Paul Raphael ’83, economics, posed this question to a group of students who gathered in the Fireside Lounge to mingle with the executive vice-chairman of the Swiss bank, UBS.

When Paul Raphael arrived at BWI airport in July 1981—a month and a half before his first semester started—he was fleeing the Lebanese civil war. And although he had arranged with UMBC to arrive early to escape the fighting in his country, he didn’t know what his next step was going to be after getting off the plane. He introduced himself to his seatmate to explain his predicament, and she quickly put his fears to rest. She and her husband were professors at UMBC and would deliver him to the campus on their way home. They ended up waiting with him until he was settled into his dorm room.

Although Raphael doesn’t remember their names, to this day he remembers their hospitality. Their kindness, along with the support of longtime international student advocate Bobbie Shahpazian, who retired as the Associate Director of Scholarships in 2012, shaped the way Raphael thought about his education. “I remember knowing that I couldn’t go back to Lebanon because of the war,” says Raphael to the students circled around him. “I had no choice but to be successful here…and you have more chances if you’re really trying.”

Raphael quickly began planning out the rest of his life’s steps that would ultimately lead him to his position as an executive in the financial industry.

“If I really want to stay in this country I would have to do two or three things,” Raphael remembers thinking early on in his studies. “One, distinguish myself in every possible way, including academically. Two, get a master’s degree, so I am are even further distinguished. And three,” Raphael recounts, “get some work experience. So, together that was kind of my plan.”

Speaking to a predominately international group of students, the investment banker recognizes that the American political situation has changed since he was welcomed to campus three decades ago, but encourages the same work ethic he embraced decades ago: hustle. Learn another language (or two) to make yourself more competitive, take an extra class over summer break, write handwritten thank you notes after every internship, keep an on campus job (or two), connect with your professors outside of class.

Raphael’s plan to distinguish himself led him to successfully graduating in two-and-a-half years, accomplishing an MBA at MIT, and then on to a long career in investment banking. But how did he get to where it all started?

In Lebanon as a high school student, Raphael had limited information about colleges in the United States, but he knew he didn’t want to attend a large campus. From the applications available at an educational resource office connected to the American Embassy in Beirut, Raphael heard about a young college outside of Baltimore. “When I arrived I actually liked UMBC. It was, yes, small but new and nurturing… I didn’t find it as I had feared, you know, really difficult. I have to say, it was a very formative time for me.”

In the roundtable discussion with the students gathered, Raphael turns the questions back on them. Was UMBC your first choice? What is the atmosphere like for international students now? The students respond eagerly and tell Raphael about the dozens of student groups that exist to celebrate different cultural heritages on campus, and that there are now over 1,000 international students studying at UMBC from over 100 counties.

“What I am hearing,” sums up Raphael, “is that once you are here you feel—and it certainly was the case with me—the possibilities are all there to do what you want and to go where you want and to, and that’s not a given elsewhere.”

“I arrived here in 1981, and I feel like I’m a different person now,” Raphael concludes. “So coming back here almost puts me in touch with someone else, someone that’s … buried somewhere inside me. But these are layers, you know, so unless I had the UMBC layer I wouldn’t have the next layer. So this is still very important to me.”

****

Header image courtesy of Raquel Hamner ’20.

Computing and coding skills are becoming integral to many jobs and industries, but students outside of computing disciplines are not always exposed to these fundamentals. UMBC is working to change that with new learning pathways for non-computer science majors.

The pilot “X + Computing” program — named for the way it combines computer science with other fields — is funded by a nearly $300,000 award from the National Science Foundation. Leading the initiative are UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski; Katharine Cole, vice provost and dean of undergraduate academic affairs; and Anupam Joshi, professor and chair of computer science and electrical engineering. Susan Mitchell, lecturer of computer science and electrical engineering, and David Chapman, assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering, are also part of the grant.

Demystifying computer science

The first course in the series was piloted in spring 2018, teaching computer science fundamentals through projects on real-world topics of interest to students from a broad range of majors. The second course (launching in fall 2019) will enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the Python programming language through examples that are relevant for non-majors.

Mitchell is the instructor of the first course, which is now in its third semester. She shares that the course has gained traction, with 18-22 students enrolling each semester, half of whom identify as women. Mitchell notes that students in the computer science for non-majors course have also demonstrated the same mastery of the material as those in the traditional introductory computer science course.

“I love to see when I have demystified computer programming for non-majors,” says Mitchell. “We assume that all students somehow know what programming is, but that’s certainly not true. What I have seen is that non-majors are just as motivated and succeed at the same rate as majors.”

Gaining traction

Jeremy Keaton ‘19, music, was curious about the computer science for non-majors course because he had an interest in computing but had not explored the topic. “I enjoyed the amount of hands-on programming the course had, and the large projects gave us valuable experience designing functional programs,” he says. “I found it interesting and useful, so I am continuing to take computer science courses and I added a minor in computer science.”

Keaton shares, “I find that what I’ve learned in computer science classes often relates to things in everyday life, from big ideas like logic to specifics like noticing structures and data types while using programs like Excel or browsing the internet.”

Expand computing education at UMBC

Joshi is excited about the opportunity reach a broader set of students through the X + Computing program. He notes that some students in other majors can feel deterred by the math and science prerequisites for traditional computer science courses. “The current design of most computer science classes thus misses out on this more diverse set of students interested in computing,” Joshi explains.

Increasing access to computing skills is an important priority for Joshi and for his department. He hopes X + Computing will appeal to both students who want to add a computer science or computing minor to their non-computing major, and students who want to shape a major around interests rooted in computing. In the future, it’s possible that existing courses will be combined to create a minor in computing that would be open to students in majors across campus.

This program is one of several initiatives the College of Engineering and Information Technology and UMBC more broadly are exploring to expand opportunities for students from all backgrounds to grow their technical knowledge and experience.

“Finding ways to enable expertise in digital proficiency and experience in engineering design for all students, including students in any UMBC major, is essential for our college to help fulfill Maryland’s goals for its future workforce,” explains Keith J Bowman, dean of UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology.

Banner image: UMBC’s Information Technology and Engineering building. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

At UMBC’s upcoming commencement ceremonies, students and their families and supporters will hear from three distinguished speakers, each honored as a leader in their field. They include a UMBC alumnus recently elected county executive, the first woman conductor of a major American orchestra, and one of the world’s top addiction researchers.

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski

On Wednesday, May 22, new Baltimore County Executive John “Johnny O” Olszewski, Jr. will speak at UMBC’s graduate commencement ceremony. Olszewski is a lifelong Baltimore County resident who frequently speaks of his strong belief in the power of public service. He earned his Ph.D. from UMBC in public policy in 2017. He also holds an undergraduate degree from Goucher College and master’s degree from George Washington University.

After college, Olszewski returned to his community to teach social studies and special education at Patapsco High School. The experience affected him in a profound way. As he recently wrote in the Baltimore Sun, “I am a teacher. I don’t work in a classroom anymore, but my days teaching at Patapsco High School have shaped me into the person I am today. They shape the kind of county executive I want to be.”

In 2006, Olszewski was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates at age 23. He served for nine years and was the youngest person ever elected as chair of the Baltimore County Delegation. During his time in the General Assembly, he championed numerous bills, including paid sick leave for all Maryland workers. His advocacy for Baltimore County focused on economic development and education reform, two issues he has continued to focus on as county executive.

Olszewski lives in Dundalk with his wife, Marisa, and their daughter, Daria.

BSO Music Director Marin Alsop

UMBC will host two undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Thursday, May 23. Maestra Marin Alsop, music director for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO), will speak in the first ceremony to graduates in UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; the School of Social Work; and the Erickson School. She will also receive an honorary doctor of fine arts degree.

Alsop has spent her career dedicated to showing how music really does have the power to change lives. As a conductor, educator, and leading advocate for the arts, she inspires musicians to give of their best in performing for all audiences. As a pioneer in a traditionally male-dominated field, she created a fellowship for women conductors in 2002. All 17 of the fellowship’s recipients remain involved in the field and five are now American music directors.

When she was named BSO music director in 2007, Alsop became the first woman conductor of a major American orchestra. She also holds roles as the principal conductor and music director of São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. In September 2013, Alsop made history as the first female conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms in London and was immediately invited again for 2015.

As a student of the Leonard Bernstein’s, she was awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize and is the only conductor to receive the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. In 2008 she founded OrchKids, which brings together musicians and youth from some of Baltimore’s most challenged neighborhoods. The program works in partnership with six public schools and has served over 1,000 children.

“I believe the arts are an incredible opportunity, especially for young people, to gain self-esteem,” Alsop has said previously, in The Baltimore Sun. “When you start to see yourself mastering something so complicated [as a musical instrument], then you can see yourself mastering something else.”

“I wish we could reach thousands of kids,” she shared. “There are so many kids who deserve this.”

NIDA Director Nora Volkow, a leading addiction researcher

Physician Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), will address undergraduates from the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, College of Engineering and Information Technology, and interdisciplinary studies during UMBC’s second undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 23.

Volkow became director of NIDA, part of the National Institutes of Health, in May 2003. As the lead funder of world-wide research on the connections between health and drug abuse and addiction, NIDA brings together a wide diversity of scientists who develop and implement solutions for one of the world’s most pressing and urgent public health issues.

Volkow’s own research has been instrumental in demonstrating that drug addiction is a disease of the human brain. Her focus on neurobiology has helped make breakthroughs in other public health issues such as obesity, ADHD, and aging.

Volkow was born in Mexico, earned her medical degree from the National University of Mexico, and carried out her psychiatric residency at New York University. She has taught in the department of psychiatry and was associate dean of the Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine. Prior to her tenure at NIDA she held leadership positions at the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, including director of nuclear medicine, chairman of the medical department, and associate director for life sciences.

To date, Volkow has published more than 600 scientific articles and edited three books on neuroimaging for mental and addictive disorders. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2000 and twice has been named one of Time Magazine’s “Top 100 People Who Shape our World.” She will receive an honorary doctor of science degree at the ceremony.

Community members who are not able to attend the ceremonies in person can view them live through the commencement webcast or follow them on Twitter @UMBC and through #UMBCgrad. Videos of the remarks will also be available online after the ceremonies.

This story was written by Marie Lilly, director of community engagement.

Featured image: BSO Music Director Marin Alsop. Photo by Margot Shulman.

Earning a degree isn’t just a milestone, it’s a special kind of growth experience full of challenges and doubts, inspiration and opportunity. Depending on their path, some students face particular challenges. They may be the first in their family to attend college, or need to work full-time or more to make ends meet while pursuing their degree. Some students are raising a family while working and taking classes.

At UMBC, students from all backgrounds are finding strength in community. They are building networks of support with peers and mentors to reach toward goals together, whether that goal is making a difference in Baltimore City, pursuing graduate school, or setting a powerful example for younger generations.

“You really have no idea what you’re capable of, until you do it.”

Vanessa Gonzalez ’19, American studies, has been completely independent since age 17 and is the first member of her family to graduate from college.

Gonzalez has worked several jobs at once since she left home, and has struggled with health challenges. And still, she’s earned an associate’s degree from Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and is now poised to graduate from UMBC as a Sherman STEM Teacher Scholar with a 4.0 GPA. She has big dreams that she’s on the path to achieving: to teach math in Baltimore City and one day travel with the Peace Corps. And she’s happy.

Gonzalez worked at the YMCA of Central Maryland while she was at AACC. That experience “helped me find my passion for child care and educating children,” Gonzalez says. Since then, she’s continued to grow in confidence and in her commitment to her work.

“Every now and then there are hiccups, but I went from never believing that I would make it past 18 years old to being 24 and accomplishing so much…And I’m pursuing exactly what I love,” she says. “I’m excited every day. It’s just nice having happiness.”

How did Gonzalez accomplish this? “Embrace the hard times,” she says. “Accept the tears. Because you’re going to think: I’m dropping out. I give up. I quit. But the important thing is to not get to that point.”

She tells other students facing challenges: “You’ve gotta push through when you really don’t want to, so you can be where you want to be in the future. You really have no idea what you’re capable of, until you do it, and then you have this overwhelming sense of accomplishment.”

In addition to focusing on a powerful inner drive, Gonzalez notes the importance of being able to access support. Josh Michael, assistant director of the Sherman Scholars, has been one of her greatest champions. Michael juggles a busy schedule, including working one-on-one with several students in the scholars program, “but then he’s still coming in to observe me teach, and giving me feedback, and working with me through my struggles,” Gonzalez shares.

When she suffered a concussion and couldn’t use a computer for weeks, faculty members printed class materials for her and worked with her to create a long-term make-up schedule.

Another faculty member “has been exactly where I am,” shares Gonzalez. “Everything she says and she’s done for me is just to make me better and help me achieve my goals.” Seeing her mentor’s success has been encouraging for Gonzalez, especially in the most challenging moments.

Now that she’s made it this far, with the support of the Sherman Scholars staff and her American studies mentors, Gonzalez wants to give back to the community. In Baltimore, she says, “I see homelessness. I see hungry people. I see a lot of struggle. And it hurts.”

“My goal is to be a part of the change that I’d like to see,” says Gonzalez, voicing the goal of so many UMBC students graduating alongside her. “I want to be part of helping lift up a community that deserves more.”

“[My] parents came here to give me a better life, and I’m living it.”

Ashley Batista ’19, biological sciences, is the first member of her family to graduate from college. Her parents emigrated from the Dominican Republic in search of new opportunities, and Batista was determined to make the most of her college experience. She chose to attend UMBC after hearing a woman of color speak at a UMBC event about the opportunities she was able to access as a UMBC alumna.

“I felt like she represented me,” Batista says. “I just felt really empowered, and I enjoyed how rigorous the coursework would be here. I thought it would challenge me but also prepare me well for whatever I choose to do after.”

Once on campus, Batista was particularly excited to hear about the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation summer research fellowship—a program that supports students in historically underrepresented groups in STEM. But because she didn’t have a faculty mentor or research project lined up, she put the application aside. That was until Peter DeCrescenzo, project coordinator in the Office of Academic Opportunity Programs, reached out to encourage her to apply, offering to help connect her with a mentor.

That summer, Batista started working on Alzheimer’s research with biology professor Fernando Vonhoff, and it’s changed her life.

Being in the lab “opened a lot of doors for me to network and to figure out opportunities and programs I could be involved in after graduation,” she shares. She notes that the research itself “was really gratifying. It changed my whole perspective and my goals.” A reproductive health-focused Alternative Spring Break also helped Batista identify her path forward toward an obstetrics or pediatrics career.

On top of her research experience, Batista began organizing multicultural learning events for the UMBC community as a sister in the Zeta Sigma Chi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. That work “helped me understand and teach others about different perspectives, and create an environment where people can be open to discussion, respectful, and nonjudgmental,” she shares. “ I think that’s something that I can transfer wherever I go.”

She adds that her sorority sisters have been a huge source of support during her time at UMBC.

Batista says that while it adds challenges, being a first-generation college student has been motivating. “Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, I remember that my parents came here to give me a better life, and I’m living it,” she says. “It motivates me to keep going and make them proud—and to make myself proud, because I know it will be rewarding in the end.”

“I’m not alone in the struggles…or alone in my successes.”

Damarius Johnson ’19, Africana studies, is also a first-generation college student as well as a transfer student from the Community College of Baltimore County. Like Batista and her sorority, for Johnson, finding close-knit communities within UMBC has been the key to success. “UMBC has supportive communities that have helped me see college graduation as feasible,” he shares, “and then allowed me to go through the ups and downs that happen as a college student.”

“The McNair Scholars Program has been instrumental as far as focusing my attention on what I’d be pursuing after graduation,” says Johnson. That attention has paid off—he’ll begin a Ph.D. in history at the Ohio State University this fall.

The Transfer Engagement and Achievement Mentoring (TEAM) Program has connected Johnson with mentors and peers who have had experiences he can relate to, such as being the first in their family to attend college, transitioning from community college to a four-year school like UMBC, or experiencing college as a young black man, he says.

Johnson shares, “Having that support has been really helpful in knowing that I’m not alone in the struggles that I have, or alone in my successes. These are people I celebrate with, too.”

Several mentors have helped Johnson through his UMBC journey, and determining his next steps, including Michael Hunt, assistant director of the McNair Scholars Program; Gloria Chuku, professor and chair of the Africana studies department; and James Hamilton, an academic advisor in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. He started at UMBC not knowing what he might do afterward. But now, Johnson says, “I’m most excited about my transition from being an undergraduate to being a scholar in history. I’m excited for what that journey will be like, and to be learning in a new environment.”

“Hopefully it’s the beginning of something good for my family,” says Johnson, who has younger siblings. “I’m really happy to be able to honor them by getting to this point, because they’ve done a lot to support me.”

At UMBC “you can get to where you want to go.”

Like Johnson, Blake Hipsley ‘19, a dual degree recipient in physics and mathematics, was a McNair Scholar. Since his sophomore year, Hipsley has pursued research through the program with Michael Hayden, professor of physics. “Research helped me open up to what I want to do in the future,” Hipsley says. “I had the chance to see if it was something I wanted to do, and I decided it is.” This fall, he’ll begin a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Michigan.

Hipsley’s parents didn’t graduate from college, but always encouraged him to pursue higher education. “My mom always encouraged us to do our best and work hard,” he shares. “I think that’s why I have this drive to always be doing so much, and I put it on myself to pay for my own school.” By applying for a multitude of scholarships and working as a tutor, Hipsley was able fund his UMBC education on his own.

Without family members who had attended college, “The only people I really could talk to about graduate school were my professors,” he says. “They really helped me a lot with getting funding, writing a personal statement, and preparing for the GRE.”

Hipsley also served as the McNair Scholars Program’s inaugural teaching fellow, a role where he advises other McNair students and provides feedback to program leadership. “McNair has helped me not only get into graduate school,” he says, “but also help others who may be struggling.”

The McNair Scholars also supported Hipsley’s personal growth. “One of the benefits of the program is that you get to meet people from all different backgrounds,” he says. As a result, he tried his first sushi and watched his first Bollywood film.

With such a caring community of support, Hipsley says, at UMBC, “If you work hard and keep at it, no matter where you’re from you can get to where you want to go.”

“They’re going to see you finish what you started.”

Nicole Katsikides, Ph.D. ’19, public policy, began her doctoral journey 12 years ago while working full-time for the Maryland Department of Transportation on highway freight transport efficiency. During her Ph.D. studies, she’s had two children, now 6 and 8, and her husband was deployed with the Air Force to the Middle East several times. Two years ago, based on the skills she’s gained through her graduate studies, she was also recruited for a demanding new job with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), which she’ll continue after officially earning her doctorate this month.

“There were many times along the journey that I truly didn’t think it would happen,” Katsikides reflects. “I think the way I got through was with very gracious support from my advisor and my committee.” John Rennie Short, public policy; Tim Brennan, public policy; and Scott Farrow, economics, “wanted to see me succeed,” she shares, “and that really helped.”

For Katsikides, the public policy program’s active effort to be accessible to working professionals made all the difference. “Under Dr. [Susan] Sterrett’s leadership, the program has evolved to be something that’s really helpful for people in public positions like I had to succeed,” she says, “and to bring Ph.D. level knowledge into the public sector working environment.” Katsikides also notes that her TTI supervisor, Bill Eisele, was very supportive, especially as she approached the finish line.

Still, Katsikides struggled to balance motherhood with pursuing her career and her education. “It’s very easy for people to say, ‘Why are you doing that?’ or ‘You should be spending more time with your kids.’ There’s still a lot of cultural norms,” she says. She stayed motivated by remembering how her own parents pursued advanced degrees when she was a child.

“I hope that when my kids think about this as they grow up, that they saw what it takes to achieve something. That it’s an example for them,” she shares. “So block out the noise, and keep going—the kids are gonna be alright. They’re going to see you finish what you started.”

Banner image: Vanessa Gonzalez ’19 works with a student at Lakeland Elementary School. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

If there’s one thing UMBC knows, it’s that odds aren’t everything. Months ago, UMBC softball was predicted to finish last in the America East preseason poll. Apparently nobody told them that.

For the first time ever, UMBC softball has been crowned the America East champions after sweeping the tournament. While others spent Saturday sleeping in and running errands, the Retrievers were cementing their place in the record books, cruising past Stony Brook with a 4-0 victory.

It's time to celebrate @UMBCsoftball!#AESB | #AEChamps pic.twitter.com/eyfpuJqWru

— America East Game Day (@AEGameDay) May 11, 2019

This historic title win guaranteed UMBC an automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA softball tournament, the team’s first since 2002. Last night’s Selection Sunday announcement revealed that the Retrievers will be taking on No. 1 overall seed Oklahoma in the Norman Regional of the NCAA Tournament.

Freshman Courtney Coppersmith, chemistry, has been knocking it out of the park since she got to campus. She’s the first player in America East history to be named Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year in the same season.

Saturday marked Coppersmith’s third shutout of the championship and earned her Most Outstanding Player honors. She is joined on the All-Championship team by teammates Julia Keffler ‘21, biology; Sierra Pierce ‘21, visual arts; and Kaly Winslow ‘21, sociology.

As evidenced by her remarkable work both in the classroom and on the field, Kennedy Lamb ‘20, English, was awarded the America East’s Elite 18 award. This award is recognizes the student-athlete with the highest GPA in each America East championship game.

It’s been a tremendous year for UMBC athletics, clinching four America East titles overall— men’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s swimming/diving, and softball. The 2018-2019 season ties for the most number of championships in UMBC’s 16-year America East history.

Looking at what they’ve accomplished this season, Coppersmith says, “It is definitely an indescribable feeling with so many different emotions, but the success we have had has all been together. As long as we stay together, no matter what happens, whether we win or lose in the NCAA tournament, we will always have each other and can be beyond proud of everything that we have done for the program in just one season.”

The Retrievers take on Oklahoma on Friday, May 17 at 9:30 p.m. EST on ESPN 2. UMBC will play again on Saturday, May 18, facing either Notre Dame or Wisconsin, depending on the outcome of Friday’s games.

Banner image: UMBC softball celebrates following the team’s America East victory. All photos courtesy of UMBC athletics marketing unless otherwise noted.

Kelly Wan ’18, global studies and financial economics, and Humanities Scholar is one of fourteen UMBC students and recent alumni to receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards — a new university record.

During her junior year, the Ellicott City local, who is Chinese-American, studied abroad in Shanghai to learn more about Chinese language and culture. There, she became acutely aware of the challenges of managing different identities. “As a Chinese American I encountered misconceptions that Chinese citizens and foreigners alike had about who could be considered an American based on an individual’s physical features,” explains Wan. Through her Fulbright experience in South Korea, she’ll further explore Asian and Asian-American identities.

Wan is currently a graduate student of American studies at Columbia University. Through her Fulbright teaching assistantship, she will gain more insight about South Korea’s political, social, and cultural history. She’ll also seek to understand how Asian Americans construct their identities while reconciling both their Asian and American heritage.

As she connects with students in South Korea, Wan shares, “My hope is to dispel the stereotypes that people often associate with the United States and demonstrate that anyone, regardless of physical appearance, can be American.”

Wan’s story resonates with UMBC’s other Fulbright recipients, the university’s largest group to date. As students prepare to leave over the coming months to connect with people around the world, they share how they hope to challenge stereotypes and encourage peace-building through a shared humanity.

A history of international excellence

UMBC began participating in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program in 1970. Since then, Fulbright has chosen more than 70 UMBC students and recent alumni to represent the United States through conducting research, teaching English, or pursuing graduate studies internationally. UMBC has been particularly successful in the past five to ten years. In the last decade, UMBC has had 65 recipients.

The United States government established the Fulbright Program in 1946 to increase mutual understanding between people of the U.S. and other nations around the world. Today, this “flagship international educational exchange program” is active in over 160 countries. It is highly competitive, receiving over 11,000 applications each year. Recipients are chosen based on academic or professional achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.

Brian Souders Ph.D. ’09, language, literacy, and culture, has been a key leader in collaborating with faculty across campus to identify qualified students in all majors. He then provides one-on-one support for students beginning the summer before the Fulbright announcement and continues providing placement, academic, and social support while students are abroad. As the Fulbright program coordinator, Souders’s attention to detail and passion for connecting Retrievers with this prestigious experience has resulted in a steady increase of recipients over the last ten years.

Embracing different languages and identities

As a linguistics major, Bryce Moore ’19, modern language, linguistics, and intercultural communications (MLLI), is most at home surrounded by people who speak a variety of languages and traveling to countries unfamiliar to him. While studying abroad in Portugal he learned Portuguese and traveled to the U.K., Spain, and Germany. “I have not been anywhere east of Germany,” explains Moore. “Teaching in Kazakhstan is an opportunity to learn Russian and understand more about surrounding countries, each with their own unique identities.”

Dymond Elliott, ’19, psychology and MLLI, also accepted a Fulbright placement in a country unfamiliar to her: Malaysia. Elliott has studied Japanese culture and language extensively through her minor and her study abroad experience. Malaysia presents an opportunity to expand her knowledge of Asian cultures.

“I don’t speak Malay but I am excited to learn and deeply interested in immersing myself in a culture that doesn’t expect assimilation but embraces immigrant identities,” says Elliott.

Deepening cultural ties

After teaching English for two years in Costa Rica, Michael Schapiro, M.A. ’19, TESOL, is ready to apply those skills in Colombia. He is particularly excited about the opportunity for cultural exchange.

“The Latin American people I have met in the U.S and abroad have been very friendly, welcoming, and hospitable,” says Schapiro. “I enjoy that type of rapport and want to continue to build more relationships throughout the continent as I become more fluent.”

Similarly, Corey Simon’s prior experiences in Barcelona and Uruguay, supporting community education organizations, inspired her to explore teaching English further. “I chose Uruguay because I was already familiar with the language, culture, and country so I could jump right in and be most effective with the time I have,” shares Simon ‘18, MLLI, and M.A. ‘19, intercultural communication. “But more than anything I want to give back to the country that has given me such a great experience.”

An experienced world traveler, Rebekah Kempske sees the exchange of ideas as the most pivotal takeaway of her upcoming Fulbright adventure. Kempske ’19, mechanical engineering, joined her family during breaks and holidays to travel the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Latin America. Through her travels, she saw different applications of engineering concepts, which sparked an interest in global engineering.

Kempske chose to learn more about global engineering through a master’s in industrial design at Delft University of Technology, in the Netherlands. She believes engineering is successful when technical skills and people skills are combined maximizing different working styles and ideas. “International collaboration based on respect takes engineering from a concept to an applicable change agent,” says Kempske, “improving the quality of life for the people who need it the most all over the world.”

A full list of UMBC’s 2019 Fulbright U.S. Student Program awardees for graduate study, English teaching assistantships, and research is below. UMBC’s Fulbright semifinalist story from earlier this spring includes additional student features.

Research Assistant Awards

• Jessica Linus ’19, health administration and policy, Rwanda

English Teaching Assistant Awards

• Jennifer Bohlman ’19, M.A., ESOL, Germany
  
• Liam Connor ’19, information systems, Vietnam
• Dymond Elliot ’19, psychology and MLLI, Malaysia
• Chanler Harris ’19, ancient studies, Taiwan
  
• Leah Ginty ‘14, modern languages, linguistics and intercultural communication, and M.A. ‘19, TESOL
• Bryce Moore ’19, MLLI, Kazakhstan
  
• Manneha Qazi ’18, biological sciences, Uzbekistan
• Michael Schapiro ’19, M.A., TESOL, Colombia
  
• Corey Simon, ’18, MLLI, and M.A. ’19, intercultural communication, Uruguay
• Kelly Wan ’18, global studies and financial economics, South Korea

M.A./M.S. Study Awards

• Rebekah Kempske ’19, mechanical engineering, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
• Jacob Schubbe ‘18, mechanical engineering, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland
• Julian Tash ’19, Asian studies and history, Taiwan

Banner image: UMBC Fulbright recipients hold flags of countries from their respective placements. Images by Marlayna Demond for UMBC unless otherwise noted.

When students come to UMBC, they bring with them life experiences that shape the program they choose, the mentors they find, the research questions they ask, and the communities they build on campus. Here, five UMBC students earning their degrees this month share stories of those connections in their own lives, and how chance encounters and deep moments of inspiration alike opened exciting new paths.

Student-athlete researches Alzheimer’s disease treatment

When Laura Simpson arrived at UMBC as an undergraduate, she knew that she was interested in a broad range of scientific topics, but she didn’t yet have a clear picture of what her career path might look like. An internship at NASA and her own experiences as a student-athlete changed that.

At NASA Simpson became intrigued with how the human body is affected by space. As a record-setting varsity pole vaulter, she experienced joint and ligament injuries that resulted in surgeries with challenging recoveries. Together, these experiences sparked her interest in biomedical engineering, combining her curiosity about how the human body works with, as she describes, “the applicability of the engineering knowledge.”

Simpson earned her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences in 2013. Encouraged by her mentor, Jennie Leach, associate professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering, she applied to UMBC’s chemical engineering Ph.D. program. Now, nearly a decade after stepping onto UMBC’s campus for the first time, Simpson will soon officially earn that Ph.D.

As a graduate student in Leach’s lab, Simpson has researched treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease. “There’s no cure and no preventive treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, and the drugs that are out are just to try to help symptoms, but it doesn’t slow…the progression of the disease,” Simpson explains.

Simpson notes that the most recent unique drug for treating people with Alzheimer’s disease was approved in 2003. The gap in new drugs being released is not due to a lack of drug development, but issues with drug performance and approval by the Food and Drug Administration. She explains that Alzheimer’s drugs are typically studied using mice or cells on a plate, which have limitations.

When her research mentors, Leach and Theresa Good (who is now at NSF), suggested that perhaps the 3D environment was affecting how the beta amyloid protein, which is thought to cause Alzheimer’s disease, was acting, Simpsons dissertation topic was born. She has studied how 3D environments impact the beta amyloid protein associated with neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s patients, and her work has been groundbreaking. “The 3D has a major affect not only on the protein but on the structure of the cells,” Simpson says.

To describe her findings, Simpsons compares the movement of cells and proteins to how people are able to move in space. In wide open spaces, movement is unrestricted, but in a small space, like a closet, people lose their range of motion. Similarly, cells and proteins function differently when they occupy different kinds of 3D spaces.

Simpson’s work has the potential to significantly impact the treatment options available for people with Alzheimer’s. After graduating, she will begin a career in Maryland’s biotech industry.

Returning Women Scholar explores paths, builds confidence

Life as a student who is also a parent can be complicated, and also tremendously rewarding, says Alexis Ashcroft ‘19, psychology. Inspired to finish her degree after her daughter was born, Ashcroft earned her associate’s at Anne Arundel Community College before transferring to UMBC.

Ashcroft has successfully juggled many responsibilities while pursuing her degree, from her class and work schedules, to involvement with student orgs and research opportunities, to her commitments as a parent. Ashcroft found mentorship and a community at UMBC as a Returning Women Scholar and a Newcombe Scholar, through the UMBC Women’s Center.

Returning Women Scholars have the opportunity to attend workshops and programs that focus on academic, personal, and professional aspects of life, in addition to having the support of peers, faculty, and staff. “Being a Returning Women Scholar has been such a great experience for me,” says Ashcroft. “The program and the people in it have helped me so much. From the teaching events they hold, to the one-on-one meetings, and of course the scholarships, the program has taken a lot of burden and stress off of my shoulders.”

When she first arrived at UMBC, Ashcroft was considering a career in law. Her time on campus broadened her sense of the kinds of careers that could fit her interests in the law, health, and social issues. “After taking a psychology of law class, I found myself intrigued by the mental and emotional components of health and wellness,” she recalls. “I realized I could combine my love for the law and social sciences into a career.”

Ashcroft explored the possibilities through every avenue she could find. She served as a student justice on UMBC’s Hearing Board as well as the nontraditional students project manager on UMBC’s Student Government Association executive board, and in roles with other groups. “My involvement with UMBC clubs and organizations forced me to get outside of my comfort zone and open up,” she says. “I became more confident in speaking up, debating, and learned how to communicate better.”

Ashcroft also conducted research with Jasmine Abrams, assistant professor of psychology, focused on health disparities impacting black women. This year, she has worked on a qualitative study examining the sexual attitudes, practices, and beliefs of young black women. She has also supported Abrams’s highly collaborative research aiming to reduce the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in Haiti.

Artist examines the history of a community and herself

Aimi Chinen Bouillon M.F.A.‘19, intermedia and digital arts, spent two months in her hometown of Okinawa, Japan to explore the history and long-standing relationships between Americans and people from Okinawa. That deep study results in her thesis: “The Colonized and the Colonizer Within Me: Finding Ryukyu Language of My Matrilineal Ancestors on a Militarized Island.”

During World War II, nearly 30 percent of Okinawa’s population was killed in a devastating battle. Today, a large U.S. military base is located on Okinawa. Bouillon’s mother is from Okinawa and her father is a retired U.S. Marine. Bouillon grew up in Okinawa and lived there until she was 16, when she moved with her family to Ohio.

Bouillon was interested in developing a better understanding of Okinawa’s history, and also in examining how that history lives on and is reinterpreted in the present. She aimed to create a visual and textual dialogue around the often polarizing topic of the colonization of Okinawa through her work.

“As I get older, I’m confirmed that I was a born artist. I am interested in many materials and need to make and make and make,” she explains. She reflects that while she’s always had the drive to be an artist, the resources she’s been able to access as an MFA student at UMBC have helped her accomplish so much more.

Bouillon was drawn to pursue her M.F.A. at UMBC after her partner joined the program and she had a chance to meet the faculty a get a sense of the department’s “family feel.” Once enrolled, she quickly connected with mentors Lynn Cazabon, Kathy O’Dell and Chris Peregoy, all of visual arts. She’s enjoyed how they have learned about Okinawa alongside her and have encouraged her to balance learning experiences inside and outside the classroom and studio.

“The classroom is amazing in that it can be a place to share opinions and studies,” Bouillon says. “The outside experiences are where everyday people as a whole live and navigate daily and that is a very important space for inspiration.”

After graduation, Bouillon plans to create an artist residency in Okinawa to “act as a bridge for deeper dialogue and exchange for the Ryukyu culture, language, and history.”

From an Iraqi Internet cafe to Baltimore waterways

Trevor Needham, Ph.D. ‘19, environmental engineering, learned about UMBC at an internet cafe in Iraq during a 15-month deployment. Needham had planned to pursue a Ph.D. for years, but those plans were temporarily put on hold as he fulfilled his ROTC scholarship commitment with the Army.

Needham recalls sitting in front of that computer in Iraq and searching for environmental engineering Ph.D. programs. One of the search results was the lab of UMBC’s Upal Ghosh, professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering. He reached out to Ghosh to find out more about his work.

When Needham returned to the U.S. from Iraq, he earned his master’s in environmental engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. He was then accepted into UMBC’s environmental engineering Ph.D. program and began working with Ghosh in 2014 to study polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), a legacy environmental contaminant.

Needham explains that PCBs were engineered to never break down, and today they are found in fish and in people. The problem of PCB contamination is compounded by the fact that the cost of removing PCBs is very high.

Listening to women’s powerful stories

The underrepresentation of women in research on health outcomes after strokes inspired Iona Johnson to pursue her Ph.D. in gerontology. Johnson is a medical speech-language pathologist who currently is a clinical faculty member at Towson University. She finds inspiration for her work in both her personal and professional experiences.

“I have worked with stroke survivors throughout my career as a clinician, and have been running a stroke support group for survivors and caregivers for many years,” says Johnson. She also served as a caretaker for a close family member who experienced a stroke while she was pursuing her Ph.D.

Johnson often finds herself dispelling misconceptions about gerontology. “It is about the aging process, and we are all aging every day,” she says. “People are living longer lives, and the more we know about aging, the more we can help society and help ourselves across the lifespan.”

At UMBC, Johnson has worked with Leslie Morgan, professor of sociology and anthropology. “Her guidance, expertise, and patience have been invaluable,” Johnson says.

In addition to valuing the mentorship she’s received, Johnson has been honored for her commitment to mentoring students as a faculty member at Towson. In 2017, she received the University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Mentoring. She describes, “Mentoring is my superpower. I believe that I am a role model for letting students see that they can reach for and accomplish big goals throughout life.”

Looking back on the path to her Ph.D., Johnson says that it was one of the most challenging things she has done, but one of the best decisions she’s ever made. “Doing my research for my dissertation changed me,” she explains. “Listening to the stories of women who were bold and gracious enough to share with me made me reflect on where I am in my life.”

Banner image: Laura Simpson, right, working in the lab. Photo courtesy of Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Just four days after winning the America East men’s lacrosse championship, UMBC defeated Marist to head to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament. They’ll face No. 1 seed Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania, at noon on Sunday, May 12.

The Retrievers toppled the Red Foxes, 14-8, to win their first NCAA tournament game in 12 years. In 2007, UMBC bested the University of Maryland, College Park, in a 13-9 victory.

Steven Zichelli ‘21, media and communication studies, and Trevor Patschorke ’21 led with three goals and one assist each. Patschorke’s goals pushed him passed the 30-goal mark for the season. Ryan Frawley ‘20, biological sciences, became the tenth Retriever in UMBC men’s lacrosse history to score 40 goals in a season.

Looking forward to the game ahead, today’s Baltimore Sun asks, “Can UMBC pull off another upset of No. 1 seed?”

The paper notes, “The first round of the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament will have an overwhelmingly local flavor to it. With UMBC’s 14-8 opening-round win at Marist on Wednesday, five Baltimore-area teams will compete in first-round action Saturday and Sunday, tied for the second most from the state in tournament history. A record six made the 2007 field, but only the Retrievers and eventual champion Johns Hopkins advanced to the quarterfinals.”

For full coverage, visit umbcretrievers.com.

Featured image: Steven Zichelli plays for UMBC. All photos courtesy of John McCreary.

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The Retrievers are America East champions again, with UMBC’s men’s lacrosse reclaiming the title for the first time in a decade. Attackman Trevor Patschorke ‘21 scored a game-winning goal for UMBC with just 66 seconds left on the clock. Now, the team is heading to the opening round of the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship, facing MAAC Champion Marist on May 8, 7 p.m., at Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie, New York.

“I am really proud of our guys’ resiliency all season,” said head coach Ryan Moran, after the 13-12 victory over Vermont. “I was extremely happy to see them rewarded on the biggest stage.”

Patschorke was named America East Tournament Most Valuable Player. He and teammates Ryan Frawley ‘20, biological sciences, and Brett MCintyre ‘20, mechanical engineering, each scored four goals during the championship game, and Steven Zichelli ‘21, media and communication studies, scored one.

Billy Nolan ‘19, political science, and Gunnar Schimoler ‘19, economics, joined Frawley and Patschorke on the All-Tournament Team.

Thinking back to that final goal, with the shot clock running down, Patschorke says, “When I had the ball in my stick, I knew my looks from practice and I just executed.” He slipped a sharp-angled shot past Vermont’s goalkeeper to claim UMBC’s victory.

After the win, the team celebrated at an NCAA Selection Show watch party on campus, May 5.

This is the team’s fourth America East title (2006, 2008, 2009, 2019). Wednesday’s game will mark UMBC’s seventh appearance in the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

Learn more about the America East Championship victory and upcoming NCAA opening round game against Marist on umbcretrievers.com.

Featured imaged: Trevor Patschorke plays for UMBC in the America East Men’s Lacrosse Championship game. Photos courtesy of Jim Harrison.