The 2nd Annual IvyPlus Symposium will be held March 13-15th, 2014 on the Harvard and MIT campuses.  Students are encouraged to apply from the sciences, social sciences and humanities. There will be 150 students selected to attend the conference.  Deadlines are currently mid-November.

More information will be coming soon and can be found at www.ivyplussymposium.com

October 2-8 is Mental Illness Awareness Week. MIAW is a time to learn about serious mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

“It’s time to make a difference through dialogue about mental illness throughout our community.”

One in four adults experiences a mental disorder in any given year. One in 17 adults lives with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder. And in America, more people die by suicide (50% more) each year than by homicide.

Treatment works—and saves lives.

Learn more about mental illness and support, education and advocacy to improve the lives of individuals affected by serious mental illnesses at www.nami.org.

In addition, the UMBC Counseling Center will be hosting National Depression Screening Day on Wednesday, October 2nd from 11am-2pm.  Stop by the UHS Retriever Wellness Expo on Commons Main Street (http://my.umbc.edu/groups/healthed/events/18296)!

Meet Samantha, she is an Anthropology and a INDS major. 

The focus of her research will be to preserve a part of Baltimore's history by documenting the memories of those living in Charm city. By investigating the many facets of Baltimore's identity (both positive and negative) through the stories of real people, she will fill a void in the publics perception of this city.

How did you find your mentor for year research project?
I met Professor Sarah Chard after taking her Anthropological Research Methods course last semester. I loved her passion and commitment to the field and thought she’d make an excellent mentor. To top it off, she teaches the Urban Anthropology course at UMBC-- it was as if we were meant to work together!

I’m a local titleholder in the Miss America Organization! As a titleholder I serve as a goodwill ambassador for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and a representative for the Miss Maryland Scholarship Organization. I frequently travel the state to perform my talent, speak at community events, and raise money for local charities.

Read her abstract here...