Members of UMBC’s Student Alumni Association (SAA) hit Main Street in the Commons Tuesday to share their love of philanthropy with the passing campus community. Thanks to every Retriever, near and far, who supported UMBC on this day of giving. “Giving Tuesday really makes you think about the people who have helped you at this point whether it is at home, in school, at work, etc. It really makes you appreciate what others do for you and what actions you can take to pay that service forward to others,” said SAA member Karndeep Singh, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major. “Here at… Continue Reading Students Feel the #GivingDay Spirit on Campus
Hua Lu, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, UMBC, and Linda Wiratan, B.S. Student of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMBC Above photo: CC BY-ND At dusk, the leaves of the tamarind tree close, waiting for another dawn. Androsthenes, a ship captain serving under Alexander the Great, made the first written account of these leaf movements in the fourth century B.C. It took centuries longer to discover that he was describing the effects of the circadian clock. This internal time-sensing mechanism allows many living organisms to keep track of time and coordinate their behaviors along 24-hour cycles. It follows the regular day/night and seasonal… Continue Reading Studying circadian rhythms in plants and their pathogens might lead to precision medicine for people
UMBC’s Chapter of Young Alumni made a difference in our community this month, volunteering at two locations — and having a blast doing so together. Above: On November 16, CYA members visited the Baltimore Community ToolBank, where they collectively put in more than 20 hours of labor doing fun tasks such as painting tools, sorting and pairing gloves, and much more! Later that week, CYA members traveled to the Patapsco Heritage Greenway to clean up streams near UMBC. Lots and lots of trash and treasures later, folks make a big dent in their stream cleanup efforts. Interested in joining a future volunteer… Continue Reading Chapter of Young Alumni members share time and talents
For most of us, a trip to the theatre means relaxing in a plush auditorium chair for a couple of hours while performers share their finely honed skills for our amusement. We laugh, we cry, and we clap wildly as the stars bow before the falling curtain. But, what do we miss when we forget about what happens backstage? For the upcoming production of William Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night, directed by Eve Muson, (running Nov. 9 – 19) students and theatre faculty worked diligently for weeks to design and build sets, sew costumes, install lighting and sound plots, and develop… Continue Reading A Peek Behind the Curtains: Twelfth Night at UMBC
By Steve Levy ’85, Associate Athletic Director, Athletic Communications Above photo: The Retrievers celebrate their Homecoming win over Albany (3-1). Photo by Gail Burton. The UMBC men’s soccer program has a lot to be proud of these days. With a Homecoming win over Albany, the number 16 nationally ranked team has packed Retriever Soccer Park with record-breaking crowds. And with their last regular season home game tonight versus Delaware, they have showed their “Grit & Glory” on field and off all season long. But the truth is, the program has had much to celebrate throughout its history. The year 2017 happens… Continue Reading Men’s Soccer Q&A: Forty Years (and Counting) of Celebrations
We attend school for different reasons — or, more likely, a combination of reasons. When we go “back to school” later, those reasons often multiply or change. This fall, I did the latter. After years of considering it, I finally decided to sign up as a non-degree-seeking student at UMBC. My goal: to take Introduction to Korean. My reasons: Many. (More on that later.) Now, a few weeks into it, I am proud of what I’ve learned. Here’s the gist so far: I have learned an entirely new alphabet, with new shapes and sounds unlike my own. (There are multiple marks for… Continue Reading Back to School: The First Weeks
Who inspired YOU most as a student at UMBC? We asked, and you answered! #UMBCwow “Ilsa Lottes pulled me into Sociology, and Leslie Morgan convinced me to pursue a Ph.D. Both women were amazing mentors! So many great professors…a lot of fun was had in Rudy Storch’s Latin classes and I find myself still referring back to Jay Freyman’s word roots class.” — Connie Krach Pierson ’90, economics, M.A. ’92, sociology “Professor Schaller. He not only pushed me harder than any other professor, but he intensified my interest in politics and government. I still can’t believe he gave a quiz… Continue Reading Wow Moments
Patrick Rife ’10, visual arts As an undergraduate student of art history at UMBC, Patrick Rife ’10, visual arts, paid homage to obsolescent technology by building a sculpture out of 9,000 vinyl records. Today, as the co-founder of Baltimore-based Pixilated, Rife spends his days figuring out the key to staying on the cutting edge of a technology that calls to another throwback technology – photo booths. If you’ve been to a major party in Baltimore in the last few years, you’ve probably seen the heavy rotation of guests posing in front of one of Pixilated’s trademark photo boxes. But Rife’s… Continue Reading Picture Perfect
Henge After a sculpture titled, Forum, by Thomas Sayre Outside the glass wall That separates us From the cold and below, Covered with an icing Of melting snow, Are the half arches Formed of earth-colored stone Placed so no two can Connect, an almost row Of almost arches Among the broken gray Of stunted columns left As if to the wind on some acropolis; A henge whose shadows Rotate across the grass, Slant across squares of paving To remind us That time is told By the movement of suns, By melting ice, The shattered rock Of a ruined forum which… Continue Reading Wild Card – Fall 2017
Delali Dzirasa ’04, computer engineering With two Retriever brothers before him, UMBC was the last place Delali Dzirasa wanted to be during college. But it turned out to be a key part of his future as president and founder of Fearless Solutions, a shining star in Baltimore’s software scene, not to mention the place where he met his wife, an officer in their company. “There’s always going to be a connection between me, Fearless, and UMBC. UMBC’s part of the story, right?” says Dzirasa. Earlier this year, Fearless was named Maryland Minority-Owned Small Business of the Year by the U.S.… Continue Reading Fearless Entrepreneur
Carol Anne Huff ’93, economics, and Julie A. Gillespie ’93, economics On a rainy day in Chicago, the sisters cross town to meet up for lunch. They greet each other, laughing, and proceed to order their food with similar cadence and tastes. When the plates come, they split the dishes – an octopus salad, a crab cake – with the precision that comes from a lifetime of practice and shared biology. Let’s get the obvious points about Carol Anne Huff and Julie A. Gillespie (both formerly Sennello) out of the way. Yes, they are identical twins. Yes, they often finish… Continue Reading Shared Strengths
Although his thoughts often take him to the faraway national monuments of Utah and beyond, Ian Kennedy ’00, interdisciplinary studies, works every day to make his long-time community, Columbia, Maryland, a better place. Before becoming a Retriever, he was a Rouse Scholar at Howard Community College; upon transferring to UMBC, he found a way to make his interests in writing and environmental preservation work together as a scholar. Kennedy has worked as a newspaper reporter, a community organizer, and – most recently – as executive director of The Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission, which oversees the health and well-being… Continue Reading Things Worth Saving
