Two UMBC CSEE faculty members received Strategic Awards for Research Transitions (START) awards of $25,000 for the 2026-27 academic year. 

• Associate Professor Roberto Yus received the award to support his project  "Optimizing AI Workflows for Reliable, Low-Cost Agentic Systems."
• Assistant Professor Dong Li received the award to support his project "Securing Smartphones Against Voice Scams with Real-Time Vocal-Acoustic Watermarking."

Assistant Professor Yiwen Hu received an $8,000 Summer Research Faculty Fellowship (SURFF) award to support her research on "Securing Lost/Stolen Device Revocation Systems in 5G/6G Networks via Cross-Domain Evidence Attestation". 

Read more about UMBC's latest internal research awards here.

Dear UMBC Community,

A helicopter is scheduled to be on campus this Saturday, July 11, between approximately 6 and 10 a.m., weather permitting, to move equipment onto the Biological Sciences Building. The work is part of a facilities project to replace rooftop mechanical equipment.

During this time, the Library, The Commons, the Meyerhoff Chemistry Building, and the Biological Sciences Building will be closed, and access to other nearby areas may be restricted. Temporary barriers and on-site personnel will help maintain the safety perimeter. The project team has coordinated with UMBC Police, Environmental Safety and Health, and other campus partners to ensure the operation is conducted safely.

Please stay clear of restricted areas and follow posted signs and instructions from campus personnel. Visit the Facilities Management group for more details.

If weather prevents the work from taking place on Saturday, the lift is expected to move to Sunday, July 12, during the same approximate timeframe of 6 to 10 a.m. The same building closures and access restrictions would apply.

We appreciate your patience as we complete this important work. As I begin my time at UMBC, I look forward to working with many of you in the weeks and months ahead.

Gamze Zeytinci
Vice President for Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer

Hello

we had 2 cases of water go missing

Says delivered on July 9th

Contacted Central Receiving AND campus mail services.

Did anybody receive for "Crista Lenk/ EDHS Sherman Hall Room 342"?

5-3584

Thank you 

The Baltimore Museum of Art is offering the following internship positions for Fall 2026:

• Curatorial: Prints, Drawings, and Photographs 
• Advancement: Membership Fulfillment Intern
• Education: Interpretation Intern
• Curatorial: Image Services and RIghts Intern
• Marketing & Communications Intern

Learn about each position here: https://artbma.org/careers-internships/

Apply through this form: https://form.jotform.com/222776153016049 

Application Deadline: Sunday, August 23rd, 2026

Due to high enrollment demand, ECON 311, Section 01, has been expanded with more seats.  This class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-5:15 pm in Fine Arts 306.  Before enrolling, please make sure you have completed the prerequisites: ECON101 or ECON101H and MATH 151, MATH151H, or MATH 155 with a grade of 'C' or better.  ECON 311 is a core requirement and key prerequisite class for both Economics and Financial Economics majors.  It is recommended for students in at least their second year of either major. 

Please contact the Economics Academic Advisor, Robert Pawloski, with any questions about this update.  economics.umbc.edu

Hello,

Our Skillsoft-Percipio e-learning platform is operational once again! If you had access prior to today, you should still have access.  If you are a new user and need access, please email to hrtraining@umbc.edu. If you have already reached out, your account will be created later today. 

Cell coverage in this big building is a bit of an issue. I had OIT send me a wiki to set my cell phone to work over the wifi network and I have to say, the coverage is much better. Please see the following wiki for both OS and Android phone set up.

https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=71696643

All,

Both Constellation and Exelon energy will be conducting day camps starting July 12th and running through the the 24th. Conference rooms and the 4th floors classrooms will be unaffected by these events, but most other classrooms will be occupied over the next two weeks.

Thank you!

Contractors working with UMBC Facilities Management will utilize a helicopter to remove existing, and install new mechanical equipment, on the roof of the Biological Sciences building. The helicopter lift will occur on Saturday, July 11, 2026, between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. If weather conditions prevent the lift from taking place on July 11, the operation will be rescheduled for Sunday, July 12, 2026, during the same timeframe.

During the helicopter lift operation, the following buildings will be closed:

• Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery
• Meyerhoff Chemistry Building
• Biological Sciences Building
• The Commons

This means all entry into the ILSB this Saturday morning will need to be from the east entrance facing the Physics Building / Commons Drive. 

Facilities Management has worked closely with numerous campus partners, including Environmental Safety & Health, UMBC Police, Student Affairs, Student Disability Services, Event & Conference Services, Parking, Departmental Leadership, and other Campus Stakeholders to coordinate this operation. Our collective goal is to complete this work safely while minimizing disruption to the campus community.

A map showing the affected work area and pedestrian restrictions is attached to this post.

For everyone's safety, all observers must remain behind the "General Public Perimeter" marked with yellow caution tape. Facilities Management staff and UMBC Police officers will be stationed at strategic points along the perimeter to assist pedestrians and drivers navigating the area.

For those who wish to observe the helicopter operation, three designated public viewing areas have been established:

• Between Erickson Field and Erickson Hall
• Between the Physics and Public Policy buildings
• The small parking area between the Chemistry Building and the Fine Arts Building

We ask all members of the campus community to avoid the restricted work area, follow posted signage, and comply with directions provided by Facilities Management staff and UMBC Police.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we complete this important project to improve the Biological Sciences building. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe environment throughout this operation.

Welcome to July's edition of USM Accessibility in Action! This month, we're celebrating USM excellence and helping you strengthen one of the most fundamental accessibility skills: writing meaningful alt text.

Celebrating USM Excellence: Two Blackboard Catalyst Awards

We're excited to celebrate two University System of Maryland institutions recognized with 2026 Blackboard Catalyst Awards for their outstanding leadership in accessibility and professional development.

Coppin State University won the Innovation in Accessibility Award for the Innovation, Development, Education, and Assessment (IDEA) Team. Coppin's IDEA Team exemplifies institutional leadership in accessibility by transforming inclusive design into a sustained campus practice through strategic use of Blackboard Ultra and Ally. Rather than approaching accessibility as a compliance obligation, the team embedded it into everyday teaching and learning, equipping faculty to create accessible, engaging learning environments as a standard expectation. Through sustained professional development and cross-campus collaboration, the team built a proactive and durable culture of accessibility. By extending this work into ADA Title II readiness, the IDEA Team has established a scalable, high-impact model that removes barriers, strengthens student success, and sets a compelling benchmark for accessibility leadership in higher education.

UMBC received the Training and Professional Development Award for the Course Roadmap to Equity (CoRE) initiative. This phased digital accessibility program builds lasting faculty competency through live professional development and a structured self-paced microcredential in Blackboard. Recognizing accessibility as both a legal obligation and an equity imperative, UMBC designed CoRE to meet faculty where they are, offering flexible pathways for varying schedules and expertise levels. In Fall 2025, 350+ faculty and staff attended live workshops and used Blackboard Ally to generate accessibility reports. Institutional Ally accessibility scores rose from 66.5% to 78.7%—a 12.2 point gain. Results directly informed the CoRE microcredential program with multiple pathways and achievements, recognizing faculty commitment to equitable course design.

These awards reflect the innovative, equity-centered work happening across USM and they show what’s possible when accessibility becomes a shared institutional priority. Congratulations to both teams!

Register Now: Ready, Set, Accessible Fall Course Prep Day

Monday, August 3, 2026 | 9:30 AM-12:30 PM ET | Zoom

Start the fall semester with course materials that are more accessible, usable, and inclusive for all learners. This half-day virtual event is designed to help faculty take practical, manageable steps to improve the accessibility of their courses before classes begin.

Across three focused sessions, participants will learn how to:

• Evaluate course resources for accessibility

• Redesign assignments with accessibility in mind

• Design learning experiences that support students with a range of sensory, cognitive, technological, and learning needs

Whether you're updating an existing course, preparing new materials, or looking for a realistic place to begin, this day will offer concrete strategies, examples, and tools you can apply right away. Faculty are invited to attend one session or participate in the full half-day event.

Register Now 

July Challenge: Alt Text in Action

This month, practice writing meaningful alternative text for images in your materials. To help you master this skill, we recommend exploring this comprehensive Guide to Writing Meaningful Alt Text from Section508.gov.

Quick Tips for Success:

• Focus on Meaning, Not Appearance: Instead of describing what an image looks like (e.g., "A person in a suit"), describe the information it conveys (e.g., "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.").

• Include Text Word-for-Word: If an image contains text (like an event flyer), that text must be included in the alt text so screen reader users don't miss vital details.

• Context is Key: A photo of a building might need different alt text in a History course than it does in an Architecture course. Ask yourself: What would a user miss if this image didn't load?

• Don't Repeat Yourself: If the surrounding paragraph already explains the chart's data, your alt text can be brief. Just ensure it still identifies the image’s purpose so screen reader users know what the object is.

The Challenge: Choose 3–5 images in your own materials and update their alt text using these principles. You’ll likely find that clarifying your images for accessibility actually makes your core concepts clearer for everyone! Post your insights on LinkedIn using #USMAccessibility so we can all learn from each other.

Get Involved

Whether you’re ready to lead, want to share an accessibility success story, or are looking for practical guidance, we want to hear from you.

Register for Ready, Set, Accessible Fall Course Prep Day

Share or Nominate an Accessibility Win

Visit the USM Digital Accessibility Hub

Repost from the USM Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation and the USM Digital Accessibility Work Group.