Meet Hope Weisman ’14, psychology, M.A. ’18, applied sociology, a Transfer Academic Advocate and member of the UMBC community for 10 years and counting. As a transfer to UMBC herself, Hope has found the perfect professional role for herself at UMBC’s Academic Success Center. Thanks for sharing your story, Hope!

Q: Tell us about your primary why, and how it led you to UMBC.

A: I came to UMBC as an undergraduate student because it felt like it was the right fit for me. I was transferring from a local community college and I had never even been to UMBC. I did a campus tour with my mom and I knew from that moment that this was the environment I wanted to be in. UMBC checked all the boxes I wanted in a place of higher education. I wanted an environment that would challenge me academically and provide me with the tools and resources to be successful. As such, I took ownership of my undergraduate career and utilized the many opportunities for me on campus and continued my studies in the Graduate School. Now, as a professional staff member, I can definitely say I made the right decision applying to UMBC all those years ago. My life would be surely different without UMBC! 

Q: How did you transition from transfer student to transfer advocate?

My world at UMBC is transfer related—all day, every day! As an undergraduate, I served as a Transfer Student Network Leader in Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS). I wanted to share my own experiences as a transfer to help other students with their transitions to UMBC. Now, I get to do that in a professional role as the Transfer Academic Advocate in the Academic Success Center.

Q: What part of your job do you enjoy the most and why?

A: As my title is ‘Transfer Academic Advocate,’ it is no surprise that my favorite part of the job is getting to work with our transfer students! I get to work with a population that is so near and dear to my heart to provide them with the resources and support so that they can achieve their goals and dreams, just like I did. I love getting to hear their stories and help them along on their UMBC journey. Getting to see them walk across the stage and have a huge smile on their face brings me so much joy.

Additionally, I enjoy the connections I have made by working with fellow campus partners together to best support our students. I also have to give a shout out to my fantastic team in the Academic Success Center who deeply care about student success AND have fun doing so!

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone to know about the UMBC community?

Weisman, left, along with a colleague Alison Larsen and UMBC’s campus dog, Chip.

A: Relationships are everything at UMBC. From my own experience, I have gained some of the most incredible friendships (one of my bridesmaids!) and partnerships. I value relationships and partnerships that foster a supportive and collaborative community to best support our students. 

I would also like to share that UMBC gives you the opportunity to grow. When I started as a student, I was very shy and introverted. However, I took the steps to come out of my comfort zone and try new things. For example, I signed up for a public speaking course and served as one of the Transfer Student Seminar (TRS) Peer Leaders. I wanted to become more confident and these opportunities have been helpful as I continue in my professional role. 

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

A: There are many people at UMBC who have inspired and supported me during my time here. Many of my former professors, supervisors, and colleagues have each fostered learning opportunities in order for me to grow and develop as a student and a professional staff member. I’m grateful for each person who has helped me get to where I am today. 

Specifically, I’d like to recognize two UMBC community members who have helped pave the way for me at UMBC. Christine Mair from the Applied Sociology Program advised me as a graduate student. Dr. Mair encouraged me to explore my own academic/educational interests, and always provided unwavering support during my master’s program. Second, Amanda Knapp, associate vice provost and assistant dean, has provided endless guidance and support to me within the Academic Success Center. She has allowed me to grow professionally and has always believed in me. Most notably, Dr. Knapp always creates an environment where I feel supported and always pushes me to succeed. I am truly grateful! 

Q: Are you involved in any campus organizations? Tell us about what you love about them!

A: This past year, I served as a mentee for the Professional Staff Senate. It was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed getting to have a mentor who was a fantastic support. I’m also involved in the Financial Literacy Education Committee which works to provide resources and educational tools for financial wellness—a topic that is of interest and importance to me having worked in the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships! Additionally, I serve on many different transfer-related committees where we work together to create initiatives that will best support our transfer student population.

Q: What would you tell someone who is considering a career at UMBC?

A: UMBC was a great place for me as a student and continues to be a great place to be as a staff member. I value the relationships and connections I have formed that continue beyond UMBC. I appreciate that every day is a brand new day and I have an opportunity to learn and grow within my role. I have been a part of the UMBC campus for ten years and I’m looking forward to what the future brings us!

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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.

Each week, UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby invites students to her office hours to chat about their lives and their experiences at UMBC. Today, she’s speaking with Viridiana Colosio-Martinez ’22, modern languages, linguistics, and intercultural communication, and M.A. ’24, intercultural communication, who emigrated from Mexico and is currently working on community-engaged research with immigrant communities in Baltimore’s Highlandtown neighborhood. Read more about Colosio-Martinez’s life and work in Shared Stories, Shared Purpose.

UMBC Magazine: Viridiana, you have such a compelling personal story. When you first met Dr. Sheares Ashby, what was the most important thing you wanted to convey to her about your story and why?

Colosio-Martinez: President Sheares Ashby has been very inspiring to me. Because in my experience as a student and also as a Latino woman in the U.S., through the many institutions I’ve attended…I haven’t seen the presence of women, especially in positions like this. For me, it’s really inspiring and it gives me hope as a woman to know what is possible, because sadly in our society, we’re still dealing with a lot of discrimination and misconceptions.

Having this opportunity is really important. It makes me feel that any student—no matter if you’re Latino, or if you’re African American, or if you are Haitian American, or Asian, or international—can have the opportunity to meet people in power. You can connect and mak bridges and share your needs and experiences.

UMBC Magazine: President Sheares Ashby, you’re meeting with many students in your first months here through your regular office hours and in other ways. How does it impact you as a leader to get to know people on an individual level? 

President Sheares Ashby: I am a teacher at heart…it is in my heart and my mind. I love teaching because it gives me the opportunity to look for greatness in my students and then help them see it for themselves. And so, I love it when a student comes to me and I can get to know who they are, where they come from, and how I can be supportive.

I am sitting here looking at you [Viridiana] thinking, “Okay, who is she going to become? And what is possible for her?” And the fact is, everything is possible. She is going to run and she is going to make a big difference in the world. And now I can ask myself, “How can I support her and help her do that?” That is what my brain is always doing. And so, I love it. I love when students come to me.

Colosio-Martinez: I feel like you’re very approachable. In September, there was a meet-and-greet for the Latino/Hispanic Faculty Association. I was there supporting my professors, and I saw you there talking with every single person. I saw how you wanted to give us space and recognize our community. 

UMBC Magazine: You’re finishing up your master’s degree, Viridiana, and like the president, you’re a teacher. What will you take from UMBC with you after you graduate?

Colosio-Martinez: I would like to become a professor. When I have my office hours with students now, I’m always thinking the same thing: “Who are they? And do they need help with anything?” I want to help others…I would like to continue with my research in the Latinx community, to make space for the wonderful stories of people who are doing good things and all the challenges that our communities experience.

And what will I take with me? I will take all the passion, all the knowledge from my professors and mentors, like my mentor Tania Lizarazo, and all of the skills. I will take the friendships of my classmates…and the wonderful experience of teaching undergrads. I’m taking every single experience and I will remember every single student, and I’m taking all of those things with me to make sure that I use them in the future. 

President Sheares Ashby: You are so inspiring, Viridiana. Thank you for sharing your story!

Pavan Umashankar, '24 chemical engineering - biotechnology &  bioengineering track

When did you start your Research Experience?

Spring 2022 - ongoing

Where is your Research Experience?

Padmanabhan Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, UMBC

What is the focus of your Research Experience ?

I am studying the molecular pathways that regulate protein stability and turnover of ubiquitin-specific protease 15 (USP15) in ovarian cancer cells. USP15 has been implicated in ovarian cancer progression and metastasis, thus study of USP15's roles in the disease is key to constructing a better understanding of ovarian cancer and to develop more effective therapeutic options.

What was the best part of your Research Experience OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Research Experience ?

My biggest learning moments have been with regard to understanding and dealing with experimental failure. More often than not, it is likely that your experiment is not going to work as you intended the first time around (at least, this has been the case for me)! I have grown to understand that failure is especially integral to research, where we are constantly trying to explore unknown territory, and that it offers opportunities to learn new skills, knowledge, or even change research directions! This has helped me grow resilient as a scientist and better appreciate the research process.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?

For a young scientist/professional seeking their first experience, it is so much more important to find a supportive environment than finding the "perfect" research/internship topic. Use your network of peers and faculty to check that the program is a good fit for your growth; Your research/professional interests will continue to develop as you gain more experiences.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

Meyerhoff Scholars Program, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Tau Beta Pi, Teaching Fellow for ENCH 215 (Summer & Fall 2022)

What are your goals after graduation?

I plan to continue to pursue my research interests before matriculating into physician-scientist training programs

Learn more about Pavan Umashankar: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavan-umashankar/ 

When asked to describe the cinematic masterpiece that is Cocaine Bear, Scott Seiss ’16, media and communication studies, didn’t mince any words to deliver his thoughts on the hit film based on true events.

“I think ‘cocaine’ and ‘bear,’ just those two words pretty much sum it up. A wild rollercoaster ride of gore and jokes.”

What started as a Facebook message to then-agentless Seiss’ spam folder with the suspicious but apt subject line “COCAINE” has led to a debut on the silver screen and launched this Retriever from Dundalk onto the national comedy stage.

Bear for now, dog for life

Seiss, who plays the ill-fated paramedic Tom in Elizabeth Banks’ recent romp, Cocaine Bear, credits much of his comedic career to the opportunities and support he got while attending UMBC.

“There were a lot of things that came from UMBC that I think really just helped me along the comedy journey and gave me a lot of confidence and experience and skills that I might not have necessarily had going somewhere else,” says Seiss.

At this point in his career, there are a few places you may have seen Seiss—on stage performing with Dog-Collar Comedy Troupe (he was a part of the founding group at UMBC 10 years ago), on TikTok with his viral “Angry Ikea Guy” series, or opening for the likes of Patton Oswalt (on tour in 2022) or for Bo Burnham at UMBC in 2014. (At the time he thought, “Well, I’ve peaked. This is the coolest thing I’ll ever get to do in comedy.”)

Seiss got his start on UMBC’s Flat Tuesdays stage and then started bouncing around Baltimore to begin his stand-up journey. He eventually moved to New Jersey, pursued stand up in New York every night, and then the pandemic happened. That’s when he turned to TikTok. Drawing on his own experiences in customer service, Seiss soon amassed a massive following and, once a compilation video of his hits started making the rounds, Hollywood took notice.

Seiss explains, “Elizabeth Banks and her husband and producing partner Max Handelman saw the videos and loved them, thought they were funny, and they were like, ‘We got to see this guy screaming for his life.’”

Retriever skills on the silver screen

They got their money’s worth from Seiss’ shouts. On set, he says, “I had to do one day of all screaming, where I was just screaming and getting attacked.” He credits Lynn Watson, theatre, for his vocal technique. “I did all the stuff that she had taught me, the Fitzmaurice diaphragmatic breathing, tremors, all this kind of stuff, to be able to project and scream. I never lost my voice.”

In fact, Seiss often thought of advice he got from UMBC while filming. “Eve Muson, who is the best acting professor of all time, is also the best acting coach of all time. It was always her voice in my head when I was acting. I could just hear her saying, ‘Don’t pretend to be afraid of the bear, be afraid of the bear.’ That was one of her go-tos: don’t pretend, actually do it,” says Seiss. “So, every time I did a take on Cocaine Bear, I would just go back and I’d go, ‘Oh my God, would Eve have liked that?’ That was my barometer for if it was good.”

It’s a mutual admiration for Muson. “I loved working with Scott when he was a student here at UMBC. He was my assistant director for our epic production of Rhinoceros. Scott was our chief script doctor—every night I would send him home with notes to update this classic work of political theatre,” said Muson, who has been at UMBC since 2009. “Every day he’d come in with really funny gags and jokes for the actors to try out. I’m delighted (but hardly surprised) that Scott’s considerable comedic talents are being recognized by his TikTok following and now the film industry.”

The mentorship he received from the UMBC faculty played a huge part in his success. “Jason Loviglio from media and communications is just incredible. He really encouraged me when it came to comedy, specifically,” remembers Seiss.

Seiss also attributes some of his comedy prowess to his peers, including the other performers in UMBC’s Dog-Collar Comedy Troupe. “It was just nice being around such a creative and funny and supportive group of people who just wanted to push each other and try to be as funny as possible,” says Seiss.

Sitting down to write for stand up

Cocaine Bear may have wrapped, but fans looking for more can catch him in Randall Park’s directorial debut, Shortcomings, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. He’s also working on new content for his stand-up tour.

“My writing style is pretty chaotic. Sometimes I’ll sit down and try to go through some sort of free-write exercise to pull an idea out, and then sometimes it’s just like you’re walking around, you get an idea,” says Seiss.

For any budding creatives looking to break into the business, Seiss says, “The most important thing is that you have to make your own stuff and you have to show people that you can do it before they will start letting you.”

Well, that and always check your spam messages on Facebook (proceed with caution).