We are proud to announce that Christopher (Chris) Moss has been awarded the DoIT Gritty Award for his tireless, high-stakes coordination of UMBC’s Commencement ceremonies and his incredible adaptability under pressure.

Mastering a Zero-Failure Environment

Managing technical operations for six Commencement ceremonies every year is a high-pressure, zero-failure mission. Chris coordinates the team managing the Tassel system (formerly Marching Order), which scans Grad Passes moments before students walk across the stage. This key process triggers the recording of each student's name and displays lower-third graphics on the live stream. Over several years, Chris has continually improved and expanded this system, introducing innovative solutions and vital fail-safes to ensure every graduate gets their well-deserved moment in the spotlight.

Leadership and Clutch Adaptability

While Chris’s technical improvements keep the background running smoothly, his true grit shines through his leadership and cool composure:

• Empowering Staff: This year, Chris successfully empowered staff member Colin Corcoran to lead preparation and on-site coordination duties, remaining available as a steadfast safety net.

• Becoming the "Voice of UMBC": When veteran announcer Tom Moore had a sudden emergency right before a Thursday ceremony, Chris stepped in with zero notice—flawlessly pivoting from technical backup to becoming the literal voice of the afternoon event.

• Unseen Dedication: Behind the spectacle of Commencement, Chris handles intense backstage pressure with absolute professionalism, jumping in to assist with any task, big or small.

For his quiet leadership, constant innovation, and willingness to step up whenever needed, we present Chris Moss with the DoIT Gritty Award. Congratulations, Chris!

About the DoIT Gritty Award

The Gritty Award recognizes outstanding work within the Division and beyond. Full-time employees, student employees, and teams are all eligible. Do you know someone going above and beyond? Complete the Gritty Nomination Form today!

The first draft of this article was generated by GenAI and edited by the Communications Team. 

This recognition celebrates Victor’s exceptional problem-solving, attention to detail, and unwavering dedication to delivering flawless audiovisual installations.

Going Above and Beyond

As a vital anchor of the Classroom Technology team, Victor is a key component in the majority of the Division of Information Technology's (DoIT) installations. His specialized focus allows DoIT to maintain a highly capable in-house installation team, a luxury that saves the University both significant time and money.

Victor's "gritty" determination was recently on full display during a high-profile installation in the President’s conference room. The project required mounting a large TV angled in a corner section of the office, integrated with a Cisco Room Bar. However, the team hit a series of technical roadblocks:

• Complex Hardware: The newly ordered, ADA-approved TV was ultra-thin at the top, resulting in an unusual mounting pattern.

• Missing Equipment: The articulating mount required to angle the TV did not come with the proper hardware to accommodate this unique design.

• Integration Hurdles: The Cisco Room Bar still needed to be securely attached to the setup, compounding the hardware mismatch.

Faced with a standstill, Victor took charge. He strategically split the install team to search different areas of campus for solutions while he personally rummaged through an endless box of spare installation materials. Thanks to his persistence, Victor located the exact, precisely measured screws and extra washers needed to securely marry the TV to the mount.

He then engineered a custom combination of hardware to perfectly integrate the Room Bar.

"Even when the install was finished, Victor made sure that the forward tilt and position of the TV were at the perfect angle for the customer. He stayed until he was completely confident that the job was done right—a small detail that many would overlook after dealing with such a frustrating hardware issue." - Khalil Alston

A Proven Track Record of Excellence

This isn’t the first high-profile success Victor has driven this year. A few months prior, Victor worked diligently alongside Sydney Kumordzie to overhaul the AV equipment in Commons 328 and 332 just in time for the critical Middle States re-accreditation meetings. Because of the immense importance of these impending meetings, the installations had to be completed with haste, yet also to perfection. Thanks to Victor's thoroughness, the equipment functioned flawlessly.

It is because of Victor’s incredible attention to detail and dedicated focus that he and the Student Install team are able to continuously produce excellent work that leaves clients thrilled.

Congratulations to Victor for a well-deserved Gritty Award!

About the DoIT Gritty Award

The Gritty Award recognizes outstanding work within the Division and beyond. Full-time employees, student employees, and teams are all eligible.

Do you know someone going above and beyond like Victor? Don't let their hard work go unnoticed; complete the Gritty Nomination Form today!

The first draft of this article was generated by GenAI and edited by the Communications Team.

In any major IT modernization project, the secret ingredient isn't just the technology; it’s the grit of the people behind the screens. This spring, the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is proud to present the Spring 2026 DoIT Gritty Award to the Analytics & Business Intelligence Student Team. Please join us in celebrating this outstanding group of student innovators: Amaya Levine, Ling Zhang, Naba Waseem, Pratik Cholkhane, Soumya Bhate, and Sydnee Angus.

Tackling a Monumental Migration

The team was nominated for their relentless work on a massive, business-critical project: migrating the university's existing REX reports over to Tableau. They have completed over 170+ reports and have over 100 reports in active development. Transitioning nearly 300 intricate reports is no small feat for seasoned professionals, let alone a student team. Yet, this group stepped up to the plate and completely owned the challenge.

Embracing the Steep Learning Curve

What makes their achievement truly "gritty" is where they started. The team began this initiative with minimal prior knowledge of Tableau. To succeed, they had to simultaneously master a complex new software platform and reverse-engineer how the legacy REX reports functioned under the hood.

According to their nominator, the team’s attitude has been the cornerstone of the project's success:

"They have been extremely patient through our trial-and-error process with some of these conversions, and they never hesitate to research how to make the reports work the way we need them to."

A Culture of Collaboration

Beyond their technical stamina, the Analytics & Business Intelligence Student Team exemplifies what it means to be a community. Instead of working in silos, these students constantly lean on and support one another. They have actively championed knowledge-sharing across DoIT, with many team members participating in "Lunch and Learns" to present their findings and teach others the Tableau tricks they've picked up along the way.

Thank You, Team!

A migration of this magnitude is a massive undertaking, and DoIT is incredibly thankful for the dedication, patience, and brilliant problem-solving this team brings to the office every single day.

Congratulations to Amaya, Ling, Naba, Pratik, Soumya, and Sydnee! Thank you for showing us all what true grit looks like.

About the DoIT Gritty Award

The Gritty Award recognizes outstanding work within the Division and beyond. Full-time employees, student employees, and teams are all eligible. Do you know someone going above and beyond? Complete the Gritty Nomination Form today!

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is thrilled to announce that Colin Corcoran has been awarded the May 2026 DoIT Gritty Award! This recognition celebrates Colin’s exceptional dedication, technical resilience, and ten years of continuous support for a vital community initiative.

Every year, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides seamless, free tax preparation support for low-income individuals in the community. It is an immense contribution to the greater UMBC community—and for the past decade, Colin has been its technical backbone alongside the Client Services Student Team and with vital support from Courtney Burkett. 

From Makeshift to Seamless

The journey of the VITA program's infrastructure is a masterclass in resilience. For ten years, Colin and the DoIT Client Services student staff have operated entirely behind the scenes to make this program a reality.

In the early days, the setup was a physically demanding, makeshift system that required grueling effort to deploy and maintain. Through tireless work and adaptability, Colin successfully transformed that clunky foundation into the smooth, digital service it is today. Because of his grit, community members experience a seamless process during an otherwise stressful tax season.

The Backbone of the Initiative

What makes Colin exceptional is his ability to manage complex, fast-moving technical needs while maintaining a community-first mindset. Backed by the leadership of Courtney Burkett and the hard work of the student team, Colin delivers professional-grade IT support that directly changes lives.

"His work often goes unnoticed by the public," noted the Gritty Committee, "but he is the reason this vital initiative can happen year after year. Colin represents the very best of DoIT’s spirit of service."

Celebrating Excellence

By modernizing the VITA program's tech footprint, Colin has proven that dedicated technical leadership leaves a lasting legacy on campus. He delivers high-stakes technical execution with the kind of care, professionalism, and grit that elevates the entire university.

Congratulations to Colin for a well-deserved Gritty Award! Thank you for 10 years of going above and beyond!

About the DoIT Gritty Award

The Gritty Award recognizes outstanding work within the Division and beyond. Full-time employees, student employees, and teams are all eligible. Do you know someone going above and beyond? Complete the Gritty Nomination Form today!

The first draft of this article was generated by GenAI and edited by the Communications Team.