UMBC has always existed as a small community. There is a mutual trust between students and staff to be respectful and understanding of one another. However, sometimes there are campus events that fail to showcase respect and transparency to the student body part of the community.

“The Retriever” has previously covered the sudden, unannounced price increase of certain items on Salsarita’s menu. The problem is less with the restaurant and more with the lack of communication between students and dining services of this change.

Most did not know about the $1 price hike on some food items such as rice and beans until they saw a myUMBC post by Maxwell Poole, senior computer science, mathematics and economics major. Though Poole brought attention to the 25 percent increase in order to inform the student population, his actions unintentionally encouraged students to stop frequenting Salsarita’s, advocated for holding Chartwells accountable and inspired others to express their own dissatisfaction with UMBC’s vegetarian choices.

Salsarita’s is a restaurant with multiple locations in Maryland. As stated on their website, “prices vary by location.” There is no public information on how pricing works without contacting a representative, but it stands to reason that a franchise run by a company that specifically works with universities should lower its prices to a student-friendly level. Even Chipotle, a restaurant much more well-known and with a higher standing, has burrito prices almost $0.20 less than UMBC’s on-campus Salsarita’s.

These issues together paint a worrying picture. Students deserve to have advanced notice of any and all changes in their community, in everything from UMBC tuition price hikes to construction. The important distinction here is that those rises are preempted with emails from the university or large posted signs, respectively.

“My main concern was that there was a hidden price increase,” Poole elaborated on his post in an interview, “Being more transparent … would make the pill much easier to swallow … [being] open about your pricing structure should be the first thing that is done and not implemented after people raise a fuss.”

Chartwells, the food service that handles many of the restaurants on campus, does not have any direct correspondence with the student body. Because Chartwells’ partners interact with students every day, Chartwells itself should be communicating any changes or updates clearly and promptly.

Poole suggested, “a post on myUMBC about the price increase … and an immediate update to their menu to reflect the price change” as the minimum level of action taken by the company, which would require very little time to perform.

“The information that I wanted to get out got out,” Poole said when asked about the reception of his post, “and it put a reasonable level of pressure on Salsarita’s to change their pricing structure.”

As of Oct. 9, according to Tom DeLuca, Resident District Manager, stated on myUMBC that after meeting with Salsarita’s regional representative, “[Salsarita’s has] agreed to support us by including rice and beans on quesadilla’s and salads if the customer would like them.”

Student dissatisfaction ended up making a change and that is heartening. However, UMBC, as a public university, still needs to have full transparency with its students rather than simply being reactive.

The UMBC community gathered for the 2017 UMBC Alumni Awards on October 5 in the Linehan Concert Hall to celebrate individuals who have made impressive contributions to society through their work. The UMBC Alumni Awards are held annually as part of Homecoming week, which welcomes alumni and members of the community back to campus for a range of events. This year, eight awards were presented to alumni and members of the community across all Colleges and from a range of disciplines.

“I’m thrilled that the legacy of excellence embodied by these amazing individuals can be shared this evening and for many years to come,” said John Becker ’01, information systems management, president of the Alumni Association board.

“Tonight you will hear from people from a range of disciplines. You will get a sense of people who are already at the top of their fields and others who are rising stars,” shared President Freeman Hrabowski. “Across these disciplines you will see UMBC graduates, from undergraduates to Ph.D graduates, doing very well. Tonight we get a chance to celebrate a lot of grit, a lot of hard work, and wonderful moments of greatness.”

Mark Marten, professor and chair of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, introduced Kafui Dzirasa ’01, M8, chemical engineering, calling him a “powerhouse,” mentor, teacher, motivator and life coach. “Our honoree is recognized not only for his research and scientific expertise but also for his compassion for his patients, and his determination to pay it forward to the next generation of young scientists,” said Marten.

Today, Dzirasa is an associate professor of psychiatry, behavioral science, neurobiology, and neurosurgery at Duke University School of Medicine. He explains how he grew up in a family that was always “competing with integrity,” which helped shape him into the leader and person he is today. K. Dzirasa, who received the Outstanding Alumnus, Engineering and Information Technology Award, inspired the audience to “see one, do one, teach many.” Dzirasa’s two brothers also graduated from UMBC, including Delali Dzirasa ‘04, computer engineering, who received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the UMBC Alumni Association.

Kate Laskowski ’06, biological sciences and chemistry, the recipient of the Outstanding Alumna, Natural and Mathematical Sciences award was introduced by Jeff Leips, professor of biological sciences. Laskowski is a scientist in the department of biology and ecology of fishes at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Germany. She explained that her love of science began during the introductory biology course that focused on ecology and evolution that Leips taught, which she guest taught during her time on campus for the Alumni Awards. “Standing in the front of the classroom telling the students about the research that I now do, in the class that actually excited my interest in research was totally surreal,” she said. “It was one of these things that came full circle.”

Laskowski stood out in a class of 350 students, recalled Leips. “She stood out as someone who was very engaged. Her curiosity, her need to know really stood out as an undergraduate,” Leips said. Because of this curiosity, Laskowski was one of the first undergraduate students to work in Leips’ lab, and she laid the groundwork for several Ph.D. and master’s students who came after her.

Kimberly Moffitt, associate professor of American studies, introduced Dennis Williams II ’14, American studies, who received the Outstanding Alumnus, Humanities award. Williams is the head of content marketing for Skillshare, is an Oculus Content Fellow, and was named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in 2016. Moffitt said that Williams has “made a career out of storytelling.” Williams uses film to tell compelling stories about his life. “I found myself inspired by his determination, drive, and optimism,” Moffitt shared.

Williams talked about the unknown in life, and how people can thrive during uncertain times by looking inward and building their own paths. “We rarely know what the next step is and we rarely have it all figured out,” he said. “That was the epitome of my time at UMBC. I didn’t have it figured out when I got here.”

Linda Dusman, professor and chair of music, nominated Alejandro Cremaschi ’93, music, for the Outstanding Alumnus, Visual and Performing Arts award. She explained that while Cremaschi was not one of her students, she enjoyed his performance at UMBC earlier in the semester that highlighted Latin American composers, and is inspired by his teaching style. “It was wonderful to see the artistry and pedagogical brilliance of this alumnus,” Dusman said.

He recalls coming to UMBC as an international student from Argentina, and says that he “was very fortunate to find a lot of loving people and friends” at UMBC.

Nancy Miller, professor of public policy, introduced Sylvia Trent-Adams Ph.D. ’06, public policy, saying she is “committed to public service, research, and improving the quality of healthcare for the most vulnerable populations.” Trent-Adams, who received this year’s award for Outstanding Alumna, Social and Behavioral Sciences, currently serves as the Deputy Surgeon General for the United States, and is a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Earlier this year, she served as the acting U.S. Surgeon General.

Trent-Adams said that her passion for helping people, particularly those who are underserved, was one of the reasons that she became a nurse. By working with researchers and individuals in the public health industry, she explained that she has grown and pushed herself past the limits she thought she had, and that UMBC provided a framework to think outside the box. “What UMBC prepared me to do was stretch my knowledge, to put on a different thinking cap about what was possible for a nurse and for a young woman who came from a family with low educational attainment,” she said.

As a student, Steven Storck ’08, mechanical engineering and mathematics, M.S. ’09, mechanical engineering, Ph.D. ’14, mechanical engineering, was very involved with UMBC’s Baja SAE team, serving as team captain. Since graduating, he has led UMBC’s Baja SAE alumni association, said Neil Rothman, professor of practice of mechanical engineering and faculty advisor of the team. Storck, who received the Distinguished Service award, organized the 2015 Baja SAE Maryland event, which brought more than 1,500 students from around the world together in Mechanicsville, Maryland. “His work raised the profile of our university and of our mechanical engineering program, and has given students countless opportunities to develop and showcase their skills,” explained Rothman.

Storck, an additive manufacturing application engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, explained how UMBC enables innovation and how people at UMBC are willing to help make your vision a reality. “UMBC is an environment where each individual can leave their fingerprint on the culture, and really change it and shape it and make it their own,” he said.

Lauren Mazzoli ’15, computer science and mathematics, M.S. ’17, computer science, was in the first cohort of UMBC’s Cyber Scholars program and received the 2017 Rising Star award. Cindy Greenwood, assistant director for the Center for Women in Technology, said that Mazzoli is “a role model for our current students in the Cyber Scholars program, and other women in the field.” As the liaison between CWIT programs and Northrop Grumman, Mazzoli has helped coordinate a range of events to strengthen the relationship between UMBC and Northrop Grumman, explained Greenwood.

Mazzoli’s passion is educating women and children of all backgrounds about the field of cybersecurity. Her work at Northrop Grumman has allowed her to pursue her passion while giving back to UMBC. “UMBC is the house of grit, which means you’re going to work hard,” said Mazzoli. “These faculty members are going to give you a lot of work and they have high standards. It also means that when you find something that you are really passionate about you will have the courage, strive, and strength of character to pursue it.”

The 2017 Outstanding Faculty award was presented to Marc Zupan, associate professor of mechanical engineering. Asynith Palmer ’06, English, who has worked with Zupan to secure funding and design curriculum for the Global Engineering Program, and to infuse elements of the humanities into engineering courses, said she has seen the lengths that Zupan will go to connect students with industry professionals.

“It’s amazing to me how confidently UMBC alumni go around knowing that the world will be changed by their example,” Zupan said. “When you were admitted to UMBC it was because of one simple idiom. You showed promise. As I continue to interact and speak with UMBC alumni, I see that they have promise. You always have promise, you never lose that promise.”

Six current undergraduate students received scholarships from the UMBC Alumni Association. The scholarships will support Melanie Biddinger ’17, psychology; Matthew Bleakney ’18, mechanical engineering; Jeffrey Carr ’19, interdisciplinary studies; Daniel Gallagher, III ’18, information systems and music technology; Hannah Kiesel ’18, computer science; and Iman Said ’18, psychology, as they pursue internships, research opportunities and a range of courses.  

Each award recipient shared how they use their passions to give back to the UMBC community. “You see this great cadre of people who represent the best of our university, the best of our country and the best of humankind. They are solving the problems of humankind,” said Hrabowski. “This is by far the best of UMBC.”

Banner image: The 2017 Alumni Award recipients. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

A team effort by some of the Women’s Center staff!

So in 2015, UMBC brought Hannibal Buress to campus as our homecoming comedian. We rejoiced. We love him as Lincoln in Broad City, we appreciate his stalwart bend toward social justice, and he’s hella funny.

We were ALSO frustrated. For every UMBC Homecoming comedy event, we have invited men. Nick Offerman. B.J. Novak. Bo Burnham. Donald Glover. Lewis Black.  Hannibal Burress. All funny folk, but also male folk. And we’re not trying to pretend this is an issue isolated to UMBC. The general global representation of women in comedy is dismal. So at the time, we wrote it out and we compiled a list of awesome women in comedy with the hopes that someone at UMBC would say, “Oh wow. Sexism. It exists here, too. You know what would exemplify our campus values of inclusive excellence and commitment to diversity? A lady!”

Unfortunately, our naive hopes were dashed again this year. Trevor Noah is coming.

Don’t get us wrong, Trevor Noah is a cool dude. But he’s a cis male dude.

A dude who is critical of oppression and injustice, but also one who has a past that includes some disturbing episodes of sexism.

So again, the Women’s Center is dusting off its trusty soapbox and presents our dear readers with a humble compilation of awesome comedians who also just so happen to be women.

Aparna Nancherla – Amelia’s Pick

Maybe she’s born with it, maybe she’s born into a societal prison of impossible standards.

– Aparna Nancherla,  “Just Putting It Out There”

Aparna is a comic that has been all up in my social media feeds, podcasts, and Netflix-ing, so I decided to check her out—and now I love her and am a huge fan.

Aparna is a stand-up comedian. She recently released her debut album, “Just Putting It Out There” (the first release on Tig Notaro’s new comedy label Bentzen Ball Records), which I can’t recommend enough. Her subject matter is dry, observational stuff, but she’s also just goofy and off-kilter. She talks a lot about being a woman, a woman of color, a woman with anxiety and depression, and all of these things at once (that’s called intersectional humor, friends). At one point she describes her anxiety as a really bad, but enthusiastic improv group who keep taking suggestions from a sadistic audience—and that description is the closest anyone has ever come to defining what my anxiety is.

Aparna is a writer and performer on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, has done work on Master of None and Bojack Horseman, can be heard on a whole bunch of big popular podcasts, has features in really notable papers and magazines, and has opened for numerous big names like John Oliver, Tig Notaro, Maria Bamford, Kristen Schaal, and Hari Kondabolu (just to name some of my favorite folks).

Her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are LI-HIT. She is very awesome, and I hope you also check out the video below.

Kristen Becker – Marie’s Pick

In 2006, I had the privilege of meeting and becoming friends with Kristen Becker while she was performing in Santa Fe, New Mexico on a Dykes of Hazard Tour.  She has been named “One of America’s Funniest Lesbians” by CURVE magazine, and has opened for national comedy acts, and even for Ani DiFranco.

Not only is Becker hilarious, she works extremely hard as an LGBTQ activist and supporter of social justice.  While touring with her current project “Loosen the Bible Belt,” she was able to successfully complete her first “Summer of Sam” endeavor in her hometown of Providence Rhode Island.  If you have a few minutes to check out her comedy…do it..it will be worth your time!

Samantha Bee – Hannah’s Pick

The first version of this post pointed to a gender disparity in comedy on a level greater than UMBC—there were no female late-night talk show hosts. But even though we are still writing this article, progress is being made; Full Frontal with Samantha Bee broke that glass ceiling in February 2016 with Bee as the creator, writer, executive producer, and host. Before that, she was the longest tenured correspondent for The Daily Show, and was the only woman for five years before being joined by Kristen Schaal (who is another great woman in comedy you should definitely check out).

In addition to her humor, I love the fact that she uses her platform as a woman in a male-dominated field to do good for others. In hiring writers, she and the producers set up a blind process which hid the gender, race, and experience level of the applicants. As a result, the writing staff is about 50% female and 30% non-white. Additionally, proceeds from the show’s merchandise go to organizations like Planned Parenthood, the Karam Foundation, Distributing Dignity, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Hispanic Federation

Negin Farsad – Sydney’s Pick

I first came across Negin when researching many, many women for this post. I was instantly intrigued with the short clip I saw in which she made jokes about dating while being Muslim and her mother’s expectations of her as a Muslim woman. Negin considers herself a social justice comedian who uses her platform to discuss pressing issues in a way that makes them easier to talk about and get a dialogue started. She was named one of the Funniest Women of 2015 by the Huffington Post and one of the 10 Best Feminist Comedians by Paper Magazine. Due to her work in social justice through comedy she was also named a TEDFellow (watch her TED talk here), has written for major networks, published a book, and hosts a podcast. She also has a documentary, The Muslims are Coming, which follows comedians across America as they try to combat issues of Islamaphobia while facing backlash from both non-Muslims and Muslims throughout.

Leslie Knope (AKA Amy Poehler) – Jess’s Pick

Okay, I know Leslie Knope isn’t a real person. Amy Poehler is the real person who makes Leslie Knope come alive on a regular basis in my living room via Parks and Rec. This show makes me laugh and rejuvenates my soul after a long work day. Leslie is also present in the Women’s Center, because she makes me giggle in my office when I’m looking for the perfect reaction gif (almost always from Parks and Rec) to send in an email.

Thank you, Leslie Knope/Amy Poehler.

Ellen DeGeneres – Samiksha’s Pick

I really struggled to think of female comedians when I was asked to write about them, my mind was blank. That is until I watched an episode of Ellen interviewing Michelle Obama, and it clicked. Ellen is definitely a female comedian, but sometimes we forget because she’s become so ingrained in our lives. She’s the funny best friend we’ve always wanted and the big sister that always makes us feel better when we’re down.

The Ellen show has been airing new episodes since September of 2003 and still going strong. That’s 14 years, and most of my life.  What’s great about her humor, in the words of Barack Obama, is that it “has a way of making you laugh about something, rather than at someone.” Ellen’s humor doesn’t need to put anyone down to get a laugh out of you, and trust me, she will have you laughing till you cry. After watching her show, I guarantee you will have a smile on your face as I always have.

On top of that, Ellen is a prominent humanitarian. Ellen has used her show as a major platform to do humanitarian work; she has given away more than $50 million dollars on her show to various causes. She has been involved with causes like fighting breast cancer, Hurricane Katrina disaster effort, St. Jude’s Children Hospital, and for families struggling economically. It’s hard not to find something to love about Ellen!

This is not an exhaustive list by any means! Who are the funny women you would add to the list? Let us know by commenting on our social media pages.

Join the Department of Visual Arts’ technical staff team (department chair, business services specialist and the three exempt staff members) to manage the continuously evolving technology needs, facilities operation and instructional requirements of the department.

“It’s a new experience. If you’re always stuck in one place you’ll never see the world, you’ll never see the people.”

Xiaolin Su is a senior financial economics major at UMBC. Su now comfortably calls the UMBC campus home. When she left China and entered the United States for the first time, however, she was met with an intimidating new country.

“As a non-native speaker, all of the things here make me nervous,” said Su. “I don’t want people looking at me thinking ‘she can’t even speak English and she looks weird, dresses weird.’ [I don’t want people looking at me] like I [don’t] belong to here.”

The difficulty of Su’s transition was stressed by her limited resources in China. Due to internet censorship, she did not have access to the same websites Americans do. This limitation impeded her ability to learn about the United States before coming. She could not even find pictures of UMBC.

The welcoming atmosphere at UMBC, however, helped her adapt to a new country. Su recalls how when she was first at orientation, she did not know how to find the correct building. Thankfully, a student helped her with directions and walked her to the classroom. “It’s [a] small thing, but it [felt] really nice,” Su recalls.

Su believes that such events demonstrate that Americans are friendly. According to Su, Americans are more likely to greet and smile at strangers. Su also delights in the cultural diversity she found in the United States. Her interest in different cultures began with an upbringing different from that of most young girls in China.

Su was raised in Dalian, a northern Chinese city which was under Japanese and then Russian control during the late 19^th and through the mid-20^th centuries. Su therefore grew up surrounded by Russian castles and European architecture.

She also had numerous Korean classmates. They all spoke in Chinese, but they exposed Su to another culture in a country that is 91 percent Han Chinese. “Perhaps that is why I like Korean food so much,” Su said.

Su was acclimated with cultural diversity, but when she arrived in the United States, she found an ethnic landscape that was differently diverse from that of her home.

“Here there are white people and black people,” Su says, “It’s totally different. There are so many cultures.”

When Su first came to UMBC, she took English classes for a year to prepare for her coursework in economics. One of her favorite topics of discussion in class was American and Chinese culture. She also enjoyed writing and speaking assignments because they helped improve her English.

Speaking English with non-native speakers, however, had unique challenges. Su says, “Because we are not native speakers, it can be stressful. I might not understand [what one of my classmates] is talking about, and he doesn’t understand what I’m [talking] about.”

Despite the stresses of living abroad, Su enjoys the freedom of expression she has at UMBC. A lesbian and self-described tomboy, Su believes the representation for LGBTQIA+ individuals in the United States is starkly different from that in China.

“In China they reject [LGBTQIA+],” Su says. “They don’t put [LGBTQIA+ individuals in the news. They ban [LGBTQIA+] movie stars [and] singers.” She believes that despite the persistence of homophobia, LGBTQIA+ individuals in America are freer to express their identities.

Though it has not been without hardships, Su is happy with her decision to earn her degree in the U.S. because it has allowed her to experience a lifestyle that is unimaginable in China. She says her journey to improve her English also improved her confidence and made her want to improve herself. Truly full of grit, Su is a proud member of our diverse UMBC community.

The UMBC community gathered for the 2017 UMBC Alumni Awards on October 5 in the Linehan Concert Hall to celebrate individuals who have made impressive contributions to society through their work. The UMBC Alumni Awards are held annually as part of Homecoming week, which welcomes alumni and members of the community back to campus for a range of events. This year, eight awards were presented to alumni and members of the community across all Colleges and from a range of disciplines.

“I’m thrilled that the legacy of excellence embodied by these amazing individuals can be shared this evening and for many years to come,” said John Becker ’01, information systems management, president of the Alumni Association board.

“Tonight you will hear from people from a range of disciplines. You will get a sense of people who are already at the top of their fields and others who are rising stars,” shared President Freeman Hrabowski. “Across these disciplines you will see UMBC graduates, from undergraduates to Ph.D graduates, doing very well. Tonight we get a chance to celebrate a lot of grit, a lot of hard work, and wonderful moments of greatness.”

Mark Marten, professor and chair of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, introduced Kafui Dzirasa ’01, M8, chemical engineering, calling him a “powerhouse,” mentor, teacher, motivator and life coach. “Our honoree is recognized not only for his research and scientific expertise but also for his compassion for his patients, and his determination to pay it forward to the next generation of young scientists,” said Marten.

Today, Dzirasa is an associate professor of psychiatry, behavioral science, neurobiology, and neurosurgery at Duke University School of Medicine. He explains how he grew up in a family that was always “competing with integrity,” which helped shape him into the leader and person he is today. K. Dzirasa, who received the Outstanding Alumnus, Engineering and Information Technology Award, inspired the audience to “see one, do one, teach many.” Dzirasa’s two brothers also graduated from UMBC, including Delali Dzirasa ‘04, computer engineering, who received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the UMBC Alumni Association.

Kate Laskowski ’06, biological sciences and chemistry, the recipient of the Outstanding Alumna, Natural and Mathematical Sciences award was introduced by Jeff Leips, professor of biological sciences. Laskowski is a scientist in the department of biology and ecology of fishes at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Germany. She explained that her love of science began during the introductory biology course that focused on ecology and evolution that Leips taught, which she guest taught during her time on campus for the Alumni Awards. “Standing in the front of the classroom telling the students about the research that I now do, in the class that actually excited my interest in research was totally surreal,” she said. “It was one of these things that came full circle.”

Laskowski stood out in a class of 350 students, recalled Leips. “She stood out as someone who was very engaged. Her curiosity, her need to know really stood out as an undergraduate,” Leips said. Because of this curiosity, Laskowski was one of the first undergraduate students to work in Leips’ lab, and she laid the groundwork for several Ph.D. and master’s students who came after her.

Kimberly Moffitt, associate professor of American studies, introduced Dennis Williams II ’14, American studies, who received the Outstanding Alumnus, Humanities award. Williams is the head of content marketing for Skillshare, is an Oculus Content Fellow, and was named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in 2016. Moffitt said that Williams has “made a career out of storytelling.” Williams uses film to tell compelling stories about his life. “I found myself inspired by his determination, drive, and optimism,” Moffitt shared.

Williams talked about the unknown in life, and how people can thrive during uncertain times by looking inward and building their own paths. “We rarely know what the next step is and we rarely have it all figured out,” he said. “That was the epitome of my time at UMBC. I didn’t have it figured out when I got here.”

Linda Dusman, professor and chair of music, nominated Alejandro Cremaschi ’93, music, for the Outstanding Alumnus, Visual and Performing Arts award. She explained that while Cremaschi was not one of her students, she enjoyed his performance at UMBC earlier in the semester that highlighted Latin American composers, and is inspired by his teaching style. “It was wonderful to see the artistry and pedagogical brilliance of this alumnus,” Dusman said.

He recalls coming to UMBC as an international student from Argentina, and says that he “was very fortunate to find a lot of loving people and friends” at UMBC.

Nancy Miller, professor of public policy, introduced Sylvia Trent-Adams Ph.D. ’06, public policy, saying she is “committed to public service, research, and improving the quality of healthcare for the most vulnerable populations.” Trent-Adams, who received this year’s award for Outstanding Alumna, Social and Behavioral Sciences, currently serves as the Deputy Surgeon General for the United States, and is a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Earlier this year, she served as the acting U.S. Surgeon General.

Trent-Adams said that her passion for helping people, particularly those who are underserved, was one of the reasons that she became a nurse. By working with researchers and individuals in the public health industry, she explained that she has grown and pushed herself past the limits she thought she had, and that UMBC provided a framework to think outside the box. “What UMBC prepared me to do was stretch my knowledge, to put on a different thinking cap about what was possible for a nurse and for a young woman who came from a family with low educational attainment,” she said.

As a student, Steven Storck ’08, mechanical engineering and mathematics, M.S. ’09, mechanical engineering, Ph.D. ’14, mechanical engineering, was very involved with UMBC’s Baja SAE team, serving as team captain. Since graduating, he has led UMBC’s Baja SAE alumni association, said Neil Rothman, professor of practice of mechanical engineering and faculty advisor of the team. Storck, who received the Distinguished Service award, organized the 2015 Baja SAE Maryland event, which brought more than 1,500 students from around the world together in Mechanicsville, Maryland. “His work raised the profile of our university and of our mechanical engineering program, and has given students countless opportunities to develop and showcase their skills,” explained Rothman.

Storck, an additive manufacturing application engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, explained how UMBC enables innovation and how people at UMBC are willing to help make your vision a reality. “UMBC is an environment where each individual can leave their fingerprint on the culture, and really change it and shape it and make it their own,” he said.

Lauren Mazzoli ’15, computer science and mathematics, M.S. ’17, computer science, was in the first cohort of UMBC’s Cyber Scholars program and received the 2017 Rising Star award. Cindy Greenwood, assistant director for the Center for Women in Technology, said that Mazzoli is “a role model for our current students in the Cyber Scholars program, and other women in the field.” As the liaison between CWIT programs and Northrop Grumman, Mazzoli has helped coordinate a range of events to strengthen the relationship between UMBC and Northrop Grumman, explained Greenwood.

Mazzoli’s passion is educating women and children of all backgrounds about the field of cybersecurity. Her work at Northrop Grumman has allowed her to pursue her passion while giving back to UMBC. “UMBC is the house of grit, which means you’re going to work hard,” said Mazzoli. “These faculty members are going to give you a lot of work and they have high standards. It also means that when you find something that you are really passionate about you will have the courage, strive, and strength of character to pursue it.”

The 2017 Outstanding Faculty award was presented to Marc Zupan, associate professor of mechanical engineering. Asynith Palmer ’06, English, who has worked with Zupan to secure funding and design curriculum for the Global Engineering Program, and to infuse elements of the humanities into engineering courses, said she has seen the lengths that Zupan will go to connect students with industry professionals.

“It’s amazing to me how confidently UMBC alumni go around knowing that the world will be changed by their example,” Zupan said. “When you were admitted to UMBC it was because of one simple idiom. You showed promise. As I continue to interact and speak with UMBC alumni, I see that they have promise. You always have promise, you never lose that promise.”

Six current undergraduate students received scholarships from the UMBC Alumni Association. The scholarships will support Melanie Biddinger ’17, psychology; Matthew Bleakney ’18, mechanical engineering; Jeffrey Carr ’19, interdisciplinary studies; Daniel Gallagher, III ’18, information systems and music technology; Hannah Kiesel ’18, computer science; and Iman Said ’18, psychology, as they pursue internships, research opportunities and a range of courses.  

Each award recipient shared how they use their passions to give back to the UMBC community. “You see this great cadre of people who represent the best of our university, the best of our country and the best of humankind. They are solving the problems of humankind,” said Hrabowski. “This is by far the best of UMBC.”