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Fritzie Charne-Merriwether (left) poses with her daughter Kaelyn who will be attending UMBC in the fall.

Meet a Retriever—Fritzie Charne-Merriwether, student affairs superstar

/ 5 minutes of reading

Meet Fritzie Charne-Merriwether, associate vice president for administration and chief of staff in the Division of Student Affairs. Fritzie started her career at UMBC as a community director in Residential Life, left to pursue other passions, and came back to serve our Retriever community for the last 14 years. What excites Fritzie so much about her work with students? We’ll let her tell you herself! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: I am a native New Yorker. I have a B.A. in psychology from Roger Williams University and a M.Ed. in student… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Fritzie Charne-Merriwether, student affairs superstar

Two women academic advocates talk to each other in an office setting

Meet a Retriever—Amanda Sharp, academic advocacy leader

/ 5 minutes of reading

Meet Amanda Sharp, director of academic advocacy in UMBC’s Academic Success Center. What keeps her coming back to work each day? Supporting students! She says she is privileged to sit with students in some of their hardest moments and also see them reach their highest successes. We’re excited to hear more about your work, Amanda—take it away! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: My name is Amanda, and I’m a director in the Academic Advocacy Office here at UMBC! One essential thing you should know about me is that I’m deeply passionate… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Amanda Sharp, academic advocacy leader

Michelle Jabes Corpora promo photo for HOLLY HORROR: THE LONGEST NIGHT.

Meet a Retriever—Michelle Jabes Corpora ‘03, young adult author and editor

/ 5 minutes of reading

Meet Michelle Jabes Corpora ’03, English and theatre. Michelle is the author of nine novels, an editor for commercial fiction, and an avid student of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She came to UMBC as a Linehan Artist Scholar in 1999 to study theatre before deciding to double major in English. Michelle has found that her background in theatre has been a helpful tool in her writing. Take it away, Michelle! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: I am a 2003 alumna, a double major in English and theatre. Today, I am the author of… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Michelle Jabes Corpora ‘03, young adult author and editor

Two women on opposing basketball teams on a court in the middle of a basketball game. The audience is in the background. Behind the two players, other players sit on the bench, watching the game.

Meet a Retriever—Laura Lacambra, international student-athlete in STEM

/ 6 minutes of reading

Meet Laura Lacambra, an international undergrad student, originally from Barcelona, Spain. Laura is an athlete on the UMBC Retrievers women’s basketball team, and is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, and minoring in psychology. She is currently completing her undergraduate research under the supervision of Daniel Lobo, associate professor of biology. In addition to being an athlete and a STEM student, Laura also spends her time working as a tour guide on campus. The key to her success, she says, has been the overwhelming support she has received from the diverse community at UMBC. From this, she has been able… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Laura Lacambra, international student-athlete in STEM

Meet a Retriever—Hyojin Choi, psychology and social work major and student leader

/ 4 minutes of reading

Meet Hyojin Choi, a double major in psychology and social work at UMBC at The Universities at Shady Grove. A transfer student, Hyojin is an active member of the peer advisory team and president of the Psychology Student Association—all while also serving as a social work intern at the Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County, Maryland. In fact, he looks forward to working there after graduation. Take it away, Hyojin! Q: What do you love about your internship? A: As an intern at HOC, I have learned much about how housing works in the United States and the many challenges… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Hyojin Choi, psychology and social work major and student leader

two men stand next to a surf board at the beach

Hang Ten with New Friends

/ 3 minutes of reading

When UMBC’s volleyball team headed to the University of Southern California (USC) for a tournament, Athletics reached out and invited West Coast Retrievers to an LA happy hour before the game. Eager to reconnect with their alma mater and meet other alumni in the area, folks gathered together and new friendships were formed.  Despite the decades between their UMBC experiences, Matt Sheriff ’00, political science, and Nathenael Dereb ’21, computer science, bonded over a quintessential California connection—surfing. Specifically, Dereb, a recent relocator, wanted to learn how and Sheriff, who’s been on the West Coast for years, had the skills to… Continue Reading Hang Ten with New Friends

Elle Kreiner sits and talks while Chicken, an amazon parrot, preens himself

Bird Brainiac

/ 1 minute of reading

At UMBC, we welcome Retrievers of all stripes… and feathers. Spotted on campus recently enjoying student life is an 87-year-old yellow crowned amazon parrot named Chicken. Yes, you read that right, Chicken.  Elle Kreiner ’20, anthropology, a current master’s student in applied sociology, rescued the bird in 2017 after his long-term caretaker passed away and the family wasn’t able to keep him. Despite coming to campus to spread his wings (metaphorically—Chicken doesn’t enjoy flying), Kreiner doesn’t believe their parrot would make a great student, although he does speak three languages.  Prior to his time with Kreiner, Chicken lived in pre–World… Continue Reading Bird Brainiac

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