Jackie Gratz

Want to know what’s coming up for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s spring 2012 semester?   Attend its Preview of Spring Classes to be held on Thursday, January 19 from 10 a.m. until noon in the Merrick Lecture Hall at Goucher College.  There’s plenty of free parking with a short walk to the Lecture Hall.  At the Preview you’ll see and hear teachers as they give brief presentations of their upcoming courses.  A wide array of courses in the Fine Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences will be offered in spring as well as two book clubs and two film series.   Among the courses are

• Cosmic Puzzles
• Russia in Revolution
• Disease and History
• Roots of the Blues
• Jewish Women in the American Labor Movement
• Physics for Everyday Life
• Traits of Triumphant Survivors
• French Wines Demystified
• and many more

Some of these courses are four-week courses and some are eight-week with all offered during the day.  The spring semester begins on March 5 and ends May 3. View the full list of course offerings.

The Osher Institute offers courses to persons 50 years of age and older, but makes a special offer to Towson University faculty and staff of any age who may join Osher at a reduced rate and take one course each semester without further charge.  If you are reading this blog, you are no doubt still employed and may not have the time to attend even one course.  But please spread the word about the Osher Preview and its upcoming spring semester among the older generations of your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

For more information about the Osher program, visit the Osher website call the office at 410-704-3688.  We’d love to send you a spring 2012 catalog with descriptions of all of the courses being offered and biographical information on the teachers who will teach them.

Sharyn

Months of brainstorming and planning went into this year’s DECO holiday card and I can truly say that is the best video card we have created to date. You may recall the New Year’s resolution card, or even our attempt to re-create the 12 days of Christmas. And then there is this year’s card. Imagine speed decorating while competing to be named the best decorated unit.

Check out our holiday card which show’s all the amazing decorations and teamwork of the DECO staff!

Now that you’ve seen the video, you may be wondering… who won our contest? While most participated, some really excelled.

• Honorable mentions. The Center for Professional Studies (CPS), TowsonGlobal, and the Vice President’s office. These units all tried their very best to pull together various holiday themes in their office spaces. CPS included decorations from all of the staff’s cultural backgrounds, TowsonGlobal’s tasteful blue and green Christmas tree was gorgeous, and the Vice President’s office transformed a palm tree into a Christmas tree and surrounded it with Towson paraphernalia.
• A tie for second. The Center for Applied IT (CAIT), lead by Dawn Bott, and the Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI), lead by Raquel Frye, had such great concepts the judges couldn’t distinguish between second and third place so it was ruled a tie! These groups really coordinated their themes. CAIT’s winter wonderland and RESI’s snowy village were well thought out and could not be pulled off without the team’s full efforts.
• And the winners! But, in the end, it was hard to compete with two dedicated decorators from the Administration and Finance team, Anna Orfanidis and Lusine Baghdasarian. Their decorations could rival 34^th Street in Hampden!

Dawn

At the risk of offending some of you our dear readers, I will confess I am not a big WHO fan.  However I do think they may have been a bit clairvoyant, because back in 1971 they sung about “Going Mobile”.   With smartphones and tablets in everyone’s hands (even my  64 year old mom has one) and Wi-Fi practically everywhere, mobile is the way we are all going.  DECO recently formed Mobile Task Force.  This cross-division group has been tasked with determining how to move DECO into the mobile arena, best practices for mobile and what tools and skills will help us make progress!

As we started down this mobile path the first thing we needed to do was to determine what mobile means.  There are mobile friendly website and mobile applications.  Both are for use on mobile devices (phone, tablet, etc.), but the similarities end there.

A mobile App runs on smartphones and other mobile devices. Mobile Apps help users by connecting them to Internet services more commonly accessed on desktop or notebook computers, or help them by making it easier to use the internet on their portable devices. However, it should be noted that the internet is not always required for an App to work. A mobile App may be a mobile Web site bookmarking utility, a mobile-based instant messaging client, Gmail for mobile, GIS or navigation applications and many others.

A mobile friendly website is a website that is easily accessible and viewable from a smart mobile phone or tablet via the mobile web.   It is easier to drive advertising traffic to a mobile landing page than it is to drive traffic to an App store to complete a download before visitors are able to interact with your content.  Additionally, mobile friendly websites are better for delivering maps or GIS capability as they do not require local device storage of data which would need to be updated frequently.

Mobile Apps and mobile friendly websites focus more on user experience rather than bells and whistles.  Apps are designed to fulfill a need and provide a valuable easy to

navigate function, while mobile friendly websites provide information in a quick, clean and organized fashion.  The design of both of these is of the utmost importance, while the technology exists and needs to be utilized correctly.

Image credit: Ambro

Both mobile Apps and mobile friendly websites are important and both have their niche.  For instance Apps are better for utilities and games, while mobile friendly websites are a better choice for delivering content, catalogs and shopping functions and mapping applications since that content is accessible by search engines.

This mobile endeavor is exciting and challenging for our entire team.   With a few mobile projects in the works (look for our DECO mobile site soon), DECO is gaining the knowledge and experience needed to help our old and new clients establish their own mobile presence.  As we bring more mobile projects to life, we will be sure to let know how well DECO is doing “Going Mobile”.

Clay

The time has arrived! TowsonGlobal’s Business Plan Competition is back for a second year.   The inaugural competition brought entries from a diverse group of entrepreneurs with interesting business concepts.  All had the same goal in mind—success.  And this second annual event promises to be even more inspiring, helping stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship across the region.

While the basic format of the competition remains the same, a few changes have been made to help better prepare entrants and to make the competition more interactive. For this second competition, interested participants are invited to attend free workshops which focus on the basics of a business plan, including:

• writing an effective executive summary,
• conducting useful market analysis,
• and developing realistic financial projections.

The five chosen finalists will attend a required boot camp to help prepare for their final presentations.  Also, this time, presentations will be made both in private and at a public forum.  After which, the winner will be announced at a networking reception.

Business Plan Competition Workshop #1 (October 2011)

Timeline & Process:

• October 19, 2011 — Business Plan + Executive Summary Workshop
• October 26, 2011 — Market Analysis Workshop
• November 10, 2011 — Financial Projections Workshop
• February 6, 2012 — Executive Summaries Due (3-5 pages)
• February 20, 2012 — Finalists (5) selected and notified to submit business plans
• February 27, 2012 — Presentation boot camp for finalists
• March 27, 2012 — Deadline for finalists’ submissions of business plans and PowerPoint presentations
• May 2, 2012—Finalists present in front of judges, winner selected

We hope that participants will get as much of the competition as the first group did.  Lisa Drouillard of My Hopeful Journey, one of two 2011 winners, commented, “The business plan competition helped me to think of my business in a more tangible way and not just as a concept.”  The other winner, Ben Walsh of Pure Bang Games, added that participation “strengthened our ties to other early stage startups, and most importantly, Towson University.”

TowsonGlobal is looking forward to seeing the exciting, innovative concepts that will be brought to the competition.  For more details on the competition, visit TowsonGlobal’s Business Plan Competition page or email us at info@towsonglobal.com .

Kelsey

Cyber attacks continue to be a serious and growing threat to our nation’s governments and businesses. In turn, it has become a growing workforce need, especially in the Maryland-D.C. region.  The Maryland Cyber Challenge and Conference hopes to mitigate these threats and develop high school and college students with an interest in computers into cyber security experts. This year’s Conference was held October 21 and 22 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Eight college teams competed in the Cyber Challenge, held on Saturday October 22, but in the end it was TOWSON UNIVERSITY that took home First Place!

However, the road to victory was not an easy one. As Professor Michael O’Leary, team advisor, explains, “the competition between UMCP, UMBC and Towson was extremely close – when the scoreboard was turned off, each of the three teams had roughly 35,000 points, with Towson first and UMCP and UMBC tied and just 300 points behind.”

After two online qualifying competitions and the all-day event on Saturday, Towson University came out ahead. The members of TU’s team are Andrea Mobley (Captain), Brian Cather, Jonathan Fragale, Dustin Hanks, Dennis Hayden, and Roberto Melendez.

In addition to the pride of winning, each student received a $5,000 scholarship from the National Security Administration and will be offered a summer internship with SAIC, a science and engineering firm. These two fantastic prizes will help expand the student’s knowledge and experience in the growing Cyber Security field.

Image credit: jscreationzs

Team captain Andrea Mobley said of the win, “I think our win over two graduate teams (one of which is a University of Maryland team) and the rest of our competitors (Capitol College, University of Maryland Graduate students, University of Maryland Undergraduate students, Goucher, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland University College, and a group of collective students) keeps Towson University on the radar for the national competition in February and for employers looking to hire security professionals.”

Be sure to read the Baltimore Sun article to learn more about the event!

Jenn

Our newest Education Meets the Workforce video features student interns from Towson University’s Center for GIS. The interns, Justin Mannion, James Parmeter, and Alex Stapleton, work closely together on data collection processes in connection with the Maryland Broadband Map project. The Maryland Broadband Map allows residential and business consumers to discover the high-speed Internet services and providers in their neighborhood, anywhere in Maryland.

Watch the video to learn more about how the interns are contributing to the Maryland Broadband Map Project and to other projects at CGIS.

Kenny Miller

GIS is a strategic, core business enabler, and a valuable analysis and communications tool state agencies use in their work with other state resources and the public. GIS mapping products are increasingly integrated in the state’s accountability and business processes, as well as in publicly available applications. Scores of live, dynamic maps–AgPrint, GreenPrint, GrowthPrint, Stream Health, Recovery, Budget, Energy, Broadband, PlanMaryland, and VisitMaryland, to name just a few–are readily accessible through www.maryland.gov.

Virtually all of Maryland’s GIS applications are built on Esri technology platforms and products. Esri is the GIS software leader and has become the state’s de facto GIS standard. Standardizing on Esri GIS enables the state’s agencies and business partners to keep the geospatial train on the same gauge of track, thereby securing the benefits of consolidation, interoperability, and cost efficiency. But this is only part of Maryland’s Esri GIS story. We’ve been working with Esri to forge an Enterprise License Agreement (ELA) that covers widespread GIS software use and support across state agencies and are pleased to announce that on August 10, 2011, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved the contract.

The ELA offers numerous advantages: lower unit cost of Esri software; fixed predictable overall costs over the life of the agreement; flexibility to deploy Esri software products when and where needed; streamlined procurement processes; increased leverage for achieving statewide GIS standards and interoperability; offer of GIS to agencies that otherwise could not afford GIS; and continuous support of the geospatial data and mapping requirements driven by agency and administration initiatives.

The major cost benefit of the ELA is its offer of unlimited use of Esri mainstream software products, upgrades, maintenance, and support for a fixed price. These items are unique and proprietary to Esri and are not available from an alternate source. Besides economizing the anticipated uptick in GIS use by the primary GIS agencies, the ELA encourages smaller or current non-GIS user agencies to start deploying GIS. The increase in deployment of Esri technology throughout state government will lower the unit cost.

The final price of the ELA was negotiated to a level approximately equivalent to current spending for Esri products and support. A nominal annual price escalation is permitted during the life of the contract. There are 56 state agencies and entities named in the ELA, with the option to add others. The fixed contract cost will be distributed to each agency in a proportion to its level of license consumption.

The ELA will become effective September 1, 2011. The Department of Information Technology will be responsible for Esri ELA contract administration, management and oversight, and is currently developing processes and a web presence for requesting and delivering products covered by the ELA.

Kenny Miller has held many leadership positions in Maryland at the Departments of Natural Resources and Information Technology, as well as professional organizations promoting the adoption of GIS technology in the state.

Clay

Developing personal relationships is crucial for success when doing business in the Asian region, and that means spending quality face-to-face time on the ground.  In an effort to encourage foreign investment, stimulate economic development, strengthen commercial ties, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley led a trade mission to Asia May 31-June 11.  Towson University Interim President Marcia Welsh, Asia Studies Director Stephen Phillips, and I were privileged to be among the 68 people chosen to represent the State on this productive trip through China, South Korea and Vietnam.

This 11-day trip was the perfect opportunity, not only to improve existing relationships, but to showcase what Maryland and Towson University have to offer and how our ties can benefit all parties.

During our travels through Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing, Seoul, and Hanoi, we attended some key events like the 13^th Shanghai Bio-Forum, BioCapital Leadership’s Luncheon, the Maryland-Jiangsu Partnership Banquet, and the Vietnam-Maryland Cooperation Ceremony and Luncheon. Shanghai’s Tasly Group announced a $40 million investment in Maryland, the largest direct investment ever in our state by a Chinese company.

Additionally, Marlin Steel Wire, a Baltimore steel wire basket manufacturer, signed a collaboration agreement in Vietnam with a state-owned steel production firm.  AmeriSure Pharmaceuticals, a Rockville based company, signed an agreement to collaborate with one of Vietnam’s largest state-owned pharmaceutical firms. In addition, the Vietnam Natural Resources and Environmental Corporation agreed to promote Ellicott City’sBlue Wing Environmental Solutions & Technologies floating island products.

Towson University representatives (Steve Phillips, Clay Hickson, Ohoe Kim, and Marcia Welsh, 2nd – 5th from left, respectively) and Inha University representatives, Incheon, South Korea

Not to be left out, Towson University also signed three MOUs in Shanghai to provide faculty training and school management services programs in the Pudong area.  Two other Towson representatives also joined us for parts of the trip.  Alexandria Liu, a Towson University student interning at the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, participated in the China leg of the trip, and Mathematics Professor Ohoe Kim was in Korea helping to arrange meetings with various partner universities there.

To develop opportunities for TowsonGlobal Business Incubator and its member companies I met up with representatives of Shanghai Juke Biotech Park, an incubator specializing in helping biotech SMEs.  I also met with Ningxia Yinxing Energy Co., which focuses on green technologies and is exploring expansion to the US.  In Beijing, I met with Xin Feng Zhuoqun Technology Co., a professional circuit board processor that may be able to support current members.   These meetings were important steps to open doors for future collaborations between Asian enterprises and TowsonGlobal.

Despite a few hurdles – our bus got stuck on a mound of dirt and broken asphalt – we also had the opportunity to visit historic landmarks like the Presidential Palace in Nanjing and the Great Wall and Forbidden City in Beijing, to go hiking in Seoul, and to tour around the city of Hanoi.

Clay Hickson (center) and delegation members at the Presidential Palace, Nanjing, China

Clay Hickson and Marcia Welsh at the Great Wall, Beijing, China

I was honored to be a part of such significant efforts to bring Asia and Maryland together.  Being a part of the Governor’s delegation offered business and educational professionals opportunities to expand their networks and strengthen existing ties while gaining credibility.  The mission brought many opportunities for technology development and economic growth to our state.  Maryland’s future in these foreign markets looks bright, but success will all depend on the efforts we make to continue building ties in the region.

Clay

Baltimore’s time to think big has arrived! TowsonGlobal and Baltimore area innovators are organizing the first annual Think Big Baltimore, an educational forum where entrepreneurs and investors get together to discuss ideas and opportunities for growth.

This day-long event, hosted at Towson University, will feature expert panel discussions, keynote speakers, and in-depth educational sessions.  Attendees also will have the opportunity to generate new connections, catch up with other entrepreneurs, and share ideas over cocktails and appetizers in a powerful networking session the evening before. Finally, guests will participate in CrowdPitch, an event where selected pitching companies will present in front of a panel of experts and an audience.  Audience attendees will receive $100 of fun money which they can “invest” in their favorite pitching company.   The winner will be selected based on who receives the most “money”.

Events like Think Big Baltimore keep entrepreneurial spirit alive, create more jobs, generate opportunities for start-ups and small businesses, encourage innovation, and promote competition—all necessary for the Greater Baltimore area’s growth and success. Do not miss out on the opportunity to receive valuable advice from experts, or network with peers and investors.  Regardless of the stage a business is in, whether it is just an idea or a reality, Think Big Baltimore will be place to be!

The event will start with a networking reception on Tuesday, July 12^th at 6:00 pm, followed by a day-long conference on July 13^th, 2011, at Towson University. Use TowsonGlobal’s code 07132011 when you register, to get a special discount.  For more information, please visit http://www.thinkbigbaltimore.com/

Keynote Speaker: Lenora Gant
Deputy Assistant DNI, Intelligence Community Human Capital
Director, ODNI IC Policy and Strategic Mission Outreach

See the full agenda and register for this free event!