Thursday, July 24

Highlighted News Items

UM Again Leads in Graduating African Americans (Total of Baccalaureate, Master's and Doctoral Degrees Awarded Among Top Public Universities)
CIER Report on Cost to States of Global Warming Resonates Domestically and Internationally

UM--Higher Ed, Community
- Graduate School Rankings -- UM Again Leads in Graduating African Americans (Total of Baccalaureate, Master's and Doctoral Degrees Awarded Among Top Public Universities)
  (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
  UM is first again in graduating African American students (undergraduate, master's and doctorate degrees) among its peers who constitute the Top 25 Public Universities, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
  
  The African American graduation totals are derived from Diverse Issues in Higher Education's Graduate School Rankings just released. Previously, In Today's News had published the Diverse Issues undergraduate figures in early June.
  
  The three Top 25 U.S. News schools in graduating African Americans with baccalaureate degrees are the University of Florida (683), the University of Maryland (682) and Ohio State University (675).
  
  The top two producers at the master's degree level are Ohio State University (148) and the University of Maryland (136). Florida does not crack the Top 100 in this category.
  
  The top three producers at the doctorate level are the University of Maryland (40), Ohio State University (28) and the University of Florida (27).
  
  Maryland totals a combined 858 graduates, Ohio State 851.
  (These figures do not include medical and law school rankings.)
  
  Diverse Issues Rankings for Graduate Schools with all schools included:
  
  Master's Degrees
  
  All Disciplines Combined -- Total Minority Master's UM is No. 71 with 384 degrees, increase of 19.5%
  All Disciplines Combined -- African American Master's, UM is No. 8 with 136 degrees, increase of 1.49%
  All Disciplines Combined -- Asian American Master's, Um is No. 46 with 163 degrees, increase of 9%
  All Disciplines Combined -- Hispanic Master's, No. 98 with 79, increase of 25%
  
  Area, Ethnic, Cultural and Gender Studies -- Total Minority, No. 30 with 5, increase of 150%
  Area, Ethnic, Cultural and Gender Studies -- African American, No. 10 with 5, increase of 400%
  
  Biological and Biomedical Sciences -- Total Minority, No. 49 with 10, increase of 66.60%
  Biological and Biomedical Sciences -- African American, No. 37 with 3, increase of 0%
  Biological and Biomedical Sciences -- Hispanic, No. 35 with 3, increase of 0%
  
  Business Management, Marketing and Related Support Services -- Total Minority, No. 46 with 132, increase of 4.8%
  Business Management, Marketing and Related Support Services -- Asian, No. 28 with 83, increase of 3.80%
  
  Computer and Information Services -- African American, No. 27 with 7, increase of 16.70%
  
  Engineering -- Total Minority, No. 24 with 54, increase of 20%
  Engineering -- African American, No. 9 with 15, increase of 50%
  Engineering -- Asian, No. 30 with 25, decrease of 3.80%
  Engineering -- Hispanic, No. 17 with 14, increase of 100%
  
  English Language and Literature/Letters -- Total Minority, No. 24 with 8, increase of 60%
  English Language and Literature/Letters -- African American, No. 23 with 3, decrease of 40%
  English Language and Literature/Letters -- Asian, No. 13 with 4, increase of 0%
  
  Mathematics and Statistics -- Total Minority, No. 39 with 5, increase of 66.70%
  
  Social Science and History -- Total Minority, No. 28 with 19, increase of 5.6%
  Social Science and History -- African American, No. 28 with 9, decrease of 10%
  Social Science and History -- Asian, No. 29 with 6, increase of 200%
  
  Doctorate Degrees
  
  All Disciplines Combned -- Total Minority Doctorate, No. 15, 86, increase of 13%
  All Disciplines Combined -- Afican American Doctorate, No. 8, 40, increase of 48%
  All Discplines Combined -- American Indian Doctorate, No. 51, increase of 0.0%
  All Disciplines Combined -- Asian American Doctorate, No. 18, 33, decrease of 8%
  All Disciplines Combined -- Hispanic Doctorate, No. 37, 12, increase of 0.0%
  
  Area, Ethnic, Cultural and Gender Studies -- Total Minority, No. 7 with 3, increase of 0%
  Area, Ethnic, Cultural and Gender Studies -- African American No. 5 with 3, increase of 50%
  
  Business Management, Marketing and Related Support Services -- Total Minority, No. 17 with 4, increase of 0%
  
  Education -- Total Minority, No. 18 with 19, increase of 46.20%
  Education -- Afrian American, No. 20 with 112, increase of 71.40%
  Education -- Asian, No. 12 with 4, increase of 0%
  Education -- Hispanic, No. 25 with 3, increase of 200%
  
  Engineering -- Total Minority, No. 19 with 9, decrease of 25%
  Engineering -- Asian, No. 19 with 6, decrease of 25%
  
  English Language and Literature/Letters -- Total Minority, No. 1 with 5, increase of 150%
  English Language and Literature/Letters -- African American, No. 1 with 5, increase of 400%
  
  Physical Science -- Total Minority, No. 7 with 11, increase of 450%
  Physical Science -- Asian, No. 5 with 7, increase of 250%
  
  Psychology -- Total Minority, No. 42 with 6, increase of 100%
  Psychology -- African American, No. 16 with 4, increase of 100%
  
  Social Science and History -- Total Minority, No. 8 with 10, increase of 11.10%
  Social Science and History -- African American, No. 3 with 5, increase of 66.70%
  Social Science and History -- Asian, No. 8 with 3, increase of 0%
  
  Source: Diverse Issues in Higher Education (Link for searchable data base)
- Maryland Terps Rally for Purple Line
  (Gazette Newspapers)
  Follow-up story: "A group of University of Maryland students called Terps for the Purple Line gathered at the Bethesda Metrorail station Tuesday morning to rally in favor of the proposed mass transit route. Representatives of various student organizations gathered at the Metro station said the Purple Line would cut down on travel time between Bethesda and the College Park campus, help students save money, and create numerous benefits for the surrounding area. Del. William A. Bronrott (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda and County Councilman George L. Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park also attended to show their support for the Purple Line. The Purple Line has become a big issue on the university campus, according to Student Government Association President Jonathan Sacks, 20, a rising junior who grew up in Silver Spring and now lives on campus at College Park."
  
  Source: Gazette Newspapers
- Nadler: Students Move Away, Parents Find Ways to Fill void
  (Auburn Plainsman)
  "While children leaving for college is an adjustment for the whole family, one has to wonder -- Is it harder for the parents or the children? According to some Auburn students' accounts of leaving home, the traditional image of the teary-eyed mother surveying her empty nest as she sends off her freshman may not be the norm. Hailey Boyles, a junior in biomedical sciences, also from Montgomery, had a somewhat similar experience. 'My mom was probably lost for a week, but they didn't worry about it too much,' Boyles said. Collin Perciballi, a junior in political science, said his parents had a distinct coping mechanism. 'I am the baby, so when I left, it was the first time in a while that they had an empty house,' Perciballi said. 'They coped by traveling to places I wanted to go, like Wimbledon, Italy, Canada, Chicago, etc.' Paula Nadler, an adviser (senior academic advisor, Arts & Humanities) at the University of Maryland who has developed some guidelines for parent-child relationships in the collegiate context, has suggestions for how parents should expect the relationship with their children to change. 'Parents need to let their children "find their own way" and not try to unduly influence them in terms of major or career,' Nadler said."
  
  Source: Auburn Plainsman
- Austin: Recruitment of African American Men a Priority at ALA Conference Session
  (Library Journal)
  "Those who attended An Endangered Species: The Black Male Librarian, a session at the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference yesterday in Anaheim, might have been shocked to learn that only .5% of all librarians in the United States, or 572 people, are African American males out of a total of 110,000 librarians. The figures came from an ALA diversity report based on 2000 U.S. census figures. A panel of seasoned African American library professionals offered their opinions about how to improve recruitment efforts. Alma Dawson, faculty member, Louisiana State University School of Library Science, Baton Rouge, stressed early literacy engagement. 'We need to promote the library as a safe haven in urban areas,' she said. Damon Austin, agricultural science librarian, University of Maryland, College Park, spoke about making connections with young males who may be unfocused, but show an interest in something--sports statistics, for example, that can be applied to the LIS field. Beacher Wiggins, director of acquisitions, Library of Congress, added 'the hook is to highlight the role of the Internet. There is a great story to be told; how the profession has changed over the last quarter century.' "
  
  Source: Library Journal
Society and Culture
- CIER (Center for Integrative Environmental Research): Climate Threat To N.J. Catalogued
  (National Underwriter)
  "An independent research study released today has found that rising temperatures over the next century will result in damaging effects on New Jersey's shoreline that devastate the state's economy and environment. The report was produced by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Center for Integrative Environmental Research (CIER) at the University of Maryland (Public Policy). Environmental Defense Fund helped to finance the research and produce the report. ... In addition to New Jersey, the report looked at how climate change will impact the economy and environment of Colorado, Illinois, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. The report said the effects of climate change should not be considered in isolation because 'every state's economy is linked to the economies of surrounding states as well as to the national and global economy. Since state economies are directly linked to the economies of neighboring states and regions, policymakers may wish to consider both state and regional policies to address climate change.' "
  
  Source: National Underwriter
- CIER: Will Global Warming Flood the Meadowlands?
  (Bergen Record)
  "Global warming will cause billions of dollars in damage to New Jersey real estate, transportation and tourism, according to a national legislative group -- and the state says it is trying to confront the looming crisis. Monitors are being installed in the Meadowlands to track the rise in sea levels. The height of every sand dune from Sandy Hook to Cape May is being mapped to determine which stretches are most vulnerable. Environmental officials, meanwhile, are developing a plan to curb emissions from power plants. ... More than $106 billion in real estate in coastal counties will be at risk from rising sea levels and more frequent storms by 2100 if global warming continues along its present course, according to a report issued Wednesday by the National Conference of State Legislatures with help from the University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research (Public Policy)."
  
  Source: Bergen Record (N.J.)
- CIER: Study: Rising Temps Cool Tourism
  (Denver Post)
  "Greenhouse gases may mean less snow and fewer ski-country tourists over the next decade, according to a study released Wednesday. A state-specific section of the study by the University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research (Public Policy) found that rising temperatures attributed to unchecked climate change could potentially cost Colorado $375 million and 4,500 jobs by 2017 if the state loses 1 percent of its annual tourists. The report said skiers and snowboarders pump an estimated $2 billion into Colorado each year. If greenhouse-gas emissions continue at current levels, the study predicted less snow and ice covering the ground year-round, and a snow season that could be 30 days shorter, leading to hits to the ski industry. Diana Wall, director of Colorado State University's School of Global Environmental Sustainability, said the results of the study are less striking than the rapidity at which they are expected to occur."
  
  Source: Denver Post
- CIER: Study Says Climate Change Costs States
  (United Press International)
  Saturation coverage: "The billions of dollars associated with climate change have begun to accrue for a number of U.S. states and are likely to endure, researchers said. Reports from the University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research (Public Policy) combined existing data and new analysis to project the long-term economic impact of climate change on eight states, with more state-by-state studies to follow, the university said Wednesday in a news release. We don't have a crystal ball and can't predict specific bottom lines, but the trend is very clear for these eight states and the nation as a whole: Climate change will cost billions in the long run and the bottom line will be red, says Matthias Ruth, who coordinated the research."
  
  Source: United Press Internatioanl (Web India)
- CIER: How Much Will Global Warming Cost Your State?
  (Discovery Magazine)
  "Not that we needed more incentive to stop global warming, but it looks like it's on its way towards putting a big dent in our economy. A new set of reports from the University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research (Public Policy) has found that climate change will mean heavy monetary costs for individual states, often in the billions of dollars. Even more good news: In some regions, these costs have already begun to accrue. The studies are being released today at the legislative summit of the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) in New Orleans."
  
  Source: Discovery MagazIne
- CIER: Report: Climate Change Could Clobber Colo. Skiing
  (Denver Business Journal)
  "Global climate change is already having an impact on Colorado's $2 billion ski industry and could shorten the ski season by as much as 30 days if current trends continue, according to a report released Wednesday by the Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures. Colorado's climate has been growing warmer for 50 years, especially in the mountains, the NCSL's report says. It said temperatures here are rising faster than for the nation as a whole, and winter ski-country temperatures could rise by another 5 to 6 degrees over the next 100 years, it says. ... The NCSL is a bipartisan agency that provides research and technical support to the nation's state lawmakers. It collaborated on the State Economic and Environmental Costs of Climate Change report with the Center for Integrative Environmental Research (Public Policy) at the University of Maryland."
  
  Source: Denver Business Journal
- CIER: Additonal Savings
  (Live Science)
  "If people ate less, and therefore fossil fuel consumption declined, other savings could ensue. For instance, a third study coincidentally also out today finds that global warming, fueled by greenhouse gases emitted by the burning of fossil fuels, is costing money in the United States and that situation will grow worse. The scientists argue that costs will be in the billions for each of the eight states included in the study: Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey and Ohio. California and other well-studied states were not included. The losses will be due in part to water resource issues, coastal flooding, health effects and reduced tourism. 'We don't have a crystal ball and can't predict specific bottom lines, but the trend is very clear for these eight states and the nation as a whole: Climate change will cost billions in the long run and the bottom line will be red,' said Matthias Ruth, who coordinated the research and directs the Center for Integrative Environmental Research (Public Policy) at the University of Maryland. 'Inaction or delayed action will make the ink run redder.' The study was funded by the Environmental Defense Fund."
  
  Source: Live Science (Please scroll down to item)
- CIER: Report Forecasts Climate-Caused Costs
  (Lawrence World-Journal)
  "A new study asserts that pollution-spurred climate change could cost Kansas more than $250 million a year. The study, released jointly Wednesday by the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Center for Integrative Environmental Research (Public Policy), concludes that rising temperatures connected with 'unchecked' climate change could trigger more flash floods, additional severe storms and tornadoes, and the spread of more invasive species that could threaten crops. The report is among several studies compiled by the center at the University of Maryland."
  
  Source: Lawrence Journal-World
- CIER: Changes in the Earth's Climate Could Costs States
  (National Conference of State Legislatures)
  "Global climate change is already having an impact on Colorado's $2 billion ski industry and could shorten the ski season by as much as 30 days if current trends continue, according to a report released Wednesday by the Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures. Colorado's climate has been growing warmer for 50 years, especially in the mountains, the NCSL's report says. It said temperatures here are rising faster than for the nation as a whole, and winter ski-country temperatures could rise by another 5 to 6 degrees over the next 100 years, it says. ... The NCSL is a bipartisan agency that provides research and technical support to the nation's state lawmakers. It collaborated on the State Economic and Environmental Costs of Climate Change report with the Center for Integrative Environmental Research (Public Policy) at the University of Maryland."
  
  Source: National Conference of State Legislatures
- CIER: Costs Of Climate Change, State-by-state: Billions, Says New Report
  (Science Daily)
  UM's Newsdesk release is picked up by many Web sites.
  
  Source: Science Daily (UM Newsdesk Release)
- Morici: Compensation That's Dangerously High
  (Forbes)
  Peter Morici, professor of business (Smith School), writes for Forbes: "Historically, commercial bankers did not earn the oversized bonuses that investment banks and securities firms could demand for engineering mergers and trading activities. Now that banking has been combined with these activities, executives at Citigroup and Merrill Lynch are not much interested in making loans if that requires them to accept the smaller, but still generous, paychecks earned at places like State Farm or General Motors. The only solution available is to make the large loans extended to these banks by the Federal Reserve contingent on changes in their compensation structures and business practices, which is akin to what will be imposed on Fannie and Freddie."
  
  Source: Forbes Magazine
- Morici: Rising Costs of Financial Turmoil
  (Christian Science Monitor)
  "Accountants for Congress this week put a $25 billion price tag on the federal rescue of two companies that anchor US mortgage markets, but that's just the tip of a potential iceberg of taxpayer costs for America's banking mess. The reality is that taxpayers could end up paying nothing at all for rescuing the financial system or the cost could end up as much as 10 times that $25 billion guesstimate. ... On a more encouraging note, some of the very large numbers that have surfaced in the news do not represent taxpayer obligations. The national debt won't jump by $5 trillion due to a rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Some $300 billion in loan guarantees designed to prevent foreclosures, also in the House bill, won't put taxpayers on the hook for that amount. 'I don't know that it's necessarily going to cost us anything' officially, says Peter Morici, a University of Maryland economist. 'The real problem is the slowdown or recession that it's caused.... It's really the lost growth and the taxes that we don't collect.' "
  
  Source: Christian Science Monitor
- Parry-Giles: Say Cheese!
  (The Hill)
  "Kodak may have convinced most of America that the inspiration behind every photograph is a happy moment, but many of the country's politicians know otherwise. For members of Congress, presidential candidates and other high-profile public officials, photographs rarely represent the opportunity for the fond memory-making or harmless fun that private citizens enjoy. Instead, a bad picture taken at the wrong place, with the wrong expression, or next to the wrong person can knock a politician from his perch faster than the snap of a half-second shutter speed. ... Politicians 'end up in this sort of weird & paradox where they have to control their images and yet be authentic at the same time,' said Trevor Parry-Giles, a communication professor (Arts & Humanities) at the University of Maryland who used to work in political advertising. 'Unless you isolate yourself, you cannot ever control all the images that are going to surface about you.' "
  
  Source: The Hill (Please scroll down to item)
- Klumpp: The Gift of Gab
  (WBFF-TV, Baltimore)
  James Klumpp, professor of communication (Arts & Humanities), assesses the speaking styles of Barack Obama and John McCain. (Press 'Campaign Plus' in left toolbar of home page. Then under 'Extras' press link for 'Candidates' Speaking Styles.'
  
  Source: WBFF-TV (Baltimore) (Link to video)
Higher Ed
- In Recruitment Wars, a New Front
  (Inside Higher Ed)
  "While the stagnant economy has hit some universities hard, others ... have managed to avoid major budget cuts. That's created an opportunity for the 'haves' to poach faculty from the 'have nots,' and some universities stand to lose a lot in this latest skirmish. Dwayne Smith, senior vice provost at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, sees trouble on the horizon. There have been 15 resignations at South Florida this year, about twice as many as the university normally sees by summer, Smith says."
  
  Source: Inside Higher Ed
- Higher-Education Price Index Rises 3.6 Percent, Trailing Consumer Price Index
  (Chronicle of Higher Education)
  "The Higher Education Price Index, a widely used measure of colleges' inflation costs, rose by 3.6 percent for the 2008 fiscal year that ended on June 30. But even as they heralded the good news of that moderate increase, experts at the Commonfund Institute who maintain the index noted that broader economic trends could portend higher costs for colleges in the months to come. 'The fear now is that inflation is reigniting,' said John S. Griswold Jr., executive director of the institute, in an interview on Wednesday."
  
  Source: Chronicle of Higher Education (Subscriptin required)