Nardos Amanuel Kebede has dreamed of receiving the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship since high school. The competitive fellowship provides up to $42,000 annually over two years to complete a two-year master’s degree in international affairs. Upon completion, fellows have a five-year appointment as a Foreign Service Officer in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State. While managing her senior-year fall midterms, Kebede received the exciting news that she is one of 45 recipients nationwide of this prestigious fellowship. 

“This is a dream come true. I’ve always been a lifelong public servant. I started serving at a non-governmental organization when I was 11,” says Kebede, who follows in the footsteps of Vivian Ekey ’11, political science and modern languages and linguistics, the first Retriever to receive this fellowship in 2011. Kebede spent the last two summers in the U.S. Foreign Service Intern program.

This unique experience gave her academic and professional training in Washington, D.C., an opportunity to work in a policy office at the U.S. Department of State, and a 10-week assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where she was born. 

Understanding public service

Kebede’s interest in international diplomacy began during a high school project, where she researched mental health policies and outcomes for young people in Ethiopia and across Africa. This foundation led her to UMBC’s Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program, where she further developed her understanding of public service, civic engagement, and research-based policy and diplomacy. During her first year, Kebede joined UMBC’s McNair Scholars Program, a graduate school mentorship and preparation program, to explore earning a Ph.D. that would lead to becoming a diplomat. Her plans changed during the U.S. Foreign Service Internship Program when she met current Rangel Fellows.  

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to graduate school. I thought I’d be a diplomat the conventional way where I take the Foreign Service Officer Test after undergrad—even though at one point, I considered going straight into a Ph.D. program for comparative politics,” says Kebede. “What changed is that I wanted to become a diplomat first. I would love to work for a number of years as a generalist and then consider transitioning to become a regional specialist. I have always been interested in the East African region.” The Rangel Fellowship gives her the chance to start her foreign service training following a Congressional and U.S. embassy internship and graduation. 

“I am thrilled for Nardos and thrilled for our country to have such an exceptional scholar and citizen as Nardos on track to represent us in the foreign service,” says Laura Antkowiak, director of the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program. “Nardos stands out for so many wonderful qualities, such as her intellectual maturity, her poise and communication skills, her care about what’s happening in the world, her enthusiasm for research that makes an impact, her extensive volunteer and mentorship work on and off campus, and her empathy, integrity, and kindness.”

Strength in numbers

Receiving this award is the culmination of years of hard work, determination, dedication, and being willing to accept help. With funding from the McNair Scholar Research Institute, Kebede had the opportunity to visit Jerusalem to meet prominent Ethio-Israeli leaders and conduct interviews for her independent and ongoing research project titled, “The Generational Evolution of Cultural Identity Amongst Ethiopian Israelis and Its Impact on Integration,” under the mentorship of Brigid Starkey, teaching professor of political science.

Kebede is paying it forward as a McNair Scholars Teaching Fellow, teaching a research methods course, and supporting new scholars. She notes that each step along the way has been shaped by the guidance, encouragement, and collaboration of faculty and peers across the social sciences and the Honors College including UMBC’s Rangel Fellowship advisor, April Householder, director of undergraduate research and prestigious scholarships, who advised Kebede through the application process.

“To end up at this point where I have a direct way to my dream job as a public servant, as a diplomat traveling the world, and representing the United States and the ideals of democracy, free and fair elections, and human rights, it’s a dream come true,” says Kebede. “I have to pinch myself sometimes because I can’t believe I made it to this point.”

Learn more about UMBC’s prestigious scholarships.

Part One: A Strange and Friendless Road, For a Tomorrow Without Tears

or, being a woman (mostly), queer, and autistic. Self-diagnosing, and the fear of an official medical stamp.

Content Warning for mention of the r-slur.

By Katlynn Seghetti.

Over my time working at the women’s center, I’ve been doing a lot more reflection and thinking about the future. Fun topics, assuredly. In this post, I wanted to verbalize my own, and I’m sure many others’, feelings on being autistic in the current climate. 

I was not recognized as autistic, until I took an AP Psychology course in my sophomore year of high school, (2017/2018, to age myself.) I saw the criteria for autism and literally went ‘hm. That all seems average. Can’t be me though, I’m able to take care of myself.” Consider me shocked when, not even months later, I entered the worst burnout state I’d ever been in – not in school, though. I still kept up my grades, still socialized well enough, but at home, I did nothing but scroll on the internet, or play one particular game until my eyes burned. I was lonely, and I couldn’t understand what the hell happened. 

But I still couldn’t be autistic, right? I’m excelling where it matters. I’m not a burden on anyone else. Ignoring the fact that consistently throughout my entire life, my family referred to me as retarded:

• “Why are you acting so retarded?” 
• “Don’t do that, you retard.” 
• “Aw, you’re serious? You’re our little retard in the family.” 

I couldn’t be autistic, I was purposefully refusing gender norms – I’m non-binary, of course. I couldn’t be, I have friends (who would treat me as a pet- one even did so at one of my more recent birthday parties, or make me the butt of the joke.) I couldn’t be, statistics show it’s a ‘boys’ disorder. 

It wasn’t until I was deep in that burnout that I got content online, tagged #ActuallyAutistic. This post suggested getting fidgets, I did so. It helped- but only because I wanted it to. A weighted blanket helped. But again, only because I wanted it to. Anything that helped me wasn’t because I was autistic. It was just because I’d been doing SO much research (…another sign in and of itself,) that I was simply just fooling myself. Then, came the reflection of my childhood, lots of tears, anger, and all that fun. 

Needless to say, I’m no longer in denial – I even got unofficial testing done at the health center here, and was told, “I can’t diagnose you, but I would say you are probably extremely highly likely autistic.” But… I think that’s where this ends. At least for a few years. I don’t need accommodations to succeed, I have a support system at home to help with the things I do need aid with. What would an official diagnosis give me? Another figurative target on my back. We’re an ‘epidemic’, we’re a social media trend, and we’re not to be taken seriously. Being queer, being connected to womanhood, I’m already terribly at risk. There’s no reason to add another one in the eyes of the government, the medical system, and anyone doubting my passions and my ability to do good work.

What I can do, though, is focus on community. My work in the Women’s Center, creating a Neurodiversity club, and connecting with other autistic (and other neurodivergent) adults at UMBC, allows me this. I can give space to those who feel like they don’t have it, and encourage change and progress. It’s not over until (drumroll) there’s a tomorrow with tears.

Part Two: The Journey through Genesis

or, my goals for next semester, and how we get there. 

What does that mean though? Campus-wide, where do all the neurodivergent students exist? Everywhere, and nowhere. You see someone every day, and probably just call them a ‘weird’ kid. Here’s how we can start.

A Neurodiversity Club.

• This is in the works, but it is genuinely astounding to me that, other than the Disability Advocate Union, something like this hadn’t been created. However, neurodivergent people are so rejected, shoved aside, and treated like a bad thing to keep hushed and under lock and key. Why would they feel empowered to create a club? Going through the process of founding this club, it’s so simple but very scary, in a way. Will the people who ‘verify’ that this club needs to exist agree with us? Will the students think we’re doing a good job? The only way to know is to take the jump.

A Neurodiversity Support Group, for students, and for staff and faculty.

• I can only speak for students, but I understand there’s been some frustration getting recognition on campus. Accommodations feel like interrogations, and going to professors is a stunted legal-speak conversation. Let’s get community, connections and actual neurodiversity knowledge around. Well, my group this spring semester will be part of that- starting a group and collecting resources for neurodiversity. It’s a lot of work. But it’s good work. Students deserve to have good work and support. One thing I didn’t expect is how much support I’ve gotten from the Women’s Center, and how many neurodivergent staff and faculty supported my events. I see you, and I appreciate you. I feel like the work I’m doing is deeply fulfilling, and I know that I wouldn’t have gotten as much headway without everyone.

Trained Specialists; both in SDS and for faculty and staff support

• Yes, working with neurodivergent students can be hard. Seeing the invisible struggles, while making sure people don’t ‘overuse’ or ‘abuse’ the supports is valid. Why not add people who know the details about neurodiversity? Who can support staff and faculty in supporting these students? Who can support SDS in navigating accommodations? Who can empower students to get what they need?

Open Dialogue

• Students need information. That’s why we’re students. Neurodivergent students especially. Let’s create conversations about neurodiversty. Change can’t happen without voices. Students don’t feel heard or respected. This is not anyone’s intention, but it is the impact. We can work together to fill in the rift.

The Baltimore Museum of Art seeks a full-time, experienced Director of Annual Giving and Advancement Services to lead their Annual Giving team. The ideal candidate will have experience in focused strategizing, designing, and executing communications and benefits for members and annual donors to the museum, with a strong focus on direct cultivation and solicitation of individual donors and members at all levels.

Elections can tell us the number of people who voted for a candidate or ballot initiative, but not how those voters made up their minds. To understand voting behavior, experts turn to exit polling, a careful and methodical process of surveying voters as they leave polling places. For the 2024 election, many Baltimore County voters were greeted outside their polling place by UMBC students conducting the UMBC Battleground Exit Poll, a hands-on educational experience created by Ian Anson, an associate professor in political science. 

For students, this was an opportunity to participate in the high-stakes world of Maryland politics. For their professor, it was an opportunity to see his students successfully draw on classroom skills as they engaged with the community.

“Students really found their voices,” says Anson. “Students who I felt were pretty reserved and quiet in class were reaching out to voters in very bold ways and finding that perfect pitch to get them to take the poll. “ 

Going beyond the classroom context

Anson, who also serves as associate director of the new UMBC Institute of Politics (IoP), collaborated with students to design and implement the Battleground Exit Poll. He worked with over 50 undergraduate students enrolled in his upper-level American voting behavior class to develop bias-free questions for the survey. The Battleground Exit Poll is the second exit poll Anson has developed with undergraduate students. During the 2018 midterm primaries, Anson’s voting and polling class students designed the UMBC Retriever Exit Poll.

“My guiding philosophy is to create applied-learning projects that have legs—that go beyond the classroom context,” said Anson. “I want students to experience how political science theories and applications impact communities.”

Understanding the data

The poll gauged the attitudes of 1,119 Baltimore County voters who cast their ballots in person during early voting and on Election Day. Voters answered questions about various topics, including the presidential, U.S. Senate, and congressional elections; adding “The Right to Reproductive Freedom” amendment to the Maryland Constitution; and the economy. 

Among the findings, the data showed that the top five issues Baltimore County voters said they considered when making their voting decisions were abortion, inflation, the trustworthiness of politicians, civil rights, and immigration. 

There were some surprising results hidden beneath the surface of these toplines—Anson’s students discovered in their conversations with voters a shared sense of values—regardless of party preference or votes cast (60 percent of Baltimore County voters voted for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and 36 percent for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance).

“Everybody I talked to—both for Harris and for Trump—were saying similar things for what they wanted for the country,” says Ayaan Rizvi, a first-year student in UMBC’s Sondheim Public Affaris Scholars program, who plans to major in political science. “It’s really interesting to see the mental calculus that goes on in people’s brains when they make a choice of how they will vote.”

Rizvi says most voters said they wanted themselves and others to live comfortably and to be able to live peacefully in their communities.

A highlight for Anson is watching his polling students gain a perspective into elections that goes deeper than what they can get in the classroom or from watching the news.

“We often see ourselves as this very divided country,” says Anson. “But when you go to the polling place and stand there for four hours, you get a much different glimpse. I think students really left the experience feeling the warmth of that.”

The UMBC Battleground Exit Poll was covered widely by state and local news outlets, including CBS, ABC DC News Now, Fox 45 News, and WBAL-TV.

Learn more about UMBC’s Department of Political Science.

The BMA is seeking a full-time Gallery Educator to lead dynamic, interactive tours primarily for preK-12 audiences, and for adults, visitors with disabilities, and early learning audiences as needed. BMA tours take a variety of forms—onsite; virtual; hybrid, consisting of both on-site and virtual components; and tours that take place both in the galleries and in our Joseph Education Center studio classroom.

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) seeks an enthusiastic and experienced Museum Security Officer to play a critical role in the safety and security of the museum environment. The ideal candidate will have impeccable communication and customer service skills and will be comfortable managing multiple priorities while working in a fast-paced, team-based environment. Regular schedule includes weekends.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

· Providing exemplary customer service to BMA visitors and members

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) seeks enthusiastic and experienced Museum Security Officers to ensure a positive and welcoming experience for attendees to activities and events held at the BMA.

The ideal candidate will have impeccable communication and customer service skills and will be comfortable managing multiple priorities while working in a fast-paced, team-based environment. Regular schedule includes weekends.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

· Providing exemplary customer service to BMA visitors and members

UMBC is approaching 30 years of collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a partnership that largely culminates under the university’s three major cooperative agreements with the agency. According to the NSF’s latest Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey, UMBC is among the nation’s top 10 universities receiving federal funding from NASA. In 2024, UMBC scientists, researchers, interns, and engineers have reached new levels of achievement in connection to this partnership—some even going as far as to the surface of the Moon…in a few years. 

Take a look back at five ways UMBC collaborated with NASA in 2024:

UMBC goes to the Moon

Planetary scientist Mehdi Benna of UMBC’s Center for Space Sciences Technology is leading the team designing one of the lunar instruments chosen for implementation and deployment in NASA’s forthcoming Artemis III mission, humanity’s first return to the lunar surface in more than 50 years. The Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) was selected as one of the first three candidate payloads to be a part of Artemis III, NASA’s mission that will send astronauts to explore the region near the lunar South Pole. Artemis III, currently planned to launch in 2026, will be the first time humans will return to the Moon’s surface since the historic Apollo program in 1969 – 1972. 

HARP2 launches into space

The UMBC-designed Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP2) wide-angle imaging polarimeter instrument is part of NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) spacecraft mission, which launched into space in February. The PACE satellite provides insight into ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate. PACE’s mission data, which includes data captured by the HARP2 instrument, is now available for public access. The HARP2 team, which includes a host of students and alumni, is led by Vanderlei Martins, professor of physics, who is also the director of the NASA-affiliated Earth and Space Institute, based out of UMBC’s Physics Building.

AXIS X-ray telescope selected for final round  

Nearly a year ago, a group of engineers and scientists including UMBC physicists became one of 10 teams to successfully submit a proposal to NASA to develop the Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS). In October 2024, the AXIS team was selected as one of the final two instrument designs selected for further development. The team will receive $5 million to flesh out their plans as part of what NASA calls a “Phase A study.” Adi Foord, assistant professor of physics, and Eileen Meyer, associate professor of physics, serve on the AXIS leadership team, and during the proposal development phase, Foord co-led the sub-team focused on supermassive black hole evolution.

NASA comes to campus

The university collaborated with the Goddard Space Flight Center to host the “NASA-UMBC Interaction Days,” an interactive, three-day series that took a closer look into the agency’s current research activity across a range of fields, with insight into how UMBC faculty, staff, and students can continue to work with Goddard scientists and engineers. The event series attracted more than 250 registrants. 

UMBC-NASA earth science center awarded $47 million extension

The UMBC-led Goddard Earth Science Technology and Research (GESTAR) II center was awarded a two-year, $47 million extension this year to continue its cooperative agreement with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Since launching in 2021, GESTAR II has employed more than 150 scientists who are distributed across nearly all of GSFC’s earth science division laboratories.  Over the years, GESTAR II researchers have been a part of teams that have developed an instrument that monitors water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, studied the environmental impacts of megafire smoke plumes, generated the first global map of cargo ship pollution, and much more. 

More on UMBC’s partnership with NASA