Meet Christian Jassani, a first-year political science and global studies major. Christian is a member of the Honors College, Susquehanna Community Council, Honors Council, and SGA. He has taken advantage of the many opportunities UMBC offers, which has helped him to grow, both socially, and academically. From these opportunities, he has been able to gain confidence in himself, find a family at UMBC, and make connections with staff who are there to support his academic journey every step of the way. Take it away, Christian.  

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

A: I love learning! It sounds very cliché, but I truly love learning about all different kinds of topics. Whether it be history, politics, or any other areas, I really do find learning to be very fun.

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

A: Dr. Brigid Starkey, the director of global studies. I had her my first semester and continue to stay in contact. She is always there to help guide me academically, but also reminds me to step back and enjoy college.

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

A: I love everyone and everything about the Honors College. The staff truly care for all their students. You are also surrounded by a group of other students who love learning. The best thing about the Honors College is everyone supports each other because we are one big family.

Christian, second from left, with his roommate and suitemate posing with True Grit at UMBC’s 2023 Homecoming carnival.

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

A: Connect! There are so many great opportunities as UMBC available to students. To get these opportunities you have to be willing to put your name out there. So even though I know it seems scary, send out those emails!

Q: Tell us what brought you to UMBC in the first place.

A: I chose UMBC because when I stepped on campus for my tour I truly felt like this was the place for me. I was looking for colleges where I would be challenged academically, but also be surrounded by a supportive environment. I automatically knew this was the place for me when on my tour my Grit Guide said something along the lines of, “Here at UMBC, students are not pitted against each other, but rather the students help each other grow.”

As soon as I heard that, in my head, I was committed to UMBC. I knew UMBC was a place that could give not only a great education, but also be in a supportive community that cares about me and help me flourish both academically and socially.

Q: Your HOW. Since you’ve been a part of the UMBC community, how have you found support?

A: Since I have been at UMBC I have grown so much both socially and in my academics. I am a rather shy person, but my being here has allowed me to gain more confidence in myself. I have a huge fear of presenting, so when I was chosen to be the first-year speaker for the 2023 Fall Opening, I was terrified. But through that speech, I made connections with many faculty members on campus. That kid who was terrified to speak, is now a Grit Guide and is involved in multiple clubs.

Besides helping me grow socially, UMBC has also been extremely supportive in my academic journey. I frequently meet with my professor who gives me guidance and advice on how to navigate the different academic departments. The staff at UMBC have also helped me find different internships and scholarships. Here at UMBC, it is evident you are more than just a number, the staff really do have your best interest at heart and want to see you grow as an individual.

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

A: I am currently the Residential Student Life representative for Susquehanna Community Council, first-year rep for the Honors College Council, a First-Year Ambassador for SGA, and a Grit Guide. What I love about all of these groups are the people I get to work with. We all share a common purpose of wanting to create a better space for everyone at UMBC.

Q: Are you currently part of a scholars program or Living Learning Community at UMBC? Tell us about what you enjoy about it!

A: I am a member of the Honors College and live in the Honors LLC. My favorite thing about this is that I have a big family here at UMBC. The Honors College is an extremely supportive environment. What I especially love about the LLC in particular, is that I am surrounded by people who have similar experiences to me, and can directly relate to problems I may encounter.

Christian and his friends from the Honors LLC in the Harbor Courtyard making s’mores on Valentine’s Day 2024.

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a student leader?

A: The best part about my leadership roles are that I have the platform to actively execute the ideas of the students I represent. I love hearing from my fellow peers about concerns they have, and being able to bring those issues to the table. But the absolute best thing about these roles is getting to plan fun events and see students take a break from academics to just enjoy college.

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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 Graduate School at UMBC, PROMISE program, the Latinx and Hispanic Gradstudent Association, the Black Graduate Student Association, and the Nigerian Graduate Student Association are partnering this year to host the Annual PROMISE Cookout, Celebration of Graduates event on Friday, May 3, 2024, from 12:00 PM -  2:00 PM in person, at UMBC campus, The Commons Terrace. Following the event, there will be a mental health walk! 

This event is an opportunity to decompress, reconnect with fellow graduate students, celebrate those graduating this May or August, and have some much-needed fun! Please make sure to RSVP on our LHGSA events home page for an accurate headcount.

Please direct your questions and special food requests to promise@umbc.edu

The 2024 Campus Climate Survey was launched! Information gathered from the survey will be used to inform our ongoing education, prevention, and response work, and is an important component in campus-wide efforts to stop, prevent, and remedy the effects of sexual misconduct at UMBC.

All students who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing to win one of ten $25 UMBC Bookstore gift cards.

You can access the online survey here. The survey will be open from Thursday, May 2, 2024 until Thursday, May 16, 2024 and will take about 15-25 minutes to complete.

This survey is anonymous and confidential. After completing the Campus Climate Survey, you will be prompted to enter your name and email address in a separate voluntary survey to enter for a chance to win one of the gift cards.

Content note: This survey asks some questions about personal experiences with sexual and interpersonal violence. Some of the language used in this survey is explicit and direct and may be triggering or uncomfortable for some participants. Information on how to get help, if you need it, appears before and after the survey and is available on the ECR website.

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Meet Monroe Kennedy, III, a Meyerhoff Scholar (M20) who earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering from UMBC in 2012 before earning his M.S. in robotics and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania. Monroe is now an assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department at Stanford University. His work is in collaborative robotics, building systems capable of extending robotic autonomy to scenarios where robots work closely around humans and must anticipate their needs to be effective teammates. Outside of his role as a professor, Monroe serves as a national director for Black in Robotics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing diversity within the field of robotics. Take it away Monroe!

Q: What brought you to UMBC?

A: I came to UMBC for its mechanical engineering program and the Meyerhoff Scholars Program. I had a passion for invention and design and UMBC was the perfect place to gain knowledge so I could have an impactful career. During high school, I was taking courses at a community college, and one instructor was aware of the Meyerhoff program and nominated me—I am so grateful for that initial introduction.

Q: What do you love about your academic program?

A: I love mechanical engineering. When I first joined UMBC, the movie Iron Man had just come out and there was a screening on the Quad. I remember thinking “I want to do that!” Tony Stark was the only hero whose superpower was truly achievable—his ability to innovate and invent.

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest engineering disciplines. If you follow the Ph.D. “academic tree,” you will find many of the first mechanical engineers had advisors in more fundamental sciences. Because it is a fundamental engineering discipline it covers many areas from controls, dynamics, design, fluids, vibrations, and so much more.

An individual who learns to embrace the diversity of subjects within mechanical engineering learns to think about problems and solutions holistically and brings solutions from every sub-field to solve problems in the most elegant way possible. As a roboticist, a lot of my work is endowing my robots with a form of “intelligence,” but often we find ourselves wishing our robot had an additional physical feature, and as mechanical engineers, it is not difficult for us to make such concepts a reality very quickly.

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

A: While at UMBC I was very fortunate to be able to work in Professor J. Vanderlei Martins‘ LACO (Laboratory for Aerosol and Cloud Optics) lab. Professor Martins was an amazing advisor who was able to use my limited experience at the time to contribute to a very impactful project involving designing the de-orbiting system for a picosatellite. Being given an opportunity to work on something that traveled to space was a key element in my ultimate trajectory, and I am very grateful to Professor Martins for his support and mentorship.

Q: Tell us about your HOW.

A: The Meyerhoff community played a very big role in my career. Through the program, I was coached on applying for internships and graduate school. Additionally, having the support of professors like J. Vanderlei Martins, working in his laboratory, and receiving his recommendation was crucial to my academic trajectory.

Q: Tell us about your current job. What do you like most about it?

A: I am an assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department with a courtesy appointment in computer science at Stanford University. My work is in collaborative robotics, building systems capable of extending robotic autonomy to scenarios where robots work closely around humans and must anticipate their needs to be effective teammates.

I love the Stanford community. You will find here that dreaming big and doing the extraordinary is quite ordinary here.

Outside of my role as a professor, I serve as a national director for Black in Robotics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing diversity within the field of robotics.

Q: What drives you to support UMBC?

A: I want to see UMBC continue to produce leaders who are inquisitive and courageous, unafraid of setbacks, and yet very accomplished and making the world a better place.

* * * * *

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.