Original Post Listing

The Global Asias Initiative was well-represented at this year's Association for Asian American Studies (AAAS) Conference in Honolulu, Hawai'i! While there, we were also hosted by colleagues at University of Hawai'i Manoa for our Global Asias Site Visit to learn about the incredible work they're cultivating in Ethnic Studies, Native Hawaiian Studies, Asian Studies & Student Services. Read about our presentations to colleagues across the country below!

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Dr. Tamara Bhalla, Associate Professor, American Studies, & Co-PI of the Global Asias Initiative organized and facilitated a roundtable discussion Power and Privilege in South Asian American Studies

Dr. Emily Yoon, Assistant Professor, English & Global Asias Advisory Board Member, was supported by a Global Asias faculty Conference Grant to present Little Plastic Intimacies: Offshore Solidarity Against Empire

Dr. Mika Thornburg, Global Asias Postdoctoral Fellow, was supported by a Global Asias faculty Conference Grant to present Oceanic Orbits: The Colonial Circuits of Transpacific Tourism

Priya Bhayana, Global Asias Project Manager, and Angelina Jenkins, Global Asias Advisory Board Member & Assistant Director of the Mosaic Center, were supported by the Dresher Center for Humanities (Priya) and the Division of Student Affairs (Angelina) to co-host a roundtable discussion Cultivating Connections: Asian American Studies & Student Affairs at AANAPISIs

We had so many rich conversations and look forward to next year's conference happening March 2027 right here in Baltimore!

Check Out Aissatou's Experience @ NSBE!   

How long have you been a member of NSBE?

I've been with the UMBC chapter since I transferred in the fall of 2023. They have provided me with guidance, a mentor, opportunities to volunteer, and to be a part of a community that wants to see me succeed.

What opportunities did the NSBE convention provide?

I had an amazing opportunity to represent: UMBC and the Region. This convention went better than I expected. I went from 1 interview last year to 4 this year, with 2 job offers. I also had the opportunity to connect/ network with companies and multiple people from different schools. I went to multiple events, including the Golden Torch Awards, where I got to see people win awards for their accomplishments, plus schools, (a dress to impress event). 

Any other comments about the conference you would like to share?

The event would forever leave a special place in my heart. In an environment with about 16,000 people, I stood out and walked proudly as an INDS major. I thank the INDS program for everything. It's a degree that got me through so many things and shows that it's ok to want something different in college. Passion will get you a long way. 

Click here to learn more about Aissatou's INDS Degree!

Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD)

Come out and support our researchers at URCAD 2026!

Visit the RAC on Wednesday, April 22, to see our students and your peers in action. Be sure to stop by their poster sessions and presentations to engage with their work and show your support.

ANTHROPOLOGY

• Preston McMillian
  Tourism in Tiny Towns: An Ethnographic Study of Old Ellicott City
  Mentor: Nicholas Welcome
  RAC 106 | 3:15–3:30 PM
• Peerada Phoomsiri
  Rewarding Relationships: An Ethnographic Study of Volunteers with the Special Olympics
  Mentor: Bambi Chapin
  RAC 230 | 9:40–9:55 AM

PUBLIC HEALTH

• Jesslyn Annan
  "An Outsider in The Place That's Become Your Home": Stories of Navigating Identity as a 1.5 Generation Asian Immigrant
  Mentor: Chulwoo Park
  RAC Arena | 10:00–11:00 AM | Poster #11
• Nicholas Denton
  Quantifying Misinformation: Vaccine Hesitancy and its Reverberations
  Mentor: Kathryn Monzo
  RAC Arena | 2:00–3:00 PM | Poster #15
• Muskaan Hammad
  Centralizing Community Health Access & Resource Module with a Focus on Food Resources During the Federal Shutdown
  Mentor: Katie Birger
  RAC Arena | 10:00–11:00 AM | Poster #45
• Tiffany Nguyen
  Understanding Severe Psychological Distress Among Older Veterans: A Population-Level Analysis
  Mentor: Cristina Miller
  RAC 230 | 10:00–10:15 AM
• Deven Patel, Fathima Hafsa Abdul Gaffoor, Ephrata Mangesha
  Environment Control and Health Burdens: An International Comparative Study of Preventive Risks from Urban Pollution
  Mentor: Christine Mair
  RAC Arena | 10:00–11:00 AM | Poster #75
• Letu Reggasa
  Maryland College Basic Needs Community of Practice
  Mentor: Andrea Kalfoglou
  RAC 106 | 12:00–12:15 PM
• Anelsy Valencia
  Immigration Vulnerability and Self-Rated Oral Health Among Latin Adults: A Pilot Study*
  Mentor: Dina Garcia
  RAC Arena | 2:00–3:00 PM | Poster #70

For the full schedule see: urcad.umbc.edu

***REPOST***

Participants must register in advance in order to receive a link to join the webinar.  Please also  show that you'll be attending in the original myUMBC post.

Sage Publishing invites you to join us for a custom, 60-minute, virtual instruction session for UMBC. This session will provide a detailed look at the Sage Research Methods and Sage Campus platforms. 

• For graduate students, these tools can support the research process from start to finish, helping you refine research questions, better understand methods, and strengthen your academic writing and project design. 
• For faculty, Sage Research Methods and Sage Campus can serve as useful teaching supports, offering content that can reinforce research skills, methods instruction, and other core concepts students may need help developing inside or outside the classroom.

Sage Research Methods is an extensive collection of case studies, datasets, and video that helps you teach qualitative and quantitative research methods, design and conduct research projects, understand new methods, and write up the findings. 

Sage Campus supports the teaching and learning of skills and research methods, and the range of content is applicable to undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals. The courses and modules are self-paced and consist of video, interactives, and formative assessments. The user-friendly platform makes it easy for faculty to assign content to students.

The Institute for Advanced Study is seeking a 2026-28 Civic Science Fellow for The Public’s Science initiative, a collaborative effort with a leading research center to foster a new social contract for American research policy. This initiative seeks to reimagine scientific research as a genuinely public endeavor—one oriented toward inclusive participation and serving not only national interests but also the diverse communities that sustain and are affected by the scientific enterprise. Learn more and apply here.

The Science Philanthropy Alliance is seeking a 2026–28 Civic Science Fellow to co-create civic science tools, knowledge, and best practices that can inform and inspire philanthropic funding for scientific discovery, beginning in July 2026. The Fellow will work closely with the Science Philanthropy Alliance staff and its philanthropic member organizations to advance scientific discovery through visionary philanthropy. Learn more and apply here.

The 2026–28 Civic Science Fellows cohort will launch in September 2026. As 2026–28 host partners open applications for Fellows, they will be posted here and in the monthly newsletter (sign up). Envisioned as a Civic Science Lab, Fellows and partners carry out pioneering work to co-create pilots, partnerships, knowledge, models, and new ways of working that can help seed collaborations between science and society. All Fellows will engage as a cohort in a learning program and community, developed in collaboration with the network and an interdisciplinary committee of advisors.

***REPOST***

NOTE: Applications and proposals for these USM opportunities must be routed for approval by the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) in the Kuali System prior to submission to USM. Applicants must be PI Eligible active* at the time of routing. Plan 4-5 business days for routing.

Contact CARAT (carat@umbc.edu) for PI Eligibility, proposal, and routing assistance.

Faculty who may apply for PI Eligiblity active status include Faculty with Duties Primarily in Instruction, Research & Service (Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors). Teaching Professors, whose appointments are primarily in Instruction, may request an exception from the Vice President for Research while applying for PI Eligibility status, and must provide additional materials. Temporary and Adjunct Faculty may not be considered PI Eligible. 

*PI Eligible active status entails successful completion (with issued certificates) of PIRATE training; CITI Research Security Training - combined; and a PI Eligibility form, with attached certificates of completion, appointment letter, and C.V. for those requesting PI eligibility through the exception process. See UMBC Policy # IV-2.00.03 for more information.
 
Proposals should adhere to best practices in digital accessibility, such as the use of heading structure and meaningful alternative text for images. The USM Digital Accessibility Checklist is a helpful guide: https://www.usmd.edu/digital-accessibility/USM-Digital-Accessibility-Checklist.pdf  Also, consult the UMBC Accessible Documents & Presentations webpage: https://accessibility.umbc.edu/digital-accessibility/accessible-documents-presentations/ 

1. Call for Applications: Faculty Senior Fellows Program (USM Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation). Application deadline: April 13, 2026 
Routing must begin April 7, 2026. PI Eligible faculty at UMBC may apply for this opportunity.

The USM Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation is pleased to announce a call for applications for Faculty Senior Fellows for the 2026-27 academic year. These leadership roles will advance the Kirwan Center's mission to support innovation in teaching, learning, and scholarship across the University System of Maryland. Each senior fellow will receive a $3,500 stipend (50% in August 2026 and 50% in May 2027) for their work across AY 2026-2027.

The three senior fellow positions are:

• Senior fellow in generative AI pedagogy
• Senior fellow for the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)
• Senior fellow for assessment and evaluation

USM faculty of any rank whose primary role on their campus are faculty are eligible to apply. Applicants may apply for multiple positions but can only be selected for one senior fellow role. Each position requires approximately 1-2 hours of work per week throughout the academic year term.

More details can be found in the Call for Applications for Faculty Senior Fellows: https://usmd.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/KCAI/IQCF89wk09FzRbLlBftPmC3YAeg7tfUTGm5u3tfGyi-4Uis?rtime=96_DSVWP3kg

2. Call for Proposals: 2026-27 Elkins Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Fellows Program. Proposal deadline: May 8, 2026
Routing must begin April 30, 2026. PI Eligible faculty at UMBC may apply for this opportunity.

Up to ten Elkins SoTL Fellowships of $1,000 each will be awarded for 2026-2027 (May 22, 2026 – June 30, 2027). The Elkins SoTL Fellowships are open to USM faculty of any rank or appointment interested in undertaking a research project focused on the scholarship of teaching and learning.

A faculty member should serve as principal investigator (PI) on the project; a staff person may serve as co-PI provided the project originates with the faculty member. At present, graduate students are not being considered for this fellowship.

Information Session: Join Kirwan Center staff on Monday, April 13, 2026, from 1 - 2 p.m., for a virtual Information session to learn more about the fellowship requirements and expectations. We will also answer questions about the program at that time. Registering will ensure you receive a link to the session recording, even if you can't attend live.

NOTE: Applicants must provide a budget and letter of support from a Chair, Dean, or Provost, as well as other proposal materials.

Register here: https://usmd-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/W062YeyISZ6LSQyu7dl6Kg#/registration

Check out the March edition of our monthly newsletter for updates on students, faculty, and alumni! 

March 2026 Newsletter

Please join the Global Asias Initiative for the presentation Essential Storytelling: Watercress and Writing Your Own Story

The presentation will be given by Newbery Award Honor author Andrea Wang, author of the books The Nian Monster, Summer at Squee, and Watercress.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.

Reposting from Undergraduate Research! Be sure to check it out: URCAD is Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in the RAC!
For the full schedule see: urcad.umbc.edu

Bella Berry | Gender and Mental Illness in Slender Man Media | Kathalene Razzano | Media and Communication Studies | 1:55-2:10 | RAC 106 

Tanzila Malik | Do Muslim Women Need Saving? A Case Study of Iran's Veiling Policies | Nehal Elmeligy | Gender, Women's, + Sexuality Studies | 9:00-9:15 | RAC 230 

Maylene Quintanilla, Caroline Wehinger, John Eiers | Toy Choice: Does Gender Matter? | Susan Sonnenschein | Psychology | RAC Arena, 2-3pm, Poster #53 

Amy Taylor, Margot Anthony | Power and Control: The Impact of Religious Cults on the Lives of Women | Lauren Allen | Social Work | RAC Arena, 2-3pm, Poster #67 

CURRENTS: Humanities Work Now with Michele Osherow, Associate Professor (English)

Location

Performing Arts & Humanities Building : 216

CURRENTS: Humanities Work Now with Michele Osherow, Associate Professor (English) – Online Event

Date & Time

April 6, 2026,12:00 pm–1:00 pm

Description

The Dresher Center's CURRENTS: Humanities Work Now lunchtime series showcases exciting new work in the humanities in a dynamic and inter-disciplinary setting.

Advanced registration for lunch is first come, first basis.

Keeping the Girls in Stitches: Seventeenth-Century Women’s Embroidery as Biblical Commentary

Michele Osherow, Associate Professor, English
Spring 2026 Residential Faculty Fellow

This research considers ways early modern women used their needles to engage with biblical text and characters, offering up alternative readings of narratives and challenging dominant interpretations head-on. Women’s embroidered pictures of the Bible were not bound to scriptural accuracy; they freely inserted characters into stitched scenes or juxtaposed narratives: what emerges is a stunning complexity of material very much in keeping with the textual intricacies of the Bible itself. I’ll demonstrate this with a few focused examples, showing how the needlework riffs on biblical narrative, religious commentary, and addresses social and political interests.

Join via WebEx: https://umbc.webex.com/umbc/j.php?MTID=m6004cdd76ae5d33010f8426212ee6ed1