The Omicron Delta Kappa
Fall 2014
LEADER
“To Recognize Leaders Among Leaders”
SIGMA CIRCLE TAKES LEXINGTON, VA FOR ODK NATIONAL CONVENTION AND CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
THE OPENING OF PRINCE FREDERICK HALL By Moriel Daniel, Sigma Circle Events Coordinator his Fall, the Department of Resident Life opened the doors of Prince Frederick Hall, the newest residence hall on Maryland’s campus the most recent building built on South Campus since construction was completed on Chincoteague last year. In keeping with Resident Life’s Sustainability initiative, Prince Frederick is
By Sarah Niezelski, Sigma Circle Historian
The new Prince Frederick Hall opened its doors this fall - Prince Frederick Hall Article
Members of ODK Sigma Circle pose in front of the ODK National Headquarters
LEED Gold certified and was designed to have green recreation space in front of the building. Additionally,
Held at the birthplace of ODK, Washington and Lee University, this convention gave us the opportunity to build relationships with passionate leaders from across the coun-
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n June of this past summer, I had the pleasure of joining fellow Sigma Circle members in celebrating a major ODK milestone at the biannual national convention.
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE LEADER... • • • • •
OPENING OF PRINCE FREDRERICK HALL ODK NATIONAL CONVENTION AND CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION A MESSAGE FROM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT AFFAIRS, ED KENNY A MESSAGE FROM OUR NEWEST STEWARD OF THE FOUNTAIN, ALDEN GROSS STEWARDS FO THE FOUNTAIN
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FIRST EVER OMICRON DELTA KAPPA SIGMA CIRCLE ONLINE SILENT AUCTION! THE SIGMA CIRCLE WELCOMES DR. SUE BRIGGS AS FACULTY ADVISOR MARYLAND MAKES THE BIG MOVE THE STARTUP SHELL A SUMMER OF LIVING AND LEARNING IN EUROPE A SAFER CAMPUS ALUMNI UPDATES
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE SIGMA CIRCLE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK
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The Omicron Delta Kappa
LEADER
Message from the President By Khalil Pettus Greetings ODK Current Members & Alumni y name is Khalil Pettus, and I am honored to serve as the President of the ODK Sigma Circle for the upcoming 20142015 school year. I could not be more excited to work alongside Maryland’s best and brightest “leaders among leaders”. Just to
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The Omicron Delta Kappa
LEADER OMICRON DELTA KAPPA SIGMA CIRCLE 2014-2015 EXECUTIVE OFFICERS KHALIL PETTUS
RENUKA TRIPU
President kpettus24@gmail.com 301-675-1514
Public Relations Coordinator rtripu@terpmail.umd.edu 240-838-8091
CARA HAMEL
ALEX WILSON
Vice President chamel@terpmail.umd.edu 301-974-2967
Membership Coordinator wilson.alexander.ray@gmail.com 443-487-1514
TONY BELTON
PRANEET PUPPALA
Communications Coordinator abelton1@terpmail.umd.edu 301-741-0179
Webmaster & Social Media psp31595@gmail.com 301-272-4188
EMILY FRAIK
RAJA AYYAGARI
Philanthropy & Community Service Coordinator efraik@yahoo.com 513-265-1953
Webmaster & Social Media ayyagari93@gmail.com 240-838-4780
BROOKE SUPPLE MORIEL DANIEL Events Coordinator morieldaniel@gmail.com 973-432-7548
Faculty Secretary bsupple@umd.edu 240-688-6849
ZIMRI DIAZ SARAH NIEZELSKI Historian sarah5@comcast.net 443-514-5121
Assistant to the Faculty Secretary zimri@umd.edu 301-502-4047
SIGMA CIRCLE OF OMICRON DELTA KAPPA University of Maryland 2108 Mitchell Building College Park, MD 20742 www.odk.umd.edu
give you some background on myself, I am a senior finance major within the Robert H. Smith School of Business. During my time at the university, I’ve been involved in a number of things including the Smith Undergraduate Student Association, the University Senate, and the Lemma Senbet Fund. I have a passion for mentoring underclassman students and helping the youth in my community. Upon graduation, I will be joining the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs in New York, NY. We have a great schedule of events for this year. Most notably, we welcome you join us at the Homecoming Student Leaders Reception on October 18th. I speak on behalf of all current members when I say I love having the opportunity to meet proud Sigma Circle alums. On that note, I’m pleased to
let you know that alumni engagement is one of our key points of emphasis for this year. The other ODK current officers and I are brainstorming new and creative ways to reconnect and involve our alumni. Finally, I want to notify you that we will be hosting an ODK Drive-In Meeting this February in College Park! This will be the perfect opportunity for current ODK members from around the region to connect and for us to showcase our Sigma Circle pride! Again, it is my absolute honor and pleasure for me to serve as President of the Sigma Circle. The other elected officers and I pledge to serve with our best effort and intentions. I am confident that we can all work together to take the Sigma Circle to greater heights! Many Thanks, Khalil Pettus
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Oakland Hall on North Campus, Prince Frederick will include singles, doubles, and four-person semisuites, with the majority of students living in doubles. However, while the suite experience is relatively new to North Campus, the dorm style is typical for buildings on south campus where South Hill dorms are concerned. When Oakland opened on North Campus, many sophomores had been attracted to the building because of its novelty, rather than moving onto South Campus as the practice had been in the past. However, with Prince Frederick as an option, some sophomores are making the traditional move from North to South campus after their freshman year. The additional housing on-
Prince Frederick Hall offers housing options that are Multi-Gender, Single-Gender and Gender Inclusive, with gender-neutral bathrooms on each floor to ensure all students have a safe and comfortable living environment. Also to the benefit of many students, Prince Frederick will be open over school breaks. In addition to meeting the need for more on-campus resident space, Prince Frederick Hall also houses two of the universities’ acclaimed living learning programs with two-thirds of the building’s occupancy split between the Advance Cybersecurity Experience for Students (ACES) and Design, Cultures and Creativity (DCC) Living and Learning Communities. The remaining third is open to undergraduates. Similar to the recently built
Printed on recycled paper with soy ink.
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The Omicron Delta Kappa
LEADER
Message from the Faculty Secretary By Brooke Lecky Supple, Ph.D. Hello ODK! Welcome back! t has been a spectacular fall in College Park. The weather has been beautiful and the football team is off to a great start! This summer, you may have heard that we joined the Big Ten! It has been an exciting start in the new conference and we are experiencing a whole new level of athletic competition and academic collaboration. The campus is busy with new students and new construction. Prince Frederick Hall opened this fall for 466 students and two living learning programs: ACES (Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students) and DCC (Design | Cultures & Creativity) programs in the Honors College. Construction for the Edward St. John Learning and Teaching Center is heavily under-
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Prince Fredreick Hall continued from page 2 campus has also allowed some Freshmen Connection students to be housed on campus for the first time. Prince Frederick had a grand dedication on Friday, September 12th featuring remarks by Director of Resident Life Dr. Deborah Grandner, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Mary Hummel, and Residence Halls Association President Sree Sinha. The spirited event also included tours of the building, a ribbon cutting, and the debut of Dining Services custom ice cream, “P. Freddy’s Party”.
way on the Mall and along Campus Drive. We also celebrated our biggest philanthropic gift ever in early September from alumnus Brandon Iribe to build a new Computer Science building at the corner of Campus Drive and Route 1. We hope you will come celebrate with us at the Homecoming Student Leadership Reception on Saturday, October 18th from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon before the Terps take on Iowa. It promises to be a wonderful reunion. Our 2014-2015 ODK Officers are already hard at work! They are hoping to increase alumni involvement and enhance the sense of community among current ODK members through more community events and the continuation of the Terps Mentoring Terps (TMT) program. Stay tuned for more details as things unfold! In other ODK news, we hope you will save the date for our ODK Leadership Lectures. So far, we have
two great speakers scheduled this fall. The Drury G. Bagwell ODK Lecture will co-sponsor Richard Saul Wurman, as part of the Voices of Social Change lecture series, on Tuesday, October 21 at 5:00 pm in the Atrium of the Stamp. Wurman is the Founder of TEDTalks. Partnering with the First Year Book program, we are pleased to offer the William L. Thomas, Jr. ODK Lecture on Wednesday, October 29 at 4:00 pm in the Grand Ballroom. Christopher Bonanos will talk about this year’s First Year Book selection, “Instant – The Story of Polaroid.” As always, please keep us informed of any changes to your contact information and provide us with updates about your lives. Visit www.odk.umd.edu to update us electronically. Enjoy the remainder of the fall and we hope to see you at Homecoming!
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past 100 years. While celebrating those successes, we could not help but think about what we can do in the next century. One of the best attributes of ODK members is that we never settle. Consequently, the convention was a time to discuss and define what we’re striving for at both the local and national levels. One of the products of these conversations was the creation of a Student Advisory Board. This board will be a means to continue the progress made at the convention in a collaborative way. I am excited to represent the Sigma Circle on this board, and I look forward to working with
try. In true ODK-style, every moment of this convention was outstanding. In only four days we connected with other circles, volunteered, explored the historic city of Lexington, presented on the importance of traditions, attended committee meetings, danced the night away at a ball, and much more! Throughout the convention, we made a point to both appreciate the past and embrace the future. Seeing the artifacts and physical history of ODK and hearing from ODK veterans gave us all the chance to see how much has been accomplished in the
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The Omicron Delta Kappa
Convention from page 3 other circles on a regular basis to develop and pursue new initiatives. The conference was an incredibly beneficial experience for me because it allowed me to build and enhance my perspective as an ODK member and as a leader in general. Notably,
one of my favorite parts was getting to know other Sigma Circle members & alumni who attended the conference as well. By talking with past circle leaders, I quickly picked up on the enthusiasm, dedication, and perseverance that run deep in our circle. Every ODKer I had the chance to meet was noticeably engaged and ea-
LEADER ger to connect. We got past small-talk rather quickly, which left plenty of time for sharing and brainstorming. Overall, I was both humbled and inspired by my interactions with the greater ODK community.
A MESSAGE FROM ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS DEVELOPMENT, ED KENNY s a 2002 UMD graduate and member of Omicron Delta Kappa I am thrilled to be back on campus serving students and the University community. After spending six years with an in-
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Ed Kenny ’01, Assistant Director for Student Affairs Development and External Relations
ternational development NGO I am now working at UMD in the Student Affairs Development office. We focus on cultivating support for Division priorities including ODK. As you think about ways to continue your engagement with the ODK as well as ways to give back to the University of Maryland, please don’t hesitate to contact me about the impact that your philanthropy could have on current student leaders. An exciting new opportunity, in keeping with the
University’s commitment to access and affordability, is the ‘TerpStart’ scholarship program. Newly created scholarship endowments for students with financial need will see their scholarship awards matched by the University permanently, doubling the impact of your support! Creating a perpetual scholarship with ODK is an incredible way to continue your legacy of your leadership and service to the University of Maryland while changing the lives of students in need forever. I look forward to seeing many of you on campus this fall!
A MESSAGE FROM OUR NEWEST STEWARD OF THE FOUNTAIN, ALDEN GROSS: y undergraduat e experience at College Park began as a pre-med student’s dream: a Gemstone psychology and biology double-degree candidate working part-time at FDA. But medical school was
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Alden Gross ’05, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
not for me. I engaged in over 300 student group events on my campus, basking in the multitude of ways our student activities fees enhance student life. I served as Treasurer for Circle K and later as the SGA’s first two-term VP Finance, exposures which gave me license to count things. These extracurricular activities helped me realize my passion for using numbers for good purposes, particular for public mental health. Today, I conduct population research in cognitive aging as an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins
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Bloomberg School of Public Health. This means I count lots of things! I made lifelong friendships and built a lasting network through those activities that led to ODK membership. As an alumnus, I enthusiastically return to campus when I can to visit the ODK fountain, the Union… and Chipotle. Leadership can entail lots of things, from performing community service to publishing peer-reviewed research. ODK recognizes and rewards this diversity; it’s an organization one can count on to acknowledge leadership through the generations.
The Omicron Delta Kappa
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STEWARDS OF THE FOUNTAIN Omicron Delta Kappa Sigma Circle established the Steward of the Fountain program so that ODK members and alumni can contribute to the organization and the University with a gift supporting the educational and leadership programs of ODK. Thank you for ensuring that ODK can continue to recognize achievements of student leaders and provide them with the framework to leave a lasting legacy at the University of Maryland, and their communities.
Honorable Joseph Tydings Honorable Gordon England Philip Rever Dru Bagwell Wayne Willoughby Gail Smelkinson Willoughby Phil Schneider Joyce Schneider Rick Jaklitsch Susan Wachs Goldberg & Bob Goldberg Mark Sobel
D. Stuart Bowers James Osteen Bruce J. Winter Michael Freiman Ann Tatsios Mowrey Deven McGraw William Fourney Caroline Carrick Pisano Dawn Nichols Marc Greenberg Marc Solomon Paul Mandell
Lisa Mandell Joel Willcher Devin Ellis Barry Gossett Sue Briggs Kyle Beardsley Lee Thornton Phil Livingston ODK Executive Officers Alden Gross The Kenny Family James E. Bond
For more information about the Steward of the Fountain program, or to become a member, please contact Ed Kenny at 301-314-9900 or edkenny@umd.edu.
GET INVOLVED TODAY BY DONATING TO ODK! Your support helps ODK provide educational and leadership development programs throughout the year. Below is some more information about programs you can support directly, and ways you can make an impact through ODK.
ODK’s Lecture Series
ODK’s Scholarship Program
ODK’s Lecture Series provides students with opportunities to hear from inspiring speakers, and learn about the qualities and achievements of leaders in our community. It exemplifies the values that ODK instills in our student body. Your support will ensure that ODK can continue to bring outstanding speakers to campus to inspire our students and help them grow.
ODK recognizes outstanding students through its scholarship fund. Annual scholarships are awarded to entering first year students who demonstrated outstanding leadership potential, and now will help students with fees when joining the society, and ensure that they can focus on leadership. Your support helps students continue to lead through ODK.
Sigma Circle’s Giving Societies
Consider a Bequest in Support of the Sigma Circle!
A donation of any amount will make an impact, but we encourage you to join Sigma Circle’s Annual Giving Societies. Your involvement in this special group ensures that you are recognized for your generosity in the ODK newsletter and the Sigma Circle’s website. For those who contribute at the Steward of the Fountain level, your name will also be engraved on a plaque by the benches encircling the ODK Fountain. $5,000 Steward of the Fountain $1,000 Founders Circle $500 Leaders Circle $100 Supporters Circle $50 Members Circle
By making a provision in your will, you may be able to make a substantial gift by designating from your collective assets. For example, you may commit a percentage of your overall estate value, a sum of cash, or otherwise described property. Working with your attorney, the preferred language is: “I give, devise, and bequeath to the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, a tax-exempt organization located at 2119 Main Administration Building, College Park, MD 20742, (insert a percentage of estate, or residue or sum of money, or otherwise describe property) to support the University of Maryland Omicron Delta Kappa Sigma Circle (or insert specifics).
You can make a gift to ODK today! Use the enclosed envelope or go to www.odk.umd.edu. 5
The Omicron Delta Kappa
LEADER
INTRODUCING THE FIRST EVER OMICRON DELTA KAPPA SIGMA CIRCLE ONLINE SILENT AUCTION! READ HERE TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP! Dear Sigma Circle members and alumni: remain overwhelmed by all that Omicron Delta Kappa has brought to my life! Living 1.2 miles from campus I am reminded sometimes daily of what an amazing group of leaders are listed on the fountain. It is a true physical reminder of the years of leadership many of us provided while serving our campus. It is a constant reminder of a call to service and a call to leadership. I got the call and am putting together the first ever Omicron Delta Kappa online silent auction. I hope you will join me in the early stages for an amazing online event this spring. The auction will feature University of Maryland experiences and Omicron Delta Kappa members offering up their services for a true member-tomember auction raising money for our scholarships and our banquet.
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How can you help? FIRST. Make sure Brooke has your email. An online auction means no expensive babysitter, no fancy dress and no expensive tickets; however, if we don’t have your email we can’t get you registered for this event. Please email Brooke to update your email so you may be included in this event at odk@umd.edu or bsupple@umd.edu. SECOND. What can you offer our auction? A signed copy of your book? A behind the scenes tour of your amazing work place? Sports tickets? A week at your beach house? A long weekend at your lake house? A lunch with a famous person? An experience that only you could put together and share with other leaders among leaders? What can you contribute to this event? Please email Dawn Nichols at dawnandjoe@verizon.net to offer up your contribution. Please
email me with thoughts and ideas you have so we can make for one amazing fun fundraising event. With no dress, tickets, or babysitter you probably already have $500 to spend…so let’s gather some items and raise some money for ODK with ODK and by ODK! Take a few minutes right now and email Brooke Supple at bsupple@umd.edu and Dawn Nichols at dawnandjoe@verizon.net to be part of the inaugural on line auction featuring ODK’ers offering up their services and special University of Maryland events. “I know of no greater honor” said FDR about ODK. Me either. Looking forward to hearing from and what you can share in this event! Dawn K. Nichols ODK Sigma Circle President 1992
THE SIGMA CIRCLE WELCOMES DR. SUE BRIGGS AS FACULTY ADVISOR By Renuka Tripu, Sigma Circle Public Relations Coordinator r. Sue Briggs came to the University of Maryland in January of 1999 in order to develop and direct one of the most successful living-and-learning programs on campus: CIVICUS. Interested in the intersection of service and student affairs, Dr. Briggs took on developing a curriculum and administrative duties for this civic engagement program, which has now been running for 16 years. Briggs’ commitment to the CIVICUS program is unrivaled, so when the position of faculty advisor for ODK became vacant, she was invited without hesitation. Her dedication for CIVICUS parallels her dedication to
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ODK. Not only was Briggs inducted into ODK as an undergraduate at Washington College, she even worked to start a chapter herself at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey in 1982. Additionally, she has been an active voting faculty member with the Sigma Circle for over 10 years. Besides just her credentials, one can easily recognize Briggs’ passion for fostering student leadership even after a quick conversation. She is interested in each student far beyond what she can see on paper, and is excited to work with not only current ODK members, but also touching base with alumni, too. One of Briggs’ goals for her position is to get con-
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nected and remain connected with alumni. She understands the importance of an alumni network, beyond just connections and extending into developing meaningful relationships. Additionally, with her background in civic engagement and community service, Briggs wants to help ODK find resources to make long-standing differences in our community through service projects. Her desire to maximize opportunities for everyone involved in ODK, in addition to her warmth and accessibility, will make her an excellent asset to the Sigma Circle. The ODK Sigma Circle is thrilled to welcome Dr. Sue Briggs as our new faculty advisor!
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MARYLAND MAKES THE B1G MOVE By Emily Fraik, Sigma Circle Philanthropy & Community Service Coordinator he University of Maryland was a part of the ACC for almost 60 years. But beginning this year, a changing landscape brings us into the Big Ten Conference. New traditions will have to be put in place and new rivalries formed, but this is not a sad time. This is the start of an exciting era where we can create our own traditions and set the tone for the way we want the University of Maryland to be viewed. The Big Ten Conference is one of the most recognizable conferences in Division 1 athletics. Joining a conference of such high prestige gives us an amazing opportunity to compete and establish who we are as a university. The move to the Big Ten Conference gives the University of Maryland a chance to grow in many arenas. The university’s athletic programs will be highlighted on an es-
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The Terps Volleyball team is ready to take on their new Big Ten rivals. Photo Credit Maryland Athletics
teemed worldwide network. The University of Maryland’s academics will similarly flourish as we become members of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC). Through this membership, the University of Maryland is given access to further research opportunities and shared resources.
The Big Ten Move is an exciting transition for the University of Maryland. We have been given a clean slate to start writing a new history. The students, faculty, alumni, and all members of the University of Maryland family will create an image of fight, drive, and passion. As a student athlete on the University of Maryland Women’s Volleyball team, I am directly impacted by the transition to the Big Ten. I could not be more excited to have been given the chance to compete in the best and most competitive volleyball conference in the country. My teammates and I have a passion for our sport and to be able to play at the highest level possible is an opportunity one could only dream of. I look forward to this season and the upcoming years for the University of Maryland in its competition in the Big Ten Conference. Think B1G!
THE STARTUP SHELL By Raja Ayyagari, Sigma Circle Webmaster hough UMD has many academic entrepreneurship-related initiatives, it previously lacked an open laboratory where students could collaboratively experiment with and build technology startups. The Startup Shell – a student-run technology collective and hacker-space – was founded to fill that void. Located in the Technology Advancement Programs (TAP) Building, the hacker-space provides prototyping tools (such as 3D printers and electronics), funding opportunities, and mentorship to its student members. In its three years of existence, the Startup Shell has grown from a group of 3 to over 65 active members who
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University of Maryland students participate in the Startup Shell, a a student-run technology collective and hacker-space.
are operating 27 different student-run startups. The Startup Shell also hosts “Shell Talks” – discussion-style tutorials led by Shell members that are open to anyone at the university. This explosive growth in interest and engagement led university officials to literally tear down a wall this sum-
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mer, doubling the Startup Shell’s size from 700 square feet to over 1400 square feet. What has contributed to this growth? It’s a desire to create and the willingness to learn. Everyone has an idea for an amazing app or website – however, it’s those who have a passion to create and a curiosity to learn who show up at Shell Talks and eventually apply to and join the Shell themselves. Currently, the Startup Shell has 20 alumni members, who play a vital role in the mentorship process for new members. While many alumni continue to build and grow their companies full-time, others have accepted job offers at Google, Twitter, and Dropbox.
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A SUMMER OF LIVING AND LEARNING IN EUROPE By Cara Hamel, Sigma Circle Vice President here is something to be said was constantly learning about new for being uncomfortable; not cultures and realizing the beauty of in the sense of having a bad our differences. I learned a tremenmattress, but in the sense of stepping dous amount about the United States beyond your comfort zone and forcas well, since many Europeans were ing yourself to learn. I definitely felt a just as anxious to talk with me about little bit uncomfortable in June when U.S. higher education, politics and soI left, completely alone, from Dulles cial issues as I was anxious to talk to Airport for Europe, not too sure of them about these issues in their counwhat was to come in the next three tries. This was an invaluable experimonths. ence, as I now have a better idea of the United States’ role in world issues What I did know was I would be and a more informed opinion about living in London for seven weeks what I value (and don’t value) about while doing research at Imperial living and studying in the U.S. College London and then moving to France for a five-week internship at CERIB, a concrete industrial research institution. Knowing that I would be starting my senior year at UMD as a fireprotection engineering student, I was anxious to see my field in a global context: How does research in the UK differ from the work I had done at UMD? What does a typical work day for an engineer working in France look like? How informed are the milCara Hamel ’15 poses with friends on her journey abroad lennials of Europe compared to my peers in the States? Now that I am back in And to add to the international the States, I am happy to see that all experiences, the World Cup of these questions (and many more) Championships started during my have been answered. But more imporfirst week in London! Watching foottantly, I learned so much about my ball matches in pubs full of passionate role as a young adult from the United fans is an experience every ‘soccer’ States and my role as a citizen of the fan should live! I was fortunate world, and how these two realms are enough to travel around on the weekinterconnected. ends, visiting various cities in Germany, Scotland, France and the After arriving in London, I soon UK, and eating SO much good food! realized how lucky I was to be in a city where there are people from After seven weeks in London, just everywhere in the world. Whether it when I started to feel comfortable was from my Jordanian flatmate, my with the new lifestyle, I packed my Lithuanian advisor, my Columbian 70-pound suitcase and moved to co-worker or my Indian landlord, I Epernon, France, a small city in the
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suburbs of Paris where CERIB is located. Knowing very little French and little about my living situation, I arrived at the Epernon train station and was overwhelmed by the culture shock of moving to a small village in France from a very metropolitan city such as London. I was definitely a bit uncomfortable. I took a few deep breaths and marched my way up to the interns’ hotellerie where I would be staying for the next five weeks. I was pleased to find two of my fellow interns in the common room who could answer all of my naive questions. I asked them to only speak French to me, since learning French was one of the many goals of this trip. Within a couple of weeks, my knowledge of French had doubled and I was overly-excited to practice with anyone willing to talk to me! Conversations became more and more comfortable and after five weeks living in France, I felt very accomplished when I used French to convince the airline employee at the Paris airport to let me take a few extra kilograms of luggage with me on the plane! Now that I am back at University of Maryland, I am excited to tackle my final year at UMD with a different mindset- the mindset of a more informed young woman who is more focused on the issues that will make a true impact on the campus and the rest of the world. I will continue to challenge myself, making sure I am never too comfortable and remembering that there is an infinite amount of knowledge waiting for me in the years to come.
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A SAFER CAMPUS By Anthony Belton, Sigma Circle Communications Coordinator ast fall the University adopted a new Sexual Misconduct Policy designed to create a safe learning environment that is free from sexual misconduct. Stemming from the vision of a safer campus, the University created the Office of Sexual Misconduct & Relationship Violence in March 2014 to respond to allegations of sexual misconduct. The Office is led by the Title IX Coordinator, Catherine Carroll, a lawyer with twenty years of experience Catherine Carroll, Title working in the IX Coordinator area of sexual violence and the former Legal Director at the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. Additionally, Josh Bronson was appointed as Assistant Director and is responsible for investigating all allegations of sexual vio-
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lence. Mr. Bronson comes to the University of Maryland from McDaniel College, where he was the Title IX Investigator. Previous sexual misconduct cases were handled through the Office of Rights and Responsibilities and the Office of Student Conduct. However, with the creation of this new office these cases will now be under Director Carroll’s jurisdiction. With the creation of this office, this is the first time in University history that students will have a dedicated office to solely focus on ensuring that sexual misconduct cases are handled appropriately. The University also plans to have student involvement in hearing these cases by having one student representative on a panel of University faculty members to determine responsibility of respondents in the adjudication process. Board members will have extensive training to hear sexual misconduct cases. For the first time, complainants will also now be able to meet with the board members to share their narra-
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tive without facing the alleged person in a hearing to avoid retraumatization. Students will also now have the ability to anonymously submit reports of sexual misconduct directly to the Office of Sexual Misconduct & Relationship Violence. The Office has also created a student-led advisory committee to advise the office on issues from a college student’s perspective, and create programming ideas to educate the campus on sexual misconduct. Maryland has already taken Josh Bronson, Assistant many steps to Director for the Office educate students of Sexual Misconduct on sexual misand Relationship conduct, and Violence has taken an even larger step with the creation of this new office.
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ODK Alumni Updates Thanks to all of you who keep us informed of your activities. If we haven’t heard from you recently, drop us a note. You may use the form on the back of the newsletter or submit online at www.odk.umd.edu. Please forgive us if the information below is a little dated. It is very difficult to have up-to-date news when we only publish our newsletter twice a year. But, here is what we have and we hope you enjoy reading about your friends.
William Anthis ’61, is retired and loving it. His apartment is in downtown Seattle and is specifically for seniors with many activities to enjoy. Nick Kovalakides ’61, has enjoyed his beach condo on Longboat Key, FL; announced basketball games and coached shot putters and discus Nick Kovalakides ’61 throwers on the HS level in the Sarasota area; emceed concerts under the banyan trees at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens; ushered at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall; emceed the karaoke sessions and served at the welcome desk at the Senior Friendship Center; written a children’s book, “Tommy The Tree;” and been inducted into the Princeton (NJ) HS Athletic Hall of Fame. (WOW, Nick! You have been busy!) Ronald F. Mace ’63, retired in 1993 from Bethlehem Steel Corporation (Frog & Switch Dept.) in Steelton, PA as Assistant Superintendent. He later retired in 2004 from Lebanon County, PA as Sealer of Weights & Measures. He also coached midget football, is a Certified Professional Tennis Registry Instructor, and was the USTA National Double Champion (2002) in Palm Springs, California. Ronald was inducted into the Capital Area Chapter of the PA
Business. She was featured in the Los Angeles Times this past May. Congrats Andrea!
Ronald F. Mace ’63 and family
Sports Hall of Fame on June 14, 2014 for football and baseball. He and his wife Sally, had two children, one grandson, and two great granddaughters! (Another very busy alum!) Terry Baxter ’67, just published his third book called November’s Gladiators – inside stories of White House Advancement, the road warriors of presidential campaigns. You can preview at novembersgladiators.com. Paul T. Barrett, PhD, CPA ’74, is currently Dean and Professor of the Business School at Longwood University, the third oldest public university in Virginia. The Longwood Cyber Security Center was the third university to become a Center of Excellence designation in Cyber Security from the US Department of Defense. Andrea Belz ’90, was recently named Academic Director of the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program at the University of Southern California Marshall School of
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Dawn Nichols '92 and family - Alumni Updates
Dawn Nichols ’92 is celebrating 10 years of owning her own business! After being a top selling realtor, Dawn transitioned to buying, renovating, and renting property. (Emma and Eva being 11 months apart had something to do with this!) Currently she owns property all over College Park and Capitol Hill (proud to call Dan Granot ’13 and Jennifer Storipan ’01 tenants at one time). Dawn serves on the board of her PTA, civic association, and pool in University Park, MD--1.2 miles from campus and was recently named House Corporation Board President for Zeta Tau Alpha. Penina Riebman Scharf ’95, is now teaching pre-school in Newton, Massachusetts and being a mom to son Eli (12), Abby (10), and Maya (7). Penina and husband, Ira, took the kids on a dream trip to California this summer and reports that a great time was had by all!
The Omicron Delta Kappa
David A. Bader ’96, was selected as the Executive Director of the School of Computational Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech this past David Bader ’96 Spring. He’ll be responsible for bringing together the interdisciplinary research and education activities for the school, with an eye on increasing their capabilities and performance in the area of high performance computing.
Sean Simone ’97 (BS), ’09(PhD), and Kelly Shipp Simone ’97 recently moved from Columbia, Maryland to Hopewell, New Jersey (near Princeton) due to Kelly’s new job at the law department in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Sean is still working at the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education. Their children, Jonah, Sabrina, and Elliot have thrived in their new school. Soroush Rais-Bahrami ’02, moved to Alabama to join the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
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LEADER Victoria Schulman ’05, graduated in May 2014 from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City with a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences. She was also selected as the 2014 Distinguished Graduate Student Commencement Speaker for the graduating class of M.D. and Ph.D. students. Victoria has since accepted a Postdoctoral Research Associate position at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT. She and her husband are both UMD ’07 graduates. (Congrats!!)
OMICRON DELTA KAPPA
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