Come join us this Wednesday, May 6, 2026, in PAHB 108 to hear a talk from Abouna Seraphim!! Food and drinks will be provided

Spring 2026 Graduate Assistant Town Hall

Where: Commons 329 (in-person) + Virtual (Webex): link • Password: mMPJvnc87g8

 When: Friday, may 8th, 12-1pm 

 Who: Graduate Assistants only (TAs, RAs, graders, peaceworkers)

Format: 60 minutes · in-person + hybrid

Join GAAC for our Spring 2026 Graduate Assistant Town Hall — a full hour of report-backs, a Q&A panel with Graduate School leadership, and an open floor for the issues that matter most to GAs. This is the last GAAC-wide gathering before our May 19 Meet & Confer with the President and Graduate School administration, and what comes out of this room shapes what we carry into it.

Free pizza & drinks (veg/halal options) — grab a slice, share your voice!

🎁 T-Shirt Giveaway — limited edition GSA - GAAC Spring 2026

Two steps to grab one:

1. Complete the GAAC input survey online before the Town Hall → [survey link]
2. Show up in person — bring your survey confirmation, and we'll hand you a t-shirt at the door, while supplies last.

Survey responses also feed directly into our Meet & Confer prep, so you're shaping the agenda either way.

What's on the agenda

1. Welcome & GAAC overview 

2. GAAC Updates: What We've Done For You 

• Health insurance update 
• GA Lifecycle & Payroll Continuity 
• Funding Continuity & Cost of Living 
  
  3. Q&A Panel — Sunji Jangha, Senior Assistant Dean, Graduate School 
  
  4. GSWU Presentation (20 minutes — information only, GAAC neutral) Graduate Students United Workers will share information about their work. Questions for GSWU should be directed to their representatives during their segment.
  
  5. Closing & how to stay connected — Including details on the May 19 Meet & Confer and the t-shirt giveaway draw.

Why attend

• Hear concrete updates from this semester's Meet & Confer cycle, what's moved, what's still open
• Put questions directly to Senior Assistant Dean Sunji Jangha
• Help prioritize what GAAC carries into the May 19 Meet & Confer
• Meet your college's GAAC representative
• Submit concerns openly or anonymously

How to participate

• RSVP on the [myUMBC event page] so we can plan food and seating
• Complete the input survey to qualify for the t-shirt giveaway and shape the agenda: [survey link]
• Prefer to stay anonymous? Use the GAAC Submit Concerns form: [link]

Questions? Email gsagaac@umbc.edu or visit us at Commons 308.
Follow GAAC on myUMBC for weekly benefit/policy tips.

Hi everyone!

IN 20 MINUTES we are having our LAST EVENT of the semester!! We are having a fun little watch party and are giving away FREE fashion club supplies, so COME AND GET STUFF WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!!!! 

Some stuff we are giving away:

• supplies for accessory making
• thread
• sewing needles
• blank tote bags
• paint
• soda and energy drinks

DON'T WALK. RUN. (to ILSB 301. Starting at 7PM)

See you all there :D

KARL (The Kalfoglou Advocacy and Research Lab), run by Dr. K., is looking for energetic students who are interested in working on social justice research and advocacy largely focused on college students' access to basic needs like food, housing, and transportation. We work closely with Retriever Essentials. Students participating in KARL will meet as a team once a week (time to be determined) and spend 2 hours per week on their project(s). Projects may be appropriate for presentation at URCAD 2027. Participants will register for PBHL 490 for 1-credit (registration requires permission of the instructor). This fall KARL will be focused on building the Maryland College Basic Needs Community of Practice. We are doing outreach to campuses who have yet to join, building a website, organizing webinars, writing newsletters, creating slide decks, making films, advocating for policies that support students, and possibly conducting qualitative and/or quantitative research. 
Please provide the requested information and you will be notified in the next few weeks if you will be extended an invitation. If this doesn't work out, you can always take Dr. K's PBHL 355 Public Health Justice and Advocacy course next Spring where we will also focus on campus food insecurity.

Programmatic Intern

Hybrid – Summer (full-time) 

Position Background: The Chesapeake Bay Trust (the Trust), a non-profit grantmaking organization, seeks a Programmatic Intern interested in gaining experience in the non-profit environmental sector.

Established in 1985, the Chesapeake Bay Trust uses grantmaking as a method to promote community-based participation in the restoration and protection of the natural resources of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay region.  In the past fifteen years, the Trust has significantly increased its grant-making through new revenue from a wide range of partners, with current annual grant-making of approximately $25 million.  The Trust currently allocates these grant funds through 350-400 awards per year to entities who apply through open, competitive calls for proposals as well as programs such as the Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps.

Specific Responsibilities and Learning Opportunities:

• Duties at the Trust during the summer include a variety of administrative grant-related tasks supporting our portfolio of community engagement projects, K-12 environmental education, and on-the-ground watershed and habitat restoration that support climate resiliency and public health.
• Duties at the Trust during the summer months may also include field work to assess proposed and completed restoration projects.
• The selected intern will be expected to complete an independent project of the student’s choosing related to watershed, restoration, or forestry issues and aligned with the Trust’s mission. A possible independent project will focus on a data-based outreach strategy for our Urban Trees program. 
• Independent projects completed by interns in the past have been adapted for independent study credit through the student’s university with university and professor permission.
• Students gain a wide range of skills for their resumes beyond traditional environmental organization experience, including grant management and general experience with grant-making and grant-writing.  Students also gain knowledge of and experience with a subset of the 350 to 400 non-profits that we engage every year.
• Applicants must have reliable transportation and should be willing to work nights and weekends as needed.

Qualifications and Skills: Eligible applicants must be undergraduate or graduate students attending a two- or four-year college or university in Maryland with a GPA of 3.00 or higher. In addition, all undergraduate applicants must be entering or continuing their sophomore, junior, or senior year during the fall 2026 semester. Students of all majors are welcome to apply. We will also consider applicants with one or two years of comparable experience in a relevant field. Preference will be given to candidates with interest in urban and community forestry and data analysis, and strong organizational and communication skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite of programs is necessary.

https://cbaytrust.bamboohr.com/careers/76?source=aWQ9Mjg%3D

This spring, the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at UMBC celebrates a landmark achievement: 500 program graduates have earned a Ph.D.

The milestone highlights the program’s success as the nation’s original model for increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Grounded in high expectations and robust support, Meyerhoff Scholars consistently go on to excel in top graduate programs and lead in academia, industry, and government while mentoring the next generation. UMBC has maintained its position as the national leader in producing Black M.D./Ph.D. graduates: Between 2014 and 2024, UMBC alumni accounted for 15 percent of all such dual-degree recipients nationwide, far outpacing any other institution. UMBC is also the leader in graduating Black students who go on to earn Ph.D.s in the life sciences, math and computer sciences, and engineering.

Joseph Washington ’97, mechanical engineering, a member of the fourth Meyerhoff cohort (M4), embodies this trajectory. A first-generation college student, he initially considered trade school after a knee injury derailed his plans to attend the U.S. Naval Academy. The Meyerhoff scholarship changed his path. In particular, Selection Weekend for admitted Meyerhoff Scholars and Summer Bridge, intensive group programming prior to the scholars’ first UMBC semester, affirmed his identity and potential: “The most important message I internalized from the Meyerhoff program was that I can be Black and intelligent,” he recalls.

Washington earned a master’s degree before returning to UMBC for his Ph.D. Today, he serves as an assistant teaching professor at UMBC at the Universities at Shady Grove. He mentors students informally, advises the UMBC chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and creates space for Meyerhoff Scholars to discuss graduate school and careers. “UMBC has always felt like home,” he says. “I would not be here if not for the Meyerhoff Scholars Program.”

A family tradition

Sadella Santos ’12, chemical engineering, M20, and her sister Melissa Santos ’12, chemical engineering, M19, also credit the program with shaping their journeys. Sadella, a senior scientist at Exponent, Inc. with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, values the emphasis on community. “Academic success is a collective effort, rather than individual competition,” she says. “At work, I champion the message that diverse perspectives are necessary to drive scientific progress.” She pays it forward by reviewing abstracts for the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) and hosting lab visits to expose high school students to possible careers.

Melissa, who earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering followed by a J.D., applies problem-solving and adaptability skills honed through Meyerhoff to her legal career. She recently participated in a panel for McNair Scholars on summer research experiences. “Community and network are important,” she notes. “Surround yourself with people who will support you but also challenge you to grow.”

Meyerhoff scholars often refer to themselves as family—and that’s especially true for the Santoses. Justin Santos ’17, biochemistry and molecular biology, M25, is the third scholar in the family. He is completing his M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience at Emory University this spring and will begin residency in emergency medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. He mentors students pursuing clinical-scientist careers and assists with ABRCMS abstract reviews. “High-quality, comprehensive mentorship” was invaluable to him, and he works to provide that same guidance to others.

Reaching back to pay it forward

Naomi Mburu ’18, M26, chemical engineering, was UMBC’s first Rhodes Scholar, attending Oxford University on one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious scholarships. She earned a D.Phil. in engineering science from the University of Oxford and today serves as lead analyst at Fusion Advisory Services, providing analysis of the fusion industry to a wide range of stakeholders. Meyerhoff pushed her beyond her comfort zone into leadership roles and strengthened her public speaking and networking skills, she says. She now reviews scholarship essays for UMBC students and organizes summer internships to bring diverse talent into the fusion energy field. “Supporting the next generation is so important,” she says. “I have only come this far myself with the help of my own mentors.”

These alumni illustrate the program’s lasting influence. Meyerhoff Scholars do not simply succeed—they reach back, creating opportunities and building communities for current students and early-career researchers. The model’s impact now extends even further: universities including Penn State, UNC-Chapel Hill, UC Berkeley, Stony Brook, and others have adapted key elements of the Meyerhoff approach with support from funders such as the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Simons Foundation. The Howard Hughes Medical Institutehas also been a long-term supporter of Meyerhoff and its replications.

With more than 2,200 undergraduates supported to date and a national reputation for producing leaders committed to diversity in STEM, the 500th Ph.D. stands as compelling proof of the Meyerhoff model’s effectiveness. As alumni advance in their fields and invest in those who follow, the Meyerhoff Scholars Program continues to change lives one by one, transforming the face of American science through excellence, community, and a powerful ripple effect that will benefit generations to come.

Shakespeare in Harlem

By Langston Hughes and Robert Glenn
Adapted and Directed by Gerrad Alex Taylor

A University-Professional Collaboration Between UMBC Theatre and Chesapeake Shakespeare Company.

At UMBC: October 30 - November 9, 2025
At Chesapeake Shakespeare Company: January 15 - 18, 2026

This Production of Shakespeare in Harlem is by special arrangement with ILP Theatrical, a sub-division of International Literary Properties. 

Production Team

• Sound Designer: Kaydin Hamby
• Costume Designer: Eric Abele
• Lighting Designer: Juan Juarez
• Scenic and Projections Designer: Nate Sinnott
• Assistant Costume Designer: Becca Janney
• Assistant Director: Isaiah Mason Harvey*
• Vocal Director: Andrew Hann
• Choreographer: Nigel Semaj
• Intimacy Choreographer: Sierra Young
• Dramaturg: Bianca LaVerne
• Stage Manager and Projections Designer: Grace Shepperd
• Assistant Stage Managers: Sumedha Bhat, Lucas Sanchez

Cast

• Griot: Lauren Davis*
• Madam K: Amani Abdullah
• Simple: Gerrad Alex Taylor*
• Cousin Minnie: Ambar Auth
• Leonard: Dario Prioleau
• Lulu: Liza Mupende
• Bruce: LaTrelle Jamez
• Alex: Manny Rimmer
• Female and Simple Understudy: Tatiyana J. Terrelonge (performed as Lulu in the January 2026 run at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company)

*denotes Chesapeake Shakespeare Company's Black Classical Acting Ensemble Member

Full show program and show poster are attached.

Show poster designed by Eric Abele.

Production Photos

All production photos by Kiirstn Pagan '11.

Street Scenes

Text by Langston Hughes and his contemporaries*
Music by Kurt Weill and others
Directed by Eve Muson and Katie Hileman
Musical Direction by Andrew Hann

*Street Scenes brings together moments and text from several landmark 20th-century playwrights, woven together with text shaped through contemporary AI tools. The hope is that these elements speak to one another—old and new, familiar and unexpected—as the performance unfolds. Thank you for being here and sharing the experience with us. Additional text by Eve Muson and Camila Hildalgo.

Production Team

• Sound Designer: Kaydin Hamby
• Costume Designer: Becca Janney 
• Lighting Designer: Adam Mendelson
• Scenic Designer: Tyler Brust
• Assistant Director: Grace Marsh
• Assistant Lighting Designer: Aidan Henderson
• Stage Manager: Kayla Laucks
• Assistant Stage Manager: Cameron Denny

Cast

• Drina Kaplan: Brynn Krasney
• Sam Kaplan: Lucas Sanchez
• Sidney Kaplan: Alden Lester
• Willie Kaplan: Sylvia-Novella Underwood
• Doris Grossman: Alissa Suser
• Mrs. Fiorentino: Camila Hidalgo
• Jo: Kiarra Matos
• Jeffrey Ingram: Anthony Negron
• Kay: Jadyn Fleming
• Harry Easter: Wesley Mauder
• Jim Jackson: Christian Price-Burnett
• Mamie Jackson: Jamia Tutt
• Ensember/Understudy: Sofia Hunter
• Understudy: Cameron Denny

Full show program and show poster are attached.

Show poster designed by Eric Abele.

Production Photos

All production photos by Kiirstn Pagan '11.

Welcome all to a new week of club. This is our final full week before finals and next week will be our last of the school year. Tonight's meeting is in our usual of ILSB 302 at 7:00 PM.

Tonight we will be hosting a speaker, Mary Ella Jourdak. She is an activist and advocate operating out of Annapolis with years of experience in the field and ripping into Delegates not doing their job. She is going to talk with us about the work she does and how you can engage in advocacy and activism in less structured ways beyond entering government or working for delegates. Come show support for our speaker and learn how you can get involved in larger movements or even start your own!

Got Flex? Use it before it expires at 8 PM on May 20th, 2026!

Stock up on our Flash FLEX Warehouse Sale favorites like snacks, protein bars, and drinks. Submit your order via Google Form by May 17 at 8 PM. Flex is charged at submission.

Please allow 3-5 business days for processing. You’ll be notified when your order is ready for pickup at the True Grit’s Dining Offices.

Good luck on finals!