INDS major Trilece Wilson shares her confessional poetry with themes of melancholy, beauty, family dynamics, and war. Come hear her recite her poems from 11:15-11:30am on the RAC stage. Q and A to follow.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22 in the RAC.

Title: Tears Made of Ink

Mentor: Nicole Pekarske, English dept. (creative writing)

Abstract:

I am inspired by lyric and confessional poetry, emotionally driven and emotionally honest writing. I have chosen to share a small collection of my poems composed within poetry courses here at UMBC and in personal time. The collection includes poems that were composed using various techniques and stylistic constraints, showcasing a range of work, experimentation, and growth as a poet and artist. Pathetically Poetic was written in personal time. Family Dinner 504 developed from a prompt titled “Childhood Kitchen." The prompt instructions were to describe the kitchen using physical elements such as colors, textures, and sounds. The Cruelties of War and The Beauties of Beyond was composed following instructions from the prompt “20-Word Revision,” where a previous longer poem was taken and used to create two new poems. The piece shared was the second poem created, and it was composed with the strictest parameters, where only twenty words were allowed. Home was created following instructions to produce a sonnet. All Things Lead Back to Blue developed from a prompt titled “poem inspired by color.” Through sharing my work, I hope to truly pursue my dreams and passions, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.

See the full schedule here: URCAD.umbc.edu

Graduate Student Appreciation Week (GSAW) is a way of hitting "pause" on the grind so you can take up space, find your rhythm, and be celebrated for the incredible impact you have on this campus. From wellness sessions to game nights and a formal prom, this week is all about you. You’ve earned the right to relax, connect, and enjoy the community you help build.

Follow the Office of Graduate Student Life and checkout all their events this week!

Grad Wellness Day | Monday, April 6

• Wellness Tabling 
• 1–3 p.m.
• The Commons, Main Street

• Candle Making 
• 3–5 p.m.
• The Commons, Room 329

• Break the Mold (Pottery & Networking)
• 4–6 p.m. 
• The Commons, Fireside Lounge (with The Office of Health Promotion)

GEARS Research Symposium & 3MT

• Tuesday, April 7 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
• UC Ballroom

Grad Bingo Night

•  Wednesday, April 8 | 4–7 p.m.
•  UC Ballroom
• RSVP & FOLLOW OGSL ON myUMBC

Grad Cultural Day

• Thursday, April 9 | 12–4 p.m
• UC Ballroom

Career Paths by The Graduate School

• Thursday, April 9 | 5–8:30 p.m.
• Fireside Lounge, The Commons

Grad Prom & Awards

• Friday, April 10 | 5–8 p.m.
• UC Ballroom

April is all about connecting with community, one tasty treat at a time.

A welcoming and friendly GMC and GAC experience awaits! Join us this April month to share smiles, bites, and moments with fellow commuters.

Gold Cards are a one-time purchase per academic year and can be bought at any GMC/GAC event (cash only):

• $5 for Commuter Students

• $10 for Residential & Graduate Students

Here's what's cooking this month
GMC 04/07: Breakfast Biscuits
GMC 04/14: True Grits D Hall
GMC 04/21: Traditional Breakfast
GMC 04/28: French Toast

Join us this Saturday, April 11th for the Digital Entertainment Conference (DEC) 2026! This year, we’re going bigger than ever with an expanded schedule, exciting industry speakers, and dedicated time for you to showcase your own creative projects.

Location: Engineering 027 & Atrium
Time: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Featured Talks

We’ve got an incredible lineup of speakers from across the games industry:

• 12:00 PM - Rotem Ganel
  “When the Cake is a Lie, Sharpen your Razor and Cut to the Pie”
• 1:00 PM - Seth Davis
  “12 Games 12 Months”
• 2:00 PM - Lunch Break
• 3:00 PM - Diwa de Leon
  “I Abandoned a Successful Film Music Career for Beeps and Boops”
• 4:00 PM - Eric Jordan
  “The Art of Software Engineering”
• 5:00 PM - Wayne Kubiak
  “Getting your foot in the door in the gaming industry: Why your origin story matters”
• 6:00 PM - Networking & Project Showcase
  Meet the speakers, connect with other students, and explore creative projects from your peers!

The Event is More Than Just Talks

Alongside our speaker sessions, we’re extending the event to include time for student project showcases, so come check out what our club members and local students have been working on over the past year! We've got 10 different games looking for constructive feedback and playtesters.

Whether you're into game development, music, design, or interactive media, DEC 2026 is a great place to connect, learn, and get inspired.

Peerada Phoomsiri will present her resarch at URCAD on Wednesday, April 22 from 9:40-9:55am in RAC 230.

Title: Rewarding Relationships: An Ethnographic Study of Volunteers with the Special Olympics

Mentor: Bambi Chapin, Anthropology

Abstract:

Giving those with intellectual disabilities a chance to shine in athletic settings is exactly what the Special Olympics aims to do. But what about the volunteers who help make these events possible? Volunteer work with the Special Olympics is described by the organization as “rewarding for all” and “about creating lifelong friendships.” This research aimed to study these friendships created in an athletic setting by engaging in participant observation through the role of a volunteer. Volunteering at Special Olympics basketball games in Maryland afforded a glimpse of the interaction’s volunteers have with others in the program. The observed interactions show that volunteers contribute towards a positive environment through the relationships they form. As facilitators of events and fans of athletics, volunteers both contribute to and benefit from their role in the Special Olympics. By better understanding the significance of relationship-building in motivating volunteer engagement and what facilitates that, this research offers organizations useful information in supporting the volunteer labor on which they rely.

For the full schedule of URCAD events see: URCAD.umbc.edu

Grab your Hacky Sack and djembe come jam with us! 

Bring your drum and join in @URCAD, Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in the RAC!

11:00-11:15am, RAC Stage

UMBC Drum Circle-  Improvisational drum jam featuring UMBC faculty, staff, and students. With INDS professors Steven "Dr. Upcycle" McAlpine, and Jose Arenas Gomez, Anna Folange, and members of the Retriever Music Society. You can hear them on sunny afternoons on the steps of Academic Row outside of the UC getting their groove on.

URCAD.umbc.edu

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in the RAC!
For the full schedule see:urcad.umbc.edu

Amy Taylor, Margot Anthony | Power and Control: The Impact of Religious Cults on the Lives of Women | Lauren Allen | Social Work | RAC Arena, 2-3pm, Poster #67

Stephanie Williams and Willow Brandy |Powerand Control: The Impact of Religious Cults on the Lives of Women| Kerri Evans | Social Work | RAC 230 | 11:00-11:15

Title: Homophobia and Queer Repression in Watchmen

Mentors: Keegan Finberg and Sharon Tran, English dept.

Come see Esther's oral presentation at URCAD on April 22:  1:15-1:30 RAC 106

Abstract:

My honors thesis examines representations of queerness in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ superhero comic series Watchmen (1986-7), remarkable for its literary status and influentially mature take on the superhero genre. My URCAD presentation will give an overview of this thesis with a focus on analyzing how the character Rorschach constructs a superhero alter ego to repress his queerness and acquiesce to neoliberal norms of masculinity outlined by Margaret Thatcher’s British New Right of the 1980s. This reading is informed by methods from queer studies, superhero comic studies, new historicism and Marxism. I unpack the ways in which superhero comic tropes are subverted to portray repressed queerness, put those tropes into conversation with the politics of the AIDS epidemic, and consider Rorschach’s identity factors, primarily his lower working-class status, to explain why and how he represses his queerness in the manner he does. Ultimately, I demonstrate that considering Watchmen as a queer superhero story can open up new avenues of scholarly conversation for exploring the superhero genre’s unique capacity to portray repressed queerness via costuming. Given the current political moment’s rising homophobia, finding ways of seeing queer people in media, especially those struggling with homophobia, has become incredibly salient.

URCAD.umbc.edu

Reposting from Undergraduate Research! Be sure to check it out: URCAD is Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in the RAC!
For the full schedule see: urcad.umbc.edu

Bella Berry | Gender and Mental Illness in Slender Man Media | Kathalene Razzano | Media and Communication Studies | 1:55-2:10 | RAC 106 

Tanzila Malik | Do Muslim Women Need Saving? A Case Study of Iran's Veiling Policies | Nehal Elmeligy | Gender, Women's, + Sexuality Studies | 9:00-9:15 | RAC 230 

Maylene Quintanilla, Caroline Wehinger, John Eiers | Toy Choice: Does Gender Matter? | Susan Sonnenschein | Psychology | RAC Arena, 2-3pm, Poster #53 

Amy Taylor, Margot Anthony | Power and Control: The Impact of Religious Cults on the Lives of Women | Lauren Allen | Social Work | RAC Arena, 2-3pm, Poster #67 

At CWIT, we know that every student’s path through engineering and IT is unique. That’s why we offer a variety of smaller scholarships funded by individual donors who are passionate about supporting the next generation of tech leaders.

These awards are designed to go beyond our standard scholars programs to recognize the diverse experiences of our community. Whether you are a current scholar looking for additional aid or a CWIT Affiliate or COEIT student with a specific passion for your field, these scholarships provide that extra boost to help you succeed.

• The Details: Awards range from $500 to $2000 for the 2026-27 academic year.

• Who Can Apply: All current COEIT undergraduates in good academic standing.

• How to Apply: Log in to Scholarship Retriever (https://umbc.academicworks.com/) and complete your general application. If you are eligible you should see "CWIT Donor Supported Scholarship" opportunity under "my applications" in the Scholarship Retriever portal. 

The deadline to apply is May 30, 2026.

Questions? Contact Jess Myers, CWIT's Associate Director for Research and Assessment at jessm@umbc.edu. 

**CWIT Donor-Supported Scholarships are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.**