Traffic around the arena will be very heavy beginning at 7:30am on 6/11/2026 and throughout the day to accommodate three high school graduations. Graduation start times are 9am, 1:30pm and 6pm. Faculty, staff, and students are strongly encouraged to avoid entering campus from I-195, as parking on the east side of campus will be difficult to access. Please plan to park in any available legal permit space across campus. Parking Services will be enforcing parking regulations for safety concerns only. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to manage increased traffic and event activity

By: Margot Anthony | WGEC Student Staff Member | Social Work Student

This is going to be a continuation from my last blog post “Beginning Again.” Since creating that post I have worked to become more comfortable in my identity as a survivor of gender-based harm, specifically sexual assault. 

Writing my first blog post in November and December was both emotional and cathartic. It was very emotional for me because it was a story that I had not told many people before, and definitely had not shared publicly. Writing the post was also cathartic. The feelings that I shared in the post and experience had been weighing on me heavily, and it was a relief to share it, especially being able to share it on my own terms. 

After sharing my blog post I felt more calm and at peace than I had in a while. I felt like I had reclaimed something I didn’t even know I had lost. Everything  that had happened to me, I had survived. And in making the post, I now realized that I had reclaimed my story. 

It was after writing my blog post last semester that I decided I wanted to speak at Take Back the Night. While preparing what I was going to say during Take Back the Night I was practicing over and over. 

Writing. 

Re-writing. 

Over and over again.

On the day of Take Back the Night, when I got up to the microphone, I was so nervous. I hadn’t realized how different it would be verbally telling my story as opposed to writing it out and sharing it. I felt like I was shaking and I wanted to floor to just swallow me whole. 

I got through it. I felt like I blacked out the whole time and don’t remember most of what happened or really what I said, but I did it. What I do remember is feeling supported by those around me when I had finished speaking. Sharing my story was an amazing experience and very freeing for me. 

What impacted me the most at Take Back the Night, were the people that shared after me. Not just the people who were planning to share their stories. The people who got up and shared when they were just planning to observe. Their bravery, strength,  and willingness to be vulnerable inspired me. 

I planned what I was going to say for months and still almost didn’t say anything. What I never considered in sharing my story, is that it would help other people share their stories as well. 

What I want people to take away from this blog post and my previous post, is that there are people who will support and believe you wholeheartedly and you do not have to go through everything alone. You are stronger than you think and you have more support than you know. 

I will finish off this post with the quote that I read out during Take Back the Night: 

Everyone loves a survivor once [they’re] quiet. Once [they’re] soft, polite, healed. But bring up what actually happened? Talk about the abuse, the manipulation, the betrayal? Suddenly you’re too much. Bitter. Angry. Suddenly you’re the problem. The truth is – they don’t want survivors. They want silence with a pretty filter. They want your pain digestible. Not loud. Not real. So when I speak? I do it loudly. Clearly. Unapologetically. Because I wasn’t put back together just to keep everyone else comfortable. – Zenda-Lee Williams. 

The terminal leave rate for FY2027 is being updated from 0.876% to 0.87% to keep consistency with having two decimal places instead of three.

See the Leave Payout Rate Guidance webpage for explanations, relevant dates, details, and FAQs.

This spring, LLC students and Abdias do Nascimento Fellowship scholars represented UMBC at several major national and international conferences, contributing to conversations on Black studies, diaspora, education, literature, wellness, foodways, archives, cultural memory, and knowledge production across the Americas.

At the National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) Conference in Baltimore, LLC students and Abdias Fellows participated in multiple panels, roundtables, and paper sessions examining Black intellectual traditions, intergenerational knowledge, cultural memory, literature, mentorship, and community-based approaches to wellness and survival.

At the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) Conference in Paris, participants presented research exploring culture, care, education, activism, archives, and diasporic communities across the Americas.

At the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) Conference in Kingston, Jamaica, scholars shared work on education, cultural production, foodways, archives, and transnational Black communities throughout the African diaspora.

Together, these presentations reflect the breadth and interdisciplinary nature of scholarship being produced by LLC students and Abdias Fellows and demonstrate the program's engagement with Black Studies, Caribbean Studies, Latin American Studies, education, culture, and diaspora studies across local, national, and international contexts.

The following LLC students participated in conference programming throughout the year:

• Alexandra Cenatus
• Viridiana Colosio
• Neisha-Anne Green
• Kristin Kelly
• Chanta Shenell Palmer

Through their scholarship and participation, these students continue to advance LLC's commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry and global engagement.

Hi everyone! My name is Deborah, I’m a senior undergraduate student looking for a female roommate to share a renovated 2-bedroom, 1-bath apartment in the Towson/Parkville area.

Details:
• Move-in: Late-June to Early/Mid July
• Rent: Approximately $800-$900 per person monthly (including utilities)
• One-year lease preferred
• Convenient location for Towson and Baltimore commuters

Looking For:
A female roommate who is respectful, communicative, financially responsible, and values a clean shared space. Students and young professionals are welcome.

If interested, please email me at dsmogaji@gmail.com.

Dear UMBC Community,

Earlier this morning, a spill occurred in a laboratory on the 4th floor of the Meyerhoff Chemistry Building during a routine chemical retrieval.

Campus police were notified and subsequently contacted Environmental Safety and Health (ESH). Out of an abundance of caution, ESH initiated the fire alarm and evacuated the building. The Baltimore County Fire Department responded.

The spill was isolated to the laboratory where it occurred and was quickly contained. There were no injuries or health concerns.

Occupants have been allowed to return to the building, with the exception of the area of the incident, which will remain unoccupied until a follow up assessment is conducted. We appreciate the quick response of ESH, UMBC Police, the Baltimore County Fire Department, and campus partners, as well as the cooperation of everyone who evacuated while the situation was addressed.

Thank you,

Mike Pound, Director of Environmental Safety and Health

See the invitation below from the Psychological and Brain Sciences department at Johns Hopkins and the Psychology Department at Princeton. Theyare hosting a conference in DC June 20th 2026. 

Dear colleagues,

We invite you to join us in Washington, DC for FOR 2026: The Future of Our Realities — Work and Truth, a FREE, full-day conference on how AI is reshaping the future of work and the future of truth.

As AI systems generate {text, code, images, decisions, and synthetic media} at scale, they are transforming {labor, expertise, creativity, misinformation, public trust} our shared reality. FOR 2026 brings together researchers, technologists, artists, writers, policymakers, cognitive scientists, economists, and founders for talks, panels, workshops, and open conversation.

Featured speakers include:

Jay McClelland — Cognitive scientist and early AI pioneer
Ada Palmer — Historian and award-winning science fiction author
Ioana Marinescu — Economist studying AI, labor, and market power
Lisa Fazio — Cognitive psychologist of memory and misinformation
Artemis Seaford — Former VP of AI Safety at ElevenLabs
Katherine von Jan — Founder and CEO, Tough Day
Ben Guo — Cofounder and President, Zo Computer

🗓 Date: June 20, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
📍 Location: JHU Bloomberg Center, 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC
🎤 Format: Talks, panels, and workshops
🍽 Food: Free light breakfast, hot lunch, coffee, and sunset reception
💡 Learn more and register: https://futurerealities.org/FOR2026/

FOR 2026 is a space for intimate, serious and open conversation across fields: science, technology, policy, art, economics, media, and culture. Together, we will ask what it means to preserve human agency, trustworthy institutions, and shared reality in a world increasingly mediated by AI.

Spots are limited, so we encourage early registration.

We hope you’ll join us for this timely and important conversation.

Warmly,
FOR2026 Team
https://futurerealities.org/FOR2026

This is a repost from Instructional Technology, we have modified it slightly to add more Sites context. Huge thank you to their team for this very useful set of tips! View the original post on DoIT's myUMBC.

Links are everywhere -- in syllabi, announcements, email, assignments, websites, and Blackboard pages. They’re one of the most useful tools for connecting students to resources and one of the most commonly overlooked accessibility issues. For anyone using screen readers, a link is read aloud exactly as it appears: “click here” or “hxxps // web(dot)com/long-string-of-characters” -- this communicates nothing.

Accessible link text is a small fix with a big payoff for everyone. Let’s explore five tips to improve how providing accessible links can make a huge difference to everyone.

1. Make Every Link Self-Describing

Accessible link text should make sense out of context. Screen reader users often navigate a page by jumping from link to link, without reading the surrounding text. That means each link needs to stand on its own.

• Instead of: “To access the pre-travel approval form, click here.”
  Write: “Access the pre-travel approval form.”

Why this matters: “click here” provides no context. Telling someone what happens when the link is clicked and where the link will take them helps them know where they're going.

• Instead of: “The Faculty Handbook is available here.”
  Write: “Download the Faculty Handbook - Last Updated 2024 (PDF)."

Why this matters: Providing clear information about the reading, including the author and year (where relevant) and file format, helps people know exactly what they are accessing when they click the link.

Here’s a useful test for you to try: Read only the text of your links with no surrounding context. Do you know where it leads? If not, then you need to make sure you provide clear descriptions.

2. Avoid These Common Accessibility Pitfalls

A few link habits are so common that they can feel natural, but each one creates a barrier for anyone using assistive technology.

• As we just explored, it’s critical to avoid using “Click here” -- not all users navigate with a mouse, and it tells users nothing about the destination.

• Create unique link text for different destinations -- it’s important not to use the same words for different links (e.g., two different links both labeled "Contact Us").

• Avoid full web page addresses as link text. A full web page address read aloud character-by-character is inaccessible and confusing. Imagine what it sounds like to hear 150+ letters, numbers, and/or symbols read, one by one, because your link has that many characters.

3. Indicate When a Link Opens a File or New Window

Screen reader and keyboard users benefit from knowing what will happen when they click a link, especially if it downloads a file or opens a new tab. Include a brief note in the link text itself.

• “Download the checklist (Word doc)”

• “View the academic integrity policy (PDF)”

• “Watch the info video on YouTube (opens in new tab)”

This helps everyone plan their workflow, not just those using screen readers.

4. Keep Link Text Concise But Complete

Longer isn’t always better. Link text should be long enough to be descriptive, but short enough to be efficient.

• Aim for 4-10 words for most links.

• Skip filler phrases like “please visit” or “feel free to.”

• Don’t link entire paragraphs. Link a meaningful phrase within the sentence instead.

It’s also important to avoid using “Read more” or “Learn more” -- more about what? If you must use these phrases, tell us what we’re reading or learning more about.

5. Check Your Links in Silktide or Ally

Silktide and Ally will evaluate link accessibility. In your Blackboard course or organization, Ally will check Ultra Documents and uploaded files. Silktide will flag very obvious issues (links that just say "click here," for instance), but it won't flag anything else, so you still need to manually evaluate all of your page links.

If your report flags link issues, here’s how to address them:

• In Sites or Blackboard Ultra, edit the content item and update the link text directly in the rich text editor.

• In uploaded Word or PDF files, fix the link text in the original file and re-upload.

• In your syllabus, use Word’s Accessibility Checker (Review → Check Accessibility) to flag link text issues before uploading.

Link accessibility is one of the fastest fixes in your email, website, document, or course -- and it makes a noticeable difference for everyone who depends on clear navigation to find what they need.

UMBC's Career Center featured UMBC Computer Science MS student Venkata Sai Harsha Kothapalli as its Intern of the Week. During the 2026 Spring semester, he interned at Platinum Business Services, where he helped build real-world AI tools for local clients. 

Read more here

Please read carefully before applying.

We have three rooms available in a shared basement apartment near UMBC and are looking for respectful, clean, and responsible female roommates.

The available rooms are:

• Two rooms for $650/month each (utilities included)
• One larger room for $750/month (utilities included), featuring a closet and window

Move-in requires the first month's rent plus a security deposit equal to one month's rent:

• $650 room: $1,300 due at move-in
• $750 room: $1,500 due at move-in

The apartment includes:

• A spacious shared bathroom
• Shared kitchen includes a dishwasher.
• Shared laundry facilities (Washer and dryer)
• All utilities included

The home is conveniently located approximately 7–8 minutes from UMBC by car and about a 10-minute walk to the UMBC Transit Route 40 shuttle stop, with easy access to campus, shopping centers, and nearby businesses.

A family (a couple with a child) lives upstairs, so we are looking for tenants who appreciate a quiet and family-friendly environment.

We welcome students and working professionals who are respectful, responsible, and considerate of shared spaces. Preference will be given to individuals with halal-friendly or vegetarian/vegan habits (pork not allowed in the house).

House rules include:

• Female tenants only
• No smoking, alcohol, or any substance use
• No pets
• No parties and loud music during the weekend*
• Maintaining cleanliness in shared areas

The rooms are available immediately in July; short-term leases are also available*. You can have a tour after June 20th.

Additional Information

• Short-term leases may be considered (4–6 months minimum). The security deposit is still required, and tenants must provide at least 30 days' notice before moving out.
• Small gatherings may be permitted with prior approval from the homeowner. Out of respect for the privacy, safety, and comfort of all residents, large parties are not allowed.
• Since this is a female shared living environment, overnight guests and visits from male guests may be restricted. Details can be discussed before moving in to ensure everyone is comfortable with the house rules.
• To help maintain a safe living environment for all tenants, applicants may be asked to provide references, proof of employment or student status, and consent to a background check.

If you are interested, please contact mahmud.dupharmacy@gmail.com or WhatsApp +14122900211 with a brief introduction about yourself, including your student or employment status and your desired move-in date.

Thank you.