Start your morning the UMBC commuter way.

Join us for breakfast with fellow commuters and connect with helpful on-campus resources. There's no better way to kick off your day!

Good Morning Commuters (GMC) takes place every Tuesday from 8:30–11:00 AM *except one a month when Good afternoon Commuters (GAC) is held* and is complimentary with your Commuter Gold Card.

Gold Cards are a one-time purchase per academic year and can be bought at any GMC event (cash only):

• $5 for Commuter Students

• $10 for Residential & Graduate Students

We can't wait to see you there!

https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/ocss/events/154863

The Howard County Arts Council (HoCo Arts), a multi-purpose non-profit arts agency, seeks a self-directed, outgoing individual for upper management position in a small, fast-paced office environment. The Development Director is responsible for planning and driving fundraising, community engagement strategies, and activities to sustain and grow contributions and revenues to support the HoCo Arts’ annual operating budget and revenue goals. This position reports to the Executive Director.

We are excited to share our latest Alumni Spotlight featuring Kevin Heffner, CEO of LifeSpan Network and a graduate of our Master’s Degree in Management of Aging Services program! In this spotlight, Kevin Heffner shares insights into his professional journey, leadership in the aging services field, and how his education at the Erickson School of Aging Studies helped shape his career. Click here to read Kevin Heffner's full story

"We are excited to share our latest Alumni Spotlight featuring Kevin Heffner, CEO of LifeSpan Network and a graduate of our Master’s Degree in Management of Aging Services program! In this spotlight, Kevin Heffner shares insights into his professional journey, leadership in the aging services field, and how his education at the Erickson School of Aging Studies helped shape his career. Click here to read Kevin Heffner's full story"

Come join us at the Erickson School of Aging Studies Open House on Tuesday, September 1, from 12–2 p.m. at 5523 Research Park Drive, Suite 230. Enjoy pizza and meet the Erickson School of Aging Studies team! Click here to RSVP!

See attached map for directions.  FREE PARKING!  Bring a Friend!

"We are excited to share our latest Alumni Spotlight featuring Kevin Heffner, CEO of LifeSpan Network and a graduate of our Master’s Degree in Management of Aging Services program! In this spotlight, Kevin Heffner shares insights into his professional journey, leadership in the aging services field, and how his education at the Erickson School of Aging Studies helped shape his career. Click here to read Kevin Heffner's full story"

Picturing Pluralism

Call for Nominations: Join the newly launched Center for Religion, Spirituality, & Pluralism and other students, staff, and facultyat UMBC as we use photos to explore how religious, secular (non-religious), and spiritual identities shape our community! Take quick snapshots of campus life as we celebrate diversity, explore difference, and better tell our story(ies). 
Important Note: photography experience is needed and participants with religious and non-religious (secular) identities are invited to participate!

Please use this form to nominate yourself or someone you know to participate.

About the Project: Picturing Pluralism is a semester-long photography, conversation, and dialogue project that will take place during the Fall 2026 semester with a cohort of 40-50 students, staff, and faculty. CRSP will be partnering with Interfaith Photovoice to guide this group-curated project, with an official gallery opening on Wednesday, December 2nd in the AOK Library Rotunda Gallery. All participants will receive a $250 Retriever Dollars at the conclusion of this project.

Picturing Pluralism seeks to lift up the experiences that campus community members have with the idea of pluralism, which CRSP defines as "engagement with religious, secular, and spiritual diversity towards a positive outcome." This project aims to help lift up UMBC's value of Inclusive Excellence through visual storytelling as we uncover the spaces and moments where our campus community connects across difference. Though this project will emphasize religious, secular (non-religious), and spiritual identities, participants will be encouraged to explore other important social identities and how these identities intersect as they find and create spaces for belonging and meaning-making on campus. 

Time Commitment:

1. Take part in one 1-hour Cohort Introduction Meeting during the week of September 14.
2. Attend a two-day, in-person workshop during UMBC's Fall Break (October 12-13) to discuss, explore, and curate these photos.
3. Share your photos in a curated exhibit to culminate the project on December 2. 

Hello WMBC followers!!!

We would like to remind you that the deadline to apply for a Fall semester DJ slot is next Friday, August 28th! We welcome all students, faculty, and alumni to apply as we want to hear all of what UMBC has to offer! Whether you want to play your favorite songs, talk about the newest drama in pop culture, recap the world of sports, or educate listeners on your niche, we welcome all types of shows. Click this link to sign up and feel free to message us on Instagram, Discord, or our email if you have any questions or concerns about it. Spread the word and apply today!!! 

Join us on September 10th from 3:30 to 7:30 pm at the University Center 310 to hear from several speakers on the history of Palestinian resistance; boycotting and divesting; AI surveillance; and international solidarity and resilience.

Browse through several Gazan made poetry/zines, posters, and other artworks. Speak to UMBC orgs collaborating with SJP to advocate and organize for the Palestinian movement.

More Information coming soon.

All students, staff, and faculty invited and welcomed.

We look forward to seeing you.

UMBC recognizes that you are here for a reason -- you are passionate about the sciences and you are reaching for big things post-grad (e.g. graduate/professional schools and/or the workforce). Without a doubt, your classes will provide you with the content knowledge you need to be successful in these areas but it can be argued that it is your co-curricular work which will allow you to stand out from the crowd and be competitive. Highligted among those co-curricular activies are research and career engagement. For today's College Bootcamp playlist, we will provide a quick overview of the research and career resources we have on campus. 

As an R1 institution, UMBC is dedicated to making sure that our undergraduates have access to research both on and off campus in nearby industries. Take some time to explore our Undergraduate Research website where you can find out more about what some of your peers are researching as well as how to get started. For the most part, getting involved in on campus research is as easy as reaching out to your professors and expressing an interest in their work. Every department's website has a section on "Research" where you can find out more about the research areas that our faculty specialize in as well as brief overviews of each lab and a link to their respective lab websites (see links here for BIOL, CHEM, PHYS, MATH/STAT).

If you are feeling intimidated by this process, plan to attend something more unassuming like a department-sponsored research presentation/seminar (follow your department on myUMBC groups to be notified e.g.  BIOL), or a research symposium such as Undergraduate Research and Creative Acheivement Day (URCAD) or Summer Undergraduate Research Fest (SURF) where you can simply attend, get a sense of what research means at UMBC, and hear from your peers about how they got involved. The main idea here -- cast a wide net and stay resilient -- the perfect research opportunity for you is just around the corner! 

For more formal, internship opportunities, UMBC offers the support of the Career Center. This office is the one-stop-shop for everything career and internship related. You can get help preparing your professional documents such as a resume or cover letter, exploring the career options for your major, and ultimately getting help securing the perfect internship for you! The Career Center even plans for ways to bring employers TO YOU! There are countless Career Center events every semester -- follow them on myUMBC and Instagram to stay informed. It is never too early to start working with the Career Center-- plan to check in with them regularly and from year one!

Most importantly, research and career development can come down to making the right connections. It takes personal motivation and often asks for you to take a step outside of your comfort zone. To help with this, we encourage you to find a mentor (or two) on campus. This could be your professor, advisor, TA, club president, etc. UMBC even has mentorship programs on campus such as the Retriever Graduate Preparation Network (RGPN) which provides high-touch support to students interested in post-bacc graduate programs (including health professions). 

Our final suggestion -- speak up and advocate for yourself! Ask questions, share you post-grad goals, and make a research and career plan for today that will pay off tomorrow.  Enjoy the videos below for more insight into how and why to get involved in research and careers! 

Campus Research Opportunities w/CNMS Student Success Coach Emma Barnaby

TEDx Talks -- The Importance of Undergraduate Research w/Dr. Carol Strong

How to Advance Your College Career (and still have fun) w/the UMBC Career Center

BONUS RGPN VIDEO: WELCOME TO RETRIEVER GRADUATE PREPARATION NETWORK (RGPN) -- Your Community, Your Future, Limitless Opportunities. Applications are reviewed on the 15th of every month!

Join us again tomorrow for another playlist that will cover how to be mentally prepared for the semester and start locking in!

Stay with us everyday this week to strengthen your skills and power your future. It starts today!