The GWST program offers two award opportunities. The first is the Jo Ann E. Argersinger Award for Academic Achievement. Named for a former provost and Gender and Women’s Studies faculty member, this award recognizes exemplary academic achievement in gender and women’s studies. The second is the Joan S. Korenman Outstanding Service Award, named for the founding director of the Program. This award recognizes outstanding service to the Gender and Women’s Studies Program. 

Kevin Triplett carries a 4.0 GPA while completing a triple major in Sociology, Psychology, and Gender + Women's Studies, as well as a minor in Critical Sexuality Studies. His article "The Gendered Asylum: Nineteenth Century Asylums Used as Tools of Female Socialization" was published in the 2011 UMBC Review. He is also published in the 2010 and 2012 Bartleby Creative Journal. Kevin works as the student assistant in Gender + Women's Studies while being a resident assistant in Harbor Hall. He will present his research "Overcoming Reproductive Barriers: Memoirs of Gay Fatherhood" at URCAD in April. Kevin received both the Jo Ann E. Argersinger Academic Achievement Award in GWST and Joan S. Korenman Award for Service in GWST. 

Alexandra Mills is a Gender and Women’s Studies major, Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar, and member of the Honors College. She is also a Public Policy and International Affairs program fellow. During her semester abroad, she studied gender, health, and community empowerment in Mali. For the past academic year, she has served as a grant writing, fundraising, and sponsorship intern at the UMBC Women’s Center. She is currently a Fulbright finalist for the English Teaching Assistantship program in Malaysia. After graduation, she will begin her employment with Morgan Stanley as an Operations Analyst. In the future, Alexandra hopes to obtain a Master of Public Policy in International Affairs. Lexx received the Jo Ann E. Argersinger Award for Academic Achievement in GWST.

Summer Rai Torres will be graduating with a BA in Gender + Women’s Studies and English as well as a minor in creative writing. Much of her academic work has been focused on exploring LGBTQ representations in the media. After graduating with honors in May, she is planning on starting her career in publishing and freelance creative writing. Her goal is to start her own publishing company which caters to queer and feminist voices in sunny California. Summer received the 2013 Jo Ann E. Argersinger Academic Achievement Award for GWST.

Lindsay Raspi chose UMBC as it offered Arabic, and she has a strong interest in human rights issues in the Arabic-speaking part of the world. After a few major switches, she found a good fit in the Gender and Women’s Studies Major. Lindsay is grateful for the exposure to real-life issues she gained through coursework in this major, especially those concerning globalization’s effects on women throughout the world, as she has long held an interest in indigenous women’s struggles.  Her independent research focused on coercive sterilizations of U.S. American Indian women in the 1970s. Lindsay has been self-employed through most of her college career as the owner of an online vintage clothing boutique. She is currently looking at graduate programs in the realm of Women’s Studies or International Studies. Lindsay received the Jo Ann E. Argersinger Award for Academic Achievement in GWST.

Janelle Roylo is graduating with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Gender and Women's Studies.She is a member of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Honor Society for Sociology. In addition, she received an Associate's degree in Liberal Arts and a membership to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society from Howard Community College. She plans on attending graduate school with a concentration in Health and Public Policy. Janelle received the Jo Ann E. Argersinger Award for Academic Achievement in GWST.

Lauren Linn is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies. She plans to further her education in Social Work in the Fall by earning her Master’s degree at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Her future goals include advocating for policies that support the civil rights of all people through grassroots activism and policy. Lauren is grateful to have received this award and truly values the education she received in Gender and Women’s Studies. Lauren received the Jo Ann E. Argersinger Award for Academic Achievement in GWST.

Maureen Evans Arthurs is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Women's Studies and a minor in Political Science. She serves as a Project Manager for Women Involved in Learning and Leadership (WILL) and was appointed a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Student Advisory Council. Previously earning the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, Maureen is also a Dean’s List and President’s List honoree. As a McNair scholar, Maureen will participate in the Summer Research Institute to study the educational attainment and political efficacy of adolescent, minority girls in Baltimore City with her faculty mentor, Dr. Kimberley Moffitt. With the support of her husband and son, she plans to pursue a PhD and incorporate her passion for social justice and gender equity in her graduate studies and subsequent research. Maureen received the Joan S. Korenman Award for Service in GWST.

The Women's Center exists to assist all women in achieving their full potential in education, career and personal life through academic and intellectual growth, professional development and personal empowerment. One of the ways we work to achieve this mission is in our support services and programs for returning women students undergraduate students over the age of 25). The Women’s Center offers meeting space for these students in addition to scholarship opportunities.

I'm Liz Winters, a senior Psychology major. This year I have been part of the Student Veteran's Association, Health Leads and Psi Chi, among other organizations. I'm a married mom of 2, a veteran, a triathlete, and an aspiring marathoner. I plan on being a nurse one day soon.

Being a Newcombe Scholar has helped me to foster a lasting connection to the Women's Center community that helps support me in academic and personal growth endeavors. My support network includes grad students, undergrads, and staff & faculty mentors in all reaches of campus. The group is comprised of people, like me, who want to succeed and finish strong in various areas of academic study. The tone is overwhelmingly positive, even when we are in the thick of deadlines and coursework pressures. These benefits are invaluable to making my UMBC experience overwhelmingly positive.

We have more in common than you might think.  We may be older, but we can certainly relate to the daily life of a traditional student.  We feel the pressure to do well in classes. We wish we had more time to participate in all of the fun campus activities. We want to get out there and enjoy the nice weather.  We want to relax and enjoy the weekend, too. Don't let our age be the thing that stops you from getting to know us.

We don't expect preferential treatment based on age or previous professional experience. We may often keep our non-traditional status to ourselves to keep the playing field even. When we chat with you after class about things we might have in common, we are doing it to make connections, not gain favor. Always give us the opportunity to rise to the challenge. Please be willing to mentor and teach us knowing that we will put forth our best effort in order to be better in our studies.

Make UMBC your own, don't be a bystander. Get to know the other students in your classes. They are very  smart and talented in the subject matter of your courses, even if they lack confidence sometimes. Get involved on campus in academic organizations and clubs, these connections will be valuable to getting you through to graduation. If you are a parent, your time spent volunteering on campus will be the one of the best examples you can give your kids that will make them see college as something they want to do, too. Have fun, and try not to stress out! When you do get overwhelmed stop by the Women's Center for some tea or yoga, or go to the RAC and do some ZUMBA- do anything! Just be active and get involved!

Since graduating with my Bachelor's degree, I have had some time to really process my learning and growing experiences from my Undergraduate work. The Newcombe Scholarships I received while I was finishing my studies afforded me the freedom to pursue a few volunteer and research opportunities I would otherwise not have been able to participate in. With my scholarship, I was able to afford daycare for my preschool-aged daughter a few extra times a week during each semester so that I could conduct research in local Head Start programs, and work with underprivileged patients in a local Baltimore medical clinic. 

My time in the medical clinic as a Student Advocate for Health Leads really instilled a sense of Social Justice and activism in me. This experience not only enriched my time at UMBC, but also left a nagging feeling that I could be doing more in my community even after graduation. Some of my best memories of this time came from conversations with other women around campus and at the Women's Center who were returning students (and especially with one in particular who was in Health Leads). Every time I met someone new who showed promise as a Newcombe Scholar, I would encourage her to apply for the Newcombe Scholarship, and explain how I had used it to enrich my study experiences. 

My Health Leads experience really stuck with me, and I had a hard time walking away from the program after I graduated. I eventually began to apply for open job positions with Health Leads, and am thrilled to be employed as their Advocate Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic region. I love my job, and will never forget that it was the Newcombe Scholarship that put me in a position to gain this great experience-- putting me on the path to a wonderfully fulfilling career I never thought possible! 

-update from September 2014

The Women's Center exists to assist all women in achieving their full potential in education, career and personal life through academic and intellectual growth, professional development and personal empowerment. One of the ways we work to achieve this mission is in our support services and programs for Returning Women (undergraduate students over the age of 25). The Women’s Center offers meeting space for these students in addition to scholarship opportunities.

I am Amy Connor, and I am a returning student studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UMBC.  Before coming to UMBC, I was an artist and gallery director who specialized in contemporary abstract landscapes.  I originally attended the University of Florida where I studied Agricultural and Biological Engineering before pursuing a Fine Art Degree.  I love science, I think it can be incredibly creative, and I am loving learning more about Chemistry and Biology. While attending UMBC, I work full-time managing a restaurant in Frederick, Maryland, and when I can spare a few hours you will always find me outdoors hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, or biking.

As a Newcombe Scholar, I have met so many other women who share in the struggles and also the benefits of being a returning student.  Most importantly, as a returning student, it can sometimes feel like you are a bit alone in the hard work put into your higher education.  Younger students have friends that share in their experiences at school and families that provide more encouragement.  By awarding me with the Newcombe Scholarship, the Foundation showed me that they believe in what I am doing and trust that I can succeed.  That encouragement is worth more than even the scholarship itself.

We really love being here and are extremely dedicated to our coursework. Returning to college requires more courage than I thought it would, and non-traditional students typically have a clear vision of what they would like from their futures.  We may have great career advice to offer, as many of us have had interesting careers in the past.  The most important thing you may learn from your non-traditional classmates is to be passionate about your future!  Whether we are here to improve our quality of life or the lives of our families, to find a new rewarding career, or to make a difference in a field of study, choose something that is worth your life's work and never give up.  The most challenging things in life always have the best rewards.

Once again, we are so excited to be here!  Non-traditional students work very hard to make school fit into their lives and the struggle to do so makes success even more rewarding.  We are here to engage in our education and learn as much as we can from you.

Seek out other students that are in similar walks of life, who share the challenges of being a returning student, but also be sure to engage with traditional students on campus.  Our peers at UMBC can teach us as much as we can teach them, and I owe many of my friends here on campus for showing me how to relax and enjoy being a student.  There is a balance that you must find between your work schedule, school, family, and fun, and it is important to give yourself time to relax and enjoy the present.  Be grateful for all you have and proud of all you have already accomplished!

Fall 2014 Update!
After graduation in May 2014, I took on a new journey related to field and passions. I am currently in the MAT program for teaching Chemistry.  I received the Noyce scholarship as well as the Sherman Scholarship, which has been a wonderful gift.  As I said before about my Newcombe scholarship, receiving these awards is so much more than just a way to pay for my education. These investments in my future are someone saying "I believe in you,"  and that is worth possibly more than the scholarship itself.  I am so lucky to have had so many people believe in me and what I can do, and I am looking forward to making the Sherman's and the Wilfred's (who oversee the Newcombe Foundation) proud.  

Environmental activist  Dr. Sandra Steingraber will be speaking at UMBC on Monday, April 29 at 4 p.m. on the 7th floor of the Albin O. Kuhn Library, at the Gender + Women's Studies Korenman lecture. This lecture will be her first public appearance following her incarceration for civil disobedience.

Steingraber, an Ithaca College professor, was recently sentenced to serve time in jail for blocking access to a storage site for fracked gas, then refused to pay her bail. She has been a leader of the fight in New York state to keep frackers at bay.

Dr. Steingraber wrote an Earth Day letter from jail, and will speak on Monday about the environment, fracking, and her recent arrest and incarceration. Join us! 

Rolling admissions through August.