Perspectives

UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, takes your questions. “Was there ever a time when asking a question had a tremendous impact on your life or changed its course? — Monica Berron ’13, media and communications studies Yes. When, as a child, I was in a math program on a college campus and a professor asked the class a question that no one could answer. The rest of the class became very upset, because the professor told them: “When you can answer the question, come and see me.” The students complained: “You’re the teacher. You’re supposed to tell us the… Continue Reading Up on the Roof – Fall 2015

Even though UMBC isn’t quite 50 years old, our university has already developed intriguing rumors and legends. One of the most persistent of these legends – submitted by Tal Levitas ’08, political science – is whether UMBC was designed to control student unrest. This notion was part of campus folklore when I arrived at UMBC as an undergraduate in 1984. The short and boring answer is “no.” When you plot the history of UMBC’s initial design and construction (1963-1966) against the trajectory of campus unrest that peaked after the killings at Kent State University in 1970, the timelines don’t match… Continue Reading To You – Fall 2015

As UMBC prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016, the university is creating a grassroots effort to spur alumni engagement and pride. A bold motto – “We Need Hundreds of You to Reach Thousands of Us” – sums up the aims of the initiative: Recruit a dedicated band of Retrievers to spread word of the celebration to almost 70,000 fellow UMBC alumni. UMBC Magazine asked three alumni leaders involved in the “Hundreds” campaign – UMBC Alumni Board of Directors member Zozscha Bomhardt ’93, mechanical engineering, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Planning Yvette Mozie-Ross ’88, health science and policy,… Continue Reading Back Story – Fall 2015

UMBC President Freeman A. Hrabowski, III takes your questions. Q. UMBC has made immense strides as an academic institution under your leadership, and students and alumni take great pride in those achievements. What role does athletics play at UMBC – and how can we infuse our athletics program with that same pride and school spirit? – Tim O’Ferrall ’95, interdisciplinary studies Athletics are exciting and enlightening. One can learn a lot playing a sport about teamwork, about leadership, about discipline, about hard work, about how to lose, and how to win. We take great pride in viewing athletics as a… Continue Reading Up on the Roof – Fall 2014

I’m happy to admit it. I’m a big Retriever sports fan. There have been times when I have gone to extreme lengths to take in a UMBC men’s basketball game. I remember sitting in a Washington, D.C. hotel room back in March 2001, listening to online radio broadcasts of Northeast Conference tournament games involving the Retrievers. That 2000-2001 men’s team was the first Retrievers men’s squad in a while that had come close the navigating the madness of pressure-packed early March basketball and snatching a bid to the men’s NCAA basketball tournament. Sadly, the 2000-2001 team won only one game… Continue Reading To You – Fall 2014

UMBC’s growing status as a hub for cybersecurity was highlighted in October by the university’s central role in an award by the U.S. Department of Commerce – National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to the MITRE Corporation for a new Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). Where does this activity weave into UMBC’s profile as a research institution? UMBC Magazine talked with Karl V. Steiner, Vice President for Research at UMBC, about the award and the university’s burgeoning research program. * * * * * UMBC Magazine: You’ve been at UMBC for a little more than a year… Continue Reading Back Story – Fall 2014