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.

• Times Higher Education has named UMBC one of the top universities in the world for the fourth year in a row.
• President Freeman Hrabowski will speak at Clemson University on October 14 as part of the school’s Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Month, and deliver the keynote address at the Illinois Principals Association’s 44th Annual Education Leaders Fall Conference & Exhibition on October 18
• Dr. Hrabowski has also been named one of the 20 “Most Interesting College Presidents” by TheBestSchools.org
• UMBC graduates Pell Grant-eligible students at a rate of 61%, but Diane Lee, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, says “[it’s] still nowhere near we need it to be.”
• UMBC has begun a three-year, $2 million partnership with the Naval Academy for cybersecurity research
• UMBC, along with Spelman College and several other nonprofits and institutions of higher education, is involved in the National Academic STEM Collaborative, a project that aims to support minority girls and women in STEM fields.
• Don Norris, public policy, speaks on Governor Larry Hogan urging Marylanders to apply for tax refunds they may be eligible for.
• Kate Brown, history, will speak at the University of Tennessee on October 13 as part of its annual lecture series on modern European history.
• Anne Sarah Rubin, history, is a keynote speaker at this week’s “Gender, Memory, and War in the Anglo-American World” conference at the University of Mississippi.
• Sherelle Walker of the UMBC women’s volleyball team is featured in the York (Pa.) Daily Record.
• Destinee Morris scored her second goal of the year against Albany, helping the Retriever women’s soccer team to a 1-1 double overtime tie.
• In men’s soccer news, senior forward Darius Madison and freshman midfielder Patrick Jean-Gilles earned the America East Player and Rookie of the Week honors, respectively.