DoIT has been working with the Division of Student Affairs to introduce a new, easy-to-use Emergency Settings page in myUMBC. 

The myUMBC Emergency Settings page integrates our campus-wide emergency alert system and required emergency contact information in one place. You may notice new homepage reminders - these will guide you to sign up for emergency alerts or update your required emergency contact information. When you log in, you may see two specific notifications:

• Emergency Alerts: If you haven't signed up, you’ll see a prompt to join. 

• Emergency Contacts: If your contacts are missing, you'll see a reminder. This notification will remain active until a contact is added.

Take Action: Click the notification to go directly to your settings, or access them anytime by clicking your Profile Photo > Emergency. See “How do I update my Emergency Settings in myUMBC?” for more information about the page.

Please take a moment today to ensure your emergency alert enrollment is active and your emergency contacts are up to date. 

If you have any issues, please contact the Technology Support Center via help.umbc.edu or by calling 410-455-3838.

All:

If you have obtained a summer (or fall) internship and would like to receive ECON 313 credit

the process is to first contact Christine Routzahn at the Career Center (routzahn@umbc.edu)

and let her know you are seeking to have your internship approved for credit.

Also view the following if looking for an internship or to apply to have your current or soon to begin internship approved:

Internships, Co-ops & Research: How to Get Started – Career Center – UMBC

Got an internship, co-op, or research? Make it extraordinary. – Career Center – UMBC

FEMALE ROOMMATES WANTED – NEAR UMBC

One room is available July 1 and after/the other room will be available on or after August 9.

We are seeking two female roommate for a furnished bedroom in a private single-family home in the Maiden Choice/Arbutus area, less than 1.5 miles from UMBC and located on the Purple Campus Shuttle route. Three grocery stores are nearby, and the shuttle provides convenient transportation to and from campus. The shuttle also stops near the shopping centers.

The home is shared with two female UMBC students/professionals and the landlord couple. We are looking for a respectful, tidy individual who will contribute to a clean and inclusive living environment. Preference will be given to UMBC or UMB Ph.D., graduate, or junior/senior undergraduate students.

Home Features

• Newly renovated 4-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home
• Quiet and safe dead-end street
• Fully furnished
• High-speed Wi-Fi and streaming cable
• All utilities included
• Open-concept, fully functional kitchen with:
  • Dishwasher
  • Garbage disposal
  • Icemaker
  • Meal-prep equipment
• Access to:
  • Laundry room
  • Living room
  • Dining room
  • Covered front porch
• Snow removal and lawn care included

Included Essentials

• Trash bags
• Paper towels
• Cleaning tools and supplies
• Dishwasher detergent
• Dish soap
• Linens and towel sets

Bedroom Includes

• Spacious, fully furnished, and decorated bedroom
• Large closet
• Full-size bed
• Two sets of new linens
• Blankets, comforter, and pillows
• Dresser with mirror
• Tall chest of drawers
• Two nightstands
• Desk and chair
• Smart TV with Wi-Fi streaming capability
• New bath towel sets

Additional Amenities

• Personal kitchen cabinet
• Personal combination-lock bathroom cabinet
• Personal laundry room locker/cubby
• Ample street parking
• County trash pickup twice weekly
• Instant hot water heater (hot water never runs out)
• Additional insulation in interior walls and ceilings for enhanced privacy

Location & Transportation

• Seconds from UMBC Shuttle and public bus stops
• Purple Route runs approximately every 15 minutes on weekdays
• Three nearby shopping centers
• Less than 1.5 miles from UMBC

House Guidelines

• Non-smoker only
• No smoking inside the home
• No drug use
• Must be clean, considerate, and respectful of shared spaces

Pet Policy

No pets except documented medical support animals.

Requirements:

• Documentation from a physician and veterinarian
• Animal must remain in the tenant's room when not supervised
• Animal must be crated when unattended
• Tenant is responsible for all care and cleaning

Please note: Due to allergies, cats and other shedding animals cannot be accommodated.

Lease Terms

Academic Year: August 2026 – May 2027

Summer Option: Late May 2027 – Mid-August 2027

Lease includes:

• Holidays
• Semester breaks
• Weekends
• Winter Session (unless otherwise arranged)

Preference will be given to academic-year leases. Month-to-month arrangements may be considered.

Rent & Deposit

Rent: $1,000/month

Includes:

• Furnished bedroom
• Shared refrigerator with one roommate only
• Shared bathroom with one roommate only
• Utilities 
• Wi-Fi
• Streaming cable

Security Deposit: $500

Additional Information

This is a private residence and is not Airbnb, hotel, or campus housing.

Tenants should provide their own:

• Personal belongings
• Toiletries
• Food and beverages
• Laptop/computer
• Academic materials

Contact

📞 Call or Text (preferred): 410-999-4668
Monday–Friday, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

📧 Email: whittleemail@gmail.com

Things to Consider When Evaluating Off-Campus Housing Near UMBC

When evaluating off-campus housing near UMBC, be sure to consider more than just the distance listed in a rental advertisement.

Many properties may appear to be within walking distance of campus, but the actual walking experience can vary significantly depending on the route. Some campus entrances are more pedestrian-friendly than others, and certain routes may involve steep hills, limited sidewalks, poor lighting, or challenging conditions during extreme heat, rain, snow, or ice. If you plan to walk or bike regularly, it is worth visiting the property and testing the route yourself before signing a lease.

Transportation access is also important. Housing located near a UMBC Shuttle stop may be considerably more convenient than housing that is technically closer to campus but requires a difficult walk.

Another factor to consider is the age of the home. Many houses in the surrounding neighborhoods were built decades ago and may have older plumbing, heating, and hot water systems. Depending on the property, tenants may experience limitations in hot water availability when multiple people are showering, doing laundry, or running the dishwasher. It is a good idea to ask landlords specific questions about hot water capacity, utility systems, and recent renovations before committing to a lease.

Taking the time to evaluate transportation, walkability, safety, and home infrastructure can help ensure that your housing choice meets your needs throughout the academic year.

Meet Carlos Carmona ’88, economics. After UMBC, Carlos built a long career in retail and commercial banking before retiring in 2020. Now, Carlos enjoys traveling the world with his wife, Maritza de Jesús, and exploring one of his early passions—storytelling. In 2025, Carlos realized a lifelong dream, becoming a published author with the launch of his debut novel, Unforgivable Sins: A Barrio Story. Take it away, Carlos! 

Q: What initially brought you to UMBC?

A: Growing up in Baltimore City in the early ’80s was challenging. The closure of Bethlehem Steel had devastated the city and its economy, and for many young people, the path forward was unclear. The University System of Maryland offered something aspirational at a time when everything around us seemed uncertain.

At UMBC, I was exposed to people from different backgrounds, new ways of thinking, and possibilities beyond Baltimore City’s despair and anxiety. To this very day, I maintain close friendships from those years. In fact, I recently had dinner with Jim Zerr ’89 and his wife. My time at UMBC didn’t just educate me; it gave me lifelong relationships and a broader vision of what my life could eventually become.

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?

Every journey is different, and I would never presume to define anyone else’s path. What I can share is that UMBC and its professors fostered an environment of openness and understanding. They recognized that academic success rarely follows a single route, and in that understanding, I found the confidence to keep moving forward. They reminded me that what matters most is not how you arrive, but that you keep going.

What has stayed with me most from my time at UMBC is the generosity of my fellow students. People shared their experiences, offered advice, exchanged resources, and opened doors for one another. Friendship and support seemed to appear wherever I turned. Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was to be part of a community that valued collaboration over competition. It is an experience for which I remain deeply grateful.

When I look back on my life, I do not see absence. I see family, friendship, opportunity, and countless people who helped shape the person I became. In the end, I was never without. If anything, I was blessed with more than I recognized at the time.

Q: Who in the UMBC community has inspired you or supported you? 

A: As an undergraduate, Professor Sarah Voight was a guiding light. Though she taught in the Spanish Department and I majored in economics, our shared Puerto Rican heritage gave me something to hold on to, something familiar and relatable in a place that often wasn’t. Her advice and guidance were crucial in helping me continue my studies and ultimately graduate.

Q: Tell us about what you loved about your academic program or an organization you were involved in at UMBC.

A: I loved studying economics, finance, and accounting. I found the subjects as exciting as they were challenging. At the same time, I explored several liberal arts and language courses, which gave me a well-rounded foundation that has served me throughout my life. For many years, I was a financial advisor to Catholic parishes, a role I stepped back from due to serious health issues, though I aspire to return when I’m able.

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

A: I never planned on becoming a writer. I was a banker, a man who lived by numbers, memos, and proposals, not by scenes or plotlines. Stories belonged to other people. At least that is what I believed until life forced me to reconsider what mattered. Cancer did that. Two rounds of chemo. A fight I barely survived. And somewhere in the middle of that darkness, when my world narrowed, something in me shifted. Ideas I had buried decades earlier began to surface. Words I never thought I could write spilled onto the page. It was as if the part of me I had ignored finally demanded to be heard.

That is how Unforgivable Sins was born, a book that split itself into two stories, A Barrio Story and The Rise of Charlie Green. I self‑published them because no one in the industry was waiting for stories like mine. I knew the audience would be small. I knew the road would be impossibly long. Editors have never shown interest in Latino urban crime fiction, not because the stories lack power, but because the gatekeepers have never known what to do with them. But I also knew these stories were missing from today’s literature. They were missing in 1986 when the idea first came to me at UMBC, and they are still missing in 2026. The absence never changed. I simply reached a point in my life where I refused to let that absence continue.

What I didn’t expect was what came next. The moment I finished those books; a third story consumed me. Legacy of Sins arrived like a storm, pulling both earlier stories forward. Instead of continued editing, marketing, polishing what I had just created, I found myself chasing the next chapter, the next revelation, the next plot twist. Some scenes took forever to finish in all three stories. Not because I lacked the words, but because the memories behind them were too painful. This is all fiction, yes, but parts of it were my life experience. Parts of it still are and will forever be.

Pictured right: The potential book cover for “Legacy of Sins: A Barrio Story” by author Carlos Carmona.

Now the story is almost complete. I’m editing, refining, shaping it the best someone with only their passion can. For no publishing company would. With the lessons learned from the first one, the never‑ending process of self‑publishing. I expect Legacy of Sins to be ready this summer or early fall.

I write because these stories once brought to life refused to let me go. I write because they were missing. I write because survival gave me a second chance, and I refuse to waste it. 

* * * * *

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.

Moving out of state at the end of the month. Full-size metal bed frame. Good condition, no scratches, stains, or marks. $50 or best offer, email me at jschech1@umbc.edu for more details! Pick up in Canton, Baltimore City area. Must go by 6/30/26.

Moving out of state at the end of the month. Full-size mattress for sale! Lightly used, no stains. Firm mattress, great condition. $100 or best offer. Needs to be gone by 6/30/26. Email me at jschech1@umbc.edu for more details. Pick up in the Canton area of Baltimore City.

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a female housemate, as my current housemate will be moving out. The room will be available from August.

Key Details:

• Location: Westland Gardens Apartments

• House type: 2-bedroom townhouse

• Available room: One bedroom on the second floor

• Bathroom: One full bathroom on the second floor, shared between two people

• Common spaces: Living room, dining room, and kitchen on the first floor

• Basement: Washer, dryer, and half bathroom available

• Convenience: About a 5-minute walk to the bus stop and very close to the rental office

• Rent: $671 per person, excluding bills 

• Total rent: $1,342

• Bills: Shared between both housemates (BGE, internet)

If any female student is interested in the room, please feel free to contact me: qp45654@umbc.edu

The Office of Residential Life will be closed Friday, June 19, 2006. Please plan accordingly for in-person office visits. 

The office will reopen on Monday, June 22, 2026.

Our hours of operation during the summer are Monday - Friday, 9 am - 4:30 pm, with the exception of Holidays. 

If you have any general questions during this time, please submit an RT Ticket (reslife.umbc.edu/contact-us). 

If you are in need of urgent assistance, please contact Campus Police at 410-455-5555

Beryl Fuamazeh ’26, biology, and a minor in health, wellness, and aging, is on her way to Howard University College of Medicine. After connecting with Nancy Kusmaul, professor of social work, Beryl found her research interests piqued by learning more about healthcare and aging care. While at UMBC, Beryl worked as a nursing assistant at a retirement community and volunteered for an organization that supports people with disabilities and older adults. After presenting her research at UMBC’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day, she received the Erickson School of Aging Studies Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research.

Beryl transferred to UMBC from the Community College of Baltimore County through the Degrees to Succeed program, and says that the support and funding she’s received from UMBC has made her education affordable and given her time to focus on her passion: healthcare and aging. Outside of school and work, she loves watching Korean dramas.

Q: Tell us about someone in the UMBC community who has inspired you.

A: Dr. Nancy Kusmaul is my research mentor, and she has been instrumental in my undergraduate research journey. The work she does to support the aging community has deeply inspired me. I have also been greatly influenced by Professor Mary Carter, an English professor here, who taught me how to better express myself through writing—a skill that was invaluable during my medical school application process. The support and guidance both faculty members have given me have truly shaped my experience at UMBC.

Q: Tell us about what you love about your academic program.

A: I’ve really enjoyed being part of the Erickson School of Aging Studies through my minor in health, wellness, and aging. Many of the classes I’ve taken have been meaningful because I can directly apply what I learn to my work as a nursing assistant in a retirement community. My biology major has also given me a strong foundation as I prepare to matriculate into medical school.

Q: What’s one thing you’d want someone to know about the support you find here?

A: Because it’s a smaller university, I’ve been able to build meaningful one-on-one relationships with professors, which has been incredibly valuable. I’ve also loved being surrounded by students who are passionate, driven, and genuinely supportive of one another, especially within the sciences. UMBC is a very supportive community. 

Q: What brought you to UMBC in the first place?

A: I wanted to further my education while building meaningful relationships along the way. As someone pursuing the pre-med path, I knew it was important to be surrounded by supportive, like-minded people, and UMBC provided that for me, especially as a transfer student from the Community College of Baltimore County.

I was also drawn to the smaller campus environment, which made it easier to adapt and connect with professors and peers. Through my community college’s Degrees to Succeed partnership program, I was introduced to UMBC and the opportunities it offered, including research experiences, mentorship, and a strong academic community.

Right: Fuamazeh next to her poster at URCAD 2025.

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

A: Dr. Nancy Kusmaul has been incredibly instrumental in helping me grow at UMBC. She helped me kickstart my undergraduate research journey, which initially felt very daunting. All it took was reaching out to her by email, and she was immediately supportive and responsive. She took time out of her busy schedule to help me develop an individualized research study focused on aging, a topic that has become deeply meaningful to me and the communities it impacts.

Q: How have you connected with the community?

A: I have been involved in community programs, like volunteering with the Trusted Ride Program at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital, which supports older adults and individuals with disabilities by helping them get to medical appointments safely. Experiences like this have allowed me to stay connected to the community while pursuing my interests in healthcare and aging.

Q: What would you tell others who are in your shoes about UMBC?

A: I transferred to UMBC from the Community College of Baltimore County, and through scholarships and financial support, including merit-based awards, UMBC helped ease the financial burden of pursuing higher education, which allowed me to focus more on my academics and future goals. I also felt well supported as a transfer student through the Degrees to Succeed program, even before officially transferring to UMBC. The transition felt smooth, and I always felt like there were people willing to help guide me along the way.

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.

Dear colleagues,

UMBC is thrilled to welcome Matthew “Matt” Trevett-Smith as the incoming director of the Faculty Development Center beginning on June 29. Matt joins us from the University of Delaware, where he served as the director of the Center for Teaching and Assessment of Learning (CTAL) since 2019. 

Matt is an educational developer with over 15 years of leadership experience at research-intensive universities. He specializes in faculty development, CTL capability building, and the navigation of shared governance to drive institutional excellence.

At the University of Delaware, he served as a pivotal leader reporting to the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Programs and University Initiatives, coordinating university-wide initiatives including the strategic response to Artificial Intelligence for teaching and UD’s Foundational Course Initiative, which has transformed gateway curriculum for over 17,000 students and counting. He recently co-chaired the Provost’s Task Force on Learning Goals & Assessment, leading a collaborative effort that achieved a 90% alignment of Program Educational Goals across all undergraduate and graduate degree-granting programs.

Previously, Matt served as the founding director of the Center for Teaching & Learning at Boston University. In this role, he built the center from the ground up and played a critical strategic role in the rollout of the BU Hub, the university's inaugural pan-university general education curriculum. His career also includes leadership roles at the University of Virginia’s Center for Teaching Excellence.

A cultural anthropologist by training, Matt holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from the University at Buffalo. His leadership is guided by the “Equity-Excellence Imperative”; the belief that institutional excellence is only realized when we proactively broaden pathways to success. He is an active leader in the Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU) and was recognized as an Adobe Digital Literacy Thought Leader in 2018.

I want to thank Kerrie Kephart for her thoughtful and effective leadership as the interim director of the center. I greatly appreciate her insightful contributions, including spearheading a self-study that provided a roadmap for the center’s future. Please join me in thanking Kerrie for her service to the FDC and UMBC as she returns to her role as an associate director for the center.

Lastly, I also want to thank co-chairs Kyung-Eun Yoon and Sarah Leupen for leading the search and the numerous committee members for their hard work and dedication that culminated in a successful appointment.

Sincerely, 
Ana Oskoz
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs