For Vunnathi Ankem, psychology, the UMBC experience has been defined by one word: community. As an resident assistant, a researcher, and a multifaceted student leader, she has spent her four years both building community and studying its impact on the human experience. From hosting public service retreats in Baltimore to interviewing members of the South Asian diaspora for her thesis, Ankem’s work bridges the gap between community-centered research and heartfelt advocacy. As she prepares to graduate, she leaves behind a campus made stronger by her leadership and a personal roadmap focused on healing, mentorship, and global research.

Q: What brought you to UMBC?

A: I was really trying to find community, to find a place that fit who I was. And I found that at UMBC. I’ve been welcomed by so many communities here, and that’s not just what brought me to UMBC—it continues to be the reason why I love it. 

Q: What drew you to the leadership roles you’ve taken on?

A: The three leadership roles I think about are RA of the Shriver Living Learning Community (LLC), upperclassman chair of the Sondheim Scholars Program Steering Committee, and Honors College Council president. I initially never thought I’d become an RA, but the Shriver LLC floor is something I’m very passionate about. Everyone is always helping each other, and that sort of community is what I love. For Sondheim I was drawn to its public service orientation. I was able to host retreats in Baltimore for first-year students and could make sure they understood how beautiful this city is. My role in the Honors College has become something much deeper after we lost the president and my good friend. She was everywhere and her impact on my life, and on everyone else, continues to be inspiring to me after she’s gone.

Q: What does leadership mean to you?

A: A lot of leadership is serving and listening. As one person, you can’t have all the ideas and you can’t do everything yourself. The best leaders create other leaders because a huge part of leadership is mentorship. You have to always be looking to see who’s interested and giving people the opportunity to grow and blossom and become amazing student leaders. I’ve been lucky to watch that happen in every single role I’ve had on campus. It’s beautiful.

Q: Tell us about your honors thesis research.

A: It all started with Alternative Spring Break. The topic was educational justice for youth experiencing intimate partner violence, which inspired me to do research in that field. A psychology grad student from Pakistan, Ellia Khan, in Dr. Christopher Murphy’s lab inspired me with her South Asian perspectives on this research. Our conversations led me to look into what social factors make us believe certain things and develop certain concepts about unhealthy relationships. The South Asian diaspora is an interesting population to study because it’s fast growing and there’s a wide range of experiences. I’ve done about 14 interviews now, and every single person I’ve talked to I’ve learned so much from.

Q: What advice do you have for incoming students?

A: When I think about what I’m proud of, it’s not the awards, it’s the people. I remember all the people who were there when I needed support—those people meant more to me than any accomplishment. My advice would be to think about what you’ll look back on. It will most likely be community—the people who were there when you weren’t at your best.

Q: What does life after UMBC look like?

A: I’ve been thinking about this question for the whole year. I definitely want to pursue a clinical community psychology Ph.D. in the future—that’s the goal.  I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, so I’ll be heading to India for a nine-month research project – a sort of extension of my thesis, but with people from different states across India. I’m also excited to return to my Indian classical dancing roots. Something about being on stage and dancing, it’s my ultimate peace.

All photos courtesy of Ankem. Story by Katharine Scrivener, assistant director of alumni and development communications.

Greetings Undergraduate Retrievers,

You are invited to attend a virtual town hall to learn about UMBC’s new Master of Science in Applied Data Science, scheduled to launch in Fall 2026.

This session is designed for undergraduate students interested in data science, analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and related fields who may be considering graduate study at UMBC.

During the session, we will discuss:

• Program structure and curriculum

• Career pathways and industry opportunities

• Pathways and elective options

• Questions about admissions, preparation, and planning ahead

The session will be hosted and facilitated by the Graduate Program director and Associate director for the degree,

Dr. Masoud Soroush & Dr. Ali Yousuf, respectively, in conjunction with Office of Professional Programs 

We encourage students from computing, engineering, mathematics, statistics, information systems, sciences and humanities, economics, and related disciplines to attend.

UMBC MS in Applied Data Science: Town Hall

Wednesday, May 13, 2026
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM (Eastern Time)
Location: Webex

Meeting number (access code): 2868 156 4315
Host key: 308477
Meeting password: DATA

Join the meeting:
https://umbc.webex.com/umbc/j.php?MTID=m50a163798904f542d5b7ef38615e423a

We hope you will join us to learn more about this exciting new graduate opportunity at UMBC.

Best regards,
Office of Professional Programs
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

Temporary Private room available for Summer 2026 in a 2BHK townhouse for a male at Westland Gardens for a 3-month move-in. 


Perfect for interns, students living on campus whose apartments will be closed, or anyone looking for temporary housing.

Fully furnished 2BHK townhouse:

What you get:

• Spacious living room with sofa + TV. 
• Fully equipped kitchen (Oven, Microwave, Fridge, Dishwasher). 
  In-unit Washer & Dryer.
• Central heating & cooling. 
• Just a 1-minute walk to the UMBC bus stop. 
• Only 10 minutes walk to campus.
• Availability: May 25th - Aug 15th. 
• Rent is just 600$ only(I can help you with BGE + Wifi). 

DM for more information: +1-202-937-5716 or email me at IO95979@umbc.edu

🏡Private/Shared Room accommodation available at Maidens Choice starting May 24th.

Private Room & Private Bathroom 

The apartment will be shared by you and one person currently staying there.

🛏️ *2 bedroom and 1.5 bath*

✨Fully furnished Apartment
🪑Dining Area with table & chairs, TV
🍽 Oven, Microwave, Fridge, Air Fryer, Toaster
🧺 Apartment community Washer, Dryer Included
🌟 Centralized Heater and Cooler

🚍 1 min walk to UMBC Bus stop
🚶🏻‍♀ 10 mins walk to UMBC campus

📍Location: 5002 Westland Blvd 

DM for photos & rent.

Contact- +1 8482344459 or pratiks2@umbc.edu

Donate your gently used items as you pack up for Summer Break!
In partnership with ResLife and Retriever Essentials, the Office of Sustainability has created the Retriever ReStore, to collect and redistribute donated items from student move out back to our community to keep them out of the landfill.

Green collection bins are placed in the lobbies of each residential building, including the ACC and Walker Clubhouse, to donate your unwanted belongings.

Donated items will be collected by volunteers, and will be available to shop from for free in the ReStore Pop Up in Upper Flat Tuesdays as collection goes on. At this time we are NOT accepting clothing or linens. See below for a list of accepted items!

 Sign up for a collection volunteeer shift to get first dibs on incoming donations.  

Contact sustainability@umbc.edu with any questions.

Donation locations:
The Apartment Community Center
Walker Avenue Clubhouse
Patapsco Hall West
Susquehanna Hall
Potomac Hall 
Chesapeake Hall
Erickson Hall
Harbor Hall

Accepted donations:
Kitchen appliances
School supplies
Small furniture
Desk organizers
Decorative items
Pots, pans, and dishes
Mirrors
Non-perishable food items
+ MORE!

Repost: myUMBC Sustainability Matters

All,

Beginning May 26th, facilities will be conducting some work at the north entrance of the ILSB (Facing Physics) to address mechanical access panels in the ceiling. The plan currently will involve closing access to the  east entrance, facing Physics, for two weeks +/-  and then replicating similar work in the west side / quad facing entrance. 

There is nothing you need to do at the monent other than be aware of the plans and expect to have to use the quad facing west entrance for the end of May / beginning of June.

Good morning UMBC Community!

The Cybersecurity Assurance and Digital Trust Department (CADT) in the Division of Information Technology is tracking a series of phishing emails that were sent last night encouraging users to click a link to review items that required their attention. Unfortunately, these emails were part of a phishing campaign.

Users who believe they have already clicked on the phishing links should change their passwords immediately. 

We are working to notify the users we believe were compromised and scramble their passwords to safeguard their accounts. The compromised users will also receive a personalized myUMBC post informing them of the events.

If you have received notices from CADT, make sure you change your password to a long, unique value that you have not used on myUMBC or other services in the past. It is important that you do not provide attackers with your DUO two-factor authentication codes or accept push notifications you have not initiated.

Please use extra caution this week as we are expecting an uptick in phishing. If you need to check on the status of your account, we encourage you to visit my.umbc.edu directly versus clicking on a link in an email. If you accidentally click a phishing link and enter your login info, we will have to scramble your password to keep the account safe. We would hate for that to happen right before a big exam, so definitely keep an extra close eye on those links!

Thank you for assisting us in keeping the campus community safe and good luck on your finals!

AI companion bots as a public health issue: A new framework for regulation

Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EDT
Online only: https://www.brookings.edu/events/ai-companion-bots-as-a-public-health-issue

RSVP to watch online

AI companion bots are reshaping how people connect, confide, and cope, with children and adolescents among their most active users. Even as evidence of their potential social and developmental harms grows, these products face limited regulatory oversight.

On May 26, the Center for Universal Education at Brookings will host a conversation on whether AI companion bots should be governed as a product with public health implications. Gaia Bernstein will discuss findings from a forthcoming policy brief, “From bans to recalls: A public health framework for AI companion bots.” The conversation will explore the public health risks of AI companion bots, particularly for children; why existing regulatory frameworks may fall short; how tools such as recalls and pre-market approval could apply to AI systems; and what steps legislators, companies, families, and advocates can take now to protect young users.

OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT!

Summer GLBL 210: ENTR Elective Course

Do your interests span the globe?  If so, check out GLBL 210: Business Without Borders--an asynchronous entrepeneurship elective course that also counts as a Culture GEP!

Explore the dynamic world of global business—no passport needed. This online summer course introduces how markets, ideas, and entrepreneurs connect across and beyond borders. You’ll learn how innovation and technology drive global opportunities, with a focus on social entrepreneurship and real-world case studies from around the world.

Blending cultural insight with business strategy, the course helps you understand global collaboration, negotiation, and diverse entrepreneurial ecosystems—giving you practical tools to thrive in today’s interconnected economy.

Sign up this summer to gain a global perspective and stand out in an increasingly connected world!

Find more information about summer session here.

Fall ENTR Courses Being Offered

Our entrepreneurship courses help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset so they can be effective problem solvers who think outside the box, regardless of whether you ever start a business!  Our Fall classes still have room...

• ENTR 200: Introduction to Entrepreneurship  This course cover the basics of what you need to know to pursue an idea and where to start!  Class sessions will focus on identifying problems and solutions, customers, and the basics of funding.

      **Starting this fall, ENTR 200 will count as a Social Science GEP! 

     Course Sections being offered:

1. In-Person: Monday: 4:30-7 pm
2. In-Person: Tuesday: 4:30-7 pm,
3. Hybrid Section: Wednesday: 4:30-7 pm   This section will meet in-person for the first and last class sections, and online for the remainder of the semester.

• ENTR 201:  The Entrepreneurial Mindset This course focuses on helping students develop the problem solving skills and attributes needed to solve real-world problems.

     Course Sections being offered (both sections are in-person)

1. Monday: 4:30-7 pm
2. Tuesday: 4:30-7 pm

• ENTR 330: Entrepreneurial Finance (offered every Fall semester) This course goes deeper than the basics in a beginning business plan and students learn about how to develop a healthy financial plan for a venture that is sustainable.

1. Wednesday: 4:30-7 pm

UMBC is pleased to welcome St. Rita's Amazing Traveling Bookstore to campus on Wednesday, May 13 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. just outside of PAHB near the traffic circle. 

Come by and browse St. Rita's offerings and climb aboard her mobile bookstore. Follow St. Rita on Instagram at @stritasbooks or visit https://saintritasbooks.com/ to learn more about her work. Hope to see you there!