The UMBC College of Engineering and Information Technology holds its annual Research Day event from 9am to 4pm on Friday, May 1, in the University Center Ballroom and UC 312. The event features talks, posters, and panel discussions by COEIT faculty and students, as well as industry and agency partners. There are two sessions of AI-themed talks and a keynote by former UMBC Professor Susan Gregurick, the NIH Associate Director for Data Science and Director of its Office of Data Science Strategy.

• Session 2: Healthcare Solutions with AI Technology & Engineering, 9:30–10:45am

• Keynote Talk, Dr. Susan Gregurick, 2–3pm

• Session 4: AI and Learning, 3:15–4pm

See the full agenda for details and register for the event here.

Applications for the 2026 Culture Builders @ UMBC Cohort close this Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Culture Builders is a year-long cohort experience for staff and faculty interested in deepening their capacity to foster more inclusive, equitable, and connected campus environments. Through dialogue, reflection, and practice, participants engage in meaningful conversations about identity, community, and belonging while developing a context-specific action plan to support culture change within their department, unit, or sphere of influence.

This is not a traditional training or a space for quick fixes—it is an opportunity to engage thoughtfully, build community across roles, and take meaningful steps toward inclusive excellence over time.

Participants will:

• Engage in critical, practice-based conversations about identity, community, and belonging

• Reflect on their own role in shaping culture within their department, unit, or sphere of influence

• Learn alongside colleagues across staff and faculty roles

• Develop a strategic action plan to support meaningful and sustainable culture change

This year’s cohort will also engage Valarie Kaur’s See No Stranger as a shared text to support reflection and dialogue around building a more just and connected campus community.

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: Thursday, April 30, 2026

• Supervisor Support Form Deadline: Friday, May 1, 2026

If you are already engaged in equity-focused work—or looking for a meaningful way to begin—this is your invitation to join a thoughtful and engaged cohort committed to shaping the culture we want to see at UMBC.

Apply Here

Supervisor Support Form

For questions, please contact culture@umbc.edu.

UMBC's Launchpad Accelerator!

The UMBC Launchpad accelerator is a 10-week cohort-based program where ventures prepare to go from pre-launch to launch, or for early-stage companies, create a pathway to accelerate growth.

Founders who are ready to fully commit to launching their venture and validate their idea as an opportunity should apply. Participants are awarded up to $8,000 in non-dilutive funding for seed capital, and mentors will be assigned to each team.

Teams will perform deep customer discovery, develop a business model canvas, and then progress to a full commercialization plan and pitch deck. The goals of the Launchpad are to validate product-market fit and to hopefully formalize the venture and launch.

Elgibility

Current undergraduate and graduate students, including Spring 2026 graduates, are eligible to apply.

TIMELINE
Applications are due May 5th
Accepted teams will be notified by May 15th
Program runs from May 28th-July 30th
Demo day will be hosted in September

To apply, complete the application here!

To learn more about Launchpad, click here! 

The University System of Maryland is conducting a survey to understand current attitudes toward and opinions of public higher education in Maryland and how it is perceived to impact the state. Because you are a student at a USM institution, we would value your participation. Please consider taking a few minutes to share your opinions by taking the survey.

TAKE THE SURVEY

The survey is being conducted by our marketing partner, BVK, on our behalf. Your responses will remain anonymous and will be automatically submitted to BVK and analyzed only in aggregate with others.

The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete and, as a thank you for participating, you will be given the opportunity to enter a drawing for a chance to win one of fifty $25 Amazon.com gift cards.

Review full drawing rules.

Thank you for your consideration.

TAKE THE SURVEY 

If you have questions about the survey, please send them to USMStudentSurvey@BVK.com

Thanks again!

Hello Retrivers!

It's finally here - election day!! Today, Monday 27th from 7:15-8:15pm in the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building (ILSB) Room 116A, we'll be selecting the future leadership for the club. If you're interested in shaping the future trajectory of the club, sign up here: https://forms.gle/vTxUFkpfDC4uG46g8. The form closes at 7:15pm tonight, so apply soon! To vote in the election, you need to have attended 5 Monday club meetings online or in-person this semester, and this is determined by the forms you filled for attendance before each meeting.

Firetalks are back! Firetalks are a series of small talks presented by you to share knowledge about a cool or interesting topic in Cyber. Firetalks will be held May 4th, so if you're planning on presenting something fill this form as soon as possible: https://forms.gle/XY66g3ddFLb52vWd6

Tommorow, April 28th, we will have guest speaker come to present for the Technical Workshop - Neil Bolima!!!!!!! Neil is awesome and super smart, he'll be presenting on Advanced Linux Hardening so cancel your classes attending this instead is 110% worth it. The meeting will be in the Performing Arts and Humanities Building (PAHB) Room 108, from 7:15 to 8:15pm. Can't make it in person? Join through the Webex: https://umbc-students.webex.com/meet/CyberDawgs

Stay Cool,
Hamza Nasher-Alneam
CyberDawgs Secretary

The UMBC College of Engineering and Information Technology holds its annual Research Day event from 9am to 4pm on Friday, May 1st, in the University Center Ballroom and adjacent rooms. The event features talks, posters, and panel discussions by COEIT faculty and students, as well as industry and agency partners. See the agenda for more information and register for the event here.

Join us next Monday, May 4 for a celebration of the many accomplishments of the Global Asias Initiative here at UMBC! The Global Asias Initiative, a three-year initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation, has created a forum for engaging in conversations in the fields of Asian American Studies, Asian diaspora studies, and Asian Studies and has strengthened support for Asian and Asian American students on campus. The Initiative has has created connections across disciplines, institutions, organizations, and communities here on campus and beyond. 

Full information is available on the event website and through the myUMBC event posts linked below. 

*Please RSVP for each event using the myUMBC links below*

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

11:00am-12:30pm
Welcome & Belonging and Community Luncheon: Conversations on Asian experiences at UMBC

Join us for our Belonging and Community luncheon to kick off the Global Asias Closing Symposium, which is dedicated to the power of storytelling, creative expression, and community. We will share personal stories through art and reflection to celebrate the joy, calm, and cultural heritage that sustain us. From these individual stories, we will build a shared vision of grounded community and understanding of Asian experiences at UMBC. Through a series of collaborative art activities and dialogue, we will turn our hopes for connection and belonging into a visual representation of our future at UMBC. Hosted in partnership with the Mosaic Center, the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, and the Office of Residential Life.

Location: Fine Arts 011
Lunch is Provided

*

1:00pm-2:15pm 
Keynote Address with Dr. Anna Guevarra
Stories of Displacement: Unearthing Submerged Histories and Engaging Multiple Publics 

Join us for a presentation by Dr. Anna Guevarra (University of Illinois – Chicago). Dr. Guevarra will be discussing the “Dis/Placements”: A People’s History of Uptown Project and its connection to her Global Asias in Chicago course and will explore the politics and ethics of involving students in community-engaged projects.

Location: Fine Arts Recital Hall (Room 118)
Chai & Samosas Provided after the lecture in the recital hall lobby

*

3:00-4:30pm
Global Asias in Dialogue Roundtable

Faculty roundtable focused on a discussion of research and teaching through a Global Asias lens. In addition to the panelists, the audience will have the opportunity to discuss pedagogy, curricular development, and research around the study of Asia, its diasporas, and other Global Asias themes. All are welcome.

Location: Performing Arts & Humanities Building (PAHB) Room 216
Refreshments Provided

*

5:00-6:30pm
Global Asias Student Showcase & Reception

Join us for a student exhibition, interactive activities, and a celebration of the work of the grant! We will open the Global Asias Student Showcase Exhibition, which will feature mixed media work from students developed through a series of Global Asias workshops this spring. In partnership with the National Association of Asian American Professionals – Baltimore Chapter, we’ll also have art-making and other activities to interact with.

Location: AOK Library Gallery
Food from Ekiben provided

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Thank you to our partners the Asian Studies Program, Mosaic: The Center for Cultural Diversity, Residential Life, McNair Scholars Program, and the Baltimore chapter of National Association of Asian American Professionals for support organizing this celebration.

Please contact Global Asias Project Manager, Priya Bhayana at priyab@umbc.edu for more information.

Poster Design by Tyra Bounxouaysana ’26, commonvision UMBC Student Design and Print Center

BYDB: Building Your Digital Brand

Hosted by the Office of Professional Programs, GEARS, and the Career Center

📅 April 28, Tuesday | 5:00–7:00 PM

📍 UMBC Commons, Rm. 329

📥 Please RSVP by pressing "Sign-up" button on the event page here.

📸 BIG bonus: We will have a professional photographer on site providing FREE headshots/ Linkedin Profile pictures.

😋 Snacks available!

Whether you're job hunting, networking, or just starting to think about your professional presence online, this is the event for you! Join us for BYDB: Building Your Digital Brand,  an interactive workshop designed to help you craft and strengthen your digital identity in today's competitive landscape.

Who You Are:

• A graduate or undergraduate student looking to build or refine your online professional presence

What to Expect:

• Tips and strategies for building a strong, authentic digital brand
• Guidance on optimizing your LinkedIn, portfolio, and other professional platforms
• Networking opportunities with fellow students and career professionals
• Resources and support from the UMBC Career Center and Office of Professional Programs

Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up your existing presence, this is a great chance to invest in yourself and your future career.

Follow us on Instagram @gears_umbc for updates on upcoming events!