The National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD) and the DREAM (Disability Rights, Education, Activism and Mentoring) student group are proud to announce:

The 2018 Disabled & Proud Conference: Leading Change
An online conference for college students with disabilities
October 11-13, 2018

All college students with disabilities and culturally Deaf students are welcome, as well as students with chronic mental and physical health conditions, and students with intellectual disabilities who are auditing or in transition programs.  Nondisabled student allies are invited, too! 

For more information, visit www.DisabledandProud.org.  

Nearly 140 Employers are Coming to Campus on Wednesday, September 26th to Recruit Students Like YOU

Are You Ready for the UMBC Fall Career and Internship Fair?

Participate in one or more of the workshops below.
Open to various fields of study and degree levels!

This is a great opportunity to learn from industry experts.

Keys to Success - Behavioral Based Interviews
Monday, September 10th, 12Noon - 1:00 pm, Commons 331 - Facilitated by T. Rowe Price
Behavioral interview questions focus on how you handled various work situations in the past. Your response will reveal your skills, abilities, and personality.

ALSO- STOP OVER THE CAREER CENTER IN MATH/PSYC 201 FOR RESUME RESCUE FROM 10AM-12PM and 1PM-4PM FOR A RESUME REVIEW- Career Center Staff and Industry Experts will be on hand.

Resume Rescue is being held on Thursday, September 13th and Monday, September 17th

Stephanie Milani will complete her Computer Science (B.S.) and Psychology (B.A.) degrees in 2019. She is a Grand Challenge Scholar, a URA Scholar, and a member of the Honors College.

Title of your research project: Creating a Scalable Framework for Model-Free Reinforcement Learning in Norm-Rich Environments

Describe your project:I developed a scalable framework for robots to incorporate human values and preferences, or norms, with traditional methods for learning how to perform tasks so that these robots can learn how to act in environments where there may be social ramifications to actions.

Who is your mentor for your project? Why did you choose them? My research mentor is Dr. Katia Sycara, Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.A couple of my friends from the Robotics Institute Summer Scholars program worked with her last summer and only had great things to say about working with her. When she and I met, I liked the research questions that she proposed. Based on that conversation and the research publications I had read from her lab, I decided that I wanted to work with her for the summer and the fall.

How did you become interested in this project?Dr. Sycara's lab is researching the general area of normative reasoning for social robots. While reading papers in this area, I realized that few people have looked into how to incorporate normative reasoning in a reinforcement learning setting. I've been interested in reinforcement learning for a few years now - both from its psychological underpinnings and in the area of machine learning - and I wanted to take the opportunity to explore it in a little-researched area with real-world impact. 

What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher? The most difficult part about my research is finding a research problem that is both specific enough to make a tangible contribution and plan, but broad enough that it has greater impact outside of its original context.

What has been the most rewarding part?Probably presenting my research and being met with interest!

How will you disseminate your research?I will publish this research in the RISS Working Papers Journal. I plan to incorporate part of this work in my URCAD presentation, as well as other publications. 

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? If you find someone's research findings interesting, then contact them about it! They may have opportunities for you to work with them. 

What are your career goals?I plan to obtain a Ph.D. in Computer Science, specifically focusing on the field of reinforcement learning. After that, I plan to continue with research in machine learning in either an academic or industrial setting.

To learn more about becoming a URA Scholar:

https://ur.umbc.edu/ura/

or contact Dr. Householder at : aprilh@umbc.edu

NEW for this fall semester!  To help you GET READY TO BE HIRED, the Career Center has scheduled four workshops that will help to familiarize you with various interviewing methods.  These events are meant for all UMBC students (graduate and undergraduate) whether hoping to secure an internship, job or survive a graduate school interview.

T. ROWE PRICE:  Behavioral Based Interviews

Monday, September 10
Noon – 1:00 pm
Commons 331

FACEBOOK Tech Talk:  Technical/Coding Interview

Tuesday, September 11
5:00 – 7:00 pm
University Center 312

UMBC CAREER CENTER:  Surviving a Group Interview

Thursday, September 13
5:00 – 6:00 pm
Commons 331

FDM GROUP:  Video Interviews

Thursday, September 20
5:00 – 6:00 pm
Commons 331

Identity-Based Discussion Groups

All groups meet beginning the week of September 11th. Groups are closed for the privacy and confidentiality of the attendees and take place inside the Women’s Center lounge. Check out a detailed description of all of our discussion groups down below!

Between Women: Biweekly, Mondays at 4 pm

Women of Color Coalition: Biweekly, Tuesdays at 4 pm

We Believe You: Weekly, Thursdays at 5:30 pm

Women in STEM: Monthly, Third Fridays at noon

Returning Women Students Scholars + Affiliates Program

This program is designed to support undergraduate women over the age of 25 returning to college later in life. Students receiving a returning women student scholarship are required to participate in this program designed to support their personal, academic, and career goals of adult learners at UMBC. ALL returning women students at UMBC are invited to attend the monthly meetings and workshops designed specifically to meet the needs of adult students. You can also request an invite to join the Returning Women Students Forum on Facebook for news, resources, and community building. The scholarship deadline for 2018–19 was Friday, March 30, 2018 – next year’s application will be available beginning January 2019.

Between Women

Between Women is a discussion-based program that centers the experiences of women students who identify on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. This structured, topic-based program discusses sexuality and sexual orientation with a focus on intersectionality and provides a safe space for women and feminine-identified students to share their feelings and experiences with other women. This program follows the Women’s Center Brave Space model in order to create a community environment that fosters learning and critical discussion. For safety and confidentiality reasons, this is a closed meeting for those in the LGBTQAI+ community and it is not appropriate for students to use the space for class research or interviews. Fall 2018: Between Women meets biweekly on Mondays at 4pm in the Women’s Center.

We Believe You

Hosted in collaboration with the Women’s Center and the student organization We Believe You, this discussion group creates space to center the experiences of survivors of sexual violence. This discussion-based program follows the Women’s Center Brave Space model to provide a welcoming environment and thoughtful community to engage in conversations focused on support and healing for survivors of sexual violence. For safety and confidentiality reasons, this is a closed meeting for those who identify as survivors and their allies. It is not appropriate for students to use the space for class research or interviews. Fall 2018: We Believe You discussion group meets weekly on Thursdays at 5:30pm in the Women’s Center. For more details, join the We Believe You myUMBC page (where you can also learn more about their general body meetings and activism efforts) or connect with a Women’s Center staff member.

Women of Color Coalition

All self-identified women of color students, staff, and faculty are welcome to share their stories and learn about others’ experiences at Women of Color Coalition. This discussion-based program follows the Women’s Center Brave Space model to provide a welcoming environment and thoughtful community to engage in conversations focused on the intersections of gender and race. For safety and confidentiality reasons, this is a closed meeting for those who identify as women of color and it is not appropriate for students to use the space for class research or interviews. Fall 2018: Women of Color Coalition meets biweekly on Tuesdays at 4pm in the Women’s Center. Subscribe to the WoC Coalition email list to learn more!

Women in STEM

A discussion group for UMBC’s women in STEM. Each discussion will take place monthly and will be hosted by a different woman faculty member from the STEM disciplines focusing on a different topic related to Women in STEM. This discussion-based program follows the Women’s Center Brave Space model to provide a welcoming environment and thoughtful community to engage in conversations focused on the experiences of women students studying in the STEM fields. Fall 2018: Women in STEM discussion group will take place on Friday, September 21st at noon and Friday, October 19th at noon. The November date is TBD.

Spectrum: Trans Programming and Resources Hub

Spectrum is a programming and resource hub for UMBC community members who identify as trans, genderqueer, gender fluid, outside of the gender binary, and/or those who are questioning their gender identity. Supported by the Women’s Center and the Mosaic Center, Spectrum has evolved from a discussion-based program to an umbrella of resources, discussions, and events. Currently, the Spectrum discussion group is not being offered so we can ensure support of groups like Trans Tuesdays hosted by the LGBTQ Student Union and the Trans Support group run through the Counseling Center. The Women’s Center and Mosaic Center offers trans-related events each month. For details, connect with a staff member or check out our events page. Additional resources can be shared through our offices and we encourage community members to connect with us.

For more information about each of these groups and their intentions, please visit womenscenter.umbc.edu/groups

Another school year, and another group of fantastic, creative, passionate UMBC students lending their talents, strengths, and energy to the Women’s Center! Please take a minute or two to read through some short bios below, and hopefully, you’ll be able to meet and make friends with each one of these lovely folks working with us over the school year.

Alexia Petasis (she/her), Interdisciplinary Studies intern

Hey! My name is Alexia Petasis and I am a senior at UMBC. I’m pursuing a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Dance.

In my free time I like to go on hikes, watch French movies, or choreograph. I’m looking forward to an exciting year at The Women’s Center!

Briscoe Turner (she/her)

Hello Everyone! My name is Briscoe Turner, and I am a sophomore here at UMBC. I am majoring in Psychology and minoring in Writing. I am passionate about promoting social justice and hope to use Community Psychology to address the needs of underrepresented populations in the future. I am also a Sondheim Scholar and a member of the Black Lives Matter club, so service and impacting social change through policy and other means of political action are also very important to me.

This is my first semester working at the Women’s Center, and I’m excited to build community and have good discussions. I love that the Women’s center allows me to explore my identity through an intersectional lens, and I looking forward to exploring it further this year!

Dua Raja (she/her)

Hi! My name is Dua Raja. I was born in Pakistan, and moved to the US at a young age. Now a transfer student from CCBC at UMBC, I am on track to achieve my Bachelor’s in Business Technology Administration (BTA), all while working at the Women’s Center surrounded by wonderful people. I plan to use my degree to become an entrepreneur looking to start her own business and work on a technical management program.

I love to hike, dance and travel. Most importantly, I love dogs. Especially German Shepherds.

This is my first year as a Women’s Center staff member. I look forward to meeting new people.

My personal mantra: Inhale confidence, exhale doubt.

My favorite quote: The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.

Hannah Wilcove (she/her), Honors College & Gender + Women’s Studies intern

Hi! My name is Hannah Wilcove and I’m a senior with a major in Gender & Women’s Studies and a double minor in Sociology and Statistics. I’m super excited to be returning to the Women’s Center this year. While I love studying any and all issues pertaining to feminism and social justice, I’m most passionate about reproductive justice, representation, and increasing political participation.

When I’m not at the Women’s Center, you can probably find me doing work for various student theater groups on campus, be it in rehearsal or as an executive board member of AF Theatre Company. If that’s not the case, then I’m probably in my bed watching Parks and Recreation and wondering how I can become Leslie Knope.

Harini Narayan (she/her)

My name is Harini Narayan and I’m a sophomore here at UMBC.It’s my second semester working at the Women’s Center and I couldn’t be happier to return! This year, I’ll be co-facilitating our discussion group for LGBTQ+ women, Between Women. When I’m not at the Women’s Center, you can find me running around campus because I love staying busy! I’m an MLLI major and am very passionate about learning new languages, which I hope to continue doing professionally.

I’m looking forward to seeing both new and familiar faces around the Women’s Center this year!

Marie Pessagno (she/her), Returning Women Students leader

Hi everyone!  My name is Marie and I am a recent graduate from UMBC!  I am super fortunate to be returning to work (super part-time) at the Women’s Center with the Returning Women’s Students of which I am also an extremely proud alumni! While at UMBC, I was a Social Work and Gender + Women’s Studies double major, and am now beginning my first, and last year, as an advanced standing student at the UMB School of Social Work.

I am a proud single mother of two girls, Lily and Lyla, who are my main inspiration on my journey towards furthering my education.  I am continuing to pursue and expand my knowledge of social work, particular in the field of child welfare, while completing my internship with child protective services at the Department of Human Services this upcoming year.

Morgan Mullings (she/her), Media and Communication Studies intern

Hi! My name is Morgan and I’m a senior here at UMBC pursuing a BA in Media and Communications major with minors in English and Cinematic Arts. I am a poet, photographer, and aspiring filmmaker and most of my work stems from my own identity and experiences as a woman of color. If I’m not working at the Women’s Center you can find me watching Ghost Shark (2013) with my friends. I am also a huge stationary nerd and I work at commonvision so ask me any question about a piece of paper.

If I could be any mythical creature it would be a unicorn that only speaks in quotes about intersectional feminism.

Samiksha Manjani (she/her)

Hi! My name is Samiksha Manjani and I am a senior here at UMBC. I’m excited to return for another year as a part of the Women’s Center team! I’m a double-major in Political Science  and Sociology, and am currently on the pre-law track. I hope to one day use my law degree to legally combat violence against women and children. During my time at the Women’s Center, I hope to create a diverse, empowering and safe environment for everyone.

On a side note, I love learning about people’s backgrounds, cultures, histories, and politics. I love fitness, soccer, and yoga. I’m all about self-care (i.e. art, journaling, meditation) and being positive! I love baking and cooking. I’m a crime show nut (i.e. Law & Order, Criminal Minds), and I try to keep up with the news. Feel free to stop by for a chat or to say “Hi!” to me if you see me around campus!

Shrijana Khanal (she/her)

Hi friends! My name is Shrijana and I am a sophomore at UMBC. I am an Economics major and minoring in Computer Science and International Relations. When I am not at work, I am reading a thrilling book or watching the sunset.

Ask me about zodiac signs or the latest updates in soccer!