A Message from Dr. Jake Diaz, Vice President and Dean of Students

As a new member of the UMBC community, I want to take a moment to introduce myself and share my enthusiasm for the academic year. I serve as the Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students, and having moved to Baltimore in June, I have already had the pleasure of meeting many of you, and I was excited to be part of the UMBC News Meet a Retriever feature! I look forward to connecting with even more of our community in the weeks ahead.

My team and I are dedicated to fostering a strong culture of care and belonging at UMBC. Our goal is to provide holistic student advocacy, care coordination, support for student’s basic needs, and community standards, and we are here to serve as a key resource for you.

Whether you are looking to connect a student with campus resources, could use guidance on navigating student concerns in or out of the classroom, or want to explore ways to support a student in distress, please reach out to us. Your eyes and ears on campus are vital to helping us identify and support students early. 

If you ever have a concern about a student or need advice on available resources, please reach out to our team at deanofstudents@umbc.edu or visit us in The Center for Well-Being (Room 102).

Thank you for everything you do every day to educate, support, and inspire our students. I look forward to partnering with you this year!

Sincerely, 

Dr. Jake Diaz, Assistant Vice President & Dean of Students

Photo by Poulomi Banerjee '16, M.P.P. '21