The wait is over! Calling all graduate students-

Are you ready to showcase your research in just 3 minutes? This is your chance to captivate an audience, enhance your presentation skills, and win amazing prizes! 

What's 3MT? 

The 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) is a research communication competition that challenges graduate students to explain their research to a non-specialist audience—one slides, one powerful, concise talk!

Why Participate?

• Gain valuable feedback on your presentation skills
• Build confidence and network with researchers

• Represent UMBC at regional and national stages (fully-funded travel)!

• Prizes and certificates for top performers! (1st Prize - $500, 2nd Prize - $350 and many more)

3MT competition will be held on 04/07/2026!

Register here or scan QR code on the poster below.  Last day is Feb. 6th!

Buffet Lunch will be provided!

Training Sessions will be held in a hybrid manner in February and March!

For any questions, email - gsagears@umbc.edu

Hi Graduate Students,

Welcome back to many of you and welcome to UMBC for those who are new to our scholar community.

As you may have seen, your faculty have been asked to be flexible as we navigate the return to campus due to weather conditions in the area. 

As you return to UMBC, and start in-person classes on Monday, February 2, we encourage you, when feasible, to communicate directly with your faculty if you anticipate needing flexibility. The earlier you can share your circumstances, the better. If you are unable to communicate in advance, following up with your faculty as soon as you can is also advisable.

If you do not hear back from a faculty member, or if you experience additional challenges, please reach out to your academic department for guidance. Department chairs, graduate program directors, and graduate coordinators in each college are also an available resource if you are unsure who to contact regarding your specific situation.

Please know that The Graduate School staff are also available to support you.

You are such an important part of our UMBC community, and we wish you the best of success as you begin the Spring semester.

Take care,

Dr. Porter, on behalf of The Graduate School

Vice Provost & Dean

Hello, UMBC Grad Students!

We know the feeling: the initial new car smell of grad school has faded, and you're staring at a mountain of literature or a complex research project. Whether you are a PhD student building a new castle in the sandbox of knowledge or a Master's student building a professional portfolio, as we transition from the figuring it out phase to the getting it done phase, the stakes change.  

The Office of Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Development (GSPD) is here to help you move from student to expert.  We are thrilled to announce the Spring lineup for our Decoding Graduate School series. These workshops are designed to make the implicit expectations of graduate school explicit.

Sessions 6 & 7 will be on Tuesdays, Sessions 8 - 10 will be on Thursdays.  All sessions are from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM. RSVPs are appreciated but not required.

Session 6 - Tuesday 2/17/26 (UC 115) - Decoding the Literature: From Information Overload to Critical Synthesis

Session 7 - Tuesday 2/24/26 (UC 115) - Decoding the Argument: Writing for Graduate-Level Seminars

Session 8 - Thursday 3/26/26 (UC 115) - Decoding the Room: Presenting Your Ideas with Confidence

Session 9 - Thursday 4/23/26 (UC 115) - Decoding Your Summer: A Strategic Plannig Workshop

Session 10 - Thursday 4/30/26 (UC 115) - Decoding Your Potential Venture: Innovation, IP, and Entrepreneurship

Why Join us this Spring?

• Tame the Information Firehose: Learn advanced search strategies and how to use reference management software like Zotero to organize your life.
• Write Like a Scholar: Shift from "reporting information" to constructing original, persuasive arguments for your seminars and thesis.
• Protect Your Ideas: Understand who owns what you create at UMBC (Pro-tip: You are often entitled to a share of revenue from your inventions!).
• Avoid the Burnout: Our "Summer Plan on a Page" workshop helps you balance high-octane productivity with necessary downtime.

GSPD Pro-Tip: Graduate school is a journey to generate new knowledge. Don't just survive it—decode it.

How to Register

Click on the links for the individual sessions to register on myUMBC. Every session includes a Resource Guide to help you implement these skills immediately.

Spring semester can be a lot — classes, research, work, life. Retriever Integrated Health (RIH) is offering support groups and skill-building workshops this semester to help you feel grounded, focused, and connected.

Whether you're looking to manage anxiety, strengthen relationships, improve executive functioning, or connect with other grad students, there's a space for you.

This Spring, RIH is offering:
• Anxiety Toolbox workshops to help you understand and manage anxious thoughts
• Executive functioning skill-building workshops focused on time management and organization
• Graduate student support groups to connect in a confidential, supportive space
• Interpersonal and relationship-focused groups
• Healing-centered groups for navigating family challenges

Most groups require a brief initial consultation, while workshops are open to all UMBC students with no intake required.

Spring 2026 | In-person & virtual options available
Learn more, view dates, and register through the RIH myUMBC page or your RetrieverCare portal.

Taking care of your mental health is part of your success — you don't have to do it alone.

UMBC Community,

Please see the dining hours below for Thursday, January 29 and Friday, January 30.

True Grit's Dining Hall

• Breakfast: 7:00 AM – 9:30 AM

• Continental Breakfast: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM

• Lunch: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM

• Dinner: 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM

• Late Night: 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM

True Grit's Market

• Open from 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM

Retail Locations

• Chick-fil-A: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

• Starbucks: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

• Einstein Bros. Bagels: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

For the most up-to-date dining hours and any additional changes, please visit Dine On Campus.

Thank you!

While many of us have been busy digging out from the snow and trying to stay warm, this week, January 26–30, is Data Privacy Week. This international effort empowers individuals and organizations to respect privacy, safeguard data, and enable trust. For me, the timing prompted an important moment of reflection on the work I have been fortunate to be part of over the past two years, and on where UMBC is headed as we continue to build a mature, thoughtful, and values-driven approach to privacy.

From Research to Implementation

My name is Dr. Laura Mateczun, and my privacy work at UMBC began as a Ph.D. graduate assistant working with Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, Jack Suess, on the implementation of Maryland's Higher Education Data Privacy Law during FY24, while I was completing my doctoral research. In April 2025, I successfully defended my dissertation and was conferred my Ph.D., and shortly thereafter, joined UMBC full-time in a hybrid role.

Today, I serve in two key roles: 

• Assistant Director of Digital Trust: Within the Division of IT's Cybersecurity Assurance & Digital Trust team, led by CISO Stacy Cahill, I focus primarily on privacy strategy.
• Assistant Director of the UMBC Cybersecurity Institute: I develop partnerships to expand cybersecurity initiatives and research. In this role, I also direct the UMBC Cybersecurity Clinic, an experiential learning program where students help public-sector organizations—such as water systems and electrical grids—strengthen their cyber defenses.

Milestones in Transparency

One of our most significant privacy milestones has been the launch of privacy.umbc.edu. We intentionally designed this site to be more than just a compliance requirement. It is a living resource for our community. It explains how data is used, protected, and governed at UMBC in clear, accessible language. While we drew inspiration from peer institutions, including the University of Michigan, the content is uniquely tailored to reflect UMBC's culture, values, and operational realities.

The Path Ahead

Looking forward, our vision extends far beyond a single website or law. Alongside Stacy Cahill and partners across campus, we are working to embed privacy into everyday decision-making. This will impact how we procure new systems and how we share and eventually retire data.

Our goals include:

• Strengthening privacy governance and transparency.
• Supporting responsible research and innovation.
• Helping students and staff understand their vital role in protecting data.

We also launched UMBC's new cybersecurity newsletter, which highlights important developments in cybersecurity and privacy, shares timely tips and resources, and spotlights work across campus that helps us all protect data and manage risk. If you're interested in staying informed about privacy and cybersecurity efforts at UMBC, I encourage you to subscribe.

A Commitment to Stewardship

Data Privacy Week is a reminder that privacy is not a one-time project. It is an ongoing commitment to trust, stewardship, and accountability. I am grateful to be part of a community that takes this work seriously, and I am excited about where UMBC is headed as we continue to grow our privacy program in the years ahead.

For more information about UMBC's privacy efforts, I encourage you to visit privacy.umbc.edu, and to follow the work of the UMBC Cybersecurity Institute as we continue to advance security and privacy in service of our campus and the broader public.

Dr. Laura Mateczun

Associate Director of Digital Trust

Assistant Director of UMBC Cybersecurity Institute

Director of UMBC Cybersecurity Clinic

lam6@umbc.edu

Due to weather conditions, the Grad Kickstart kickoff events have been rescheduled for everyone's safety.

Don't worry — nothing is cancelled. Updates will be shared soon on MyUMBC and social media. We can't wait to welcome you, Grad Retrievers!

The library follows all campus closures for inclement weather and other emergencies. Therefore, all due dates will be extended until campus reopens. Any overdue fines for equipment that accrue while campus is closed will be waived. 

Some users may receive automated emails informing them that items are due during the time campus is closed. Please disregard these messages and return the items once the campus reopens. 

Stay safe and warm!