Congratulations to one of our amazing SI PASS Leaders, Carly Shearer, who recently has been honored on the National Student Voting Honor Roll as a leader in nonpartisan campus civic engagement. This remarkable achievement is a testament to Carly's hard work, dedication, and passion for excellence. We are honored to work with her and we look forward to seeing all that she will achieve in the future! Well done, Carly!

To read more about Carly, her award, and her amazing work, please visit the orginal post: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/vpsa/posts/158468

Have you been seeing more announcements or emails related to AI tools or usage on campus? Do you have questions regarding the recent guidelines that were shared on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the classroom? Would you like your voice heard, or would appreciate having student perspectives brought to the forefront of these conversations relating to AI policy and guidelines? 

The Kotturi Lab would like to hear from you! If you would like to come together in a safe space to discuss AI use on campus, please stop by room 259 in the Library for this student only, student focused, in-person listening session on Wednesday, April 22nd, from 12 noon - 1:30PM. Faculty will not be present, and conversations that occur within the space will remain anonymous to protect students' identities. All majors are welcome!

Free pizza and swag will be provided!

We encourage students interested in participating to add the individual events to their calendars!

These listening sessions are supported by the AOK Library, in partnership with Computer Science & Electrical Engineering, Information Systems, and the Dresher Center. We thank you for your support!

We are halfway to the finish!

The Office of Residential Life is happy to announce the applications for the Student Success Scholarship and the Clarence E. Robinson Jr. Memorial Scholarship are now open.

Both scholarships are awarded each Spring to be used in the upcoming Fall semester. Residents may apply for both scholarships; however, if selected, will only be eligible to receive one of the scholarship awards. 

Student Success Scholarship

The Residential Life Student Success Scholarships was created with the purpose of assisting students who demonstrate significant financial need and who may be otherwise unable to afford housing to remain on-campus residents. Residential Life wants to minimize barriers to the on-campus experience by supporting student success and engagement. Scholarship award funds will not exceed the total cost of the housing balance for the semester of application.

Students who are licensed with Walker Avenue Apartments or hired as a Residential Life Paraprofessional for the award period are not eligible for this scholarship.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be a current degree-seeking undergraduate resident.
• Be living in a UMBC-owned and operated hall, suite, or apartment (not Walker Avenue).
• Be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits per semester.
• Be in good academic standing with the University, 2.5 GPA or higher.
• Have completed a FAFSA and demonstrate high financial need.
• Have no judicial record.

Clarence E. Robinson, Jr. Memorial Scholarship

This Scholarship is awarded each spring to be used in the fall semester.

This scholarship is awarded to support housing scholarships for students at UMBC.

The Clarence R. Robinson Jr. Memorial Scholarship was established in November 1983 by contributions from family and friends in memory of Clarence Robinson, Jr., Director of Housing at the UMBC campus.

To be eligible for Clarence R. Robinson Jr. Memorial Scholarship funds, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate UMBC Student
• Current residential student
• In good academic standing with the University, 2.5 GPA or higher
• Degree-seeking, residential undergraduate student enrolled in a minimum of 12 academic credits per semester
• Demonstrate high financial need, in consultation with UMBC Financial Aid, stating that all other financial aid options have been exhausted (must have a current FAFSA on file with UMBC Financial Aid)
• No judicial record

Students may only receive one Residential Life Student Success Scholarship during their time at UMBC. Additionally, students who are licensed with Walker Avenue Apartments or hired as a Residential Life Paraprofessional for the award period are not eligible for this scholarship.

The deadline to apply is April 1 - April 30

Hello everyone! We have an exciting event coming soon!

In collaboration with Chartwells, Retriever Essentials will be hosting our biggest Farmers Market of the semester next week April 20th, from 12:00 - 1:00pm at the Commons Terrace. We will have mainly produce items such as apples, bananas, peppers, etc., with a couple of other household/personal care necessities.

Be sure to bring your bags/boxes, and we hope to see you there!

CAHSS faculty are invited to submit a pre-proposal to be nominated for the 2026 William T. Grant Scholars Program competition, sponsored by the William T. Grant Foundation (WTGF). The WTGF Scholars Program supports career development for promising early-career researchers. 

Eligible applicants should have received their doctorate within seven years of the WTGF program's application deadline of June 30, 2026, and seven years after the year the doctorate was conferred. Applicants must currently be employed in a tenure-track position.

The program makes awards totaling $425,000 for five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers’ expertise in new disciplines, methods, and content areas. Applicants should have a track record of conducting high-quality research and an interest in pursuing a significant shift in their trajectories as researchers. This award includes a mentoring component, as well as a supportive academic community.

WTGF’s Research Focus Areas: 
1. Reducing Inequality. WTGF funds research studies that examine programs, policies, or practices to reduce inequality in the academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes of young people ages 5–25 in the United States, along dimensions of race, ethnicity, economic standing, sexual or gender minority status (e.g., LGBTQ+ youth), language minority status, or immigrant origins.

2. Improving the Use of Research Evidence. In this focus area, WTGF supports research studies that examine strategies to improve the use of research evidence in ways that benefit young people ages 5-25 in the United States. The Foundation seeks proposals for studies that advance theory and build empirical knowledge on ways to improve the use of research evidence by policymakers, public agency leaders, organizational managers, intermediaries, community organizers, and other decision-makers that generally shape youth-serving systems in the United States.

CAHSS Internal Competition:

An internal CAHSS competition will be held to select the CAHSS nominee. Pre-proposals are due to the CAHSS Dean’s Office, via a box link, by May 11, 2026. Review the attached instructions and box link for detailed information.

The nominee will be notified on May 20, 2026, and will work with CARAT to develop a complete application, following the application guidelines. Complete applications will be due to WTGF, via the program's application portal, by June 30, 2026 (3:00 PM, ET). 

The CAHSS nominee must be PI Eligible, with active status, in order to prepare a proposal and receive an award at UMBC. PI Eligible active status entails the successful completion (with issued certificates) of PIRATE training; CITI Research Security Training - combined; and completion of a PI Eligibility form, with attached certificates of completion for the trainings, and your appointment letter. See UMBC Policy # IV-2.00.03 for more information. Contact Rachel Brubaker (rbruba1@umbc.edu) for assistance.

Successful applicants will be notified by WTGF on March 27, 2027. Five-year awards, made to the applicants’ institution, will begin on July 1, 2027.

Contact Marc Ruppel (mruppel@umbc.edu), CARAT Director, or Rachel Brubaker (rbruba1@umbc.edu), to discuss your pre-proposal.

WTGF Program Resources:

• Scholars Program website: https://WTGFrantfoundation.org/funding/william-t-grant-scholars-program
• Program application guide: https://WTGFrantfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-Application-Guide-WTGF-Scholars.pdf
• Applicant resources, including a webinar and annotated excerpts: https://WTGFrantfoundation.org/funding/william-t-grant-scholars-program/applicant-resources#annotated-excerpts
• Program FAQ: https://WTGFrantfoundation.org/funding/william-t-grant-scholars-program/faq

Calling all students, faculty, and staff!
UMBC Dining is hosting upcoming focus group sessions and wants your feedback. Share your experiences and help shape future dining improvements.

Student participants will receive $25 Retriever Dollars, plus food and beverages during the session.

Please review session details and sign up for a preferred group:

• Monday, April 20: COMM 328 (The Commons)
• Tuesday, April 21: True Grit’s Conference Room

Register here: https://signup.com/go/bYtYsFE

Program: 6-week Parent-Child Connect parenting workshops for Asian American parents

Speaker: Cixin Wang, Ph.D., Associate Professor in School Psychology at University of Maryland, College Park

Time: Sundays 7-8:45 p.m. from  4/26-6/7

Description: Please Join our supportive 6-week Parent & Child Connect Workshop, designed specifically forAsian American parents who are navigating the challenges of raising school-aged children (PreK-12). Through evidence-based parenting strategies, supportive discussion, and roleplays, this program helps families strengthen family bonds, improve communication, and
nurture their children's growth, confidence, and emotional well-being. 

Registration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSegtO0oorB1lkYgT4kbfaL7JmptDQdBmiAk7RZwF6Xou-bNBQ/viewform?usp=header

We are also offering 6-week youth SEL program for elementary and middle school students. Please see the flyers attached. Registration link for youth SEL class: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSci2XrosjJDdh2VdsY-4Mszvmdknp9KBSWQoTWSj2fMcsQ9WQ/viewform?usp=header

Be the Green Dot. Make Our Campus Safer.

A Green Dot is any behavior, choice, or action that promotes safety for everyone and communicates zero tolerance for sexual violence, dating/domestic violence, and stalking.

A Green Dot can look like:

• stepping in during a high-risk situation
• checking on a friend at a party, bar, or social event
• attending a bystander intervention training
• sharing prevention resources on social media
• displaying a prevention poster in your room or organization space
• wearing Green Dot gear and showing your commitment

Participants can earn a Green Dot badge! Electronic badges are credentials that you can attach to LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook to show others your commitment to reducing power-based personal violence. 

Your contribution is necessary. Your voice is powerful. Your commitment is our hope.No one has to do everything, but everyone has to do something.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

Hello!

Stop by The Pride Center for coffee and donuts this morning! Start your day off being in community with other LGBTQ folks.

-Gavin

Aircrafts by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics chapter at UMBC, Design, Build, Fly (DBF) and Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) teams

Presenters: Shrikant Bhatnagar, Kalel Kai, Ben Bazarsuren, Daniel Shin, Jonah Malcom, Austin Wagener, Nebiyu Mammo, Murali Indukuri, William Vandenberg

Mentor: Joseph Washington, Mechanical Engineering

Students will display the prototypes of their aircafts on the RAC track throughout the day.

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics chapter at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County was created to address the absence of a formal aerospace engineering program on campus. Without dedicated coursework in aeronautics, many students had limited ways to explore a field that plays a central role in transportation and national security, and engage in fascinating research. In response, the chapter built an experiential pathway into aerospace through student-led competition teams. At the core of this effort were the Design, Build, Fly (DBF) and Student Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS) teams, where students took ownership of the full engineering lifecycle. From early design concepts to manufacturing, systems integration, and flight testing, members engaged in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles for international competitions. Students experienced aerospace theory through processes that mirror those used in professional aerospace development. Members strengthened not only their technical abilities, but also their capacity for teamwork, documentation, and leadership under real constraints. Over time, this approach positioned UMBC’s teams as the leading undergraduate-led aerospace competition groups in Maryland, demonstrating how experiential learning can meaningfully expand access to aerospace education.

This work was funded by UMBC SGA, UMBC Mechanical Engineering Department, UMBC COEIT, Northrup Grumman Corporation.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22 in the RAC:

URCAD.umbc.edu