Alumni

a vet crouches down with a dog, sitting on the grass on a sunny day

Healing from home—with Taylor Gaines ’13, Doc on the Go

/ 5 minutes of reading

On a warm April morning, Taylor Gaines ’13, has a short visit with one of his regular patients, who is typically anxious and standoffish. This is the reason why Gaines goes directly to this family’s home for checkups. Before the treatment, Gaines collects some information from his clients and sets up his supplies, while the patient sits comfortably on the couch in the living room, purring. Gray with white patches, Poe is a cat who has arthritis, and today she will be getting her regular treatment to manage it. Gaines, a vet who does home visits, will give Poe her… Continue Reading Healing from home—with Taylor Gaines ’13, Doc on the Go

Lola Akinmade Åkerström ‘98, M.S. ‘02 headshot.

Meet a Retriever—Lola Akinmade Åkerström ‘98, M.S. ‘02, award-winning visual storyteller

/ 5 minutes of reading

Meet Lola Akinmade Åkerström ‘98, M.S. ‘02, award-winning visual storyteller, international bestselling author, and travel entrepreneur. Originally a geographic information systems professional, she eventually made the shift to rely on her passport and storytelling skills to travel the world. Her work has been featured in National Geographic, The New York Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, BBC, CNN, Travel Channel, Travel + Leisure, Lonely Planet, Forbes, and many more. She has collaborated with commercial brands such as Dove, Getty Images, Mercedes Benz, and National Geographic Channel, to name a few. Take it away, Lola! Q: Tell us about your current… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Lola Akinmade Åkerström ‘98, M.S. ‘02, award-winning visual storyteller

Meet a Retriever—Patty Hathaway ’97, M.S. ’03, lifetime Retriever and advocate for veterans

/ 5 minutes of reading

Meet Patty Hathaway ’97, M.S. ’03, who earned her B.A. in economics and M.S. in information systems while working at UMBC. After 23 years of service to UMBC, Patty went on to work at three other universities, including the University of Maryland, College Park, where she retired. Patty now works with U.S. Navy veterans as the secretary/treasurer of the USS Hamner DD-718 Association and is the owner of Hathaway Photography of Bowie. Patty recently authored a book for the Hamner association, An American Destroyer: USS Hamner History in Photographs. Take it away, Patty! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Patty Hathaway ’97, M.S. ’03, lifetime Retriever and advocate for veterans

Connie Pierson and the UMBC mascot, True Grit, standing arm in arm and pointing at the camera.

Meet a Retriever—Connie Pierson ’90, M.A. ’92, associate vice provost for institutional research

/ 6 minutes of reading

Meet Connie Pierson ’90, M.A. ’92, a double alum—earning her bachelor’s degree in economics and sociology in 1990 and her M.A. in applied sociology in 1992—and UMBC’s current associate vice provost for Institutional Research. In total, Connie has spent 31 non-consecutive years at UMBC as both a student and staff member. After leaving the university to earn her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a short stint at the U.S. Census Bureau, Connie returned to UMBC in 1999 for a job in the Office of Institutional Research, Analysis, and Decision Support where she has been… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Connie Pierson ’90, M.A. ’92, associate vice provost for institutional research

Mary K. Tilghman and True Grit with her books in the statue's mouth.

Meet a Retriever—Mary K. Tilghman ’79, novelist and donor

/ 4 minutes of reading

Meet Mary K. Tilghman, whose original decision to attend UMBC may have started off more pragmatic than fairytale (she could commute with her brother who was attending), but the story ended up having a happy ending. Tilghman ’79, English, is a novelist—the author of half a dozen modern romance and historical novels. She says she finds inspiration in her native Maryland and draws on her bachelor’s degree from 45-plus years ago. According to Tilghman, her classes at UMBC laid the foundation for a prolific and fulfilling writing career. Tell us your story, Mary! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Mary K. Tilghman ’79, novelist and donor

30th Anniversary Black Greek Alumni Party

Meet a Retriever—Karen Woodard ’90, Alumni Association Vice President and co-chair of the Alumni Awards committee

/ 5 minutes of reading

Meet Karen Woodard ‘90, English. Karen is chief of the Employment Litigation Section in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and an active member of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving as Vice President of Finance and one of the co-chairs of the Alumni Awards committee. As an undergrad, Karen was heavily involved on campus. She played on the women’s basketball team all four years—serving as team captain her senior year—and was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., serving as president also in her senior year. Karen credits her time at UMBC… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Karen Woodard ’90, Alumni Association Vice President and co-chair of the Alumni Awards committee

an older man in a black polo shirt stands on a baseball field holding a bat

Stepping up to the plate to preserve UMBC history

/ 5 minutes of reading

When the Fort McHenry Tunnel opened, drivers could thank Richard “Rock” Soracoe ’71, economics, for helping them see as they drove under the harbor. Soracoe spent 50-plus years in the lighting industry and helped source the original 8,870 8-ft light fixtures that lined the road. In retirement, he’s helping shed a different type of light. Soracoe and other members of the founding four classes at UMBC are putting their collective memories to work to assist in identifying people and events in UMBC’s archival material to help complete our UMBC history. One event—UMBC’s first intercollegiate athletics win—is a story Soracoe loves… Continue Reading Stepping up to the plate to preserve UMBC history

Michelle Jabes Corpora promo photo for HOLLY HORROR: THE LONGEST NIGHT.

Meet a Retriever—Michelle Jabes Corpora ‘03, young adult author and editor

/ 5 minutes of reading

Meet Michelle Jabes Corpora ’03, English and theatre. Michelle is the author of nine novels, an editor for commercial fiction, and an avid student of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She came to UMBC as a Linehan Artist Scholar in 1999 to study theatre before deciding to double major in English. Michelle has found that her background in theatre has been a helpful tool in her writing. Take it away, Michelle! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: I am a 2003 alumna, a double major in English and theatre. Today, I am the author of… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Michelle Jabes Corpora ‘03, young adult author and editor

Two men in a rowing boat that is in water paddling oars in front of a backdrop that says USRowing

Finding gold on the water

/ 7 minutes of reading

Push, pull, push, pull. On goes this routine of synchronized oar movements as rowers—nestled in long, tapered boats—move through the water with precision and speed. The trim boats glide through the water with seemingly effortlessness, and as a child, Mark Couwenhoven finds himself entranced.  One day he’ll learn just how much effort this smooth process takes, but for now, Couwenhoven watches his older sister and her fellow competitors shoot through the water with dolphin-like gracefulness.  “I went to my sister’s races and became enthralled with rowing—I knew that it was what I wanted to do when I got older,” Couwenhoven… Continue Reading Finding gold on the water

A collage of images showing students traveling with mentors and teaching with children

A Journey of Growth

/ 14 minutes of reading

International travel offers ample opportunities to stretch yourself—one minute you may be the expert and the next, completely clueless about how something works. Retrievers currently in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program—teaching English or researching around the globe—find themselves oscillating between their teaching and student roles on a daily or hourly basis. By engaging their host communities through openness and cultural humility (and many shared cups of tea or coffee), these Fulbrighters are finding their balance along the way. Continue Reading A Journey of Growth

UMBC Police Chief Bruce Perry Jr. ‘97 smiling and waving to students on Academic Row.

Meet a Retriever–Bruce Perry Jr. ’97, UMBC Chief of Police

/ 4 minutes of reading

Meet Bruce Perry Jr. ’97, psychology. Bruce has spent 33 years at UMBC as both a student and staff member. He first joined the police department in 1994 as a student aide. After graduation, Bruce rejoined the police department in 1998 as an officer and has served in many roles over the years, including Operations Commander and Deputy Chief. In 2022, Bruce was named Chief of Police. Take it away, Bruce! Q: What is your WHY? What brought you to UMBC? A: In high school, I was in a club that had a field trip to UMBC. My guidance counselor… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever–Bruce Perry Jr. ’97, UMBC Chief of Police

a woman with bright green hair stands in front of shelves of thousands of Pez dispensers

PEZ—The Sweetest Hobby

/ 2 minutes of reading

Beware of crushes. Especially as a 10-year-old in 1995. They might lead to a lifelong hobby, rooms of your house dedicated to your collection, a quirky and supportive community, and even a spot in an Emmy-winning documentary. Katie Chrzanowski, however, has no regrets. After a brief crush on someone who collected PEZ, and thinking that starting her own collection would be a fun competition, she’s now the proud owner of more than several thousand PEZ dispensers, the host of the Maryland PEZ Gathering, and an extra on the set of The Pez Outlaw. But Chrzanowski ’07, visual arts, doesn’t just… Continue Reading PEZ—The Sweetest Hobby

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