (see www.umuc.edu/ constitution).
CTLA 201 Teaching with WebTycho Training Course. And UMUC’s chapter of Phi Alpha Theta—the national honor society for students of history—won a coveted Best Chapter Award in Division VI, a division that includes chapters from the U.S. Naval Academy, Catholic University of America, and University of Maryland, College Park, among others. (See “Phi Alpha Theta Chapter Wins National Award,” p. 3.) Last but certainly not least, UMUC’s innovative Master of Distance Education program (see the sidebar, p. 19 ) earned the new CEL (Programme Accreditation for teChnology-Enhanced Learning) accreditation from the European Foundation for Management and Development (EFMD). EFMD, a global not-for-profit organization based in Belgium, brings together academics and senior leaders of schools of business and corporations to provide them with benchmarking and networking opportunities and to offer an accreditation program for technology-enhanced learning that aims to raise the standard of information and communication technologybased learning programs worldwide. “Taken together, these awards paint a picture of a dynamic and vital university,” said UMUC President Susan Aldridge. “UMUC has a bright future indeed, and I’m tremendously proud and pleased that respected organizations like UCEA, Sloan-C, EFMD, and others are recognizing our increasingly prominent place in the world of higher education for adult students.”
UMUC Welcomes Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland BY CHIP CASSANO
The UMUC community welcomed Mary Robinson—first woman president of Ireland and founder of the Ethical Global Initiative—to the university’s Adelphi, Maryland, headquarters the evening of November 1, 2006. Her presentation, “Human Rights and Ethical Globalization,” was the latest in the university’s well-regarded Academic Speaker Series and drew an enthusiastic response from the packed auditorium. Robinson began her presentation on a humorous note, attributing her own interest in human rights to having been raised, as she put it, “wedged” between four brothers, two older and two younger. “I had to be interested in human rights,” she said. Her focus then turned serious as she discussed a variety of topics, including what she termed “the silent tsunami every week”—the thousands of children who die worldwide because of hunger and preventable disease. She concluded her remarks by opening the floor for questions from the audience and closed by reading passages from Seamus Heaney’s poem, “The Republic of Conscience,” which calls for each individual to be “an ambassador of conscience.” Robinson, who served as Ireland’s president from 1990 through 1997, has since served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and now chairs the Council of Women World Leaders while serving as president of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative. She was named a “Hero and Icon” by Time magazine in its 2005 list of the top 100 men and women whose “power, talent, or moral example is transforming the world.”
increases over the past academic year and reflect the university’s renewed commitment to two of its major constituencies—Maryland state residents and individuals serving in the U.S. military. Aldridge drew applause from the crowd when she pointed out that Maryland Higher Education Commission officials had questioned whether UMUC could meet this year’s lofty enrollment goals. “I don’t think they’ll ever underestimate this team again,” Aldridge said. “Not only did we meet our 2006 goals, but we’ve already met our goals for 2007, as well!”
Aldridge went on to thank the faculty and staff members whose hard work helped fuel the enrollment surge; she called special attention to the 68 faculty members from the School of Undergraduate Studies and Graduate School of Management and Technology who made personal telephone calls to 14,360 current students who had not enrolled recently to offer encouragement and support. At the end of the afternoon celebration, buttons were distributed commemorating the success of this year’s enrollment campaign. One read, “UMUC. Fall 2006. 33,096 Students. Enough Said!”
Given her background in politics, international business and law, and academics, Robinson enjoys a unique perspective on world affairs and globalization. As vice president of Club of Madrid, she works to promote democracy worldwide, and—with the newly established Mastercard Foundation—she serves as one of five members on a prestigious board that focuses on microfinance, youth entrepreneurship, and education. Robinson has received numerous honors and awards worldwide—including membership in the Royal Irish Academy and the American Philosophical Society—and holds the title of honorary president of Oxfam International. She serves on the boards of the Vaccine Fund, the Global Commission on Migration, the Business Leaders Initiative on Human Rights, the International Commission of Jurists, and many other organizations. Robinson was educated at the University of Dublin (Trinity College), King’s Inns Dublin, and Harvard Law School, to which she won a fellowship in 1967. She holds honorary doctorates from more than 40 universities worldwide, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Oxford, Cambridge, and Edinburgh. In 1988, Robinson and her husband, Nicholas Robinson, founded the Irish Centre for European Law at the University of Dublin, where she has since served as chancellor of the university. To view a webcast of Robinson’s presentation (you will need a copy of RealPlayer installed on your computer), visit http://polaris.umuc.edu/cvu/mmedia/events/robinson.ram.
PHI ALPHA THETA CHAPTER WINS NATIONAL AWARD BY CHIP CASSANO
UMUC’s Alpha Epsilon Chi chapter of Phi Alpha Theta— the national honor society for students of history—won the organization’s Best Chapter Award for Division VI, 2006, the first time an online chapter has claimed the award (Alpha Epsilon Chi meets online in a WebTycho classroom, dubbed PHAT 999, that also hosts the history club). Division VI comprises schools with more than 23,000 students, and UMUC faced stiff competition from
the likes of the U.S. Naval Academy, the Catholic University of America, and University of Maryland, College Park. The award included a $250 certificate that can be used to fund book purchases. “Our Alpha Epsilon Chi chapter has become increasingly active in regional conferences and activities since it was established online in 2000,” said Linda Ruggles, adjunct associate professor of history and the chapter’s faculty advisor. “UMUC history students have presented papers and moderated sessions, and faculty have provided commentary at Phi Alpha Theta Mid-Atlantic conferences.
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News and Updates
The university even co-hosted the 2002 conference with University of Maryland, College Park, at UMUC’s Inn and Conference Center. “Because UMUC’s student body spans the globe, our members have been invited to attend and present papers at any Phi Alpha Theta regional conference,” said Ruggles. “Members attended conferences in Arizona, North Carolina, and New Jersey, as well as the Mid-Atlantic conference in Frederick, Maryland. One of our members, John Tabori, won the undergraduate non-U.S. paper competition in New Jersey.” Today, Alph Epsilon Chi boasts a membership of 46 current students. They have even developed an online initiation ceremony that allows all inductees to participate, no matter where they are located geographically. “By granting the Best Chapter Award to UMUC, Phi Alpha Theta has recognized that community is not limited to face-to-face settings,” said Ruggles. “Alpha Epsilon Chi demonstrates that dynamic communities can thrive in a virtual setting, too.”
COUPLE OPENS JOHN DEERE DEALERSHIP WITH MBA EXPERTISE BY CELESTE RYAN
When the brand new Murphy Farm and Lawn opened for business in Anderson, Missouri, owners Darren and Debbie Murphy realized a dream come true. The couple credited UMUC’s MBA program with preparing them to run their new John Deere dealership.
Debbie and Darren Murphy credit UMUC’s online MBA program with helping prepare them to run their new John Deere dealership in Anderson, Missouri.
“UMUC played a large role in preparing us to plan, open, and operate a new business,” Darren said. For his final MBA project, he submitted a comprehensive proposal to Rosemary Hartigan—MBA program director in UMUC’s Graduate School of Management and Technology—for acquiring a John Deere dealership. The proposal included everything from a statistical analysis of market feasibility and marketing plan to a business plan and financial requirements. “She must have thought it was good because she gave me an A,” he chuckled. John Deere must have thought it was good, too, because they gave him the contract to open a dealership. Debbie Murphy also appreciated the program, especially those classes that supplemented the business knowledge she had gained in five years working for John Deere.
Achiever | 4 | University of Maryland University College
“We did a lot of marketing research and studied all the major companies,” she recalled. “In one class we learned how the Grateful Dead and the NBA are marketed. This gave me a broad understanding of how businesses can become successful.” Darren, too, has a history with John Deere, having worked for 12 years for the 169-year-old farm equipment company with its universally recognized yellow-on-green leaping deer logo. “I know John Deere inside and out,” he admitted, “having worked in everything from marketing and sales to training and project management.” In pursuing their careers with John Deere, the couple has moved frequently—at different times, they’ve called Kansas, California, Texas, and Nevada home—and that made the portability of UMUC’s MBA program a strong selling point.
“It’s a fantastic tool for the working adult,” said Darren. “I’ve been all over the country while working on my MBA. When you’ve got the schedule most of us have in corporate life, being able to work around time constraints is a necessity. It enabled me to study at any hour, day or night.” “We’re looking to attract homeowners, including women and children,” said Darren, noting that the town is growing because people are migrating from the cities, buying a few acres, and building homes. “They’ll need small tractors, lawn mowers, and lawn care equipment.” He also sells merchandise with the popular John Deere logo and look—toys, shirts, and hats. Darren serves as dealer, owner, and general manager, overseeing marketing and sales. Debbie handles the financial side and human resources. Both do a “little bit of everything.” Thanks to their UMUC MBAs, they’re well prepared.
UMUC’S DORSEY STATION CENTER OPENS IN HOWARD COUNTY, MARYLAND BY CHIP CASSANO
UMUC’s new Dorsey Station center officially opened for business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house on October 19, 2006, which brought university representatives together with business and political leaders from Howard County, Maryland. Several UMUC alumni—like County Executive Jim Robey—hold key leadership positions in the county, and prior to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, UMUC President Susan Aldridge co-hosted a special breakfast with Dick Story, CEO of the Howard County
Chris Sax (standing, right), assistant dean in UMUC’s School of Undergraduate Studies, answers visitors’ questions during the grand opening of the new Dorsey Station center.
Economic Development Authority, to introduce UMUC to county business leaders. The 22,000-square-foot Dorsey Station center— conveniently located across from the Dorsey Station stop on the MARC train line in Elkridge, Maryland—promises students easy access to a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, along with support services for those studying either on-site or online. “Anyone who has visited the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area knows that traffic can make even a short commute a real challenge,” said Aldridge. “We’re proud to be able to offer a convenient location for students who live and work north of the District in the Baltimore area, and we’re especially pleased at the enthusiastic welcome we’ve received from Howard County’s business and political leaders. The Dorsey Station location promises to be a popular one for years to come.” The center offers evening and weekend classes in high-demand disciplines like business and management (including courses leading to the university’s soughtafter MBA degree), computer and information technology, homeland security management, health care administration, and more. In addition, the center offers academic advising, new computer labs, a library and media center, classrooms with state-of-the-art instructional systems, and distance education testing services. For more about UMUC’s Dorsey Station location, visit www.umuc.edu/dorseystation.
Creative. Caring. Committed.
UMUC needs faculty ready to teach tomorrow’s leaders At UMUC, we’re always looking for talented people who are ready to join our faculty and challenge our students in one of higher education’s most dynamic learning environments.
As a UMUC faculty member, you will ◗ Teach mature, motivated students with diverse backgrounds from around the world ◗ Receive superior training, which recently won the Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Teaching Award from the Sloan Consortium ◗ Enjoy a collegial atmosphere with the latest in instructional technologies and comprehensive support across all disciplines
To learn more about faculty qualifications and how to apply, visit us at www.umuc.edu/facultyrecruit
FROM THE
Streets of D.C. TO THE
Halls of Academe Anyone who doubts the transforming power of education should talk to Arthur Tyler. By his own admission, Art Tyler wasn’t supposed to make it. He grew up on the streets of Washington, D.C., in the ’50s and ’60s, when there were few prospects for poor black kids like him. He suffered from dyslexia, which made it difficult for him to read and study. But he worked hard, applied himself, and earned grades that were good enough to get him accepted into college. Then he was drafted by the military. But despite all of this—or maybe because of it— Tyler made it anyway. Many times over.
BY A L L A N Z AC KOW I T Z
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PHOTOGRAPH BY SAUL BROMBERGER AND SANDRA HOOVER
Art Tyler’s position at the head of California’s oldest public community college is miles away—literally and figuratively—from where he grew up.
“
PHOTOGRAPH BY SAUL BROMBERGER AND SANDRA HOOVER
Today, Arthur Quinn Tyler Jr. is president of Sacramento City College. He may be the only UMUC graduate to rise to that level in academia, and along the way, he has formulated an educational philosophy that is very much based on his experience as a UMUC student. At the same time, he is putting into practice all that he’s learned from the unexpected twists that his life’s path has taken.
Again, the job depended on my
undergraduate degree in business management from UMUC. I was hired as vice president of administration at
“While I was in the Air Force, I collected lots of college credits from the Community College of the Air Force,” Tyler said, “but not the right credits for a bachelor’s degree. My supervisor told me that I needed to focus.”
Los Angeles City College to straighten out the school’s finances and fix up their rundown campus,” Tyler said.
Tyler was in Tehran, Iran, at the time, serving with a small group of military advisors while the Shah of Iran was still in power and the country was still a U.S. ally. His wife was working as the UMUC registrar in Tehran, so he decided to enroll for more credits.
from UMUC’s Tehran location. I finished my coursework in December of 1978, just before the Iranian revolution took place.”
“The UMUC dean of the whole region flew in from Heidelberg to meet with me,” Tyler continued. “It wasn’t until I sat down with him and my supervisor that I was able to put all the pieces together. By using some of my previous credits and the credits from my UMUC courses, I was able to earn a BS in business management in a very short period of time. In fact, I was the last person to graduate
Tyler, who had learned to speak Farsi while in the Middle East, helped organize the evacuation of military families from Iran in early 1979. And by that time, his career was really on its way. “It was due to my degree from UMUC that I got a commission in the Air Force,” he said. He decided to stay in the military and continue with his education, earning a master’s degree in national
Achiever | 8 | University of Maryland University College
security affairs four years later from the Naval Postgraduate School. He continued to serve in the Air Force for 21 years, moving around the world and working in antiterrorism and protective services, eventually retiring with the rank of captain in 1989. After leaving the Air Force, Tyler returned to the United States and went to MEMORIES work in the security analysis field, investigating fraud, Arthur Quinn Tyler Jr. as waste, and accounting a student in Washington, abuse cases. His experience D.C. (top left), an officer in the military and his masin the U.S. Air Force (middle), and the ter’s degree helped him president of Sacramento City College build a good reputation in (bottom right), where he doesn’t hesitate to pitch in to improve his campus, no the fast-growing security matter how or when duty calls. field, and he credits his UMUC bachelor’s degree in business management with giving him the solid framework he needed to build on so that he could succeed in his business. Tyler’s business ventures led him to Southern California, where he and his family decided to make their home. After eight years in business, he decided it was time to “give something back.” Once again, his UMUC degree was the key that allowed him to reach his goal. “Again, the job depended on my undergraduate degree in business management from UMUC. I was hired as vice president of administration at Los Angeles City College to straighten out the school’s finances and fix up their rundown campus,” Tyler said. “I thought I would stay four or five years at LACC and then go back into business.” That didn’t happen. After seven distinguished years at Los Angeles City College, Tyler got a call from the state chancellor of education, asking him to come serve as a troubleshooter at Compton Community College, another school that was in both financial and academic trouble and that had just been taken over by the state. Tyler spent 15 months there as a “special trustee.” Even the state chancellor admitted that the job could have been a “career-ender” for anyone with aspirations in the field of higher education. Instead, Tyler is widely credited with restoring order and starting the turnaround that the troubled school needed.
By that time, Tyler was hooked on education. So he applied for the job of president at Sacramento City College (SCC), a 90year-old community college with an ethnically and culturally diverse student population of 22,000, located in California’s state capital. After a nationwide search, 50 candidates were competing for the position. Tyler—the only candidate without a lifelong career in academia—got it. Tyler has been presiding over SCC, the oldest public community college in California, since August 2005. He calls himself CEO, not president, and believes a college leader needs the skills of an executive more than he needs academic credentials. And, not surprisingly, his organizational approach emphasizes adult students in the workforce who are facing life challenges. “People helped me, and I’m passing it on to others,” Tyler explained. “The faculty and staff are here for the students, to nurture them through the [education] process while maintaining high standards. Discipline and academic rigor are expected and appreciated.” Tyler wants his faculty to be willing to talk about specific elements of learning. “Spooning out knowledge doesn’t work,” he said. “It’s the interaction between people, and the faculty learn from the students, too. Thoughtful and civil discussions create knowledge—the ideal way to learn.” Sacramento City College seems like the perfect place for a selfavowed “lifelong learner” like Tyler. And so far it appears to be a good match for both the school and its new president. “I was surprised by the warmth of the welcome I received from the people of SCC and the city of Sacramento,” Tyler admitted. “Everybody wants to cooperate, to help, to pitch in.” It looks like UMUC graduate Arthur Quinn Tyler Jr. is making it, all over again. P www.umuc.edu | 9 | Achiever
AND
Research Writing
ROCK ’N’ ROLL Scientific administrator. acclaimed author. and , , , lead guitarist? Steve Moore does it all. thanks in part to his UMUC degree, THERE ARE PROBABLY BETTER WAYS TO LAUNCH A CAREER in science than by dropping out of college, but for Steve Moore, that’s how it all started. He had been singing and playing the guitar professionally since the age of 15, and in the early 1970s, he was focused on a career in music. So, when he packed his things to become a full-time student at University of Maryland, College Park, he simply had other things on his mind.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK FINKENSTAEDT
“I was a student at College Park, but I was more drawn to my own music,” said Moore. “Also, the atmosphere at the time was very politically charged and I got involved. I just didn’t have a strong appreciation for my classes and what I could learn there with everything else going on.” So Moore put his education on hold. Unfortunately, he couldn’t put his bills on hold, and his music career wasn’t bringing in enough money. He needed a job. He’d always been interested in science, and he took a position as a research assistant at a laboratory in Rockville, Maryland, where he worked with chimpanzees. That led him to an opening for a technician at the Georgetown University Medical Center in 1976. Not long after, he got married.
By Amanda Agatstein
www.umuc.edu | 11 | Achiever
focused on ideas, communication skills, and the ability to persuade. That gave him the chance to look at differing viewpoints and learn what others had to say. “Introverts, extroverts, everyone—we all have something to bring to the discussion,” said Moore. “I had to listen to what people were saying and gain their respect. This was something I just wasn’t ready to embrace at 17; I wasn’t open to that richness.” But as he took on more responsibility as a student and professional, something had to give, and his musical career—which had once been such a priority in his life—had to be put aside. But Moore wasn’t ready to abandon music altogether. “After I was married and we had our first child, I quit my band,” said Moore. “It was hard to let go of that, but there were other essential things to attend to. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t involved in music. I started to write articles about music and sell them to major magazine publications.” Steve Moore (left) with radio legend Johnny Holliday, top-40 deejay and the “Voice of the Maryland Terrapins.”
“I was slowly building a career in science, starting as a technician at Georgetown,” said Moore. “In the meantime, my wife, Margaret, a successful computer programmer and now program manager at Social and Scientific Systems in Silver Spring, suggested that I take computer classes. So that brought me to UMUC in the evenings.”
“It wasn’t always easy,” said Moore. “We dug deep and got into the personal stuff. But he’s a lovely guy. We had a lot of fun together and never argued.”
As he accumulated credits and began to think about completing a degree, Moore’s old political curiosity resurfaced, and he started work toward a bachelor’s degree with a specialization in political science. He quickly discovered that he had a newfound appreciation for his courses and the value each one offered him professionally. It was something he hadn’t been able to relate to when he first went away to college.
Moore’s political science major offered challenges on a different level than he was accustomed to. His courses were debate-heavy and Achiever | 12 | University of Maryland University College
“I was taking some great writing courses that really improved my abilities—which I really needed since I spent my days working with rather brilliant scientists,” said Moore. “It really helped me perform in my day job as well as improve my commercial writing.” Moore graduated from UMUC with a Bachelor of Science in 1990. His degree quickly opened up a new door in his technical career.
“I told the dean of research about my degree when the position of director of computer and lab services opened,” said Moore. “I believe this was the pivotal point in my career. Today, I am the program director of Advanced Research Computing (ARC) at Georgetown, and our eight-person team works to support computational scientists with projects ranging from physics to cancer research. A bachelor’s degree is required.” Just three years after earning his degree, Moore reached another milestone when he published his first book—Helen Hayes: A BioBibliography, co-authored by Donn B. Murphy and with a foreword by the actress herself. The book chronicled Hayes’s long career and
PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK FINKENSTAEDT
“I remembered a few of the professors from my days at College Park,” said Moore. “There was a Chinese history course with a professor who I really didn’t give much credit. But at UMUC as an adult, I could really see the value in what he taught. I was just more mature and ready to experience it.”
Never one to shrink from a challenge, Moore soon saw his byline in Rolling Stone, the Washingtonian, and various Times Journal Company publications. He attributes his growth as a writer to the early courses he took at UMUC, which encouraged him to write and develop solid communication skills.
personal life and required extensive research and writing, not to mention teamwork with his co-author. The book was well received by critics and readers alike and is now in its second printing.
To date, Moore has co-authored two books with Johnny Holliday. In the process, the two have become close friends.
For Moore, it was another opportunity to work with Holliday and a chance to find out about the legendary Maryland Terrapins men’s basketball team firsthand. Along with taking an in-depth look at players and coaches, the book explores new aspects of the team’s history, including interviews with referees.
That was all the encouragement Moore needed, and, as he worked at Georgetown, he continued to write for major publications, developing a feature-length article about legendary radio deejay Johnny Holliday, known to many as the “Voice of the Maryland Terrapins” for his game-day commentary at football and basketball games. “I spent the day with [Holliday], getting to know him and interviewing him for the article,” said Moore. “Years later, the MBNA Career Center at Georgetown asked for staff recommendations for a speaker to come and discuss careers in broadcasting, so I suggested Johnny.” Holliday had just been featured in a book about radio deejays the day Moore called him with the invitation to address Georgetown students. “Johnny was pleased that his radio work was mentioned in that book,” said Moore. “But I told Johnny that he should write his own book about his life.” Holliday replied, “[I will] if you’ll help me.” For the next two years, Moore worked closely with co-author Holliday on Johnny Holliday: From Rock to Jock. Washington Post columnist and personality Tony Kornheiser contributed the foreword. Moore interviewed more than 40 people and met notable sports figures like Maryland men’s basketball coach Gary Williams. His goal was to chronicle Holliday’s memories and fully explore the many challenges he had overcome. Through this long process, Moore and Holliday became very close friends.
“A lot of books have been written since the 2002 NCAA Championship,” said Moore. “We examine that, of course, but there’s so much that happened many years before. And there’s insider information that only Johnny can provide.” One tidbit Moore offered, for example, was that Holliday was very close to Len Bias, the Maryland all-star who died tragically the day after being picked second overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1986 NBA draft. Holliday sang at Bias’s private funeral. Overall, Moore’s experience writing Hoop Tales was especially meaningful after so many years of living in Maryland and watching the team grow. “It’s been terrific, because being a graduate of UMUC and the University System of Maryland and attending so many on-site classes on the College Park campus, I’m a Terp, too,” said Moore. “So I care about the history and appreciate the opportunity to work with Johnny in telling that story.”
“It wasn’t always easy,” said Moore. “We dug deep and got into the personal stuff. But he’s a lovely guy. We had a lot of fun together and never argued. Johnny’s the kind of guy who is always more interested in how others are doing and goes out of his way to make people feel happy and appreciated.” The success of From Rock to Jock (the book drew favorable reviews from the Washington Post and from National Public Radio’s Cokie Roberts) led Moore to collaborate on a second book with Holliday, Hoop Tales: Maryland Terrapins Men’s Basketball, published in November 2006. The book’s publisher, Globe Pequot, specifically asked Moore and Holliday to write the book because of their work on From Rock to Jock.
One of Moore’s first jobs involved working with primates. Today, he likes to keep in touch.
And finally, with his children, Charles and Suzanna, grown and his careers as an administrator and writer well established, Moore has even found the time to return to his early love—music. His band, the Razors, specializes in rock, blues, and country, and features one member with a very familiar last name—Charlie Moore, Steve’s 21-year old son. “I’m definitely still lost to the music,” said Moore. “I play guitar and sing with the band. We play at parties and events in the area. It’s much more satisfying than before because the other areas of my life—my 27-year marriage, my family, my writing, and my 30-year Georgetown career— are my proud priorities. And now, I’m so lucky to have my son playing the drums and making music with me.” P www.umuc.edu | 13 | Achiever
ar t / work Joseph Holston is a giant of contemporary art. His secrets? Talent, hard work, and an unwavering focus on his goals. BY CH I P CASSANO
And yet, here stands Joseph Holston, at the peak of a career that has spanned more than 30 years, his stature in the art world secure, talking about hard work and patience. Talking about dreams and the importance of education. Talking about changing people with paint on canvas. Achiever | 14 | University of Maryland University College
PHOTOGRAPH BY KATHERINE LAMBERT
THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY. This is the decade of American Idol and YouTube. This is a day and age when fame—unencumbered by talent— comes and goes in the twinkle of a paparazzi’s flash.
CONTRIBUTORS ENJOY THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS: A S S O C I AT E Gifts of less than $35. Associates receive the Arts Program semiannual newsletter. F R I E N D Gifts of $35 or more. Friends receive a UMUC Friends of the Arts Program lapel pin and the Arts Program newsletter.
(Left to right:) Dr. Robert E. Steele, executive director of the David C. Driskell Center at University of Maryland, College Park, with Joseph Holston, UMUC President Susan C. Aldridge, and UMUC Art Advisory Board member Juanita Boyd Hardy.
F R I E N D S O F T H E A RTS P R O G R A M Now, you can help support this priceless component of UMUC. The newly established Friends of the Arts Program is offering charter membership to donors who contribute by June 30, 2007. Gifts from Friends of the Arts Program members will support and enhance the Arts Program’s projects and offerings, helping to defray the cost of mounting exhibits, maintaining and conserving works of art, and expanding the collection.
S I LV E R L E V E L F R I E N D Gifts of $250 or more. Silver Level Friends receive the Arts Program lapel pin, newsletter, four-color brochures, and posters (suitable for framing) from the two major art exhibits each year. G O L D L E V E L F R I E N D Gifts of $500 or more. Gold Level Friends receive the Arts Program lapel pin, newsletter, collectible brochures, posters, and collectible catalogs from the two major art exhibits each year. P L AT I N U M L E V E L F R I E N D Gifts of at least $1,000. Platinum Level Friends receive all of the benefits as Gold Level Friends, as well as exclusive invitations to receptions, seminars, and “Meet the Artist” talks that are part of the two major exhibits each year.
BECOME A CHARTER MEMBER OF FRIENDS OF THE ARTS PROGRAM by sending your tax-deductible donation to the UMUC Foundation in the enclosed, self-addressed envelope.
“I always want the characters in my works to engage viewers so completely that they are drawn into and become, in essence, an integral part not only of each individual composition but of the entire exhibition, . . .” wrote Holston, in the introduction to a major exhibition at UMUC in 2003. “Ideally, viewers will become so interwoven in the art that the line between where the viewer ends and the art begins no longer exists.”
is honed to near perfection. His subjects—distilled to their elements—convey rich shades of character and emotion that seem the result of something almost magical, an artistic sleight-of-hand. The quizzically arched eyebrow, the tilted head, the slightest misarrangement of hands, and we begin to understand, somehow, the dreams and dignity and quiet courage of the men and women Holston commits to canvas.
That might seem like wishful thinking, but after standing for a moment before a Holston masterpiece, one begins to grasp the artist’s vision. The two dimensions of the canvas open into a world deep with nuance and emotion. The characters seem alive, not posed so much as paused, mid-gesture, waiting patiently while the viewer becomes, not a voyeur or even a curious bystander, but a participant, one who understands.
“I tend to gravitate to studying human beings,” said Holston. “I study their emotions, study their body language, and try to understand the love and emotions that come out of all of that. That’s where I find my inspiration. And I think that every artist needs to get in touch with that. What do you really love?”
It is an artistic feat that Holston accomplishes with remarkable subtlety. His abstract style draws from the cubist tradition, and it Achiever | 16 | University of Maryland University College
For Holston himself, that question was easily answered. When he was a boy, his mother, whom Holston calls a “book fanatic,” enrolled in a series of home study courses, one of which focused on art.
PHOTOGRAPH BY KATHERINE LAMBERT
Joseph Holston’s work has been featured in two major exhibits at UMUC, the most recent, entitled “Dialogue in Color and Form: The Art of Joseph Holston,” opened at the Arts Program Gallery in October 2003. UMUC houses one of the world’s largest collections of work by Maryland artists, along with its renowned Art of China and Japanese Prints collections. The university’s Arts Program sponsors regular exhibitions, free and open to the public, of work by some of the region’s most highly acclaimed artists.
B R O N Z E L E V E L F R I E N D Gifts of $100 or more. Bronze Level Friends receive the Arts Program lapel pin, newsletter, and four-color brochures from the two major art exhibits each year.
“When all the other kids were out playing, I was inside, in the house, studying with her and copying her work,” said Holston.
it—I began to realize that that wasn’t what I wanted to do either. I wanted to be a fine artist.
But for a young black man growing up in America in the 1950s and ’60s, a love for art seemed like an unlikely foundation on which to build a solid livelihood. And his mother was reluctant to see him pursue a career that she feared would offer him little opportunity to prosper.
“But I also knew that I had to learn how to make a living, and at first, I couldn’t do that as a fine artist. Now, when I look back, I realize that my commercial art career was really very brief, only about eight years. The rest of the time—from 1970 on—I have been a fine artist. So the sacrifices that I made back then paid off.”
At about that same time, however, the family moved from Chevy Chase, Maryland—a suburb of Washington, D.C.—into the District itself, and Holston met a young man who opened his eyes to a new world of opportunity.
That’s a message that Holston shares with students everywhere. Though he never completed a formal college education, he has been a lifelong student and advocate for education, attending Howard University and Montgomery College, studying the work of a dizzying array of modern artists, and working one-on-one with notables like Richard Goetz, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Marcos Blahove, in Washington, D.C.
“He attended Chamberlain Vocational High School, and he told me all about the school,” said Holston. “And it sounded like all he did all day was create art. I said, ‘This is high school?’ And I immediately associated it with my own interests. I said to myself, ‘Attending high school and being able to create art all day long? That’s a no-brainer!’” So, despite his mother’s misgivings, Holston got on the bus one day and rode it all the way to the high school, where he took the entrance exam and passed.
He shares his own wealth of knowledge, in turn, as a guest lecturer at schools nationwide, visiting institutions like DePauw University, Howard University, Delaware State University, Bowling Green State University, and others. He served as artistin-residence at North Carolina A&T State University, and for 15 years he and his wife, Sharon, have hosted an annual open house at their home in Silver Spring, Maryland; for the past four years, a generous portion of the proceeds have been earmarked to support art-related programs at a designated museum or university. Sales from this year’s exhibit raised more than $50,000 in support of UMUC’s Arts Program.
“I came home and told my mom, ‘I passed the test, Mom. They accepted me!’” said Holston. “And she said, ‘Well, what can I do?’ I think that was when she realHolston’s Boy in Red Cap (1972) is an example of his early ized how determined I was to make work; as time passed, he refined a more abstract style, art my career, and that was when heavily influenced by cubist traditions. she ‘joined the cause.’” It helped that the program at Chamberlain was a practical one, focused on commercial art, and that the school promised to help graduates find jobs in the field. So, fresh out of high school in 1964, Holston launched a career in commercial art and illustrating. But he knew something was missing. “You have to understand that when I was a commercial artist, I didn’t want to be a commercial artist,” said Holston. “I think at that time I wanted to be Norman Rockwell. He had the best job in the world, painting images for magazine covers. And I thought that was what I wanted to do. But when I got closer to illustrating—and I did a lot of
“My education as a commercial artist was fantastic,” said Holston. “It gave me a technical background and understanding; I learned how to see, I learned how to analyze what I saw, and I was able to translate that over into fine art. “When I speak to students, I try to explain that to them. It can be so intimidating, if you attend a university and major in art, to get ready to graduate and have to look around and ask, ‘OK, what’s next?’ To be an artist, you may have to make concessions, you may have to go around and about, but you have to keep your eyes on your goal.” For Joseph Holston, that focus has led him straight to the pinnacle of contemporary art, and the world is richer for it. P www.umuc.edu | 17 | Achiever
She intended to be a medical doctor; to date, she’s been a chiropractor, entrepreneur, mother, and e-learning guru for a pharmaceutical giant. This is her story.
NANCY GREY, DC, MDE BY CHIP CASSANO As an undergraduate, Nancy Grey didn’t know she would end up championing e-learning solutions for a company with 157 years of history, more than 100,000 employees, and annual revenues north of $50 billion. Like many UMUC students, she began with a very different picture of where her career path would lead.
Grey liked what she learned. Chiropractors treat spinal misalignments—vertebral subluxations—that many believe can have serious long-term health consequences, and Grey was drawn by that holistic approach to healthcare. So she tackled the four-year
Achiever | 18 | University of Maryland University College
One year later, she was having second thoughts. The variety of intriguing cases and challenging diagnoses that she so enjoyed in chiropractic school had been replaced by a monotonous routine, with most patients suffering from back pain or sciatica. And while treating back pain and sciatica is a very worthwhile—not to mention potentially lucrative—pursuit, Grey was looking for something more. “I just found it a bit limiting,” she admitted. “In school, you get to see all these interesting and unusual cases, and that’s just notwhat you see in private practice.” So she was open to a change when, once again, opportunity knocked. “I had to go to a funeral one morning, and there was
ILLUSTRATION BY GORDON STUDER
“I started out in the pre-med program at Manhattan College, and I was all set to go to medical school and follow that path,” said Grey. “But a family friend who is a chiropractor said, ‘You know, I’d like to introduce you to what I do.’”
course of study, earned her Doctor of Chiropractic degree, and opened a practice in Colorado.
no choice but to close my practice,” said Grey. “And I thought, ‘I shouldn’t have to close for that. There should be someone I could call who could run the practice while I’m gone.’” There wasn’t, so Grey stepped in to fill the void. She moved back to New York and established a temporary agency for chiropractors. Over the next eight years, she grew the company, building a network of more than 60 chiropractors serving practices in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Her success didn’t go unnoticed, and soon enough an investor made an offer she couldn’t refuse. Grey sold her business for a handsome profit, but there was a downside. She needed a job. Grey’s father, who had worked for Pfizer, Inc., suggested that her background in science might suit her for a position with the pharmaceutical giant. He was right. “I had taught all the way through school and taught the national and state board review classes for both the basic and clinical sciences,” Grey said, “so I came to Pfizer and, after learning the business, moved into the training department, where I was instrumental in launching e-learning.” For a company like Pfizer—one of the world’s largest drug makers and the parent company to such universally recognized brand names as Lipitor®, Zithromax®, and Viagra®—appropriate and timely training is vital. Grey, for instance, is director of pharmacovigilance education and process documentation. In that role, she works to ensure that, as drugs are tested for safety, researchers are trained to document and report properly any adverse findings to the appropriate governing agency. There is little room for error.
ABOUT UMUC’S MASTER OF DISTANCE EDUCATION UMUC’s innovative Master of Distance Education (MDE) is designed to train professionals to manage all facets of distance education efforts in education, business, government, and nonprofit organizations. Recently, the MDE program earned the new CEL (Programme Accreditation for teChnology-Enhanced Learning) accreditation from the European Foundation for Management and Development (EFMD). EFMD, a global not-for-profit organization based in Belgium, brings together leaders in business and education to provide benchmarking and networking opportunities and to offer an accreditation program for technology-enhanced learning that will raise the standards of technology-based learning programs worldwide. For more about the Master of Distance Education, visit www.umuc.edu/mde.
“We are highly regulated,” said Grey. “There is no excuse when the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] shows up for a surprise audit and someone’s training record isn’t in order. It must be in order. The company’s very existence depends on it, because if you’re not in compliance with a regulatory agency, they can shut you down.” E-learning has proved to be an ideal fit. Not only can employees in Pfizer’s global workforce train anytime, anywhere, but e-learning makes it easy to provide just-in-time training and keep careful track of whether training is up-to-date. continued on following page
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CLASS NOTES continued from page 19
Grey was already hard at work in her new position when opportunity knocked a third time, and she heard about UMUC’s Master of Distance Education program. “You have to understand that Pfizer is a science-based company,” said Grey. “There’s just an alphabet soup of degrees and letters after everyone’s name. It’s a status thing. So, in a field like e-learning, being a practitioner is one thing, but having an academic background is crucial. It lends credibility to what you do and enables you speak to senior leadership with a degree of authority.” There were other obstacles to overcome, though. As Grey began her first semester at UMUC, she learned that she was pregnant. In the ensuing months, she would give birth, go through a divorce and annulment, and begin life as a single mother, all while juggling her responsibilities at Pfizer. “I went through some tremendous life changes,” said Grey, “but the wonderful thing about [UMUC’s] program is that you can tailor it to your personal needs. It’s still a lot of work; sometimes, it seemed almost overwhelming. But when you’re facing a challenging time, you take one course per semester instead of two, and you just know that you must persevere and that you can succeed. “I was on the computer at 4 a.m. while my daughter was asleep, or during my lunch hour at work, and—because I work in New York City—I read so much on the train that it was unbelievable. My point is this: You can fit online learning into your lifestyle; you just have to figure out where.” At the end of the day, Grey focuses on results—in her own life and on the job. And the results are good. “Pfizer gets audited regularly, but because we pay close attention to training and to the feedback we get from agencies, our audit record is commendable,” said Grey. P
1960 s
Donald L. Waterworth Sr. ’62
Pocahontas, Arkansas, recently received the AARP Andrus Award for Community Service. He retired from the U.S. Air Force and now serves as a full-time volunteer with the Good Earth Association.
Thomas Lang ’85 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, recently left the practice of civil litigation to become director of operations for Real Alternatives, a nonprofit corporation that serves Pennsylvania women and their families.
Robert Hastings ’86
1970 s
Nicholas Brockunier ’76
Port Tobacco, Maryland, returned to teaching in 2002 after eight years as assistant dean of business and management studies in UMUC’s School of Undergraduate Studies. He wrote, “I am proud of how our group changed the curriculum, developed majors, minors, and certificates, and how we increased the diversity and educational expertise of our faculty.”
Joseph E. Bowker ’77 Silver Spring, Maryland, retired from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Department of Social Work in 2005. He wrote, “UMUC was instrumental in my education in many ways.”
1980 s
Jim Koepke ’82
Rohnert Park, California, recently published his third book, My North Korean Vacation (PublishAmerica, 2006), a political thriller.
Grady O. Tucker ’82 Gaithersburg, Maryland, is currently consulting on government data compression projects. After graduating from UMUC, he completed a master’s degree in quality systems management from the National Graduate School of Quality Management in Massachusetts.
Darlene Klinksieck ’85 Raleigh, North Carolina, has joined the Hutchison Law Group PLLC. During her 20year career in intellectual property, she also taught classes on trademark law at UMUC.
Henry M. Holloway ’86 Chula Vista, California, wrote that his education and the opportunities UMUC provided led to the success of his careers, both in the military and in the civil service. He wrote, “UMUC provided a path to higher education for me that eventually led to a Master of Science degree from USC.”
Achiever | 20 | University of Maryland University College
Montgomery Village, Maryland, is vice president for corporate communications at BAE Systems US. He was recently honored with the Gold Quill Award for Excellence in Communications Management by the International Association of Business Communicators. Before joining BAE Systems, he served as an aviator and public affairs officer in the U.S. Army.
Patricia Y. Jones ’86 & ’96 Fort Washington, Maryland, was recently named Apprentice Certified Entrepreneurship Teacher of the Year by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. She became a teacher at Bladensburg High School seven years ago, after a long career as a research analyst and investigator for the Federal Trade Commission. The honor carries with it a cash award of $1,000 and a scholarship to attend the foundation’s advanced teacher forum at the Columbia Business School.
Audrey Owens ’88 Chicago, Illinois, was the first student to serve as president of UMUC’s Student Advisory Council. She wrote, “UMUC’s faculty took a personal interest in me as a student and as a member of the governing body. I would like to encourage all prospective students to take the challenge and experience what UMUC has to offer. You won’t regret it. . . . I didn’t.”
Patricia Ann Westlein ’88 Olney, Maryland, wrote, “UMUC’s flexible and diverse program allowed me to complete my degree while holding a full-time job and raising a family and ultimately prepared me to complete my MBA at George Washington University (before UMUC instituted its MBA program).”
1990 s
Sharon Ann Campbell ’91
New Martinsville, West Virginia, has completed one graduate degree since graduating from UMUC and is currently pursuing another. She wrote, “I
believe in lifelong learning, and it all started with UMUC!”
Anna Doroshaw ’91 Silver Spring, Maryland, manages leadership development programs at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. She has been an internal consultant on learning and leadership in the federal government since the early 1990s.
Mark Miguel ’93 Mentone, California, recently completed a Master of Education with a specialization in curriculum and instruction and plans to enroll in an administrative credential program. He has been teaching elementary school for the past 10 years and hopes to become a vice principal or principal.
William “Skip” Paetz ’93 Virginia Beach, Virginia, retired from the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant commander in 2005, after 28 years of service. He wrote, “UMUC allowed me to work on my degree online while doing the job I enjoy. The flexibility of the online program and the great professors helped me achieve my goals and have inspired me to begin the next level of my education.”
Susmita Gongulee Thomas ’93 Schaumburg, Illinois, completed her Project Management Professional certification after graduating from UMUC. She also received the Blue Chip Enterprise Award—from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—as well as the Canadian Project Excellence Award.
Rudy Mazariegos ’95 & ’01 Silver Spring, Maryland, has been named chief information officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, in Washington, D.C. The agency administers the Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs.
Ronald G. Taylor ’95 San Antonio, Texas, holds a senior management position with the Boeing Co. and is pursuing an MS in information technology from UMUC. He is also active with UMUC’s Lone Star Alumni Association in San Antonio.
Write Your Own Success Story AT U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A R Y L A N D UNIVERSITY COLLEGE Are you thinking about embarking on a new career or advancing in your current field? If so, now may be a good time to check out all the new programs and courses offered at UMUC. We’re constantly updating our programs to give you the tools you need to succeed in today’s competitive job market and global economy. Explore the new ways UMUC can help you write your own success story.
◗ Three new majors—investigative forensics, lab management, and political science—expand an already extensive selection of undergraduate degree programs. ◗ Three specializations—homeland security management, information assurance, and project management—tailor our popular master’s degree programs for today’s vital careers. ◗ More than 80 career-enhancing undergraduate and graduate certificates—in everything from accounting to the brand-new global management—are perfect for part-time students. ◗ Plus, our award-winning National Leadership Institute (NLI) offers mid- and senior-level managers the leadership development programs and executive coaching they need to compete and win in business today.
800-888-UMUC • www.umuc.edu/yourstory www.umuc.edu | 21 | Achiever
CLASS NOTES
SEMA HASHEMI ’02 Germantown, Maryland, an international policy analyst with the Office of International Programs in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), won a Mansfield Fellowship from the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. In September 2006, Hashemi began 10 months of full-time Japanese language and area studies locally. Once her training is complete, she will travel to Japan for a year, where she will work in a ministry or agency of the government of Japan. The Mansfield Foundation is dedicated to promoting understanding and cooperation between the United States and the nations of Asia. The fellowship program, the first of its kind, is administered by the foundation, with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as grantor. Established by Congress in 1994, the fellowships are designed to build a core group of U.S. government officials who will be able to serve as a resource to their agencies on issues related to Japan. Hashemi was chosen because of a demonstrated career interest in Japan. She plans to study Japan’s regulatory structure, as well as its international public health initiatives, to enhance ongoing communications between the FDA and its counterparts in Japan.
Sandra Nelson Campbell ’97
James Rineaman ’01
Glenn Dale, Maryland, retired from Verizon Communications after 27 years of service as a staff consultant and project manager. She is a certified project management professional and an active member of the Project Management Institute’s Silver Spring chapter.
Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, wrote, “Great experience, great education. I can highly recommend UMUC!”
Katherine Evette Simmons ’97 Suitland, Maryland, wrote, “UMUC has a wonderful support and network system. I am truly thankful for the opportunity and proud to say that I am an alumna of UMUC.”
Dianne McSears ’98 Clinton, Maryland, works for the U.S. General Services Administration. She wrote that completing her master’s degree at UMUC was “the best decision that I could have made.”
2000
Jessica Kerry Crandell ’00
Takoma Park, Maryland, is the technical service manager for Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, Inc., a professional liability underwriting company. He wrote that, after retiring, he would like to earn a Doctor of Management degree and teach.
Jonathan Kaster ’02 Eau Claire, Wisconsin, works for Beckman Coulter, Inc., a manufacturer of biomedical testing supplies. He wrote, “The instructors at UMUC were great, and I really appreciated the opportunity to complete my degree requirements by utilizing the distance education program.”
Doreen Mannion ’02
s Golden, Mississippi, has moved four times since completing her master’s degree in computer systems management. Her latest move has left her “about as far out in the country as you can get.” She wrote, “Thank goodness for online training, since schools are more than two hours’ drive from here.”
Bowie, Maryland, has been named a fellow of the Society for Technical Communication, a professional organization for technical writers, editors, illustrators, managers, and educators. She is a quality assurance manager for Catapult Technology and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary, in Washington, D.C.
Maria Esther Guzmann ’00
Matthew J. Frawley ’03
Kensington, Maryland, is the owner of Continental Insurance Agency. She wrote, “Selecting this university was the best career move! . . . Thank you, UMUC, for helping!”
Silver Spring, Maryland, is in his final year of study at the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia. The class of 70 students also includes another UMUC graduate—Melisha Souders. Frawley wrote, “UMUC is the reason we will soon be receiving our JD degrees.”
Robert Evans ’96
Clivette Tamika Jones ’01 & ’04
Australia, wrote, “Earning a degree [with a specialization in] Asian studies definitely gave me a better understanding of the places I traveled to or was stationed. . . . I certainly applied the writing skills I gained from UMUC to my 20year career in the U.S. Air Force. It’s so important for folks coming in the service nowadays to have solid writing skills.”
Greenbelt, Maryland, completed two degrees at UMUC while working full time. She wrote, “UMUC has helped me achieve my goal of pursuing higher education. . . . The training and knowledge gained from UMUC has complemented and enhanced my social and professional skills.”
Ronald Warner ’96
Little Rock, Arkansas, is currently pursuing a Master of Education in gifted and talented education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she works as a graduate assistant. In 2006, she won the National Association for Gifted Children Non-Doctoral Student Award.
Asia, completed his associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in Korea, where his father was stationed and where he worked as a supply clerk. He wrote that UMUC Asia “provided me the opportunity to be with my family and get an education from some great teachers.”
James David Hersh ’02 & ’04
Willie F. Willis ’03 St. Petersburg, Florida, works at Baypines Veterans Administration Hospital. He wrote, “UMUC helped me to define myself as a person. . . . It made me more aware of the things around me and in the world.”
Gwendolynn Miller ’01
Achiever | 22 | University of Maryland University College
Anthony Silibe Aneke ’05 Beltsville, Maryland, works for EA Engineering and is studying to complete the second half of his dual degree program, the MBA. He wrote that he chose UMUC because of “its prestigious faculty and remarkable curricula.”
Fa c u lt y K u d o s CRYSTAL COOPER, who teaches computer studies for UMUC, had two papers accepted for publication— “Strange Attractors in a Chaotic Coin Flip Simulation,” Chaos, Solitons, and Fractals (Vol. 24, No. 1), and “A Note on On-Off Intermittency in a Chaotic Coin Flip Simulation,” Computers and Graphics (Vol. 31, No. 1). TIFFANY DERVILLE, who teaches for UMUC stateside, and Teresa Heisler, a UMUC student, co-presented at the 2006 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication national conference in San Francisco, California. Heisler continued her studies with Derville in the fall and plans to go on to graduate school. ANITA HIBLER, an adjunct professor for UMUC Europe, served as co-author (with William Strobridge) of Elephants for Mr. Lincoln: American Civil War-Era Diplomacy in Southeast Asia (Scarecrow Press, 2006). The consulting editor on the project was Martin Gordon, who teaches history for UMUC stateside. JACK KITAEFF, who teaches psychology for UMUC’s School of Undergraduate Studies, published Jews in Blue: The Jewish American Experience in Law Enforcement (Cambria Press, 2006). The book is the first to describe the significant contributions that Jewish Americans made to law enforcement and police work, beginning as early as 1657 in New Amsterdam. SAAD LARAQUI, a faculty member and program director in UMUC’s Graduate School of Management and Technology, authored two chapters in a book co-edited by Clarence Mann (see below), entitled Borderless Business: Managing the Far-Flung Enterprise (Praeger Paperbacks, 2006). The chapters were entitled, “Road Map to the
Margaret Anne Tolliver ’05 Willingboro, New Jersey, is now pursuing a third master’s degree from UMUC—the Master of Education—after completing the Master of Science in technology management and the Master of Business Administration. After a career in the military and service in various government agencies, she now plans to pursue a career in educational sales and management or in teaching.
Joanne M. Garlington ’05 Arlington, Virginia, wrote, “For many years I
Changing Financial Environment in Managing the Global Enterprise,” and, “International Accounting, Tax Issues & Corporate Governance in Managing the Global Enterprise.” Laraqui was also invited to serve as a guest editor of a special issue of the journal International Studies of Management and Organization, published by E. M. Sharpe, due out in 2007. CLARENCE J. MANN, a collegiate faculty member in UMUC’s Graduate School of Management and Technology, served as co-editor (with Klaus Götz) of the book, Borderless Business: Managing the Far-Flung Enterprise (Praeger Paperbacks, 2006). The book grew out of a research project co-sponsored by UMUC’s Institute for Global Management and DaimlerChrysler, A.G. CLAUDINE SCHWEBER, who chairs UMUC’s Doctor of Management program, won a Fulbright Senior Specialist award and traveled to Namibia, in West Africa, in September 2005 to work with the Polytechnic of Namibia in Windhoek. There, she helped develop training for online teaching, served as a consultant, and lectured on change and the impact of technology on higher education. She was also selected as a peer reviewer for the Fulbright Senior Scholar program and was elected to Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers for 2006. DARLENE SMUCNY, assistant academic director of biology at UMUC, completed the Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration, sponsored jointly by Bryn Mawr College and Higher Education Resource Services (HERS), held June 25–July 21, 2006, on the Bryn Mawr College campus. The 72 participants selected for the program came from 29 U.S. states, Canada, Singapore, and South Africa.
attempted to complete my education, yet due to the demands of family, a full-time job, and other activities, I was never able to complete my degree—until UMUC! The flexible online format enabled me to finish entirely online!”
Michael Timothy Smith ’05 Pasadena, Maryland, works as a contractor to the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. He wrote that he would like to teach when he retires, and added, “UMUC allowed me to take classes without having to rush.”
Lawrence M. Cousins ’06 Middletown, Rhode Island, expects to retire from the U.S. Navy shortly and return to the Pacific Northwest. He wrote, “Thank you to all my professors and classmates who made my UMUC experience so challenging and enjoyable.”
Olive F. Gatling ’06 Sugar Land, Texas, is currently the executive director of a nonprofit organization based in Texas.
www.umuc.edu | 23 | Achiever
STAY CONNECTED University of Maryland University College A L U M N I
A S S O C I A T I O N
Activate your FREE MEMBERSHIP in the UMUC Alumni Association The University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Alumni Association, founded in 1990, is committed to fostering a lifelong relationship between its members and the university community. The Alumni Association provides you with opportunities to stay connected with fellow alumni, students, and faculty through volunteer service, social events, and philanthropy. Benefit programs and resources include career services, affinity partner discounts, special alumni events, on-site library access, and chapter activities.
Membership is free and open to all UMUC alumni. Go to www.umucalumni.org to activate your membership.
You’re eligible for the following alumni benefits when you join: FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ACCESS ■
Free subscription to UMUC’s magazine, Achiever.
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Access to career and mentoring services through UMUC’s Office of Career Services.
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OTHER SPECIAL SERVICES ■
Receive special invitations to UMUC-sponsored events, like our popular speaker series and artist receptions.
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Apply for Maryland license tags displaying the UMUC logo for cars registered in Maryland. Call 301-985-7306 for an application.
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Purchase a UMUC class ring from Herff Jones. Call 800-631-0392.
On-site access to computer labs at UMUC sites throughout Maryland.
GET INVOLVED! AFFINITY PARTNER DISCOUNTS ■
UMUC Alumni Association members are entitled to a discount on GEICO’s already low rates for auto insurance. Call GEICO for a free rate quote at 800-368-2734.
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Alumni Association members can join the State Employees Credit Union of Maryland, Inc. (SECU). National studies show that credit unions consistently offer lower loan rates and higher savings account interest than banks and other financial service providers. Credit unions charge fewer fees, too.
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Receive a discount on rooms and meals at the UMUC Inn and Conference Center by Marriott in Adelphi, Maryland.
The Alumni Association allows those individuals who believe in the mission and goals of UMUC to play an integral role in sustaining the university’s competitive advantage. Many alumni volunteer groups work with the Board of Directors to support UMUC and Alumni Association activities. You can choose to volunteer in a variety of ways.
MENTORING PROGRAMS ■
ALLIES MENTORING PROGRAM: The Allies Mentoring Program is designed to assist students who transfer to UMUC from local community colleges. It provides a “human touch” to students during their first term so that they feel supported by and connected to UMUC and learn the traits that create successful university students. Each mentor is matched with a small group of three to five students. Mentors are asked to facilitate discussions among mentees via weekly group e-mails for 10 weeks. Orientation is provided.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! ■
NEW STUDENT WELCOME PROGRAM: Alumni volunteers call to welcome newly enrolled students who are beginning their studies at UMUC. This has proven to be valuable for both new students and alumni alike. Volunteers are asked to call 20 to 25 students during a two-week period, beginning several weeks after the start of the fall and spring terms. Orientation is provided.
Have you moved? Married . . . or remarried? Started a new job? Won an award? Share your good news with the UMUC community. Complete the form below and return it today—with a recent photograph, if possible—or visit www.umucalumni.org, click on “Stay Connected,” and complete the Stay Connected form. We’ll update your records and you just might see your name in a future issue of Achiever magazine. (Entries may be edited for length and style.) Yes, I want to stay connected and receive e-mail notices of alumni benefits, services, and future events. Add my contact information to the Alumni Association’s mailing list.
ALUMNI COMMITTEES Alumni committees meet monthly to plan and assist in implementing activities that support the goals outlined in the Alumni Association’s strategic plan. Committee members serve a one-year term and may choose to serve additional terms. Committee volunteers are a primary source in the selection of new members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
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A L U M N I I N F O R M AT I O N F O R M ■
CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE develops programs—including career seminars, mentoring programs, and job resource assistance—to help UMUC alumni and students with their professional development.
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COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE coordinates with staff and other committees to increase alumni and business community awareness of association programs and successes.
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OUTREACH AND CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE promotes the interests and welfare of UMUC and develops programs and events that enrich the professional, cultural, and personal lives of alumni while representing alumni interests and concerns.
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STUDENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE helps students, alumni, and the academic community enjoy a successful UMUC experience and an enhanced relationship among the university populations by providing opportunities for growth and development, information exchange, and easy interaction.
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Stay connected . . . join today! www.umucalumni.org UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS 3501 University Boulevard East Adelphi, Maryland 20783-8011 Phone: 800-888-UMUC ext. 5125 or 240-684-5125 FAX: 240-684-5120
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3501 University Boulevard East Adelphi, MD 20783-8080 USA 800-888-UMUC www.umuc.edu â–
BOLD G LO B A L LEADERS H I P
] BOLD G LO B A L
LEADERS H I P
Come Celebrate the inauguration of Susan C. Aldridge, fifth president of University of Maryland University College, BOLD
FeB AbLruary 9, 2007. Friday, G LO LEADERS H I P
Presidential inauguration in the morning; black-tie inaugural gala in the evening. For more information, visit www.umuc.edu/inauguration.