Discovery

Cargo shipped in water with remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge of top of the cargo ship

Infrastructure of support after Key Bridge collapse

/ 6 minutes of reading

In 1987, Paul Flinton, then a 23-year-old senior studying at UMBC, decided to make a short documentary focused on the tollbooth workers on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The six-minute documentary “One Dollar”—named after the toll’s cost for cars at the time—captures a vehicle’s journey across the bridge from the driver’s point of view in one continuous take. As Flinton ’87, visual arts, drives across the bridge, audio of the tollbooth workers interviewed for the project act as the film’s narrators in which they share some of their experiences as toll operators.  Flinton, who is now a location sound manager… Continue Reading Infrastructure of support after Key Bridge collapse

China Hands typing on a lap top with a red background and gold stars China

China turns to private hackers as it cracks down on online activists on Tiananmen Square anniversary

/ 6 minutes of reading

“As a China expert and open-source researcher, I believe the latest revelations draw the curtain back on a contractor ecosystem in which government officials and commercial operators are increasingly working together,” explains Christopher K. Tong, associate professor of Asian studies at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. ” In short, Beijing is outsourcing its cyber operations to a patchwork army of private-sector hackers who offer their services out of a mix of nationalism and profit.” Continue Reading China turns to private hackers as it cracks down on online activists on Tiananmen Square anniversary

An adult walking along a palm tree-lined beach

Rotting sargassum is choking the Caribbean’s white sand beaches, fueling an economic and public health crisis

/ 6 minutes of reading

“The sargassum invasion has worsened since it exploded in the region in 2011. Forecasts and the seaweed already washing up suggest that 2024 will be another alarming year,” says Farah Nibbs, assistant professor of emergency and disaster health systems at UMBC, studies the intersection of critical infrastructure and disasters in the Caribbean. Continue Reading Rotting sargassum is choking the Caribbean’s white sand beaches, fueling an economic and public health crisis

PACE atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket in the raised to launch position. Photo credit: NASA

On PACE to Unravel Earth’s Mysteries

/ 12 minutes of reading

The third time’s the charm. Against a calm and crisp dark night sky on Florida’s Cape Canaveral on February 8, 2024, just after 1:30 a.m., the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) spacecraft rocketed to orbit carrying on board Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP2)–UMBC’s wide-angle imaging polarimeter.  The launch marked the first time NASA deployed a university payload on a large operational Earth science space mission. Continue Reading On PACE to Unravel Earth’s Mysteries

A person in the Caribbean carries large plastic jugs of water into an old apartment building

Thirsty in paradise: Water crises are a growing problem across the Caribbean islands

/ 6 minutes of reading

UMBC’s Farah Nibbs, assistant professor of emergency and disaster health systems, studies the intersection of critical infrastructure and disasters, particularly in the Caribbean. Safe water is essential for all human activity and public health. Nibbs is looking at how and why the Caribbean islands are in a water crisis, and their governments have warned that water scarcity may become the new norm. Her data is sheds light on the root causes of the water crises and to find effective, affordable ways to improve water supply systems. Continue Reading Thirsty in paradise: Water crises are a growing problem across the Caribbean islands

A large bill board in the middle of a field reads Hell is Real

How 19th-century Spiritualists ‘canceled’ the idea of hell to address social and political concerns

/ 7 minutes of reading

“Spiritualists believed that people could maintain communication with the living even after death,” discusses UMBC’s Lindsay DiCurirci, associate professor of English. “They thought communicative spirits had a principal role to play in addressing the era’s most pressing social and political concerns, which would be impossible if souls were damned to hell. This idea was a cornerstone of their practice and a driver of their politics.” Continue Reading How 19th-century Spiritualists ‘canceled’ the idea of hell to address social and political concerns

Brick rowhomes with tall buildings in the background neediest areas

Neediest areas are being shortchanged on government funds − even with programs designed to benefit poor communities

/ 5 minutes of reading

Erik Stokan, associate professor of political science at UMBC, collaborated on a study that looked at 20 years of data from the CDBG program, which in 2022 provided about $4.3 billion to cities and states across the country. Federal rules require that 70% of these funds be spent in neighborhoods where a majority of families have low to moderate incomes – a category researchers abbreviate as “LMI.” Continue Reading Neediest areas are being shortchanged on government funds − even with programs designed to benefit poor communities

A person sits on the floor leaning on a bed with their right hand on their forehead crying

Domestic violence survivors seek homeless services from a system that often leaves them homeless

/ 6 minutes of reading

2018-2019 study of domestic violence survivors in the Washington D.C.’s services for homelessness by Nkiru Nnawulezi, associate professor of psychology at UMBC, and Lauren Cattaneo, found that out of 41 participants, only four received immediate housing, with either a bed in a shelter or a hotel. Housing instability brings its own set of problems for survivors, including poor health, economic insecurity and the risk of future violence. These stresses can lead survivors back to the abusive relationship or into other unsafe housing situations. Continue Reading Domestic violence survivors seek homeless services from a system that often leaves them homeless

A large group of Chinese migrants stand in line

Chinese migration to US is nothing new – but the reasons for recent surge at Southern border are

/ 6 minutes of reading

The brief closure of the Darien Gap – a perilous 66-mile jungle journey linking South American and Central America – in February 2024 temporarily halted one of the Western Hemisphere’s busiest migration routes, explains Meredity Oyen, assistant professor of history at UMBC. It also highlighted its importance to a small but growing group of people that depend on that pass to make it to the U.S.: Chinese migrants. Continue Reading Chinese migration to US is nothing new – but the reasons for recent surge at Southern border are

cars driving on New York City's Queensboro Bridge

New York City greenlights congestion pricing – here’s how this toll plan is expected to improve traffic, air quality and public transit

/ 6 minutes of reading

New York City is poised to launch the first congestion pricing plan to reduce traffic in a major U.S. metropolitan area. The Congestion Relief Zone, which covers Manhattan south of 60th Street, large trucks will pay $36, small trucks $24, passenger vehicles $15 and motorcycles $7.50, explains John Rennie Short, professor emeritus of public policy. Ride-share vehicles and taxis will pay $2.50 and $1.25, respectively. Peak hours run from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends; overnight tolls are discounted by 75%. Continue Reading New York City greenlights congestion pricing – here’s how this toll plan is expected to improve traffic, air quality and public transit

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