If you’ve ever felt the sheer panic of tackling a new technical skill while trying to survive grad school, UMBC international student Soumya Bhate’s new video is the ultimate comfort watch. Released as part of the "DoIT Student Digital Stories" series, the video features Bhate’s journey from a data-loving student to a confident campus IT professional. Balancing demanding coursework with hands-on roles as an IT assistant and Business Intelligence analyst, Bhate shows how on-campus jobs can turn intimidating concepts like SQL into a fun, real-world playground.

The heart of the video lies in Bhate’s relatable, down-to-earth advice for anyone stepping into a new job: never be ashamed to ask questions. She credits her supervisor with creating a super-supportive workspace where no technical doubt was too small, and mistakes were just stepping stones. This welcoming vibe didn’t just help her conquer data analytics; it also helped her shake off the unique nerves that come with adapting to a brand-new professional culture as an international student.

Looking ahead, Bhate is ready to take on the tech world with a smile, playfully noting that "it's data all around" as she eyes her dream career as a data scientist. 

We have 2 rooms available in a shared house near UMBC, Catonsville, and are looking for respectful, clean, and responsible female roommates.

If you are interested, please get in touch with me on WhatsApp at +14122900211 for pictures or additional details, with a brief introduction about yourself, including your student or employment status and your desired move-in date. The available rooms are:

• Room 1 for $675/month each (utilities included in basement)
• Room  2 for $800/month (utilities included, main floor)

Move-in requires the first month's rent plus a security deposit (equal to one month's rent): Lease starting in August.

• Room 1: $675; room: $1,350 due at move-in (Basement)
• Room 3: $800; room: $1,600 due at move-in (Main floor)

This includes:

• A spacious shared bathroom in the basement and a half bathroom! (Room 2, on the main floor)
• Common storage
• Shared kitchen includes a dishwasher (on the main floor).
• Extra fridge and microwave! (Basement)
• Shared laundry facilities (big washer and dryer)!
• All utilities included, free parking! Notes: Personal storage will not be provided by the owner.

The home is conveniently located approximately 7/8 minutes from UMBC by car and about a 9/10-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. Also, other female students will already be occupying 2 rooms in the basement.

We welcome any female students and working professionals who are respectful, responsible, and considerate of shared spaces. Preference will be given to individuals with halal-friendly/Muslim 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
• No pork or any pork-based diet
• Maintaining cleanliness in shared areas

Additional Information

• Short-term leases may be considered (4–6 months minimum). The security deposit must be paid during the lease signing, and tenants must provide at least 30 days' notice before moving out.
• Since this is a female shared living environment, overnight guests and visits from male guests are not allowed. 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, ID, proof of employment, student status, and consent to a background check.

Thank you.

Hosting a campus gathering or need extra serving supplies? We are giving away serving tools, trays, pans, and basic cleanup supplies. Everything is free to grab!

Items Available:

• Small Foil Pans – Qty: 13

• Tongs – Qty: 9

• Trash Bags – Qty: 9

• White tray with plastic lid – Qty: 3

• Old Tea Kettle – Qty: 1

📍 Pickup Location: Commons 308

Need to stock up on everyday office essentials or organizing tools? We are cleaning out our office inventory! All items are free to a good home on a first-come, first-served basis.

Items Available:

• Binders – Qty: 15

• Paper clips (100ct) – Qty: 14

• Eraser (3pk) – Qty: 1

• Binder clips (MULTIPLE)

• Call Bell – Qty: 1

• Cord Hider – Qty: 1

• Security Chest – Qty: 1

• Timers ziploc – Qty: 1

• Conference recording device – Qty: 1

📍 Pickup Location: Commons 308

Comment below or swing by to claim what you need!

All,

The Millipore unit on the 4th floor is currently inoperable. It requires a new computer board, UV bulb, cartridges and .22 micron filter. I am waiting on a quote to have the work done. 

Luckily, the Millipore unit on the 3rd floor is currently working after a painfully complicated process where we learned that a different computer board and UV lamp was required along with software updates for the board to get it operational.

There is also a hydro polishing unit in room 221C available which is not as sleek as the millipore units but has by far a greater capacity for producing 18 Meg-Ohm water. 

Thank you all for your patience as millipore worked through the "upgrade". 

The USM Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation is pleased to announce a call for applications for the Boosting Course Accessibility Faculty Fellows program. This initiative will support up to 12 USM faculty members in engaging in digital accessibility-related course redesign to reduce barriers and support access for all students, including students with disabilities. Each selected faculty member will receive a $1,500 stipend and participate in a collaborative professional development program, culminating in a redesigned course for Spring 2027. 

Program Goals

This program aims to:

1. Promote inclusive teaching practices by equipping faculty with tools, strategies, and frameworks grounded in accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
2. Support the redesign of existing courses to reduce digital barriers for students with disabilities and increase access for all learners.
3. Build a faculty-led culture of access and accountability across the USM through shared learning, peer exchange, and cross-campus collaboration.
4. Establish models of accessible course design that can be shared, celebrated, and potentially scaled across departments, disciplines, and institutions. 

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Updated: USM faculty of any rank whose primary role on their campus is faculty. 

• Available to participate fully in all synchronous and asynchronous program components. 

• Applicants should propose a course they are scheduled or likely to teach in Spring 2027. 

Applicants should submit all required materials by Friday, September 11, 2026.  

NOTE: All institutional and faculty grants awarded to UMBC must be routed to the Office of Sponsored Programs prior to submission. Contact your unit's business manager or proposal development staff to discuss your application. CAHSS faculty can request assistance from CARAT (Creative Achievement and Research Administration Team).   

Timeline 

• August 1, 2026 – Call for applications opens 

• September 11, 2026 – Application deadline 

• September 17, 2026 – Notification of selected fellows 

• October 1, 2026–December 10, 2026 – Program participation 

• January 15, 2027 –Virtual Launch of Participants’ Projects 

Download a Word doc of this announcement. For more information, please contact Dr. Jennifer Potter, Associate Director, Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, at jpotter@usmd.edu. 

Dear Faculty and Staff,

As summer begins to wind down, we are excited to prepare for one of the most meaningful times of the year: the return of our students to campus!

Faculty and staff are invited to help support Welcome, Retrievers, UMBC’s campus-wide initiative to create a welcoming and memorable start to the academic year, through event support roles taking place before the start of the fall semester.  We especially encourage members of our community to consider supporting Convocation as part of this year’s Welcome, Retrievers experience.

Explore available opportunities and sign up by August 14.

From Convocation and move-in to new student programs and weeks of welcome activities, these events help students build connections, navigate campus, and feel that they truly belong from the moment they arrive.

Whether you have been part of Welcome, Retrievers for years or are considering getting involved for the first time, we invite you to join us in welcoming our Retrievers home.

Support opportunities include:

• Helping welcome the incoming class at Sunday’s Convocation

• Welcoming students and families during residential move-in

• Assisting with programs and events

• Helping students navigate campus and connect with resources

• Creating a positive first impression through friendly conversations and encouragement

The registration form includes details about each opportunity, including dates, times, responsibilities, short training requirements, and remaining openings.

We hope you will find an opportunity, or several, that fits your schedule and allows you to be part of this exciting campus tradition. Even a few hours of your time can have a lasting impact on a student’s transition to UMBC.

For questions, please contact welcomeretrievers@umbc.edu.Thank you for helping us create an inclusive, welcoming, and memorable start to the semester. We look forward to welcoming our Retrievers home, together!

Warm regards,

New Student Experience Engagement Subcommittee

MCS / MLL 495  Video Ethnography

MLL 695 Intercultural Video Production FA26

Mondays 4:00pm - 6:30pm

This hands-on course explores how documentary video can be used to understand and represent the social world. Working in collaboration with community members, students produce short documentaries that amplify local voices, experiences, and histories.
The course emphasizes participatory and reflexive documentary practices, treating video as both a creative medium and a qualitative research tool. Students gain practical experience in every stage of production, including camera operation, lighting, location sound, interviewing, editing, and post-production.

Capstone Option for MCS Majors

MCS majors who have completed MCS 399 and have prior production experience may be eligible to take this course in place of MCS 499, allowing them to complete a production-based capstone project as part of their coursework.

Public Humanities Minor

For students pursuing the Public Humanities Minor, this course fulfills one of the two required elective courses.

MCS / MLL 495  Video Ethnography

MLL 695 Intercultural Video Production FA26

Mondays 4:00pm - 6:30pm

This hands-on course explores how documentary video can be used to understand and represent the social world. Working in collaboration with community members, students produce short documentaries that amplify local voices, experiences, and histories.
The course emphasizes participatory and reflexive documentary practices, treating video as both a creative medium and a qualitative research tool. Students gain practical experience in every stage of production, including camera operation, lighting, location sound, interviewing, editing, and post-production.

Capstone Option for MCS Majors

MCS majors who have completed MCS 399 and have prior production experience may be eligible to take this course in place of MCS 499, allowing them to complete a production-based capstone project as part of their coursework.

Public Humanities Minor

For students pursuing the Public Humanities Minor, this course fulfills one of the two required elective courses.

Hi everyone,

DoIT staff are aware of an issue regarding SLURM job scheduling on the chip cluster, where jobs are indefinitely stuck in the pending state with a reason of “(None)”. This boiled down to the SLURM scheduler being overwhelmed with over 9000 concurrent job submissions this weekend.

As a temporary work around, we have intervened to get all submitted jobs scheduled. We will be monitoring the queue to ensure future job submissions run smoothly. Finally, we are developing a more permanent fix to increase the job-handling capacity of SLURM, and to make it more resilient when handling many jobs.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this issue. To be clear, no jobs were lost as a result of the underlying issue or our intervention. However, some users may see that their jobs are in an “administratively held” state as we wrap up our intervention.

As always, please submit a descriptive support ticket via the link below if you have any questions or notice other issues: https://rtforms.umbc.edu/rt_authenticated/doit/DoIT-support.php?auto=Research%20Computing 

Gregory Ballantine
HPC System Administrator

See also: Over 9000 in “popular” media (YouTube)