Here are the links to what you all have been waiting for, recapping the memorable graduate student appreciation week! 

Note: Please log in with your myumbc account if you are unable to access the links.

• GSAW Pictures
• GSAW - Breaking the Mold 
• GSAW - Candle Making
• GSAW - Cultural Day 
• GSAW - Grad Prom & Awards 
• GSAW - GEARS Research Symposium 

Pixilated Photo Booth:

• GSAW - Grad Prom Pixilated Photo Booth Photos 4-10-26
• GSAW - Ebony Sneaker Ball 4-11-26 Pixilated Photo Booth Photos

Dear Retrievers and Valued Riders,

This is a reminder that UMBC Transit will be closed on Friday, June 19, 2026, in observance of Juneteenth. Regular shuttle service will resume on Saturday, June 20, 2026. 

Alternative Transit Options1.

 Baltimore Link

• LocalLink 32 - UMBC - Patapsco Station 
• LocalLink 76 - City Hall to South Baltimore Park & Ride
• LocalLink 37 - Old Court Metro to UMBC
• CityLink PURPLE - City Hall - Paradise/Catonsville - with access To Walmart at Baltimore National Pike2.
  

RideShare

• Zipcar
•  Lyft
•  Uber Ride

If you need more help, please do not hesitate to reach us at transit@umbc.edu or 410.455.2454 during regular operating hours.

Hello everyone!

Retriever Essentials will be closed tomorrow, 6/19, in observance of Juneteenth.

We hope to see you Monday!

Two rooms available in a townhouse at Gloria Ave., Halethorpe, 21227.

Move-in date: July 1st 

One room is medium size and the other large size. Rooms are unfurnished. Shared bathroom with 2 more people.

Rent for each room: $750/mo + utilities + wifi.

Utilities + wifi around $80/mo. 

Security deposit: $750

Lease: 1 year contract

In total, there will be 5 people living in the house. A couple in the basement and 3 women on the 2nd floor.

The living room, dining room, and kitchen are shared. Wash and dryer in the basement. Street parking.

The Paradise umbc shuttle line and the city link 76 are around the corner. Supermarket at a walking distance. 

If interested, please email me at calmeida@umbc.edu.

Meet Natalie Blank ’08, acting, who started writing novels as a child and continued pursuing her passion for writing while studying dance and theatre at UMBC. To date, the author has published four novels, Rock Bottom Rise (2026), The Mass (2024), The Tangibles (2022), which received the In the Margins Book Award in 2023, and Walking Off Pluto (2014). Natalie primarily writes young adult and women’s fiction, exploring mental health and family relationships. She lives in Maryland with her husband and three children. Take it away, Natalie!

Q: What brought you to UMBC?

A: I came to UMBC as a Linehan Artist Scholar. I remember auditioning for the theatre program with a fairly serious monologue. During the audition, the professors (Xerxes Mehta was my favorite professor) worked with me in a way I had never experienced before. They were able to push me to a level of vulnerability and emotional depth I didn’t know I was capable of as an actress. In that moment, I knew these were professors who understood how to challenge students and help them grow.

Q: How did you grow during your time at UMBC?

A: The Theatre Department had a huge impact on me, both creatively and personally. Through acting, I learned a lot about myself, not just as a performer, but also as a writer. I had the opportunity to portray many incredible characters, and through that process, I realized that storytelling in all its forms (acting in stories, creating stories, and writing stories) was at the core of who I am. 

During my time at UMBC, I wrote several plays that were produced and performed. One of those plays eventually became my first novel, Walking Off Pluto, which I self-published in 2014. Since then, I have worked hard to build my writing career and transition into traditional publishing. My current goal is to secure literary representation and publish with a major publishing house.

While I only pursued theatre professionally for about two years after college, the lessons I learned have stayed with me and continue to shape my work as a writer. The program encouraged me to explore who I was, challenge my assumptions, and confront some of the fears and weaknesses that were holding me back from reaching my full potential. One of the biggest lessons was learning to take creative risks. In recent years, I’ve become much more willing to take chances and tell the stories I genuinely want to tell, and my readers love it!

Q: Can you tell us about your current job and your work as an author?

A: I’ve always been driven and largely self-taught, figuring out many aspects of my career on my own. After college, I pursued acting professionally, but the pay was inconsistent and often insufficient, so I also worked a day job to support myself. Eventually, I found my way into the school system, and after starting a family, I became a certified teacher. I work part-time as a special education teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools. I miss theatre and dance, but I can’t live without writing. It’s something I’ll pursue for the rest of my life.

Balancing work, writing, and family life is challenging, but I remain committed to my craft. I wake up before my children each morning to write and often return to my manuscript after they’ve gone to bed. I recently published my fourth novel, Rock Bottom Rise, in May 2026.

* * * * *

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.

A new paper led by K. Fred Huemmrich (618/UMBC) titled "Observing fall foliage with PACE pigment indices" was published in Remote Sensing Letters (May 2026) and co-authored by Skye Caplan (616/SSAI). Dr. Huemmrich explains that "This new paper is using the PACE [satellite] data to look at the timing and extent of fall foliage colors. We can produce indices related to the amount of different foliar pigments ... that cause colors in leaves. We use those pigment indices to observe the leaf color change and can map it using the satellite’s data. PACE is the first mission that can measure these indices (has narrow spectral bands) over large areas and repeatedly so we can look at change through the fall." From the paper's abstract: "PACE’s repeated hyperspectral observations provide a new view of seasonal fall foliage change based on pigment indices related to the key pigments involved in leaf color, greens from chlorophyll, reds from anthocyanin, and yellows to oranges from carotenoids." 

The UMBC News story “For the leaf peepers: How NASA’s PACE is improving fall color forecasts” by Sarah Hansen, UMBC Communications Manager, STEM, was recently published online. Additionally, Earth.com also has an article on their paper on fall foliage titled "NASA satellite can now track fall colors leaf by leaf from space."

Dr. Huemmrich is discussing this research in the PACE Science Showcase (virtual) on Thursday, June 18th at 3pm (note: PACE Science Speakers present weekly on Thursdays at 3pm); this is the meeting link via Teams (Meeting ID: 244 308 564 699 and Passcode: yP7q3Xv6).

Alan Byrd has been appointed as the next vice provost for enrollment management for the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), effective August 3. Byrd joins UMBC from George Mason University where he has served as the dean of admissions since 2020. 

Byrd brings more than 25 years of experience in college admissions and enrollment management to UMBC. He has an extensive track record of implementing successful recruitment and retention initiatives, and he consistently increased enrollment, improved academic profiles, expanded diversity, and enhanced student success at the institutions where he has served. 

Byrd’s commitment to college access, affordability, and student success has defined his lifetime of work as an enrollment manager. Prior to arriving at George Mason, he was vice provost of enrollment management at the University of Missouri-St. Louis where he led the university to several milestones for total enrollment, the academic profile and diversity of the student body, and graduation rates. Removing financial barriers for students was central to his accomplishments in St. Louis, where he developed innovative financial aid programs such as the UMSL Grant, Triton Emergency Grant, and the Senior Degree Completion Program. These flexible need-based programs helped eliminate equity gaps in degree completion for Pell grant recipients and reduce their average debt at graduation. 

Byrd earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Southeast Missouri State University, a master’s degree in higher education administration from Southeast Missouri State University, and a doctorate in education leadership and policy studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. His dissertation research examined noneconomic persistence barriers for low-income students at large public universities.

As mentioned in a previous email, Mohana Mahfuz Prema will present her Econ 699 Capstone proposal virtually this coming Monday, June 22 at 2 p.m. Here is the webex link for logging into her presentation: 



Join Webex meeting
ID: 28666769548
Password: PPcScRVi256
Her proposal is attached to this email. The title of her proposal is "Preventive Vaccination Uptake by Self-Reported Sexual Orientation among U.S. Adults: Evidence from IPUMS NIHS 2021-24." Her advisor on this project is Hasan Shahid.

All are welcome to log in.  

Dear colleagues,

I am excited to welcome Alan Byrd as the next vice provost for enrollment management at UMBC, effective August 3. Alan joins us from George Mason University where he has served as the dean of admissions since 2020. 

Alan brings more than 25 years of experience in college admissions and enrollment management to UMBC. He has an extensive track record of implementing successful recruitment and retention initiatives, and he has consistently increased enrollment, improved academic profiles, expanded diversity, and enhanced student success at the institutions where he has served. 

Alan’s commitment to college access, affordability, and student success has defined his lifetime of work as an enrollment manager. Prior to arriving at George Mason, he was vice provost of enrollment management at the University of Missouri-St. Louis where he led the university to several milestones for total enrollment, the academic profile and diversity of the student body, and graduation rates. Removing financial barriers for students was central to his accomplishments in St. Louis, where he developed innovative financial aid programs such as the UMSL Grant, Triton Emergency Grant, and the Senior Degree Completion Program. These flexible need-based programs helped eliminate equity gaps in degree completion for Pell grant recipients and reduce their average debt at graduation. 

Alan earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from Southeast Missouri State University, a master’s degree in higher education administration from Southeast Missouri State University, and a doctorate in education leadership and policy studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. His dissertation research examined noneconomic persistence barriers for low-income students at large public universities.

Please join me in welcoming Alan to the Retriever family. 

Sincerely,

Manfred H.M. van Dulmen
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Hello everyone!

Due to the HVAC system in the Apartment Community Center still being managed, Retriever Essentials will be at the Center for Wellbeing for the remainder of the summer (including today).

Please plan your trip accordingly, and we apologize for any incovneinces.