Terp Fall 2008

TERP

CONNECTING

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COMMUNITY

VOL. 6, NO. 1 FALL 2008

Natural

Inspiration Flies, Bats and Other Creatures Drive Flight Research 24

THE ORIGINAL MIC MAN 7 I SWEET REWARD 10 I 100 YEARS OF MARYLAND MUSIC 17

TERP PUBLISHER

Brodie Remington Vice President, University Relations ADVISORY BOARD

J. Paul Carey ’82 M.B.A. CEO, Enumerate 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 Assistant Vice President, Alumni Relations and Development 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 Interim Dean, Philip Merrill College of Journalism MAGAZINE STAFF

Beth A. Morgen Executive Editor Kimberly Marselas ’00 Managing Editor John T. Consoli ’86 Creative Director Jeanette J. Nelson Art Director Joshua Harless Catherine Nichols ’99 Brian Payne Contributing Designers Monette A. Bailey ’89 Mandie Boardman ’02 Denise C. Jones Cassandra Robinson Rebecca M. Ruark Tom Ventsias Writers Pamela Babcock Karin Jegalian Pamela Stone ’95 M.A. Ellen Ternes ’68 Neil Tickner Lee Tune Contributing Writers Patricia Look ’08 Anne McDonough ’09 Melissa O'Toole-Loureiro ’08 Cassandra Wilson ’08 Magazine Interns E-mail terpmag@umd.edu Terp magazine is published by the Division of University Relations. Letters to the editor are welcomed. Send correspondence to Kimberly Marselas, Managing Editor, Terp magazine, 2101 Turner Building, College Park, MD 20742-1521. Or, send an e-mail to terpmag@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, WITH MARYLAND’S RENOWNED landscape and endearing symbols to choose from, why picture the pesky fruit fly on the cover of the fall issue of Terp? It turns out the might of this tiny insect is inspiration for researchers studying flight and navigation in the A. James Clark School of Engineering.

In “Engineering Meets Nature,” on page 24, faculty and students are taking their cues from the natural world—from the gentle descent of a maple tree seed to the steadfast soaring of the albatross—as they design robots and other unmanned vehicles.

Our cover story is a reminder of the advanced research happening here at the University of Maryland. It underscores one of the priorities—creating and disseminating knowledge—of the university’s strategic plan, which takes flight this fall.

A year in the making, the strategic plan outlines how our university will soar to new heights through focused efforts on research and scholarship, undergraduate and graduate education and partnerships and outreach. On page 20, hear from four members of the Maryland family who share their thoughts on how the 10-year plan will transform the university.

As much as this issue of Terp shows a university moving upward, it also reminds us of the traditions that keep us grounded. In “More than a Mascot,” we trace the storied history of Testudo through “turtle-nappings,” to the move to his pedestal overlooking McKeldin Mall, to the adaptation of the “live” mascot we have come to know at athletic events.

Read more about our campus goodluck charm on page 16.

On the opposite page stars another university mainstay, Maryland Bands.

Celebrating their centennial anniversary

over the 2008–2009 academic year, the bands are known for their performances at sports events. In “Maryland’s Musical Ambassadors at 100,” we learn that the bands’ tune carries well beyond the playing field.

Of course, there are some traditions that, thankfully, have fallen by the wayside such as the beanies freshmen used to wear and the dos and don’ts handbook for coeds. University Archivist Anne Turkos answers readers’ questions about these foregone practices in her column on page 7. She is always eager to hear from curious readers, and we want to hear from you, too! Whether it’s a question for Anne, a memory about Maryland bands or a comment about this issue of Terp, write to us. (Our contact information is located in the bottom left-hand corner of this page.)

Be sure to save the date for a fall tradition: Homecoming. As you celebrate the Terrapin spirit with us on Oct. 25, learn how the university is building on another tradition—a tradition of excellence. Join us!

Danita D. Nias ’81 Assistant Vice President, Alumni Relations and Development

2 BIG PICTURE Tracing slavery ties; academic champs; new deans named; advancing wireless technology; rooftop gardening; and more 6 THE SOURCE Admissions advice 7 ASK ANNE A football tradition; To Do or Not to Do; and beanies 8 CLASS ACT Planner aids African children; brighter trips for disabled; sweet reward; legacy bricks; and more 12 M-FILE Parental gamesmanship; election preview; a model planet; new scientific ideas; and more 16 PLAY-BY-PLAY Testudo turns 75 17 SPOTLIGHT 100 years of Maryland music 18 MARYLAND LIVE Homecoming and reunion details; read the 2008 First Year Book; connect with Darwin; see 500 Clown; and more 31 IN THE LOOP Making a mark on Maryland; scholarships for communicators; a benefit with heart; new faculty chairs; and more 36 INTERPRETATIONS Leadership at all levels

departments

17 MUSICAL AMBASSADORS Maryland’s bands celebrate their centennial anniversary with a look back and a year’s worth of events designed to reconnect musical alumni.

features 20 A UNIVERSITY TRANSFORMED

Four members of the university community share their hopes and expectations for the newly adopted strategic plan and its planned outcomes.

BY TOM VENTSIAS

24

BATS, BIRDS AND FLIES, OH MY!

Exploring the not-so-frightening influence of nature’s winged creatures on flight and navigation research at the university.

BY KARIN JEGALIAN

28

A PUBLIC SERVANT

Retired Lt. Gen. Julius Becton Jr. M.A. ’67 reflects on his service to country as a member of the segregated U.S. Army, a decorated military leader and a dedicated government official.

BY PAMELA BABCOCK

MARCHING BAND PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

TERP FALL 2008

bigpicture Tracing Slavery’s Past

The Barracks (left) was built in the 1850s and destroyed by the campus fire of 1912. A student group led by history professor Ira Berlin (inset) is examining whether slave labor contributed to the construction of the Barracks or other early university infrastructure.

A DIVERSE GROUP of student researchers is attempting to answer lingering questions about whether slave labor was used on campus in the university’s earliest days.

Led by Distinguished University Professor Ira Berlin, 30 undergraduates this fall began examining university founder Charles Benedict Calvert’s estate and how his dependence on slaves may have shaped the university.

Although Calvert’s ties to slavery have long been known, his visibility increased with the 2006 celebration of the university’s 150th Anniversary. Some members of the university community questioned how slaves were used as the university opened its first buildings and welcomed students in the late 1850s. The goal of the course is to answer that question and report findings in 2009.

“It is a healthy thing for us to know as much as possible about who we are as Terps, as the University of Maryland,” says Berlin, an award-winning author of several slavery-related books. “I don’t think I have any hopes that this will

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answer all of the questions of our community … but it will take us a little further down the road.”

This semester, students are broadly studying slavery in America, including settlement and slavery in Maryland and local communities. Students will move from the classroom into local and national archives and collect oral histories next semester.

While University Archives will support the students’ research, it has few 19th century documents regarding the university’s founding. Elizabeth A. McAllister, acting curator of historical manuscripts, said many were likely destroyed in the fire of 1912, and Calvert did not leave behind any known body of personal papers.

Berlin says students must carefully consider how to present what they do find, knowing that some constituents will not be satisfied without a smoking gun. Class members, he says, will have to craft the fragments of evidence they unearth into a story that is both documented and convincing. —KM BARRACKS PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES; BERLIN PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

National Champs Twice Over

New Deans, Interim and Permanent, Energize Schools

TWO MARYLAND TEAMS won national

championships this year, celebrating by adding the victories to their résumés and law school applications.

A team of eight undergraduates captured the American Mock Trial Association national title for an unprecedented fifth time, while Maryland’s National Academic Quiz Team won its first Division I title.

The mock trial tournament featured 64 teams, all comprised of undergraduates playing prosecution and defense attorneys before a panel of real state and federal justices. Several members of the Maryland team were accepted to Top 10 law schools, including Georgetown.

At the quiz tournament, Maryland beat out more than two dozen universities to become the youngest winners of the premier colMaryland’s National lege quiz bowl in North America.

Academic Quiz Team A few more universities now clearly Fear the Turtle. —KM (above) won a national title, as did the Mock Trial Team (below).

NEW DEANS AND MOCK TRIAL PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; ACADEMIC QUIZ PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UM NATIONAL ACADEMIC QUIZ TOURNAMENT TEAM

BRINGING DECADES OF experience and demon-

strated leadership to their positions, four new deans are set to help the university realize its goal of becoming a world-class institution.

G. “Anand” Anandalingam, formerly a senior ANANDALINGAM associate dean and Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Management Science in the Robert H. Smith School of Business, was appointed dean this summer. And after serving as interim dean for a year, Donna Wiseman was officially named dean of the College of Education.

Meanwhile, Lee Thornton, holder of the endowed Richard Eaton Chair, became interim dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, and Desider L. Vikor, director of collection management and special collections, agreed to serve as interim dean of University Libraries.

“Deans Anandalingam and Wiseman take THORNTON over at a time when strong leadership and vision are needed to implement the university’s bold new strategic plan,” says Naramin Farvardin, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

The new deans take the places of those moving on to different challenges and prestigious positions.

Howard Frank retired from the business school.

Wiseman follows Edna Szymanski, who left Maryland to become provost at the University of Maine. Tom Kunkel, former dean of the journalism school, is now president of St. Norbert’s College in Wisconsin, and Charles Lowery, dean of the libraries, was appointed VIKOR executive director of the Association of Research Libraries.

“It is a pleasure to be a part of the excitement and energy and the scholarly and creative atmosphere produced when our excellent faculty, students and staff are engaged in teaching, learning, inquiry and service,” says Wiseman.

Anandalingam founded the Center on Electronic Markets and Enterprises at the Smith School and was the co-director from 2001 to 2004. He helped found the Center on Health Information and Decision Systems and led the school’s effort to revamp and innovate the MBA curriculum.

WISEMAN “As we go forward, I could not be more committed to utilizing our resources, location and remarkable thought leadership to develop strong global business leaders for sustainable innovation,” he says. —MAB

TERP FALL 2008

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bigpicture

GROWTH spurt

A

s the university community headed back to classes this fall, it was met with exciting new spaces and places in which to work and learn.

More Space for Smith At the Robert H. Smith School of Business, Van Munching Hall’s North Wing opened with more than 38,000 square feet of new space for classes, conference rooms, team rooms and an elegant executive meeting room. Outside, Mayer Mall will provide green spaces and walkways that will stretch from Mowatt Road all the way past the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. The landscaping is part of a gift made by Bill Mayer, former chair of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation Board of Directors, and his wife, Kathy.

Bio Wing Complete The Fischell Department of Bioengineering Wing of the Jeong Kim Engineering Building was dedicated during the second annual Fischell Festival. One of the three largest gifts in the university’s history and the first to name a department, Robert Fischell’s $30 million donation provides for some of the most sophisticated research and educational space on campus. The 7,400square-foot wing includes a biophotonic imaging lab and a biomaterials engineering lab. Professors there work to improve early-disease detection, study microsensors to aid the repair and rehabilitation of injured musculoskeletal tissues and research the delivery of radio-pharmaceuticals.

Journalism Breaks Ground The Philip Merrill College of Journalism broke ground on its new building this spring. The John S. and James L. Knight Hall will be located next to Tawes Theatre (also under renovation) along Lot 1. The building, named after the founding brothers of Ohio-based Knight Newspapers, will feature news laboratories, the Richard Eaton Broadcast Theater, the Edith Kinney Gaylord Journalism Resource Center and many other amenities to help train tech-savvy journalists. All of the college’s programs and centers—serving nearly 650 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students, and 60 faculty and staff—will be housed in one building.

Knight Hall is scheduled to open in late 2009.

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VAN MUNCHING HALL AND FISCHELL LAB PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; GROUNDBREAKING PHOTO BY LISA HELFERT

Diner Roof Goes Green

UM Home to Advanced Wireless Research

A COLORFUL ARRAY of herbs, flowers and vegetables were in full bloom this past summer above the university’s North Campus Diner, courtesy of Greg Thompson, assistant director for dining services’ facilities maintenance.

Thompson’s sustainable rooftop garden recycles packaging materials from food service vendors: discarded bread racks are now a lattice for flowering vines; an ingenious irrigation system uses empty Pepsi syrup barrels to store rainwater run-off and collects condensation from air conditioning units; and all of the vegetation is grown in a dark, nutrient-rich compost mixture made from recycled dining waste. Chefs on campus use the fresh herbs in thousands of meals prepared for students, with Thompson sharing the other organic bounty (including almost five gallons of vine-ripened tomatoes) with friends and colleagues. “Our garden is much more than something pretty to look at,” Thompson says.

“Its real benefit is in showing other people that they, too, can reuse and recycle.” —TV

DINING SERVICES PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

THE UNIVERSITY IS now home to North America’s first—and just the second in the world—laboratory endorsed by the WiMAX Forum and dedicated to creating applications for WiMAX, a powerful next-generation technology for wireless Web connectivity.

WiMAX seeks to provide anytime, anywhere broadband Internet access at data speeds comparable to cable and DSL, with coverage over much larger distances (three–30 miles) than is provided by WiFi hotspots. The university’s MAXWell Lab offers developers of WiMAX-compatible hardware and software a large test bed and the support of faculty and students in the university's highly ranked computer science and computer and electrical engineering departments.

“Currently it’s difficult for a WiMAX application developer to test their application in a real environment at a neutral site,” said Ashok Agrawala, a professor of computer science and director of the MAXWell Lab. “This facility will fully support such testing, and the university is an excellent site for it because Sprint, the first wireless carrier in the U.S. to deploy WiMAX, is starting this in the Washington, D.C., area.”

The University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies established the MAXWell Lab with the university's Office of Information Technology and three outside partners: the Laboratory for Telecommunication Sciences, the Naval Research Laboratory and Fujitsu. —LT

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the Source WITH SO MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS GAINING NATIONAL ATTENTION, ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND IS MORE COMPETITIVE THAN EVER. A RECORD 28,000+ STUDENTS APPLIED FOR A PLACE IN THE 2008–2009 FRESHMAN CLASS. LEARN HOW TO MAKE MARYLAND YOURS WITH THE FOLLOWING TIPS.

Visit Us

Join Us Online

H OT L I N E

Get started at www.admissions.umd.edu. You can customize the site and join the mailing list to receive information tailored to your interests. Review admission requirements and investigate Maryland’s academic options—including 110 majors and 11 colleges and schools accepting freshmen. Link to information on scholarships and financial aid, as well as living on campus and getting involved. While you’re there, check in with current undergraduates who’ve made Maryland their home and watch videos of them in action.

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ONLINE

The best way to get to know Maryland is to visit. Walking tours designed for prospective students are held most days of the week. After you watch a short video, student ambassadors guide you to classroom buildings, a residence hall, a dining hall, athletic facilities, the union and more.

My Maryland Information Sessions begin with a 45-minute introduction and question-andanswer period with an admission representative, followed by a walking tour. These sessions are popular, so reservations are required. The Visitor Center can also arrange group tours for students in seventh grade and below, alumni, visiting faculty and other guests.

Stay tuned for a spring 2009 alumni symposium designed specifically for alumni with prospective students at home.

www.admissions.umd.edu

Admissions www.admissions.umd.edu/visit 800.422.5867

VISIT

Visitor Center Tours

The Office of Undergraduate

301.314.7777

TERP FALL 2008

Prepare to Apply It’s never too early to start.

Admissions is truly competitive, so students should take challenging courses—including honors or Advanced Placement—in high school. The best-prepared students combine strong high school performance with solid extracurricular activities and impressive test scores. During senior year, apply online or pick up an application from your guidance counselor. For priority consideration for admission to the fall 2009 freshman class, complete Part One of the application

by Nov. 1 and Part Two by Dec. 1.

The regular application deadline is Jan. 20.

We Visit You Admissions representatives visit as many as 20 states each year during high school visits and college fairs. They are happy to share details on the Maryland experience and help you navigate the application process. Watch for out-of-state receptions from coast to coast. Open to high school students, these events bring together admission representatives, students and local alumni who will share their stories. The 2008 events run through October.

APPLY

WE VISIT YOU

www.admissions.umd.edu/apply

301.405.4678 or 800.336.8627

ONLINE AND VISIT PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; VISIT YOU PHOTO BY STEVE HOCKSTEIN

ask Anne Questions for Anne Turkos, university archivist for University Libraries, may be sent to terpmag@umd.edu.

I recently met an alumnus who told me he was the original

Mic Man. What

can you tell me about the beginnings of this football tradition? A. The alumnus to whom you are referring, Dale Rickenbach ’81, made his —Sammy Popat ’04 Q. A few years ago, I came across a PDF version of a handbook from maybe the 1930s, educating female students at the university on how to behave. It was historically accurate but hilarious from our point of view.

There were tips on how to accept dates and when and how to behave at dances. Could you help me find it again?

—Taruna Tiwari ’04

debut as Mic Man at the Band Day football game vs. Villanova on Oct. 2, 1976.

He was asked to dress as Superman during the band’s halftime performance and later to cheer into the microphone. The Mic Man was so well received that he led cheers from 1976 to 1980 wearing a red and white tuxedo and anything from a top hat to a football helmet covered in tree branches.

A. We know precisely the handbook you are describing. It’s called To Do or Not to Do. There were two editions of it published, and we have both in the University Archives. We encourage those interested in reading the handbook to visit the Archives in Hornbake Library, where we keep many such gems.

MIC MAN PHOTO COURTESY OF DALE RICKENBACH; IMAGES COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Q. I am doing research on beanies and their role in hazing within the university. I came across an article about beanies at Maryland. I was wondering if you could send me more information for my research.

—Katey Beverlin A. Our students were required to wear these hats,

also called dinks or rat and rabbit caps, from the 1920s to the 1960s. Freshmen wore beanies everywhere they went on campus, from their first day of school until the freshmen-sophomore tug-of-war, held during the spring semester.

Supposedly the beanies were used to help freshmen identify other freshmen, but I do believe that there was a certain amount of teasing involved, as this yearbook photograph from 1968 shows.

TERP FALL 2008

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alumniprofile

classact Urban Planner Makes Connections at Home, Heals Homeland

AN URBAN PLANNER for Venable LLP in Virginia, Kwasi Bosompem’s work centers on land use for commercial and residential development and telecommunications sites in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas. But his nonprofit work touches lives a world away from our nation’s capital, and it centers as much on people as on zoning issues and cell phone towers.

Having extensive urban planning experience in Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and South Africa, Bosompem M.C.P. ’92 brought with him to Maryland expert practical skills. But the Ghana native says his Maryland education provided a “study in human behavior.” In 2001, he combined practice with humanity and founded the Let’s Go Africa Foundation with a mission to improve the lives of disadvantaged populations in Africa by promoting social and economic development and cultural exchange, and by educating American youth about Africa.

Because dialogue is difficult without modern communications infrastructure, Bosompem aims to use his telecommunications expertise to “connect the last mile of the information superhighway and treat it as a people issue, not a telecommunications issue.” Through the

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Internet and other communications channels, underserved Africans are exposed to educational and health programs. Says Bosompem, “My role has been to assess needs and establish planning parameters to collect data for African health programs.”

The Maryland alumnus makes it his mission to save the youth of Africa. With help from Bosompem’s Let’s Go Africa and other colleagues, fellow Ghanaian Kobina Atobrah has developed equipment run by solar and wind power to provide medical clinics with potable water, refrigeration and telecommunications and Internet access. Perhaps the most important side effect of this decentralized energy project is the power it gives local people. Solar panels are mounted on any roof that can support them and supply clinics with energy where it’s needed—for basic necessities and for communication and medical records maintenance.

In this way, Bosompem’s telecommunications background and his compassion help in treating and preventing HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases affecting his native continent. —RR

Above, left: Kwasi Bosompem M.C.P. ’92 conducts an educational workshop on Africa’s resources for 600 area students at the Ghanaian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Center: Let’s Go Africa’s “Better Life Options” program at the Aurora Girls School in Soweto, South Africa, promotes gender equity and empowers young women with career and HIV/AIDS education.

Above: Bosompem is an urban planner, author of three books and founder and executive director of Let’s Go Africa.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KWASI BOSOMPEM

alumniprofile

Making the Trip Brighter “I LOVE WORKING with this popula-

travel 2009 River Life Along the Waterways of Holland and Belgium April 3–11 Celebrate spring on the waterways of Holland and Belgium aboard one of the finest river ships in Europe. Discover picturesque old Dutch towns like Volendam, Middelburg and Delft.

Treasures of Southern Africa April 3–16 Experience the diversity of South Africa from cosmopolitan Cape Town to historic Robben Island, and from there a penguin colony at Boulders Beach to a safari in Kruger National Park.

Singapore to Dubai April 30–May 18 Trace the spice-trade route of Marco Polo across the Indian Ocean. Visit three cities where the tides of change have returned traditional identities.

Explore Dubai, the “City of Gold.”

For more details on these and other tours featured in the Alumni Association Travel 2009 program, visit www.alumni.umd.edu or call

tion,” says Ariel Segal ’86, assistant director of The Guided Tour, the first international travel program designed specifically for persons with developmental disabilities.

Some of the psychology grad’s earliest memories are of going to work with his father, who founded The Guided Tour in 1972. While at Maryland, Segal found a job at the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes that helped support his Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity activities.

Because of that positive work, Segal says, “not only was I able to stop asking my parents for financial assistance, but while some of my fraternity brothers agonized over what they would do postgraduation, I knew exactly where I would be going.”

Upon graduation, Segal went to work at The Guided Tour, where he has been for more than 20 years. The program provides supervised 3– to 12–day trips to destinations including Italy, Alaska and Disney World. As assistant director, Segal has traveled extensively with the program and says, “a hallmark of our trips is that we treat each traveler with respect and dignity.”

A licensed social worker, he is also the executive director of Camp Lee Mar, a residential camp for children 5–21 with mild to moderate learning and developmental challenges. Campers enjoy traditional camp activities in addition to academics, speech and language therapy, music and art therapy and sensory-motor-perceptual training.

“I have the best of both worlds,” he says.

“During the year I work with adults with special

needs and during the summers my concentration is children with special needs.”

Segal’s oldest son, Zack, born with developmental challenges, reinforced Segal’s mission of directing programs Ariel Segal ’86 (right), assistant for people with director of The special needs.

Guided Tour, celeWhile Segal looks brates July 4th at Camp Lee Mar. Both back at his time at organizations serve Maryland “often, and people with develpalways with a smile,” he now mental challenges. brings smiles to the faces of those he helps. —MLB

301.405.7870/ 800.336.8627.

TRAVEL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION; PHOTO COURTESY OF ARIEL SEGAL

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classact alumniprofile

Terp Relishes Sweet Reward

INGREDIENTS

A LESS FLASHY talisman might have yielded amateur baker Carolyn Gurtz ’70 the same

1/4 cup Domino® or C&H® Granulated Sugar

®

result. But the contestant in the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest had her eye on a pink, crystal-encrusted evening bag shaped like a cupcake. “I’m a kid at heart,” says Gurtz, whose designer minaudiere has since graced the arm of a child character in the Sex and the City movie. Gurtz’s lucky charm—on top of decades of baking experience— produced grand results: Her double-delight peanut butter cookies beat out 99 finalists’ recipes for the milliondollar prize.

From appearing on Today, The Tonight Show and the Food Network to finding her name in the coupon section of The Washington Post, Gurtz, who lives in Gaithersburg, Md., with her husband, Dennis Gurtz ’68, M.B.A. ’72, is enjoying her moment. “It’s been months in the spotlight,” she says. “I’ve gotten so many cards, e-mails and phone calls.”

Carolyn Gurtz ’70 is the $1 milIn 1972, Gurtz, who typically bakes from lion grand prize winner of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest®. scratch, started entering the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, where she won a ribbon for a chocolate cookie surrounding the now-famous peanut butter ball. Gurtz had submitted recipes to the Pillsbury contest for 15 years—for everything from a hamburger pie to a spicy tomato soup to a coffee cake.

Throughout the entire Bake-Off process, Gurtz kept her head. “I can only do one thing at a time in the kitchen,” she explains. She and the other finalists prepared their recipes three times, while food editors, camera crews and grocery store representatives swirled around the mini-kitchens asking questions. Gurtz compares it to a merry-go-round ride. The “thrills, chills and excitement just kept on going. We were treated like kings and queens,” she says, having had her photograph taken with Mr. and Mrs. Pillsbury.

Back in Maryland, University President Dan Mote sampled Gurtz’s prize-winning cookies. The second Maryland grad to win the competition, Gurtz has nourished a sweet relationship with alma mater. She and her husband helped build the alumni home on campus by naming the “Victory Song” inscription in the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center’s Maryland Club. On game days, the Gurtzes can be found tailgating at Riggs with friends they met on campus 40 years ago. “We’re involved because it’s fun,” says Carolyn Gurtz. Guess who brings dessert? —RR

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1/4 cup Fisher® Dry Roasted Peanuts, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup JIF® Creamy Peanut Butter 1/2 cup Domino® or C&H® Confectioners Powdered Sugar 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create ‘n Bake® refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well chilled DIRECTIONS 1 Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

2 In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended.

Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls.

3 Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.

4 Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with CRISCO® Original NoStick Cooking Spray; press into remaining peanut mixture.

Flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.

5 Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.

Store tightly covered.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

RECIPE AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF WWW.PILLSBURY.COM

BYalumni In Spotlit Girl, Kevin Oberlin ’00 escorts readers into the crazy life of a girl in the spotlight. This series of lively sonnets begins with a singer’s first “Star-Spangled Banner” and explores the worries of life as a performer, as well as the intimacy between a vocalist and her audience.

Leave Your Legacy One Brick at a Time IMAGINE 50 YEARS from now when you

return to alma mater for your golden reunion.

What do you look forward to seeing and showing your loved ones? Your former classmates, your old dorm room, Testudo—but what about your own name displayed proudly at your alumni home, the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center?

Leave your lasting legacy and become a permanent part of Maryland tradition by purchasing a personalized brick through the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center Legacy Brick Campaign. The campaign is an opportunity for all Terp alumni to have a presence at—and give back to—their alumni home.

The bricks and pavers will be installed on the center’s plaza level and Moxley Gardens—a great location, as thousands of alumni enter the center through the plaza on their way to Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium for football games.

Etch your name into Maryland history or

commemorate a loved one’s birthday, anniversary or graduation. Memorialize a treasured individual. Pay tribute to a favorite professor, former classmate, fraternity or sorority. Declare your devotion to a Terrapin team, club or chapter. “Whatever the occasion, we want alumni to have the opportunity to purchase a brick allowing them to contribute while leaving a visible and lasting symbol of support at the Riggs Alumni Center,” says Chips Sollins ’82, alumni association president.

The standard brick is $500 and the larger paver is $1,000. Alumni association members and current donors receive a 10 percent discount. After engraving and installation fees, funds raised go toward alumni association programs and operations. Show your Terrapin pride by purchasing a brick today. For more information, contact April Roberts at 301.405.8918, aroberts@ur.umd.edu or visit www.riggs.umd.edu. —MLB

SAMUEL RIGGS IV CENTER PHOTO BY MIKE MORGAN; ALUMNI BOOKS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Having lived in the “golden” era for doctors, from 1930 until the end of the century, Howard Thomas Knobloch ’33 recounts his life experiences from birth, through his medical career and into his ninth decade. An American Pediatrician’s Odyssey: My Life and Memoirs Composed at Nine Decades includes a unique chapter about life in College Park in the 1930s.

In Osprey Adventure, Jennifer Keats Curtis ’91, M.A. ’93 describes the fictional heroics of a boy and his father who save a young osprey from certain death. Based on the work of a real Chesapeake Bay biologist, this children’s book illustrates the challenges facing ospreys today.

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m-file Games Parents and Teens Play

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. “Those parents that saw their children and their children’s performance as direct extensions of their own egos were the ones most susceptible to going down the path of sideline rage.”

“Clearly women have competing alternatives for the use of their time, with the labor market and employment being one and delayed marriage, which has been another trend. The interesting question is, has it stopped?”

ENTS IF THEIR KIDS’ SOCCER

“In this fragmented universe, for the Summer Olympics to get a 25 rating is unbelievable. Now you’re talking American Idol and Oscars and Super Bowl—the few events left that can gather tens of millions of Americans around a television set at the same time.”

MATCH UPSET THEM,

DOUGLAS GOMERY, AMERICAN

COMMENTING ON A CENSUS

WASHINGTON POST, JULY 14

STUDIES, ON BALTIMORE—HOME

BUREAU REPORT THAT MORE

CITY OF OLYMPIC MEDALIST

WOMEN ARE DELAYING HAVING

MICHAEL PHELPS—BEING THE

CHILDREN OR NOT HAVING THEM AT

HIGHEST RATED TV MARKET FOR

ALL, NEW YORK TIMES, AUGUST 18

JAY GOLDSTEIN, SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY, ON HIS SURVEY ASKING PAR-

SUZANNE BIANCHI, SOCIOLOGY,

THIS YEAR’S OLYMPIC GAMES, BALTIMORE SUN, AUGUST 14

“Most people, if they look at their life expectancy and they think they will live to 90, they are nuts to retire at 60. They’re going to be living in poverty at 80. I think it’s a wake-up call to baby boomers to get serious about getting their houses in order.”

PETER MORICI, BUSINESS, COMMENTING ON AN ERNST & YOUNG REPORT ABOUT PRE-RETIREMENT LIFESTYLES, WASHINGTON POST, JULY 13

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THE ARGUMENT BEGINS as parents confront their oldest child with evidence of drug use. The teen insists on dropping out of school. The parents dig in. “Get clean, stay in school, or not another penny,” they warn.

A scene like this is more likely to end with strict parental discipline when there are younger children at home, says university economist Ginger Jin. Game theory research by Jin and colleagues at Duke and Johns Hopkins universities concludes that watchful younger children motivate parents to preserve their reputations as disciplinarians.

“Tender-hearted parents find it gets harder to engage in ‘tough love’ as they have fewer young children in the house,” says Jin. “As a result, the theory predicts that last-born and only children will see their parents softening, think they can get away with more than their siblings, and, on average, will be more likely to engage in risky behaviors.”

Analysis of federal data confirmed this. In homes with younger siblings, the school dropout rate dropped by one-eighth and teen pregnancy decreased as much as 20 percent.

“Parents and teens act out roles,” Jin concludes. “Each strategizes and plays the odds.

But the parents have an advantage—if they set and enforce the rules.” —NT

ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN G. PAYNE

The Truth About Elections GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR KAREN KAUFMANN IS AN EXPERT ON PUBLIC OPINION AND VOTING BEHAVIOR, POLITICAL COMMUNICATION AND URBAN POLITICS. THE CO-AUTHOR OF UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM: FACTS AND MYTHS ABOUT AMERICAN VOTERS SAT DOWN WITH TERP TO SHARE HER INSIGHTS ON WHAT REALLY HAPPENS IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT THIS NOVEMBER.

TERP: Why write a book on myths about American voters?

KAUFMANN: These preposterous story lines get churned out every election season about soccer moms or security moms or Republicans praying for rain—all the kinds of conventional wisdoms that seem to be trotted out with great regularity but are simply not true. In the case of voting groups the media identifies as swing voters, they tend to be really hackneyed old stereotypes. Whether it’s NASCAR fans, Latinos or the white working class, it’s not beneficial to reinforce stereotypes in a venue that’s supposed to provide factual information.

TERP: What is the big myth of 2008?

KAUFMANN: This year, conventional wisdom is that young voters are just absolutely crazy in love with Obama and that that alone will take them to the polls. They may turn up in untold numbers, but if they do, that’s because it’s going to be a high turnout election and lots of voter groups are turning out in untold numbers. We’ve had Rock the Vote. Diddy had his campaign, which was Vote or Die, where the majority of American young just picked “die.” Don’t be surprised if young voters don’t rock the vote as much as we expect them to.

TERP: What perpetuates political myths?

KAUFMANN: We have so many media outlets today. The 24-hour cable news channels have journalistic and commercial incentives to find good story lines. They want to be able to simplify what’s happening in the political realm so people not only understand it, but it’s fun for them to understand it. The fact that it’s not true seems less important than that it makes for really good storytelling.

PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; ILLUSTRATION BY JEANETTE J. NELSON

TERP: In reality, what are the big factors this election?

KAUFMANN: The economy is struggling. Obviously, people are very concerned about the mortgage crisis. They’re concerned about gasoline prices. Over 80 percent of Americans think the country is on the wrong track. If you think of the Bush administration being the incumbent party, what that suggests is that many of the short-term forces should favor the Democratic Party. On the other hand, with Obama as the Democratic nominee, Americans’ racial sentiments may also be an important determination of the vote.

TERP: How do you help students make informed political decisions?

KAUFMANN: I try very hard to create a safe environment for my students—who have a vast array of ideological belief systems—to share ideas and respect and learn from one another. I try very hard to create an opportunity for students who disagree to flesh out why using the tools of social science inquiry. Where’s the source of these disagreements? How can men and women of goodwill communicate about politics in a civil way?

TERP: How can the rest of us become better political consumers?

KAUFMANN: People are exposed to a lot of polling information and some are better than others at using it properly. I think Americans cling to polls as though they were getting a halftime score.

Informed consumers should recognize that polls are just a snapshot in time and subject to enormous change. Another thing that would enhance democracy is restoring the civics curriculum in our public schools. That’s an important part of creating good citizens and giving people the tools they need to be sophisticated consumers. —KM

“I love politics,” says professor Karen Kaufmann. “I like sports too, and they have certain elements in common. At their best, they are both extraordinary competitions.”

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m-file Keep ’Em Moving LOTS OF THINGS start for kids when

they enter middle school, but physical activity isn’t one of them. “Middle school is the time in which physical activity decline is at its greatest,” says Deborah Young, a professor in the School of Public Health who studies physical activity behavior, particularly in minority and female populations.

But as Young and a team of researchers found in a national study, giving girls communitybased, after-school physical activity programs—in addition to physical education classes in school, health education lessons and sports—may prevent excess weight gain of about two pounds per year.

Maintaining the activity could prevent a girl from becoming overweight as a teenager or an adult.

“Providing after-school programs filled a gap,” says Young. “Schools and community agencies worked to provide a number of different activities that would appeal to different girls—athletes and non-athletes. Afterschool programs included hip-hop dance, walking clubs, lacrosse clinics, swimming programs, training for a 5-K road race. One place even had surfing lessons.” —ET

FAMILIES WHO WANT TO ENCOURAGE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN THEIR ADOLESCENTS CAN TRY THESE STEPS:

• Be a role model. Be physically active yourself.

• Sign them up for after-school physical activity classes.

Make sure they have transportation from school and back home.

• Offer to lead a before-school or after-school physical activity class or program.

• Organize a “walking school bus,” in which children meet up about 1/2 mile from school and walk together.

• Plan family outings that are physically active, like hiking.

• For girls, consider activities that they can do with their friends.

• For boys, consider group activities that are competitive.

• Don't hesitate to offer ideas and suggest programming options to community agencies that serve adolescents.

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A Better Understanding of YOU PROBABLY KNOW that Earth has a magnetic field, which causes a compass needle to point north. You may even know that this powerful magnetic field shields our planet from lethal cosmic radiation. But are you aware that the strength of Earth’s magnetic field has been declining for at least 150 years? Or that many times in our planet’s history, its magnetic poles have “flipped,” with north becoming south, and vice versa?

Exactly how do planets generate magnetic fields (most other planets in our solar system also have them); and what causes a field to flip its poles? Not even scientists have figured that out yet. The basics of the process have long been understood: magnetism, motion and electricity are an inseparable trio. Whenever two are present, the third is there too. But exactly how the complex dynamics of a spinning, molten-metal planetary core yield a sustainable magnetic field remains unknown.

Maryland geophysicist Dan Lathrop wants to supply the missing pieces to this puzzle. For several years, Lathrop and his team have been using mini planets—spinning steel spheres filled with melted sodium metal—to try to recreate the

EARTH IMAGE COURTESY OF NASA

New Technologies Earn Accolades

the Earth’s Magnetic Field forces of Earth’s spinning, churning, molten iron core.

Other scientists have built experimental models that generate magnetic fields, but with the “artificial” help of pipes or other devices to guide the flow of the liquid. In Lathrop’s experiments, the metal churns freely as it does in the Earth.

The Maryland team’s newest and largest mini planet is a 10-foot-diameter steel sphere filled with 14 tons of sodium that will spin at 80 mph when experiments get underway later this fall. “We hope this 3-meter dynamo will generate a magnetic field, giving information needed to better understand Earth’s magnetic field and its changes,” Lathrop said. —LT Geophysicist Dan Lathrop is replicating the Earth's magnetic field using a stainless steel sphere filled with heated liquid sodium.

The 10-foot-diameter sphere is shown (left) during assembly by lab technicians.

Inventions of the A CAMERA ABLE to “see” noise and a Year include an robotic device that can perform audio camera, a minimally invasive brain surgical robot and a new virus-detection surgery are among the method. winners of the 21st annual Invention of the Year Awards, which honor outstanding inventions by university faculty and students.

A panel of university personnel and industry experts reviewed almost a dozen proposals. Based on each proposal’s creativity and potential benefit to society, the panel chose winners in three categories: physical science, information science and life science.

“A world-class university advances transformational ideas and technologies and can readily bring those ideas to market—which ultimately benefits society and fuels a region’s economic engine,” says Gayatri Varma, executive director of the university’s Office of Technology Commercialization, which coordinates the event.

The audio camera was developed by a team led by Ramani Duraiswami, associate professor in the university’s Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. Much as an optical camera creates images from captured light intensity to create a real-time picture, the audio camera creates a real-time audio image out of sound arriving from all directions to a specific point—the location of the camera.

This novel technology can be used in defense applications such as sniper identification, Duraiswami explains, where the spatial direction of gunfire must be determined quickly. It can also be used by architects to design better concert halls, improving their capability to track sound reflections.

The robotic surgical device was conceived by a team of researchers from the A. James Clark School of Engineering, who collaborated with physicians from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. This highly dexterous device is capable of removing intracranial tumors and masses while operating through an extremely narrow corridor in the brain, producing minimal disturbance or damage to normal brain tissues, says Jaydev Desai, a member of the Clark School team.

Peter Kofinas, professor in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, led a team awarded top prize in the life science category. His group developed a low-cost, effective method for the detection and separation of viruses from cell culture and other medically relevant media. This may soon enable health-care providers to turn existing dialysis systems into virus removal systems capable of lowering the concentration of a virus in patients with HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or other blood-borne viruses. —TV

MODEL EARTH PHOTO COURTESY OF DAN LATHROP; ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

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play-by-play SCOREcard

Testudo: More Than a Mascot WHEN IT COMES to collegiate sports and good

luck, the mascot reigns supreme. And at Maryland, Testudo is a shell above the rest. But where did this cheer-inducing legend come from? Although turtles have been around since the dinosaurs, our beloved Testudo’s rise to fame began 75 years ago.

The student newspaper was already known as The Diamondback. It had been storied that legendary university president Harry C. “Curley” Byrd’s childhood included skirmishes with this fierce species of turtle, which is indigenous to the Chesapeake Bay. Howard Knobloch ’33 remembers, “After the stock market crash of 1929, our class had no money for a class gift.” So the Class of 1933 went to Byrd for his approval to name an official mascot. With Byrd’s blessing, the class donated the original bronze diamondback terrapin. “It took three days to bring the live turtle up the East Coast for the mold, but it worked out beautifully,” says Knobloch. At 300 pounds, the statue of Testudo was seemingly safe from pranks and mischief, but many years of mascot mayhem were in store.

One of the most famous “terrapin-nappings” was conducted by Johns Hopkins University students in 1947. The Hopkins students stole Testudo from his perch outside of Ritchie Coliseum and buried him in Baltimore. They then prepared for the Maryland students’ inevitable rescue

attempt with barbed wire, fire hoses and soap chips. More than 200 Baltimore policemen arrived at the slippery scene and arrested 11 students for disorderly conduct. The battle ended with the return of Testudo, who now bore a blue “H” on his shell. To avoid such events in the future, Maryland officials filled Testudo with cement, causing the terrapin titan to tip the scales at approximately 1,000 pounds. By 1965, Testudo was safely perched in front of McKeldin Library, a more secure and visible location, where he remains today.

Not only does Testudo provide fortune on the field, some students believe their academics benefit from his luck. In addition to rubbing his nose, students in the 1990s began a tradition of leaving offerings such as pennies and snacks during final exams in hopes of improving their grades. And with four additional statues across campus, the luck keeps growing.

Since the 1980s, a furry version of the mascot has also shared in the adventures. He is such a beloved part of game-day activities that he was included in the Capital One All-America Mascot Team, an honor bestowed on 12 mascots a year, in 2004 and 2006. —MLB

The university’s beloved Testudo has a long and storied history, including a “terrapin-napping” by local football rival Johns Hopkins and the resulting “punishment” by Maryland students (above).

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Although Testudo provides the luck and spirit, it’s the student-athletes who work hard to be the best in their sports. Some recent accomplishments: Dana Dobbie was named midfielder of the year by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association. Dobbie led the country in draw controls with 126, which set a new NCAA single-season record. She was also a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy for the second-straight season.

Scott Swinson pitched the sixth no-hitter in school history on May 13. Swinson struck out a career-high 10 batters in the game against the University of Delaware. The no-hitter was the first solo no-hitter by a Maryland pitcher since 1992 and the first solo and shutout no-hitter since 1972.

Chris Gold became the sixth Maryland men's golfer to be named a first-team selection to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference men's golf team.

Gold led Maryland with a 73.1 scoring average this spring. He won three individual tournaments this season, including the Adams Cup of Newport, the Cuthbert Cup and the George Washington Invitational.

TESTUDO PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES; SCORECARD PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

spotlight Maryland's Musical Ambassadors at 100

Command Performance, 1961 Maryland’s marching band was honored with invitations to four inaugural parades for Presidents Woodrow Wilson (1917), Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953), John F. Kennedy (1961, pictured) and Ronald Reagan (1985).

The Beginning, 1908 Bugler L.G. Smith organized the original, 25-member Cadet Band, which, like military bands elsewhere, was used to boost morale.

Pioneering Women, 1936 Three women, all trumpet players, were the first coeds to join the university band. Two years later, freshman Dot Arnold and sophomore Shirley Connor were chosen to be the first female majorettes. Shown (above) in costumes they designed, the women’s short white skirts and flowing capes outraged dozens of parents and a Washington newspaper.

Their band privileges were immediately suspended until “more suitable attire could be obtained.” The redesigned outfits (right) were on display a few weeks later.

BAND HISTORY PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

INDIVIDUALLY, THE MEMBERS BLEND into the sea of students walking along McKeldin Mall.

Collectively, they are the most diverse student organization at the university. No other group can match the rich history and endless devotion of the School of Music’s band program.

Since 1908, Maryland bands have entertained thousands and served as musical ambassadors who raise the university’s profile. This month, the university kicked off a celebration of the bands’ centennial anniversary.

“The bands provide impact through their pageantry and music and equally through their vocal spirit and loyalty to the university,” says Associate Director L. Richmond Sparks, who has been with the music program since 1984. “It’s a moving art form.”

The bands will host a number of special events throughout the 2008–09 school year, and the marching band will release two commemorative books in the spring. The annual Kaleidoscope concert in December may be the

Royal Homecoming, 1957 Queen Elizabeth II took in a football game at Byrd Stadium, where the marching band replicated Her Majesty’s crest and later played a traditional salute to her exit, which “delighted and amazed” her. Director Hugh Henderson wrote the arrangement after his Scottish mother-in-law whistled it to him over the phone.

Beautiful Music Together, 1954–present After World War II, the university’s music program took over band leadership, forming several new bands that flourished and continue to evolve. Maryland currently has nine bands: three jazz, two athletic and four concert bands.

largest gathering of band alumni ever.

In the meantime, today’s members are giving spirited performances here and around the world. In July, the Community Band performed a salute to the 2008 Olympics in Shanghai and Beijing, China, prior to the Olympic Games.

Take a look at other historically and culturally significant moments from 100 years of Maryland music. —CW

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ceremony, ice cream social and cocktail reception with special guest, Maryland men’s basketball coach Gary Williams ’68.

Oct. 24, Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center • Maryland Alumni Association Homecoming Festival with music, activities for the entire family, game fare and beverages! Oct. 25, Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center (3 hours prior to kickoff) • Maryland vs. North Carolina State Homecoming football game. The Terps take on the Wolfpack in this ACC match-up. Oct. 25, Chevy Chase Field at Byrd Stadium • Campus tour—see how Maryland’s campus has grown during this narrated bus tour.

Departing from Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, Oct. 26., 11:30 A.M. • And much more! Visit www.alumni.umd.edu for a complete list of events.

Alumni Association Members-Only Backyard Bash!

Sponsored by GEICO Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center

OCT. 25 | THREE HOURS PRIOR TO KICKOFF The Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center’s Moxley Gardens will be transformed into a Backyard Bash for alumni association members on Homecoming. This members-only event features complimentary tailgate fare and beverages and live music.

Be sure to carry your membership card on Homecoming for entrance to this exclusive celebration!

DEC. 11–14 500 Clown and the Elephant Deal Featuring UM Department of Theatre Students Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

3 P.M. (DEC. 13 AND 14) | 8 P.M. (DEC.11–13)

This original music-theater-

clown production brings the

wildly physical and hysterical antics of 500 Clown back to Maryland in this adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s The Elephant Calf and Mann ist Mann. Spontaneous

experiences and impulsive play will be part of the bargain as the clowns and the university’s own students explore identity and the borders between self and character.

M GRAPHIC BY JENNIFER PAUL; HOMECOMING PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION; BOOK PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; CHRIS HEDGES PHOTO BY KIM HEDGES; DARWIN IMAGE COURTESY OF BRUNEL UNIVERSITY, WEST LONDON; 500 CLOWN PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

H OT L I N E

Charles Darwin discuss how to teach concepts of evolution in grades K-12; explore job and internship opportunities; meet university scientists and interact with graduate student researchers; and network with colleagues who share an interest in the bioscience industry.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

301.405.4678 or 800.336.8627, www.alumni.umd.edu

ATHLETICS

301.314.7070 (Ticket Office), http://umterps.cstv.com

2008 BIOSCIENCE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY REVIEW DAY

www.bioscienceday.umd.edu

CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

301.405.ARTS (Ticket Office), www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu

FIRST YEAR BOOK PROGRAM

301.405.9363 www.firstyearbook.umd.edu

OCT. 29 | 4 P.M. The First Year Book Program Presents Chris Hedges, Author of War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning Stamp Student Union At a time when the United States is engaged in war, author Chris Hedges offers the university community the opportunity to examine the meaning of war, how wars begin and the impact war has on our national psyche.

Hedges, a former who has covered conflicts in Central America and

war correspondent the Sudan, uses writings from the classical period to the present day in his reflections on war.

Maryland’s 2008–2009 First Year

His book, War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, is Book selection.

The College of Chemical and Life Sciences presents the most recent advances in bioscience and biotechnology at the University of Maryland during BioScience Research and Technology Review Day. Hear special presentations on this year’s theme, “Darwin at 200–Evolution & 21st Century Science.” Witness the “ghost” of

NOV. 12 2008 BioScience Research and Technology Review Day Featuring keynote speaker E.O. Wilson, Harvard University distinguished scholar and naturalist

Make Maryland your fall destination as the university hosts Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, taps the expertise of this year’s First Year Book author, showcases the latest in biotech advances and sends in the clowns for an encore performance.

OCT. 24–26

2008 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Throughout campus Find your way back to Maryland and rediscover alma mater during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. Follow the Ms to a variety of fun and festive activities: • Homecoming parade, including floats, live music, special guests and more. Oct. 24, Main Administration Building • Reunions for the Classes of 1958 and 1968, featuring the Golden Terps brunch and Emeritus Alumni Club induction

our university

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CREDIT

Bold, ambitious and focused may best describe the University of Maryland’s 10-year strategic plan, set for implementation beginning this fall. The detailed document (available online at www.sp07.umd.edu) contains dozens of initiatives and hundreds of specific strategies. Ultimately, the plan has two clear objectives: to greatly expand the university’s impact and advance its position among world-class universities. To validate these noteworthy aspirations, the plan has identified several transformational outcomes expected by 2018.

“These outcomes will move this institution forward significantly, thereby strengthening the state of Maryland’s intellectual and economic competitiveness and enhancing its social and cultural life,” says Nariman Farvardin, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

Terp asked members of our university community—as well as the local community—to offer some insight on strategies, challenges and implementation methods identified in the strategic plan, framing their commentary around four key areas of change.

exceptional students Jesse Chen, a recent graduate of the Robert H. Smith School of Business, says the overall quality of his undergraduate experience was “very positive.”

If Maryland is truly going to be a world-class university, though, Chen says it needs to address the deficiencies he experienced with CORE, a set of courses required of all undergraduates.

The challenge in redeveloping a general education requirement—one of the strategic plan’s critical objectives—is in offering courses that not only teach students how to learn in the 21st century, but also how to act on that knowledge, Chen says. “At the end of four years we should leave here with an education, not just a grade point average,” he explains.

“And I think the strategic plan—as I have read it— helps a lot with that.”

He also believes that Maryland needs to continue to raise its admission standards and increase the academic rigor for undergraduates. “Our student body wants to be challenged academically, and this plan will challenge the students from an education perspective greatly.”

As the strategic plan moves forward, Chen recognizes the important role that alumni will play, especially in areas like mentoring current students or recruiting on behalf of an employer. “We cannot meet the goals we have—the great expectations we have—without alumni support,” he says. “Our alumni will need to step up—not just financially,

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which is obviously a huge component—but also with their time, energy and other resources.”

The 22-year-old alumnus sees good things ahead for his alma mater. “We are really a much better university than what we are currently recognized for, both in rankings and visibility,” he says. “But that perception is going to change, and soon.”

E XCE P T IONA L S T U DE N TS

Jesse Chen ’08

Strategic Benchmarks » The university will increase

enrollment of the state’s highest achieving high school graduates by 40%. » The percentage of students

from underrepresented groups will rise to at least 38%. » Students earning academic

credit each year for study abroad will triple, from 1,300 to 4,000.

THE SUR ROUNDING COMMUNITY

Stephanie Stullich, City of College Park Councilmember, District 3

Strategic Benchmarks » The $900 million East Campus

town center will be completed, providing high-quality retail and office space and housing. » M Square research park will

grow, adding 2 million square feet of office and laboratory space. » Faculty, students and staff will

enhance local K–12 education, promote health and wellness, improve public safety and build and sustain a vibrant community.

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the surrounding community Stephanie Stullich says that College Park “is a town I want to grow old in … I want to spend the rest of my life here.”Yet Stullich—a 14-year resident who also serves on the city council—admits that College Park is not usually thought of as a vibrant college town. “Where we’re really lacking is in the commercial sector,” she says. “The downtown we have now is not a particularly enticing, walkable downtown, and I think that’s what people are really hungry for.”

The expected arrival of the East Campus redevelopment—a major element of the strategic plan—has many residents excited, yet also a bit wary, says Stullich. “East Campus will provide the opportunity to get that critical mass of retail and restaurants needed for a successful transformation of College Park,” she says, adding that some residents worry about increased traffic and crime with the expected influx of outsiders visiting the area.

Still, Stullich believes that a real synergy of shopping, dining and entertainment can emerge with the East Campus project, stimulating a revitalization that will benefit the entire area.

In her role with the city council, Stullich expects to work closely with the university on a number of pressing issues, including transportation, the university’s local K–12 education initiatives and public safety concerns.

“I really believe College Park is going to be a very different place in the next five to 10 years,” Stullich says. “I think both the city and the university ultimately want the same thing—an attractive, interesting, diverse community that we can all be proud of.”

window to the world Jaganath Sankaran, whose doctoral research in the School of Public Policy centers on international dialogue concerning weapons in space, considered MIT, Stanford and Carnegie Mellon before choosing to attend graduate school at the University of Maryland.

His reasoning? “If I want my research findings implemented as policy, I would have to come to Washington, D.C., anyway … this is where things happen if you want to change international policy.” That many of the world’s most prestigious science-related organizations, as well as dozens of world-class public policy think tanks, are located in or around Washington only reaffirmed his choice, Sankaran adds.

There is a lot to be gained from having different international perspectives when confronting public policy and engineering questions, says Sankaran, who has advanced degrees in both

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advancing knowledge

Jaganath Sankaran M.S. ’08, engineering and public policy

Strategic Benchmarks » At least 50% of academic

programs will have definable global elements. » The percentage of inter-

national undergraduate enrollment will nearly quadruple.

W IN DOW TO THE WOR LD

“The interdisciplinary nature of the research here—particularly the intersection between biology and engineering—is really well-represented in my department, institute and college,” says Pamela Abshire, an associate professor in the A. James Clark School of Engineering.

In her Integrated Biomorphic Information Systems lab, Abshire works with faculty from across disciplines at Maryland while also collaborating with medical professionals from other institutions. They are collectively focused on high-impact areas of science, including cell-based sensing—a so-called “lab-on-a-chip” that can quickly detect dangerous pathogens.

Nano-bio research similar to Abshire’s is just one of the priority research areas identified in the strategic plan, others being climate change, energy, public health, information science and language, culture and cognition.

“Targeting our resources in high-impact areas is really going to set us up as a world leader in these research areas—and I think we are close to that already,” Abshire says. Maryland’s strong interaction with nearby government research labs is also very important, she adds, “not only in terms of funding, but in many cases in terms of facilities and the job placements for our graduates.”

One of the biggest movements Abshire has seen in the Clark School is in the fostering of connections to industry. “That spirit of entrepreneurship and connectivity to local industry—whether a large company or a small startup—is very strong, and I anticipate it will get even stronger across the entire university in the coming years,” she says.

Abshire says the most satisfying aspect of her profession is working with students and guiding their work. “Our job is to interact with these brilliant young minds and set lofty goals—pushing them and pushing their boundaries in a way that is achievable.” 5&31

» Stipends for graduate students

will increase to $18,000. » New and expanded partner-

ships will be established with international organizations.

Pamela Abshire, electrical and computer engineering and Institute for Systems Research

Strategic Benchmarks » Current external research

funding of $407 million will increase to $700 million. » Faculty selected to the

National Academies, currently 42, will increase at least 63%.

A DVA NCI NG K NOW L E D G E

fields. “This is how research is done today, just like business—globally.”

But both Sankaran and the strategic plan acknowledge that the university must address some basic logistical concerns to attract the best and brightest graduate students and researchers from around the world to Maryland. “Increased stipends and affordable housing allow graduate students focus on getting their research off the table, rather than worrying about next month’s rent,” Sankaran says.

Once these amenities are in place, Sankaran believes there will be a dramatic culture shift—one that leads to the highest levels of excellence by Maryland’s researchers and scholars. “We’ll soon be able to offer the same competitive attractions as MIT or Stanford,” he says. “These are world-class universities that can say, ‘We’ll give you the money, but you need to give us the very best in research.’

And I expect that to happen at Maryland, too.”

» Major foundation grants will

increase from 4% of total research funds to 10%.

CHEN, STULLICH AND SANKARAN PHOTOS BY ANNE MCDONOUGH ALL OTHER PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

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Sean Humbert, assistant

Faculty in the A. James Clark School of Engineering glean new scientific knowledge by closely observing nature, studying the intricate wing structure of a Japanese maple samara (above) and the sensory ability of a fruit fly’s compound eye (below).

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professor of aerospace engineering, studied neurobiology as well as engineering in graduate school. He and the students in his bustling lab take cues from biology as they build robots and unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, that can navigate themselves.

“You want to be able to fly in the urban clutter,” Humbert explains. “If you see a telephone wire ahead of you, you duck,” Humbert says, but UAVs don’t yet. To build better versions, Humbert wants to understand “the sensory architecture” in animals like fruit flies and how their sensory systems integrate with the animals’ impressive flight mechanics.

This spring, the Army Research Laboratory selected a team headed by Humbert and Inderjit Chopra, professor of aerospace engineering, to lead a nationwide collaboration to develop miniature autonomous vehicles that can give soldiers’ awareness of complex terrain before they enter it.

The researchers are working to develop different kinds of robots for different contexts, including tiny vehicles that can flap their wings and small ground robots that can crawl over terrain and jump over mud puddles to map the ground.

The Physics of Light Flight

Humans have a good track record of designing aerial vehicles that are large and heavy, but nature is better at designing aerial vehicles that are small and light. Aerospace engineers at the university want to understand whether some methods of flying are indeed superior at smaller scales. For example, flapping wings may allow more control than rotors do.

In a small wind tunnel in Humbert’s lab, cameras record flies’ wing motions and rotations using high-speed video. Flies maneuver by making subtle adjustments to their rapidly flapping wings, whose dynamics scientists are only beginning to understand.

Darryll Pines, professor and chair of aerospace engineering, says that in five years, researchers should know much more about the aerodynamics of flight on a small scale, guided by examples in nature. The university “has some of the best researchers in the nation to solve these problems,” Pines says.

Pines and the members of his lab have long worked to improve the design of rotary systems.

One set of small, unmanned vehicles they have designed is modeled on specialized leaves, known as samara, which spread the seeds of maple trees and other plants.

“The samara has the lowest descent rate known for anything of the same weight and size,” which helps the seeds disperse, Pines explains. Pines and his collaborators have been developing ways to power and steer vehicles inspired by samaras. The team is also studying the inner structure of the specialized leaves to understand the mechanics behind their flexibility and aerodynamics.

Researchers in aerospace engineering are also taking inspiration from soaring birds. James Hubbard, a professor of aerospace engineering who works closely with NASA, has been inspired by albatrosses, which can circumnavigate the globe in a month, flying day and night, even while resting mid-flight. Near the ocean in Virginia, Hubbard says, “I noticed that there were birds that never seemed to flap their wings. I became very interested in knowing if we could design a vehicle that could exploit atmospheric energy and stay up basically 24-7.”

photos by John t. COnsoli and mike morgan

Chopra and his research group also build flapping-wing devices inspired by insects and birds, as well as rotor-powered devices of all sizes. Even for rotor-powered vehicles, Chopra says that biology can provide inspiration. He and his students study how subtle refinements to rotor shape affect air movement, and they are designing flexible rotors that flap slightly as they spin.

Sensory Systems

University engineers also look to living things for research focuses on another type of flight control, ideas when building better sensors. “Invertebrates echolocation in bats. Echolocating bats use the don’t have very complicated sensors, but they bouncing, or echoing, of their voices to avoid have lots of them distributed over the body,” says obstacles and find insect prey. They also use the Humbert. A fly’s compound eye has some 1,400 fine hairs on their wings to sense air turbulence. to 2,000 light detectors. Insects have hairs all over Moss says her interest in bats is rooted in their bodies that can sense vibrations. “What we’re the more general problem of how creatures use doing in the lab is trying to understand why these “active perception” to respond to their environdistributed arrays of simple sensors are better,” says ment as they move rapidly through it. Relying on Humbert. It seems that flies can compress the its vocalizations, an insect-eating bat can intercept information encoded by their many photorecepa far-off mosquito. In Moss’s lab, bats distinguish a tors into basic information about the proximity distant bead that has a groove oriented vertically and relative speed of obstacles, says Humbert. from a bead with its groove oriented horizontally.

Humbert is working with Timothy Horiuchi, Engineering can be used to develop quanassociate professor of electrical and computer titative rules for understanding bat behavior, engineering, to develop new ways for robots to see Krishnaprasad explains, as well as offer the posand steer, using a combination of vision and sonar. sibility of applying insights gleaned from bats in Horiuchi also collaborates closely with robotics and navigation systems.

Cynthia Moss, professor of psychology, and P.S. Moss’s team found that bats can easily navigate Krishnaprasad, professor of electrical and comthrough a hole in a fine mist net to eat a worm, puter engineering, all members of Maryland’s increasing their rate of vocalization when they Institute for Systems Research. Their joint get close to objects. Her team has also created artificial forests in the lab to see how bats use echolocation to navigate.

“I couldn’t ask for a better problem,” says Krishnaprasad, about trying to extract the mathematical rules that govern bat behavior.

What Humbert has found about flies applies to bats, birds and plants, as well.

“The deeper we probe into these insects, the more elegant and wonderful their systems are,” he says “They’re so robust compared to anything we have built. The existence proof is there.” If nature has created machinery that is so light, energyefficient, ingenious and effective, their existence is proof that engineers can too. TERP

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Timothy Horiuchi (above) collaborates with faculty from across disciplines to develop new engineering systems, including bat-inspired navigation devices on small, unmanned aerial vehicles.

Jared Grauer ’05, M.S. ’07, (left) a doctoral student in flight dynamics and control, studies the wing structure of large birds. Maryland researchers are particularly interested in the flight dynamics of the albatross (above), which can travel extremely long distances while expending minimal energy.

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war

A Public ServanT IN

W

hen retired Lt. Gen. Julius Becton Jr. M.A. ’67 drafted his autobiography, his publisher sent his 800-page manuscript back with a pointed request. He liked the story, but declared it was “entirely too long.” He told him to cut it. Substantially.

But giving orders to a general is a precarious business, especially when the general is as productive and accomplished as Becton.

“I cut it to 910 pages,” he recalls. “I realized I was going in the wrong direction.”

Given more space, Becton’s story might have matched the heft of a Tolstoy novel. Instead, it’s a shorter story of war and peace.

The book, Becton: Autobiography of a Soldier and Public Servant, chronicles his nearly 40-year military career, covering service in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Among Becton’s decorations are the Distinguished Service Medal, two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merit medals and two Purple Hearts.

Becton also served the Reagan administration as director of the Office of Foreign Assistance for the Agency for International Development, was director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (fema), president of a university and superintendent of public schools in Washington, D.C.

peace by pamela babcock

Throughout his career, Becton has adhered to a philosophy of management that covers more than a dozen topics such as maintaining your sense of humor and integrity. “To me, integrity is non-negotiable,” Becton says. “All the others have their place—like, admit mistakes. … I don’t want a bunch of ‘yes’ people around me.”

Last year, Becton received the General George Catlett Marshall Medal—the highest award presented by the association of the U.S. Army. The university also bestowed on him the 2008 President’s Distinguished Alumnus Award for achieving national recognition for excellence in his profession and field.

“He served as a mentor to those who followed his distinguished footsteps,” longtime associate Colin L. Powell, former secretary of state, has said. “I was one of them and would never have risen without his example and help.”

The autobiography is filled with the requisite photos of military regalia, White House dinners with Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and the like. But in typical

Lt. Gen. Julius Becton’s long military career included Officer Candidate School in 1944 (top), a display of horsemanship in 1975 (center) and meeting with top military officers in Israel in 1977 (bottom).

ILLUSTRATION BY OKAN ARABACIOGLU; PHOTOS COURTESY OF LT. GEN. JULIUS BECTON JR.

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“They were looking for a butt kicker,” Becton recalls of a university he led.

“We basically turned the school around.”

Becton receives the President's Distinguished Alumnus Award at the 2008 Alumni Association Awards Gala.

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Becton fashion, it also captures more humorous moments. In one photo, Becton is nearly vertical on a horse that spooked when a bunch of mules reacted to the roar of a military jet during a military demonstration. The next shot shows the pair on the ground.

“The horse didn’t throw me,” Becton tells Terp, unconvincingly. “If you look at the photo, you’ll see I threw the horse.”

Very little could throw Becton. From humble roots, he climbed upward in military and civilian life. The eldest son of a janitor and a domestic worker, Becton grew up in Bryn Mawr, Pa. His father, who had completed only third grade, always wanted Becton to become a doctor, but Becton struggled with science.

After high school, in 1943, Becton enlisted in the then-segregated U.S. Army.

“While I can take risks and spill my blood in defense of democracy, I had to sit in the back of the bus, eat at the counter—in the kitchen, wait in a colored waiting room and drink from the colored-only water fountain,” he once said in a speech.

This July, Becton reflected on 60 years of military integration in a national interview.

“When we entered World War II, we had senior officers who did not think that the black man could fight,” he told NBC Nightly News.

“Once you get in a battle or in a foxhole, you couldn’t care less what the race or color of that person is on your right or left.You’re going to watch his back; he’s going to watch your back.”

Becton went on to become the first black infantry company commander in an integrated 2nd Armored Division in 1955 in Germany. In 1978, he assumed command of the 7th Corps in Germany—then the largest in the U.S. Army— whose mission was defending freedom in the central region in nato.

His dedication to country did not end once he left the military.

Becton’s stint at fema stretched from 1985 to 1989, and he says he left the agency “a very close-knit organization of employees who were

very happy about what they were doing because someone was giving them respect.”

Then he became president of his undergraduate alma mater, Prairie View A&M University.

“They were looking for a butt kicker,” Becton recalls of the financially strapped organization.

“We basically turned the school around.”

His most daunting challenge came as superintendent of Washington, D.C.’s, public schools. He knew their potential because his own children had attended system schools in the ’60s.

Becton officially retired in 1998, but serves on numerous corporate and advisory boards. In January, he and his wife, Louise, celebrated their 60th anniversary surrounded by their five children, grandchildren and great grandchildren at a surprise party in Old Town, Alexandria,Va. But he remains a public servant at heart.

In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, he was in Houston for a football game. Evacuees were being sent to the Astrodome, and he headed there to help. He called thenfema Director Michael Brown, who was roundly criticized for the agency’s response, to offer his services. No one returned his call.

“I’m still waiting for a phone call,” Becton says.

Shortly before the general finished his book, he received a letter from Mario Mercado, a soldier he met in the 7th Corps nearly 30 years ago. At the time, Mercado was a medical platoon sergeant.

A high school dropout, he went on to earn three master’s degrees and a doctorate in education.

“As a young soldier,” Mercado wrote, “I realized that in motivating soldiers, you engaged their mind and their hearts. It didn’t take me long to realize you were teaching other soldiers that it is good leadership to have a soldier feel part of the entire effort.”

Leading and teaching. That is Becton’s story as a soldier and civilian. 5&31

Published this year, Becton: Autobiography of a Soldier and Public Servant, chronicles the 1967 graduate's 40-year military career.

PHOTO BY MIKE MORGAN

Terps Make Their Mark on Great Expectations Campaign a commitment,” he says. “I wanted to be more than a spectator.”

Supporting the university’s great expectations goes beyond monetary gifts to include renewed membership in the alumni association, cheering alma mater both on the athletic fields and off, volunteering on the campus and in the community and sharing personal and professional expertise.

All of these efforts support the core strength of the university, building its reputation and adding value to every alumnus’ degree. With a new strategic plan and the Great Expectations campaign well past the halfway mark in its $1 billion fund-raising goal, Maryland is positioned to achieve preeminence.

The Maryland family has accepted the challenge, and growing numbers of alumni are showing how they can make their mark in the quest to ensure Maryland becomes a truly world-class university. —CR Roger ’76 and Karen Winston ’75

were so pleased with their daughter’s experience in University Honors that they now support the program and three scholarship funds to help other students get a great Maryland education.

Michael Fontz ’07 works hard to rally young alumni and keep them connected to the alumni association. He volunteered to help analyze nearly 800 surveys to find what sparks their Maryland pride.

Dan Rice ’91 understands the value of championing his alma mater everywhere he goes, even in the workplace where he challenges fellow Terps to leverage corporate matching gift programs to turn small gifts into a big impact for Maryland.

These are just a few of the more than 80,000 alumni and friends who have been led by their Terrapin spirit to make their mark on Maryland as part of Great

photo by john t. consoli

Expectations, The Campaign for Maryland.

Driven by their individual passions, they have blazed a trail for the Maryland family to follow. $1 BILLION Longtime Terrapin Club and 900 M alumni association members, the Winstons wanted to do 800 M more for Maryland after their 700 M daughter graduated. “We see supporting scholarships as both 600 M an investment in the student and 500 M a long-term investment in the university,” says Roger.

400 M Rice, a Colonnade Society Council member and a cheer300 M leader for Maryland within his 200 M company, Accenture, admits his intentions were often better than 100 M his actions. “For years I almost donated, almost volunteered. I got tired of ‘almost’ and made

At $545 million , Great Expectations is well past the halfway mark.

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cheer join share volunteer give

c

j

Make your mark on Maryland

cheer and advocate for Maryland to spread the word about our excellent university and build the community of supporters. join the alumni association to be officially counted as a devoted Terp and help boost Maryland’s standing in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. share your expertise to enhance the quality of academic programs and enrich the student experience. volunteer your time for Maryland to add that extra support that helps programs and projects reach new levels of excellence.

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give in a way that reflects the success your Maryland connection helped you achieve.

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Members of the Maryland family are making their mark on Maryland as the Great Expectations campaign builds momentum.

From lively Terp fans to serious volunteers, they show how everyone—no matter when they graduated—can demonstrate their Terrapin pride and generate the energy and wide-ranging resources needed to fuel a great university.

For everyone who loves Maryland— alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends—there is a place for you to connect today and be part of the movement that’s determined to keep Maryland strong.

You can join them. Let your own personal passion lead the way.

v

g

s

cheer A full-time Terrapin fan,

share Joseph “Jay” Gerst ’97

join As a host for ABC Sports and

volunteer The Hon. Joseph

Patrick Welch ’84 uses his company to sing Maryland’s praises, welcoming clients into a conference room fully outfitted with Terp championship memorabilia.

ESPN, Bonnie Bernstein ’92 spans the world of big-time athletics, but she always returns for “Terps Take Manhattan” and renews her membership in the Maryland Alumni Association.

of Penske Racing shared the behind-thescenes twists and turns of NASCAR to inspire engineering students who built Maryland’s prize-winning formula racer.

Gildenhorn ’51 counts time as a precious resource, but squeezes his schedule to chair the Board of Trustees of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation.

give Yolanda Pruitt ’78 leveraged Need a few ideas to get started?

her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisterhood in a group effort to fund a scholarship for the Maryland Incentive Awards Program.

Visit www.makeyourmark.umd.edu to see how others are already making a difference and learn about areas where Maryland needs your help. Follow the link to share your stories, fond memories and the fun, exciting things you are doing today to make your mark.

We’ll even print some of the marks you’ve made on Maryland in an upcoming edition of Terp. —CR

photos by john t. consoli, lisa helfert, mike morgan and the a. james clark school of engineering

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Preparing a New Generation to Navigate Crisis Communications “You cannot train for crisis; you have to experience it,” says Richard Levick ’79, president and CEO of Levick Strategic Communications, one of the nation’s top privately held public relations firms. He seems to find his comfort zone in the eye of the storm managing high-profile crises— from national product recalls including spinach, pet food and toys, to handling the public relations of Middle Eastern countries affected by global conflicts.

A pioneer of the crisis communications field, he created the Levick Crisis Communication Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a Maryland junior or senior, with a gift of $50,000. “Levick has built the knowledge in this field and wants to prepare

future public relations practitioners for this very sophisticated specialization,” says Elizabeth Toth, chair of the Department of Communication.

Levick employs more than 50 interns a year, placing them in practice groups to work with junior and senior staff. Less interested in a student’s grades, he looks for an “abundance mentality” in potential employees. “The more excellence you put out there, the more you will be rewarded,” he says.

Stacy Cohen ’07 began as an intern and is now an account coordinator at Levick Strategic Communications. “Because we’re a crisis firm, things can happen at the drop of a hat,” she says. “It’s a great opportunity to jump right in and learn on the spot. And you’re learning from the best and brightest in the industry.”

As an intern, she worked on the pet food recall, which included developing

media relationships and working with affected companies. Cohen urges students not to underestimate the value of internships. Levick agrees. Before graduating from Maryland, he had racked up 30 credits in internships.

In a world of “new media, transparency and globalization,” says Levick, who earned both a master’s and a law degree, “there is an extraordinary need for crisis communications skills that encompass public relations expertise, a thorough understanding of government relations, Wall Street and international relations.”

Not one to shy away from challenges, Levick says, “What I love about crisis communications is we’re given the choice to be a spectator or a protagonist to history. I love having an opportunity to be a protagonist.”—DCJ

A Benefit Performance with Heart Alumnus Robert E. Fischell M.S. ’53, Honorary Doctorate ’96 has been best known for inventing lifesaving biomedical devices that keep irregular heartbeats in check. He turned the tables this summer, creating heart-pounding excitement for more than 300 guests who enjoyed a benefit performance of the raucous Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

In the production staged by the Washington Savoyards, Fischell played the role of the sergeant of police and was joined by Stacy Mastrian M.M. ’02, D.M.A. ’07 as Mabel. The benefit performance raised more than $402,000 through ticket sales, sponsorships and special gifts to provide scholarship support for talented students in music, theater and dance.

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credit

For more on Great Expectations, The Campaign for Maryland, go to www.greatexpectations.umd.edu.

specialGIFTS Spotlight on Faculty: Endowed Chairs and Professorships

The Shirley Povich Chair, named for the legendary Washington Post sports columnist and editor, has attracted one of sports journalism’s most talented voices to the Merrill College of Journalism. Kevin Blackistone (above), a regular panelist on espn’s Around the Horn and a national columnist for aol Sports, joined the faculty this fall. Blackistone rose to national distinction as an award-winning sports columnist at the Dallas Morning News, where he covered nearly every major sporting event. His broad experience in print, broadcast and online journalism is a valuable asset as the college works to build a preeminent sports journalism program. The Povich Chair is funded in part through the generous gifts of Povich’s children—David, Lynn and Maury.

Maryland’s growing reputation in the biosciences and the carrot of an endowed professorship helped lure Steven Salzberg away from the Institute for Genomic Research to head the university’s Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. As the Philip H. and Catherine C. Horvitz Professor in Computer Science, Salzberg is developing technology to apply to wide-ranging human health questions, including a process to exploit genome sequencing machines that are hundreds of times faster and cheaper than current technology.

For students pursuing majors in math, science and engineering, courses in multivariable calculus and differential equations are the gateway to success. Jonathan Rosenberg, the new Ruth M. Davis Professor of Mathematics, is part of a team focused on modernizing these courses by integrating mathematical software. At the same time, he maintains active research in geometry, mathematical physics and applications of geometry and topology to elementary particle theory. Davis, the first woman to receive a doctorate in mathematics at Maryland, established the professorship to encourage mathematics teaching and research.

Photo of Robert fischell by stan barouh; photos of kevin blackistone and eugenia kalnay by john t. consoli

Eugenia Kalnay (below), recently named the Eugenia Brin Professor in Data Assimilation, is known for innovative thinking. A recognized leader in weather forecasting, she headed the National Weather Service team that created the models for today’s five-day forecasts.

Her current work in data assimilation continues to break ground in the search for more accurate and efficient prediction techniques.

Reliable two-week forecasts, accurately pinpointing where severe storms will hit and better estimates of climate irregularities such as El Nino are foreseeable, in part, as a result of Kalnay’s work. Endowed funding from the Brin professorship specifically benefits graduate students working with Kalnay in weather and climate studies. —CR

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Interpretations Leadership Elevates University to Next Level “Leadership is taught at home. I am proud to be part of a university community that values innovative leadership and building partnerships to bring about change.”

EACH NEW ACADEMIC YEAR brings change to the university, and this fall, the change is momentous. We are welcoming two new deans and implementing a bold strategic plan that charts a transformational course for the university over the next decade. Our campus community has backed this plan on all levels, thanks to tremendous leadership and remarkable determination.

Our new deans, G. “Anand” Anandalingam of the Robert H. Smith School of Business and Donna Wiseman in the College of Education, emerged from within their college ranks because of their strong records of leadership.

Leadership has been central to our strategic planning process that culminated with an all-out effort over the past year. Development of the plan required the collaboration of hundreds of people spanning the faculty, staff, students, alumni, foundation board members and others. Provost Nariman Farvardin, who

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chaired the planning committee, set an energetic and ambitious tone. He built bridges to connect diverse coalitions across our community that worked tirelessly to hammer out the framework and major commitments of our ambitious plan.

During the process, leaders from across our community rose to the challenge and developed a guide that will elevate the university even higher among world-class universities. They served on the planning committee, formed special initiatives committees and participated in reviews and discussions that shaped the plan through its drafts. Their diligence and dedication produced a firm and ambitious campus direction for our next decade.

The University of Maryland is also continuing its leadership role when it comes to sustainability. We are pooling our energy needs with those of many University System of Maryland institutions and with the state. We purchase most of our electricity in advance to protect us from surges in energy costs and to allow better budgeting. Our facilities maintenance department also headed up construction of the system’s first building to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

(LEED) Gold building certification, the Camille Kendall Academic Center at the Universities at Shady Grove.

The university’s leadership extends to local and international communities, too.

Through the Engaged University program, we partner with local communities to serve educational, economic and cultural needs, enriching the quality of life of surrounding neighborhoods. Our faculty, staff and students also participate in nearly 200 international partnerships in 55 countries. Only personal work with people in other nations can prepare us all to work on the large-scale global problems of our time, problems like security, climate change, energy, disease and food supply and safety.

Leadership is taught at home. It guides our university programs and the implementation of our strategic plan.

Across the university, people are stepping into leadership roles that move the new plan forward. I am proud to be part of a university community that values innovative leadership and building partnerships to bring about change. With such commitments, we are striving to achieve our potential and inspire others to join in tackling the great challenges of our time.

—Dan Mote, President

PHOTO BY JEREMY GREEN

Devotion to alma mater is a lifetime commitment for Eric Francis ’71 and his wife, Frann, who named the “Lifetime Member Wall” in the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center to recognize others who become life members.

Make your mark on Maryland cheer join share volunteer give

www.makeyourmark.umd.edu

Home Field Advantage: Homecoming

Festival

october 25, 2008 BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MARYLAND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Before you cheer the Maryland Terrapins to victory over NC State… Join us at your alumni home, the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, for tailgate activities designed for the whole family—from crafts for kids to game fare and live music for all—beginning three hours prior to kickoff.

Carry the Card! Don’t forget your alumni association membership card. Membership means free entry to the exclusive Backyard Bash, a 20% discount on selected Terp gear at our merchandise tent and more. See page 18 for details.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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

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