Join us for the annual UMBC staff cookout next week, August 12th from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. The event is free, and we'll have plenty of food (including vegan/vegetarian options).
A few notes:

• We'll be inside the Commons on Main Street 
• Please bring your campus ID
• If you haven't yet, please RSVP in the myUMBC event post

We look forward to seeing everyone!

Anantaa Kotal, Ph.D. ’24, computer science and current assistant professor of computer science at the University of Texas at El Paso, has been selected as a Computing Research Association (CRA) Trustworthy AI Research Fellow. The fellowship, funded by Microsoft, supports early-career computing researchers who advance trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) through interdisciplinary collaboration with humanistic social sciences.

“Being named a CRA Trustworthy AI Research Fellow affirms that the questions we've been asking—what does trust mean, and how do you build it into a model—matter to the broader research community,” says Kotal, who works to make AI systems more transparent, fair, and secure. “I'm grateful for the foundation UMBC gave me as I built toward this recognition.”

Over the next year, fellows participate in intensive interdisciplinary training and sustained peer collaboration. The fellowship includes a four-day, in-person AI Field School in which they engage in Trustworthy AI initiatives with CRA partner institutions and receive mentorship from established scholars. Selected fellows receive a $17,000 stipend, along with support for travel, lodging, and meals associated with in-person fellowship activities. Through the fellowship, participants advance their own research at the intersection of computing and the social sciences, while helping shape scalable models for interdisciplinary training in responsible computing.

This is the second year in a row that a UMBC-affiliated researcher has been selected for the fellowship. In 2025, the CRA selected Yasmine Kotturi, assistant professor of information systems, for its inaugural cohort of Trustworthy AI Research Fellows.

Meet Rishav Gupta. After spending five years as a mobile engineer, he decided to pursue his Ph.D. in computer science at UMBC to deepen his expertise and choose projects with the clear objective of improving people’s lives. Rishav is working in the Future Sensing and Interaction Lab of professor Dong Li on a project to use everyday smartphones as affordable and accessible blood pressure monitors.

This May, the work was recognized when Rishav was selected as one of two recipients for the inaugural COEIT Computing for Social Good Award, made possible by a generous donation from alumnus Akshay Java, M.S. ’03, computer science, Ph.D. ’08, computer science. Awardees were selected in a competitive review process by COEIT faculty reviewers and departmental leadership. Rishav was choosen for his project “Enabling Affordable and Accessible Blood Pressure Monitoring Using Only a Commodity Smartphone.” Take it away, Rishav!

Q: What brought you to UMBC?

A: As an international student from India, I left a comfortable career to come here. After five years as a mobile engineer in industry, I was a generalist who could build things, but I wanted to understand them, to master a domain and create research that genuinely gives back to the community and helps people. UMBC’s work in health sensing was exactly that chance.

UMBC’s welcoming and inclusive environment made the transition less daunting. From peers who’d walked the same path to a community that genuinely wants your feedback to others considering it: you won’t be figuring things out alone here.

Q: What do you love about UMBC?

A: Beyond my research, I serve on the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee, helping improve the experience for graduate assistants across campus. From clarifying appointment expectations to shaping GA orientation, it’s shown me a side of UMBC that genuinely listens to students and works to actually affect people’s day-to-day lives. What I enjoy most is being a bridge: carrying real student concerns to people who can actually act on them.

Q: Who in the community inspired you or supported you?

A: My advisor, Dong Li, pushes me to aim high and take ownership of my research, trusting me to drive my own ideas. That independence has stretched me. I’ve also leaned on senior students in the department, whose willingness to share what they’ve learned has made navigating the early Ph.D. years far less daunting. 

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?

A: What surprised me most is how many people quietly have your back. A student who walked me through a rough patch, a staff member who actually wanted my feedback and acted on it, and peers who share hard lessons so I don’t struggle alone are just a few examples. The support is every day and practical.

On left, Gupta receives an award for best poster from computer science and electrical engineering assistant professor Roberto Yus on CSEE Research Day in April 2026. On right, Gupta and his team receive a first place award from The Maryland NEW VENTURE program in May 2026. (Photos courtesy of Gupta)

Q: What are your goals after graduation and how is UMBC helping you?

A: My goal is a research career with significant meaningful work, ideally a faculty position at a strong university, where I can keep pushing on affordable health-sensing technology and train the next generation of researchers. I’m early in the journey, but that’s the direction I’m building toward.

UMBC has pushed me toward independence by owning my research direction, presenting my work at top venues, and building the depth I came here for. Serving on a graduate committee has also grown skills I didn’t expect to develop: representing others, navigating institutions, and turning feedback into real change.

Q: How has the Computing for Social Good Award impacted your education?

A: The COEIT Computing for Social Good Award directly supports my research to make blood pressure monitoring affordable and accessible using only a commodity smartphone, with no specialized hardware and no clinic visit required. Beyond the tangible support, being recognized specifically for the social good of the work, rather than only its technical side, has shaped how I choose research problems: it pushes me to keep asking who my work actually helps, and to keep people who can’t easily access conventional care at the center of what I build.

Q: How did it feel to win this award?

A: Receiving the COEIT Computing for Social Good Award felt meaningful in a way I didn’t expect. I came to UMBC from a career in industry because I wanted my work to matter beyond a product. Being recognized for the research’s social impact felt like confirmation that I’d chosen the right path. It was also humbling as a reminder that affordable health technology isn’t an abstract goal but something real people are rooting for, and it left me more motivated to deliver on the promise the award recognizes.

* * * * *

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.

Meet Rishav Gupta. After spending five years as a mobile engineer, he decided to pursue his Ph.D. in computer science at UMBC to deepen his expertise and choose projects with the clear objective of improving people’s lives. Rishav is working in the Future Sensing and Interaction Lab of professor Dong Li on a project to use everyday smartphones as affordable and accessible blood pressure monitors.

This May, the work was recognized when Rishav was selected as one of two recipients for the inaugural COEIT Computing for Social Good Award, made possible by a generous donation from alumnus Akshay Java, M.S. ’03, Ph.D. ’08, computer science. Awardees were selected in a competitive review process by COEIT faculty reviewers and departmental leadership. Rishav was choosen for his project “Enabling Affordable and Accessible Blood Pressure Monitoring Using Only a Commodity Smartphone.” Take it away, Rishav!

Q: What brought you to UMBC?

A: As an international student from India, I left a comfortable career to come here. After five years as a mobile engineer in industry, I was a generalist who could build things, but I wanted to understand them, to master a domain and create research that genuinely gives back to the community and helps people. UMBC’s work in health sensing was exactly that chance.

UMBC’s welcoming and inclusive environment made the transition less daunting. From peers who’d walked the same path to a community that genuinely wants your feedback to others considering it: you won’t be figuring things out alone here.

Q: What do you love about UMBC?

A: Beyond my research, I serve on the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee, helping improve the experience for graduate assistants across campus. From clarifying appointment expectations to shaping GA orientation, it’s shown me a side of UMBC that genuinely listens to students and works to actually affect people’s day-to-day lives. What I enjoy most is being a bridge: carrying real student concerns to people who can actually act on them.

Q: Who in the community inspired you or supported you?

A: My advisor, Dong Li, pushes me to aim high and take ownership of my research, trusting me to drive my own ideas. That independence has stretched me. I’ve also leaned on senior students in the department, whose willingness to share what they’ve learned has made navigating the early Ph.D. years far less daunting. 

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?

A: What surprised me most is how many people quietly have your back. A student who walked me through a rough patch, a staff member who actually wanted my feedback and acted on it, and peers who share hard lessons so I don’t struggle alone are just a few examples. The support is every day and practical.

On left, Gupta receives an award for best poster from computer science and electrical engineering assistant professor Roberto Yus on CSEE Research Day in April 2026. On right, Gupta and his team receive a first place award from The Maryland NEW VENTURE program in May 2026. (Photos courtesy of Gupta)

Q: What are your goals after graduation and how is UMBC helping you?

A: My goal is a research career with significant meaningful work, ideally a faculty position at a strong university, where I can keep pushing on affordable health-sensing technology and train the next generation of researchers. I’m early in the journey, but that’s the direction I’m building toward.

UMBC has pushed me toward independence by owning my research direction, presenting my work at top venues, and building the depth I came here for. Serving on a graduate committee has also grown skills I didn’t expect to develop: representing others, navigating institutions, and turning feedback into real change.

Q: How has the Computing for Social Good Award impacted your education?

A: The COEIT Computing for Social Good Award directly supports my research to make blood pressure monitoring affordable and accessible using only a commodity smartphone, with no specialized hardware and no clinic visit required. Beyond the tangible support, being recognized specifically for the social good of the work, rather than only its technical side, has shaped how I choose research problems: it pushes me to keep asking who my work actually helps, and to keep people who can’t easily access conventional care at the center of what I build.

Q: How did it feel to win this award?

A: Receiving the COEIT Computing for Social Good Award felt meaningful in a way I didn’t expect. I came to UMBC from a career in industry because I wanted my work to matter beyond a product. Being recognized for the research’s social impact felt like confirmation that I’d chosen the right path. It was also humbling as a reminder that affordable health technology isn’t an abstract goal but something real people are rooting for, and it left me more motivated to deliver on the promise the award recognizes.

* * * * *

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.

Picture a student pulling up your syllabus before the first day of class. If they're using a screen reader and your document contains unstructured text, complex tables, and images without adequate descriptions, they may not be able to find your office hours, your late work policy, or even what textbook to buy. An accessible syllabus makes sure that each student gets the same information, at the same time, as everyone else in the room.

The good news: none of these fixes require rebuilding your syllabus from scratch. Here are five quick wins, whether you're working in Blackboard, Word, or Google Docs.

1. Use Real Headings, Not Just Bold Text

A heading that's just bold, larger text tells a sighted reader "this is a section title," but it tells a screen reader nothing. Screen reader users often navigate by jumping from heading to heading, and that navigation breaks entirely if headings aren't marked as actual headings.

Try this:

• Apply your platform's built-in heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) instead of manually resizing or bolding text.
• Keep headings in logical, nested order — don't skip from a Heading 2 straight to a Heading 4.

2. Add Alt Text to Every Image

A photo, logo, or chart without alt text is invisible to a screen reader user, even though it may carry information every other student can see at a glance.

Try this:

• Describe what the image is and why it's there, not just what it looks like.
• If an image is purely decorative, mark it as decorative rather than skipping it — leaving it unmarked forces screen readers to read a meaningless filename aloud.

3. Link to the Current Official Syllabus Statements

Retyping or paraphrasing UMBC's standard syllabus language from memory risks distributing outdated wording. Linking directly means students always see the accurate, current version.

Try this:

• Replace any pasted-in or remembered policy text with a link to UMBC Syllabus Language.
• Check this each semester — the source updates, so your link should point there rather than to a saved copy.

4. State Your Schedule and Late Work Policy Plainly

A vague policy or a schedule listed only by week number forces students to guess or infer — especially hard for students cross-referencing accommodation plans or juggling outside responsibilities.

Try this:

• List specific dates, not just "Week 3," so students can check deadlines against their own calendars.
• Spell out your late work and extension policy directly, rather than leaving it to be asked about.

5. Write Descriptive Link Text

"Click here" tells a screen reader nothing about where a link goes. Screen readers frequently pull up a list of all links on a page, out of context, so the link text itself has to describe the destination.

Try this:

• Replace bare URLs and generic phrases with a descriptive label, like "Course Withdrawal Policy" instead of "click here."
• Do this pass right before you post the syllabus — it's easy to forget once pasted links pile up.

Want the full picture? For platform-specific instructions, including tables, contrast, and exporting accessible PDFs, visit Accessible Syllabi on the Digital Accessibility website.

AOK Library has a trial subscription to Schlager Digital Library through September 21, 2026. 

Schlager Digital Library is a curated and annotated primary source collection that provides opportunity for curriculum integration and study across the following areas:

• American Studies
• Business and Economics
• Gender, Women's, & Sexuality Studies
• History & Historical Studies
• Philosophy
• Political Science & International Relations
• Religious Studies

Schlager Digital Library is included on our Database List and can be accessed using this direct link to the collection. If you use it, please provide feedback on your experience with our E-Resources Trial Feedback Survey. 

Jamie Gurganus,’04, M.S. ’11, Ph.D. ’20, mechanical engineering, assistant teaching professor in UMBC's Engineering and Computing Education Program and director of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning, has received the Michael P. Malone International Leadership Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). The award, established in 2000, recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to advancing international education at public higher education institutions.Photo: Jamie Gurganus, left, accepts 2026 Michael P. Malone International Leadership Award at APLU Commission on International Initiatives Summer Meeting (Photo courtesy of Gurganus)

“Congratulations to Dr. Jamie Gurganus on winning the 2026 Malone Award,” APLU President Waded Cruzado said in a press release. “Her efforts to advance international education have increased global learning opportunities for students, advanced international skills among faculty, and bolstered global research partnerships.” 

Gurganus has expanded global engineering education at UMBC by developing a multidisciplinary, international learning model, based on an approach called Collaborative Online International Learning, that connects students across multiple countries. It broadens the international experience available to students from isolated study abroad opportunities to accessible, curriculum-integrated international collaborations. Students are prepared to collaborate across cultures and address complex global challenges. Gurganus also played a significant role in advancing faculty development through UMBC’s Global Learning Lab, which provides a collaborative framework for instructors to exchange best practices, develop innovative approaches, and expand access to global learning across the curriculum. Gurganus was recognized Aug. 3 at the APLU Commission on International Initiatives Summer Meeting. 

“Throughout my career, I've believed that engineering and computing education should extend beyond classrooms and borders,” Gurganus says. “What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it celebrates something I care deeply about: when we intentionally bring together students, faculty, and institutions across borders to solve meaningful challenges, we don't simply broaden perspectives; we generate better ideas, stronger collaborations, and more thoughtful engineers, innovators, and leaders. Some of the most impactful innovation happens when people with different experiences challenge one another's assumptions, learn from one another, and work toward a shared purpose.” 

Student Partner Needed for New Venture: Lay Your Bricks!

Looking for an ambitious student partner to help turn a big idea into a real venture. If you're a proactive networker, tech-curious, and connected to the local area, let’s talk!

What Lay Your Bricks is Looking For:

The Mindset

• Relationship Builder: Confident reaching out to new people.
• Economic Curiosity: Intrigued by finance and city-level economics (no specific major required, just curiosity!).
• Execution Focus: Eager to take ideas from concept to reality, speak up with feedback, and adapt as we grow.

The Skills

• Target Majors: Financial Econ, Comp Sci, IS, Marketing, or Psychology.
• Tech-Savvy: Working knowledge of Excel and interest in using AI tools (like Claude).

Local Roots

• Has strong ties in Baltimore City or Baltimore County community
• Active (or interested in growing) on LinkedIn

Time Commitment

Varies between school year and summer.  Adjustable and negotiable.

Benefits

Paid position.  Will be negotiated.

Interested?

Send a quick intro and a bit about your background to Stanislav Mitchell (Mitch) at smitche2@umbc.edu

What does it take for a single cell to become a functioning organism—and what does it take for a scientist to thrive amid the systems that govern the research enterprise? Mayank Chugh is exploring both questions at once. As an assistant teaching professor in biological sciences and director of UMBC’s Applied Molecular Biology (AMB) accelerated master’s program, he is entering his second year in a role that blends hands-on teaching, program leadership, and research that extends beyond the lab.

In developmental biology, Chugh investigates how organs take shape, focusing on the inner ear in zebrafish and the role physical forces play in its development. Through his ReForm Lab, launched during his postdoc at Harvard Medical School, he turns the same careful eye toward the institutional policies and hidden costs that influence who gets to do science. A new paper published in Nature Biotechnology led by Chugh examines the real-world burdens international postdocs face to maintain their visas and continue their work.

In the conversation below, Chugh talks about the unusual mix of responsibilities that defines his position, the students and skills at the heart of the AMB program, what drew him to science policy, the collaborations and community he has found at UMBC, and how others might begin expanding their own work beyond traditional research.

Q: What are the components of your role at UMBC, and how is it unique?

A: My primary role is director of the Applied Molecular Biology program, our department’s accelerated one-year master’s. I lead everything from recruitment through teaching and collaborations with other faculty, taking the students from when they apply all the way to graduation. It’s primarily a teaching position, but it’s unusual because I also have access to the teaching lab for my own developmental biology research. So in addition to teaching, I can recruit students to pursue research with me. Right now I have two high school students, one undergraduate, and one recent graduate working in the lab with me. We’re studying how the inner ear forms in zebrafish and how mechanical forces shape organ development and influence cell decisions. I collaborate with UMBC developmental biologist Rachel Brewster on the fish work. We share microscopy resources and she’s generously offered me space in the fish facility.

Q: Can you explain the purpose of the AMB program and who could benefit from it?

A: I believe the program is underrated. It’s an intensive one-year master’s that combines coursework with rigorous research and builds skills that can transfer anywhere. The students practice communication through weekly presentations, develop their writing skills through reports, and improve their time and project management out of necessity as they design and run experiments—all skills useful within and beyond science. 

The program is great for undergrads with strong grades who lack substantial lab experience to gain a sense of what graduate-level science is like, so they can decide from an informed place whether a Ph.D. is right for them. A part-time option also serves working professionals who want to advance their skills. UMBC undergraduates can transfer up to 12 credits from their bachelor’s program if they plan ahead, which saves them time and money. AMB graduates head onto a range of next steps including jobs in industry, medical school, academic positions, and more.

Q: Why did you branch into science policy alongside developmental biology? What do you find most meaningful about that work?

A: I love basic research, but I’ve always cared about how science integrates into society. During my postdoc at Harvard I realized I did not want a traditional tenure-track path. I launched the ReForm Lab to examine the institutional structures and policies that govern who gets to do science, how we do it, and how it is evaluated. It’s highly interdisciplinary—today I collaborate with social scientists and others I never expected to work with.

My first ReForm Lab paper looked at postdoctoral compensation in the Boston area and showed how NIH salary guidelines ignore cost-of-living disparities across the country. Within two months of it being published, several institutions changed their policies. I got so many emails saying “thank you.” That tangible impact felt different from anything I’d experienced in basic research. 

My new paper expands on that work. We surveyed hundreds of postdocs and quantified the often-invisible time, money, and psychological costs international scholars face, like having to travel back to their home country to renew their visas. We frame it as an administrative burden with real consequences for well-being and opportunity. The paper focuses solely on the data, but my personal opinion is that institutions could simply start with greater sensitivity toward scholars facing these challenges and offer practical support, like greater flexibility.

I’m also formally affiliated with the Human Context of Science and Technology program at UMBC. I love being part of that program; it gives me the chance to teach topics like the future of science and talk about race and gender in STEM. I recently organized a movie screening and discussion about Henrietta Lacks, whose local story is ongoing. Johns Hopkins is now constructing a Henrietta Lacks building in collaboration with her family. 

Q: What do you appreciate about the UMBC community?

A: UMBC hits a Goldilocks size—neither too small nor too large. People are approachable and kind, and the department has been welcoming from day one. I’ve already begun collaborations and feel supported in doing interdisciplinary work. And the students are exceptional. Even those who arrive with limited lab experience repeatedly surprise me with how quickly they grow. The small size of the AMB program gives me the chance to connect with each student on a deeper level and continue to mentor them after they graduate, if they choose. I’ve helped students with their CVs, run mock interviews, and helped them make connections for opportunities. I’d say that has been one of the most rewarding parts of the role.

Q: What advice would you give others interested in expanding into science-policy work?

A: Use existing professional appointments as platforms. Join groups like the Scholars Strategy Network that connect scholars with policymakers and community builders. And for anyone at UMBC, feel free to just email me—maybe we could get a science and policy interest group started. The expertise is already here to engage in that way and benefit society with our work; we should put it to good use.

• Affect, Emotion, and Power - This faculty working group aims to explore interrelationships among affect, emotion, and power, broadly defined. While this field has developed in discrete pockets of inquiry in different (inter)disciplinary sites, we are interested in bringing together critical engagements across a range of sites including cultural and media studies, history, sociology, anthropology, geography, gender and women’s studies, and sexuality studies.
  • Leaders: Vrushali Patil (Gender, Women’s, + Sexuality Studies) and Jason Loviglio (Media and Communication Studies)

• Seeing Things: Matter, New Materialism, and Visual Culture - This group aims to explore our entanglements with the material world in the aftermath of catastrophes, technological obsolescence, raging military conflict, economic precarity, and invisible destabilizing forces that have tangible and lingering effects.

  • Leaders: Trang Ta (Global Studies) and Karin Oen-Lee (Visuals Arts)

• Textile Studies: We are a group of writers and makers who wish to further our historical and creative research about textiles and their role in contemporary art and society. We invite our UMBC colleagues from any discipline to join us in a series of open discussions, research talks and events that explore textiles, their history, production, significance and creative use.

  • Leaders: Leaders: Beth Saunders (Library) and Sarah Sharp (Visual Arts)

If you are interested in joining these or our other working groups, please contact the group leaders. Faculty, staff, and graduate students are welcome to participate.