Six English department students will deliver presentations tomorrow at UMBC's Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) during its thirtieth anniversary event. Find their presentation titles, times, and locations in the list below. We hope to see you there!

URCAD will be held Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in the RAC. Access the full URCAD schedule here: urcad.umbc.edu

Also, UMBC BookFest '26 events continue through the week, including two events highlighting the importance of libraries on Thursday, April 23. Visit the BookFest website here to access the full schedule.

English Department Student Presentations at URCAD

Kat Gill | The Case for a Public Internet | Michael Casiano | American Studies/English | RAC 230 | 2:55-3:10 

Phoenix Gordon | Conceptions of Blackness: A Fantastical Re-Imagining of Black Heroism and Villainy | Sharon Tran | English | RAC 106 | 10:00-10:15 

Esther Myers | Homophobia and Queer Repression in Watchmen | Keegan Finberg and Sharon Tran | English | RAC 106 | 1:15-1:30 

Ryan Supplee | Spiritualized Disability and Liminality in The Book of Margery Kempe | Kathryn McKinley | English | RAC 106 | 9:40-9:55 

Maia Turman Cooke | The Language of Decriminalization: Drug Policy Rhetoric and Public Health in 21st Century Canada | Earl Brooks | English | RAC 106 | 11:00-11:15 

Trilece Wilson | Tears Made of Ink | Nicole Pekarske | English | RAC STAGE | 11:15-11:30

Amanda Nergrete| INDS Student Worker  

Title: Mouse House: First Person Exploration Survival Game

Mentor: Eric Jordan

Location and Time: RAC Arena- All Day

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Live Drum Circle

INDS Professors: Jose Arenas Gomez & Steven McAlpine 

Location and Time: RAC Stage & 11am-11:15am

Noreen Baroya 

Title: Mind & Muscle: Evaluation of Western Dentistry and Holistic Medicine for Myofascial Pain Care

Mentor: Dr. Tiffany Gierasch, Teaching Professor, UMBC Chemistry and Biochemistry

Location & Time: RAC 2PM-3PM, Poster #5

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Joshua Davis-Carpenter 

Title:Automated Detection Algorithms for Chemosensory Arrays of Bacterial Tomograms 

Mentors: Gus Hart, Brigham Young University

Location and Time: RAC Arena, 2PM-3PM, Poster #13 

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Sofia Dominesey 

Title: Mission to Europa: Translating Astrobiology into a Playable RPG Game 

Mentor: Stephen Freeland, UMBC Biology and Individualized Study Program (INDS)

Location: RAC Arena, 10-11am, Poster #35 

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Aeon Kaplowitz

Title: "Structural Effects in Zr-MOFs on Curcumin Stability and Delivery"

Mentor: Lisa Kelly, Professor, UMBC Chemistry and Biochemistry

Location & Time: RAC Arena, 2PM-3PM, Poster #39

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Anna Kim

Title: Cluster Headache Diagnostic Delay: The Role of Patients and Physicians

Mentor: Dr. Raimi Quiton, Clinical Associate Professor, UMBC Psychology

Location & Time: RAC 106, 9AM-9:15AM

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Joanna Pedro

Title: User Perspectives On AI-Assisted Dance Training: An Iterative Design And Qualitative Evaluation

Mentor: Ann Sofie Clemmensen, Associate Professor, UMBC Dance

Location & Time: RAC Arena Poster #118, 2pm-3pm 

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Aya Saeid

Title: Understanding the Arab Patient's Healthcare Experiences in the United States

Mentor: Dr. Robert Anderson, Associate Teaching Professor, UMBC Psychology

Location & Time: RAC 106, 2:15PM-2:30PM

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Shreya Singh

Title: Physician Burnout Through the Emotional State Theory of Happiness

Mentors: Kyle Bates Clinical Associate Professor, UMBC Emergency and Disaster Health Systems & Blake Francis, Assistant Professor, UMBC Philosophy

Location & Time: RAC Arena, 10AM-11AM, Poster #93

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Trisha Tomcy

Title: Investigating Estrogen-Dependent Neuroimmune Response Across Menopausal-like Stages in Astrocytic Culture

Mentor: Carmen Munoz-Ballester, Associate Professor, UMBC Interdisciplinary Life Science

Location & Time: RAC Arena, 10AM-11AM, Poster #104 

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Chloe Weaver

Title: The Making of Paradox: The Animated Series

Mentor: Sharon Tran, Associate Professor, UMBC English

Location & Time: RAC 106, 9:20AM-9:35AM

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Trilece Wilson

Title: Tears Made of Ink

Mentor: Nicole Pekarske, Associate Teaching Professor, UMBC English

Location & Time: RAC Stage, 11:15AM-11:30AM

To learn more about our students and their research Click Here!

We had a glimpse of spring earlier this week, but winter is back this morning. In Japan, plum blossoms are out in full force! These bright pink flowers - an earlier cousin of the more famous sakura - are a tantalizing hint that the warmer weather is on the way. Closer to home, take a look at some of the springtime deadlines and opportunities for Asian Studies students:

URCAD Deadline - Friday, March 1

Have you been working on a big research project? Do you want to share your discoveries and insights with a wide audience? Apply to present at URCAD, UMBC's Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Day! 

You can apply here; if you worked with a particular faculty member for your research, let them know that you're applying! 

URCAD will take place on Wednesday, April 10, this year. 

Summer 2024 Registration Begins Friday, March 1

Are you thinking about a summer class this year? Registration for Summer 2024 begins tomorrow, Friday, March 1! Review information about the session at the Summer Session website - or browse the available courses here! 

Of particular interest for Asian Studies students, the following courses are available this summer: 

- ASIA 100 (six weeks, Session I)
- HIST 103 East-Asian Civilization (four weeks, Session II)
- HIST 381 From Samurai to Salariman: Japanese History Through Film and Literature (four weeks, Session I)
- JPNS 102 Elementary Japanese II (six weeks, Session II)

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines

March 1 - URCAD application deadline
March 1 - Summer 2024 Registration Begins
March 16-24 - Spring Break; no classes

[thumbnail image: vibrant pink plum blossoms on a tree on the grounds of Nara's Himuro Shrine in February 2020]

Gilman Study Abroad Scholarship - App Deadline March 9

Are you interested in study abroad? Do you receive Pell grants as part of your financial aid? If you answered 'yes' to both of these, you should consider applying for a Benjamin Gilman Study Abroad scholarship! The program offers up to $8,000 to support students' study abroad opportunities, and typically one in four applicants receives an award. 

Don't wait - the application is due March 9th! For more information about the program, email the Education Abroad office! 

URCAD is Coming! Apply by Feb 13

URCAD 2023 will take place on April 12. URCAD is a great opportunity for students to present their research to the UMBC community. Participants gain experience giving a presentation, preparing for a conference, and more! 

If you have been working on a major project this year, consider applying to present your work at URCAD. The deadline to apply is February 13 - more information is available on URCAD's website, or you can email Dr. April Householder if you have a specific question. 

Korean Language Research Presentations This Week

From Tuesday, February 7 through Tuesday, February 14, MLLI & ASIA are hosting a series of presentations on recent research in Korean language study. These events will be hybrid format - attendees can join in-person or online. These sessions will be engaging for anyone with an interest in studying or perhaps teaching Korean language. If you have questions about the sessions or WebEx connection, please contact Carolyn Good in the MLLI department.

• February 7 (today!) - 4pm, Fine Arts 526 or on WebEx: Dr. Jiwon Hwang, "Engaging Korean Language Learners Intercultural Through Authentic, Social and Critical Interactions" 
• February 9 (Thursday) - 4pm, Fine Arts 011 or on WebEx: Dr. Kyung-Eun Yoon, “Analyzing Discourse: From Interactional Linguistics to Sociocultural Analysis”
• February 14 (next Tuesday) - 4pm, Fine Arts 526 or on WebEx: Dr. Sorin Huh, "Learning, Teaching, and Assessing the Korean Language" 

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines

For two months of the year, visitors to Harbin in northeast China can brave the -40 degree temperatures to see the Harbin Snow and Ice Festival's sculptures illuminated in spectacular colors at night. Stay cozy and enjoy the sights of the 2019 festival from home with this Smithsonian Magazine article. A little closer to home, (seb) will be hosting iceless ice skating and snow tubing on the Library Plaza on campus this Friday.

Lunar New Year Celebration Continues

We're very excited by the response to our Lunar New Year celebration and our new Asian Studies shirts. If you haven't stopped by our office (Fine Arts 548) yet for New Year treats and a shirt, the event continues today and tomorrow. Although the food giveaway will end tomorrow, Asian Studies students are welcome to pick up a shirt any time this semester.

Spring 2022 Graduation Application Deadline: February 15

If you are planning to graduate this May, be sure to submit your graduation application before next week's deadline! The Registrar's website has everything you need to know. 

URCAD 2022 Applications Are Now Open

UMBC is a campus that recognizes its students' research at all levels; URCAD is the annual celebration of undergraduate research and creative achievements. If you've completed a big research or creative project this year, URCAD is a fantastic opportunity to share your expertise and accomplishments with the campus community and the public. The deadline to apply is February 18. Learn more at URCAD's website. Dr. Oyen is a great resource if you have questions about how to apply. 

Virtual Internship and Career Fair - February 25

The Career Center's popular Internship and Career Fair event will take place virtually later this month. More than 85 employers have already signed up, and they're all eager to meet UMBC students and recent graduates. For more information, and how to sign up to attend, visit the Career Center's website. 

Covid-19 Booster and Flu Shot Clinics - Feb 17 and March 3

If you're able, and haven't yet had a chance to get your seasonal flu vaccine or a Covid-19 booster, Retriever Integrated Health is hosting additional clinics on campus on February 17 (next Thursday) and on March 3 (also a Thursday). You can make an appointment on their website.

Roses are Pink, Chip's Tongue is too; for Valentine's Day, She Wants to See You!

Swing by the RAC on Valentine's Day (Monday next week, Feb 14) to hang out with Officer Chip! She and her entourage will have prize giveaways for all her Valentines, too. Check myUMBC for more information. 

Virtual Involvement Fest - This Week! 

Gender and Women’s Studies is excited to announce that three of our students will be presenting at URCAD this year! Our three presenters are listed below and we hope that you’re able to stop by and learn more about the exciting research that they’ve been conducting this year.

Dan Willey — “Home Sweet Homo: An Ethnography of Queer Living Space”

4/25 at 11:15am in UC312 - Oral Presentation

Emily Ruppert — “Instagram’s Influence on a Generation of Women”

4/25 during the poster session between 1:00-2:30pm – Poster #77

Jamie Tingler  — “Why Does Peach Need Mario, Zelda Need Link and Moxxi Get Sexually Shamed?: Gender and Sexual Representation in Video Games”

4/25 during the poster session between 1:00-2:30pm – Poster #46

URCAD is Wednesday, April 25, 2018.