Hey stitches! We hope you had a great summer and can’t wait to see you guys soon!!! Please fill out this when2meet with your availability for the semester so we can plan our GBM time. Thank you!!
When2meet Link

Visit your college or school tent at the soccer game to pick up your free soccer scarf!

Not sure which college or school you belong to?

Visit UMBC Colleges, Schools, and Academic Departments for a full list of colleges and schools and their departments. 

Not sure about your major? Visit the Undergraduate Academic Affairs tent.

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The UMBC Soccer Scarf Tradition

The soccer scarf is a unique sports tradition.
The soccer scarf is one of the first known articles of sports fan apparel, and remains a badge of honor for the most loyal fans.

The exact origin is unknown, but early adopters wore simple scarves with alternating bands of colors matching those of one's favorite team.
The scarf is a bold way to show support for your team, distinctive in color and versatile in its uses.

Fans learned to show them individually and in tandem to create
dynamic displays of color and pride. 

UMBC celebrates this tradition each year with the creation of a new custom designed scarf that is distributed to all new students.

Wear yours proudly, and go Retrievers!

At UMBC, you will hear a lot about our campus' fundamental commitment to championing grit, boldness, and resilience. After all, our mascot's name is True Grit! For this final day of College Bootcamp, CNMS Advising is looking into how you can build and practice these traits as a means to understanding the direct connection between academic and mental health/success! 

For many students, the start of the semester is a time of both excitement and nervousness. You are facing a great deal of uncertainty, inevitable challenges, possibly even moments of doubt. With this in mind, is important to focus on a few key components to maintaining a sense of academic mindfulness. 

What is academic mindfulness?!? In general, it is the intentional focus on the present and a non-judgmental acceptance to learning/testing experiences, study habit development, setbacks, and all of the possiblities and challenges that come along with a school/college environment. The practice of academic mindfulness in a college setting has been directly related to academic acheivement as well as helping students manage academic stress, reduce mental fatigue, avoid burnout, and improve cognitive performance. While there is a great deal of neuroscience behind this, implementing mindfulness practices and introspection into your college experience can be as easy as journaling, single-tasking, meditation/relaxation exercises, intentional breaks in your study schedule, community involvement, and frequently anchoring yourself into both short term and long term goals. 

When it comes to starting your semester on the right foot for your academic and mental health, it important to remind yourself that you are not defined your grades!! Read that again -- you are not defined your grades!! Professors utilize assessments and exams as a means of gauging your understanding of specific material, not your potential or intelligence. In the long run, your grades and GPA will only serve as ONE component of your college experience. Similarly, unsatisfactory grades are merely an indicator that you may need to alter your study habits and shoud -- ideally-- motivate yourself to rise to the challenge. It is through this struggle that you will learn and grow far more than if you never experienced a setback. In fact, the only indicator of a "failure" would be if you did not adapt to the situation and then expected a different result in the future! 

Another behavioral skill that can directly improve a student's academic readiness and success is to begin thinking about your experiences through a growth (v.s. fixed) mindset. One of the videos below provides concrete examples of how college students can watch how you talk TO and ABOUT yourself. For example, students with a fixed mindset will believe that their abilities are innate/inherited and that assessments are direct/unmitigated evaluations of their potential or intelligence. On the other hand, students with a growth mindset will often see both positive and negative experiences as an exciting opportunity to be challenged, assessments as helpful knowledge checks and, ultimately a chance to grow as a person and as a student.

One of the pioneers behind the psychology of the fixed vs growth mindset, Dr. Carol Dweck, encourages students to adopt the "power of yet" -- or the fundamental understanding that we are ALL and ALWAYS on a learning curve and through hard work and perserverence we can achieve a greater potential.  As an important reminder, you are here to celebrate progress, not perfection. 

Finally, as part of your academic mindfulness journey, please know that you belong here! UMBC is a community of inquiring minds and both your faculty and staff are commited to your development in and out of the classroom. As a CNMS major,your advising team is dedicated to this end and will be continuing to offer our support and insight throughout the semester via our advising appointments, student success coaching, weekly programming in the The Learning Collaboratory (TLC) -- UC 115, study hall, and various other in-person/virtual events. We have deeply enjoyed releasing this week of "College Bootcamp -- Greatest Hits Playlist" and we hope to see you on campus very soon! 

Speaking of -- CNMS Advising will be kicking of the fall opening of The Learning Collaboratory with snacks, crafts, a photobooth, and more this upcoming Wednesday, August 26th from 12-4PM. More information to come!

If you have not already done so, be sure to give us a follow on Instagram where we will release college tips/tricks, etc. throughout the semester! Let's GRIT going Retrievers! 

The Power of Yet w/Dr. Carol S. Dweck (Professor of Psychology at Stanford University)

The Power of Belief -- Mindset and Success w/ Eduardo Briceño; Co-Founder and CEO of Mindset Works

Guided Meditation for Students w/Khan Academy

10 Minute Meditation for Exam Stress w/Headspace -- FREE

BONUS SHORTS: Follow a recent University of Illinois grad and student success content creator @lathanialwells and check out this short on three tips to mentally prepare for college.

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Join us for a hybrid seminar by Daniella Asturias, Researcher at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Her talk is titled "Linking PACE Hyperspectral Ocean Color with Underway Metaproteomics Across a Northwest Atlantic Transect." 

Date and Time: Tuesday, August 25, 2026 at 1:00pm EST
Physical Location: NASA GSFC, Building 33, Room E108
Online: Join us via Teams.  

Abstract:
"Phytoplankton community composition shapes marine biogeochemistry, yet satellite-derived community retrievals are rarely validated against molecular-scale measurements of the organisms themselves. We paired continuous underway metaproteomics with collocated NASA PACE hyperspectral ocean color retrievals along a March 2025 transect from Bermuda to Woods Hole, spanning the Sargasso Sea, Gulf Stream, and New England shelf-slope system. Proteomic samples were resolved into taxon-specific community fractions and compared against PACE MOANA picophytoplankton retrievals for Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and picoeukaryotes. This proof-of-concept study asks a question: do proteomic and satellite-derived community fractions agree, and where does that agreement hold or break down? Picoeukaryote fractions show the most robust concordance with MOANA (Spearman ρ = 0.84 pooled across the transect, ρ = 0.56 within individual provinces, p < 0.01). Prochlorococcus shows strong pooled agreement (ρ = 0.89) that is driven substantially by a cross-province thermal gradient rather than within-province covariation, while Synechococcus concordance is currently limited by incomplete cyanobacterial taxonomic annotation. Together, these results demonstrate a practical, reproducible pathway for validating PACE-derived phytoplankton community composition against direct molecular measurements, and lay the groundwork for extending this comparison to nutrient-stress biomarkers and additional cruises."

Biography:
Daniella Asturias is a researcher in the Saito Lab at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who is currently completing a summer internship in the Ocean Ecology Laboratory (Code 616) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She will begin a doctoral program at UC Santa Cruz this September. Her work combines ocean metaproteomics with satellite remote sensing to study phytoplankton community structure. 

For more information on the GESTAR II Seminar Series, click here.

Monday: 10AM – 6PM
Tuesday: 10AM – 6PM
Wednesday: 10AM – 7PM
Thursday: 10AM – 6PM
Friday: 10AM – 5PM

Hours are subject to change. Any updates or closures will be posted on myUMBC.

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.

We would like to remind you that the deadline to apply for a Fall semester DJ slot is next Friday, August 28th! We welcome all students, faculty, and alumni to apply as we want to hear all of what UMBC has to offer! Whether you want to play your favorite songs, talk about the newest drama in pop culture, recap the world of sports, or educate listeners on your niche, we welcome all types of shows. Click this link to sign up and feel free to message us on Instagram, Discord, or our email if you have any questions or concerns about it. Spread the word and apply today!!! 

Applications for the Shore Hatchery Competition, a premier Mid-Atlantic startup competition supporting early-stage businesses with funding, mentorship, and visibility, are open.

Each year, Shore Hatchery awards $200,000 in funding to promising startups (up to $50,000 per winner) to help accelerate growth, create jobs, and strengthen our regional business community.

Ideal Candidates for this competition are:

• Mid-Atlantic startups within 5 years of launching
• Revenue-generating or validated startups with proof of traction
• Businesses with a clear path to profitability & growth
• Ventures with local hiring goals within 3 years
• Companies seeking early-stage capital to overcome key growth challenges
• Founders comfortable pitching in front of judges and investors

 Competition Details:

• Competition Date: October 23, 2026
• Format: Morning exhibit-style tradeshow + afternoon live pitch competition
• Prizes: Up to $50,000 per winner (total $100,000 this cycle)

Applicants must submit an online application, business plan, and financials. Submissions will be reviewed by our Entrepreneurship Team, and selected finalists will pitch live to a panel of business and community leaders.

Applicants can apply at: Shore Hatchery Competition

Application Deadline: September 7, 2026, at 11:59 PM

Monday - Thursday, 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday - Sunday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Dear Faculty,

Welcome to the 2026-2027 academic year! As we begin this journey together, I want to extend my sincere gratitude for your continued dedication to inclusive excellence and student success. Whether you are returning to campus or joining us for the first time, your passion and expertise are the foundation of UMBC.

As faculty, you play a central role in supporting our students. Your engagement, empathy, and mentorship has a profound impact. In addition to helping our students thrive, I urge you to be proactive in recognizing when they may need additional support and to refer them to appropriate campus resources when necessary. You should have received an email from our Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Renique Kersh, sharing additional resources. Additionally, if you are not sure where to send students for support, please consult with your Department Chair. 

While lifting up our students is critical, we also support you in the classroom. At UMBC, we are committed to assisting you on your professional journey and helping you thrive in the classroom. I encourage you to explore the resources available through theFaculty Development Center, which provides services and resources to aid you in teaching at UMBC. 

Academic Leadership Team 

We have several new academic leaders joining UMBC or stepping into new roles as we kickoff the fall semester, including Alan Byrd as vice provost for enrollment management and planning; Marc Seigar as dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences; Christia Spears Brown as dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; and Nancy Kusmaul as the interim dean of the Erickson School of Aging Studies and associate dean and chair of the School of Social Work. The executive academic leadership team can be found on the Office of the Provost website. Additionally, a current list of department chairs and program directors is available on the Faculty Affairs website. 

Convocation and Community Cookout

There are several events in the coming days and weeks where we will have opportunities to build community and start the academic year strong. I encourage you to attend and participate in the opening Convocation on Sunday, August 23 from 3-4 p.m. Convocation will be directly followed by the Community Cookout. During this event, please find your college table, pick up your Proud UMBC Faculty t-shirt, and connect with students interested in academic disciplines within your college. Faculty are welcome to stay for the soccer game after the cookout as well. Please bring your campus ID.

Provost’s Teaching and Learning Symposium

Please mark your calendars and register for the 10th annual Symposium on Friday, October 2 in the University Center. We are excited to partner with the UMBC Re-Envisioning General Education Faculty Core Committee to center this year’s Symposium around Re-envisioning General Education. This event is a wonderful time to celebrate UMBC’s commitment to student success and to share your work around teaching, learning, and assessment.

Thank you for the work you do every day to inspire curiosity, foster critical thinking, and prepare our students to go out in the world and make a meaningful difference and be the best version of themselves. I look forward to a rewarding and successful academic year ahead.

Warm regards,

Manfred H.M. van Dulmen

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs