Dear UMBC Community,

The 2026 – 2027 academic calendar has been finalized and is now available on the Registrar’s Office website. The dates below reflect the finalized calendar and related event schedule.

Fall 2026

• Convocation: Sunday, August 23, at 3 p.m.

• First day of classes: Monday, August 24

• Fall Class Recess: Monday, October 12 and Tuesday, October 13

• Last day of classes: Wednesday, December 9

• Reading day: Thursday, December 10

• Final exams: Friday, December 11 to Thursday, December 17

Winter 2026 Commencement

Both ceremonies will take place on Friday, December 18:

• Undergraduate Ceremony: 10 a.m.

• Graduate School Ceremony: 3 p.m.

Spring 2027

• First day of classes: Monday, January 25

• Spring Break: Saturday, March 13 through Sunday, March 21 

• Last day of classes: Friday, May 7 

• Reading day: Monday, May 10

• Final exams: Tuesday, May 11 through Monday, May 17

Spring 2027 Commencement

• Graduate School Ceremony: Tuesday, May 18 at 10 a.m.

• Undergraduate Ceremonies: Wednesday, May 19 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

For the complete academic calendar and additional dates and deadlines, please visit the Registrar’s Office website. Looking ahead, the 2027 – 2028 academic calendar will also be published on the registrar’s website once it is available.

Sincerely,

Manfred H. M. van Dulmen
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Your go-to source for everything happening in our world is backthis time with our second edition. We’re moving fast, staying sharp, and we want to keep you in the loop with all the latest wins and updates from the UMBC Procurement Department.

Inside This Issue:

• Training Announcements: we're here to help!

• Terms and Conditions: And why they are important.

• Parterning with Procurement: When to reachout!

Dive In Now

Ready to see what we've been up to? Click the link below to read the full issue:

We hope you enjoy the read as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Stay tuned for more regular updates!

Happy Reading,

Your UMBC Procurement Team

UMBC Cybersecurity MS student Adam Baji was featured as the intern of the week by the Career Center. During his internship at Northrop Grumman this summer, he supported the Business Recovery and Resumption team, where he helped develop software and data-driven solutions to better understand and evaluate supplier-related risks. Read more here.

The financing of business is important to understand--whether you think you'll want to work for a start up someday, start your own business, or work for an established business that wants to grow! 

Here's an opportunity to build your knowledge base and background--background that will be helpful in the future!  Sign up to take Entrepreneurial Finance: ENTR 330...

Class will be held on Wednesdays from 4:30-7 pm.

Instructor: Jonathan Sachs, Director of Workforce Development, Baltimore County

Contact Kevin Fulmer, kevinf@umbc.edu if you you have any questions or are interested in signing up for the class!  

This fall, the Center for Social Justice Dialogue is hosting Interact, a series designed to help participants hone the skills to successfully engage in dialogue across difference. If you are a first year undergraduate student interested in upscaling your dialogue, register now!

WHAT IS INTERACT?

Interact is a four-week program for undergraduate students focused on creating an introduction to the dialogue skills required to engage in difficult conversations, dialogue across difference, and intercultural dialogue.

The goal of Interact at UMBC is to develop foundational skills connected to competencies for dialogic community building including critical self-reflection, generous listening, cultural storytelling, and loving accountability. As a result of participation in Interact, participants will have the skills to engage in dialogue within any type of situation and any topic of conversation.

Participants meet weekly in small groups for 90-minute sessions that are co-facilitated by 2-3 facilitators. Each small group consists of 10-15 participants. During these sessions, participants learn and practice the necessary skills to become inclusive leaders and engaged community members.

Participants who attend at least three of the four sessions will be entered into a raffle to win prizes. 

To register, click this link!

Dear Students,

As we prepare for the Fall semester, the Office of Disability Access and Resources is pleased to announce that we are transitioning to a new notetaking platform, Jamworks.

Transition from Otter.ai to Jamworks

Beginning this Fall, our office will transition from Otter.ai to Jamworks for students who have an approved accommodation for the use of a notetaking tool.

As of this week, students will no longer have access to the premium features of Otter.ai provided through our office’s license. You may continue to use the free version of Otter.ai; however, the premium features provided through our license will no longer be available. As the start of the semester approaches, we will gradually begin adding students with approved notetaking accommodations to the Jamworks platform.

What Is Jamworks?

Jamworks is an AI-powered note-taking and study platform built for students and universities. Jamworks provides several features designed to support students with recording, reviewing, and studying lecture content. With access to the premium version, students can use features such as:

• Extended lecture recording
• JamAI, an AI-powered tool for interacting with and reviewing lecture content
• AI-generated lecture summaries
• Key points and important information from recorded lectures
• AI-generated quizzes to support studying and review
• Transcription and live captions to convert lecture content into text
• Support for generating learning materials in more than 40 languages
• Accessibility features and customizable learning options
• Mobile app access for reviewing your lecture materials on the go
• ...and many more features to support your learning and studying!

Getting Started with Jamworks

Students who are approved for a notetaking accommodation will receive an activation email at their UMBC email address when their Jamworks account is ready to be set up.

Please check both your inbox and your spam or junk folder in case the activation email is filtered. Below are resources to help you get started with Jamworks, including onboarding information and instructions for using the platform:

Jamworks Onboarding Resources:
https://www.jamworks.com/student-onboarding

How to Use Jamworks:
https://help.jamworks.com/en/collections/3717674-getting-started-guide

Exporting Your Otter Conversations(Transcript and Audio):
https://help.otter.ai/hc/en-us/articles/360047733634-Export-conversations

Need Additional Assistance?

If you need additional assistance learning how to use Jamworks, you can schedule an appointment with Tori Jakpa, Assistive Technology & Accessibility Specialist, through Accommodate.

When scheduling your appointment, select either “Notetaking Support” or “Assistive Technology.” During the appointment, you will receive a guided demonstration of Jamworks and have an opportunity to ask questions about using the platform.

We are excited to introduce Jamworks as our new notetaking platform and hope it will provide you with additional tools to support your academic success this Fall. We wish you a successful start to the semester!

We hope everyone is enjoying their summer. With the Fall semester quickly approaching, we're looking forward to kicking things off with our scholars, affiliates, and fellow COEIT faculty/staff at CWIT's Welcome Back Social! Join us to reconnect with colleagues, friends, meet new faces, and enjoy games, music, and some delicious pizza and ice cream!

...and we're almost back! Yikes! The WFN is excited about another year--we've got books for our reading group, plans to socialize and welcome new members, and more.

But first! Are you finishing up your materials for promotion and/or tenure? Would you like some eyes from outside your discipline to read it over and give some layperson feedback? If so, please email Kate at drabinsk@umbc.edu!

And if you would like to read for a colleague, let Kate know that as well.

Dear all,

Somto Ilomuanya will be presenting his ECON 699 Capstone this Wednesday, August 19, at 1:00 pm. The title of his presentation is "Dynamic Interactions between Exchange Rate Volatility and Inflation Volatility in Nigeria: A VARX Analysis." The paper is attached.

His main adviser is Chunming Yuan.

The presentation will be via Webex:
https://umbc.webex.com/umbc/j.php?MTID=m0411824eb005d7e2f175752153df1e0c

Meeting number: 2630 637 1177

Thank you, and I hope to see you.
Salem

Name: Adam Baji

Pronouns: he/him 

Semester of Internship: Summer 2026

Major: Cybersecurity M.S

Current Class Level: Master's Student

This semester I completed a(n)...: Internship

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site (Company/Organization Name): Northrop Grumman

Location of the Organization (City, State): Baltimore, MD

Title of position: College Technical Intern

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities:

During my Summer 2026 internship at Northrop Grumman, I worked as a College Technical Intern supporting the Business Recovery and Resumption team. My day-to-day responsibilities involved developing software and data-driven solutions to help the team better understand and evaluate supplier-related risks. I created a React-based dashboard that organized complex risk information into a more accessible format and helped develop a weighted Supplier Risk Index for comparing suppliers across several factors. I also worked with team members from different technical and business backgrounds to understand their needs, improve the solution, and contribute to the development of a scalable supplier risk analytics process.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I learned about the Northrop Grumman internship through a professional connection who encouraged me to explore opportunities with the company. After learning more about the position, I submitted my application and completed the company’s interview and selection process. Throughout the process, I relied on the experiences I had developed through my UMBC coursework, previous internships, research, scholar programs, and professional development opportunities. These experiences helped me clearly communicate how my background in computer science, data analysis, and cybersecurity could contribute to the organization.

What resources did you use to find your current experience?

UMBC Career Center, Career Fairs, Student Organizations/Scholar Groups, LinkedIn or other social media

What have you enjoyed the most about your position and organization?

What I enjoyed most was having the opportunity to work on a real problem that combined software development, data analysis, cybersecurity, and business risk. I was able to see how technical solutions can support important decisions within a large organization. I also appreciated working with professionals who were willing to share their knowledge, provide feedback, and help me understand the broader purpose behind my work. The experience allowed me to strengthen my technical abilities while learning how to communicate and collaborate effectively within a professional environment.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I believe I made an impact by developing a technical solution that made supplier risk information easier to understand and evaluate. The dashboard I created helped transform complex data into clear visual insights, while the Supplier Risk Index provided a more structured way to compare potential risks. My work contributed to a larger effort to build a scalable analytics process that could support future decision-making. I also brought a student perspective and was able to apply concepts from my cybersecurity and software development background to a real organizational challenge.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

My advice is to begin building experiences before you feel completely qualified. Coursework is important, but research, student organizations, personal projects, competitions, and scholar programs can also help you develop valuable skills and connections. Students should attend networking events, speak with professors and professionals, and remain connected with people they meet because one conversation can lead to an unexpected opportunity. When applying, focus on showing your willingness to learn and explaining how your previous experiences can help you contribute. Rejections are part of the process, so remain consistent and continue improving your résumé, interviewing skills, and professional network.