UMBC has entered into a partnership that will allow employees of Amazon to attend UMBC and expand their skills for free. 

Since partnering with the Career Choice program in September, 10 local Amazon employees have been awarded a total of $38,300 toward their courses of study at UMBC, said Dale Bittinger, M.P.P. ’16, assistant vice provost for strategic undergraduate engagement, partnerships, and pathways at UMBC. The program has also made it easier for students who are working part-time at Amazon to stay enrolled at UMBC.

“As a U.S. News and World Report Best Value institution, UMBC remains committed to keeping college affordable,” said Yvette Mozie-Ross ’88, vice provost for enrollment management and planning. “Strategic partnerships with employers, like Amazon, that support and promote education and degree attainment, is one important way we deliver on this commitment.”

Admissions staff who recently attended their first Amazon Career Fair found a great deal of enthusiasm for the UMBC connection from Amazon employees who have been requesting this both for themselves and for their children, said Bittinger.

Afreeka Chambers, a senior majoring in biological sciences who also works full time as a fulfillment associate at Amazon, explained that the program has made her educational journey more accessible and fulfilling. She hopes to attend dental school after she graduates from UMBC.

“Thanks to Amazon’s Career Choice program and their partnership with UMBC, I’ve been able to pursue my degree with greater ease,” she said. “Being part of the Career Choice program has not only relieved financial burdens but also reinforced my commitment to personal and professional growth, aligning perfectly with Amazon’s dedication to empowering its employees to reach their full potential.”

Learn more about UMBC’s Career Choice program with Amazon.

Meet Laura Howell; she graduated from UMBC in 1986 with a B.A. in political science. She is an advocate for those with developmental disabilities and the CEO of the Maryland Association of Community Services, having recently celebrated her 20th anniversary in the position. Laura is also an active member of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving as chair of the governance committee. She credits her time at UMBC and the support she received here for preparing her for a career of advocacy and service. Take it away, Laura!

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

A. I graduated from UMBC in 1986 with a degree in political science. It was the perfect major for me, as I knew at an early age that I wanted to be involved in political work. I used my education, experience, and contacts from UMBC to develop a career that has largely focused on advocacy at the state level to make a difference in the lives of Marylanders.

Q: Tell us about your current job. What do you like most about it?

A: I am the CEO of the Maryland Association of Community Services. I just celebrated my 20th anniversary in this position, and the opportunity to be a leader and advocate for and with people with developmental disabilities and the incredible community providers that support them is priceless.

Q: What is your WHY? What brought you to UMBC?

A: To be honest, I attended UMBC starting in 1983 as a kid who grew up in Catonsville and did not have the financial opportunity to attend a more expensive college. I was incredibly fortunate that UMBC was “affordable,” with the help of a lot of financial aid and scholarships. While there were a few other options, UMBC was the only school I ever considered. I was incredibly lucky to have such an amazing university in my backyard!

Q: Tell us your HOW.

A: The professors at UMBC were incredibly supportive. I was a determined student but on the quiet side, and I felt seen by the political science faculty who believed in me and supported my career goals, which started with wanting to work in Annapolis at age 19. UMBC connected me to an internship with a legislator which quickly turned into a job with the University of Maryland’s Legislative Office. The experience I gained in those formative years has served me well ever since.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: I met my first mentor, Judy Orlinsky, at the age of 19 through a work-study position I obtained through UMBC. She worked for the University of MD System in Annapolis, and through her support and the opportunities she extended to me, I learned a tremendous amount about the workings of our State Capitol, and how to be successful lobbying for change. As a testament to the strength of that relationship, she is still an important person in my life 40 years later.

Pictured left: Laura standing with her first mentor, Judy Orlinsky, after receiving an award for Best Employee for the State of Maryland, Professional and Administrator Category, for her work in the Maryland Homeless Services Program in the late 80s and early 90s.

Q: What’s your favorite part of Retriever Nation?

A: My favorite part about being a Retriever, in addition to the great education I received, is watching UMBC become a powerhouse nationally as an institution of higher education.

Q: Tell us what you love about your organization.

A: As a member of the UMBC AABOD, it has been great fun to reconnect with UMBC, and to see how it has grown and changed, while still retaining the qualities that made it great in the 80s. To me, a unique part of the DNA of UMBC is that the school will support you to achieve whatever your dream is, even if that dream seems unobtainable as a student.

Q: What drives you to support UMBC?

A: I donate monthly to the Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund. This has always been meaningful, but I recently realized that a small scholarship from the Endowed Scholarship Fund was the final piece of financial aid that helped me realize my dream of spending a semester in London, studying and interning with a Member of Parliament in 1986. That was truly a full-circle moment.

Pictured right: Laura in London in 1986.

About the Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund

Through the Alumni Endowed Scholarship, the board of directors strives to make a difference in the lives of deserving students, to help them achieve their dream of receiving a university degree and joining the alumni community.

The board offers a general and legacy scholarship to outstanding undergraduate UMBC students. Eligible students may apply for the general and legacy scholarships each year. The award for the Alumni Association General and Legacy Scholarships for 2023 – 2024 is at least $2,000. These scholarships are partially funded through the generous support of UMBC alumni.

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

Jonas Miller, Ph.D. candidate in the marine, estuarine, and environmental science graduate program, has received the 2024 University System of Maryland Board of Regents Student Excellence Scholarship for Academics, Scholarship, and Research. Only four graduate students across the system receive Student Excellence Scholarships—one each in four categories.

Miller has been conducting research under the mentorship of Yonathan Zohar, professor of marine biotechnology at UMBC, at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) since January 2022. Miller’s work is central to enhancing sustainable land-based aquaculture of Atlantic salmon, an area in which Zohar is a world leader. Specifically, Miller is searching for genetic biomarkers in female salmon that predict the timing of spawning and the quality of the spawned eggs.

The end goal is to promote a consistent supply of domestic salmon for consumers by generating populations of fish that spawn at staggered times throughout the year, triggered by different light and temperature conditions in land-based facilities. 

“Receiving the Board of Regents scholarship has provided me with the motivation to propel my research to the next level on my quest to find new predictive biomarkers pertaining to Atlantic salmon reproductive endocrinology,” Miller says. 

“Jonas is a talented student able to formulate hypotheses and test them, methodically designing and carrying out experiments using the most advanced methods of genomics and endocrinology,” Zohar wrote in his letter recommending Miller for the scholarship. “His multi-year studies have already generated innovative findings, and his ongoing work will undoubtedly result in much more data and lead to scientific advances and, potentially, economic development opportunities.”

Left: Jonas Miller stands with a fish raised in the Aquaculture Research Center, the main laboratory for aquaculture research at IMET. (Courtesy of Miller)

Ongoing ripples of impact

Miller’s contributions have gone far beyond the impact of his research. He served as IMET’s Graduate Student Association president for the 2022 – 2023 academic year, teaches weekly English classes to Chinese graduate students at IMET, and has mentored three high school students volunteering in Zohar’s research group. Miller also authored an 80-page white paper for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the potential for tuna aquaculture in the United States. 

“His understanding of the aquaculture field and the relevant literature, as well as his personal experience working on bluefin tuna in Japan, is of great benefit to his colleagues,” Zohar adds. Those colleagues include not only researchers at IMET, but also collaborators at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Maine, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and University of Maryland, College Park. Researchers at these institutions and others are involved in various projects led by Zohar, including a $10 million effort funded by the USDA to address specific challenges in the aquaculture industry. 

When the personal propels the professional

Miller expressed gratitude to Zohar for the opportunity to work with him, and to his collaborators, “who have all made my experience as a Ph.D. student both fruitful and exciting.” 

Miller’s accomplishments have not come without adversity, however. “I’d like to dedicate this scholarship to my best friend David Pardo Hernandez, and to my mom, Sheila Mann Miller, both of whom tragically and unexpectedly passed away during my first year as a Ph.D. student at UMBC in 2022,” Miller shares. “Finally, thanks to my dad for encouraging me to study fish biology and for constantly motivating me to study harder.”

“I am grateful to all of my friends at IMET who have given me support,” Miller adds. “I wish my mom and best friend were here to experience this. They would both be really proud of this accomplishment. They motivated me to work hard and I hope that I made them proud.”

Meet Ciomara Matamoros ’24, psychology, who is a first-generation college student pursuing her dream of becoming a school psychologist while raising three kids. She’s a member of the Peer Advisory Team at The Universities at Shady Grove and part of the Psychology Student Association. After graduation, she plans on getting her master’s in psychology. Here, Ciomara shares how she gets it all done. 

Q: Briefly introduce yourself. What’s one thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?

A: I am a senior psychology major at UMBC. I am also a mother of three and my favorite activities include watching my kids play sports. As a first-generation college student, I really want to be an example for my three girls and to show them that if I can overcome the obstacles to go to college, then they can too.

Q: What brought you to UMBC?

A: I came to UMBC because I knew someone who came here for a psychology major. You might think a psych major offers limited career options, but at UMBC I’ve learned about so many different types of career choices. There are lots of opportunities to network and to apply to internships.

Q: What do you plan to do after graduation?

A: I am getting my master’s degree in school psychology. I was accepted into multiple programs I applied to, thanks to the knowledge that UMBC provided me with. These programs are very hard to get into—they only accept 12 students a year. I am extremely excited to pursue my dream! I want to thank Diane Alonso, principal lecturer of psychology and director at Shady Grove, for providing me with so much support and helping me through my academic journey. Also, anytime I had any kind of questions regarding my transcripts and credits, Abigail Grainger, assistant director of undergraduate recruitment and retention, was always there to point me in the right direction.

Q: How has the UMBC community supported you in pursuing your dreams? 

A: There is so much support at UMBC, from the faculty down to the students. Everyone is willing to help you in any way they can. As a mom, I appreciated the flexibility and the large variety of courses I could take at any time.

Q: What clubs, teams, or organizations are you a part of? What do you love about them?

A: I’m a part of the Psychology Student Association. Also, I’m a member of the Peer Advisory Team, which is a specialized program here at UMBC-Shady Grove to help new students feel connected to peers and supported and encouraged. 

Q: You’re a first generation student. Tell us more about that part of your life.

A: UMBC has helped me grow so much, not only as a student but also as a leader. It’s helped me become more confident in my own abilities. 

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

Nancy Kusmaul, associate professor of social work, a scholar and advocate for the rights of older adults and professional caregivers, received the “Outstanding Individual in Academia” award from the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy in March 2024 at a ceremony on Capitol Hill. Kusmaul’s work is informed by her 10 years of experience as a social worker and over a decade of novel scholarship. 

As co-chair of the Committee on Aging for the Maryland Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, Kusmaul helps advance programming for seniors, professional development for social workers in the aging field, and inform policy and legislation. In 2019, Kusmaul served as a  Health and Aging Policy Fellow at the office of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services learning about how Congress and the executive branch create policies that affect care for frail older adults. 

Social work advocacy and policy

“During my time as a nursing home and hospital social worker, I witnessed the day-to-day impact of policy on practice, when families had to choose between the best of less-than-desirable options. As a scholar, I answer questions and promote policies to improve those options,” says Kusmaul. Her research and advocacy focus on improving nursing home care and organizational culture as well as the understanding of trauma experiences on direct care workers, care recipients, and their families.

 “Advocacy is a central tenet of social work, and this award recognizes my time, collaboration, and leadership in this area on behalf of older adults and their families,” says Kusmaul who recently published “Let’s cut out the ageism and the notion of getting ‘too old’” in the Baltimore Sun.

Kusmaul’s first textbook, Aging and Social Policy in the United States, is one of the first textbooks designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the conditions and policies at the local, state, and federal level that affect the rights and interests of senior citizens.

Measuring nursing home care

Her work continues in the classroom and the “lab” as a co-investigator in a new interdisciplinary research project with principal investigator Roberto Millar, M.A ’19, sociology, Ph.D. ’20, gerontology, a policy analyst advanced at The Hilltop Institute at UMBC, and co-investigator, Ian Stockwell, associate professor of information systems. For the first time, the researchers will also combine data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Care Compare database and results of the Maryland Family Satisfaction Survey. The survey assesses the experiences of family members with loved ones in Maryland nursing homes and, Kusmaul’s research, offers a unique approach to measuring quality of care.

“There are no national measures of nursing home quality that consider the experiences of family members,” she explains. “When we think about what quality is and the outcomes we’re measuring, we have to think about the different perspectives of what is good nursing home care.”

Halaevalu Fonongava’inga Ofahengaue Vakalahi, president and chief executive officer of the Council on Social Work Education, who attended the March event in D.C., said, “This award is absolutely well-deserved because Nancy is a champion of all things aging and gerontology. There could not be anyone more fitting for this award!”

Learn more about UMBC’s School of Social Work.

UMBC’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) returned earlier this month for its 28th year, bringing together more than 400 student presenters and the broader university community for a day filled with posters, performances, demonstrations, and much more. 

With excitement and energy in the air of the University Center, undergraduate students—many accompanied by faculty mentors—presented a broad range of research and creative projects to peers, family, friends, and inquiring minds of all kinds. The day included a film festival, interactive video game demonstrations, musical performances, a photography and painting exhibition, as well as poster board and oral presentations from students across colleges. 

“This showcase event not only exemplifies UMBC’s commitment to our students from all disciplines, but defines our commitment by providing them the opportunity to engage in mentored projects, and, through creative thought and focused inquiry, to discover in themselves their passion,” said Katherine Cole, dean and vice provost of undergraduate academic affairs. 

Among this year’s group of presenters was Chiad Onyeje ’24, chemical engineering, who explained the research he’s worked on for nearly three years to develop “spherical shells that we can use as internal Band-Aids” he said in this URCAD 2024 recap video. 

“URCAD is different from any other presentations that I’ve been able to give on my research thus far. It really felt like a celebration in comparison,” said Onyeje. “I could go in, have a good time, talk about my research to interested parties, and share why I love this project so much—because it can help people.”

From URCAD to the Mayor’s Office

Stefanie Mavronis ’12, political science, media and communication studies, delivered this year’s URCAD keynote speech. Just over a decade ago, Mavronis, who is the director of the Mayor’s Office of Safety and Engagement (MONSE) in Baltimore City, was once a student presenter at URCAD where she premiered her short documentary titled, “Reclamation and Resistance: Audiovisual Tools in Bolivia.” 

“The documentary captured the experiences of indigenous Bolivians who were using art and media technologies to challenge and transform the legacy of hundreds of years of colonization in Bolivia. I learned about decolonization, self determination, reciprocity, and representation,” Mavronis shared with the audience. 

Mavronis, a UMBC Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar alumna, spoke of her journey to finding her passion for public service and how it led to her positions within Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s election campaign and then office. Her work in MONSE has resulted in the office’s implementation of Baltimore’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan—the city’s first ever comprehensive, 5-year public safety strategy. 

“When I think back to it, it was UMBC that was the first to help me see myself as a creative practitioner. It’s the place that prepared me to confront the challenges and harsh realities of the world head on and to do so while embracing clear values,” says Mavronis. “It was through my time at UMBC that I uncovered my commitment to Baltimore…through the opportunities that the institution afforded me to see the world outside of the city.”

“Supporting our students’ applied learning experiences is central to our mission at UMBC,” added Cole, “as it develops creative thinking skills, the ability to communicate effectively, analyze information, share stories, and connect with people from diverse cultures, disciplines, and ideologies. These are the skills our students will take forward as leaders of the future.”

For more on UMBC’s undergraduate research and creative work, check out the 2024 UMBC Review, the journal of undergraduate research, volume 25. Free copies of the current issue are available for pick up at the Office of Undergraduate Research and Prestigious Scholarships, located in the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery.

UMBC and Carroll Community College recently signed a new dual-admissions agreement that will offer students who transfer to UMBC directly from Carroll a clear pathway to a bachelor’s degree after completing an associate degree at Carroll.

UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby and Carroll Community College President James D. Ball, along with Rosalie Mince, provost at Carroll, signed the memorandum of understanding on April 10 during a ceremony held at Carroll.

The agreement, which goes into effect for students planning to transfer to UMBC, establishes a collaboration between Carroll and UMBC that encourages Carroll students to graduate with an associate degree prior to transferring to receive guaranteed admission to UMBC. Students transferring from Carroll through this program will receive an application fee waiver, and students will have access to a pre-transfer advisor at UMBC for academic planning to ensure their Carroll courses align with their expected bachelor’s degree.

“UMBC’s partnership with Carroll Community College reaffirms our commitment to the recruitment, enrollment, and graduation of transfer students,” said President Sheares Ashby. “By building on successful programs like the Transfer Student Alliance and Transfer Plus, we can, together, make the very best education accessible to every student who desires it. I am so pleased to welcome future CCC students into the UMBC community so we can fully support them in achieving their goals.”

Learn more about transferring to UMBC.

Meet Poulomi Banerjee, a double alumna—earning her degree in health administration and policy in 2016 and her M.P.P. in 2021—and current public policy Ph.D. student at UMBC who believes in the power of this community! She has her sights set on becoming just the 141st triple alum in UMBC history (bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. from UMBC). When she’s not working toward Retriever history, Poulomi works as the associate director of annual giving and alumni communications at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In her spare time (we’re just as surprised as you that she has any), you can find Poulomi with her camera taking family portraits, at a Philadelphia Union soccer game, or reading with her best friend, Sarah Lilly ‘17, information systems, and her two cats, Gizmo and Dolly. Take it away, Poulomi!

Q: Tell us about what you love about your academic program.

A: I love the practicality of the grad programs in the School of Public Policy. Throughout my time in both the master and Ph.D. programs, I’ve been able to have my assignments directly correlate with my work and research goals. In fact, my professors have made it such a wonderful experience that I continued after my master’s degree with my Ph.D.—something I never thought would be in my academic journey.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: I attribute a lot of my UMBC experience to my best friend, Emma Hagen ’14, media and communications studies. She made me excited about going to UMBC from her Tumblr posts before I became a student and we’ve made amazing memories together as students and continue to as alumni.

(Pictured left: Banerjee sitting on the True Grit statue after her undergraduate Commencement.)

Q: What is your WHY? What brought you to UMBC?

A: I came to UMBC because they accepted me. It’s not glamorous or inspiring, I know. I’ve lived in Maryland my entire life and people who know me know I did not want to go to UMBC in the first place. I wanted to transfer after my first semester, but now I’m working on my third and final degree here and I think that’s an important story to tell. As I mentioned earlier, I used Tumblr to get excited about UMBC once I was accepted and that’s where I found Emma posting about a zip line, a cotton candy machine, and concerts from the Student Events Board.

I also would spend time talking to Yoo-jin Kang ’15, interdisciplinary studies and modern languages and linguistics, and Asif Majid ‘13, interdisciplinary studies, whom I went to high school with, about their experiences at UMBC. I wanted to find a community, and I wanted to have a purpose and a meaningful experience at UMBC. From my conversations with Yoo-jin and Asif, I felt hopeful about being able to do that.

Q: What’s your favorite part of Retriever Nation?

A: The unlimited Google storage space with my UMBC email. Just kidding! My best friends and so much of my community comes from UMBC. So much of who I am today is because of the people I met and continue to meet from UMBC. When you lean into the Retriever spirit, there’s really nothing you can’t do with the support that this community provides.

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone to know about the community support you find here?

A: To tap into the magic that is UMBC, you have to seek your community. Everyone who is a part of my network didn’t come into my purview on their own. I found people who would help me enjoy my time and be as successful as possible at UMBC and beyond. Once you find those people, the opportunities you can receive are endless.

Q: Tell us about your HOW. 

A: I started getting involved in different groups to find my community and purpose. I joined organizations like SGA, the Student Events Board, Tea Club, and started researching sororities at UMBC. What really changed everything for me was the STRiVE Leadership Retreat. That’s where I truly learned the impact I could make at UMBC and in my community. It’s where I started forming my network at UMBC.

STRiVE is why I fell in love with UMBC and why I’m still a student to this day. Once the spring semester started my first year, I hit the ground running at UMBC and haven’t looked back since. I grew closer to Emma through the Student Events Board and she ended up bringing me into commonvision, UMBC’s design and print center, where I learned about graphic design and printing. Sarah Lilly, Kelly Robier ’15, political science, and Bentley Corbett-Wilson ’17, M.A. ‘20, all taught me about leadership and organizing, and all of them, along with Emma, are also always helping me grow and be a better person. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

There is an endless list of staff, faculty, and students who are now alumni who have shaped me into the person I am today. I attribute so many of my accomplishments to the folks I’ve met at UMBC. Had I not stayed, had I not found my community, and had I not made the effort to take advantage of what UMBC had to offer, I, 100 percent, would not be as successful as I have been both in my personal and professional life.

Q: Tell us about your current job. What do you like most about it?

A: I’m the associate director of annual giving and alumni communications at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. My favorite part of fundraising in higher education is getting to help students have an incredible experience while on their academic journey. I studied public health in undergrad so being back in that space is a nice full-circle moment for me too.

Q: What drives you to support UMBC?

A: As someone who works in and studies higher education funding and fundraising, I understand that there’s so much a university wants to do to help students but can’t because of limited funding or not wanting to significantly increase tuition. That’s where the alumni community comes in.

I’m happy to donate to Retriever Essentials or The Women’s Center so they can provide the most resources to students during their time at UMBC. I’m of the belief that every dollar counts. I graduated with a hefty amount of student loans, but I know that I can give $10 or $20 every year on a day of giving or when I get an email from the dean and still make an impact on a student’s life.

(Pictured right: Banerjee wearing a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health sweatshirt.)

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

UMBC’s Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies (GWST) department has received a $100,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to implement its Advancing Gender and Sexuality Studies in Community project. UMBC is one of 95 public colleges and university programs leading research on race, ethnicity, gender, or sexuality to receive funding from the Mellon Foundation’s $18 million “Affirming Multivocal Humanities” initiative.

“[The] initiative champions the scholarship and teaching taking place in these disciplines—those that are too often undervalued and even undermined in American society today,” says Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation. “We are proud to support colleges and universities in the United States advancing deep research and curricular engagement with the stories and histories of our country’s vastly diverse racial, ethnic, and gender identities.”

Advancing GWST

The Advancing Gender and Sexuality Studies in Community project broadens three programs. The UMBC LGBTQ+ Oral History Project, the Korenman Lecture series, and social change-skills development workshops. “This Mellon funding enables our students, faculty, and staff, to further expand our pedagogical and community-building work around critical sexuality studies,” says Vrushali Patil, chair and professor of GWST. “It also enhances how GWST helps realize UMBC’s goal of inclusive excellence.”

The oral history project trains undergraduate students on oral history interview skills with community members such as the Charm City Kitty Club, a queer femme cabaret; Prettyboi Drag, a queer of color drag king troupe in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. region; as well as queer UMBC community members. It is archived in the UMBC Albin O. Kuhn Library Special Collection.

“Students are building the oral history archive I wish I had as a researcher in Baltimore queer history,” says co-principal investigator Kate Drabinski, principal lecturer in GWST. “The grant will pay for more basic equipment and training.”

The annual Korenman Lecture series brings scholars, activists, and artists to campus for talks on cutting-edge topics in GWST and includes student workshops on related topics. Over the next three years, GWST will host three additional Korenman Lectures focused on transgender sexual politics, reproductive justice, decolonizing health, and sexuality and the carceral state.

The third program includes six social justice workshops for faculty and students. They will explore approaches to organizing such as running for political office, identifying social justice issues, zine making, and social media for social justice. 

“The Affirming Multivocal Humanities grant provides an incredible opportunity to expand our ongoing work of challenging gender, sexuality, and race-based systems of oppression,” says Carole McCann, principal investigator and professor of GWST.

Additional GWST faculty participating in the grant: María Célleri, assistant professor; and Kathryn Kein, lecturer; and Courtney Cook, visiting lecturer. 

Learn more about UMBC’s Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies.

On April 12, more than 150 students, staff, and faculty attended the first College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) GradFest in the University Center Ballroom. The event was the result of listening sessions held with CNMS graduate students last summer, and it addressed their desire for more opportunities to forge interdepartmental connections and present their research.

“Every day, I hear about the great work being done by graduate students and postdocs in CNMS departments,” William R. LaCourse, CNMS dean, shared in his opening remarks. “Today is my chance to meet all of the graduate students the faculty are always bragging about.” 

The event began with six “lightning talks,” where Ph.D. students were challenged to present the big idea of their thesis projects in only five minutes. Naghmeh Akhavan, mathematics, led off, presenting her project on cell migration in fruit fly development. She is co-mentored by Brad Peercy in mathematics and Michelle Starz-Gaiano in biological sciences. Misti Cartwright, chemistry and biochemistry, discussed her work with Aaron Smith on a post-translation protein modification called arginylation. 

Sandra Cheng, physics, talked about her work with Todd Pittman in quantum computing, and Manju Ojha, chemistry and biochemistry, explained her work on RNA-based plant viruses with Deepak Koirala. Ji Li, statistics, described a protocol he developed under the mentorship of Yi Huang to improve data sets for randomized controlled trials. And Prableen Chowdhary, biological sciences, explained her work with Rachel Brewster on zebrafish development.

After the talks, two sessions featuring 46 posters allowed attendees to learn about the presenters’ research, ask questions, and make suggestions. A novel arrangement of posters in the ballroom facilitated interaction: Placing four posters each on round tables allowed guests to meander among the posters in many directions, unimpeded by long, linear poster displays.

Tasty mocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and desserts rounded out a successful event that brought graduate students and postdocs—collectively, the research engine of UMBC—together to socialize, practice presenting, and learn about each other’s work.