The next College Autism Network research presentation will be held on Tuesday,  Aug 11, at 12pm ET. 

Presenter: Jess Monahan, Ph.D. (Assistant Research Professor, University of Maryland, College Park)
 
Autistic College Students and Disclosure: Understanding Student Experiences and Factors Contributing to Decision Making
 
In this session, Dr. Jess Monahan will explore the complexity surrounding autistic college students and their decision to disclose their autistic identity. We will review the most current literature in the field, with a focus on a study conducted by Michaela Hodges-Fulton and Dr. Monahan. The presentation will wrap with thoughts on how we best support students in this decision-making process and a Q&A.

Meeting Link: https://pitt.zoom.us/j/99708176228

This event is not affiliated with UMBC.

The Neurodivergent Affinity Group holds a membership to the College Autism Network. 

To all Peoplesoft Campus Solutions Users:

Please note that the Campus Solutions system will be unavailable due to quarterly operating system maintenance.  The system will be unavailable this evening, between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM.  If this work finishes early, the system will be made available ahead of schedule.

Thank you for your patience as we perform these important system updates.  

UMBC CSEE Professor Justin Brooks will talk on Our Bodies, Our Minds in a Profs & Pints event at Section 771 in Baltimore on Monday, Aug, 17 from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. He will explore the relationship between our biology and our thought processes and how millions of years of evolution shaped the way our minds and bodies speak to each other. Get more information and purchase advanced tickets here.

Our very own Dr. Constantine Vaporis (Founder & Former Director of Asian Studies) spoke on Samurai: Anime, Manga, and Historical Realities during this year's Otakon 2026! Check out his photos and highlights below!

What an experience! 50,000 young people (and some not so young...) lining up for three city blocks to get in; many of them in full anime/manga attire. It was such a positive, supportive environment--people enjoying each others' costumes, taking photos of each other in various poses (including one whole floor for staged photos for social media), workshops on armor making, costume making, language acquisition. A huge floor where vendors and artists displayed their wares (photo included).

There was standing room only for my talk (sponsored by the Embassy of Japan), with over 300 in attendance. There actually was a line to get in after I started (as reported to me). Rousing applause BEFORE I even spoke. Great questions. Too many for the allotted time. A number of former students were there representing UMBC and I've included a photo of two of them Peri Johnson and Randy Duran (both Asian Studies, both gave their permission to use the photo on social media). They allowed me to sell my samurai encyclopedia afterwards and I sold all the copies I brought (too bad the new book isn't out yet but I had a display with the discount code).

All in all, a great experience.

Best,

Constantine

Next week, 8/11 through 8/13, the Women's, Gender, & Equity Center will be closed for student staff training. On Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th, the free shelf and wellness room will remain open for use as needed, but the lounge will be closed. On Tuesday the 11th, the Center will be closed completely. 

We will resume our normal 10-3 summer hours on Tuesday, August 18th. Our semester 9:30-5 hours will begin on August 24th with the first day of school!

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns at womenscenter@umbc.edu

Women's, Gender, & Equity Center 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.

The Women's, Gender, & Equity Center is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors. If you have difficulties accessing any of the materials on our site or any of our events or discussions, please contact us so that we can provide an alternative format and/or remedy any accessibility challenges.

This recognition celebrates Victor’s exceptional problem-solving, attention to detail, and unwavering dedication to delivering flawless audiovisual installations.

Going Above and Beyond

As a vital anchor of the Classroom Technology team, Victor is a key component in the majority of the Division of Information Technology's (DoIT) installations. His specialized focus allows DoIT to maintain a highly capable in-house installation team, a luxury that saves the University both significant time and money.

Victor's "gritty" determination was recently on full display during a high-profile installation in the President’s conference room. The project required mounting a large TV angled in a corner section of the office, integrated with a Cisco Room Bar. However, the team hit a series of technical roadblocks:

• Complex Hardware: The newly ordered, ADA-approved TV was ultra-thin at the top, resulting in an unusual mounting pattern.

• Missing Equipment: The articulating mount required to angle the TV did not come with the proper hardware to accommodate this unique design.

• Integration Hurdles: The Cisco Room Bar still needed to be securely attached to the setup, compounding the hardware mismatch.

Faced with a standstill, Victor took charge. He strategically split the install team to search different areas of campus for solutions while he personally rummaged through an endless box of spare installation materials. Thanks to his persistence, Victor located the exact, precisely measured screws and extra washers needed to securely marry the TV to the mount.

He then engineered a custom combination of hardware to perfectly integrate the Room Bar.

"Even when the install was finished, Victor made sure that the forward tilt and position of the TV were at the perfect angle for the customer. He stayed until he was completely confident that the job was done right—a small detail that many would overlook after dealing with such a frustrating hardware issue." - Khalil Alston

A Proven Track Record of Excellence

This isn’t the first high-profile success Victor has driven this year. A few months prior, Victor worked diligently alongside Sydney Kumordzie to overhaul the AV equipment in Commons 328 and 332 just in time for the critical Middle States re-accreditation meetings. Because of the immense importance of these impending meetings, the installations had to be completed with haste, yet also to perfection. Thanks to Victor's thoroughness, the equipment functioned flawlessly.

It is because of Victor’s incredible attention to detail and dedicated focus that he and the Student Install team are able to continuously produce excellent work that leaves clients thrilled.

Congratulations to Victor for a well-deserved Gritty Award!

About the DoIT Gritty Award

The Gritty Award recognizes outstanding work within the Division and beyond. Full-time employees, student employees, and teams are all eligible.

Do you know someone going above and beyond like Victor? Don't let their hard work go unnoticed; complete the Gritty Nomination Form today!

The first draft of this article was generated by GenAI and edited by the Communications Team.

Are you interested in starting your own business and want to brainstorm ideas?  Or do you already have a business and want to learn how to use AI effectively?  

Sign-up for one of the FREE AI for Entrepreneurs Workshops being held this coming week on Wednesday, August 12th and Saturday, August 15th!

Locations: 

Workshop will be held on campus at UMBC and Online!

Workshop Options:

1: Wednesday, August 12: 5-7 pm

2: Saturday, August 15: 11 am - 1 pm

Sign-up at:

AI for Entrepreneurs Workshop at UMBC 

BONUS:  You will receive $40 for participating, because this workshop is part of a research study!

Join current student leaders from a variety of COEIT student organizations as they share what their organizations do, how to get involved, and what it's like to balance academics with campus involvement. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions about student life, finding your community, managing your time, and making the most of your experience at UMBC. Whether you're ready to join an organization or just want to learn what's available, this is a great opportunity to connect with current students and start building your COEIT community.

Joining info below!!

Connecting with COEIT Student Orgs Panel
Friday, August 7 · 12:00 – 1:00pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/tbm-pvmt-fjp
Or dial: (US) +1 762-675-0301 PIN: 787 031 404#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/tbm-pvmt-fjp?pin=9339391525474

Class will be held on Wednesdays from 4:30-7 pm.

Instructor: Jonathan Sachs, Director of Workforce Development, Baltimore County

Contact Kevin Fulmer, kevinf@umbc.edu if you you have any questions or are interested in signing up for the class!  

Hello everyone! 

We hope to see you there!