Congratulations to the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) and the Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Pluralism (CRSP) for being awarded a BreakingGround grant! Their project – Centering Wonder: Science, Spirituality, Religion, and Collaborative Empowerment in the UMBC Community – will contribute to UMBC's continued commitment to fostering collective thriving and civic agency.
CRSP and CNMS are launching an event series that explores the intersections of science and faith in the UMBC community. The pilot event on March 25, 2026 will feature a public lecture by Dr. Patricia Fosarelli – a pediatrician, theologian, author, and faculty member at both the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute – along with pre-lecture small-group discussions and a post-lecture Q&A. The series aims to empower community members, particularly students in STEM, pre-health, philosophy, and religious studies, to integrate their whole selves into their academic and professional lives. This seed funding will support the pilot event and a follow-up event in the fall, with the goal of establishing a sustainable model for ongoing programming that fosters civic agency, interfaith understanding, and holistic professional development.
Matthew Hoffman, Director of the Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Pluralism, said:
Centering Wonder is a great example of the integrated, collaborative work we support in the Center for Religion, Spirituality, & Pluralism at UMBC. We know that many members of our campus community connect to religion and spirituality as important forms of meaning-making and community connection, as well as for career and academic exploration. Through this program, we hope to celebrate the overlap of wonder that exists when we connect our identities with academic endeavors. At its best, this project highlights UMBC's value of inclusive excellence as a distinctive and transformative approach to higher education.
William R. LaCourse, Dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, said:
In the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, faculty, staff, and students seek truth and fundamental knowledge as a means to understand the world around us for the betterment of all. Individuals bring a complex constellation of identities related to science, religion, and spirituality with them to all of their work. Becoming aware of what drives ourselves and others is a critical step toward finding personal harmony and building the foundation for a stronger UMBC culture grounded in tolerance. I hope this series will help those seeking truth to find it in themselves and others.
The BreakingGround initiative provides grants of up to $2,500 to UMBC faculty, staff, and students who want to launch or strengthen educational and community-building projects. These projects should, as a part of their work, foster civic agency: the ability to initiate and make meaningful contributions to social change. For more information, visit this website: https://civiclife.umbc.edu/breakingground/