Meet Anna Jones, a first-generation psychology major on the pre-med track at UMBC. What started as a “nudge” by one of her professors wound up leading Anna to becoming a peer tutor with UMBC’s SI (supplemental instruction) PASS (peer-assisted study sessions) program—an experience that has changed her life and defined her experience as a Retriever. We can’t wait to hear all about it!

Q: What brought you to UMBC in the first place?

A: Hello! I am a psychology B.S. major with a minor in biological sciences on the pre-med track. I transferred to UMBC after my first year of college and fell in love with what UMBC had to offer.
I came from a very small honors college and wanted to be a part of a more diverse, larger, student body. At UMBC, I quickly learned that I was surrounded by goal-oriented, like-minded, and well-rounded students, and I was met by supportive professors who connected me to my higher self through opportunity and encouragement.

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone to know about the support you found here?

A: Academic support is within arms-length here. Resources are offered tailored to anyone’s needs as a student and it is not challenging to access.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: I’ve been inspired by a countless number of individuals here on campus. The highlighted person(s) would be my physics professor Dr. Lili Cui, my SI PASS supervisor Deborah Webb, the ASC (Academic Success Center) director Dr. Delana Gregg (Ph.D. ’19, language, literacy, and culture), and simply all of my peers in the SI PASS organization for the past three semesters. Dr. Lili was the professor I worked alongside as I supported her course through being an SI Pass leader. Dr. Lili has uplifted me by giving me honest academic advice and suggesting opportunities to further my leadership skills. She saw the leadership in me before I recognized it within myself.

Deb Webb and Dr. Gregg supported me extensively by being present through all of my success as an SI PASS leader. Deb Webb has provided me with skill building tasks and granted me access to resources that have been helpful to both my personal and academic self and career. Through her coordination of SI PASS, she has supported me through mentorship, organization, and communication. Dr. Gregg also supported me through words of encouragement and helping me become a part of a network that made it possible for me to help other students and faculty beyond our campus.

Jones, second from right, stands next to Delana Gregg, third from right, and other members of the SI PASS team.

Q: Tell us about what you love about being a peer mentor and SI PASS tutor.

A: I wanted to give back to my community but didn’t know how, so I became an SI PASS leader and mentor. Through these roles, I was able to achieve my wish to not only give back, but connect with many elements this campus had to offer. I admire UMBC’s priority of peer education and wanted to extend that principle to others through my role as a student.

SI PASS is a free support resource for traditionally difficult courses which tend to be STEM or language related. SI PASS leaders are responsible for hosting regularly-scheduled study sessions throughout the week to help facilitate active learning among students enrolled in their designated course. We engage students in various learning strategies to support students in knowing what to learn and how to learn it.

As an SI PASS mentor, I serve as a role model to assigned new leaders, provide guidance on specific administrative and SI PASS skills such as completing planning sheets and logging data, offer support (motivational/emotional), and assist new leaders with setting goals and identifying resources.

What I love about being an SI PASS leader and mentor is the ability to give back to my community at such a large school. It helps me connect with my peers and professors in ways that I never imagined possible. I feel like a thread, sewing different bits of the campus together. I am grateful for the new skills I’ve developed through my experience and the meaningful connections I’ve made and have helped other students make during my time here.

Q: Since you’ve been a part of the UMBC community, how have you found support of your WHY?

A: I was suggested to be an SI PASS Leader by my former physics professor Dr. Lili Cui. This referral started as a nudge in the right direction but later turned into a life-changing experience for me. Becoming a part of this organization led to me presenting at my very first conference for the MDCLCA (Maryland College Learning Center Association) organization, which then led me to becoming a student representative. My professor, my supervisor, and my peer educators all aid equally in my evolution as a student. They have all done nothing but encourage me to be my best self, providing challenges for me to overcome and grow through.

Q: What would you tell other transfer students about what it’s like becoming a part of the UMBC community?

A: Being a transfer student as such a large university (compared to my previous school) can be very intimidating. It may require some elbow grease to build up the courage to become more involved on campus but you will come to find that the inclusivity of this community eases the tension. Becoming involved is easier than you may think and there’s countless options of helpful resources to point you in the right direction.

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

I am currently in the process of looking for suitable accommodation near the university campus. I am interested in knowing if there are any preferably 1-bedroom apartments available (or 2-bedroom female flat mate apartment) sublease or rent starting in late August or early September 2023.

Budget (800-1100)

Thank you

Azmat Naseem

azmatnaseem26@gmail.com

It’s summer, the ideal season to catch up on “to-be-read” lists and a time to discover new reads. Ever wanted to dig into a feminist critique of the classic horror film Carrie? Or how about a breezy beach read filled with romance and wild ponies set on Chincoteague Island? Maybe you’re a lover of historical nonfiction or math—either way, we’ve got you covered. 

Across the UMBC community are engaged scholars who tackle a breadth of topics spanning a wide range of disciplines and writing mediums. From books, to more than 260 The Conversation articles, to several hundred peer-reviewed journal publications, the UMBC community creates an extensive collection of reading materials for bibliophiles of all interests. 

This summer is a great opportunity to dive into recently-published books with bylines from UMBC’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Here’s a list of suggestions to add to your summer reading list:

This Belongs to Us: Stories from UMBC’s Founding Four Classes, collected by Diane Tichnell, Dale Gough, Mimi Dietrich, and Bob Dietrich (Class of 1970) 

This Belongs to Us is a kaleidoscopic retelling of the colorful and authentic story of UMBC. The book chronicles the collective memories of members of the first four graduating classes of the university. The authors sent newsletters, emails, mail, and even knocked on doors to capture the voices of as many UMBC graduates as possible. In the end, 84 authors contributed more than 100 stories to This Belongs to Us. Proceeds from the book go to several scholarships supported by the Founding Four. 

The Big Bang of Numbers: How to Build the Universe Using Only Math, by Manil Suri

In this approachable mathematical origin story, Manil Suri, professor of mathematics, creates a natural progression of ideas needed to design our world, starting with numbers and continuing through geometry, algebra, and beyond. He reveals the secret lives of real and imaginary numbers, teaches them to play abstract games with real-world applications, discovers unexpected patterns that connect humble lifeforms to enormous galaxies, and explores mathematical underpinnings for randomness and beauty. 

In Every Mirror She’s Black, by Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström

In her debut novel, Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström ’98, M.S. ’02, information systems, tells the story of three Black women who are linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man in Stockholm as they build their new lives in the most open society run by the most private people.

Bouboulina and the Greek Revolution: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Heroine of 1821, edited by April Kalogeropoulos Householder

This collection of essays, edited by April Householder ’95, visual and performing arts, director of UMBC’s undergraduate research and prestigious scholarships, presents an in-depth analysis of the life and times of Laskarina Bouboulina, the legendary heroine of the Greek Revolution. At the age of fifty and mother to 10 children, Bouboulina commanded a fleet of ships from the island of Spetses and became the first female admiral in world naval history.

Where the Lilacs Bloom Once Again, by Aharona (Roni) Rosenthal

Roni Rosenthal, director of Judaic Studies at UMBC, tells the story of her Romanian-Jewish family’s hardships and survival during World War II and beyond. Where the Lilacs Bloom Once Again centers the experiences of Rosenthal’s great-aunt Friddie, who was kept for 13 years in secret prisons and labor camps in Romania during World War II and then under the Communist rule, where she was tortured and forced to dig the canal from the Danube River to the Black Sea. 

A Galaxy of Things: The Power of Puppets and Masks in Star Wars and Beyond, by Colette Searls

Colette Searls, associate professor of theatre, explores the ways in which all puppets, masks, and makeup-prosthetic figures are “material characters,” using iconic Star Wars characters like Yoda and R2-D2 to illustrate what makes them so compelling. In A Galaxy of Things, Searls—an expert in puppetry studies—uncovers how non-humans like Chewbacca, semi-humans like Darth Maul, and even concealed humans like Boba Fett tell meaningful stories that conventional human characters cannot. 

T.O.B.A. Time: Black Vaudeville and the Theater Owners’ Booking Association in Jazz Age America, by Michelle R. Scott

Michelle R. Scott, professor of history, details the institutional history of the Theater Owners’ Booking Association’s (T.O.B.A.) origins and practices while telling the little-known stories of the managers, producers, performers, and audience members involved in the circuit. Looking at the organization over its 11-year existence (1920–1931), T.O.B.A. Time recounts the origins of artists and entrepreneurs like S.H. Dudley, Bessie Smith, Butterbeans & Susie, and Cab Calloway, and the theater circuit that made them famous in segregated America.

In 14 Secrets to a Done Dissertation: A Guide to Navigating the Dissertation Process and Finishing in Record Time, by Ramon Goings

Ramon Goings, associate professor in UMBC’s Language, Literacy, and Culture doctoral program, shares 14 strategies that will help current and prospective Ph.D. students navigate the dissertation process and finish in record time. 

Fearless Summer: Return to Chincoteague, by Mary K. Tilghman 

Set among the beaches and wild ponies that have made Chincoteague Island famous, Fearless Summer, the latest romance novel from Mary K. Tilghman ’79, English, tells the story of Charlotte, who comes home to Chincoteague to help her sisters run a new shop in town. She hasn’t been home since her breakup with Henry eight years before. The possibility of meeting him almost makes her say no, but sisterly love convinces her she can handle a return to Chincoteague.

Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo’s Hidden History, by Kristina R. Gaddy

In an extraordinary story unfolding across two hundred years, Kristina R. Gaddy ’09, modern languages and linguistics, history, uncovers the banjo’s key role in Black spirituality, ritual, and rebellion. Through meticulous research in diaries, letters, archives, and art, she traces the banjo’s beginnings from the 17th century, when enslaved people of African descent created it from gourds or calabashes and wood. Gaddy shows how the enslaved carried this unique instrument as they were transported and sold by slave owners throughout the Americas, to Suriname, the Caribbean, and the colonies that became U.S. states, including Louisiana, South Carolina, Maryland, and New York.

UMBC Publications 

Looking for more extracurricular reading? Check out other UMBC publications featuring a variety of staff, alumni, student, and faculty voices.

UMBC Magazine, Spring 2023 edition

Read the latest edition of UMBC Magazine, which includes highlights of President Valerie Sheares Ashby’s inauguration, a breakdown on ChatGPT and the “AI apocalypse,” a step-by-step guide on how to make a pinhole camera, and more.  

Inquiring Minds: UMBC Research and Creative Achievement 

Inquiring Minds shares a selection of recent innovative and impactful work by UMBC’s researchers and scholars. The inaugural publication highlights a broad range of UMBC’s research and creative achievement in seven key areas. 

UMBC Review: Journal of Undergraduate Research, 2023 Vol. 24

The UMBC Review, now into its third decade of publication, offers an opportunity for undergraduate students to showcase the results of their academic journey. UMBC Review, Vol. 24 includes undergraduate research on topics such as: the current state of mathematics and machine learning, a feminist critique of the 1976 film Carrie, and the history of the Ku Klux Klan in small town Maryland. 

“Retrievers Read” Summer Reading Challenge

For more summer reading fun, join the UMBC Alumni Association’s “Retrievers Read” summer reading bingo challenge, happening now until August 30, 2023. Get a ‘bingo’ to receive free UMBC swag, and participants who fill out the entire bingo card will be entered into a drawing for a UMBC gift bag. Click here for more information.