Please note the room has changed to Fine Arts 118

 Please join us for the Newbery Award Honor Author Andrea Wang's talk at UMBC on April 15, sponsored by the Department of Education and the Global Asias Initiative. 

Did your questions get left out of our Q&A last week? Or, did the Q&A stir up even more questions for you about Christianity?

Come to Overflow tonight, Tuesday 4/14, at 7:30PM in ILSB118, and let's talk about it! Snacks provided :D

Hope to see you tonight!

At UMBC, restorative practices have grown from a promising idea into a campus-wide movement—one shaped by dedicated staff and reaching far beyond the university itself.

For Jeff Cullen, UMBC’s director of Student Conduct and Community Standards, this work has been years in the making. Now in his 18th year at the university, Cullen has helped guide the evolution of student conduct from a traditional, punitive model toward something more meaningful: a restorative approach that centers accountability, healing, and community.

“Each student I encounter is unique,” Cullen explains. “I enjoy working with them in a restorative way—offering high levels of support while also demanding high levels of accountability.”

Building a proactive framework

UMBC formally began integrating restorative practices in 2015, after adopting training models inspired by the International Institute for Restorative Practices. What started as an alternative way to resolve disputes has since expanded into a proactive framework for building relationships and fostering authentic communication across campus.

Instead of focusing solely on punishment, restorative practices ask deeper questions. Cullen describes a hypothetical situation: a student returns to their residence hall inebriated, damages a bulletin board, and creates a mess in a shared space. In a traditional system, the outcome might center on sanctions. But a restorative approach broadens the lens.

“It’s not just about the student,” Cullen says. “There are custodial staff, residential life staff, and other students who are impacted.”

Through restorative circles, those affected come together—the student, staff members, peers—and engage in guided dialogue. They reflect on what happened, who was harmed, and how to make things right. The result is not only accountability, but also understanding and, often, reintegration into the community.

While the process can feel challenging at first, Cullen notes that participants often leave with a sense of resolution and stronger conflict-resolution skills. Early data and broader research suggest that restorative approaches can reduce repeat offenses, increase satisfaction, and create healthier communities overall.

That impact is not limited to UMBC.

Restorative practices beyond the classroom

Toshiyasu Tsuruhara, an associate professor at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan, traveled across the globe to attend a 2-day restorative practices workshop at UMBC (combining his trip with another training in San Diego). With a background in conflict mediation—including accreditation as a community mediator in the U.K. and experience working with neighbor disputes and in family court—Tsuruhara was already familiar with restorative justice concepts.

But the workshop offered something new.

“I learned how these tools can be applied in real-life situations,” he explains. “I am interested in restorative practices because they offer tools to repair relationships and bring communities toward peace,” Tsuruhara says. “They are not just for education—they can be applied in work, family, and friendships.”

During his time at UMBC, Tsuruhara engaged closely with students and staff, participating in discussions, collaborative exercises, and even creative activities like short dramatic presentations to explore key concepts. What stood out most was not just the theory, but how actively it was practiced.

For Tsuruhara, the experience also highlighted the value of introducing restorative practices early in students’ lives. He observed how these approaches could help students navigate both academic and social challenges, while also preparing them for professional environments.

“They help maintain peaceful relationships with workmates,” he says. “And if conflict happens, they provide tools to resolve it.”

Inspired by what he learned, Tsuruhara plans to continue to integrate restorative practices into his own teaching. In his “Multicultural Cooperation Workshop,” students from diverse national and cultural backgrounds collaborate on long-term group projects—an environment where conflict can naturally arise. Rather than relying solely on mediation training, he sees restorative practices as a more holistic and educational approach.

One small effort turns into campus-wide movement

Back at UMBC, Cullen reflects on how far the initiative has come. What began over a decade ago as a small effort has grown into a campus-wide movement, with hundreds of students, faculty, and staff trained in restorative methods.

“At UMBC, if you have a good idea, you’re encouraged to implement it,” Cullen says. “We had no idea it would grow like this—but here we are.”

Supported by colleagues in Residential Life and Student Affairs leadership, and shaped through years of collaboration, restorative practices at UMBC continue to evolve—impacting not only the campus community, but also educators and practitioners around the world.

Click here for more resources on restorative practices at UMBC

Some undergraduate students noticed-- and brought to the attention of Election Board, thank you!-- that they were unable to access the myUMBC SGA Elections 2026 group at the start of Election Week on Sunday, April 12th.

We immediately submitted an inquiry into this issue and received a resolution today.

The original roster shared with Election Board included students that met three qualifications:

• UMBC undergraduate students;
• actively enrolled in at least one credit hour;
• who had paid the Student Activities fee (which funds SGA).

We have learned that 877 students were missing from this list due to their status in regards to payment of the Student Activities fee. We have received a new list that focuses only on two qualifications:

• UMBC undergraduate students;
• actively enrolled in at least one credit hour.

Since a students' status in regards to paying the Student Activities fee is fluid and can be updated at any time, we have elected to use this second list. We have updated access to the myUMBC SGA Elections 2026 group accordingly.

If you are experiencing issues accessing the SGA Elections 2026 group and believe you are eligible to cast your vote, please do not hesitate to contact Election Board. You can reach the Election Board chair, Elle, at g181@umbc.edu. You can reach the Election Board advisor, Lesa, at lgoodhue@umbc.edu 

Hi everyone!

The Hearts for the Homeless Executive Board Application for 2026-2027 is now open and will remain open until Tuesday, April 21, at 11:59 pm. If you want to make a greater impact and lead, we encourage you to apply by submitting your completed application before the deadline. To be eligible, you must have attended at least ONE GBM and TWO VOLUNTEER EVENTS this year (fall 2025-spring 2026); you have until May 14 to meet these requirements. If you have not previously served on the board, you are not eligible for President, VP, or Treasurer. To apply or if you have questions, please email us or contact a current board member. We look forward to growing our board!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVa0lrRbGx5gxxHv0kbsWFVLWc_30ynOP9UBtwrZInkSS60w/viewform

Thank you,

H4H

GroupMe: https://groupme.com/join_group/87932763/heDmmPl0

Please join the UMD Center for Global Migration Studies in a discussion of Willow Lung-Amam’s The Right to Suburbia: Combating Gentrification on the Urban Edge (UC Press 2024). Tanya Golash-Boza (University of California, Washington DC program) will provide comments.

Hybrid Book Talk! The Right to Suburbia: Combating Gentrification on the Urban Edge (UC Press 2024).

In this talk, Dr. Lung Amam will discuss her new book, The Right to Suburbia: Combating Gentrification on the Urban Edge. The book investigates how marginalized communities, including African American, Asian American, and Latinx immigrants in the suburbs of Washington, DC—one of the most intensely gentrifying metropolitan regions in the United States—have battled the uneven costs and benefits of redevelopment. Revealing the far-reaching impacts of state-led redevelopment, The Right to Suburbia shows how patterns of unequal, racialized development and displacement are being produced and reproduced in suburbs—and how communities are fighting back.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
4:00 - 5:30pm

WHERE: Taliaferro Hall, 2110 (The Berlin Room) or over Zoom.

REGISTER: go.umd.edu/cgmssuburbia

***reposted from CARAT***

CAHSS faculty are invited to submit a pre-proposal to be nominated for the 2026 William T. Grant Scholars Program competition, sponsored by the William T. Grant Foundation (WTGF). The WTGF Scholars Program supports career development for promising early-career researchers. 

Eligible applicants should have received their doctorate within seven years of the WTGF program's application deadline of June 30, 2026, and seven years after the year the doctorate was conferred. Applicants must currently be employed in a tenure-track position.

The program makes awards totaling $425,000 for five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers’ expertise in new disciplines, methods, and content areas. Applicants should have a track record of conducting high-quality research and an interest in pursuing a significant shift in their trajectories as researchers. This award includes a mentoring component, as well as a supportive academic community.

WTGF’s Research Focus Areas: 
1. Reducing Inequality. WTGF funds research studies that examine programs, policies, or practices to reduce inequality in the academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes of young people ages 5–25 in the United States, along dimensions of race, ethnicity, economic standing, sexual or gender minority status (e.g., LGBTQ+ youth), language minority status, or immigrant origins.

2. Improving the Use of Research Evidence. In this focus area, WTGF supports research studies that examine strategies to improve the use of research evidence in ways that benefit young people ages 5-25 in the United States. The Foundation seeks proposals for studies that advance theory and build empirical knowledge on ways to improve the use of research evidence by policymakers, public agency leaders, organizational managers, intermediaries, community organizers, and other decision-makers that generally shape youth-serving systems in the United States.

CAHSS Internal Competition:

An internal CAHSS competition will be held to select the CAHSS nominee. Pre-proposals are due to the CAHSS Dean’s Office, via a box link, by May 11, 2026. Review the attached instructions and box link for detailed information.

The nominee will be notified on May 20, 2026, and will work with CARAT to develop a complete application, following the application guidelines. Complete applications will be due to WTGF, via the program's application portal, by June 30, 2026 (3:00 PM, ET). 

The CAHSS nominee must be PI Eligible, with active status, in order to prepare a proposal and receive an award at UMBC. PI Eligible active status entails the successful completion (with issued certificates) of PIRATE training; CITI Research Security Training - combined; and completion of a PI Eligibility form, with attached certificates of completion for the trainings, and your appointment letter. See UMBC Policy # IV-2.00.03 for more information. Contact Rachel Brubaker (rbruba1@umbc.edu) for assistance.

Successful applicants will be notified by WTGF on March 27, 2027. Five-year awards, made to the applicants’ institution, will begin on July 1, 2027.

Contact Marc Ruppel (mruppel@umbc.edu), CARAT Director, or Rachel Brubaker (rbruba1@umbc.edu), to discuss your pre-proposal.

WTGF Program Resources:

• Scholars Program website: https://WTGFrantfoundation.org/funding/william-t-grant-scholars-program
• Program application guide: https://WTGFrantfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-Application-Guide-WTGF-Scholars.pdf
• Applicant resources, including a webinar and annotated excerpts: https://WTGFrantfoundation.org/funding/william-t-grant-scholars-program/applicant-resources#annotated-excerpts
• Program FAQ: https://WTGFrantfoundation.org/funding/william-t-grant-scholars-program/faq

Looking for a summer course that connects science to real-world issues? Consider signing up for HCST 100: The Human Context of Science and Technology, which explores topics like medical and scientific research, bioethics, Henrietta Lacks, Black maternal health in Baltimore and the US, race and technology, values in experimental research, and science in its social context.

Taught by historian Chris Blakley (Morgan State)

Online & Asynchronous

Join us on Monday, May 4 for a celebration of the many accomplishments of the Global Asias Initiative here at UMBC! The Global Asias Initiative, a three-year initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation, has created a forum for engaging in conversations in the fields of Asian American Studies, Asian diaspora studies, and Asian Studies and has strengthened support for Asian and Asian American students on campus. The Initiative has has created connections across disciplines, institutions, organizations, and communities here on campus and beyond. 

Full information is available on the event website and through the myUMBC event posts linked below. 

*Please RSVP for each event using the myUMBC links below*

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Schedule of Events

11:00am-12:30pm
Welcome & Belonging and Community Luncheon: Conversations on Asian experiences at UMBC
Fine Arts 011

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1:00pm-2:15pm
Public Humanities and Global Asias 
Keynote Address with Dr. Anna Guevarra
Fine Arts Recital Hall (Room 118)

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3:00-4:30pm
Global Asias in Dialogue Roundtable
Performing Arts & Humanities Building (PAHB) Room 216

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5:00-6:30pm
Global Asias Student Showcase & Reception
Location: AOK Library Gallery

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Thank you to our partners the Asian Studies Program, Mosaic: The Center for Cultural Diversity, Residential Life, McNair Scholars Program, and the Baltimore chapter of National Association of Asian American Professionals for support organizing this celebration.

Please contact Global Asias Project Manager, Priya Bhayana at priyab@umbc.edu for more information.

Poster Design by Tyra Bounxouaysana ’26, commonvision UMBC Student Design and Print Center

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These events are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

UMBC’s CSEE department will hold its annual Research Day on Friday, April 17th, from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm in University Center 312. It will bring together students, faculty, and staff for a day of presentations, posters, and community engagement.

Three CSEE faculty will present their research:

• Dr. Dong Li, From Everyday Devices to Intelligent Health Sensing, 10:00-10:25 am

• Dr. Ergun Simsek, Dispersion Metrology with Neural Networks, 11:10-11:35 am

• Dr. Tejas Gokhale, Cognitive Vision: Intelligence as Concept Learning, 1:00-1:25 pm

There will be additional talks by CSEE alumna Dr. Janerra Allen and undergraduate, MS, and Ph.D. students, as well as a poster session featuring more than 20 student research posters. Refreshments and lunch will be provided for all attendees. See the full schedule and get more information here, and RSVP if you plan to attend.