As a child in Iran, Nastaran Azar ’22, biological science, was afraid when she saw her grandmother take out her dentures, but her brother’s explanation of what had happened to her grandmother’s original teeth gave Azar a life goal. “Teeth play a really important role in our lives,” she says. She plans to help others take care of theirs when she eventually becomes a dentist. Continue Reading Future dentist values her U.S. college experience Tess McRae ‘22, individualized study, visited UMBC’s campus several times as a teenager, and says “I was always entranced by how beautiful it was and how clearly I could imagine myself thriving here.” Continue Reading Poet of democratic practices It is with sorrow that we note the passing of Dr. Robert P. Burchard, professor emeritus of biological sciences. Bob believed in the potential of the young university that he joined during its first year. A campus leader for decades, he served as president of the faculty senate, interim chair of his department, and as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Bob arrived on campus in January 1967, fresh from the Peace Corps, where he had taught microbiology in Nigeria and had conducted research on tsetse flies. He was at that time a young scholar, having earned… Continue Reading Remembering Dr. Robert P. Burchard Forbes lists UMBC among the nation’s top 150 colleges—and top 50 public universities—in new rankings announced this month. UMBC is also among the top three public universities in Maryland on the list, alongside University of Maryland, College Park, and the U.S. Naval Academy. Continue Reading Forbes ranks UMBC among the nation’s top 50 public universities UMBC has seen its share of academic and athletic success across a wide range of fields and sports, but the University recently earned national acclaim in something new: figure skating. Maya Jones ‘22, psychology, took home a bronze medal for UMBC at the 2021 U.S. Collegiate Figure Skating Championships in Pennsylvania on July 29. Continue Reading UMBC senior Maya Jones wins bronze at U.S. Collegiate Figure Skating Championships On May 13, 2021, J. Marvin Cook, Ph.D., Founder and Director of the Instructional Systems Development graduate program at UMBC, died peacefully with his family by his side at the Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, Maryland. He was born in Natchitoches, Louisiana to Clyde and Ernestine Cook in 1929. Marvin was 91 at the time of his passing; he lived a full and impactful life, always focused on following his faith service to others. He was passionate about his faith, continually learning, and had always interested in helping people through his vocation and avocations. This was evident in his educational… Continue Reading Remembering Dr. J. Marvin Cook UMBC will partner with the University of Maryland, College Park, and the DEVCOM Army Research Lab on the $68-million, five-year endeavor, which ARL is funding. The goal is to strengthen Army AI technology so it is able to meet the demands of today’s national defense. Continue Reading UMBC to partner with UMD, Army Research Lab to advance AI and autonomy through $68M collaboration On the back of every UMBC black and gold ID card is a guide to essential emergency resources, including numbers for health, counseling, sexual assault, and suicide prevention helplines. The new card design was the result of student advocacy through UMBC’s Retriever Courage initiative, seeking to better prevent and respond to sexual assault and violence. And the person who suggested that change is Autumn Cook, graduating this week, a tireless advocate for fellow UMBC students. Continue Reading UMBC’s newest grads leave a legacy of advocacy, inclusion, and support for fellow students When listeners tune in to the Retriever Tales podcast hosted by Tirzah Khan ‘21, information systems, who is graduating this week, they’ll hear UMBC voices sharing their journeys of finding and creating community. Moving, inspiring, funny, and thought-provoking, the show is a testament to Khan’s own UMBC experience and a broader culture of co-creating community at UMBC. Continue Reading UMBC together: Graduating Retrievers reflect on building community through conversations After five scoreless innings, UMBC softball pulled ahead in the bottom of the sixth to successfully defend their 2019 America East title with a 1-0 win over No.3 seed Stony Brook in the 2021 America East Championship this past Saturday. Continue Reading UMBC softball wins America East championship, continues on to NCAA tournament Due to the pandemic, the NCAA has offered senior college athletes around the country a waiver to compete for an extra year. Many fourth-year student-athletes at UMBC and around the country will take advantage of this opportunity, but others decided to press forward with making the most of an unusual senior year before shifting gears to the next phase of their lives. Continue Reading Strong finish: UMBC student-athletes discuss support and resilience in “one of the toughest years” We are deeply saddened to share that Dr. Thomas “Tom” Roth passed away on Sunday, April 18, at the age of 89. Tom devoted his career to UMBC students for over 25 years, first as a biological sciences professor, and later as Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, before retiring in 1998 and transitioning to the role of emeritus professor. Tom joined the UMBC community in 1972 and made significant contributions to building the university from the ground up. His creative approach to teaching cell biology and dedicated mentorship touched the lives of countless students and faculty members. According to biological… Continue Reading Remembering Dr. Thomas “Tom” Roth
Future dentist values her U.S. college experience
Poet of democratic practices
Remembering Dr. Robert P. Burchard
Forbes ranks UMBC among the nation’s top 50 public universities
UMBC senior Maya Jones wins bronze at U.S. Collegiate Figure Skating Championships
Remembering Dr. J. Marvin Cook
UMBC to partner with UMD, Army Research Lab to advance AI and autonomy through $68M collaboration
UMBC’s newest grads leave a legacy of advocacy, inclusion, and support for fellow students
UMBC together: Graduating Retrievers reflect on building community through conversations
UMBC softball wins America East championship, continues on to NCAA tournament
Strong finish: UMBC student-athletes discuss support and resilience in “one of the toughest years”
Remembering Dr. Thomas “Tom” Roth
