Alma Mater

AARON COHEN, 79 Space shuttle program co-founder Aaron Cohen, the former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center who helped create the space shuttle program, has died of cancer in College Station, Texas. Mr. Cohen was named director of the Johnson Space Center in 1986 after the space shuttle Challenger exploded, killing teacher Christa McAuliffe and six astronauts. He told the Associated Press then that flying the shuttle safely would depend on "paying attention to detail" and he would encourage those who worked for him to do so. Mr. Cohen was at the helm when shuttle flights resumed nearly three years later and continued to lead the center until 1993.

Krystin Porcella , a former U.S. Under-19 women's lacrosse assistant coach and the current head coach at John Carroll, will be head coach for the U.S. U-19 team that will compete in the 2011 Federation of International Lacrosse World Championship in Gottingen, Germany. Porcella was an assistant for the 2007 U.S. team that won the International Federation of Women's Lacrosse Associations World Championship in Ontario. At John Carroll, Porcella won the 2007 and 2008 Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland conference championships and earned Coach of the Year honors both seasons.

At 5 feet 5, Towson's Shanae Baker-Brice has heard it all. Hey, Shorty, get off the court. ... Stand up, so I can guard you. ... My dribble is taller than you are. Baker-Brice just shrugs, smiles ... and runs the jokers off the floor. A deft, ball-hawking point guard, she is Towson's star and the big reason the Tigers upset then-25th-ranked Maryland last month. Thursday night, in a 72-68 loss to James Madison in overtime, the senior from Washington scored a season-high 32 points and became Towson's all-time scoring leader.

In March 1988, at the age of 6, Brandon Lauer creatively declared his future. Using crayons on drawing paper, Lauer drew three stick figures - two players and one coach - and then his kindergarten teacher filled in the caption bubble that hovered above the middle character. It read: "I would like to be a coach." Lauer, now 27, is fulfilling his dream and more. Not only is he the wrestling coach at his alma mater, River Hill, where he enjoyed one of the state's most prolific wrestling careers, but he's also following directly in his father's footsteps.

COLLEGE PARK -- After the big lead disappeared quickly, a familiar feeling of uneasiness filled Comcast Center on Saturday: memories of last season's loss to Morgan State, of home losses to American and Ohio the year before. And, of course, the granddaddy of Maryland's nonconference defeats - Coppin State at Cole Field House in Gary Williams' first season at his alma mater. Eastern Kentucky would not add to the unwanted legacy of early-season misery for the Terps. Senior guard Greivis Vasquez would not allow it. After being benched for coming late to a noon shootaround Saturday, after continuing to struggle with his outside shot, Vasquez made back-to-back 3-pointers to quash a comeback by the Colonels and allow Maryland to go into its 10-day exam break with a not-so-easy 83-72 victory.

COLLEGE PARK -- Maryland athletic director Debbie Yow acknowledged late this week that her relationship with football coach Ralph Friedgen became strained this season because of losses and economic pressures but said "the air was cleared" during a recent round of talks about his job status. Yow said the talks - which ended with Tuesday's announcement that Friedgen would return for his 10th season at his alma mater - restored "synergy" in their relationship that had eroded as the team slipped to 10 defeats for the first time and season-ticket sales slumped.

COLLEGE PARK -- Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen began discussions Sunday with athletic director Deborah Yow that will determine whether he returns for his 10th season at his alma mater. Those discussions were expected to continue as soon as today. Yow has long said she planned to meet with and evaluate Friedgen, 62, when the season was over. Maryland (2-10, 1-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) ended its first 10-loss season with a 19-17 setback to Boston College on Saturday at Byrd Stadium.

COLLEGE PARK - -The game wasn't over, nor was the season, but Keith Gray had seen enough. A season-ticket holder since Ralph Friedgen's first season as coach at Maryland, Gray is typical of many fans when it comes to the decision about Friedgen's future at his alma mater. "If they fire Friedgen, they need to get rid of the whole bunch," Gray said as he walked out of Byrd Stadium on Saturday night toward the end of a 19-17 loss to Boston College. "But give 'em another year. They can't afford to fire 'em, can they?"

COLLEGE PARK - -Maryland will end a dismal football season today that satisfied no one - not the players, the fans or coach Ralph Friedgen, who finds his job on the line with two more years remaining on his contract. With the bowl hopes of the Terrapins (2-9, 1-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) having ended weeks ago, they will play Boston College (7-4, 4-3) for what is left - the chance to end a six-game losing streak and avoid the team's first 10-loss season. And many will, in a sense, be playing for Friedgen, who will begin meetings with athletic director Deborah Yow as early as Sunday to determine whether he returns for a 10th season at his alma mater.

COLLEGE PARK -- A positive sign for the Maryland basketball team came in the number of shots Greivis Vasquez missed Friday night, as well as the number of passes the senior guard made that turned into easy baskets for the Terrapins. Those numbers added up to an 89-51 victory over Charleton Southern in the season opener at Comcast Center. Despite shooting 3-for-14 from the field and finishing with just nine points, Vasquez had 13 assists to set the tone for the Terps, who shared the ball (27 assists)