Transferring to a new college often comes with some trepidation about making new friends and finding your crowd. For Michelle, Melissa, and Melanie Biddinger, however, those were the least of their worries when they originally came to UMBC from the Community College of Baltimore County. The three sisters (Melissa and Melanie are twins) brought their lifelong friendship and communal study habits with them, and their tight-knit family bond propelled them to collectively graduated in 2017 with bachelor’s degrees in psychology. This winter they’ll cross the stage again, having earned their master’s of arts in teaching. The Biddinger sisters had a… Continue Reading Together every step of the way: Three sisters earn UMBC teaching degrees
In this first year of Baltimore’s mash-up of eclectic and electric art festival Light City and the annual book festival—a hybrid called Brilliant Baltimore—UMBC shone brightly. Continue Reading UMBC Shines at Brilliant Baltimore
Dogs…carnival rides…dogs…ribbon cutting ceremonies…dogs…Alumni Awards…did we mention dogs? All that means Homecoming season at UMBC! So grab your pumpkin spiced latte and a nice warm blanket as we dive into the events that make October such a fun month for current, past, and future Retrievers. Since we promised you dogs, we’ll start off with the evergreen puppy parade! Homecoming is the obvious place for different graduating classes to meet up, but it’s so much more special when that fellow Retriever is your relative! We also love the dedication future Retrievers have years before they even apply. At UMBC, Homecoming isn’t… Continue Reading Homecoming 2019 — A Wild Ride
Decentering whiteness while working as a doctor abroad has made alumnus Matthew Loftus examine his medical methods and motivations again and again. Continue Reading A Doctor’s Dilemma
Now in its 31st year of celebration, UMBC’s annual Alumni Awards honor graduates who have accomplished significant milestones throughout a long career as well as those who inspire us with admirable achievements early on in their fields. “This outstanding group of award winners are leading the way for others and making an impact on all facets of our society and on the local, national, and global stages,” says Stanyell Odom, director of Alumni Engagement. “They exemplify the best qualities of a UMBC education—they are intellectually curious, creative, entrepreneurial, innovative, committed to making a difference, and passionate and proud of their… Continue Reading 2019 Alumni Awards Announced
The challenges of building a human-powered amphibious sculpture include working with nary a blueprint in sight, avoiding flying sparks from your professor’s power tools, returning to the theatre department’s dumpster again and again seeking out items to upcycle into an ever-changing design, and—oh yeah—not sinking in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor when all is said and done. By Randianne Leyshon ’09 Race day photos by Poulomi Banerjee ’16, all other images by Marlayna Demond ’11, unless otherwise noted. A dismembered hammerhead shark takes up most of the office space. Professor Steven McAlpine proudly holds up the dorsal fin and other grey body… Continue Reading Fish out of Water
“If I really want to stay in this country I would have to do two or three things,” Raphael remembers thinking early on. “One, distinguish myself in every possible way.” Continue Reading How Will You Distinguish Yourself?
UMBC’s Russian Chorus is one of only three like it in the whole country. Students and alumni continue to participate primarily because of one man: Slava Liberman. Continue Reading Hitting All the Right Notes
