Week of 11/10

★ Wednesday, 11/12, 12-1pm, Online:

Exploring the Gadgets & Gizmos In Your AI Toolkit: Examples from the Social Sciences (UMBC Library) RSVP here

★ Wednesday, 11/12, 12-1pm, Commons 308

GSA President Office Hour

★ Wednesday, 11/12, 2:30-3:45pm, PAHB 456

RCR Microcredential Series Session 10: Safe Laboratory Practices RSVP Here

★ Thursday, 11/13, 10am-12pm, Commons Lower Flat Tuesdays

Grad Retriever Breakfast with ThriveFest 

★ Friday 11/14, 11am-1pm, Commons 329

COEIT Town Hall (GSA) RSVP here

★ Friday, 11/14, 12-1pm, UC 310

Intellectual Property Fundamentals RSVP Here

★ Friday, 11/4, 12-1pm, Online

Students Conducting Human Subjects Research RSVP Here

★ Friday, 11/14, 1:30-2:30pm, Public Policy 438

CAHSS Town Hall (GSA) RSVP here

Week of 11/17

★  Monday, 11/17, 10am-2pm, Commons 308

OGSL Coffee Mondays

★ Tuesday, 11/18, 4-5pm, Online:

Skills for Graduate Students: Managing and Organizing Your Research (UMBC Library) RSVP here

★ Wednesday, 11/19, 12-1pm, Commons 308

GSA President Office Hour

★ Wednesday, 11/19, 2:30-3:45pm, PAHB 456

RCR Microcredential Series Session 6: Collaborative Research and Intellectual Property RSVP here

★ Thursday, 11/20, 2-3:30pm, Online:

Leveraging Strengths of Neurodiverse Students in the Classroom (CIRTL). Counts towards a CIRTL certification. RSVP here

★ Thursday 11/20, 4-5pm, University Center 115

G-RISE Career Talk: Dr. Thomas: a public health researcher and biobehavioral scientist RSVP here

★ Thursday 11/20, 2025, 4:30-6pm, Information Technology Engineering 229

Decoding Graduate School series- Decoding the Discourse: When Faculty Say X, They Really Mean Y (GSPD)  RSVP here

★ Friday, 11/21, 12-1pm, UC 204

Intercultural Connection Games (International Education Week) RSVP here

★ Friday 11/21, 1-2pm, ILSB 233: 

Effective Teaching series for TAs: Overcoming End of Semester Overwhelm (GSPD) RSVP here. Counts towards a CIRTL certification. Open to all!

★ Friday 11/21, 6-8pm, Skylight Room

Fall Harvest Dinner (GSPD & PROMISE) RSVP here  

Week of 11/24

NO ACTIVITIES

 

Greetings all!

It is so wonderful to be able to send this email out to SO many students. I hope you are all doing well. We have some new students joining us in the spring of 2026 and I'm thrilled to be able to welcome you all. Please read this email for some very important updates.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

While the final decisions about how many graders and/or graduate assistantships we will have to offer at the Erickson School are still being made, I highly recommend that students complete their profiles on Handshake. All job opportunities at UMBC are made public through this platform which can be accessed here: https://careers.umbc.edu/students/handshake/   

If you are a new student who has not yet registered for fall classes but have been accepted to ESAS, you can start your account. All features of Handshake will be made available to you upon completion of your registration. 

SPRING 2026 COURSE REGISTRATION

Registration for the Spring 2026 semester is starting. Your registration window opens according to how many credit hours you have completed. Here is the schedule:

Date                      Time           Students Eligible

10/27/2025           11:30am     30 or greater earned credits

10/27/2025           3:30pm       22 or greater earned credits

10/28/2025           11:30am     14 or greater earned credits

10/28/2025            3:30pm      .01 or greater earned credits

10/29/2025           11:30am     Continuing students with 0 earned credits

12/01/2025           11:30am     Newly admitted students with 0 earned credits

I have attached the course offerings flyer for our AGNG graduate courses to this email. If you are uncertain about which courses to take, please schedule an appointment with me prior to registering. I am always happy to meet and to review your degree progression.

IMPORTANT GROUPS TO ADD ON MYUMBC

For those of you who are new to UMBC, the "Groups" pages. I would highly recommend you subscribe to.

UMBC Graduate Student Association

https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/gsa/events

Please know my door is always open and I am eager to support you in your degree/certificate pursuits.

Sincerely - Lee Ann Steffen, PhD, Director of Graduate Programs, Erickson School of Aging Studies

lfergus1@umbc.edu

Caring Robots in an Aging World: New Research from Japan, Denmark, and Germany
Thursday, November 6 | 4:00–5:30 PM | AOK Library Gallery

Join us for an engaging talk with Dr. Shawn Bender, a cultural anthropologist and professor of East Asian Studies at Dickinson College. His research focuses on the impact of robotics on relations of work and care.

The potential of robotics technologies to assist in the care of older adults and people with disabilities has attracted great interest worldwide. To date, few studies have examined the impact of care robots outside of laboratory experiments or short-term field trials. Based on ethnographic research in Japan, Denmark, and Germany, this talk examines the impact of robotics on everyday practices of care as well as the role of robot-assisted care practice in driving technological innovation.

Bonus for attendees: We'll be raffling three copies of Dr. Bender's book, Feeling Machines, during the event!
Cosponsored by the Departments of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health; Asian Studies; Gerontology; Human Contexts of Science and Technology; and the Center for Social Science Scholarship.

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.

Please join us for our Welcome Week open house to meet and network with students in our program, talk to faculty, and learn more about the Erickson School.  Guests will be able to enjoy our candy and fruit buffet.  

Wednesday September 3rd from 10am - 11:30 am 

The Erickson School is a short walk from campus at 5523 Research Park Drive, Suite 230, Baltimore MD 21228.  If you are driving there is plenty of free parking.  

Please see the attached campus map and flier for additional details. 

Please RSVP here or by using the QR code on the flyer below.

We hope to see you on the 3rd! 

The Erickson School of Aging Studies

Graduate students face unique challenges when preparing for the job market — balancing research, coursework, and professional development, all while navigating an evolving employment landscape. Recent federal actions and policy changes may also impact job prospects for graduate students across fields, adding another layer of uncertainty to the search process.

Join us for this interactive virtual workshop designed specifically for graduate students seeking guidance on how to effectively approach their job search. We’ll cover tailored strategies for identifying opportunities, marketing your graduate-level skills, and managing the uncertainties posed by recent federal actions. No matter the career path you decide to take, this workshop will provide concrete steps and resources to help you move forward with confidence.

Topics will include:
✅ Proactive job search and networking strategies for graduate students
✅ Translating your academic experience into employer-friendly language
✅ Navigating the evolving job market and recent federal actions impacting graduate student careers
✅ Managing uncertainty and staying adaptable in your search

Register via Handshake.

Who Should Attend: Current graduate students and recent graduates from any discipline.

Sponsored by: UMBC Career Center, Graduate Student & Postdoctoral Development, PROMISE, and the Office of Graduate Student Life. 

Open to ALL students, regardless of area of study. 

Wednesday, December 11th, from 9am to 5pm
Thursday, December 12th from 9am to 2pm

Process over Product: Setting Students up for Success in Writing APA Style Papers

Register Here!