Beyond a meet and greet, and far beyond posters and tchotchke giveaways, Involvement Fest is a key moment for students looking to meet new people and try something new. An estimated 2,000 students attended this year’s event. Continue Reading Need a fun activity? UMBC iFest delivers with 200+ student organizations and tons to explore
Study author Adam Dixon, Ph.D. ’21, understands that protected areas alone are not enough to solve the biodiversity, food, and health challenges the world is facing—so his work seeks to help “integrate conservation solutions into our most intensive places.” Continue Reading UMBC alum leads successful pilot of method for monitoring biodiversity on farms
Throughout the 2022 – 2023 academic year, Isabel Dastvan completed on-the-ground surveys, created maps of invasive species on campus, identified the most urgent invasive threats, and determined the best ways to combat their spread. The end result is a 187-page, comprehensive Invasive Species Management Plan for UMBC. Continue Reading Sustainability Fellow Isabel Dastvan ’22 grows her career and invasive species management at UMBC
“College can be a nerve-wracking and anxious experience, right? So when you have a question, or when you are feeling uncertain, when you are feeling overwhelmed, do me one favor,” said Joel DeWyer, director of campus life operations, encouraging students to find community support. “Find someone around you in your community and ask for help.” Continue Reading Graduating students share how unexpected paths and community support got them to where they needed to be
UMBC and Maryland Matters hosted state officials in Governor Wes Moore’s administration for a community forum on Maryland’s plan to address concerns related to climate change and the administration’s proposed green energy initiatives. Continue Reading UMBC, Maryland Matters host climate forum with top officials in Gov. Wes Moore’s administration
Reflecting on UMBC experience, Victoria Joya Euceda ’23, geography and environmental systems, shares, “My relationship with Dr. Valencia has inspired me to want to be a professor one day and inspire many other Latinx and first-generation students to complete their higher education.” Continue Reading “Someone who understood my story”: First-gen grad on the value of mentorship
in recent years, Muslim communities around the world have used the period to rally around themes of social awareness. And this includes understanding the perils of wastefulness and embracing the link between Ramadan and environmental consciousness. As a historian of Islam, Noor Zaidi, assistant professor of history, sees the “greening” of Ramadan as entirely in keeping with the traditions of the faith, and in particular the observance of Ramadan. Continue Reading Calls for a ‘green’ Ramadan revive Islam’s long tradition of sustainability and care for the planet
Turning location services off on your smartphone only prevents smartphone apps from receiving location data. By using critical code and documentary research methods, we found that raw satellite location measurement data are perpetually created in our devices all the time. Continue Reading Satellite data: The other type of smartphone data you might not know about
More than 40 active UMBC researchers are listed among the top 2% of the world’s most-cited scientists and engineers in an analysis recently published by Elsevier. “This analysis shows that our researchers are truly impacting the scientific community in a significant way,” says Karl V. Steiner, vice president for research and creative achievement. Continue Reading UMBC researchers listed among the world’s top 2% of most-cited scientists and engineers
The balloons have been a mystery to much of the campus community for years, with the colorful orbs dotting the campus sky in about the tenth week of almost every semester. But for the students in Charlie Kaylor’s class, the balloons represent a culmination of the knowledge and skills they’ve gained over the preceding 10 weeks, including disciplines like ecology, statistics, botany, and sociology. Continue Reading Getting Your Research Off the Ground—Balloons Give Students New Perspectives
The new director, Charles Ichoku, brings deep and well-rounded experience in Earth science research, at NASA, and in student development programs—exactly the elements GESTAR II brings together and hopes to expand upon. Continue Reading New center director to take NASA-supported Earth science research into next era at UMBC
On a sunny fall day in October, a handful of student and faculty researchers are scuttling around outside the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery. High-tech instruments sprawl across folding tables, alongside lower-tech equipment like a hole-punch, glass jars, clippers, and Ziploc bags. A drone about the size of a couch cushion sits on the grass nearby, awaiting instructions. Continue Reading UMBC’s Matthew Baker and team study how urban trees respond to heat stress
