“We’re really excited that the NIH has the confidence that we can do the work,” says Justine Johnson. G-RISE builds on a solid foundation from the successful Inititiative for Maximizing Student Development Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program, but, says Rachel Brewster, “We’ve built onto that a number of new elements.”
The six 2022 honorary degree recipients speaking at UMBC’s commencement ceremonies next week have a lot in common. They are each doing amazing things in their respective fields. And they also all happen to be UMBC alumni. “These honorary degree recipients are wonderful examples of the best of UMBC,” said Greg Simmons, M.P.P., ’04, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “They are brilliant individuals at the top of their fields, who care deeply about making the world a better place, each in their own way.”
or the third consecutive season, UMBC softball reigns as the America East champions. Sweeping all three tournament games, the Retrievers held their opponents scoreless becoming the first team in America East history to achieve this milestone.
“My mom is a teacher at a Title I school. She’s a huge inspiration for me,” says Micah Thorpe ’22, mechanical engineering. “She’s always working to expose her kids to STEM, which encouraged me to do the same—and I realized I could do it here at UMBC.”
Diane Stonestreet ’22, mechanical engineering, shares, “my time at UMBC has given me the space to better understand and take ownership of my journey as a first-gen student. I’ve become confident in myself, and aware that I do deserve the opportunities that come my way.”
Gabby Khan ‘22 came to UMBC to study computer science and game development. What she found when she arrived was a warm, supportive community. “Everyone was welcoming and felt responsive, like humans,” she says. “People in administration who I’d call with questions were welcoming and friendly.”
Chetan Desai, M.P.S. ’22, data science, came to UMBC from India in Spring 2021, overcoming the barriers of international travel during the pandemic, with a unique goal in mind. He wanted to combine his skills in data science with his passion for sport.
Arjun Trivedi ‘22, M30, mechanical engineering, is passionate about engineering, computing, and connecting with people outside of his field, who have different perspectives. He wants to learn about what drives them, how they think about the world, and if they have advice that could apply to his experience.
Bryan Castillo ‘22, business technology administration, came to UMBC from Howard Community College as a first-generation college student with a clear vision on how he would succeed: making connections and exploring every opportunity. He wanted to combine his interest in art with his passion for technology. He also wanted to make sure he felt supported on his college journey and could make life-long friends.
As a Cybersecurity and Center for Women in Technology Scholar from São Paulo, Brazil, Priscila de Almeida Feitosa ’22, computer science, found like-minded classmates at UMBC—students who wanted to change the status quo of representation in technology fields.
Logan Hawker ‘22, mechanical engineering, chose UMBC because she wanted to feel supported both in the classroom and on the softball field.
Vandana Janeja and Christine Mallinson have received a two-year, $300,000 grant from NSF to study deepfakes, focusing on audio clips. Deepfakes are images, videos, and sounds that are developed using artificial intelligence, but that are designed to appear as real-life recordings. They can be highly deceiving for audiences, impacting public opinion and behavior.
