News and Updates about UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
ARCH 365: Experimental Archeology includes a mix of hands-on activities and historical research into craft traditions of the past, teaching students about the daily life of premodern individuals from a range of cultures. Continue Reading New experimental archeology course connects students with premodern craft traditions
“Historically, the Mongolian empire stretched from Asia to Europe, so there is intrinsic value to studying Mongolia from a humanistic perspective. It was also interesting to see how present-day Mongolians understand and represent this history, for example, the life and legacy of Genghis Khan,” says Christopher K. Tong, associate professor of modern languages, linguistics, and intercultural communication, who received the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) award to participate in the Overseas Faculty Development Seminar: Climate Change and Public Health: What Does Climate Change Mean for the People of Mongolia? Continue Reading Christopher K. Tong, MLLI, returns from a research award in Mongolia to inform his work in Asian studies
“I am incredibly energized by this opportunity to immerse myself in the archival materials I’ve been gathering concerning sex workers and their communities in the medieval Mediterranean,” shares Susan McDonough, associate professor of history at UMBC about receiving a 2024 – 2025 research membership to the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) at the School of Historical Studies in Princeton, New Jersey. Continue Reading Susan McDonough, history, receives prestigious membership to the Institute for Advanced Studies to continue research on sex workers in medieval Mediterranean
Since 2014, multimedia artist Levester Williams has developed a personal connection and exploration with a natural material that is a historic staple of Baltimore life—Cockeysville, Maryland, marble. Go down specific streets in neighborhoods like Highlandtown, Charles Village, Cherry Hill, or Mount Vernon and you’ll see the ubiquitous, three-to-four tiered steps made of marble outfitting the exterior of many rowhomes throughout Baltimore, much of it from Cockeysville. Beyond the steps, you’ll also find the stone in landmarks such as Baltimore’s City Hall, the Washington monuments in Baltimore and D.C., and the 108 columns of the U.S. Capitol Building. “The stone is… Continue Reading UMBC’s exploratory artist in residence Levester Williams examines history of Cockeysville marble in film project
“There’s often a lot of underfunding of doctoral and master’s students to pursue mental health training and to work in the field,” explains Sandra Barrueco, professor of psychology and director of a nearly $1M grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. ADVANCE/AVANCE Maryland is changing that. Half of the grant purposefully funds graduate students to prepare the next wave of psychology professionals to meet the needs of all communities affected by the national mental health crisis. Continue Reading Sandra Barrueco, psychology, and colleagues receive nearly $1M to train graduate students in culturally competent behavioral health services for underserved Maryland youth
Meet Karen Woodard ‘90, English. Karen is chief of the Employment Litigation Section in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and an active member of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving as Vice President of Finance and one of the co-chairs of the Alumni Awards committee. As an undergrad, Karen was heavily involved on campus. She played on the women’s basketball team all four years—serving as team captain her senior year—and was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., serving as president also in her senior year. Karen credits her time at UMBC… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Karen Woodard ’90, Alumni Association Vice President and co-chair of the Alumni Awards committee
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
On May 30, Kelley Bell, M.F.A. ’06, associate professor of visual arts, was named one of the six 2024 Baker Artist Awardees, receiving the $10,000 Mary Sawyers Baker Prize. The awardees were selected by an anonymous jury from a field of almost 700 artists from across the greater Baltimore region. Corrie Francis Parks, associate professor of visual arts, and Katie Hileman ’12, theatre, and general associate in the department of theatre, were among the finalists for the prestigious 2024 Baker Artist Award. Established in 2009, the Baker Artist program was created to support artists and promote greater Baltimore as a… Continue Reading Kelley Bell named Baker Artist Awardee, Corrie Francis Parks and Katie Hileman are finalists
“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
Meet Michelle Jabes Corpora ’03, English and theatre. Michelle is the author of nine novels, an editor for commercial fiction, and an avid student of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She came to UMBC as a Linehan Artist Scholar in 1999 to study theatre before deciding to double major in English. Michelle has found that her background in theatre has been a helpful tool in her writing. Take it away, Michelle! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: I am a 2003 alumna, a double major in English and theatre. Today, I am the author of… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Michelle Jabes Corpora ‘03, young adult author and editor
“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
Spring on UMBC’s main campus brings a host of familiar sights and sounds: blooms on the magnolia trees, the chatter of red-winged blackbirds calling from the reeds around Library Pond, greening grass on the campus Quad, and black-and-gold-bedecked Grit Guides leading groups of prospective Retrievers around what may soon become a home away from home. The guides cover the usual highlights—Academic Row, the Retriever Activity Center, the AOK Library, eating establishments, and residential halls. UMBC is a place to live, to learn, and to find community. And while some of the functions of campus spaces are obvious, others are often… Continue Reading Putting UMBC Research on the Map
