June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month

June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about migraine and headache disorders while recognizing the millions of individuals whose daily lives are impacted by these often invisible conditions. According to the American Migraine Foundation, migraine affects more than one billion people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of disability, yet it remains widely misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and undertreated.

Observed throughout the month of June, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month highlights the physical, emotional, and social challenges experienced by people living with migraine and other headache disorders. This year's theme, "I AM (IN)VISIBLE," emphasizes that while migraine symptoms may not always be visible to others, the experiences and needs of those living with the condition deserve recognition, understanding, and support.

You can take action by:
• Learning about migraine and headache disorders and sharing accurate information with others
• Supporting advocacy, research, and education efforts focused on improving migraine care
• Encouraging open conversations that reduce stigma and increase understanding
• Listening to and amplifying the voices of individuals living with migraine and chronic headache conditions

Key facts to know include: migraine is a neurological disease, symptoms can extend far beyond head pain, early diagnosis and treatment can improve quality of life, and mental health, workplace support, and access to healthcare all play important roles in migraine management.

Together, we can raise awareness, challenge misconceptions, support those affected by migraine and headache disorders, and advocate for better care, research, and understanding.

June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month

June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia while encouraging individuals to take proactive steps to support lifelong brain health. According to the Alzheimer's Association, millions of people worldwide are living with Alzheimer's disease, making it one of the leading causes of disability and dependence among older adults.

Observed throughout the month of June, Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month highlights the importance of brain health education, early detection, ongoing research, and support for individuals and families affected by dementia. While researchers continue working toward better treatments and a cure, studies show that adopting healthy lifestyle habits may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline and support overall brain wellness.

You can take action by:
• Learning about Alzheimer's disease and sharing accurate information with others
• Supporting organizations dedicated to Alzheimer's research, care, and advocacy
• Encouraging conversations about brain health and the importance of early detection
• Wearing purple throughout June to raise awareness and show support for those affected by dementia

Key brain health habits to know include: staying physically active, getting quality sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, challenging your mind through lifelong learning, staying socially connected, and managing chronic health conditions.

Together, we can raise awareness, support groundbreaking research, promote healthy brain habits, and work toward a future without Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

#AlzheimersAndBrainAwarenessMonth #ENDALZ #BrainHealth #AlzheimersAwareness #DementiaAwareness #HealthyAging #HealthAwareness #UMBC

June is National Cancer Survivor Month

June is National Cancer Survivor Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the strength, resilience, and achievements of cancer survivors while raising awareness about the ongoing challenges many individuals face during and after treatment. Thanks to advancements in cancer research, prevention, early detection, and treatment, there are now more than 18.6 million cancer survivors living in the United States.

Observed throughout the month of June, National Cancer Survivor Month recognizes everyone living with, through, and beyond cancer. While survivorship is a cause for celebration, many survivors continue to experience physical, emotional, financial, and social challenges long after treatment ends. This month highlights the importance of continued research, support services, advocacy, and equitable access to quality healthcare to improve outcomes and quality of life for all cancer survivors.

You can take action by:
• Learning about cancer survivorship and sharing educational resources with others
• Supporting organizations that fund cancer research and patient support programs
• Listening to and amplifying the stories of cancer survivors and their families
• Advocating for policies that improve access to cancer care, treatment, and survivorship resources

Key facts to know include: advances in research have significantly improved survival rates, early detection can improve treatment outcomes, survivorship extends beyond treatment, and ongoing medical, emotional, and community support can play an important role in long-term well-being.

Together, we can celebrate survivors, honor their journeys, support lifesaving research, and work toward a future where everyone affected by cancer has the resources and support they need to thrive.

June is National PTSD Awareness Month, and June 27 is National PTSD Awareness Day 

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can affect anyone, but for many veterans, it is a lasting reminder of their service. This month, we honor their experiences and promote awareness, understanding, and support.

At UMBC, the Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) program offers dedicated support to student veterans. A partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, VITAL connects student veterans with VA mental health professionals and essential resources to help them thrive academically and personally.

VITAL can assist with:

• Enrollment in VA healthcare
  
  
• Navigating VA and non-VA resources
  
  
• Academic accommodations
  
  
• Advocacy for student veterans
  
  
• Clinical services for challenges such as stress, sleep problems, attention issues, anxiety, depression, and PTSD

In addition, UMBC’s Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) is here to support all students' mental health needs, offering a range of counseling, wellness, and psychiatric services in a safe and inclusive environment.

Support is here. You are not alone.

To learn more or connect with VITAL, visit  veterans.umbc.edu

Resources – Veteran and Military Affiliated Services – UMBC

ADA’S 36th Anniversary 

ADA turns 36 this year, and here are some facts you should know.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed in 1990, was a landmark moment in U.S. civil rights history. It made it illegal to deny someone a job, education, or housing just because of a disability. But the ADA didn’t just happen. It was demanded. Activists crawled up the steps of the U.S. Capitol during the Capitol Crawl to fight for equal rights.

Today, the ADA protects people with both visible and invisible disabilities, like PTSD, ADHD, and diabetes. It also covers far more than physical spaces. Think websites, apps, voice recognition, closed captioning, and screen readers. In fact, in 2022 alone, over 3,000 web accessibility lawsuits were filed under the ADA.

From the U.S. to countries like the U.K., Canada, and Australia, the ADA’s influence is global.
And yes, even Siri owes a thank you to the ADA.

Equal access isn’t extra. It’s essential.

June is Pride Month

June marks National LGBTQ+ Pride Month and offers the nation the opportunity to reflect on the incredible contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. Our nation is at its best when it welcomes, represents and includes people of all backgrounds. This includes people with disabilities and the intersections shared with the LGBTQ+ community. According to a study published in 2012, fully 36 percent of women in the LGBTQ+ community and 30 percent of men in the community also self-identify as people with disabilities. Learn more about the intersection via RespectAbility here, especially with Leah Ilana's essay on the need for safe refuge.  More  Disabled LBGTQ+ Profiles, in their own voices, are profiled here.
We celebrate with you! You matter! UMBC Resources include:

• UMBC Queer and Trans People of Color (QPOC) oSTEM Group for LGBTQ+ Students working in STEM fields
• Spectra UMBC for LGBTQ+ Mathematicians
• LGBTQ+ FSA - Faculty and Staff group
• The Pride Center is centrally located on the first floor of the UC (and an entrance with better accessibility is in the works
• LGBTQIA+ Resource Page via the Office of Equity and Civil Rights

For question about disability or accessibility at UMBC, undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities connect with Student Disability Services online (link) or via disability@umbc.edu.

June 2026 Issue

Brought to you by the USM Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation and the

USM Digital Accessibility Work Group

Building Momentum: Faculty Leadership and Summer Accessibility Action

The Title II compliance timeline has changed, but the work remains urgent. This month, we’re focusing on how to use the additional time well: building faculty leadership, strengthening discipline-specific support, and taking small, practical steps toward more accessible digital materials.

More Time, Same Commitment

The U.S. Department of Justice has extended the Title II web and mobile app accessibility compliance deadline to April 26, 2027. This extension gives us additional time to thoughtfully integrate accessibility more intentionally into our courses, programs, services, and digital content. It does not change the importance of the work. Across USM, faculty and staff have already made meaningful progress, and this additional time gives us an opportunity to strengthen sustainable practices that benefit all learners. Let’s use this window strategically to build accessibility into the way we work.

We’re Looking for Faculty Leaders in STEM and Music & Arts

We’re excited to announce a Call for Faculty Co-Leads for our new USM Communities of Practice (CoP) focused on Digital Accessibility in STEM and Music & Arts disciplines.

Why these disciplines?

STEM and Music & Arts present unique accessibility challenges that require specialized knowledge and creative solutions:

• STEM: Mathematical equations, scientific notation, data visualizations, lab simulations, and interactive models all require thoughtful approaches to ensure students using assistive technology can fully engage with content.

• Music & Arts: Musical notation, audio recordings, performance-based assessments, visual art analysis, and studio/performance spaces demand innovative accessibility strategies that honor the integrity of artistic expression.

What Co-Leads will do:

• Facilitate monthly discussions with faculty facing similar challenges

• Share discipline-specific resources and solutions

• Collaborate with the Kirwan Center and the USM Digital Accessibility Work Group to develop practical guidance and meaningful solutions

• Help shape training and support that actually works for your field

Who we’re looking for:

Faculty leaders who are passionate about accessibility, curious about solutions, and willing to learn alongside colleagues. You don’t need to be an expert—just committed to making your discipline more inclusive.

Interested? Applications are due this Friday, June 5, 2026.

June Challenge: The 5-Minute Accessibility Check

This month, choose one item you created (a document, webpage, email, slide deck, or course module) and spend five minutes navigating it using only your keyboard. Can you reach every link, button, menu, and form field? Is the focus order logical? Can you tell where you are on the page?

It’s easier to improve our materials when we better understand what doesn’t work well.

Get Involved

Whether you’re ready to lead, want to share an accessibility success story, or are looking for practical guidance, we want to hear from you.

Apply to be a Faculty Co-Lead.

Share or Nominate an Accessibility Win.

Visit the USM Digital Accessibility Hub.

All,

The project in the entry ways of the building has finished early, except for some additional caulking in the Physics facing entrance. That work will not affect access tot he building. Thank you all for your patience while this work was comleted.  

To all users,

This is a reminder that we are beginning our scheduled downtime for chip, which is planned from 8AM to 5PM ET. This is to apply critical security patches, and to perform some maintenance on the RRStor ceph storage cluster. During this time, chip will be inaccessible and jobs currently running may be terminated if necessary.

We will send an update at the conclusion of the work.

Previous post announcing the downtime: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/hpcf/posts/160303 

As always, remember to submit any issues you have here: https://rtforms.umbc.edu/rt_authenticated/doit/DoIT-support.php?auto=Research%20Computing

And check out our documentation here: https://umbc.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/faq/pages/1082589207/UMBC+HPCF+-+chip

Best,
Greg

Are you interested in speaking and learning Cantonese with other UMBC community members?

We are planning to start hosting Cantonese Club meetings next semester. Everyone is welcome regardless of fluency.

If you would like to participate, please fill out this interest form!
https://forms.gle/3E81RMzuwqYKzzCq6

I'm a senior undergraduate looking for a roommate to share a 2BR apartment, close to UMBC main campus(about 12 min drive) and bus shuttle. Rental available to move in immediately or from early July till December or later if needed.

•Fully furnished living room and kitchen

•Private room and bathroom included 

•Washer and dryer included, cable ready

• Rent will be about $900/month, WiFi and electric bill included 

Please contact me if interested: noellad1@umbc.edu

Phone #: 2404959832

thereserveatstonegateapts.com

UMBC’s new Make Your Research Come Alive (MyRCA) program is helping faculty translate their scholarship into compelling stories that resonate across disciplines, sectors, and audiences. Launched in November 2025, the program wrapped up its inaugural cohort with a May showcase.

“We created the MyRCA program to help faculty strengthen their research communication skills and effectively convey the significance and real-world impact of their work beyond traditional academic audiences and funding pathways,” says Christine Mallinson, assistant vice president for research and scholarly impact. “It also encourages faculty to think strategically and creatively about visibility, partnerships, collaboration, and long-term impact,” she adds.

Led by the Division of Research and Creative Achievement in partnership with the Office of Institutional Advancement, MyRCA brought together 14 faculty members for twice-monthly workshops and working group sessions, a January mini-retreat, and the culminating showcase. The program focused on identifying and articulating research impact, translating specialized scholarship for broad audiences, developing compelling narratives and pitches, understanding funding landscapes, exploring pathways for engagement with corporate, community, and philanthropic partners, and strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration.

“The value of this program is in connecting with each other,” cohort member Foad Hamidi, associate professor of information systems, shared at the showcase. “Strong research communication and collaboration can help our research come alive,” adds Dong Li, another cohort member and assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering. Li added, “We are not just researchers, we are telling our story to our audience.”

The value of connection

The program intentionally grouped faculty into smaller interdisciplinary teams organized around broad themes such as health, youth, and the environment. These connections quickly sparked new ideas and collaborations.

For instance, Lauren Clay, professor and chair of emergency and disaster health systems, connected with Li, after learning about his work on wearable health-monitoring devices. Clay wondered how Li’s technology could support a colleague’s research on paramedic response during extreme heat events, including monitoring heat stroke risks for marathon runners.

A group including Gabriella Weiss, postdoctoral researcher with the Center for Spaces Sciences and Technology; Marie-Christine Daniel, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry; and Sophie Comer-Warner, assistant professor of geography and environmental systems, examined remediation strategies for microplastics, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds with a focus on wetlands. Their collaboration pointed to promising local funding opportunities with Maryland Sea Grant and Chesapeake Bay organizations.

Ellen Kohl, assistant professor of geography and environmental systems, strengthened a new science communication course with the skills she gained, and Shuling Yang, assistant professor of education, advanced her research using generative AI and Chinese pop music for biliteracy development. Brian Kaufman, professor of music, built on the UMBC Create Music Festival, which brings collaborative problem-solving into a typically performance-based discipline. 

By the showcase, participants had developed polished pitches, public-facing materials, and broader impact narratives ready for funding proposals, donor outreach, and the media. Each received $500 in research support, along with new cross-campus and external connections.

MyRCA stretches faculty beyond their comfort zones

Mallinson has been excited to see the 14 faculty “stretch beyond their usual disciplinary comfort zones and immediately begin putting the skills and approaches they were learning into practice—developing cross-disciplinary proposals, crafting pitches, appearing in videos and podcasts, participating in panels, and bringing what they learned in the program back to their graduate students and colleagues.” 

Linda Kidder Yarlott, associate director for corporate research partnerships, highlighted the value of the partnership between the Division of Research and Creative Achievement and the Office of Institutional Advancement. “While federal funding agencies are looking for highly technical, methodology-driven proposals, it’s visionary, outcome-oriented narratives that clearly articulate the human impact and real-world return on investment that entice corporate and philanthropic partners,” Yarlott says.

Yarlott and Jocelyn Kehl, major gift officer for the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, worked with the cohort on practical skills—from strategic networking and optimizing LinkedIn profiles to crafting stories that resonate with donors and foundations. “Mentoring this cohort has been an incredibly rewarding experience, culminating in a spectacular program showcase where faculty teams powerfully demonstrated new communication skills that will help unlock new philanthropic pathways,” Yarlott shares. 

For more information and to learn about the full 2025 – 2026 cohort, visit research.umbc.edu/myrca.

Want to work on real-world challenges? The Grand Challenge Scholars Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County is open to students from all majors.

The program is built around the National Academy of Engineering’s 14 Grand Challenges and is designed to address major issues in sustainability, health, security, and joy of living. Students create a personalized path through research, entrepreneurship, service, interdisciplinary learning, and global experiences focused on a chosen challenge. 

Who can apply: 

Juniors and Seniors from all disciplines who have at least three semesters to graduate.

New application deadline: June 22

For more infomation, go to the Grand Challenge Scholars Website.

Hello!

The Exempt Staff Senate (ESS) Mentoring Program is in NEED of some more mentors for the FY27 cycle.  If you are were on the fence about signing up before the initial deadline expired here is your second chance to apply!  Also, if you know of an exempt employee who would make a good mentor, please share this information with them.

All exempt staff members (typically at UMBC for 3 years or longer) are encouraged to apply to be mentors! Contact Jess Wyatt (jwy@umbc.edu) or Steve Harris (stevenh1@umbc.edu) directly with questions.

Apply here! - ESS Mentoring Program Application

Name: Chinyere Ukwuoma 

Pronouns: she/her

Semester of Internship: Spring 2026

Major: Biological Sciences

Current Class Level: Senior

This semester I completed a(n)...: Internship

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site (Company/Organization Name): The Hilltop Institute

Location of the Organization (City, State): Catonsville, Maryland

Title of position: Health Policy Intern

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities:

As an intern I performed data validation and revised annual reports with up-to-date information. I assisted with redesigning figures using Excel to improve visualization of Maryland Medicaid program enrollment trends. I helped carry out a literature review of 80+ articles to be used in an evaluation of the Health Homes program. I also ensured all documents were 100% complaint with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act using tools in Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

My initial interview came from a recommendation from my previous supervisor in the business office at the same organization. I started there as an assistant before moving to the policy team. I had expressed interest in interning with the health policy team and received an email stating they wanted to interview me and asking for a copy on my resume in Fall 2025.

What resources did you use to find your current experience?

Faculty Connections, Handshake

What have you enjoyed the most about your position and organization?

I really like the environment and the people I work with. Everyone is extremely friendly and wants to see you succeed.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

My work has supported analysis that drives policy-decision making. Policymakers look at the reports done by Hilltop and similar organizations to make decisions about health policy. having informed analysis is important, especially for programs that support vulnerable communities.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

I would tell a student to look for research institutes on campus doing work that you are interested in and that HandShake is a great resource. I had no idea the Hilltop Institute existed until I saw a posting for the Business Office assistant role on HandShake. That was how I got started at the organization before becoming a health policy intern. Make it clear what your interests are and there will be people willing to support you!