Message from the Vice President
Spring is here and the Orioles are off to a winning record (I may regret being this optimistic this soon). All of SPAR staff are in the same location for the first time since the Division’s inception (and two name changes) in 2004. Yay! With that said, the University announced that some SPAR teams (OPO and Venture Creation) would be locating into the just announced Towson Armory space in 2020. However, on this front, the story is not quite finished as TU looks for additional space in Towson for the balance of the Division. I would advise against packing your offices just yet as any move would likely occur two or three years out. In closing, every day I am thankful and grateful for the great team we have in the Division and how every day we live and breathe our core values of being innovative, collaborative, problem solvers and passionate about the work we do!
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Center for GIS
CGIS is busy working toward two project deadlines. We are developing a tool for MD State Highway Administration to automate and optimize the generation of sample road segments and detailed routes in support of annual road condition assessments, which is expected to save SHA significant time in route planning, and will be repurposed for other statewide inspection and maintenance needs.
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We are completing the Stormwater Management and Restoration Tracker (SMART) tool for the University of Maryland Sea Grant Extension and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. SMART will provide individuals with an easy to use tool to record their residential stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as rain barrels, rain gardens, and green roofs. The tool calculates estimated annual capture of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment from these individual practices and aggregates them at county and watershed levels.
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Continuing & Professional Studies
After ten years of service to CPS, Gordon Davis officially retires on April 5. He brought a lifetime of knowledge to his role and really made a difference recruiting WIOA students. In his own words, "We have trained literally thousands of students allowing them to get back to work expeditiously and that is a great feeling. I have had a wonderful experience at Towson University; it is a fitting end to my career."
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Leadership & Organizational Development
Having uncomfortable conversations at work is never easy, no matter who it’s with. Avoiding them, however, is a poor strategy. Check out the team's latest webinar with some actionable tips. MORE
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Osher Lifelong Learning
2019 marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Osher program at TU. Look for new stories in the coming months to celebrate this important milestone. In the meantime, take a look at what goes on behind the scenes and the impact the program has on its members. MORE
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Office of Administration & Finance
Leave Balances: As year-end approaches, please make sure to review your leave balances. Annual leave up to 48 hours and all unused sick leave can be carried over into the next fiscal year.
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Partnerships & Outreach
The BTU Partnerships Showcase is quickly approaching on April 24. If you plan to attend, please register. This is the perfect opportunity to network.
Speaking of the Showcase, it was three years ago that President Schatzel announced BTU—Partnerships at Work for Greater Baltimore. Since that time, OPO has supported its growth. MORE
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Last week, TU entered into a longterm lease of the Armory building in uptown Towson. Scheduled to open in 2020, the building will be a hub for connecting TU to the community we serve and will house the OPO team, among others. MORE
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Regional Economic Studies Institute
RESI is working with a BTU Staff Subcommittee to develop a staff engagement survey to better understand and support the volunteer efforts that staff already engage in or would like to engage in. The survey will be distributed and evaluated this summer. Although it is just in the beginning stages of being developed, this survey is intended to measure the work that TU staff are already doing, either as a community member or as a TU representative, and also serve as a driver to determine mechanisms to help support additional staff volunteerism and community engagement efforts.
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Venture Creation
After five and half years of serving TU Incubator and its member companies, Frank Bonsal is leaving TU and returning to his previous role as a venture capitalist. Frank will continue to engage with TU Incubator and its member companies in new ways. Learn more about Frank’s impact HERE and HERE.
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TU Incubator recently hosted Jay Steinmetz, founder and CEO of Barcoding, Inc., at a recent Founders Uplugged event. MORE
TU Incubator member company Equiday was recently acquired by Baltimore-based Allovue. MORE
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