Dhruva Kathuria (618/UMBC) is a Co-Investigator on the recently funded NASA ROSES-Ecohydrology proposal “Enhancing flash drought prediction by quantifying vegetation responses to rainfall and heatwave pulses.” This three-year grant is led by Dr. Yanlan Liu (UCLA), with Drs. Kai Zhu (Univ. of Michigan), Alexey Shiklomanov (GSFC), and Kathuria, as the Co-Is.

The United States has been experiencing frequent flash droughts in recent decades, resulting in severe ecological and socioeconomic impacts. While normal droughts occur over two to three months with below-normal rainfall, flash droughts intensify over weeks, with a combination of little rain, high temperatures, and strong winds, resulting in water loss from evapotranspiration (ET). Current land surface models struggle to accurately predict flash droughts due to unclear ecohydrological mechanisms that drive the initiation and intensification of a flash drought. Mega-droughts typically are driven by climate oscillations, while flash droughts are substantially influenced by subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) land-atmosphere interactions mediated by vegetation. Following rainfall and heatwave pulses, soil and atmosphere dry-downs can trigger a cascade of ecohydrological feedback within the soil-plant-atmosphere system (SPAS). Under certain vegetation and atmospheric conditions, a positive feedback loop could emerge.

Dr. Kathuria explains, “The positive feedback can arise in some cases when a rainfall event is followed by a heatwave pulse. After rainfall pulses, large ET contributes to soil dry-downs, which can be further accelerated by the heatwave. When the soil dries out and the air heats up, plants can sometimes (though not always) respond by "shutting down" and releasing less water. This then backfires: less water released into the air means even hotter, drier conditions, which dries the soil further, triggering a vicious cycle that can rapidly spiral into a flash drought. We hypothesize that this happens more frequently in areas with higher biomass and in arid climates. To improve flash drought prediction, it is critical to mechanistically quantify the ecohydrological dynamics within the SPAS, which are co-regulated by vegetation and the physical environment, and to clarify their roles in driving flash droughts; hence, this forms the overarching goal of the project. This research will be among the first to mechanistically quantify how vegetation responses after rainfall and heatwave pulses regulate flash droughts.”

“The proposal has three stages, moving from data-driven insight toward improved forecasting. First, we will use a data-driven approach to explore the causal relationships between vegetation dynamics, climate conditions, and flash drought indicators across a wide variety of biomes. We plan to do this using causal machine learning methods applied to a broad mix of field and remote sensing data. Second, we will feed this understanding into a computationally efficient physical model, the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere System (SPAS), to test which physical mechanisms (soil drying, water movement within plants, and so on) contribute the most to accurately predicting flash droughts. We start with SPAS because it is computationally light and easy to run experiments on. Finally, we will use what we learn from SPAS to develop better parameterizations for the land surface model (Noah-MP) within NASA's Land Information System (LIS), improving its ability to forecast flash droughts. Noah-MP is computationally expensive, so the logic of the workflow is sequential: data-driven causal ML informs the efficient SPAS model, and SPAS in turn informs Noah-MP in LIS. Ultimately, the project will produce a large-scale model-data toolkit to improve flash drought prediction across the western U.S. The outcome will contribute to enhanced S2S hydroclimate forecasts and support mitigation strategies for future flash drought events.”

Overview:

This CITI webinar is designed for new and early-career principal investigators and faculty who are managing sponsored research. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the financial responsibilities associated with managing federal and other sponsored awards, including understanding your award, monitoring budgets, and ensuring costs are reasonable, allocable, and allowable. 

The webinar provides practical strategies for monthly financial oversight and highlights common pitfalls that can trigger audit findings. The webinar includes usable tips and techniques to help manage grants effectively, avoid compliance issues, and support the long-term success of research programs.

Presentation by:

Tiffany Cunningham, JD - The Pennsylvania State University

Registration Link:

https://about.citiprogram.org/event/free-live-webinar-understanding-and-monitoring-research-awards-a-guide-for-faculty/

Even though AOK Library is not offering live workshops this summer, you can still build your research, writing, and information skills by watching recordings from our spring workshops.

Recordings cover topics designed to support students at different stages of the research process, from getting organized to using research tools more effectively.

View the workshop recordings here: https://www.youtube.com/@umbclibrary/videos 

Need one-on-one research help this summer? Make a research appointment with a subject librarian.

The Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center is looking for an undergraduate intern to support their Preserving Freedom’s Shore: The Frederick Douglass and Chesapeake Heritage Collections Project.

Position Description

Project Overview:

Twin Oaks, the summer cottage built for Frederick Douglass, is home to the Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center (FDMCC). This three bedroom home that faces east with a spectacular view of the Chesapeake Bay was designed by Frederick Douglass. For him, one of the most important features was a second-floor balcony. He wanted that view, he said, "so that as a free man I could look across the Bay to the Eastern Shore where I was born a slave."

In February 1996, Twin Oaks was deeded to the town of Highland Beach at a ceremony held at the state capitol building in Annapolis. It was officially named the Frederick Douglass Museum and
Cultural Center. The museum today has an extensive collection of artifacts, documents, photographs, furniture, and more related to the life of Frederick Douglass,

Mary Church Terrell, Paul Robeson, Robert Weaver, Harriet Tubman, W.E.B Dubois, Dr. Charles R. Drew, poets Paul Lawrence Dunbar and Langston Hughes, and the history of the communities of Highland Beach and Venice Beach. The museum will be undergoing extensive structural renovations through an African American Heritage Preservation Program (AAHPP) grant. The FDMCC operates without paid staff. All operations, including collections stewardship, programming, and visitor engagement, are supported by volunteer board members and docents. Many items have not yet been fully catalogued or digitized, limiting access and increasing vulnerability during renovation.

Position Summary:
The Undergraduate Intern will play a central role in the preservation, cataloging, anddigitization of  the collections of the FDMCC as part of the Preserving Freedom’s Shore project. Working collaboratively with museum leadership, volunteers, graduate interns, and professionals from the Maryland State Archives, the intern will assist with collections surveys, archival cataloging, condition assessment, digital documentation, and the safe preparation and relocation of materials during a major renovation project.

This position provides hands-on experience in public history, archives, museum collections management, digital humanities, and cultural heritage preservation. The intern will contribute to the development of sustainable archival workflows and public facing digital access initiatives that preserve and expand access to the histories of Frederick Douglass, Highland Beach, Venice Beach, and African American life along Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, collaborative, and interested in archival practice, museum studies, African American history, public humanities, digital preservation, or related fields.

Full position responsibilities, time frame, and application instructions are in the attachment. Deadline to submit your application is June 15th, 2026.

For the past 30 days, this feed has been a living gallery of the Jewish American experience. We’ve looked at so many stories of vibrant, brilliant, and unyielding Jewish joy.

But as May comes to a close, we have to look honestly at the landscape around us. According to recent national data from the ADL and Hillel International, while we have seen a push for greater institutional accountability on college campuses, harassment, vandalism, and physical assaults remain at staggering, historically high levels compared to just a few years ago.

Our campus is feeling that tension. It can feel exhausting to walk through spaces where your identity is hyper-scrutinized, debated, or targeted.

But Jewish heritage is not a story of victimhood. It is a story of vibrant resilience.

True solidarity means celebrating our culture while actively protecting our community. To our peers, faculty, and neighbors on campus who have asked how to support us during this tense time: allyship is an active, daily choice.

3 Ways to Be an Ally Right Now

1) Do Not Force Jewish Individuals to Be Political Monoliths: Build Nuance.

Recognize the vast diversity within the Jewish community. Jewish students and faculty hold an incredibly wide range of perspectives, beliefs, and relationships to global events. Avoid demanding that your Jewish peers answer for, explain, or defend complex geopolitical issues just to justify their presence on campus.

2) Call Out Everyday Hate Speech: Interrupt the Bias.

Don't wait for a major crisis to speak up. When you hear a casual stereotype, a harmful conspiracy theory masked as a "joke," or see exclusionary language in student groups, interrupt it. True allyship means carrying some of the weight so that Jewish students aren't always forced to be the only ones defending their own humanity.

3) Show Up for Our Joy, Not Just Our Trauma: Celebrate Inclusion.

Don't only text your Jewish friends when a hate crime makes the news. Countering hate requires building genuine, proactive cultural bridges. Show up to cultural events, learn about Jewish history outside of the Holocaust, support Jewish creators, and celebrate the rich traditions that make this community thrive.

Tikkun Olam (Healing the World): A core tenet of Jewish tradition teaches that we are not obligated to complete the work of perfecting the world, but neither are we free to abandon it.

Thank you for spending this month learning, listening, and celebrating with us. Jewish American heritage didn’t start on May 1st, and it doesn't end today. Let's work together to make our campus a place where Jewish students don't just survive, but openly and joyfully thrive.

Hello!

I have a room for rent 15 minutes from UMBC. Looking for a quiet and responsible roommate in a shared town house.

Amenities:

• parking space
• washer/dryer
• shared kitchen and living room
• internet
• furnished

Rent

• $650/month
• $650 deposit
• include utilities

Available June 29th

If you are interested please email lu12@umbc.edu for more information.

For the 2026-2027 academic year, the BGSO is actively seeking new leadership through its Executive Board nominations. Interested students can explore various e-board roles designed to drive the organization's mission forward and advocate for the graduate student body. 

*May 31st is the last day to fill out the form*

Nomination Link

Recently IRADs has reached out to build out an institutional schedule for routine surveys of our students and the rest of our UMBC community. Attached is the latest version of the rotation schedule that was presented in our Middle States Self-Study.

I recently reached out to DoSA SALT and ELT members to do the following steps between now and June 4th. This message is intended to inform all DoSA staff to reach out to your SALT/ELT leadership if you are someone from DoSA that coordinates surveys for students, faculty, staff, and/or families.

Step 1: Review the attached document as some of your departments are listed as administering survey instruments. If information is no longer accurate please communicate this to Mary Ellen Wade at mewade@umbc.edu 

Step 2: SALT and ELT are being asked to communicate with staff regarding their survey-related assessment plans. After consulting they are being asked to send me the following information:

• Survey Instrument Name (ex. NSSE)
• Who from your staff (at the present time) is the point of contact
• Department
• Year(s) the survey will be administered (ex. 2026-2027, 2029-2030)
  • Follow up if known- semester or month(s)
• Who is the audience: indicate all that apply. Options:
  • Admitted students
  • Undergraduate students
  • Residential students
  • Commuter students
  • First year students
  • Sophomore students
  • Junior students
  • Senior students
  • Graduate students
  • Faculty
  • Staff
  • Alumni
  • Families

At this time, staffs should share any known survey and I will work with IRADs to see if it should be included on this master calendar.

I recognize that you may not be thinking all the way out through 2029-2030. However, in the meantime, be sure to send me any plans you are currently aware of. When IRADs has updated this calendar, I will share this back out to you through this myUMBC page. 

Thanks in advance for your information!

*Thank you for looking!  A couple of folks have reached out and we are in the processes of securing one.*

Hello! We have a colleague who has asked for a standing desk riser. Thought I'd ask around before purchasing one. Please contact Gina Hoagland at ghoaglan@umbc.edu.

Does anyone have an extra wireless (or wired) keyboard? Cathy catmyers@umbc.edu.  Thanks!