When UMBC founded the Institute of Politics (IoP) in fall 2024, the new politics research center housed in the College of Arts, Humanities, and the Social Science outlined a clear mandate: to produce public-facing and community-engaged research and events on political, policy, and social issues for the betterment of Maryland, and to include UMBC students every step of the way. 

Two years on, the IoP and its signature research product, the UMBC Poll, have already become indispensable to policy makers and the press and are garnering a reputation for accuracy and up-to-the-minute relevancy. Thanks to covering such hot button issues as Gov. Wes Moore’s approval ratings and the Key Bridge rebuild, the UMBC Poll has garnered over 400 mentions in the press so far in 2026. 

True to the IoP’s founding mission, students are centered in the work. IoP Director Mileah Kromer and Associate Director Ian Anson are committed to giving their students hands-on experience in developing, conducting, analyzing, and publicizing high-visibility political polls. That commitment kicked up a notch as spring semester came to an end. The IoP held two events that brought policy-minded Retrievers together with state and local leaders to share visions for a better future–and to learn from each other how to bring those visions to fruition. 

Students share UMBC Poll results on parks and recreation use

On April 29, IoP research assistants Trisha Sirsat, Audrey Grutzik, and Sofia Cabrera presented results from the IoP’s March statewide poll and April poll of Baltimore County. Each poll included an array of questions that gauged residents’ opinions toward parks, recreation, and public lands. The audience of state and county leaders included Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Joshua Kurtz and Baltimore County Director of Recreation and Parks Bryan Sheppard. The students’ presentation provided analysis regarding visitation, preferred activities, and areas for expansion and improvement. When the leaders peppered the students with questions, the students were prepared.

“I was really impressed with the quality of the analysis,” said Kurtz, who appreciated how the student’s youthful perspective added to the value of the research. “Having our young people who are about to step into the professional world and be the next set of leaders doing this research is critically important.”

AAPI event connects students with careers in politics

A week later, the IoP brought another set of leaders to campus to engage with students, this time to mark Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Politics Everywhere: Understanding the AAPI Vote was co-moderated by Sirsat and UMBC alum Del. Mark Chang ’99 and kicked off with a keynote by Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller followed by a panel including Dels. David Moon, Kris Valderrama, and Harry Bhandari, Ph.D. ’21, and Sushant Sidh, principal at Capitol Strategies.

The event was inspired by Del. Chang, who worked with Sirsat to develop questions for the panelists. The panelists shared similar stories of having been written off, undervalued, or discriminated against early in their careers until learning that they deserved to have their voice heard—a lesson they urged the assembled students to take to heart. 

“Volunteer, work on a campaign. And when the time comes, run for office. Don’t ever keep that off your list of things to do, said Lt. Gov. Miller, who added this incentive: “When any of you decide to run, give me a call. I would love to be able to be the first one that writes you a check for your campaign.”

The students say working on critical policy research and engaging with local and state leaders shows them how government actually works and helps them make connections for the future.

“It was really exciting and fulfilling to see leaders so invested and interested in our work,” says Sirsat, a junior majoring in political science. “I think it’s really valuable to meet and have conversations with experts in positions you may want one day.”

Kromer says the recent events, and all of the IoP’s work, are key to living up to the IoP’s commitment to its public-facing mission. “I want to elevate the voices of everyday Marylanders and provide policymakers useful information about how they can better serve the residents of the state,” says Kromer, who adds that students can look forward to more exciting opportunities in the fall.

Manil Suri moved to the United States after spending the first 20 years of his life living in a 400-square-foot room in Bombay, India, with his father, Ram, and mother, Prem, to whom he dedicated his latest book, A Room in Bombay. The rest of the apartment was shared between three other families. “In the apartment lived my family, which was Hindu, and three Muslim families. We had a lot of fights, but those fights were really not about religion. They were about the shared bathroom, or the shared kitchen, or resources, or money, or space,” explains Suri, a professor of mathematics at UMBC.

Suri is also an award-winning author of three novels named after Hindu gods: The Death of Vishnu, The Age of Shiva, and The City of Devi. His fourth book, The Big Bang of Numbers: How to Build the Universe Using Only Math, is a humanities-based approach to mathematical concepts. They all paved the way for Suri’s most personal and most recent book. In three parts, Suri shares his life growing up in this room in Bombay and his life in the United States, drawing on more than 2,700 letters he wrote to his mother, which she saved in bundles organized by year, beginning with his time as a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University. The letters chronicle his life in the U.S., including his relationship with his partner Larry, whom he took twice to meet his parents in the room in Bombay.

Q: Who is your book for?

A: I think it’s a book that, first of all, I want to work as a story. People who like a good narrative will enjoy it. It also ties into a different idea of immigration. You hear drastic tales of how immigrants are being shunned and put into prisons. But there’s another side of immigration, too, a little more subtle, perhaps. People immigrate for all sorts of reasons—including “finding themselves,” as I did. 

Also, I’ve already received a few pieces of feedback from people who are taking care of their aging parents. There are a huge number of people in various generations who are doing that. So I think it’ll appeal to them and help them negotiate the very difficult road ahead that many will face.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by UMBC Global Student (@umbcglobalstudent)

Q: How did the timing for publishing this memoir come about?

A: I have published three novels and a book on math. I felt I had to write the math book as a public service, since I had one foot in the humanities and one in the sciences—and needed to make something out of it. Once this math book was done, there was this other lingering project [the memoir] that I actually started around 2010.

My mother passed away in 2013, and there was a big gap before I really got into writing the memoir. I needed that distance, since it would have been too much to have written it too close to her passing.

Q: Your mom had this intense love for you, which you wrote was sometimes overwhelming. How did that carry on through the room and through the rest of your life?

A:  I think what happened with my mother was that my identity almost melded with hers when I was growing up. It’s only once I came to the U.S. that I was able to separate the two a little and move on. She would always say, “The U.S. has made you unemotional.” It was something I learned after coming here, to keep some distance, and move away from that merging of personalities.

Keeping boundaries is always hard, but it also tunes you to being more conscious of them. I don’t have any kids, so I don’t have to worry about that boundary. 

Q: How did you feel coming to the United States?

A: When I first came to the U.S., I spent one week with a typical American family, and suddenly I had my own bedroom. That was exhilarating, but also a little weird. After that, I was in a dorm room with a roommate, so that was again a shared room for one year.

But after that year, I moved into an apartment where I had my own room. Since then, I’ve always had my own bedroom. Even though I’m married now, I need my own bedroom.

Q: A Room in Bombay centers around four families with very different backgrounds that often argue and have major disagreements. How does that tie into today’s world?

A: I think the book actually offers a lesson pertinent to our times. Although it was my Hindu family and three Muslim families sharing this apartment, the fights we had—and there were a lot of them—were really not about religion. They were about the shared bathroom, or the shared kitchen, or resources, or money, or space.

The same applies to most of the clashes going on in the world. Even though people try to put a religious spin on them, there are so many other reasons underlying all this strife. It’s property and boundaries, space, and resources.

Very rarely is it really religion. It’s not the cultural differences that are the cause of friction, it’s other things. Look deeper, and you’ll probably find an economic reason.

Q: Why did you choose to write the book as a memoir as opposed to an epistolary novel?

A: First of all, in terms of the letters, what I wrote are not letters to be treasured like Letters Between a Father and Son, a collection of intimate letters between Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul and his son. Most of my letters are very ordinary and come with no claim of literary value. I was desperately trying to find things to say, and wrote three or four times a week just to keep my parents happy and engaged. 

There’s also so much more that happened that is not covered by the letters. I did keep some journals, especially once my mother came to the U.S. In fact, I had too much material. The first draft of this novel was about 50 percent longer, excess that I had to edit out.

Q: How do you choose what parts of the book to keep and what to cut?

A: That can be a painful decision, but fortunately, my editor helped by telling me what could be trimmed or shortened. Eventually, I had to get ruthless enough and ask myself: Is the story coming across? How much do I really need to put in for that? What examples have already been included to illustrate something—if there are two of them, let’s get rid of one.

A lot of nice, entertaining experiences had to be jettisoned in the interest of a story that keeps moving. You know, that’s what they say to writers: Kill your darlings. It’s a hard, murderous task to be a writer.

Q: There is a lot of stigma still in South Asian cultures around coming out. Did you intentionally want to address that?

A: Yes, the South Asian LGBTQ+ community is definitely one of the audiences I aimed for in this book, and in particular, their parents. Because even with my mother, who was so enlightened in many ways, there was this up and down that she went through after I came out to her. I think it really eats away at you if you cannot come out to your parents. 

At the end of part two in the book, I talk about coming out to my dad. It happened after he took me to his friend’s house to introduce me to his 19-year-old daughter. Afterwards, my father said, “Well, what did you think of the daughter?” And I said, “You can’t be serious. First of all, she’s like half my age.” I ended up telling him about my relationship with my partner, to which he said, “I didn’t know, I didn’t know.” But then I noticed he was still looking expectantly at me. I realized then that he was still waiting for an answer to his question about whether I wanted to marry his friend’s daughter! 

I always wanted to have a long conversation with him, which I thought I would have the next time I went back. But he passed away two months later, so that opportunity never came. I found out from my uncle that he had told all his brothers I was gay, even in that short period. So even though my mother always said, “He won’t be able to handle it. Don’t tell him,” as it turned out, he was fine with it.

As far as creating a supportive atmosphere for coming out in the South Asian LGBTQ+ community goes, I’d love to help in any way I could. It would be a good thing for members to give the book to their parents, “Here is someone else’s experience. It may help you.”

Q: Out of the twelve letters that you kept from the hundreds your mom wrote to you, is there one that really stands out to you?

A: The one that’s at the end of the book. It’s a full letter that really crystallizes a lot of things about how she viewed my coming out and how she was aware of losing some of her faculties in terms of memory and concentration. All those things are in that letter, which is why it’s probably the most poignant.

Read more about books from the humanities at UMBC.

All,

With students both leaving and joining labs at the end of classes, it is important to make sure eye wash inspections continue weekly through the summer. This one simple task tends to be the single most cited deficiency during out environmental safety and health inspections. If you need tags for documentation, please let me know and I can guide you in the right direction.

Thanks!!

After Shanika Freeman ’24 walked across the stage, she had something on her mind—basic human rights. For the past four years, Freeman’s research has focused on the reentry experiences of formerly incarcerated women in the United States and Maryland. Basic human rights—including access to healthy food, education, housing, healthcare, clothing, and job skills development—are difficult to access for people in the reentry process due to limited to no financial resources, support networks, services, and stigma. 

“In Maryland, over 15,000 women are released from prison every year. Just imagine, you’ve been released, and unfortunately, you couldn’t get a transitional program or reentry program, so you are basically by yourself,” said Freeman during her individualized study major’s capstone presentation. “You go out, you kiss the ground because you know you are free, but you are only given about $50 to $100 of gate money to find transportation and all your basic needs.”

Reentry programs are not the root of these obstacles. During her research, Freeman learned that the U.S.incarceration system’s emphasis on punishments rather than rehabilitation means many women are released without workforce skills needed to meet the demands of a changing job, let alone recreate a new life. All of these factors increase recidivism rates.

“I wasn’t born to be caged up and chained up,” is a quote by Susan Burton that inspired Freeman to continue her research on successful reentry pathways. Burton is the founder of A New Way of Life Reentry Project, a non-profit organization in California that provides safe housing, pro bono legal services, advocacy, and family reunification for formerly incarcerated women. Leading with compassion inspired Freeman to seek similar approaches in her own work. 

She didn’t know at the time that her search would lead her to Norway, whose incarceration system is widely recognized as one of the most humane rehabilitative institutions in the world. Their rehabilitation process emphasizes mentorship, skill-building, communal living, mirroring regular life based on the Norwegians’ belief that the only right a person loses through incarceration is liberty. As a result, Norway has one of the lowest rates of recidivism in the world. Thanks to a 2025 – 2026 Fulbright U.S. Student Program award, Freeman crossed the Atlantic to Bergen, Norway, to conduct research on the reentry experiences of Norwegian women into the community after incarceration. 

Janteloven, a culture of humility 

For the first time, Freeman boarded a plane, leaving the United States and Baltimore for Bergen, a city on Norway’s southwestern coast known as the city between the seven mountains. Freeman quickly found that life in Bergen is about enjoying nature. She remembers walking from her small studio apartment to the University of Bergen and seeing hikers everywhere. While cross-country skiing is the official national sport, hiking is an integral part of Bergen culture. Freeman joined the locals on both activities, and suited up with hiking boots and cross-country skis—also a first. 

“I love this city. It’s not crowded. You can take a hike up a mountain any day of the week. Mount Fløyen is the closest and most popular mountain in Bergen,” said Freeman. “So many beautiful views and at the top, you can also get hot chocolate, coffee, and Norwegian waffles. It’s all really nice.” While she enjoyed the outdoors, Freeman did have some first-day jitters when it came time to join the research team.

“I was a bit hesitant when I arrived because I had just graduated with my bachelor’s, and most of my colleagues had a Ph.D. or were earning one. I was a bit worried about fitting in. But they welcomed me with open arms,” says Freeman. “Bergensere really value you and your voice, no matter what. It doesn’t matter if you have a degree or not, they really value you and make sure your voice is heard.”

This practice of equality and community above all is called Janteloven, a Scandinavian cultural, social, and literary concept that emphasizes equality, humility, and collective conformity over individual achievement. Freeman’s welcome was an example of Janteloven. This extends to architecture, clothing, and even standing in line. 

“From my perspective, a lot of Norwegians are sort of hard to crack because they don’t usually do small talk. Back in Baltimore, if you’re standing in line at the grocery store, you can strike up a conversation with anyone. Not here so much,” explains Freeman. “They’re not being rude. They value your time, and they value their time as well, and don’t want to inconvenience anybody. It’s a cultural norm.”

Janteloven in the prison system

Possibly because of this norm, it took time for Freeman to find participants who wanted to focus on their own story. “It’s such a sensitive subject that I researched. One of the challenges I faced was helping participants feel comfortable speaking,” said Freeman. “I talked about their feelings during incarceration and reentry. It’s a very vulnerable state to be in.” Her Fulbright research advisors stepped in and connected Freeman with a few participants and guided her to pivot from solely focusing on reentry to include the system side of the process by speaking with experts in the field of criminology and penology—the philosophy, management, and effectiveness of prison systems and rehabilitation methods.

“One of my main findings was that Norway’s successful reentry is shaped primarily by its welfare system. It is set up to help with social support, housing, education, and job support. They have something called the import model,” said Freeman, “which means that they rely on external public services like healthcare, education, and libraries that are delivered by community providers rather than the prison staff themselves.” Freeman notes that this is in stark contrast to what she found in her research on the U.S. reentry process, where these services are usually contracted out. In Norway, staff are almost always civilians from the same communities into which the residents—Norway doesn’t use the term inmate or prisoner—will be released.

Freeman found a successful example to observe at WayBack, a Norwegian nonprofit foundation that supports formerly incarcerated individuals’ return to society by coordinating services and building networks for successful reintegration. However, the process doesn’t end there. WayBack’s approach to intervention is also based on peer-to-peer mentorship, a form of rehabilitation support Freeman has rarely seen in Baltimore.

“Norway’s welfare state and broader cultural belief systems, Janteloven included, reinforce the idea that the conviction and sentence to prison itself is the punishment,” Freeman explained. “So while you are inside, rehabilitation should be the main priority.”

But nothing is perfect. Another of Freeman’s findings includes the shortcomings of the Norwegian incarceration system. Freeman explained that there are prisons where women have limited gender-specific support and lack the services needed to overcome major barriers, including trauma, addiction, and mental health. “There was a recent report criticizing Trondheim Prison, a few hours from Bergen, due to human rights violations,” said Freeman, after submitting her research. “This was extremely surprising to me. They were in violation of mishandling medication, isolation, and unsanitary conditions, to name a few. So, despite all of the progress, there are still things that aren’t being addressed as quickly as others might want, but at least they are working to address it.”

Human rights in Bergen and Baltimore

After four seasons in Norway, Freeman is packing up and preparing to return home to Baltimore, leaving with a greater appreciation for Janteloven. She is hopeful that one day she will return to the city between the seven mountains either for travel or to pursue a master’s program to continue her research. In the meantime, Freeman is already working on adding a visual element to her research, as she plans to spend the summer filming a documentary on the impact of incarceration on Baltimore communities and families. 

“Having both the reentering system and the criminal system perspectives made my research stronger. My main goal is to work with reentry programs or even programs inside the prison system,” says Freeman. “I want people to think about the human rights of people in the prison system. No matter what they did, just because they were inside, it doesn’t mean they don’t deserve basic human rights.”

Read more Fulbright stories and learn about UMBC’s Fulbright preparation.

Roundtable: Sustaining Research Growth in Today’s Funding Environment 

Thursday, June 25th | 12-12:45 PM ET / 9-9:45 AM PT

REGISTER NOW

Amid rapid changes in the federal funding landscape, institutions of higher education are confronting a host of new challenges as they strive to sustain and grow their grant portfolios.

In this roundtable discussion, we will hear from grants and research leaders about the strategies they are deploying to keep their organizations on course.

Topics will include efforts to diversify funding sources, respond to shifting priorities, strengthen institutional research capacity, and explore emerging opportunities in uncharted areas.​​

Panelists:

• Kirsten Wisneski – Founding Director, Research Development Office, University of North Carolina Wilmington (NC)
• Tamara Gabrus – Senior Director, Research Advancement and Strategy, University of Central Florida (FL)
• Dr. P. Karen Murphy – Associate Dean for Research and Outreach, The Pennsylvania State University College of Education (PA)
• Dr. Randy Heflin – Senior Associate Vice President Research and Innovation, Virginia Tech (VA)

Moderators:

• Mallory Waters – Grants Advisor, Hanover Research
• Tom Kuhn – Senior Grants Consultant, Hanover Research

Unable to attend? Register and Hanover will send a copy of the recording and slides after the webinar.

About Hanover Research: Hanover provides research development, grant writing, and strategic advising support to a wide range of organizations. Our professionals deliver customized proposal review, revision, and production support, while also helping to align strategic priorities to funding trends and opportunities at all levels.  To learn more about Hanover Research, visit www.hanoverresearch.com.

Graduate School at UMBC

Dissertation Fellowship Fall 2026 

Application Deadline: Friday, July 10, 2026

Overview: The UMBC Dissertation Fellowship provides promising doctoral candidates with the financial support necessary to focus on writing and completing their dissertations. This fellowship grants students the critical time and resources needed to expedite the final stages of their degree.

Eligibility & Conditions:

Except in extraordinary circumstances, these awards are limited to one term per student. To be considered, Ph.D. candidates must be in good academic standing. Additionally, they must have:

●        No other financial support: This fellowship is strictly for students who do not have UMBC-administered financial support (such as an assistantship) during the fall term. Note: Funding status will be verified prior to application review and applicants with a GA contract through fall 2026 will not be reviewed.

●        Time to commit and focus on writing: Recipients must commit at least 20 hours per week exclusively to dissertation writing for the entire fall term. No other work assignments, besides dissertation writing, may be associated with this fellowship.

Award Details (Fall 2026):

The fellowship is awarded for the summer term only and includes:

●      A maximum stipend of $12,500.

●      Tuition remission for 9 credits of course 899 (billed at 2 credits). Please note: The university provides tuition remission for the cost of 899 tuition only. Fellowship recipients are required to pay all mandatory fees associated with 899 registration.

Selection Criteria:

A committee selected by the Graduate School Leadership Team will review applications. Priority will be given to students who demonstrate that this award will provide the critical support needed to complete their writing, finalize revisions, and successfully defend their dissertation within the fellowship period (by the end of the fall term). Selection is based heavily on the applicant's readiness to finish, and the quality and feasibility of their management plan.

Application Materials

Applicants must submit the following documentation as a single PDF:

1. Fill out the application form with your information (attached).

2. Letter of Support from the Chair of the Dissertation Committee that:

○      Describes the current state of the dissertation and the probable impact of the Fellowship on the student's progress.

○      Verifies that no UMBC-administered financial support is available for the student.

     3. Management Plan (1–2 pages), written by the applicant and signed by the Chair of the Dissertation Committee. This must describe the dissertation format (regular or 3-essay/paper), status of the dissertation work, remaining steps, and a timeline for completion of those steps.

    4. Research Abstract for Lay Audience (maximum 1 page), written by the applicant in plain language for a non-expert audience, describing their research and its relevance.

    5. Curriculum Vitae (CV) (most recent version). Example of CV.

    6. Employer Documentation(if applicable): If employed outside the university, written evidence from the employer indicating a willingness to reduce the student's job hours and duties during the fellowship.

   7. Optional Statement: A brief response to the prompt: "Is there anything else you would like the committee to know about your situation and the need for a Dissertation Fellowship?"

Submission & Deadlines

●        Deadline: Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, July 10, 2026.

●        How to Apply: Email your completed application as a single PDF to dissertationfellowship@umbc.edu.

●        Notification: Recipients will be announced by Friday, July 31, 2026.

The application is attached.

Traffic around the arena will be very heavy beginning at 7:30am on 6/5/2026 and throughout the day to accommodate two high school graduations. Graduation start times are 9am and 1:30pm. Faculty, staff, and students are strongly encouraged to avoid entering campus from I-195, as parking on the east side of campus will be difficult to access. Please plan to park in any available legal permit space across campus. Parking Services will be enforcing parking regulations for safety concerns only. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to manage increased traffic and event activity

We are currently experiencing technical issues with the Dine On Campus website.

While we work to resolve the issue, please refer to the attached Hours of Operation flyer for the most up-to-date dining hours and locations.

Thank you for your patience!

UMBC Dining Services

Executive Council Members

Council Members:

       President: Nico Bartolomeo (nicolab2@umbc.edu)
       Vice President: Marley Cosgrove (marleyc1@umbc.edu)

Advisor: Dr. Matthew Kvalheim (kvalheim@umbc.edu)

Consultant: Dr. Justin Webster, Undergraduate Program Director (websterj@umbc.edu)

The RAC is looking for a student photographer to start in the fall semester. This is a paid on campus job. Details and how to apply below. They will be reviewing applicants soon!

This position would be grat for any student who wants to build some professional experience in photography. 

Any questions about the position can be directed to Alea Shilling (aleab@umbc.edu), Assistant Athletic Director of RAC. 

RAC Student Photographer Position Description: 
UMBC Recreation is seeking a student photographer for the fall semester to support the promotion and documentation of campus recreation programs and activities. This role focuses on capturing dynamic, action-oriented photography that highlights the energy, engagement, and atmosphere of intramural sports, club sports, and recreational events. The ideal candidate enjoys sports and event photography and has an eye for storytelling through fast-paced, authentic moments in a recreational setting. The photographer will play an important role in showcasing campus recreation through high-quality images used for marketing, social media, and the RAC website.

Timeframe/Semester:
The position will begin in the fall semester, with the option to continue into the spring.

Modality:
Hybrid. Photography work will be completed in person at events, while editing and related tasks can be done remotely. If structured as an internship, this may be adjusted based on academic or departmental requirements.

Hours per Week:
Approximately 5 hours per week.

Student Responsibilities:

• Capture photos of club sports, intramural events, and other recreation special events/classes
• Provide content for use on the website and social media platforms

Desired Traits:

• Personable and professional
• Dependable, including punctual attendance at scheduled activities and meetings
• Organized and detail-oriented

Compensation:
We have a couple of options available:

• Hourly rate of $15/hour
• Alternatively, an internship-based structure may be possible depending on departmental alignment (similar to our current arrangement with Public Health). We are open to discussing what works best.

Additional Requirements / Notes:

• Willingness and ability to travel off campus for select events, if needed

Application Materials & Submission:
Please submit the following via email to Alea Shilling at aleab@umbc.edu:

• A short paragraph of interest
• A resume (if available/desired)
• Samples of work or a photography portfolio (especially event/action/sports photography)