In 2017, UMBC received a $1.3 million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in an effort to diversify the field of economics by creating interventions from the undergraduate level through the post-baccalaureate level. The program was originally intended to conclude in five years but has since been extended to support UMBC students in post-bac programs through 2025. Continue Reading Uplifting up-and-coming economists
Christopher Slaughter ’23, M31 computer engineering, has won a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue graduate work at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom next fall. “He exemplifies UMBC’s values and the Gates Cambridge vision of preparing leaders who demonstrate not only academic excellence, but also a deep commitment to improving the lives of others,” says UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby. Continue Reading UMBC’s Christopher Slaughter, engineering student with health equity focus, wins prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship
In 2019, UMBC’s first public policy doctoral graduate pledged $100,000 to create the Renny DiPentima Fund for Advancement in Public Policy. Continue Reading Leading By Giving—Alum Boosts Doctoral Students in Public Service
At UMBC’s 8th annual Scholarship Luncheon, student recipients of endowed scholarships met and thanked the backers of their financial support. Continue Reading Together We Rise — Annual Scholarship Luncheon
On March 14, donors and students gathered for UMBC’s the annual Endowed Scholarship Luncheon. Endowed scholarships provide support in perpetuity, so a gift made today benefits generations of students. For students who receive their scholarship for multiple years, the luncheon was an opportunity for donors and scholars to reconnect with each other. Others met their benefactors for the first time and learned what motivated them to invest in UMBC. Sheldon Caplis, former vice president of Institutional Advancement at UMBC, spoke of his introduction to philanthropy as a child. Although his parents were from humble backgrounds, they gave what they could… Continue Reading Supporting the Next Generation of Retrievers
After a series of stops and starts in her pursuit of higher education — up to and including marriage and children — Carrie Cleveland graduated from UMBC this past May with a degree in social work. During her time here, Cleveland was the recipient of multiple scholarships made possible by the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation, including the Susan Bernstein-Charlotte W. Newcombe Memorial Scholarship for returning students in the social work field. The Newcombe Foundation provides support to students over the age of 25, and has helped over 5,000 UMBC students achieve their goals since 1981. In her own words… “What… Continue Reading Student Scholarship Corner: Carrie Cleveland ’16, Social Work
After a series of stops and starts in her pursuit of higher education — up to and including marriage and children — Carrie Cleveland graduated from UMBC this past May with a degree in social work. During her time here, Cleveland was the recipient of multiple scholarships made possible by the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation, including the Susan Bernstein-Charlotte W. Newcombe Memorial Scholarship for returning students in the social work field. The Newcombe Foundation provides support to students over the age of 25, and has helped over 5,000 UMBC students achieve their goals since 1981. In her own words… “What… Continue Reading Student Scholarship Corner: Carrie Cleveland '16, Social Work
UMBC is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and we didn’t get this far without the dedication of some incredible people. People like Dean Emeritus John Jeffries, who joined the UMBC History Department in 1973, and spent the next 40 years helping his students and the university excel. When Dean Jeffries retired as Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) in 2013, an anonymous donor established the John W. Jeffries Dean’s List Award in his honor. The fund—which recognizes Dean Jeffries for his dedication to UMBC students and his commitment to seeing them excel—provides critical support… Continue Reading John W. Jeffries Dean’s List Award honors high achievers
Think back to the science classes you took as a child. What do you remember about them? Did you watch a caterpillar spin a cocoon and emerge a butterfly, or a tadpole grow into a frog? Did you turn baking soda and vinegar into a fuming volcano, or set off a homemade hot air balloon from the school parking lot? Did you feel a sense of wonder as you watched the world work its unique magic? That’s the sense of wonder the late Homer W. Schamp, Jr., UMBC’s first dean of the faculty, professor emeritus of education, and trained physicist,… Continue Reading Phenomenal World: Juliana and Homer Schamp Memorial Scholarship seeks to inspire the next generation of teachers
This spring, more than 350 students joined in this year’s annual HackUMBC, a 24-hour “tech innovation marathon” where participants were challenged to come up with creative solutions to specific challenges. The slogan: “Dream big. Make it happen.” Students worked individually and on teams to build projects, or “hacks,” which were judged on technical complexity, elegance, and creativity during an expo at the conclusion of the event. Contrary to popular belief, not all hacks require computer coding. “We call it an idea marathon,” explains Michael Bishoff ’16, computer science, a founder of HackUMBC. “It doesn’t have to be an app or… Continue Reading Hacking the Real World: Donor support gives students hands-on experience in their fields
When we think of art, we tend to think of finished pieces: paintings in galleries, dances and plays performed to a sold-out crowd, freshly pressed full-length records and live symphonies. But the reality is that art is so much more than final product. It’s what we can’t see — the equipment, the time, the relentless pursuit of creativity, and donors like you — that makes it possible. At the end of each academic year, we celebrate the hard work and creative achievements of some of UMBC’s most talented student artists at the Linehan Artist Scholars Reception. This year, guests at… Continue Reading “What An Unbelievable Place This Is:” Linehan Reception Celebrates UMBC’s Commitment to the Arts
As UMBC heads into its 50th year, we’ve been looking back on our tales of grit and moments of greatness. What better time to do that than the Endowed Scholarship Luncheon, a yearly event where donors meet the students who’ve benefited from their contributions? Throughout this spring’s luncheon, speakers stressed the importance of investing in young people, and how education can bring forth greatness from humble beginnings. Sylvia Brown came from such beginnings in rural Virginia, and said that she wouldn’t have been able to get where she is today – teacher, administrator, philanthropist – without the help of caring… Continue Reading “Because We Can”: Endowed Scholarship Luncheon Celebrates Philanthropy at UMBC
