The third and fourth floors of the AOK Library are Quiet areas.  These are good places to study if you don’t mind the occasional whisper or vibrating phone.

The fifth and sixth floors of the AOK Library are designated Absolute Quiet areas at all times.  If you need an environment free from talking, cell phones, or any other noise sources, these are the floors for you!  Library staff walk through the area periodically to enforce quiet rules, but you can also report violations to the Security Desk at 410-455-2331 or Circulation Department staff at 410-455-2354.

We just obtained an exciting Junior Trader position from one of our newest partners, Campbell & Company.

This is a GREAT opportunity for a May or recent graduate.

Full position details can be found below.  If you are interested, apply to position 9298970 in UMBCworks ASAP.  

Junior Trader – North American Shift & Asian Shift Floater
Campbell & Company, a tenured pioneer in absolute return investment management, specializing in trend following and other quantitative strategies, is seeking a detail-oriented Junior Trader to work on the North American shift (Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:00pm) and also provide intermittent coverage for the Asian Trading Desk (Sun-Thu, 6:00pm-2:00am) as coverage needs dictate.
The Junior Trader is responsible for the accurate execution of trades created by Campbell’s proprietary models while striving to add-value through a variety of means.  The Trading department serves the client through best execution practices while adhering to the firm’s policies, goals, legal and regulatory framework.  The Junior Trader will be guided and overseen by team members as their market education grows through coaching and self-education.
 
Key Responsibilities:
Trading – Under the tutelage of the North American and Asian shift Traders (70%)
·         Learn how the Trading desk operates and develop the skills necessary to become a Trader and an integral member of the department
·         Generate and execute model orders utilizing prudent risk management
·         Verify suitability of Trading orders with their corresponding strategy and market characteristic
·         Assess positions and portfolio risk based on market conditions
·         Monitor electronic trading algorithms to ensure proper execution of trades and trouble-shoot problems
·         Determine optimal execution method and route trades appropriately to the market based on benchmark and current market conditions
·         Ensure pre-market trading pre-requisites and processes are completed in preparation of model trading
·         Back-up and support all traders on the desk
 
Market Expertise (20%)
·         Develop market knowledge through continued learning via the Trading department outlets (conferences, bank research reports, Trading counterparties, and general desk experiences)
·         Monitor general market conditions, economic/political news and stock specific events, and compile firm wide End-of-Shift Recap communication
·         Maintain the weekly Counterparty Risk Report
 
Broker / Vendor Relationship (10%)
·         Develop relationships with Campbell’s counterparties
·         Assist in fielding market analysis calls
 
Qualifications:
Required:
·         Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, Finance or Economics or equivalent professional experience and training
·         Internship or other experiences that provided knowledge of the financial markets
·         Strong attention to detail required
·         Passion for markets demonstrated by current knowledge and education
·         Strong foundation in Economics for market forecasting and analysis
·         Familiar with basic probability/statistics
·         Proficiency and high comfort level with MS Office (primarily Excel – including the use of macros) and the Windows operating environment
·         Math, verbal, written, and interpersonal skills
·         Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast paced environment
 
Preferred:
·         Basic knowledge of Bloomberg
·         College minor or knowledge of Computer Science
 
Special Working Conditions:
·         The Junior Traders will work the North American shift (Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:00pm) and will provide intermittent coverage for the Asian Trading Desk (Sun-Thu, 6:00pm-2:00am) as coverage needs dictate
·         Staff in Trading Department are considered essential personnel

Before you know it, your undergraduate education will come to an end. You’re probably excited to say good-bye to papers, lab reports, and exams (unless you plan to attend graduate school)!

Lifelong learning can come in a variety of forms, including, but not limited to: meeting and engaging with new people, traveling, community involvement, reading and keeping up to speed on current events, pursuing career opportunities, certificate programs, and picking up new hobbies! Learning does not have to end when you graduate; your educational journey could just be getting started.

Below are a few tips/resources to becoming a lifelong learner:

• UMBC Graduate School: If you plan on pursing an advanced degree, look no further! This fall, UMBC is awarding newly admitted alumni with a $1,000 scholarship! Visit the Graduate School web site to learn more about our exciting program offerings!

• UMBC Division of Professional Studies: Already have a job lined up but still interested in continuing your education? UMBC's Division of Professional Studies has courses, certificates and programs, designed to fit the busy schedule of the working professional. New program offerings include Data Science; Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Leadership; Technical Management; and Integrated Product Development and Manufacturing.

• UMBC Training Centers: If you are looking to gain a new skill and need flexible and affordable options, you may want to visit our Training Centers. High quality, flexible professional education and training opportunities are available year-round! Some courses are open to all individuals (no application needed)!

• Remain active: Clubs/organizations are available outside of college! A simple Google search will direct you to a variety of local activities where you can participate, take lessons from aerobics, to sports, to even learning a new language! Meetup.com is an excellent resource for connecting with people who share similar interests!

• Build your brand: Our Career Center is not just for current students! Alumni can make connections through various services that the Career Center offers. Seek out professional development opportunities within your workplace, including conferences, workshops, mentoring programs, or leadership trainings. Now that you are in a real-world setting, there will be other skills you will need to learn!

Stay in touch: As your graduating class prepares to travel down different paths, you will have so much to offer one another as you gain further knowledge and life experiences. By staying in touch with former classmates, you may encounter opportunities to collaborate in work or network in a field different than your own. To start, you can join UMBC’s Chapter of Young Alumni, open to graduates of the last decade. Membership is free via the UMBC Alumni Association, which offers chances for networking and fun throughout the year. Join our LinkedIn page to see where over 55,000 UMBC alumni are working!

Life after college is what you make of it. Keep an eye open to the countless experiences that are waiting for you outside of UMBC. Your very next lesson may be one that carries you through life!

Bonus Links:

Why You Should Strive to be a Lifelong Learner by Matt Mayberry

You are not at UMBC only to seek recognition. You are here to gain an education. But, if you are a strong student, you may find yourself making the Dean’s List, joining (or even leading) honor societies, working toward an Honors College Medallion, or applying for merit scholarships in your field.  Here is some information to help you navigate these opportunities at UMBC.

Academic Honors based on Semester Grades

The academic honor available to the largest number of UMBC students is completely automatic. Full-time students who achieve certain semester grade point averages receive a notation on their permanent UMBC transcripts as follows:  

Semester Academic Honors = 3.50 and up

Dean’s List Honors = 3.75 and up

President’s List Honors = 4.00

The beauty of this recognition is that you get a chance at it every fall and spring semester. It is definitely a morale boost also and resume-worthy when you see one of these notations on your transcript. It places you among the most successful students at UMBC in a given semester.

Honor Societies-Multi-disciplinary

Honor societies may be identified by Greek letters, but they are not fraternities or sororities in the usual sense of “Greek life” on campus.  Based on your academic performance at UMBC, you may be invited to join one or more of these organizations. You do not apply for membership. The most active honor societies on campus are:

Phi Beta Kappa:  The big Kahuna of American scholarly honor societies, PBK was founded at the College of William and Mary back in 1776 (a big year for the American colonies!). To win a Phi Beta Kappa key, a student has to achieve very high grades in a course of study that includes courses across the liberal arts well beyond minimum general education requirements for a degree.  A faculty committee here at UMBC evaluates potential selectees for Phi Beta Kappa honors. UMBC’s faculty and staff who were PBK members from their undergraduate days had to demonstrate the breadth and rigor of our academic program in order to establish a chapter of this prestigious honor society in 1998.  This is one invitation you will definitely want to accept if offered. Learn more about PBK.

Phi Kappa Phi:  Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi honors high-achieving students in all disciplines, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.  The UMB-UMBC chapter was installed at UMBC in 2010 and is hard at work at creating campus presence. Phi Kappa Phi’s motto is “Let the love of learning rule humanity.” 

Golden Key International Honor Society:  Golden Key membership is extended to high-achieving students in all disciplines. The national and international organizations offer a large program of scholarships and awards open to members as well as regional and national conferences. UMBC’s award-winning chapter of Golden Key is well known for its extensive community service commitments, such as hosting an annual Halloween party for children at Villa Maria Children’s Center.  A tutoring program at Arbutus Middle School is another project recently launched. Learn more about Golden Key at UMBC.  

Tau Sigma National Honor Society:  Founded in 1999 at Auburn University, Tau Sigma recognizes and supports talented transfer students at four-year universities. This society does require students who believe they meet the criteria to apply for membership. Membership is available to transfer students who achieve high-grade averages during their first full-time semester of enrollment at UMBC. The UMBC chapter was created in 2007. Learn more and apply.

Graduation Honors

Honors are based upon coursework taken over the duration of a student’s entire undergraduate academic career at UMBC. To be eligible for Honors, students must have earned at least 60 graded credits at UMBC (excluding Pass/Fail and Audit grades) with a GPA as follows:

Summa cum laude (“With highest honor”): Students graduating with a GPA between 3.95 and 4.0.

Magna cum laude (“With high honor”): Students graduating with a GPA between 3.75 and 3.9499.

Cum laude (“With honor”): Students graduating with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.7499.

Visit the Registrar’s website for how graduation honors in calculated.

Academic Recognition for Varsity Athletes

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and other external organizations sponsor a variety of awards recognizing the academic achievements of varsity athletes.  UMBC athletes and whole teams regularly receive recognition for maintaining high academic standards despite demanding athletic schedules. In addition, UMBC sponsors a chapter of the National College Athlete Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma. 

Academic Merit Scholarships

The great bulk of academic merit scholarships at UMBC are awarded to students at the time they are admitted to UMBC.  However, there are some opportunities for students enrolled at UMBC to compete for scholarships based primarily on academic achievement, sometimes in combination with service and need.  For example, UMBC sponsors a small scholarship for returning women students. The UMBC Alumni Association also sponsors scholarships for continuing students. The Honors College and the Ancient Studies Department have some study abroad scholarships. The UMBC Theatre Department provides modest scholarships to majors based on academic performance and service. An extensive listing of such scholarships is available.

These scholarships are as much a way for UMBC to recognize top students as they are a means of financial support.  Applying for merit scholarships at UMBC is therefore very worthwhile, even if the amounts involved are modest. These scholarships come and go, so be sure to do careful research.

 Harini Narayan is a student intern at the Women’s Center.

My childhood was marked by internal conflict. I struggled to understand my ethnic identity and sexual orientation, all the while facing the usual struggles of adolescence. In intermediate school, I was a self-declared tomboy and made friends mostly with the boys in my class. I identified with them more than the girls, and the validation I received in being “one of the boys” only fueled my need to further distance myself from my own gender. I was proud to say I didn’t wear makeup or wear dresses and loved to brag that I was never so shallow as to have a boyfriend (little did I know there was a very different reason for not wanting to date boys, but that’s a realization I wouldn’t come to for a few years). Thankfully, I grew out of that phase before I became an adult.

In retrospect, I recognize the toxicity of my behavior. I put down other girls to feel better about myself, as if wearing pants instead of a dress somehow made me superior. It’s almost laughable how much I’ve changed, but my childhood personality opens the bigger issue of those who do not change, and enter adulthood as a woman that sets herself apart from the rest of her gender on the sole belief that she is somehow better for not conforming to the societal mold for femininity.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with not being feminine. Toxicity lies in not being able to accept a woman’s personal choice may align with societal norms. For example, I still prefer pants to dresses, but I know there is nothing wrong with dresses. Femininity is not a weakness, but a choice that should be respected. Declaring oneself as “not like other girls” shouldn’t be acceptable, unless the one in question is a) not wholly female-identifying (like genderfluid people), or b) a mermaid, werewolf, or other partially supernatural entity that identifies as female, but not human. Even those two instances, what makes someone “different” from other girls is either not completely identifying as female (hence unlike other girls, because they are not always a girl), or not being fully human-identifying (in this case, the “other” girls are human, and therefore biologically unlike a hybrid species).

Furthermore, toxic gender culture isn’t limited to women; men face the same issue though it’s presented differently. Toxic masculinity takes the form of repressed emotions. It’s hearing “men can’t get raped,” and shaming those who aren’t interested in sex, sports, or beer. It’s assuming a man is gay because he dresses a certain way, or watches certain television shows. It’s microaggressions that people don’t realize they’ve normalized until it’s almost too late.

Toxicity stems from society, but manifests itself within a gender identity group over time.

Internalized misogyny can be blamed on several things, notably the stereotypes surrounding the different ways in which girls present themselves. When a girl grows up hearing she can either be pretty or smart, she is trapped in a binary that restricts her personality. If you want to be smart, no one will find you attractive; but if you want to wear makeup and date, no one will perceive you as intelligent. She can be a Madonna/whore, a domestic goddess, or a bossy spinster—“or” being the operative word. Only one option is acceptable, but still leaves the woman with enough flaws to be criticized by society. The bimbo is an airhead, an object for men’s entertainment; the domestic goddess is submissive and lacks any sort of worldly knowledge; the bossy spinster is a prude that doesn’t know how to have a good time.

What isn’t considered here is how there is no one-size-fits-all for what a “good woman” is. Society wants a woman that is smart, but always yields to men to ensure she never appears more intelligent than them; she must be attractive but can’t flaunt her sexuality or dislike the notion of sex either; and she must be well-versed in domesticity, able to cook, clean, and tend to the family. Unfortunately for those with such counter-intuitive/competing? expectations, this kind of woman does not exist.

Women are powerful, and they are also multifaceted: a single characteristic does not define them. Women know this about themselves, so why do some hold fellow women to a different standard?

This is the power of misogyny in a patriarchal society. Social constructs form barriers on the personalities of women, which is oppressive to its core. To be taken seriously (read: worthy of a man’s approval), women must confine themselves to the task of boosting men’s self-esteem. If you’re a woman reading this, I want you to think about your own experiences in public with men: how many times have you been interrupted by a man in conversation? How many times have you laughed at a joke you found unfunny, or even offensive? How many times have you been cat called on the street? And how many times have you seen men cat called? The first step to breaking free of that is being conscious of any sort of thinking or behavior that demonizes other women for doing something completely unproblematic. Is her makeup messy? That’s okay, because maybe she’s practicing improving her skills or maybe she doesn’t care how others perceive her. Is her outfit totally unflattering to that body shape? That’s none of your business because the clothes aren’t on your body! Being constructive isn’t the same as being judgmental: telling someone she has lipstick on her teeth isn’t the same as pointing out her makeup is cakey. Women need to respect each other and help each other succeed. In a society designed to put women down, we must rely on each other to lift ourselves back up and stand strong.

A chart dictating some examples of gender stereotypes

It’s hard work to filter our thoughts for all of the toxic things we internalize, but we need to recognize that acknowledgement of sexist thoughts is important. Respect is learned, and people can change for the better if they first admit they need to do so. Years ago, I represented everything that is wrong with the ways society views gender toxicity. Now, I can say that I have educated myself and recognize when I’m engaging in toxic behavior. Nobody is perfect or all-knowing, but it is the effort and willingness to be a better person that makes the world a better place.