When LeBron James comes calling, you answer the phone. Philip Knowlton ’03, visual arts, knows this better than most. The NBA legend doesn’t have the UMBC alum in his contacts because Knowlton is great at one-on-one (probably). Instead, Knowlton has collaborated with James’ media company Uninterrupted on several documentaries as a director, editor, producer, and director of photography. Uninterrupted was founded to empower athletes to tell their stories in their own words. This time, Knowlton was called upon to direct and co-executive produce Redefined: J.R. Smith, a four-part Prime Video documentary series released in April 2023 that follows J.R. Smith,… Continue Reading The man behind the camera
Dear UMBC Community, We are delighted to share with you the news that Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) has completed installation of a new electrical feeder to our campus. This third feeder comes from a different substation than the campus’s other feeders, providing much-needed redundancy for our power supply, greatly improving reliability and reducing the likelihood of campus power outages. This milestone concludes a years-long effort to improve the reliability of our electrical system. Going back at least to 2019, the university has engaged BGE leadership in this effort, as our community endured numerous power outages and waited for relief.… Continue Reading BGE Installation of Electrical Feeder Complete
Dear UMBC Community, As we look ahead to the remainder of the semester, we know that the usual busyness of this season and the last few weeks of classes and final exams may feel especially challenging in the context of world events, most especially the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Many among our UMBC community continue to feel direct and indirect impacts of the conflict, as well as of the resulting rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia toward Israelis and Palestinians that we are seeing throughout society. Here on our campus, the month of December brings not… Continue Reading A Continued Focus on Safety, Care, and Support
Dear UMBC Community, As the crisis in Israel and Gaza deepens, reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise, including on college campuses in the U.S. These incidents are deeply troubling, and we know that they add to the anxiety and concern that our own community members are feeling. College campuses have long been epicenters of activism, including protest against military action and government policy here and abroad. In recent years, campuses also have become targets in American culture wars, in part because of the very values we espouse as institutions of higher learning. Among those core values are… Continue Reading Free Speech, Respect, and Civil Discourse
The weeks around Homecoming offer multiple ways for the UMBC community to reconnect with our Retriever pride and celebrate the accomplishments of our amazing alumni. Two marquee events during this time are the Alumni Awards ceremonies and the UMBC Athletic Hall of Fame Induction. Recognizing alumni excellence Standing out on the Alumni Awards stage, Rising Star honoree Stefanie Mavronis ’12 shared a sentiment echoed by several other speakers—UMBC is a place to flourish. “UMBC did more than accept students like me who brought idealism and lots of passion to campus,” said Mavronis, chief of staff in Baltimore City Mayor’s Office… Continue Reading Celebrating Retriever Achievements
The six 2022 honorary degree recipients speaking at UMBC’s commencement ceremonies next week have a lot in common. They are each doing amazing things in their respective fields. And they also all happen to be UMBC alumni. “These honorary degree recipients are wonderful examples of the best of UMBC,” said Greg Simmons, M.P.P., ’04, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “They are brilliant individuals at the top of their fields, who care deeply about making the world a better place, each in their own way.” Continue Reading Six alumni to speak as honorary degree recipients at 2022 Commencement
