It's that time of year again to protect yourself, your family and your community from current and upcoming infectious diseases!  Sign up now for this season's flu shot and the new COVID-19 vaccine just approved and recommended for everyone aged 6 months and above.  In addition, other vaccines against meningitis, RSV, shingles, tetanus and others will be available.  Talk with your personal medical provider to see what they recommend for you.  This event is open to students, faculty, staff and their families ages 12+.

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

Remaining Clinic Dates and Locations

• Friday, October 20, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., University Center Room 312

• Monday, October 23, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., University Center Room 312

• Tuesday, October 24, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., University Center Room 312

Sign up now

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

Thank you for helping to keep our community healthy.

Retriever Essentials, represented by student volunteers Nhi Nguyen '25, biochemistry and bioinformatics, and Ben Bhattarai '23, biology and psychology, is a second place finalist in the 2023 Wilbur Ellis Innovation Award. Announced at the end of September, the honorable mention award--given to only four schools--recognizes the student teams with the most innovative strategies for providing food for a growing world population.

Nguyen and Bhattarai's proposal aimed to address the water scarcity in agriculture which affects the ability to feed a growing world population sustainably. Their project proposed the use of halophytic (salt-tolerant) algae to desalinate saltwater in order to increase freshwater availability to enhance agricultural yields and to create highly nutritious food products. Nguyen and Bhattarai believe their project also may help resolve some of the impacts of global warming on food production and transportation, including the growth of algae; limited fossil fuels; and ocean acidification due to high carbon dioxide. Both hope to continue their research into ways to eliminate food insecurity.

Read the article in UMBC Magazine.

Coverage of the award also appeared on WLNS and AG Web.

Learn more about how to support Retriever Essentials, a faculty, staff, and student partnership to tackle food insecurity in our UMBC community.

World Mental Health Day is celebrated globally on October 10. As we celebrate, this year's theme "Mental Health is a Universal Human Right" couldn't be more fitting. Every individual, regardless of their background, gender, age, or nationality, has the fundamental right to good mental health. According to the World Health Organization, one in four people will be affected by a mental health issue at some point in their lives. This underscores the pervasive nature of mental health challenges. Moreover, mental health is not just an absence of mental illness but a state of well-being where one can realize their potential, cope with life's stresses, and contribute to their community. Here are some ways we can safeguard this fundamental human right.

• Destigmatizing mental health conversations. Non-judgmental and compassionate discussions about mental well-being are vital. 
• Prioritizing self-care. Take time for yourself, practice mindfulness, engage in hobbies, and get enough rest. 
• Maintaining strong social connections and seeking professional help when needed can go a long way in managing our overall mental well-being. 
• Promoting mental health awareness and advocating for policies that prioritize mental health care on a community level is essential. We can contribute by participating in community initiatives, volunteering, or supporting organizations that work to improve mental health access and services. 

By recognizing mental health as a human right, we can foster a more compassionate and inclusive world where every individual can thrive.

Here are some local resources for accessing and advocating for mental health:

• Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) brings together UMBC's health and counseling services to all UMBC students and supports holistic well-being and success.
• National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) is a mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for individuals affected by mental illness.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is voluntary health organization that advocates research and education around suicide. 

UMBC has announced the projects selected to receive grants in the 2022 - 2023 rounds of the Hrabowski Fund for Innovation competition, including two projects by staff in Student Affairs' Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (i3b).The Hrabowski Fund supports initiatives to enhance teaching and learning at UMBC, with specific emphasis on innovative approaches to increase student success.

Assessing Sense of Belonging and Dialogue Skills in a FYS Course: This team is now led by i3b Acting Director Ciara Christian M.A. '18, Applied Sociology, and Ph.D. '22, Language, Literacy, and Culture. They will utilize data collected from a first-year seminar course that employs dialogue pedagogy to learn which practices contribute to first-year and transfer students' sense of belonging in the classroom. 

As a Minority Serving Institution, UMBC's students bring rich experiences from all corners of the globe. While the benefits of diversity are evident, students are not always well-equipped to engage meaningfully across differences. Additionally, stakeholders across campus have anecdotally noted several casualties of COVID in relationships--the ability to practice empathy and the inclination to dialogue across differences of identity, worldview, and lived experience. These casualties contribute to a lack of connection, making it imperative for UMBC to explore the ways in which students find, create, and experience a sense of belonging on campus.

LOTUS Mentoring Program--Leading Others to Thriving and Universal Success: Angelina Jenkins, i3b's assistant director, will develop, pilot, and assess an identity-based mentoring program targeted at supporting undergraduate Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) students at UMBC. 

UMBC's current student population boasts broad diversity, but as a Minority Serving Institution, students of color make up about 52 percent of the student population. More specifically, 19 percent of UMBC's student population is made up of APIDA communities. In 2021, Michelle Obama celebrated UMBC as an Asian-Serving Institution, yet UMBC has no initiatives or interventions that center these populations. With a primary goal of building cultural confidence through peer-to-peer connections, APIDA students will increase their sense of belonging, build community connections, and have a deeper understanding of their racial and ethnic identity.

Learn more about i3b.