Attendees of the 2016 Hilltop Society Dinner take in the “UMBC at 50: Sharing the Past, Building the Future” at the Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery on November 17.

UMBC has accumulated a rich history in its first 50 years, rising from a patch of Baltimore County farmland through the social and political turbulence of the mid-20th century to become a university nationally recognized for the quality of its education and its commitment to diversity. This year’s annual Hilltop Society dinner, in addition to being a “thank you” to our donors, carried on that story, as guests dined amid the “UMBC at 50: Sharing the Past, Building the Future” exhibit at the Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery.

UMBC Archivist Lindsey Loeper ’04, American studies, introduces the exhibit to guests.

The exhibit was curated by Tom Beck and Lindsey Loeper ’04, American studies, with the help of various partners across campus. It features more than 200 items from UMBC’s archives. Official documents, letters, photos, physical artifacts, and a continuous video loop all help to tell the story of UMBC, from long before the ground was broken until today. (It’s open to the public through December 15, but if you can’t make it to campus, it lives online as well.)

Bentley Corbett-Wilson ’17, music, one of the evening’s two student speakers, addresses the crowd.

With such a storied past behind us, it’s only fitting that the two students who spoke at the event be excellent examples of UMBC’s present and future. Bentley Corbett-Wilson ’17, music, this year’s student body president, has been involved with the Student Government Association (SGA) since his very first semester here. He spoke at length about how his UMBC experience has shaped his understanding of the world, and how UMBC’s commitment to shared governance empowers students to speak out on what matters to them.

“It is not uncommon for students to passionately express concerns about an issue on campus, and find that it has been solved the next semester by simply reaching out to SGA, campus departments, or other administrators on campus,” he said. “The potential that SGA has to help move this campus towards an even higher level of greatness is immense, and I’ve been honored to help guide the organization to do exactly that.”

Corbett-Wilson is also a recipient of the Sprint to the End Scholarship, which was established to help upperclassmen in need complete their degrees here. “I want to thank you all […] for your generosity to this community and its students,” he said.

Jeffrey Carr ’19, interdisciplinary studies, speaks at the 2016 Hilltop Society Dinner.

Jeffrey Carr ’19, interdisciplinary studies, told the audience that while he wasn’t sure what to expect when he first got to UMBC last fall, he took the advice of Dr. Jason Schiffman, a psychology professor who spoke to Carr’s orientation group, to heart: “It’s cool to be smart at UMBC, [and] this place will be what you make it.”

His intellectual curiosity led him to the Discovery Scholars Living-Learning Community, which provides opportunities and resources for undecided first-year students to forge their own academic path. Carr said that the support he received from both his fellow students and the faculty and staff members involved in the program gave him the confidence to branch out and try new things. In the past year and a half, he’s competed in the Pan-American Chess Championships with the UMBC B-Team, become a Peer Mentor for Discovery Scholars, and even joined the baseball team…as its statistician. (Carr hopes to work in baseball management after completing his degree.)

“Through the generous contributions of my donors […] and backed by the support network obtained through the living-learning community, I don’t think I could have had a better experience up to this point,” he said.

Throughout our past and into our present, UMBC has remained a place that students, no matter their background or interests, can make their own. With your generous support, we hope to continue that legacy far into our future.

— Julia Celtnieks ’13; all photos by Marlayna Demond ’11

Are you interested in medicine?

Are you an emergency medical services major, or have an interest in the field?

Do you want to be able to do life-saving work while you’re still in college?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should look in to becoming a volunteer EMT or paramedic for the Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD.) The non-profit organization is currently looking for new members, and anyone who has any level of interest is welcome to apply to be a volunteer. If you're worried about the time commitment of receiving the training: rest assured that the AVFD is very understanding, and will help work around your busy schedule to make becoming certified a reality. Receiving the training is completely free, and once you’re a certified volunteer, there are a multitude of benefits. For starters: volunteers receive tax breaks. Additionally, if you’re pre-med, or have any interest in medicine, it will act as a huge resume booster. And if you end up absolutely loving the work, and want to make it into a career, then you will have job security (EMTs and paramedics have a job growth rate that is over double the national average.) And most importantly: you’ll be doing incredibly rewarding work each and every day that you volunteer, being able to go home with the knowledge that you helped others in their time of need. 

Those who are interested should contact the Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department at (410) 242-6601, or go to their website to gain further information. 

Baltimore’s Center Stage seeks candidates for the position of Special Events Manager. The position works within Center Stage’s Development Department and is responsible for the management of special cultivation and fundraising events from planning to execution. Overall focus is on the quality of the experience for Center Stage guests and reaching budget goals for fundraising events.

Checks will be available for pick-up in the Administration Building, 5^th floor on December 30, 2016 from 10 AM – 11 AM. 

Employees choosing to pick up their paychecks must present an official picture ID such as a valid driver license, UMBC employee ID or passport.  If an employee wishes for another person to pick up their paycheck, then the following must be done:

1.    The person must have an official memorandum from the employee giving authorization for a specific individual to pick up his/her 12/30/2016 paycheck.

2.    The memorandum must contain the name, social security number, printed and signed full name of the employee as well as the printed and signed name of the receiver.  The receiver must know the employee’s department name and present an official/valid picture identification when picking up the paycheck.

No exception to this procedure will be permitted.  Telephone authorizations will not be accepted, nor will paychecks be given to spouses, relatives or roommates, etc. without an employee’s pre-authorization as indicated above.

 Paychecks not claimed on December 30, 2016 will be distributed on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

The Department of Human Resources wishes to all UMBC faculty, staff and students a safe and happy holiday.