in this issue
ACCOLADES PG. 4 /
MAGIC MAN PG. 5 / SUMMER CAMP GUIDE PG. 6 / MUSIC MAKERS PG. 8
Between the Columns a newsletter for faculty & staff of the University of Maryland April 2015
SUBMITTED FOR YOUR APPROVAL, A GLIMPSE INTO ANOTHER DIMENSION, ONE OF SIGHT, SOUND AND MIND BUT NOT ONE OF TESTUDO. IT’S A JOURNEY INTO A FRIGHTENING LAND WHOSE BOUNDARIES ARE AS LIMITLESS AS THE IMAGINATION OF OUR COMMUNITY. THAT’S THE SIGNPOST UP AHEAD— YOUR NEXT STOP, A WORLD WITHOUT TERPS!
JIM HENSON ’60 CREATED THE MUPPETS AND “SESAME STREET,” ENTERTAINING GENERATIONS OF CHILDREN. 2 btc APRIL 2015
Photo by John T. Consoli
ROBERT BRISKMAN M.S. ’61 SERGEY BRIN ’93 WAS A CO-FOUNDER OF GOOGLE, REVOLUTIONIZING EASY ACCESS TO INFORMATION.
WAS A CO-FOUNDER OF SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO, LETTING TRAVELERS TAKE ALONG THEIR FAVORITE STATIONS.
KEVIN PLANK ’96 FOUNDED UNDER ARMOUR, GIVING ATHLETES AND WEEKEND WARRIORS BETTER-WICKING WORKOUT CLOTHES.
ROBERT BASHAM ’70 ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRIAN G. PAYNE
WAS A CO-FOUNDER OF OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE, SATISFYING STOMACHS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
ACCOLADES
UMD President Wallace Loh greets Míriam Colón, the founder and artistic director of the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, last month during the DeVos Institute Future of the Arts Series' panel discussion on diversity in the arts.
WANT THE LATEST ON THE STATE BUDGET? Have an idea to help UMD cut expenses or grow revenue? Head over to umd.edu/flagship2020, the home of UMD’s Flagship 2020 Commission. The group is charting a new, five-year strategic plan for Maryland to become a top 10 flagship university—equal to the best in the nation.
You’ll find it all at the University of Maryland’s one-day open house of 400 educational, family-friendly and interactive events. And with UMD now in the Big Ten Conference, Maryland Day is B1G-ger than ever!
marylandday.umd.edu
A tax credit proposed by President Obama in his State of the Union address had its origins in a paper by Professor Melissa S. Kearney (left) and Assistant Professor Lesley J. Turner. The economists’ proposal deals with a tax credit for the wages of a second earner in a married couple. Research Professor Yunho Hwang of the Center for Environmental Energy Engineering was named an American Society of Mechanical Engineers fellow. Dina Borzekowsi, research professor in the School of Public Health, won the Consortium of Universities for Global Health's video competition in the Global Health Advocacy category for films highlighting young children’s perceptions of tobacco packages and smoking in Russia and Brazil. Gregory F. Ball, dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences and psychology professor, and Nan Bernstein Ratner, hearing and speech sciences professor, were named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The Text2BHealthy project, a text message nutrition education program for parents at Maryland elementary schools, will receive the national Priester Extension Award for Innovation next month. The project is led by Stephanie Grutzmacher, research assistant professor in family science.
Sawed After Architecture Woodshop Manager Moonlights as Magician BY KAREN SHIH ’09
On campus, he’s the guy in the goggles, overseeing a world of construction and creation in the wood shop tucked into one corner of the Architecture Building. In his other job, he makes things disappear. From swallowing razor blades to making fluffy foam balls vanish, Joe Largess wows audiences as magician “Joe Kerz.” (Get it?) “You really get to see what people are like when you surprise them,” says Largess, who has managed the wood shop for the past year and is also working on his fine arts degree at UMD. “Some people get so shocked, some laugh, others get flustered, and some even get a bit angry.” He was just 4 years old when he learned his first trick, making a ball disappear in a vase, but it wasn’t until college that he started to perform for others. He took a job at a magic shop in Silver Spring, where he learned everything from sleight of hand to more complicated stage effects. “You start working muscles in your hand you never knew you had,” Largess says. Learning the tricks takes plenty of practice, often in front of a video camera or mirror, but being able to engage the audience and draw them in is often the key to misdirection. Those in the business call the verbal routine “patter,” and Largess considers it a magician’s bread and butter.
He performs as regularly as he can—business picks up during the summer, October and the holiday season—everywhere from kids’ birthdays to Halloween Goth parties to senior centers. One place he never expected to end up SEE LARGESS PERFORM was a funeral. “It was the most difficult show I ever did,” ON MARYLAND DAY IN THE ARCHITECTURE he says. The deceased man had said in his BUILDING’S GREAT HALL will he didn’t want people to be sad, and had requested a magician. “I couldn’t take it AT NOON AND 2 P.M. personally if people didn’t applaud.” Always a hands-on guy, Largess is also skilled at making prosthetics. He once turned a friend into Gollum from “Lord of the Rings,” and though he says he’s not quite fast enough for the TV show “Face Off ” on Syfy, where contestants create science fiction and horror prostheses, that would be a dream come true. “Most people would say, ‘How can this be possible?’ Most magicians would say, ‘How can I make this look plausible?’” he says. “An old saying makes a strong point: ‘Today’s magic is tomorrow’s science.’” To book Largess for an event, email him at joekerz@gmail.com.
Dr. Loh photo by Lisa Helfert / Maryland Day illustrations by Megan Blair / Largess photo by John T. Consoli
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n u S A PLACE IN THE
FOR YOUR KIDS
YOUR GUIDE TO SUMMER C AMPS ON C AMPUS For parents of school-age kids, this isn’t spring. It’s the season of panic. Where are you going to place them while you’re here at work this summer? They want to have fun. You want them to have wholesome, safe, educational and fun experiences, and make them convenient too, please. Well, you can park your darlings right here on campus in a huge array of summer day camps that meet all those criteria. Read on. Register. Then relax.
ART AND LEARNING CENTER Campers explore a variety of art-making processes including drawing, painting, sculpture, dance, theater and music. thestamp.umd.edu/ art_learning_center/summer_art_camps • Ages 6–12 • Weekly sessions July 6–31 • 9 a.m.–3 p.m. weekdays. Before and after care are available. • $190
CENTER FOR YOUNG CHILDREN The school year curriculum expands to include outdoor activities, music/movement, swimming trips to the Campus Recreation Center and other project-based local field trips. education. umd.edu/CYC/summer.html • Ages 3–1st grade • June 22–July 31, no partial weeks. Parents must volunteer for trips. • 7:45 a.m.–5:30 p.m. weekdays • $1,800
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COMPUTER SCIENCE CONNECT Girls learn how to program, break codes and more using Scratch, Lego Mindstorms, HTML/ CSS, JavaScript and Python. In this three-year program, each cohort returns the following summer to learn more advanced skills, meeting once a month through the school year. cs.umd. edu/compsciconnect/ • Girls entering grades 7–9 • Aug. 3–14 • 9 a.m.–3.30 p.m. weekdays. Before and after care are available. • $200. Financial assistance is available.
CYBER DEFENSE TRAINING CAMP This intermediate-level program welcomes students to expand their knowledge of cybersecurity and learn practical skills through instruction by security professionals, while living on the UMD campus. cyber.umd.edu/education/ cyber-defense • Students entering grades 11–12 • 3 p.m. July 12–noon July 18 • $1,150
CYBERSTEM CAMP Participants learn and apply basic concepts of programming, forensics, cryptography and program management through activities that explore the interconnections of science, math, technology and computers. cyber.umd.edu/ education/cyber-stem • Girls entering grades 7–8: July 20–24 • Girls entering grades 9-10: July 27–31 • 9 a.m.–3 p.m. After care is available. • $490
GYMKANA Children learn and participate in gymnastics without the pressure of competition. gymkana. umd.edu/camp.html • Ages 5–16 • Weekly sessions June 22–July 31 • 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. weekdays • $250, or $225 if enrolling in two or more sessions. Before and after care are available.
HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC ACADEMY Young musicians participate in master classes, ensembles and discussions. Other highlights: mini-recitals featuring UMD School of Music faculty and students; a college fair with representatives from top college and conservatory music programs; a performance event at The Clarice; and observations of National Orchestral Institute rehearsals. hsmusicacademy. umd.edu • Students entering grades 9–12 • June 21–25 • Times vary daily • $400. Audition required.
INSECT SUMMER CAMP Campers gain experience with science in the field and the lab, and come away with an understanding of the important relationship between humans and insects. entomology.umd. edu/insect-camp.html • Ages 8–12 • July 29–July 3 or July 20–24 • 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. daily. After care is available. • $295
LEGO ROBOTICS CAMP Students build and program robots and learn teamwork using Lego Mindstorms. cmse.umd. edu/k12/summer/lego • Students entering grades 5–6 • July 6–17 • 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. weekdays. Before and after care are available. • $650
MUSIC CAMPS Students at all proficiency levels advance their instrumental and vocal techniques in group rehearsals, classes and performances. music. umd.edu/special_programs/summer_activities/ summer_youth_music_camp/ • Band, orchestra, choir and piano musicians entering grades 5–10 • Band Camp: July 19–24 • Vocal/Strings/Piano Camp: July 26–31 • A three-hour orientation takes place the Sunday preceding each camp. • 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. daily. • $365
PHYSICS SUMMER GIRLS The ninth-grade program focuses on classical physics, teaches participants trial and error and the principles of the scientific method. The program for upperclassmen will jump into the world of modern physics, focusing on topics ranging from relativity to antimatter, quantum mechanics, physical uncertainty, quantum computing and more. umdphysics.umd. edu/joomla3/outreach/outreach-summercamps.html • Girls and boys entering grade 9: July 6–17 or July 20–31, 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. weekdays • Girls and boys entering grades 11–12: Aug. 3–14, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. weekdays • Free
YOUNG SCHOLARS DISCOVERY
PHYSICS OF QUIDDITCH This program combines the physics, sport and literature of the Harry Potter novels. Participants gain skills in physics, critical thinking, teamwork and playing the sport of Quidditch as well as an appreciation for the literature that inspired the sport. umdphysics.umd.edu/ joomla3/outreach/outreach-summercamps.html • Students entering grades 7–9 • June 29–July 3 or July 13–17 • 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. • $300
POVICH CENTER SPORTS JOURNALISM SUMMER CAMP Aspiring journalists learn about sports reporting, writing, photography, TV, radio and social media from pros in the field, and take a trip to a professional sporting event. povichcenter.org • Students entering grades 9–12 • July (five weekdays, not yet decided) • 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily. Breakfast and lunch provided. • $100
TERP QUEST Terrapins Exploring Recreational Possibilities is a traditional, multi-faceted camp that challenges campers to try new things and reach outside their comfort zones. terpquest. umd.edu/Programs • Students in grades 1–7 • Weekly sessions June 29–Aug. 7 • 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. weekdays. Before and after care are available. • $245
Academically talented students live on campus and take part in intensive learning through engaging courses, field trips and interactive seminars. oes.umd.edu/young-scholars • Students entering grades 7–8 • July 19–31 • Residential program: $2,550 Commuter program: $1,715
YOUNG SCHOLARS PROGRAM Exceptional high school students earn three university credits while pursuing academic interests and discovering the independence of college life. oes.umd.edu/young-scholars • Students entering grades 9–12 • July 12–31 • Residential program: $3,450 Commuter program: $2,200
SPORTS CAMPS (16 SPORTS) • umterps.com/camps/md-camps.html CAMPS WHOSE DEADLINES HAVE PASSED OR ARE FULL: (Save for next year!)
ENGINEERING CAMPS • eng.umd.edu/k12/summer-programs • wie.umd.edu/k12/sstyf
FOOD SCIENCE CAMP • empowered-wellness.com/summer-camps/ food-science/
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A Crescendo for Local Middle School Partnership Matches UMD Students with Young Musicians BY LIAM FARRELL
Middle school band directors don’t have it easy: Students start to lose interest in instrumental music, resources are always scarce and the best answer to how to get better—private lessons— could be out of reach for a kid’s family. A new program at William Wirt Middle School, located less than three miles from UMD, tries to address those problems with the expertise of students and faculty. Under Students Harnessing Academic Readiness through Performance (SHARP), graduate students in UMD’s School of Music are providing William Wirt with extra lessons, classes and performances. For just $25, promising middle school musicians are getting 20 individual lessons during the academic year. Robert DiLutis, an associate professor of clarinet, modeled the program after a similar one he ran in Louisiana. He says providing mentors to help bridge music education from childhood to high school could be transformative. “Most musicians realize the impact of their school education and how it got them where they are,” DiLutis says. “If they build these relationships now, you never know where they are going to lead.” The program is run in collaboration with William Wirt band director Randolph Barnes and ArtSí Riverdale, a group promoting the arts among Latino youth. DiLutis says the goal is to grow the program to include more schools, teachers and students. Barnes says such a program is key for a school where more than 90 percent of its students are on free and reduced lunches and cannot afford their own instruments, let alone private lessons. “One of the challenges is exposing them to quality music opportunities beyond the classroom and connecting it to their world,” he says. “In doing so, they can take ownership and leadership of their learning because of that extra help.” Between the Columns is published twice per semester by University Marketing and Communications. Story ideas are welcome and should be sent to Liam Farrell, managing editor, at lfarrel1@umd.edu or by calling 301.405.4629. The mailing list is generated through University Human Resources. Any changes to names and addresses should be made through ares.umd.edu.
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