Faculty Members

CHICAGO -- Roger Myerson spent the bulk of his career as an economic theorist at Northwestern University, but when the telephone call came from Sweden he was on the faculty of the University of Chicago. Myerson and two other Americans were awarded the Nobel Prize in economics yesterday, adding to the University of Chicago's reputation as a powerhouse in the study of economics. "I could tell by the Swedish accents that it was a different kind of call," said Myerson, described as a brilliant economist and a decent harmonica player.

In the Great Hall of St. John's College, the graduates-to-be, some in patent leather heels and pearls, others in flip-flops and sunglasses, waited in a rigid alphabetical line with name cards on the floor dictating where to stand. Faculty members prodded students with reminders of how to walk, which way to turn and the precise route to take across the lawn to their seats. The tightly choreographed procession appeared to be as uncomfortable for this group as their hot, itchy polyester robes.

To some, he has achieved the impossible in a four-year tenure: taking an institution with a lingering hostility to women and moving it with missionary zeal to the forefront of higher education, with far-reaching training and enforcement policies on alcohol abuse and sexual assault. Others see a crusade run amok: a thin-skinned commander who, desperate to appease outsiders, brought flimsy cases to trial and made puzzling disciplinary decisions that favored women over men. Naval Academy Superintendent Rodney P. Rempt, who presides today over his final graduation ceremony before heading into retirement in landlocked Montana, leaves behind a legacy of unprecedented reform - having retooled the curriculum, boosted graduation rates and overseen an improved performance in intercollegiate athletics.

Tai Sophia Institute holds open house Tai Sophia Institute, 7750 Montpelier Road, North Laurel, will hold an open house tomorrow for those interested in its graduate programs in acupuncture, herbal medicine and applied healing arts. Starting at 9:30 a.m., visitors will have an opportunity to meet faculty members, students and graduates of the three master's programs. A panel of students, graduates and faculty members will discuss each program and take questions. Members of the institute's admissions staff will answer questions.

Meade High article dismays faculty membersWe, members of the current faculty at Meade Senior High School, would like to respond to Kris Antonelli's article, "Battling school's negative image," in The Sun Sept. 26.We found it disappointing that no active faculty members' opinions were in the article.We are seriously concerned that people dwell on events of more than a decade ago.Why not publish an article showcasing our honor-roll students or National Merit Scholars or award-winning Math Club or superior yearbook and newspaper staff?

When Michael Beynon was deciding where to pursue his doctorate in computer sciences, he went down the list in U.S News and World Report's annual rankings. He found the University of Maryland, College Park in the top 25 and decided to apply."I think it was in the mid-teens," he said of the 1994 numbers. "So those U.S. News rankings are important."In the latest rankings of graduate schools and programs, released last week, UMCP's computer science department is tied for 11th with the California Institute of Technology.

THEY ALL SCREAMED for ice cream at Mount Airy Elementary School's Ice Cream Decorating Social on Thursday last week.Teachers, faculty members, pupils and parents enjoyed chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream, more than 35 gallons of it. Many tasty toppings were also available.The event was a back-to-school welcome to pupils and gave Mount Airy Elementary Principal Thomasina Piercy a chance to introduce new faculty members and welcome them into the community. They are: Assistant Principal Byron Moore; first-grade teachers Shelley Cooper, Crystal Arndt and Christine Moscianese; third-grade teacher Suzanne Colletto; fourth-grade teachers Matt Ruhlman and Lisa Staub; and Heidi Brewer, who teaches the extended enrichment program.

WASHINGTON -- Students at historically black colleges and universities have less access than most other students to the computer technology that is a key to today's cutting-edge jobs, experts said this week.Waving the list of "America's 100 most-wired colleges" from the latest issue of Yahoo! Internet Life magazine, technology consultant Larry Blackwell of WANlink Communications of Atlanta exclaimed, "Not one is a historically black college or university."More evidence for the technology gap comes from a study comparing last year's "most-wired" schools and the 118 historically or predominantly black institutions in the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, which is holding its annual conference here this week.

Howard Community College plans to celebrate the installation of its third president, Mary Ellen Duncan, with a series of free luncheon mini-classes called the Festival of Learning. The 45-minute classes, which begin Oct. 29, will be conducted by HCC faculty members on topics such as philosophy, baseball history, computers, acting and health care.All classes take place on the campus at 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway and include lunch. To attend, call 410-772-4828. Space is limited.The courses include:For the Love of Wisdom -- The Telecourse: What do Solomon, Confucius, Winnie the Pooh and HCC's Helen Mitchell have in common?

THERE MAY BE a lockout in the National Basketball Association, but the court at Glen Burnie High School will be full of activity when a team of faculty members, students and parents takes on the Harlem Wizards basketball team at 7 p.m. Friday.The Wizards bring an unusual style of play, billed as "two hours of sheer pleasure and nonstop laughter" combining the skill of professional athletes and the showmanship of slapstick comedy.The event is sponsored by the school's Parent-Teacher-Student Organization.

The University System of Maryland will cut 175 jobs and freeze hiring as part of its overall plan to cut $37.8 million from the 2010 budget, a move that probably will lead to fuller classrooms and the elimination of underenrolled courses, said Chancellor William E. Kirwan. Kirwan submitted his planned cuts Friday to the state Department of Budget and Management. They are part of the $281 million in statewide cuts announced by Gov. Martin O'Malley last week to make up for shortfalls in this year's budget.

Market incentives often aren't enough In his column "New way to save the bay" (Commentary, Feb. 12), Robert Wieland suggests that a new approach must be taken as an alternative to standard command-and-control environmental regulations. While I believe that market-based measures can play an important role in restoring the Chesapeake Bay, I also believe that regulation has an important role to play. Aviation offers a clear example of how this works. Today's aircraft fly three times farther on the same amount of fuel than planes did 40 years ago. Because the amount of carbon dioxide emitted is a constant multiple of fuel burned, this equates to about a 70 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emitted per passenger-mile.

Employees of the state university system will be furloughed up to five days under a plan approved yesterday by the Maryland Board of Regents that would save $16 million in salary costs. Regents said the furloughs, which will come between January and June, were preferable to laying off any of the system's 22,500 full-time employees. The furloughs, the system's first since 1992, were ordered by the governor as the state tries to balance its budget in the face of declining revenues and a global economic crisis.

The Columbia Business Exchange will hold a networking event from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at That's Amore restaurant, 10400 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. Those who attend are asked to bring a door prize, such as a shirt, wine, gift certificates, baskets or other items. Donated services must receive prior approval. The cost is $15 for members; $25 for guests. Memberships cost $60. A corporate membership that covers all of the company's employees costs $195. Sponsorships are also available.

When Ron Belinko was a physical education teacher at Overlea 30 years ago, he was a fixture on fields and in gymnasiums as a football, wrestling and lacrosse coach. At that time, faculty members coaching three sports weren't uncommon. Over the past two decades, however, more and more coaching positions are being filled by individuals who are not certified professional educators or teachers employed by the school system. They are known as "emergency coaches," and they have become increasingly prevalent since Maryland high schools began using them in 1981.

CHICAGO -- Roger Myerson spent the bulk of his career as an economic theorist at Northwestern University, but when the telephone call came from Sweden he was on the faculty of the University of Chicago. Myerson and two other Americans were awarded the Nobel Prize in economics yesterday, adding to the University of Chicago's reputation as a powerhouse in the study of economics. "I could tell by the Swedish accents that it was a different kind of call," said Myerson, described as a brilliant economist and a decent harmonica player.

Tai Sophia Institute holds open house Tai Sophia Institute, 7750 Montpelier Road, North Laurel, will hold an open house tomorrow for those interested in its graduate programs in acupuncture, herbal medicine and applied healing arts. Starting at 9:30 a.m., visitors will have an opportunity to meet faculty members, students and graduates of the three master's programs. A panel of students, graduates and faculty members will discuss each program and take questions. Members of the institute's admissions staff will answer questions.

To some, he has achieved the impossible in a four-year tenure: taking an institution with a lingering hostility to women and moving it with missionary zeal to the forefront of higher education, with far-reaching training and enforcement policies on alcohol abuse and sexual assault. Others see a crusade run amok: a thin-skinned commander who, desperate to appease outsiders, brought flimsy cases to trial and made puzzling disciplinary decisions that favored women over men. Naval Academy Superintendent Rodney P. Rempt, who presides today over his final graduation ceremony before heading into retirement in landlocked Montana, leaves behind a legacy of unprecedented reform - having retooled the curriculum, boosted graduation rates and overseen an improved performance in intercollegiate athletics.

To address the continuing shortage of nurses in the Baltimore-Washington region, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has launched a new grant program intended to increase faculty at area nursing schools. Officials at the Owings Mills-based health insurer say nursing schools are turning away tens of thousands of applicants because they don't have enough teachers. And the problem is expected to get worse as older faculty members retire in a few years, because there are few graduate-trained nurses to replace them, according to a recent study commissioned by CareFirst.

In the Great Hall of St. John's College, the graduates-to-be, some in patent leather heels and pearls, others in flip-flops and sunglasses, waited in a rigid alphabetical line with name cards on the floor dictating where to stand. Faculty members prodded students with reminders of how to walk, which way to turn and the precise route to take across the lawn to their seats. The tightly choreographed procession appeared to be as uncomfortable for this group as their hot, itchy polyester robes.