CAHSS

News and Updates about UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

One of the entrances of UMBC's campus. There is a UMBC sign in front of a tall building. The sky is blue and clouds are in the sky.

Recipients of UMBC’s 2024 – 25 START, SURFF grant awards announced

/ 1 minute of reading

UMBC’s Division of Research and Creative Achievement recently announced the recipients of the 2025 Strategic Awards for Research Transitions (START) award, and the 2024 Summer Research Faculty Fellowship (SURFF) award—two of the university’s internal funding opportunities that support faculty research and creative scholarship.  For fiscal year 2025, 13 faculty members across all of UMBC’s colleges and researchers with the university’s research centers were individually awarded up to $25,000 in START funding to advance their research and creative achievement endeavors. The award assists recipients in competing more effectively for external support and pursuing new areas of inquiry. In summer 2024, 14… Continue Reading Recipients of UMBC’s 2024 – 25 START, SURFF grant awards announced

Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, walks across a stage in front of two men sitting on white chairs

Putin’s visit to Mongolia defies ICC warrant and tests neutral nation’s ‘third neighbor’ diplomacy

/ 7 minutes of reading

Mongolia has attempted to bolster its independence from its more powerful neighbors by developing cordial relations with so-called third neighbor countries that include the United States, Germany, Japan and South Korea, explains Christopher Tong, associate professor of Asian studies at UMBC and Chares Krusekopf at the Royal Roads University. We attended the Ulaanbaatar Duologue in June 2024 and witnessed Mongolia’s diplomatic efforts firsthand. It is a strategy that has worked for the country, but as events like Putin’s visit highlight, it can be a tough balancing act.” Continue Reading Putin’s visit to Mongolia defies ICC warrant and tests neutral nation’s ‘third neighbor’ diplomacy

A U.S. vice presidential candidate stands with his hands raised in prayer with the white and blue DNC 2024 digital sign behind them

The specter of China has edged into US election rhetoric − for Republicans much more than Democrats

/ 6 minutes of reading

Fan Yang, professor of media and communication studies at UMBC, an expert on how China is represented in U.S. media culture and politics, explains how the fact that China is edging into the election rhetoric is of little surprise – nor is the imbalance in emphasis given to the country by the Democratic and Republican tickets, respectively. Continue Reading The specter of China has edged into US election rhetoric − for Republicans much more than Democrats

A umbc student Anil Shaji (right) shaking hands with internship supervisor Rachel Hanrahan. Both are standing in front of a backdrop that has the Morgan Stanley logo in the back.

UMBC students expand skill sets, explore career opportunities with summer 2024  internships

/ 7 minutes of reading

This summer, UMBC students have hit the ground running in exploration of possible post-graduation opportunities with internship placements across a wide range of industries and career fields that include companies such as NASA, House of Ruth, Morgan Stanley, Art with a Heart, Doordash, and more.  With the help of UMBC’s Career Center, hundreds of students have continued their educational pursuits beyond the classroom with summertime experiential learning opportunities that provide hands-on, real-world exposure to professional roles that are specific to students’ individual career interests. These students are joining a record number of Retrievers who have completed applied experience opportunities—internships, research… Continue Reading UMBC students expand skill sets, explore career opportunities with summer 2024  internships

Mileah Kromer, director of UMBC's new Institute of Politics

UMBC Announces New Institute of Politics in Advance of 2024 Election

/ 3 minutes of reading

Noted Maryland poll founder Mileah Kromer will be center’s inaugural director  University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) President Valerie Sheares Ashby announced today the founding of the UMBC Institute of Politics (IoP)—an academic, political research, and public outreach center that will harness the university’s robust research capacity and civic-focused public mission to provide a regional base for local, state, and national political analysis.  The IoP will open with the start of the fall 2024 semester on August 28, and will begin public opinion polling and other public-facing initiatives on issues related to the 2024 general election and the upcoming 2025… Continue Reading UMBC Announces New Institute of Politics in Advance of 2024 Election

a young woman stands with glasses and her arms crossed in front of large cut out letters that spell COMM

Growing from the unexpected—nonlinear internships surprise Retrievers with success

/ 6 minutes of reading

Anil Shaji was pretty content going to UMBC for classes and returning to his home in Elkridge, Maryland, as soon as his academic obligations were over. Until one day, a notice on myUMBC caught his eye—the Career Center was organizing an exploratory trip to Morgan Stanley for potential interns that week. As a senior studying political science, Shaji had originally imagined a role for himself at a security agency or somewhere in politics, not a financial institution. But expanding his perspective, he stepped out of his comfort zone and thought, “Why not take the trip?”  Shaji took a UMBC bus… Continue Reading Growing from the unexpected—nonlinear internships surprise Retrievers with success

In an outdoor setting, a person, smiling, gestures toward a sign on the left that says Catonsville Clubhouse.

Senior Luna Siesko builds career skills at the Baltimore County Arts Guild

/ 3 minutes of reading

For Luna Siesko ’25, a summer internship at the Baltimore County Arts Guild (BCAG) in nearby Catonsville provided a key opportunity to broaden her skills, expanding her background in social media, website posts, space management, and event planning, developing capabilities that she feels will ground her in the future. Continue Reading Senior Luna Siesko builds career skills at the Baltimore County Arts Guild

Three college students in business suits stand with a college professor in a balcony with the U.S. Capitol behind them.

Peter Wilschke ’24, political science and economics, celebrates national research accomplishments

/ 7 minutes of reading

“Most of what I accomplished as an undergrad was something I had to decide I wanted to do without having anyone to tell me I should do it,” explains Peter Wilschke ’24, economics and political science. He hit the ground running after graduation in May, beginning a two-year research assistant position at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. “I’ve learned how far I can go if I try everything I can think of. It gives me motivation and a little bit of pressure to keep up that level of work throughout my time at the Fed Reserve and, hopefully, in grad school.” Continue Reading Peter Wilschke ’24, political science and economics, celebrates national research accomplishments

Black Farmers An adult with shoulder length brown hair wearing a blue blouse and a gold necklace stands outside in front of a building and orange stone arches. Researcher Loren Henderson

Academic Minute: Centering the voices of Black farmers

/ 2 minutes of reading

As a community, farmers in the United States often face challenges that are out of their control, such as drought, livestock disease, and global pandemics like COVID-19. For Black farmers, says Loren Henderson, associate professor of public policy, these obstacles are compounded by land theft, inadequate succession planning, systemic racism, and discriminatory U.S. Department of Agriculture policies and practices. As a result, Black farmers today are facing extinction. Henderson was featured on The Academic Minute to talk about her research. Continue Reading Academic Minute: Centering the voices of Black farmers

A headshot of Josh Michael, an adult man, wearing a black dress jacket, a green and block polka dotted tie, and white dress collar shirt

Josh Michael ’10, Ph.D. ’22, elected Maryland State Board of Education president

/ 4 minutes of reading

“Over the last 10 to 15 years, Maryland public schools have slowly declined in achievement, in literacy, and math. Our rankings have dropped in many ways. Taking this head-on has been a focus of our work,” explains Josh Michael ’10, political science, Ph.D. ’22, public policy, the new elected president of MSDE. “We seem to have lost sight of what is most important—ensuring our students are learning. Our schools must serve children from all backgrounds at all performance levels and provide opportunities to excel. The board is focused on restoring stability, vision, and direction for the state to support public schools.” Continue Reading Josh Michael ’10, Ph.D. ’22, elected Maryland State Board of Education president

Three adults wearing dusty cloths stand on a clearing in Greece with mountains in the background

Robert Barry ’25 returns to Greece as a summer research assistant at an archaeological field school

/ 4 minutes of reading

“We record where each artifact is, define its features and its chronological, historical, cultural, and social contexts,” says UMBC’s Robert Barry ’25, ancient studies and visual arts. For the last seven weeks, Barry worked in a trench working in an archeological site in Greece with Michael Lane, an associate professor of ancient studies and field director “It can get complicated when there are numerous artifacts to identify, map, excavate, bag, and label.” Continue Reading Robert Barry ’25 returns to Greece as a summer research assistant at an archaeological field school

© UMBC: A University System of Maryland
Member Institution
Scroll to Top