Do you feel unsure about how to get started with a research or writing assignment? Would you like some tips on preparing an annotated bibliography?

This workshop features interactive activities to help you choose research topics that you care about, read academic articles more effectively, and prepare bibliographies that showcase your research skills. Meet Library and Writing Center staff who will share how you can get research and writing help. Come and practice strategies for acing your college writing assignments!

Light refreshments will be provided!

Note: This workshop is being offered twice to accommodate different schedules. Click on workshop link below to register for the date/time that works best for you!

• Wednesday, March 10th from 12-1pm in Library 259
• Tuesday, March 30th from 4-5pm in Library 259 

Do you feel unsure about how to get started with a research or writing assignment? Would you like some tips on preparing an annotated bibliography?

This workshop features interactive activities to help you choose research topics that you care about, read academic articles more effectively, and prepare bibliographies that showcase your research skills. Meet Library and Writing Center staff who will share how you can get research and writing help. Come and practice strategies for acing your college writing assignments! 

Note: This workshop is designed especially for first-year and transfer students. To accommodate a variety of schedules, this workshop is being offered three times in different formats (in person, hyflex, online). You only need to attend once! Feel free to attend the format that works best for you. 

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 from 12-1pm in Library 259 

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 from 4-5pm Hyflex in Library 259 and online via WebEx

Monday, October 26, 2026 from 6-7pm online via WebEx

*Light refreshments will be provided in Library 259 for the 10/7 and 10/20 sessions

Get ready to lock in and boost your research and writing skills! Join us during any of the following library workshops that are scheduled throughout the semester. From citation management and grad student resources, to tips on how to give your academic research poster the ultimate glow up, you’ll find the tools you need to succeed and ace your semester! 

Follow us on the AOK Library's myUMBC page for updates on registering and more info on our events!  

• Monday, August 31, 12pm–1pm: Library Services for Graduate Student Success

• Wednesday, September 2, 12pm–1pm: Navigating the UMBC Library: Resources and Support for International Students

• Tuesday, September 15, 4pm–5pm: How to Prepare a Social Science/Humanities Literature Review 

• Monday, September 21, 12pm–1pm: How to Write a STEM Literature Review (Introduction) 

• Tuesday, September 22, 4pm–5pm: Skills for Graduate Students: Technical Writing

• Monday, September 28, 12pm–1pm: Using Citation Management Tools for Your Research and Writing

• Monday, October 5, 12pm–1pm: Creating an Academic Research Poster Using Canva

• Thursday, October 8, 12pm–1pm: How to Write a STEM Literature Review (Advanced)

• Monday, October 19, 4pm–5pm: Navigating the Use of AI Tools in the Research Process

• Monday, October 21, 12pm–1pm: Skills for Graduate Students: Advanced Research Strategies

• Monday, October 26, 12pm–1pm: Creating an Academic Research Poster Using Google Slides

• Tuesday, November 10, 4pm–5pm: Skills for Graduate Students: Managing and Organizing Your Research 

These workshops are 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.

Have you been seeing more announcements or emails related to AI tools or usage on campus? Do you have questions regarding the recent guidelines that were shared on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the classroom? Would you like your voice heard, or would appreciate having student perspectives brought to the forefront of these conversations relating to AI policy and guidelines? 

The Kotturi Lab would like to hear from you! If you would like to come together in a safe space to discuss AI use on campus, please stop by room 259 in the Library for this student only, student focused, in-person listening session on Wednesday, April 22nd, from 12 noon - 1:30PM. Faculty will not be present, and conversations that occur within the space will remain anonymous to protect students' identities. All majors are welcome!

Free pizza and swag will be provided!

We encourage students interested in participating to add the individual events to their calendars!

These listening sessions are supported by the AOK Library, in partnership with Computer Science & Electrical Engineering, Information Systems, and the Dresher Center. We thank you for your support!

Event Details

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

While the deadline has passed for free poster printing, we are still accepting presenter registration for poster presentations until TODAY at 5PM.

So, if you have a poster already or are able to prepare a poster, we welcome you to register for tomorrow's symposium.

Registration form here!

This is a great opportunity to share your research, ideas, engage with others' research from across campus, and connect with other scholars. And - there is a chance to win a prize (more details below). 

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! 

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. There will also be a Panel Discussion afterward with the VP for Student Affairs and Vice Provost/Dean of the Graduate School and VP for Institutional Equity/Chief Diversity Officer!

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! 

The UMBC Albin O. Kuhn Library recently partnered with the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) to solve the challenge of accessing information for all. There is a need for rapid and high-quality transcriptions. An automatic transcription is an AI-powered process that converts audio or video recordings into text in minutes. The library wanted to find a way to automate the transcription of recorded meetings, lectures, and other forms of audio media that are not already transcribed. An automated service would be beneficial for providing immediate transcripts, eliminating the need to wait for someone to manually transcribe each recording. This type of service would ideally allow a user to upload a recording of a lecture or talk and receive a transcript as a PDF or Word document. Another use case would be helping to differentiate multiple speakers in a recording by identifying "Speaker 1", "Speaker 2", and so on. 

Solution

During one of his Internet2 Cloud meetings, DoIT's own Associate Director of Research and Enterprise Computing, Tim Champ, learned of an open-source transcription program from Indiana University (IU) that was shared for testing at other institutions. Tim, having heard of the library's problem a year prior, decided to experiment with the program as a possible solution. Tim's coordination with the technical setup and creating an AWS account for the library has offered a successful process for transcripts. Additionally, there is no regular maintenance needed for this application as it uses AWS-managed services. 

The collaboration has since proved successful with the library transcribing media in their archives and on UMBCScholarworks, as well as with two weekly podcasts, I Hate Politics and I Hate the News, created by UMBC Shady Grove Political Science Faculty Member Sunil Dasgupta. At the moment, this tool is only available to the library; however, Tim sees this as a tool that could be implemented in other departments at UMBC to support increased accessibility. 

Future Opportunities

For any department or researcher interested in learning more about accessing and using this tool, you can Request Help under AI tools. 

Improving accessibility at UMBC is a major priority, both towards UMBC's mission and recent federal accessibility standards. Everyone has different needs, and it is our responsibility to adjust and adapt our existing methods to meet the needs of our community, whether in lecture halls or virtual environments. This ongoing commitment is strengthened by the collaboration between faculty and staff to improve tools and resources. 

Learn about the Indiana University Automated Transcription Service.

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!