B.A.: Video Game Narrative Design

Any other major, minor, certificate, and/or honors that will be on your graduation records

• Biological Science (B.A.)
• Minor in Psychology
• Certificate in Spanish 

Degree Mentors 

• Dr. Fernando Jaime Vonhoff, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, UMBC 
• Dr. Thania Muñoz Davaslioglu, Director of the M.A. Program in Intercultural Communication
• Eric Brown, Assistant Teaching Professor, Individualized Study 

Why did you choose to major in INDS?

I chose to major in INDS because it allowed me to design a degree that truly reflects both my academic and career goals. Before coming to UMBC, I knew I wanted to study Neuroscience, but at the time it wasn't offered as an official major. While planning my courses, I realized that a traditional Biological Sciences B.S. with a Psychology minor wouldn't provide the depth in neuroscience that I was looking for. Around that same time, I attended UMBC's Involvement Fest, where I learned about the INDS program from the Neuroscience Club president and then through an information session with Ms. Carrie Sauter. Through those conversations, I discovered that INDS would give me the flexibility to integrate my passion for Neuroscience with my interest in Spanish intercultural communication—something no single major could offer. This path allows me to prepare for my long-term goal of becoming a bilingual neurosurgeon that addresses the need for culturally competent healthcare.

What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you see using your INDS degree?

After graduation, my plan is to pursue a Master's in Medical Science to strengthen my academic foundation and prepare for the rigor of medical school. From there, I intend to matriculate into medical school and ultimately pursue a career in neurosurgery. My INDS degree—integrating Neuroscience, Biological Sciences, and Spanish—has prepared me to approach medicine from both a scientific and cultural perspective. By combining research training in neuroscience with intercultural communication skills, I will be able to contribute to advancing neurological research while also breaking down language barriers in healthcare to provide more equitable and compassionate care.

Were you involved in any clubs or organizations? Did you hold any leadership positions? URCAD? URA? Off-campus internships? On-campus research experiences?

Clubs/Organizations:

• Social Media & Events Coordinator| Pre-Veterinary Society
• Event Planner| Retriever Essentials Student Leadership Board

Volunteer: 

• Retriever Essentials Free Grocery Store
• Hearts 4 the Homeless
• Neuroscience Club
• American Red Cross
• Pre-Medical Society
• Pre-Law Society
• Caribbean Student Union
• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science  (SACNAS)
• Students of Applied Behavior Analysis Society  (SABAS)
• Biology Council of Majors
• Black Student Union 

• Undergraduate Research Assistant| FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health: Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories
• Undergraduate Researcher| The Vonhoff Lab
  
  

For More information on Kayla's INDS journey please click here

Degree Mentors 

• M Valle Pease | Pre-Licensed Clinician; PhD Candidate in Counseling Psychology, UMD; MS Counseling Psychology, UMD; Director of Research and Assessment at Trans Maryland; American Psychological Association’s Advocacy Coordinating Committee; 2025 Vice Chair of the Mary- land Commission for LGBTQIA+ Affairs
• Jose Arenas Gómez | Assistant Teaching Professor, Individualized Study at UMBC
• Steven McAlpine | Assistant Teaching Professor, Individualized Study

Why did you choose to major in INDS?

INDS offered the opportunity for me to curate and claim my education, blending my passions for creativity, social change, and entrepreneurship. Now, as a creative director, artist, and leader, INDS represented a stable platform to prepare me for a career in creative entrepreneurship, aligning my education with cultivating community. 

What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you see using your INDS degree?

My vision, informed by my INDS journey, is to design and contribute towards systems of care that empower emerging voices while reimagining how arts infrastructure can serve the cultivation of communities. Following graduation, I'm looking to continue working on my non-profit organization that aims to facilitate and advocate for participatory action through creativity and the arts. 

Were you involved in any clubs or organizations? Did you hold any leadership positions? URCAD? URA? Off-campus internships? On-campus research experiences?

• Founder & Presenter, Retriever's Gallery

• Academic Peer Advocate, ASC
• Researcher, Undergraduate Research & Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) 
• Qualitative Researcher, Pedagogy Study Hall, led by Tomashi Jackson & Nia Evans, "Trans People in Maryland and Social Connection," led by M Valle Pease, and my own capstone "Thinking Thru the Lens: Investigating Community With Artistic Practice."
• Vice President, UMBC Photographer Org. 
• Workshop Leader, College Choice Night, Choice Program at UMBC
• Ambassador, UMBC Education Abroad Ambassador 

• Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation-Awardee November 2024
• Idea and Innovation Competition — Awardee, November 2024
• College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS) Dean's Scholarship— January 2025
• UMBC Affinity Award: Asian Excellence Graduate— May 2025

• Prove It! Grant Competition — Finalist, May 2025
• UMBC Arts+ Grant — Awardee, June 2025
• Zainab Damji Memorial Scholarship Endowment— September 2025
• La Noue Memorial Award for Research and Travel— October 2025

Any other major, minor, certificate, and/or honors that will be on your graduation records

• Minor: Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Degree Mentors

• Dr. Laszlo Korossy, Political Science 
• Carrie Sauter, Individualized Study

Why did you choose to major in INDS?

I chose INDS because it allows me to combine my interests in sociology, urban studies, and policy in a way that feels cohesive and focused. The program’s flexibility has been crucial in helping me explore these fields while addressing complex topics like mass incarceration, recidivism, and crime.

What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you see using your INDS degree?

After graduation, I plan to pursue a Fulbright grant to research recidivism and reentry among women in Norway or pursue my Master’s in criminology, where I can continue to focus on prison systems, recidivism, and reentry processes. The fields of recidivism and reentry are inherently interdisciplinary, often requiring a deep understanding of sociology, criminal justice, public policy, and geographical information systems (GIS), among other disciplines. Through my INDS degree, I’ve gained the skills and  to navigate these fields to address real-world issues.

EXTRACURRICULAR

• Opinions Writer and Editor, The Retriever
• Student Ambassador, Alex Brown Center of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Student Volunteer for the Individualized Study Committee, Individualized Study Program at UMBC 
• Intern with the ""I Hate Politics" Podcast, UMBC
• Research and Evaluation Intern, Annie E. Casey Foundation

For more information on Shanika's INDS journey please click here:

Indicate any other major, minor, certificate, and/or honors that will be on your graduation records

• Psychology Minor

Degree Mentors

• Michelle Starz-Gaiano, Biological Sciences
• Fernando Vonhoff, Biological Sciences
• Jose Arenas, Individualized Study

Why did you choose to major in INDS?

When I entered UMBC I was initially a biology major, but after looking over the required courses for the degree, I realized that it was not the right path for me. In choosing a major that encompassed only one field of study, I would not have been able to adequately represent the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience that makes it so interesting and unique.  By choosing to major in INDS however, I was able to seamlessly incorporate all of these diverse, yet equally important perspectives.  In doing so, I feel that I've created a degree that prepares me to both continue my neuroscience education, as well as for any future career endeavors in the field.

What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you see using your INDS degree?

After I graduate, I plan to attend graduate school in the hopes of obtaining a PhD in Neuroscience. This will be necessary if I hope to achieve my ultimate goal of going into neuroscience research, focusing specifically on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. My INDS degree will be supremely useful for these endeavors, as it has not only helped me to gain specialized knowledge of my field, but also skills and experience that will make me a more well-rounded candidate when applying.

EXTRACURRICULAR

• Eco-Ambassador, STEM LLC
• Orientation Peer Ambassador (OPA)  
• Volunteer, Catonsville YMCA Branch of MS Aquatics, through the Shriver Center (UMBC)
• Internship as Program Coordinator, STEMcx Bioethics   
• Researcher, Gigantest lab, under on Dr. Anne Le
• Researcher on proSAAS effects on Abeta, as well as structure-function analysis of proSAAS, Dr. Iris Lindburg's Lab, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)  
• Research Presenter at URCAD 2024| Investigating the Potential Role of the Molecular Chaperone ProSAAS in Protecting Neurons against Degeneration 

For more information on Madison's INDS journey please click here: