Dear UMBC Community, 

Due to the expectation of inclement weather on October 7, construction at the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery has been postponed to Saturday, October 21. The library is undergoing construction to fix leaks and install a new roof. On Saturday, October 21, construction will take place inside the library's atrium to work on the ceiling and the roof above the atrium and the Retriever Learning Center (RLC). The building will be closed for use on Saturday, October 21. The card swipe to the atrium and RLC will be deactivated at 5 a.m. on October 21, and will be reactivated at 6:30 p.m. The rest of the library and gallery building will remain closed until regular hours (noon to midnight) resume on Sunday, October 22.

We understand this may cause some inconvenience, but the closure is necessary to ensure everyone's safety and to complete the construction work in a timely manner. Signage on the RLC and library and gallery doors will serve as reminders for the upcoming work. 

UMBC is proud to announce the projects selected to receive grants in the 2022 - 2023 rounds of the Hrabowski Fund for Innovation competition. The Fund supports initiatives to enhance teaching and learning at UMBC, with specific emphasis on innovative approaches to increase student success.

Autism Peer Mentorship Program (AUTISM PEERS): A team led by Michael Canale (Student Disability Services) will create a sustainable peer mentoring program for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by recruiting neurotypical mentors to work with ASD students on social learning. Many ASD students lack the social and interpersonal communication skills to participate in campus events and activities fully. Peer-mediated intervention strategies are most commonly based on social learning theory and focus on the direct experience of observation, modeling, and imitation to foster new learning. Students in the program will be interviewed to establish goals and will meet with their mentors weekly to address the established social learning objective. Upon completion of the semester, participants and peer mentors will evaluate the program.

Boning Up on Forensic Anthropology--Enhancing Student Learning and DEI Competencies in ANTH 322: A team led by Sarah Chard (sociology, anthropology, and public health) will draw on existing scholarship of teaching and learning literature to redesign ANTH 322: Forensic Anthropology as an active learning course involving hands-on exercises with skeleton models to support UMBC's social justice vision. By handling and drawing bones of the human body, and labeling their features, students will gain deeper insights to and greater retention of human osteology, principles of human variation, and pathology--the cornerstones of forensic anthropology. In addition, this redesign will allow students to explore questions of justice and bias that accompany work with human remains. The team will assess the impact of this project by comparing assessment scores to those of prior classes, pre- and post-tests within the course, and obtaining students' qualitative assessment of the learning process.

Assessing Sense of Belonging and Dialogue Skills in a FYS Course: A team now led by Ciara Christian (Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging) will utilize data collected from a first-year seminar course that employs dialogue pedagogy to learn which practices contribute to first-year and transfer students' sense of belonging in the classroom. As a Minority Serving Institution, UMBC's students bring rich experiences from all corners of the globe. While the benefits of diversity are evident, students are not always well-equipped to engage meaningfully across differences. Additionally, stakeholders across campus have anecdotally noted several casualties of COVID in relationships--the ability to practice empathy and the inclination to dialogue across differences of identity, worldview, and lived experience. These casualties contribute to a lack of connection, making it imperative for UMBC to explore the ways in which students find, create, and experience a sense of belonging on campus.

Development of an Inquiry-Based Bonus Module with Short Video to Enhance Conceptual Learning in Undergraduate Heat Transfer Course: A multidisciplinary team led by Liang Zhu (mechanical engineering) will develop and implement bonus modules to approximately 120 students per year in a heat transfer course in hopes of improving students' retention and graduation rates and creating a strategy that can be adopted by other engineering courses. Unfortunately, most students do not spend enough time on course content to master the conceptual information. Based on the team's experience of assigning bonus problems, they hypothesize that integrating a three-minute focused video in an inquiry-based bonus module would effectively engage students in the delivery of these engineering concepts. The team will evaluate effectiveness of the modules based on a survey of conceptual questions of heat transfer given at the beginning and end of the semester.

LOTUS Mentoring Program--Leading Others to Thriving and Universal Success: Angelina Jenkins (Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging) will develop, pilot, and assess an identity-based mentoring program targeted at supporting undergraduate Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) students at UMBC. UMBC's current student population boasts broad diversity, but as a Minority Serving Institution, students of color make up about 52 percent of the student population. More specifically, 19 percent of UMBC's student population is made up of APIDA communities. In 2021, Michelle Obama celebrated UMBC as an Asian Serving Institution, yet UMBC has no initiatives or interventions that center these populations. With a primary goal of building cultural confidence through peer-to-peer connections, APIDA students will increase their sense of belonging, build community connections, and have a deeper understanding of their racial and ethnic identity.

Team-Taught Course Development--Experimental Archaeology of the Global Medieval and Renaissance Eras: A multidisciplinary team led by Molly Jones-Lewis (ancient studies) and Lindsay Johnson (music) will build a materials library to support a new course in experimental archaeology, the study of the past using systematic reproduction and use of objects, activities, and arts to answer questions about the past. The course will focus on basic skills of doing (e.g., fiber craft, foraging, dance, music, farming, cooking, writing) used by pre-modern societies in daily life alongside readings of scholarly works using experimental methodology. Students will learn from invited speakers, develop foundational craft skills learning from the instructors and local artisans, reproduce existing experimental projects, and design an experiment of their own to execute. A successful student will be able to articulate a research question about pre-modern history, locate it in existing scholarly discussions, create a physical project that will produce valid data, and present their results clearly and accessibly to others.

Multidisciplinary Internship Experiences at the Imaging Research Center: A multidisciplinary team led by Anita Komlodi (information systems) will extend the longstanding internship experiences for visual arts students with the UMBC Imaging Research Center (IRC) to students from other departments and programs. Initially, the team will recruit students from computer science and electrical engineering and information systems to contribute to interdisciplinary projects. Interns may receive academic credit for the internship as well as a research practicum course offered by the UMBC Career Center. The team ultimately plans to extend the internship beyond the proposed departments, disseminate findings, and seek sustained funding and external support.

Course Planning with Machine Learning: Ergun Simsek (computer science and electrical engineering) will develop machine learning and statistical models to accurately estimate the number of new students entering in the professional programs, and then determine the demand for the necessary sections of the required classes and electives. Course scheduling with an objective function of high classroom (section) fill rates is a challenging task for large and/or rapidly growing programs. Due to their unique structure, professional programs typically learn of the number of new students only a few days before the semester begins, which makes course planning more challenging. The models will be developed and tested using the MPS data science program data, which grew from seven to 550 students in five years, and validated with the MPS health IT program data, which had a similar growth pattern. The PI will share these models with the local community and provide training on how to use them for any master's program at UMBC.

Full STEAM Ahead--Breaking Down Silos to Prepare Students for a Global Society: A team led by Jonathan Singer (education) will develop a course in the master of arts in education program which incorporates experienced teachers working in primary and secondary schools in Maryland in collaboration with pre-service teachers in a STEM-Hub program at the University of Kassel in Germany to develop integrative projects in STEAM to implement in the K-12 classroom. Today, students must be prepared to enter a global workplace that is increasingly interconnected both internationally and across disciplines. Working with colleagues in another country will help in-service teachers gain valuable skills and knowledge that they can pass on to their students. The project breaks down silos that exist in education today and embraces that learning is interconnected and that students can excel in all disciplines.

Quantum Immersion for Information Systems Undergraduates--An Experiential Learning Approach: A team led by Lei Zhang (information systems) will incorporate introductory quantum computing modules into existing curricula to bring the knowledge of this growing field to a broader audience and prepare students with cutting-edge technologies for the job market. Quantum computing has attracted billions in investments as of 2022, and companies are eager to hire individuals with interdisciplinary expertise. The pilot project will incorporate a one-week quantum module into IS 300 and another one-week quantum module into IS 471, with future extensions to other courses. The team will employ experiential learning best practices, and will assess effectiveness using in-class games, pre- and post-tests, and end-of-class surveys. The team will disseminate their findings and anticipate this project will contribute to the exploration of quantum education across the campus and outside UMBC.

Proposals for the next round of Hrabowski Fund for Innovation grants are due by October 27, 2023. For more information and to apply, visit UMBC's Faculty Development Center website.

The Hrabowski Fund for Innovation exemplifies UMBC's commitment to investing in faculty initiatives that fuel creativity and enterprise and also create opportunities for student engagement.

Dear UMBC Community,

 

Our care and support go out to the Morgan State University community after last night's shooting on campus that left five people injured. Through colleagues, friends, family members, and neighbors, we are closely connected to Morgan State, and I know our colleagues throughout Baltimore and across Maryland are likewise extending their support to Morgan State President David Wilson and everyone in the Morgan State family.

 

For any members of our community who may need support, I encourage you to please find help through the counseling resources and other forms of support available to you, including Retriever Integrated Health's mental health services and resources for helping others. The UMBC Employee Assistance Program provides counseling services to staff and faculty. Please do not hesitate to reach out for help. 

 

This also is a moment to review our information and resources related to emergency management and make sure you are signed up to receive emergency alerts. 

 

Please take care of yourselves and hold the Morgan State community in your hearts today.

 

Sincerely,

 

Dear UMBC Community,

 

As I said at my inauguration in the spring, there is much to celebrate in reflecting on UMBC's journey and the institution it has become since its founding in 1966. Over the decades, UMBC has become a national model for inclusive excellence, a comprehensive Research 1 public university, and a welcoming learning community that engages actively in advancing our surrounding neighborhoods, the state of Maryland, and the wider world. We are inspired and propelled by our shared values and a shared vision for UMBC. 

 

We have the vision. The time is now to take up the challenge of setting a course to realize that vision. Over the coming year, it will be our collective endeavor to articulate a set of strategic aims for the university. We launch that effort officially today, and you will hear more in the coming days and weeks about the process by which we will invite your broad engagement--first in helping to determine how we will go about the work of strategic planning, and then in developing the plan and its aims. I have met this month with shared governance leaders and asked for their partnership in this effort. 

 

Our strategic planning will be informed by the UMBC Bold Campus Conversations we convened last spring--listening sessions facilitated by students, faculty, staff, and alumni and attended by more than 1,000 members of our community. I am pleased to share with you the final report from those listening sessions prepared by our Bold co-chairs, Professors Vandana Janeja and Michelle Scott, and Vice President for Institutional Advancement Greg Simmons. It is a terrific summary of the sessions, which explored our aspirations for the undergraduate and graduate student experience, the research enterprise, economic development, community engagement, and more. I am deeply grateful to our co-chairs and to all who facilitated or participated in those sessions. 

 

If you did not participate, do not worry: You will have many opportunities to engage in strategic planning. The Bold conversations were critical for our collective listening and learning, but they were just a beginning. As we move forward with strategic planning, we will look to continue to engage every part of UMBC and to hear diverse perspectives and voices from throughout our community. 

 

Why bother with strategic planning, you may ask? The process of developing strategic priorities can unite a community, and a strategic plan that is grounded in our specific purpose and values can serve as a consistent reminder of who we are and what truly matters. It can engage all our audiences--our stakeholders, our neighbors, and our prospective students, families, and employees--in understanding and joining us in service of our purpose. 

 

And articulating our purpose is both important and urgent in today's world, when the value of higher education is questioned daily; when the public mission of our institutions can easily be forgotten; when diversity, equity, and inclusion are positioned aggressively as barriers to excellence, rather than integral to it; and when a liberal arts approach to education is essential to solving the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. We have not only the opportunity, but also the responsibility to continue the pursuit of our vision to redefine excellence in higher education, and, as we do so, we will communicate to our community and to the world the extraordinary, distinctive value of our beloved UMBC.

 

Sincerely,

 

Back by popular demand, GRIT-X is once again part of Homecoming weekend! We invite you to join us on Saturday, October 14 from 2 - 4 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall to celebrate the passion and accomplishments of UMBC alumni, faculty, and graduate students in the areas of research, scholarship, and creative achievement. We are incredibly excited for this year's lineup of speakers. A post-event reception will immediately follow the talks.

Melanie Okoro, Ph.D. '11, Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences

Principal, Eco-Alpha Environmental Engineering

Disruptive Thinking -A Bold Business Strategy to Change How We Lead, Innovate, and Transform Companies in the 21st Century 

Associate Professor, Mathematics & Statistics 

The Map is Not the Territory- Tales of Interest in Nonlinear Elasticity 

Cynthia Matuszek 

Associate Professor, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering 

Zhensen Huang, M.S. '00, Ph.D. '04, Information Systems 

Founder & CEO, Precise Software Solutions 

Create Possibility - On Campus and in Business 

Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences 

Loving the Un loveable - Learning to Appreciate Arachnids 

Professor, Geography and Environmental Systems, Director of GESTAR II Center 

Wildfires, Climate, and People - A Triangular Threat to Global Sustainability 

Professor, History 

Jazz Age Resistance - Economic Empowerment and Entertainment in a Divided Nation

Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering 

The Fusion Energy Solution - Why Engineering Simplicity Matters

Irina Golubeva 

Professor, Modern Languages, Linguistics & lntercultural Communication 

The Power of lntercultural learning 

For the full Homecoming event line-up, visit homecoming.umbc.edu

Dear UMBC Community,

Each fall, the UMBC Police Department publishes the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report. I encourage you to take a few moments to review this important material.

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Police and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1998 ("Clery Act"), this message constitutes notification for our campus community of the availability of the 2023 Annual Security & Fire Safety Report.

This report contains crime and fire statistics that were reported to the UMBC Police Department and/or Campus Security Authorities for the most recent three years. Please note that this report tracks incidents based on location--specifically those reported to have occurred on campus, in non-campus university buildings, in property owned or controlled by the university, or on public property immediately adjacent to the campus.

The report also includes information regarding UMBC policies and practices related to campus security and crime reporting. We encourage all members of our community to report security incidents; the report describes how and to whom crimes should be reported.

In addition, the report contains information on campus resources and educational programs, personal safety tips, emergency response and evacuation, and policies regarding student discipline.

The UMBC Police Department appreciates that all members of our community--students, faculty, and staff--are essential partners in making UMBC a safe place to learn, live, and work. The UMBC community's active interest in campus safety is one of our best crime prevention assets.

Copies of the report are also available at the UMBC Police Station, or by emailing police@umbc.edu.

Respectfully,

Dear UMBC Community, 

The Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery is undergoing construction to fix leaks and install a new roof. On Saturday, October 7, 2023, construction will take place inside the library's atrium to work on the ceiling and the roof above the atrium and the Retriever Learning Center (RLC). To ensure everyone's safety and allow for construction, the building will be closed for use on Saturday, October 7. The card swipe to the atrium and RLC will be deactivated at 5 a.m. on October 7, and will be reactivated at 6:30 p.m. The rest of the library and gallery building will remain closed until regular hours (noon to midnight) resume on Sunday, October 8.

We understand this may cause some inconvenience, but the closure is necessary to complete the construction work. Signage on the RLC and library and gallery doors will serve as reminders for the upcoming work.

Dear UMBC Community,

It's that time of year again to protect yourself, your family, and your community from current and upcoming infectious diseases! Sign up now for this season's flu shot and the new COVID-19 vaccine just approved and recommended for everyone aged 6 months and above. In addition, other vaccines against meningitis, RSV, shingles, tetanus, and others will be available. Talk with your personal medical provider to see what they recommend for you. This event is open to students, faculty, staff, and their families.

Remember that a COVID infection and isolation can interrupt your studies, your work, and other important events in your life. Reduce this risk by getting vaccinated.

Use this form to sign up for vaccine(s) and/or to volunteer at the shot clinics.

Retriever Integrated Health is here to answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact us at 410-455-2542 or rih@umbc.edu for more information.

Thank you for helping to keep our community healthy.

Dear UMBC Community,

It is my great privilege to share the news that UMBC has again--for the 14th consecutive year--been recognized in the Great Colleges to Work For program, and that we were among just 11 institutions nationwide (and one of only two universities with the Research 1 Carnegie Classification) to excel in all 10 recognition categories.

Of course, it comes as no surprise to me that UMBC would be recognized nationally time and again for its workplace community and culture. We are fortunate, indeed, to come to work each day propelled by the worthy and noble mission to serve our students, our state, and the wider world through the transformative education we provide and the knowledge we create. I am grateful every single day for this extraordinary community, and I thank all of you who took the time to participate in this year's Great Colleges to Work For survey.

The program, run by ModernThink, recognizes colleges that create great workplaces and is based on employee ratings and participation rates in ModernThink's faculty/staff survey. Nearly 200 institutions participated in this year's program, and UMBC received recognition in all 10 categories, including job satisfaction; professional development; compensation and benefits; well-being; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and more.

You can see all the details about UMBC's recognition on the Great Colleges to Work For website. Thank you for all you do for UMBC, and congratulations on this high honor!

Sincerely,