Annie Byrd ’04, emergency health services, M.P.S. ’23, community leadership, began her staff career at UMBC as an executive administrative assistant and she is now the Career Center’s assistant director for employer relations. She attributes her growth as a leader to UMBC’s supportive environment that encouraged members to make an impact in their communities. Annie says that the community leadership program helped her connect the dots between her undergraduate degree in emergency health services, her experience as a doula—a trained professional who provides emotional, physical, and informational support during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period—and her passion for maternal health equity and social justice. She then integrated these values into systems-level change, co-founding the Doula Alliance of Maryland.

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?

A: I’ve been part of the UMBC community for over 20 years—as an undergraduate, graduate student, and a staff member. I love building connections, supporting students, and finding creative solutions that help people succeed.

Q: Tell us about someone in the UMBC community who has inspired you.

A: Yvette Mozie-Ross [’88, currently vice provost for enrollment management and planning] saw potential in me before I saw it in myself. As my first supervisor at UMBC, she encouraged me to continue my education and pursue new opportunities. Her mentorship helped shape my journey from executive administrative assistant to assistant director.

Q: Tell us about what you love about your academic program or an organization you’re involved in at UMBC.

A: What I loved most about the M.P.S. in Community Leadership was learning alongside people committed to creating change. The program challenged me to think strategically, and it directly inspired my work co-founding the Doula Alliance of Maryland to advance equitable maternal health. 

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?

A: What makes UMBC special is that everyone belongs here. It’s an inclusive community that values curiosity, encourages ambitious ideas, and provides the support to help you grow personally, academically, and professionally.

Q: What part of your job do you enjoy the most and why?

A: Student interactions are what I enjoy most. I love helping students discover opportunities, build confidence, and recognize the skills they already have. It’s rewarding to know that even one conversation can have a lasting impact on their career journey.

Q: What brought you to UMBC?

A: I came to UMBC as an undergraduate and a student-athlete, and I’ve come back as a staff member because I experienced firsthand how transformative this community can be. UMBC has shaped my life. I met my husband, built lifelong friendships, and found a career where I can help students create their own UMBC stories.

Q: At UMBC, how have you found support for birth work advocacy? 

A: The community leadership program faculty and staff helped me turn my passion for birth work into systems-level change. Research shows that doula support is associated with better maternal health outcomes, yet many families—particularly those who have been historically marginalized—face significant barriers to accessing this care. Seeing both the impact of doulas and the inequities in access inspired me to co-found the Doula Alliance of Maryland to expand access and advance maternal health equity. Also, my Career Center colleagues have continued to support that mission, reminding me that UMBC values both professional growth and community impact.

Q: What would you tell someone who is considering a career at UMBC?

A: UMBC is a place where your ideas and potential are valued. It provides opportunities to grow your career while connecting your work to a larger purpose. My own journey from student to staff member shows how UMBC supports people who want to make a difference.

Good afternoon, 

Due to weather predictions we have decided to postpone the July Happy Hour. We want to ensure those that live in areas impacted or that have to travel far are safe and sound! We apologize for last minute notice! 

Be on the lookout for the rain date soon! 

Be safe and have an amazing day.

PDFs are a staple of academic life, used for everything from syllabi to complex research articles. However, without intentional design, they can create significant barriers for students using screen readers or other assistive technologies. Making your PDFs accessible ensures that information is clear, searchable, and usable for every member of our community. By focusing on accessible creation and remediation techniques, transform your materials into inclusive learning tools.

1. Start with an Accessible Foundation

The most effective way to create an accessible PDF is to ensure the source file is accessible from the start. Whether you are working in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or PowerPoint, following these core principles will save time and improve the final result:

• Use Built-in Heading Styles: Instead of manually bolding or enlarging text, use styles like Heading 1, 2, and 3. This creates a logical structure that screen readers can navigate.

• Add Meaningful Alt Text: Provide concise descriptions for images, charts, and graphics so their purpose is clear to those who cannot see them.

• Use Descriptive Links: Avoid generic phrases like "click here." Use text that describes the destination or action, such as "Download the 2026 Course Syllabus." (Refer to 5 Tips for Creating Clear and Accessible Links for more information.)

2. Export the PDF with Accessibility 

How you save your file as a PDF is just as important as how you format it. To ensure all your accessibility tags, like headings and alt text, are preserved, you must use the correct export method:

• Avoid "Print to PDF": This function strips away the structural tags required for screen readers. (Tags provide the essential structure and semantics for a PDF, enabling screen reader navigation, defining logical reading order, and allowing content to reflow correctly on different devices.)

• Save As/Download as PDF: In Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, use "Save As" and select the "Best for electronic distribution and accessibility" option. In Google Docs, use “File → Download → PDF Document” to generate a tagged file.

• Verify Content: After exporting, perform a quick test to see if you can select the text. If you can, the text is searchable and accessible; if not, further work is needed.

3. Remediate Existing PDFs

When an original source file isn't available, remediating an existing PDF ensures that all students, including those relying on screen readers or other assistive technologies, can engage with course materials seamlessly.

• Quick Fixes with Blackboard Ally: If your PDF is hosted in Blackboard, check Blackboard Ally first. Ally can resolve minor accessibility issues directly.

• Comprehensive Remediation in Adobe Acrobat: For more complex documents, archived files, or scanned readings where you lack source files, Adobe Acrobat provides powerful remediation tools:

  • Apply OCR (Optical Character Recognition): Convert image-based scanned pages into searchable, readable text so screen readers can process the content.

  • Run Accessibility Checks: Use the built-in Accessibility Checker to detect structural barriers, missing tags, alt text gaps, or form field labels.

  • Manually verify Reading Order: Use the Reading Order tool to ensure assistive technologies present the content in a logical sequence that supports understanding.

  • Export the PDF: Remediate with Microsoft Word or PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker. Then, converting it back to a source format is often the easiest way to add clear headings, alt text, and structured lists using familiar editing tools.

4. Prioritize What You Fix First

Remediating all course PDFs simultaneously is not necessary. Instead, use the insights from your Blackboard Ally course report to determine where to start:

• Prioritize Required Materials: Focus on syllabi and required readings before optional handouts.

• Target Low Scores: Address files with the lowest Blackboard Ally Course scores first to remove the most significant hurdles.

• Actionable Elements: Ensure interactive elements like worksheets or forms are remediated so all students can participate.

• Substitute When Needed: Replace uneditable files with accessible versions by collaborating with the UMBC Library or publishers.

For additional guidance, visit the UMBC Digital Accessibility website on Accessible Documents & Presentations > Specific tools used at UMBC > PDFs to discover further methods for formatting accessible PDF files.

Hello!

We are doing some closet reorganization and are looking for open shelving -- does not have to look like photo. Preference is for a tall shelf, but open to a short version. Please reach out to Gina at ghoaglan@umbc.edu.

Hello I am in search of a dry erase board preferably 24 inches wide or slightly bigger.  Please email me at swarden1@umbc.edu if you have one available.  Thank you in advance.  

Good morning,

I'm looking for a package that was delivered yesterday by FedEx. With FedEx Tracking number: 533729326220 According to FedEx it was delivered yesterday and signed by WGeorge. 

The package is addressed to Ella Sagan, 900 Walker Ave, Ste 101.

Please email me if you find it at esagan@umbc.edu. 

Thank you in advance,

Ella

As we gear up for the FA2026 semester, Instructional Technology is hosting Blackboard Week from August 10th to August 14th. Whether you are completely new to Blackboard or a seasoned pro looking to optimize your course, this daily webinar series is designed to help you build, organize, and manage your virtual classroom with ease.

All sessions are open to all faculty and instructional staff and will take place online via Google Meet. Here is the lineup for the week:

Organize Your Course Content & Check Accessibility

Monday, August 10th (12pm-1pm) - register online

Get guidance on copying and reusing prior course content, building Ultra modules and       folders, embedding materials/LTI tools, controlling content release, and using Ally to check accessibility. 

Create Assessments in Blackboard 

Tuesday, August 11th (10am-11am) - register online

Discover how to create and customize tests, set up assignments with Blackboard's newest features, construct question banks/pools, design rubrics, and configure secure assessment settings.

Discover What's New in Blackboard for Teaching & Learning FA2026

Wednesday, August 12th (12pm-1pm) - register online

A comprehensive look at recent spring updates and what's newly developed for FA2026, specifically covering fresh features in grading, assessments, student engagement, groups management, and content creation.

Optimize Blackboard Course Groups

Thursday, August 13th (12pm-1pm) - register online

Learn best practices for creating and organizing groups, managing group activities and assignments, enhancing student communication, and effectively grading group submissions.

Navigate the New Blackboard Gradebook

Friday, August 14th (12pm-1pm) - register online

Wrap up the week by learning how to navigate the brand-new Gradebook experience. Topics include managing assessments, creating custom grade categories, grade calculations and schemas, and more.

How to Attend & Important Details

To secure your spot, select "Sign Up" on the corresponding myUMBC event post and add it to your calendar. Registered participants will receive a calendar invitation from the host at least one week before the session.

Connect with Instructional Technology

As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:

• Check our extensive FAQ collection
• What's new in Blackboard? |Known Issues
• Open a ticket via RT
• Follow the Instructional Technology & DoIT myUMBC groups
• Request a consult with instructional technology staff

For Yvette Mozie-Ross, Ph.D., it might be tempting to describe a 30-year career at UMBC as the product of careful planning—a steady rise through leadership roles, culminating in her position as Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Planning.

But that’s not how she tells it.

Instead, her story begins with a moment that felt, at the time, almost incidental: a high school AP Biology teacher suggesting that if she was serious about pursuing pre-med, she should consider UMBC. It wasn’t part of a grand plan. It was simply an option—one she chose to take.

That choice set something in motion.

As a student, Mozie-Ross immersed herself in campus life, particularly in residential life, where she found community and connection. By the time she graduated, she was considering a future in health policy. But then, another moment came—another call.

Dr. Jamie Washington, then associate director of residential life, reached out to ask what she planned to do next. The timing mattered. So did the invitation: a pathway into higher education that required she be enrolled in graduate school - a path she hadn’t been actively pursuing.

Looking back, Mozie-Ross doesn’t describe these moments as strategic decisions; especially since she was headed in another direction. They were responses—instances where something appeared, and she chose to step toward it.

That pattern would repeat.

While in her pursuit of securing a job in health policy, she began receiving calls about opportunities in higher education. One of them led to an interview for an admissions counselor role at UMBC. Halfway through that conversation, something shifted.

In the middle of the interview, she realized the work aligned with her values: access, opportunity, and connection. It also drew on strengths she hadn’t fully named yet—public speaking, relationship-building, the ability to meet students where they were and help them see what was possible. By the time she left, she understood something she hadn’t when she walked in.

She wasn’t just applying for a job. She was finding her path.

From admissions counselor/coordinator of multicultural recruitment to assistant director to director roles overseeing undergraduate admissions, Mozie-Ross found a career defined less by a fixed destination and more by a consistent approach: stay curious, learn from others, and remain open to what might come next.

“I made it my business to understand what people were doing,” she has said. “I was always looking for opportunities to learn.”

Over the years, UMBC evolved from a strong regional university into a nationally recognized institution. Mozie-Ross both witnessed and contributed to that transformation. While the physical campus expanded and its reputation grew, she points to something deeper that has remained constant: a commitment to student success across all backgrounds, and a community that nurtures potential.

Within that framework, her work focused on removing barriers and creating pathways.

Among the initiatives she has spearheaded and is most proud of is FinancialSmarts, the financial literacy program, launched in 2011 in response to a clear need among students navigating the complexities of paying for college. What began as an idea grew into a sustained effort with dedicated staff, student employees, campus collaborators, and external partnerships—embedding financial education into the student experience.

Years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she developed and led the “Finish Line” initiative, a collaborative effort across admissions, advising, and marketing to re-engage students who had stopped out and to support their return to complete their degrees. Since its inception, UMBC has conferred over 450 degrees to Finish Line students. It was, at its core, an extension of the same philosophy: don’t let students fall through the cracks.

That philosophy is perhaps best understood through the students whose journeys intersected with her own.

She recalls Sarah, a young mother she met during orientation one year. With the right support and opportunity, Sarah fully immersed herself in the academic life at UMBC, eventually securing a summer research experience at Harvard University—an experience that might have once felt out of reach. There was Nicole, also balancing motherhood and education, building a career in banking, and ultimately pursuing entrepreneurship. 

These stories reflect what has long defined UMBC at its best: nurturing potential, creating opportunity, and helping students move beyond what they may have imagined for themselves. 
That, Mozie-Ross says, is what sustained her over three decades: witnessing growth, seeing how students define success for themselves, and knowing that the policies, programs, and practices put in place support them. And each commencement ceremony serves as a reminder of that impact—a visible culmination of thousands of individual journeys.

Now, as the university looks toward its next chapter, Mozie-Ross finds herself at another moment of transition—one that feels both new and familiar.

As UMBC expands its reach across Baltimore and the region, deepens partnerships, and advances a new strategic vision, the complexity of the work ahead is growing. At this moment, the institution is calling for leadership that understands both its history and its future.

Effective August 1, 2026, Mozie-Ross will step into a new role as senior advisor to the president for strategic initiatives, joining the president’s office to help guide these efforts forward. It is a position that draws on everything she has cultivated over the past 30 years: institutional knowledge, strategic insight, and a deep commitment to the university’s mission.

In many ways, it is simply the next answer to a familiar question.

Looking back, her career might appear to be shaped by chance—a series of unexpected turns and unplanned opportunities. But a closer look reveals something more intentional. At each juncture, there was a moment when she could have hesitated, declined, or chosen a different path.

Instead, she stepped forward.

If she could offer advice to her younger self, it would be simple: be open to the possibilities. Trust that you don’t have to map everything out in advance.

Because sometimes, the most defining moments don’t arrive as part of a plan. 

They arrive as a call.

And once again, she has answered.

To all users,

This is a reminder that we are beginning our scheduled downtime for chip, which is planned from 8AM to 5PM ET. This is to apply critical security patches, and to perform some maintenance on the RRStor ceph storage cluster. During this time, chip will be inaccessible and jobs currently running may be terminated if necessary.

We will send an update at the conclusion of the work.

Previous post announcing the downtime: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/hpcf/posts/160868 

As always, remember to submit any issues you have here: https://rtforms.umbc.edu/rt_authenticated/doit/DoIT-support.php?auto=Research%20Computing

And check out our documentation here: https://umbc.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/faq/pages/1082589207/UMBC+HPCF+-+chip

Best,
Greg

Gain presentation experience, support secondary education, and earn a $350 stipend...

Help Wanted: Presentation Support for Northbound!

Role: Presentation Support

Northbound is seeking a motivated student to assist with presentation preparation and delivery support for two upcoming events. 

Time Commitment: Full attendance required on both event dates and additional time will be required to help prepare the presentations.

Event dates and times:

• One Million Cups: Wednesday, August 19, 8:30-10:30 am, at Oca Mocha in Arbutus.

• Demo Day: Thursday, September 17, 4:30-8:30 pm, held at bwtech South, off S. Rolling Road, Catonsville.

Who Should Apply:

• Open to all majors!

• Must be comfortable with public speaking.

• Great fit for students with an interest in secondary school education.

Stipend: $350

Interested? Reach out today to apply or learn more!

Contact Joshua Smith: jsmith64@umbc.edu