We hope your classes and semester are off to a great start! Snow is not uncommon here in Maryland in February, but this time last year, the residents of Sapa, Vietnam, enjoyed a rare heavy snowfall just before Tết. If you are hoping for more snow this winter on campus, you can enjoy more photos of this winter wonderland; but if you're ready for spring to arrive, the National Park Service has some good news about Washington, DC's famous springtime pink trees and their slightly earlier late-winter cousins.

Today: Last Day to Apply for Spring 2022 Graduation!

Seniors: are you planning to graduate this semester? Don't forget to apply for graduation! Today is the deadline to submit your application - see the Registrar's website for detailed instructions and additional information.

Asian Studies Faculty Candidate Presentations: "What is Asia?" 

All presentations will take place in Fine Arts 558. Students who attend one or more of these presentations will receive an Asian Studies 10th Anniversary shirt, and a boxed meal (to take away) - one shirt per student, one meal per session. Seating is limited due to Covid-19 policies: please click any of the three dates listed above to RSVP on myUMBC.

Celebrate Lunar New Year with Us!

There is a lot to celebrate in Asian Studies this spring! Stop by this week or next to pick up a Cup Noodles, an orange, and a fortune cookie, so we can celebrate the new year in a Covid-policy-compliant way. 

We are also celebrating our 10th anniversary at UMBC this year! Asian Studies students are also welcome to pick up an Asian Studies t-shirt when they pick up their Lunar New Year lunch items. 

Check out the myUMBC event page for more information about when and where these giveaways are happening! 

Summer Fellowship with the National Bureau of Asian Research

The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) seeks applicants for their four-month Undergraduate Diversity Fellowships. The NBR Undergraduate Diversity Fellowship aims to extend educational, professional, and mentorship opportunities to Black and brown students who are interested in pursuing a career in the field of international affairs or Asia policy. 

Fellows will receive mentorship and professional experience as they work full-time on-site at NBR's offices in Washington, DC, throughout the summer. For detailed information about the fellowship, visit NBR's website.

The deadline to submit your application is March 27, 2022, at 11:59pm EST. 

KAA-Pony Chung Foundation Korea-America Essay Prize Competition - Top Prize $10,000!

Have you written a great essay about Korea-U.S. diplomacy, security, or economic policy? The KAA-Pony Chung Foundation wants you to submit it to their competition. Three winners will receive cash prizes ($10,000, $5,000, $1,000). Any undergraduate student with Korean or American citizenship is eligible to apply. 

The deadline to submit your essay and the other application materials is March 30, 2022, and prize announcements will be made in mid-April. Detailed submission and eligibility information is available on the Korean-American Association's website. 

[thumbnail image description: a photograph of a small red tiger figurine on a flat, weathered wooden surface. The tiger is depicted in a seated posture, with its tail curled around its feet. It has a gold nose. Behind the figurine, a blooming plum tree branch has been laid across the surface as well.]