Terp Winter 2007 by University of Maryland

TERP

CONNECTING

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COMMUNITY

VOL. 4, NO. 2 WINTER 2007

Maryland’s

Dream Team

Fulfilling Great Expectations 31

ALUM EARNS “GENIUS” AWARD 10 I QUIT-SMOKIING VACCINE 13 I GROWING GLOBALLY 24

TERP PUBLISHER

Brodie Remington Vice President, University Relations ADVISORY BOARD

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

Dianne Burch Executive Editor Beth A. Morgen Managing Editor John T. Consoli ’86 Creative Director Jeanette J. Nelson Art Director Joshua Harless Bryan Kestell Catherine Nichols Brian Payne Contributing Designers Monette A. Bailey ’89 Denise Jones Kimberly Marselas ’00 Tom Ventsias Writers Katrina Altersitz ’06 M.J. Rebecca Copeland Anu Kasarabada Jessica Price Pamela Stone ’95 M.A. Ellen Ternes ’68 Neil Tickner Lee Tune Mark Walden ’96 Michelle Williams Contributing Writers Michael D’Angelo Patti Look 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 Beth Morgen, Managing Editor, Terp magazine, Alumni Association, Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, 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, “Do good,” Brian Gallagher stressed to graduates at the university’s Winter 2006 Commencement. A simple phrase, yet it is one packed with powerful meaning—especially coming from Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way of America. Though Gallagher’s audience was mostly 20-somethings embarking on new adventures, his speech was a gentle reminder to us all that as we move forward in our busy lives, there are causes greater than our own dreams and ambitions. Perhaps nowhere has this been seen more than in New Orleans, where Hurricane Katrina left thousands homeless. Many organizations are helping the city to rebuild, including Habitat for Humanity, which relies on volunteers to construct new homes for those in need. In January, the organization picked up 250 volunteers when the entire Maryland marching band visited the Big Easy over winter break.They raised the funds necessary for their trip by passing their hats for donations at football games and asking for alumni support. Read about their experience in “Band Strikes a New Sound in New Orleans” on page 5. Alumna Maria Otero ’72, M.A. ’74 has made improving lives a daily experience. She leads ACCION International, a nonprofit organization providing “micro” loans and business training to the poor. ACCION focused initially on serving Latin American countries but under Otero’s leadership, it has extended its reach to India and Africa. Learn more about Otero’s role in fulfilling ACCION’s mission on page 11. Closer to home, the University of Maryland has embarked on an ambitious fund-raising drive to accelerate the rapid rise of this institution.The seven-year Great Expectations campaign focuses on

improving facilities, recruiting top faculty, supporting entrepreneurial programs and innovation—and providing all students with opportunities for success. Maryland’s “Dream Team” pictured on the cover—alumni Gary Williams ’68, Connie Chung ’69 and Buno Pati ’86, M.S. ’88 and Ph.D. ’92—has taken on a special leadership role in the area of students. In addition to their own commitments, they are raising awareness and funds to support scholarships, to provide special learning experiences for all students and to put Maryland in a position to compete for top graduate students. Learn more about Great Expectations, its goals and its leadership on page 31. Whether you have the means to “do good” through philanthropy, volunteering or choosing a career in public service, act on it. By doing so, you will send a message to the world that the University of Maryland not only produces great graduates; it nurtures outstanding citizens. Go Terps!

Danita D. Nias ’81 Executive Director, Alumni Relations

2 BIG PICTURE New homes for Fear the Turtle sculptures; University partners with federal agencies; the Mighty Sound of Maryland strikes up a new sound in New Orleans; and more 6 THE SOURCE New ways to borrow from University Libraries 7 ASK ANNE The quarterback who turned to medicine; honorary degree holders; Maryland’s first international students 8 CLASS ACT Ledo’s earns Top 10 honors from Oprah; Maryland Visa credit cards allow alumni to give back; turtle author targets kids; Genius award goes to mole researcher; Alumna’s work provides a step up 12 M-FILE How to spot a fire when the smoke alarm doesn’t; UM geographers set their sights on an elusive woodpecker; the Center for Health Behavior Research wants nicotine addiction to go up in smoke; and more 16 PLAY-BY-PLAY The “Voice of the Terrapins” has a new book on Maryland basketball 17 SPOTLIGHT This is her story ... This is her song 18 MARYLAND LIVE Persian Visions Photo Exhibition; alumni events in Los Angeles, New York and Baltimore; 6th Annual David Driskell Distinguished Lecture; and more 36 INTERPRETATIONS The defining role of language

departments

features 24 20 UNEARTHING THE PAST

The university’s Archaeology in Annapolis program digs into three centuries of American history buried at Wye House Farm, the Eastern Shore landmark where slave-turned-abolitionist Frederick Douglass spent two years of his childhood. BY KIMBERLY MARSELAS

COVER PHOTO BY MIKE MORGAN; ABOVE PHOTO BY SAMIR PATEL

MARYLAND GROWS GLOBALLY

From worldwide executive M.B.A. programs to food-security research abroad that protects the foods back home, the university gives new meaning to the phrase “study abroad.” BY MONETTE AUSTIN BAILEY

BROADENING THE DIALOGUE

Our expanding program in Middle East studies stretches over multiple disciplines and departments to broaden the horizons and opportunities for fostering cross-cultural understanding from the perspectives of government, culture, language and religion.

IN THE LOOP: LAUNCHING GREAT EXPECTATIONS

The university launches a $1 billion fund-raising drive. Learn the goals and meet the campaign’s leaders. Plus, special gifts from the Maryland family and a virtual honor roll. TERP WINTER

2007

bigpicture Going … Going … Gone! Turtle Auction Raises Funds for Scholarships

THE NOW FAMOUS Fear the Turtle Sculptures found

new homes, and the University of Maryland raised nearly $300,000 toward student scholarships during an October auction at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. Of the 50 original Fear the Turtle Sculptures, 38 were auctioned off, including fan favorites “Kertle” and “Terps Basketball Legends.” Bidders unable to attend the live auction took their chances online, where “Reach for the Stars” and “My Maryland” were auctioned. The Fear the Turtle Sculptures made their debut on Maryland Day 2006, April 29, as part of the university’s 150th Anniversary celebration. Many graced the University of Maryland campus while others were on display in Baltimore, along the I-95 corridor and even as far as the Eastern Shore. Admirers young and old posed with the sculptures and shared their pictures—more than 7,000!— with the Maryland family on a special Web site. Some die-hard fans participated in the Fear the

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Turtle Sculpture Scavenger Hunt, attempting to pose with all 50 sculptures by the October 1 deadline. A total of 106 individuals met the challenge, but it was Russell Meyer ’99 and his wife, Stephanie, who took home the grand prize—the “Maryland, My Maryland” sculpture—when their entry was drawn. Cameras continued to click as the sculptures starred in their own parade, making their way through campus aboard trailers until they reached the auction location in the Riggs Alumni Center. By the evening, the center’s Orem Alumni Hall was filled with bidders eager to make their favorite sculptures their very own. All 38 of the Fear the Turtle Sculptures placed on auction now have proud owners (11 more were sold prior to the auction). Today, many of the sculptures can still be found on campus, while others are on display in the homes and businesses of Maryland fans, constant visual reminders of their Terp pride and commitment to Maryland. —BAM

(Above) After dotting the region for several months, the Fear the Turtle Sculptures paraded through campus aboard tractor-trailers on their way to the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center to be auctioned. Among those eager to claim a sculpture were University of Maryland President Dan Mote and his wife, Patsy, (top) who bid successfully on “Kertle”—the sculpture honoring alumnus and Muppet creator Jim Henson ’60.

(Left) “My Maryland” was one of two sculptures auctioned online.

PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; INSET AUCTION EVENT PHOTOS BY LISA HELFERT

Where Are They Now “Champions All” by Jennifer Sterling Maryland Room, Hornbake Library “Kertle” by Elizabeth Baldwin Stamp Student Union “Lax Terp” by Cynthia Ritz Moxley Gardens, Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center “My Maryland” by Elizabeth Riordon Lobby, Consolidated Waterproofing Contractors Inc. “Mutant Ninja Terrapin” by David Brosch Center for Young Children “Terp Basketball Legends” by Kevin Richardson Comcast Center “Testudo the Grad” by Carol E. Cron Stamp Student Union Learn more about the Nifty Fifty at feartheturtle.fttsculptures.umd.edu

We Want to Hear from You! Send us your comments on the stories in Terp: your likes, thoughts on what to improve, Maryland memories and more. Space allowing, we will share your words with fellow readers in the next issue. Send feedback to Managing Editor/Terp magazine, Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, College Park, MD 20742-1521. Or save the stamp, and send an e-mail to terpmag.umd.edu.

PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

From Our Family to Yours CAN YOU SPOT TESTUDO IN THIS SEA OF RED? He is standing behind President Dan Mote and his wife, Patsy. The trio plus administrators, band members, staff, students and faculty gathered to take part in the 2006 holiday greeting video. Since the link was e-mailed to members of the Maryland family in December, more than 41,000 page views have been tallied. To see for yourself, visit www.holidaygreeting.umd.edu. You will find Testudo showing up in places beyond the steps of Main Admin, both near and far, expected and unexpected—even in a neutral buoyancy tank.

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bigpicture

GROWTH spurt

aryland’s rise among public research universities and its location near the nation’s capital has led to partnerships with federal agencies in areas critical to prosperity, security, health, science and technology. Last year we cemented three new university partnerships.

Reaching a New CRESST The university’s newest federal partnership is the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST). In September, NASA selected a university consortium led by Maryland to establish and operate the new center, which combines the resources and talents of NASA Goddard researchers with those of scientists from the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Maryland Baltimore County and the Universities Space Research Association. CRESST research will initially focus on the study of neutron stars, black holes, and extremely hot gas throughout the universe. Lee Mundy, professor and chair of the Department of Astronomy at Maryland, is the director for CRESST, and center administration will be based at the university.

UM + NIST = Nanotech In July the university and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) formed a cooperative nanotechnology program designed to further their development of measurement technologies and other new tools that support the creation of new nanotechnologies. The nanotechnology program and the Joint Quantum Institute are the latest of several collaborations that Maryland and NIST have established since 2003 when the institutions signed an agreement to broadly expand research collaborations and professional linkages. Last year the two institutions created the UM-NIST Center for Nanomanufacturing and Metrology, to advance the science and technology of manufacturing nanoscale (one billionth of a meter) based products.

Quantum Promise to Real Technologies September also saw the creation of a joint institute that seeks to decipher the secrets of nature at the submicroscopic scale—and to exploit this knowledge to transform “quantum technology” from exciting promise to practical reality. The Joint Quantum Institute is a partnership among the University of Maryland, the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Security Agency. “Each of these institutions already leads key aspects of quantum-related research. By combining these great strengths, the new Joint Quantum Institute promises to push quantum prototypes from their current primitive, ‘first transistor’ stage into quantum technology reality,” says President Dan Mote. 4

TERP SPRING

2006

TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA; CENTER PHOTO COURTESY OF NIST; BOTTOM PHOTO COURTESY OF LUIS OROZCO

Band Strikes a New Sound in New Orleans LEFT: Band members attach a barge rafter to a house in Musicians' Village in New Orleans. BELOW: Drum major Charlotte Tubman leads the Mighty Sound of Maryland in Krewe of Alla's 75th Anniversary Carnival parade.

SHORTLY AFTER PLAYING in the Champs Citrus Bowl, 238

members of the university’s Mighty Sound of Maryland marching band loaded tools, musical instruments, work clothes, band uniforms and sleeping bags into five black University of Maryland buses and rolled south to New Orleans, to help Habitat for Humanity build new homes for families displaced by Hurricane Katrina. For a week of their semester break, the students volunteered as construction workers in Musicians’ Village, a project conceived by Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis to help New Orleans musicians return to the city famous for its music. They found a city still showing the devastation of Katrina. “The bus I was on went completely silent as we saw the piles of debris and wrecked homes, many of which still have spray paint on the side from when the National Guard searched for bodies,” says trumpet player Robert Gardner. But they also found hope and gratitude. “I can’t tell you the number of times people asked what we were doing and then thanked us for our help. It was sort of overwhelming,” says saxophone player Mike Loveless. When they weren’t building, the students played music, sometimes scheduled, sometimes spontaneous. They helped the mayor launch Carnival season, then

PHOTOS BY CHRIS AMMANN, COURTESY OF BALTIMORE EXAMINER

marched in the Krewe of Alla’s parade later that day. A Maryland alumna who teaches at New Orleans’ Holy Cross High School, destroyed by Katrina, asked band director L. Richmond Sparks if the band could play for her students, who had lost all of their instruments in the storm. Their concert, in work clothes and tool belts, was a hit. “One of the students came up to me and said ‘This was the most fun that I have had in a long time,’ ” says drum major Charlotte Tubman. The band members raised the more than $50,000 they needed for the project by passing the hat at football games and with donations from family, alumni and friends. One of clarinetist Amy Allen’s best memories was from the last day in the village. “As I looked back at the site I noticed the subflooring that we had put in, the walls we had constructed and raised, and the formation of a house that someone would one day call home.We did that, together.” “This was one of the best experiences of my life,” says drummer Adam Boorstein. “We got to travel across the country and actually make an impact on someone else’s life.” I have already begun planning a trip back to do it again soon.”—ET

ABOVE CENTER: Jazz greats Branford Marsalis (second from left) and Harry Connick Jr. (far right) stopped by to meet some of the Maryland band members working in Musicians' Village.

BOTTOM: A piccolo player with paint on her hands from working in the Musicians' Village, plays in the band’s spur-of-the-moment concert at Holy Cross High School in New Orleans’ lower Ninth Ward.

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2007

the Source WITH FREE EXHIBITS, THOUSANDS OF E-JOURNALS AND MILLIONS OF BOOKS, THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES HAVE THE GOODS TO KEEP YOU IN THE KNOW.

Public Access Lighting the Way Preface: The University Libraries’ new bi-annual publication, Illumination, is filled with news on everything from library events and behind-the-stacks happenings to insights into the Libraries’ extraordinary collections. The latest issue features the digitization of Japanese children’s books from the worldrenowned Gordon W. Prange Collection; and the opening of multimedia exhibit Jim Henson: Performing Artist at the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Center Library, which examines Henson’s career and legacy through photographs, production notes, six Muppets and a host of other items.

Something Borrowed Preface: Current members of the alumni association can borrow materials from the University Libraries’ collection of more than three million volumes. No need to try to beat the due date: Alumni can check out items for 56 days. Read Between the Lines: Make sure that your Maryland Alumni Association membership card has a barcode on the back for scanning; or become a friend of the Libraries. Both services are available at McKeldin Library.

Preface: Walk into any of the seven libraries on the Maryland campus and tap into hundreds of resources, including: major collections of art on microfiche (Art Library); historic government maps (McKeldin Library); the master piano rolls of Josef Hofmann (Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library); and University of Maryland basketball programs dating back to the 1950s (University Archives, Hornbake Library). Read Between the Lines: Check with the appropriate library regarding how to obtain access to individual collections.

H OT L I N E Read Between the Lines: Alumni can contact University Libraries to request a copy of Illumination, or view it online at www.lib.umd.edu/giving.

◗ UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, OFFICE FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS

301.314.5674 or libextrel@umd.edu www.lib.umd.edu/giving

Remote Control Preface: Alumni association members who have completed one or more classes on the College Park campus can access alumni editions of EBSCO’s Academic Source (the world’s largest academic multidisciplinary database) and Business Source (the mostused research database in the business world). Read Between the Lines: Current members can enroll in the program and receive free access to the database for the remainder of their membership for up to one year. To continue the service after this time, a $50 contribution toward University Libraries will be added to members’ annual dues.

◗ UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

301.405.4678 or 800.336.8627 alumni@umd.edu www.alumni.umd.edu ◗ UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

301.405.0800 www.lib.umd.edu 6

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PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; HISTORIC MAP COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

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

University of Maryland begin to admit international students?

Q. When did the

A. Our first international student was Pastor A. Cooke of Panama, who entered the Maryland Agricultural College in 1871, only 15 years after the college received its charter.The earliest international student of whom we have a photograph is Ernesto J. Balbin of Cuba (far right); this image of Balbin in his cadet’s uniform was taken in 1878. One of our most famous early international students was Pyon Su (right), the first Korean student to graduate from any American college or university. He received his degree from the MAC in June 1891; only four months later, October 22, he was killed in an accident at the College Park railroad crossing. He is buried in a cemetery not far from campus in Beltsville, Md. Q. I write to request your kind assistance in providing a copy of all records on my late father, Dr. Antonio Fernós-Isern (right), a graduate of the old College of Physicians and Surgeons, Class of 1915. I am president of the educational foundation bearing his name and am drafting an official biography of him. My father was also awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree in 1961 under University of Maryland President Dr. Wilson H. Elkins, while still Commissioner of Puerto Rico to the United States. He served a record 18 years in such capacity and was elected eight consecutive terms to the U.S. Congress. —Dr. Antonio Fernós

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UM ARCHIVES

A. We do have documen-

tation regarding the honorary degree your father received from the university in the 1961 commencement program and the records of the System Office and the Board of Regents. We will send a packet of information to you so that you may include this material in the biography you are preparing.Your note reminded me that the university has bestowed honorary degrees on several famous and interesting individuals, including Isaac Asimov, Julie Andrews, Bill Cosby, Ira Gershwin, Nelson Mandela and Katherine Anne Porter. For more recipients, visit www.lib.umd.edu/uniarchives/ma cmil

Some of Maryland’s earliest international students included Pyon Su from Korea and Ernesto J. Balbin of Cuba.

Q. I am trying to find a good photo of Dr. Stan Lavine so I can do a “bio-illustration” (a portrait of an athlete surrounded by little cartoons and biographical text) of him. Stan was a quarterback at Maryland from 1946–50, and he played a role in their Gator Bowl win in 1950. He was also a team doctor for Maryland athletics, as well as the Bullets, Redskins and more, for many years after that. He passed away back in 1996. A. I hope the images, including the

one pictured right, that we sent to you worked out for your drawing. I would love to see the finished product, when you have a moment. I never had a chance to meet Dr. Lavine personally, but I heard many nice things about him from folks in Intercollegiate Athletics. TERP WINTER

2007

classact Eat Like a King GAYLE KING hadn’t tasted pizza from Ledo Restaurant

for years, but when “The Oprah Winfrey Show” sent her on a search for the best pizza in the country, she headed straight for the Adelphi, Md., landmark. “As a student, I ate at Ledo’s as often as I could afford,” says the 1976 alumna. In late September, King—along with fellow alumnus Len Elmore ’78—decked themselves out in Terrapin T-shirts and dug into Ledo’s famously rectangular pizza—pepperoni, onions and extra cheese for King, an “Everything” for Elmore—while the TV cameras rolled and curious Ledo’s customers watched.The verdict? “On a scale of one to five,” King says,“Ledo’s easily scores a five.” Afterwards, King toured the kitchen and discovered the secret behind the pizza’s addictive taste: smoked provolone rather than mozzarella cheese. Once the cameras stopped rolling, King chatted up the restaurant’s customers and apologized for the commotion. “She was very gracious,” says Ledo’s owner Tommy Marcos. “The whole thing was fun and a bit surreal.” King’s segment on Ledo Restaurant aired November 1 on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” —AK

Maryland VISA Cards: A Credit to Alma Mater WE ALL HAVE our own ways of passing time in the grocery store check-

out line. Some Terps watch the clock while others case nearby shopping carts or read the tabloids. The next time you queue up, forget the New York Times bestseller rack and look closely at the customer at the cash register. That hungry fellow might just be using a University of Maryland credit card. Like other nonprofits across the nation, Maryland has partnered with Chase Bank to produce its own affinity credit card, providing returns for alumni, friends and the university. Cardholders receive competitive rates, introductory offers and reward points on purchases. The university receives a percentage of every dollar spent—funds that will support everything from alumni association programming to M Club scholarships, campuswide initiatives and much more. “This program is a favorite among alumni and friends,” says alumni

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association Membership and Marketing Director Sonia Huntley ’92. “It allows them to give back to the university by doing the kinds of things they do every day—shopping for food, buying clothes, taking trips with the family.” Card applicants can even choose between two different Marylandthemed designs: a picture of the M circle or a beloved diamondback terrapin. For more information on the University of Maryland credit card and a link to the online application form, visit www.alumni.umd.edu/ membership/affinitypartners.html. —MW

VISA CARD PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

alumniprofile

Terrapin Tale Seeks to Save the Turtle travel 2007 Exploring Iceland August 18–28 Iceland is a country of massive glaciers and rumbling volcanoes, bubbling mud holes and powerful waterfalls, hugely abundant bird life and just 280,000 people. Discover the wonders of this diverse country. Chianti in a Tuscan Villa August 26–September 3 Infused with a luxuriously temperate climate and a wealth of artistic treasures, the undulating hills of Tuscany are blanketed with verdant

JENNIFER KEATS CURTIS ’91, M.A. ’93 first

vineyards and silvery olive groves,

encountered a diamondback terrapin during her freshman year at the University of Maryland. “I rubbed Testudo’s nose before all of my English exams, and I always did really well,” she says of the beloved bronze statue overlooking McKeldin Mall. Her introduction to the terrapin was not unlike many other Maryland students, and this, says Curtis, is a concern. “Terrapins are our state reptile. It’s so sad that most kids haven’t had the opportunity to see a real one.” That is something that Curtis hopes to change. In a partnership with the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Maryland State Department of Education and Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Curtis now visits elementary school classrooms with her terrapin sidekick Rascal and her recently released children’s book, Turtles in My Sandbox (Sylvan Dell Publishing), to educate students on how they can help save Maryland’s adored reptile. Turtles in My Sandbox, Curtis’ second children’s book, tells the tale of Maggie, a little girl who finds diamondback terrapin eggs while playing in her sandbox. Maggie

the legacy of a 3,000-year history of great food and extraordinary wine.

French Riviera October 25–November 5 Start in Provence, known for its verdant countryside, Roman ruins and breathtaking sunsets. Then explore the sparkling seaside vistas and fashionable promenades of the French Riviera, playground of the world’s rich and famous. For more details on these and other tours featured in the Travel 2007 program, visit www.alumni.umd.edu or call 301.405.7870/800.336.8627.

TRAVEL IMAGES COURTESY OF ALUMNI HOLIDAYS INTERNATIONAL; BOOK PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

becomes a “turtle sitter,” and helps the eggs to hatch safely. She raises the hatchlings until they become big enough to fend for themselves, and then, with the help of experts, she releases them into the wild. The story parallels two head-start programs in which elementary school students help to raise baby terrapins under the supervision of classroom teachers. “When you’re a little kid, you think that there aren’t a lot of things that you can do, but in this case they really are contributing to the survival of this animal,” she says. When not spreading the word about terrapin survival, Curtis works as a freelance writer for magazines, including Maryland Life, It’s Your Life and Corridor Inc. Her new book on ospreys debuts this year. “I love writing for kids,” she says. “I have a vivid imagination and to be able to take my love of writing and combine it with real life stuff to create a lesson, it excites me.” —JP For more on Turtles in My Sandbox as well as fun facts, an interactive lab and tips for school activities, visit www.terrapinbook.com. TERP WINTER

2007

classact alumniprofile

Late Nights Reap Rewards for Researcher KENNETH CATANIA ’89 holes up in his laboratory late

“Genius” award winner Kenneth Catania ’89 burns the midnight oil as he studies the star-nosed mole. The nocturnal research subject is providing Catania with new insights into brain development.

into the night, waiting for his research subjects, the star-nosed moles, to come and eat the food he has set out. When they make their appearance, Catania uses high-speed cameras to capture how the blind insectivores use the 22 tentacles that ring their snouts to make superfast decisions about whether the food is safe and edible. The clock strikes 3 a.m. by the time the moles have eaten their fill. “They’re on their own schedules, not mine,” says Catania, an associate professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt University. The long hours leave Catania sleep-deprived, but they also yield new insights into the hows and whys of brain development in humans and other mammals. Catania’s investigations into the mole’s sensory system have earned a host of accolades, including most recently the MacArthur fellowship, a coveted honor

that comes with a no-strings-attached grant of $500,000. Catania’s interest in unusual animals began while he majored in zoology at the University of Maryland. During his senior year, a volunteer stint at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., gave him the chance to study the brain of one of the most obscure animals, the star-nosed mole. Today, Catania is both the foremost expert on the mole and a leader in neuroscience. In addition to continuing his research, Catania will also use the MacArthur grant to advance other ideas. “I’d like to preserve some of the field sites [from where we collect animals],” he says. “And I want to do more photography and documenting of [animal] behaviors so that people can appreciate their biology.” Sounds like more sleepless—but fruitful—nights ahead. —AK

Catania joins four other Maryland alumni who have been recipients of the MacArthur Fellows over the foundation’s 25-year history. 2004 Naomi Ehrich Ph.D. ’94, mechanical and aerospace engineer 2002 Liz Lerman ’70 (far left), founder of Dance Exchange in Takoma Park, and Karen Hesse ’75, children’s author 1989 Ellendea Proffer Teasley ’66, author and translator of Russian literature

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

alumniprofile

BYalumni What does a CEO look for in a CIO? What is the difference between a CIO and a CTO? Straight to the Top: Becoming a World-Class CIO (John Wiley & Sons Inc.) by Gregory Smith ’88 is an essential guide to help information technology and business professionals recognize the qualities necessary to attain the role of first-time CIO.

Small Loans, Big Results

MARIA OTERO ’72, M.A. ’74 has shared a stage with Bill

Alumna Maria Oter0 (right) advocates providing small loans to give others a step up.

Clinton and walked dusty Kenyan markets with billionaire philanthropist Melinda Gates. But as president and CEO of ACCION International, a nonprofit organization providing financial support to poor entrepreneurs, Otero also spends quality time with people of humbler means. “Part of my effort is to visit the woman who bakes bread in a mud oven from her dirt floor house and talk to her about her life, find out what we can do to help her improve her life,” says Otero, who spends half the year traveling to meet and serve those living in poverty. Otero studied English and romance literature at Maryland, hoping to become a professor. The Bolivian native was also involved with a student organization focused on Latin America, including the 1973 coup in which General Pinochet took control of Chile. It was a seminal time in Otero’s life. She decided not to pursue her doctorate in literature, embarking instead on a two-year journey to Bolivia that convinced her to get involved in political economics. Earning a master’s degree in international relations and being fluent in Spanish and Portuguese made her a natural for jobs in Brazil and other Latin American nations. She joined ACCION in 1986 and spent three years directing lending in Honduras. Among Otero’s career highlights is the 1992 creation of the world’s first bank for the poor. The borrowers couldn’t qualify for loans through established lenders, but ACCION’s partner in Bolivia issued small loans to buy equipment or supplies.Through microfinance, amounts as low as $100 created sustainable businesses. “That was very revolutionary,” says Otero. “It proved to people that you could do it in a way that was financially viable.” When she became CEO in 2000, she took ACCION’s programs global, first to Africa and then to India.Today, microfinance is a celebrated economic tool with a historic repayment rate of 97 percent.That fact helps Otero convince donors and private finance organizations that a little help goes a long way.“We believe we are really helping people move out of poverty,” she says. —KM PHOTOS OF MARIA OTERO COURTESY OF ACCION INTERNATIONAL; ALUMNI BOOKS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

When Michael Mewshaw ’65 receives a call from a stranger who says she has reason to believe he is her biological father, Mewshaw realizes he has been half dreading, half hoping for this to happen for more than 30 years. In his memoir, If You Could See Me Now (Unbridled Books), Mewshaw confronts his own past and complicated memories of a woman he once loved. In this novel about the Persian Gulf War, Breach (AuthorHouse) offers a raw and unvarnished account of the friendships that arise and the human conflicts that erupt when a tightly knit unit of combat Marines confronts the harsh realities of war. Author Brooks Tucker ’87 is a Gulf War veteran. TERP WINTER

2007

m-file NEWSdesk UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND FACULTY ARE THE SOURCE NEWS MEDIA TURN TO FOR EXPERTISE—FROM POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY TO SOCIETY AND CULTURE TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. “[The site] places him in the line of succession of those men that provided the foundation of the country.The civil rights movement was one of the founding fathers, making the Constitution applicable to all citizens. This really legitimizes that status for King and the civil rights movement itself.” RON WALTERS, POLITICAL SCIENCE, ON THE NATIONAL

“Computer science is at a turning point, and it has to go beyond algorithms and understand the social dynamics of issues like trust, responsibility, empathy and privacy in this vast networked space.The technologists and companies that understand those issues will be far more likely to succeed in expanding their markets and enlarging their audiences.”

MALL MONUMENT TO HONOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.,

BEN SHNEIDERMAN, COMPUTER SCIENCE, ON EMERG-

BOSTON GLOBE, NOVEMBER 14

ING RESEARCH PROGRAMS IN WEB SCIENCE, NEW YORK TIMES, NOVEMBER 2

“The flare was so powerful that, at first, we thought it was a star explosion.”

“He had his own kind of jazz.”

RACHEL OSTEN, ASTRONOMY, ON THE MOST POWERFUL

LEE THORNTON, JOURNALISM, ON THE PASSING OF CBS

SOLAR FLARE EVER DETECTED THAT TOOK PLACE ON A

NEWS CORRESPONDENT ED BRADLEY, WASHINGTON

STAR IN THE CONSTELLATION PEGASUS, BBC NEWS,

POST, NOVEMBER 10

NOVEMBER 7

“It’s difficult to know which party will be more interesting (OK, I mean more fun) to watch over the next two years.The best part is that there’s no need to make a choice.There’s plenty of time between now and Nov. 4, 2008, to observe the prospective implosion of both Democrats and Republicans as they battle on Capitol Hill and along the road to the White House.” WILLIAM GALSTON, POLITICAL SCIENCE, ON THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, NOVEMBER 12

TERP WINTER

2007

Terrorist Defiance Can Trump Deterrence Strategies Government attempts to deter terrorism can backfire and promote invigorated reprisals and a cycle of violence, according to researchers at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), housed at Maryland. “Deterrence by itself hasn’t worked very well in practice, and authorities need to do a better job of taking this potential backlash into account when formulating their strategies,” says Gary LaFree, the University of Maryland criminologist who directs the Department of Homeland Security-funded START. “Since 9/11, out of some 20,000 studies of terrorism only a handful has used statistically rigorous methods to look at the effectiveness of government strategies.” Using the world’s largest open-source database of terrorist incidents, researchers reviewed five British government actions in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 1992, finding that three of the five were associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of subsequent attacks. “Given the evidence that deterrencebased thinking with regard to terrorism is often demonstrably unsuccessful, we must ask ourselves why it remains the most common reaction of governments to terrorist threats,” says a conference paper written by the researchers. The paper argues that there is a sweet spot, an optimal point, at which the benefits of deterrence are outweighed by terrorist defiance. —NT

ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN G. PAYNE; PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Nicotine Addiction: Up in Smoke FIRST, THE GOOD NEWS—the number of adult Americans who smoke tobacco declined over an eight-year period until 2004.The bad news is the smoking cessation rate among the 45 million adult smokers in the United States halted at 21 percent in the last two years, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Although 70 percent of adult smokers set out to overcome nicotine addiction each year, fewer than three percent manage to quit. Elbert D. Glover, director of the Center for Health Behavior Research (CHBR) and chair of the Department of Public and Community Health in the College of Health and Human Performance wants to help smokers “kick the habit.” CHBR, one of a handful of research centers conducting smoking cessation trials in the United States, has spearheaded four trials over the past six months. A recently concluded nicotine gum study included 251 participants who were not interested in quitting. After receiving the nicotine gum or a placebo, they had the wrenching task of watching a lit cigarette, but were not allowed to smoke it. CHBR researchers are analyzing the data and hoping the study will result in a faster acting gum that will diminish cravings better than other nicotine gums like, Nicorette®. In another clinical trial for smokers who want to quit, Glover’s research team is testing a vaccine that binds to nicotine molecules and prevents them from plugging into nicotine receptor sites in the brain. Glover explains, the “high” experienced by smokers comes from a surge of dopamine—a neurohormone or the “feel good” chemical produced by the brain. Large amounts of dopamine are the “basis of all drug addictions,” he says. Considering this, participants must be highly motivated given their yearlong commitment to participate in the trials. Limiting the surge of dopamine is also an effect of a third smoking-cessation trial. Essentially, the drug being tested blocks the nicotine receptor and prevents the participant from getting a big buzz, explains Glover. “So small is good; however, a lot of dopamine creates problems.” A fourth trial funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse is still in the works.

PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

The success of the trials could have an enormous impact on preventing smoking-related illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Over the course of 30 years, Glover has played a role in testing every product on the market to help people quit smoking—from nicotine patches and gum to the oral inhaler and Zyban tablets. “It is rare that an individual gets the opportunity to work on research that literally can save millions, if not hundreds of millions of lives around the world,” he says. “It’s really gratifying.” If the trials are successful, Glover says, “the treatment methodology could be mirrored in other kinds of addictions.” —DJ

Elbert D. Glover (on the right) is conducting several smoking cessation clinical trials that could result in a faster-acting nicotine gum and a vaccine. He determines the level of carbon monoxide in a smoker’s breath using a CO monitor.

TERP WINTER

2007

m-file

up to 8 cameras per FSM-8 unit workstations connected by LAN

Quickly Spotting a Fire WHILE STANDARD SMOKE detection systems have proven invaluable in

homes and public buildings, they are sometimes unable to detect a fire in its earliest stages—before it spreads, possibly causing widespread damage or loss of life. A Sparks, Md.-based company is teaming up with fire protection specialists in the A. James Clark School of Engineering to validate an intelligent video-camera system, called SigniFire, which is able to spot a small fire in less than five seconds. The company—axonX LLC—says its SigniFire technology is especially well suited for large structures like warehouses, energy plants and other establishments that contain high-value assets. “It’s the only video detection system that recognizes the big three dangers: smoke, fire and intrusion,” says George Privalov, the company’s chief technology officer and founder. “It eliminates most nuisance alarms because it actually sees the fireball and corona of a blaze. The camera knows [what it is visualizing] is a fire rather than a light or hot surface.” Privalov contacted the University of Maryland to collaborate with Jim Milke, associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Fire Protection Engineering, through a Maryland Industrial Partnerships grant. Milke will prove the camera system’s versatility and precise algorithms through tests in simulated residence hall rooms, as well as a test in Maryland’s historic Cole Field House that will represent a large structure with high ceilings. The camera assesses minute pixel changes within its three-dimensional field of view—occasionally using reflections to get around large objects blocking the line of sight—to detect fire faster and more accurately than most commercial products that are currently available. “This is a leading-edge technology and a significant advancement in fire detection,” says Milke. “They developed the device, and we will help them prove its capabilities.” The Maryland Industrial Partnerships program, part of the Clark School’s Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute, brings university innovation to the commercial sector by supporting university-based research projects that help Maryland companies develop technologybased products. —TV

TERP WINTER

2007

LAN processing unit FSM-8 Internet

security station (SpyderGuard)

remote verification (WEB)

operator confirms threat

ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN G. PAYNE

Study Shows Hackers Attack Every 39 Seconds Are hackers trying to get into your computer right now? A study by the A. James Clark School of Engineering is one of the first to quantify the near-constant rate of hacker attacks—and the non-secure user names and passwords we use that give attackers more chance of success. Michel Cukier, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and affiliate of the Center for Risk and Reliability and Institute for Systems Research, profiled the behavior of unsophisticated “brute force” hackers who randomly target large numbers of computers. Cukier and graduate students Daniel Ramsbrock and Robin Berthier set up weak security on four Linux computers with Internet access, then recorded what happened as the individual machines were attacked an average of every 39 seconds. They discovered which user names and passwords are tried most often, and what hackers do when they gain access. “Our data provide quantifiable evidence that attacks are happening all the time to computers with Internet connections,” Cukier notes. Overwhelmingly, attacks came from relatively unsophisticated hackers using “dictionary scripts,” software that runs through lists of common user names and passwords attempting to break into a computer. “Root” was the top user name guess— attempted 12 times as often as the secondplace “admin.” Successful ‘root’ access would open the entire computer to the hacker, while ‘admin’ would grant access to somewhat lesser administrative privileges. Cukier’s advice: avoid the user names and passwords identified in the research and choose longer, more difficult and less obvious passwords with combinations of upper and lowercase letters and numbers.—RC

User Names and Passwords to Avoid root admin oracle 123

test user 123456 password

guest info administrator 12345 1234 passwd test

Word to the wise: Never re-enter your user name or the name followed by “123.”

PHOTO BY JENNIFER SMITH

The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, Elusive No More SCIENTISTS FROM THE University of Maryland and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center are using

a laser sensor to help in the much-publicized search for the ivory-billed woodpecker. Their hightech assistance is the latest step in a more than two-year effort by wildlife conservationists, scientists and bird watchers to find conclusive evidence that the bird, once thought extinct, continues to survive. Led by University of Maryland geographers Michelle Hofton and Ralph Dubayah, the researchers conducted flights this past summer over delta regions of the lower Mississippi River onboard an aircraft carrying NASA's Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor. The sensor has a unique ability to peer into dense forests and reveal the vertical structure of the trees and the terrain underneath them. The data from the flights was analyzed and translated into maps of forest canopy height—cover and biomass that indicate where ivory-billed woodpeckers are most likely to be found. “The three-dimensional maps of canopy structure obtained through these flights will aid greatly in the continued search for the ivory bill,” says Hofton. “These lidar [light detection and ranging] maps reveal the uniqueness of the forests and verify the importance of continuing to preserve such areas as habitat for the ivory-billed woodpecker and other bird and animal species.” Lasers in the lidar sensor send pulses of light to the Earth's surface that reflect from leaves, branches and the ground back to the instrument. By analyzing the returned signals, scientists can measure the height of the forest, the terrain below and all the vegetation in between. “Through numerous studies, we have shown the effectiveness of the data generated by lidar for many scientific uses, including carbon sequestration, fire modeling and prediction, and wildlife habitat characterization,” says Dubayah. “We know that for habitat characterization and suitability, the vertical structure of the canopy is of paramount importance to many species, including the ivory bill.” —LT

TERP WINTER

2007

play-by-play SCOREcard

An Icon in Maryland Broadcasting IT IS NO surprise that he can be considered one

of the living encyclopedias of Maryland sports. For the past 27 years, Johnny Holliday has been the “Voice of the Terrapins” bringing countless play-by-play accounts of Maryland football and basketball games into the homes of many sports fans. From weekly radio shows to television shows on Comcast SportsNet, the Hall of Fame broadcaster hasn’t missed much in the sports world. In the past, he has even covered major sporting events such as the Olympics and the Master’s Tournament. “In my mind, he’s like a star. You’d think he’d have a swelled head … but he’s really down to earth,” says Anne Turkos, university archivist, who helped Holliday and his friend Stephen Moore find pictures and historical data for their latest book, Hoop Tales: Maryland Terrapins Men’s Basketball. Because of his extensive knowledge of college sports, Holliday was asked by book publisher Globe Pequot to chronicle the history of the men’s basketball program. In Hoop Tales, which was published last November, Holliday and Moore used myriad photos, interviews and comments to capture the legacy of the program. “We talk about some of the great victories, some of the defeats and many of the legendary

personalities,” says Holliday.The author duo also wanted to give Maryland fans a chance to relive the history through the eyes of the referees, coaches and other fans. The book begins with the first basketball team and travels through the program’s many highs and lows since its inception. From the days of Bud Millikan to the famous Duke-Maryland rivalries, Holliday wanted to capture everything, including the saga of former-star player Len “Lenny” Bias. “One of the things close to Johnny’s [and my] heart was the chapter on Len Bias,” says Moore. “He was just a fantastic player.”The chapter begins with the first time Holliday met Bias and follows his development as a player and as a person. Because of Holliday’s legacy in broadcasting and friendly personality, it was not hard to convince John Feinstein, another great sportswriter and commentator, to write the book’s foreword. “Johnny is such a loveable, fantastic character,” says Moore. —MW

The ACC named Maryland soccer player Chris Seitz the 2006 Defensive Player of the Year and teammate Jeremy Hall as the Freshman of the Year. This year, the Terps had the most freshmen, out of all the schools, tabbed for the All-Freshman team. On the women’s team, goalkeeper Nikki Resnick was selected to the All-ACC first team for the second year in a row.

Five field hockey players tied a school record for the most All-ACC performers from a team since 2000. Nicole Muracco, Kristina Edmonds, Kathryn Masson, Susie Rowe and two-timeACC Defensive Player of the Year Paula Infante were the university’s honorees. Infante became the fourth player to be named an AllACC player four times in the university’s history. In November, the team captured its second straight National Championship title.

Women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese and Chris King have published Overtime Is Our Time. The book details the women’s basketball team’s 2006 run to the Final Four and capture of the National Championship.

“Voice of the Terrapins” Johnny Holliday (above) shares his wealth of knowledge in a new book, Hoop Tales: Maryland Terrapins Men’s Basketball (right).

TERP WINTER

2007

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ATHLETIC MEDIA SERVICES

spotlight This Is Her Story ...This Is Her Song DIANE WHITE KNOWS MUSIC. As a composer, a vocalist, a pianist and a choral director at the University of Diane White (left) and California, Santa Barbara, for 18 years, the D.C.-raised Carmen Balthrop artist known as “Dr. Dee” embraces all aspects. Now, she has turned her attention to creating a three-day exploration of women and song, March 29–31, here at Maryland. Using performances, lectures, presentations and workshops,White and other guest artists will consider a broad spectrum of musical styles.The event continues to grow, mirroring the high-energy style of White. “Everyone I ask says ‘yes’ to being a part of this enterprising endeavor,” she says. University partners include Women’s Studies, the Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora and the Nyumburu Cultural Center. Three evening concerts at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (see “Maryland Live” centerfold) will bring music by, about and through black women to the forefront.“I wanted the umbrella to be bigger than just African American women,” explains White in her choice of the term black women. People are encouraged to attend all three days or Here are some of the free activities that will be presented throughout the come as they can. All daytime events, many of them three-day series: “This Is Her Story … This Is Her Song.” interactive, are free. Pre-concert activities give further Passing the Torch—a group of women ranging in age from the upper 70s to 90 depth to the experience.These range from a musical discuss music in their lives. (March 30, 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m.) mosaic that takes one on a walk through time, from Africa to the present. Another puts all of the performWriting Your Story—a workshop conducted by Diane White to help non-composers write a song (March 30, 3–5 p.m.) ers on stage for a facilitator-led discussion of works the audience will see.The final concert features an Taking Control of Their Destiny—a sociologist discusses positive aspects of rap and hip-hop (March 31, 1:15–2:15 p.m.) exploration of women of influence, among them Diana Ross, Jill Scott, Patti LaBelle, Mahalia Jackson Black Opera Divas—stars talk about their career paths, here and abroad (March and Tramaine Hawkins. 31, 2:30–4 p.m. In the March 29 opening concert, Sacred and For a complete list, with times and locations, as well as blogs and additional Choral Music by Black Women, Carmen Balthrop ’77, interactive activities, go to www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu professor of voice and an acclaimed operatic singer, will perform “Medley of Spirituals” that White composed with the trained classical singer in mind. It is an evening that will feature three choirs: the award-winning High Point High soloist soprano Karla Scott, who studied with Balthrop as a graduSchool Choir, the professional Heritage Signature Chorale and the ate student. On March 31, Celebrating Black Women and Song presents a Metropolitan Baptist Church Choir—performing songs composed tribute to legendary black vocalists of R&B, jazz and blues. by black women. Women of the Gospel, a local group, will provide the rousing On March 30, Singing Her Story—their lives, their struggle, finale to both the concert and the series. their beauty and their love—will include Naima Jamaal, a rap “When you think of American popular music you can’t think artist performing with acoustic guitar.“I wanted to feature rap that would be edifying, positive and uplifting to the spirit,” explains of it without naming songs that have been interpreted by African White of the artist who works at the Nyumburu Center.The American female artists who, have made social change,” explains Creative Collective includes a cellist, poet, pianist/guitarist and White. —DB

The Making of the Music

PHOTO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

TERP WINTER

2007

10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. University of Maryland Explore our world—and the entire world—during the university’s annual open house! Enjoy hundreds of activities for the entire family, including a special international exhibit on Hornbake Plaza. As always, the day features live performances, sporting events, workshops, petting zoos and much more. Admission and parking are free.

APRIL 28 Maryland Day

Tawes Fine Arts Building, University of Maryland The David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora collaborates with the American Theatre and Drama Society and the Black Theatre Network to celebrate the late African American playwright August Wilson. A young playwright who recalled that Wilson had urged him simply to “Tell your story” inspired the conference’s theme. Wilson ignited passionate debates about black theatre during his lifetime— debates that continue today. Participants explore the art of storytelling—from the narrative on the page, to the fable preserved in a painting or work of art, to the lives of those whose experiences have shaped our understanding of the African American and African experience.

MARCH 9–11 Tell Your Story: An Interdisciplinary Conference on August Wilson and African American Theatre, Art and Culture

Hosted by the Maryland Alumni Association

Terps Take Manhattan, Los Angeles and Charm City

6th Annual David Driskell Distinguished Lecture Featuring Lowery Stokes Sims, executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem, N.Y.

Save the Date! APRIL 19 | 5 p.m.

Warm up to the thought of attending a University of Maryland event. On campus, pick from inspiring performances, enlightening discussions and a day of enriching activities. Or let Maryland come to you with alumni programs being held from coast to coast.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 301.405.4678 or 800.336.8627,

8:00 p.m. Songs made popular by black female vocalists in popular music genres including blues, gospel, jazz and R&B.

MARYLAND DAY www.marylandday.umd.edu

THE ART GALLERY 301.405.2763, www.artgallery.umd.edu

DAVID C. DRISKELL CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE VISUAL ARTS AND CULTURE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE AFRICAN DIASPORA 301.314.2615, www.driskellcenter.umd.edu

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

CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 301.405.ARTS

www.alumni.umd.edu

H OT L I N E

If you’re a member of the Class of 1957 or 1967, your alumni association needs you! Help organize your class reunion by volunteering for a reunion committee. The 50th and 40th for these classes will be held this fall over Homecoming Weekend. Let the planning begin! For more details, contact the alumni association.

Call for Volunteers!

1957&1967

BALTIMORE | MAY 3 LOS ANGELES | MAY 8–10 NEW YORK CITY | JUNE 14

MARCH 31: CELEBRATING BLACK WOMEN AND SONG

8:00 p.m. Songs inspired by black women—their lives, their struggle, their beauty and their love.

MARCH 30: SINGING HER SONG

8:00 p.m. Songs composed by black women, from blues to rap, ragtime to contemporary jazz, early gospel hymns to gospel hip-hop, from early art song to contemporary art music, and songs from Africa and the Caribbean.

MARCH 29: SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC BY BLACK WOMEN

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center Join Diane “Dr. Dee” White, composer/vocalist/pianist/chorus director, and other special guest artists for a three-day exploration of black women and song. Using lectures, presentations and workshops, White and company consider a broad spectrum of musical styles. Three different evening concerts highlight the week’s events:

MARCH 29–31 “This is Her Story … This is Her Song”

TOP LEFT PHOTO BY DAVID COOPER; TOP RIGHT PHOTO BY WILLIAM B. CARTER; CENTER LEFT ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN G. PAYNE; CENTER PHOTO BY MIKE MORGAN; CENTER RIGHT PHOTO OF TESTUDO BY JOHN T. CONSOLI; BOTTOM LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ART GALLERY; BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO BY LISA HELFERT

Photography from Iran The Art Gallery Co-sponsored by the Center for Persian Studies With more than 80 photographs by renowned Iranian photographers, this exhibition provides a rare, revealing glance into Iranian life and experiences today. The 20 artists included in the exhibition are among Iran’s most celebrated and use the medium of photography for cultural expression and self-exploration. This perspective of life in Iran contradicts the way many foreign photographers use the medium— which is to represent Iran and its people as purely exotic.

APRIL 4 – MAY 2 Persian Visions Photo Exhibition: Contemporary

Enjoy refreshments, meet fellow alumni and hear from special guests at alumni events in Baltimore, Los Angeles and New York City. Save the date, and watch the alumni association Web site for more details:

TERP WINTER

2007

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE HISCHAK

hen a team of archaeologists descended upon Wye House Farm, they discovered a few items African American statesman Frederick Douglass did not mention in his accounts of 1820s slave life there: a massive tulip poplar, its bulging roots sprouting through the center of a historic brick building, and an aggressive swath of poison ivy that inspired the use of long pants in the middle of a steamy dig season. But much of what the slave-turned-abolitionist recalls in his biographies is still present at Wye, most notably the recently unearthed remnants of a slave village scattered just below the surface of the Long Green.The poplar was growing amid what was almost certainly one of the plantation’s slave quarters, a building whose rotting wood

Since beginning work at the farm near Easton in 2005, students in the archaeology field school have discovered three distinct structures, as well as artifacts that date to pre-historic times. A laboratory in Woods Hall is now home to ceramic sherds, badly corroded metal blades and countless pieces of tobacco pipe. Each is washed, labeled and painstakingly identified by students. But the delicate handling doesn’t stop in the lab. In tracing Douglass’ footsteps and reaching further back in time, the team is examining life as one of Maryland’s most famous residents knew it and providing fresh insights to the family of the farm’s original owners as well as to the relatives of the slaves they once owned.The challenge is to

{ unearthing the past Archaeology in Annapolis expands to Eastern Shore and home of Frederick Douglass by Kimberly Marselas

floor would have provided great organic matter for a sapling. The fact that history would have to fight its way out from under pesky weeds and twisted roots is not lost on Professor Mark Leone, who has for years worked to shed light on the buried history of African Americans through the university’s Archaeology in Annapolis program. “The treasure in this endeavor is that at Wye House, as in Annapolis, there’s a direct continuity from the 1700s to today,” says Leone. “Maryland has and can communicate its own deep past.”

do so in a way that informs both descendant communities and provides historical context for university students. “Most Maryland undergraduates are unconnected to the greatness of Maryland’s history,” Leone says. “They come from an institution that is closely connected to the founders of Maryland and the country.” The Lloyd family, which built Wye House and at one point owned an estimated 1,000 slaves to support crop and livestock operations, still lives on the land.Theirs is one of the great names in state history, along with those of William Paca and Charles Carroll—whose properties Leone has also investigated.

TERP WINTER

2007

Wye House, right, is still home to the Lloyd family. Once owners of hundreds of slaves, including Frederick Douglass, the family has opened its estate to university archaeologists.

This towering poplar tree held buried treasure in its roots.

Life on the Lloyd plantation helped shape Douglass’ story—his struggles in slavery, his eventual freedom and the insights the two provided when he became a noted orator, presidential adviser and ambassador. Douglass described his early homes near Easton as unremarkable, dilapidated farms with worn-out soil: “It was in this dull, flat, and unthrifty district or neighborhood, bordered by the Choptank River, among the laziest and muddiest of streams surrounded by a white population of the lowest order, indolent and drunken to a proverb, and among slaves who, in point of ignorance and indolence, were fully in accord with their surroundings, that I, without any fault of my own, was born, and spent the first years of my childhood,” he wrote in 1881’s Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.

in the students’ hands As a child, senior Mike Hischak had an interest in history and archaeology, but he admits now that his view of the profession was a bit “romanticized.” Last summer, he came to understand what field work is truly about, spending two weeks in Annapolis and another four digging at the Wye House Farm near Easton. Even with maps and Frederick Douglass’ detailed accounts of the farm’s antebellum facilities, knowing exactly where to look for artifacts was a challenge. He and a partner spent two days digging around two wooden planks and after a meticulous search, they wound up with a single nail and some shells. “Things don’t always work out,” Hischak says. “But in the end, it was one more piece of information.” Working on a double degree in physics and secondary education, Hischak was drawn to the dig after taking an anthropology course with Professor Mark Leone. Leone is working to

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2007

Mrs. R.C.Tilghman, an 11th generation descendant of settler Edward Lloyd, has known her waterfront estate as a bucolic home, its yellow and white main house just 100 yards or so from where university students spend the summer digging. “The history here is of intense personal interest to me, and I’m dedicated to its preservation,” says the 87-year-old. “This land has been part of my life for so long that I feel a duty to preserve the heritage it holds.” Descendants of the slaves Douglass lived among as a boy also consider the land part of their heritage. On a Sunday morning after Tilghman gave him permission to dig, Leone shared a pew with parishioners at St. Stephen's African Methodist Episcopal Church in Unionville. Members of the congregation descend from families who had lived in the region for decades, and some still had the same last names.

connect more university students to the state’s history, regardless of major or professional ambitions, “so that College Park doesn’t float on an ahistoric plane.” After all, the university’s own rich history is deeply connected to the Calvert family, which founded Maryland and produced the state’s first governor. Like the Calverts, most of Maryland’s influential early families were slaveholders, and so their properties offer complex historical information. “The sites that we’re working on here are kind of mind-blowing in some aspects,” says Amelia Chisholm M.A.A. ’05, laboratory director for Archaeology in Annapolis. “I had worked in pre-historic archaeology … and in 19th and 20th century sites in Pennsylvania, but I have to admit I geeked out when I was pulling colonial ceramic plates out of the ground [at Wye].” Chisholm’s position is partly funded through the city of Annapolis, which has been the benefactor of much of the university’s

archaeological exploration. Presenting archaeology as a viable career is important to Leone. A grant established by a family whose land was the site of a previous Leone-led dig pays some students for their work; others earn credit toward their undergraduate or graduate degrees. “It’s a symbiotic program,” says Leone. “Their job is to replace me.” And clearly the professor is proud to have influenced younger professionals, sparking a multi-generation connection in the classroom and the field, as well as connections between students and history. “I didn’t realize how much entrenched slave history we had on the Eastern Shore,” says Erin McCord, a junior who grew up just a few miles from the Chesapeake Bay. She’s now helping to classify the finds from Wye House. “It just really sucks me in,” she says. “Putting in the work, it makes you feel like it’s yours in a way, even if it is really someone else’s history.” —KM

PHOTO BY SAMIR S. PATEL

{

“What we’re interested in doing is building on Douglass’ legacy of enfranchising the world. We are educating, which is the university’s mission.” —Mark Leone

Leone asked what they wanted to know about the Lloyd family property.The response from a senior member was central to the work to take place:Tell us, she said, about slave spirituality and what the Lloyd family did for slaves’ freedom. In summer 2006, Leone and his graduate students attended the Roberts family reunion and shared their findings with as many as 150 people. In a profile of the project that appeared in Archaeology magazine,William Roberts said he found strength in the domestic remains discovered at the site. For instance, most of the ceramic pieces found so far match pottery still owned by Tilghman, a sign that the slaves got their supplies as handouts from their owners rather than at an independent market. “They did so much with so little,” says Roberts, president of Verizon Maryland. “If we’ve overcome this, there’s no excuse for us not being able to overcome anything today.”

In excavating about 40 sites in Annapolis over 25 years, Leone has inspired similar reactions among the capital’s African American community. Although the population has been one-third African American for centuries, the role those residents played in making the city successful has just begun to emerge in the last two decades. “The work that Mark is doing is one way of examining what their lives were like,” says Judith Cabral, director of programs for the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation.The organization recorded oral histories in Parole last year, a predominantly African American section of Annapolis where Leone trained his eyes and his students. “Without his work, we’d have a big hole … in knowing what occurred here 150, 200 years ago.” Leone will be back in Annapolis next summer, and his team will also return to Wye House for a third and final year of excavation.The focus will once again be on the expansive Long Green, particularly on two buildings whose functions aren’t readily known, including one whose size is thought to be substantial. Though some of Douglass’ later homes were restored and opened to the public— including the Frederick Douglass Museum and Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C., and a Highland Beach home he never lived to see completed—the land where he spent his formative years will remain private. Still, Leone expects his work to build a greater understanding of Douglass, as he continues to share his finds with volunteers, the local communities and regional and national media. He has been contacted by the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco about a collaboration and would be willing to interpret and display artifacts at an established museum with Tilghman’s support. After all, information is what Douglass would likely have wanted the world to have. “What we’re interested in doing is building on Douglass’ legacy of enfranchising the world,” Leone says. “We are educating, which is the university’s mission.” TERP

Anonymous, 19th century Frederick Douglass (1817–1895). Abolitionist. Daguerreotype. Ca. 1850.

Students label their finds in the archaeology lab.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION / ART RESOURCE, NY; MIKE HISCHAK AND JOHN T. CONSOLI

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Maryland Grows Globally By Monette Austin Bailey

From worldwide executive M.B.A. programs to food-security research abroad that protects the foods back home, the university gives new meaning to the phrase “study abroad.” It starts with language. Michael Long, director of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, looks a bit exasperated when asked about language offerings at the university. It seems that demand far outweighs supply. Spanish,Arabic and Japanese all have waiting lists, and so do several other languages. He doesn’t have hard evidence, but Long knows that the students snapping up the more than 4,400 undergraduate seats offered are not just signing up to fulfill a major’s language requirement.“It’s usually for a minor and they’re coming from all sorts of majors.A lot of them are motivated to make themselves more marketable,” he says. Maryland’s programs and curriculum prepare students to succeed globally, in keeping with our changing world.The university ranked 37 in the World’s Top 100 Universities Ranking, a highly regarded barometer of an institution’s worth compiled by the Institute of Higher Education at Jiao Tong University in Shanghai in 2005. Beyond traditional study abroad programs and faculty fellowships, Maryland makes globalization 24

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real in several ways, and it all begins with language. Operating a successful business-focused campus in Tunisia requires Arabic proficiency. Life sciences professors should be able to discuss with Latin American agriculture experts the importance of preparing crops for broader distribution—in Spanish. At the Robert H. Smith School of Business, being marketable describes people and programs. As Dean Howard Frank puts it,“Business is global, so therefore, the business school should be global.” The school boasts that during any month, between two and five faculty members are somewhere in the world either teaching or learning new business practices to bring back for students. A well-received business plan competition hosted by the Smith School in China brings faculty, professionals and students across the world. Initiatives—executive M.B.A. programs, exchange programs or management consortiums—are under way in South Korea;Tianjin, Shanghai and Beijing, China; India;Tunisia; and Switzerland. ILLUSTRATION BY BRYAN KESTELL

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there is a market for its educational products. Once all of these pieces are in place, efforts such as its new Global Opportunities program can be executed. Selected language and business students interested in the world of international business will be exposed to speaker series, field trips, study abroad opportunities and special summer offerings.“We want to give every Smith student the chance to benefit from firsthand global experiences,” says Frank.

Sharing What We Know

Michael Long, director of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, is an internationally recognized leader in the field of second language acquisition.

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“The feedback has been tremendously positive.Three years ago we tried to send a group of students to India, for example, and we couldn’t get enough to go,” says Frank. “Last year, we were oversubscribed for the 35 slots. Now it’s become well known as a hotbed of technology.You can’t assume that if [a place] didn’t work one time, it won’t work later.We can’t assume what it’s going to look like in five years.” The school is strategic and practical about where it engages. Its first criterion for a potential international partner is a safe environment for students.Then it determines which location is willing and able, if the economic environment is sufficiently advanced so that the school doesn’t lose money, and if

Since business means that not just people are traveling across borders, researchers in the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture work to ensure safe food transactions. Nearly half of the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed by Americans come from outside of this country, says Chris Walsh, professor of horticulture and international training coordinator with the Joint Institute for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN). Seafood imports are even greater. He spends a lot of his time in other countries teaching trainers good agricultural practices in order to protect U.S. consumers from foodborne illnesses. “People trained in plant protection or pest management can treat fruit and vegetable crops to kill insect pests, but there’s no way to remove human pathogens from fresh produce if it becomes contaminated,” he says.“We educate for the prevention of foodborne illnesses since it is impossible to use technology to remove microbial contamination. “Foodborne illnesses are a major problem affecting people and markets all over the world.There are an increasing number of rules and buyer specifications. Supermarkets don’t want to go bankrupt handling other people’s problems.” He says farm-loss estimates for last year’s E. coli spinach recall in California hit $100 million. “More than half of our food-borne illnesses can be traced back to fresh fruits and vegetables, according to the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration.We need more science to figure out why this happens, plus education and implantation to manage this risk. It’s a com-

PHOTO OF MICHAEL LONG BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

Housing Abroad plicated world out there on the farm.” With Mexico being America’s largest fresh vegetable supplier,Walsh has spent a lot of time in that country. He is functionally fluent in Spanish and always tries to bring trainers with some facility in the local language to whatever country he’s visiting. Though students don’t travel with him on his trips,Walsh brings back extensive photographic presentations to share with his classes. It’s important to him that students know—no matter their area of interest in horticulture— how their food is produced,where it comes from and how global trade has changed our diet. “There’s a lot to food safety that does not relate to national security, but has tremendous impact on our day-to-day lives.”

Healthy Research In the Department of Public and Community Health in the College of Health and Human Performance,Assistant Professor Ed Hsu agrees that what goes on outside of U. S. borders requires increasing levels of expertise and awareness in several areas. His research,which involves students,focuses on advancing an evidence-based public health surveillance system that includes data-driven and scientifically sound health policy,as well as decisions for avian flu and other emerging,international diseases. Cautiously, Hsu says that the panic surrounding rumors of an imminent avian flu

pandemic should be tempered with hard research.This is the kind of work he hopes to advance through a collaborative report with University of Texas and University of North Carolina, and a proposed joint project with the university’s A. James Clark School of Engineering and Peking University. Hsu says that while what he and his colleagues find may not sound “sensational,” it is based on fact after comparing relative risk with what has happened before.“We’re looking at numbers to try to inform the public … to do risk communication in a way that is culturally and linguistically appropriate.” Which speaks to Maryland’s relevance to, as NewYorkTimes columnistTom Friedman would put it, the flattening of the world. His book, TheWorld Is Flat:A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, talks about how the process happens, in part, by individuals connecting on a global scale.The book was selected for the university’s FirstYear Book Program, in which every new student receives a copy of a topical publication for reading and discussion. “A first-class education in today’s world is global,” says Scott Koerwer, associate dean of professional programs and services for the Smith School.“It’s not just globalminded or having a global perspective. It’s an education that affords an opportunity for global engagement.” TERP

The Smith School's exchange program in India gives students real-world exposure.

As a most basic need, shelter unites people no matter where they live, what they eat or how they do business. At least one studentcentered effort allows faculty to teach the importance of cultural sensitivity and awareness through housing. Shenglin Chang, associate professor of landscape architecture, encourages students in her course, Landscaping and Identity: Placemaking Across World Culture, to look at what makes a home memorable to them and their peers and to then learn how that attachment is shaped by culture. Because many of her students plan careers as designers in international markets, she stresses that it’s important to understand not just the mechanics but also the related intangibles. To demonstrate, she melded the two areas in a course taught in collaboration with National Taiwan University. Last spring, the “transnational” classroom combined graduate students from Taiwan and a mixed class from Maryland. “Our students were working on a projects based in a new town development in [a high-tech park] in Shinzu County. It was a project I was a consultant on and the county is still considering it,” says Chang. The Taiwanese students worked on a development in the Rockville Town Center project. “They were each other’s culture consultants.” Teleconferences were tricky to schedule with the 12-hour time difference, but Chang says good breakfasts and enthusiastic students made it easier. To create a greater sense of connectedness, the students hosted a tele-birthday party. “It also helped me to understand that the teleconference is not just a tool for communication. It is the virtual space that we can [use] to build beautiful memories that tie us together as a global community,” says Chang. She saw a theme of her course materialize while talking to a Maryland student about the experience. “She said, ‘Our view is so America-based. We are powerless. We only know English and the whole world knows more than us.’ My American students were very impressed by how much the Taiwanese students knew about American culture.” —MAB

PHOTO OF INDIA BY SMITH SCHOOL M.B.A. STUDENT

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OUR EXPANDING PROGRAM IN MIDDLE EAST STUDIES When Shibley Telhami accepted the position of Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development nine years ago, his appointment laid the groundwork for what has become a significantly enhanced exploration of the Middle East. At the time, neither Arabic nor Persian was taught on a regular basis.“Our students didn’t really have access to scholarship on the Middle East,” says Telhami. Much has changed since then.Today, Maryland boasts a program that stretches over multiple disciplines and departments to broaden the horizons and opportunities for covering the Middle East from the perspectives of government, culture, language and religion.

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CREDIT

FOSTERS CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING. JOINING FORCES One such area is the burgeoning Center for Persian Studies that is bringing the cultures of Iran,Afghanistan,Tajikistan and the sizable Persian-speaking diaspora to greater light. Under the direction of Professor Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak,“one of the best known and most respected culture specialists outside of Iran,” says Michael Long, director of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, the center is attracting scholars of international distinction. Columbia University Professor Emeritus Ehsan Yarshater

delivered the inaugural speech for the Khayami Distinguished Lecture in Persian Studies in fall 2005 and subsequently funded a series for the center. The editor-in-chief of the critically acclaimed Encyclopaedia Iranica,Yarshater’s contributions to the world’s greater understanding of Persian and Iranian culture have earned him admiration from his countrymen. The Center for Persian Studies plans to have a minor available by the end of this academic year and a major the following year. “We have students from comparative litera-

Reported by Katrina Altersitz Illustration by Okan Arabacioglu CREDIT

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ture, government and politics and women’s studies,” says Karimi-Hakkak.“They take their theory and methodology courses in those departments and they develop the capacity for the language, literature and culture in our center.” While students under Karimi-Hakkak master Persian, others learn other languages necessary to communicate with the people in the Middle East and important for each student’s experience and success. “There is a fundamental difference in approaching a culture, a society, when you have firsthand access to material and people because you can communicate in their language,” says Eric Zakim, associate professor and coordinator of the Hebrew program. Professor Telhami agrees and explains that this shift can also help international relations. He relates his experience on a bipartisan commission for public diplomacy in the State Department where they discovered that only five people in the entire department were fluent enough in Arabic to appear comfortably on television. “It’s really remarkable how few Americans, whether they’re diplomats or fighting in war or for that matter even in the intelligence community, actually mastered the language of the Middle East,”Telhami says.“The establishments of a Persian Studies center and an Arabic language program have made it so much better for our students and in the long run for U.S. diplomacy.” One such student is government and politics major Marie Schilling (shown above). Her fascination with WW II history, language and travel have led her on international forays to the French Riviera, where an aunt lives, and Ireland, where her family has roots. Next fall, she will spend a semester in Budapest, Hungary. As for the Middle East, Schilling wants to learn more about that part of the world to gain a better understanding of “why there are no easy solutions.” She has good reason. Her older sister, Kathryne ’03, is a 1st Lt. in the U.S. Marines, stationed west of Baghdad. So, she jumped at the opportunity to study Arabic last fall.“Arabic is completely different 30

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from any other language I had previously encountered—different alphabet, different sounds,” says Schilling.“I believe Arabic will take me somewhere,” which she thinks could include a job at the State Department or United Nations. TALK THE TALK Encouraging informed dialogue is just what Ambassador Joseph Gildenhorn and his wife, Alma, had in mind in establishing last fall the Institute for Israel Studies that bears their names. The Honorable Joseph B. and Alma Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies is an integral part of existing and emerging programs in Middle East studies. “We feel that there is such a vibrant Middle East program at the university and there was a need for the State of Israel to have a strong voice in further debate,” says Alma Gildenhorn.“The center will focus on contemporary Israel … its history, its leaders and politics, its socio-economic structure, and its pioneering work in the sciences and technology. Central to the institute’s mandate will be a discussion of the conflicts and challenges that face Israel daily.” Erik Zakim, who also serves as interim director of the institute, expects that many influential speakers will come and share their knowledge and experience with students and the community.“This will promote understanding and, hopefully, lead to solutions to the conflicts that prevail in that region,” says Ambassador Gildenhorn. The director of the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Studies, Hayim Lapin, sees great potential in the new Institute for Israel Studies for sharing perspectives.“It’s an opportunity for an open and balanced intellectual assessment of all of the dimensions of Israeli society in the Middle East.We’re interested in going beyond the conflict.There’s a lot more to talk about.” University of Maryland President Dan Mote sees the Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies significantly enhancing Maryland’s Jewish Studies program—already among the largest in the nation.“But what will make us unique is that Israel studies will be integrated into all areas of the university’s programs in Middle East studies,” says Mote.“This is highly unusual and difficult to achieve.” —TERP PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

theloop Launching Our Great Expectations G U E S T S K N E W from the way

University President Dan Mote made his entrance that Great Expectations had momentum.Aboard a Segway, Mote zoomed around the 500 guests gathered to celebrate the public launch of a landmark, seven-year fund-raising initiative for the university. Great Expectations,The Campaign for Maryland seeks to raise $1 billion in private funding to support students, recruit and retain faculty, enhance physical facilities and library and technology resources, and reinforce excellence and innovation in academic programs. The campaign goal makes Great Expectations the largest fund-raising drive

of a public institution in the state of Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region.The announcement marked the completion of a two-year silent phase that surpassed its goal of $300 million— raising $312 million. “Our expectations for the university, and our students, faculty and alumni who bring it to life, are very high indeed,” says Mote.“We are passionately committed to being excellent at everything we do. Our extraordinary rise over the past decade has demonstrated that we have the will, the ability and the capability to succeed.This ambitious campaign is a primary vehicle to make that happen.”

$350 MILLION to provide Students

the opportunity to reach for the stars. $225 MILLION to ensure our

Faculty are competitive with the best. $175 MILLION to create an

Environment of excellence. $250 MILLION to support

Innovation to change the world around us.

$1 BILLION TOTAL CAMPAIGN GOAL

The goal for the Great Expectations campaign was hard to miss at the event announcing the university’s initiative. The seven-year target is a lofty $1 billion—the largest fund-raising drive of a public university in the Maryland-Washington, D.C. Region.

PHOTO BY SCOTT SUCHMAN

TERP WINTER 2007

in theloop VOLUNTEER LEADERS STEP UP

Led by the campaign co-chairs, all volunteer leaders are committed to securing Maryland’s place among the nation’s elite public research universities. HONORARY CAMPAIGN CHAIRS

A. James Clark ’50 Robert Fischell ’53 Robert H. Smith ’50 CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS

David C. Driskell Alma Gildenhorn ’53 Lowell Glazer ’55 Barry Gossett William Mayer ’66, M.B.A. ’67 CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIRS NATIONAL VOLUNTEER COUNCIL

Mark G. Turner ’78 COLONNADE SOCIETY

Margaret Moose Swallow ’75 Daniel F. Rice ’91

The professionally successful trio who lead the $350 million campaign for scholarships—journalist Connie Chung ’69, technology entrepreneur Buno Pati ’86, M.S. ’88, Ph.D. ’92, and Maryland men’s basketball coach Gary Williams ’68—have demonstrated appreciation for their own Maryland educational experiences by also making significant contributions to the $1 billion Great Expectations campaign.

SCHOLARSHIP CAMPAIGN

Gary Williams ’68 Connie Chung ’69 Buno Pati ’86, M.S. ’88, Ph. D. ’92 CAMPUS CAMPAIGN

Millard Alexander COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BOARD OF ADVISORS

Jane Brown ’72

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EVERY GIFT COUNTS

Fulfilling Maryland’s Great Expectations is dependent in large part on private funding from individuals and organizations. While the university is the state’s flagship institution, Maryland, like many public universities across the nation, has seen resources from the state decrease steadily over the past decade. “More and more, our state funding is also tied to our ability to generate support from others,” said Mote in a recent message to the Maryland community. This year’s appropriations to the university from the state government are 27 percent of the university’s overall operating budget.As the Great Expectations campaign moves forward, all gifts to the university, regardless to what program, college or department they are designated, will be counted as a campaign contribution.

“Every gift is important. Every gift makes a difference,” says Brodie Remington, vice president for University Relations.“From the $50 contribution to the Maryland Fund for Excellence to a $5,000 gift for a scholarship to a $5 million commitment for endowed chairs, all gifts move the university forward and reflect the loyalty and generosity of Maryland’s alumni and friends.” Though the silent phase of the campaign focused primarily on large, multi-million dollar gifts, last year’s participation from alumni proved that alumni support can make the biggest difference. In 2006, more than 38,000 alumni and friends contributed $130 million in gifts supporting scholarships, faculty, new and refurbished facilities and more.

PHOTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOLI AND MIKE MORGAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Great Expectations is a seven-year campaign with a goal to raise $1 billion by the end of 2011. $300

$400

$800

$1 BILLION

(silent phase) 2006

2007

2010

2011

in millions

CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS LEAD THE CHARGE

“Maryland is ready for such a bold, ambitious campaign,” says Alma Gildenhorn ’53, philanthropist and Great Expectations campaign co-chair.“We are on a very steep trajectory of academic success; and we have matched that academic success with strong volunteer leadership and an excellent fund-raising program.We have developed the donor base and capacity—including alumni, friends and prospective donors—to have great success over the next few years.” BUILDING ENTHUSIASM

Gildenhorn is one of several members of the University of Maryland family helping to lead and raise awareness of the fund-raising campaign. In fall of 2006 she and her husband, Joe Gildenhorn, former U.S. ambassador, named the Joseph and Alma Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies, a key component to the university’s expanding Middle East Studies program (see story on page 28). Other campaign co-chairs, with backgrounds ranging from the arts to athletics and from business to education, help to ensure that Great Expectations reaches a well-rounded audience.

William Mayer ’66, M.B.A ’67 is chair of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation Board of Trustees’ executive committee and former dean of the business school. David Driskell, artist, curator and distinguished professor emeritus, helped to establish the university’s David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora.“If we are to achieve the university’s Great Expectations, we must build facilities for the future.Aesthetics and utility can be combined to beautify and improve the University of Maryland,” said Driskell at the campaign kick-off event. Fellow campaign co-chairs Lowell Glazer and Barry Gossett share a passion for Maryland. Both have construction backgrounds and both are eager to build a great university. “There’s a tradition of excellence now at Maryland,” says Gossett.“People want to be a part of it—to be part of a winner.” Mayer, Driskell, Gildenhorn, Gossett and Glazer will spend the next five years harnessing that desire, using it to secure the university’s prominence and achieve Great Expectations.” TERP

“If we are to achieve the university’s Great Expectations, we must build facilities for the future.Aesthetics and utility can be combined to beautify and improve the University of Maryland.”

David C. Driskell Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland

Alma Gildenhorn ’53 Philanthropist

Lowell Glazer ’55 President , A&G Management Company, Inc.

Barry Gossett CEO, Action Mobile Enterprises

—DAVID C. DRISKELL

William Mayer ’66, M.B.A. ’67 Partner, Park Avenue Equity Partners TERP WINTER 2007

in theloop AVERAGE ANNUAL GIVING In millions $140 $130.3

120

E V E RY Y E A R , the university acknowledges the generosity of

100 $96.2 80 60

Our Gratitude Goes Global

$74.5

$68.8

40 20 0 FY97-99 | FY00-02 | FY03-05 | FY06

DONORS In thousands

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBERS

40 38.5

the Maryland family by publishing an honor roll of donors. Rather than mailing hard copies to a limited number of households this winter, Maryland is making its honor roll available worldwide on the Web. “Thank you to the many donors whose generous support is vital to the progress of this great university.Your confidence in our aspirations and the path we have chosen to fulfill them, your pride in our successes, and the enthusiasm you bring as partners in our march to the top fill us with optimism for the future,” says Brodie Remington, vice president for University Relations. If you were one of the thousands who showed their Terrapin Pride with a gift to the university between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2006, visit www.honorroll.umd.edu to see your name. Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends, Maryland’s programs have an international reach.Tapping into the power of the Internet, so does our gratitude. —MW

30 29.5 25 24.2 20

21.9

15 10 0 FY97

| FY06

FY97

| FY06

Becoming one of the finest research universities in the world is well within our sights, thanks to the support of alumni and friends. Over the past decade, average giving has nearly doubled as donor participation and Alumni Association membership have increased steadily.

“There’s a tradition of excellence now at Maryland. People want to be a part of it—to be part of a winner.” —BARRY GOSSETT

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The university has posted its annual honor roll of donors on the Web. To learn more, go to www.honorroll.umd.edu.

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

specialGIFTS Erik B. Young ’74 M.D. and Joyce D.C. Young have made a contribution of $1 million in appreciation of the education that Dr. Young and his father, Willis H. Young Jr. ’43, ’49, received at Maryland. Their gift reflects the couple’s broad and diverse interests and will have a positive impact on every corner of the university. They established two endowed funds: the Erik B. Young M.D. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Enhancement Endowment and the Willis H. Young Jr. Faculty Fellowship in Aerospace Engineering. Their gift will also support the Restoring Ancient Stabiae Program by promoting the participation of students and faculty from all disciplines and departments, particularly for student travel abroad. Other recipients of the Youngs’ generosity are the Irv and Micki Goldstein Endowed Scholarship; Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center; and the following colleges: Arts and Humanities; Chemical and Life Sciences; Architecture, Planning and Preservation; Health and Human Performance; and Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Also receiving support are the Division of Student Affairs and the President’s Enhancement Fund. Chair of the Board of Regents Clifford M. Kendall ’54 and his wife, Camille E. Kendall, have pledged more than $1 million in support of the Great Expectations campaign. With their gift, these philanthropists and dedicated members of the Maryland family have added to the previously established Kendall Undergraduate Scholarship in the College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences and the

The softball stadium will now bear the name of Robert E. Taylor whose contributions will fund renovations to athletic facilities.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CLIFFORD AND CAMILLE KENDALL, MARYLAND ATHLETICS AND JOHN T. CONSOLI

Friends of Gary Point Guard Scholarship. Newly established funds are the Clifford M. and Camille E. Kendall Undergraduate Business Transfer Scholarship and the Clifford M. and Camille E. Kendall Outstanding Faculty Staff Award Endowment for the University of Maryland’s Shady Grove campus. In addition, they made generous commitments to the President’s Enhancement Fund, Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center and Intercollegiate Athletics. Jean Mullan ’68, a former teacher who now chairs the College of Education’s Campaign Cabinet, has added a new dimension to her role as an advocate for education at all levels by establishing the first endowed professorship in education. The Jean Mullan Professorship in Literacy, endowed with a gift of $500,000, will provide significant support each year for an esteemed scholar to conduct literacy-related research to improve education throughout all grades. The inaugural Mullan Professor is John T. Guthrie, director of the Maryland Literacy Research Center, whose research emphasizes children’s motivation for reading. Terps fan Robert E. Taylor Jr. has given $1.5 million in support of athletics facilities to ensure that the quality of Maryland’s athletic facilities matches the high caliber of our student-athletes. In recognition of his generosity, the softball stadium will be named Robert E. Taylor Stadium. Located adjacent to the Comcast Center, the Taylor Stadium includes stadium seating for more than 1,000 fans, a concessions area, ticket booth and press box. —PS

Interpretations Language: A National Imperative

Each year a university committee chooses a a “first year book” that all entering freshmen are asked to read and be prepared to discuss. This year’s selection was the best seller, The World Is Flat, by Thomas L. Friedman.This jarring exploration of the globalization of people, and its implication to our prosperity, security and future, highlights the critical importance in today’s world of understanding other people— their language, values and culture. Anyone who travels the globe realizes quickly the sheer numbers of people who speak English proficiently.This may have lulled Americans into deemphasizing other languages and cultures as an educational priority.This deficiency has come home to roost with the conflict of cultures that engages the Middle East, Europe, Asia, South East Asia and elsewhere. The federal government and the university as well are moving to increase significantly the study of languages and cultures that are deemed critical—with Chinese, Russian, Persian and

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Arabic high on the list. Clearly, a much broader and deeper understanding of language and culture other than English is critical for the United States. “There is no such thing as international business anymore, there is just business,” says Richard Brecht, executive director of the university’s Center for Advanced Study of Language, in reference to maintaining the country’s economic competitiveness.“And when American military lives are at stake on foreign soil, or we think about homeland security, then increasing the nation’s foreign language capacity is a vital national security priority.” At the University of Maryland, new research to better understand language— how a second language is learned; how the human brain perceives language; how to quickly translate foreign languages using new technologies—is at the forefront of scientific discovery by our faculty. Our commitment to language research at Maryland is rooted deeply with the university’s Department of Linguistics, recognized among the top nationally. Our Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, which joins faculty from linguistics, psychology, hearing and speech sciences, English, biology and computer science, is bridging the gap between theoretical, computational, psychological and neurological models of language. Added strengths include a Ph.D. program in Second Language Acquisition and the expected collaborative dialogue involving language and culture in the new Center for Persian Studies and The Confucius Institute. Language—in its many facets including culture and cognition—is an institutional priority underpinned by some of the finest programs on language research in the country. As one of the nation’s leading public research universities, we are making a difference in language on a global scale. —Dan Mote, President

Maryland’s Relevant Language Research Resources • The School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, with a new Ph.D. program in Second Language Acquisition, new Center for Persian Studies, and new National Flagship Language Program in Arabic, Persian and Russian

• The National Foreign Language Center, one of the nation’s leading centers for practical solutions for real language problems, including advanced distributed learning, translation and interpreting research and programming, and language, social services and civil rights

• One of the nation’s premier programs in theoretical linguistics, whose work in language acquisition and contrastive grammars is acknowledged as among the finest in the world

• Top five programs and distinguished researchers in computational linguistics, based at the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies

• A growing cadre of renowned cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists, many of which pursue fundamental research in the brain basis of language and its acquisition

• Dozens of distinguished faculty engaged in language research across the university in departments such as education, anthropology, sociology, public policy, hearing and speech sciences, English, communication, engineering, business and library sciences

• The Confucius Institute, the first in the world, teaches the language and culture of China for the Greater Washington Region

PHOTO BY JEREMY GREEN; PHOTO COLLAGE BY JOHN T. CONSOLI

WANT LOWER STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS? Consolidate with Nelnet. The University of Maryland Alumni Association has partnered with Nelnet to assist you in consolidating your federal student loans. By consolidating your loans with Nelnet, you can take advantage of money-saving incentives for on-time payments, ﬂexible repayment terms, and online payment and statement options. Your Maryland education helped you establish your career goals, let Nelnet save you hundreds of dollars to help you achieve your ﬁnancial goals. Life can be complicated—make student loan repayment easy by calling Nelnet at 1.877.303.7442.

PROUD SPONSOR OF MARYLAND DAY 2007.

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UNIVERSITY OF MA

APRIL 28

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RYLAND

Join the University of Maryland in a celebrat ion of our diverse world during Maryland Day— Saturday, April 28, 20 07, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Mo re than 400 activities, de monstrations, exhibits , performances, and oth er events offer the co mmunity a glimpse int o what makes Marylan d a special place. Visit this year’s Global Vil lage to experience an intern ational sensory treat. Learn more at www. marylandday.umd.edu

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