Climate change is an ever growing concern, and at times it can be confusing to know how we can help make a difference. Sustainability practices are the key to accessible and effective progress in our planet’s health, and UMBC is dedicated to this effort by enhancing campus’s culture of sustainability, engaging and empowering UMBC’s community to get involved, and serving as a sustainability leader within the University System of Maryland and nationwide. 

Check out how faculty, staff, and students—often under the leadership of the Office of Sustainability—are going green through grants, campus installations, research, and community service projects:

Powered by the sun

UMBC received a $1.2 million solar energy grant from the Maryland Energy Administration to support solar power installations and additional sustainability initiatives on campus. The clean, carbon-free energy generated by the solar installations will meet roughly 2.5 percent of the campus’s current annual electricity demand, reducing UMBC’s carbon footprint by roughly 500 tons per year in support of the university’s Campus Clean Energy Master Plan.

Butterflies welcomed

Recently, UMBC revealed a new pollinator garden at the Center for Well-Being. Planted in June 2025, the garden qualifies as a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat and a Monarch Watch Waystation. In fact, monarch butterflies have already moved in. The pollinator garden will further promote ecosystem health on campus and bring UMBC closer to achieving the next level in the Green Grounds certification program. 

Benefiting the community

PFAS, also called “forever chemicals,” are found throughout the country in water, soil, air, food, cleaning products, clothing, and even our bloodstreams. They are linked to a range of health problems, including decreased fertility, developmental effects in children, reduced immune function, and increased risk of cancer and obesity.

Like in most bodies of water now, PFAS were found close to home in the Baltimore Harbor. Under the leadership of Margaret Siao, M.S. ’25, chemical engineering, UMBC students used PFAS samplers installed around the harbor to measure how much of the chemicals were present and identify possible sources. 

Fruitful campus connections 

As an initiative of Retriever Essentials, a faculty, staff, and student partnership to tackle food insecurity within the UMBC community has been planted. Ariel Barbosa, program coordinator for Retriever Essentials at UMBC and a master’s student in community leadership, worked hard to ready seven garden plots for crop production in an effort to provide the UMBC community essential nutrition they are not receiving from canned food alone. Namely, The Garden remains a student organization that maintains the beds near the UMBC Police Station and works to address problems such as food waste and food insecurity through service opportunities.

The slow, steady work of removing invasive species

Over several weeks in fall 2022 and again in spring 2023, Isabel Dastvan ’22, geography and environmental systems, in collaboration with Facilities Management staff, completed on-the-ground surveys, created maps of invasive species, identified the most urgent invasive threats, and determined the best ways to combat their spread. Dastvan’s work revealed that there are at least 100 invasive plant species present in natural and managed spaces on campus, which can threaten native species, reduce ecosystem functions like pollination and water filtration, and increase the chance of fires by thickening vegetation. The end result of her work, completed as a Sustainability Fellow with Climate Corps, is a 187-page, comprehensive Invasive Species Management Plan for UMBC, which continues the school’s legacy of prioritizing sustainability and stewardship of the land the university occupies.

Let’s take a walk

In 2021, a $1 million grant from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, combined with about $1.4 million of university investment, funded a major stream restoration on campus to address deterioration caused by decades of growth at UMBC and in the surrounding community. The restoration project raised the streambed and added natural features, slowing the stream’s flow and reconnecting it with the floodplain. The project not only created and enhanced wetland and stream habitats and functions, it also provides recreational enhancements such as walking trails with stream access and connection to other existing trails.

UMBC’s commitment to earth-friendly research

Across the world, energy consumption is associated with an increased standard of living—but burning fossil fuels to produce much of that energy increases the concentration of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. 

Getting more energy from the sun could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but since the sun doesn’t always shine, we also need ways to store that energy and share it on the power grid. Three recently-hired researchers in the College of Engineering and Information Technology will build on the college’s strength in environmental research and expand faculty expertise in important areas such as energy storage.

Learn more about UMBC’s commitment to sustainability and how you can be involved.

Their new website is mymsrp.com

Important Note:

Meet track and field student athlete Anjayooluwa “Jayo” Adegboyo ’25, biochemistry and molecular biology, who was named the 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine. The publication sponsors the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Awards to honor students of color who have excelled in the classroom and on the athletic field, demonstrating a commitment to community service and student leadership. Jayo is a Meyerhoff Program Scholar and is excited to pursue a career in medicine after being trained in research at UMBC.

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?

A: I am a student-athlete who graduated with a biochemistry major and a physics minor in the Honors College. I am interested in pursuing a career in medicine and research to solve problems associated with migraine and autism-related disorders.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: An alum and fellow Meyerhoff Scholar from UMBC about 20 years ago, and a notable professor from Duke University, Dr. Kafui Dzirasa ’01, inspired and supported me by investing in my future as a research advisor, motivator for my passions, and connecting me with people who do work related to my career goals.

Q: Tell us about what you love about your academic program or an organization you’re involved in.

A: I am a part of the Meyerhoff Scholars program and U-RISE scholar. I really appreciated how much the programs reached out to us about research opportunities in STEM related to the interests of me and my peers.

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: All of the support is there, just do not be afraid to ask around. You never know who may have the answer to your question; whether it is a roommate in a different major or a faculty member in one of your gen ed classes!

Q: Tell us about your primary WHY, and how it led you to UMBC

A: I came to UMBC because of the opportunity to pursue both of my passions in track and field competition and scholarship. It also introduced me to the prospect of pursuing a career in research through the Meyerhoff Scholars Program and its affiliations.

Q: Tell us about the people who are helping you grow at UMBC.

A: My support for my WHY came in the form of familial circumstances. My twin brother has autism and is relatively non-verbal, and my dad has migraines that get progressively worse as the days go by. These issues got me interested in medicine. UMBC helped guide me on a path to successfully apply to and get accepted to an M.D./Ph.D. program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Q: What clubs, teams, or organizations are you a part of? What do you love about them?

A: I was a part of the UMBC track and field team, the NOBCChE e-board, a member of NSBE, and a mentor in the Meyerhoff Scholars Program’s peer mentorship program. I also tutored in the physics and chemistry tutorial centers and the SI-PASS program.

Q: What do you enjoy about your scholar program?

A: I love the Meyerhoff Scholars Program because the community is filled with people with similar goals of pursuing research in STEM. It also felt like another family, from the peers who love interacting with one another outside of the classroom to the faculty who always have an intense desire to guide us scholars on the path to realizing and attaining our career goals.

Q: Tell us more about being a student-athlete and scholarship recipient. What would you tell others who are in your shoes about UMBC?

A: These dual parts of my life were difficult to get in tuned with during college because I felt some imposter-syndrome in trying to excel athletically and academically, while at the same time as I would see the accomplishments of my peers in each realm.

Eventually, I came to embrace my dual-roles and found harmony in the balance between the two, most especially during my roughest year (3rd year) where I had to balance training and competitions every week with studying for the MCAT (the medical school entrance exam), research, tutoring, and my ongoing classwork. I built so much resilience through these experiences that I would never trade it for anything in the world.

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.

The job search can be an exciting time — but it can also feel discouraging when applications go unanswered or interviews don't lead to offers. In a competitive market, rejection is normal, but that doesn't make it easy. The good news? You can learn to navigate setbacks, stay motivated, and keep moving forward, with the help of these tips:

1. Reframe Rejection as Redirection

Remember: every "no" brings you closer to the right "yes." Instead of seeing rejection as failure, view it as feedback. Ask yourself what you can learn from the experience — maybe it's refining your resume, expanding your network, or exploring a different industry. Book a Search Strategies appointment with a Career Center Advisor to get even more ideas on how to improve.

2. Set Small, Achievable Goals

A long job search can feel endless, but there are ways to make it feel more manageable. Break the search down into steps you can accomplish each week, like updating one section of your resume, applying to three jobs, or reaching out to two networking contacts. Small wins can add up — and help you build momentum.

3. Lean on Your Support System

You don't have to go through this process alone. Share your pitfalls and wins with friends, mentors, or career advisors at the Career Center or beyond. They can offer encouragement, perspective, and even new job leads. The more you let others know that you're on the hunt, the more eyes there will be out there seeking viable opportunities. Maybe it would be helpful to meet with a friend outside of career events and apply for job positions together. It's ok to ask for help, accountability, and support.

4. Prioritize Self-Care

Stress can easily build up during a long search. Make time for activities that recharge you — whether that's exercise, hobbies, or simply taking a day off from applications. Maybe making a curated playlist while you submit applications can help you stay motivated, or maybe you need to engage in breathwork and affirmations before starting each day. A clear mind helps you stay confident and focused. 

5. Keep Building Skills While You Search

If you're waiting on responses, invest in your professional growth. Take an online course, volunteer for a nonprofit you're interested in, or start a personal project. Sign up for a micro-internship at Parker Dewey or a job simulation at The Forage. Check out offerings from the UMBC Training Centers and watch the Paws & Pivot Webinar Series. Adding new experiences and skills to your resume shows employers that you are staying active and adaptable.

Strategize Your Next Steps

Setbacks don't define your career — they guide it. For more ways to stay resilient and turn challenges into opportunities, join us at our online workshop, Mindset & Momentum: Staying Resilient in the Job Hunt, at 2:30 PM on Tuesday, September 30. This supportive session will share practical strategies to help you stay motivated and keep your search moving forward.