UMBC faculty are leading interdisciplinary, community-engaged immigration research that is shifting the relationship between higher education institutions and immigrant communities. Continue Reading Centering Thriving Immigrant Voices in Immigration Research
Meet Phil Shockley ’04, political science and information systems, M.P.P. ’09. As an undergraduate, he was Student Government Association president and took part in interesting internships, and as an alum and donor he continues to engage and give back to his alma mater. He’s now making a UMBC education even more accessible to others by endowing a scholarship in honor of his parents. Continue Reading Meet a Retriever — Phil Shockley ’04, M.P.P. ’09
Today, millions of college students across the country are voting. Other students are not voting—they might be discouraged that their voice can make a difference, uninformed about their voting rights, or just unengaged with the political process. In a conversation facilitated by UMBC Magazine, Musa Jafri ’24, political science, SGA director of civic engagement, Sunil Dasgupta, professor of political science, and founder and host of the podcast “I Hate Politics,” and David Hoffman, Ph.D. ’13, language, literacy, and culture, the director of UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life, discuss the vital democratic process—on campus and off—and the daily practice… Continue Reading Voting Is an Everyday Practice
Amid a bustling day filled with Homecoming excitement, GRIT-X returned to UMBC this month for its sixth year, delivering a wide-ranging lineup of Retriever excellence in action. Held in the Fine Arts Recital Hall, this year’s GRIT-X was the first for new UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby. Enjoying one engaging talk after another, she deemed the event “the essence of UMBC.” Continue Reading GRIT-X 2022 brings to life the “essence” of UMBC research and creative achievement
Meet Evangeline Kiriqua ’21, political science, who returned to school in her 50s and recently created a scholarship in honor of her parents to give assistance to minority students studying political science at UMBC at the Universities at Shady Grove. Continue Reading Meet a Retriever – Evangeline Kirigua ’21, political science
Francisco Cartagena describes his academic journey as unorthodox. Now an employee for the City of Gaithersburg, Cartagena started his educational path as an undocumented student. While charting numerous challenges, Cartagena ’19, political science, M.P.S. ’22, cybersecurity, also found ample opportunities for growth along the way, becoming an effective leader of social change at UMBC at The Universities at Shady Grove. Cartagena arrived with his family from El Salvador as a preteen. In 2009, he graduated from high school and set out to Montgomery College to pursue his associate’s degree in general studies—a goal that would take him a decade to… Continue Reading Non-Linear Paths to Leadership
The new 2022–23 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges undergraduate rankings illustrate why a record number of students chose to call UMBC home this fall. This year’s rankings show UMBC jumping an impressive 25 spots on the list of Best National Universities and appearing on several other prestigious lists, distinguishing the university’s achievements on a national stage. Continue Reading U.S. News highlights UMBC’s national leadership in teaching, innovation, diversity
“In recent research, I studied how Americans’ perceptions of their own political knowledge shape their political attitudes,” says Ian Anson, associate professor of political science. “My results show that many Americans think they know much more about politics than they really do. Political overconfidence causes Americans to underestimate the political skill of their peers. And those who believe themselves to be political experts often dismiss the guidance of real experts.” Continue Reading Americans think they know a lot about politics – and it’s bad for democracy that they’re so often wrong in their confidence
The anti-abortion movement is often criticized as caring little about these matters. UMBC’s Laura Antkowiak, political science, who has studied the intersections of abortion and social welfare issues, I became intrigued by a large but little-known subset of anti-abortion activists who claimed to support women during pregnancy and after childbirth. Continue Reading Anti-abortion pregnancy centers will likely outlast the age of Roe – here’s how they’re funded and the services they provide
“As a political scientist who studies voting and public opinion, I have my doubts about the true power of Trump’s endorsements,” says Ian Anson, assistant professor of political science at UMBC. “Instead, it is more likely that most of the candidates Trump has chosen to endorse were already on track to win their respective races.” Continue Reading Trump-endorsed candidates would generally win even without his support – and that’s usually the case with all political endorsements
Danylo Leshchyshyn ‘22, history and political science, came to UMBC hoping to receive the support he would need to succeed. He found it in the form of friendly staff members with Student Disability Services, and in strong connections he formed with other students. Continue Reading Advocate for self-discovery and inclusion
“I am driven by knowing that I can help future generations of my family explore what the world has to offer,” says Joshua Gray. “My work can open up opportunities for them and help them look at the world and their experiences in a different way.” Continue Reading A dancer’s discipline and dedication
