F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0

Col lege Park Scholars

Fami ly L ink eNewsletter

DEAR PARENTS, I bet many of you can recall sitting in your homes a few winters ago waiting to hear about your son or daughter’s acceptance to colleges and universities from across the United States. I’m sure that the excitement grew when they got their acceptance to the University of Maryland, along with their invitation to College Park Scholars.

We hope similar sentiments were recently experienced by about 2,700 academically-talented students and their families from across the United States and around the globe. Many of these same students will be able to hear about the wonderful living-learning experience of Scholars and our thematic programs.

Our Scholars staff worked tirelessly over the winter to identify a very talented group of

prospective students, which we hope will make a great incoming class in the fall.

Looking for the next class of exceptional Scholars is not an easy task. Our application reviewers sifted through 10,000 applications throughout the winter season. Although the University may be quiet with students at home for break, our staff was busy reading essays, letters of recommendation, statements of activities, and everything else your student worked so hard to complete when applying to schools.

With activities ranging from internships to varsity sports to student government to helping rebuild houses after Hurricane Katrina- and high GPAs and SATs or ACTs to boot - this class of students is just as talented as the classes that brought all of your students. We want to continue the

success of the Scholars program, and are looking forward to recruiting students to our new Global Public Health program.

We wholeheartedly hope that as you hear from your friends, families, and neighbors about their acceptance to Maryland that you tell them about your son or daughter’s experience with Scholars – and heavily encourage them to visit us to learn even more.

Thank you for all of the support you give the Scholars community – it truly makes us stronger.

Sincerely,

Heather BartholomewAdmissions CoordinatorCollege Park Scholars

A NEW WAY TO CONTACT SCHOLARS

Scholars’ Spring Activities

Spring is an exciting and eventful time for College Park Scholars. We are looking forward to four incredible events: The Scholars Semi-Formal Dance, our trip to New York City, Academic Showcase, and the 13th Annual Step Up to Bat For Kids Charity Softball Tournament. The Scholars Semi-Formal Dance will be held on Friday, March 5, 2010 in the Stamp Student Union. Sponsored by the Student Advisory Board, this night promises to be a fun night of dancing with the Scholars. This year’s theme is “A Night in Vegas” and will feature a live DJ, food, and some fun casino games. “It is a fun night where students can come together outside of an academic setting for a night with students from all different programs,” said Christina Buckless, a sophomore on Scholars Student Advisory Board who is helping to plan the event. 

The next Scholars activity will be the annual trip to New York City for students, faculty, parents and alumni. Students will depart for New York on Friday, April 16 and return to campus Sunday, April 18, 2010. “Each year we get a different Broadway show,” said trip coordinator Carleigh Benton when asked about some of the exciting new opportunities available this year. “We also have some new activities for particular programs, such as Environment, Technology, and Economy’s new trip to the World Trade Center to discuss green initiatives.” Another exciting event for College Park Scholars is the Academic Showcase. Held on Friday, April 30, 2010, this is a chance for all Scholars students to display their incredible work in internships and research within their field of interest. The students will present a poster with pictures and information and share their amazing experiences with faculty, staff, peers, and parents. Local families are encouraged to attend the event. The last major event this spring will be the 13th Annual Step Up to Bat For Kids Charity Softball Tournament on Saturday, May 1, 2010. This is a wonderful event

that helps Scholars come together for a good cause. Each program puts together a softball team and raises money for different charities, allowing the students to have a fun day of competition while contributing to a better world. This spring promises to be an exciting time for College Park Scholars as we prepare for many large events. These will bring the community together for fun and important times as we celebrate all that College Park Scholars students can do.

College Park Scholars is pleased to announce the addition of a new feature in our newsletter. We have created a special email account so that you can contact our Communications team directly. If you have any suggestions for articles, further questions about a program or event, or any general

inquiries or comments about the Newsletter, please feel free to send us an email! We create this monthly newsletter to give you an idea of what is happening in Scholars, so if there is any input you may have about what you’ve liked, what you haven’t liked, or what you want to see, we would love to hear it. Our

new email address will be featured at the end of each newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Email:newsletter@collegeparkscholars.com

This Month in Maryland History

IN 2001, PHILIP MERRILL, OWNER OF SEVERAL

LOCAL PUBLICATIONS, DONATED $10 MILLION TO

THE COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM WHICH WAS

THEN RENAMED THE PHILIP MERRILL COLLEGE

OF JOURNALISM.

 The Life Sciences program of College Park Scholars is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore many different aspects of science. Ranging from sustainability to medicine, all students have a diverse range of interests in the sciences that help them to learn from each other. Life Sciences is one of the few Scholars programs that requires its first-year students to live in the residence hall with other Life Sciences students. The staff feels that it is incredibly beneficial for the students to participate in the living aspect of Scholars. “A lot of the learning that goes on is peer-to-peer and happens outside of the classroom,” said Life Sciences Director Dr. Reid Compton. “It is an important component of group dynamics to get the students together and keep them together.” “It is a great support system,” added Assistant Director Becky Kenemuth. “Living together helps students to feel more comfortable here.” The program is also proud to offer a very diverse list of activities outside of the classroom. With many day activities and three trips abroad, Life Sciences makes sure to provide a special learning experience for everyone. Day trips cater to different interests of the students, ranging from the National Institute of Health to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Life Sciences Freshman Emily Summers has enjoyed the ability to go on these unique fieldtrips. “I really liked the Walter Reed Medical Institute,” said Summers, referring to one of the options that

students have had to explore the different areas of science this year. Students have also been able to hear many talented professors, researchers, and other science professionals speak in the weekly freshman colloquium course. These classes consist of a lecturer and then a question and answer session in which the students can get to know the speakers more and learn about their area of interest. “We recently had a speaker come in and discuss entomology,” said Summers. “It’s great to be able to hear about other topics of science that I hadn’t learned or thought much about before.” Some of the most unique aspects of Life Sciences are the study abroad opportunities that are offered, such as a winter trip to Belize or a summer trip to Australia. “Each trip is so unique and serendipitous in that we run into things that we couldn’t have expected and these become the

most memorable for us and the students,” said Dr. Compton. These trips are also different than many other abroad travels because they require the help of all students in day-to-day activities such as pitching tents and cooking dinner. “The success of the trip is frequently dependent on the group,” said Ms. Kenemuth. “Each person has a role and we need everyone’s help to make it a positive learning experience.” Overall, Life Sciences is a fantastic example of a reflection of College Park Scholars’ core values. “It is a great community here,” said Kenemuth. “The students live together and we work in the building just a few floors below them, so we get to know the students, they get to know us, and they get to know each other.” To find out more about Life Sciences, please visit their website.

PROGRAM PROFILE: LIFE SCIENCES

SPRING BREAK CLOSING INFORMATION

EXCELLENCE FROM ALUMNI : MEGAN FLORA

Megan Flora, an alumna of College Park Scholars’ Life Sciences program, is an eager researcher and science enthusiast. She has found her calling in marine research, especially focusing on her passion for marine mammals. “I’m very interested in their behavior,” said Flora. “I have always found them fascinating and the internships that I have had furthered my interest.” Flora recently had an internship with the Ocean Mammal Institute to study the effect of humans on humpback whales. She also has worked locally at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and in a campus laboratory studying the

interactions of freshwater insects called notonectidae, more commonly known as backswimmers. “I am looking at the predator interactions of these insects and what triggered their cannibalism,” said Flora.

 Flora also credits her experiences in College Park Scholars with helping to enhance her interest in science and research. “The trips we went on to the aquarium and the National Institute of Health were incredible. I also loved the speakers that showed us other areas of science besides the idea of aiming for medical school.” One of Flora’s favorite speakers was Dr. Holtz, a professor specializing in dinosaur paleontology. Holtz is also the director for Science and Global Change, one of College Park Scholars’ newest programs.

“We had speakers, like Dr. Holtz, that got me interested in research. It was nice to see a professor be so passionate about what they were working on.” As a senior, Flora is looking to the future and all of the exciting opportunities that are in front of her. She is hoping to attend graduate school in Florida and ultimately would like to pursue a research job in marine mammal studies.

It feels like only yesterday that we started second semester, but it is already time for Spring Break. The University of Maryland’s Spring Break will be the week of March 14 through March 20, 2010. All residence halls will close on Friday, March 12 at 7 pm and will reopen Sunday, March 21 at 10 am. 

Bus transportation will be offered through the Department of Transportation Services (DOTS) for students traveling to New York and New Jersey. The bus will depart from the Stamp Student Union at 4 pm on Friday, March 12 and stops in Metropark, NJ and Port Authority in New York City. Return transportation is also offered on

Sunday, March 21 and will pick students up from the original drop-off locations at 12 pm. Shuttle transportation will also be provided for students traveling to Baltimore/Washington International Airport. For more information, please refer to the DOTS website.

COLLEGE PARK SCHOLARS TRAVELS THE WORLD

 Every winter, College Park Scholars’ programs sponsor several study abroad opportunities related to course material for their program. This year, two new destinations were added to the mix. Cultures of the Americas visited Costa Rica and Business, Society, and the Economy (BSE) had a chance to travel to Singapore during winter break. Cultures of the Americas studied abroad in Costa Rica with more than forty Scholars students. The

faculty and students visited tourist attractions, as well as more remote destinations. Kate Beres, a sophomore in Cultures of the Americas, cherished the opportunity to visit unique landmarks in Costa Rica. “We went to the Poas Volcano and just stared at it in awe for about twenty minutes,” recalled Beres. Cultures of the America also made sure to tie their curriculum into the trip. “We have learned about different cultures in South America in the program,” said Beres. “It was great to be able to take what we learned in class and apply it to real issues that we saw.” In other international travel, BSE took thirty-four students and alumni on a fourteen-day trip to Singapore and Malaysia. The students were immersed in a completely different culture and learned how its businesses and society in general operate. 

“Singapore’s business model is very different than that of the United States,” said BSE Assistant Director Claudia Donnelly. “They are very much geared toward the forefront of technology and attracting new businesses, yet many aspects of the country are run by the government.” BSE sophomore Greg Gaver enjoyed his unique adventures in Singapore, crediting his past study abroad experiences with inspiring him to take another trip. “I had been to Dubai and I thought it was a really great experience,” said Gaver. “It is important to be exposed to many different cultures.” Donnelly also stressed the importance of all students being able to study abroad. “We so often think that the world revolves around us and then you get to go somewhere else and find that it isn’t true. It’s incredibly eye-opening.”

Supporting Scholars

If you have an interest in providing financial support to College Park Scholars, please contact Greig Stewart, or choose one of the following options:

1. You may send a gift by check. In this case, please make the check out to UMCP Foundation and indicate the area you wish to support, if any, in your check's memo field, next to 'College Park Scholars'. Gifts made by check without a notation beyond the program name will support College Park Scholars general fund.

2. You may make a gift online, through the University philanthropy site. Please choose College Park Scholars as the fund.

3. If you are a University faculty or staff member, you may use payroll deduction as the method of payment, and you may indicate your preferred donation amount and the period during which the deductions should begin and end. Please contact Greig Stewart if you are interested in this option.

On behalf of all of us in the College Park Scholars community, thank you for the consideration of your support.

Please visit our website for more information.

CONTRIBUTORS - FEBRUARY 2010

Julie Brontman Undergraduate Communications Director

Shane Connolly College Park Scholars Videographer

Greig Stewart Executive Director

For More Information, please visit any of the following websites:

College Park Scholars

Undergraduate Studies

College Park Scholars Alumni Association

UM Office of Parent & Family Affairs

Questions, comments, ideas, or suggestions?

Please send us an email