All posts by: UMBC News Staff

Dear UMBC Community,   Our care and support go out to the Morgan State University community after last night’s shooting on campus that left five people injured. Through colleagues, friends, family members, and neighbors, we are closely connected to Morgan State, and I know our colleagues throughout Baltimore and across Maryland are likewise extending their support to Morgan State President David Wilson and everyone in the Morgan State family.   For any members of our community who may need support, I encourage you to please find help through the counseling resources and other forms of support available to you, including… Continue Reading Expressing Support for the Morgan State University Community

Dear UMBC Community,   As I said at my inauguration in the spring, there is much to celebrate in reflecting on UMBC’s journey and the institution it has become since its founding in 1966. Over the decades, UMBC has become a national model for inclusive excellence, a comprehensive Research 1 public university, and a welcoming learning community that engages actively in advancing our surrounding neighborhoods, the state of Maryland, and the wider world. We are inspired and propelled by our shared values and a shared vision for UMBC.    We have the vision. The time is now to take up… Continue Reading Strategic Planning: A Beginning

Dear Colleagues,  UMBC is fortunate to have so many talented and dedicated staff working to support our mission and our students every day. The annual staff awards provide the opportunity to recognize and honor the exceptional contributions of our staff.    I encourage you to reflect on the work happening within your units and across the campus, and take a moment to nominate a staff colleague for one of the following prestigious awards: UMBC Presidential Distinguished Staff Awards University System of Maryland Board of Regents’ Staff Awards Jakubik Family Endowment Staff Award for Exempt or Non-Exempt Staff Karen L. Wensch… Continue Reading From the President: Nominations for Staff Awards

Dear UMBC Community, It is my great privilege to share the news that UMBC has again–for the 14th consecutive year–been recognized in the Great Colleges to Work For program, and that we were among just 11 institutions nationwide (and one of only two universities with the Research 1 Carnegie Classification) to excel in all 10 recognition categories. Of course, it comes as no surprise to me that UMBC would be recognized nationally time and again for its workplace community and culture. We are fortunate, indeed, to come to work each day propelled by the worthy and noble mission to serve… Continue Reading UMBC Again Named a “Great College to Work For”

Dear UMBC Community, We have arrived: It is the first day of classes! Whether you are a long-serving faculty or staff member, a returning student, or one of the many members of our community for whom today is the beginning of your first academic year at UMBC, welcome to the start of the fall semester.  The first day of school has been a favorite day of mine since I was a young child, and the excitement never diminishes for me. Today, I am inspired to see our new students beginning their journeys, and I am filled with joy to see our… Continue Reading Happy First Day of Classes!

Dear UMBC Community,    I am pleased to announce that David Dauwalder has accepted my invitation to serve as interim provost at UMBC beginning August 15. David was selected from a highly qualified pool of interim candidates from The Registry, a firm specializing in placing interim higher education leaders.    As I shared earlier this summer, the national search for our next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs is ongoing. Retaining an interim provost will allow us to continue to advance our strategic interests — including moving forward with strategic planning — as we recruit and select the… Continue Reading Announcing an Interim Provost for UMBC

Dear UMBC Community, While not surprising, today’s long-anticipated ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions is deeply troubling. Throughout higher education, diversity is widely understood to be of critical importance to the education we deliver. At UMBC, we have long championed and served as a national model of inclusive excellence. We know that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not merely moral imperatives; they are imperative to the excellence of our teaching and research, and they are foundational values for our university. In striking down race-conscious admissions as a violation of… Continue Reading Today’s Ruling on Race-Conscious Admissions

Dear UMBC Community, I write today to provide an update on the search for our next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Over the past several weeks, the search committee, our external partner Isaacson, Miller, and I have considered compelling candidates from a variety of excellent institutions across the country. It is a testament to UMBC’s outstanding academic reputation, its institutional values, and its extraordinary community that so many talented individuals have expressed deep interest in this role. To date, however, none has emerged as the right candidate for us, and so the search will continue. While we… Continue Reading Provost Search Update

Dear UMBC Community, I write today to share with you the news that Dean Keith J. Bowman, who has led the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) since 2017, will be on leave during the upcoming academic year to pursue key academic and professional projects. Oros Family Professor Anupam Joshi, chair of the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (CSEE) and director of UMBC’s Center for Cybersecurity, will serve as acting dean of COEIT, effective July 1. During his leave, Keith will be working to stay updated on fast-moving advancements in his field, serving on review teams for… Continue Reading Announcement Regarding COEIT Leadership