One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community.

• Dr. Freeman Hrabowski delivered a speech at Clemson University for its President’s Lecture Series on Leadership and Diversity, and was joined on stage by Clemson president Jim Clements ’85, computer science, M.S. ’91, operations analysis, Ph.D. ’93 operations analysis.
• William LaCourse, chemistry, collaborated with Loryn R. Keating of the County College of Morris on “a chemical detection method that can more quickly and effectively determine the purity of complex compounds.”
• Susan Dwyer, former associate professor and chair of philosophy and Honors College Advisory Board member, will become head of the Honors College at the University of Maryland in January.
• UMBC faculty are working with Ben Franklin High School in South Baltimore to bring research opportunities to that school’s students.
• UMBC, with the help of National Science Foundation funding, aims to create a virtual reality environment researchers can use to connect across disciplines.
• Patrick Doyle. sociology and anthropology, will be hosting an educational seminar on dementia at Brightview Woodbury Lake, a senior living community in Woodbury, N.J.
• Seniors Zach Esser and Nate Lewnes have been named captains of the 2015-16 UMBC lacrosse team.

Here at UMBC, we take pride in what our alums accomplish after graduation. Take a moment to see which Retrievers have been on the move and making news!

James P. Clements ’85, computer science, and ’91 M.S. and ’93 Ph.D., operations analysis, has been appointed to the American Council on Education’s board of directors. In an article on Greenville Online, Clements discusses his hopes of ensuring the interests of Clemson University and the state of South Carolina in a national market.

Click here to read the full article.

Erick Chavarria ‘05, acting,  stands out in Get Hard, a new comedy starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart. Chavarria is no stranger when it comes to Hollywood films, as he currently has supporting roles in other movies such as The Duff, the soon-to-be-released Our Brand is Crisis with Sandra Bullock, and Bone Tomahawk with Kurt Russell. Chavarria never considered himself to be a natural comedian, but, upon landing a few roles in Hollywood, he says started shifting from that mentality and is now living the dream.

To learn more about his career, click here.

Josh Massey ’14, interdisciplinary studies, was recently awarded the 2015 Collegetown LeaderShape PNC Grant. The grant is open to current and past participants and helps students work toward their visions in partnership with communities, non-profit agencies and schools to improve the Baltimore region.

Rod Womack ’95, philosophy, celebrates the publication of his first book, Redwood, the true story of a once-thriving Baltimore restaurant known for its tasty cuisine, sensational musical entertainment, and celebrity events. The story takes many twists and turns, and the conflict intensifies when the young men at the heart of the story later discover the unthinkable–that all along a serial killer was in their midst.

To find out more on Womack’s new release, click here.

Have a story of your own to share? Tell us about it in a class note.

Here at UMBC, we take pride in what our alums accomplish after graduation. Take a moment to see which Retrievers have been on the move and making news!

Clemson University President James Clements ’85 computer science and ’91 M.S. and ’93 Ph.D., operations analysis, recently reported on the state of Clemson University at the Florence Rotary Club. In particular, Clements said he is enthusiastic about the future of the school, eager to improve the Pee Dee Research and Education Center, and will look to motivate students and sport teams. Clements expressed a positive outlook of the future, fully supporting its students and faculty.  Read the full article.

Karen Wohlheiter ’11 Ph.D., psychology, recently took part in a panel of 48 experts from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia which discussed the Healthy Weight Program on ABC News. This program helps children between the ages of 2 through 18 to help the families make healthy changes in their lifestyles. These changes include healthy cooking alternatives and recipes, individual and group physical activities, and learning new skills. The main focus is to prevent and and treat childhood obesity. Read more.

Noah Weston ’05, computer science, is overseeing the development of the Modeling Simulation, Emulation and Tool for Analysis (MODESTA) at the U.S. Army RDECOM’s communications-electronics RD&E center. The goal of this is to reduce costs and improve collaboration efficiency. Learn more about Weston’s work.

Categorized as one of the Baltimore Sun’s 50 Women to Watch in 2014 is UMBC’s, Stephanie Hill ’86, computer science and economics. Hill is the VP and general manager of Lockheed Martin. In charge of more than 10,000 people across all 50 States and nine countries, Hill focuses on global solutions. Recently she has taken on a project working to enhance identifying suspects. Learn more about the 50 Women to Watch in 2014.

Have a story of your own to share? Submit a class note.