UMBC's Instructional Technology team has been recognized as a winner of a 2026 Blackboard Catalyst Award for Training & Professional Development, honoring the institution's leadership in advancing innovative, impactful, and student-centered educational experiences through technology. 

The Catalyst award recognizes UMBC's Course Roadmap to Equity (CoRE), a phased digital accessibility initiative designed to build lasting faculty competency through a combination of live professional development and a structured, self-paced microcredential. Designed to model the very standards it teaches, CoRE treats accessibility not as a compliance checkbox, but as a genuine equity commitment to student success.

Congratulations to Mariann Hawken, Josh Abrams, Susan Biro, Ada Crutchfield, Ben Amudzi, and Peter Ariev.

The CoRE initiative launched in Summer 2025 with a two-day Digital Accessibility Summer Camp for faculty and staff, followed by a live workshop series in Fall 2025 that reached more than 350 participants. CoRE workshops invited faculty to generate Blackboard Ally accessibility reports for their own courses in real time, creating immediate, personal motivation to act. By mid-Spring 2026, the program expanded to include customized department-level training and a microcredential, CoRE Foundations, with more than 250 faculty enrolled.

"Digital accessibility has to be woven into how we teach and how we build our instructional materials,” says Mariann Hawken, Director of Instructional Technology. “CoRE gives faculty the tools and the time to make that shift, and the data show they're doing exactly that."

The results have been measurable and significant. UMBC's institutional Ally accessibility score rose from 66.5% to 78.7% -- a 12.2-point gain between Spring 2025 and Spring 2026. Faculty use of Ally's feedback tools grew dramatically over the same period. Courses actively making accessibility fixes increased tenfold, and the number of individual fixes made grew from 378 to nearly 7,000. Scanned PDFs decreased by 41%, and images missing descriptions dropped by 36% -- reflecting faculty applying exactly the remediation skills CoRE taught.

CoRE is built in phases, with peer mentoring and a student-facing track still ahead. Phase 4, launching Fall 2026, envisions CoRE Peer Mentors embedded in departments and colleges across campus, an approach that mirrors UMBC's earlier Catalyst Award-winning PIVOT program for pandemic-era faculty development. By Spring 2027, the program envisions extending training to students, recognizing that accessibility is a shared responsibility across the entire university community.

UMBC is among thirty institutions across eight countries recognized this year, selected from 136 submissions representing 19 countries, one of the most competitive pools in the program's history. Presented annually by Blackboard, the Catalyst Awards celebrate institutions and individuals who use Blackboard solutions to drive meaningful change in teaching, learning, accessibility, engagement, and institutional success. The Training & Professional Development Award specifically recognizes those who use the Blackboard LMS to elevate training for educators and staff, strengthening skills and supporting successful technology adoption.

"We're inspired by the institutions and educators recognized through this year's Catalyst Awards," said Bruce Dahlgren, CEO of Blackboard. "These winners represent the very best of innovation, collaboration, and commitment to learner success."

To learn more about the Catalyst Awards and see the full list of 2026 winners, visit blackboard.com/catalyst-awards.

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. 

Beamlak Bekele, a UMBC Graduate student, shares her fulfilling job experience with the Division of Information Technology’s (DoIT) High Performance Computing Facility (HPCF), part of DoIT’s Unix and Infrastructure Team. This week, Beamlak will be joining the other members of the Class of 2026 as they graduate from UMBC! 

Beamlak’s Digital Story

In celebration of this milestone, Beamlak recaps her experiences in the DoIT Student Digital Stories series. This video highlights her time, from starting off in Google Service Administration to performing maintenance and answering tickets for the HPCF. Beamlak’s position in DoIT has had a great impact on her academic and professional career, from influencing her thesis research to gaining experience that has landed her internships and job opportunities. 

Congratulations, Beamlak, on your graduation! We appreciate your contribution to the HPCF and Unix & Infrastructure Team.

Willis Crosby, a senior Information Systems major with a certificate in Network Administration, discusses his journey at DoIT. Willis has worked as an Install Technician at AV services for over three years, and in just a few short weeks, he'll be walking the stage and graduating as a member of the Class of 2026. 

Willis’ Digital Story

In his DoIT digital story, Willis talks about his work, how he got here, and the ways his experiences have helped him grow. He’s proud to do what he does, and enjoys coming into work everyday, something he credits as an early sign the role was right for him. Willis also discusses the importance of leveraging your network from the top down, not just your coworkers. Knowing the right people can get you started and put you on the right path.

Please join us in congratulating Willis on his graduation and years of hard work at DoIT, best of luck on the road ahead!

Coco Ni, a UMBC student majoring in Information Systems with a certificate in Chinese Studies, shares her hands-on job experience with the Division of Information Technology’s (DoIT) A/V Services Installs Team. In May, Coco will be joining the other members of the Class of 2026 as they graduate from UMBC! 

Coco’s Digital Story

In celebration of this milestone, Coco recaps her experiences in the DoIT Student Digital Stories series. This video highlights her time and some of the hands-on work she has done performing installs and teardowns of A/V devices around different buildings and classrooms on campus. All of these helped her gain valuable skills to build up her resume and have motivated her to explore a career where she gets to help people with technology.

Congratulations, Coco, on your soon-to-be graduation! We appreciate your contribution to the A/V Services Team.

Rithik Kavanakudy, a UMBC student majoring in Media Communication Studies and Information Systems, shares his enriching internship experience on the Division of Information Technology’s (DoIT) Communications team. In May, Rithik will be joining the other members of the Class of 2026 as they graduate from UMBC. 

Rithik’s Digital Story

In celebration of this milestone, Rithik recaps his experiences in the DoIT Student Digital Stories series. This video highlights hands-on projects like filming, live replays, and community promotion. All of these helped him refine his career focus and passion for behind-the-scenes work.

Work Highlights

Check out a few highlights of Rithik's work from local restaurant videos to DoIT collaborations: 

• OCA Mocha Video Highlight (46 seconds)
• Taste Tea Video Highlight (35 seconds) 
• DoIT x AOK Library: Streamlining Transcription: How DoIT and the AOK Library Leveraged AWS to Enhance Media Accessibility at UMBC (2-minute read)
• Tips and Best Practices for Managing Your Cloud Storage (2-minute read)

Congratulations, Rithik, on your soon-to-be graduation! We appreciate your video editing, interviewing, and collaboration skills.

James Hyatt, a UMBC senior studying Media and Communications, has been an important member of the Division of Information Technology’s (DoIT) Communications team. His journey working for DoIT began with a UMBC partnership with the Southwest Visions Foundation and soon expanded into the world of internal communications, storytelling, and sports broadcasting. 

James’s Digital Story

As James Hyatt prepares to graduate this May, he shares a personal reflection in DoIT’s Student Digital Stories series about his DoIT experience. In this video, he reveals a journey of transformation shaped by hands‑on learning, campus engagement, and the steady development of professional identity. The video offers a brief but meaningful window into how James has grown as both a student and an emerging professional.

Work Highlights

Check out some of the great work James has completed in the past year and a half: 

History of Arbutus Highlight Video (30 seconds)

Hollywood Cinema in Arbutus Video (30 seconds)

Launching DoIT's Cybersecurity Newsletter (4-minute read)

Launching UMBC’s Sonography Program Application (3-minute read)

Congratulations, James, on your soon-to-be graduation! We appreciate all of your hard work, organization skills, and creativity!

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is excited to announce that Billy Schneider has been awarded the February 2026 DoIT Gritty Award! This award recognizes Billy's technical leadership, his knack for solving problems before they even start, and his deep commitment to making our digital spaces accessible for everyone.

Billy's work is often behind the scenes, but his influence is everywhere you look online at the university. As the original architect of the Sites platform, Billy didn't just build it, he scaled it to support over 500 websites. He was also instrumental in keeping things stable during our major redesign partnership with University Communication & Marketing.

What sets Billy apart is a rare "tech-sense", an ability to anticipate downstream issues before they even materialize. By proactively shaping solutions and stepping into lead roles with minimal direction, he has saved the university countless hours of troubleshooting.

Making Accessibility Possible

Most recently, Billy has served as the engine behind the Sites Digital Accessibility Project. Beyond his day-to-day responsiveness, he developed a substantial suite of custom WordPress tools specifically for this initiative. While many of these tools function "under the hood" to help the project team track and manage remediations, their impact is university-wide. Thanks to Billy's code, they are able to make sites more inclusive with minimal disruption to the users.

"Billy has been an essential, key part of the Sites Digital Accessibility Project rollout and has gone way above and beyond in doing so."

 ~ Darcie Adams, Website Digital Accessibility Lead

Beyond Technology

Beyond his technical contributions, Billy is the kind of teammate every organization needs but rarely recognizes. He brings a calm, collaborative presence to every discussion, generously sharing his knowledge and helping others think through complex problems. His development skills rank among the best on campus, yet he wears this expertise lightly, focusing instead on mentorship and team success. While his work rarely receives visible recognition, it forms the backbone of a platform that hundreds of clients depend on daily. Billy delivers exceptional results with professionalism and a positive attitude that makes everyone around him better.

Congratulations, Billy, on 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? Complete the Gritty Nomination Form today!

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

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is thrilled to announce that the Client Services and Networking Student​​​​ Teams have been awarded the Fall 2025 DoIT Gritty Award! This recognition celebrates their exceptional teamwork, adaptability, and commitment to ensuring seamless technology transitions across campus during ongoing renovations to Sherman Hall. 

A Seamless Transition

Over the course of only two months, these teams successfully supported the relocation of 17 departments to new work locations across UMBC's campus. These moves were driven by the reopening of Sherman Hall's west wing, coinciding with Phase 1 of Renovations being completed after 18 months, and the preparation for the closure of Phase 2, requiring precise coordination and flexibility.

Departments were relocated to 900 Walker, Biology, Fine Arts, Sondheim, and Sherman Hall, with each move presenting its own logistical obstacles. Through careful planning and hands-on execution, the teams ensured that faculty and staff experienced minimal disruption and could continue their work without interruption.

In addition to their support of these extensive relocations, the teams also commissioned the newly renovated portion of Sherman Hall. Their efforts ensured that all incoming departments were operating at full capacity on day one, the moment doors opened. Learn more about the Sherman Hall Phase 1 completion on the "Sherman Hall's Phase 1 renovation is complete, creating space for creative collaboration" post. 

This level of readiness reflects not only technical skill, but exceptional coordination and responsibility that were needed to successfully execute such a massive undertaking.

All of these achievements would not have been possible without the dedication and collaboration of these talented student employees:

Networking Team:
Alina Aler, Wardan Kazzalbach, Joshua Garofalo, Kidus Solomon, Daeun Oh, Jake Thompson, Alexis Garcia, Ryan Cather, Kellee Palmer, Yazlin Moujalled, Abir Samad, Erin Shields

Client Services Team:
Aakriti Roka, Courtney Pelkey, Dongthi Nguyen, Jayven Quedit, Joshua Nguyen, Luke Ngo, Michael Marti, Timi Olayinka, Ryan Walton, Steven Zhang, Sean Adeyemo 

We are proud to recognize the Client Services and Networking student teams with the Fall 2025 DoIT Gritty Award. Congratulations to all of you, and thank you for the critical role you play! 

About the DoIT Gritty Award

The DoIT Community & The DoIT Gritty Committee

Erica D'Eramo
Ada Crutchfield
Andrew Shebest
Anthony Finneran
Carlos McKinney
Daniel Loftus
Dave Souder
David Toothe
Debbie Michaels
Dondre Hatef
Josh Abrams
Khalil Alston
Matt Baker
Nick Beech
Peter Ariev