Dear Students,

We have learned that Canva is raising its enterprise version pricing to a level that is not sustainable; as a result, we will not be renewing our Canva enterprise contract for the coming academic year. 

What this means for you is that access to the Canva enterprise account will end on Thursday, August 6, 2026, andafter this date, unfortunately, you will no longer have access to any of the designs you’ve created.

If you wish to keep your existing designs from the enterprise version of Canva, you must download or transfer your content before Thursday, August 6. With this in mind, there are two options to preserve your work:

Transfer your projects to a free, standard Canva account

If you want to continue editing your designs independently, you can transfer them to a free, standard Canva account:

• Create or log into a personal account: Go to Canva.com and sign up for a free account using a personal email address (or log in if you already have one).

• Share your designs from your student account: Log back into your Canva enterprise account, open the design you want to keep, and click Share in the top right corner.

• Invite your personal account: Enter your personal email address, ensure the permissions are set to "Can edit," and click Send.

• Accept the invite and copy the design: Log into your personal Canva account, open the shared design, go to File, and select Make a copy. This creates a permanent version in your personal account that you own completely.

If you only need static copies of your work for a portfolio or safekeeping, follow the steps below:

Download your designs

• Open your design in your Canva Enterprise account.

• Click Share in the top right corner, then click Download.

• Choose your preferred file type (e.g., PDF Print for documents/presentations or PNG for high-resolution images) and click Download.

Export project files separately

• If you created custom logos or vector graphics, download them explicitly as SVG files with transparent backgrounds so you can repurpose them in free editors later. 

Please note that the storage included with your free Canva account will be capped at 5GB. If your accumulated projects exceed 5 GB, delete heavy video files or unneeded drafts to ensure your account doesn't freeze when it migrates to the free tier. 

If you have any questions, please contact canva@umbc.edu. We are here to help.

Thank you,

The Canva Team

Dear members of the Ancient Studies Community,

Res Classicae for Spring 2025-2026 is now available on the UMBC Ancient Studies Website (https://ancientstudies.umbc.edu/).

You can also download Res Classicae attached to this post.

Hardcopies of the issue will be mailed to those on the mailing list at the end of June. If you are not on the mailing list and would like to be added, please contact Lydia DeRidder (lderidde@umbc.edu).

Happy Reading!

The UMBC Ancient Studies Department

The Maryland Department of Aging is looking for fall interns.  These internships intersect aging with many other diciplines including Behavioral Health, Support and Resources, Technology and Marketing and Communication.  Please see the attached internship descriptions.  Feel free to share with your peers. 

DID YOU KNOW?  AGNG 460 is the internship course required for Management of Aging Services Majors and this course is also an available elective for minors.  You may be able to secure an internship and get course credit! 

In order to be considered for AGNG 460 you must meet the following criteria:

• Achieved junior class standing and completed 15 credits of core courses in the major or minor by the close of the semester of application for membership.
• Completed all core courses to date with a grade of “C” or better in each of these courses.
• Be in good academic standing. Students who are on academic probation, suspension, or have been dismissed are not eligible for an internship.
• Achieved a grade point average (GPA) in the Management of Aging Services major or minor of at least 2.50 by the end of the semester preceding the internship.
• Speak with the Erickson School Internship Director, Lauren Price about your internship.  Laprice@umbc.edu  

Interested students should submit applications via the link below:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/6a690c8a36e4440080f2f425de7fc7f6

Additionally, applicants have been asked to send an email to: mdoa.marylandaccesspoint@maryland.gov indicating the specific position they are seeking.

Dear UMBC Faculty and Staff,

With summer in full swing, this edition of The UMBC Connection brings together a few updates, opportunities, and highlights from across UMBC.

You’ll find information on new federal policies, employee resources, research and athletics accomplishments, and opportunities to connect with the UMBC community this summer.

Opportunities & Events

Opportunities to attend, participate in, or engage with across the UMBC community.

• Your Story Belongs Here (June 30)
  Join UMBC's award-winning Your Story Belongs Here storytelling showcase, featuring students sharing personal stories about finding community and belonging on campus. Presented through a collaboration between the Center for Social Justice Dialogue and the Department of Theatre, the performance will also be recorded for Welcome Week 2026.

• When AI Joins the Course Design Team (July 8)
  Explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping instructional design and faculty collaboration in course development through this Online Learning Consortium webinar.

• Summer Group Fitness Classes
  UMBC Recreation is offering weekly group fitness classes throughout the summer. Classes are open to all fitness levels and take place Monday through Thursday through August 6.

Campus Updates

Important updates, planning efforts, operational information, and community news affecting UMBC.

• Important Federal Updates for the UMBC Community
  UMBC's Federal Orders and Actions Core Team recently shared updates regarding proposed federal grant regulations, immigration-related developments, and other federal actions that may affect research, international students, faculty, staff, and university operations.

• Alternate Work Arrangements Portal Launches in PeopleSoft
  The next phase of My WorkView is now available through the new Alternate Work Arrangements (AWA) Portal. Eligible employees can formally request, update, and route telework or remote work schedules entirely online through PeopleSoft.

University Milestones

Major achievements, recognitions, funding, and institutional accomplishments across UMBC.

• Professor Roberto Yus Receives Prestigious NSF CAREER Award
  Computer science professor Roberto Yus has received an NSF CAREER Award, the National Science Foundation's premier award supporting early-career faculty researchers. The award will support research advancing a "sensorless" Internet of Things through new approaches to sensor data management.

• UMBC Receives NSF Grant to Advance AI Competency
  UMBC faculty Rebecca Williams and Edward Dillon have received a four-year National Science Foundation grant to build partnerships, resources, and recommendations that help faculty and students develop AI-related competencies and prepare for an evolving workforce.

• Retriever Student-Athletes Earn All-America Honors at NCAA Championships
  Graduate student Ava Roberts earned Second Team All-America honors with an 11th-place finish in the discus throw, while senior Iosif Papa earned Honorable Mention All-America recognition for the second consecutive year at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

More from Across UMBC

Additional updates, resources, and community opportunities from across the university.

• Beyond Compliance: How MLLI is Redefining Inclusive Pedagogy
  Learn how faculty in Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication are embedding accessibility and inclusive teaching practices into language learning experiences for all students.

• P.A.W. Circle Mug of the Month
  The P.A.W. Circle, UMBC's faculty and staff giving community, has announced its 2026 – 27 Mug of the Month event schedule. Members are invited to connect with colleagues while supporting scholarships, academic programs, student support initiatives, and other areas across the university.

• UMBC Bookstore Annual Summer Sale
  The UMBC Bookstore’s online summer sale runs through June 30. Online orders placed after June 25 will be processed beginning July 2 while the store completes annual inventory.

Help Shape The UMBC Connection

As this effort continues to take shape, your feedback will help guide how we strengthen internal communications across the university. We welcome your input and invite you to share your feedback on The UMBC Connection.

If you would prefer, you are also welcome to reach out directly to Jessica McGroarty, Director of Internal Communications, at jmcgro@umbc.edu.

University Communications and Marketing

Hello, I'm a final year PhD student at UMBC looking to move close to campus (near the bus route) from August '26 to February '27. I'm looking for a shared accommodation or an apartment, ideally with a private bathroom. I love hiking, birding, reading, and trying new food. I'm easy to get along with and respectful of shared spaces. Happy to pass along a previous reference if required. Preferred rent is up to $820 per month.

UMBC CS PhD student Shubhashis Roy Dipta received a $20k Google Cloud research grant through the Gemini Academic Program to support his LLM agentic research in the final year of his PhD program. He is working with his advisor, Professor Francis Ferraro, to make Large Language Model-based systems more reliable. His dissertation research involves using reinforcement learning to address three areas where LLM-based systems currently fall short: complex multi-step reasoning, agentic LLMs and tool use, and multimodal AI systems using Vision-Language Models. He is currently spending his second summer in the Amazon Science (Alexa AI) division as an applied scientist intern.

Alfred Boakye first began thinking deeply about the care and well-being of elders and their families while caring for his centenarian grandmother, Margaret Nyarko, in his home city of Tema, on the Atlantic coast of South East Ghana. She was in charge of her essential self-care routine—bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring from sitting to standing, and continence—and more complex daily tasks necessary for independent living: medication management, meal preparation, transportation, and shopping. But even with her mobility, his grandmother lacked a social network. 

Acting as both a devoted grandchild and a caretaker, Boakye experienced firsthand the complexities of aging. He learned to respect his grandmother’s independence while finding ways to support her where she needed help. Boakye, now a UMBC gerontology Ph.D. student in the social, cultural, and behavioral track, notes that his grandmother’s children didn’t live with her, and her grandchildren didn’t understand her aging process. As her friends and siblings passed away, her social circle shrank. “I asked her what motivated her to stay at church for hours, and she says the church supports her, brings her communion, visits her, and brings her Christmas gifts.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in human resources at the University of Ghana, Boakye wanted to broaden his understanding of aging and caregiving. In 2021, he moved to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in gerontology at Georgia State University (GSU), where he met his mentor and master’s thesis chair, Jennifer Craft Morgan, professor and director of the GSU Gerontology Institute.

In 2023, the year his grandmother passed away and the year he completed his master’s at GSU, Boakye published his first aging-related article, “Does the Church Care? Assessment of Social Support Strategies on the Health and Wellbeing of Older Adults within the Tema Metropolitan Assembly-Ghana” in the African Journal of Ageing Studies.

Craft Morgan fostered Boakye’s interest in gerontology and encouraged him to continue his work at the doctoral level, leading him to UMBC’s gerontology doctoral program, which is an interdisciplinary program in collaboration with the University of Baltimore. “Professor Craft Morgan has held my hand from the day I started my master’s program and continues to do so today,” says Boakye. “I always feel privileged that I have her in my corner.”

Stigma of male caregivers

Boakye’s studies are also informed by his experience being the primary caregiver to his father. Before moving to the U.S., Boakye did the grocery shopping, cooking, and laundry for Stephen, his 76‑year‑old father. He became aware of the multiple obligations children have when caretaking for themselves, their families, and their parents, as well as the isolation that can happen, especially if you are a male caregiver.

At the time, Boakye saw himself as being a “helpful child,” a term associated with a Ghanaian proverb that states, “If they take care of you to grow your teeth, you take care of them to lose theirs.” The proverb is more than words—it is a way of life in Ghana, which reinforced Boakye’s caregiving role and emphasized what it takes to be a helpful child—one built on responsibility and reciprocity. But it’s easier said than done. “I had to juggle my ‘identity’ as a male caregiver in a historically patriarchal society with my caring masculinity,” says Boakye. “Caregiving is predominantly perceived as ‘women’s work’ in Ghana, and men who take on these roles are often stigmatized and labeled ‘Kojo besia,’ which translates to ‘man woman’. To avoid such labeling, I was hesitant to ask for help, despite the toll caregiving took on my physical and psychological well‑being.” 

Boakye presented his research and personal experience to the leadership of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) during their visit to UMBC this spring. Thanks to the UMB Provost’s Global Scholar Program, Boakye will be traveling to Ghana this summer to engage with male caregivers—to listen to their caregiving experiences, explore what these experiences mean to them, and co‑create resources to support them. He will use this research to finish his master’s thesis in applied sociology—Boakye’s third master’s degree.

Meeting Japan’s centenarians

In 2024, Boakye joined the Global Healthy Aging in Japan study abroad program, organized by Taka Yamashita, professor of sociology, anthropology, and public health and co-director of the gerontology doctoral program. The two-week program leads students through research, community centers, and historic sites in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo. Japan is known for its cutting-edge research and policy that supports the active lives of the world’s largest aging population and the highest number of centenarians. The students visited multigenerational living communities and centers that merge theoretical research with real-world practice and outcomes.

Boakye was not expecting that at a time when he was missing his grandmother the most, Kanagawa would make him feel like he was home in Tema. It wasn’t only that both Japan and Ghana operate on a similar collective familial care system focused on intergenerational living and inclusion, notes Boakye. It’s also the physical environment. “The buildings are close together, and people put chairs in front of their homes to talk,” says Boakye. “Older adults greet passersby, and people stop to have a conversation with them. They will tell you they are out for a little sun.”

A highlight of the trip for all the students was meeting a supercentenarian. The 110-year-old woman welcomed them and kissed each of them on the cheek. “All the students say that they were blessed to have this welcome and that she could still talk to us,” says Boakye. “It was really emotional for me. I just kept thinking of my grandmother.”

Boakye was also impressed by the Kanagawa ME-BYO approach to aging, which encourages monitoring vital signs using biomedical technologies. ME-BYO focuses on preventing and minimizing illness progression through programs that promote healthy behaviors such as a balanced diet, exercise, and social activities. “My experience in Japan has been one of the best things that has happened in my personal and academic life and in my career,” says Boakye, who wants to find a way to incorporate ME-BYO into his current and future caregiving research and practice. “This trip has equipped me with the cultural competence, literacy, sensitivity, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills needed to have a real-world impact in the field of gerontology.”

Looking Ahead

With five years of longevity research, Boakye now understands that his grandmother’s experience is common for many older adults in Ghana. He discovered in the 2021 Population and Housing Census of Ghana that adults 65 years of age and older make up 4.3 percent of Ghana’s population. However, he explains, the need for person-centred and geriatric care services has not kept up with the demand.

“I feel like I am now clearly connecting the dots between my experiences in Ghana, what I saw in Japan, and what I have learned in class. I am passionate about encouraging more men to engage and support the people they love, but also seek help when they need it,” says Boakye. He plans to finish his doctoral program in fall 2027.

“It has been a pleasure to watch Alfred’s research grow during his time at UMBC,” says Nancy Kusmaul, professor at UMBC’s School of Social Work, his dissertation chair, who Boakye works with as a research assistant. “He is committed to raising the voices of paid and unpaid caregivers who provide vital services to older adults and people with disabilities in the US and abroad. I am confident that he will continue to make significant contributions to the field.”  

He knows there is a long road ahead, but he is confident that he is on the right path. “I want to build culturally relevant and gender‑sensitive resources that support male caregivers, not only to improve their health and well‑being but also to amplify their voices when it matters most.” His grandmother, Margaret, continues to inspire Boakye’s work on how caregiving shapes the experiences of both the carer and the care recipient. 

Learn more about UMBC’s gerontology doctoral program.

Alfred Boakye first began thinking deeply about the care and well-being of elders and their families while caring for his centenarian grandmother, Margaret Nyarko, in his home city of Tema, on the Atlantic coast of South East Ghana. She was in charge of her essential self-care routine—bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring from sitting to standing, and continence—and more complex daily tasks necessary for independent living: medication management, meal preparation, transportation, and shopping. But even with her mobility, his grandmother lacked a social network. 

Acting as both a devoted grandchild and a caretaker, Boakye experienced firsthand the complexities of aging. He learned to respect his grandmother’s independence while finding ways to support her where she needed help. Boakye, now a UMBC gerontology Ph.D. student in the social, cultural, and behavioral track, notes that his grandmother’s children didn’t live with her, and her grandchildren didn’t understand her aging process. As her friends and siblings passed away, her social circle shrank. “I asked her what motivated her to stay at church for hours, and she says the church supports her, brings her communion, visits her, and brings her Christmas gifts.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in human resources at the University of Ghana, Boakye wanted to broaden his understanding of aging and caregiving. In 2021, he moved to the United States to pursue a master’s degree in gerontology at Georgia State University (GSU), where he met his mentor and master’s thesis chair, Jennifer Craft Morgan, professor and director of the GSU Gerontology Institute.

In 2023, the year his grandmother passed away and the year he completed his master’s at GSU, Boakye published his first aging-related article, “Does the Church Care? Assessment of Social Support Strategies on the Health and Wellbeing of Older Adults within the Tema Metropolitan Assembly-Ghana” in the African Journal of Ageing Studies.

Craft Morgan fostered Boakye’s interest in gerontology and encouraged him to continue his work at the doctoral level, leading him to UMBC’s gerontology doctoral program, which is an interdisciplinary program in collaboration with the University of Baltimore. “Professor Craft Morgan has held my hand from the day I started my master’s program and continues to do so today,” says Boakye. “I always feel privileged that I have her in my corner.”

Stigma of male caregivers

Boakye’s studies are also informed by his experience being the primary caregiver to his father. Before moving to the U.S., Boakye did the grocery shopping, cooking, and laundry for Stephen, his 76‑year‑old father. He became aware of the multiple obligations children have when caretaking for themselves, their families, and their parents, as well as the isolation that can happen, especially if you are a male caregiver.

At the time, Boakye saw himself as being a “helpful child,” a term associated with a Ghanaian proverb that states, “If they take care of you to grow your teeth, you take care of them to lose theirs.” The proverb is more than words—it is a way of life in Ghana, which reinforced Boakye’s caregiving role and emphasized what it takes to be a helpful child—one built on responsibility and reciprocity. But it’s easier said than done. “I had to juggle my ‘identity’ as a male caregiver in a historically patriarchal society with my caring masculinity,” says Boakye. “Caregiving is predominantly perceived as ‘women’s work’ in Ghana, and men who take on these roles are often stigmatized and labeled ‘Kojo besia,’ which translates to ‘man woman’. To avoid such labeling, I was hesitant to ask for help, despite the toll caregiving took on my physical and psychological well‑being.” 

Boakye presented his research and personal experience to the leadership of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) during their visit to UMBC this spring. Thanks to the UMB Provost’s Global Scholar Program, Boakye will be traveling to Ghana this summer to engage with male caregivers—to listen to their caregiving experiences, explore what these experiences mean to them, and co‑create resources to support them. He will use this research to finish his master’s thesis in applied sociology—Boakye’s third master’s degree.

Meeting Japan’s centenarians

In 2024, Boakye joined the Global Healthy Aging in Japan study abroad program, organized by Taka Yamashita, professor of sociology, anthropology, and public health and co-director of the gerontology doctoral program. The two-week program leads students through research, community centers, and historic sites in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo. Japan is known for its cutting-edge research and policy that supports the active lives of the world’s largest aging population and the highest number of centenarians. The students visited multigenerational living communities and centers that merge theoretical research with real-world practice and outcomes.

Boakye was not expecting that at a time when he was missing his grandmother the most, Kanagawa would make him feel like he was home in Tema. It wasn’t only that both Japan and Ghana operate on a similar collective familial care system focused on intergenerational living and inclusion, notes Boakye. It’s also the physical environment. “The buildings are close together, and people put chairs in front of their homes to talk,” says Boakye. “Older adults greet passersby, and people stop to have a conversation with them. They will tell you they are out for a little sun.”

A highlight of the trip for all the students was meeting a supercentenarian. The 110-year-old woman welcomed them and kissed each of them on the cheek. “All the students say that they were blessed to have this welcome and that she could still talk to us,” says Boakye. “It was really emotional for me. I just kept thinking of my grandmother.”

Boakye was also impressed by the Kanagawa ME-BYO approach to aging, which encourages monitoring vital signs using biomedical technologies. ME-BYO focuses on preventing and minimizing illness progression through programs that promote healthy behaviors such as a balanced diet, exercise, and social activities. “My experience in Japan has been one of the best things that has happened in my personal and academic life and in my career,” says Boakye, who wants to find a way to incorporate ME-BYO into his current and future caregiving research and practice. “This trip has equipped me with the cultural competence, literacy, sensitivity, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills needed to have a real-world impact in the field of gerontology.”

Looking Ahead

With five years of longevity research, Boakye now understands that his grandmother’s experience is common for many older adults in Ghana. He discovered in the 2021 Population and Housing Census of Ghana that adults 65 years of age and older make up 4.3 percent of Ghana’s population. However, he explains, the need for person-centred and geriatric care services has not kept up with the demand.

“I feel like I am now clearly connecting the dots between my experiences in Ghana, what I saw in Japan, and what I have learned in class. I am passionate about encouraging more men to engage and support the people they love, but also seek help when they need it,” says Boakye. He plans to finish his doctoral program in fall 2027.

“It has been a pleasure to watch Alfred’s research grow during his time at UMBC,” says Nancy Kusmaul, professor at UMBC’s School of Social Work, his dissertation chair, who Boakye works with as a research assistant. “He is committed to raising the voices of paid and unpaid caregivers who provide vital services to older adults and people with disabilities in the US and abroad. I am confident that he will continue to make significant contributions to the field.”  

He knows there is a long road ahead, but he is confident that he is on the right path. “I want to build culturally relevant and gender‑sensitive resources that support male caregivers, not only to improve their health and well‑being but also to amplify their voices when it matters most.” His grandmother, Margaret, continues to inspire Boakye’s work on how caregiving shapes the experiences of both the carer and the care recipient. 

Learn more about UMBC’s gerontology doctoral program.

Good afternoon,

I'm looking for packages for the several orders that were placed from Amazon for our Summer classes that started on Monday. The packages should have been delivered to campus by now.

The packages are addressed to Ella Sagan, 900 Walker Ave, Ste 101.

Also, we are missing one package for Bria Thorpe from DigiKey.

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

Thank you in advance,

Ella

The UMBC Bookstore is running their annual summer sale. The in-person sale is active and runs through Friday, June 26. The online sale is active and runs through June 30. 

The Bookstore is physically closed from June 27 through July 1 to conduct their annual physical inventory. Orders placed after tomorrow, June 25, will be processed starting July 2.

Please see the attached flyer for more details.