Join Retriever Essentials on Wednesday, April 15th, from 12:00pm-1:00pm in The Commons, 318, and learn how to best utilize campus resources!

When your budget feels stretched too thin, knowing where to turn can make all the difference. 

This session will guide you through how to effectively utilize campus and community resources to help meet your basic needs and ease financial stress, while addressing the realities of why managing money can feel especially challenging.

Learn practical strategies to navigate available support systems and make informed decisions that strengthen your financial well-being, while working to reduce the stigma and shame often associated with financial struggles. 

Use this link to register online or in-person.

Registration is required for in-person attendees(22 seats available in-person, unlimited seats available online).

Position Overview:

Position Type: Internship, Stipend, Undergraduate Student, Graduate Student

Handshake ID: Job #10935546

Hiring Manager: Wendy Low

Term: Academic Year 2026-2027 

Year Stipend: $1500 ($750/semester) 

Estimated Start Date: August 2026 

Application Deadline: For priority, apply by April 26. Applications welcome until position filled. 

Internship Description:

Do you always find yourself talking about social justice? Are you the friend in your group who's always adding “nuance” to the conversation? Then we’re looking for you! Social Justice Dialogue Facilitation Fellows work for the Center for Social Justice Dialogue and are supervised by professional staff within the Center. 

The main role of this internship is to support the work of the Center for Social Justice Dialogue (CSJD) in cultivating a campus community where everyone feels empowered and equipped to engage in difficult dialogue across differences of identity, background, and lived experience. Built on a foundation of Intergroup Theory and other social justice education frameworks, interns will co-create and deliver workshops on topics of identity, social justice, and dialogue to student populations. Further, students will support projects including MediaBytes, Your Story Belongs Here, InterACT, FYS: Race, Social Justice, and Dialogue, and other departmental programs. They may also support collaborative dialogue programs in partnership with other departments on campus (e.g. The Women’s Center, Center for Democracy and Civic Life, Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion & Belonging, etc). Facilitators are expected to work a maximum of ten hours a week which includes weekly staff meetings to engage in deep learning, prepare for workshops, and continue developing student-focused programming. Interns engage in ongoing training, reviewing key activities, facilitation skills, and foundational introductions to various social justice concepts. Interns must be available for these training sessions as well as program retreats.

Upon the completion of more advanced training (including Restorative Practices) and a full year of participation, students will have the opportunity to apply to a “senior internship” position to facilitate higher stakes dialogues.

General Responsibilities:

• Develop, facilitate, and promote peer-led workshops on topics related to identity, social justice, and dialogue to student populations 

• Engage in ongoing learning and development connected to dialogue and facilitation

• Co-create the continued foundation for IDEAL and InterACT programs, as well as contribute ideas and content for workshop curriculum 

• Support CSJD programming through attendance, marketing/promotion, co-facilitating activities within larger dialogues and workshops, etc.

• Meet with the primary supervisor and attend regular student staff meetings (dependent on student availability)

• Serve as departmental “student liaison,” gathering information about current student “hot topics” and  needs and wants connected to dialogue 

• Serve as an ambassador for IDEAL and InterACT programs, as well as CSJD more broadly 

• Follow all area regulations within the Code of Conduct (this is provided during the staff onboarding process)

• Fulfill all other duties and responsibilities as appropriate and assigned (including, but not limited to occasional  oral / written reflections, time tracking, etc.)

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be a full-time, matriculating undergraduate or graduate student at UMBC;

• Must have and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 (semesterly checks will be conducted);

• Must be able to commit to a minimum of Spring Semester for at least 10 hours per week; oppurtunity to renew

  • Interns are strongly encouraged to enroll and fulfill all the requirements PRAC098 offered through the Career Center each semester, but especially for their first full semester of the internship program. Learn more about PRAC here.

• Must be committed to being a positive role model and demonstrate leadership skills;

• Must demonstrate ability to interact and communicate mindfully in person and online with diverse students, staff, faculty, and other campus community members;

• Must be flexible with schedules depending on relevant programs, events and/or student professional development opportunities; 

• Must have flexibility to work evening and weekend hours on occasion;  

• Must attend all training sessions

• • Please hold the following dates for upcoming programs:
    • Training is likely to occur for 2-3 days August 10-14, 2026. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience with designing/implementing and facilitating programs

• Demonstrated experience with myUMBC, Gmail, Google Drive, Canva, Instagram, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and/or Illustrator 

• Demonstrated basic knowledge in any of the following areas: the relationship between identity, power, privilege and oppression, intersectionality, social justice-related theories, intergroup dialogue (e.g. Critical Race Theory, Feminist/Womanist Theory, Queer Theory, Social Identity Theory)

• Demonstrated leadership skills and experience through student organization leadership, civic engagement and/or activism

• Have summer and winter availability; and

• Have verbal, spoken, and/or written multilingual skills

This internship is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

To apply, find the position on Handshake with the ID: 10935546

Join the Office of Health Promotion and Retriever Integrated Health for a series of student-led conversations on mental health. Connect with fellow students, share your experiences, and be part of shaping how mental health is supported at UMBC.

Sessions are led by current UMBC students from a variety of backgrounds. Together, we’ll explore ways to destigmatize mental health and practice tools to support those experiencing mental health challenges.

Dates & Locations:

• Wednesday, April 22, 2026 · 12–2 PM
  The Commons : Flat Tuesdays
• Monday, April 27, 2026 · 11 AM–1 PM
  The Center for Well-Being : Room 103
• Wednesday, May 6, 2026 · 6–8 PM
  The Commons : Flat Tuesdays (in collaboration with NAMI)

Each session follows a similar format — attend the one that works best for you.

Scan the QR code on the flyer to RSVP.

No registration required — just drop in.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University’s nondiscrimination policy

Historical and Anatomical Analysis of Bitmap Fonts on the Compact Disc Package

Presenter: Perry Gotis
Mentor: Katherine Heater, Visual Arts

RAC 230 | Noon – 12:15 p.m.

Bitmap fonts were digitally developed from 1984 for the Macintosh, to brand design for music artists in the 1990’s to 2000’s following afterwards. How have bitmap fonts applied to album packaging design, and what can the typographic anatomy of bitmap fonts prepare for font creation? The creative project incorporates research from Typography III that repurposes Mariposa Display, a customized font made in FontStruct that was workshopped and designed after the markings of a monarch butterfly. This project assembles a compact disc jewel case album mockup that dissect the anatomy of Zuzana Licko’s bitmap fonts (Totally Gothic, Lo-Res, Modula Sans and Modula Serif), applied to four different album covers as main and secondary formats, as well as adapts their anatomical font features to Mariposa Display’s typeface anatomy. The narrative analyzes the transition of bitmap fonts from computer to album design, and explores the importance of accessibility and visual structure within bitmap fonts as main and secondary typography. Additionally, the compact disc packaging’s brand guidelines explain the creative process with typeface approaches, color swatches, and visual identity within the packaging layout. The illustrations and typography are constructed using Mariposa Display with Licko’s fonts, which highlight the font’s visual flexibility for referential purposes.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22 in the RAC:

URCAD.umbc.edu

The Pride Center and WGEC are hosting a book club on Monday, April 27th from 1-2:30pm in the Women's, Gender, & Equity Center (Commons 004) to discuss Mean by Myriam Gurba. Through gritty, confident humor, this true crime style, coming of age memoir explores Myriam's experiences of sexual violence in a small town as a queer, mixed-race Chicana. Hard copies are available in the WGEC and Pride Centers, and an e-version is available through the AOK Library. Come by the WGEC to discuss the book and grab a treat while you're here. RSVP required for book loan.

The WGEC is open to all individuals regardless of their sex, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
 
UMBC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors. If you have difficulties accessing any of the materials on our site or any of our events or discussions, please contact us so that we can provide an alternative format and/or remedy any accessibility challenges. For questions or for accessibility requests, contact us at womenscenter@umbc.edu.

Calling ALL MAY 2026 GRADS: It's almost that time... please complete this Google form so that we can order the proper amount of cords and stoles for our SGA leaders! If you have ever served as an officer or appointed member in SGA, you will receive regalia. 

Only complete this form if you are graduating in May 2026 and have held a position within SGA. Students will only receive  a stole OR cords, not both.
Please complete this form by May 1, 2026 at Noon.
Alternate Form Link: https://forms.gle/GZFHUWUQyhfBmsWj9

If you served in both an elected and appointed position, you will receive a stole. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jen Ewing Fox, jenewingfox@umbc.edu

Students will be able to pick up their stole or cord in the Campus Life Office (Commons 336) beginning on Wednesday May 13  through Wednesday, May 20 during normal business hours (Monday-Friday). There will be NO PICKUPS on Saturday May 16 or Sunday May 17. 

The University System of Maryland's Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation is hosting an online Generative AI Virtual Showcase  on Friday, April 24, 9am-3:30pm ET. Faculty, staff, and faculty/staff/student teams from Maryland institutions of higher education will describe and demonstrate their innovative approaches to incorporating Generative AI into teaching and learning practices. 

The virtual event features a keynote presentation and four concurrent session blocks with 42 presentations (including 9 from UMBC) exploring innovative approaches to teaching and learning with generative AI. Participants must register in advance to receive the Zoom link. Sessions include live auto-captions and accessible materials.

Register here to get the Zoom link

New UMBC research reveals how two different parts of the hippocampus—the brain’s memory center—team up in a key reward region to help mice, and likely humans, combine memories of places and contexts with the drive to pursue rewards. 

The findings offer fresh insight into how the brain integrates information about “where” and “what feels good” to guide everyday decisions, such as heading to a favorite restaurant to meet friends or seeking out rewarding experiences. Specifically, this discovery, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, shows that inputs from the dorsal and ventral hippocampus converge on the same individual neurons in another brain region, the nucleus accumbens, where they interact in ways that amplify each other’s effects. 

“The connection between the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens is where the brain’s map of where to go meets a sense of why it’s worth going,” explains senior author Tara LeGates,assistant professor in UMBC’s Department of Biological Sciences. 

For years, scientists viewed the connections from the dorsal hippocampus, which is more closely tied to spatial memory and navigation, and the ventral hippocampus, which is linked more strongly to emotions and motivation, as mostly separate. This paper challenges that understanding. 

“A single neuron can receive inputs from different brain regions, and figuring out how it integrates them is crucial for understanding what drives goal-directed actions,” LeGates says.  

While the current study focuses on individual cells, the implications reach further. Better knowledge of how these reward-related circuits process and combine information could shed light on conditions where motivation is disrupted, such as depression, addiction, or anxiety disorders. 

A close-up on convergence

The research team used advanced methods including using light to stimulate specific pathways (a technique called optogenetics), precise recordings of electrical activity in neurons, and detailed microscope imaging to identify a group of neurons in a specific part of the accumbens that receives direct input from both the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. 

Importantly, the synapses involved in these two pathways sit very close together—often within a couple of microns (thousandths of a millimeter)—on the same branches of the neurons’ dendrites, which look like tree roots on nerve cells. That proximity allows them to influence each other quickly. The team found that when both inputs are active at the same time, they produce a stronger combined response than either one alone.

The researchers collaborated with Tagide deCarvalho, director of UMBC’s Keith Porter Imaging Facility, to obtain the high-resolution imaging that confirmed these close partnerships. Upgraded software at the facility allowed the team to capture ultra-thin digital slices (0.2 microns thick) and create 3D reconstructions of neuron branches, clearly demonstrating the close proximity of the synapses that would allow them to interact.

The study’s first author, Ashley Copenhaver ’20, mathematics and biological sciences, Ph.D. ’25, neuroscience and cognitive sciences, led much of the hands-on work in recordings and imaging while mentoring undergraduate team members.

“One of the most exciting parts of this technically challenging project was performing dual-color optogenetics during electrophysiology—I was literally shining tiny beams of red and blue light onto brain tissue, which was activating the dorsal or ventral hippocampus neurons, so that I could record the electrical responses in the nucleus accumbens neurons. It was magical,” Copenhaver says. “Beyond loving the technique, in my opinion, we identified some really critical and fundamental mechanisms of signal integration within the brain. I’m super excited to see where this work heads next.”

From cells to behavior

Understanding how a single neuron handles signals from different brain areas is key to grasping complex behaviors, says LeGates, who has a secondary appointment in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Signals from the dorsal and ventral hippocampus are “probably converging more than we’ve previously appreciated, which could change how people approach questions about motivation and learning,” she adds.

That kind of convergence likely helps animals form associations between rewarding outcomes and the environments where they occur—an essential capability for survival. Similar convergence has been seen in other brain areas involved in emotional learning, LeGates says, suggesting the brain may use this strategy widely to link a particular context with feeling and action.

LeGates’ lab is already building on this paper’s foundation by exploring how stress and substances like food, medications, and illicit drugs affect these same connections, with the long-term aim of informing more targeted treatments for various mental health conditions. In the immediate future, the team hopes to record activity from these specially connected neurons during real behaviors to directly link the newly discovered crosstalk between the ventral and dorsal hippocampus to actions.

By uncovering this hidden layer of cooperation between hippocampal pathways, the LeGates lab has advanced our understanding of how the brain weaves together memory and motivation—a fundamental process that shapes the decisions driving daily life.

Join us today, on April 9th from 5-7PM in📍PAHB 216 to paint posters, banners, and signs for the tribunal next Friday (4/17) at UMD. We will also be binding zines of poetry by Gazan writers in collaboration with Zines for Gaza. All materials will be provided. 

Retriever Robotics is heading to the VexU World Championships, representing UMBC on the biggest stage in collegiate robotics. We've put in the hours, done the work, and now we will reap the rewards.