On May 13, 2021, J. Marvin Cook, Ph.D., Founder and Director of the Instructional Systems Development graduate program at UMBC, died peacefully with his family by his side at the Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, Maryland.  He was born in Natchitoches, Louisiana to Clyde and Ernestine Cook in 1929.  Marvin was 91 at the time of his passing; he lived a full and impactful life, always focused on following his faith service to others.  He was passionate about his faith, continually learning, and had always interested in helping people through his vocation and avocations.  This was evident in his educational and life accomplishments, especially at UMBC.

Marvin earned his B.S. in electrical engineering at Louisiana Tech University, an M.S. in electrical engineering at Texas A&M University, and M.Th. at Southern Methodist University, and a Ph.D. in math-education and curriculum design at the University of Maryland.  His successful career as an electrical engineer was followed by a second successful career in the field of adult training and education.

Dr. Cook founded the Instructional Systems Development graduate program at UMBC (now Learning & Performance Technology) in the early 1970s. It arguably was the first program of its kind in the nation.  It was also one of UMBC’s first Master’s degree program.  Dr. Cook was a pioneer by creating an applied professional program that targeted working adults. He was a sought after consultant by many public and private organizations.  Dr. Cook impacted lives of countless individuals in the greater Baltimore–Washington Metro Area and mid-Atlantic region.

Watch an interview with Dr. Cook that includes reflections on his UMBC experience.

He authored and co-authored a dozen books and numerous articles in the field of adult education and training. Dr. Cook was also the co-founder and president of Educational Developmental Resources (EDR), a successful contracting and consulting firm.

Dr. Cook was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Zula “Abby” Abington Cook, and his wife of 10 years, Gloria O’Donoghue Cook and his son Jim Cook and daughter Celeste Cook Dodson.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at www.michaeljfox.org or the United Service Organization (USO) at www.uso.org.  Online condolences may be made at www.legacy.com.

Now that spring semester is wrapping up, it's time to take a breath and think about your next career move. Are you a UMBC graduate looking for full-time work? Do you need an internship or research experience to build your resume? Are you simply ready to start exploring your career options?

Join the UMBC Career Center for a 5-week, FREE virtual series designed to focus and invigorate your career exploration, job, or internship search. The UMBC Virtual Career Launch Summer Series is designed with YOUR goals in mind. We want to help you get motivated and get moving in the right direction.

BENEFITS:
•    Learn tips & strategies for securing a job or internship
•    Explore career options and majors
•    Develop a personalized plan for career success
•    Meet employers who hire UMBC students
•    Network with UMBC alumni and local professionals
•    PRIZE RAFFLES for participants who attend 3+ events!

CERTIFICATE of COMPLETION available upon request for participants who attend 5+events!

Make the most of your summer and register today!

View the full schedule of events
(NOTE: Attending all events is NOT required!)

Please see the latest updates on UMBC’s Retriever Ready website. Questions? Email covid19@umbc.edu.

COVID-19 Health & Safety

• UMBC’s Public Health Dashboard was updated with new data on May 19. There was one new positive on-campus case during this reporting period.

• Please review our updated masking requirements for outdoor campus spaces.

• As a part of our safety planning for the fall, we are sharing additional guidance on physical distancing in classrooms.

COVID-19 Vaccine

• Reminder: Please report your vaccination to the University ASAP. More information here. You must report your vaccination by July 6.

• We are asking all in our community to be fully vaccinated or have an exemption request on file by July 6. That means getting started TODAY! Locate a vaccine site here and keep in mind that many sites offer walk up vaccines as well.

• More information on our medical and religious exemption process and all necessary forms can be found here. You must have a request on file by July 6.

• Vaccination facts help you and your loved ones understand your decision to vaccinate.

Online Mental Health Peer Support Community 

• Students who want an online peer support community related to health and well-being can find a community here! Togetherall is a free online peer-to-peer community for students, and offers a safe and anonymous place to support your mental health 24/7.

UMBC Together

• Visit the UMBC Together website for recent social media posts and the UMBC Together myUMBC group for information on upcoming events.

Reposting on behalf of We Believe You Student Org. They are looking for new leaders for the 2021-22 academic year! The original post can be found here.

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It's that time of year again to start the process for Elections 2021-2020!

The following positions are up for election:

President

Vice President

Treasurer

Secretary

Project Coordinator

Advertising Manager

If you wish to run for an admin position, check out our current positions and complete the following Google Form by 11:59pm est. on Monday, May 24, 2021. Descriptions for each of the executive positions are provided within the form. Once the May 24th deadline has passed, we will post the candidates' information and everyone will have a chance to vote during the official voting period which will be held May 25 - May 29, 2021.

Note: President, Vice President, and Treasurer are all mandatory positions for student organization renewal. If you are unsure at this time whether you are eligible for a position on the We Believe You Executive Board, we encourage you to still complete and submit an application. All applicants will have the opportunity to meet with a current executive board officer to discuss their application and/or answer any questions regarding the e-board positions and assigned duties/roles.

For this election, we will be following and closely adhering to the recommendations provided by the Virtual Elections Guidelines from 2020, as well as guidance provided during the Mandated Annual Round Table for student organization officers.

What’s New? For this spring election, we will be trying something new which will include connecting with each candidate via phone/video conference and conducting a short 20-25min interview. If this is something you are not comfortable with, please indicate that on the application and we will find another way to connect with you that is accommodating to your preferences.

We want to extend our deepest appreciation for your patience during this adjustment period and hope to secure the best accessible route for voting as possible during remote instruction. If you have any questions about the election application or further inquiries regarding We Believe You, please email us at webelieveyou.umbc@gmail.com.Note: Email response time is typically 12-48 hours.

We wish everyone a very safe and happy summer break! We hope to see you back on campus very soon. 

Take Care and Happy Elections!

We Believe You Team

About Us: We Believe You is a UMBC student activist and advocacy group for survivors of sexual violence, interpersonal/ relationship violence, and/or power-based violence. We welcome all survivors and allies so long as they respect survivors and their truths.