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 May-June 2008      
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Upcoming Events

June 5: Mayer Mall Dedication
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m., Mayer Mall, Robert H. Smith School of Business
Join the university as we celebrate the dedication of the William E. and Kathy Mayer Mall just outside of the Smith Business School. To RSVP and learn more, contact Tina Murphy at 301.405.3467 or tmurphy@umd.edu.

June 7: Pirates of Penzance Performing Arts Scholarship Benefit
7:30 p.m., Kay Theatre, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
Support scholarships for performing arts students and enjoy this popular Gilbert and Sullivan production with special guest performer Robert Fischell M.S. ’53, Honorary Doctorate ‘96, benefactor of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering (June 8 performance at 3 p.m.).

June 11: 5th Annual Engineering Alumni and Faculty Golf Outing and Banquet
1:30 p.m., Shot Gun Start, University of Maryland Golf Course
Tee off with faculty and alumni of the Clark School of Engineering at this annual golf tournament. All proceeds benefit engineering scholarships.

June 12: Terps Take Manhattan
6 p.m.–8 p.m., Midtown Loft, 267 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y.
Sponsored by the Maryland Alumni Association, this is an event you wouldn’t want to miss featuring Gary Williams ’68, the most winning basketball coach in Maryland history. Join fellow alumni for cocktails, and a breathtaking view of the New York City skyline.

June 24: Baltimore Regional Alumni Event
6 p.m.–8 p.m., Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards, 301 W. Camden Street, Baltimore, Md.
Join fellow Baltimore area Terps and Men’s Basketball Coach Gary Williams ’68 for a fun evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a museum tour featuring Terps teams and other Maryland sports figures.

Helping Students Reach for the Stars
Biomedical Engineer by Day, Vocal Engineer by Night

Robert E. Fischell
Robert E. Fischell (center) takes on the role of the Sergeant of Police in “The Pirates of Penzance” June 7 and 8 at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center (photo courtesy of the Clarice Smith Center).
lumnus Robert E. Fischell M.S. ’53, Honorary Doctorate ’96, a creative inventor of life-saving medical devices, is set to fulfill a lifelong goal to exercise a different kind of creativity as a performer in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. He takes on the role of the Sergeant of Police in a Washington Savoyards production of “The Pirates of Penzance” June 7 and 8 at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

“When I was very young, about 10 years old,” says Fischell, “I heard Gilbert and Sullivan patter songs [comic, fast songs with tongue-twisting lyrics] for the first time and thought they were so much fun. I memorized several dozens of them.”

Pirates of Penzance
Scene from "The Pirates of Penzance" (photo courtesy of the Clarice Smith Center)
The rapid-fire delivery of the patter songs echoes the lightning quick flashes of inspiration that have shaped Fischell’s groundbreaking career in the sciences. He explained in the physics department’s alumni newsletter in 2000 that when faced with a problem to solve, the ideas for his inventions usually come to him within 60 seconds or less.

Fischell, 79, says this foray into the performing arts gave him a newfound appreciation for the hectic pace of the rehearsal process required to bring a show from page to stage. He focused on learning the songs and lines he performs in his role as Sergeant for two intensive months. “It was a tremendous effort… I’m grateful for the experience,” he notes.

The Washington Savoyards, a D.C.-based light opera company—named for London’s Savoy Theatre in which many Gilbert and Sullivan works were first performed—brings “The Pirates of Penzance” to the Clarice Smith Center’s Ina and Jack Kay Theatre. The cast includes Maryland School of Music alumna and Fulbright grantee Stacy Mastrian as Mabel.

Sponsorship opportunities for the June 7 performance at 8 p.m. are available from $100 to $2,500 and will support scholarships for performing arts students. Depending on the sponsorship level, guests will enjoy pre- and post-show receptions with an opportunity to meet Fischell.

For sponsorship information, visit www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu or contact Scott Eichinger at (301) 405-5550. A limited number of $50 tickets for this performance are also available for the general public by calling (301) 405-ARTS or visiting the Web site. Tickets for the June 8 performance at 3 p.m. are $40.

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Published by the University of Maryland 2008