Editor’s note: Here at UMBC, our students are the heartbeat of campus, and we are committed to providing them the best possible education. So, for the month of March, we will be highlighting our amazing academic departments, some of their recent achievements, and ways that you can help fund their continued excellence.

Your gift is extremely important and many of our students are depending on you. Please show your support and make an impact today. With you we can make a difference.

The Geography and Environmental Systems Department is proud to announce that it has doubled its majors to 320, launched a graduate program that offers M.S., M.P.S., and Ph.D degrees, as well as expanded its space to the basement of Sondheim. The department would also like to announce that it has added new faculty members to their department.

With your help the Geography and Environmental Studies department can provide support for undergraduate research projects, its Book Scholarship Program, and class field trips.

Click here to donate.

The History Department is pleased to share that last year, it supported the John Jeffries International Fellowship Fund and encouraged undergraduate and graduate travel and research opportunities by funding trips to national conferences where students presented their research.

With your help the history department can continue supporting these worthwhile initiatives and continue providing students a top-rate education.

Click here to donate.

The Sociology and Anthropology Department is pleased to announce that last year, Robert Barrett, an anthropology and biochemistry double major, studied abroad at Manipal University in India. The department is also thrilled to announce that Kelsey Krach ‘14, anthropology, has been accepted to the Visual and Digital Media masters program at the Institutuo de Empresa in Madrid, Spain. Krach is a Sondheim Nonprofit Leadership Fellow and competed as a finalist for a Fulbright Award.

With your help the sociology and anthropology department can cover travel costs to national research conferences, foster undergraduate research, and fund student scholarships.

Click here to donate. 

Editor’s note: Here at UMBC, our students are the heartbeat of campus, and we are committed to providing them the best possible education. So, for the month of March, we will be highlighting our amazing academic departments, some of their recent achievements, and ways that you can help fund their continued excellence.

Your gift is extremely important and many of our students are depending on you. Please show your support and make an impact today. With you we can make a difference.

The Dance department is proud to announce that Alexis Renee DeVance won the top award in Outstanding Student Choreography at the 2014 American National College Dance Festival for her piece “Salt. Rose.Witness.” DeVance’s work was one of 31 selected for presentation at the festival. The department is also thrilled to share that last semester, UMBC hosted the Dance Education Training Institute, co-sponsored by Clancyworks and Baltimore County Public Schools; kicked off the performance season with a shared concert by Washington, DC based-companies Rebollar Dance and Clancyworks; and hosted the Maryland All-State Dance Auditions.

With your help, the Dance department can continue developing a regular master class series and funding new scholarships and summer study opportunities.

Click here to donate.

The Music department is excited to announce that, as of last fall, it is officially moved into UMBC’s new Performing Arts and Humanities Building — students are now making music in a new concert hall, new recording studios, and a number of other state-of-the-art spaces. A gift to the department helps strengthen its programs and ensures that current students have the resources the need to make the most of their studies.

With your help, the Music department can continue supporting student ensembles, such as the orchestra, camerata, and wind ensemble, as well as funding visits by renowned musicians.

Click here to donate.

The Theatre department is proud to announce that its new curriculum has broadened their focus on student training and internships. In the past year, the department placed more than a half dozen students in internships with theatre companies in Baltimore, Annapolis, and DC, including several run by department alumni who have excelled in their fields and are seeking to provide opportunities for our students to make the leap into the professional world.

With your help, the Theatre department can continue supporting initiatives such as its mentor program, which assists graduating seniors develop their professional acumen, and the Student Travel Fund Patron program, which provides on-going support for freshmen to experience professional theatre in Baltimore.

Click here to donate.

The Visual Arts department is excited to share that Alumna Hadieh Shafie, M.F.A. ‘04, imaging and digital arts, received the Outstanding Alumni Award for Visual & Performing Arts from the UMBC Alumni Association. Shafie also launched her first one-person show in New York last month; Surfaced will be on view until April 11at the Leila Heller Gallery. The department is also excited to share that Lynn Cazabon, associate professor of art, will conduct research at Liepaja University in Latvia this spring after receiving a Fulbright Scholar Award.

With your help, the Visual Arts department can continue supplying new equipment and funding scholarships for their students.

Click here to donate.

Editor’s note: Here at UMBC, our students are the heartbeat of campus, and we are committed to providing them the best possible education. So, for the month of March, we will be highlighting our amazing academic departments, some of their recent achievements, and ways that you can help fund their continued excellence.

Your gift is extremely important and many of our students are depending on you. Please show your support and make an impact today. With you we can make a difference.

 The Africana Studies Department is proud to announce that Dr. Gloria Chuku, assistant professor of AFST, presented on the life, work, and death of literary mogul Chinua Achebe in Johannesburg, South Africa. The department would also like to announce that Drs. Chuku and King-Meadows were awarded a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Grant that will enable them to fund a study-abroad program for students and educators of grades K-12.

With your help the Africana Studies department can advance research and engage communities through undergraduate research and internship fellowships and promote the W.E.B. Du Bois Distinguished Lecture Series & Symposium.

Click here to donate.

The American Studies Department is pleased to announce that Professors King and Shewbridge received the Hrabowski Grant that will fund their community-based project, Emerging Media Across the Curriculum. The department would also like to announce that Kimberly Moffitt, associate professor of American Studies, spoke at UMBC’s first TEDx event.

With your help the American Studies department can support special programming and projects, like the Mill Stories project, as well as foster innovative collaborations among scholars.

To donate, click here.

The Ancient Studies Department is excited to announce that it is now housed in new, state-of-the-art facilities, which include an archaeology lab. The department also announces that it plans to celebrate its 50th annual study tour with a trip to Rome and Italy in March 2016.

With your help the Ancient Studies department can provide scholarships for study tours to such places as France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey and fund student participation in Maryland field schools and archaeological digs in the Mediterranean.

Click here to donate today.

Editor’s note: Here at UMBC, our students are the heartbeat of campus, and we are committed to providing them the best possible education. So, for the month of March, we will be highlighting our amazing academic departments, some of their recent achievements, and ways that you can help fund their continued excellence.

Your gift is extremely important and many of our students are depending on you. Please show your support and make an impact today. With you we can make a difference.

 The Africana Studies Department is proud to announce that Dr. Gloria Chuku, assistant professor of AFST, presented on the life, work, and death of literary mogul Chinua Achebe in Johannesburg, South Africa. The department would also like to announce that Drs. Chuku and King-Meadows were awarded a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Grant that will enable them to fund a study-abroad program for students and educators of grades K-12.

With your help the Africana Studies department can advance research and engage communities through undergraduate research and internship fellowships and promote the W.E.B. Du Bois Distinguished Lecture Series & Symposium.

Click here to donate.

The American Studies Department is pleased to announce that Professors King and Shewbridge received the Hrabowski Grant that will fund their community-based project, Emerging Media Across the Curriculum. The department would also like to announce that Kimberly Moffitt, associate professor of American Studies, spoke at UMBC’s first TEDx event.

With your help the American Studies department can support special programming and projects, like the Mill Stories project, as well as foster innovative collaborations among scholars.

To donate, click here.

The Ancient Studies Department is excited to announce that it is now housed in new, state-of-the-art facilities, which include an archaeology lab. The department also announces that it plans to celebrate its 50th annual study tour with a trip to Rome and Italy in March 2016.

With your help the Ancient Studies department can provide scholarships for study tours to such places as France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey and fund student participation in Maryland field schools and archaeological digs in the Mediterranean.

Click here to donate today.

Editor’s note: Here at UMBC, our students are the heartbeat of campus, and we are committed to providing them the best possible education. So, for the month of March, we will be highlighting our amazing academic departments, some of their recent achievements, and ways that you can help fund their continued excellence.

Your gift is extremely important and many of our students are depending on you. Please show your support and make an impact today. With you we can make a difference.

The Chemical, Biochemical & Environmental Engineering department is proud to share a few testimonials of its undergraduate research program.

“As an undergrad at UMBC, I studied the same curriculum that all of you had: learning to size reactors, heat exchangers, separators, etc. [. . .] In contrast, my research gave me a chance to tackle problems that don’t have an answer yet, and that might not even have a satisfying answer. [. . .] That was an exciting challenge for me so I went to grad school to continue working with that kind of problem.” Sean Kshimetski ’14, chemical engineering

“My experience as an undergraduate researcher gave me the confidence and experience to pursue a Ph.D. Through my UG research experience, I was able to build not only a tool set of research techniques but an understanding of how scientific research is conducted in an academic setting. When I was starting my graduate program, I was able to more easily acclimate to a new laboratory setting because I had gained familiarity with basic laboratory protocols from working in Dr. Marten’s lab.” Colleen Courtney ’12, chemical engineering

With your help, the Chemical, Biochemical & Environmental Engineering department can continue supporting students like these in their achievements. Click here to donate.

The Computer Science and Electrical Engineering department is proud to announce that UMBC will be partnering with MITRE Corporation to found national cybersecurity research center that supports the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence and help businesses secure their data and digital infrastructure. The department would also like to announce that Professor Chintan Patel M.S. ‘01, Ph.D. ‘04, and computer engineering student Gurashish Singh recently demonstrated a prototype system that can detect distracted driving behavior at the ATPA Expo, the largest gathering of industries involved with transportation.

With your help, the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering department can continue supplying new equipment and providing resources to build a sense of community among our students.

Click here to donate.

The Information Systems department is pleased to share that a research team led by Dr. Nirmalya Roy, assistant professor of information systems at UMBC, is exploring how to retrofit homes with sensor networks that monitor a resident’s behavior and activity levels. The team is also exploring ways to modify existing sensors and other smart-home technologies to help health care providers and caregivers remotely monitor seniors in their own homes at a lower cost. The department would also like to congratulate Victoria Lentz ’15, cybersecurity, on receiving one of the Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security program’s HP-backed scholarships. Lentz, one of ten recipients, plans to work in the cybersecurity industry and pursue a master’s degree.

With your help, the Information Systems department can continue sponsoring speakers through our Council of Majors and providing travel fellowships for International Field Research.

Click here to donate.

The Mechanical Engineering department is thrilled to announce that Dr. Carlos Romero-Talamas, assistant professor in the UMBC Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been recognized with a DARPA Young Faculty Award for his research in computational models of nuclear fusion technology. The department would also like to share that Anne Spence, ME professor of the practice, participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by Congressman Elijah Cummings. The panel was part of a congressional initiative to learn about issues women educators encounter in building and sustaining economic security and focused on strategies to increase the number of women pursuing STEM fields.

With your help, the Mechanical Engineering department can continue developing a prototyping space to brainstorm ideas and assemble preliminary models and supporting our Baja team — $500 sends a Baja team member to national competition.

Click here to donate.

Editor’s note: Here at UMBC, our students are the heartbeat of campus, and we are committed to providing them the best possible education. So, for the month of March, we will be highlighting our amazing academic departments, some of their recent achievements, and ways that you can help fund their continued excellence.

Your gift is extremely important and many of our students are depending on you. Please show your support and make an impact today. With you we can make a difference.

The Chemical, Biochemical & Environmental Engineering department is proud to share a few testimonials of its undergraduate research program.

“As an undergrad at UMBC, I studied the same curriculum that all of you had: learning to size reactors, heat exchangers, separators, etc. [. . .] In contrast, my research gave me a chance to tackle problems that don’t have an answer yet, and that might not even have a satisfying answer. [. . .] That was an exciting challenge for me so I went to grad school to continue working with that kind of problem.” Sean Kshimetski ’14, chemical engineering

“My experience as an undergraduate researcher gave me the confidence and experience to pursue a Ph.D. Through my UG research experience, I was able to build not only a tool set of research techniques but an understanding of how scientific research is conducted in an academic setting. When I was starting my graduate program, I was able to more easily acclimate to a new laboratory setting because I had gained familiarity with basic laboratory protocols from working in Dr. Marten’s lab.” Colleen Courtney ’12, chemical engineering

With your help, the Chemical, Biochemical & Environmental Engineering department can continue supporting students like these in their achievements. Click here to donate.

The Computer Science and Electrical Engineering department is proud to announce that UMBC will be partnering with MITRE Corporation to found national cybersecurity research center that supports the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence and help businesses secure their data and digital infrastructure. The department would also like to announce that Professor Chintan Patel M.S. ‘01, Ph.D. ‘04, and computer engineering student Gurashish Singh recently demonstrated a prototype system that can detect distracted driving behavior at the ATPA Expo, the largest gathering of industries involved with transportation.

With your help, the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering department can continue supplying new equipment and providing resources to build a sense of community among our students.

Click here to donate.

The Information Systems department is pleased to share that a research team led by Dr. Nirmalya Roy, assistant professor of information systems at UMBC, is exploring how to retrofit homes with sensor networks that monitor a resident’s behavior and activity levels. The team is also exploring ways to modify existing sensors and other smart-home technologies to help health care providers and caregivers remotely monitor seniors in their own homes at a lower cost. The department would also like to congratulate Victoria Lentz ’15, cybersecurity, on receiving one of the Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security program’s HP-backed scholarships. Lentz, one of ten recipients, plans to work in the cybersecurity industry and pursue a master’s degree.

With your help, the Information Systems department can continue sponsoring speakers through our Council of Majors and providing travel fellowships for International Field Research.

Click here to donate.

The Mechanical Engineering department is thrilled to announce that Dr. Carlos Romero-Talamas, assistant professor in the UMBC Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been recognized with a DARPA Young Faculty Award for his research in computational models of nuclear fusion technology. The department would also like to share that Anne Spence, ME professor of the practice, participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by Congressman Elijah Cummings. The panel was part of a congressional initiative to learn about issues women educators encounter in building and sustaining economic security and focused on strategies to increase the number of women pursuing STEM fields.

With your help, the Mechanical Engineering department can continue developing a prototyping space to brainstorm ideas and assemble preliminary models and supporting our Baja team — $500 sends a Baja team member to national competition.

Click here to donate.

Editor’s note: Here at UMBC, our students are the heartbeat of campus, and we are committed to providing them the best possible education. So, for the month of March, we will be highlighting our amazing academic departments, some of their recent achievements, and ways that you can help fund their continued excellence.

Your gift is extremely important and many of our students are depending on you. Please show your support and make an impact today. With you we can make a difference.

The Chemistry and Biochemistry department is proud to announce that last year 76 B.S., 4 M.S., and 4 Ph.D. students joined the ranks of its illustrious alumni; almost 50% were female students and 30% were from underrepresented groups. The department would also like to welcome Dr. Zeev Rosenzweig as its new chair. Before coming to UMBC, Dr. Rosenzweig served eight years as program director at the National Science Foundation Chemistry Division.

With your help, the Chemistry and Biochemistry department can continue supporting undergraduate research and supplying new equipment to our students.

Click here to donate.

The Mathematics and Statistics department is pleased to announce that Dr. Bedřich Sousedík will be joining the faculty this fall. Before to coming to UMBC, Dr. Sousedík was a research associate at the University of Southern California and the University of Maryland, College Park. The department is also pleased to announce that the 9th Annual Probability and Statistics Day will be held this spring; the event is funded by the National Security Agency and will consist of workshops and a one-day conference.

With your help, the Mathematics and Statistics department can continue awarding scholarships and funding student trips to national conferences.

Click here to donate.

The Physics department would like to welcome its 10 new Ph.D. candidates: Reed Espinosa, Daniel Miller, Daniel Orozco, and John Sullivan are candidates in the atmospheric program; Fernando Calderon Vargas, John Diehl, Alex Henegar, Garrett Hickman, Diana Marcu, and Jane Sprigg are candidates in the physics program. The department is also proud to announce that its Atmospheric Physics graduate program is in the process of performing collaborative research with NASA and NOAA.

With your help, the Physics department can continue supporting undergraduate and graduate research and awarding scholarships.

Click here to donate.

Editor’s note: Here at UMBC, our students are the heartbeat of campus, and we are committed to providing them the best possible education. So, for the month of March, we will be highlighting our amazing academic departments, some of their recent achievements, and ways that you can help fund their continued excellence.

Your gift is extremely important and many of our students are depending on you. Please show your support and make an impact today. With you we can make a difference.

The Chemistry and Biochemistry department is proud to announce that last year 76 B.S., 4 M.S., and 4 Ph.D. students joined the ranks of its illustrious alumni; almost 50% were female students and 30% were from underrepresented groups. The department would also like to welcome Dr. Zeev Rosenzweig as its new chair. Before coming to UMBC, Dr. Rosenzweig served eight years as program director at the National Science Foundation Chemistry Division.

With your help, the Chemistry and Biochemistry department can continue supporting undergraduate research and supplying new equipment to our students.

Click here to donate.

The Mathematics and Statistics department is pleased to announce that Dr. Bedřich Sousedík will be joining the faculty this fall. Before to coming to UMBC, Dr. Sousedík was a research associate at the University of Southern California and the University of Maryland, College Park. The department is also pleased to announce that the 9th Annual Probability and Statistics Day will be held this spring; the event is funded by the National Security Agency and will consist of workshops and a one-day conference.

With your help, the Mathematics and Statistics department can continue awarding scholarships and funding student trips to national conferences.

Click here to donate.

The Physics department would like to welcome its 10 new Ph.D. candidates: Reed Espinosa, Daniel Miller, Daniel Orozco, and John Sullivan are candidates in the atmospheric program; Fernando Calderon Vargas, John Diehl, Alex Henegar, Garrett Hickman, Diana Marcu, and Jane Sprigg are candidates in the physics program. The department is also proud to announce that its Atmospheric Physics graduate program is in the process of performing collaborative research with NASA and NOAA.

With your help, the Physics department can continue supporting undergraduate and graduate research and awarding scholarships.

Click here to donate.

Here at UMBC, we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring; spring means mild temperatures, longer afternoons, outdoorsy fun, and, of course, spring break.

For most, this much needed respite from school is chance to take a mini-vacation, but for our amazing students, spring break is an opportunity to give back to the community through week-long service engagement trips. This year UMBC is offering four different Alternative Spring Break trips, and they all could use your support.

Please consider funding these wonderful opportunities.

Homelessness (led by students Markya Reed and Megan Lynch): Participants in this ASB trip will learn about the experience and challenges of homelessness, and reflect on approaches to addressing the issue through public policy and community action. Participants will work with local organizations and people in Baltimore experiencing homelessness.

Click here to donate.

Public Health (led by students Poulomi Banerjee and Monsuru ‘Neyo’ Adekoya): Working with free clinics and other health-focused nonprofit organizations, participants will learn about the state of health care in Maryland, social factors that can affect health, and populations that suffer from health disparities. Through reflection and conversation, the participants will consider approaches to making positive change in this area.

Click here to donate.

Intellectual and Physical Disabilities/ARC (led by student Simin Hossain): Participants will spend time each day at the ARC of Carroll County (which serves people with intellectual and physical disabilities), developing relationships with clients, learning about the population, and dispelling stereotypes and stigma.

Click here to donate.

Alternative Healthcare /Gesundheit! Institute (led by students Tina Nassehi and Lisa Dang): During spring break, students will interact with patients as they learn about the Patch Adams’ medical model–the belief that laughter, joy, and creativity are an integral part of the healing process. Students will also study the Institute’s approach to social justice and lend a hand in maintaining the sprawling 300-acre campus.

Click here to donate.

Clolita Vitale ’75, theatre, is truly a Retriever Believer. When she first walked onto UMBC’s campus in the late 1960s, she was struck by how new the university was. She even recalls walking around on plywood planks as construction was underway. But where some might have preferred an older, established school, Vitale found UMBC’s newness exciting–a promise of things to come.

Since then, Vitale has been involved with UMBC in just about every way possible. As a student, she decided to study theatre and dance. Though she would later pursue a career in law, she says her time in the performing arts program at UMBC was critically important to her. The tight-knit community and creative ingenuity of faculty and fellow students inspired and supported her, and it’s something she’ll always remember. “They helped me find my sense of self,” she says.

Later on, when she joined the staff at UMBC, she felt that Dr. Freeman Hrabowski and the other campus leaders were supportive. They encouraged her to get involved on campus and grow professionally. Eventually, she became an Assistant Vice President and University Counsel. “They allowed me to evolve,” Vitale says. “It didn’t seem like I was in the same place standing still for 30 years.”

Even after moving on to other career opportunities, Vitale has stayed deeply connected to the campus community. She’s taken UMBC students under her wing, helping them get their start in life. And she’s supported the university with gifts to the arts (including naming two seats in the new PAHB theatre) and now with the decision to make a planned gift to the university.

That pioneering spirit that is so prevalent in UMBC’s earliest faculty and alumni is clearly present in Vitale. She invested in the place that invested in her, and she’s been proud to watch UMBC grow into a nationally recognized research university. “I feel like someone who went from the horse and buggy to the space age,” she says.

Vitale says she felt it important to give early on, even when she could only make smaller donations. “I knew that even if I only had $100, it was important to contribute,” she says. “I knew it would go to something really needed.”

There’s no doubt that Vitale’s passion for UMBC is real–her voice is full of emotion as she reflects on everything she’s experienced at the university. And now, more than 40 years after she first came to campus, Vitale continues to support UMBC. In fact, as she looked forward to retirement, she knew there was no question that she would include UMBC in her will. “You can’t take a place you’ve been associated with for so long and just forget about it,” she explains. She sees her planned gift as an opportunity to leave a legacy at the place that has so deeply impacted her life. “It means something to me,” she says. “I want to be a piece of that.”

Learn more about making a planned gift to UMBC.