Happy Friday and welcome to the third installment of the Provost Newsletter. (Hopefully next week you will be awed by our permanent name. Which reminds me, don’t forget to vote.) 

Thank you to everyone who submitted potential names for the newsletter. From the more than 30 unique submissions, four have been selected as finalists. Let your voice be heard. (It's my first time using the polling feature. I believe the poll will appear at the end of the newsletter. I guess we'll find out together.) 

Each week I highlight accomplishments to be celebrated, events to attend, and examples of the great work being done by you, our faculty and staff at UMBC. If you know of a person, program, or event that should be highlighted, please submit it here.

Time to dust off the high school Latin (my fondness of Stoicism today is a direct result of a high school teacher introducing me to translating Seneca at age 16).

Or on to the show. 

If you haven’t read Catalina Sofia Dansberger Duque’s wrap-up of UMBC’s six 2025–26 Fulbright U.S. Student Program recipients’ path to the program, I highly recommend you check it out. As someone who took a leap of faith and moved to another country, I applaud these recent UMBC grads for stepping out of their comfort zone and trying something new and expanding their horizons. 

One of the biggest takeaways from the piece is the inspiring role faculty and staff played in each of the participant’s journeys to join the program. Your impact goes far beyond the classroom and this campus. With gratitude for all you do!   

Earlier this month I had the tough task of announcing that Bill LaCourse would be stepping away from his current role as dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at the end of the academic year and returning to the faculty. Bill has served as dean since 2011, an impressive tenure that has seen more than $57 million in grants awarded to the college and a nearly 10-fold increase in the diversity of tenured and tenure-track faculty in CNMS.

Thank you, Bill, for all you have done for CNMS and UMBC. Your dedication to making the sciences accessible is an inspiration to your colleagues and friends. 

When I came to UMBC last year, people kept telling me that our campus and our students were different from average college students. I quickly found this to be true, in the most surprising and welcoming way. This weekend Homecoming 2025 shifts into high gear as Saturday features more events and activities than ever before. I encourage you to come out, enjoy the festivities and connect with new and old friends. 

Thank you to everyone who swung by my first Coffee with the Provost yesterday. I had the pleasure to spend time with more than 35 faculty and staff members as we discussed a wide range of topics. I appreciate the opportunity to hear from you and together build UMBC’s future.

Tomorrow I will be hosting a pop-up event from 10-11 in The Commons near the Lego event. Swing by, say hi, and grab a coffee or hot chocolate. I look forward to connecting with you and your families. 

 

Mohammadhossein Mohammadisiahroudi, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Statistics

Areas of Research/Interest: Quantum Computing, Optimization, Operations Research

I have pursued creativity across research, teaching, and community engagement. In my research, I developed novel quantum algorithms that merge mathematics and quantum computing, earning the 2025 Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award. As a communicator, I served as the Graduate Commencement Speaker at Lehigh University, delivering an original address that connected research with personal journey. In teaching, I taught graduate courses in innovative project-based formats. Beyond the classroom, I organized multiple international conference sessions on quantum computing and optimization, fostering collaboration and advancing emerging fields.

Fun Fact about Mohammadhossein: I enjoy traveling, especially road trips. My longest one was a 12-day journey from California to Florida.

Rasika Mahawattege, Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Areas of Research/Interest: Partial Differential Equations, Control Theory, STEM teaching

Fun Fact about Rasika: I came from Sri Lanka as a first-generation college graduate, earned my Ph.D. at the University of Memphis, and now teach at UMBC. Along the way, I’ve built a career in research and teaching and have had the chance to mentor some first-gen students (in the future more). In many ways, my own journey has become a source of inspiration for others walking a similar path. 

 

Thank you for your dedication to UMBC. You are what makes this community great. Go Retrievers! 

Until next week, 

Manfred van Dulmen