Get ready to boost your financial know-how and take control of your future!

Join us for our annual Money Smart Week (Monday, April 13, 2026 – Friday, April 17, 2026), a week dedicated to helping you build smart money habits and make confident financial decisions.

Explore engaging workshops, interactive sessions, and valuable resources designed to meet you where you are—whether you're budgeting for the first time, learning to invest, or planning for your future!

Check out the full schedule by downloading the attached Money Smart Week 2026 Schedule

Visit the Events tab to view all session offerings

Pre-register for sessions directly in myUMBC through each event posting

Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in yourself, grow your financial skills, and have some fun along the way. We can’t wait to see you there!

Special Exhibit, RAC Track, 1st Floor- all day

Missionary Position: Power and Cultural Mediation Through the Lens of 16th Century Missionaries and Postwar Sex Workers

Isabel Kendall

Mentor: Julie Oakes, Honors College, History, Asian Studies

What does it mean to be a cultural and linguistic mediator between two nations? How does a colonial power imbalance impact this relationship? This multi-disciplinary creative project seeks to start a conversation about these questions. In this project, I explore how language is shaped by asymmetrical power dynamics and how cultural contact zones create opportunities for linguistic creativity amid significant power imbalances. I analyze two extremely different historical moments to explore how dominated groups have enacted agency throughout history, despite differences in culture or profession. The two case studies are as follows: 16th-century missionary Fray Bernardino de Sahagún’s creation of the Florentine Codex with Nahua scribes, and panpan women, a postwar phenomenon in American-occupied Japan, and their sex-work transactions with U.S. servicemen. This visual project plunges the viewer into the perspective of an intercultural communicator, informed by my research into these two case studies. The intention is for the audience to leave the exhibit with more questions to ask than answers. Further, one should leave with a greater understanding of the crucial and often misunderstood role of the linguistic interlocutor as well as its ubiquity in our past and present.

This work was funded, in part, through an Undergraduate Research Award (URA) from the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22 in the RAC:

URCAD.umbc.edu

Investigating the Effects of Electronic Cigarette Vapor Exposure on the Olfactory System and Neuroinflammation in Mice

Silvi Shah

Mentors: Weihong Lin, Biological Sciences; Tatsuya Ogura, Department of Biological Sciences

RAC 050 | 2:55 – 3:10 p.m.

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) usage is a public health concern due to exposure to nicotine and other harmful substances, despite being marketed as attractive, flavored alternatives to traditional cigarettes. During vaping exposure, nicotine, flavorant metabolites, and heavy metals can interact with the olfactory system, impairing the sense of smell and disrupting brain signaling. Previous research in mice shows that e-cigarette vapor exposure disrupts olfactory bulb function, though the effects of nicotine, flavorants, and heavy metals remain unknown. This study investigates how vaping disrupts the rodent olfactory system by altering the morphology of the glomerular layer and its neuroinflammatory responses in the olfactory bulb. We hypothesize that increasing chemical components in e-cigarette vapor exacerbates neuroinflammation and olfactory disruption. Each group, containing nine to ten mice, was exposed to e-cigarette compounds (propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, e-liquid containing flavorants and nicotine, with or without heavy metals) or air for eight weeks. Post-exposure, olfactory bulb tissue was analyzed via immunohistochemistry using antibodies against VGluT2, TH, OMP, and GFAP, to determine morphological changes to olfactory glomeruli and inflammation in the olfactory bulb. We are collecting data to explore how exposure to these components, particularly flavorants and heavy metals, may contribute to neuroinflammatory and olfactory dysfunction.

Support for this research was provided by the National Institute of Health grants (T32GM066706) and (T32GM158458). Silvi Shah was supported in part by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) grant (52008090) to the UMBC Meyerhoff Scholars Program.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22 in the RAC:

URCAD.umbc.edu

RAC Arena, 2 – 3 p.m., Poster #62

“Hypocrisy in Faculty Use”: Student-Driven Recommendations for AI Policy in a Design Classroom

Kaoru Seki, Manisha Vijay
Mentor: Yasmine Kotturi, Human-Centered Computing

Generative AI is reshaping education, yet most classroom policies are written without students and focus on penalizing misuse. This top-down approach sidelines those most affected—students—who have little say in governing their everyday learning, resulting in confusion and fear about acceptable use. We examine how participatory, student-led AI policy design can address this disconnect. We position students as lead users—early adopters of generative AI—and report on a three-part participatory workshop series in HCC629 (Fundamentals of Human-Centered Computing) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Two student co-researchers, without faculty present, facilitated workshops where eight participants surfaced candid AI uses and co-developed ten policy recommendations, later visualized in a zine. Two additional students who declined workshops due to AI skepticism contributed via follow-up interviews. Findings highlight the need for safe spaces to discuss unfiltered AI practices and suggest that student-authored policies can clarify expectations and support more purposeful AI use.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22 in the RAC:

URCAD.umbc.edu

Get ready for an exciting treasure hunt with the Economics Council, Mu Sigma Rho, and the Quantitative Finance & Analytics Club! Team up, solve clues, and race against others to get a prize. Everyone is welcome — bring a friend, your curiosity, and a competitive spirit. The first team to find the treasure wins, so come ready to explore and have fun!

See you there!

Private Room available May 1, 2026, minutes walking from UMBC bus stop on Madien Choice Lane, Catonsville, MD 21228.

Rent for primary bedroom with en-suite bathroom: $725/month, Rent for another room (bathroom shared): $580/month. utility shared among tenants.

Current residents: UMBC Ph.D. student and visiting scholar.

Fully equipped kitchen; Refrigerator; Spacious closets; Central heating/cooling; Shared laundry facility in the townhouse.

Update:

7:19 pm, April 8, 2026

Status: Resolved

Note from Google: The issue has been fully resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support.

Original Post:

As of Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Google is aware of an issue affecting Gmail users, who are experiencing delays in receiving and sending emails. No mail loss is expected. 

Google's engineering team is working on the issue. 

For direct updates, click Google Workspace Dashboard.

GridHack 2026 is an exciting, hands-on competition in which student teams compete to deliver the most accurate AI-augmented building energy audit. During this 3-hour live competition, teams will work with real-world building energy data and leverage cutting-edge AI tools to develop a BEPS compliance analysis, a retrofit roadmap, and a compelling grant narrative. The challenge culminates in a thrilling finale, where a DHCD-qualified auditor’s sealed findings are revealed live—allowing teams to compare their results against professional insights.

The winning team can earn up to $40,000 in fellowship funding, with paid fellowship positions worth up to $10,000 per person through the Responsible AI Lighthouse Fellowship. Every discipline is welcome - CS, environmental science, policy, design, engineering. No energy experience needed. Bring your laptop. Whether you're passionate about AI, sustainability, or engineering, GridHack provides a unique platform to gain real-world experience, collaborate with peers, and showcase your skills in a high-impact environment.

Get more information and register here

🚨BINGO IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW 🚨

🗓️ Tonight
⏰ 5–8 PM
📍 UC Ballroom

We’re not talking about small prizes either… we’re giving away BIG wins like:
☕ Espresso machine
📺 TV
🎮 PS5… yes, a PS5 WHATTTT

If you’re not there, you’re honestly missing out.

NEAR UMBC (FEMALE ONLY)

We are seeking one female roommate for a furnished bedroom in a private single-family home in the Maiden Choice/Arbutus area, less than 1.5 miles from UMBC on the Purple Campus Shuttle route. Three grocery stores are nearby, and the shuttle offers convenient pickup and drop-off.

Room Available August 18, 2026

The home is shared with two female UMBC students/professionals and the landlord couple. We are looking for a respectful, tidy individual who values a quiet, clean, and inclusive living environment. Ideal candidates are UMBC or UMB Ph.D., graduate, or junior/senior undergraduate students.

Home Details

• Newly renovated 4-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home on a quiet dead-end street
• Fully furnished with Wi-Fi and streaming cable
• Open-concept kitchen (dishwasher, garbage disposal, icemaker, meal prep tools)
• Access to laundry room, living room, dining room, and covered front porch
• Snow removal and lawn care included

Included Essentials

• Trash bags, cleaning supplies, and tools
• Dishwasher detergent and dish soap
• Linens and towel sets

Bedroom Includes

• Spacious room with closet
• Full or queen bed
• Dresser with mirror and chest/armoire
• Nightstands or headboard shelf
• Desk and chair
• Smart TV with streaming
• Two sets of linens and new bath towels

Additional Amenities

• Personal kitchen cabinet
• Laundry room locker/cubby
• Street parking (please park in front of the home and respect neighbors)

Location & Transportation

• Short walk to UMBC shuttle and public bus stops
• Purple Line runs approximately every 15 minutes (weekdays)
• Walking distance to shopping centers

House Guidelines

• Non-smoker (no smoking inside); no drug use
• Must be clean and respectful of shared spaces
• Proof of renter’s insurance required
• Lease includes limits on overnight guests and shared cleaning responsibilities

Pet Policy

• No pets except documented medical support animals
• No cats or shedding animals (due to allergies)
• Documentation required (physician and veterinarian)
• Must remain in tenant’s room and be crated when unattended
• Tenant responsible for all pet care and cleaning

Lease Terms

• Fall: August 2026 – May 2027
• Summer: Mid-May 2027 – Mid-August 2027
• Includes holidays, weekends, and semester breaks
• Ideal for winter session housing

Preference for summer or academic-year leases; month-to-month considered.

Rent

• $1,000/month (shared bathroom and refrigerator with one person)

Security Deposit

• $500

Important Notes

• Private home (not Airbnb, hotel, or campus housing)
• Please bring personal belongings, toiletries, food/drink, laptop, and books

Contact

📞 Call/Text: 410-999-4668 (Mon–Fri, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
📧 Email: whittleemail@gmail.com