Education

Around the Clock Creative: Katie Hirsch '04

/ 3 minutes of reading

Katie Hirsch is one of the lucky few who manages to combine her passions with her job. An animation and computer enthusiast since childhood, Hirsch has used her talent and enthusiasm for both fields in her career as a computer game developer, and, most recently, in her production of a short animated film about a hungry reptile. Hirsch’s two-minute short, “Dragin’ On,” will premiere in this month’s Maryland Film Festival at Baltimore’s Charles Theatre. “I was inspired to make the film because I wanted to create a made-up world with made-up rules,” said Hirsch, who graduated from UMBC in 2004… Continue Reading Around the Clock Creative: Katie Hirsch '04

Engineering a Bright Future: Brian and Annica Wayman '99

/ 3 minutes of reading

Many people claim to know the formula for true love. In the case of Brian and Annica Wayman ’99, both Meyerhoff Scholars and mechanical engineering grads, however, it’s easy to see how it all adds up. For them, math + science + UMBC = lasting romance. “I guess it was probably a combination of having the same classes and seeing each other all the time,” laughed Brian, who, like his wife, the former Annica Warrick, is pursuing his doctorate in mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech. Married since 2001, they also have an eight-month-old son, Donovan. Like so many relationships, the… Continue Reading Engineering a Bright Future: Brian and Annica Wayman '99

A Writing Life: Jadi Keambiroiro '79

/ 3 minutes of reading

Every morning, before she does anything else, Jadi Keambiroiro sits down at her desk to work on her novel, Killing Ants. Nothing can distract her – she’s worked too long to get to this point to take it for granted. “I am really where I need to be right now,” said Keambiroiro (formerly Gloria Green), who earned her bachelor’s in English in 1979. Today, nearly 25 years after graduating from UMBC and following a 15-year career in development, she has what she always wanted: a writing life. In addition to her creative writing projects, Keambiroiro also started her own press,… Continue Reading A Writing Life: Jadi Keambiroiro '79

Using Chemistry Every Day: Dr. Adam Freeman '95 (M3)

/ 2 minutes of reading

What’s it like being a pioneer? Ask Dr. Adam Freeman ’95, chemistry, an innovator in the chemistry of paper and one of the first generations of UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars. He’ll tell you the secret – keeping your eyes open for opportunity. “You know, when I look at where I am and what I wound up doing, most of it was unplanned,” said Dr. Freeman, Senior Research Scientist for the Eastman Kodak Company in New York. “But over time, I realized everything I was learning was part of a flow that wove together over time.” A native of Silver Spring, Dr.… Continue Reading Using Chemistry Every Day: Dr. Adam Freeman '95 (M3)

A Natural Progression: Rithy Chhay '02

/ 3 minutes of reading

Only four short years have passed since Rithy Chhay graduated from UMBC, but he is already on the fast track to success. At just 26 years old, the computer science grad is a senior software engineer with Red Arch Solutions, a software and systems engineering firm in Columbia, Md. He’s a young husband, as well, and one of the core members of the recently re-energized Chapter of Young Alumni steering committee. Then again, Chhay has been ahead of the game for most of his life, as least where computer science is concerned. “I started writing my own computer programs when… Continue Reading A Natural Progression: Rithy Chhay '02

A Healthy Balance: Stephanie Hill '86

/ 4 minutes of reading

Stephanie Cole Hill ’86 sometimes feels like a woman in a man’s world. Most of the other executives at Lockheed Martin Corporation, a major engineering firm which earns most of its income from contracts with the U.S. military, are men. Hill began to face feeling like “the only one in the room” early in her computer science career, a feeling she still experiences sometimes. However, she learned not to let that feeling get her down. “I have learned that you have a choice. You can allow others’ perceptions to define you, or you can decide to define their perception and… Continue Reading A Healthy Balance: Stephanie Hill '86

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