Celebrate our immigrant communities at UMBC – A Day of Community, Art, and Storytelling

Join us on Thursday, May 1st for a vibrant, day-long celebration honoring the contributions of our immigrant communities at UMBC and beyond.

Morning Kickoff

Start the day by showing appreciation for our custodial staff—many of whom are immigrants—for their essential role in creating a welcoming and thriving campus environment.
Breakfast: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM | Sports Zone

Keynote Speaker: Jessy DeSantis
Raised in a Nicaraguan household in Miami and now based in Baltimore, Jessy DeSantis is a self-taught artist whose bold, colorful paintings explore themes of identity, culture, and connection. Drawing inspiration from nature, food, family, and their Central American roots, Jessy will share their powerful story navigating culture, identity, and the art world.
Keynote: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | Sports Zone
Learn more about Jessy at:www.jdesantisart.com

"Share Your Story" Artwork Activity
Contribute to our community storytelling project! Students, faculty, and staff are invited to showcase where they're from and reflect on their own or their family’s journeys. Help us build a visual "global tapestry" of UMBC.
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM | Commons Terrace

Let’s come together to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the vibrant, diverse experiences that make up our UMBC community. No matter where you’re from or what language you speak, you belong here.

Thank you to our sponsors: PROMISE, COEIT, Latinx and Hispanic Faculty Association, Black Faculty and Staff Association, Asian & Asian American Faculty & Staff Council, Student Belonging (Division of Student Affairs), and  Student Affairs Success Initiatives.

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'snondiscrimination policy. 

The following message was shared with the UMBC community on April 21 to announce the naming of a new dean for the College of Engineering and Information Technology:

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Dear UMBC community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Jeanne M. VanBriesen as the dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) effective July 1. Jeanne is a distinguished academic leader with a bold vision for the future of engineering and information technology research and education and a commitment to inclusive excellence.

Jeanne joins UMBC from Carnegie Mellon University where she is the Duquesne Light Company Professor in the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy. She recently completed service as the division director in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems, in the Engineering Directorate, at the U.S. National Science Foundation. She previously served as the vice provost for faculty at Carnegie Mellon and as the chair of the faculty senate.

Jeanne holds a bachelor’s in education and a master’s and Ph.D. in civil engineering from Northwestern University. She is a licensed professional engineer, a board certified environmental engineer, and a diplomate of water resources engineering.

An accomplished scholar, Jeanne has published more than 75 scientific articles and given more than 200 professional presentations. Her research, which has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Colcom Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, the Packard Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance, focuses on environmental systems, including biotransformation of recalcitrant organics, detection of biological agents in drinking water and natural water systems, speciation-driven biogeochemistry of chelating agents and disinfection by-products, and environmental impacts of energy extraction.

An award-winning educator, visionary leader, and active mentor, Jeanne has supervised 24 Ph.D. dissertations and numerous M.S. theses. She has served on several boards, including the U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board, and she is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Environmental Water Resources Institute, the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

I want to give a special thanks to Bill LaCourse and the dedicated members of the search committee for their efforts in conducting a comprehensive national search.

I am excited for Jeanne to join UMBC and build on the tradition of integrating undergraduate and graduate education, research, innovation, and service to address evolving global needs. Please join me in welcoming Jeanne to the UMBC community.

Anupam Joshi Named Special Assistant to the Provost for AI and Computing

I am also pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for Anupam Joshi, who selflessly served as the interim dean for the past two years. In addition to his current roles as the Oros Family Professor and director of UMBC Cybersecurity Institute, Anupam will be transitioning to a new role as the special assistant to the Provost for AI and Computing. In this role Anupam will lead UMBC’s strategy for AI and Computing including coordinating and leveraging current efforts in this space, lead the strategic planning for university goals in this area, and leverage new resources and university partnerships.

Anupam is a renowned expert in cybersecurity, AI, and data science. He brings decades of leadership, research excellence, and visionary thinking to this new role. His appointment marks an exciting chapter for UMBC as we expand our efforts to drive innovation, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and shape the future of ethical and impactful AI on campus, across the USM, and around the globe.

Please join me in congratulating Anupam on this well-deserved recognition. I look forward to the continued growth and success of the AI and computing programs under his leadership.

Sincerely,

Manfred H.M. van Dulmen

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Thank you to everyone who volunteered, participated and attended URCAD 2025! This year was the largest event to date- with 428 student presenters and 2,311 guests!

Please join us for URCAD’s 30th anniversary next spring…. mark your calendars for URCAD XXX on April 22, 2026! See you there!

ur.umbc.edu/urcad