Meet a Retriever

Four alumni hold books in front of a large quilt.

Meet a Retriever —Diane Tichnell ’70, political science, Founding Four alum

Meet Diane Tichnell ’70, a political science graduate of UMBC’s very first class of Retrievers! As a member of UMBC’s “Founding Four” group of alums from the university’s first four graduating years, Diane has stayed involved with her alma mater, participating as an editor of This Belongs To Us, a collection of Founding Four stories, and establishing the Tichnell Aging Gracefully Graduate Scholarship to support students in the Erickson School of Aging Studies. Take it away, Diane! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: I have been a loyal Retriever since that first day on campus,… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever —Diane Tichnell ’70, political science, Founding Four alum

Noah Cruz '24, a psychology and biological sciences student, poses on the stairs.

Meet a Retriever—Noah Cruz ’24, first-generation scholar and mentor

Meet Noah Cruz, a senior pursuing B.S. degrees in both psychology and biological sciences on the pre-med/Ph.D. track. As a first generation student and a member of multiple scholars programs, Noah takes part in student organizations and undergraduate research while also following his passions of advocating for underrepresented students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. We can’t wait to see where Noah goes from here, and we’re excited to share his story. Q: Tell us about yourself. What would you want another Retriever to know about you? A: I am a senior concurrently pursuing dual bachelor of science… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Noah Cruz ’24, first-generation scholar and mentor

Ting Huang, McNair Scholar

Meet a Retriever—Ting Huang ’21, McNair Scholars coordinator extraordinaire

Meet Ting Huang ’21, psychology, program coordinator for the McNair Scholars Program in the Office of Academic Opportunity Programs where she was previously a scholar. Ting is now in a position where she gets to support the UMBC community the same way, she says, it supported her. Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Ting Huang ’21, McNair Scholars coordinator extraordinaire

a UMBC student poses with True Grit, the live mascot with festive black and gold balloons around

Meet a Retriever—Anna Jones, peer tutor

Meet Anna Jones, a first-generation psychology major on the pre-med track at UMBC. What started as a “nudge” by one of her professors wound up leading Anna to becoming a peer tutor with UMBC’s SI (supplemental instruction) PASS (peer-assisted study sessions) program—an experience that has changed her life and defined her experience as a Retriever. We can’t wait to hear all about it! Q: What brought you to UMBC in the first place? A: Hello! I am a psychology B.S. major with a minor in biological sciences on the pre-med track. I transferred to UMBC after my first year of college… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Anna Jones, peer tutor

Hope Weismann smiles at camera.

Meet a Retriever—Hope Weisman ’14, M.A. ’18, transfer student advocate

Meet Hope Weisman ’14, psychology, M.A. ’18, applied sociology, a Transfer Academic Advocate and member of the UMBC community for 10 years and counting. As a transfer to UMBC herself, Hope has found the perfect professional role for herself at UMBC’s Academic Success Center. Thanks for sharing your story, Hope! Q: Tell us about your primary why, and how it led you to UMBC. A: I came to UMBC as an undergraduate student because it felt like it was the right fit for me. I was transferring from a local community college and I had never even been to UMBC.… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Hope Weisman ’14, M.A. ’18, transfer student advocate

A man with long gray hair and matching beard and glasses waves. He was a philosophy major at UMBC.

Meet a Retriever — Rev. Bob Hall ’74, philosophy

Meet Rev. Bob Hall ’74, philosophy, president of the Christian Council of Delmarva and a planned gift donor to UMBC. Through his work, Rev. Hall is able to combine the strengths of traditional churches to address needs in his community — and he says he got the grounding he needed for this work as a student at UMBC. We can’t wait to hear about who inspired him most. Take it away, Bob! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want the Retriever community to know about you? A: I am a clergyperson who has worked in the faith-based non-profit sector for most… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever — Rev. Bob Hall ’74, philosophy

A woman in bright purple walks and talks next to a man in a suit jacket outside next to a sculpture. she is helping connect him to faculty funding and awards

Meet a Retriever—Rachel Brubaker, M.A. ’00, faculty funding connector

Meet Rachel Brubaker, M.A. ’00, historical studies, assistant director for grants and program development at the Dresher Center for the Humanities. Brubaker, a self-proclaimed humanities nerd, has worked in different positions at UMBC for 22 years, but her current seat in the Dresher Center allows her to combine her UMBC degree with her passion for public humanities and education to collaborate with faculty members on research proposals and help connect them to prestigious funding opportunities. Take it away, Rachel! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: I have been assistant director for grants… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Rachel Brubaker, M.A. ’00, faculty funding connector

A young man stands in a black polo shirt talking into a microphone

Meet a Retriever—Xavier Smith ’23, M31, computer engineering, scholar and mentor

Meet Xavier Smith, a senior computer engineering student who is heading to MIT next year to pursue his dreams of earning a Ph.D. and starting a biotech company. As a part of UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars Program, the U-RISE Scholars Program, and a number of other organizations on campus, he truly understands the meaning of community. Take it away, Xavier! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: I am a senior studying computer engineering on the communications track. In fall of 2023, I will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where I will be… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Xavier Smith ’23, M31, computer engineering, scholar and mentor

Four men wearing suits and ties pose together outside

Meet a Retriever—Karndeep Singh ’18, M26, CYA president

Meet Karndeep Singh ’18, M26, biochemistry and molecular biology, a graduate student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the biochemistry and molecular biology Ph.D. program. Singh is conducting his thesis research in Dr. Michael Summers’ laboratory at UMBC. Outside of research, he’s been involved with UMBC’s Chapter of Young Alumni (CYA), serving as the president since summer of 2020. Singh says he’s found his way at UMBC through involvement in research, residential life, and networking with alumni at UMBC. Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Karndeep Singh ’18, M26, CYA president

Information systems student Anthony Rivera explains his research to another researcher

Meet a Retriever—Anthony Rivera, information systems major and student researcher

Meet Anthony Rivera, a senior information systems (IS) major and a first-generation college student. When he’s not working on research related to improving equity for Medicaid recipients, you can also find him exploring his creative side through photography and a minor in theatre. Take it away, Anthony! Q: Tell us about how you wound up at UMBC. A: Hello, my name is Anthony Rivera and I am a senior information systems (IS) major, theatre minor student using he/him pronouns. I study IS because I am fascinated by the way people interact with technology and seeing those trends in human activity.… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Anthony Rivera, information systems major and student researcher

A woman in a gray UMBC t-shirt stands in front of a desk where she acts as an academic peer advocate.

Meet a Retriever—Adeola Ojomo, sociology major and academic peer advocate

Meet Adeola Ojomo, a sophomore sociology major who started working on campus helping other students as an academic peer advocate (APA) after being inspired by another APA who helped her with some excellent advice. Take it away, Adeola! Q: Tell us about yourself. What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: My name is Adeola Ojomo and I work at the Academic Success Center as an academic peer advocate. Some activities I enjoy outside of school include Tai Chi and gardening. I’m also a music lover! I can vibe with music from any decade and… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Adeola Ojomo, sociology major and academic peer advocate

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