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Will increase opportunities for students and strengthen state's innovation economy

Annapolis, MD -- The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents today approved an innovative and structured collaboration between the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). Called University of Maryland: MPowering the State, this new working relationship will leverage the resources of the two universities to serve students better; attract even more exceptional faculty and researchers; and boost research, technology transfer, and commercialization.

"The regents see University of Maryland: MPowering the State as the kind of 21st-century organizational model needed for today's fast-changing, fiscally challenging, and globally competitive environment," said Board Vice Chair Patricia S. Florestano. "We are pleased with the vision, creativity, and innovative thinking that led to the development of such a forward-looking plan."

"UMB and UMD have complementary research strengths. Under the aegis of the University System of Maryland, we are establishing this special new working relationship so that we can magnify the scale and impact of our education, research, and commercialization," says UMD President Wallace Loh. "The state of Maryland has recognized that improving tech transfer is a critical need for its public university system. And the system has charged its campuses with making critical advances in this area."
Among the partnership's components are:

•Combining the research efforts at the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research-a joint UMB-UMD institute-at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) in Montgomery County with new educational programs in health, law, human services and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), business, and the social sciences. USG is one of the university system's two higher education regional centers.
•Creating a Collaborative School of Public Health by combining the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program at UMD and the MPH Program in Baltimore.
•Establishing University of Maryland Ventures to promote technology transfer and commercialization, taking discoveries and innovations from the campus laboratories to the marketplace.
•Developing new educational offerings and activities including the University of Maryland Scholars Program, through which students from each institution will engage in research led by faculty at the other institution.
•Implementing a process to facilitate joint appointments and joint grant submissions.

"This new partnership between these two great institutions will benefit students, faculty and researchers, and the entire state of Maryland," says USM Chancellor William Kirwan. "Leveraging the combined resources of our founding campus and our flagship campus will enable USM to address Maryland's workforce needs better. Moreover, it will help attract more research funding to the state and create opportunities to commercialize the substantial research both of these major institutions produce."

"This new partnership will help develop a generation of students focused on entrepreneurship, new business creation, and commercialization," says UMB President Jay Perman. "Just as students from the seven schools at UMB have learned to work together, now the students from both Baltimore and College Park will do the same. For example, UMCP students will be much more involved in UMB's life sciences programs and similarly, University of Maryland Carey School of Law students from Baltimore will work in the intellectual property law clinic at the Clark School of Engineering in College Park."

President Loh and UMB President Jay Perman speak to USM Board of Regents.
The Board of Regents on December 9, 2011, charged Kirwan, Loh, and Perman to develop the plan. Board action resulted from a comprehensive six-month study of the advantages and disadvantages of merging the two universities in response to a Maryland Joint Chairmen's directive. Based on the study, the board concluded that a structured collaboration between UMB and UMD would yield more success than a merger.

A Steering Committee, appointed by and reporting to Loh and Perman, will lead this new collaboration initially. Presidents Loh and Perman will be accountable to Chancellor Kirwan and the Board of Regents for the success of the collaborative activities.

Implementation of the plan, which begins immediately, will require investment of funds from a variety of sources, including internal reallocation at UMB and UMD, the state, the federal government, and private support. To access a copy of the plan for the University of Maryland: MPowering the State, click here: mpowermaryland.com

For more information:

Mike Lurie at USM Office, 301.445.2719

Ed Fishel at UMB, 410.706.3801

Lee Tune at UMD, 301.405.4679

COLLEGE PARK, Md - The University of Maryland has been named a Tree Campus USA for 2011by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective community forestry management. This is the fourth year in a row the university has received this award.

"As President of the University of Maryland, I am pleased and proud that our University has again received this distinct and unique honor," said Wallace Loh. "It recognizes that we are doing our part to protect and promote our precious but fragile environment. And it recognizes that our students value a beautiful and natural environment in which to live and study. I thank the Arbor Day Foundation for this very important designation."

The University of Maryland once again achieved the designation by meeting the required five core standards for sustainable campus forestry:

•A tree advisory committee;
•A campus tree-care plan;
•Dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program;
•An Arbor Day observance and
•Sponsorship of student service-learning projects.

"Students throughout the country are passionate about sustainability and community improvement, which makes the University of Maryland's emphasis on well-maintained and healthy trees so important," said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. "By achieving Tree Campus USA recognition, Maryland will continue to set an example for other colleges and universities and give students a chance to give back to both their campus community and the community at-large."

The University of Maryland sets the bar high because the entire campus is an Arboretum and Botanical Garden with some 8142 trees. There are tags on 3865 with a diameter of 6" or more. 120 have what are called "display tags" with more information. University of Maryland Assistant Director for Arboretum/Horticultural Services Karen Petroff said 296 trees were planted on campus last year and a project will begin later this month to plant 1000 seedlings - and that's just the start for 2012. Petroff adds that the university will celebrate Maryland Arbor Day on Wednesday, April 4 with tree plantings and other festivities.

Tree Campus USA, a national program launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation. Tree Campus USA is supported by a generous grant from Toyota.

During 2011, the Arbor Day Foundation and Toyota helped campuses throughout the country plant 30,000 trees, and Tree Campus USA colleges and universities have invested more than $22 million in campus forest management.

Media Contacts:

University of Maryland
Karen Petroff
Assistant Director,
Arboretum/Horticultural Services Building and Landscape Services Facilities Management
University of Maryland-College Park
(301) 405-8952

Arbor Day Foundation

Sean Barry
Director of Media Relations
Arbor Day Foundation
Office: 402-473-9563

'WaterShed' To Serve Public Education, Research at Montgomery Site

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - WaterShed, the international-prize-winning solar house built by University of Maryland students, faculty and professional partners, has found a buyer and a permanent site: Electric service provider Pepco is purchasing the high-tech building, and plans to locate it at one of its facilities in Montgomery County, Maryland.

The purchase secures WaterShed's future and will make its innovative technology and design available to the public for educational purposes, the parties explain. Under the arrangement, Pepco and the University will partner on its operation, monitor its performance, conduct ongoing research and work closely on designing educational materials about WaterShed.

The house will serve as a "living classroom" and a "living laboratory" to demonstrate smart, clean energy options, blending its original technological and design innovations with Pepco's own advanced technology, such as its smart thermostats and home-based electric vehicle charging stations.

After its win at the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon last October, WaterShed was disassembled and moved from the National Mall to College Park, awaiting a final home and buyer. Ultimately, PEPCO's proposal was selected because the company shared the team's vision of using the house to educate the public about sustainable, affordable and beautiful design, University officials explain.

"In purchasing this home, Pepco is recognizing the hard work, commitment and creativity of the University of Maryland's Solar Decathlon 2011 Team," says the company's Vice President of Business Transformation Karen Lefkowitz. "Their achievement cannot be overstated."

WaterShed overcame fierce competition by 19 other collegiate teams from around the world, each challenged to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. Like all of the Decathlon entries, WaterShed runs solely on solar power, but is also constructed to harvest, recycle and reuse water. Unique design elements, such as "manufactured wetlands" that both protect and produce resources, set WaterShed apart in the competition.

"The team is thrilled with Pepco's commitment because it ensures that WaterShed will continue to have a public voice," says the project's principal investigator Amy Gardner, an associate professor of Architecture at the University Maryland. "WaterShed speaks to the viability and untapped potential of sustainable strategies and technologies. It reminds us of the task before us - stewardship of the environment in which we live. The partnership of the University with PEPCO to further develop and teach these strategies is a fitting homage to the collaborative nature of the project."

Pepco plans to open WaterShed to the public at one of its Montgomery County facilities, though a final site selection has not yet been made. The plan is to use it for conferences, educational presentations and occasional public tours. It will also serve Pepco as an energy testing facility. University researchers will continue measuring performance of its various systems to assess its long-term operation.

"This is an unusual example of technology transfer to the commercial sector, and we're delighted to collaborate with Pepco in WaterShed's second act," says University of Maryland President Wallace Loh. "Our students, faculty, and the community of mentors that made this achievement possible, developed a patent-pending innovation, along with a series of design innovations that have attracted international interest from communities dealing with water-related issues. Their ideas will continue to reverberate in our region thanks to Pepco's purchase."

Under the agreement of sale, Pepco is covering WaterShed's outstanding project costs and will pay for its transport and reassembly. The sale price was not disclosed.

The agreement also draws on the Watershed team's expertise to facilitate its transport and siting. Student team members will serve as docents once the facility opens, explaining to visitors the house's capabilities and design features.

"The WaterShed team took on a double challenge when it built a house that would run on the sun and address a significant source of Chesapeake Bay pollution, so its first-place performance on the international stage was more than a major source of pride," says Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. "We're extremely pleased that Pepco has agreed to provide a permanent home for WaterShed, so that its educational impact and research can continue."

The Maryland team designed WaterShed to help reduce storm water runoff. The house harmonizes modern, traditional, and simple building strategies, balancing time-tested best practices and advanced technological solutions to achieve high efficiency performance in an affordable manner, the team explains. Its winning design includes several technical innovations, including a patent-pending indoor waterfall that provides humidity control in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

"We inspired ourselves and thousands of others through the Solar Decathlon, but an organization such as Pepco has the resources and power to reach millions," says Leah Davies, WaterShed student team leader. "With Pepco, WaterShed can serve as an educational backbone for future innovations in residential energy use - just as we designed it!"

The 200-member UMD Solar Decathlon Team includes students and faculty from the Maryland School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, and the University Libraries. Maryland businesses and professional groups provided significant financial and mentoring support as well.

Pepco, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), delivers safe, reliable and affordable electric service to more than 789,000 customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Neil Tickner
University of Maryland Public Affairs
301-405-4622
ntickner@umd.edu

Maggie Haslam
Communicator
UMD School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
202-258-8946
maggiehaslam6@gmail.com

Arthur Garcia
Social Media Representative
Pepco Holdings, Inc.
Arthur.Garcia@PepcoHoldings.com

Success Thwarted by State-Local Disconnect

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland planners, developers and land-use advocates consider the state's smart growth tools too weak, frustrating their desire for development within existing urban areas, finds a new University of Maryland study based on interviews with a representative group of stakeholders.

"Just about everyone feels squeezed between a rock and a hard place - wanting development where state laws intend to promote growth, but often seeing it thwarted by both local opposition and regulatory barriers," says study co-author Gerrit Knaap, who directs the University of Maryland National Center for Smart Growth.

"All stakeholders express a great deal of frustration, and most urge a more coordinated system," he adds.

The report, Barriers to Development Inside Priority Funding Areas: Perspectives of Planners, Developers, and Advocates, is based on in-depth interviews with 47 representatives of three key stake-holder groups active in the Baltimore-Washington corridor.

The study was commissioned by NAIOP Maryland, which represents the commercial real estate industry, and the Maryland State Builders Association, which represents the state's residential builders, developers, remodelers, suppliers and contractors.

SPECIFIC FINDINGS: The researchers find that a majority of stakeholders believe it is easier to develop outside areas designated for smart growth - so-called Priority Funding Areas (PFAs). Storm water regulations, citizen opposition, and adequate public facility ordinances were the reasons most frequently cited as hindering development inside PFAs.

Earlier research by Knaap and the National Center for Smart Growth found objective indications that the state's regulatory system is "barely moving the needle on most widely accepted measures of smart growth."

The new study is one of the first systematic investigations of the perceptions of stakeholders, with knowledge based on personal experience, the researchers say.

"The findings of this report confirm what we have been saying for some time: Priority Funding Areas need to be strengthened if Maryland wants to grow smart," Knaap says. "But the unanimity of opinion is striking. The majority want more effective tools and better coordination of policies."

More than three-quarters of respondents say PFAs are only "somewhat effective" or "not effective at all."
Nearly four times as many respondents say it's more difficult to develop land inside than outside PFAs.
High rise apartments and mixed use developments are viewed as the most difficult products to develop within PFAs.
Zoning and the adequacy of infrastructure are viewed as the most influential public policy tools.
PARTICIPANTS: The planners interviewed included representatives from the twelve counties in the study area as well as the eight largest municipalities with zoning and planning authority.

The policy advocates ranged from staff of local community-based groups, to staffers at prominent statewide nonprofit agencies.

The developers interviewed were from a diverse group, including firms specializing in mixed-use urban-infill development; traditional single-family residential development, and commercial development.

While the sample size is too small to support rigorous statistical analysis, the researchers say the study is indicative of widely held perceptions.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The report lists a series of recommendations that it says are needed for state and local governments to balance economic development, population growth and improve the water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.

These include steps designed to integrate PFA targets more fully into a county's overall planning process; make sure that PFAs are drawn to accommodate non-residential development and mixed-use projects; give local governments greater flexibility in defining the PFAs, provided they adequately restrict growth in other locations; give local areas greater flexibility to reduce infrastructure and other regulatory restrictions within the PFAs; among other incentives designed to make development in PFAs more attractive to developers and local governments.

"If the system is to work more smoothly, areas designated for smart growth need to be practical and attractive for all parties, and that entails building a lot more flexibility into the system," Knaap concludes. "State and local governments need to assure there is capacity and political support to grow inside PFAs."

COMPLETE REPORT AVAILABLE ONLINE: ter.ps/7j

Located at the University of Maryland, College Park, the National Center for Smart Growth is a non-partisan center for research and leadership training on smart growth and related land use issues in Maryland, in metropolitan regions around the nation, and in Asia and Europe.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Casey Dawkins
Report Co-Author
301-405-2158
dawkins1@umd.edu

Gerrit Knaap
Report Co-Author
301-405-6083
gknaap@umd.edu

Maggie Haslam, communicator
UMD School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
202-258-8946
maggiehaslam6@gmail.com

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Prince George's County residents may be getting a call from one of their "neighbors" soon -- the University of Maryland School of Public Health. The school will conduct a telephone survey in late January and February to ask Prince George's County residents about their views on health and health-care services in the county.

The public health survey will provide information that will help the county assess its current health-care system and determine how to best meet the health-care needs of its residents. A redesigned county health system may include a new regional medical center and a comprehensive outpatient care network.

"The information we glean from this survey will help shape how health care is delivered to the people of Prince George's County," said County Executive Rushern L. Baker III. "It is critically important that we get responses from as many people as possible so that the residents of this county receive the type of health-care service they want and deserve."

Residents may receive a call on their land line or cell phone from the 301-405-0000 University of Maryland exchange, and will be asked about their health and well-being, health-care behaviors and experiences, perceptions of health care available in Prince George's County, and attitudes toward county hospitals. Survey participants will also be asked for their opinions about the health-care needs of their family and of the county. Social Science Research Solutions will conduct the survey of a random sample of 1,000 county residents. The survey is completely anonymous.

"This survey will make a significant contribution to a new primary health-care delivery system for Prince George's County," said University of Maryland President Wallace Loh. "It is another demonstration of our university's land-grant mission as our School of Public Health seeks to improve the health of the people of our state, especially the residents of our home community."

The survey, which is being overseen by the School of Public Health's Maryland Center for Health Equity, is part of a larger public health impact study that the school is leading at the request of the University of Maryland Medical System Corp.; the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; the University System of Maryland; the Office of the County Executive, Prince George's County; and Dimensions Health Corp. The study will provide input into the design of a health-care delivery system for Prince George's County that will improve health outcomes and be world-class, efficient and financially viable.

"Advancing a better state of health in Maryland depends upon promoting health and preventing disease in Prince George's County. This survey gives us real data with which to plan an integrated health system that can help prevent diseases and provide first class treatment to our county residents." said Dr. Stephen B. Thomas, director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity, which is dedicated to eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities in the state.

For further information on the survey, call 301-405-8859 or visit Maryland Center for Health Equity website or Prince George's County website.

Media Contacts:
Kelly Blake
Communications Director
School of Public Health
University of Maryland
301-405-9418
kellyb@umd.edu