1:00-1:30pm, RAC Stage

After the Keynote speaker (12-1pm), stick around to hear members of the UMBC Jazz Ensemble performing original student jazz compositions. Tal Pluznik (drums), Adrian Mickens (trumpet), Leo Hickman (mandolin), Jack McGrath (bass), Noah Vernon (piano), Wyatt Betz (reeds)

Director: Matt Belzer

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22: URCAD.umbc.edu

Start your morning the UMBC commuter way.

Join us for breakfast with fellow commuters and connect with helpful on-campus resources. There's no better way to kick off your day!

Good Morning Commuters (GMC) takes place every Tuesday from 8:30–11:00 AM *except one a month when Good afternoon Commuters (GAC) is held* and is complimentary with your Commuter Gold Card.

Gold Cards are a one-time purchase per academic year and can be bought at any GMC event (cash only):

• $5 for Commuter Students

• $10 for Residential & Graduate Students

We can't wait to see you there!

https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/ocss/events/149340

Autism is a Spectrum- and Acceptance Matters

April is known as Autism Awareness Month, including April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (link).   In listening to many within the Autism community - there is a call for media to move from outdated and using awareness to acceptance to foster change and inclusivity for those affected by autism - experience more about Autism Society's Autism IS series here.  Information on What is Autism is linked here, and a deeper dive sharing the voices of many people on the Autism Spectrum is posted here.
Last year Maryland Governor Wes Moore proclaimed April as Autism Awareness Month  and Lieutenant Governor Aruna K. Miller presented the Governor’s proclamation to recognize people who are living with autism and those who advocate on their behalf, and honor the contributions of the autism community. She was joined by Maryland Department of Disabilities Secretary Carol Beatty and Maryland Statewide Autism Coordinator Victoria Rodriguez-Roldán in unveiling Maryland’s five-year Autism State Plan.  This year ADS is screening Being Michelle on Wednesday April 8th at 4:00p in ENG 027 - please join us!

Being on the Autism Spectrum is a nuanced diagnosis with a wide range of traits, and is explained well here.  For a more visual presentation, Rebecca Burgess also explains the spectrum within her comic on The Mighty. Day-to-day living and learning independence was recently examined in depth on PBS's In a Different Key which covers the history of autism and highlights the experience of a range of people with autism, their families and their community.
Recently, autism has been in the news, resulting in leading autism organizations to release this joint statement on upholding scientific integrity and supporting the autism community. 

Finally, with Autism Awareness Month, it's important to move beyond basic awareness and focus on real understanding. There are still many myths about autism that create barriers for autistic individuals. With understanding, acceptance, and respect for different communication styles, we can help create a more inclusive world. These facts are based on resources from the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Different Minds Scotland, two organizations doing critical work to promote accurate information about autism. Let's keep learning, listening, and working toward true inclusion, not just in April, but all year long.








People of all identities around the world live, go to school and go to work with the neurodiversity that Autism brings to a world, often with struggle and difficulty. UMBC's students, faculty, staff, and visitors have this neurodiversity as well.  While many learn and work well with best practices and accessible design,  students (both undergraduate and graduate), as well as faculty and staff who experience disability with a diagnosed health condition (which includes autism) may seek accommodations through Student Disability Services (link) for academic programs, as well as work-related accommodations via Accessibility & Disability Services. 

Thumbnail Photo credit: unsplash.com
*See UMBC's Style Guide about variations within inclusive language - it's better to ask about preferences than assume

Monday, April 6th, 4 - 6 PM Break the Mold, Fireside Lounge
Join our Graduate Peer Health Educators for networking and pottery. Meet UMBC alumni and learn their tips for standing out in the job market and furthering your education, and hear how these alumni manage their mental health and overall well-being while managing responsibilities. 

Tuesday, April 7th, 3 - 5 PM, RIH/OPH Spring Open, Center for Well-Being

Celebrate World Health Day by taking a space tour of RIH, checking your blood pressure and weight, trying out free acupuncture, and finishing in the mind spa with meditation or a quick massage chair session.

Wednesday, April 8th, 12-1 PM Wellness Wednesday, Commons Mainstreet

Join the Physical Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs Peer Health Educators for heart health tips! Stop by and see how many tips you're already doing to benefit your heart!

Thursday, April 9th 11 AM - 1 PM, Letting Go to Grow, Commons Terrace

Join the Mental Health Peer Health Educators for some mental and emotional declutter. Take a break from the stress and join them on the terrace for some mental health exercises. 

*All events are 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.

***REPOST***

Participants must register in advance in order to receive a link to join the webinar.  Please also  show that you'll be attending in the original myUMBC post.

Sage Publishing invites you to join us for a custom, 60-minute, virtual instruction session for UMBC. This session will provide a detailed look at the Sage Research Methods and Sage Campus platforms. 

• For graduate students, these tools can support the research process from start to finish, helping you refine research questions, better understand methods, and strengthen your academic writing and project design. 
• For faculty, Sage Research Methods and Sage Campus can serve as useful teaching supports, offering content that can reinforce research skills, methods instruction, and other core concepts students may need help developing inside or outside the classroom.

Sage Research Methods is an extensive collection of case studies, datasets, and video that helps you teach qualitative and quantitative research methods, design and conduct research projects, understand new methods, and write up the findings. 

Sage Campus supports the teaching and learning of skills and research methods, and the range of content is applicable to undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals. The courses and modules are self-paced and consist of video, interactives, and formative assessments. The user-friendly platform makes it easy for faculty to assign content to students.

Happy Monday! Take a look at the events that will take place at The Mosaic Center this week: 

Wednesday, 3/25/2026 | Trivia Noon 12 -1  PM 

We hope to see you at our upcoming events and sponsorships! Questions regarding Mosaic programming can be sent to our email: themosaic@umbc.edu. 

The Mosaic Center and all events are 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.

Kick off Graduate Student Appreciation Week by actually putting yourself first. Whether you’re looking for wellness hacks or want to get your hands a little messy with a creative project, we’ve cleared the schedule for you.

Join us for a full afternoon of slowing down and recharging:

• 1–3 PM | Wellness Tabling: All the resources you actually need. (Main Street)

• 3–5 PM | Candle Making: Pour some light into your week. (Room 329)

• 4–6 PM | Break the Mold: Pottery, networking, and zero talk about your thesis. (Fireside Lounge)

THE BEST PART: We’re giving away wellness goodies all afternoon! Snag some face masks, hydrating hand lotions, and more to keep the spa vibes going at home.

Join us on Tuesday April 21 & Thursday April 23 for UMBC BookFest '26, a celebration of writers, readers, makers and advocates. All events are free! Full information is available on the event website, or through the myUMBC event posts linked below. Hope to see you there! 

>>> BookMarkIt on the Library Plaza, Tuesday April 21, 11am-1pm 

>>> One Maryland, One Book event, Tuesday April 21, 5-6:30pm, UC312. An evening with Lawrence Burney, author of the 2026 OMOB selection, No Sense in Wishing

>>> Freedom to Read: Libraries and Our Democracy, Thursday April 23, 5-6:30pm, Library Gallery

The Institute for Advanced Study is seeking a 2026-28 Civic Science Fellow for The Public’s Science initiative, a collaborative effort with a leading research center to foster a new social contract for American research policy. This initiative seeks to reimagine scientific research as a genuinely public endeavor—one oriented toward inclusive participation and serving not only national interests but also the diverse communities that sustain and are affected by the scientific enterprise. Learn more and apply here.

The Science Philanthropy Alliance is seeking a 2026–28 Civic Science Fellow to co-create civic science tools, knowledge, and best practices that can inform and inspire philanthropic funding for scientific discovery, beginning in July 2026. The Fellow will work closely with the Science Philanthropy Alliance staff and its philanthropic member organizations to advance scientific discovery through visionary philanthropy. Learn more and apply here.

The 2026–28 Civic Science Fellows cohort will launch in September 2026. As 2026–28 host partners open applications for Fellows, they will be posted here and in the monthly newsletter (sign up). Envisioned as a Civic Science Lab, Fellows and partners carry out pioneering work to co-create pilots, partnerships, knowledge, models, and new ways of working that can help seed collaborations between science and society. All Fellows will engage as a cohort in a learning program and community, developed in collaboration with the network and an interdisciplinary committee of advisors.

INDS major Trilece Wilson shares her confessional poetry with themes of melancholy, beauty, family dynamics, and war. Come hear her recite her poems from 11:15-11:30am on the RAC stage. Q and A to follow.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22 in the RAC.

Title: Tears Made of Ink

Mentor: Nicole Pekarske, English dept. (creative writing)

Abstract:

I am inspired by lyric and confessional poetry, emotionally driven and emotionally honest writing. I have chosen to share a small collection of my poems composed within poetry courses here at UMBC and in personal time. The collection includes poems that were composed using various techniques and stylistic constraints, showcasing a range of work, experimentation, and growth as a poet and artist. Pathetically Poetic was written in personal time. Family Dinner 504 developed from a prompt titled “Childhood Kitchen." The prompt instructions were to describe the kitchen using physical elements such as colors, textures, and sounds. The Cruelties of War and The Beauties of Beyond was composed following instructions from the prompt “20-Word Revision,” where a previous longer poem was taken and used to create two new poems. The piece shared was the second poem created, and it was composed with the strictest parameters, where only twenty words were allowed. Home was created following instructions to produce a sonnet. All Things Lead Back to Blue developed from a prompt titled “poem inspired by color.” Through sharing my work, I hope to truly pursue my dreams and passions, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.

See the full schedule here: URCAD.umbc.edu