Please consider joining the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) Senator team this academic year to help your fellow Graduate Students.

There are currently 2 out of 4 open spots available. This is a paid position.

Follow this link for more information on what it is to be a CNMS Senator within the Graduate Student Association (GSA).

Apply here.

Posted on behalf of CNMS GSA Senators.

Welcome to UMBC! We are so glad you are here.

Whether you are transferring in, starting mid-year, or picking up where you left off, we are thrilled to have you as part of our diverse, inclusive community. Welcome Retrievers is one of UMBC’s favorite traditions. At the beginning of each semester, departments and offices from across campus come together to welcome new and returning students to UMBC. 

Graduate Students Welcome Events - Starting Aug 19

Join the Welcome Retrievers myUMBC group for updates and information.

Want to know more about events?  Have a question about life on campus?  Want to connect with a current student for some tips? As you find yourself asking questions, send an email to welcomeretrievers@umbc.edu

The Graduate Student Association is seeking graduate student representatives to serve on the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee (GAAC) for the 2026–2027 academic year.

The GAAC is responsible for providing a platform specifically for GA’s to voice their concerns. We strive to work productively and coordinate with administrators to maintain a positive work environment and bring about positive changes for graduate assistant students. 

We are looking for:

1 representative from CAHSS

📅 Position Start Date: Aug 20, 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews will begin immediately. Positions will be filled on a first-qualified, first-served basis, so we encourage interested students to apply as soon as possible.

This is a great opportunity to:

• Gain leadership and service experience
• Contribute to graduate assistants' betterment 
• Work closely with the GSA to support your graduate student community
• Earn a stipend for your time.

If you're interested in serving on the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee, submit your application today! (https://forms.gle/UXVtCcYR3UhieTDD7)

We look forward to welcoming our new GAAC members!

The Graduate Student Association is inviting graduate students to join the Graduate Experiences, Achievements, and Research Successes (GEARS) Committee for the 2026–2027 academic year.

GEARS helps organize events and programs that showcase graduate research, celebrate student achievements, support professional development, and strengthen the graduate student community.

We are looking for motivated graduate students to support areas such as:

1. Event planning and logistics
2. Operations and registration
3. Outreach and partnerships
4. Communications and organization
5. Graphics and social media

This is a great opportunity to:

- Gain leadership and event-planning experience
- Help organize major events such as 3MT and the Graduate Research Symposium
- Work with campus partners and the GSA
- Support and celebrate graduate student success
- Earn a stipend for your time

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so interested students are encouraged to apply early.

Join GEARS and help bring graduate student research, achievements, and experiences into the spotlight at UMBC!

Submit your application here!

10 Years of Community Care: Share Your Voice and Win 100 Retriever Dollars

For a decade, Retriever Essentials has worked to ensure no Retriever goes hungry. What started as an effort to ease the immediate burden of food insecurity has grown into a campus movement of mutual aid, support, and care. Every meal provided, every pantry restocked, and every student served over the past ten years has been made possible by the dedication of our UMBC community.

As we mark our 10th Anniversary, we want to celebrate the heart of this work: student voices.

In partnership with Poetry X Hunger, we are calling on UMBC student writers and poets to submit an original poem exploring themes of hunger, food justice, or collective care.

The Award and Recognition

• 100 Retriever Dollars: One featured student writer will be awarded 100 Retriever Dollars.

• Live Performance: The selected student will read their poem live in front of an audience at our 10th Anniversary Celebration.

• Broader Platform: Winning selections will be showcased on the Poetry X Hunger website to inspire broader audiences.

Your words have the power to illuminate the reality of food equity, foster empathy, and drive meaningful change.

How to Submit

Please refer to the following post.

This post has been made on behalf of the Retrievers Essentials. 

This workshop by Women's, Gender, & Equity Center, is designed for faculty, staff, and students who may be the first person a survivor confides in.

Join us to:

• Learn about the Start by Believing campaign

• Build confidence in responding to disclosures of sexual assault, harassment, or domestic violence

• Strengthen our survivor-centered, trauma-informed campus community

Date: August 19, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Location: Virtual via Webex

Let’s work together to create a culture of support and safety at UMBC

If you plan to attend, RSVP on MyUMBC below:

https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/womenscenter/events/154881

This event is 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.

This post has been made on behalf of the Women's, Gender, & Equity Center at UMBC.

Are you interested in leveraging Artificial Intelligence to elevate your research, writing, and literature reviews without losing valuable time or sacrificing academic rigor?

Join us for the AI for Academics Play Space Series, hosted by Dr. Robin Cresiski, Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Student Development and Postdoctoral Affairs.

This hands-on series is designed to move beyond the hype and give UMBC academics actionable, purposeful strategies for integrating cutting-edge AI tools into everyday scholarly work. Learn how to streamline document analysis, automate tedious tasks, and map literature efficiently, ensuring AI serves as a powerful multiplier for your productivity.

Session Schedule (Wednesdays Online):

Click on each session below to sign-up!

• Play Space 1: NotebookLM

  • September 9, 2026 | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

• Play Space 2: Gemini & GEMS

  • October 14, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

• Play Space 3: Consensus

  • November 11, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

• Play Space 4: Elicit

  • December 9, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

 Open to all UMBC Graduate Students across all disciplines.

 Online (Virtual link provided on each myUMBC post)

Why attend? Stop wasting time experimenting with unproductive prompts. Gain practical tools to work smarter, accelerate your research, and elevate your academic output.

Join us in the Graduate Student and Postdoc Development (GSPD) unit this fall for the Teaching Assistant ADVANCED Series, a 5-session professional development workshop series designed to support Teaching Assistants, Postdocs, and graduate students in general in building effective, inclusive, and transferable teaching skills. It is also a opportunity to earn a CIRTL certificate!

      Location:Admin 218 Conference Room and Hybrid on Webex
      Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
      When: THURSDAYS this Fall
      Hosted by: Dr. Robin Cresiski & Dr. Jamie Gurganus 

Fall 2026 Workshop Schedule:

Click each date to sign up!

1. September 17: Reverse Course Design

2. October 1: Writing an Inclusive Syllabus

3. October 15: Lesson Planning

4. October 29: Designing Assessments

5. November 12: Leveraging Group Work

This 5-session series contributes toward earning a CIRTL Certificate, a strong addition to your CV or resume and a valuable credential for future academic and professional opportunities.

We hope you will join us for a fall of learning, reflection, and community-building!

Please sign up for each session by clicking on the links abve and add to your calendar. We will send a reminder e-mail closer to each workshop date to those who RSVP to each session.

We also have a TA Basic Skills series; check it out!

Share this post and the flyer below with your fellow TAs, postdocs, and graduate students. You can still earn a CIRTL certificate if you are not a TA--all graduate students are eligible!

Jamie Gurganus,’04, M.S. ’11, Ph.D. ’20, mechanical engineering, assistant teaching professor in UMBC's Engineering and Computing Education Program and director of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning, has received the Michael P. Malone International Leadership Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). The award, established in 2000, recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to advancing international education at public higher education institutions.

“Congratulations to Dr. Jamie Gurganus on winning the 2026 Malone Award,” APLU President Waded Cruzado said in a press release. “Her efforts to advance international education have increased global learning opportunities for students, advanced international skills among faculty, and bolstered global research partnerships.” 

Gurganus has expanded global engineering education at UMBC by developing a multidisciplinary, international learning model, based on an approach called Collaborative Online International Learning, that connects students across multiple countries. It broadens the international experience available to students from isolated study abroad opportunities to accessible, curriculum-integrated international collaborations. Students are prepared to collaborate across cultures and address complex global challenges. Gurganus also played a significant role in advancing faculty development through UMBC’s Global Learning Lab, which provides a collaborative framework for instructors to exchange best practices, develop innovative approaches, and expand access to global learning across the curriculum. Gurganus was recognized Aug. 3 at the APLU Commission on International Initiatives Summer Meeting. 

“Throughout my career, I've believed that engineering and computing education should extend beyond classrooms and borders,” Gurganus says. “What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it celebrates something I care deeply about: when we intentionally bring together students, faculty, and institutions across borders to solve meaningful challenges, we don't simply broaden perspectives; we generate better ideas, stronger collaborations, and more thoughtful engineers, innovators, and leaders. Some of the most impactful innovation happens when people with different experiences challenge one another's assumptions, learn from one another, and work toward a shared purpose.” 

Photo: Jamie Gurganus, left, accepts 2026 Michael P. Malone International Leadership Award at APLU Commission on International Initiatives Summer Meeting (Photo courtesy of Gurganus)

Join us in the Graduate Student and Postdoc Development (GSPD) unit this fall for the Teaching Assistant Basic Series, a 7-session professional development workshop series designed to support Teaching Assistants, Postdocs, and graduate students in general in building effective, inclusive, and transferable teaching skills. It is also a opportunity to earn a CIRTL certificate!

      Location: ILSB 118 (and ILSB 237 on Oct 9)
      Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
      When: FRIDAYS this Fall
      Hosted by: Dr. Robin Cresiski & Dr. Jamie Gurganus 

Fall 2026 Workshop Schedule:

Click each date to sign up!

1. September 11 – Fostering Belonging & Community

2. September 25 – Active Learning: What Why and How?

3. October 9 – Formative Classroom Assessment Techniques

4. October 30 – Improving Your Teaching Through Feedback and Classroom Management

5. November 13 – Grading Assignments

6. November 20 – Overcoming End of Semester Overwhelm

7. December 11 – Translating Your TA Skills to Your Resume

This 7-session series contributes toward earning a CIRTL Certificate, a strong addition to your CV or resume and a valuable credential for future academic and professional opportunities.

We hope you will join us for a fall of learning, reflection, and community-building!

Please sign up for each session by clicking on the links abve and add to your calendar. We will send a reminder e-mail closer to each workshop date to those who RSVP to each session.

Already attended the Basic Skills Series in prior semesters? Gear up for the Teaching Assistant Advanced series, also coming this fall! It will also be posted on our myUMBC.

Share this post and the flyer below with your fellow TAs, postdocs, graduate students, and those interested in becoming a TA. You can still earn a CIRTL certificate if you are not a TA!