Praise Lasekan ‘25 checked off two major items from his to-do list this academic year: he traveled over 6,000 miles from Nigeria to the U.S. for the first time and he became a Retriever. Learn about his experience in a conversation with Adam Julian, UMBC’s director of international student and scholar services. “Our work shows that most areas depicted as ‘untouched,’ ‘wild,’ and ‘natural’ are actually areas with long histories of human inhabitation and use,” Ellis previously shared with UMBC News. They might be interpreted like this, he suggests, because in these areas, “societies used their landscapes in ways that sustained most of their native biodiversity and even increased their biodiversity, productivity, and resilience.” The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has named Fernando Tormos-Aponte, assistant professor of public policy and political science, an Early Career Faculty Innovator–one of 12 across the nation. He will partner with NCAR scientists to examine energy inequality in the wake of disasters, incorporating measures of social vulnerability. “Monitoring a natural resource or an institution can generate valuable information that will improve governance, but it is necessary to engage decision-makers and the community,” says UMBC’s Maria Bernedo Del Carpio, assistant professor of economics. She and colleagues at other research institutions have conducted a field experiment to isolate one feature of local common pool resource governance: externally supported, technology-facilitated community monitoring. “UMBC’s commitment to continue the Postdoctoral Fellowship for Faculty Diversity through the pandemic is one of the reasons I decided to come to UMBC,” says Mercedez Dunn, sociology, anthropology, and public health. Dunn is one of two fellows to join UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences through the high-impact program this fall. “Across time, literature has often served as a site of protest. Dr. Tran’s work addresses this important aspect of literary studies,” says Jean Fernandez, professor and chair of English. “The English department is proud of the recognition she has garnered with this prestigious award.” Based on a decade of archival research, “Blood on the River: A Chronicle of Mutiny and Freedom on the Wild Coast” tells the story of a nearly successful rebellion of enslaved people just over 250 years ago. UMBC’s Amy Froide, professor and chair of history, shares that Kars is a notable example of the rigorous historical research that thrives at UMBC – meticulously researched and carefully argued scholarship that is beautifully written and accessible to a wide range of audiences. “This experienced team of diverse senior leaders has an opportunity to create a structural answer to elevate diverse leaders from the arts and humanities,” says project PI Kimberly Moffitt, UMBC’s interim dean of CAHSS. “This will enable faculty to apply distinct knowledge, skills, and perspectives to address our communities’ needs as leaders at their respective institutions.” Senior year ended with a surprising turn of events for Dominique Ross ‘21 and Yianni Karabatis ‘21. Both received prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for 2021 – 2022. But, like many Fulbright recipients, their Fulbright experiences were initially stalled due to COVID-19. Now, with immunization and continued mask requirements, international travel is once again possible for Fulbright recipients. “The process of creating this professorship speaks to the power of collaboration within the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) and across UMBC,” says Kimberly Moffitt, interim dean of CAHSS. “I am excited to partner with donors and other supporters who are so dedicated to building programs that broaden the reach and impact of UMBC’s teaching and research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.” Adekoya’s appointment as MHEC student commissioner recognizes her community-engaged work connecting students to resources and leading enrichment and leadership opportunities at both K–12 and university levels. She shares, “I believe that education is the most powerful tool to change the world.” “COVID has already changed the way we think and approach technology innovation,” says Patricia Young, associate professor of education. “These are reasons why educational technologies and technology-enhanced learning must keep pace with trends in design and technology.”
One-on-one: A conversation about UMBC’s global community
Smithsonian features Erle Ellis’s research on how humans have shaped ecology over millennia as a top discovery of 2021
UMBC’s Fernando Tormos-Aponte is named an Early Career Faculty Innovator for research on energy inequality
A new approach to environmental research may improve global management of common pool resources
UMBC’s Mercedez Dunn illuminates marginalized voices to boost equity, from public health to the classroom
UMBC’s Sharon Tran receives a Career Enhancement Fellowship for writing on Asian girlhood and anti-Asian racism
UMBC’s Marjoleine Kars receives the Cundill History Prize and Frederick Douglass Book Prize for “Blood on the River”
Women leaders from UMBC, Morgan State, and UMD receive $3M Mellon grant to diversify senior leadership in higher ed
After COVID halted global travel, UMBC’s newest Fulbright Scholars begin their journeys
UMBC receives a $1M gift plus $1M in state match to establish the Fred and Virginia Pausch Professorship in Economics
UMBC’s Haleemat Adekoya, education advocate, is named 2021–22 MHEC student commissioner
Patricia Young’s new book explores emerging ed-tech trends and how COVID has changed the future of the field
