All,

The work on the high temperature hot water has been completed and all welds for the work have passed x-ray inspection. Facilities will fill the system this weekend and begin heating the system. If everything works according to plan, we should have hot water, better temperatures and steam for the autoclaves beginning Monday morning. 

On another note, Steris will be out on the morning of the 22nd to do our semi annual PMs and inspections. This will allow two weeks for us to catch up on autoclave use before their work. Please let everyone know.

Thank you!

The 2026 Service-Learning & Civic Engagement (SLCE) conference will take place on Saturday, October 17th at American University in Washington, D.C. Per the event website:

This annual gathering brings together change-makers across our region to explore innovative approaches to community engagement, partnership-building, and civic learning in higher education. We welcome dynamic and diverse proposals that align with the mission and vision of TMA and the SLCE Conference, particularly those addressing:

• Community-Engaged Scholarship

• Community Partnership

• Direct Service/Service-Learning Pedagogy

Students are invited to propose a workshop, roundtable discussion, panel, or poster, and the deadline to do so is Sunday, June 21st (an extension from the previous deadline of June 8th).  Your experiences are valuable and others can learn from them! Questions about the event may be directed to Nicki Fiocco at fiocco@transformmidatlanic.org 

*Programs denoted with an asterick are not affiliated with UMBC. 

The College Autism Network’s Complex Conversations: Navigating the Digital Dating Landscape*

Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 3:00 – 4:00 pm EST - Virtual

registration required (use this link) Free for CAN members; $40 for non-members.

 Dating is hard. For autistic and neurodivergent college students, it can also be isolating, confusing, and really easy to get it wrong without the right support. This session features two complementary resources that support students in this often-overlooked dimension of life. Uneepi, is a dating platform built with autistic users in mind and Introflirt University is a practical educational series on dating - online and off. Together, they aim to give autistic students the knowledge and confidence to find connection on their own terms. Participants will gain an understanding of how to support students navigating online relationships, along with safety considerations across environments.

Neuroinclusive Design: Beyond Compliance Toward Sensory-Responsive Accessibility*

Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Eastern - Virtual

registration required (use this link) Free

 This webinar, presented by The Mid-Atlantic ADA Center, introduces neuroinclusive design as an evidence-informed extension of ADA accessibility practice. Explore how lighting, acoustics, color, wayfinding, predictability, and sensory load shape access for neurodivergent individuals, older adults, veterans, and people with invisible disabilities.

TransCen Virtual Transition Conference* (virtual)

June 16, 2026: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Eastern

June 17, 2026: 12:00 noon - 7:00 p.m. Eastern

registration required (use this link) Registration is $75.

 The goal of this conference is helping students with disabilities move into adulthood with dignity, choice, and real options. Whether you are a family member, educator, transition coordinator, or service provider, this conference is designed to equip you with ideas that turn planning into meaningful action.

This full-day conference will be offered on two different dates, at times adjusted to accommodate participants in different time zones. Note: the same information will be shared each date; please register for only one date.

Trauma-Informed Care for Autistic and Transgender People*

Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 7 pm - 8:15 pm Eastern - Virtual

registration required (use this link) Free

 
The presentation will cover practical suggestions for accessibility in a therapeutic environment, intersectionality, the overlap between autism and gender expansiveness, common barriers faced by autistic and trans autistic people, and more. Sponsored by the College Autism Network. 

*Programs denoted with an asterick are not affiliated with UMBC. 

Neurodiversity-Affirming Psychotherapy Practices study*

Temala Baker, an autistic doctoral student in the  Clinical Psychology PhD program at Idaho State University is part of a research lab focused on improving psychotherapy experiences for autistic
adults. They are conducting a research study about what therapy is like for autistic adults. The goal of the study is to better understand what therapy practices feel supportive, respectful, and helpful from the perspective of autistic adults themselves.

Participants must:
- Be age 18 or older
- Identify as autistic
- Have participated in psychotherapy/counseling in the past 10 years (or currently)
- Be in the United States or Canada

The survey is anonymous and takes about 20–30 minutes to complete.
Participants may also enter a drawing for a chance to win a $25 gift card.

Thank you for your time and consideration. 

https://isu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bI11BAIXDQEZmsu

*Programs denoted with an asterick are not affiliated with UMBC. 

Congratulations are in order for Kristin Kelly and Neisha-Anne Green for successfully presenting their dissertation research proposal in the Language, Literacy, and Culture doctoral program.

Kelly and Green were both graduate student research fellows for the Dresher Center. Kelly received a fellowship in Spring 2025 for her project, “All That You Touch, You Change”:  Co-Creating Humanizing School-Based Mentorship Programs for Black Girls; Green in Spring 2026 for her project, Breaking Bread, Breaking Cycles.

Good Evening,

I hope everyone is having a great start to their summer! All deadline calendars for FY27 have been updated on our website through September 2026. Please note that HRSTM has not yet released their FY27 deadline calendars, so dates on our calendars are subject to change once HRSTM calendars are published.

In the event deadlines change, we will notify all departments via MyUMBC post, and updated calendars will be published.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,
The OPSSC Team

We’re looking for university students who are interested in sharing their perspectives on social and political topics on a new and growing social media platform.

Whether you identify as progressive, democratic socialist, moderate, or anywhere in between, this is a space for open, thoughtful, and respectful dialogue.

If you’re interested in expressing your ideas, engaging in meaningful discussion, and connecting with other students who care about what’s happening in the world, we’d love to hear from you. 

To get involved, email: contact@therest.online or go to  https://thereset.online

We’re looking for university students who are interested in sharing their perspectives on social and political topics on a new and growing social media platform.

Whether you identify as progressive, democratic socialist, moderate, or anywhere in between, this is a space for open, thoughtful, and respectful dialogue.

If you’re interested in expressing your ideas, engaging in meaningful discussion, and connecting with other students who care about what’s happening in the world, we’d love to hear from you. 

To get involved, email: contact@therest.online or go to  https://thereset.online

We’re looking for university students who are interested in sharing their perspectives on social and political topics on a new and growing social media platform.

Whether you identify as progressive, democratic socialist, moderate, or anywhere in between, this is a space for open, thoughtful, and respectful dialogue.

If you’re interested in expressing your ideas, engaging in meaningful discussion, and connecting with other students who care about what’s happening in the world, we’d love to hear from you. 

To get involved, email: contact@therest.online or go to  https://thereset.online

Do you recall the smell of wildfire smoke in parts of the U.S. in the summer of 2023 and being surprised that this was due to wildfires in ... Canada? In fact, that was the most intense wildfire season on record for Canada. Fires from Alberta in western Canada combined with wildfires in Quebec in eastern Canada contributed to thick smoke that affected air quality over much of the continent. Allison Collow (610.1/UMBC) provided scientific insight for two visualizations from NASA Goddard's Scientific Visualization Studio (SVS), the first being "Long-range Transport of 2023 Canadian Wildfire Smoke into the Northeastern United States." "When intense fires loft smoke above the atmospheric boundary layer, it can be transported thousands of miles across continents and oceans. An example of this occurred during the month of June 2023 and is visualized ... using aerosol information from the forward processing configuration of NASA’s Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS)" (i.e., GEOS-FP). With the combination of pressure systems and circulations, "from May 31 – July 7, 2023, smoke from wildfires in Canada is seen traveling thousands of miles, blanketing various regions of the United States and particularly impacting the eastern U.S. with record-breaking poor air quality," demonstrating that smoke can transport far from its source and affect air quality and health conditions in faraway locations.

Dr. Collow contributed to this second SVS Global Smoke Forecast Visualization, which updates daily, is available online to the public, and appears on the Earth Information Center screens in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and on the Hyperwall in the NASA Headquarters lobby. "In addition to toxic chemicals, smoke emitted by wildfires contains particles with diameter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5). PM2.5 is dangerous to breathe in because the particles are small enough to penetrate the lungs and then enter the bloodstream. {Again], wildfire smoke can travel thousands of miles, impacting populations distant from the source. It is therefore important that smoke is tracked and forecasts are provided to alert the public of impending poor air quality. Earth system models that couple aerosols with meteorology are valuable tools for providing air quality forecasts. NASA’s GEOS-FP is one such system that provides near-real-time analyses and forecasts of aerosols in addition to fields necessary for forecasting the weather twice daily each day at 00z and 12z (midnight and noon UTC, the worldwide time standard)."

By Abigail Asare, Psychology Major, Student Staff Member

Don’t worry. It’s not human. I never had enough money for that. My room was cluttered with excessive bags of synthetic beauty supply hair, so I had to get creative. I put any leftover or new packs of braiding hair in this random empty suitcase I found lying around. I haven’t opened it in months, though. I stopped getting my hair done altogether because I became increasingly fed up with each hairdresser I went to. All the people I went to did hair in their garages, kitchens, or basements. Some had their cosmetology licence, others did not. They all had the same supplies, carts, and cabinets full of hairspray, mousse, pomades, and gels. When I meet them, I show them the style I want. Whether they follow it, I do not know. The aunties will go through the packs of hair and slowly take them out. They brush it out, then separate it into smaller pieces for the individual braids. After about 10 minutes of this, they will roughly blow out my hair, even though I already did before the appointment. The whirring of the machine always overwhelms my ears, and my head bobs from side to side to match the trajectory of the brush. After about three rounds of this, they can actually start. 

The stylists always make several remarks about my hair. They’ll talk about how thin my edges are, how my hair is very hard, and ask about the possibility of relaxing it. After hearing the same thing and always being disappointed by the end of a 7-hour hair appointment costing over $180 (not including the hair I bought), I was over it. So last October, I took out my braids, and I just stared at myself in the mirror. I thought, “Has my hair always been this thin? My hairline receding?” I had to come to terms with the fact that I probably had traction alopecia. I had small bald spots on my hairline, and my ends were damaged. I was scared to wear my hair out, but I knew if I didn’t start, I was going to end up bald. After the second week of embracing my natural hair, I started getting flashbacks to my younger self. 

In first grade, I remember playing on the playground during recess and falling hard. I fell so hard that one of my braids loosened and landed on the mulch. My friends’ shock alerted the recess monitor to come over and check on us. In the best way my six-year-old self could explain, I told them it was no alarm, and my hair was fake. Using my small hands to make the gestures and motions of braiding. I demonstrated to them that I regularly had my real hair braided in with extensions. The white recess monitor gave me a confused look with a bit of disgust. She claimed I was too young to be doing that. In retrospect, she was right. It didn’t make sense not to wash my hair for a month because I didn’t want to ruin my braids. It was unusual that my mom started letting me braid my hair with synthetic hair as young as four. And it was even more unusual that I was now twenty with an entire suitcase of hair extensions. But I remembered something else, the reason why braiding felt like my only option. 

The first time I was ever misgendered was the year prior, in kindergarten. One day, a classmate came up to me and asked me a question. 

“Abigail, I never really knew if you were a boy or a girl because your hair is so short,” she snickered. I do not remember if I said anything back. I was just deeply confused about why she had told me this. The measly strands on her head did not grow past her shoulders either, but for some reason, mine confused her concept of the gender binary. My six-year-old self deduced that it must be because my hair was different and not in a good way. The last time I can recall being misgendered was in my junior year of high school. It was one of those weeks between a hair appointment, so I had to go to school with my natural hair. I was in the gym waiting for my flu vaccine when I got called up by an older black lady.

“Excuse me, young man, please get into line,” she bellowed across the gym. When I got down from the bleachers and my face got closer, she awkwardly shifted her gaze from mine, realizing her mistake. Even with a ten-year difference, these experiences are identical. A reminder that if I wore my natural hair, I was losing out on my femininity. I wish I could say I was misgendered when I had braids in, but that never happened, not once. Long synthetic hair always confirmed my femininity; it never failed me. These experiences do not even include the ridicule I faced because of my dark skin, large nose, and other features that distanced me from whatever a pretty girl should look like. I could never rid myself of that inherent shame. If it happened at school, I came home to the same comments. It followed me everywhere, came from anyone, especially those who looked like me. I could never become confident when everyone and everything reminded me to be ashamed of my appearance. This made me deeply uncomfortable in my own skin and disappointed whenever I looked in the mirror.

Not only do braids, wigs, weaves, sew-ins, etc., hide natural hair for enhanced femininity. These styles symbolize class. Earlier, I mentioned that the suitcase I found was just lying around. It actually belonged to my mom. She brought that suitcase with her when she left her home country years ago. It carried a few clothes and nothing else. In my American privilege, I filled it with plastic extensions. However, I think that’s what she wanted. She knew that hair, especially for black women, signified class. It was a reflection of the life she could give me. She wanted a daughter who had a choice in how her hair looked. One who had the money to get her hair done. One who didn’t have to be forced to cut her hair low from primary to secondary school. A daughter who could ascribe a higher social status than she held in her youth. She needed to teach me to look the part, and the easiest way was with my hair. That is why she started so early; she needed to teach me that I would be judged for my appearance. Every time she roughly combed my hair, she was teaching me that beauty is pain. That beauty for young black girls is distorted and contingent on compensating for overtly black features when needed. 

When my mom used to relax my hair in elementary school, she would always tell me I looked so beautiful now that my hair felt softer. When she went to sleep, I would sneak into the bathroom and take a wide-tooth comb and run through my hair over, and over, and over again. Not once did that comb ever glide through like all the TV ads I saw. After all the chemicals, heat, and brushing, it resisted endlessly. I have always known my entire life that my hair would never fit into whatever beauty standards there were. I tried so desperately to ignore this. I wanted to look beautiful. I was already too dark, and I didn’t need short coily hair to add to it. I tried to find solace in needing my hair done. However, it never resolved those mixed feelings I had, the ones I have been carrying for the past sixteen years. I was tired of the back-to-back hair appointments and of all the hair that shed onto my bathroom floor. I just didn’t want to feel bad about myself anymore. 

For my college essay, I wrote about the same sentiments I’ve shared in this post. I remember my high school teacher left a singular comment on my paper. You just wrote about your hair? I always wished that it could just be hair, but it never could be. Hair never meant anything to my teacher because she didn’t grow up with the threat of a hot comb. The simple act of combing hair never became a sensory overload. Her hair was probably never policed. And I can guarantee she did not have an entire suitcase of hair. Black people have never had the luxury of it just being hair. From the slaves who were forcefully shaved to dehumanize them. To the various institutions globally that continue to have mandates on acceptable black hair dating back to the colonial era. How race and class operate is deeply entangled in appearance. Appearance dictates what features are less than and how to treat people according to such standards. Most systems of oppression are thinly upheld by the simple belief that someone’s appearance dictates their place in society. I receive microaggressions from classmates depending on how my hair looks. I have to manage my facial expressions so that I constantly look happy because someone told me my dark skin always made my face look upset. These beliefs have been internalized across generations. That’s why when I go to church or family functions, the first comments my aunts make are about my hair.

“Your braids are old. When are you getting them done again?” 
“Have you thought about getting a wig installed or sew-in?”
“You really walk around like that?”

And you know what, yes, I do really walk around like that. There is nothing wrong with coily hair. I hate wearing braids and wigs. I hate that I have been hiding my hair for years. I like how short my hair is. I like that it’s lightweight and that it shrinks. I like that it’s sort of water-resistant. I like my hair because it’s mine. I love my hair because it connects me to all the people who’ve come before me. I love my hair because it’s resilient. I’m resilient even in a world that makes me feel ugly sometimes. The mere existence of coily hair is a form of resistance; just being yourself is resistance. So, I am truly moving past that dark green, tropical, late 90s suitcase. I wear my natural hair to class, to work, to formal occasions, everywhere. I am still getting used to it, and I haven’t deconstructed all the negative beliefs that I have about my hair. Nor have I properly learned how to take care of it. My hair is still falling out, but it will grow back with time. I really don’t want to open that suitcase again. So I am making sure it stays in my closet, buried under the church dresses I no longer wear.