Kafui Dzirasa ’01 is named a recipient of the highest honor the U.S. government awards to science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their research careers. He is working to develop a “pacemaker” for the brain. Continue Reading Neuroscientist Kafui Dzirasa to receive Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
Can hundreds of committed UMBC alumni, students, faculty and staff spread the word about our exceptional public research university and its 50th anniversary to almost 70,000 alumni and the rest of the world? The first wave of those “hundreds” – including more than 200 alumni – gathered at Homecoming 2015 in a tent on UMBC’s new campus entrance to kick off a year-long effort to do just that. It was a festive evening where old friends reconnected and new relationships were forged. In coming together, attendees found unity in the fundamental power of unique UMBC stories across many decades to… Continue Reading UMBC celebrates launch of campaign to reconnect with 70,000 global alumni ahead of 50th
UMBC alumni and faculty greeted each other with beaming smiles and excited chatter at this year’s Alumni Awards Ceremony, held on October 8, 2015. Among bright arrangements of orange roses and green orchids, caterers weaved through the crowd as everyone reconnected before finding their seats for an emotional program honoring the achievements of alumni and the faculty, staff, and other community members who shaped their time at UMBC. As President Freeman Hrabowski kicked off the event, he offered advice to alumni back at UMBC for the first time in a few years, who might not recognize the campus after its… Continue Reading Alumni with Grit and Greatness
Educators, cultural leaders, and activists from across the country will convene in Baltimore this week for the Imagining America National Conference, hosted by UMBC. This groundbreaking four-day gathering asks how, in the wake of the Baltimore Uprising, the arts, humanities, and design can help our city heal and grow. At its core, Imagining America emphasizes the power of many voices coming together to envision our nation’s future, engaging with topics like race, inequality, and community-based approaches to spur collective action. UMBC was selected as host thanks to a track record of powerful civic work and commitment to fostering innovative, engaged… Continue Reading UMBC hosts Imagining America 2015 with local partners
When Science News asked 30 Nobel Prize winners to name early-career scientists who have caught their attention, two UMBC alumni stood out from the crowd. Brothers Benyam Kinde ’10, and Isaac Kinde ’05, both biological sciences, made the top ten list of “Bright Young Minds”—inspiring scholars who are “up-and-coming stars” completing high-caliber research. Science News highlights Benyam’s work on how genetic changes affect brain cell activity in Rett syndrome, a disorder marked by developmental delays and seizures, and Issac’s work to create technology to detect cancer very early, giving patients a better chance at survival. “We still don’t know very much about how individual cells… Continue Reading Nobel Prize winners recognize alumni Benyam and Isaac Kinde as “Bright Young Minds”
Joe Jones remembers the day vividly. After attending Freddie Gray’s funeral at New Shiloh Baptist Church on April 27, 2015, he walked to his office across the street at the Center for Urban Families (CFUF) and found his staff gathered around a television watching CNN footage of unrest just blocks away. As he shared that experience with a crowd of UMBC faculty, staff, and student leaders four months later, he emphasized that two words came to mind as CFUF planned how to move forward with community-building in Baltimore: respect and trust. Jones ‘06, social work, was one of six UMBC… Continue Reading How we rebuild: UMBC alumni on supporting Baltimore communities
It’s that time of the year again! Just a week ago, the UMBC alumni community welcomed its newest members and celebrated with them as they (finally!) walked across that stage to open the next chapter of their lives. Congratulations to all of the graduates in the class of 2015! Throughout the spring, the Alumni Association and the Chapter of Black and Latino Alumni has hosted events to celebrate our new grads’ achievements. May Grads Day, hosted by the Alumni Association, treated our newest grads to an afternoon of food and fun. It was a chance for students to put down… Continue Reading Congratulations to the Class of 2015!
Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the 10th Annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction hosted by our Chapter of Young Alumni. By attending the event, you helped us raise nearly $5,000 for student scholarships. In fact, since 2009, together we’ve raised almost $30,000 to support UMBC students. We’re also grateful to our generous sponsors, whose contributions came in at nearly $7,500 this year. Without their support, this event would not be possible. We loved seeing you all there and hope you had as good a time as we did! We’ve shared just a few photos from the… Continue Reading [Photos] You Helped Us Raise $5K for Scholarships!
Thank you to everyone who came out to the 10th Annual Wine Tasting and Silent Auction hosted by our Chapter of Young Alumni. By attending the event, you helped raise nearly $5,000 for student scholarships. We loved seeing you there and hope you had as much fun as we did! We’ve shared just a few photos from the event below, but we hope you’ll check out our full gallery on Flickr.
Alumnus Ar Ne’eman ’10, political science, received the second annual Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion from the Ruderman Family Foundation. The award recognizes individuals who have made contributions to the inclusion of people with disabilities in the Jewish world and the greater public. Ne’eman was honored for his work as the president and co-founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and member of the President’s National Council on Disability. He founded ASAN as a freshman at UMBC and was appointed to the National Council on Disability by President Obama in 2009. “People with disabilities deserve the right to… Continue Reading Ari Ne’eman ’10, Political Science, Wins Inclusion Award
A new study from the Sage Policy Group reveals that the bwtech@UMBC research park has grown at a remarkable pace. The park contributes nearly 2,500 jobs to Baltimore County today, an increase of 41 percent since last measured in 2006. Continue Reading Economic Engine: bwtech@UMBC boosts state and local economies through jobs, revenue and vision
The long Homecoming Weekend was kicked off in a big way on Thursday, October 9, with the annual Alumni Awards Ceremony. This year, the ceremony was held in the stunning Performing Arts and Humanities Building Concert Hall, with receptions preceding and following the event in the Dance Tech Studio. Those in attendance were treated to speeches by the honorees, as well as lots of smiles and laughter. And of all of the quotes about the night, Director of Alumni Relations Stanyell Odom said it best: “This year’s winners are an outstanding representation of UMBC. All of the members of our community should be proud of their accomplishments… Continue Reading Highlights from the 2014 Alumni Awards
