an older man in a black polo shirt stands on a baseball field holding a bat

Stepping up to the plate to preserve UMBC history

Jun 20, 2024 / 5 minutes of reading

When the Fort McHenry Tunnel opened, drivers could thank Richard “Rock” Soracoe ’71, economics, for helping them see as they drove under the harbor. Soracoe spent 50-plus years in the lighting industry and helped source the original 8,870 8-ft light fixtures that lined the road. In retirement, he’s helping shed a different type of light. Soracoe and other members of the founding four classes at UMBC are putting their collective memories to work to assist in identifying people and events in UMBC’s archival material to help complete our UMBC history. One event—UMBC’s first intercollegiate athletics win—is a story Soracoe loves… Continue Reading Stepping up to the plate to preserve UMBC history

Meet a Retriever—Camilla Sandoval ’17, M.A. ’19, program coordinator for Maryland Humanities

May 6, 2024 / 4 minutes of reading

Meet Camilla Sandoval ’17, history, M.A. ’19, historical studies, a first-generation student who spent part of her time on each of UMBC’s campuses before graduating and putting her studies to work. Today, she spends her days as the program coordinator for grants with Maryland Humanities, where she still employs lessons learned from her time as a Retriever. Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Camilla Sandoval ’17, M.A. ’19, program coordinator for Maryland Humanities

A large group of Chinese migrants stand in line

Chinese migration to US is nothing new – but the reasons for recent surge at Southern border are

Apr 10, 2024 / 6 minutes of reading

The brief closure of the Darien Gap – a perilous 66-mile jungle journey linking South American and Central America – in February 2024 temporarily halted one of the Western Hemisphere’s busiest migration routes, explains Meredity Oyen, assistant professor of history at UMBC. It also highlighted its importance to a small but growing group of people that depend on that pass to make it to the U.S.: Chinese migrants. Continue Reading Chinese migration to US is nothing new – but the reasons for recent surge at Southern border are

A panel of professors talking with a projector screen behind them

Mellon Foundation grants CAHSS $750K to establish Global Asias Initiative

Apr 3, 2024 / 2 minutes of reading

Kimberly Moffitt, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Socials Sciences, and co-pi Tamara Bhalla, associate professor of American studies and director of the Asian American studies minor, have been awarded a $750K grant from the Mellon Foundation to establish the Global Asias Initiative. Continue Reading Mellon Foundation grants CAHSS $750K to establish Global Asias Initiative

Television celebrities walking across a black carpet with the word Shōgun written in gold

James Clavell’s ‘Shōgun’ is reimagined for a new generation of TV viewers

Mar 25, 2024 / 7 minutes of reading

Constantine Nomikos Vaporis, professor of history, a historian of Japan who specializes in the history of the Tokugawa, or early modern era – a period from 1603 to 1868, during which the bulk of the action in FX’s new television miniseries“Shōgun” takes place. “American viewers today apparently don’t need to be slowly introduced to Japanese culture by a European guide,” says Vaporis. Continue Reading James Clavell’s ‘Shōgun’ is reimagined for a new generation of TV viewers

A woman sorts through many postage stamps for her pen pal hobby

How to stay in touch—4 steps to being a prolific pen pal

Mar 22, 2024 / 5 minutes of reading

For Winona Caesar ’09, a sergeant in the Baltimore City Police, letter writing is a creative outlet. Whether hand writing a letter or using one of her seven typewriters, Caesar says the process slows her down and connects her to individuals all over the globe. As the world grows increasingly more digitized, Caesar and her pen pals are saving the lost art of keeping in touch. Continue Reading How to stay in touch—4 steps to being a prolific pen pal

four students in UMBC black and gold attire stand behind a poster that reads "Tour Registration". Two hold yellow foam thumbs-ups.

Meet a Retriever—Madelyn “Maddy” Pollack ’24, Humanities Scholar and Honors College member

Mar 12, 2024 / 4 minutes of reading

Here, Maddy Pollack shares the many ways she is involved on campus and why she values all of her sources of support at UMBC, including the Humanities Scholars Program and the Honors College. Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Madelyn “Maddy” Pollack ’24, Humanities Scholar and Honors College member

A group of people inside a mosque sit on a carpeted floor listening to The imam of the Khadija Mosque

Turkey will stop sending imams to German mosques – here’s why this matters

Feb 20, 2024 / 5 minutes of reading

Brian Van Wyck, assistant professor of history at UMBC, explains the origins of the history of migration between Turkey and Germany and the goals both governments pursued by bringing Turkish imams to work in German mosques. Continue Reading Turkey will stop sending imams to German mosques – here’s why this matters

Noor Zaidi wearing a coral red blouse stands outside in front of a bed of tall flowers.

Noor Zaidi, history, receives prestigious NEH faculty fellowship to complete book project

Jan 29, 2024 / 2 minutes of reading

Noor Zaidi, assistant professor of history at UMBC, receives a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship to research and write Translations of Zaynab: Gender, Sectarianism, and Citizenship in Shi’a Islam. The book will analyze how the seventh-century figure, Zaynab bint Ali, granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammed, has been used in 20th-century political contexts. Continue Reading Noor Zaidi, history, receives prestigious NEH faculty fellowship to complete book project

Large billboards with images of a man and a woman promoting the Taiwanese election

Taiwanese election may determine whether Beijing opts to force the issue of reunification

Jan 9, 2024 / 6 minutes of reading

UMBC’s Meredith Oyen, associate professor of history and Asian studies, explains the upcoming results of the Taiwanese election and what the results will mean for Taiwan, Beijing, and the U.S. will face as a result. Continue Reading Taiwanese election may determine whether Beijing opts to force the issue of reunification

A young child works in a glass factory in a 1909 black and white historical photo by lewis hine

Historical lens—3 stories that scratch the surface of a 5,400 image archive

Dec 7, 2023 / 3 minutes of reading

One of the most influential sets of historical photos in UMBC’s Special Collections is an archive of more than 5,400 images documenting the harsh conditions of child laborers in early 20th-century America. Recently the team in Special Collections—which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year—undertook a massive project to digitize and rehouse the photos in more protective sheaths to help safeguard the images and the hand-written details on them. The preservation effort gave UMBC student workers hands-on practice with handling the delicate photographs and allowed staff to dive deep into these historical records in order to comment on timely issues around… Continue Reading Historical lens—3 stories that scratch the surface of a 5,400 image archive

Meredith Power, left, and Susan Graham, right, handle the century-old photographs.

Handle with care—students help digitize and rehouse thousands of historical photos

Dec 7, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

A nine-year-old stands at the mouth of a coal mine covered in coal dust, wearing a small headlamp. A woman holds her baby on her lap as she packs boxes in a warehouse along with her 5-, 8-, and 12-year-olds. These are just two of thousands of evocative black-and white historical photographs handled by Special Collections interns Meredith Power ’21, history, a public history graduate student, and Gabe Morrison ’23, anthropology. Along with library staff members, these two worked diligently to ensure that the images of the families and children who lived through these harrowing work conditions are accessible to… Continue Reading Handle with care—students help digitize and rehouse thousands of historical photos

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