When he was 16, Jeremy Rubin ’20, M28, mathematics and statistics, tagged along to one of his sister’s doctor appointments. Six years his senior and a 2014 UMBC alumna, she was recovering from a complete spinal fusion to treat her scoliosis. Doctors had been monitoring her condition for years before the surgery, and she had worn a brace for 18 months in preparation. At the appointment, Rubin’s mother suggested the doctor examine his back as well, just in case.

“And then, right there in the doctor’s office, they said I should have the same surgery in a month,” Rubin recalls. “What’s really fascinating, I think, is that we both needed the surgery, yet we had very different diagnosis and pre-treatment experiences. So it made me think, how can I use my interest in statistics to help the field of precision medicine? How can we tailor diagnoses and treatments to the individual?”

The contrast between Rubin’s and his sister’s experiences with scoliosis, and his skill and passion for statistics, have driven Rubin to success in his UMBC coursework and in several research experiences on and off campus. This year, he applied for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship, which he, Danilo Symonette ’20, computer science, and seven UMBC alumni received this year. These prestigious fellowships offer full funding for three years of graduate study at any accredited institution in the U.S.

Piecing it together

Rubin began his research career during his first year at UMBC with Bradford Peercy, professor of mathematics and statistics. They used math to better model cell migration in fruit flies. “That was really exciting,” Rubin says, “because it gave me my first hands-on experience using theoretical math techniques, but applying it to a real-world biological situation.”

That summer, he pursued an internship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. There, he worked to develop better methods to process images generated by virtual reality environments. 

Back at UMBC the next fall, he contributed to efforts using statistical techniques to analyze genetic data related to the structure of DNA. The project was a collaboration between Erin Green, assistant professor of biological sciences, and DoHwan Park, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics.

All of these experiences led Rubin to a project at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perleman School of Medicine in 2018. The project combines his mathematical skill, desire to use math to address biological questions, and image processing background. He’s still working on it today, and plans to continue to pursue it as a Ph.D. student at Penn’s Perleman School this fall. 

“We’re interested in seeing if we can make an association between certain brain regions and the onset of mild cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s. That’s the end goal,” Rubin says. “It’s a really nice combination of my previous work with imaging and also looking at biological data.”

Support from every angle

Rubin attributes his success, especially in obtaining research opportunities such as the NSF fellowship, in part to the incredible support he’s received from the Meyerhoff and MARC U*STAR Scholars programs.

“Maybe the single greatest thing I’m thankful for is the individual coaching,” Rubin says. As an example, he was in the Meyerhoff office when he found out that he would have a graduate school interview in less than 72 hours. When he told Jackie King, associate director of the MARC U*STAR program, she gave him a mock interview on the spot. 

The intensive peer mentoring offered through the programs has also had a major impact on Rubin. “I like that I can now pay it forward,” Rubin says, by advising two younger Meyerhoff Scholars.

As his career progresses, Rubin plans to stay connected to teaching and advising. “I really want to combine my passion for teaching with doing research,” he says. As a result, he plans to pursue a path in academia. “I think an academic setting would best balance the ability to teach and mentor students while also doing research.”

Contributions across the country

Even once he’s in Philadelphia, Rubin plans to stay connected to UMBC. “The MARC and Meyerhoff programs encourage you to not just be a good student, but also be an academic leader in any way you can—to give back to your community, and really show excellence in all aspects of your career,” Rubin says.

After four years at UMBC, “I feel well-equipped to go to Penn,” Rubin says. At the same time, his advisor, Elizabeth Stanwyck, senior lecturer in mathematics and statistics, suggested he might give a department seminar back at UMBC sometime during his graduate study. “I want to stay connected and tell the students anything I can to help them out for the future,” he says.

While Rubin is at Penn, UMBC’s other Graduate Research Fellowship recipients will be earning doctorates across the country, including two other alumni at Penn’s Perelman School: Maya Hale ’18, biological sciences and psychology, and Sam Giannakoulias ’18, biochemistry and molecular biology and mathematics. 

The other recipients are also conducting research as Ph.D. students at top-tier institutions. Stephanie Korenic ’12, media and communication studies and psychology, is working to improve the way neuroimaging is used in the study of psychosis at Temple University. Jason Hughes ’18, M26, chemical engineering, and Ann Cirincione ‘18, M26, bioinformatics and computational biology, are studying biological systems using big data. Hughes is pursuing his Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University, and Cirincione is at Princeton. Shannon Clancy ‘19, mechanical engineering, is focusing on internal combustion engines at the University of Michigan, and Fatima Touma ’09, anthropology, is at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying health disparities with a focus on immigrant communities

Whether examining biological systems or human-designed machines, UMBC alumni are making important contributions everywhere they go. Their new NSF Graduate Research Fellowships will help them do even more and go even farther. 

Banner image: Jeremy Rubin with the Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Endeavor (PennSIVE) lab group during his summer internship there in 2018. This fall, he’ll embark on a Ph.D. with the same team.

All photos courtesy of Jeremy Rubin.

Danilo Symonette, Robin Bailey, and Hye-Jin Park are earning their UMBC degrees this month having researched in top labs and being invited to present their findings to colleagues across the country. They sound like phenomenal Ph.D. students, but they’re actually all undergraduates.

Symonette ‘20, computer science, has earned one of the most prestigious graduate fellowships in the U.S. after completing years of research in artificial intelligence. Bailey ‘20, biological sciences, conducted research at Harvard Medical School’s Joslin Diabetes Center. Hye-Jin Park ‘20, psychology, researched the experiences of Asian immigrants in the United States, including discrimination and resilience. 

Their interests vary greatly, but each celebrates the impact that UMBC mentors have had on their college careers, including the chance to access incredible opportunities.

Finding a community

When Symonette transferred to UMBC from the College of Southern Maryland in La Plata, Maryland, he knew he wanted to study computer science and conduct research on artificial intelligence, which he sees as a “revolutionary” field. He quickly found a supportive community of friends and mentors at UMBC, and became a McNair Scholar. 

UMBC’s McNair Scholars program is a Federal TRIO program that supports students from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in preparing for graduate education. The program emphasizes intensive research experiences and mentoring. Symonette’s McNair mentors helped him define and achieve his goals and navigate challenges along the way. 

“Being a McNair Scholar has entirely shaped my experience at UMBC and given me the community I needed to support my ambitions and pursue opportunities,” says Symonette. The program also introduced him to some of his favorite people at UMBC.

The value of mentorship

Don Engel, assistant vice president for research, is Symonette’s advisor on the award that supports his artificial intelligence work. He has been one of his most impactful mentors over the years. “Don Engel gave me the freedom to explore any and all of my ideas,” says Symonette. “He advised me on career decisions, wrote countless letters of recommendation, and always supported and believed in me no matter how lofty my goals seemed.” 

Engel connected Symonette with the neuro-AI lab at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, where Symonette is currently interning. Symonette accepted a full-time job offer to work at APL starting in June. This allowed him to explore his interests at the intersection of computer science, neuroscience, and psychology, and further refine his graduate school career goals. 

“Danilo is one of the most talented and motivated students with whom I’ve had the pleasure to work. He has been a wonderful teammate to a broad range of student, faculty, and external research collaborators,” shares Engel. “I’m looking forward to following Danilo’s career, which I’m sure will be exciting and impactful.”

Symonette has also found mentors outside his discipline who have helped him develop a well-rounded perspective. They include Simon Stacey, director of the Honors College; former UMBC professor Marie DesJardins, now a dean at Simmons College; and Christy Ford Chapin, associate professor of history. Symonette says that Chapin helped him elevate his grad school essays and fellowship applications “to the highest level they could be.”

Exploring opportunities beyond UMBC

In addition to connecting Symonette with mentors, the McNair Scholars program also provided him with travel funding to visit several graduate schools across the country. 

In 2018, he completed the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) summer research program and focused on machine learning. The following year, he attended the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program at the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, which was sponsored by the Southern Regional Education Board. “I saw a slew of Ph.D. students from underrepresented backgrounds come on stage and encourage me to pursue graduate education,” Symonette shares.

In 2019, he headed to MIT and studied models that detect confusion in features that rely on voice. His work was used as a foundation to develop sensors for a teacher education platform, to make it more effective. 

“That experience equipped me with the inspiration, motivation, and knowledge to plan my next steps,” he says. Over the next 18 months, Symonette explains, “I was accepted to the top computer science Ph.D. programs in the world and won the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.” 

Today, he describes the LSAMP and McNair programs as “the vehicles through which I arrived at many of the pivotal moments in my journey.”

Inspiring younger students

While focusing on his courses and research at UMBC, Symonette also enjoyed gaining early experience as an educator. He served as a teaching assistant for Computer Science 202, inspired by his own earlier challenges with the course. 

“I struggled a lot in CS202 when I came from community college,” Symonette recalls. “Seeing all the errors and mistakes troubling students during office hours and being able to help them through those same situations…was extremely rewarding.” 

Symonette also found ways to connect with younger students, to encourage them to pursue degrees and careers in computing. He served as the head of outreach for UMBC’s Computer Science Education Club, establishing strong partnerships with local high schools.

“I wanted to expand our outreach efforts so that more people could volunteer,” he says. He connected with Lori Hardesty, associate director for applied learning and community engagement at UMBC’s Shriver Center, to ensure the program would have the structure to be successful in the long term. 

“We managed to get a consistent group of students volunteering at Landsdowne High School last semester and supporting the high school’s computer science and robotics club,” says Symonette. “It’s been great to connect with high school students, especially at a school like Landsdowne. There are students from similar backgrounds as me that I have a chance to inspire. It continues to motivate me to do research in AI and education.” 

After working at APL for a year, Symonette will begin a Ph.D. program in computer science at Stanford University in fall 2021, with the goal of becoming a professor. “I’m looking forward to broadening my perspective, accessing opportunities, and developing as a researcher and educator—everything that comes with studying in a top-tier Ph.D. program,” he says. “I can’t wait to bring all of that back to my community.” 

The importance of connections

Like Symonette, Bailey is a transfer student who found support within a scholars program. When she transferred to UMBC from Howard Community College, she was eager to find a welcoming group of friends and mentors. She found that community in the MARC U*STAR Scholars program. 

The MARC program is designed to increase diversity and inclusion in the biomedical research field, with an emphasis on preparing undergraduate students for Ph.D. programs. “I was the only transfer student to enter my cohort, and feared I would feel like the new kid,” she shares. “Fortunately, the MARC community welcomed me with open arms and treated me as though I had always been at UMBC.” 

Robin Bailey with an award from UMBC. Photo courtesy of Bailey.

The MARC program connected Bailey with faculty across campus who supported her during her UMBC career. Phyllis Robinson, professor of biological sciences and director of the MARC program, is one of Bailey’s research mentors, who has provided her with a safe space to share her worries. 

“Dr. Robinson has been an unwavering pillar of support in my journey at UMBC,” Bailey says. “She pushes me to be the best I can be in my education and in my personal life.”

Jacqueline King, assistant director of the MARC program, has also supported Bailey’s academic career. “She always encourages me to get out of my comfort zone,” Bailey explains. 

Bailey has found a mentor Juan Valdez ‘12, M.S. ‘13, Ph.D. ‘20, biological sciences, as well. “Juan never fails to remind me that I am capable of doing anything I set my mind to,” she says. “He has unconditionally supported me even when I doubt myself.”

From UMBC to Harvard and UPenn

Bailey also valued the chance to connect MARC U*STAR Scholars at other institutions. This includes participating in the 2018 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in Indianapolis, Indiana. There, she received an award for her oral presentation on light-sensitive retinal proteins.

Robin Bailey at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Photo courtesy of Bailey.

She was invited to participate in a summer internship at Harvard Medical School. There she conducted research at the Joslin Diabetes Center under Alexsandar Kostic, an assistant professor of microbiology. She and research technician Melissa Tran investigated the role of bacteria in pancreatic development. 

Robin Bailey at Harvard. Photo courtesy of Bailey.

Through that experience, Bailey learned new research techniques that helped prepare her for a future career in science. “The friendships in the Kostic lab made Boston feel like a home away from home,” she says.

Bailey will graduate with departmental honors in recognition of her thesis, based on research she conducted in the Robinson lab. She will also receive the Faculty Award for Excellence in Biological Sciences. After graduation, Bailey will pursue her Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology with an emphasis on gene therapy and vaccines at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. 

Finding your own path

Hye-Jin Park initially connected with UMBC through her sister, Hyun Jung Lee ‘16, visual arts, an alumna. She recalls coming to UMBC, noticing the diversity of the campus, and being excited to make friends, but also feeling incredibly shy. After a few months of accompanying her sister to meetings for groups on campus, she realized she was ready to branch out and explore her own interests.

One of these interests was psychology, which Park became fascinated with through a high school AP psychology course. She heard a graduate student talk about research being conducted in the lab of Charissa Cheah, professor of psychology, on the experiences of Asian immigrants. Her interest was piqued—she had to apply.

Conducting meaningful research

Born in Korea, Park and her family immigrated to the United States when she was about five years old. Her Korean heritage played a big role in her UMBC experience, including as a researcher, in an unexpected way.

When she started working in Cheah’s lab, Park had not spoken the Korean language regularly in about 15 years. She was no longer fluent in Korean and couldn’t read or recognize the Korean alphabet, but she knew that speaking Korean would be a great asset in her research. She decided to teach herself Korean, relying on her mom and sisters to re-learn the basics.

As a freshman, Park supported the lab’s research through data entry, but her responsibilities quickly grew. Before long, she was administering behavioral tasks to children and interviewing parents for data collection. 

By her junior year, Cheah had become one of Park’s closest mentors and a guide to meeting others in her field. “Dr. Cheah has been the biggest influence in my UMBC experience,” she says.

Building confidence, growing impact

Park’s experience in the lab also helped her build confidence and a commitment to supporting younger students. She worked as a writing fellow in the psychology department, helping other students develop their skills writing and formatting academic papers. She joined CRU, a Christian student group, and became a member of Psi Chi, the international honors society for psychology. 

Park also presented research at UMBC’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day in both 2019 and 2020, after earning Undergraduate Research Awards each year. 

Off campus, Park completed an internship at Verbal Beginnings, an organization that provides applied behavioral analysis therapy and teaches various skills to children on the autism spectrum. This experience gave her an opportunity to plan lessons and learn from a professional team coordinator how to modify plans to meet the children’s needs. 

Park was recently selected for the 2020 Society for Research on Adolescence Undergraduate Scholars Program. This honor would have funded her participation in the group’s annual conference in San Diego, set for March 2020 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was an honor to be accepted into the program. Even though the program got canceled due to the pandemic, I was able to connect with my mentors in the program,” she shares. 

After graduation, Park will pursue her Ph.D. in human development at Michigan State University.

Banner image: Danilo Symonette, right, with his friends at a restaurant. Photo courtesy of Symonette.

UMBC has made great strides in increasing its number of women faculty members in STEM through the ADVANCE program. Now, through the CNMS Scholars Program, these women are serving as mentors to the next generation of scientists and engineers committed to the advancement of women in STEM. The CNMS Scholars program is specifically designed to boost the representation of women in STEM fields that haven’t reached gender parity, from physics and bioinformatics to chemical engineering.

This spring, five women will graduate from UMBC as CNMS Scholars, including Olivia Norman ’20, physics, and Jada Damond ’20, chemical engineering. The financial support, mentorship, and sense of community the program offered created an environment that helped them thrive. Importantly, “CNMS Scholars are paired with our most experienced faculty, who go beyond mentoring to act as champions of these promising future leaders,” says Bill LaCourse, dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS). 

Norman’s CNMS Scholars mentor was Theodosia Gougousi, professor of physics and a member of UMBC’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) group, affiliated with the ADVANCE program. Damond worked with Jennie Leach, an associate professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering (CBEE), and a member of UMBC’s 4th ADVANCE cohort.

A nudge in the right direction

The coming weeks will hold excitement for new beginnings and also poignant goodbyes for Olivia Norman, as she prepares to leave UMBC and Maryland. After graduation, she will head to a Ph.D. program in atmospheric science at MIT—a goal realized through research opportunities during her time as a Retriever. 

Norman chose to transfer to UMBC as a sophomore specifically to access UMBC’s unique research opportunities. She has been working with Zhibo Zhang, associate professor of physics, on a project involving “polluted dust”—dust particles mixed with pollutants in the atmosphere. They are working to understand how this dust affects cloud formation and climate.

Zhang and Norman have found their work together rewarding. “He always pushes you to ask questions and seek out things that you’re interested in to inform your research, while also helping nudge you in the right direction if you are feeling a little lost,” Norman shares. 

Zhang suggested that Norman join the lab when he noticed her performing exceptionally well in one of his courses. Since then she has made significant contributions to the group’s progress. Now she is participating in the NSF-funded Cyber Training program, which brings together researchers from data science, atmospheric physics, and high-performance computing—a program initially designed for graduate students and early-career faculty.

While it is bittersweet for Zhang to see Norman leave UMBC for her graduate studies, “I have no doubt that Olivia will soon rise as a young star in my field who will lead us to new and exciting scientific discoveries,” he says.

Growth and discovery

CNMS Scholar Jada Damond is also heading to an exceptional Ph.D. program—UMBC’s program in environmental engineering. This offers her a chance to continue research she is committed to moving forward. 

Through the CNMS Scholars program, Damond realized the value of mentorship and a community of support. “I gained a really powerful network, and I learned a lot more about the opportunities the campus has to offer,” she shares. In particular, she’s grateful to her program mentor, Jennie Leach, who has offered her both professional and personal support. 

“Dr. Leach facilitated my transition to UMBC’s Ph.D. program by offering advice about the program and sharing her own experiences with getting a Ph.D.,” Damond says.

“It’s been really fun to know Jada first as a sophomore, new to engineering, and now, as a senior entering graduate school,” Leach says. “I am so excited to witness all the great things she will accomplish in her career ahead.”

Damond looks forward to continuing research with Upal Ghosh, professor of CBEE, and collaborators at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center on methods for better measuring mercury levels in water. She’s passionate about the work, she explains, because measuring mercury is a difficult problem and also an important one to solve to protect human health. 

She’s also grateful for Ghosh’s ongoing support. At the numerous national and regional conferences Damond has attended with the lab, “Dr. Ghosh always makes sure to introduce his students to other professionals in the field relevant to the specific work that they do, so I have been able to broaden my network,” she says. 

On the academic side, Ghosh “is always making sure his students are on track in their studies,” she says. “He was eager to spend time reviewing concepts that were new to me, and would give me resources to point me in the right direction.”

Damond’s goal is to pursue environmental consulting work. She enjoyed tutoring chemical engineering courses and mentoring younger CNMS Scholars so much that she also hopes to find a way to teach throughout her career.

“Tutoring helped to improve my communication skills, as I had to explain concepts in a way that the students would understand, while making sure that they could replicate those explanations,” she says. “It was very rewarding when they left a tutoring session feeling more confident about the subject than they did going in.”

Building a network

In addition to supporting young women on their way toward success in STEM fields, the CNMS Scholars program is also all about building a community among the scholars. Caitlin Kowalewski, assistant director of undergraduate initiatives in CNMS, coordinates regular activities for the group. This helps the scholars build relationships with each other and with others members of the UMBC community, such as potential research mentors, leading administrators, and alumni in STEM careers.

“I think the main thing I’ve gained from being a CNMS Scholar was this ability to build a network with people in different levels of their education and professional careers, both in and outside of my department,” Norman shares. “That has been a major plus of being in the program.”

Regular lunches and informal activities like craft projects with just the scholars “allowed us to connect with each other over shared experiences,” Damond says. “Caitlin was really good about getting us together,” adds Norman. “It gave us that opportunity to reach out to other people in a low-key setting.”

Representation in STEM

Both Norman and Damond feel strongly that the program has shaped their futures. Damond wasn’t sure about pursuing a Ph.D. until Leach helped her see the career options the degree could offer her, even if academia is not her goal. For Norman, the program has made her want to do more than make advances in atmospheric science.

“Being a CNMS Scholar has made me interested in not just doing research, but making sure that where I do research and how I do research is reflective of the scholars program itself,” Norman shares. “I want where I am to have an ongoing conversation about progress being made toward fair representation in STEM.”

Kowalewski is confident Norman and the other scholars will make a difference wherever they go. “I could not be more proud of all that these bright, engaging young women have accomplished during their time at UMBC,” she says. “I have no doubt they will help to pave a stronger path for the advancement of women in STEM in their future careers.”

Additional graduating CNMS Scholars include Ashley Mitchell ’20, biochemistry and molecular biology; Alida Hartwell ’20, bioinformatics and computational biology; and Laina Colony ’20, chemical engineering. To support UMBC’s CNMS Scholars program visit giving.umbc.edu.

Banner image: Olivia Norman ’20 (left of center) relaxes with Zhibo Zhang (center) and other members of the lab group. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

For Nadia BenAissa ’20, gender, women’s, and sexuality studies (GWST), and Sam Hertl ’20, social work, UMBC has been a place to grow as leaders and advocates. Their college experiences have been defined by their work to educate, speak out, and create resources for survivors of sexual assault and LGBTQIA+ students at UMBC. 

As the university community has responded to COVID-19 and transitioned to a virtual environment, BenAissa and Hertl have held steadfast in their commitments. They have continued working to create supportive spaces online and make sure that survivor and LGBTQIA+ voices are heard. At the same time, as seniors graduating during a pandemic, they have been managing their own sense of loss.

Centering the experience of survivors

BenAissa became involved with the Women’s Center as a sophomore after supporting her best friend through the Title IX process. “We needed to do something with our grief, and our sadness at the outcome of the process, but at the time there was no discussion group around the shared experience of trauma when we needed it most,” she explains.

BenAissa began researching Title IX, the federal law that proxihibits sex discrimination, sexual assault, and sexual harassment in education settings, for a class. “Nadia’s incredible focus and sharp intellect showed in her fine work in that course,” says her professor, GWST Chair Carole McCann. 

Nadia BenAissa (c) and Haley Owens ’21 (l) speak with Pres. Hrabowski about We Believe You. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Then, in 2017, she and her friend founded We Believe You, an activist/advocacy and discussion group centered around survivors, with help from Women’s Center Director Jess Myers and Assistant Director Amelia Meman. BenAissa’s detailed research “prepared her to lead the We Believe You group through its subsequent challenges and successes,” says McCann.

While We Believe You was getting ready to celebrate its one-year anniversary in 2018, UMBC launched Retriever Courage. UMBC created this campus-wide initiative in response to a call from students, faculty, and staff for the university to better prevent and respond to sexual assault and violence. 

Seeing results

As president of We Believe You, BenAissa met with President Freeman Hrabowski and other campus leaders to discuss major challenges and possible steps forward. She then stepped into additional leadership roles as a member of the Retriever Courage implementation team and co-chair of the Student Advisory Committee.

At the same time, BenAissa accepted an invitation from Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski, Ph.D. ’17, public policy, to join the County’s newly created sexual assault investigations task force.

BenAissa’s collaborative work with students, faculty, and staff led to UMBC launching mandatory Title IX training and an Office of Equity and Inclusion, and hiring more counseling staff. As part of We Believe You, BenAissa also worked with the implementation team to develop two resource stands in The Commons. They will eventually be replicated at other locations across campus. 

“Through her leadership of Retriever Courage, Nadia has already changed the campus for the better in how we confront sexual violence,” says Kate Drabinski, GWST senior lecturer and director of the Women Involved in Learning and Leadership program.

“Nadia is a fierce advocate who consistently speaks truth to power on behalf of survivors,” Myers adds. I believe she’s helped all of us be braver in this work.”

Building space for LGBTQIA+ students

Hertl became increasingly involved in advocacy for LGBTQIA+ students, particularly trans students, as a member of UMBC’s University Health Services (UHS) Student Health Advisory Council. They used their voice to help find ways for UHS and the Counseling Center to be more affirming of trans students. Some of their solutions were simple to implement, but powerful, such as placing pronoun buttons in the waiting rooms for students to wear.

In their junior year, they attended a Women’s Center program and quickly became involved in the Center’s work. Eventually, they became a Women’s Center intern for their social work field placement. 

Sam Hertl (l) at a Women’s Center event in the breezeway. Photo courtesy of the Women’s Center.

In that role they served as a facilitator for Between Women. This discussion-based program centers the experience of women students who identify as LGBTQIA+. They also supported We Believe You, promoted Women’s Center events and resources, and began writing about LGBTQIA+ and accessibility issues.

This was all on top of the work supporting students as a residential assistant and social work courses, preparing for a public service career.

“In everything that they do, Sam strives to build an affirming, compassionate space for the LGBTQIA+ community,” says Meman. “Whether that’s in Residential Life, the classroom, or the Women’s Center, they are a truly rare person who is able to both bring people together and challenge them to be better human beings.”

Online community-building

The transition to online learning has been especially disruptive for the survivor and LGBTQIA+ communities, BenAissa and Hertl share. Both groups rely on communities of support, and have had to find new ways to connect online. BenAissa and Hertl have been determined to offer them continuity and community when they need it most.

Women’s Center groups like We Believe You’s discussion group continue to meet online. “I was especially impressed to see Sam easily replicate their skills of support once we moved online,” says Myers. “In virtual discussions they’ve modeled that care and compassion can be translated across distance and via our computer screens.” 

Hertl, second from right, with other members of The Women’s Center, including Myers (l) and Meman (r). Photo courtesy of the Women’s Center.

Still, online group meetings don’t meet the needs of all students. Hertl explains, “It’s challenging because survivors and LGBTQIA+ students may be in an unsafe environment—home with perpetrators or with family members who aren’t aware of how they identify or who don’t approve of their choices.” 

BenAissa and Hertl have also focused on using social media, which can be more anonymous, to connect students with resources. During Sexual Assault Awareness month, the Women’s Center created an online zine where survivors could tell their stories. They then hosted an Instagram Live event for contributors to read their submissions, or just tune in to hear others speak. 

“It’s all new territory,” says BenAissa. “We look at what we as individuals can do, continue providing resources on social media, and keep speaking out about issues like consent and boundaries. We can hold space for one another and be kind.”

Coping with loss, strengthening connections

During the distance learning period, BenAissa and Hertl also missed seeing their own support communities in person. They grieved the loss of spring community activities and the graduation experiences they were expecting. 

“I miss being on campus, leading the Take Back the Night march, and keeping people invested in what we’ve been building. There’s a lack of closure,” explains BenAissa. 

Nadia BenAissa walks with Take Back the Night. This sexual assault awareness event works to expose rape culture and to enable survivors and allies to share personal stories. Photo by Ian Feldmann ’21.

Still, she is doing her best. Over the last two months, BenAissa adapted her URCAD research on inequities in university Title IX processes into an online presentation. As captain of the Women’s Ultimate Frisbee team, she dealt with the disappointment of a canceled season. Still, she keeps in touch with teammates online, and she looks forward to joining the club’s active alumni community. 

Hertl feels melancholy at times, and thinks about missing out on this year’s Quadmania and Take Back the Night. Continuing to support other students as a residential assistant and through work with the Women’s Center keeps them centered and engaged.

“There are so many unknowns right now,” says Hertl. “I just want to make sure people know what’s happening and where they can go for help.” 

Continuing their commitment

Following graduation, Hertl will enter the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s accelerated master’s in social work program. There, they will focus on social policy and community action, particularly in working with trans and nonbinary people, as well as people with disabilities and people who are experiencing homelessness. 

Hertl has also accepted a 2020 – 21 graduate assistantship at UMBC. This means the university will continue to benefit from their commitment to inclusivity.

BenAissa plans to continue advocating for survivors in higher education. “I want to work to ensure survivors are centered in the policies that affect them and make sure they get the resources they need,” she says. “I’m not finished with this work, and I’m not finished being part of We Believe You, Retriever Courage, or UMBC.” 

“The work we’ve done through Retriever Courage is a step in the right direction,” BenAissa continues. “We’re headed toward the standard we need to have here, and we will exceed that standard because we are UMBC. And UMBC has been great at giving me ways to be my best.”

Article written by Eleanor Lewis, communication specialist in the Division of Student Affairs.

Featured image: BenAissa speaks at Take Back the Night. Photo by Ian Feldmann.

Graduating during a pandemic means students won’t be able to celebrate in the ways they expected, with family and friends cheering in a packed UMBC Event Center. But earning their degrees will still be a joyful achievement that honors years of hard work and opens doors. For UMBC’s adult learners in particular, including Returning Women Student (RWS) Scholars, holding that diploma will mean the achievement of dreams long deferred. 

“Once I made the first step, everything opened up”

This month Karla Gonzalez ‘20, social work, will become the first in her family to graduate from college, at age 34. For much of her life, college didn’t really seem like a possibility. She was proud to be one of the first in her family to finish high school, and to have a job that could support her three children. But as the years passed, Gonzalez realized something was missing—she had yet to reach her full potential. 

Pursuing college involved significant change in Gonzalez’s life. She ended her marriage, left full-time work, and began to prioritize her dreams for the first time. She chose a career path that would build on the skills and talents she already had, and open up new possibilities. “Returning to college was the next stepping point that would allow me to stand on my own two feet,” she explains. “Once I made the first step, everything opened up.”

Gonzalez was very conscious that as an adult learner her experience didn’t follow a traditional timeline. It was her son who reminded Karla that she would be the first in their entire extended family to graduate college. Then, other family members joined in on the refrain, “You’re the first. You’re the first!” 

“I never saw myself as a leader, but at UMBC I learned that I was one”

Gonzalez now sees her achievement not just as a brave step for herself, but as clearing the path for her family members to move forward with their own college dreams. “Even though I’m in my 30s, it is special and it should be celebrated,” Gonzalez shares. ”I am that example that will tell them they can go for whatever goals they have.”

She also celebrates the friendships she has built along the way, and how her peers and professors transformed the way she saw herself. “It isn’t just about getting a degree, but it’s also about those connections,” says Gonzalez. “I never saw myself as a leader, but at UMBC I learned that I was one.”

Gonzalez is this year’s Title IV-E Student of the Year, an honor recognizing a talented social work student who is dedicated to a career in public child welfare practice. She’ll next pursue a master’s in social work (MSW) through the advanced standing program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

“It’s been almost a 30-year journey” 

Like her classmate, Nia Latimer ‘20, social work, entered UMBC at the age of 42 as a single parent, no longer willing to defer her dreams. After graduating from high school, Latimer went right to college, but withdrew due to financial constraints. Over the years, she would re-enroll in college, but be forced to pause to focus on other life events. She shares, “It’s been almost a 30-year journey.”

Latimer has had a fulfilling job with Baltimore City Public Schools, but the dream of a college degree always remained in the back of her mind. After the death of her husband, she realized that now was the time to finish her degree, while continuing to work full-time. She began listening to the way others described her strengths and skills and decided to pursue a degree and career in social work. 

When Latimer arrived at UMBC, she shared, she finally felt like she “was home.” She felt welcomed into a community with students of all ages and was impressed by how inclusive UMBC’s social work program was for adult learners. 

“It’s never too late to do this” 

Latimer joined UMBC’s Returning Women Student Scholars + Affiliates program in her senior year. She found that other adult learners provided her with an additional layer of support that proved crucial to her success. The experience “validated that this is my time,” she says. “It’s never too late to do this.” 

Graduating this May finally “feels like closure,” Latimer shares. She will become the first of her siblings to graduate with a college degree. And she has earned an award as Outstanding BSW Student Graduate, recognizing her academic achievements. 

Latimer also knows this is just the beginning of a new chapter. She’ll soon begin an MSW through the advanced standing program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Feeling “behind,” racing to catch up, and pausing to breathe

For Jumina Ito ‘20, biochemistry, “It was never a question as to whether I would return to school, only a question of when.” 

Between the time of graduating high school and enrolling at UMBC in the fall of 2016 at the age of 26, Ito traveled across the U.S. and internationally, working on farms. Taking this time to explore her interests helped her develop a better understanding of herself, she says, but it also left her feeling “behind” when she got to college. 

Once at UMBC, she felt an urgency to blaze through, taking as many credits as possible while also working to support her family. Eventually, Ito realized this approach was not sustainable. If she was going to finish, she’d need to slow down and to find a community of support. 

“The slow and steady climb is worth it” 

Ito found her community in the Returning Women Student Scholars + Affiliates program, which also connected her with the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program. These two programs provided her space to explore new possibilities for herself, including as an educator. 

Now, she’s excited to pursue a STEM teaching career that will help her serve as a model and mentor for girls interested in science. This fall, Ito will begin teaching chemistry and aquaponics full-time at Green Street Academy, where she completed her applied learning experience as a Sheman Scholar. 

Ito will be the first of her four siblings to graduate. She hopes her graduation will be a helpful example for others, reflecting that we “inherently put limitations on ourselves, but you can rise above them.” Looking back at her life’s twists and turns over the past decade, she shares, “The slow and steady climb is worth it.”

“I could do this on my own” 

When Lauren Hall graduated with her bachelor’s degree from UMBC at the age of 29, she kept right on going to pursue a master of arts in teaching (M.A.T.). But her college path wasn’t always so clear. “If you asked me ten years ago, I never would have thought I’d have a master’s degree,” she says.

Hall ‘18, English literature, M.A.T. ‘20, became a mother at age 18, and devoted her years after high school to raising her two young children and supporting her then-husband’s pursuit of higher education. After her marriage ended, she decided to return to college. Even while feeling afraid to leave the comfort of the life she knew, she also determined, “I could do this on my own.”

Another new beginning

What began as small steps in returning to college quickly became a sprint. She took classes at the Community College of Baltimore County before transferring to UMBC. Once on campus, she focused on building a community where she could thrive even while juggling work and single parenthood. 

Lauren Hall celebrates receiving her UMBC bachelor’s degree. Photo courtesy of Hall.

Hall enjoyed the chance to connect with students of all ages through shared values, interests, and a mutual commitment to each other. She shares that some of her younger classmates not only became friends, but also an integral part of her support system, helping with childcare and carpool duty. 

Hall has been a rock for her family for years, but jokes that her master’s degree means, “Now, I’m a full grown-up!” It’s another step forward—another new beginning. She looks forward to working as an English teacher, in either Baltimore City or Howard County Public Schools, and is committed to helping students believe in their potential. 

For information about the Women’s Center and the RWS Scholars + Affiliates program that supports adult learners seeking their first undergraduate degree, visit womenscenter.umbc.edu. 

In addition to the students featured above, the Women’s Center’s RWS Scholars + Affiliates Program celebrates May 2020 graduates Shanice Bramwell, health administration and policy (HAPP); Josephine Gyasi-Baaye, social work; Samantha Homa, geography and environmental studies; Victoria Hughes, social work; Tatiana Pearson, information systems; Joanna Riley, social work; Aieda Solomon, HAPP and sociology; and Sheila Yeelon, social work. UMBC also honors the numerous other adult learners earning degrees this spring, from across the university.

Article written by Jess Myers, director of the Women’s Center at UMBC.

Featured image: RWS Scholars (including Jumina Ito and Lauren Hall) meet with President Freeman Hrabowski during fall 2018 orientation. Photo courtesy of the Women’s Center.

Graduating UMBC students Christine Crisostomo, Emily Satterfield, and Benjamin Park had expected that this May they would be finishing their student teacher internships in person. They would be leading classroom instruction in secondary schools across Maryland. COVID-19 changed all that, as they had to pivot quickly to an online teaching environment. 

But as military veterans, these student teachers are used to managing stressful and rapidly changing situations. They have drawn on skills and strategies from their years in the military to support their students and their own families during this time. 

After first serving their country in the armed forces, “they have chosen to serve again by being teachers,” says Cheryl North, clinical assistant professor of education. “I am proud of them. All of them are going to be an asset to their schools, and their students are going to get outstanding teachers.”

Unique school, special opportunity

Crisostomo ‘20, chemistry and modern languages, linguistics, and intercultural communication,came to UMBC after eight years of service as a language analyst in the U.S. Navy. She chose UMBC because of its strong chemistry teaching program. Plus, “UMBC felt like an environment that supported adult learners and veterans,” says Crisostomo. 

For her, the partnership UMBC has with Fort Meade High School has offered a unique opportunity. Fort Meade High School is the only school in the country that is on military property but is managed by a county school system. The school includes a mixture of military and civilian families.

Crisostomo’s military experience helped her understand the challenges that children of military families face. Her passion for chemistry made her an engaging science teacher. In addition, thanks to her background in linguistics, she knows five languages and has been able to support many English Language Learners (ELL) at the school. These strengths provided an opportunity for her to serve as a lead teacher early on, guiding a classroom of students.

Learning to teach during COVID-19 school closures

Soon after COVID-19 began to affect Maryland, the state changed how it would deliver public education. As a student teacher, Crisostomo didn’t have immediate access to the teaching software. Once she could access the system, she had to develop strategies to help her ELL families, who were struggling with online materials posted in English. 

Thanks to her experience in the military, though, she was confident that she’d find a way to make it work. She would support her students and successfully complete her internship. 

“I knew there would be a solution… I may have some frustration, but I can’t worry about something I don’t have control over,” says Crisostomo. “In the military you develop skills to adapt to a change in plans and unforeseen problems, and how to step up. Teachers have to use the same skills.” 

Everything under one roof

Satterfield, M.A.T. ‘20, misses the classroom. She misses interacting with her students in real time. But she’s also found ways to make it work.

Satterfield while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. Photo courtesy of Satterfield.

Even before public schools moved online due to the pandemic, Satterfield had a tight schedule. She managed her own course work while also planning and delivering lessons at Chesapeake High School, supporting her third-grader with special needs, and keeping up with her toddler. 

At night she would complete her course work, plan her lessons, and manage her family’s needs. It was a juggle, but the skills she brought from her time in the U.S. Marine Corps and the support of the UMBC community helped make it all possible. 

“I couldn’t have earned a 4.0 and kept balance in my life without the support of the education faculty,” says Satterfield. “It wasn’t only technicalities of teaching that they helped me with, but they helped me through my own son’s Individualized Education Program process and always truly listened when life became overwhelming.” 

Now, her life as a student, teacher, and parent are all under one roof. There are no clear schedules anymore, for her family or the families of students she is teaching. 

Satterfield with one of her two children. Photo courtesy of Satterfield.

As Satterfield sees her own third-grader struggle with how to complete and submit lessons online, she knows her students must also be struggling. She has shifted focus to primarily offering support to students outside of the regular 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. school hours. 

Preparing for a new normal

Satterfield is leaning on her military training to persevere by preparing for a new normal. Faced with her husband’s shipping orders to North Carolina this summer and the uncertainty of COVID-19, she prepared her lessons far in advance. By the time public schools officially closed, she was ahead of the curve. 

Satterfield also completed online teacher development courses in Google Classrooms and online learning. And she maintains clear communication with her mentor teacher and her professors. 

“I was a little stressed at the beginning, but life comes and goes, and it is constantly changing. You never know what you are going to do,” says Satterfield. “I offer my own students the same empathy and support the UMBC education faculty have given me. Any time my mentor needs anything and students need me I am there for them.”

Finding a path to teaching

Park ’19, mathematics, and M.A.T. ‘20, left the U.S. Army after five years of service and began his studies at UMBC soon after. He felt UMBC was a great fit for him because of the diversity he experienced in the Army. “Our differences make our lives richer, so why not celebrate them,” he shares.

Park (right) in the Army. Photo courtesy of Park.

When Park arrived at UMBC as an undergraduate, he was confident in his love of mathematics, but didn’t yet clearly see his path as a teacher. Still, UMBC’s education department quickly noticed his skill in helping his peers understand complex math problems. 

Park remembers his professors encouraging him many times to consider teaching. With the support of Christopher Rakes, associate professor of education, he eventually took the leap, committing fully to pursuing the M.A.T. and becoming a high school math teacher. 

“Ben is quite simply one of the finest students with whom I have had the privilege of working. His intellectual curiosity exemplifies the best of scientific inquiry, which he instills into his mathematics classes,” shares Rakes. “He is dedicated to helping his students see mathematics as a way of thinking and a tool for understanding the world, not just a series of algorithms to memorize.”

“You have to pivot and adapt”

Park’s approach to teaching is grounded in his experience as a child struggling with dyslexia in an education system that was not able to identify or address his needs. Determined to not be left behind, Park discovered that he was able to understand concepts if he could break things down by starting at the end and working his way back. 

In the Army, he continued to grow and to hone his self-discipline. His mentors share that all of these qualities and experiences combined make him a dedicated, empathetic, and successful aspiring teacher. 

Park (center) with fellow student teachers at his baby shower. Photo courtesy of Park.

Park sees the shift from in-person to online teaching not as a challenge, but as an adaptation needed to fulfill a mission. “No battle plan survives a battle. Going to class, going to a physical building, teaching students, and having the students in that building all day so they can receive a proper education—that was the original battle plan,” he explains. “Things change and you have to pivot and adapt.”

“The first priority is the students,” Park says. “I think that is the main axiom that we need to focus on.”

Park (left) with his family. Photo courtesy of Park.

Learning how to learn

Working alongside Park at home is his wife, Elpiniki Park, who is also a teacher. They manage their classrooms and two young children, in addition to Park’s course work, which means working day and night.

Park’s chief goal now is to help his students learn how to learn in their new environment. Recalling his own challenges in school, it is a mission that is close to his heart.

“It is more important right now to teach them how to study math individually, than to teach the subject,” shares Park. “Learning how to learn gives a good foundation. Then we can pivot and increase the probability of student success.” 

“We are going to make it work,” he emphasizes. “We are going to make sure kids get educated.”

Banner image: True Grit statue on graduation day. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11.

Kennedy Lamb and Jethro Ssengonzi are finishing their final semester with uncertainty about the world, but also a sense of hope. To cope with the challenges of graduating during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are drawing on resilience built through past challenges they’ve faced as UMBC scholar-athletes.

On the surface, Lamb ‘20, English, and Ssengonzi ‘20, mechanical engineering, didn’t have much in common when they arrived on campus. Lamb brought her academic and softball talents from the town of Mexico, New York, 35 miles north of Syracuse. Ssengonzi left Cary, North Carolina, to become a Meyerhoff Scholar and member of the Retriever swimming and diving team. Both connected early on with mentors who would support them in their most difficult moments.

Academics “kept me going”

In high school, Lamb was a Syracuse.com three-time First Team All-League softball player. She was also student council president and a student member of her local Board of Education. Her drive, leadership, and commitment to community fit with UMBC’s culture, but she struggled in her first year on campus. Lamb played in just nine games as a Retriever freshman and nearly did not return the next fall.

“Coming from upstate New York to Maryland with no connections, no family or friends, or really any form of support, was extremely difficult,” said Lamb. “I suffered from anxiety and depression that wasn’t diagnosed until my junior year of college. I truly almost pulled the plug and dropped out on numerous occasions, but I couldn’t give up on my dream of playing DI softball.”

Lamb credits two mentors in particular for helping her over the hump during that tumultuous freshman year. Assistant Athletic Director Abbie Day served as her first athletics’ academic advisor. Science writer Sarah Hansen, M.S. ‘15, biological sciences, a communications manager in UMBC’s Office of Institutional Advancement, helped guide her toward new opportunities for her writing. 

“In a way, my grades are what kept me going—I always knew I had that to fall back on,” says Lamb. “I loved all of my classes at UMBC and I knew the professors wanted me to succeed.” 

“I took a great deal of pride in my GPA freshman year—and well, all of the years—because I knew if athletics was frustrating me, or something in my personal life wasn’t going quite right, I always had school to keep me motivated and focused,” she shares. That focus would pay off.

“I’ve had to adjust”

Ssengonzi came to UMBC after a distinguished swimming career at Green Hope High School. In addition to being a Meyerhoff Scholar, he quickly engaged with UMBC’s Grand Challenge Scholars Program. The program, which began just as he arrived at UMBC, gives students opportunities to work on multi-disciplinary teams to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing society today. 

Ssengonzi’s sophomore year started off strong. Beyond swimming and coursework, he presented his summer research at the UMBC Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day in 2018.

But throughout that 2017-18 year, Ssengonzi struggled as his father, Robert, was diagnosed with cancer. Robert lost his battle with the disease in the fall of 2018. Dealing with day to day life at school while staying engaged with family was difficult.

“The last three years or so have been tough on my family,” Ssengonzi says. “I’ve had to adjust to many things. Fortunately, I’ve been able to forge ahead with the help of several people.”

He credits his massive swimming and diving family and his fellow Meyerhoff Scholars for their support throughout his UMBC journey. He also thanks mentors Maria Sanchez, professor of the practice in mechanical engineering and COEIT’s director of education and outreach, and adjunct professor Joseph Washington, Ph.D. ‘15, mechanical engineering.

“Most importantly, he cares about people”

Ssengonzi flourished over the past two years. The team selected him as one of their captains in 2019-20. And despite dealing with a troublesome quad injury, he posted lifetime bests in all of his swims. His last moments in the water as a Retriever were spent celebrating the team’s third consecutive America East championship.

“Jethro is driven and focused, sensitive and hard-working, and most importantly, he cares about people,” said head swimming and diving coach Chad Cradock ‘97, psychology.

During spring break, Ssengonzi returned to North Carolina. He has not been back to campus since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. But he feels fortunate to stay connected with Retriever Nation remotely, and is already looking forward to his next steps. 

Ssengonzi will pursue a Ph.D. in civil engineering at nearby North Carolina State University this fall. There, he will focus on the restoration and improvement of urban infrastructure. It’s a topic fueled by his involvement with UMBC’s Grand Challenge Scholars Program.

Path to the championship

Lamb has also enjoyed tremendous growth and success since connecting with mentors and building her community of support. She was one of nine students selected to participate in the first UMBC Interdisciplinary CoLab in summer 2018. Her three-member team worked closely with the UMBC Sustainability Office and Climate Action Steering Committee. They created four engaging informational videos on the importance of environmental sustainability at UMBC. 

Under the direction of CoLab founder Carole McCann, professor and chair of gender, women’s and sexuality studies, Lamb also launched an independent project. She produced, directed, and filmed the video that UMBC now uses to publicize the CoLab program.

On the field, Lamb played in a career-high 27 games in 2019. But it was her steady, veteran leadership that helped the Retrievers to an improbable run to capture the 2019 America East Championship and compete in the NCAA Tournament. 

There, she also received the America East Elite 18 award. This honor recognizes the student-athlete with the highest GPA in each America East championship game.

“Kennedy Lamb is one of the hardest working, most caring, dedicated student-athletes I have had the privilege to work with over the years,” said head coach Chris Kuhlmeyer. “She is a prime example to all student-athletes at UMBC and across the nation of what it takes to live an exemplary life academically, athletically, and personally.”

Like many seniors, the COVID-19 outbreak has delayed Kennedy’s post-graduation plans. She awaits news about graduate school and internship opportunities in science writing at leading institutes.

High achievement with strong support

Athletic Director Brian Barrio sees Lamb and Ssengonzi’s experiences as reflecting something essential about the values of UMBC and UMBC Athletics. “The magnificent performance of Retriever student-athletes in the classroom speaks volumes about the values of this department and of UMBC as a whole,” he says. “I could not be more proud of the young men and women who put the work in to achieve these GPAs while also competing for championships on the playing fields.”

This fall, UMBC’s seventeen teams combined for a school-record grade-point average of 3.19 and 46 student-athletes earned President’s List honors (4.00 GPA). In addition to Lamb and Ssengonzi, two other UMBC scholar-athletes were valedictorian candidates for the Class of 2020. 

Abbey Farmer. Photo by UMBC Athletics.

Abigail “Abbey” Farmer, who hails from nearby Crofton, Maryland, is a dual major in health administration and policy and psychology. Before college, she swam with the Retriever Aquatics Club. Now, she is graduating in just three years with a 4.0 and as an active swimmer. She will begin a master’s degree in public policy at UMBC in the fall. And she’ll continue her swimming career.

Ilia Rattsev is completing his B.S. degree in bioinformatics and computational biology, along with a minor in computer science and a certificate of language studies in German. Rattsev came to UMBC from Moscow, Russia. He recently earned Eastern College Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Meet honors and the America East Elite 18 Award as the top student athlete at the championships, with a 3.97 GPA.

Rattsev has completed research in the lab of Maricel Kann, associate professor of biological sciences, where he developed a passion for cancer research. After graduation, he plans to continue his career in cancer research. He’s currently weighing graduate school and lab research options.

Barrio’s mind is always on how to support UMBC’s student-athletes in reaching their goals, whether that’s in the lab, on the field, or in their communities. For now, that support reaches students from a distance, but he’s already thinking ahead to when competition resumes post-pandemic. 

“The next time you come watch our teams compete,” Barrio says, “take a minute to reflect on how hard these Retrievers are working in all phases of their lives.”

Featured image: Jethro Ssengonzi (r) with fellow swimmer Diego Morales ’23 (l) at a home meet. Photo by Ian Feldmann ’20, courtesy of UMBC Athletics.

Article written by Steve Levy, associate athletic director for athletic communications.

UMBC students are no strangers to ingenuity. When a fire alarm went off during last year’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD), presenters rolled up their posters and continued discussing their work outside without skipping a beat. This year, due to COVID-19, the 24th annual iteration of URCAD calls for creative dexterity at a whole new level. 

Now spanning April 22 – 29, the event has transitioned to a week-long online symposium. (See project sneak peeks here!)

The virtual celebration of undergraduate achievement will allow presenters to showcase their research and interact with UMBC attendees through the VoiceThread (VT) platform. Students’ posters and slides—including art, performances, and video games—will be available all week long for any attendee to enjoy. 

Visitors can simply visit the URCAD presenter listing and click on the VT icon by any student project to access it. Projects will also be viewable by department.

“The students have shown an amazing amount of resilience during the transition to moving their presentations online for URCAD,” says April Householder ’95,visual and performing arts, director of undergraduate research and prestigious scholarships. 

“This, in itself, is a valuable research skill,” she shares. “One of the benefits of participating in URCAD is students learn that part of the research process is being able to adjust to ever-changing circumstances. Sometimes technologies fail. You lose data. Experiments don’t work. The ability to persevere and adapt is so important.” 

New platform, same depth of research

At the virtual event—like every year—viewers can expect robust research spanning a wide range of subjects. VoiceThread will facilitate audience engagement to mirror the in-person presentation experience. Those with a UMBC login will be able to make comments on the projects. And student presenters can receive feedback and respond to questions throughout the week.

Projects rooted in the humanities and social sciences will cover topics from around the globe, in the present and the past. One project examines South Africa as a case study in supporting a wide array of languages within a society. Others focus on inclusive sexual health education in public high schools and how the New York Times has covered immigration policy over time. One student will discuss “de-cyborging” herself by consciously detaching from her phone for set periods of time. 

Some of the research feels especially prescient as UMBC students take on issues in health and medicine. One project enhances and visualizes human disease networks to reduce healthcare costs. Another group of students is working on more effectively treating HIV, with research that could improve therapies targeting the HIV-1 replication cycle.

Other projects work to create technical solutions to real-world needs. Examples include voice-activated assistants for individuals who are blind as well as a design for an autonomous, low-cost, and accessible electric mobility vehicle.

Bypassing technical hurdles

While each discipline faces challenges in adapting to the new format, the visual and performing arts have additional barriers. Some of the showcases, originally meant to be staged as live performances, could not be filmed prior to social distancing. 

Now, students are working around the limitations by submitting rehearsal footage or stills in lieu of performances. Others are reimagining their performances in an online environment, using new recording technologies, says Householder. 

• “terminal,” choreographed by Emily Godfrey ’20, dance. Image courtesy of Godfrey.

Despite the change to a virtual venue, of the original 350 URCAD presenters, 330 still plan to participate in the event. This number nods to UMBC students’ resiliency in the face of this challenging moment.

Preserving the “spirit of URCAD”

Householder is heartened, but not surprised, by the ways UMBC students have risen to meet this challenge. After all, UMBC’s community of inquiring minds is not limited to a specific location.

With the students bringing their all to the event, she’s now working to encourage the UMBC community to join in as well, to appreciate and engage with students’ research and creative work.

“We invite faculty, staff, and students to ask questions, give feedback, and offer constructive criticism,” says Householder. “Our presenters will take those community reflections back to their labs, desks, and studios, to make their work even stronger.”

Featured image: From URCAD 2020 presenter Liam Garrett’s project “The Digital Art Movement: Its Role In Spreading Awareness About Endangered Animals.” Image courtesy of Liam Garrett ‘21, graphic design.

When her courses moved online in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Sammie Maygers ‘20, chemical engineering, knew staying connected with her UMBC community would need to be a top priority. In some ways, her experience changed substantially. But it was also a continuation of the same UMBC journey, powered by community support.

When Maygers was looking at colleges, she knew that UMBC was the place for her as soon as she heard about the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) from a high school classmate. When she visited campus, she says that it instantly felt like a family. “UMBC feels like home,” she says. “It’s inclusive.”

CWIT appealed to Maygers because it meant having a network of peers to work with and rely on. Her connections with new friends and mentors started the summer before her freshman year and continue as she heads toward graduation.

“One thing that CWIT does that is really fantastic is they send you on a retreat before the school year starts, with all of the new scholars,” she explains. “So when you move in, you’ve pretty much met all of the people who live on your floor. Even once people got busy, we were always doing work together and I had people who I could really trust.” 

Growing as a leader

Working to build and strengthen this community are dedicated CWIT staff. Maygers shares that Erica D’Eramo, assistant director for the CWIT Scholars Program, has been especially impactful on her UMBC experience, including helping her grow and develop as a leader. 

“Sammie has an enthusiasm and passion that is contagious,” says D’Eramo. “She has been a mentor to many students—as a ‘Big Wit’ peer mentor in CWIT, and in her Frisbee family, too. So many times I have heard students tell me how amazing it has been to have Sammie as a guide and, more importantly, as a close friend they can rely on.” 

Each incoming CWIT scholar is paired with an older student who is also a part of the program. As students move through the program, they become mentors to incoming scholars. Now a graduating senior, Maygers now has a “family” of younger scholars as well as alumni, and they connect regularly.

To sustain and grow these relationships during the pandemic, Maygers says that it is more important than ever to connect with her CWIT community outside of online classes. She intentionally sets aside time to virtually hang out with her mentees, friends, Chem-E-Car teammates, and classmates, including game nights. 

Community through student orgs 

The format of her classes this semester is helping Maygers stay connected during this difficult time. Most of her current courses are presentation-based. She and her classmates had previously been meeting virtually to develop their presentations, so that work has held steady. 

Other changes have been harder to adjust to. Maygers is a member of UMBC’s Chem-E-Car team, which builds and races vehicles powered by precise chemical reactions. The team was heading to a regional competition at Virginia Tech this month, but that’s no longer happening. 

“I’ve put a year and a half of work into the Chem-E-Car team, and I’ll never see it through,” Maygers says. She finds herself “mourning the things I was expecting to come.”

Another activity that has proven challenging for Maygers to carry on with is ultimate frisbee, but her close connections to teammates remain strong. In high school, she was a three-sport athlete, and it was important to her to find a way to stay active in college. Soon after arriving at UMBC, she learned about the ultimate frisbee club team from an older student in CWIT. Although practices are cancelled, UMBC’s ultimate frisbee team has held informal virtual meetups every week. 

Virtual connections

Intentionally maintaining all these connections has helped Maygers stay centered and motivated. One day that could be an online coffee with a friend. Another day it could be an online board meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, UMBC chapter.

Maygers is also continuing her work as a teaching fellow in Mark Marten’s chemical engineering kinetics course. “Being a teaching fellow has given me the opportunity to support students academically and personally. The course load of a student taking this level of chemical engineering courses can really be overwhelming, and I love helping students realize that making mistakes and failing helps them grow as an engineer.”

Maygers has conducted research alongside Marten, professor and chair of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering, since fall 2016. One of the most powerful lessons she’s learned from working with him is to be unafraid of learning new skills and making mistakes. This is one of the core messages she works to pass along to both students in the course and younger CWIT scholars.

Thoughtful engineering solutions

Maygers now has her eye on her steps after graduation, and who will be walking those steps with her. She will have a unique opportunity to continue working closely with friends from UMBC after she graduates this spring. 

As she has moved through the chemical engineering program, Maygers has become passionate about developing thoughtful engineering solutions. For her, this means solutions that are environmentally conscious and energy efficient. She looks forward to pursuing this passion as an engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) near Bethesda, Maryland. 

She and classmates Laina Colony ‘20, chemical engineering, and Zach Voelkel ‘20, mechanical engineering, learned about opportunities at the NSWC through a trip organized by UMBC’s Career Center. Not only were they all offered positions at the NSWC, but Colony and Maygers will have a chance to work together on the same team and be roommates, along with Voelkel.

A community of support welcomed Maygers to UMBC before she started classes freshman year. She thoughtfully grew that community during her time as a Retriever. Now, she’ll carry it with her to the next stage of her life and career.

Banner image: Sammie Maygers, right, with her roommates on campus. Photo courtesy of Maygers.