This week, Erin Weeks will graduate from UMBC with a degree in biology, a minor in psychology, and her mind set on the next steps of her career.

She will also be closing out one of the most challenging years of her life. During the pandemic, she not only had a baby, but also juggled caring for her mother while completing her final year at UMBC. 

“I feel so accomplished—I am excited!” says Weeks, who looks forward to taking part in Commencement with her family, including now almost one-year-old Joshua, Jr. 

“I’ve been working towards this degree for almost 9 years. So, it is surreal to actually be crossing the finish line. My family is happy and excited, as well. Everyone keeps telling me how proud they are that I kept pushing and didn’t give up.”

Although the promise of vaccinations and the gradual returns to pre-COVID-19 ways of life loom large, many in the Retriever community are, like Weeks, continuing to balance caretaking with their work and schooling. And more and more—whether they’re caring for children, providing assistance for aging parents, or balancing life with chronic illness—are turning to each other and resources offered by UMBC for support.

Erin Weeks (center) with her son, Joshua, Jr., her partner, and her mother. Photo courtesy of Weeks.

The Parental Balancing Act

Marshall Denise Turner is both a graduate student in UMBC’s master of arts in teaching program and an administrative assistant in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics—as well as the mother of a 7-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son. Finding time for her studies, while also assisting her daughter with school, has been difficult.

“The academic bar is a lot higher now than it was when I was a child, and I was extremely worried because my daughter was not at standard reading level as her kindergarten year was drawing to an end,” she says.  “I even faced my own mental distress while trying to figure out the technological, research, and writing expectations of me as a graduate student. I cried many tears during this time because I could not seem to catch a break.”

Turner has relied on UMBC’s preschool both for her toddler, and for her daughter, who Turner enrolled in an academic support class there. While it cost more to do so, she said, it was worth it “compared to the mental struggle of trying to balance everything with no break in sight,” she says. Doing so has also helped her weather the challenges of being a student herself, she says. As tough as it’s been, she’s proud of how resilient she’s become.

As the mother of a 5-year-old and a 9-year-old third grader with special needs, Adrienne Wheeler has learned it’s okay to accept help that is offered—and just as helpful to ignore unsolicited advice from well-meaning folks who could never truly understand her unique challenges.

“I realize that the intent is helpful but it’s very diminishing for someone to think they’ve hit upon the solution…as if I haven’t been mulling the questions for nigh on almost a year. It’s eroding,” says Wheeler, a business specialist with UMBC’s Maryland Institute for Policy, Analysis, and Research.

“The most helpful work resource I’ve had is my set of coworkers…they know what’s needed day-to-day, they’re generous with the time they have, and they give me much-needed grace.”

Adrienne Wheeler

What she does find helpful is the community she’s found through her family and her colleagues at UMBC, she said. (And escaping reality via her beloved comic books when she has a rare moment to herself.) She was also very happy when the pre-k at the Y Preschool at UMBC daycare re-opened this spring. 

“The most helpful work resource I’ve had is my set of coworkers…they know what’s needed day-to-day, they’re generous with the time they have, and they give me much-needed grace,” she says. “My sib, Alynn, has also been with me throughout this whole thing. They’ve driven in from Pittsburgh almost weekly for the last 10 months to help my son with school, my daughter with hugs, and me with everything else.”

Mutual Understanding

Although each situation is ultimately different, many have found similarities among their circumstances as caregivers. Both Matt Fagan, assistant professor in geography and environmental systems, and Joanna Gadsby, instruction coordinator and reference librarian, have two kids. Both are extremely grateful for the community pods that give their children chances for socialization—and allow them a bit of catch-up time.

Matt Fagan on campus before the pandemic. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11.

Despite the upsides of their situations, or maybe because of those positives, both Fagan and Gadsby took on roles with a faculty-focused caregiving advisory group in Fall 2020 to try to make things easier on their UMBC colleagues as a whole. (A similar group has been formed to focus on staff issues.)

“The teaching is just hard. It’s hard to have very specific hours that are set and you can’t be with your kids. So if your wife has a work emergency, you can’t help. It’s a big imposition on one’s partner, and it’s just hard,” says Fagan, who is in third-year review for tenure but is also trying to carve out time with his kids, ages 4 and 6. That means relying more on his teaching assistant, offering more virtual office hours, and maintaining an active discussion board. 

Headshot courtesy of Gadsby.

Gadsby, who has kids in second and fourth grade, has been teaching library instruction and a first-year seminar class. The experience has made her think a lot about how much she “used to outsource for so many kinds of tasks,” she says.

“I’m not just doing my job, and making sure they are doing okay at school, and checking on my parents. I’m also the person who is saying, ‘Did you eat today? Did you drink enough water? Did you get up and take a break? Did you talk to another human? Have you been outside?’” she says. “Normally there are so many more people in our life checking on those kinds of things. Like, ‘Did you participate in class? Did you check on that last assignment? Did you go back to the checklist? Did you ask a friend for his notes?’ It’s exhausting. Now I’m doing what like 25 other people used to do.”

Through their advisory committee, Gadsby and Fagan and others have held listening sessions to better understand how caretakers on the faculty could help each other. They’re also conscious that although vaccinations will begin to open up opportunities, it will take a while for folks to recover from how the pandemic has affected families.

“As hard as everything’s been, I still feel really privileged to be on this committee,” said Gadsby. “We’ve been able to work at home. The kids are able to stay home. We’ve got a pretty good community, so we’re doing okay. And I wanted to be able to do something to try to ease the burden of anyone else right now. It’s just so much.”

Making Time for Self Care

Before the pandemic, Katharine Scrivener was often pretty quiet about her chronic illness at work. But when COVID-19 struck, and work as we knew it turned on its head, she found herself compelled to speak up for herself and others.

Scrivener, the assistant director of alumni and development communications, recently joined a staff-facing caregivers group in order to share her experiences. She hopes that those in her shoes might find care and community just as other types of caregivers may.

Katharine Scrivener with Officer Chip at a pre-pandemic Giving Day on campus. Photo courtesy of Scrivener.

“I’m not sure I had ever really thought about the fact that I could apply the term ‘caregiver’ to myself because I don’t think it’s talked about in that way, even though it really rightfully should be,” says Scrivener, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 16. 

“And I think part of that is I’ve never found a community at work of people with similar circumstances. And even until this committee, I don’t think I knew very many people at UMBC who maybe dealt with something like this. And so it’s really validating to know I’m not the only one who feels this way or struggles with these things. And I feel I have a sense of connectedness and community I didn’t have before.”

As UMBC begins to plan for return to campus, Scrivener says she hopes the community will learn from the pandemic experience about how best to leverage technology to make the working experience more equitable for those with chronic illnesses. She also hopes to continue to confront ableism as she encounters it.

“I would tell other caregivers that they’re doing a good job…It’s so important to hear that.”

Erin Weeks

“I’m really hopeful that we will continue to be acknowledged and recognized as a part of all of this work that we’re doing about return to campus and flexibility and caregiving and inclusion, and that we can really affect some change,” Scrivener says. “On the one hand, I’m grateful this conversation is happening now. On the other hand, I think I’m a little disappointed it had to take a global pandemic to really look at the fact that remote work and flexible schedules are doable and beneficial to a lot of people.”

Celebrating Successes

With her diploma almost in hand, Weeks is ready to celebrate with her family. But she’s also reflecting on what it has taken to make it through her final year. Patience. Support from her partner. And making the most of whatever free moments she could find to take care of herself—either by taking a walk, or getting some frozen yogurt.

It’s important, she says, to “lean on each other,” and celebrate the resilience born of this moment.

“I would tell other caregivers that they’re doing a good job,” she says. “It’s so important to hear that.”

* * * * *

UMBC is offering a number of resources for caregivers of all types. Join the myUMBC Moms and Parents group to connect and share resources. Or visit the Resources for Parents and Caregivers website for additional caregiver resources.

Header image by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC Magazine.

This week, UMBC announced plans to reopen the campus for the Fall 2021 semester, providing most courses and campus services face-to-face or in a hybrid format.

“I cannot wait to walk across campus and to again see it busy with students, faculty, and staff,” said President Freeman Hrabowski. “It will be very special to reclaim the vibrant campus community life that we have all missed.”

He and Provost Philip Rous have cited ongoing progress in COVID-19 vaccine access and updated public health guidance as key factors in the university’s planning.

This news comes just over a year after UMBC temporarily moved most teaching and learning, community building, research, and other operations online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We know that our students really miss seeing their friends on campus. And they miss being able to go to in-person events and connect with their professors face-to-face,” says Nancy Young, vice president for Student Affairs. 

“We’ve discovered innovative ways to help Retrievers find community and stay connected online during the pandemic,” she shares. “At the same time, we know how meaningful it will be for returning students to connect in person once again, and for incoming students to have opportunities for in-person experiences.”

The COVID-19 Planning Coordinating Committee has been working with faculty, staff, and student leaders across the university to plan for a fall that offers opportunities to live, learn, and work on campus, with appropriate safety measures in place. Plans also take into account the diverse needs and individual health concerns of UMBC community members.

Classes, housing, and events

Course registration is now open for both undergraduate and graduate students. Most courses will be offered in-person or in a hybrid format. The university will continue to make additions to the Schedule of Classes over the coming months.

UMBC is preparing to reopen residence halls at up to 95 percent occupancy. More information about housing spaces, rates, and adjustments to meet public health guidance will be available soon.

The university is planning a full Fall 2021 calendar of on-campus events open to both residential and off-campus students.

Yvette Mozie-Ross. Image courtesy of Mozie-Ross.

“We are excited to be able to return to offering a fully immersive on-campus experience this fall,” says Yvette Mozie-Ross ’88, health science and policy. She serves as vice provost for enrollment management and planning.

“These experiences help to enrich the academic and social life at UMBC for many of our students,” says Mozie-Ross. “We are also excited to carry forward all that we learned during the pandemic about ways that online learning, support, and community-building resources can complement on-campus courses and services.”

Facilities for recreation, well-being, and learning

Brian Barrio, 2019

Over the past year, UMBC fully renovated the Retriever Activities Center (RAC). The updated space will offer expanded recreation facilities. These include a track, cardio-training, weight-training, spinning, group exercise space, and basketball courts.

The building really has been transformed,” says Brian Barrio, UMBC’s director of Athletics. “There will be something for everyone’s recreational or fitness needs. It is really exciting.”

A brand new student well-being facility is under construction next to Erickson Field. It will soon house UMBC’s health, counseling, restorative services, and spiritual resources.

The university continues to thoughtfully plan for the reopening of additional facilities and community spaces, including the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery, The Commons, performance spaces, and other gathering spaces.

Ongoing focus on safety, flexibility

“We look forward to a much more active on-campus community this fall,” says President Hrabowski. “At the same time, we know the pandemic is not over. We must continue to be as flexible as possible.”

UMBC will continue to rigorously follow local, state, and federal public health guidance. This includes safety measures regarding testing, symptom tracking, mandatory mask wearing, hygiene, ventilation, physical distancing, and space occupancy, as required. 

The university strongly encourages all students, faculty, and staff to seek vaccination for COVID-19 once they are eligible. Campus leaders note that current public health guidance indicates increased vaccination will enable more expansion of in-person activities.

“We are constantly following the science and public health guidance,” says Young, “and the science says that the more vaccinated our community becomes, the more open we can be.”

“We have been thrilled to hear about expanding access to highly effective COVID-19 vaccines,” she shares. “It’s really been a game-changer for us, to be able to look ahead with optimism for seeing each other again soon, on campus.”

Knowing that individual community members have different situations and concerns, UMBC will continue to emphasize flexibility and responsiveness in meeting diverse student, faculty, and staff needs. 

Community members with questions about COVID-19 and the Fall 2021 semester can contact covid19@umbc.edu.

Featured image: UMBC Orientation Peer Advisors in 2018. Photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC unless otherwise noted.

For some fall 2020 graduates, the day they finish their final class won’t look much different from any other day of working and studying from home—they’re saving their celebration for when they snag their dream job or when it’s safe to throw a party. For others, the occasion will mark the end of a very long road, so some proper pomp is necessary. 

Shelissa Kearney ’20, sociology, is one of the latter students. “I can’t go anywhere right now, but I’m going to celebrate,” says Kearney, who last took classes at UMBC in 2014. “I’ll have a nice dinner with my husband and my son. It’s nice to see all of this come to fruition, and I need to acknowledge that.”

To understand Kearney’s commitment to celebration is to know that her first semester at UMBC was in spring 1997. Kearney graduated from high school two years early to jump-start her modeling career, but didn’t want to forgo an education—two of her parents have Ph.D.s, so she knew the value of a degree.

Shelissa Kearney first attended UMBC in 1997. After some educational starts and stops, she graduates in December 2020. Photo courtesy of Kearney.

“If I was traveling for work, I would schedule my classes to try to make it work with some juggling here and there, because I really wanted to go to school,” Kearney says. But completing her degree with a heavy work and travel schedule took longer than she’d hoped.

Early on in her studies, Kearney says one of her biology professors—in an attempt to encourage her to double down academically—said, “Shelissa, at this pace, you’re going to be 34 before you graduate.” Kearney laughs, “I’ve clearly passed that mark, but I finally did it.”

Creating a path to return

It’s standard practice for UMBC to reach out to Retrievers who have earned at least 60 credits and are in good standing academically, but not currently enrolled in classes, says Yvette Mozie-Ross ’88, vice provost for enrollment management and planning. The goal is to encourage them to return to finish the degrees they are so close to completing. This year, with the rapid move to online learning, students who paused their education have been able to return in larger numbers than ever before.

Of the approximately 120 students who returned to complete their degree (through a program termed Finish Line), roughly a fourth of them only needed one more semester to do so, and will graduate in December 2020. 

“Our staff have been energized by our engagement in the Finish Line program,” says Ken Baron, assistant vice provost for academic advising and student success. “We love to help students overcome barriers to complete degrees. Many of these students were close to graduating in the past, so enabling them to return now, especially during COVID, is particularly meaningful.”

Substantial online class offerings have been the key to students’ return, says Baron. With remote working arrangements becoming more mainstream in late spring and summer, “many of these students found themselves in the best possible time to return to college since leaving UMBC.”

Finding closure in the last class

Some students, like Kearney, needed nearly a full course load to finalize their degree; others only needed one specific course to get their diploma. Sam Oh ’20, business technology administration, was actually able to participate in the spring 2017 graduation ceremony, but needed to retake one requirement to receive his degree. 

After his father had a stroke, Oh wasn’t able to immediately return to UMBC. In his time away, he began pursuing certifications in Excel and as a data analyst, becoming familiar with SQL coding. After he graduates, he’ll apply for jobs as a business or data analyst.

For Oh, retaking Introduction to Management Science online this fall, has been a “do-it-yourself experience, which I love.” 

His advice for other students, who might be going through something similar to him in 2017: “Be honest and inform your current professors in advance. Based on my personal experience, most of them will be willing to give you extensions on your assignments or may even exempt whatever is due at the time based on the circumstances.”

And even though Oh has already had the Commencement experience, he says, “I will without doubt have a sense of closure after I finish my final exam next week.” 

Overcoming the final obstacle

Steven Heckman is another student only one class shy of graduation. A computer science major, Heckman was held up by the final language credit he was completing abroad in summer 2019. “Unfortunately, I got sick and other things happened that didn’t allow me to earn a grade I could transfer back to UMBC,” says Heckman.

Stymied by this language requirement, Heckman says he wasn’t initially eager to return to finish his degree, but his parents encouraged him to think about how much work he had already completed to get this far in his studies. 

Heckman, left, with the UMBC Game Development Club in spring 2019. Photo courtesy of Heckman.

The process was more straightforward than he expected.“Coming back to school now has let me take the class online, and not have to commute,” says Heckman. Plus, he says, the asynchronous format of Japanese 201—his final class—is better suited for him as someone with ADD to be able to review the material at his own pace. 

Heckman sees the increased online offerings, along with the detailed Blackboard calendars and other tools instructors are making use of now, as essential for reaching students who might not excel in the traditional lecture hall environment.

Looking back at his years at UMBC, he cites lecturer Kalman Nanes as particularly forward-thinking in making course resources available online. Nanes, who taught him linear algebra, took the time to record and post his lectures for students. “As someone who loses attention easily, the extra effort Professor Nunes put into his class not only made it easier for me to learn, but he also made me care about a new subject.” 

Expanding access

Ken Baron agrees with Heckman’s assessment that online accessibility will benefit the entire campus community. “I believe we have learned considerably, during a remarkably short period,” says Baron, “how powerful online courses are regarding the needs of our student population.” 

Whatever life looks like on campus after a vaccine is widely available, he continues, “we believe our Finish Line students are a successful case study, clearly demonstrating the need for a mix of instructional options as we move into the post-COVID era.”

An achievement at any stage

Christopher Lee, a UX content strategist for Facebook, and a Finish Line student completing his final class at UMBC, says the chance to participate in class while still engaged in his professional life has been rewarding. 

The perceived stigma of returning to college to finish his degree kept Lee away longer than he planned. Headshot courtesy of Lee.

“Having been a working professional for seven years at this point, I’ve spent more time in the ‘real world’ than in undergrad,” he says. “I understand how the world works in a deeper, more nuanced way. My experiences inform my perspectives on the topics we discussed in class, and I’m better equipped to articulate them now.”

As someone who began his academic experience more than a decade ago, Lee, a psychology major, says it took him too long to return to finish his degree. 

“At first, I believed I would feel like it was a stigma, since it felt like an achievement I should’ve completed years ago,” he shares. “Thankfully, I got over that, and focused on the fact that my journey is uniquely my own, and it likely wouldn’t matter to my professor and classmates. Turns out, it didn’t.”

“A necessary step”

Shelissa Kearney is now a children’s book author. Her book I Wish, published in January 2020, focuses on not comparing yourself to others. As someone who is finishing up a 20-year journey to receive her degree, Kearney wants to celebrate the value of each person’s unique experience.

Kearney poses with a copy of her book I Wish, published in 2020. Photo courtesy of Kearney.

“For me, this last semester has been a shining star in the dark sky of this year,” says Kearney. “This has been a really long process, and it’s my personal goal to finish. I’ve done a lot of things in my life, but for me, this was a necessary step to complete.”

In addition to her end-of-school celebration, Kearney whole-heartedly looks forward to attending an in-person graduation ceremony, when it’s safe to hold one. Since she graduated high school early, she has never experienced walking across the stage, shaking hands with professors, and sharing those celebratory moments with family. 

“This will be my first one,” says Kearney, “and I definitely plan to be there.”

Banner image: Balloons outside of the UMBC Event Center after the spring 2019 Commencement. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11.

As the pandemic surged across the country last spring, university arts venues closed their doors, but that didn’t stop UMBC artists from creating. Without the traditional opportunities for collaboration that can be so important in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts, they turned to new approaches and to individual projects with determination and passion.

Time for research and writing

For Brianna Harper, B.A. ’20, visual arts, the pandemic represented an opportunity to focus on her research and writing. “Actually, I’m lucky. What I do is I hole up, I research, and I write,” she says. “During COVID I was able to focus on the materials, synthesizing information without any distractions.”

Harper’s research focuses on the enigmatic paintings of the Swedish artist Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), whose artwork she discovered by chance on a 2019 visit to the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Her capstone project, presented at both URCAD and the Exit Art exhibition in spring 2020, explored the spiritual influences on af Klint’s paintings by using contemporary astrological processes to interpret the art.

“The premise of the paper is that Hilma af Klint created this huge breadth of work, Paintings for the Temple, and yet she didn’t really understand what it meant. She felt she was almost painting the words of ethereal beings, or painting their ideas, sort of like a prophet of theosophy in a way,” says Harper. 

“Because her work has astrological symbolism, with which I’m familiar, I was able to synthesize the astrological practices of that time, the early 20th century, and then use that to track her work patterns to see what astrological themes appeared in skies at certain points in her life,” Harper explains. “So it was using 19th-century theosophical astrology as a lens to deepen our understanding of Hilma af Klint’s Painting for the Temple.”

“Noting the deep influence of astrology on af Klint’s artistic practice and spiritual life, Brianna melded iconology, a well-established mode of analyzing artworks, with her own specialized knowledge of astrology,” notes Preminda Jacob, associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of visual arts, who was Harper’s advisor. “The outcome of Brianna’s research was a uniquely exciting interpretation of visual artworks.”

Bonding together

Celine “CJ” Jones-Cameron, B.A. ’20, theatre, will graduate this week having developed a broad range of skills across the discipline. “I really enjoy acting, I really enjoy doing tech, and I really enjoy carpentry and building sets,” she says. “I like the idea that I now have opportunities to do so much because my background is so well-rounded.”

She notes that theatre productions can be complex, involving not only actors, but also set designers, carpenters, costume designers, sound and light designers, directors, vocal coaches and more. During performances, each of those professionals has to coordinate with split-second accuracy. It’s the unifying experience of the performance that most fascinates her.

UMBC’s theatre department usually stages two productions each semester. But their regular kind of collaborative work just wasn’t feasible once students had to pivot to online and socially-distanced learning.

Still, Jones-Cameron noticed an outpouring of empathy from her fellow theatre students, and feels that their inability to stage productions actually brought them closer together. “It’s been nice to see us talk to each other more,” she said. Thanks to the “closeness” of students in the department, she says, “I think we adjusted pretty well.”

“CJ always finds a way to take challenges and difficult situations and merge them with humor. She is a leader and a constant source of energy,” says Adam Mendelson, senior lecturer in the theatre department and one of CJ’s teachers. “The most impressive thing about CJ is her undaunted ability to keep pushing her own boundaries and definitions of what she is capable of even in the face of unprecedented national challenges.”

Jones-Cameron plans to begin auditioning and working in Los Angeles or New York, possibly with a focus on children’s theatre, which has long been one of her passions.

Finding his voice

Pramuk Mohanlal-Vargas B.A. ’20, music and global studies, has lived in his native Paraguay, in India, and in the United States, so an emphasis in global studies came naturally. “I love traveling and learning about different cultures and people,” he shares. And his interest in music similarly came about at a young age — “I grew up singing and playing piano,” he says, “and then I took interest in acoustic guitar.”

Mohanlal-Vargas’s musical path has led him to emerge as a singer-songwriter (going by his first name, Pramuk). During the pandemic he managed to complete and release his first album, an EP titled Ordinary Soul, on November 27. 

His teacher, Sammy Huh, an affiliate artist in the music department and director of UMBC’s Opera Workshop, describes him as “possessing a beautiful Mozartean tenor instrument and dynamic guitar skills.”

At UMBC, Mohanlal-Vargas has participated in the Camerata Chamber Choir, the Opera Workshop and other ensembles. He credits these opportunities as having helped him gain exposure to a diversity of genres and historical periods. 

“UMBC has helped me grow, learning a lot about Renaissance music, classical, romantic — different time periods — different composers and their lives, and even a lot of the theoretical side of things,” he says. “I never would have thought that opera is what I would be studying in college. Singing in Italian, in German, in French — it’s a beautiful thing.”

The past several months have provided Mohanlal-Vargas time for introspection and reflection. “It’s kind of a strange feeling — all virtual, not performing in front of a live audience. That’s what’s made it challenging,” he says. “But it’s also helped me become more grounded, be more still in the moment.”

Banner image: Girls on a Dirt Pile (2019) by Susan McCully, directed by Eve Muson, a production for which Celine Jones-Cameron was a theatrical electrician. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Daniel Akin sat out most of his sophomore year of basketball due to a torn meniscus. When the pandemic hit last spring, he worried his senior season would be lost, as well. So, when he found out the Retrievers would play a 2020 – 21 season after all, Akin was thrilled.

“It means a lot to be able to play this year because of the initial suspense of not knowing whether we were even going to have a season,” says Akin, a senior sociology major. 

Thanks to diligent, strict adherence to COVID testing guidelines, and a supportive community, both Retriever basketball teams plan to return to play this winter. 

Although current state guidelines will prevent fans from attending the games to start the campaign, coaches and players alike are excited to make Retriever Nation proud from afar.

Preparing for a unique season

“This season comes with so many obstacles, but we’re ready for the highs and lows,” says Johnetta Hayes, UMBC Women’s Basketball head coach. “We’ve decided to attack this newfound, temporary way of gameplay with a positive attitude and open mind.”

So, what exactly does prepping for a season amidst a global pandemic look like? Structured. And a little bit weird. After returning to campus, players adhered to a six-week resocialization plan where they were sequestered into pods and began the process of reacclimating to training. 

“The prep this season has been completely different,” says Akin. “We didn’t have summer workouts, so we had less time to get ready for the season.”

Jen Gast ‘21, psychology, a forward on the women’s team, shares, “We work out and then have to leave the gym. We do film over Zoom and other things as a team as much as we can to make it so we are closer on the court.”

Keeping up with safety protocols

With an emphasis on curtailing the possibility of injury, players continued training and ultimately transitioned to team play. While returning to full court seems normal, all COVID-19 policies had to be strictly followed. This included sanitation protocols, weekly COVID testing for anyone involved in play, no shared spaces among other sports, and vigilant symptom monitoring, among other safety precautions. 

“I am extremely proud of our student-athletes and their resiliency and adherence to our protocols during these challenging times. Our safety protocols are only effective if they are respected and adhered to,” says Stacy Carone, associate athletic director, sports medicine. “Our sports medicine team built solid protocols, but our student-athletes are the stars of this show.”

“I would say I was hesitant at first as to how it was going to work with wearing masks during playing and all of the other needed safety precautions, but Athletics is doing a good job making this transition easy and doable,” says Gast. 

Retriever Nation cheers from afar

In accordance with America East and NCAA policies, this year is going to look a little different from the fan perspective, as well. When the Retrievers begin play this season, they’ll be doing so without fans in the audience to cheer them on. But even if they can’t hear the roar of the crowd, Retriever Nation is still rooting for the home team. 

Local fan John Lotz shares, “Even if my wife and I can’t be there in person we want to show our support to the players. We want them to know that we will be rooting for them while watching at home as much as if we were at the games.”

To give the players a sense of audience support, fans can purchase cardboard cutouts to have displayed in the stands. Those who bought season tickets have access to exclusive streaming content. 

“We wanted to create a unique season ticket package that gives our loyal fan base an opportunity to continue to support UMBC Basketball as our student-athletes return to competition,” explains Seth Nagle, assistant director for annual giving, athletics. “The familiar faces on gameday, even in cardboard cutout form, will remind our athletes of the overwhelming support we have received in offsetting costs related to the measures put in place to allow a safe return to athletic activities and competition.”

Returning to what they love

More than anything, players and coaches are just happy to get back to doing what they love. 

“It’s been great to be around our players, staff, and overall basketball family again,” says Ryan Odom, Men’s Basketball head coach. “We’ve been working hard to prepare for the season and our players have been great. They come to work hard every day and are excited about the prospects for the season.”

Want to show your support for #RetrieverNation? Consider submitting words of encouragement and photos or videos to cheer on our teams! 

Banner image: Retriever barbell. All photos by Dmitri Floyd ’21, media and communication studies. 

Five months after moving classes online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UMBC community is preparing for a fall semester unlike any before. UMBC has been gradually transitioning to limited on-campus research and creative activity since June. When the fall semester starts on August 27, a small proportion of Retrievers will live, study, and work on campus, after completing detailed health and safety requirements. Most classes and work continue to progress remotely, using tools and approaches enhanced throughout the summer months. 

To create a roadmap for the fall, UMBC has relied on a strong tradition of community collaboration, bringing together committees of faculty, staff, and students to address every aspect of campus activity. In this way, UMBC can continue to live out its strong commitment to inclusive excellence and provide a distinctive academic and social experience during this unprecedented time. UMBC leaders are also in regular communication with the University System of Maryland (USM), and local and state leaders, about new policies guiding campus health and safety efforts.

For Joshua Gray ’22, dance, who will be living on campus during the fall semester, knowing that so many people have been involved in discussions about community health and safety, as well as supporting student success, is reassuring. “I could tell that no decision was made without many people in the room,” Gray says. 

COVID-19 testing and symptom tracking

All students, faculty, and staff who are approved to return to campus for the fall semester are required to take a COVID-19 test and submit their results prior to the start of the semester. They are also required to complete daily online symptom tracking beginning 14 days before arriving on campus. Symptom tracking will continue throughout the semester.

In addition to these University System of Maryland requirements, UMBC is also requiring all returning Retrievers to complete an online health and safety training. Students will also be required to read and sign a new community agreement focused on actions to decrease the risk of COVID-19 transmission on campus. 

Health and safety protocols 

At a virtual town hall for UMBC staff held on July 1, Lenn Caron, assistant vice president for Facilities Management, described several measures UMBC is taking to minimize the spread of COVID-19. 

UMBC’s Facilities Management office has been working closely with campus leadership and ABM, the custodial company contracted by UMBC, to ensure that spaces and buildings are continually sanitized. This includes cleaning all high-touch surfaces multiple times per day, such as restrooms, elevators and elevator buttons, handrails, and doorknobs.

ABM staff have received specialized training on how to safely and effectively sanitize and disinfect spaces on campus. They also are supplied with masks, gloves, and other protective gear in order to protect themselves from possible contact with COVID-19.

In preparation for additional Retrievers to be on campus this fall, Facilities Management has also installed dozens of hand sanitizing and cleaning stations. New signage will remind those on campus to wear a mask and to physically distance. 

In addition to the total number of people on campus being limited, UMBC is limiting the number of people allowed in specific lab, office, and classroom spaces, and modifying spaces as needed to support physical distancing. UMBC is also providing masks to all staff who are required to be on campus to complete their jobs. 

Preparing to learn online

This fall, 89 percent of courses will be held fully online, 9 percent will be hybrids (including one or more in-person class sessions) and 2 percent will be in-person. No classes will be held on-campus after Thanksgiving break. Previously on-campus courses will resume virtually after that time. Residence halls will also not reopen after Thanksgiving break, as a safety precaution.

Tirzah Khan ’20, information systems, is looking forward to the fall semester, but also knows she will have to implement a new routine and boundaries so she can minimize interruptions and distractions while studying at home. Khan typically commutes to campus, but this semester will be taking classes online. She says that she is used to living with her parents and brother, but she misses her commute. Before the pandemic, that travel time helped her set mental boundaries between school and home. 

Khan explains that she’s approaching the fall semester with the mindset that she can’t fully prepare herself for the semester. Because there is so much unknown about how COVID-19 will unfold in the coming months, she is focusing on being adaptable. 

As an information systems major, Khan explains that many of her classes had online components even when classes were in person. However, the second half of the spring 2020 semester, when classes moved online abruptly in response to the pandemic, posed challenges. Khan says it took thought and creativity to find new ways to stay in touch with friends and classmates and to connect with faculty. 

The importance of building connections has shaped UMBC’s in-person, hybrid, and online course offerings for the fall, as well as strategies to support students.

Preparing to teach online

Several criteria helped campus leaders determine which courses would be held in-person, online, or as a hybrid this fall. These factors included whether courses required special spaces, equipment, or material that could not be reproduced in an online environment. Other considerations included whether courses involved research projects or creative activities that would require in-person work. Some community-building classes, like First-Year Seminars, will also be held fully or partially in-person.

All instructors teaching in-person or hybrid courses will have plans in place to accommodate students who are unable to come to campus, or do not feel comfortable doing so. 

Last spring, UMBC faculty had to rapidly shift courses that were originally designed for face-to-face instruction to a remote format in a matter of days. In contrast, fall online classes have been intentionally designed for online instruction, and faculty have been building their online teaching skills throughout the summer.

Hundreds of faculty across all departments have participated in UMBC’s Planning Instructional Variety for Online Teaching (PIVOT) training this summer. PIVOT training helps instructors take a deliberate approach to preparing effective and engaging online courses and creating collaborative classroom experiences. 

“Since May, we have engaged well over 300 faculty who took the PIVOT training program, which is based on nationally recognized Quality Matters Standards for effective online course design,” says Sarah Shin, associate provost for academic affairs. “About 450 instructors are participating in more intensive, and discipline-based PIVOT+ learning communities that are facilitated by expert faculty.” 

In addition, Shin notes, “our faculty are supported by our Faculty Development Center and Division of Information Technology with expertise in online and hybrid instructional technology, course design, and assessment.”

Building community

UMBC’s residence halls will be at less than 50 percent capacity during the fall semester and on-campus events will be designed with strict safety measures in mind. Still, UMBC is focused on providing a robust student experience beyond the classroom, and community-building is key. 

“At each point in planning for the fall, we’ve been very thoughtful about the decisions we’re making and how they impact the community,” says Nancy Young, vice president for student affairs. “Our ability to work across offices, and look at our students’ mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health as a whole, has been crucial.”

Continuing to build community among students is important to Khan, Gray, and Tess McRae ’21, individualized studies, who are each involved in groups on campus that facilitate connections. 

McRae is an intern in UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life, and has been thinking about what the Center’s community-focused events might look like this coming semester. Staff and students in the Center for Democracy and Civic Life (CDCL) have met regularly throughout the summer to plan meaningful events that will be held online during the fall. These include events related to the 2020 election and online Change Makers Dinners that will create space for community conversations among students and local leaders. 

Gray, who is also involved in the CDCL, agrees that creating opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to connect with each other is an important element of the UMBC experience. Khan is involved in CDCL and is also the vice president for design for UMBC’s Student Events Board (seb). She shares that (seb) is actively discussing how to engage both students who are living on campus and students who are completing their courses virtually, through positive community experiences. 

Collaboration and innovation

Staff in UMBC Campus Life, CDCL, Off-Campus Student Services, Residential Life, and Identity, Inclusion & Belonging areas have similarly been working to develop events and activities that will engage all students, in person and online. To support virtual events throughout the semester, UMBC’s Division of Information Technology has integrated WebEx teams into the myUMBC platform. This will allow student organizations, as well as offices across UMBC, to engage with community members and stay connected throughout the semester.

Behind the scenes of the student experience, faculty and staff have been working throughout the summer to support all aspects of the UMBC community while navigating pandemic-related challenges. Most faculty and staff members will continue to work remotely during the fall semester, with many juggling care for children and other family members. Human Resources has responded with information and resources to support flexibility for faculty and staff balancing these commitments, including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

Through collaboration and innovation, the UMBC community is prepared for a semester that will focus on supporting and celebrating all community members. Relationships are more important than ever, emphasized President Freeman Hrabowski at the latest faculty and staff town hall event, held on August 19. “I want to thank all of you for all that you’re doing,” he said. “Being part of a community means that you’re connected to everyone else.”

Banner image: Black and gold confetti. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Clinical trials seeking a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 are galloping forward around the world, and Kizzmekia Corbett and Barney Graham’s research team at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) continues to lead the pack.

In a study of non-human primates published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicinelast week, the team became the first to demonstrate that their vaccine successfully stopped viral replication in both the lungs and nose. The findings were a significant advance compared to previous studies, which only showed protection in the lungs. The day after Corbett’s results were published, Johnson & Johnson published similar results for their vaccine, although the animals in the Johnson & Johnson trial were exposed to a lower amount of the virus.

“Protection in the upper airway is something that’s hard to come by, so it’s a big deal,” says Corbett ’08, M16, biological sciences and sociology, scientific lead for the Coronavirus Vaccines Team at the NIAID Vaccine Research Center. “We were very excited when we saw it.”

Next steps

The next step is a phase III human trial, which began with 30,000 participants on July 27. The participants will either receive the vaccine or a placebo, “and then they will go live their lives, and either be exposed to the coronavirus or not,” Corbett says. Over time, enough of the participants will be exposed so that researchers can measure the efficacy of the vaccine. 

Earlier this summer, the University System of Maryland (USM) COVID-19 Task Force invited members of the USM community to develop mobile apps that would help Maryland residents respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the six winning teams just announced are two groups from UMBC. One team developed an app to support the healthcare of people with COVID-19. The other focused on connecting residents with dining options and restaurant policies as they change during the pandemic.

Community participation

Each of the six winning teams received a $3,000 award, provided by UMBC’s Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship. The apps submitted were reviewed by a panel of judges from large corporations, start-up companies, and academia. 

Undergraduate and graduate students were invited to participate, as well as university staff, faculty, postdoctoral researchers, members of USM-affiliated startup companies and small businesses. Winners hailed from UMBC, University of Baltimore, Towson University, and University of Maryland, College Park.

Tracking health conditions of COVID-19 patients

• Kirubel Tolosa. Photo courtesy of Tolosa.
• Pradeep Prakash. Photo courtesy of Prakash.
• Raghav Deivachilai. Photo courtesy of Deivachilai.

In the community category, Kirubel Tolosa M.S. ‘23, information systems; Pradeep Margasahayam Prakash M.S. ‘21, information systems; and Raghav Deivachilai M.S. ‘23, computer science, created an app called Follow-up. The app enables healthcare providers to track the condition of people with COVID-19 who are isolating at home. By receiving regular symptom updates, physicians and nurses are able to more easily follow-up with their patients as needed.

The Follow-up app interface. Image courtesy of the Follow-up team.

The Follow-up team entered the app challenge with the goal of developing an app that would help address the spread of the virus and its impact on affected individuals. At the same time, they knew they had to design and prototype their app in a short time frame, so their scope and requirements had to be manageable.

“This challenge has taught us the value of teamwork and collaboration,” said Tolosa, on behalf of the group. “We are looking forward to working on this app further to put it to use in a real-world setting.”

Supporting restaurants during COVID-19

The app Snuggrub, developed by Emily Sullivan ‘21, computer science, and Dominic Crofoot ‘19, computer science, was a winner in the student category. Sullivan and Crofoot focused on the way that many formerly full-service restaurants shifted to pick-up only service or outdoor dining during the pandemic. At the same time, dining regulations, guidance, and options began changing frequently. They developed a way for users to stay up-to-date on information about nearby restaurants without needing to contact individual businesses to ask the same questions repeatedly. 

• Emily Sullivan. Photo courtesy of Sullivan.
• Dominic Crofoot. Photo courtesy of Crofoot.

The app allows users to stay informed and receive real-time updates, while making decisions based on current information. It also supports restaurants in connecting with customers and providing them with the information they need to dine safely.

Sullivan shares that the idea for Snuggrub came from wanting to support small businesses that were facing challenges due to isolation during COVID-19. “During the time when restaurants were just opening back up for indoor or outdoor dining, it was messy trying to figure out if the hours and information posted online were accurate and updated. The only way to figure it out was to call them directly, which is time-consuming for both us and the restaurant,” she says. “So Snuggrub became a way to have all that information in one place and have it easy to understand.”

The Snuggrub app interface. Image courtesy of the Snuggrub team.

The opportunity to develop an app to help address a challenge facing people across the state was appealing to Sullivan and Crofoot because it allowed them to put their skills to the test. They met when they were both interns at the Anne Arundel County Office of Information Technology. While Sullivan is still a UMBC student (and interning with the federal government), Crofoot is currently a full stack developer for Anne Arundel County.

“Dominic and I both have experience creating applications from our jobs, but this process was totally different since we were creating something from the ground up and we were doing it with such a small team and short deadline as well,” says Sullivan. “This definitely was a learning experience in personal discipline and timeline management.”

Banner image: UMBC’s ITE building. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

UMBC’s Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program has launched an intensive virtual math incubator for Lakeland Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore City this summer. The free, voluntary five-week program is a math intervention for 150 Lakeland students in third through eighth grade. The program seeks to prevent summer learning loss, which could increase this year, intensified by COVID-19’s impact on student learning during the school year. 

“With the changes this spring to learning, the UMBC/Lakeland Summer Math Program has allowed us to make up ground and get a head start with students in a targeted approach to math instruction,” says Lakeland Principal Najib Jammal. “This partnership lets us plan for students’ needs this fall knowing that 150 of our students had access to high-quality math instruction the summer.” 

Jammal recently spoke about the collaboration in an interview for the segment “Staving Off Summer Slide” on WYPR’s On The Record.

The summer program was designed to also have a lasting impact beyond improving specific STEM skills. Lakeland teachers and UMBC partners are helping Lakeland students develop a positive math identity that will carry them forward into higher level math courses.

Moving online

The summer STEM program was originally designed to be held in person. COVID-19 both increased the need for the program and required Lakeland to move instruction online, decreasing student–teacher and peer interactions. To counter this challenge, program organizers knew they’d need more teachers to decrease the student–teacher ratio and reach more students overall. 

The Goldseker Foundation and Baltimore Children’s Youth Fund (BCYF) provided the funding needed to implement the program online and to hire more teachers. Their financial support also expanded the program from the initial 60 rising fourth through sixth graders to 150 rising third through eighth-grade students. 

This creative intervention has three priorities: whole child development, math identity development, and math growth. The program is implemented under the direction of Josh Michael ‘10, political science and education, assistant director of UMBC’s Sherman STEM Teachers Scholars Program, in collaboration with five Baltimore City school teachers and twelve interns from the Sherman Scholars program. 

Whole child development

UMBC has fostered a strong partnership with Lakeland for more than five years. It has supported Lakeland’s wrap-around academic and community services through the Sherman STEM Teachers Scholars Program, the Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities, and the Shriver Center Literacy Fellows program. Through additional collaboration with area community groups and companies, such as Northrop Grumman, Lakeland has built a safe and supportive community where students can thrive socially and academically.

The summer program also relies on a firm foundation of strong teacher, student, family, and community relationships. The Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars serve as program leaders. In this role, they dedicate the majority of their day to fostering relationships with students and their families through video chats, phone calls, texts, and emails. 

These program leaders coach the three Lakeland teachers who serve as program facilitators, including one UMBC alumna. Former Sherman Scholar Molly Hart, M.A.T. ‘19, elementary education, is now a sixth grade math teacher at Lakeland and serves as a facilitator for the summer STEM program. 

“The program’s support system is incredible,” shares Haleemat Adekoya ‘23, political science. She says this experience has made her aware of the importance of consistent communication in the classroom. 

If a student is absent one day, her priority is to get in touch with their family as soon as possible. “Every time I let a student and their family know they were missed, as an intricate part of the classroom community, they’ve shown up the next day and actively engaged.”

This structure of robust support is cultivating strong student and family relationships and student participation. Out of 150 enrolled students, an average of 120 consistently engage in math instruction and STEM activities each day. Nearly 100 percent engage each week. Once students feel supported and are engaged, teachers can then move forward to focus on further developing students’ math identity and math skills.

Math identity

Historically many Black, Latinx, and first-generation students, as well as English Language Learners (ELL) and students experiencing economic hardship, have faced obstacles in math achievement. Limited public school resources, insufficient access to quality culturally relevant instruction, and high social/emotional stresses have created learning gaps at lower grades, which often deepen in upper grades. 

For many students, negative experiences in trying to build fundamental math skills have impeded their development of a positive math identity. Math identity is a student’s perception of their ability to perform well in math. It has been shown to impact math performance. 

Coley’s classroom during her student teaching internship.

These factors have also contributed to a lack of diversity in STEM fields, reinforcing the negative stereotype that underrepresented students can’t do math regardless of the resources available to them. As a result, underrepresented students are less likely to feel confident enough to pursue higher level math courses. This further limits their access to a variety of academic, career, and social opportunities. 

“I am terrified of math even though I was given all the support and resources to excel in math,” explains Adekoya. “Josh Michael and Lydia Coley give me the support and confidence to lean into this opportunity and not give in to imposter syndrome. I have to lead by example.” 

Lydia Coley ’20, American studies, valedictorian of UMBC’s most recent graduating class, is also a program leader and a Sherman Scholar alumna. She is a first-year, sixth grade math teacher at Maree G. Farring Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore City.

Me, myself, and math

Lakeland serves 1,000 Pre-K to eighth-grade students. The majority come from underrepresented populations in STEM fields. They are less likely to have a positive math identity. Black students make up 32 percent of the school, 62 percent are Latinx, 42 percent are English Language Learners, 11 percent receive special education services, and most students come from low-income families. 

The summer program aims to help Lakeland students break the cycle of underrepresentation. Immersing students in a safe and nurturing space encourages them to engage in the math learning process. It also broadens and strengthens their math skills and fosters a positive math identity.

Through daily interactive synchronous video lessons, based on common core standards, program leaders teach, model, and provide individualized instruction. Students develop a toolkit of strategies that build the confidence needed to take risks and see mistakes as learning opportunities. 

Program facilitator Iliana Hernandez, a fifth-year, third grade math and dual-language teacher at Lakeland, provides program leaders with best practices to support ELL learners. She admits her own fears of math in elementary school. “I don’t want my students to fear math like I did,” shares Hernandez. “When students stay connected and feel valued and cared for their confidence grows and they feel ready to learn.”

Math growth

With this foundation in place, rigorous math instruction can move forward. Program Director Carly Harkins leads the team in curriculum development and instruction. Under her guidance, program facilitators coach program leaders in weekly lesson planning, lesson delivery, assessments, and student support. After daily class, students practice independently through proven online learning tools wherever they are on their math journey.

The program also provides hands-on experience to help students apply what they are learning. Josh Massey, the STEM facilitator, works with Michael and Harkins to create hands-on STEM activities for students. 

Massey ‘18, computer engineering, and M.A.T. ‘19, technology education, is a first-year computer science teacher at the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in Baltimore City. He creates 150 STEM kits weekly, and helps deliver them to students’ homes. Each kit includes the materials needed to complete a project. They tie into the week’s topic, like circuits or small machines. 

Adekoya showing the circuit flashlight STEM Kit project. Photo courtesy of Adekoya.

Students first work on the project independently and then share their process in class. Each student is then the proud owner of something they have built themselves. These projects help support both math growth and a positive math identity.

Access to a bright future

When Michael sees students participating in these activities, he sees them as accessing the building blocks they’ll use to excel in the years ahead. 

UMBC and Lakeland partners hope this extra support will ensure more Lakeland students will be better prepared for Algebra I when they enter eighth grade. Why? “Algebra I is a key academic gateway,” says Michael. “There is strong evidence that successfully completing Algebra I in eighth grade is related to higher math achievement in high school and attainment in college.”

Michael notes that it’s long been the case that students of color have had less access to Algebra I in eighth grade. He shares, “Our goal is to provide that access by helping students believe success in math is for them.”

Banner image: A math chart in Coley’s classroom during her student teaching internship. All images by Marlayna Demond ’11 unless otherwise noted.

UMBC alumni businesses are doing what they can to stay strong and build community during these troubled times. UMBC Magazine will be publishing occasional interviews with alumni business owners to show their resilience in the face of this global pandemic.

Find more alumni businesses at the UMBC Alumni Business Directory.

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Founded by alumnus Zhensen Huang, M.S. ’00, Ph.D. ’04, information systems, Precise Software Solutions “helps their customers capitalize on the efficiencies offered by technological advancements and ensures the integrity of their IT systems and programs so they can perform their public mission more effectively.” Today, Huang reflects on the challenges of the last few months, and why he continues to be filled with gratitude and hope.

Can you tell us a little bit about what you do? What’s your favorite part of the work?

My background is in IT/technology, and this is my first time serving as the CEO of a company. So, the experience of starting up and leading a new company has involved a big learning curve for me. But I love learning and finding solutions to complex problems, and there have been endless opportunities for me to learn and grow along with the company. As for my favorite part, I love working with people. I have been blessed with an amazing team of extremely smart, dedicated, and innovative people. I also love working with our growing customer base, which has included developing productive, trusting relationships, serving as a problem solver in helping them achieve their mission, and driving organic growth for the company with the help of the successes and accolades of our customers.

Image courtesy of Huang.

How do you connect your work back to your experience at UMBC? 

I am eternally grateful for the excellent education, support, and mentorship I received as a UMBC student, and I attribute much of my success in my career and this Precise business venture to the solid launch I achieved with the help of the school. I went back to teach some courses at UMBC, and I remain in regular contact with the school through the Development Office. I continue to look for ways to reinforce the connection between myself, Precise, and UMBC, ensuring that the mutual benefits we’ve enjoyed are nurtured and expanded.

Precise also has several alumni on staff, including Kaustav Lahiri, M.S. ’14, computer science; Fan Ping, M.S. ’15, computer science; and Edison Trickett ’13, business technology administration.

In these tough times, how do you keep going? What inspires you?

It’s true, we’ve been experiencing some very tough times. The pandemic has been a real test to our resilience, as individuals, as a community, and as a company. It has been difficult to witness the terrible suffering that the virus has caused, not to mention the more recent unrest following the killing of George Floyd. In the midst of these crises, my overwhelming feeling has been one of gratitude—for the health and safety of my family and the ability of Precise to continue our work. These feelings of gratitude have inspired in me a great sense of responsibility. I am constantly looking for ways to give back, to offer support and assistance to those who have not been as fortunate as I have been.

Are there specific ways you’re giving back to the community right now?

In general, our company has actively engaged in community service events. We regularly organize company service events such as coordinating groups of Precise employee volunteers to support the work of the Manna Food Center, an wonderful organization that collects, purchases, and distributes food to the needy in our community. More recently, at the outset of the coronavirus epidemic, Precise organized a donation challenge in which we raised over $22,000 dollars for Manna. We also purchase company gift cards from some of our local food vendors as a way to infuse some cash flow into their businesses which were suffering huge losses due to the lockdown.

Image courtesy of Precise website.

As part of our response to the protests following the killing of George Floyd, Precise organized internal discussions and listening sessions to ensure we are identifying and addressing any racial inequities that may exist within the company. In addition to donating $20,000 to the ACLU in support of social justice in our community and across the country, we also gave to UMBC’s Stay Black and Gold Emergency Fund. Supporting UMBC students during this time seemed to be a logical step, to help these students stay on track for their academic careers.

What advice would you give to others looking to start their own business?

I recommend following one’s passion, as that is the surest way to develop and sustain inspiration and resilience in what is a very difficult endeavor. Seek out mentors who have blazed the trail before you. I am constantly seeking out guides to help me navigate this business terrain. Again, this is my first experience building a business and being a CEO, so I am painfully aware of how much I still don’t know and need to learn. I have had many generous people who have more experience in this domain who have been willing to offer useful advice and guidance as I’ve worked to grow the company.

Another piece of advice I would offer is to practice humility and always work to keep your ego in check. You can’t learn and grow—and can’t succeed in business or any professional endeavor—if you don’t actively seek out your blind spots.

*****

Header image: Zhensen Huang and Julia Zhuhui Chen, M.S. ’02, information systems, at an SBA (Small Business Administration) event in 2019. Photo courtesy of Chen.