Alumni

Poulomi Banerjee '16, M.P.P. '21, and Emma Hagen '14, high five while holding a sign that reads Welcome to Our Community of Inquiring Minds. (Marlayna Demond '11/UMBC)

Meet a Retriever—Poulomi Banerjee ’16, M.P.P. ’21, annual donor and advocate of the UMBC community

/ 6 minutes of reading

Meet Poulomi Banerjee, a double alumna—earning her degree in health administration and policy in 2016 and her M.P.P. in 2021—and current public policy Ph.D. student at UMBC who believes in the power of this community! She has her sights set on becoming just the 141st triple alum in UMBC history (bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. from UMBC). When she’s not working toward Retriever history, Poulomi works as the associate director of annual giving and alumni communications at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In her spare time (we’re just as surprised as you that she has any), you can… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Poulomi Banerjee ’16, M.P.P. ’21, annual donor and advocate of the UMBC community

Man sitting behind a drum kit playing under purple lighting.

Sharing the beat of his own drum—Connor LeFevre ’23 finds success through UMBC’s music tech program

/ 7 minutes of reading

On a chilly February night, some of the most dedicated local music fans pile in for a floor show at a small grunge venue, Baltimore’s Ottobar. When the first band, Lean Tee, takes the floor and begins playing, the mood of the room shifts from anticipation to excitement. Connor LeFevre ’23, music technology, sits behind the drum kit in the center. This show represents a pretty typical night for LeFevre, as he has centered his life around music—a career move, he said, made possible by his major at UMBC, which gave him full-time access to recording spaces and instructors who remain active in their musical fields. Continue Reading Sharing the beat of his own drum—Connor LeFevre ’23 finds success through UMBC’s music tech program

Alumni Awards 2022. Pictured left to right: Kevin Yang ’07, Katelyn Niu ’05, Christina McWilliams, Sean McWilliams M.S. '16, and Brian Frazee ’11, M.P.P. ’12

Meet a Retriever—Sean McWilliams, M.S. ’16, Alumni Association Alumni Awards Committee Co-Chair

/ 3 minutes of reading

Meet Sean McWilliams, M.S. ‘16, applied mathematics. Sean is a portfolio manager at T. Rowe Price and an active member of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving as one of the co-chairs of the Alumni Awards committee. Sean was a non-traditional student who found his way to UMBC as a part-time graduate student while working full-time at T. Rowe Price. Take it away, Sean! Q: What is your WHY? What brought you to UMBC? A: After working for a few years I deeply missed the academic rigor of studying mathematics. I wanted to study more math at the graduate… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Sean McWilliams, M.S. ’16, Alumni Association Alumni Awards Committee Co-Chair

A woman sorts through many postage stamps for her pen pal hobby

How to stay in touch—4 steps to being a prolific pen pal

/ 5 minutes of reading

For Winona Caesar ’09, a sergeant in the Baltimore City Police, letter writing is a creative outlet. Whether hand writing a letter or using one of her seven typewriters, Caesar says the process slows her down and connects her to individuals all over the globe. As the world grows increasingly more digitized, Caesar and her pen pals are saving the lost art of keeping in touch. Continue Reading How to stay in touch—4 steps to being a prolific pen pal

Kisha Parker standing at the UMBC Alumni Awards podium.

Meet a Retriever—Kisha Parker ’00, Alumni Association PR Committee Chair

/ 4 minutes of reading

Meet Kisha Parker ’00. Kisha is a dual-degree alumna with a B.S. in biological sciences and a B.A. in psychology, and an active member of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving as Chair of the Public Relations Committee. As a student, she was very active, taking leadership roles in several organizations, including the Student Government Association (SGA) as the director of state and national affairs, and the Lambda Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., as president. UMBC is also where Kisha found love–meeting her future husband, Kevin Parker ’99, mechanical engineering, who was also involved in… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Kisha Parker ’00, Alumni Association PR Committee Chair

Lisa Nissley and her family at a UMBC ice hockey game during homecoming in 2023.

Meet a Retriever—Lisa Nissley ’01, Alumni Association Nominating Committee Chair

/ 4 minutes of reading

Meet Lisa Nissley ‘01, political science. Lisa is a legislative liaison at the Department of General Services, as well as the chair of the mominating committee on the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors. In her spare time, you can find her at the ice rink (her two children are involved in figure skating and ice hockey), the pool (swim team), or the lacrosse field. Lisa also enjoys reading, cooking (when it’s not required), walking, and being creative. Take it away, Lisa! Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Lisa Nissley ’01, Alumni Association Nominating Committee Chair

Man and woman sitting at a desk in a classroom in front of a whiteboard with Russian words, focused on the papers in front of them.

Meet a Retriever—Nathan Wooddell ’23, graduate student specializing in Russian and cybersecurity 

/ 5 minutes of reading

Meet Nathan Wooddell ’23, computer science. Nathan is a member of UMBC’s CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service cohort, and is getting his master’s in cybersecurity as a graduate researcher at the National Nuclear Security Agency. Nathan attributes much of his success to the connections he’s made with the staff and faculty at UMBC who have helped him to discover his true passions. During his time as an undergraduate at UMBC, Nathan also completed a Russian language certificate, and has found a way to combine his interests of both cybersecurity and the Russian language in the professional world. Take it away, Nathan.  … Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Nathan Wooddell ’23, graduate student specializing in Russian and cybersecurity 

Tracie Cox, Nichole Richmond, Sue Wellington, Anne Wellington Goldsmith, and Monique Cephas celebrating their 25th anniversary of becoming a member of the Lambda Kappa Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Meet a Retriever—Monique Cephas ’92, Alumni Association scholarship committee chair

/ 4 minutes of reading

Meet Monique Jones Cephas ‘92, information systems management. Monique is the Deputy Associate Commissioner for the Office of Electronic Services and Systems Integration at the Social Security Administration and the current Scholarship Committee Chair of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors. Monique credits her time at UMBC and participation in the university’s cooperative education program—along with a lot of hard work, perseverance, and dedication—for her career success. “Each one, reach one” is one of Monique’s favorite mantras. This is why she gives back to UMBC as an active member of the Alumni Association. Take it away, Monique! Q: What’s… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Monique Cephas ’92, Alumni Association scholarship committee chair

Kevin Yang '07, Katelyn Niu '05, and their son holding up their Homecoming 2023 nametags.

Meet a Retriever—Kevin Yang ’07, Alumni Association Executive Vice President

/ 4 minutes of reading

Meet Kevin Yang ’07, computer science and financial economics. Kevin is a real estate entrepreneur, the current executive vice president and vice president of finance of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors, and one half of an alumni power couple. Kevin met his wife, Katelyn Niu ’05, biochemistry, when the pair found themselves in the same physics study group as undergrads (because where else do you find love at UMBC?). They both share a passion for UMBC that runs deep. Take it away, Kevin! Q: What is your WHY? What brought you to UMBC?  A. I grew up in… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Kevin Yang ’07, Alumni Association Executive Vice President

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