On April 21, 2026, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) co-hosted the Congressional Showcase, “Igniting Discovery: How NASA Funding Advances American Science” at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. UMBC and its NASA centers were well represented: Dr. Mehdi Benna (CSST), Dr. Brent McBride (ESI), and Dr. Zhibo Zhang (GESTAR II, GPHI) joined Dr. Karl Steiner, Vice President, and Ms. Crocetta Argento, Executive Administrative Assistant, of UMBC’s Division of Research and Creative Achievement at the UMBC booth.

Dr. Benna presented the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) instrument, which will provide in-situ lunar measurements when it is deployed on the Moon during Artemis IV. Dr. McBride spoke about UMBC's connection with the PACE mission through HARP2 and HARP CubeSat; members of both ESI and GESTAR II are involved with PACE instruments, data retrieval, and research. Dr. Zhang discussed GESTAR II and the variety of earth science research being conducted between NASA and UMBC; he also discussed the Sun, space weather, solar wind, and other heliophysics topics. The UMBC team spoke with Congressional staffers from both the House and Senate, and with several staffers from Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen's office.

From the AGU blog The Bridge: "Today’s [congressional] showcase, Igniting Discovery, highlights the breadth and ambition of NASA-funded science, bringing together researchers from across the country to share their work with policymakers and advocates who believe in its importance." To quote Dr. Zhang, “Science advocacy is a responsibility we all share, and events like this one is where it happens.”

Photo: Zhibo Zhang, Crocetta Argento, Mehdi Benna, Brent McBride, and Karl Steiner stand together in the Atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building. The atrium consists of a light marble floor and Alexander Calder's 51-foot-tall black steel sculpture "Mountains and Clouds" (previously with four black aluminum clouds above). Credit: Provided by C. Argento.
Photo: In front of the UMBC booth, attendees mix with researchers and administration from UMBC and its NASA-related centers. Credit: C. Argento.
Photo: Mehdi Benna discusses the LEMS with a Congressional staffer at the UMBC booth. Credit: C. Argento.

Hey everyone, happy Tuesday!

We hope you're doing great. This week, we'll have our regular pickup, this time by Facilities Management! As per usual, we'll meet in front of the Dunkin' and leave at 3PM, and the map will be posted in our GroupMe for those who come late!

Can't make it this week? Next week we have an even more exciting event: A cleanup with the Apartment Community Council! Refreshments will be provided, with a raffle at the end for those who participate!

Lastly, we have a VERY important announcement to make.
WE. DID NOT. THROW OUT THE CHAIRS.

The accusation alone is slanderous, and our VP said the same!

Go forth and spread the word a la Paul Revere, and we'll see you Friday!

-The Eboard

Looking to for roommates for next year!  Please join Residential Life & the Pride Center tomorrow, April 29 at 2:30 p.m. in UC 101 for a roommate social focused on supporting students interested in Gender inclusive Housing.

Toan Bui, a UMBC alum ('21) and current medical student at University of Maryland School of Medicine, will speak about his experience with the medical school application timeline and with writing personal statements. There will also be open Q&A time.

Friday, May 1, 2026 at 2pm via Zoom

Zoom link: https://umaryland.zoom.us/j/93623500174

See attached flyer for additional information.

hi friends

Tonight at 7pm in PAHB 456 our weekly meeting will be led by a professor visiting from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Travis Rieder is a bioethicist focusing on opiod addiction, climate change, and population ethics. I am so excited for this presentation; I know it's going to be a great discussion!!! Be there or be square!

xoxo

chloe

Scan the QR code and fill out the form to get 10% off your drinks at OCA Mocha every week! Note: This is for prototyping purposes only, help support research for the HONR 200 - Human Centered Design (HCD) course.

Just tackling the rigors of a college course load on its own can be daunting for any student. But when you add in the additional responsibilities of working and getting involved with co-curriculars, it can become impossible…unless you’re Shawn Bearam, Jr., computer science. Throughout his time at UMBC, he saw how much value this level of involvement and responsibility added to his college career and saw it as his way of giving back.

Q: What drew you to UMBC?

A: I chose UMBC for a few reasons—first because of the scholarships they provided me, and also because of the diversity here. Other schools didn’t have the same diversity UMBC was able to offer. My last reason was the smaller campus. I felt like a smaller campus would allow me the opportunity to connect with professors and I wouldn’t get lost in a large lecture hall. The professors here actually remember me.

Q: Why did you choose your major?

A: I’m a computer science major. I was always considered the tech kid growing up, and in my early college program, one of the pathways was computer science. I discovered that I liked problem solving, seeing what was going wrong, and it became fun for me. 

Q: What inspired you to get so involved in different campus departments?

A: I found communities where it seemed that everyone was having fun together, and I wanted to be a part of that. My first role was working with the events staff in Athletics, then I applied to work with bwtech@UMBC. From there, I applied to work in the Vice President of Student Affairs office as an office assistant and I was promoted to lead office assistant. During my first year I was also hired as a resident assistant, and I was later promoted to lead resident assistant. I also served as a first-year ambassador for SGA.

I started to see that I was able to learn so much here. Overall, I saw people who looked like me in different spaces, and I knew they would be able to understand me, so I wanted to get involved. 

Q: How have your various roles on campus impacted your time at UMBC?

A: My many roles  made me want to stay at UMBC. I had the option to graduate last semester, but I wanted to stay another semester, I didn’t want to leave everyone so soon. I feel safe at UMBC. It also made me want to keep pursuing my education—I knew that being involved in so many different organizations meant I needed to keep my GPA up, so it pushed me to stay focused in my classes so I could keep having fun. 

Q: How did you balance your academic work with your on-campus jobs?

A: It was a struggle at first, but using my Google Calendar helped me manage my time. My employers here also made sure to emphasize the importance of me being a student first.

My community director at Walker Avenue Apartments, LaDonna Wyatt, became a mentor to me while I was searching for internships. I was applying to different places, but it became difficult and I wanted to give up. She pushed me to keep applying and was there for me throughout the process which then led me to getting an internship with the Division of Information Technology for the state. The faculty and staff here really care about the students as a whole. 

Q: What made you decide to join SGA?

A: I was involved in SGA during my early college program at Montgomery College. I felt like I was really making a change while I was there, and I wanted to do the same at UMBC. I started off as a first-year ambassador in SGA here, then I became the director of communications, and I am currently the chief of staff. I knew after my first year that SGA was something I wanted to continue with and I wanted to keep moving up.

Q: Through all of your roles on campus, what is one moment that had the biggest impact on you?

A: Being an office assistant in the VPSA office. Everyday they drive me forward, and encourage me with their motto: Strive to unlock potential and transform lives. It really feels like a family. They’ve been asking me about how I feel as I’m getting ready to graduate and making sure that I have everything together. At first, it was a shock to me, but they really care about me even though I’m about to leave, and they care about what I’m going to be doing even after I leave. That role has had the biggest impact on me because they are so invested in seeing me grow and succeed. 

Q: What’s next for you?

A: I was just offered a role with the State of Maryland with the Division of Information and Technology and I will be starting as a project analyst. 

Q: What advice would you give to new students who are curious about getting involved on campus?

A: You may be scared, but sometimes you have to do things while you’re scared too. It may be scary to go to a big (seb) event because there’s so many people, but that may be the place where you find friends. You can be scared while you do things, but still do it. My personal motto is: The worst thing someone can say is “no.” Take those big steps, join the club, and if the club you’re looking for isn’t there—create it! 

My whole experience at UMBC has been amazing—I can be myself here, and I’m not going to be judged. Community is truly the word to describe UMBC. 

Story by Allison John ’24, psychology, graduate coordinator for first-year engagement and anchor programs. All photos courtesy of Bearam unless otherwise noted.

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.

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Original Event Post

Join us on Friday, May 1st (11am), for this dedicated day to honor the voices, contributions, and vibrant cultures of our immigrant community members who make UMBC feel like home.

Keynote Speaker: Anna Lapera; "Through Story, The Root is Not Far"

Anna Lapera teaches middle school by day and writes stories about girls stepping into their power in the early hours of the morning. Her debut novel, Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice, is an International Latino Book Award winner, the 2025 International Literacy Association Honor book, a Jane Adamms Children's Book Award Finalist, and a 2025 American Library Association’s Feminist Book Project selection. It was named one of the Best of 2024 by the School Library Journal, New York Public Library, Booklist, and was recently translated to Spanish. Her second novel, a YA speculative historical fiction story set in 1978 Guatemala, is forthcoming.

Anna Lapera is a pushcart prize-nominated author and educator in the DC area. She comes from a Guatemalan mother and Hawaiian-Filipino-German father, and was raised all over the world. She teaches by day and writes stories about kids stepping into their power in the early hours of the morning. She is a member of Las Musas, a Tin House and Macondo Writers Workshop alum and Kweli Journal mentee, and has received financial support from Tin House, Kweli Journal and SCBWI. When she is not writing or teaching, you can find her visiting trails and coffee shops in DC and Maryland, where she lives with her family. 

Learn more about Anna at: https://www.annalaperawriter.com/

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

Shout out to the Class of 2026!

You made it, and we are so proud!

To all undergraduate and graduate students, Division of Student Affairs invites you to join us for a fun afternoon.

Thursday, May 7 | 4 – 6 p.m. The Commons, Terrace

Featuring:

• Food and drink
• Photos with Chip and the UMBC letters
• Free alum t-shirt
• Graduation cap decorating