Written by Richard Forno, principal lecturer in computer science and electrical engineering, UMBC

The attempted assassination of Donald Trump on July 13, 2024, added more fuel to an already fiery election season. In this case, political violence was carried out against the party that is most often found espousing it. The incident shows how uncontrollable political violence can be – and how dangerous the current times are for America.

Part of the complication is the contentious and adversarial nature of American politics, of course. But technology makes it more difficult for Americans to understand sudden news developments.

Gone are the days when only a handful of media outlets reported the news to broad swaths of society after rigorous fact-checking by professional journalists.

By contrast, anyone today can “report” news online, provide what they claim is “analysis” of events, and combine fact, fiction, speculation and opinion to fit a desired narrative or political perspective.

Then that perspective is potentially made to seem legitimate by virtue of the poster’s official office, net worth, number of social media followers, or attention from mainstream news organizations seeking to fill news cycles.

And that’s before any mention of convincing deepfake audio and video clips, whose lies and misrepresentations can further sow confusion and distrust online and in society.

Today’s internet-based narratives also often involve personal attacks either directly or through inference and suggestion – what experts call “stochastic terrorism” that can motivate people to violence. Political violence is the inevitable result – and has been for years, including attacks on U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, the 2017 congressional baseball practice shooting, the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, and now the attempted assassination of a former president running for the White House again.

When bullets and conspiracies fly

As a security and internet researcher it was entirely predictable to me that within minutes of the attack, right-wing social media exploded with instant-reaction narratives that assigned blame to political rivals, the media, or implied that a sinister “inside job” by the federal government was behind the incident.

But it wasn’t just average internet users or prominent business magnates fanning these flames. Several Republicans issued such statements from their official social media accounts. For instance, less than an hour after the attack, Georgia Congressman Mike Collins accused President Joe Biden of “inciting an assassination” and said Biden “sent the orders.” Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, now Trump’s nominee for vice president, also implied that Biden was responsible for the attack.

The bloodied former president stood up and delayed his Secret Service evacuation for a fist-pumping photo before leaving the rally, and his campaign issued a defiant fundraising email later that evening. This led some Trump critics to suggest the incident was a “false flag” attack staged to earn a sympathetic national spotlight. Others claimed the incident fits into Trump’s ongoing messaging to supporters that he’s the victim of persecution.

From a historical perspective, it’s worth noting former Brazil right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro survived an assassination attempt in 2018 to become the country’s next president in 2019.

It’s long been known that internet narratives, memes and content can spread around the world like wildfire well before the actual truth becomes known. Unfortunately, those narratives, whether factual or fictional, can get picked up – and thus given a degree of perceived legitimacy and further disseminated – by traditional news organizations.

Many who see such messages, amplified by both social media and traditional news services, often believe them – and some may respond with political violence or terrorism.

Can anything help?

Several threads of research show that there are some ways regular people can help break this dangerous cycle.

In the immediate aftermath of breaking news, it’s important to remember that first reports often are wrong, incomplete or inaccurate. Rather than rushing to repost things during rapidly developing news events, it’s best to avoid retweeting, reposting or otherwise amplifying online content right away. When information has been confirmed by multiple credible sources, ideally across the political spectrum, then it’s likely safe enough to believe and share.

In the longer term, as a nation and a society, it will be useful to further understand how technology and human tendencies interact. Teaching schoolchildren more about media literacy and critical thinking can help prepare future citizens to separate fact from fiction in a complex world filled with competing information.

Another potential approach is to expand civics and history lessons in school classrooms, to give students the ability to learn from the past and – we can all hope – not repeat its mistakes.

Social media companies are part of the potential solution, too. In recent years, they have disbanded teams meant to monitor content and boost users’ trust in the information available on their platforms. Recent Supreme Court rulings make clear that these companies are free to actively police their platforms for disinformation, misinformation and conspiracy theories if they wish. But companies and purported “free speech absolutists” including X owner Elon Musk, who refuse to remove controversial, though technically legal, internet content from their platforms may well endanger public safety.

Traditional media organizations bear responsibility for objectively informing the public without giving voice to unverified conspiracy theories or misinformation. Ideally, qualified guests invited to news programs will add useful facts and informed opinion to the public discourse instead of speculation. And serious news hosts will avoid the rhetorical technique of “just asking questions” or engaging in “bothsiderism” as ways to move fringe theories – often from the internet – into the news cycle, where they gain traction and amplification.

The public has a role, too.

Responsible citizens could focus on electing officials and supporting political parties that refuse to embrace conspiracy theories and personal attacks as normal strategies. Voters could make clear that they will reward politicians who focus on policy accomplishments, not their media imagery and social media follower counts.

That could, over time, deliver the message that the spectacle of modern internet political narratives generally serve no useful purpose beyond sowing social discord and degrading the ability of government to function – and potentially leading to political violence and terrorism.

Understandably, these are not instant remedies. Many of these efforts will take time – potentially even years – and money and courage to accomplish.

Until then, maybe Americans can revisit the golden rule – doing onto others what we would have them do unto us. Emphasizing facts in the news cycle, integrity in the public square, and media literacy in our schools seem like good places to start as well.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article and see more than 250 UMBC articles available in The Conversation.

In an email to the campus community, UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby has announced that Tiffany D. Tucker will join the university August 15 as Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. The letter follows in full:

Dear UMBC Community,

I am thrilled to announce Tiffany D. Tucker’s appointment as Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. She will begin her role on August 15.

Tiffany comes to UMBC from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), where she has served as deputy athletics director since August 2021. Her appointment follows a nationwide search, during which she emerged as a highly experienced and accomplished athletics administrator. She is the ideal person to advance our competitive and recreational athletics program.

“I am beyond thrilled to embark on this incredible journey as the new athletics director at UMBC,” Tucker said. “As an athletics leader, my mission is to create a vibrant, infectious atmosphere that empowers student-athletes, coaches, and staff to reach unprecedented heights. I am committed to fostering best-in-class excellence in competition, the classroom, and the campus community.”

Tiffany’s record of achievements demonstrates a stunning commitment to inclusive excellence. She serves on the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association Membership Committee and the Women Leaders in College Sports Education and Professional Development Committee. In 2015, the United States Olympic Committee selected Tiffany to participate in the Ethnic Minority Women in Coaching Leadership Program in Colorado Springs. She is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and Women Leaders in College Sports.

Several years ago, Tiffany organized a National Girls & Women in Sports Day Leadership Summit to celebrate the successes and achievements of female athletes. She served as chair of the Colonial Athletic Association Family: United for Change Committee, helping develop a strategic direction and providing an opportunity for institutions to share resources related to anti-racism and social justice efforts. In 2021, she was recognized by Sports Illustrated in Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women in Sports. A year later, she was named Nell Jackson Nike Executive of the Year by Women Leaders in College Sports. She was honored by the Hampton University Office of Alumni Affairs for inclusion in the Forty Under 40 Alumni Recognition Society for 2020.

A standout athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a four-year member of the women’s basketball squad, Tiffany brings a deep understanding of the commitment and focus required to compete at the Division I level, as well as the support student-athletes need to thrive academically and athletically.

Tiffany has taken on increasingly challenging leadership roles throughout her distinguished career, establishing herself as a champion of equity-based athletic excellence in coaching and administration and student-athlete development and well-being.

As UNCW’s number two athletics administrator, Tiffany played key roles in developing and implementing strategic priorities, generating revenue, and leading capital projects. She placed particular emphasis on personal accountability, integrity, and compliance.

Before her deputy athletics director role at UNCW, she was senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator. She built her athletic administrative skills at Elizabeth City State University, Hampton University, and South Carolina State University. She coached basketball at Allegheny College, Radford University, Francis Marion University, and Claflin University.

Tiffany received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from UNC and a master’s degree in sport administration from Hampton.

When she joins us in August, Tiffany will be the first woman and person of color to lead the university’s athletics program. With only seven percent of Division I athletic directors being women of color, UMBC is proud to be a leader in recognizing talent like Tiffany. I feel incredibly fortunate that she has chosen us.

I look forward to ushering in a new era for our athletics and recreation programs that will take our students to the next level of achievement.

I am grateful to the search committee for their contributions to the process. I also thank Whitney Ames, associate athletics director for compliance, and Rich Franchak, senior associate athletics director for business and finance, for providing steady leadership during the search for a new director.

Welcome to the Retriever family, Tiffany!

Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby

Since 2014, multimedia artist Levester Williams has developed a personal connection and exploration with a natural material that is a historic staple of Baltimore life—Cockeysville, Maryland, marble. 

Go down specific streets in neighborhoods like Highlandtown, Charles Village, Cherry Hill, or Mount Vernon and you’ll see the ubiquitous, three-to-four tiered steps made of marble outfitting the exterior of many rowhomes throughout Baltimore, much of it from Cockeysville. Beyond the steps, you’ll also find the stone in landmarks such as Baltimore’s City Hall, the Washington monuments in Baltimore and D.C., and the 108 columns of the U.S. Capitol Building. 

“The stone is a literal and figurative bedrock of our nation. It’s used in many prominent monuments and institutions,” explains Williams, who is a 2023 – 2024 artist in residence in UMBC’s Exploratory Research Residency Program, a component of the university’s Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture (CADVC).

In this pilot artist residency program, Williams is collaborating with the CADVC to complete a new video art project called “dreaming of a beyond: Baltimore,” in which the artist is researching the history of Cockeysville marble, underscoring the “intertwined history of African Americans’ plight to self-determined agency and full citizenship, and a rather benign stone.”

More than just marble

In his work, Williams examines the relationship between objects, humans, and the physical world with art that includes sculptures, installations, sound, animations, drawings, and videos. Williams is continuing that exploration in “dreaming of a beyond: Baltimore,” part of his ongoing series focused on the dolomitic stone that is quarried in Cockeysville, 25 miles from Catonsville. The series explores Williams’ desire to examine his idea of “the beyond—where race is no longer tethered to value; where my body matters just as much as other bodies matter,” he says. 

The artist began his exploration into the stone after reading a passage in Lindon Barrett’s book Blackness and Value: Seeing Double about jazz singer Billie Holiday’s time growing up in Baltimore. The book references Holiday’s autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues, which documents her stint cleaning the marble steps in Baltimore as a teenager. 

“White homeowners were obsessed with keeping the white marble stoops clean, and didn’t care how the inside of their homes looked, as long as the steps were clean,” says Williams in reference to the passage about Holiday in Blackness and Value. The steps were seen as a marker of class and economic status, he adds, explaining how “Holiday knew that and was able to bargain to get more money for cleaning the stoops.”

Through archival research, Williams learned more about the stone’s connection to Black people in Baltimore and their bodies as they handled, cleaned, and labored over the marble. As part of his CADVC residency, Williams conducted research at the Maryland Center for History and Culture, using the center’s digital archives of Baltimore’s historic Afro-American newspaper and photographer Paul Henderson’s collection of images he captured for the paper from 1930 through 1960. The archives showcase the long history of Baltimore’s Black residents who cleaned and maintained the marble steps as part of their daily routines. 

“Bodies in space”

The “dreaming of a beyond” series consists of short vignettes capturing performers touching and physically engaging with structures, objects, and buildings made with Cockeysville marble at different sites throughout the northeast region. Beyond Maryland, the marble can be found in places such as the Buffalo AKG Art Museum in upstate New York; the Fisher Building in Detroit; Girard College in Philadelphia; and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. 

In Baltimore, Williams filmed performers interacting with the (original) Washington Monument in Mount Vernon Place. Nia Hampton, an intermedia and digital arts (IMDA) graduate student at UMBC, and her mother, Sheila Gaskins, were featured in “dreaming of a beyond: Baltimore,” filmed with the assistance of IMDA student Bao Nguyen. A sneak peek of Williams’ in-development projection demo was on display at the CADVC in February.

The film—which was projected onto the side of a building across from the CADVC’s outdoor amphitheater space—captures the mother-daughter duo physically engaging with the monument with movements that included hugging, caressing, scaling, and sprawling various body parts across the marble-encased statue. Williams worked with artist and intimacy coordinator Savannah Knoop to “reconfigure and think about bodies in space, non-human bodies, and what it is to give consent to these things,” he says. 

“What I appreciate about Levester’s work is its level of obscurity,” says Hampton. “When I saw his work, I thought it was different—I never saw anything like it before.”

When she learned that the artist wanted the film’s subjects to be local residents with a deep connection to Baltimore’s history, Hampton referred Williams to her mother. Gaskins, a multi-disciplined artist who has been a local arts advocate and educator for more than four decades, wrote and directed “Last House Standing: A Play About the Highway to Nowhere”in 2016. The play included performers playing the role of the marbled stoop steps. 

“When I was interacting with the marble [in the work with Williams], it wasn’t a pretty thing. I was thinking about my ancestors. Nia and I were having conversations about the slaves that probably built the monument. All of that was in our minds when we were interacting with the marble,” says Gaskins. 

“Black folks touching the stone have been an anchor in this master-slave dynamic. I reimagined this relationship between the Black body and the stone, which is not in service of this power dynamic,” says Williams. “I’m using this stone as a way to reimagine Black folks in public spaces.”

Artistic practice as research

This fall, the CADVC gallery is set to premiere a selection of Williams’ artwork that emerges from his “dreaming of a beyond: Baltimore” research as part of the introduction to the center’s public video projection gallery series, which will be on display in the Fine Arts Building Amphitheater. The series is anticipated to rotate new video artwork presentations and will run for the next several years, says Rebecca Uchill, director of the CADVC.

The fall projection presentation will also coincide with the “all matters aside” exhibition at the CADVC that will feature a retrospective of Williams’ work from the last 10 years, organized by curator Lisa Freiman. Williams’ work was previously featured in “Declaration,” the inaugural exhibition at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University that Freiman curated as the institute’s inaugural director. 

Wiliams’ projection work will also feature an accompanying booklet that includes an essay by Michelle Wright, professor of history and Africana studies at the Community College of Baltimore County. Wright’s essay, “Scrubbed Clean,” examines the complex history of Beaver Dam marble, its use in Baltimore’s Washington Monument, and its connections to the city’s history of racial division.

Along with Williams, the CADVC Exploratory Research Residency Program also hosted artists Tomashi Jackson and Paul Rucker. Portions of the program have been funded by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Baltimore County Commission on Arts and Culture, and UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences’ Big Ideas initiative. The pilot program, which launched in 2022, “recognizes the inherent research that is artistic practice,” Uchill explains. 

“Artists are researchers, technicians, and producers. I think some of that occasionally may be underemphasized in certain contexts, but fortunately not at UMBC. CADVC’s residency program aligns with the rigor, creativity, and civic engagement of the university at large, and feeds into other areas of our center’s programs in exhibition, publication, and creative production,” says Uchill. “This has been an especially enriching opportunity because of UMBC’s laudable, sincere belief in the importance of the arts as research.”

For Williams, the exploratory residency program is helping him to expand his interpretation of being Black and existing in public spaces: “There’s no hierarchy of us existing in space and doing that through touch is what my project is focused on. Having these performers touch the stone in any way that they want is [my idea of] pushing back and getting to that ‘beyond’.”

For nearly three decades, Paul Smith has put undergraduate mentorship and the motivation of bettering human health at the forefront of his work. He’s been recognized for his efforts as the most recent recipient of the Braude Award from the Maryland Section of the American Chemical Society (ACS). The annual award recognizes one chemist from Maryland who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to mentoring undergraduate researchers in the chemical and biochemical sciences. Smith will give a scientific talk at the chapter’s October meeting, and the award includes a $4,000 prize to further support undergraduate research.  

Smith has trained more than 70 undergraduates in his laboratory over his 29-year career at UMBC. Many of them have been recognized for their outstanding work at the department and the university level,  as well as by outside organizations such as the ACS and Pfizer. His research group does not always include graduate students or postdoctoral fellows, so “the undergrads learn from me directly, which is fun,” he says.

Despite his many years of experience, Smith continues to approach his work with contagious childlike curiosity and enthusiasm. “I tell the students, I love doing this because I’m going to make a molecule no one has ever made before, and that’s a pretty cool feeling,” he says. “And also, it’s a long shot, but you could discover something that’s really going to be beneficial to human health. It’s motivating.”

Paying mentoring forward

Smith is a synthetic chemist, which he describes as the “bricklayer” of the chemistry world. He and his students coax various molecular structures into existence by carefully facilitating intricate chemical reactions. Throughout his career, Smith has worked on synthesizing molecules with activity against cancer cells, hepatitis C, and influenza. Some of these molecules have also shown a promising ability to reverse antibiotic resistance in some bacteria. Right now, he and his students are working on improving compounds that may help fight influenza and reduce antibiotic resistance. 

Smith conducted research as an undergraduate at SUNY-Brockport and in a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates at the Roswell Park Cancer Center in Buffalo, New York.

“Both of those experiences allowed me to immerse myself in research as an undergraduate,” Smith says, “so I think because of that, it’s always been important to me to include undergrads in the research that we do in my lab.”

Brian Cullum, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry, nominated Smith for the Braude Award. “Even with the significant potential health and environmental benefits that his ongoing research efforts can address, Dr. Smith continues to be dedicated first and foremost in his career to training undergraduate researchers in preparation for their future roles as independent scientists,” Cullum shares.  

A focus on connections

Many advances in Smith’s career have come from interpersonal connections, both in his department at UMBC and with external researchers. When Duke chemist Kathy Franz discussed compounds to address antibiotic resistance in a seminar at UMBC, Smith recognized that her compounds included a similar structure to the molecules he was investigating for activity against influenza. He spoke to her after the talk, which eventually led to a collaboration and a promising new line of research in his lab. 

“Serendipity is the word of my career,” Smith jokes, although it’s not just luck. He encourages his students to attend as many seminars as possible, and he leads by example. “You’ll learn something at every talk, even if it’s far outside your field,” Smith says. 

Lillian Kidd ’24, biochemistry and molecular biology, spent two years in Smith’s lab as an undergraduate, and as a result, she says she is dedicated to pursuing a career in designing and synthesizing therapeutic compounds. She will begin graduate school at Brown University this fall. 

“Beyond learning fundamental research techniques in organic chemistry, Dr. Smith pushed me to think critically about every decision I made in the lab. He taught me how to transform core principles from coursework into reality, which has impacted my analysis skills and encouraged my curiosity,” Kidd says. “Dr. Smith’s mentorship emphasizes that success comes with integrity, deep understanding, and the ability to pivot when research does not work the way you thought it would.”

Shauna Kearney ’25, chemistry, has also benefited from Smith’s mentorship. She plans to pursue graduate school in organic chemistry based on her experiences in his lab.

“Being a member of Dr. Smith’s lab has allowed me to take ownership of my own research project as an undergraduate,” Kearney says. “While he helps me solve problems in the lab, he pushes me to think through them first and come up with my own solutions.” 

Shared commitment

Smith’s personal commitment to supporting undergraduate research fits right into the fabric of UMBC. “I love our department, and I love UMBC,” he says. “I think one of our strengths, and what I tell students, is that they have a really good chance of getting into a lab—and my understanding is that’s fairly unique. But here, it’s unusual to find a lab that doesn’t have at least two or three undergrads.”

Smith’s equal dedication to his research and his students is exactly what the Braude Award selection committee looks for in nominees. 

“I cannot imagine another individual more fitting for this prestigious award celebrating a faculty member’s tireless dedication to undergraduate research and training,” Cullum says. “Paul’s lifelong dedication to guiding undergraduate research and teaching his students to apply classroom concepts to solve challenges in their research projects embodies the ideal research mentor.”

Meet Amanda Sharp, director of academic advocacy in UMBC’s Academic Success Center. What keeps her coming back to work each day? Supporting students! She says she is privileged to sit with students in some of their hardest moments and also see them reach their highest successes. We’re excited to hear more about your work, Amanda—take it away!

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?

A: My name is Amanda, and I’m a director in the Academic Advocacy Office here at UMBC! One essential thing you should know about me is that I’m deeply passionate about helping students succeed and thrive in their academic journey. When I’m not working, you can usually find me with my pup, Jayla, or with my sorors. I’m a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated.

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?

A: The people at UMBC are genuinely committed to student success, and this commitment permeates every aspect of campus life. From the moment you step onto campus, you’re surrounded by a network of dedicated professionals, staff, and faculty who are invested in helping you achieve your goals. They will motivate you, support you, and recognize the work you do. For example, many of my colleagues nominated me for the Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award at the 2024 FYE® Conference. When I won, I dedicated that award to the staff and students who devote themselves to uplifting others.

Q: What do you love most about your job and why?

A: Every day, I witness the transformative power of the support and guidance my colleagues and I provide. Seeing a student who once struggled academically or personally now thriving and succeeding is an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s the moments when students share how our support helped them stay on track or graduate that remind me of the significance of the work we do as academic advocates.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: I’ve been consistently inspired by the dedication, compassion, and wisdom of our Academic Peer Advocates (APAs). These students, who come from diverse academic disciplines and backgrounds, have stepped up to provide a listening ear, offer guidance, and connect their peers with the resources and support they need to succeed. Their commitment to normalizing the challenges that students face and creating a safe, non-judgmental space for their peers to share their struggles has been truly remarkable.

Q: Tell us what you love about your academic program or an organization you’re involved in.

A: I love empowering students through our Academic Advocacy and Academic Peer Advocacy program. By connecting students with caring staff and peers and providing holistic support, we help them build confidence, overcome barriers, and thrive academically and personally.

Q: Tell us about your primary WHY, and how it led you to UMBC.

A: I came to UMBC because I believed in its mission, values, and commitment to students. I saw an opportunity to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of the students we serve. I’m grateful for this decision every day, as I continue to be inspired by the resilience, dedication, and achievements of our remarkable students and the unwavering support of the UMBC community.

Q: Since you’ve been a part of the UMBC community, how have you found support of your WHY?

A: I’m truly humbled to have had the privilege of supporting so many students across the country through some of the most challenging moments of their lives, some of which were filled with extreme personal loss or immense feelings of failure. As I sit in those moments with students, with the weight of those feelings on their shoulders, my main goal is to instill in them the belief that they are truly worthy of success and happiness. As I watch them leave my office, I oftentimes see that weight they walked in with, the weight that tells them that they can’t succeed, lift just a little, and is replaced with confidence and compassion. These are the moments that support my “why.”

Q: Are you involved in any other campus organizations?

A: I’m on the Women’s Center Advisory Board, and I couldn’t be more proud of the work they do. The center’s staff focuses their efforts on raising awareness, facilitating dialogue, and implementing policies and practices that support marginalized students and communities. These efforts have been crucial to fostering a sense of belonging and ensuring that every student has the resources and support they need to thrive.

Q: What would you tell someone considering working at UMBC?

A: I would tell them that they have the opportunity to be part of an exceptional community that is deeply committed to making a positive impact on student’s lives and contributing to society’s greater good. If you are passionate about education, committed to excellence, and eager to contribute to something greater than yourself, UMBC is the perfect place to build a fulfilling and meaningful career.

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

UMBC’s commitment to integrating training with research and community engagement drew Sandra Barrueco, professor of psychology,tojoin the psychology department last summer. Barrueco hit the ground running with a two-year grant of over $990,000 from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish ADVANCE Maryland or, in Spanish, AVANCE Maryland. The grant provides a stipend to train 14 clinical psychology doctoral candidates and 10 social work master’s students and their faculty supervisors in delivering integrated, culturally and linguistically competent behavioral health services to children, youth, and young adults in underserved and rural English- and Spanish-speaking communities in Maryland. 

“I love that UMBC is a community-engaged, R1, and minority-serving institution,” says Barrueco, who founded the BIENESTAR/Wellbeing Lab at UMBC for undergraduate and graduate researchers. BIENESTAR, the Spanish word for well-being, is an acronym for the lab’s myriad but interconnected research areas.

Preparing students for complex roles

Graduate students en route to becoming licensed psychologists require hands-on training to develop expertise in promoting well-being and prevention through diagnosing, treating, and managing psychological disorders in diverse settings. Barrueco, along with other UMBC psychology faculty, dedicates time to guiding students in the clinical track of the Ph.D. human services psychology program through the complexities of their roles, ensuring they are well-prepared for the challenges they will face in their careers. 

“The psychology department is exactly all I embody—community, clinical, and developmental psychology—since I work extensively with children and families. So, it is a great fit in that way,” says Barrueco, who came to UMBC after nearly 20 years at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., where she was associate dean for graduate programs and research in the School of Arts and Sciences, a full professor, director of clinical psychology, and co-founder of Catholic University’s Institute for Latin American and Iberian Studies.

“Living in Maryland, I can see the needs of our local communities,” says Barrueco, “and the big-picture perspective of what UMBC has the capacity to do at a state level.” It’s a goal that requires partners. The grant’s foundation is an interdisciplinary partnership with over 20 institutions and organizations, including partnerships with Melissa Smith, associate professor of social work at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, with experiential sites, and with community and government organizations serving children, youth, and young adults in Maryland’s underserved and rural communities. 

“There’s often a lot of underfunding of doctoral and master’s students to pursue mental health training and to work in the field,” explains Barrueco. ADVANCE/AVANCE Maryland is changing that. Half of the grant purposefully funds graduate students and there is additional support to enhance the training of faculty and current service providers to prepare the next wave of psychology professionals to meet the needs of all communities affected by the national mental health crisis.

Barrueco notes that the students are in placements across the region with clients from various backgrounds. Through the grant, students learn how to provide services for culturally and linguistically diverse youth. 

“One of the skills they are learning is how to work with interpreters. There are hundreds of languages in the immediate area, so it is a broader focus,” says Barrueco, who has expertise in Spanish. Since most bilingual speakers in the region are Spanish-speaking, students can get a strong sense of that community and learn from Barrueco’s expertise. 

One-to-one solution

Samantha Berg, a fourth-year clinical psychology doctoral student in the human services psychology program at UMBC, is a research assistant at the Strive for Wellness Clinic, which provides evidence-based care to youth ages 14 – 25 through individual and family therapy, medication management, teletherapy, outreach and education, and consultation and assessment. The wellness clinic is run through a partnership between UMBC, the Maryland Early Intervention Program, the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the Maryland Coalition of Families, and On Our Own Maryland. 

Berg’s passion for understanding psychopathology across a broad spectrum began almost a decade ago. It flourished when she entered UMBC’s doctoral program and met her advisor, Rebecca Schacht, an assistant professor of psychology, and co-director of the grant. Schacht’s research explores comorbid post-traumatic stress syndrome and substance use disorders. She is the director of the UMBC Psychology Training Clinic, where she supervises doctoral research students like Berg as they deliver low-cost, evidence-based individual psychotherapy related to anxiety, depression, relationship and family issues, and other types of mental health challenges. Schacht continues to be Berg’s advisor and provides clinical supervision.

Berg’s work at the wellness clinic aligned with the goals of the ADVANCE/AVANCE Maryland grant. She was one of the grant’s first doctoral fellows. “I was excited to learn new avenues for interacting with clients, such as how to work with an interpreter to do a bilingual mental health assessment. I want to be able to assess and treat as many people as possible, to serve as many populations as possible,” explains Berg. “I think it is part of my responsibility to gain new knowledge and understanding of how to engage with clients with whom I have different language proficiency. This is a one-to-one solution for this situation.” 

She is excited to be part of a significant shift in clinical psychology as it moves from a medical model to a community-based intervention model. “Part of the intervention movement includes assessments,” says Berg. “I have a personal passion for wanting to be part of the change, part of the development of treatment.”

Developing a workforce

“It’s a huge pitfall of clinical work that there isn’t enough training on how to engage and serve people who don’t speak English,” says Danielle Farrell, another research fellow on the ADVANCE/AVANCE Maryland grant. As she looks forward to her fourth year as a clinical psychology doctoral student, Farrell appreciates having access to experiential opportunities. 

Farrell studies intimate partner violence. Like Berg, Farrell was already engaged with the community ADVANCE/AVANCE Maryland will be focusing on as a research assistant at the Strive for Wellness Clinic. Farrell assessed and connected adolescents and young adults with early intervention referrals for a range of mental health concerns, primarily psychosis, under the supervision of Pamela Rakhshan Rouhakhtar, an assistant professor of psychology in the human services doctoral program, another co-director of the grant, and director of the Equity in Psychosis-Spectrum Services (EQUIPS) lab at UMBC. Faculty, graduate, and predoctoral students conduct research around psychosis-spectrum experiences, with an emphasis on psychosocial factors and access to care.

The grant’s workshops, professional development meetings, and job fairs are helping Farrell maximize the skills she’s developed for a successful career after graduation.

Big picture changes

ADVANCE/AVANCE Maryland is the culmination of decades of Barrueco’s unique research, which has been instrumental in addressing developmental and mental health difficulties among language minority, immigrant, and migrant children. Her work has led to methodological improvements in the assessment and early identification of bilingual children, expansion of the theoretical and research bases related to developmental and clinical processes, and the creation and examination of multisystemic preventive interventions fostering linguistic and socioemotional functioning. This research has advanced the field of psychology and informed policy.

Barrueco, now the director of UMBC’s clinical psychology Ph.D. program, is wholeheartedly invested in the future of UMBC’s work. “When I came to UMBC, our goal was: Let’s get some big-picture changes on the table,” she shares. “Funding psychology graduate students more quickly moves the needle on youth mental health in the nation.”

Learn more about UMBC’s psychology programs.

In January 2025, UMBC will facilitate its STEM-focused research study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain.

The program, developed by UMBC’s Center for Global Engagement’s Education Abroad Office and the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, was created to provide students with an affordable study abroad experience while expanding study abroad access for students in technology, engineering and mathematics fields. 

Steven Caruso, principal lecturer of biological sciences, will lead up to 18 undergraduate students on a three-week program to Barcelona to investigate bacteriophage biology research. Caruso ’94, Ph.D. ’02, biological sciences, is the co-leader of UMBC’s SEA-PHAGES program, called Phage Hunters, a two-course undergraduate genetics and bioinformatics sequence.

In 2023, UMBC received the institution’s first capacity-building grant for study abroad from the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) initiative to develop the “Phage Hunters in Barcelona” program. The study abroad program combines asynchronous online learning and hands-on training opportunities at research institutes in Barcelona.

“The IDEAS grant helps to make education abroad more accessible for UMBC students,” said Katherine Heird, UMBC’s director of education abroad and global learning. “This innovative program offers students an unparalleled opportunity to delve into biomedical research, hone their intercultural communication skills, and build connections across the globe.” 

Find out more about the UMBC faculty-led Phage Hunters in Barcelona, Spain, study abroad program. 

Meet Connie Pierson ’90, M.A. ’92, a double alum—earning her bachelor’s degree in economics and sociology in 1990 and her M.A. in applied sociology in 1992—and UMBC’s current associate vice provost for Institutional Research. In total, Connie has spent 31 non-consecutive years at UMBC as both a student and staff member. After leaving the university to earn her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a short stint at the U.S. Census Bureau, Connie returned to UMBC in 1999 for a job in the Office of Institutional Research, Analysis, and Decision Support where she has been ever since. Take it away, Connie!

Q: Tell us about your current job. What do you like most about it?

A: What I love most about my job as the associate vice provost for Institutional Research, Analysis, and Decision Support is that I get to work with so many different offices and people across campus. Institutional Research reports on and supports almost all aspects of an institution—from reporting how many students are enrolled to how long it takes them to finish and how many classrooms and course sections are needed to get them there. Not to mention the people and services making that education possible, and helping assess whether these are all effective. And the job has its perks.

Early on, I recall getting a boost from being responsible for Faculty Workload reporting and working with past professors to complete their departmental reporting. So much fun to have the tables turned, where I was the one yielding the red correction pen! I also love the opportunity to collaborate with so many different people, bringing our diverse perspectives together to best meet the needs of our students. The sense of community and shared purpose is stimulating and keeps the work interesting.

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?

A: I think one of the best gifts I received from my parents is a healthy sense of humor. If you don’t typically find humor in situations, it is probably not a good idea to sit by me. The work we do at UMBC is so important, but if you can’t have fun doing it (at least most of the time), what’s the point? Also, I don’t like to back down from a challenge. During the pandemic, a UMBC colleague and I decided to post #BlackAndGoldFriday photos on Facebook. I think she lasted four weeks. I just posted #week223.

Pictured left: Connie Pierson goofing with her niece, Kelsey Krach ’04, anthropology and Spanish, a Sondheim Scholar and valedictorian finalist, at graduation where Connie served as the staff marshall

Q: What do you love about your academic program or an organization you’re involved in?

A: It always comes back to people and relationships. I have had the privilege of working with so many caring and intelligent individuals over the years, both within and outside Institutional Research. IR and UMBC have both undergone a good bit of change over the years, and we’ve had our ups and downs. But I’ve always known that I work with a great group of people who have my back, and they’ve become my UMBC family. 

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: There are so many people in the UMBC community who’ve influenced my career. Marilyn Demorest, vice provost for Faculty Affairs, was on my search committee, and quickly became a strong supporter and mentor. Marilyn was a great advocate for Institutional Research, and helped pull me into the UMBC community. She was also instrumental in getting me involved in the UMBC chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society, where I’ve served in a leadership role since 2010. But most importantly, Marilyn became a true friend, attending my wedding, family funerals, celebrations, and holiday get-togethers. Honestly, once you’ve belted out “I Will Survive” with someone, I think you are friends for life.

I also must acknowledge Antonio Moreira, the late vice provost for Academic Affairs, to whom I had the privilege to report for the past 10 years. Tony was such a kind and compassionate man, a true mentor, and a friend. His recent loss is akin to losing a family member, and he will be sorely missed.

Q: What is your WHY? What brought you to UMBC?

A: I have to be honest, what originally attracted me to UMBC as an employee was the shorter commute! I saw the position for a research analyst in Institutional Research. I had no idea what Institutional Research was, but I had research skills and I knew SAS and SPSS, both mentioned in the ad. And I knew UMBC from my time as a student. I interviewed for the position and have been in Institutional Research ever since, moving up from research analyst to associate vice provost in my 25 years here. What has kept me at UMBC is the community and a love for the important work we do in supporting the success of our students.

Q: Where have you found support in the UMBC community?

A: Becoming a part of the UMBC community happens because you get involved with the community. One lesson learned from my parents is that you get out of life what you put into it. You build your network by getting involved and helping others. And you make so many friends along the way.

Q: Are you involved in any campus organizations? Tell us about what you love about them!

A: I’ve tried my best over the years to be involved in different campus organizations. My involvement has definitely waxed and waned given my professional and personal life demands, but I’ve always thought it is important to give back to the community. Over the years, I’ve served as a senator and officer with the Professional Staff Senate, as secretary and president of Chapter 22BC of the national honor society of Phi Kappa Phi, volunteered with the on-campus alumni group, and volunteered at Convocation and Commencement exercises.

I’m also a strong supporter of Retriever Essentials, often choosing them for monetary donations, but also trying to donate grocery items on a fairly regular basis. I’ve also had fun volunteering for Homecoming events over the years. In all of these things, what I love most are the friendships that developed along the way.

Pictured left: Connie takes a selfie with the True Grit statue after Convocation.

Q: What would you tell someone who is considering a career at UMBC?

A: Do it. And get involved. Check out current job opportunities at the university.

Q: What drives you to support UMBC?

A: I believe strongly in the mission and goals of UMBC, and the importance of providing opportunity through higher education. UMBC provided that foundation for me, as well as several of my family members. Supporting UMBC through my work, volunteer time, and monetary donations is just a way of saying “thanks.” 

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

Meet Mary K. Tilghman, whose original decision to attend UMBC may have started off more pragmatic than fairytale (she could commute with her brother who was attending), but the story ended up having a happy ending. Tilghman ’79, English, is a novelist—the author of half a dozen modern romance and historical novels. She says she finds inspiration in her native Maryland and draws on her bachelor’s degree from 45-plus years ago. According to Tilghman, her classes at UMBC laid the foundation for a prolific and fulfilling writing career. Tell us your story, Mary!

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? 

A: Since graduation, I have used my English degree every day of my life. I’ve been a reporter and editor of local newspapers, a freelance magazine writer, a travel writer, and travel blogger. I’ve written six novels, both historical fiction and sweet-as-cotton-candy romance. I’ve edited dozens of school papers for my three now-grown children—Gina who earned her master’s degree at UMBC, Sean and Brigid. I tell everyone: That English degree paved the way for my life.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: My English professors, including Professors Robert Glick, Patricia Meszaros and Joan Korenman, taught me to think and write precisely. My favorite political science professor, Dr. Philip Brenner, showed me how to gain perspective from history. My friend and fellow Retriever editor Kathleen Warnock offered me a job writing Frommer’s guides for Maryland and Delaware that I will always be grateful for.

Q: Tell us about what you love about your academic program or an organization you’re involved in.

A: It’s been 45 years since I got my bachelor’s degree but I still remember the books I read—19th-century novels, Russian epics, world literature. They laid the foundation for my writing. I may never reach the writing level of a Tolstoy, Dickens, or Hemingway but, like them, I love language and a well-wrought sentence.

Right: Tilghman’s husband, Raymond Truitt, graduated from Loyola the same year as Tilghman at UMBC. “Ray and I met by blind date when we were juniors. He proposed to me on UMBC’s (now-gone) tennis courts in 1981,” shares Tilghman.

Q: If you’re currently working, what’s your title and where do you work? What do you enjoy most about it?

A: I write novels, both historical fiction and romance. I love creating characters, wrecking their lives, and then finding them a happy ending. Best of all, I get to share it with readers.

Q: Tell us about your primary WHY, and how it led you to UMBC.

A: I was a student at another college before coming to UMBC. When my younger brother was accepted to UMBC, my mother suggested I transfer. UMBC was a cost-effective option in 1976, had good English and visual arts departments, and the family car was already coming here. So I became a Retriever. Though I wasn’t happy at first, I was soon hooked. I met great people, was taking classes I couldn’t wait to master, and found professors who were caring and devoted. I learned quickly I was going to get the education that would lead to something great.

Left: Tilghman in her senior photo at UMBC.

Q: Tell us about the people who helped you grow at UMBC, and why their HOW made such a difference to you.

A: I took a journalism class my first semester with Baltimore Sun reporter Jack Dawson. I’ll always be grateful for his classes, his mentoring, and his help in getting a Sun internship. I ultimately had two internships, one on the copy desk of the Sun, and another at the Catonsville Times,where my editor, Loni Ingraham, spent a lot of time helping me learn to write a lede and ask better questions. In addition, I worked long hours on the staff of the university’s newspaper, The Retriever. I learned all about writing, interviewing, editing, setting type (this was pre-digital), writing headlines, and laying out pages. And I gained some great friends among my fellow journalists.

Q: If you’re an alum, what’s your favorite part of being a part of Retriever Nation?

A: UMBC grads go places. I’ve met them in all walks of life but the UMBC tie is strong.

Q: If you’re a donor, what drives you to support UMBC?

A: I won a scholarship in my senior year that allowed me to become a dorm resident. What an experience that was after all that commuting. I want to support future Retrievers.

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.