A tour of our Digital Media Classroom (DMC)

September 2, 2010

Allie

Towson University’s Extended Education and Online Learning (EEOL) unit has been utilizing the DMC  to assist partners and clients for over three years.  With multiple locations and portable equipment, the DMC creates a training environment without location barriers.  We’ve helped clients save travel funds by being able to broadcast to employees around the state and save time by only having to record a training program one time and re-use it without losing the interaction experience with the instructor.

My two favorite DMC features are the ability to live broadcast a training to anywhere in the world and simultanteously record the instructor and participants for archiving for later use AND the remote control feature that puts the course pace in the hands of the user.   Check out the video below to learn more about how your organization could benefit from using Towson University’s Digital Media Classrooms!

Leave a Comment » | Education, IT, Lifelong Learning, Training | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Allie Pyzik

Should a Small Business Go Global?

August 31, 2010

Clay

I frequently hear people say that small companies, especially entrepreneurial ventures, should not be thinking about the global market place.  After all, they’re just a local company and need to be focusing on the home market, right?

Well, maybe, but in this age of globalization not considering the opportunities of international business could very well mean the difference between growth and stagnation.

Almost half of US businesses are predicted be involved in international trade by the year 2020, and US Department of Commerce data indicates that large companies currently sell only about 4% of US exports.  That means that 96% of exports are sold by smaller companies!

International business can be an important strategic option for small businesses.  It can open many new doors for success, but the key is determining why you want to get involved in international business.

Do you want to go global to:

  • Expand customer networks?
  • Gain exposure to new ideas and technology?
  • Find new ideas for global sourcing?
  • Or, just because everyone else is doing it?

A company’s motivation for pursuing international business can be very telling and help determine the likelihood of success.  Programs that are most likely to succeed are those that are planned for the long-term, and include market research, international relationships, and logistics arrangements.

International business can contribute to long-term growth of a small business, and also can enhance competitiveness.  By buying and selling internationally, a company can gain insights on customer requirements, competitor activity, and different ways of doing business.   Companies also may acquire new technologies, ideas, and partnerships from the process.

Once a company decides to go global, commitment from the management team is the number one determining factor of success. Management can show their commitment to an international program by setting aside funding, allotting time to manage the program, and assigning personnel to perform its tasks.

Taking advantage of international opportunities now is easier then it’s ever been.  The Internet and other modern communications technologies make the buying and selling of all types of products, services, inputs, and components a viable option for many businesses of all sizes, almost anywhere in the world.

For information on how TowsonGlobal can help your business take advantage of international opportunities, check out www.towsonglobal.com.

Photo Credit: Barun Patro

Leave a Comment » | Business Analysis, Entrepreneurship, International Business Development, Small Business Development | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Clay Hickson

Meet our Team – Joyce Hoebing

August 26, 2010

Bobbie

Joyce Hoebing joined the DECO team in January 2009 and was welcomed with more than open arms!  Everyone in DECO was highly anticipating her arrival, not only because we’d been hearing wonderful things about her but because she was going to lead the division in consolidating many of our Administrative and Finance functions thus making us much more efficient!

Since her arrival, Joyce has added new staff members, implemented new finance policies, created analytical tools for our Directors, and most importantly made all the ladies in the division jealous with her incredible collection of unique jewelry!

Leave a Comment » | TU Faculty & Staff | Permalink
Posted by Bobbie O'Connell

The other side of the hall, my first project with CGIS

August 24, 2010

Dawn

I have been with Towson now for over 13 years.  A couple things have changed since I started here:

1) Towson University was actually named Towson State University and

2) I originally worked for the Regional Economic Studies Institute.  After many years and name and position changes, I find myself now working for Information Systems Solutions (or ISS), which is part of DECO (Division of Economic and Community Outreach).

DECO is made up of many different groups, and until recently, I never had the opportunity to work with any of them directly.  We all go to the same office events and our offices are across the hall, but I wasn’t really sure of all their job duties, and they may not have been sure about mine.  Recently I learned more about what the Center for GIS (CGIS) does by participating in a project with them, and it was a great experience.

Let me start out by saying I was a bit nervous.  These are people I say “hi” to in the hall or “excuse me” to when I need to get to the fridge in our little kitchen, but actually working on a project with them, now that made me a bit edgy.  I wasn’t sure how I would fit in and according to my husband I can’t read a map well and can even get lost using our Garmin.  So working with people who are experts in this field was overwhelming to me (though comical to my husband).

The project we worked on dealt with GPS, see Garmin comment above, and it was with Mark Helmken and Michael Bentivegna (Director and Associate Director of CGIS. . .yikes bosses!).   Both of these professionals were great and made me feel like a part of the team, not an outsider by any means.  I was able to learn not only about GPS but also a little bit about how CGIS operates.  Though we are all part of DECO, we are all our own entity, so the great thing for me was learning how we can work together and how each group really does compliment the others.  If one is lacking expertise, chances are another DECO member has it.  This also parlays into being part of a university. DECO as a whole has such a unique ability to tap into resources and get the answers because of who we are and where we are located.

I am pretty confident that my trip to the other side of the hall was not only educational for me but also educational for them as well.  They got to work with someone new and learn a little more about what ISS does and all of this dovetails nicely with being at a university; learning is what it is all about.

Leave a Comment » | Business Analysis, Mapping, TU Faculty & Staff | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Dawn Bott

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in 15 seconds!

August 19, 2010

Bobbie

Towson University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute ) has been serving the 50 and older population of the greater Baltimore Metropolitan region since 1999.  The Institute was originally founded as the Auburn Society, and was renamed in 2006 when Towson University received the first in a series of grants from the Bernard Osher Foundation.  Some interesting points of pride you may not know about the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute are:

  • They are close to 600 members strong!
  • Their semi-annual preview event brings together hundreds of guests and participants to hear from the upcoming semester’s teachers. 
  • They partner with the NY Times Knowledge Network to provide online adult learning opportunities.
  • Their Director, Jackie Gratz, received her M.A. from Harvard University in History.

The core of the program is the courses they offer each Spring and Fall in two sessions.  This coming Fall Osher members can take courses in a variety of areas including:

  • Bob Dylan: The Artist Behind the Legend
  • The Enduring Art of Japan
  • Wild Kingdom: The Behavior and Ecology of Maryland’s Wildlife
  • Social Media: What’s it all about? (co-taught by yours truly and Sharyn Kuczka)

Now, that you’ve heard my highlights of the MAGNIFICENT Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Towson University, check out this 15 second commercial currently rolling on MPT!

Leave a Comment » | Education, Lifelong Learning, Students, Uncategorized | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Bobbie O'Connell

Community Engagement Journals: Your Resource for Making a Difference

August 17, 2010

Lindsey

Towson University, as Maryland’s Metropolitan University, is always on the lookout for ways to reach out and better serve the community. Many Towson University faculty, and in some cases our students, are contributing regularly to journals and publications focused on engaged scholarship, these papers and articles always have something in common—they are focused on research, teaching, and service with our community partners! While it is hard to narrow down the journal selection, here are some noteworthy ones to consider:

  • Metropolitan Universities Journal is published on a quarterly basis to helping institutions stay on top of cutting-edge topics in higher education. Published by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) on behalf of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (Headquartered at Towson University). Recognized scholars and administrators who bring diverse institutional perspectives contribute articles toward each issue.
  • Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning (MJCSL) is the premiere national, peer-reviewed journal publishing articles written by faculty and service-learning educators on research, theory, pedagogy, and other issues related to academic (curriculum-based) service-learning in higher education. The MJCSL is currently reviewing articles focused on:

-  University-community partnerships

- Engaged/public scholarship (work which involves and benefits a community AND advances a faculty member’s scholarship or creative work)

- Academic (curriculum-based) service-learning

  • Journal of Higher Education Outreach & Engagement is published by the Institute of Higher Education and the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach of the University of Georgia. The Journal is a peer-reviewed publication that welcomes submissions from a broad range of scholars, practitioners, and professionals. Its editorial goals are:

- To serve as a forum to promote the continuing dialogue about the service and outreach mission of the university; and

- To foster understanding of how the service and outreach mission relates to the university’s teaching and research missions as well as the needs of the sponsoring society.

Additional Noteworthy Journals include:

Resources such as Community Engagement Journals, Funding Opportunities, and Conferences can be found on TU in the Community’s Resource page. For more information contact TUintheCommunity@towson.edu.

Leave a Comment » | Community Outreach, Education, TU Faculty & Staff | Permalink
Posted by Lindsey Meyer

Blogger of the Year Polls Open

August 12, 2010

Sharyn

We’ve been saying it over and over again – it’s hard to believe it’s been a year! We developed our strategy and rounded up a solid team of experienced staff from the division to contribute compelling posts for People.Partners.Projects. It seems that all that planning really paid off!

13 bloggers and over 125 posts later we’ve decided to celebrate—the Blogger of the Year award was born! Based on blog statistics, we’ve created a short list of your favorite bloggers. Over the next month, you’ll be able to vote for your favorite blogger,and in the end, we’ll crown one the winner.

View the “Eye of the Tiger” themed video introducing our 4 nominees – Dawn, Clay, Jeremy, and Thomas.

Oh, and if you vote and submit your email address, you’ll be entered to win a Towson Tigers Athletics Fan Basket filled with Football and Basketball tickets as well as official game jerseys and much more! We’ll announce the winner in September. So, vote today for your favorite Blogger of the Year!

Leave a Comment » | Community Outreach, TU Faculty & Staff | Permalink
Posted by Sharyn Kuczka

What’s in Your Food?

August 9, 2010

Clay

“Do you really know what you ate today?” Natural Check, LLC dares to answer this sometimes unnerving question by making the science of water and food testing easily accessible.

This innovative startup company, and member of the TowsonGlobal Incubator, provides fast, affordable and reliable methods to screen for unacceptable compounds in the food and water supplies. For example, the company has developed a lab-based test for the detection of artificial growth hormones in beef and offers a rapid field test for antibiotics in milk.  Additional tests are under development in partnership with labs from around the world.

NaturalCheck also supplies water testing kits and is striving to build community awareness through city-specific “What’s in my water…” Facebook fan pages created for cities like Baltimore, DC, Los Angeles, and New York.  In addition, the company offers the BRIX Meter, which helps determine the nutritional quality of fruits and vegetables.

Similarly, NaturalCheck, through its AuthentiCheck division, is on the forefront, developing and distributing new technologies to protect manufacturers, retailers and consumers from often unsafe counterfeit products. The technologies offer two important services—authenticating products and tracking and tracing the movement of products through the supply chain—and are suitable for textiles, packaging, pharmaceuticals, and many other products.

NaturalCheck was founded by Larry Bohlen, former NASA engineer, international environmental advocate and food safety entrepreneur.  His experience has taught him that testing and sharing the results can be a powerful tool for facilitating real change.


2 Comments | Business Analysis, Community Outreach, Education, Entrepreneurship, International Business Development, News, Small Business Development | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Clay Hickson

Behind the scenes of the 2010 Otakon convention with Rebecca Ebersole

August 5, 2010

Thomas

In this blog, I am interviewing Rebecca Ebersole who is a research assistant with me at RESI.  Rebecca has been working at RESI for 2 years, working on a multitude of complex projects dealing with economic issues.  In this blog, I learned more about her role at RESI and her economic views on a convention, Otakon 2010, she attended in Baltimore this past weekend.

Rebecca, what do you do on a daily basis at RESI?
As a research assistant at RESI, I perform a variety of tasks on a daily basis.  These include collecting and analyzing data to complete various types of analysis, including economic and fiscal impact analysis, cost of services analysis, survey analysis, etc.  I also perform data verification, report writing and various forms of research for many other types of projects.

What do you like most about your job?
For starters, no two projects are exactly the same.  I enjoy the variety and the ability to tweak methodologies according to the needs of the particular project.  Often, clients will return to us with more work and while the subject may be similar, each task has its own distinctive features.  The problem solving aspect of my job is perhaps the most fascinating to me; I frequently find myself answering questions no one thought to ask before the client came to RESI with it.

So what is Otakon 2010?
Otakon is an annual convention celebrating Japanese culture, specifically focusing on Japanese animation (often called “anime”), the convention was held this past weekend (Friday, July 30 through Sunday, August 1).   Contrary to popular belief, the target audience of anime varies greatly between series/movies; it isn’t just for children.  Otakon also celebrates the culture surrounding video and computer games, Japanese popular music and many other aspects.  There’s always so much to do at Otakon that there’s never enough time to do it all; there’s a dealer’s room where fans can buy DVDs and all kinds of merchandise, a costume contest and a masquerade, a fan-produced music video contest, musical performances, panels and workshops where fans can learn about particular subjects either from industry experts or other fans, guests and autograph sessions, a video gaming room, video rooms where fans can watch anime series and movies (as well as live-action Asian cinema) projected onto the big screen and much more.

Why were you interested in attending Otakon 2010?
Here’s where I admit that I was interested in attending this event because I have been an anime fan for many years!  I’ve been attending Otakon since it first moved to the Baltimore Convention Center in 1999 (it was first held in State College, PA in 1994), so it has become an annual tradition for me.  I’ve been able to watch the convention grow from a modest 4,500 attendees in 1999 to more than 26,500 in 2009 (unfortunately, the stats aren’t posted for 2010 on Otakon’s website yet).

What do you think is the economic impact of this event on the city of Baltimore?
Otakon takes over the entirety of the Baltimore Convention Center over three days every summer and over 25,000 people attend.  Convention attendees certainly have an economic impact on the surrounding area.  Due to the convention’s size, many attendees are from out-of-state (or just want to be conveniently close), so many of the hotels in the immediate area benefit from attendees paying for hotel rooms.  Otakon reserves room blocks at a special rate at several hotels to accommodate attendees.  These rooms almost always sell out, so hotels essentially have a guarantee that they will be occupied on specific days.  The retail and restaurants, especially those at Harborplace, benefit from direct spending by convention attendees as well.  I asked around about peoples’ spending habits (not including the registration fee) and got a wide variety of answers.  Some people spent around $100, others spent closer to $500 or more.  An exit survey would be advised for more specific data on spending patterns.

What was best thing about Otakon 2010?
As for the best thing about the event, I’ll have to say it was the costumes.  I think my favorite costume actually had nothing to do with anime at all!  As I was walking toward a video room on Saturday, I noticed a woman wearing an elaborate and very well-made costume; she was dressed as Kevin (the bird) from the Pixar movie Up.

Photo Credit: Kim Hairston, Baltimore Sun

Leave a Comment » | Business Analysis, Economic Analysis | Permalink
Posted by Thomas Rumeau

Cool Ideas + Planning = Efficiency

August 3, 2010

Sharyn

In case I didn’t mention this before, I took a course on Information Architecture (IA) this past spring. The course was useful and gave me the opportunity to put some IA best practices to work on class projects for some real life clients. Since then, I’ve been reminding colleagues around the division about the importance of IA and some steps we can take to be more efficient when it comes to designing a better user experience for our clients and their audiences.

5 IA steps that will definitely pay off!

  1. Complete a content inventory – if there is a site or application in place already, evaluate what’s going to the chopping block and what aspects are going to stick around. This ties right into the next step and you’ll see why in a second. If it’s a brand new project, this step can get skipped and you can jump to step 2.
  2. Gather requirements – Sounds so basic, but this is the step that can keep a project on track or let it spiral out of control. Meet with your stake holders to discuss what the needs are for the site and what’s actually doable. The time frame of the project might restrict how extensive the functionality can be. In the end, you’ll be happy you have this document to refer to and you can always reign the scope of the project back in as new ideas are presented.
  3. Organize a site map – Now, take your content inventory and your requirements document and create a site map. Personally, I like to use index cards (post-its work good too!) and create piles of things that will go together. Another approach is to create something that looks like a family tree to represent how all the pages and content will be organized.
  4. Lay out wireframes – Wireframing helps with laying out the basic framework of a site, but it also can show functionality. When I say functionality I and referring to how pages interact with one another and various designs to accommodate the various features that need to be incorporated into the design. Keep this simple. If you start to add too much color or design you stake holders will get too caught up in those elements oppose to the functionality, which is what you want them to focus on at this point.
  5. Create screen designs – Your wireframes are signed off on, now the part you’ve been dying to start – the actual design of the pages. This is where the graphic designer gets to go to town on applying the aesthetic look and feel to the basic wireframe.

So, why do all this. You will save time…I promise. Your programmers will be happy they have a concrete document to work from. Your clients will be happy to be a part of the process, opposed to a getting a big surprise when the whole thing is complete. And, your project managers will be happy with the efficiencies that came out of the process.

Try it, let me know how it works out for you!

1 Comment | Business Analysis, IT, TU Faculty & Staff | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sharyn Kuczka

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