Please note that the Office of Graduate Student Life (Commons 308) is closed today due to ongoing construction in the area.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Regular operations will resume once construction is complete.
For updates or questions, please check myUMBC.
]]>Learn from an industry insider about loan approval process for Postdocs. Covering the basic requirement, to in depth income and visa requirements.
Speaker: Sam Hogan, senior loan officer, Truist Bank
Senior loan officer with Truist Bank, Hogan has been helping early to late career doctoral students since 2019. Has firsthand experience helping the doctoral/postdoc community secure mortgage loan approvals on non-typical stipend/ fellowship income. A long time Virginia resident, his wife Kelly and son Grant live on Liberty Loom Farm Nokesville VA. They have four alpacas, and an Alaskan husky, Zoe. Summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2023 - 19,340 ft.
Eligibility:
Self-nominations only
Separate awards and entries for Master's and PhD students
$50 prize for each winner
Winners are automatically entered for the Grad Student of the Year Award, presented at GSA Awards Night
Nominations close: January 15
Presenting our Grad Spotlight winners for December 2025:
• Samantha Fries — Master's in Applied Sociology
• Elham Karimi — PhD, Electrical Engineering
Each winner will receive $50 in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments.
These remarkable graduate students stood out through their achievements, impact, and true GradVibes spirit. From advancing creative research to strengthening community connections, they continue to elevate UMBC's graduate student community.
Watch their spotlight videos on our profile — and if you want to be featured next month, submit your nomination through our MyUMBC form!
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This is a self-nomination scholarship. While the application portal opens on Tuesday, January 6, students are encouraged to review the requirements and begin preparing materials in advance.
Application Deadline: Friday, February 6
Requirements: Completed application, including a letter of recommendation
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate USM students in good academic and disciplinary standing
Dear UMBC Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students,
I am excited to announce two members of our UMBC community who will join The Graduate School's leadership team on January 26, 2026.
Dr. Ravi Kuber (he/him) will serve as the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. Dr. Kuber started at UMBC in 2008 and is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Systems. His research examines the ways in which the sense of touch can be leveraged to support access to interfaces when the user's visual channel is blocked, restricted or overloaded. Examples of activities include designing solutions to better match the needs and abilities of individuals who are blind, older adults, and individuals with situational impairments. Dr. Kuber has served in various leadership positions including Graduate Program Director for Human Centered Computing and most recently, Undergraduate Program Director for Business Technology Administration. As a leader and scholar, he focuses on access and student success and will bring a depth of experience to this crucial position within The Graduate School. Dr. Kuber received his Ph.D. from Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, and M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees from University College London, UK.
Dr. Sundiata "Sunji" Jangha (he/him) will serve as the Senior Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Special Initiatives. Dr. Jangha started at UMBC in 2008 and currently serves as the Director of Pipeline Programs within the Office of Academic Opportunity Programs and The Graduate School. He oversees the Upward Bound Math and Science Center and actively recruits and supports undergraduate students in STEM fields and graduate students across all disciplines. In this newly repurposed position, Dr. Jangha brings extensive experience necessary to bridge the critical gap between graduate student admission and degree completion by establishing and sustaining initiatives that support academic excellence, broaden participation, and accelerate progress through key milestones. He earned his B.S. degree with high honors from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and an M.S. degree from Georgia Institute of Technology, both in mechanical engineering. He also earned his M.P.P. and Ph.D. in Public Policy from UMBC, specializing in quantitative evaluation and analytical methods. His Ph.D. work focused on STEM college student success through developmental math pathways. Dr. Jangha has been nationally recognized for his ongoing commitment to empowering students to succeed.
I want to formally thank Dr. Robin Cresiski and Shirl Curtis for their service in leading these searches, as well as their effort and commitment to The Graduate School and to graduate students during this time of transition. Thank you also, to all The Graduate School staff members and graduate students who participated and shared their feedback for these two important roles.
Please join me in welcoming Drs. Kuber and Jangha!
Thank you,
Dr. Christa Porter
Vice Provost & Dean