Google has relabeled its NotebookLM system as Gemini Notebook. It is intended as a personalized AI research assistant that syncs with your uploaded documents, lecture slides, and research papers to generate instant summaries and synthesize them into custom study guides, code-driven data charts, or interactive audio overviews. UMBC faculty, staff, and students continue to have some free access, but the specific version and privacy protections depend on which account you use to log in. You can read more here and on Wikipedia.

We're happy to share the following publications from recent months that are authored and/or co-authored by GESTAR II researchers.

Stacey Huang (61A/UMBC) is lead author of the 2026 paper, "Estimating Tropospheric Delay in Spotlight Mode InSAR Data Using Multi-Squint Processing," in IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. Dr. Huang summarized that “We studied the technical feasibility of a multi-satellite multisquint satellite architecture under consideration by NASA for the Surface Deformation and Change (SDC) mission study. We found that a multisquint configuration can concurrently solve for tropospheric delay and deformation from interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and we developed a method to enable these retrievals even in suboptimal conditions. We show there is great promise for new science with this architecture, enabling the simultaneous observation of atmosphere and deformation signals: these capabilities could be instrumental in characterizing difficult-to-observe slowly deforming phenomena, … thus improving our understanding of how subtle Earth signals evolve over time and influence other terrestrial processes.”

Stacey Huang (61A/UMBC) and co-authors, including MinJeong Jo (618/UMBC) and Jeanne Sauber (61A/UMBC), published the 2026 paper “Emergent capabilities for remote coastline and flood mapping with ultra-high-resolution SAR: A case study in American Samoa” in Environmental Research Communications. Dr. Huang: “This paper showcases new capabilities for coastline and flood mapping of ultra-high-resolution SAR data through NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program. These new capabilities augment existing optical-based remote sensing methods that struggle in inclement weather and heavily cloud-covered regions. We demonstrate these new capabilities with a case study in American Samoa, a traditionally challenging region for remote sensing, capturing changes in shorelines with tidal cycles and high-tide flooding.” 

Lionel Arteaga (610.1/UMBC) led the 2026 paper with Ivona Cetinić (616/MSU) as one of the co-authors titled “Extreme 2016 El Niño heatwave weakened carbon export and respiration in the Equatorial Pacific” published in Nature journal Communications Earth and Environment.

Arif Albayrak (618/UMBC) led the 2026 paper “Converting Raw Data Into Actionable Information: A topical review of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital twins in disaster management” in IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine.

Hiren Jethva (614/MSU) is first author of the 2026 paper "Global retrieval dataset of UV-VIS extinction and absorption of above-cloud aerosols from synergy of A-train active-passive measurements: part I — Above-cloud aerosol optical depth from CALIOP depolarization ratio method" in Frontiers in Environmental Science.

Hiren Jethva (614/MSU) along with co-authors including Thomas Eck (618/UMBC) and Sergey Korkin (613/UMBC) published the 2026 paper "Ground-based MFRSR UV-Vis spectral retrievals of Saharan dust absorption at Izaña Observatory" in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

Sergey Korkin (613/UMBC) and co-authors including Andrew Sayer (616/UMBC) published “A Practical Guide to Simulating Continuum Absorption in Earth’s Atmosphere” in Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer.

Michael Himes (614/MSU) led the 2026 paper "Continuing the MLS water vapor record with OMPS LP using neural networks" published in Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. 

Natalie Thomas (610.1/UMBC) is first author on the 2026 paper “Variability and trends in dates of the last spring freeze and first fall freeze over the United States” published in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology.

Nikki Privé (610.1/MSU) and co-authors including Erica McGrath-Spangler (610.1/MSU) published the 2026 paper "Analysis and forecast error correlations explored in an observing system simulation experiment framework" in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society.

Welcome to the Fall 2026 Future Faculty Series! 

The Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Development (GSPD) Unit of the Graduate School is offering a Future Faculty Series this summer. This four-part workshop series is designed to guide PhD students and postdocs through every stage of the academic job search.

Across four sessions, participants will explore what faculty life looks like at different types of institutions and how to identify the right fit; learn the essential steps and timeline of the academic hiring process; build polished application materials, including CVs, research and teaching statements, and cover letters; and develop the skills to navigate faculty interviews with confidence, from Zoom screenings to multi-day campus visits. Whether you're just beginning to consider a career in academia or actively preparing to go on the market, this series will equip you with the knowledge, tools, and materials to compete successfully for faculty positions.

Join us Fridays 1:30-2:30pm, in-person in the Administration Building Room 218 on July 24, July 31, August 7 and August 14th.

Sign up for each session below and add to your calendar!

Jul 24, 1:30 PM: Future Faculty Session 1: Faculty Jobs at Different Types of Institutions

Jul 31, 1:30 PM: Future Faculty Session 2: Getting a Faculty Job: Process and Materials Overview

Aug 7, 1:30 PM: Future Faculty Session 3: Application Materials Workshop

Aug 14, 1:30 PM: Future Faculty Session 4 : Interviewing for Faculty Positions

Dear Faculty and Staff,

As we prepare to begin the fall semester, we invite you to join us for two important campus events that celebrate the start of a new academic year.

Fall Opening Meeting
Tuesday, August 18 | 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Retriever Activities Center (RAC)

Reconnect with colleagues over lunch, hear about campus initiatives for the year ahead, meet new senior university leaders, and welcome our newest students to the UMBC community.

Please RSVP here.

Convocation
Sunday, August 23 | 3 – 4 p.m.
Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena

Convocation officially welcomes our incoming students and is one of UMBC's longstanding traditions. Faculty and staff are invited to participate by processing in the ceremony (academic regalia required) or serving as event staff. Following the ceremony, all faculty and staff are invited to join the new students for a campus cookout and soccer game.

• Register to process: Procession Registration

• Register to serve as event staff: Event Staff Registration

If you need academic regalia, please order through Herff Jones by July 28 to avoid expedited shipping fees. UMBC will subsidize the rental of academic regalia. The final ordering deadline (with expedited shipping) is August 6, with delivery to the UMBC Bookstore expected by August 17. Additional information about regalia pickup and return will be shared with participants.

We hope you'll join us as we kick off the fall semester and welcome our newest Retrievers to campus.

Best, 

UMBC Events Team

I'm a senior undergraduate looking for a female roommate to share a 2BR apartment, close to UMBC main campus(about 12 min drive) and bus shuttle. Rental available to move in immediately or from early August till December or later if needed.

• Fully furnished living room and kitchen
• Private room and bathroom included
• Washer and dryer included, cable ready
• Rent will about $900/month (Wifi included)
• Flexible move in around August/ early August preferred 
• Security deposit: one month rent
• Pet friendly (but no big dogs)

Please contact me if interested: noellad1@umbc.edu

Phone #: 2404959832

thereserveatstonegateapts.com

As the summer weeks drift by, your professional network might be the last thing on your mind. You had great conversations with professors last spring, or maybe you built a strong relationship with a boss at a previous internship, but now there is silence. It is easy to let these connections fade, but a sudden message in September asking for a job recommendation can feel too transactional — and recruiters and mentors can spot that from a mile away.

The solution? A summer check-in, which is a low-pressure, thoughtful update that keeps you top-of-mind and transforms a one-time contact into a lifelong advocate. To turn a brief introduction into career momentum, you need to master the art of the casual update.

Shift the Focus from "Ask" to "Update"
The golden rule of the summer check-in is simple: do not ask for a favor. The moment you ask for a job, a referral, or a recommendation in your first email, the conversation feels more loaded. Instead, focus entirely on sharing progress and showing appreciation. A simple message detailing an article you read this summer that reminded you of a prior conversation shifts the dynamic from a transaction to a relationship.

Connect Your Progress to Their Advice
The most flattering update you can send a mentor or professor is showing that you actually listened to them. Did a professor suggest you read a specific book or learn a new tool? Did a past supervisor advise you to work on your presentation skills? Send a quick note like: "I wanted to let you know I took your advice and spent this summer learning Python. It has already made a huge difference in my projects. Thank you for that suggestion!"

Keep It Brief and Scannable
Your contact is likely just as busy during the summer as they are during the academic year. Keep your email or LinkedIn message short — under 150 words. State why you are reaching out, give a brief 1–2 sentence update on your summer, and close with a supportive, forward-looking question about how their summer is going. This keeps the barrier to reply incredibly low and easy to manage.

Normalize the Follow-Up
Many students hesitate to reach out because they fear being annoying. But professionals love hearing from proactive students who are motivated to grow. When you regularly check in without wanting anything in return, you build a foundation of trust. That way, when a position does open up in the fall, you are already the first candidate they think of.

Ready to Get Started?
Unsure how to draft your outreach messages, or want to make sure your LinkedIn profile is ready before you hit "send"? The UMBC Career Center is here to help you polish your strategy and build a professional brand that stands out. Schedule a one-on-one Networking & LinkedIn Strategy appointment on Handshake to map out your outreach strategy and optimize your digital presence today.

Ben Olson, co-founder of LSAT Demon, is hosting a free Logical Reasoning (LR) class today at 1:00 PM.

Ben taught LR to thousands of students. This class is a chance to watch him work through real questions live. 

Free Logical Reasining (LR Class) with Ben Olson, Co-Founder of LSAT Demon

Date: Monday, July 20

Time: 1:00 pm ET 

Location: Online

Register (or get the recording)

Note: UMBC does not endorse any specific LSAT preparation program.

For a list of all commercial test prep companies that have licensed official LSAT content, please click here.  

Recently I had a conversation with someone in our division regarding assessment and research projects. It was clear through our conversation the combination of those words were conjuring images of a rigorous, research-informed process on the level of a thesis or dissertation! While that is certainly one type of project you could initiate, often the types of assessment projects I see in Student Affairs are scaled down initiatives that are trying to understand satisfaction with a program, learning that has happened through participation in a project, or something to understand the needs or behaviors of a population. This type of analysis often takes the form of administering a survey, conducting a focus group/interview, or having students respond to a reflective prompt.

These are the types of things that should be captured in the ongoing Assessment and Research Project Completion form, the last step of any project where you have collected data or information about the student, staff, alumni, or family experience at UMBC.

This form is important because it:

• helps us capture the results of assessment and research projects from around the division;
• create a repository that will help us be more organized for program reviews, Middle States, etc.; and is
• open throughout the year- you do not need to wait until Annual Report timeline to track progress.

You will be asked to input information about your project, key takeaways, and how you are using the results. In addition to completing this form, you will be asked to upload a copy of the instrument as well as a results report. There is no standard template for your results so a PowerPoint presentation you delivered about the results, a dashboard, a Qualtrics report, or another format is fine.

Any and all assessment and research projects from 25-26 must be submitted in the form by July 25th. Thank you!

Questions about the form can be directed to Mary Ellen Wade, Director of Assessment and Planning, via either email or Webex message.

After a year-long redesign with faculty feedback sessions – including on-site at UMBC – Blackboard will launch a new gradebook starting August 7, 2026. The redesigned gradebook grid view will provide a visual and workflow overhaul to the instructor experience, but will not impact the management of grades, calculations, or course settings. This is strictly an interface update, not a data migration.

Watch a short video overview of the gradebook redesign.

Gradebook Changes

• A Grade Details panel that stays open. Click any cell and see the student's grade, submission status, feedback, grader notes, and posting status together, without the grid disappearing behind a menu.

• A To Do panel instead of a full-page Overview tab. See what needs grading and posting without losing your place in the gradebook.

• Accommodations, front and center. If a student has a course-level accommodation, it now shows up automatically in the Grade Details panel, no more clicking away to check.

• A safer delete. Removing a column now requires confirming the exact item by name, with a clear warning banner, so an accidental click can't erase grades.

• Easier sorting and IDs. Student ID moves into its own sortable column, and accommodation flags are easier to spot next to student names.

What Stays the Same

Your grades, grade calculations, and course settings are untouched. Only the interface was redesigned. The List View of gradable items hasn’t changed, and you can still toggle between the two views anytime. View individual student details by clicking on the individual name.

Image 1: Example of redesigned Blackboard gradebook featuring streamlined grid view

Because the change lands right as summer session is ending, most instructors will see it for the first time while preparing for fall courses. Instructional Technology will offer two sessions to walk through the redesigned gradebook and answer questions before the semester starts:

• Friday, August 14 (12 pm)

• Wednesday, August 19 (12 pm)

For more information about the redesigned gradebook, please visit our redesigned gradebook FAQ with video walkthroughs, or request support at help.umbc.edu. To share feedback about the new gradebook, please complete our survey.

Connect with Instructional Technology

As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:

• Check our extensive FAQ collection

  • What's new in Ultra? |Known Issues

• Open a ticket via RT

• Follow the Instructional Technology & DoIT myUMBC groups

• Request a consult with instructional technology staff

Summer can be a great time to work on the skills that support your academic work. AOK Library’s spring workshop recordings are available for students who want to learn more about research strategies, writing, citation management, AI tools, and related topics.

We will not be offering live workshops this summer, but you can still access the recordings anytime.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@umbclibrary/videos 

Need one-on-one research help this summer? Make a research appointment with a subject librarian.