REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 2nd (11AM)

Featuring poster presentations showcasing research from all colleges at UMBC, this is a great opportunity to share ideas, engage with research from across campus, and connect with fellow scholars.

Date: April 7, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: UC Ballroom

Registration form here!

Who You Are:

• A graduate or undergraduate student from any college at UMBC who wants to share their research with the university community.

What to Expect:

• Poster Presentations from students across CAHSS, COEIT, and CNMS. Come and explore groundbreaking work from all corners of UMBC.

• $2,500 Prize Pool across four categories:

  • BEST of CAHSS (College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences)

  • BEST of COEIT (College of Engineering and Information Technology)

  • BEST of CNMS (College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences)

  • Provost's Choice Award

  • People's Choice Award

• Buffet Lunch for All Attendees – Enjoy a catered lunch featuring a variety of cuisines to accommodate diverse dietary preferences.

• Limited Free Poster Printing is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants are encouraged to bring posters they have already prepared for previous conferences or presentations.

Whether you are presenting your research or just want to explore the exciting projects happening across UMBC, we welcome you to participate in this celebration of academic excellence.

Click the link here to register today, or scan the QR code in the flyer! Full URL below:

https://forms.gle/AYC5NiG917QULX8NA

Follow our Instagram @gears_umbc for other updates on events and things! 

We have extended the deadline for the UMBC Annual Research Symposium to April 2nd, 11AM! Featuring poster presentations showcasing research from all colleges at UMBC, this is a great opportunity to share ideas, engage with research from across campus, and connect with fellow scholars.

Registration form here!

Date: April 7, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: UC Ballroom

Who You Are:

• A graduate or undergraduate student from any college at UMBC who wants to share their research with the university community.

What to Expect:

• Poster Presentations from students across CAHSS, COEIT, and CNMS. Come and explore groundbreaking work from all corners of UMBC.

• $2,500 Prize Pool across four categories:

• BEST of CAHSS (College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences)

• BEST of COEIT (College of Engineering and Information Technology)

• BEST of CNMS (College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences)

• Provost's Choice Award

• People's Choice Award

• Buffet Lunch for All Attendees – Enjoy a catered lunch featuring a variety of cuisines to accommodate diverse dietary preferences.

• Limited Free Poster Printing is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants are encouraged to bring posters they have already prepared for previous conferences or presentations.

Whether you are presenting your research or just want to explore the exciting projects happening across UMBC, we welcome you to participate in this celebration of academic excellence.

Click the link here to register today, or scan the QR code in the flyer! Full URL below:

https://forms.gle/AYC5NiG917QULX8NA

Follow our Instagram @gears_umbc for other updates on events and things! 

Thank you to all the graduate students who joined us for our recent workshop: 

Mastering the Art of Presenting to a Lay Audience

The session was highly interactive, and the attendees were completely hooked from start to finish! Our phenomenal speaker, Dr. Robin Cresiski, from GSPD shared invaluable strategies on how to communicate complex concepts, read an audience, and highlight the broader significance of our research. Everyone walked away having learned a lot, feeling much more prepared for the upcoming GEARS Research Symposium.

We kept the energy high with some great food, and we wrapped up the afternoon by drawing two lucky winners for our $25 raffle! 

Here is a glimpse from the session - 

Thank you to everyone who made this such a fantastic event. See you at the next one!

Calling all graduate students!

Presenting Your Research Poster to an Interdisciplinary Audience

Calling all graduate students!

Presenting Your Research Poster to an Interdisciplinary Audience

Join us for the UMBC Annual Research Symposium 2026, featuring poster presentations showcasing research from all colleges at UMBC. Whether you are presenting or attending, this is a great opportunity to share ideas, engage with research from across campus, and connect with fellow scholars.

Date: April 7, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: UC Ballroom

Who You Are:

• A graduate or undergraduate student from any college at UMBC who wants to share their research with the university community.

What to Expect:

• Poster Presentations from students across CAHSS, COEIT, and CNMS. Come and explore groundbreaking work from all corners of UMBC.

• $2,500 Prize Pool across four categories:

• BEST of CAHSS (College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences)

• BEST of COEIT (College of Engineering and Information Technology)

• BEST of CNMS (College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences)

• Provost's Choice Award

• People's Choice Award

• Buffet Lunch for All Attendees – Enjoy a catered lunch featuring a variety of cuisines to accommodate diverse dietary preferences.

• Limited Free Poster Printing is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants are encouraged to bring posters they have already prepared for previous conferences or presentations.

Whether you are presenting your research or just want to explore the exciting projects happening across UMBC, we welcome you to participate in this celebration of academic excellence.

Click the link here to register today, or scan the QR code in the flyer! Full URL below:

https://forms.gle/AYC5NiG917QULX8NA

Follow our Instagram @gears_umbc for other updates on events and things! 

Struggling to find time to write? You are not alone. 

To help our graduate community build stronger, more consistent writing habits, GEARS has partnered with the Women's, Gender and Equity Center to bring you weekly Writing Accountability Groups (WAGs)!

How Group Writing Helps You Progress:

• Built-in Accountability: Committing to a specific time and place makes you far more likely to actually sit down and write. 
• Shared Focus: Working quietly alongside your peers creates a highly focused environment that minimizes procrastination.
• Sustainable Habits: Writing for just 90 minutes every week helps you chip away at those daunting research papers or funding applications without burning out.

When: Every Tuesday
Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Where: Commons 004
Fuel: Free coffee and snacks will be provided!

Calling all graduate students!

Presenting Your Research Poster to an Interdisciplinary Audience

Calling all graduate students!

How do you view the future of research and creative achievement at UMBC?

The Strategic Plan subcommittee on Research is hosting a dedicated focus group just for graduate students, and they want to hear directly from us. As the driving force behind much of the university's innovation, your perspective is vital to redefining what research means for the future of UMBC.

The subcommittee's work is currently guided by the following pillar statement:

"We will set new standards for research and creative excellence as an R1 institution, building an inclusive, transdisciplinary, and translational enterprise that advances scholarship, discovery, understanding, and innovation across all fields, and contributes to economic prosperity, cultural vitality, and the public good."

We encourage you to reflect on this prompt and bring your thoughts, feedback, and ideas to the upcoming session!

Event Details:

• Date: April 1st

• Time: 2:45 PM

• Location: ENG 102

This is a unique opportunity to have a direct say in UMBC's strategic direction as a premier research institution. We hope to see you there!

We're excited to announce that GEARS is partnering with the UMBC Career Center and the Office of Professional Programs to bring you - 

BYDB: Building Your Digital Brand, an interactive workshop designed to help you intentionally shape your online presence in today's competitive job market.

📅 April 28
🕔 5:00–7:00 p.m.
📍UMBC Commons, Room 329

Your digital presence plays a critical role in how employers, recruiters, and professional contacts perceive you, often before you ever submit an application or attend an interview. This event will help you take control of that narrative, starting with LinkedIn.

We'll explore the value of personal branding and why LinkedIn remains one of the most powerful tools for networking, career exploration, and professional visibility. Then we'll move beyond theory and into action through guided, hands-on activities where you will:

• Identify your brand core and craft a clear value proposition statement

• Translate your strengths, interests, and goals into a brand identity board

• Create a custom, branded LinkedIn cover photo

• Participate in a show-and-tell to share your work and gather inspiration from peers

Whether you're actively job searching, networking, or simply refining how you present yourself online, you'll leave with a clearer message, stronger visuals, and tangible updates ready to apply to your profile.

Snacks will be provided! Come with a device (laptop/iPad) to be able to work together! 

We hope to see you there; drop any questions in the comments below and share this with your fellow grad students!

Save your spot now through this Handshake link!