The Center for Social Science Scholarship invites applications for Faculty Working Groups to promote intellectual exchange in the social sciences and across campus. These collaborative scholarly learning communities will meet regularly to engage in such activities as: working on research projects, reading key literature, exploring new methodological approaches, and/or engaging in matters of public interest related to the social sciences.

Up to four Faculty Working Groups will be selected by the center director and advisory board members. Groups should be faculty-led and must include at least one faculty member from a social science department at UMBC. Additional priority will be given to groups whose members and/or areas of interest are multi- or interdisciplinary. Advanced graduate students may participate as Faculty Working Group members but may not serve as leaders.

Faculty Working Groups can apply for up to $1,000 in annual support ($500 per semester); groups will also be able to apply for continuation funding. Groups may use funds for such items as: supporting regular group meetings; purchasing software, books, or other materials; hosting external speakers; creating scholarly resources; traveling to external sites for research or public engagement purposes; and other similar activities. A brief report of the group’s activities will be due at the end of the funding period.

Apply by May 30, 2020, for groups to begin in Fall 2020.

Click on the attached file to download the application form. 

Applications should be submitted via email to socialscience@umbc.edu. Questions may be directed to Christine Mallinson, Director of the Center for Social Science Scholarship.

GSA Executive Council Elections will occur remotely next Thursday May 21 at 1 pm on Google Meet. 

We are still accepting nominations! These are paid positions that require between 5-10 hours commitment per week. 

If interested here is the link to the nomination form and list of positions:

Congratulations to the 2020
Center for Social Science Scholarship
Summer Fellows!

Keisha McIntosh Allen

Assistant Professor, Department of Education

“The Souls of Black Teachers: Theorizing Black Teachers’ Spiritually Grounded Professional Lives”

While Black teachers’ spirituality has historically been the backbone of Black education rooted in both why and how teachers teach, it is missing from current conversations about Black K-12 teachers’ engagement with pedagogies rooted in social justice as well as how they engage spirituality to navigate racially mediated experiences. We position Black teacher spirituality as a justice-focused literacy that not only guides Black teachers’ practice but also how they navigate racism within the profession. This study utilizes semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, and document analysis to theorize how Black social justice-oriented teachers engage spirituality in their professional lives. Findings from this research can be used to develop relevant professional development opportunities and supports for Black teachers to retain them in the profession.

Irina V. Golubeva

Associate Professor, Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communication

“Intercultural Competence for College and University Students: Towards Social Change and Better Employability”

The overall goal of this project is two-fold: to pilot the methodology offered in the book which I am currently co-authoring, and to finalize the book manuscript based on the collected feedback data in collaboration with my colleague who is based in Europe. Focused on intercultural competence, this book addresses and links together three topics that we believe to be extremely important yet treated relatively separately in the current literature. First, how intercultural competence increases the potential for peace and positive relationships between people from different cultures. Second, how intercultural competence links to communicating effectively across cultures as well as to addressing issues of equality, diversity and inclusion – both domestically and worldwide. Third, how intercultural competence can also support them in terms of employability and career success.

Zoë McLaren

Associate Professor, School of Public Policy

“Data Visualization Approaches to Communicate Clearly, Inspire Policy Action and Achieve A More Inclusive Policy Environment”

This project seeks to determine the formats in which data visualization communicates information about equity most efficiently (i.e. with the least complexity or extraneous information) and most effectively (i.e. the most intuitive for end users to understand and in a way that is actionable).  This proposal has three specific aims: (1) develop and validate a set of measures of health equity; (2) produce a portfolio of data visualizations using Stata, R and Tableau Public; (3) perform semi-structured interview testing of visualizations to generate guidelines for inclusive engagement in data visualization. The project will produce six specific outcomes: (1) a set of validated health equity measures; (2) an electronic portfolio of data visualizations; (3) one policy brief about inclusive data visualization for policy communication; (4) at least one external funding application; (5) at least one peer-reviewed publication; and (6) instructional materials for an “inclusive engagement in data visualization” workshop for UMBC colleagues.  Producing data visualizations that are accessible to a broad audience of underserved populations is a critical step in creating a more inclusive policy environment.