The plan began percolating in early 2017, when Gib Mason ’95, economics, presented a challenge to his Innovation, Creative Problem-Solving, and the Socialpreneur class: create a way to better connect UMBC to the community surrounding it. 

Two and half years and a lot of lattes later, in fall 2019, OCA Mocha opened its doors on East Drive in neighboring Arbutus. What started as an empty shell full of potential became a warm, welcoming student-run space with a coffee bar, community meeting room, entertainment stage, and gallery wall featuring works by local artists. 

As students, Michael Berardi ’19, media and communication studies, and Deep Patel ’19, biological sciences and financial economics, were in the class that created the concept; as alumni, Patel is a co-owner of the coffee shop, and Berardi is the general manager. 

Since running with the idea born in Mason’s class, the OCA Mocha team has learned firsthand about planning, construction, relationship-building, and the ups and downs of starting a business from scratch. And the learning didn’t stop when OCA Mocha opened its doors; in addition to the financial and organizational aspects of making the project a reality, Patel says he has learned “how to work with a team to accomplish a goal.” Berardi adds that he is now “more comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity” and has learned “the power of positivity—people notice it and want to be part of it.”

In their opening months, the place buzzed with activity from morning to night, with students studying, groups playing board games, impromptu meetings in the booths, friends and families gathering for coffee and conversation, and people running into old friends—or making new ones—over the signature OCA Mocha or frozen hot chocolate. 

And even after temporarily closing its physical location due to COVID-19, the OCA Mocha team has continued its community-focused work. A virtual open mic night drew ten performers and more than 600 views on social media. In partnership with the UMBC Office of Sustainability, the team took a planned OCA Mocha Kids Club event online with video tutorials on how to make Earth Day–themed crafts from on-hand items otherwise destined for the landfill. 

Building on OCA Mocha’s existing partnership with Retriever Essentials, UMBC’s food pantry, the team offered a one-time no-cost lunch delivery to local kids in need. As a result, Patel and Berardi made and delivered 35 lunches and Kids Club activity packs. 

Berardi said it was eye-opening to see how many people, including in his own neighborhood, needed help. A mom posted her thanks on social media, saying this gesture “brought so much joy” to her three kids. The team continues to partner with Retriever Essentials to serve UMBC’s food insecure community. 

Bettina Tebo, president of the Greater Arbutus Business Association, is one of the project’s earliest supporters. At the grand opening, she called OCA Mocha “ just the beginning of the amazing things that can happen from this relationship…and from the connections that we’re building.” 

Along East Drive, other businesses noticed an uptick in foot traffic after OCA Mocha opened. A new bus route from campus to East Drive certainly helped. Sheena Herron, owner of Finders Keepers Thrift Store and Consignment Store, says, “We’ve gained so many new and loyal customers…simply because they were at OCA Mocha and noticed we were next door.“ 

When OCA Mocha eventually reopens, Berardi and Patel look forward to the familiar buzz of activity. They already have plans to expand the coffee shop’s menu and live entertainment offerings, enhance their community-focused programming, and “serve the community in ways we haven’t even thought of yet.” 

— Mary Ann Richmond ’93

Update: OCA Mocha is now open for curbside pick-up and delivery.

*****

Header image by Marlayna Demond ’11.

Looking at aerial photos from UMBC’s first several years—in this case, 1969—it’s hard not to think, “But where is everything?” Most of the distinctive landmarks of today’s campus are missing, and even our ubiquitous Hilltop Circle (then called Loop Road) is only half there.

As different as campus looks now, most of the buildings in this early photograph still serve their original function. This picture was taken the year after the opening of the library’s first wing—or “Phase I,” as it was called at the time, a nod to the planned expansion. Over the years, the building would be extended by two more phases, the last of which was completed in 1995.

In the upper-left-hand corner of campus, you can spot the school’s first dormitories under construction. The first residential hall was completed the year after this photo was taken and was named, unceremoniously, Dorm I. It, along with Dorms II and III, were finally given their current names—Susquehanna, Chesapeake, and Patapsco, respectively— in 1979.

Though the landscape of our campus has changed to be almost unrecognizable from this 1969 image, it has also been altered considerably in just the past few years. The aerial photo of UMBC in 2019 shows two new landmarks that did not exist in 2016, when members of this year’s graduating class were freshmen.

The Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building and the UMBC Events Center are only the latest additions to UMBC’s landscape. It’s likely that by the time today’s first-year students have their commencement in 2023, UMBC’s skyline will have shifted once more, making our “now” their “then.”

Friendship first, story second. These have been the cornerstones of success for Count Me In, Riverdale, and Obsidian, three Retriever-made podcasts. 

While their production paths differ, all three started with the same premise—to have more time to talk and create with a good friend about a topic they obsessed about. Podcasts take time and energy, so you had better love the topic you chose.

For sisters Carly Faye Engelke ’08, dance, and Hannah Mae Engelke ’14, psychology, their die-hard topics were dance and Montessori. 

“We talked for hours each day, even though we lived in different time zones, to the point where my husband,”—producer Corey Jennings ’10, economics—“strongly suggested we start a podcast,” says Carly Faye. With 82 episodes covering a wide range of dance-related topics and an impressive guest list behind them, Count Me In shows no signs of slowing down. 

On the other hand, Riverdale co-creator Imani Spence ’16, English and media and communication studies, produced just six episodes to coincide with her specific fandom. When Spence, a long time fan of the Archie Comics, watched the Archie-inspired teen mystery show, Riverdale, she knew she needed to share her new guilty pleasure. Spence also wanted to keep in touch with her best friend, Amanda Quinn ’16, political science and global studies, who lived across the country. Bam! The Riverdale podcast was born. 

“I watched the first season and was hooked,” says Spence. “I got Amanda hooked. Next thing we knew we were watching the show, taking notes, and recording a podcast.”

As in the case of Obsidian, sometimes the obsession is an intentional artistic exploration. The narrative podcast evolved from a creative writing exercise between friends Adetola Abdulkadir ’17, bioinformatics and computational biology, and Safiyah Cheatam M.F.A, ’21, intermedia and digital art, who discovered a mutual love of science fiction and Afrofuturism, which explores the liberation and betterment of black people and black lives through different mediums. 

“I wanted to write scripts again and this was a great opportunity,” says Cheatam. “I believe Afrofuturism is a good tool for black people to imagine a better future for themselves.” Over the course of a year, they worked on creative development, hired actors, a sound designer, and an artist to create one episode. They are now funded for 10 more episodes through a Rubys Artist Grant from the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation. 

In addition to the importance of collaboration and topic focus, podcasts require some technical skills—and all three of these production teams had either prior experience in radio or friends who did. But, regardless of skill level, they all struggled to find time between life commitments. Their advice? Forgo the fear of lacking technical skills, time, location, an audience, or a certain number of episodes. Make it work. 

In the end, they all agree, podcasting is about having fun. It is a medium that can deepen the bonds of friendship and creates a community, making all the hard work worth it.

*****
Header image: Carly Faye Engelke and her sister Hannah record an episode of Count Me In. Photo by Corey Jennings ’10.

As election season heats up and campaign posters begin to cram our sidewalks, the public eye is often drawn to government leaders. In UMBC’s own community, you’ll find alumni serving in impressive positions, including state legislators and the speaker of Maryland’s House of Delegates, a county executive, and even the surgeon general of the U.S.

But beyond the red, white, and blue banners are folks who contribute to the system in quieter—but just as vital—ways. Students learning to be engaged citizens, professionals protecting our census and voting data, artists finding ways of illustrating complex ideas, and more—Retrievers are proving that when it comes to democracy, every voice really does count.

Peek Behind the Scenes

Most of the work at all levels of government happens beyond public view. Matt Clark ’00, history, and Yaakov “Jake” Weissmann ’06, social work, know this firsthand. Clark served as chief of staff to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan while Weissmann is chief of staff to Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson.

Both agree that the behind-the-scenes nature of their roles helps them get things done. Clark explains that “if you are doing it right, politics and public policy are all about compromise and patience” and that you need to “build coalitions and trust with others to move your agenda forward.” Weissmann emphasizes the importance of relationships, noting that his social work major has aided his work in Annapolis.

Public service is “at its core a people business,” Weissmann says. Jim Bembry, associate professor of social work, taught him that: “You need to be where your clients are”—words he says help him understand what senators and their constituents need and how to help fill those needs.

Clark says his undergraduate history studies taught him “how to blend multiple points of view to construct your own ideas and perspectives,” a helpful skill for both the political and public policy aspects of his job. Clark adds that his ongoing public policy graduate studies at UMBC “help [him] to think about how theoretical concepts and actual policy-making interact.”

Clark explains that “not all public service [jobs involve] politics,” but rather “public service is about choosing to look beyond your own needs to serve your community.” Weissmann agrees, noting that the General Assembly consists of people “who all want to make a difference,” he says, and Maryland’s legislature is an example of “how government is supposed to function.”

UMBC is well-represented in Annapolis, and both Clark and Weissmann interact with fellow alumni—including each other—on a regular basis. Clark attributes the prevalence of Retrievers in public service as “a testament to the quality of the University as well as the values and grittiness that we pick up there.” Weissmann agrees, sharing “UMBC is where I fell in love with the General Assembly” as part of a student group that met with legislators about and testified against proposed tuition increases.

Clark advises fellow Retrievers who want to pursue a career in public services to “put your heart into the work and believe in what you are doing,” noting that “it can take years to see the fruits of your labor, but it’s well worth the wait.”

— Mary Ann Richmond ’93

Predictive Polling

As the November elections draw near, we are flooded with polls anxious to tally how we will vote. But, have you ever wondered about the science behind these polls? Designing surveys to help understand American voting behavior is what gets Ian Anson out of bed and excited for the day.

During the 2018 midterm primaries, Anson, a professor of political science, saw an opportunity for his voting and polling class. Thus the 2018 UMBC Retriever Exit Poll was created.

“I wanted to expose my students to the real-life experience of tapping into the mind of the public and figuring out what the public thinks, and how they react to political stimuli,” says Anson.

The class created a 34-question, voluntary, anonymous, and scientific exit poll. Questions covered the Maryland economy, voting behavior along party lines, the state income tax, and switching party lines for specific items. On a rainy mid-term Election Day, 25 undergraduate students, wearing UMBC Political Science T-shirts, stationed themselves in eight precincts across Baltimore County in four-hour shifts. They organized and coded the answers on-site.

At the end of the day, Anson processed the data. Everyone gathered at UMBC’s Election Night Extravaganza where they presented their data and correctly predicted Governor Hogan would be reelected. The students gained insight into the voting behavior of Maryland Democrats who voted for a Republican governor and the issues that concerned them.

“We left the bubble of campus to see how real voters act and think instead of just reading and writing about them,” says Samuel Deschenaux ’20, political science, now a legislative aide in the Maryland General Assembly for state Sen. Kathy Klausmeier. Anson looks forward to the next Retriever Exit Poll this fall.

— Catalina Sofia Dansberger Duque

Outsmarting the Hackers

During election years, if there’s one thing scrutinized more than the candidates themselves, it’s the security of electronic voting machines. Because this technology can be susceptible to hacks and other vulnerabilities, it is incredibly important to know how best to keep voting safe and accessible for all.

Enter Rick Carback ’05, M.S. ’08, Ph.D. ’10, computer science, who has spent his career deflecting would-be hackers, and who helped develop Scantegrity, a technology that since 2007 has influenced improvements to election systems nationwide. At UMBC, he worked alongside and was mentored by Alan Sherman, professor of computer science and electrical engineering.

As an undergraduate at UMBC, Carback first heard David Chaum, a cryptographer known for his work on privacy-centered technology, talk about the security of voting machines and the voting technology that he was working on. Carback approached Chaum after the event and expressed his interest in being involved with the building of the technology that Chaum had discussed. From there, a lifelong interest in security took off.

First tested with student elections at the University of Ottawa and later broadened to handle higher stakes cases, Scantegrity connects each submitted vote with a confirmation number so that people can make sure their votes were counted. It helps verify election ballots submitted and allows individuals to essentially audit the election— while protecting individuals’ data.

Carback’s work also takes accessibility into account. The initial version of Scantegrity included ballot marking systems, which can make voting easier for people with disabilities. The ballot marking system used invisible ink that would not show up outside the official voting space on the ballots. With this system, the machine would only count a vote based on where the ink is most dense on the ballot, Carback explains.

“I view [voting security] as a national security issue,” says Carbeck, who also does computer security, risk assessment, and software development from Boston. “If you can control an election, you can then you can direct the entire course of a country.”

— Megan Hanks Mastrola

Stories Are Everything

In grade school, we learn about the importance of voting. At UMBC, we learn that civic life can really mean much more. It is a mindset, strengthened by places and relationships, to empower change at big and small levels. And the Civic Courage Journaling Project, launched last year by UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life, is helping students imagine exactly what that might mean on an individual basis.

“We give them a way to really see themselves without all of the kind of filters that are placed on you when you’re under so much pressure and when you have all these different tensions,” says Tess McRae, a junior English major who both participates and shares prompts with the group. Members respond in visuals as well as with words. Then, they all circle up to discuss and discover.

“People don’t realize that we talk about civic life everywhere, even in our day-to-day interactions, even in the conversations that we have with each other, even in spaces where we didn’t realize,” says McRae, who personally prefers using muted highlighters in her drawings. “We kind of give people a space to just really be authentic and honorable about their stories. It’s wonderful.”

— Jenny O’Grady

Safety in Numbers

Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau conducts a massive survey to answer one question: Who lives in the United States? The results inform federal funding allocations for things like schools and parks and determine the number of congressional representatives for each state. The raw data are also used by researchers all over the country, whose findings can inform decisions at the state and local level about medical services, urban planning, job training programs, and so much more.

Analyzing all that data—consisting largely of personal information about members of communities across the U.S.—can lead to a lot of good, so it’s important that researchers can access it. But even with obvious identifying information like names, addresses, and social security numbers removed, it still wouldn’t be hard for skilled hackers to identify some people using the remaining information, putting them at high risk for identity theft. That’s why Bimal Sinha, professor of mathematics and statistics at UMBC, has been working with the Center for Statistical Research and Methodology at the U.S. Census Bureau for the last seven years to help safeguard people’s information.

It turns out the “raw data” the Census Bureau delivers to researchers doesn’t exactly match the real data. “Before releasing the data, some sensitive items are changed,” Sinha explains. That can include numeric responses, such as salary, or categorical ones, like whether a person owns a car and what type. The process of changing the data is called perturbation,” and the techniques used depend on the kind of data.

The tricky part is that the “perturbed” version of the data still has to accurately reflect reality in the country. Change it too much or in the wrong ways, and it becomes useless. “It’s a balance between perturbation and utility,” Sinha says. As a statistician, it’s Sinha’s job to develop techniques to change the data in ways that protect people’s privacy but don’t render it unusable.

Once that’s been done, it’s also critical to help researchers analyze the data effectively. The method for analyzing a perturbed dataset is different than for a standard data set. So Sinha also helps develop a toolkit that researchers receive with the census data.

Overall, Sinha’s work allows researchers, state and local governments, non-profits, and others nationwide to make use of the largest dataset about humanity in the United States, without compromising people’s privacy or safety.

— Sarah Hansen, M.S. ’15

Walking the Walk

We all know the importance of getting an internship—real-world experience, networking opportunities, a chance to confirm you’re on the right career path. For these UMBC students, it was also the opportunity to see the inner workings of the political realm as they embarked on semester-long internships with Maryland delegates.

You might think a legislative internship would be all work and no play, but that’s not always the case. One day when Wangui Nganga ’22, global studies, was answering phones in Del. Mike Griffith’s office, she got a bit of a surprise on the other end of the line.

“I heard ‘hello’…and they proceeded to tell me a joke and hung up,” she remembers. “I told my coworker I thought I was prank called by a constituent, but she started laughing and said it was her. This was one of my favorite moments because it showed that people don’t take everything super seriously.”

Nganga’s involvement as a research assistant for a professor in UMBC’s School of Public Policy and speaker of UMBC’s Student Government Association prepared her to do the research necessary to succeed in her internship. The environment itself is welcoming and understands that the purpose of everyone’s work, regardless of political affiliation, is to improve the lives of Marylanders.

Through the Maryland General Assembly Internship Program, Matthew Harrington ’20, political science, had the chance to explore his passions even further.

“I chose to work for Del. Julie Palakovich Carr because she sits on the Ways and Means Committee, which deals with tax policy, which is my policy area of interest,” says Harrington.

In his short time there, Harrington had the opportunity to present a bill about reforming zone programs in the Ways and Means Committee on behalf of his delegate. In addition to the numerous hands-on ways he’s able to be part of the process, Harrington also notes that the free food at Annapolis receptions doesn’t hurt either.

— Kait McCaffrey

Seeing Is Believing

Many of us have trouble digesting straight numbers. And for every hour a journalist might put into clearly explaining a complex topic in a story, an accompanying image can either support or derail that work for the reader in a matter of seconds.

That’s where Christina Animashaun ’13, visual arts and media and communication studies, comes in. As a data journalist for places like Vox, and formerly Politico and The Washington Post, she marries art and data to make the big numbers tangible.

It often starts with a simple question, says Animashaun, who grew up watching the evening news and reading comics before coming to UMBC as a Linehan Artist Scholar.

“A lot of times we have a lot of ideas, and in order to turn them into something tangible—art, or an article—you really have to be able to hone in one question. One big idea.” In the case of a recent major news topic like coronavirus, for example, that might mean drilling through dozens of numbers to help quantify a question like “What do I need to be safe?” Animashaun has made some equally beautiful and scary coronavirus charts recently but also loves to layer archival photographs in fun and surprising ways.

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. Because Animashaun understands just how much a color or shape choice can sway opinions, she does everything she can to stay as neutral and accurate as possible and bring an ethical point of view to her work.

“You’re not going to see any pinks from me,” she says. “And if it’s blue, it’s going to be a partisan blue.”

— Jenny O’Grady

*****

Illustrations by Christina Animashaun ’13.

The stunning first-round upset of top-ranked and top-seeded Virginia in the NCAA Tournament two years ago put the UMBC men’s basketball program on the map in the United States. But the truth is, there are Retrievers who’ve been playing professionally around the world for years. 

In fact, three key players from the 2017 – 18 team—top scorer Jairus Lyles ’17, sociology; starting point guard Jourdan Grant ’18, media and communication studies; and K.J. Maura—are sharing their Retriever gifts in Germany, Latvia, and Portugal, respectively. 

For those who want to play basketball professionally beyond the boundaries of the NBA, going out of the country to make a career is a popular option. In fact, some make long careers out of it either in one place or in several. 

Cavell Johnson ’09, American studies, played just one season at UMBC, transferring in for the 2007 – 08 season, when the 6-foot-8-inch forward became extremely valuable during UMBC’s first-ever NCAA appearance for basketball. Though the team lost to Georgetown in the opening round, Johnson graduated into a professional career, hopscotching around the world to play for teams in Finland, Hungary, China, and Greece. 

Cavell Johnson ’09 dunks during a game.

While playing for the KW (KitchenerWaterloo) Titans, located about 75 minutes outside of Toronto, during their 2017 – 18 season, Johnson took over as coach. He’s now coach and general manager for the team, a part of the National Basketball League of Canada. 

“There’s so much love and support here; the people, you hear it all the time…the people in Canada are so nice,” Johnson says. “I get to impact lives now. That’s one of my favorite things I get to do.” 

Andrew Feeley ’06, sociology, who played at UMBC from 2001 to 2005, left the United States in the fall of 2006 and played in Japan for three years. After that came a year in France before going to Uruguay, where he’s played for the past eight years. Feeley is 6-foot-10-inches tall and loved being able to both play basketball and see the world. 

“I just did it because I had the opportunity, and I thought this is awesome,” he said in a recent interview. “Someone’s going to pay me to play basketball…and I’m going to travel the world on somebody else’s dime. If I had to do it all again, I’d do it the exact same way.” 

Feeley’s world may be changing now, though. The league he plays in suspended their season in late March and was scheduled to re-evaluate at the beginning of April. Plus, the 36-year-old got married last August and after a long career playing, the Philadelphia resident says he might like to go into college coaching. 

Other former Retrievers play basketball professionally overseas, as well, such as former student Will Wise in Latvia; Ryan Cook ’14, economics, in Kazakhstan; Quentin Jones ’15, business technology administration, in the Bahamas; and Will Darley ’19, environmental studies, in Malta, among others. 

In the end, these athletes are getting to fulfill their dreams—playing professional basketball.  

“We have been fortunate to have multiple guys go off and play professionally,” UMBC coach Ryan Odom says. “Those guys gain invaluable experience and have a chance to see the world and continue to play the game they love. And once their playing careers are over, they have a degree from UMBC that means a lot when they go enter the workforce.” 

— Jeff Seidel ’85

*****

Header image: K.J. Maura takes a shot against Virginia in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Photos courtesy of UMBC Athletics.

Jim Kruger ’13, political science, M.P.P. ’14, has a favorite spot near the public policy building. 

The bench, Kruger’s own donation to UMBC, is strategically positioned to give him a break on his path to and from the public policy building. It was a much-needed respite when he was a first-year political science student at the age of 60 and again as he earned a master’s in public policy a year later. 

“Students confuse me for the professor,” says Kruger, who visits the bench still as he pursues a doctorate in public policy at age 70. “They introduce themselves to me and are quite astonished when I sit next to them ready to learn just like them.” 

Jim and Kathy Kruger at a Hilltop Society dinner in 2018.

UMBC prides itself on providing flexibility and support for all students regardless of what age they begin their academic journey. In fact, UMBC and the University of Maryland, Baltimore partnered recently to become Maryland’s first “age-friendly” universities. They join 58 institutions worldwide that make up the Age-Friendly University Global Network, led by Dublin City University in Ireland. 

Universities earn the “age-friendly” designation by committing to 10 guiding principles related to opportunities and resources that support active and healthy aging from research to enrollment and staffing. The initiative is inspired by the World Health Organization’s age-friendly cities movement. It is an opportunity to provide the support needed to make learning, working, and innovation accessible through life’s continuum. 

“This is about mindset,” said UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski. “It is a challenge that we face in our society to rethink how we think about aging. The more we grapple with these challenges together, the more joy we will have in our societies.” 

Kruger’s daughters—Sarah Brandt ’97, biology, and M.A. ’08, education, and Megan Kruger ’97, biology, whose names are also listed on the bench—know it hasn’t always been an easy road for their father. 

“He has a lot of energy,” says Megan, who notes he starts each morning making sure his grandchildren are fed, dressed, and are on time for the bus. He then heads to UMBC where he has followed a rigorous course of study for the last 10 years. No excuses. Not even through prostate cancer. 

Slowing down after retirement was not his plan. In fact, he aims to finish a path he began in 1968, the year he originally entered college. The following year, he married and, shortly after, had his first child, Jim Kruger IV, followed by twins. College gave way to full-time work, and he worked as an industrial steam pipe fitter in Baltimore for 40 years. Regret is not in his vocabulary. 

Jim Kruger’s student experience, while at times difficult, was not that much different than that of younger students. Learning French was exasperating. Group work was awkward, especially when group partners had a different sense of timeliness. There was always new technology to learn. And health issues momentarily interrupted his course. 

But Kruger also found tremendous support. The Writing Center and online library were crucial to his success, he says. And, like many students, he was grateful for financial support. The Golden ID program, a state program that provides some financial support for people 60 and over, helped fund his undergraduate and graduate study and created a community. Another element of support for Kruger was his daughter-in-law Leslie Kruger, who has worked on campus for more than 12 years. 

Through it all, Kruger says he appreciated the support of his family and faculty mentors who were always accessible, especially, during cancer treatments. With more than 40 years invested in his education, he is excited to forge ahead. 

“He believes in finding your own path,” says his daughter Megan, “even if it changes many times.”

*****

All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11.

UMBC Magazine caught up with UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski at his home office to talk about alumni leadership during the pandemic, UMBC’s Golden Commencement, and a symbol of hope in tough times.

UMBC Magazine: Given the challenges we’re all facing, it’s wonderful to hear about UMBC alumni making a difference in so many ways. We see Retrievers in health leadership, such as Kizzmekia Corbett ’08, M16, working at the National Institutes of Health on COVID-19 vaccines; U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams ’97, M4; Baltimore Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa ‘03, M11; and  Kaitlyn Sadtler ’11, leading a new COVID study at NIH on asymptomatic patients. We have Mark Doms ’86, the new chief economist of the Congressional Budget Office, and artists like Jill Fannon, M.F.A. ’11, photographing healthcare providers…and so many other inspiring people. How does it make you feel to see our alumni making their mark in these ways?

Freeman Hrabowski: We have produced well-prepared leaders who are committed to the public good all along, from the Maryland Speaker of the House and the Baltimore County Executive to the Chief of Staff for the Governor and the Maryland Secretary of Labor, all the way over to the heads of the Associated Black Charities and the Center for Urban Families. All of these people in a variety of policy and public service roles are leading our country and our communities in supporting children and families.

And we’ve got alumni leading and doing important work across the board, from the arts to the sciences. So across the disciplines, looking through different sets of lenses, people are working to understand and support people in their time of need. And it is very inspiring.

UMBC Magazine: We’ve been thinking a lot about our graduating class, the Class of 2020, and what this semester meant to them, but it’s also the 50th anniversary of UMBC’s first Commencement. Do you feel there are connecting points between the Class of 1970 and our newest graduates?

Hrabowski: I think many people would call the period of the ’60s another generation-defining moment in American history. From the Civil Rights Movement to Vietnam to changes in voting rights in our country, we saw civil unrest, and we also saw some progress. We saw the assassination of a president, John Kennedy, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy—all in an eight-month period during the ’60s. People who were graduating in the ’70s had been through those times of great uncertainty and tragedy, very much so, and I relate to and resonate with UMBC’s Class of 1970 because that is also the year I graduated from college. My wife and I were supposed to be going down to Hampton University this spring for our 50^th reunion.

The Class of 1970 experienced those things in high school and college—the unrest, the tragedy, and fear—and right now our graduating class of 2020 is having the same type of  experiences. Yet beyond the fear about the future, the uncertainty, and the tragedy, we also are seeing Americans come together with people from around the world to help each other. The most important message in both periods, in the midst of the uncertainty, is that we will get through this. 

And so there’s this theme of hope in the midst of the chaos and fear and uncertainty. In 2020, as in 1970, we are at a point where we are being tested as human beings and as a society to show who we are at our very core. And the good news, the encouraging news, is that when we as human beings get knocked down, we have this indomitable spirit that pushes us to get back up and to say we can do this. We can go through this, and we can do this. And that’s why the celebration of 2020, as it was in 1970, is a message of hope for humanity. 

You know, I saw this picture of the sunrise on campus, and one word popped into my head—hope. My grandmother used to always say, “Just remember that the sun will come back.” That’s a powerful message.

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Have a question for President Hrabowski? Share it with us at magazine@umbc.edu, and read more interviews online at https://umbc.edu/tag/up-on-the-roof/.

Header image by Corey Jennings ’10.

Fifty years ago, UMBC’s very first class crossed the stage for the university’s inaugural Commencement ceremony. Among the faces of the 239-member founding class captured in black and white in the Skipjack 1970 yearbook are men and women eager to explore their world. Together with brand-new faculty and staff, they helped set the foundation of UMBC as a true community of inquiring minds. 

Although they are decades apart, the graduating Class of 2020 has made just as indelible a mark on UMBC. Like their 1970 counterparts, they have contributed fresh takes on timeless conversations, challenged norms for the public good, created timely scholarship of all types, and pioneered entirely new ways of learning. 

As we celebrate UMBC’s Golden Commencement, we hope you will enjoy these conversations between members of the Classes of 1970 and 2020 and take pride in what it means to be a Retriever—and how those principles have remained consistent year after year.

Timeless Teammates—Louie & Kaya

For decades, many students’ UMBC experiences have been shaped by the teams they cheered for and the championships they competed in. But when Linda “Louie” Sowers ’70, American studies, first arrived at UMBC in the school’s inaugural year, athletics were hardly a blip on the map of the school’s three-building campus—and women’s sports did not exist at all. It was Sowers herself who made the change. 

Formerly a high school volleyball player, she approached the school’s athletic director and struck a deal: If she could gather enough interest, the school would sanction a women’s volleyball team.

In the end, sixty-six women—around a tenth of the school’s entire population—signed on, demanding women’s athletics. A volleyball team was formed, followed by field hockey and basketball, and the rest is history.

“I often wondered what would’ve happened if I hadn’t…said, ‘hey, we have girls that are interested in playing,’” Sowers told Kaya Knake ’20, computer science, a member of the Track and Field team, over lunch at True Grit’s early last semester. “How many years would’ve gone by with no women’s sports here?”

• Louie Sowers ’70
• Kaya Knake ’20

The women’s teams at the time had few resources at their disposal; they initially practiced in their gym uniforms, had difficulty finding schools to compete against, and were relegated to practicing in the late evening, once the boys were done using the field. 

Even once they did get their own uniforms, girls who played more than one sport got only one uniform that they used year-round—including Sowers, who wore lucky number 13 for all three teams. You can spot the jersey scattered across the pages of UMBC’s 1970 yearbook, which Knake and Sowers flipped through together as they chatted.

Now, 50 years later, women’s athletics at UMBC not only persists but thrives, with eight NCAA teams, including basketball and volleyball; field hockey, sadly, did not stand the test of time. 

Sowers and Knake at True Grit’s looking at photos of UMBC’s women sports teams from 1970 and today.

Knake, who will graduate this semester into a new career at Northrop Grumman, is one of the many students whose UMBC experience is inextricably tied to athletics. After all, Knake is a Michigan native who would not have heard about UMBC if she hadn’t been recruited by the university’s Track and Field team.

Unlike in Sowers’s time, Knake’s team has never had any dearth of schools to compete against. One of the most memorable experiences she has had as part of the Track and Field team, she said, was when UMBC hosted the America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the end of her sophomore year, bringing nine teams and tons of fans to campus. There, Knake won two events and even set an America East record for the outdoor 800 meter. But it was the support of the community that really made the occasion special, Knake told Sowers while sharing some of the team photos she keeps on her phone

“It meant a lot because my parents came down from Michigan, and then some people from UMBC came to watch, and we had a ton of alumni who came out as well,” Knake explained. “It was really special to have everyone here and feel like a big team.”

A World to Discover—Dale & Pat

It might come as a surprise to today’s UMBC students to learn that study abroad has been a part of the university’s fabric since almost the very beginning. In 1969, UMBC’s third year, a group of 42 students traveled abroad as part of a winter session course (then called the “mini-mester”), traversing Europe and visiting important historical landmarks.

Dale Gough ’70, American studies, was not on that trip. He did, however, end up going abroad after his senior year, but it was not for a class, nor for a vacation. At the time—the tail end of the Vietnam War—there was a draft lottery, in which young men were selected based on their birthdates to serve in the military. When Gough realized he was going to be drafted, he decided to get ahead of the curve by going to the military recruitment office, resume in hand, in hopes of getting placed somewhere other than active duty.

“[The recruiter] said, ‘Well, have you ever considered military intelligence?’ And I said, ‘Oh, you mean like James Bond?’” Gough recalled as he and Pat Michael ’20, mathematics and global studies, took a walking tour of campus together this spring.

On a walk around campus in early 2020, Gough and Micheal discuss the benefits of having experiences abroad.

Thus began Gough’s assignment in Panama, where he worked as the non-commissioned officer in charge of source administration and research analysis. Since then, he has visited six times and has become quite well-versed in Panamanian politics, culture, and history, as evidenced by the stream of facts and anecdotes he related to Michael as the duo turned off of Academic Row and made their way across the quad towards the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building.

Now, the class of 1970 is donating $25,000 to support international education in hopes of boosting the number of UMBC students who are able to study abroad — the Education Abroad Access Fund. Even though Gough did not personally have the opportunity to study abroad while in school, his time in Panama taught him that immersing oneself in another culture “fundamentally changes your DNA.”

• Dale Gough ’70
• Pat Michael ’20

The sentiment was echoed by Michael, who studied abroad in Colombia—which shares a border with Panama—during their junior year at UMBC. “It rocks your world,” said Michael, who described their experience in Colombia as that of a “investigator,” constantly trying to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s customs and culture over the course of their semester-long experience. 

While Michael managed to get used to some aspects of Colombian culture, like the blunt way the people talk with one another and the nation’s proclivity for long days that start early in the morning, they know that they still have much to learn. They plan to return someday soon and even applied to teach there as a Fulbright Scholar.

Gough and Michael ended their campus tour in The Commons, where they sat below the colorful swath of international flags that hang from the ceiling. There, Michael told Gough about working as a peer advisor in the Education Abroad Office. Part of the job of a peer advisor involves explaining to their fellow students what study abroad was like—a duty that has turned out to be mutually beneficial.

“Talking about my experience has helped me ground it, but it has also inspired other people,” Michael says. “It’s fun to see some people’s faces when they light up.”

Supplemental Learning—Donna & Kara

When Donna Helm ’70, French, came to UMBC, she wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to study; the career options at the time were limited for women, she recalls, but she did have an interest in teaching. Luckily, though, she wasn’t alone in her uncertainty. Most of the professors who taught her were playing it by ear, as well.

“Many of our professors were brand-newly minted Ph.D.s who had never taught, and this was their chance to sort of figure it out, too,” Helm said in a phone call with Kara Gavin ’20, an English major and Humanities Scholar. 

• Donna Helm ’70
• Kara Gavin ’20

This led to a sort of camaraderie between the professors and students, who worked together to navigate the beginnings of a brand-new school; there was a sense that everyone on campus was constantly trying new things, learning from mistakes, and improvising. 

“They had requirements, but we had a certain amount of freedom to design … what we wanted to do,” Helm said.

This led to a handful of educational experiences that may strike today’s students as a little bit unusual. Some of the most notable were the weekend excursions Helm—along with her professor and twenty classmates—used to take to an off-campus estate called the Donaldson Brown Center, located in Cecil County on the Susquehanna River. 

There, the students would fully immerse themselves in the language. “It was an opportunity to just speak French and to interact on a different level with our professors because we weren’t at the school,” Helm says. “That was really a lot of fun.”

Members of the graduating class of 1970 read an issue of The Retriever.

After the COVID-19 pandemic forced universities to switch to distance learning this spring, UMBC’s students and professors faced moments of uncertainty and improvisation not unlike what Helm’s class experienced in the school’s first year. 

Just as Helm’s professors tried to find interesting ways to engage their students, Gavin’s professors have had to completely rearrange their courses to accommodate the new online environment. The professor for her costuming class altered the final project so that students who do not own a sewing machine can either create a costume design plan, including budget and materials, or write a research essay.

Degree requirements were also somewhat looser when Helm was a student, mirroring the temporary changes to grading policies this semester to afford students an unprecedented amount of flexibility for completing their graduation requirements under the stress of a pandemic.”

And just as Helm and her professors supported one another through the often-challenging work of building a university from the ground up, Gavin said her professors have been more than understanding of what their students are going through in this difficult time.  

“My teachers also have been helpful just by asking, ‘How are you guys doing?’ In the first Zoom session of my English Technical Communication course, we spent the first 15 minutes just talking about how we were, how our families were,” Kara said. “As often as I can, I try to make sure to thank my teachers for how they have helped us in this transition.”

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All 1970s images are from the university’s 1970 Skipjack. All other photos by Marlayna Demond ’11, except for Kara Gavin’s image, submitted by the subject. Infographic designed by Layla Thompson-Koch.

Read more stories about the Class of 2020.

We can all agree it was not supposed to be this way. Commencement—as President Freeman Hrabowski often reminds graduates during the ceremony—is a dignified occasion, deserving of the phrase “pomp and circumstance.” It’s also a day for jitters, lining up with your classmates in the hallways of the Event Center, and being mindful of your feet when crossing the stage. It’s a day for loud, celebratory shouts and enough clapping to make your palms feel sore afterward. Commencement is a day for shaking hands with your mentors, for hugging your suitemates and best friends so hard your mortarboard cap falls off. In short, the culmination of your time at UMBC is a full-body experience, and our class of 2020 deserved to have that day.

With traditional end-of-studies rites of passage not possible this May, our 2020 graduates are finding ways to acknowledge what they’ve lost but also celebrate their hard-earned achievements. Until we’re able to commemorate them in person, UMBC Magazine wanted to give a special shout out and send off to our 50th graduating class.

Visit umbc.edu/classof2020 and umbc.edu/together for more Class of 2020 celebratory content.

In This Together

I never planned to walk at graduation. 

Graduating college was just something everyone in my life expected me to do—why celebrate it in a three-hour ceremony? The diploma would be mailed either way.  

But as the second semester of my senior year got closer and closer, I started thinking about my “lasts” and I realized that I wanted to experience the culmination of four years’ worth of blood, sweat, and grit, and I wanted to do it with my friends. 

Julia Arbutusis the outgoing editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, The Retriever, and a proud member of the Class of 2020.

We’ve all spent four years of our lives—some, even more—working towards our degrees, and it’s difficult to think of the last moments we have missed.

We’ll never get to experience our last day of classes, or our last club meetings, or our last late night chicken tenders. We’ll never get to experience the butterflies in our stomachs as we wait for our names to be called so we can walk across the stage after a (last) week of finals, pretending that we can pick out our moms in the crowd.

While it hurts that we weren’t able to have the same May graduation ceremony as the 49 classes before us, it helps to know that if we could make it through college, we can make it through this, too. And though the future’s uncertain, one thing I know for sure is that we’re all in this together, just as we have been for the last several years. 

We’ve conquered Chem 101, given our first 15-minute presentation, written countless essays, and survived distance learning. We’ve pulled all-nighters in the Retriever Learning Center to complete assignments due at 8 a.m. the next day, spent days running on coffee, and have ordered more Domino’s pizza than we might care to admit.

We’ll remember the “plagues” that struck campus, causing campus-wide losses of power and water; the tree that mysteriously appeared on Erikson Field during the 2017 fall semester finals week—appropriately dubbed the Finalmas tree—and the first time we got really and truly spooked by a campus squirrel eating Chick-fil-A. We’ll remember the feeling of staying up late with friends, living exclusively on Admin sandwiches, and scrambling to find last-minute parking.

Personally, I’ll also miss the baristas at Starbucks, who remembered my name and my order, the newsroom tucked away on the second floor of the University Center, and the ground floor of Fine Arts, where I could often be found pretending to dance for an upcoming Musical Theatre Club production.  

All of these memories have people attached to them, and they’re perhaps the most important. We haven’t done it alone, and while it was hard to have to give up our last, perhaps most formative, semester, it’s easy to remember the people who were there by our sides, helping us through.  

Professors who have had our backs from the beginning and don’t mind if we drop by their office hours unannounced. Staff who have taught us more than we seem to be able to get from a classroom. Advisors who have checked in on us outside of advising season to make sure we’re okay. Friends who have been there since freshman orientation, and friends we were only just beginning to make this semester. 

Though we may not have been able to give everyone a proper goodbye, and we might now wish that we took a little extra time to relax, we will remember the moments with each other more than anything else. 

So I think we deserve it when I say:

Congratulations, Class of 2020.

We made it.

Julia Arbutus is the outgoing editor-in-chief of the campus newspaper, The Retriever, and a proud member of the Class of 2020. A double major in financial economics and English, her next step is a master’s in journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Nothing Left to Say, but ‘Thanks’

We reached out to the graduating class to ask about warm memories and shout-outs to fellow Retrievers they’d like to share. From an ode to the campus squirrel population to words of gratitude to mentors; from virtual hugs of suitemates-turned-best friends to memories of closing curtain bows, what we heard was a genuine outpouring of love for our UMBC community.

As a biology major who spends a lot of time in labs, I’ve always joked that Stella-Blue—my sweet Labrador Retriever—is my “lab assistant” or my best “lab partner.” For the UMBC Homecoming Puppy Parade, I brought Stella to campus dressed as a scientist, complete with an Einstein wig! I was delighted when Stella won the Puppy Parade Costume Contest. Finally, her role as a “lab assistant” was made official!  

One of my favorite memories is the last day of my first semester of teaching the cinematic/animation course Visual Concepts 4. It was my first time teaching a college-level course, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment in myself and in my students as we screened their impressive short films. 

—Adan Martinez Rodriguez, M.F.A., intermedia and digital art, at Homecoming 2019.

Residential Life Facilities is a group that made my time at UMBC amazing. I was a maintenance assistant for three years. Every year, the group’s dynamic changed with new MA’s added, but yet every semester was always so memorable. Working with the MA’s, I learned about how to fix various things in the residential buildings, but I also learned about each MA’s different cultures and experiences at UMBC. My entire UMBC experience would be very different if I was not an MA. 

—Sarah Sinnokrot, mechanical engineering, back row, fifth from left, with the other members of the maintenance assistance staff.

One person who has made my time at UMBC amazing is Professor Susan Blunck, part of the elementary education department. Dr. Blunck has been not just my professor for many years, but my friend, support system, mentor, and confidant. She’s pushed me to my full capacity and I cannot wait to take everything she has taught me into my future elementary classroom this fall. You rock, Dr. Blunck!

—Brooke Lauren Edwards, psychology, interning at Relay Elementary School. She’s since accepted an elementary teacher position at this same school in the fall.

I remember the first day I walked into the Women’s Center. I finally found a space where I felt that I belonged. This was so important to me because I felt as though I was the only non-traditional student and would not find a community where I felt I belonged. As a single parent, this gave me a safe place to concentrate on work, and if I needed anything such as extra food, supplies, or just to talk to someone, I had Jess and her wonderful staff. 

—Joanna Riley, social work, with her son Christian Jackson at Patapsco State Park.

I came to UMBC because of Cyberdawgs. My first year on the team, we placed second at Mid-Atlantic CCDC and failed to qualify for nationals. Being a newcomer, I always believed it was my fault. The next year, I resolved to work harder. That was also the point when I was named team captain, something I also wasn’t expecting. Then at Mid-Atlantic CCDC, we fell short again. As captain, I still felt that a large chunk of the blame could be placed on me. With a little shoving from my teammates Zack Orndorff, Seamus Burke, RJ Joyce, and Cyrus Bonyadi I realized it couldn’t entirely be my fault. They eventually pushed me to run for president. Since then, we’ve won the Department of Energy’s Cyberforce Competition, Maryland Cyber Challenge, SANS Netwars Tournament of Champions, and most recently Mid-Atlantic CCDC. I am constantly amazed at the brilliance of the people I’m surrounded by. I truly believe I’m working with the best in the field. 

—Anna Tegla Staats, computer science, has been a member of the UMBC Running Club all four years and was a walk-on track and field athlete.

Just one of my favorite memories at UMBC is my first day of work as a Graduate Assistant for Assessment in Residential Life. It was my first day interacting with the department and also my first department meeting where we had homemade ice cream made with dry ice as an “ice breaker.” What makes that memory so special to me was the amount of warmth and level of inclusivity I felt from my supervisor, the department, and my fellow graduate assistants. I did not attend UMBC for my undergraduate years, so I was beyond touched by how welcomed I was made to feel. That feeling has absolutely continued throughout the last two years and I will be sad to leave upon graduating next month. 

Special thanks has to be given to my parents who always support and encourage me. I am eternally grateful. My fellow Humanities Scholars have helped to make my time at UMBC amazing. I’ve gained and learned so much from having classes with you, living with you, and just being with you. To each of the graduating Humanities Scholars (as well as those to come), I am so proud of you. You will amaze the world with your brilliance.

—Kara Deonna Gavin, English, center, with friends on the first day of school in 2016.

Retriever Rally

To encourage the class of 2020, UMBC alumni from the past five decades of graduating classes submitted notes to cheer them on as they launch to their next adventure. Here is a small selection.

The next few months will feel like being pushed off a cliff and being expected to fly. While it can feel scary, embrace and enjoy this time of growth—the world is just starting to open for you. 

—Mandy ’09, psychology

Incredible opportunity will come from every circumstance, if you continue to apply your grit!

—Bennett Moe ’88, visual and performing arts

Sharp, friendly graduates are always in high demand. Celebrate your accomplishment and keep moving forward fearlessly—you got this! 

—Kristen Avery ’16, MLLI

Through your strength and creativity, confidence and humility, you will lift every voice and solve the hardest problems ever faced.

—Patrick Ellis ’04, geography

You have worked so hard, and deserve to celebrate yourself and your huge accomplishment! You are enough and filled with good for yourself and the world.

—Fio Haire, ’17, computer science and mathematics

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Header image by Marlayna Demond ’11. All other images submitted courtesy of the subjects.

In his more than a decade of service to UMBC through the Alumni Association Board of Directors, outgoing president John Becker ’01, information systems, has seen a little bit of everything. As he passes the torch of leadership, Becker thinks back to some of the moments—and the people of our community—that have meant the most to him.  

I’m writing this column from my dining room table, while my wife leads my two children in a home-schooling session on peregrine falcons. There are no pressing activities. There is nowhere to be—in fact, we are not allowed to be anywhere else. (I can’t say “gotta run” at the end of phone calls anymore.) This is strange for us, and I’m sure some of you have also felt a sense of surrealism. We’re sheltered in place, waiting for the seemingly inevitable house call we will be receiving from the novel coronavirus.  

While our inability to work during this lock-down is a dark cloud on the horizon, I am finding silver linings. We are spending more time (and more meaningful time) together. We are closer now than ever with our neighbors and we are in touch daily with our out-of-state parents. I have also had time to pause and reflect on the past several years in a way that I rarely can when we are rushing around with daily routines and extra curriculars.

The 10 years that I have served on the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors have been among the most rewarding years of my life. Some of that reward comes from a sense of debt repayment—a sense of fulfilling an obligation for the many gifts I was given while I was a student here in the late ’90s. But in thinking about it more deeply, I realize it is something else— Retriever pride—that feeds the beast.  

Reaching Together

Our UMBC has been accomplishing great things for decades socially, academically and athletically. There are bread crumbs trailing all the way back to 1966 that a nostalgic alum or prospective Board member could discover or remember that would kindle that fire—that pride—within them. Among my fellow Board members, I found a common interest in recalling formative years, assisting those students we recognize so clearly as a reflection of ourselves, and planning for an enduring legacy.  

The highlights of my time on the Board could fill this magazine, but one thread that shines through is that the alumni have become increasingly involved over time. This truth reflects the hard work of our Director of Alumni Engagement, Stanyell Odom, and her team, the acknowledgement of the role we play in the university by Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Greg Simmons, M.P.P. ’04, and of course the curiosity of our great alumni, which often foments into a desire to return and help in a meaningful way.  

Exceptional by Example

I vividly recall meeting Naomi Mburu ’18, M26, chemical engineering, UMBC’s first Rhodes Scholar at our Annapolis Alumni Reception, learning her story and being inspired by her determination. This reception, held in winter each year and hosted by the Board of Directors has allowed us to meet our state’s leaders who are UMBC alumni themselves, learn their perspectives, and find common interests through our ties to UMBC. 

The growth of the annual Alumni Awards gala has been another source of pride for me.  What began for me as an intimate affair in our library’s gallery has blossomed into a spectacle with hundreds of guests held in the Linehan Concert Hall in the Performing Arts and Humanities Building. I’m stunned every year by the unique, inspirational alumni I meet across all disciplines and from all walks of life. Last year I had a chance to speak with Jerome Adams ’97, M4, biochemistry and molecular biology, the Surgeon General of the United States, who is now at the tip of the spear in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. What struck me about Dr. Adams was how down to earth and family-oriented he was. He demonstrated a sense of perspective that was refreshing to see in a person in his position of national leadership. 

And I am proud of leading the effort to develop and successfully reach an audacious fundraising campaign for the Alumni Endowed Scholarship, doubling our market value in four years and allowing the funds raised by the Board to leave an enduring legacy of scholarship on generations of deserving students. 

A Proud Legacy

The thread linking these events and milestones is the people. UMBC is ripe with talented alumni, faculty, staff and, of course, talented students and student-athletes. My engagement with bright, energetic, and driven individuals is what keeps me coming back for more. If you haven’t been back to campus lately, please accept this invitation. I want you to see the intelligence, diversity, passion, grit, and greatness that I have enjoyed, and maybe in the process find something you left behind. 

Dr. Hrabowski likes to remind us every year at Commencement that “success is never final.” As we embark on a new fundraising campaign for the Alumni Endowed Scholarship and I pass the torch to Brian Frazee ’11, M.P.P. ’12, I am at ease knowing that our success will continue and our future is bright. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.

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Learn more about ways of engaging with UMBC at alumni.umbc.edu.

Header image: John Becker with President Hrabowski and the U.S. Surgeon General, Jerome Adams. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11.