A young woman with shoulder length black curly hear wearing a light blue dress shirt and dark blue pants stands in front of a group of people sitting at a table. Behind her is a white board with math equations written in black marker.

NSF grants UMBC’s Chris Rakes and Michele Stites $3M to transform undergraduate secondary mathematics teacher preparation programs


Policy & Society

“I want the mathematics classroom to be a vibrant place,” says Rakes, “where students have the opportunity to put all the things they’ve learned together into a coherent web of knowledge, connected through mathematical thinking and understanding.” Continue reading NSF grants UMBC’s Chris Rakes and Michele Stites $3M to transform undergraduate secondary mathematics teacher preparation programs

A woman with long dark hair pulled back in a pony tail by a white, black, and orange scarf wearing a black shirt and white pants walks on a paved walkway with a green tree and some green shrubs behind her and a short yellow wall and a city behind her.

New UMBC grads honor parents’ immigrant journeys by forging their own paths


Policy & Society

Graduating seniors Anthony Cano, Renato Zanelli, and Maya Scheirer came to UMBC with pride and hunger instilled by their immigrant parents’ work ethic. They brought rich cultures, languages, and hearts full of dreams and aspirations with the goal of forging futures of their own. “As a first-generation college student,” Zanelli says, “I can now be a role model for my younger cousins. I can help and inspire them. They will not have to do it alone.” Continue reading New UMBC grads honor parents’ immigrant journeys by forging their own paths

A woman with short grey hair with dark rimmed glasses and wearing a white dress shirt smiles at the camera. A red brick building and a small green tree is behind her.

In “Blood on the River,” UMBC’s Marjoleine Kars examines enslaved people’s accounts of a nearly successful rebellion 250 years ago


Policy & Society

Kars’s new book chronicles a rebellion by enslaved people in the Dutch colony of Berbice, 1763 – 1764, thirty years before the Haitian Revolution. Kars says there is “a long tradition of people having different ideas about how to fight oppression and what life should look like at the other side.” Continue reading In “Blood on the River,” UMBC’s Marjoleine Kars examines enslaved people’s accounts of a nearly successful rebellion 250 years ago

UMBC’s Jasmine Lee elevates diversity and inclusion work as director of new Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging


Community

Jasmine A. Lee, director of inclusive excellence in UMBC’s Division of Student Affairs, is now also leading UMBC’s Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion and Belonging (i3B). The new i3B brings together UMBC’s Mosaic Center, Interfaith Center, and Pride Center to create “opportunities for students to build their awareness and knowledge of diverse people, cultures and belief systems.” Continue reading UMBC’s Jasmine Lee elevates diversity and inclusion work as director of new Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging

A group of woman of different races and ages stand next to eachother smiling at the camera while holding hard cover picture books in their hands. They are standing in between one white and one yellow standup banner with the words Sherman Center written on them.

UMBC’s Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities is transforming early childhood education in Maryland


Policy & Society

UMBC’s Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities is now in its third year of supporting, strengthening, and expanding early childhood education in Maryland. The center was founded with the support of a $6 million grant from the George and Betsy Sherman Family Foundation in 2017. It has developed a series of research-based initiatives to address the needs of children from birth to eight years old in Maryland, and the workforce dedicated to educating them. Continue reading UMBC’s Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities is transforming early childhood education in Maryland

Fifteen women stand in a group together next to a white standup banner with the words Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Program. There are brick buildings next and behind them.

Maryland State Dept. of Education invests additional $150,000 in UMBC’s Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Education Program


Policy & Society

UMBC’s Sherman Center for Early Childhood Learning in Urban Communities has been leading change in this field in Maryland since 2017 through its Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Education Program (MECLP). The program’s 12-month post-baccalaureate course equips current leaders in early childhood education with the skills, knowledge, and network needed to implement effective and long-lasting change in classrooms, school districts, and nonprofits across the state. Continue reading Maryland State Dept. of Education invests additional $150,000 in UMBC’s Maryland Early Childhood Leadership Education Program

Black woman with black hair pulled back, wearing glasses, and a pink dress shirt and scarf looks towards the right.

Struggle for justice and change: Karsonya Wise Whitehead presents UMBC’s 42nd annual Du Bois lecture


Community, Policy & Society

Whitehead will present on the intersection of COVID-19, systemic racism, and anti-racist action. Her talk, “Black COVID Stories, Black Lives Matter, and Protest: A Conversation about the Ongoing Struggle for Justice and Change,” will examine the long-term societal impacts of today’s conversations about anti-Blackness, anti-racism, policing, and justice in the context of Du Bois’s research. Continue reading Struggle for justice and change: Karsonya Wise Whitehead presents UMBC’s 42nd annual Du Bois lecture

Women with light brown hair wearing a navy blue shirt and gold hoop earrings smiles at camera. A green tree is behind her.

UMBC’s Kindel Nash’s new book shares best practices for culturally sustaining teaching in early education


Policy & Society

Culturally sustaining pedagogy, Nash explains, focuses on countering structures that systematically erase the culture and language of communities of color. Her book is an example of the impact teachers can have when they commit to this work. “This includes not only changing how we teach,” she says, “but whom we teach with.” Continue reading UMBC’s Kindel Nash’s new book shares best practices for culturally sustaining teaching in early education

an image of a grey fuzzy small globe like object with red fluffy objects sticking out.

Chinese American parents and children have experienced increased racism due to COVID-19, report UMBC researchers in Pediatrics


Policy & Society, Science & Technology

A team of researchers led by UMBC psychology professor Charissa Cheah has found that a high percentage of Chinese American parents and children have witnessed and experienced an increase in racial discrimination since the outbreak of COVID-19. The researchers’ findings are now published in Pediatrics. Continue reading Chinese American parents and children have experienced increased racism due to COVID-19, report UMBC researchers in Pediatrics

Rows of international flags hang from a ceiling.

UMBC celebrates 2020 – 2021 Fulbright recipients


Community, Policy & Society, Science & Technology

Ten recent UMBC alumni are recipients of 2020 – 2021 Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards, including seven from UMBC’s Class of 2020. Each year over 11,000 students apply and just over 2,000 are selected from hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States. The award secures funding for U.S. students to pursue international graduate study, research, internships, or teaching. Continue reading UMBC celebrates 2020 – 2021 Fulbright recipients

A man with straight dark hair, wearing a grey dress shirt, smiles at the camera.

UMBC’s Taka Yamashita receives $1.4 million grant for research supporting workers returning to community college


Policy & Society

UMBC’s Taka Yamashita has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences for an innovative three-year research project on how adult literacy impacts success in community college STEM education and job training programs. Yamashita is an associate professor of sociology and faculty member in the UMBC/UMB gerontology Ph.D. program. Continue reading UMBC’s Taka Yamashita receives $1.4 million grant for research supporting workers returning to community college

Woman with dark hair pulled back, wearing glasses, and a black and white zig zag pattern blouse, and a black cardigan smiling at the camera with a building and green shrubs behind her.

UMBC’s Elizabeth Patton dives into history of remote work with “Easy Living: The Rise of the Home Office”


Policy & Society

Elizabeth Patton’s new book explores how Americans think about the modern home office and why. Due to COVID-19, remote work has hit unprecedented highs, but Patton’s scholarship reveals that it’s far from a new idea. Continue reading UMBC’s Elizabeth Patton dives into history of remote work with “Easy Living: The Rise of the Home Office”

Man with greying short hair, wearing glasses and a blue dress shirt, smiles at the camera with the U.S. Capitol building in the background.

UMBC alumnus Mark Doms is appointed chief economist of the Congressional Budget Office


Policy & Society

UMBC alumnus Mark Doms ‘85, economics and mathematics, has been appointed chief economist of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Doms will be one of the leads of the agency that provides Congress with objective, nonpartisan, and high quality information about the economic and financial impacts of existing laws, new laws, and policies under consideration. Continue reading UMBC alumnus Mark Doms is appointed chief economist of the Congressional Budget Office

A picture of beige stone bench in the sunlight with a quote by Walter Sondheim etched into the back of the bench, "Try to understand someone else's position and not assume you know what's best for others."

UMBC’s first virtual conference on inclusive language engages hundreds of education professionals from around the world


Community, Policy & Society

“To acknowledge that Black lives matter, that abuse of power must be stopped is paramount,” shared DàVida Plummer, keynote speaker at UMBC’s Inclusive Language Conference. “And for journalists the world over, we must capture this reality, tell our stories, and maintain objectivity.” Continue reading UMBC’s first virtual conference on inclusive language engages hundreds of education professionals from around the world

Young woman with long dark hair wearing a grey blazer and light blue skirt, standing and holding twisted orange wire,

UMBC’s Sydney Gaskins competes in the final round of Trial by Combat, a national mock trial championship


Policy & Society

UMBC Mock Trial continues to reach new heights at a national level, even with COVID-19 impacting the competition season. Sydney Gaskins ’22, political science, finished as a runner-up in the final round of the national Trial by Combat (TBC), a head-to-head individual mock trial championship hosted this summer by the UCLA School of Law and Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law. Continue reading UMBC’s Sydney Gaskins competes in the final round of Trial by Combat, a national mock trial championship

A large white paper is posted on a wall showing multiplication factoring in red and green ink and Spanish words in red around it in red ink

UMBC and Baltimore’s Lakeland Elementary/Middle School launch innovative online summer math program


Policy & Society

UMBC’s Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program has launched an intensive virtual math incubator for Lakeland Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore City this summer. The free, voluntary five-week program is a math intervention for 150 Lakeland students in third through eighth grade. The program seeks to prevent summer learning loss, which could increase this year, intensified by COVID-19’s impact on student learning during the school year. Continue reading UMBC and Baltimore’s Lakeland Elementary/Middle School launch innovative online summer math program

Man with glasses, mustache and short beard is wearing a blue suit and striped tie smiles at camera with green trees in the foreground.

UMBC historian Constantine Vaporis brings samurai scholarship to the public through TED-Ed animation


Arts & Culture, Policy & Society

UMBC’s Constantine Vaporis, professor of history, has partnered with TED-Ed Animations to produce “A Day In The Life of A Teenage Samurai.” This original video draws from over thirty years of scholarship Vaporis has completed on Japanese history and culture, and it’s already received over 550,000 views. Continue reading UMBC historian Constantine Vaporis brings samurai scholarship to the public through TED-Ed animation

Adult woman with dark long braided hair, wearing dark rimmed glasses and a orange and maroon dress with circular patters, and a pink necklace with think pink beads., with a tall green tree line behind her.

UMBC’s Gloria Chuku is named the 2020 – 21 Lipitz Professor for her research on the Igbo people of Nigeria


Policy & Society

Gloria Chuku, chair and professor of Africana studies, has been named UMBC’s Lipitz Professor for 2020 – 21. This distinguished professorship recognizes and supports innovative teaching and research. Chuku will carry out research for her new book project, “Becoming Igbo in Nigeria and the Diaspora: A History of Ethnic Identity Formation and Negotiation.” Continue reading UMBC’s Gloria Chuku is named the 2020 – 21 Lipitz Professor for her research on the Igbo people of Nigeria

Man with dark hear, wearing a blue and white checkered dress shirt, stands while smiling at camera, international flags are in the background.

UMBC’s Fei Han, of The Hilltop Institute, receives grant to develop model predicting patients’ COVID-19 hospitalization risk


Policy & Society

UMBC’s Fei Han has received a COVID-19 Accelerated Translational Incubator Pilot (ATIP) award for research to help predict and reduce patients’ risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19. He will further develop the Hilltop Pre-AH Model™, a preventative risk model, to apply to pandemic conditions. Continue reading UMBC’s Fei Han, of The Hilltop Institute, receives grant to develop model predicting patients’ COVID-19 hospitalization risk

Woman wearing a black blouse and necklace faces the camera green trees behind her.

UMBC’s Lucy Wilson, an infectious disease transmission expert, helps governors and the public respond to COVID-19


Policy & Society, Science & Technology

For more than a decade, Wilson has served as a public health expert on disease response and public health planning at the international, national, and state levels. When the NGA called, she joined an interdisciplinary team of experts in developing “The Roadmap to Recovery: A Public Health Guide for Governors.” Continue reading UMBC’s Lucy Wilson, an infectious disease transmission expert, helps governors and the public respond to COVID-19

Large group of men and women dressed in traditional Polish clothing standing together at an outdoor Polish folk festival in Poland.

Acting locally and globally: Four UMBC students embark on community-engaged careers


Policy & Society, Science & Technology

Community-engaged work has been integral to the UMBC experience for so many Retrievers, including the four featured here. Despite coming from such different academic programs, they have all been able to connect in meaningful ways with local and international communities. And after graduating this week, they’ll each apply their talents, skills, and sense of commitment to community-engaged careers. Continue reading Acting locally and globally: Four UMBC students embark on community-engaged careers

Three UMBC student veterans adapt to a new mission: teaching science and math online


Policy & Society, Science & Technology

As military veterans, these student teachers are used to managing stressful and rapidly changing situations. They have drawn on skills and strategies from their years in the military to support their students and their own families during this time. Continue reading Three UMBC student veterans adapt to a new mission: teaching science and math online

UMBC doctoral student Ciara Christian receives AAC&U 2020 K. Patricia Cross Award for equity and inclusion work


Policy & Society

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has honored UMBC’s Ciara Christian with its 2020 K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award. Christian, M.A. ‘18, sociology, is a doctoral student in the language, literacy, and culture program. Continue reading UMBC doctoral student Ciara Christian receives AAC&U 2020 K. Patricia Cross Award for equity and inclusion work

Three years in, UMBC’s Inclusion Imperative connects humanities scholars focused on diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice


Policy & Society

“The Inclusion Imperative has created real excitement about the benefits of connecting humanities faculty with one another,” shares Jessica Berman, director of the Dresher Center for the Humanities. “Faculty at UMBC have learned a variety of new tools to practice inclusive and engaged teaching.” Continue reading Three years in, UMBC’s Inclusion Imperative connects humanities scholars focused on diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice

UMBC historian Anne Rubin examines food scarcity in the Confederate South through NEH fellowship


Policy & Society

“I research people who don’t always leave letters or diaries, but can be found through a receipt for the food they were given,” says Rubin. “I want students to think of food history as another tool in the historian’s toolbox—that you can look at a recipe and you can piece together a whole social network from it.” Continue reading UMBC historian Anne Rubin examines food scarcity in the Confederate South through NEH fellowship

The Carnegie Foundation honors UMBC as a leading community-engaged university


Community, Policy & Society, Science & Technology

“Carnegie’s definition of community engagement emphasizes the importance of reciprocity and mutual benefits in the partnerships that are created,” explains Michele Wolff, director of the Shriver Center. “Shriver Center programs ask us to think about how we can make our partnerships more authentic, to effectively meet the needs of all involved. In this way, the longstanding approach of the Shriver Center also reflects the Carnegie Foundation’s principles of reciprocity and mutuality.” Continue reading The Carnegie Foundation honors UMBC as a leading community-engaged university

Baltimore Field School: The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports UMBC’s inclusive approach to community-based research


Policy & Society

“We want to think differently about how public humanities work can be done by reflecting on what ethical community-university partnerships look like,” says Nicole King, associate professor of American Studies and director of the Orser Center. “This collaborative process takes a great deal of time, listening, and building trust.” Continue reading Baltimore Field School: The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports UMBC’s inclusive approach to community-based research

A group of seven women and and six men stand together smiling at the camera.

UMBC and UMB partner to become Maryland’s first “age-friendly” universities


Policy & Society

“What I love about the UMB and UMBC connection is that we draw many people together for a greater good. This is an interdisciplinary journey to address aging through policy, business management, life sciences, entrepreneurship, and technology lens,” said UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski Continue reading UMBC and UMB partner to become Maryland’s first “age-friendly” universities

UMBC graduates create their own paths to excellence, focused on succeeding together


Class of 2019, Community

Each graduating student’s path looks different. For many Retrievers, UMBC offers an opportunity to develop not just knowledge and skills, but also self-awareness that enables them to pursue personal passions. That self-awareness often means understanding what kinds of support made an impact on their experiences, and how they can lend support to those coming up behind them. Excellence for these seniors is about more than accolades; it is about succeeding together.  Continue reading UMBC graduates create their own paths to excellence, focused on succeeding together

UMBC’s Jason Schiffman and his YouthFIRST lab advance early identification and treatment of psychosis


Policy & Society

“On average, life expectancy for someone with schizophrenia is twenty years less than someone without schizophrenia,” says Schiffman. “We are changing the paradigm by moving away from institutionalization and incarceration, and towards prevention—enabling people with psychosis a chance to live a life of their choosing in the community and the opportunity to reach towards their highest potential.”  Continue reading UMBC’s Jason Schiffman and his YouthFIRST lab advance early identification and treatment of psychosis

UMBC welcomes European Union ambassadors to the U.S.


Policy & Society

Ambassadors from the European countries of Slovenia, Estonia, and the Czech Republic convened at UMBC this month as part of the first joint European Union State outreach trip outside of Washington, D.C. Delegations from over twenty E.U. member states participated in the day of engagement with Maryland state and local officials, students, educators, and environmental and trade organizations.  Continue reading UMBC welcomes European Union ambassadors to the U.S.

UMBC’s Evan Avila, advocate for equal access to financial services, is a finalist for the Marshall Scholarship


Policy & Society

April Householder, director of undergraduate research and prestigious scholarships, shares that Evan Avila emerged as such a strong candidate for multiple national awards “because of his exemplary commitment to public service, and his ability to work with diverse groups of individuals.” She notes, “We felt that he has great potential as a policymaker and social change agent.” Continue reading UMBC’s Evan Avila, advocate for equal access to financial services, is a finalist for the Marshall Scholarship

UMBC broadens international learning opportunities: Stories from five continents


Arts & Culture, Policy & Society, Science & Technology1 Comment

“It is one thing for international partners to hear how UMBC is diverse and inclusive, it is another to actually see how it works in person,” reflects Rashed. “The success of this program, one we hope to continue, depends on the continued committed of the entire campus to the preparation of teachers from all over the world. This is where the real-life implementation of diversity and inclusion is invaluable.” Continue reading UMBC broadens international learning opportunities: Stories from five continents

UMBC’s newest Postdoctoral Fellows for Faculty Diversity explore who has a voice in literature, policy, and social movements


Policy & Society

“UMBC is giving me the ultimate opportunity of time and support to think, write, and teach about what matters to me the most—conducting research about my community,” says Fernando Tormos-Aponte, political science. He shares the same enthusiasm that Emily Perez, English, and Blake Francis, philosophy, have about their new appointments as 2019-2020 Postdoctoral Fellows for Faculty Diversity. Continue reading UMBC’s newest Postdoctoral Fellows for Faculty Diversity explore who has a voice in literature, policy, and social movements

In Baltimore Revisited, UMBC and community authors reflect on the city’s history of inequality and resistance


Policy & Society3 Comments

King and Drabinski recognized the need for an updated history of Baltimore, written by and for scholars and community members alike, so they took up the task. “We wanted our work to reach beyond the academy because these histories belong to everyone,” shares Drabinski. “We hope readers can find pieces that speak to them.” Continue reading In Baltimore Revisited, UMBC and community authors reflect on the city’s history of inequality and resistance

UMBC’s Erle Ellis crowdsources global archaeological research to trace the history of human impacts on Earth


Policy & Society

“Our hope is that this is only the first achievement of what will become a new, massively collaborative scientific approach to understanding the global environmental changes caused by humans over the long term,” shares Erle Ellis, professor of geography and environmental systems. Continue reading UMBC’s Erle Ellis crowdsources global archaeological research to trace the history of human impacts on Earth

Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities hosts literacy-focused institute for Baltimore teachers


Policy & Society

UMBC’s Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities recently welcomed to campus early childhood educators from four Baltimore City public schools. They gathered for a Summer Teacher Institute designed to enhance their expertise on improving reading and writing instruction and outcomes for young English language learners. “These strategies support and build on the skills students have and open worlds of unexplored possibilities,” says Olivia Grimes ‘19, individualized study, an early childhood teacher at Maree G. Farring Elementary/Middle School and a presenter at the event. Continue reading Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities hosts literacy-focused institute for Baltimore teachers