Are you the first in your family to attend college, or proud to support someone who is? Join us in celebrating National First-Generation College Celebration Day by sharing your story on social media!

Your posts will appear on our UMBC First-Gen Wall for the entire campus community to see!

How to Participate

1. Post to your favorite platform: Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn
2. Share your First-Gen pride!  Ideas include
1. A photo of yourself, your friends, or your favorite study spot
2. What being First-Gen means to you
3. A message of encouragement for other First-Gen Retrievers
3. Use these hashtags so your post appears on the wall: #UMBC #FirstGen #FirstGenProud #UMBCFirstGen

See Your Post Live!

Check out the UMBC First-Gen Wall to see your post and others from across campus:
my.walls.io/umbcfirstgen

Quick Tips

• Make sure your post is public so it can appear on the wall.
• Tag @UMBC and @UMBCFirstGen for more visibility.
• Keep it positive, celebratory, and Retriever-strong! 

Thank you for helping us celebrate UMBC's First-Gen community. Your stories inspire others and show that First-Gen pride runs deep at UMBC!

The first session of the popular Anxiety Toolbox workshop series is happening this Monday. It's the perfect opportunity to learn practical skills for understanding and managing anxiety.

Starting in November, the Faculty Development Center (FDC) is co-sponsoring a three-part series, Introduction to Generative AI & Teaching, facilitated by John G. Schumacher, PhD., Professor of Sociology, Anthropology & Public Health and a USM/UMBC Generative AI Pedagogy Fellow 2025-2026. 

Upcoming sessions include:

Generative AI in Teaching I: Literacy and Foundations

Mon. Nov. 3, 2025 · 7 - 8 PM   WebEx

This session introduces the basics of generative AI and its implications for teaching and learning. It focuses on AI literacy by examining what these tools are, what they can and cannot do, basic prompting, ethical & responsible use, and how they may impact classroom practice. Faculty will see short demos of ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and have time for Q&A.

Generative AI in Teaching II: Applied Skills and Use Cases

Tue. Nov. 11, 2025  11:30-12:30pm.  WebEx or In Person

Building on Gen AI & Teaching I, this interactive session highlights applied skills and practical use cases. Faculty will practice effective prompting, explore discipline-specific scenarios, and consider assignment design strategies. Examples will touch on advanced features (custom GPTs/GEMs, Canvas Mode, Deep Research Mode, agent mode) related to teaching.

I'm Not Teaching with Generative AI, But What Do I Still Need to Know?

Tue. Dec. 2, 2025  11:30am- 12:30pm WebEx or In Person

This session highlights what faculty need to know, even if they are not adopting AI in their own teaching. Topics include basic Gen AI literacy, a critical examination of student use of AI tools, equity and access, ethical concerns, credible sources of Gen AI information, and implications for assessment and pedagogy.

Visit the FDC Groups Page to sign up:  https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/calt/events

AI in Practice: Preparing Students for Al-Driven Research Careers

12-1pm EST Nov 12, 2025, online

Seminar Recording

Happy Friday and welcome to a special spooky and scary edition of the Provost's Perspective. (On second thought, it's probably not going to be spooky or scary. Maybe more of a Goosebumps vibe. I guess you'll have to continue reading to find out.)

Fog slowly wafts from the dark woods surrounding the large, dimly lit home. A single bare bulb glows from a chain in the ceiling as a man sits typing intently when a large crack jolts him to attention…

Halloween was not a holiday that we celebrated growing up in the Netherlands, but as a parent of three emerging adults and after several decades living in the United States I have grown to embrace the revelry that is on full display every October 31st (or at least the mini candy bars). 

With my kids past the trick-or-treating stage and my neighborhood on the less-visited end of the spectrum, the candy level in the house this All Hallows Eve is comically low. This led me down a rabbit (candy) hole to determine how the house should be stocked. 

My non-exhaustive search has produced more questions than answers. According to a 2024 study, Maryland joins Utah as one of only two states in which candy corn is the most popular treat. I'm not certain what candy corn is, but I have been assured by a trusted colleague that it is definitely not corn and can barely be classified as candy. On a brighter note (and one that I can support), Hershey's mini bars and kisses round out the Free State's top three. 

Leave me a comment here about your favorite Halloween candy and I'll list the top three submissions next week. 

CAHSS Dean Search Deadline Quickly Approaching

The preferred submission deadline for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences dean search is quickly approaching. If you have a nomination or intend to apply, please do so by November 7. More information about the position and the process can be found here. 

Call for Faculty Proposals: IDEA Initiative & CAP Fellowship

I announced last week the IDEA Initiative & CAP Fellowship as part of my goal to foster innovative and interdisciplinary curricular efforts and provide faculty with the resources to create and innovate. Applications for the programs close November 20. 

Learn more and apply today!

Coffee with the Provost: Thursday, Nov. 6

Come join me for a cup of coffee or tea Thursday, Nov. 6, from 10-11 in the Fireside Lounge in The Commons (third floor near the Skylight Lounge). This come-and-go hour is a great opportunity to connect in a casual, non-programmed setting. I look forward to seeing many of you there and our conversation together.  

Fireside Lounge, The Commons

10-11 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 6

First-generation Week On Tap

National First-generation Day, a day that is particularly close to my heart as I am the first member of my family to earn a college degree, is November 8. Leading up to next Saturday, there will be several events across campus celebrating our community's first-generation students. Discover how you can support and celebrate our first-gen Retrievers here.  

New Faculty/AOK Library Lunch and Learn a Success 

On Friday, September 26, the A.O.K. Library and Gallery hosted the inaugural Lunch and Learn for New Faculty in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, RCAC, DoIt, and the CNMS, CAHSS, and COEIT grant administrators. The event covered open access, special collections, reference services, research computing, teaching and learning technology, and more. The next event will be held in Spring 2026. For more information, contact Michelle Flinchbaugh.  

New Faculty Spotlights

Each week we feature the newest faculty members of our community.

Daniel G. Suarez-Forero, Assistant Professor, Physics

Areas of Research/Interest: Condensed matter

Fun Fact About Daniel: I love sports and music.

Chris L. Terry, Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, English

Areas of Research/Interest: Author of the novels Black Card and Zero Fade, and co-editor with James Spooner of the literary anthology Black Punk Now.

Fun Fact About Chris: By the time I turned 25, I'd played music in 10 countries.

Are you a new faculty member? Please take two minutes to fill out the form and submit your bio if you have not already done so.

New Staff Spotlights (Coming Soon)

Are you a staff member who joined UMBC in the last year? Email Aaron Burnett, director of provost communications, to be featured in an upcoming edition of the Provost's Perspective. 

Help Make this Newsletter Better

The goal each week of this message is to deepen our connection to UMBC, whether that is learning about an upcoming event, a divisional accomplishment, an innovative program, or an  update from the Office of the Provost. If you know of a program or event that should be highlighted, please share it here.

Change Your Clocks, Check Your Batteries

It's fall back weekend. Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour on Sunday. While I applaud promptness, being a full hour early can be overkill. I like to follow the American Red Cross's suggestion to use the biannual time change to also check my home's smoke detectors. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep this weekend.   

Until next week, 

Manfred van Dulmen

This year, UMBC earned the Campus Prevention Network (CPN) Seal of Prevention™ from Vector Solutions. The CPN Seal of Prevention™ is awarded to schools who have gone above and beyond to create a safer, more supportive learning environment through the use of digital prevention programming. 

One key initiative contributing to this recognition is UMBC's mandatory student training, managed by the Office of Equity and Civil Rights. This annual training helps students build healthy relationships, intervene when they're worried about a peer's safety, and respond effectively to sexual violence when it occurs.

This Seal honors UMBC's commitment to sexual violence prevention, student success, and community well-being. Awardees are statistically more likely to keep students enrolled and graduating on time. 

Read more about the Campus Seal of Prevention™  and the 2025 honorees in Vector Solutions' national press release.

Caltech recognizes that differences of perspective, experience, and thought is essential to achieving and maintaining scientific excellence. The WAVE Fellows program supports this goal by increasing visibility and accessibility to our PhD programs to undergraduates in STEM fields who are seriously considering attending graduate school. . 

WAVE Fellows is a 10-week undergraduate research program that provides robust programming in the areas of academic and professional development.

Eligibility: Students must be current sophomores through non-graduating seniors and must be U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or students with DACA status. A minimum GPA of 3.4 is required.

Competitive applicants will have completed sophomore-level courses in desired research field, have demonstrated through academic and/or co-curricular activities a passion for research, and can articulate how their interests align with Caltech's research areas. The most competitive applicants will have prior research experience.

The WAVE Fellows program is open to anyone regardless of race, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual identity, and/or any other protected characteristic.

Support: WAVE Fellows will receive a $6,000 award for the 10-week period, plus campus housing, and a dining and travel supplement of ~$1,000.

Application: Online applications are due January 9, 2026.

Program information sessions will be held throughout November. Register now!

Click here for more information or reach out to Carol Casey, casey@caltech.edu, with questions.