Athletics

A young woman with dark hair smiles at the camera, posing with a statue of a dog

Class of 2023 reflects on UMBC as a community that values and supports the whole person

Kayla Tomas ‘23, information systems, maintained a challenging schedule during her undergraduate years. There were days she rose early, studied, and attended classes in the morning and afternoon, headed to volleyball practice in the late afternoon, paused a half hour for dinner, and then dashed off to lead a dance class in the evening. “It was the support of my friends, my family, and the mentors here at UMBC that made it easier,” she says. Continue Reading Class of 2023 reflects on UMBC as a community that values and supports the whole person

A colorfully illustrated design in bright teals, yellows, and pinks, that show interconnected gears and pulleys leading to a lightbulb.

When We Work Together

On the eve of UMBC’s 50th anniversary in 2016, when the institution put forth a goal to raise $150 million— money that goes directly to student scholarships, graduate fellowships, professorial awards, and so much more— we didn’t question if we would succeed, we just wondered how we’d be able to capture the magnitude of the collective campaign when it came to a close. Continue Reading When We Work Together

A family, coach, and athletic director stand with a softball player on the softball infield holding a framed jersey

Leading a (Retriever) Nation

It’s never easy to start a new job, but athletic director Brian Barrio had more to contend with than which parking lot to use. He joined #RetrieverNation in January of 2020 and after only two months (during which time, he even lived in a campus apartment), UMBC closed its physical campus due to COVID-19. With 17 Division I sports and over 350 student-athletes, this would have been a massive undertaking in the best of circumstances. We talked to Brian about what that transition was like, what he’s learned from the experience, and what’s up next. And he almost managed to make it through the entire interview without one sports reference.  Continue Reading Leading a (Retriever) Nation

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