Black and Gold Rush is almost here! On March 4 and 5, our UMBC community will come together for 36 hours of giving.

What does that mean? It's not just about fundraising. It's about showing what's possible when our community rallies behind students.

This year, the Division of Student Affairs has set a goal to raise $25,000 in support of student wellbeing, basic needs, and transformative experiences. 

AND

The Division of Student Affairs Executive Leadership Team has pledged a matching gift that will be released once we reach our $25,000 goal. Every contribution moves us closer to unlocking those additional funds—and expanding support for our Retrievers.

Here's how you can help:

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) election process for the 2026–2027 academic year is officially underway. 

Please review the updated election timeline and key details below. We encourage all graduate students to participate in the process by submitting nominations, learning about candidates, and voting.

NOMINATION FORM

 Election Timeline

• March 8, 2026 – GSA Election Nomination Form Deadline (updated deadline)
• March 9 – March 13, 2026 – Student Eligibility Check Period
• March 13, 2026 – Candidate Notification and Campaigning Details Shared
• March 23 – March 25, 2026 – Senator & E-Council 3-Minute Speech Recordings
(In-person preferred; locations will be communicated soon)
• March 26, 2026 – Speech Recordings Released on myUMBC
• March 27 – March 30, 2026 (until 5 PM) – Voting, Elections & Campaigning (Senators only)
• March 30, 2026 – E-Council & Senate Speaker Candidate Notification
• April 1, 2026 – E-Council & Senate Speaker 1-Minute Speech + Q&A at the Senate Meeting (1pm in person)
• April 10, 2026 – Final Election Results Announcement

Important Note for GAAC Candidates:

Candidates running for GAAC positions will be voted on specifically by Graduate Assistants (GAs) and should not campaign to the broader graduate student population.

Questions?

Please reach out to the GSA Election Committee Co-Chairs or committee members:

Election Co-Chairs
• Reena – rkale1@umbc.edu
• Neil – kneil1@umbc.edu

Election Committee Members
• Apurv – ja92776@umbc.edu
• Aditya – adityak7@umbc.edu
• Tanmay – tanmayp1@umbc.edu

We encourage all graduate students to stay engaged and participate in shaping the future of the UMBC Graduate Student Association.

Finance & Accounts Payable

International Wire Payments — Monthly Reminders & Process Updates

To ensure timely international payments, banking compliance, and accurate financial reporting, please review the following international wire–specific procedures and best practices.

International Wire Payment Essentials

Verify Vendor Banking Details Before Submission

Before submitting an international wire request, confirm that the beneficiary's name, address, and banking details match exactly what is on file in PAW. Even minor discrepancies (spacing, abbreviations, country formatting) can result in rejected or returned wires.

If banking or address information is outdated, do not submit the request.
Contact Business Services via RT to have the vendor record updated before initiating payment.

Banking Information Must Be Complete

International wires require significantly more detail than domestic payments. Submissions must include:

• Beneficiary legal name and full physical address

• Beneficiary bank name and address

• Bank identifier (SWIFT/BIC; IBAN if applicable)

• Account number (formatted per country standards)

• Currency of payment

Missing or incorrect data is the most common cause of international wire delays.

Invoice & Documentation Accuracy

Invoices must reflect the correct date and must be submitted in U.S. Dollars (USD).

Incorrectly dated invoices or invoices submitted in foreign currency can cause reconciliation issues and delay State processing.

Supporting documentation must be clear and legible.

Receipts Are Required for Reimbursements

All international reimbursement requests must include valid receipts. Missing documentation remains the #1 reason payments are returned or held.

EFT/ACH Is Not an Option for International Vendors

EFT/ACH payments are limited to U.S. banking institutions. International vendors must be paid via wire, and additional processing time should be expected.

Communication & Request Submission

Use the RT System for All Internal Requests

For international wire inquiries or corrections, submit an RT Ticket rather than emailing staff directly. This ensures proper tracking and faster resolution.

Remit Address & Banking Changes

Do not submit an RT Ticket in the AP Queue to change international banking or remit information.

Suppliers must complete a New Supplier Form and applicable tax documentation through the PAW portal under "Quick Links."

Formal documentation is required to support all changes.

 This documentation is critical for Banking Services and State of Maryland approval. Without proper paperwork, the State cannot process international wire requests.

Key Reminders

International wires involve additional State review, banking compliance checks, and longer processing timelines. Submitting complete, accurate, and well-documented requests upfront is essential to avoid payment delays.

X-9 Form

Use UMBC's fillable X-9 form. GAD-X-9-Form-for-UMBC-fillable.pdf or go to

https://financialservices.umbc.edu/9-2forms/ under Accounts Payable Forms.

The form must be typed, except for Section IV.

The vendor should complete the following lines:

• Lines 5, 9, 10, 11, 12 (if international), 13, 14, 16 (if domestic), and 17.

Section III must be completed if this is an international wire that requires an intermediary (correspondent) bank.
The intermediary bank listed in Section III must not be the same as the primary bank. Failure to include intermediary bank information when required may result in rejected or delayed wire payments.

No other lines should be completed.
The X-9 must be signed and dated.

Common Errors That Delay International Wire Payments

Incomplete Banking Information

Missing or incorrect SWIFT/BIC codes, IBANs, bank addresses, account numbers, or required intermediary bank information in Section III of the X-9 form will cause the wire to be rejected. International wires require all fields to be completed exactly as provided by the vendor's bank.

Beneficiary Name Does Not Match Bank Records

The beneficiary's legal name must match the bank account precisely. Abbreviations, nicknames, or formatting differences (even punctuation) can prevent the wire from being processed.

Incorrect Currency Selection

Invoices must be submitted in USD. Submitting invoices or payment requests in foreign currency can result in reconciliation issues, short payments, additional bank fees, or rejected transactions.

Outdated or Unverified Vendor Records

Submitting a wire request before the vendor's banking or address information is updated in PAW is a frequent cause of delays. Always confirm records are current before submission.

Missing or Insufficient Documentation

Invoices, receipts, or required tax forms that are missing, illegible, or incomplete will stop processing until corrected.

Attempting to Change Banking Information via RT

International banking changes cannot be handled through RT tickets alone. Vendors must submit formal documentation through the PAW portal. Without this, the State of Maryland cannot approve the wire.

Late or Backdated Invoices

Invoices with incorrect dates create reconciliation issues and can delay approval and State processing.

Assuming International Wires Process Like Domestic Payments

International wires require additional compliance review and longer timelines. Submitting last-minute requests often results in missed payment deadlines.

Zhibo Zhang, professor of physics, has been named director of the Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute (GPHI), UMBC’s arm of the Partnership for Heliophysics and Space Environment Research (PHaSER). PHaSER, a multi-institution consortium led by Catholic University of America, contributes to NASA’s Heliophysics Science Division at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) through research on the Sun, its processes, and space weather, which can affect planet Earth and human technologies. 

NASA allocated $10 million to UMBC in 2021 under its $64.1 million PHaSER award, underscoring the university’s contributions to heliophysics research and building on more than thirty years of successful collaboration between UMBC and GSFC, located in Greenbelt, Maryland. 

“My first priority is to support GPHI faculty and help enable the outstanding science and engineering they carry out at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,” Zhang says. “At the same time, I hope GPHI can serve as a stronger bridge between NASA and UMBC by connecting GPHI faculty with UMBC research resources, collaboration and funding opportunities, and with students and faculty who can expand our collective capacity and open doors to bigger, cross-cutting ideas.”

Zhang follows Jan Merka, who has served as the inaugural GPHI director since 2011. As director, Zhang will continue in his faculty role at UMBC, advancing his team’s research on atmospheric dust’s influence on climate and remaining deeply committed to teaching and mentoring. His guidance of undergraduate and graduate students has helped multiple students secure the prestigious NASA Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) Fellowship and other awards, including the 2025 Elsevier/JQSRT Richard M. Goody Award, fostering the next generation of scientists.

“We are very proud of the fact that UMBC is currently ranked as the #11 institution in the nation in NASA expenditures,” say Karl V. Steiner, vice president for research and creative achievement. “Zhibo Zhang is an outstanding colleague with a broad set of relevant expertise and experiences who will provide important leadership to GPHI and to our partnership with Catholic University under PHaSER. I know that he is the right leader to strengthen our relationship with NASA, building on over three decades of successful cooperative partnership between UMBC and NASA Goddard.”

Please join the Russian Area, as we recognize International Women's Day, for a special event dedicated to the voices and outstanding historical achievements of women from throughout the Russian speaking world.

All are welcome, as we embrace the spirit of the holiday — recognizing women as pioneers, leaders, and innovators who have shaped culture, scholarship, and society.

The 75-minute program will include:

• A brief introduction

• A mini-lecture by a guest speaker Dr. Alex Novitskaya, UMBC Dept. of Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies"

• Student slide presentations sharing original research and personal reflections

• A fun, interactive quiz, led by Dr. Vera Kastrel, on gender and culture in the Russian language

• Informal conversation and refreshments

March 10
2:30–3:45 PM
Fine Arts Building, Room 459

In addition, a slide-poster exhibition highlighting women's achievements will be displayed in front of the MLLI office. We invite you to stop by, explore the exhibition, and celebrate the remarkable contributions of women in the Russian Speaking world!

Supported by the UMBC Women's, Gender, and Equity Center and the MLLI department.

All are welcome!

The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab presents

Asymmetric Responsibility Framing to Deepen Adolescents' Adversarial Reasoning about Phishing

Professor Sanorita Dey
UMBC CSEE Department

12–1 pm Friday, March 6, 2026 via Webex

Adolescents regularly navigate digital environments where persuasive tactics, social engineering, and phishing attempts are embedded in everyday communication. While many can recognize obvious scams, they often struggle to explain why a message is manipulative, how tactics unfold over time, or what protective actions should follow. This gap reflects a limitation not only in knowledge, but in adversarial reasoning: the ability to infer intent, anticipate harm, and respond strategically under uncertainty. This project investigates whether asymmetric responsibility framing can deepen adolescents' adversarial reasoning in phishing contexts. We test whether positioning participants as accountable for guiding a vulnerable peer, rather than reasoning independently, reshapes how they analyze and respond to emerging threats. Grounded in theories of accountability and cognitive engagement, we examine how responsibility structures influence the depth and structure of reasoning.

We developed a staged, dual-conversation simulation modeling gradual phishing escalation. Participants were assigned either to a solo condition, where they independently assessed a suspicious interaction, or to a responsibility condition, where they advised a "buddy" engaged in an unfolding exchange. This design isolates the effect of responsibility framing beyond content exposure. We measured explanation depth, exploit identification accuracy, detection timing, and quality of protective recommendations while accounting for cognitive demand. Findings show that responsibility framing significantly improves explanation quality and protective guidance. These effects persist after controlling for effort and are strongest during gradual escalation, suggesting that accountability reshapes reasoning processes rather than simply increasing engagement. The talk will cover the theoretical framing, experimental design, and implications for AI-mediated cybersecurity education, along with open questions about scaffolding and generalizability to other digital risk domains.

Sanorita Dey is an assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering at UMBC. Her research sits at the intersection of human-centered AI, STEM education, and ethical computing, with a focus on designing AI systems that meaningfully augment human learning processes. She develops AI-assisted learning environments that support critical thinking, adversarial reasoning, digital risk awareness, and reflective practice in STEM contexts. Her work emphasizes human-centric design principles, integrating empirical methods, experimental evaluation, and sociotechnical analysis to ensure AI tools are pedagogically grounded, ethically responsible, and developmentally appropriate. Across projects spanning cybersecurity education, AI-mediated mentorship, and responsible computing, Dr. Dey investigates how interaction design, accountability structures, and scaffolded dialogue can deepen learning outcomes while preserving learner agency. Her scholarship contributes to advancing equitable and reflective AI integration in K–12 and higher education STEM environments.

Host: Dr. Alan T. Sherman, sherman@umbc.edu. Support for this event was provided in part by the NSF under SFS grants DGE-1753681 and 2438185. 

Black and Gold Rush is here! On March 4 and 5, our UMBC community will come together for 36 hours of giving.

Be part of UMBC's future and show the strength of Retriever pride and generosity. Give today and help amplify support for our students and programs. 🖤💛 Support the College of Engineering and Information Technology and donate today! 🐾

Last year, the College of Engineering and Information Technology raised over $10,000 in support of departments, scholars programs, and student organizations.

Here's how you can help:

On March 4–5, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County community will come together for 36 hours to celebrate and support the programs that shape student life.

The Center for Women in Technology continues to foster leadership, mentorship, innovation, and a strong community for women in tech. Black & Gold Rush is a chance to highlight that impact and show what CWIT means to us.

How you can get involved:

▪ Wear black and gold on March 4–5
▪ Share your CWIT experience and tag #BlackAndGoldRush
▪ Spread the word about CWIT's impact
▪ Make a gift if you're able — every contribution supports future CWIT students

Every show of support makes a difference.

🔗 Support CWIT here: https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/74578/donations/new?designation=centerforwomenintechnologycwit&a=12200035

Let's show what CWIT can do. 🐾🖤💛