The Master’s in Gerontology program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore provides specialized knowledge and skills to support a wide range of careers, including those in aging services and senior housing, healthcare, policy development, research, and social work.
Why Pursue a Master's in Gerontology?
Why University of Maryland, Baltimore?
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) offers a unique, interdisciplinary approach to aging, combining cutting-edge research with practical, hands-on learning experiences. Our faculty are leaders in the field of gerontology, and students have access to an extensive network of professionals and alumni. UMB’s commitment to addressing the challenges and opportunities of aging, along with its strong ties to healthcare, policy, and community organizations, makes it the ideal place to advance your career in this growing and impactful field.
Program Highlights:
I encourage you to share this information with your students who may be interested in exploring the broad career opportunities available to those with a Master’s in Gerontology. This program equips students with the expertise to excel in a variety of sectors and make a difference in our rapidly aging society.
For more information or to apply, please contact:
Sean Brooks, Recruiter
or
Diane Martin, PhD; Program Director
410-706-4327
https://www.graduate.umaryland.edu/gerontologyms/
University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Graduate Studies
]]>Maya Schreiber’s scientific abstract was accepted to the Society of Women Engineers Collegiate Competition for Undergraduates. The CBEE student then attended the 2025 Society of Women Engineers WE Local Conference in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on March 7-8, 2025.
Maya gave a 10 minute oral presentation titled “Measuring Oxygen Consumption to Understand Optimal Chronic Wound Healing Environments” and engaged in a Q&A session about her work with the judges and attendees. Her research poster was also displayed for the duration of the conference. The judges evaluated the presenters and awarded Maya with first place in the Undergraduate category. Congratulations to Maya on all of her success!
See Maya Schreiber’s Linked In post: https://shorturl.at/nknIb
PHOTO CREDIT: Maya Schreiber
]]>Meet Marilin, a Media and Communication Studies (MCS) major with a Psychology minor and a Chinese Certificate, set to graduate in May 2025. Her journey to the MCS major began undecided with a focus on psychology, but she later shifted to better fit her interests of event planning and marketing. Dissatisfied with the technological emphasis of other paths, Marilin found her niche in MCS through UMBC’s "What Can I Do With My Major" resource. She loves learning about how communication has evolved over the years, with classes like Social Media Networking and Media Globalization being formative experiences. These classes helped Marilin understand the practical aspects of market analysis, fueling her love for the major.
Outside of the classroom, Marilin loves to spend her time being creative! Her hobbies include drawing on Procreate, crocheting, event planning, and listening to true crime podcasts. Marilin is also very social, spending her free time hosting game nights and going out for food with friends in Old Ellicott City. On the weekends, she balances shifts at the Campus Information Center desk in the Commons with spending quality time with her family (and her beloved cat Yuki!) Marilin is also a Resident Assistant on campus and enjoys planning events for her residents as well as getting to know them. Finally, she is a marketing intern with UMBC’s Division of Professional Studies, working hard to post deadlines, events, and other important information.
Looking forward, Marilin hopes to have a career in Marketing or Event Planning. Her internship and other roles at UMBC have equipped her with the skills she needs to succeed in these fields, such as search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, branding, and customer service. Another goal of hers is to create messaging stickers that feature her original bunny character! Reflecting on her time here, Marilin says she will miss the strong knit community of UMBC, and being able to wave to familiar faces while walking around campus. While she is still uncertain about what company she wants to work for, Marilin is confident her experiences at UMBC have prepared her to thrive in any professional environment that values collaboration and creativity.
Join SDS’s Assistive Technologist and Accessibility Specialist, Tori Jakpa, for Tea Time with Tori on March 26 at 12:00 PM in Math/Psychology 222!
Enjoy tea, light snacks, and engaging conversations about disability, accessibility, and assistive technology. This welcoming space is open to students, faculty, and staff looking to connect and explore how assistive technology can enhance learning and the classroom experience.
Curious to learn more? Let’s chat! Open to all UMBC community members.
UMBC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all. The film has open captioning, ASL and audio description are available upon request. A range of accessible seating options are available. For additional inquiries about access or accommodation, please email tjakpa@umbc.edu with "Tea Time with Tori" in the subject line.
Join SDS’s Assistive Technologist and Accessibility Specialist, Tori Jakpa, for Tea Time with Tori on March 26 at 12:00 PM in Math/Psychology 222!
Enjoy tea, light snacks, and engaging conversations about disability, accessibility, and assistive technology. This welcoming space is open to students, faculty, and staff looking to connect and explore how assistive technology can enhance learning and the classroom experience.
Curious to learn more? Let’s chat! Open to all UMBC community members.
UMBC is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all. The film has open captioning, ASL and audio description are available upon request. A range of accessible seating options are available. For additional inquiries about access or accommodation, please email tjakpa@umbc.edu with "Tea Time with Tori" in the subject line.
By: Marilin Argueta-Osorio
We had the chance to learn more about Senior Jacob Singleton who is excited to graduate in the Spring of 2025! Currently, Jacob is working hard on their capstone project. Alongside their MCS major, Jacob is pursuing Computer Science as a minor. At the moment, they don’t have any solid plans after graduation but they hope to continue working in digital accessibility. Jacob’s passion for the future is to make websites and videos accessible to everyone!
Q: Why did you choose Media and Communication Studies as your major?
At first, I was majoring in Computer Science, but after I took MCS 222 for the GEP credit I found it so fascinating that I had to change majors. One part of the course I really liked was learning about the concept of time-biased and space-biased media, and how the characteristics of the medium can be as important or more important than the message it carries. I liked how different of a lens this was to my Computer Science perspective, and I loved that it could provide an understanding about the world and society that Computer Science just doesn’t.
Q: What is one skill you have gotten to learn and use through one of the MCS elective courses? (Examples: videography, social media management, curating blogs, etc)
In MCS 355 I really liked creating a social media strategic marketing plan for a local environmental group! A local interfaith center where I live has a “Green Team,” that does environmental education and advocacy, waste-reduction, and stormwater management. They are doing so many cool things, but they don't have an active social media account to bring in new volunteers and brag about their accomplishments. My plan had them expand their efforts to use social media to educate about native plants and animals, advertise upcoming events and speakers, and highlight past successes.
Q: What has been your favorite MCS course? At what moment did you realize that you really enjoyed the class?
My favorite class was MCS 101: Media Literacy! For my final paper, I looked into the history of accessibility technology. This was the first time I made the connection between MCS and accessibility. I’d recently become interested in it when I watched a TV show with really excellent captions right after a different show with mediocre captions. I realized that these captions were something that people had put a lot of effort into and that served to help others.
Q: Is there any particular project or skill that you learned that made you fond of the class?
Another part of the class I loved was learning to use Photoshop in the Lab section and flexing my design muscles. Prior to MCS 101, I hadn’t done any digital design, and it was super cool to unlock a new skill I enjoyed.
Q: Are you interested in traveling? If not, what is your favorite place to explore in Maryland?
Not really, I like Maryland a lot! One place in particular I like is the Patapsco Valley State Park. I’ve had a lot of fun walking and kayaking there with my family.
Q: What hobbies do you have and how did you get into them? I also remember you like coding, what do you program?
In addition to the walking and kayaking I mentioned, I still have a passion for Computer Science and coding, so I like to do programming projects in my free time. They all tend to be smaller add-ons to larger pieces of software, like web browser extensions to make certain sites easier to use.
Q: Do you have a current MCS-related internship or job, if so what is it like?
This past summer I had an internship with UMBC’s Division of Information Technology in the Office of Instructional Technology! I got to learn more about what goes into making college courses accessible, and I got to help UMBC move toward being a more accessible university. I really had a great time and I hope I can have more experiences like it in the future!
Q: How have your MCS courses helped you with your internship?
MCS 101 helped me think about accessibility on the level of different digital mediums and their affordances toward accessibility. My knowledge of the history of captioning technology ended up serving me well during my summer internship.
Q: Can you tell us about your capstone research project, what question are you researching? Why was that subject interesting to you?
For my capstone project, I’m going to analyze and compare the community structures of music metadata crowdsourcing communities like Musicbrainz and Discogs. I find projects like these really interesting because I myself have contributed to Musicbrainz and I want to learn more about what makes it “tick” from a media and community perspective.
Q: Is there anything fun you’d like us to know about you?
I also like reading science-fiction and fantasy books! I just read Upgrade by Blake Crouch, which was a real fun read.
Q: If you could give an incoming MCS freshman advice, what would it be?
To incoming MCS students, I would say pay attention in MCS 333! It can seem a little abstract at first but it really is the foundation for the rest of the upper-level classes.
By: Mily Pineda-Rivera
Jimeto Nwafor, a senior at UMBC, is set to graduate in spring 2025 with a major in Media and
Communication Studies (MCS) and a minor in Sociology. From a young age, Jimeto knew he wanted to pursue a career in voice acting, especially within the realm of animated films. His passion for storytelling and performance began in third grade when he first stepped onto the stage. Over the years, his interest in voice work has only grown, and he’s found that MCS provides the perfect foundation to develop these skills further. For Jimeto, the journey to MCS has been clear-cut—he’s always felt that his voice was his greatest asset. This conviction has kept him focused and driven throughout his time at UMBC. Last semester, he began applying his passion by working on animation projects for his peers, which further solidified his decision to stay in this field. “I’m exactly where I’ve always wanted to be,” he says, confident that MCS is the right choice for him.
Beyond his academic pursuits, Jimeto has taken on a leadership role in the UMBC community, co-founding the Disney Club with a close friend. He’s proud of how the club has grown and is excited to see it thrive, especially with its first events set for February 2025. This experience has allowed Jimeto to contribute to something meaningful on campus before he graduates, adding a personal touch to his college journey. One of the standout moments in Jimeto’s academic career was working on a storytelling project for his MCS 495 Video Ethnography course. The project involved interviewing residents of Baltimore City and creating a digital story using his camera and WeVideo for editing. This
hands-on project opened his eyes to the power of storytelling through media, which he sees as a key skill for his future career. Jimeto hopes to use these skills in the media production industry, particularly in documentary editing.Among the many courses Jimeto has taken, some of his favorites include Fundamentals of Public Speaking, Professional Communications, Video Ethnography, and Television Production Techniques. Outside of the classroom, Jimeto has gained real-world experience, such as participating in on-location interviews with Dr. Nicole King, an associate professor in the American Studies Department. He also credits his Television Production Techniques class for helping him land an
internship at Maryland Public Television. The internship has been invaluable, allowing Jimeto to further develop his skills and gain insight into the media industry.His internship experience has also helped him build confidence. Working as a Production Intern at Maryland Public Television pushed him out of his comfort zone, as he learned to work in a team, engage with professionals, and take on new challenges. His confidence grew as he was invited to join a team working on a new PBS Kids show, providing him with an exciting opportunity for professional growth.
Looking ahead, Jimeto is focused on his career goals. He recently received an offer for a Production Specialist position at Maryland Public Television, which he is thrilled about. Additionally, Jimeto plans to apply for a voice-over workshop at the New York Film Academy to refine his skills and work towards his dream of becoming a professional voice actor at Disney Hollywood Studios.
Jimeto’s advice for incoming MCS majors is to make use of the resources available on campus. He highly recommends taking Professional Communications to learn how to navigate the job search process. He also encourages students to visit the Career Center for resume feedback and attend internship conferences to prepare for interviews. “These resources will make a big difference in preparing you for success,” he says. With his passion, work ethic, and dedication, Jimeto is
certainly on the path to a bright future in the media industry.
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