IN THIS ISSUE

News From the Dean—Dental School . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Capital Campaign Chair Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Environmental Advocacy Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Employee of the Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Say “Cheese” Photo Contest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

News for the Campus Community — April 2008

Francis Collins

CHRIS ZANG

Commencement celebrates thepresent and the future while notforgetting the past. That is why itis so fitting that Francis Collins,MD, PhD, will deliver thekeynote address during this year’scommencement ceremonies onMay 16 at 1st Mariner Arena.

As director of the NationalHuman Genome Research Institute(NHGRI) at the National Institutesof Health, Collins led the HumanGenome Project, a multidisciplinary,multi-institutional internationaleffort to map and sequence allhuman DNA and determineaspects of its function. Manyconsider this project, culminatedin April 2003, to be the mostsignificant scientific undertakingof our time.

The accomplished scientist comesfrom a simple farm upbringing.Home-schooled by his professorfather and playwright mother untilsixth grade in Virginia’s ShenandoahValley, Collins—like the graduateshe will address—has been shapedby his past.

“One thing I learned was thatI didn’t want to spend the rest ofmy life chopping thistles in thepasture,” Collins says of his youth ona 98-acre farm with no plumbing.But he sees the positives of hischildhood too. “I certainly had achance to watch the wonders oflife and death through the animalson the farm and to marvel at howthat might all happen.”

Collins earned a BS in chemistryat the University of Virginia in1970 and a PhD in physicalchemistry at Yale University in1974. A biochemistry course atYale sparked his interest in themolecules that hold the blueprintfor life: DNA and RNA. Hechanged fields and enrolled inmedical school at the Universityof North Carolina, where he earnedan MD in 1977.

In the early 1980s, he developedinnovative methods of crossinglarge stretches of DNA to identifydisease genes. The rest—with stopsat the University of Michigan andthe National Center for HumanGenome Research, which becameNHGRI in 1997—is history.

Human Genome Pioneer toSpeak at Commencement

Collins, who says it is a greathonor to deliver the UMBkeynote commencement address,will use his life experience as theframework for the speech.

“None of us know what doorsmight open for us,” he says. “As a graduate from medical schoolmyself in 1977, I had absolutelyno idea that I might end up leadingsomething like the HumanGenome Project. The idea ofdetermining the entire sequenceof the human genome had barelyentered a single human mind atthat point.

“I will urge the graduates to beprepared for the unexpected andto be unafraid to take a chanceon something risky but potentiallyworld-changing.”

Based in Bethesda, Collins isno stranger to the University andits accomplishments. “I havegreat respect for UMB. I believethe research going on there ishighly significant,” Collins says,listing School of Medicinefaculty—Claire Fraser-Liggett,PhD, director of the Institute for Genome Sciences; Stephen

LEE TUNE AND REBECCA CERAUL

The University of Maryland’sBaltimore and College Parkcampuses have announced aninitial cohort of eight researchprojects that will receive startupfunding through a new joint“seed grant” program created bythe two institutions. The grantprogram, which is designed tostimulate collaborative researchbetween faculty at the universities,will involve the dental, medical,and pharmacy schools in Baltimoreand scientists and engineers inCollege Park.

Supported with combinedfunding from the two institutions,the program will foster cross-disciplinary research by teams of faculty drawn from bothuniversities. The program willenable collaboration on avenues ofresearch that might not beexplored and attract federal grantsthat might not be receivedotherwise.

“These new joint researchteams of engineers, chemical andlife scientists, and clinicians areworking together to addressspecific health issues. This willoffer us important opportunitiesfor new medical discoveries andadditional federal support,” saysBruce Jarrell, MD, vice dean forresearch and academic affairs atthe School of Medicine.

“Through this program, we’reconnecting researchers from ourtwo top institutions and giving astart to vital new research focused atthe interfaces between engineering,life sciences, computer science, thephysical sciences, and medicine,”says Mel Bernstein, PhD, vicepresident for research at CollegePark. “This is a critical effortbecause the future of biomedicalresearch and the keys to newlifesaving breakthroughs will befound at these interfaces.”

The program will build on therecent history of faculty from thetwo institutions joining together

in cutting-edge areas of researchrelated to the life sciences andbioengineering.

From the more than 30proposals submitted, the firstcohort of projects includes:

• a study to better understandthe basis for resistance in amalaria-causing parasite to aclass of drugs derived from aChinese herb by ChristopherPlowe, MD, professor ofmedicine at the School ofMedicine and a HowardHughes Medical Instituteinvestigator, and MichaelCummings, PhD, associateprofessor of biology at theCollege Park campus

• the development by BartleyGriffith, MD, professor ofsurgery at the School ofMedicine, and Peter Kofinas,PhD, professor in theFischell Department ofBioengineering at CollegePark, of molecular imprinted

See Research on page 8

‘Seed Grant’ Program SpursCollaborative Research BetweenUMB and College Park

Nadine House (left) and Lourena Lamb-Short

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Liggett, MD, director of theCardiopulmonary GenomicsProgram; and Alan Shuldiner,MD, head of the Division ofEndocrinology, Diabetes &Nutrition and director of theProgram in Genetics andGenomic Medicine—amongthose doing “groundbreakingwork.”

Collins knows that even withthe human genome mapped,

there is much more work to bedone in that area—perhaps bysome of the graduates he willaddress in May.

“The real payoff in medicinelies 10 to 20 years ahead of us,”Collins says. “We’re in for anamazing adventure, and we needlots of talented people to comejoin us—in biology, chemistry,medicine, law, engineering,computer science, and ethics.”

It’s That Time Again

Every spring, for more than two decades, NadineHouse and Lourena Lamb-Short have been busyproofing, rolling, and tying diplomas in the Office of the Registrar for the hundreds of graduates whowill attend commencement. It is a job they performlovingly year after year—and with a bit of sadness,as students they have come to know prepare toleave the University.

Read House and Lamb-Short’s story on page 2.

2

NEWS FROM THE DEAN DENTAL SCHOOLNormally around this time of year peopletalk about catching “spring fever.” Right now,the Dental School is catching “Cecil-itis.”On Jan. 2, we announced plans to open adental clinic in Cecil County. We areexcited, because this undertakingrepresents much more than adding afew dental chairs in a remote location.

First, it is an opportunity to provide carein an area of Maryland that is grosslyunderserved. This is particularly true forMedicaid-eligible children and the elderly.Nearly a third of the schoolchildren inCecil County are reported to experiencedental pain on a regular basis. This is aproblem we are equipped to answer.

Second, our students will spend threeweeks in rotation at the Perryville, Md.,clinic as part of their externshipexperience. For them, working in anactual clinic for extended periods willoffer the opportunity to work in aprofessional office environment and therewards of realizing how much they canmake a difference in people’s lives.

While on location, the students will resideat the Riverfront Conference Center atthe Donaldson Brown Estate in PortDeposit, Md. This is a prime example of how well true partnerships can work. The University-owned facility has an

underused carriage house that can betransformed into modern suites for ourstudents, and, at the same time, benefitthe conference center by drawingincreased attention to the site.

In addition, we are partnering with CecilCollege to provide dental hygieneeducation. This is a much-neededcomponent for the college and for areadentists. Our School will create thecurriculum, and the students will supporttheir didactic education with practicalexperience in the new clinic.

These points alone are well worthapplauding, but there’s even more. InMarch, we received a much-covetedRobert Wood Johnson Foundation$200,000 grant that will be used to helpexpand our outreach services andexternships to include Cecil County aswell as other sites. This is a win-win forour students and the community.

When the clinic opens this fall, our patientswill experience the latest advancementsand technology in oral health care. We will outfit the 26-chair facility withrevolutionary dental chairs that are evenmore sophisticated than those in Baltimore.We will also launch an electronic patientrecords system that will usher in an eco-friendly, paperless office.

Moreover, Peter J. Murray, PhD, Universityvice president and chief information officer,is leading a technology effort through theUniversity’s Center for InformationTechnology Services to ensure that wehave optimal networking. We can usetechnology to provide remote maintenanceof equipment and engage from Perryville intele-dentistry-off-site consultations with ourBaltimore dental specialists. Under ourcurrent plan, no one will ever feeldisconnected from our main campus.

Our excitement is matched (and possiblyexceeded) by that of our partners in CecilCounty. The mayor of Perryville, the CecilCollege president, and local businessesare eagerly awaiting our grand opening.We even have offers of volunteer servicefrom 22 local dentists in Cecil County.

Our most significant partner, UnionHospital, which is building the facility thatwill house our clinic, is obviously ourmost enthusiastic supporter. Much creditgoes to Kenneth Lewis, MD, JD, thehospital’s president and chief executiveofficer, for championing this project.

“Cecil-itis” is spreading. And, fortunately,there’s no cure.

Christian S. Stohler, DMD, DrMedDentDean, Dental School

CHRIS ZANG

For several weeks every year, a simple stock-room in the Office of the Registrar turnsinto one of the busiest places on campus.The files and office supplies there suddenlyshare space with wooden dowels, stick-onlabels, black-and-gold ribbons, and morethan 1,000 diplomas.

It’s diploma preparation time at theUniversity, and academic program specialistsLourena Lamb-Short and Nadine House arealways sure to be close by. Each has performedthe work for more than 20 years.

At other times of the year, Lamb-Short,who wears many hats in her job, can befound working on student enrollment/degree verifications, inventory, archiving,and mailing of diplomas for July andDecember graduates. But during the spring,she gets to racking and rolling as she preparesdiplomas for commencement. She is busyproofing names, removing smudges, placing a name label on the back of each diploma,and neatly rolling the documents one at atime. When available, co-workers ChristineSchmidt and Wanda Chaney help out.

Then House, whom Lamb-Short calls the“professional tie-er,” takes over, fashioning aribbon for each diploma.

“I take pride in making sure that they are all correct and that the bows lookpretty,” says House, whose job normallyentails processing student transcripts.

Once House finishes with the ribbons,the alphabetized diplomas are carefullyplaced on spooled racks, where they arechecked and rechecked as commencementday nears.

“We have students being added, studentsbeing taken out because of grades or owingfunds. Then there are others who gethonors at the last minute, so we have toput a letter with their diploma letting

them know they will get a second diplomain the mail,” says Lamb-Short. “It’s all a lotof work, but I look forward to it each andevery year.”

Lamb-Short and House admit to being a bit misty-eyed on commencement day.Relationships develop with students, whomust regularly visit the registrar’s office.“It’s a really happy time of year for me,”Lamb-Short says about commencement,“and I feel proud to play a part in it.”

Lamb-Short and House are joinedonstage by co-workers Chaney andSchmidt, Thomas Day (the University’sregistrar), Valencia Martin, Renee Mason,Roxane Rivers, and newcomer JasonReBrassier, who each play a part in theday’s festivities.

All the hard work preparing thediplomas—the real ones—never reaches the 1st Mariner Arena stage during thecommencement ceremony. Students aregiven blank diplomas, which are turnedin for the real thing later as they leave the building. Lamb-Short and Houseremember—not so fondly—when it wasdone differently.

“The marshals would line up thestudents. Whoever wasn’t there got crossedoff the list and we would rearrange thediplomas backstage,” says Lamb-Short.“Then, if one student showed up late andgot in line, everyone behind him got thewrong diploma. It is so much easier handingout blanks onstage.”

Some universities mail diplomas tostudents after commencement, but UMBoffers same-day service. “If you come to theafternoon ceremony and your financialobligations are met,” assures Lamb-Short,“you will leave with your diploma”—adiploma rolled and ribboned and proofreadwith care.

Longtime DiplomaPreparers Roll On

Dental Nanotechnology ResearchCould Help Teeth Stay Strong

REGINA LAVETTE DAVIS

Emerging nanotechnology research byHockin Xu, PhD, MS, Dental Schoolinstructor, and his colleagues has yieldedpromising solutions to the problem oftooth decay.

The wear and tear placed on teeth frombiting hard surfaces, attacks from bacteriaand food debris, and aging inevitably resultin damage, cavities, and the need for fillingsand restorative treatments. Xu, who cameto the Dental School’s Department ofEndodontics, Prosthodontics and OperativeDentistry from the National Institute ofStandards and Technology last year, isusing nanocomposite materials to createmore durable and smart fillings that canreverse the mineral loss in teeth. Xu’sresearch covers dental alloys, amalgam,ceramics, composites, bioresorbable scaffolds,and cell-based tissue engineering—a newfield of research and development as it relatesto dental applications.

In 10 to 20 years, Xu says, students willsee products in the profession that are

based on tissue engineering. “They needthe knowledge and capability to make theright choices when the time comes,” he says.

Xu and his team—Jennifer Moreau, MS,research assistant (Moreau joined the DentalSchool with Xu) and instructor MichaelWeir, PhD, MS—are highly focused ontissue engineering, a field that combines cellbiology, engineering, and biochemistry to helpreplace, repair, or regrow injured or diseasedtissue, organs, and bones. “Nearly 7 millionpeople suffer bone fractures each year inthe U.S., and this number is increasingbecause of an aging population,” Xu says.“Nanotechnology and tissue engineering inthe clinical setting can open new horizons.”

These advances offer numerous practicalapplications, particularly for periodonticsand restorative dentistry.

“The novel nano apatite-bone cell-growthfactor constructs have the potential to greatlyenhance bone healing and improve thehealth and quality of life for millions ofpeople,” Xu says.

This article was adapted from the winter/spring 2008 issue of Mdental magazine.

From left: Jennifer Moreau, Hockin Xu, and Michael Weir

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3April 2008

UMB IN THE NEWS

The Washington Post has praised thestate of Maryland and the DentalSchool for addressing breakdowns inthe Medicaid system during the yearsince 12-year-old Deamonte Driverdied of complications from an untreatedtoothache. “We’re touching everybase,” said Harry Goodman, DMD,MPH, a former professor at theSchool. Also, Baltimore televisionstation WMAR and The (Baltimore)Examiner covered Rep. ElijahCummings’ news conferenceoutlining efforts aided by the School’sNorman Tinanoff, DDS, MarylandDental Action Committee co-chair, toensure dental access for all children.

In an Op-Ed in The (Baltimore) Sun,School of Law Professor RenaSteinzor, JD, author of Mother Earthand Uncle Sam, wrote, “The Bushadministration received a judicialrebuke long in the making this monthwhen an exasperated panel offederal appeals judges held that theEnvironmental Protection Agency’sweak-kneed approach to mercurypollution failed to follow the law.”

Kathleen Hoke Dashille, JD,director of the Resource Center forTobacco Regulation, Litigation &Advocacy at the School of Law,spoke to television stations WMAR inBaltimore and WRC in Washington,D.C., about a bill that would prohibitsmoking in a car if children underage 6 are inside.

Michael Miller, MD, associateprofessor at the School of Medicine,spoke to the Chicago Tribune andAtlanta Journal-Constitution abouthis new study on the ability oftriglycerides to predict cardiactrouble. And Robert Vogel, MD,professor at the School, spoke toU.S. News & World Report aboutlowering cholesterol without drugs.

Nearly 175 newspapers and Websites carried news about research by Eric Manheimer, MS, researchassociate at the School of Medicine,showing that acupuncture may be auseful fertility aid.

Brenda Afzal, MS, RN, and RobynGilden, MS, RN, each from theEnvironmental Health EducationCenter at the School of Nursing, co-wrote a letter to the editor in The(Baltimore) Sun about “the potentialadverse effects of phthalates.”

Frank Palumbo, PhD, JD, executivedirector of the School of Pharmacy’sCenter on Drugs and Public Policy,talked to The (Baltimore) Sun aboutthe importance of medication “useby” dates.

Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, deanof the School of Social Work, did a“Three-Minute Interview” with The(Baltimore) Examiner.

Geoffrey Greif, DSW, MSW,professor at the School of SocialWork and author of The Daddy Trackand the Single Father, spoke toCNNMoney.com and Moneymagazine about divorce laws that hesays “have given fathers a betterchance of winning custody.”

MICHELE EWING AND CHRIS ZANG

As the University embarks upon a $650 millioncapital campaign, the VOICE is profiling thecampaign chairs who are leading the efforts toraise money for each school.

An extraordinary effort takes an extra-ordinary individual to lead it. That is whythe School of Pharmacy considers itself sofortunate to have alumnus John Balch, BSP’68, RPh, as the chair of its $30 millioncapital campaign, its largest fundraisingeffort ever.

Balch joins fellow alumnus and honorarychair John Gregory, BSP ’76, (Hon.) DPS’02, in leading the School of Pharmacythrough this transformational period.

“This is an exciting time in the Schoolof Pharmacy’s history,” says Balch, presidentof The PharmaCare Network in Cumberlandand Frostburg. “An unprecedented $30million campaign can truly elevate thelegacy of the practice of pharmacy andtransform my alma mater’s impact on theprofession of pharmacy.”

Balch has a personal commitment tohis chosen profession of pharmacy. Thisdedication is evident in his effective

advocacy for and proven success inbuilding and sustaining safe and qualitypharmacy health care for Maryland’scitizens. He has served on the MarylandBoard of Pharmacy as president (2005-2006) and commissioner (1998-2005).

To succeed in today’s pharmaceuticalenvironment, it takes more than knowledgeof issues; it also requires prompt and precise

John Balch Heads Fundraising EffortDuring ‘Exciting Time in the School ofPharmacy’s History’

response to state legislators, governmentrepresentatives, and the consumers themselves.Balch has excelled in all these endeavors,and says he embraces the challenge ofheading the School of Pharmacy’s capitalcampaign.

A humble man who has made pharmacyhis life, and his passion, Balch has a specialgift for bringing visionary leadership to hiscommunity and evoking the same in hispeers. The respect and admiration he hasearned in the 40 years since graduatingfrom the School of Pharmacy are proof ofhis tremendous success—both personallyand professionally.

And it’s not just the University ofMaryland that sings his praises. In 2007,the Maryland Pharmacists Associationnamed Balch the recipient of its Bowl ofHygeia Award, the association’s highesthonor recognizing outstanding communityservice.

“It is a privilege,” Balch says, “to leadthe School’s efforts at a time when wecelebrate growth and new leadership.

“I encourage all graduates of the Schoolto become engaged in this dynamic effortto expand the future of pharmacyeducation and practice.”

John Balch

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN CHAIR SCHOOL OF PHARMACY

Nearly 200 School of Pharmacy facultyand students boarded buses to Annapolisrecently to advocate for legislative action tobenefit the School.

At the top of their wish list was preservationof funding for expansion of Pharmacy Hall.Dean Natalie D. Eddington, PhD, who alsomade the trip, stressed to the School ofPharmacy representatives the importance of the expansion funding.

Pharmacy School Encourages Legislative Support

Above, pharmacy school advocateswatch from the balcony during aHouse of Delegates session. To theleft, Deborah Neels, (center),government affairs coordinator inthe University’s Office of ExternalAffairs, prepares students andfaculty in the state capital beforethey meet with legislators.

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LAURELS

SCHOOL OF NURSINGSuzanne Feetham, PhD, RN, FAAN, avisiting professor at the School of Nursing,is one of four editors of the book Individuals,Families, and the New Era of Genetics:Biopsychosocial Perspectives, which has beenchosen to receive the American Journal ofNursing’s 2007 Book of the Year Award in five categories. The book ranked first in the Medical-Surgical Nursing andPsychiatric-Mental Health categories, andsecond in Professional Development andIssues, Community-Public Health, andMaternal-Child Nursing and Childbirth.The book’s other editors include SusanMcDaniel, PhD, University of Rochester;Suzanne Miller, PhD, Fox Chase CancerCenter; and John Rolland, MD, Universityof Chicago.

SCHOOL OF PHARMACYSarah Michel, PhD, assistant professor,has received a prestigious Faculty EarlyCareer Development Program award from

the National Science Foundation. Theprogram recognizes early career developmentamong faculty who effectively integrateresearch with education. The $570,000award will help fund for five years Michel’swork studying proteins involved in inflam-matory response and the development ofneurons, and her efforts to help develop aneducational/research partnership with thechemistry department at Morgan StateUniversity.

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK“Outcomes for Youth Receiving IntensiveIn-Home Therapy or Residential Care: AComparison Using Propensity Scores,” anarticle by School of Social Work DeanRichard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, has beenpublished in the American Journal ofOrthopsychiatry. The article was co-authoredwith the University of North Carolina, ChapelHill’s Johanna K. P. Greeson, MSS, MLSP,

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Shenyang Guo, PhD, and Rebecca Green,MSW; along with Sarah Hurley, MA, andJocelyn Sisson, MS, from Youth Villages inMemphis, Tenn.

“Coming of Age: The World Over,” an articleby Howard Altstein, PhD, professor, hasbeen published in the journal Gender Issues.

Howard Palley, PhD, professor, edited thespecial issue of Social Work in Public Health

(formerly the Journal of Health and SocialPolicy), “Community-Based Programs andPolicies: Contributions to Social PolicyDevelopment.” The issue includes thearticle “Examining Fiscal Federalism,Regionalization and Community-BasedInitiatives in Canada’s Health DeliverySystem” written by Palley and Pierre-Gerlier Forest, PhD, professor of politicalscience, Laval University, and president,Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

Richard P. Barth

Suzanne Feetham

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5April 2008 5

Student Environmental Advocates Spread the Word About Climate ChangeCLARE BANKS

Along with their studies, some UMBstudents have been busy this semestercreating awareness about environmentalissues—particularly climate change—through grass-roots advocacy.

During the recent Climate AwarenessWeek, members of the Graduate StudentEnvironmental Action Coalition, theUniversity Student GovernmentAssociation, and the School of Law’sMaryland Environmental Law Society(MELS) organized an ecology fair andparticipation in a national teach-in calledFocus the Nation.

“The goal of the EcoFair,” says KellyBaker, UMB’s liaison to the MarylandStudent Climate Coalition (MSCC), anorganization of student leaders throughoutthe University System of Maryland, “wasto promote awareness of the MSCC’scampaign for a carbon neutrality policywithin the University System of Maryland,to educate and correct misconceptionsabout campus recycling, and to continuethe promotion of information about howmuch impact the individual consumer hasin both the home and workplace.”

A graduate student in microbiology andimmunology at the Center for VaccineDevelopment at the School of Medicine,Baker and other EcoFair organizersencouraged attendees to become involvedwith the MSCC and to talk to friends andco-workers about it.

Baker applauds William E. Kirwan, PhD,chancellor of the University System ofMaryland, for “top-down” leadership inreducing the impact of Marylanduniversities on climate change. “I believethat we will also see the creation of climateconsciousness in many people who hadthought acting ‘green’ was extraordinarilycomplicated, difficult or expensive,” she says.

Baker says that many people have “neverreally thought about the impact of workplace-derived climate damage.”

“It is very easy to feel like one personcannot make a difference, particularlywithin the borders of a large entity like auniversity,” she says. “Hopefully, theexample of grass-roots student activismand the success we are having inspireseveryone to think twice about what theycan do simply with their knowledge oftheir workplace.”

UMB was among more than 1,750universities, schools, churches, and otherorganizations across the country thatparticipated in the Focus the Nation teach-inon Jan. 31. UMB’s program—co-organizedby law students Andrew Gohn, MELSLegislative Committee chair, and PatienceBosley-Burke, law school representative tothe National Association of EnvironmentalLaw Societies—was held in the law school’sCeremonial Moot Courtroom. The daylongprogram included a series of four paneldiscussions concentrating on climatechange issues related to local and nationalpolicy, the courts, and the sciences.

See Advocacy on page 6

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EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

GINGER DUNN

Marlene King, executive administrative coordinator in the Department of PhysicalTherapy and Rehabilitation Science (PTRS) in the School of Medicine, was chosenas the University’s Employee of the Month for February. King’s supervisor, MaryRodgers, PT, PhD, chair of the PTRS, nominated her for the award.

King has worked for Rodgers since 2005, and has been with the University fornearly seven years. As executive administrative coordinator, she providesadministrative support in the preparation of research grants, coordinates facultyappointments and promotion materials, and manages a variety of events involvingfaculty, staff, and students. Rodgers emphasizes that King is consistentlyprofessional, courteous, knowledgeable, and extremely organized in everyaspect of her position.

Rodgers says King played a major role in helping the department during itsaccreditation process. The department was successful in securing approval for an entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. “Marlene worked with theaccreditation site visitors, assisting in the logistics of their visits and coordinatingmultiple faculty interview visits in the PTRS department,” Rodgers says. She addsthat King also has played a key role in the strategic planning process, under waysince 2007.

In addition to her work for the University, King is pursuing a bachelor’s degree inpublic relations at Morgan State University. Even when she is off duty, King saysshe enjoys representing UMB.

Receiving the Employee of the Month Award, which University President David J.Ramsay, DM, DPhil, surprised her with, “was a total shock—something I did notexpect,” King says. “I was very happy to receive it.”

She adds that her family was excited, too. “When I told my son, he exclaimed,‘Way to go, Mom!’”

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Marlene King has to catch her breath after being surprised with an Employee of theMonth Award.

FEBRUARY MARLENE KING

“The climate change teach-in was partof a grass-roots effort to raise awareness ofclimate change issues, involve the localcommunity in this important discussion,discuss and learn about different policiesand tools to fight climate change, andultimately to mobilize the student bodyand the community to engage in civic andlegislative advocacy on climate changepolicy,” says Gohn.

“The organizers were blown away bythe level of interest and participation,”Gohn continues. “Over a hundred students,environmentalists, and stakeholders in thecommunity attended and many stayed forthe entire nine-hour program. We werefortunate to have the participation of theMaryland Department of the Environment,the Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense

Advocacy from page 5

Fund, the Natural Resources DefenseCouncil, the Environmental ProtectionAgency, and many more.

“Grass-roots organizing, enhanced byInternet networking, is contributing to thedevelopment of a significant ‘green youth’bloc of mobilized young voters. Efforts suchas the Focus the Nation teach-in are powerfultools in channeling this political energy.”

Gohn adds, “Focus the Nation is justone small step on the path to a sustainablefuture. Climate change requires us torethink every decision we make in thiscountry. There is a tremendous amount of work to be done.”

For more information on campus environ-mental advocacy, visit www.umaryland.edu/usga/documents%2007-08/Climate%20Campaign.

BioPark Shuttle Hours and Route

The BioPark is now incorporated into the Ride UMB/BioPark route. Shuttle hours

of operation are now 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Ride UMB/BioPark is free with University identification. More information is

available at www.parking.umaryland.edu or by calling 6-6603.

Sign Up and WIN!

Sign up for UMB’s emergency text alerts system during the month of April and

you will be entered to win a $100 cash prize! (The drawing will be held in May.)

Emergency messages will be delivered to your cell phone. Go to https://alert.umaryland.edu/index.php?CCheck=1.

Anyone not currently enrolled is eligible.

7April 2008

polymer coatings to enhance thebiocompatibility of artificial lungs

• an examination of the roles of inter-mediate filaments in the stability andfunction of skeletal muscle by RobertBloch, PhD, professor of physiologyat the School of Medicine, andSameer Shah, PhD, assistant professorin the Fischell Department ofBioengineering at College Park

• a study using genetic, genomic, andcell biochemical approaches toelucidate the molecular mechanismsthat underlie host-pathogeninteractions, conducted by AngelaWilks, PhD, associate professor of

pharmaceutical sciences at the Schoolof Pharmacy, and Iqbal Hamza, PhD,assistant professor in the Departmentof Animal and Avian Sciences atCollege Park

• the development of an efficacious andsafe vaccine for a highly pathogenicavian influenza virus (H5N1 Vietnam/1203/04 strain) by the School ofMedicine’s Louis DeTolla, VMD,PhD, director of the comparativemedicine program and chief ofveterinary resources, Aruna Panda,PhD, MS, assistant professor ofpathology, and Abdu Azad, PhD,professor of microbiology andimmunology; and Siba Samal, PhD,

Research from page 1 DACVM, professor and associatedean, Virginia-Maryland RegionalCollege of Veterinary Medicine

• an exploration by Scott Thompson,PhD, professor of physiology at theSchool of Medicine, and Hey-KyoungLee, PhD, assistant professor ofbiology at College Park, of theconcept of using homeostatic synapticplasticity to better understand how thehuman brain responds to changes inactivity after injury or loss in peripheralsensory inputs

• a study of genetic modifiers of diseasephenotypes as they relate to osteogenesisimperfecta, a heritable form ofosteoporosis, by Alan Shuldiner, MD,

professor of medicine and director ofthe genetics and genomic medicineprogram at the School of Medicine,and Adam Hsieh, PhD, assistantprofessor in the Fischell Departmentof Bioengineering at College Park

• the development by Sarah Michel, PhD,assistant professor of pharmaceuticalsciences at the School of Pharmacy,and Steve Rokita, PhD, professor ofchemistry and biochemistry at CollegePark, of a new class of gene therapyagents based upon a zinc fingerprotein platform

Another round of funding through thecollaborative research program is scheduledfor next year.

Four leadership positions at the School ofNursing were recently filled, two by peoplewho are new to the University.

Sandra McLeskey, PhD, RN, has beennamed assistant dean for baccalaureate studies.McLeskey, who was interim assistant deanfor two months, is responsible for leadershipand oversight of the School’s undergraduateprogram, which enrolls about 700 students.

McLeskey has been a member of theSchool of Nursing faculty since 2000,serving as assistant dean for research and aprofessor in the Department of OrganizationalSystems and Adult Health. She holds asecondary appointment in the School ofMedicine’s Department of Pathology, and

an affiliate position in the University ofMaryland Marlene and Stewart GreenebaumCancer Center. Prior to joining the Schoolof Nursing, McLeskey was an assistantprofessor in Georgetown University’sDepartment of Nursing.

Jillian Aldebron, JD, MA, has beenappointed chief of staff in the Office of theDean. Aldebron’s responsibilities includeproviding primary staff support to DeanJanet D. Allan, PhD, RN, CS, FAAN,working with federal and state legislatorson nursing issues, and counseling the deanon legislative strategy and initiatives.

Aldebron comes to the School of Nursingfrom the Center for Responsible Lending

in Washington, D.C.Jennifer Ruffner, MA, is the new curator

for the School of Nursing’s Living HistoryMuseum. Ruffner oversees the museum’scuratorial, personnel, fiscal, technical,research, and clerical functions, and worksclosely with docents.

Ruffner previously held a position at theB&O Railroad Museum’s Ellicott CityStation, where she oversaw daily operations,exhibits, and staffing.

Four Named to Top Postsat Nursing School

Christine Ward, MS, has been nameddirector of marketing in the Office ofCommunications.

A member of the School of Nursing staffsince 2004, Ward was most recently themanager of nursing professional programsand business development. Prior to arrivingat the nursing school, she worked as amanager for Health Solutions Services, Inc.,a national wellness program managementfirm.

Sandra McLeskey Jillian Aldebron Jennifer Ruffner Christine Ward

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Photo Contest Entries on Display in April

“Cliffs and Clouds” by School of Medicine student Brian Shiu

“Milwaukee Art Museum” by Jay Hood, systems engineer at theSchool of Social Work

“Eubie Blake Center Piano” by Jay Hood

“Boston Blizzard” by School of Law student Daria Grayer

“Trains” by School of Social Work student Thomas Proct

Untitled photo by Graduate School student Jennifer Yoon

Viewers CanPick Their FavoriteMore than 40 photos judged best among the entries in this year’s annual Say

“Cheese” photo contest are on display in April at the Student Center at Pine

Street.

Members of the campus community submitted 86 photos in three categories:

people, places, and things. More than half of the entries were taken by

students.

Visitors to the display can vote for the Audience Favorite photo. The winner,

along with winning photos chosen by a panel of judges, will be announced

during a reception at the student center April 21 from 5-6:30 p.m.

The photo contest is sponsored by the University Athletic Center, and the

Auxiliary Services and Student Services offices.

9April 2008

CAMPUS BRIEFS

Law School HostsLeadership Education ForumSome of the country’s most prominent laweducators attended a recent School of Lawforum on introducing leadership educationinto law school curricula.

Sponsored by the School of Law andThe James MacGregor Burns Academy ofLeadership, which is part of the School ofPublic Policy at the University of Maryland,College Park, the daylong program examinedtopics including the goals, objectives, andoutcomes of law school leadership education.Karen H. Rothenberg, JD, MPA, dean ofthe law school, led one of four paneldiscussions: “What Are Your Experiencesof Leading Change? What Prepared Youfor That Role?”

Other forum participants included Schoolof Law alumnus Francis Burch Jr., JD ’74,

partner and joint chief executive officer ofDLA Piper, a global legal services organization;Kurt Schmoke, JD, former Baltimore mayorand current dean of the Howard UniversitySchool of Law; and Marcia Greenberger,JD, founder and co-president of theNational Women’s Law Center.

CommencementAnnouncements AvailableGraduating students who want to notifyfamily and friends about the May 16commencement ceremony can obtaingeneral announcements at no charge fromthe student affairs office at their school.Personalized announcements can bepurchased by visiting www.herff-jones.com/college.

Admission to commencement, to beheld at 1st Mariner Arena, is free and

tickets are not required. The event beginsat 3 p.m.; doors open at 1 p.m.

Gala to Again Kick Off Founders WeekThe events schedule is set for this year’sFounders Week, the annual commemorationhonoring accomplishments of the University’sprofessional schools and its graduate school.

Last year’s Founders Week broke withtradition by leading off with the black-tiegala, which in previous years had ended theweek. The gala kicks off Founders Week againthis fall on Tuesday, Oct. 21, followed by aresearch lecture and reception the next day,Wednesday, Oct. 22; a staff luncheonThursday, Oct. 23, and a student cookoutFriday, Oct. 24.

More information on Founders Weekwill be available as the events approach.

Friday, May 16, 3 p.m.

1st Mariner Arena

Keynote Speaker: Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute

UMB’s most important day of the year —

Commencement 2008

Tickets are not required.For more information, visit:www.umaryland.edu/commencement/index.html

Campus SafetyPhone Numbers

Emergency 711

Information 6-6882and Escort

Crime Statistics 6-COPS and Safety Tips (6-2677)

Turnaround 410-828-639024-Hour Hotline

(sexual assault/domestic violence)

10

CLASSIFIEDS

1. Dental School alumna Ann Christopher ’87 helps a child learn the

best way to brush during the recent Give Kids a Smile event at The Dr.

Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry. Christopher is a volunteer

at the museum, which hosted the event as part of a nationwide program

to provide dental screenings for schoolchildren and teach effective dental

care. Nearly 100 students from Baltimore schools attended. The museum

event was organized by Dental School students, led by Jackie Sadeghian.

2. School of Law student Thomas Prevas (left), chair of the School’s

Student Honor Board, was among the honorees at a reception for student

leaders March 5 in the Bess and Frank Gladhill Board Room in the

Health Sciences and Human Services Library. Also pictured from the

left: University President David J. Ramsay, School of Law Dean Karen

H. Rothenberg, and Prevas’s wife, Emily. 3. Construction on the new

administration building, one of several construction projects under way

on campus, is near completion. The building is slated to open in the fall.

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April 10: Social Networking Symposium.A daylong program on the value of socialnetworking technologies in teaching,learning, and collaborating. 8:30 a.m.,School of Nursing auditorium. Afternoonsessions are at the Health Sciencesand Human Services Library, roomLL04. Free, registration not required.For more information, visit www.hshsl.umaryland.edu/areyouconnected.

April 14: Campus Recognition andCommunity Service Awards Luncheon.By invitation. Noon (recipients, campusleaders, and their guests are asked toarrive at 11:30 a.m.), Baltimore MarriottInner Harbor at Camden Yards, 110 S.Eutaw St. For more information, contactJames Abrams at 6-7302.

April 24: An Evening of Law andTheater, part of the School of Law’sLinking Law & the Arts Series.“Women’s Work”—a bistro dinner anddiscussion about women’s workplaceissues—followed by the world premiereof the play These Shining Lives, aboutchallenges faced by three workingwomen in the 1920s. 6 p.m.,CENTERSTAGE, 700 N. Calvert St.,$50. For tickets, call 6-2070 or visitwww.law.umaryland.edu/arts/lives.asp.

April 25: “Workplace Violence andOrganizational Justice: Is There a Link?”The Ann Cain Lecture in PsychiatricNursing. Featuring speakers from theSchool of Nursing’s Department ofFamily and Community Health. Time tobe announced, School of Nursingauditorium, free and open to the public.For more information, call 6-3767 or visitwww.nursing.umaryland.edu/events.

April 27: National DNA Day Celebration,highlighting the three-part “Your SpittingImage” exhibit on how genetics arechanging the future of oral health. 1-4 p.m., The Dr. Samuel D. HarrisNational Museum of Dentistry. Formore information, call 6-0600 or visitwww.dentalmuseum.org.

April 29: African-American CommunityHealth Workshop. Instructor: MandyMeloy, MA, MLIS, community outreachcoordinator, National Network ofLibraries of Medicine Southeastern/Atlantic Region. 10 a.m.-noon, roomLL03, Health Sciences and HumanServices Library, free for University

faculty, staff, and students. For moreinformation on this and other workshopsat the library, or to register, visitwww.hshsl.umaryland.edu/services/schedule.html.

May 5: “Medical and NonmedicalApplications of Oligopyrrole Macro-cycles,” the School of Pharmacy’sEllis S. Grollman Lecture, delivered by Jonathan Sessler, PhD, professorat The University of Texas at Austin. 2 p.m., Medical School TeachingFacility auditorium. A reception follows.

May 9: School of Medicine alumnusLouis Caplan, MD, ’62, professor ofneurology at Harvard Medical Schooland chief of the Cerebrovascular/StrokeDivision at Beth Israel DeaconessMedical Center, delivers the Ephraim T. Lisansky Lecture. Caplan, who isLisansky’s nephew, will speak about“The Lisansky Legacy—How toCommunicate.” 10-11:30 a.m.(reception 9 a.m.), School of SocialWork auditorium, register atwww.ssw.umaryland.edu.

To view more campus events, visithttp://cf.umaryland.edu/intranet/calendar.

Vol. 28 Number 7

The VOICE is published by the CommunicationsOffice in External Affairs.

Office of External AffairsUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore410-706-7820Fax 410-706-6330

T. Sue Gladhill, MSWVice President for External Affairs

Paul Drehoff, MSMAssistant Vice President for Communications

Susie Flaherty, Senior Editor

Clare Banks, Editorcbank002@umaryland.edu

Ronald Hube, Editorrhube002@umaryland.edu

Laura Kozak, MASenior Graphic Designerlkoza001@umaryland.edu

The Gazelle Group, Display Advertising410-343-3362,gazellegrp@comcast.net

Submissions are preferred via e-mail:thevoice@umaryland.edu. All copy is subjectto editing.

Any commercial advertisements appearingin the VOICE by firms unaffiliated with theUniversity do not represent endorsement.

The VOICE is delivered through campus mailand to drop boxes across campus. Call 410-706-7820 to request additional copies.

Open Period to Enroll In, Change or Cancel Benefits Begins April 23

The open enrollment period is the onlytime of year when benefits-eligible Universityemployees can enroll in, cancel or makechanges to their benefits, other than at thestart of employment or when a Change inFamily Status Event occurs (the birth oradoption of a child, a marriage or divorce,a move outside of the benefits networkarea, loss of coverage, open enrollment fora spouse’s plan, or loss of a dependent’sbenefits eligibility).

This year open enrollment runs fromApril 23 to May 14, and paper, pre-printedenrollment forms will be used rather thanan automated telephone system. HumanResource Services (HRS) will distributebenefit enrollment packets to employees atwork through department representatives.Contractual employee packets will bemailed to employees’ homes. Employeeswho enrolled in benefits after March 1 willnot receive an enrollment form and mustinstead complete a form online.

Employees do not have to take action ifthey do not want to make changes to theircurrent medical, prescription or dentalcoverage, to their term life insurance or toaccidental death and dismembermentcoverage. Employees who do not makechanges will continue their current benefitsfrom July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009.Those who decline to enroll or re-enroll ina flexible spending account (FSA) do not

need to take action either. Along with use of paper forms, changes

this year include: An unmarried dependentcan remain on an employee’s plan throughthe age of 25 if the dependent meets all ofthe expanded coverage eligibility require-ments as defined by the Maryland Depart-ment of Budget and Management.

MetLife will be the state’s new term lifeinsurance vendor, effective July 1. Employeesenrolled with The Standard do not need to re-enroll (coverage will automaticallytransfer), but must complete a MetLifebeneficiary form after July 1, which will be available at www.dbm.maryland.gov.Click on Employee/Health benefits.

During the open enrollment period, thefollowing employees should complete a form:

• Employees who want to enroll in, cancel, or change their plans

• Employees who want to enroll or re-enroll in an FSA (based on 24 pay periods)

• Employees who want to add or remove spouses or dependents to or from their current plans

Forms must be received by Joanne Raineyin the HRS Benefits Office by Wednesday,May 14.

More information is available bycontacting departmental payrollrepresentatives, by calling HRS at 6-2616,or by visiting www.hr.umaryland.edu.

AROUND CAMPUS

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