The Jim Crow era was marked by strict racial segregation, severely limiting Black individuals’ mobility and dignity. Public leisure spaces were often segregated, making travel dangerous and humiliating for Black people, which affected their leisure habits and options. Picturing Mobility: Black Tourism and Leisure During the Jim Crow Era, an exhibition curated by Elizabeth Patton, chair and associate professor of media and communication studies, is on view through December 19 at UMBC’s Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery.

The new exhibit, curated with organizational support from Beth Saunders and Emily Cullen ’06, with exhibition design by Tony Venne and Cullen, highlights how ordinary people captured moments from their personal lives.

These images depict mobility through scenes of relaxation, happiness, amusement, and community, challenging the dominant narrative of Black life during Jim Crow as primarily defined by restrictions and struggle. This exhibition emphasizes the power of these images to affirm Black humanity and provide meaningful insights into life fully lived despite the oppressive system of segregation.

Picturing Mobility invites viewers to explore what it meant for Black Americans to seek joy, rest, and travel amid a world shaped by exclusion and segregation. It draws on photographs, oral histories, audio, video, and travel ephemera related to Black tourism and leisure activities, mainly from the mid-Atlantic region, from the 1920s to the 1960s. The artifacts show how documenting and taking part in leisure and mobility were powerful forms of resistance.

Patton’s current book project, Documenting Black Leisure as a Form of Resistance, examines the history of Black leisure and tourism in the U.S. through Jim Crow-era media. The AOK Library Gallery will host an opening reception and curatorial talk with Patton on September 19 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The presentation of this exhibition and its public programs is supported by the Arts+ Initiative; the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; and an arts program grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support comes from the Libby Kuhn Endowment Fund, as well as individual contributors.

How have histories of colonialism and their foundational language of gender, race, sexuality, and nation shaped the language, terminology, and theories of the modern plant sciences? How and why do botanical theories remain grounded in the violence of their colonial pasts? Join feminist botanist, Dr. Banu Subramaniam, who develops the concept of migrant ecologies to retheorize plant migration and reproductive biology. This lecture explores new biological frameworks that harness the power of feminist thought to reimagine and reinvigorate our love of plants.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Banu Subramaniam is the Luella LaMer Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Wellesley College. Trained as a plant evolutionary biologist, Dr. Banu engages the feminist studies of science in the practices of experimental biology and is author of Botany of Empire (2024), Holy Science (2019) and Ghost Stories for Darwin (2016).

Co-sponsors and Partners: Social Science Forum, The Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship, and the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems

This event is 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.

UPDATE!! 

The application for the SGA First Year Ambassador program has been extended to September 19, 2025 at 11:59pm. 

From OISS, Center for Global Engagement

 New dates for AY 25-26 announced!

 Dear campus partners:

 Our training series on navigating immigration processes will resume soon!

 Overview: 

The training series will cover topics related to the J-1 and H-1B visa categories, ensuring that you are well-equipped to support our international faculty, staff, and scholars. The sessions will provide practical insights, address common challenges, and foster a deeper understanding of immigration in higher education.

 Audience: 

·         The intended audience is both seasoned and new staff in academic departments or research centers, who are involved in hiring, onboarding, and terminating international employees in paid or unpaid positions. 

·         Anyone who would like to learn about and understand our field are also welcome, just be ready for an in-depth look at immigration items.

·         Shared Services staff are invited to attend sessions as well.

 Key Focus Areas:

·         Visa Categories and Processes: An in-depth exploration of the H-1B and J-1 visa categories and the associated processes.

·         Immigration Compliance: Understanding the legal aspects of immigration to ensure UMBC's compliance with government regulations.

·         Navigating Changes: Learning when to communicate changes to our office.

 Location: 

In-person in Admin 218 and simultaneously via Webex, the link is here.

 Registration: 

Step 1: Pick a date that works for you and email dianezg@umbc.edu so you can be added to the calendar invite. 

Step 2: Once you receive the Google Calendar invite, RSVP “Yes” directly in the event.

Schedule: 

All sessions run from 3 to 4 pm, simultaneously in Admin 218 and virtually, unless noted. You do not have to attend all the sessions.

 The dates for AY 25-26 are:

Tuesday, October 21

Tuesday, November 18

Tuesday, February 17

Tuesday, March 24

Tuesday, April 21

June 5 - full day of training - sign up here

Location: Admin 218 or Webex link here.

This fall, the Center for Social Justice Dialogue is hosting Interact, a series designed to help participants hone the skills to successfully engage in dialogue across difference. If you are a student within WILL+, ILE, any other Living-Learning Communities (LLC) or are just an undergraduate student interested in upscaling your dialogue, register now!

WHAT IS INTERACT?

Interact is a four-week program for undergraduate students focused on creating an introduction to the dialogue skills required to engage in difficult conversations, dialogue across difference, and intercultural dialogue.

The goal of Interact at UMBC is to develop foundational dialogue skillssuch as critical self-awareness, listening and sharing authentically, asking questions toward creating deep connections, and apologizing and adjusting appropriately, while creating opportunities for participants to become more self-aware. As a result of participation in Interact, participants will have the skills to engage in dialogue within any type of situation and any topic of conversation.

Participants meet weekly in small groups for 90-minute sessions that are co-facilitated by 2-3 facilitators. Each small group consists of 10-15 participants. During these sessions, participants learn and practice the necessary skills to become inclusive leadersand engaged community members.

Participants who attend at least three of the four sessions will be entered into a raffle to win prizes such as a PORTABLE PROJECTOR and WEIGHTED BLANKET!

To register, click this link!

Supper Club is back! Join us for a true Maryland Crab Feast with local waterman @Crabdadcj, live music, and all your Chesapeake favorites.

Featured menu:
• Steamed Crabs
• Buttermilk Fried Chicken
• Mac & Cheese
• Charcuterie Board
• Desserts…and more!

Don’t miss this Chesapeake-inspired evening with your fellow Retrievers. Click the link below for more info + tickets!

Every biological sciences graduate student at UMBC knows “the face”—Tom Cronin’s signature scowl, which, contrary to appearances, signals rapt attention rather than disapproval. At a day-long symposium honoring Cronin’s remarkable career, alumni handed out life-sized cutouts of “the face” on sticks, which attendees waved playfully during talks, setting the tone for a joyful, family reunion-like event filled with laughter, affection, and mutual respect.

Cronin began his 43-year tenure at UMBC as an assistant professor at the young university. Over time, he became a giant in the field of visual ecology, primarily studying the enigmatic mantis shrimp. His work has helped unravel the mysteries of mantis shrimp eyes—biological marvels that still hold scientific secrets. 

On the eve of his retirement, dozens of Cronin’s colleagues and alumni traveled from all over the world to attend the symposium, and still others attended virtually or sent pre-recorded messages. Chuan-Chin Ciao, Ph.D. ’00, biological sciences, may have come the farthest, visiting from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. Symposium talks spanned bumblebees, fanworms, deep-sea fish, and more, showcasing the breadth of Cronin’s network. 

“You taught us how to be scientists”

Cronin’s mentees, many now leading their own labs around the world, shared how he had influenced their lives. Megan Porter, a former postdoctoral fellow in Cronin’s lab, thanked him for expanding her expertise in molecular biology and genetics to visual ecology. “When I came in, I had a Ph.D.; I thought I knew stuff. But at the first lab meeting, I realized I knew nothing about visual ecology,” Porter recalls. “I can’t thank him enough for bringing me into this community and giving me such a broad foundation.” Now she strives to do the same for her students as a professor at the University of Hawai’i. 

Michael Bok, Ph.D. ’13, biological sciences, shared “Cronin wisdom,” such as “Work on something ridiculously cool,” “Surround yourself with great scientists and good friends,” and “Have patience and don’t give up”—ideas Bok has carried into his work as a researcher at the University of Lund in Sweden. Kathryn Feller, Ph.D. ’14, biological sciences, the John D. MacArthur Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Union College, displayed a pencil drawing of a tomcat, picked up at a thrift store and mounted in the lab for the last decade. Its inscription reads, “Tom is tough, but he’s your friend”—a sentiment that reflects Cronin’s mentorship style.

Alex Kingston, Ph.D. ’15, biological sciences, now an assistant professor at the University of Tulsa, thanked him for supporting her growth. “Anyone can teach you how to do science, but you taught us how to be scientists,” Kingston shared. One of Cronin’s major lab instruments is moving to Kingston’s lab in Oklahoma to enrich her research program.

Cronin taught nearly 8,000 undergraduates over 86 semesters, valuing their diverse perspectives, and described UMBC as “a place you can really succeed as a young investigator.” He thanked the UMBC faculty and staff and his family for their enduring support, especially his wife, Ros. The symposium was a testament to Cronin’s legacy—a vibrant community built on curiosity, mentorship, and connection—the influence of which will ripple through generations of creative and humble scientists who are eager to enlarge our understanding of nature’s wonders. 

Learn more about UMBC graduate programs in biological sciences, or check out the beautiful Color in Nature (2024), co-authored by Tom Cronin.