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The President's Message-February

February President’s Message

Check out the February issue of The President’s Message. It includes Dr. Perman’s column on his Panel on Politics and Policy; sexual harassment addressed at Q&A; the new Elm is coming to the UMB website; Police Chief Cary reflects on her first six months; art and literary journal, 1807, to launch; 20 employees benefit from Live Near Your Work Program in 2018; campus climate survey coming in mid-February; and a roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements.

Back issues of the newsletter can be found in the archives.

Chris ZangABAE, Bulletin Board, Clinical Care, Collaboration, Community Service, Contests, Education, For B'more, People, Research, Technology, UMB News, University Life, USGAFebruary 5, 20190 comments
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UMB Police with B.B. St. Roman

Compassion, Connection Urged at Homeless Outreach Symposium

B.B. St. Roman says she carries a weapon in her role as executive director of the Homeless Assistance Unit of the New Orleans Police Department, but it’s not what you might think.

“In my job, my smile is my weapon,” says St. Roman, who has been leading her department’s homeless outreach efforts since 2004. “In working with the homeless, the most important thing is that you go out there with a smile, showing that you’re happy to see them. You need a friendly, calm, and kind approach, because that’s what they’re missing. They’re missing that attention. They’re missing that love.”

Compassion was a major theme as St. Roman shared stories of her work and suggestions for how to confront homelessness during a symposium Jan. 31 at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. The 90-minute event, which drew a crowd of 60-plus, was sponsored by the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Police Force and its Campus Outreach and Support Team (COAST), which was launched last fall by Chief Alice Cary, MS.

Cary attended the symposium along with COAST leader Lt. Matthew Johnson, other UMB police officers, members of the Baltimore Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), and University students, staff, and faculty. Johnson introduced St. Roman, who spent a week in Baltimore observing the homeless outreach efforts of UMB and city agencies and offering insights from her 15 years of service in the Big Easy.

Connecting the homeless to services was stressed, as was the need for police, local government, nonprofits, and the community to work together. Indeed, after the event, attendees milled around sharing contact information and a student who chairs a homelessness council at the School of Social Work was gathering names and numbers.

“We’ve got to start talking to each other,” says Cary, who considers the launch of the COAST unit as the proudest moment of her first six months on the job. “We need forums like this, because look at all the networking that’s being done. It’s the start of good things, just improving our communication with Baltimore City partners.”

St. Roman began her talk stressing that it’s important to find out the homeless person’s backstory, recalling a man who couldn’t renew his riverboat captain’s license because of diabetes, a bricklayer who became blind, and a mother of five who suffered from schizophrenia.

“If you ever get a chance to sit down with a homeless person and find out what they used to do, you would be so surprised at how they had regular lives,” St. Roman says. “They had jobs, families, everything was going fine, and then suddenly — bam! — they fell out of the situation and they’re out in the street with nothing.”

Transportation is a major issue for the homeless, so St. Roman uses a 10-passenger van in New Orleans to take people to medical appointments, shelters, and government agencies to get state IDs, which are needed to receive services. She also hands out cards with information about emergency or domestic violence shelters, detox facilities, permanent housing programs, meals, veterans’ services, mental health centers, and more.

“From talking to people in Baltimore, there seems to be a bit of a gap here in the area of transportation,” St. Roman says. “You might have some good services available around the city, but you need to get the homeless there, instead of having them walk everywhere, which is often discouraging for people.”

Making Strides in New Orleans

St. Roman touted the success of a new “low-barrier” homeless shelter in New Orleans that features 100 beds, places no restrictions on length of stay or sobriety, and is open around the clock for both men and women. She says it follows the model of Haven for Hope, a successful program in San Antonio that features an array of homeless services located in one physical space.

“If you have mental health issues, if you have substance abuse issues, or if you need just a place to stay, it can be all in one area,” says St. Roman, who also advocates for a tent-city approach, where the homeless can be concentrated under individual tents.

Cary, who worked in Oregon before coming to UMB, says tent cities are more prevalent on the West Coast. She calls herself “a strong proponent” of the concept but recognizes there are negatives and that the idea is controversial. Last year in Baltimore, an encampment that had sprouted under an I-83 overpass was dismantled by the city, which worked to move the population into shelters.

“A tent city is a common place for the homeless to go and for them to get one-stop shopping, so to speak,” Cary says. “But we need to consider sanitary issues, because it can get messy, and the main obstacle we face is ‘Not In My Backyard.’ But between the city, the HOT team, and UMB, maybe we could get together and find a best-case scenario, because I think the concept needs to come to the East Coast.”

Joining the Fight

Nate Fields, vice president of public space maintenance for the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, praised Cary’s outreach initiative and pleaded with the audience to get involved. He lamented the “Not In My Backyard” attitude and urged more cooperation to better disseminate information to the homeless and to the public at large about available services.

“We go out there fighting tooth and nail to connect people to services, but there are many barriers,” Fields says. “We need a homeless outreach team in every single district of the city. We’re trying to educate more and more people every single day about the different drop-in centers and locations you can go to.”

Praising St. Roman, he added, “We need more people like everybody in this room to stand up and talk to your city councilman, talk to your local government, and let them know there are people trying to win the fight against homelessness. And when I get enough people who want to fight with me, versus people who want to see them removed, then we can see the city change.”

UMB Pfc. Yale Partlow, who is taking up the fight as the COAST team’s homeless liaison, called the symposium “highly productive.”

“It’s a great opportunity for a lot of representatives of different agencies to connect,” he says. “Some of our officers have done ride-alongs with the Baltimore City HOT team, to get a feel for their program. We’re looking to expand on what they’re doing, tailoring it to the needs of our jurisdiction. I’m optimistic, because a lot of fresh ideas are being put forward.”

— Lou Cortina

Lou CortinaCollaboration, Community Service, For B'more, People, UMB NewsFebruary 5, 20190 comments
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Cure Scholars at Coppin State

CURE Scholars See Higher Education on the Horizon

On a cold Saturday in January with snow in the forecast, 22 CURE Scholars braved the frigid air to tour the campus of Coppin State University in Baltimore. Their visit not only gave them a look at the university, but it also provided a window into what they could potentially accomplish.

The journey toward higher education started for these students four years ago when they became the first cohort of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) CURE Scholars Program, a unique mentoring/STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education program aimed at reducing racial disparities in public health by establishing a pipeline to careers in STEM. The program is funded by a National Cancer Institute grant to the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenbaum Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Marcus Edwards, a CSU admissions counselor and CSU alumnus, took the CURE scholars on a private tour of Coppin State University.

Now in high school, these scholars have “graduated” to CURE Connections (C2). C2 is a continuation of the CURE Program, funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA), that is specifically designed for ninth- and 10th-grade students.

“A main component of our grant from SEPA is to get the scholars college-ready,” explains Bret Hassel, PhD, principal investigator of the grant for C2 and an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “We have great schools to choose from within the University System of Maryland, so taking them on an actual visit was an obvious activity.”

On Jan. 12, the scholars ventured over to Coppin State University (CSU) for a special day trip that included a full tour of the CSU Science and Technology Building and a hands-on lab activity in the university’s chemistry lab.

“We know that the CURE Program is all about helping students succeed in STEM, which is something we heavily support,” says Fred Nesbitt, PhD, MS, a CSU professor of chemistry who helped facilitate the visit. “It seemed like a perfect match for them to come to CSU and get a hands-on experience in one of our laboratories.”

Nesbitt was there to greet the scholars when they arrived on campus and introduce them to their tour guide, Marcus Edwards, a CSU admissions counselor and CSU alumnus. Edwards instantly grabbed the scholars’ attention with an ice-breaker game that got them up and moving, before sharing information and answering questions about CSU academics, financial aid, and campus life. Shortly after his presentation, Edwards and the scholars bundled up and headed out the door for a full tour of the campus.

“Some students never have the opportunity to visit a college campus,” explains Edwards. “Having them see the campus and be introduced to different universities at such an early age is vital in helping them choose a college.”

The scholars got to see all of the student hot spots on campus, including the dining halls, rec center, basketball court, and student quad. For Demetris Beatty, a Woodlawn High School student who dreams of working for NASA, this part of visit really helped her to visualize herself attending a university.

“It’s fun, and it feels more like I’m experiencing college,” says Demetris. “It’s really helping me to see all lot of capabilities that would come with going to college.”

Demetris also expressed interest in joining a sorority, so it was kismet when the tour group ran into a group of sisters from Alpha Kappa Alpha, a historically black sorority. The sorority women took a couple of minutes to talk to the scholars about the benefits of getting involved in Greek life as well as their experience attending CSU.

This spontaneous connection hit an important part of the C2 programming, which is to have the scholars interact with college students of their same background. According to Hassel, this is a vital step in helping the scholars see their own potential through the experience of others.

“The goal is to really get them to understand that higher education is a path that’s doable for them,” explains Hassel. “We want to get them comfortable with the college environment in general, and actually being on a campus — regardless of which one it is — really helps them to say to themselves, ‘Yes, I can do this.’ ”

The guides at CSU did their due diligence to show the scholars that higher education is possible for them both academically and financially. During the morning presentation, Edwards made sure to explain CSU’s “Finish 4 Free” program. This unique program would allow students who attend a Baltimore City high school and receive an associate degree from Baltimore City Community College the opportunity to finish their undergraduate education at CSU free of tuition charge.

“I think most kids are really taken with the idea about going away to school,” says Stephanie Alphee, one of the coordinators of the C2 program, “but showing them there’s such a great and affordable institution right in their backyard opens up their idea of college and what’s available to them.”

Within the University System of Maryland, there are more than a dozen great institutions for them to explore “in their own backyard.” In fact, earlier this semester the scholars had the opportunity to visit Towson University and tour that campus as well.

With two visits under their belts, the C2 scholars are already ahead of the curve in prepping for higher education. Many high school students do not normally begin visiting college campuses until their sophomore or junior year. In addition to touring campuses, the scholars are preparing for college in many other ways. They’re working with their mentors every week to prep for their PSATs, getting homework support, staying on track for advanced college prep courses, and making sure their grades stay up so that college remains an option for them.

“The whole point of the CURE Program is not just to expose kids to the pipeline toward careers in STEM, but to also make sure that they have the tools to be successful in that pipeline from high school to college and beyond,” says Alphee.

Looking ahead to 10th and 11th grade, Alphee hopes to be able to plan a couple of out-of-state college visits for the scholars. In the meantime, the next stop on their higher education tour will be the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

View a photo gallery of the visit.

Jena FrickEducation, For B'more, People, UMB NewsJanuary 25, 20190 comments
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GiveBackHack logo

Attend GiveBackHack Baltimore on Feb. 1-3

Have a big idea to change the world? Join us at GiveBackHack Baltimore on Feb. 1-3 at Allovue, R. House 2nd Floor, 301 W. 29th St. in Baltimore.

Contact Thomas Wise at twise@umaryland.edu today to receive a promo code for 50 percent off your ticket(s). What better way to start the New Year than by pursuing your dreams?

As part of our continuous efforts to improve the human condition and serve the public good of Maryland, the Graduate School at UMB supports GiveBackHack Baltimore, a weekend-long event where passion meets innovation and community members can come together to develop sustainable solutions.

Create a new team or join an existing one to bring your social impact idea to life. Participants also will have the opportunity to tap into mentorship as well as to network with makers and entrepreneurs with similar interests. The winning team will receive $2,000 in in-kind resources to further support their idea and will ultimately walk away with an invaluable experience.

Jade GrantCollaboration, Community Service, Contests, For B'more, People, TechnologyJanuary 17, 20190 comments
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Invisible No Longer

Improving Health for All of Us in Baltimore and Beyond

Are you a Baltimore resident who identifies as African-American/black, Hispanic, and/or LGBTQIA?

Join the University of Maryland School of Nursing for a free event to learn more about a National Institutes of Health-funded national research program seeking to gather important health information from 1 million-plus people in the United States. The anonymous data will help scientists prevent and treat illnesses for generations to come.

  • When: Saturday, Feb. 9, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Where: William Pinderhughes Elementary Middle School, 701 Gold St., Baltimore, MD 21217
  • Food: Free light breakfast served at 9 a.m. and lunch served at 12:30 p.m.
  • Learn more: JoinAllOfUs.org/together
  • Questions: Contact Kristen Rawlett at krawlett@umaryland.edu or 410-706-3906
Giordana SegneriFor B'more, People, ResearchJanuary 15, 20190 comments
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UMB’s Improved Live Near Your Work Program Touts 20 Homeowners in 2018

The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Live Near Your Work (LNYW) Program was designed to open the door to homeownership for University employees. In one short year since the program’s relaunch, that door has swung open 20 times, and Dawn Rhodes, MBA, chief business and finance officer and vice president, is thrilled with the results.

“In addition to the 20 people who took advantage of the opportunity to buy a home, I am so pleased with the UMB team and the community partners that made this happen,” says Rhodes, who led the initiative’s upgrade in January 2018 and emphasizes that community revitalization is key to the program’s mission. “Becoming a homeowner and developing equity is a financially transformative life event. It’s phenomenal that UMB can do that for its employees and contribute to the revitalization of Southwest Baltimore at the same time.”

The improved LNYW Program offers eligible employees a UMB grant of $16,000 — plus a matching grant of $2,500 from the city of Baltimore — to help with closing costs and down payments on houses in seven targeted Southwest Baltimore neighborhoods: Barre Circle, Franklin Square, Hollins Market, Mount Clare, Pigtown/Washington Village, Poppleton, and Union Square.

The University’s former LNYW outlay of $2,500 (plus $2,500 from the city) was rarely used, so UMB leaders committed $1.5 million to boost the grant, with more than $320,000 used to date. In addition, the initiative was transformed through community partnerships with Live Baltimore, the Southwest Partnership, and GO Northwest Housing Resource Center to offer homebuying workshops, financial counseling, neighborhood tours, a housing fair, and more.

When UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, presented the improved program to employees in a kickoff event last January at the SMC Campus Center, he predicted the moves would “change the game.” And they have, especially considering that only four employees received grants under the old LNYW Program between 2013 and 2017.

“When you take into account those types of numbers, this exceeded all of my expectations of the program in Year 1,” says Emily Winkler, Human Resources benefits manager and LNYW Program coordinator, who adds that it was more than the money that moved employees to action. “I feel that the community engagement aspect of the program really sealed the deal with our buyers. Each one I have talked to has raved about their neighbors and this wonderful opportunity.”

Employees from several UMB offices and each of the professional schools — dentistry, law, medicine, nursing, law, and social work — have utilized the program, extolling the benefits of living close to their workplace and owning a home as opposed to renting.

Among the new homeowners:

  • Shea Lawson, research project coordinator at the Brain and Tissue Bank at the School of Medicine, was the first employee to use the grant, settling into a Pigtown rowhouse in March. “I really didn’t have enough for a down payment on a house. I would’ve had to canvass some relatives for a loan,” Lawson says. “If it weren’t for this program, I probably would’ve ended up in another rental situation.”
  • Tara Wells, program administrative specialist in the Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health at the School of Nursing, heeded the advice of the school’s dean, Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, to pursue the grant. Wells is now the proud owner of a rowhouse in Pigtown. “The neighborhood is quiet. It’s really peaceful. And the neighbors on my block have been awesome,” she says. “I would encourage anyone at UMB to take advantage of this program.”
  • Olayinka Ladeji, MPH, PATIENTS Program project manager at the School of Pharmacy, stacked an additional $10,000 in outside homebuying grants to her LNYW funds and bought a house in Washington Village. “I appreciated all the different resources that were made available to me by the program, including referrals to different organizations in Baltimore that assist homebuyers,” she says.
  • Vonetta Edwards, PhD, laboratory research lead specialist at the Institute for Genome Sciences at the School of Medicine, bought a house in Hollins Market, saying the grant was her catalyst. “It propelled me from thinking about purchasing a home to actually doing it,” Edwards says. “Especially for first-time homebuyers, the amount that covers both closing costs and the down payment is almost too good to leave on the table.”

Heading into Year 2 of the improved LNYW Program, interested UMB employees are encouraged to attend homebuying workshops, offered by GO Northwest, that are scheduled for Feb. 23 and April 27 at the SMC Campus Center, as well as a Live Baltimore-led trolley tour of Southwest Baltimore planned for May 11. The trolley tour proved popular last year, and Rhodes is eager for more employees to get on the LNYW train in 2019.

“To have 20 grant recipients in Year 1 really speaks to the dedication of the core team working on the project at UMB, and I personally would like to double our number the second year,” Rhodes says. “Mayor Catherine Pugh mentions the program often, recognizes Dr. Perman regularly for the program’s success, and challenges other anchor institutions in Baltimore to step up the way UMB has.

“This was the right thing to do in the right neighborhoods, and I think Live Near Your Work is another example of how UMB walks the talk for community engagement.”

— Lou Cortina

 The LNYW website has more information on the program’s parameters, application process, targeted neighborhoods, and more.

Lou CortinaFor B'more, People, UMB News, University AdministrationJanuary 14, 20190 comments
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The President's Message-January

The President’s Message

Check out the January issue of The President’s Message. It includes Dr. Perman’s column on the Graduate School’s centennial. Also, former Senator Barbara Mikulski urges civic engagement at the President’s Panel on Politics and Policy; crime was down 21 percent in 2018, UMB Police Force reports; the School of Medicine launches a cultural transformation; seed grant events here and at College Park show the importance of collaboration; UMB CURE Scholars enjoy a Winter Wonderland; and a roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements.

Chris ZangABAE, Bulletin Board, Clinical Care, Collaboration, Community Service, Contests, Education, For B'more, People, Research, Technology, UMB News, University Life, USGAJanuary 10, 20190 comments
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The Journey Home

Volunteers Needed for Baltimore’s Homeless Point-in-Time Count

The Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Human Services’ Homeless Services Program is planning for its annual Homeless Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, which will take place this month, and needs volunteers to help.

The PIT Count is an important service engagement and data collection strategy that helps to advance “The Journey Home,” Baltimore’s plan to end homelessness. The PIT Count helps Baltimore to identify individuals, families, and youths experiencing homelessness and connect them to much-needed housing and support services. It also helps the mayor’s office gather important data on the needs and characteristics of people experiencing homelessness. This information is used to inform community planning and the development of effective interventions to end homelessness in Baltimore.

During the week of Jan. 27, volunteers are needed to canvass neighborhoods, hospitals, service provider’s locations, and other places that people experiencing homelessness can be found in Baltimore to administer surveys to individuals experiencing homelessness.

There are three ways volunteers can get involved:

Street Count

Small groups of volunteers will be led by an experienced homeless service provider in canvassing streets and outdoor locations to survey individuals experiencing homelessness. This shifts take place from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 27, and 6:30 pm to 11 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28. Volunteers must be available for both nights. On the first night of the street count, volunteers will receive training and dinner.

Daytime Site-Based Count

Small groups of volunteers will be led by an experienced homeless service provider in surveying individuals at community sites such as the Beans and Bread Center or Paul’s Place. These shifts take place each day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, Jan. 28, to Wednesday, Jan. 30. Site-based volunteers will attend a webinar training the week before the PIT Count. The webinar will be recorded for volunteers who cannot attend live. You will receive a registration link for the webinar a week before the training.

Leader Positions

Service providers, individuals with PIT Count experience, or those interested in taking on more of a leadership role can volunteer to be a team leader for the two-night street count on Jan. 27-28, or at a daytime site-based location during the Jan. 28-30 time period. Team leaders will receive a more detailed, in-person training and will lead teams of five to seven volunteers during the count.

All interested volunteers may sign up on our registration page.

Your cooperation and time are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Brian.Reynolds@baltimorecity.gov or call 410-396-6807.

Brian ReynoldsCommunity Service, For B'moreJanuary 9, 20190 comments
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The President's Message - December 2018

The President’s Message

Check out the December issue of The President’s Message. It includes Dr. Perman’s column on our record-shattering year in extramural funding — $667.4 million in grants and contracts. Also, a holiday greeting; TEDx UMB showcases our big ideas; ceremonial opening for HSRF III; Project Feast serves Thanksgiving meals to those in need; Nursing, Social Work win HEED awards for diversity; students prevail in national public health interprofessional challenge; informatics pioneer saluted at UMB; University takes the fight against opioid addiction on the road; be merry, and wary, around the holidays; and a roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements.

Back issues of the newsletter can be found in the archives.
Chris ZangABAE, Bulletin Board, Clinical Care, Collaboration, Community Service, Contests, Education, For B'more, People, Research, UMB News, University Life, USGADecember 10, 20180 comments
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Barbara Mikulski speaks to the UMB audience

Mikulski Talks Social Work Roots, Local Organizing, D.C. Politics

Barbara Mikulski, MSW ’65, was a social worker before launching her legendary and pioneering 45-year political career, but she doesn’t consider it a former job.

“People always say that I was once a social worker, but I say this: If you are a social worker, there’s never a ‘once,’” said Mikulski, drawing applause as the featured guest in the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) President’s Panel on Politics and Policy on Nov. 27 at the SMC Campus Center. “You are a social worker forever in whatever you do and whatever you become. And I think going into politics is social work with power.”

A proud graduate of the University of Maryland School of Social Work, Mikulski talked about those social work roots, community organizing, civility in Washington, presidential politics, the 2020 census, and more in her conversation with UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD. She also took questions from the crowd of 220-plus that filled the Elm Ballrooms for the seventh installment of the panel series, which was launched in January 2017 to examine issues important to the University community that are likely to be affected by the Trump administration and Congress.

(Read about past speakers here and view a photo gallery from the Mikulski event here.)

In his introduction, Perman described Mikulski as his friend and advisor and detailed her trailblazing work as a champion for women, higher education, seniors, and the disadvantaged as the longest-serving woman ever in the U.S. Senate. He pointed out that when Mikulski was asked why she wasn’t seeking a sixth term in 2016, she said, “Well, do I spend my time raising money, or do I spend my time raising hell?”

“You know which one she chose,” Perman said with a smile.

Indeed, during the hourlong event, Mikulski showed the mix of feisty and folksy that made her a Maryland political legend and a 30-year force in the Senate, stressing that interpersonal relationships and unconventional thinking often are the keys to getting things accomplished. Now a professor of public policy at Johns Hopkins University, Mikulski began by recounting her shift from social worker to community organizer, rallying opposition to a federal highway construction project in Baltimore 50 years ago.

“I said, ‘Look, we need to fight this,’” Mikulski said. “So we got people in the community together at a bar, had a few shots of ouzo, and said we have to give ourselves a militant name and create the illusion of power. So we came out with SCAR, the Southeast Council Against the Road, and I began the highway fight that took me into politics.”

In her next stop, early during her tenure on the Baltimore City Council that began in 1971, Mikulski said she asked the body’s president to go outside the committee structure to create a rape task force, aiming to treat women who had been assaulted as trauma victims rather than merely crime victims. Counting the task force as among her proudest achievements, Mikulski said of her approach, “Always go outside the box, because otherwise you leave yourself in a box forever.”

This type of thinking was present during her time in the House of Representatives (1976-1986) and in the Senate (1986-2017), she said, particularly in regard to bipartisanship. Mikulski, a Democrat, recalled that in the early 1990s a newly elected Republican senator from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison, reached out to her for a meeting and, despite her staff’s misgivings, she obliged. This led to a friendship with Hutchison and regular meetings among female senators from both political aisles, she said.

“We didn’t agree on a lot of issues,” Mikulski said. “But we agreed on two things first: We would approach each other in a zone of civility and we would never demonize each other. We would always interact with integrity, a sense of honor, and intellectual rigor.”

Mikulski said that areas of agreement included promoting women’s economic empowerment and especially women’s health, and that the senators from opposing parties could find common ground on issues such as mammogram quality standards and breast cancer research funding.

“We all agreed if we were going to ‘Race for the Cure,’ we wanted to lead the marathon, so that was another proud accomplishment,” Mikulski said.

Searching for Common Ground

Staying on the topic of political relations, Perman asked about the state of affairs in Washington today and whether the partisan divide could ever be bridged. “How do these two parties at odds on absolutely everything find some common ground?” he said.

While lamenting the vitriol and gridlock, Mikulski was optimistic that newcomers in the next Congress — “a blue wave that I’d hoped would be a tsunami,” she said — could help to turn the tide of negativity.

“There’s a tremendous new group coming in and a lot of new women got elected,” Mikulski said. “And not only does the blue wave wear lipstick and high heels, it wears camouflage. Many of the women coming in have had military service. And these veterans bring a different view. They’re a different generation. They’re not only going to come to fight for veterans’ health care, but they will oppose wars that should not be fought and make sure we win wars if we’re going to fight them.

“Most important, I believe they’re going to put country over party. I think that they’re going to make a difference, not only in terms of policy, but in terms of tone and tenor. Keep an eye on them.”

Asked about her thoughts on the 2020 presidential race, Mikulski said she thinks the Democratic nominee will come out of the West or Midwest and that President Donald Trump will face a challenge from within the Republican Party. She said the Democrats’ race could be over quick, partly because California’s primary was moved from June to March, and she mentioned four senators — Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Sherrod Brown — as possible contenders.

“These are very talented people,” she said. “You also have Joe Biden pondering a run and Bernie Sanders pondering another run. So it’s going to be exciting.”

2020 Census Critical for Baltimore

Bringing the discussion back to the local level, Mikulski, a lifelong resident of Baltimore, stressed the importance of the city’s participation in the 2020 census, tasking Perman and the University community with aiding Mayor Catherine Pugh to make sure every person is counted so the city can receive its fair share of federal funds.

“The consequences for Baltimore and Maryland are significant,” Mikulski said. “Eighty-five percent of all federal funds that will come to Baltimore will be formula-driven, from Medicaid to mass transit, from Section 8 housing to school lunch programs. If we don’t get the census right, we will disadvantage ourselves for a decade — for a decade!”

An undertaking like the census, Mikulski added, is where members of the UMB community can learn real-world lessons in civic engagement. And while she recognizes the power of technology and social media, she hopes that young people will realize that it takes more than emails, tweets, or hashtags to effect social change.

“This is a fantastic tool for organizing,” Mikulski said, holding up her cellphone, “but it’s also bloodless, you know? You might get the email, but you don’t get the person. So that’s why there’s nothing like interpersonal gatherings.

“I would encourage civic engagement and volunteerism, and my advice is this: Don’t treat civic engagement like it’s just an event. ‘Oh, I will go to the march. Oh, I will race for the breast cancer cure.’ That’s great. That’s wonderful. But you’ve got to do more than that.

“Engagement has to be a lifestyle, not an event.”

— Lou Cortina

Lou CortinaFor B'more, People, UMB News, University Administration, University LifeNovember 30, 20180 comments
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The President's Message-November

The President’s Message

Check out the November issue of The President’s Message. It includes:

  • Dr. Perman’s column on UMB leadership’s 10-day trip to Asia
  • A look back at Founders Week
  • UMB Police launch COAST outreach team
  • A new cohort of CURE Scholars dons white coats
  • First piece of public art at UMB unveiled
  • Then-Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith joins White Paper discussion on gun violence
  • A look ahead to the UMB TEDx event (Nov. 9) and Barbara Mikulski’s visit (Nov. 27)
  • A roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements and a call for Board of Regents’ Staff Award nominations
Chris ZangABAE, Bulletin Board, Clinical Care, Collaboration, Community Service, Contests, Education, For B'more, People, Research, UMB News, University Life, USGANovember 9, 20180 comments
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Thanksgiving Food drive volunteers

Thanksgiving Collection: Donate a Basket Through Nov. 13

UMB’s Staff Senate and the Office of Community Engagement are teaming up to host a Thanksgiving food drive through Tuesday, Nov. 13, to benefit CURE Scholar and Police Athletic/Activities League families of West Baltimore.

Departments or individuals can sponsor a family by collecting the items below to fill a Thanksgiving food basket.

Each donation basket should include:

  • 2 boxes of stuffing
  • 2 cans of cranberries
  • 2 boxes of mashed potatoes
  • 2 cans of sweet potatoes
  • 2 cans of gravy
  • 4 cans of vegetables (corn, peas, green beans, etc.)

Don’t Have Time to Shop?

You can donate online through the Staff Senate giving page.

Collection Drop-Off

Through Nov. 13, donations can be placed in collection bins located at the following locations:

  • Saratoga Building lobby, 220 Arch St.
  • Lexington Building, first- and second-floor lobbies, 620 W. Lexington St.
  • MSTF Atrium, BIORESCO, 695 W. Baltimore St.
  • Cancer Center, Clinical Research Center, 22 N. Greene St.
  • School of Social Work lobby, 525 W. Redwood St.
  • School of Nursing lobby, 655 W. Lombard St.
  • School of Nursing, sixth floor, in front of elevators
  • SMC Campus Center lobby, next to guard station, 621 W. Lombard St.
  • Facilities Maintenance Service Center, 622 W. Fayette St.
  • Bressler Research Building, Room 7-022, 655 W. Baltimore St.
  • HSF II Building lobby, 20 Penn Street
  • School of Law lobby, 500 W. Baltimore Street
Brian SturdivantCollaboration, Community Service, For B'more, People, UMB News, University Life, USGANovember 9, 20180 comments
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Don't Block the Box logo

Note to Drivers in the City: Don’t Block the Box

Did you know it’s illegal to block the box in an intersection? Avoid blocking the box — wait to enter an intersection until you are sure you can make it all the way through the intersection. Wait behind the stop bar, not in the crosswalk. Wait behind the stop bar, not in the crosswalk, and look to see if the vehicles in front of you on the other side of the intersection have left enough room for you to make it through without stopping in the crosswalk on the other side.

The fine for a vehicle obstructing or impeding the free flow of traffic in an intersection or marked crosswalk is $125. Learn more at this Baltimore City Department of Transportation webpage.

Dana RampollaBulletin Board, For B'moreNovember 5, 20180 comments
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School of Social Work logo

Alliance of Anti-Racist Social Work Practitioners to Meet on Nov. 16

The first meeting of the Alliance of Anti-Racist Social Work Practitioners will take place on Friday, Nov. 16, at 12:15 p.m. in Room 2W11 of the School of Social Work at 525 W. Redwood St.

Social workers, other students, and Baltimore community members are welcome to join us.

Come hungry! There will be sticky wings, salad, drinks, and cake, provided by Breaking Bread LLC.

The Alliance is a student-led community organization dedicated to racial justice.

For more information and questions, email Katie Golden or follow the group on Facebook.

Kaitlyn GoldenBulletin Board, Community Service, Education, For B'more, Research, University Life, USGANovember 2, 20180 comments
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