Center for the Study of Democracy Announces Inaugural Visiting Ambassador Program Featuring Marcos Sperandio
St. Mary's College of Maryland's Center for the Study of Democracy introduces the inaugural Visiting Ambassador Program featuring Marcos Sperandio, head of educational and cultural sector for the embassy of Brazil. The event will take place on April 25 at 1 p.m. in the Blackistone Room of Anne Arundel Hall on the St. Mary's College campus. It is free of charge and open to the public.
With "Innovation & Education: Brazil in the 21st Century," Sperandio will discuss the challenges Brazil faces in the early 21st century with a focus on current issues and debates on Brazilian education. He will also address reforms underway in Brazil's higher education and the role of education in spurring economic growth in the country.
St. Mary's College Provost and Dean of Faculty Michael Wick will introduce Sperandio, following remarks by the Honorable District Judge Peter J. Messitte, who was awarded the Order of the Southern Cross by Brazilian President Michel Temer.
The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) explores contemporary and historical issues associated with the ideas of democracy, liberty and justice in national and international contexts. It supports research that enhances our understanding of liberal democracy and its critics. The CSD facilitates activities that strengthen democracy and the rule of law; enhance security and individual freedoms; invigorate the civil society; encourage free enterprise; and increase economic, environmental, educational and cultural equity.
Activist and Communications Expert Wanda Queen Draper to Deliver 2018 Commencement Address to St. Mary's College Graduates
St. Mary's College of Maryland is pleased to announce that Wanda Queen Draper will deliver St. Mary's College's commencement address. The commencement ceremony will be held on the College's Townhouse Green on Saturday, May 12, starting at 10 a.m.
A native of Baltimore, Md., Draper graduated from the University of Maryland School of Journalism. She went on to attend Johns Hopkins University Graduate School of Contemporary Studies and the University of Maryland School of Law. She was appointed executive director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture in September 2016. She came to the museum from WBAL-TV of the Hearst Corporation in a number of capacities including director of programming and public affairs. She began her career with Hearst Newspapers as a reporter for the Baltimore News American. She also worked at WJZ-TV and Maryland Public Television. She spent five years as director of community affairs and visitor services at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, managing admissions, security, catered events, retail sales and community affairs. She has extensive management training at the Disney Institute, the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the National Association of Broadcasters.
Draper is dedicated to uplifting and empowering communities in need. Her view of community service as a social responsibility has led her to take on hunger, homeless, and education, amongst many other worthy causes. The highlight of her community service was serving on the founding board of the Reginald Lewis Museum from 1999 to 2008. During that time, $38 million was raised to build the museum and $2 million to install the permanent collection. She returned as executive director in 2016 and looks forward to the many contributions that the museum will make toward enriching the lives of Baltimoreans, Marylanders, and visitors of all ages.
Draper is married to Robert Draper. They have two children and three grandchildren.
St. Mary's College Board of Trustees Meeting, April 20
St. Mary's College of Maryland Board of Trustees will meet on Friday, April 20, 2018. The session is open to the public and will start at 12 p.m. in the St. Mary's College Campus Center room 205. The agenda and meeting materials will be posted on the St. Mary's College website prior to the meeting: www.smcm.edu/board/calendar/.
St. Mary's College Students Present at 2018 National Conference on Undergraduate Research
St. Mary's College students and faculty traveled to the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla., for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR). Accepted students are invited to present their undergraduate research from a variety of disciplines. After a competitive review, three St. Mary's College students were awarded the opportunity to share their research and academic achievements.
Hannah Murphy '18, an international languages and cultures major studying Spanish, conducted research on increasing the retention of critical thinking skills in students that speak English as a second language. Using local middle school students as her focus, she developed critical thinking skills using articles in the students' native language, and showed that those skills transfer over when students use English. Murphy hopes to promote the importance of native languages and how they can be used to better the students educational experience, instead of hindering it.
Sidi Chleuh '18, an international languages and cultures major with a double concentration in French and Spanish, presented his research on Fulbe oral literature. The Fulbe are an ethno-linguistic group located in West Africa and have had their linguistic culture influenced by the spread of Islam and colonization. Through his research, Chleuh hopes to revive the importance of the Fulbe language and show how Fulbe proverbs impact culture throughout time. Chleuh conducted much of his fieldwork in the Republic of Guinea, collecting notes on the Fulbe language from the former colonial administration records, as well as past anthropological work. He presented his findings and showcased how Fulbe proverbs impact local identity, as well as influence values and knowledge. Chleuh conducted much of this research in the summer of 2017, as part of the St. Mary's Undergraduate Research Fellowship program.
Chikondi Kulemeka '18, a double major in psychology and international languages and cultures with a concentration in French, presented "Beyond the Veil: Exploring the Many Layers of Muslim Women's Identity in Nice, France." Seeing the rising rate of Islamophobia in Europe, Kulemeka researched the daily life of Muslim women in France. She focused her research on one woman particularly: a woman born in Morocco, but who grew up in France and is currently attending Nice University. Kulemeka used this woman as a main focus of her interviews and research, helping to describe the bigger picture of the female Muslim experience in France as a whole. Through interviews and a detailed literature review, Kulemeka shed light on the unique perspectives that these female Muslim individuals have as they navigate through their layered identities.
Past St. Mary's College students who presented their work at NCUR include Elizabeth Wenker '17 and Brad Davidson '17 with their research on white-crowned sparrows with Assistant Professor of Biology Jessica Malisch (NCUR 2017) and Alex Schoen '17 and Mary Korendyke '19 with their mathematical modeling research with former Associate Professor of Mathematics Katherine Socha (NCUR 2016).
St. Mary's College Announces New Vice President for Business and Finance
St. Mary's College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan announced today that, after a national search, Paul A. Pusecker III will join the College as the vice president for business and finance/chief financial officer on July 1, 2018.
"I am excited to welcome Paul to the St. Mary's College of Maryland community," said President Jordan. "Effectively managing our resources is crucial to being able to fulfill our mission as Maryland's only honors college, the foundation upon which our success stands, and I have great confidence in Paul's ability to help us continue to grow. A sincere thank you to current CFO Charles (Chip) Jackson for his 32 years of tireless and committed service to the College, the past five in his current position. Chip has been responsible for the look and feel of the College. We wish him all the best in his retirement knowing that he has made an indelible mark on this institution and within the community." Chip Jackson will retire from St. Mary's College effective August 31, 2018.
"I am excited and honored to be given this tremendous opportunity," said Pusecker. "I look forward to working with all of the campus constituencies to continue to advance St. Mary's College of Maryland."
Since July 2001, Pusecker has served as the senior chief business officer for the College of Arts & Sciences, at the University of Delaware. As the senior business officer, Paul oversees the day-to-day administration and management of the dean's office, directing all facets of the daily operation of the college staff and directly assists the dean in the management of personnel and budgetary planning and execution for 42 departments, programs, and centers. He acts as the college personnel director with over 1,100 employees, and is responsible for the administration, management, and execution of a $128 Million annual budget. Paul serves as the college ombudsman, acting as the dean's arbitrator/mediator, assisting the deputy dean and four associate deans in the resolution of issues and concerns. He is also the principal manager for space utilization and capital renovations and construction within the college (spread out over 40 buildings across campus). Further, he collaborates on the dean's visionary guidance for increasing the national reputation and stature of the college and its subordinate programs and units.
Prior to this appointment, he retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel after over 20 years of active duty service. While in the military, Paul served in a variety of human resource management, senior staff, and command positions throughout the United States and the world, culminating with his assignment as chair in the Military Science Department (Army ROTC) at the University of Delaware. While in uniform, he also served as an assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the US Military Academy, West Point.
He holds a bachelor's degree from Seton Hall University and a master's degree in social psychology from Penn State. He and his spouse, Kathleen Langan Pusecker, have three grown, married daughters. Their activities include scuba diving, traveling, and taking their two adopted dogs for long walks.
St. Mary's College of Maryland / Historic St. Mary's City Capital Design Advisory Committee to Hold Public Meeting
(St. Mary's City, Md.) April 9, 2018—The Capital Design Advisory Committee (CDA) of St. Mary's College of Maryland and Historic St. Mary's City will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, April 25, 2018. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Blackistone Room, Anne Arundel Hall North Building. Discussion will include updates on the following topics:
Historic St. Mary's City:
• Dove Pier Replacement
• Replacement of Maryland Dove
• Leonard Calvert House
• Maryland Historic Interpretive Center
• Margaret Brent Pavilion
• Chancellor's Point & Sail Center Chesapeake Partnership
St. Mary's College of Maryland:
• New Academic Building/Auditorium Schematic Design
• Route 5 Traffic Calming Phase II Update
• Trinity Church Road Sidewalk Update
College and City staff will be available to address questions. Feedback from the community is welcome. For the full meeting agenda, visit the CDA website at www.smcm.edu/facilities/capital-design-advisory/meeting-notes-and-presentations/.
The CDA was created by St. Mary's College and Historic St. Mary's City to provide an interface for community input to capital development planning. The CDA is charged with seeking public comment in its review of master plan and design proposals for major capital improvement and landscape projects on the St. Mary's College campus and the grounds of Historic St. Mary's City. Membership of the CDA includes representatives from community organizations, the College, and HSMC.
Student Colman Welles Earns Prestigious Earnest F. Hollings Scholarship from NOAA
Colman Welles '20, chemistry major, recently earned the Earnest F. Hollings Scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Only 120 undergraduate students per year receive tuition support and paid summer internships with NOAA across the county in this highly competitive program.
The Hollings Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid internship at a NOAA facility during the summer. Welles internship will take place during summer 2019.
According to Welles, "A NOAA mentor and I will choose an internship to be carried out at one of their labs nationwide. My general idea is to use chemical oceanography to explain trends in marine life. As a commercial fisherman eventually I want to relate this back to fishery management. The internship is oriented to finish a specific project, the results of which I will present at the annual conference."
According to NOAA, awards also include travel funds to attend the annual Science & Education Symposium, scientific conferences where students present their research, and a housing subsidy.
The scholarship program is designed to increase undergraduate training in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education and foster multidisciplinary training opportunities; as well as recruit and prepare students for public service careers with NOAA and other natural resource and science agencies, and for careers as teachers and educators in oceanic and atmospheric science.