The Office of the Provost invites full-time faculty to apply to two exciting opportunities:

Ideate, Design, Execute & Assess (IDEA) Initiative

Submit proposals for new, credit-bearing interdisciplinary academic programs that address the evolving needs of students and the state of Maryland. Proposals should go beyond current offerings at UMBC or within USM. Awardees will receive course release or a summer stipend, along with university support for program design and proposal development.

Curriculum and Pedagogy (CAP) Fellowship

Propose the development or redesign of courses focused on emerging or in-demand workforce needs in Maryland. Awardees will receive a stipend, optional funding for professional development related to course design or content, and access to course design support.

Help shape UMBC's future curriculum and impact Maryland's workforce readiness. The application period closes on November 20.

Happy Friday and welcome to the fourth installment of the Provost Newsletter. 

What's in a name?

Turns out the polling feature is only accessible by clicking through to the myUMBC posting.  With that now sorted, we'll keep the newsletter name poll up for an additional week to allow everyone a chance to vote for their preferred choice. 

(Scroll, scroll, click, scroll, scroll, vote, smile knowing you have made the world [or at least this newsletter] a better place.)

Just Breathe

There is so much to love about this time of Fall semester! The leaves are turning and the air is crisp. It is also a time when I realize we are well beyond the start of the academic year, there is much work left to be done, but the end of the semester is not close (yet). Sometimes, in order to keep going, we need to take a pause. As a faculty member, I enjoyed reading "The Slow Professor." It provided me with the insight that more is sometimes counterproductive and that reflection and pause can actually lead to our best work (and a healthier version of ourselves). Take time for reflection or take a deep breath.   

For me, reflection also comes when I take walks and enjoy natural beauty (which can be particularly awesome this time of the year). As part of still getting to know the surrounding areas, I would love to hear from you about a favorite trail or park that I should explore. Please share it here. 

Highlights! Highlights! Send Me Your Highlights!

I hope you read this in your best "Newsies" voice.

Each week, I highlight accomplishments to be celebrated, events to attend, and examples of the great work being done by you, our faculty and staff at UMBC. If you know of a program, or event that should be highlighted, please submit it here.

Two Days Left

LIVEWIRE 15: Blazing Trails

Don't miss the final two days of the Department of Music's LIVEWIRE 15: Blazing Trails. Now in its 15th year, the Livewire festival celebrates the "innovators, the brave, the experimental, the 'firsts:' the trail blazers." Special highlights include the faculty contemporary ensemble Ruckus that is planning a recording highlighting its work. Having faculty perform together demonstrates the extraordinary sense of community in the department, one of the big recruitment draws for music students from across the state.

Friday: Talks and concerts ending with Julius Eastman's "Femenine." 

Saturday: Events throughout the day culminating in a performance by Ensemble Bravura.

Festival Schedule: https://music.umbc.edu/events/event/147222/ 

UMBC Interdisciplinary CoLab Accepting Proposals

UMBC Interdisciplinary CoLab is currently accepting proposals for Summer '26. Teams of three students work with a project leader (faculty or staff) for four weeks in June to create an outward-facing, narrative-based research deliverable for a community partner.

Previous projects have engaged with archived texts and images to develop websites for special collections and area museums, built podcasts from oral history interviews, and worked with communities on documentary videos and digital stories.

To find out more about submitting a proposal, visit https://iaac.umbc.edu/call-for-projects/ or email Donald Snyder, principal lecturer, Media and Communication Studies, at dsnyder@umbc.edu. 

New AI Logo Available

As you probably saw yesterday, UMBC's artificial intelligence working group in conjunction with University Communications and Marketing has created UMBC AI logos that can be used for both digital and print branding. I encourage you to download the logo and use it for all of your AI-related projects, programs, and activities. 

For questions concerning the use of the logos, or to add your project or program to the university's official list of artificial intelligence efforts, please email Anupam Joshi, UMBC's chief AI officer, with a copy to Kyle Pokorny. 

New Faculty Spotlights

Each week we feature the newest members of our community.

Aneeka Ratnayake, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health

Areas of Research/Interest: Epidemiology and Public Health

Fun fact about Aneeka: I taught kids how to ski for nearly a decade!

Michelle Antero, Assistant Teaching Professor, Information Systems

Areas of Research/Interest: Enterprise Systems, Business Models, Innovation

Fun fact about Michelle: Learning to play the harp

Are you a new faculty member? Please take two minutes to fill out the form and submit your bio if you have not already done so.

Help Make this Newsletter Better

Do you have a great idea? Are you organizing an event everyone should know about? Let us know here. 

Thank you for your commitment to the Retriever community.

Until next week, 

Manfred van Dulmen

Are you involved in an artificial intelligence related activity, project, or program at UMBC? Organizing a lecture or lecture series? Running workshops or training sessions? Have a research initiative? Using AI in your operations that have external visibility? 

Help us know what's happening

As a requirement of the Maryland AI Act (SB 818 of 2024), the State and University System of Maryland may require UMBC to be aware of all artificial intelligence uses, programs, projects, and their associated risks. Help us stay ahead of the regulatory curve in the quickly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and higher education. 

Email Anupam Joshi, UMBC's chief AI officer, and copy to Kyle Pokorny with a brief description of your AI use that is not a research project. 

UMBC AI Logo

The university's artificial intelligence working group, in coordination with University Communications and Marketing, has created an Artificial Intelligence at UMBC logo that should be used on all projects and programs moving forward. The goal is to create a common identity across UMBC's myriad AI efforts.

The dedicated logos can be downloaded from the files section of the my.UMBC Provost Group.

For questions concerning the use of the logos or to add your project or program to the university's official list of artificial intelligence efforts, please email Anupam Joshi, UMBC's chief AI officer, with a copy to Kyle Pokorny. 

Vote Your Favorite Name

Send Me Your Highlights

Stepping Outside Their Comfort Zone

Thank You, Bill LaCourse, For Your Unflagging Leadership

Homecoming Gets Serious

Meet Me in The Commons: Pop-up Coffee with the Provost Tomorrow

New Faculty Spotlights

Help Make this Newsletter Better

Have you ever wondered what a provost does? Do you have a question about the state of higher education or the Eredivisie (Dutch football's top division)?

Drop in and join us for a warm beverage and a snack and meet Provost Manfred van Dulmen.

This is a great opportunity to connect, share ideas, ask questions, or simply enjoy some conversation over coffee and light refreshments.

Thursday, October 9
10-11 a.m.
Information Technology / Engineering 456

No RSVP required and all are welcome.

Stop by, grab a cup, and say hello!

Happy Friday and welcome to the second installment of the Provost Newsletter (permanent name TBD). 

Thank you to everyone who submitted potential names for the newsletter. If you have a suggestion, send it to Aaron Burnett. Don't delay in submitting your ideas as next week we'll  vote on the top three choices.

A brief recap for those who missed last week's newsletter: each week I will highlight accomplishments to be celebrated, events to attend, and examples of the great work being done by you, our faculty and staff at UMBC. If you have a person, program, or event that should be highlighted, please submit it here.

And with that, on to the show …

16 Years And Counting: UMBC Named a 'Great College to Work For'

For the 16th consecutive year UMBC has been named a "Great College to Work For" by ModernThink. More impressively, it marks the 14th consecutive year UMBC has been named to the Honor Roll as a top 10 four-year institution based on the number of categories in which the university received top marks (nine categories!). 

I find this honor particularly compelling because it is based on responses from you, our faculty and staff, concerning your personal experiences as employees at UMBC. For more than a decade-and-a-half you have built a community that supports and values inclusive excellence and I am proud to be a part of that. Way to go Retrievers!

Homecoming Kicks Off

As the days grow shorter and the evening air becomes crisp, all signs point to one of my favorite events of the year: Homecoming. Pull out your black and gold gear, turn up your school spirit to 11, and join me as we kick off Homecoming 2025. 

From choir performances to bonfires to a puppy parade, there are events for everyone. The puppy parade is one of my favorites and my dogs Winston and Emmie participated last year. Learn how you can get in the homecoming spirit here. 

Don't Miss GRIT-X Oct. 9

What happens when you ask UMBC's alumni, faculty, and graduate students about their passion for UMBC's impact in areas of research and creative achievement? You get GRIT-X, the uniquely UMBC take on the TED Talk. The ninth installment features nine speakers from across a wide spectrum of topics. Sign up now for this can't-miss event and catch up on the previous year's talks. 

DATE CHANGE: Join Me for Coffee on Thursday, Oct. 9, 10-11 AM

Mark your calendars as I'll be hosting Coffee with the Provost next Thursday from 10-11 a.m. in ITE-456. No RSVP required and all are welcome. Stop by, grab a cup, and say hello!

New Faculty Spotlights

Each week we feature the newest members of our community.

Liana Harron, Assistant Professor of Piano, Music Department

Area of Research/Interest: Piano Performance

Fun Fact about Liana: Dr. Liana Pailodze Harron, blending her Georgian heritage with an American spirit, captivates audiences with daring performances that breathe life into contemporary classical music. Praised by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Tim Page of The Wall Street Journal as 'smashingly effective,' her latest album with Vesna Duo mesmerized audiences, showcasing her passionate interpretations. Her artistry has graced esteemed venues across the United States and Europe, including iconic stages like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the New World Center, and the United Nations.

Neha Singh, Assistant Teaching Professor, Information Systems

Areas of Research/Interest: Applied Data Science, Artificial Intelligence Literacy and Education, Responsible and ethical computing

Fun Fact about Neha: I never had pets and still do not have any.

Are you a new faculty member? Please take two minutes to fill out the form and submit your bio if you have not already done so. 

Help Make this Newsletter Better

Do you have a great idea? Are you organizing an event everyone should know about? Let us know here. 

Thank you for all you do for UMBC each and every day. You are what makes this community great. 

Until next week, 

Manfred van Dulmen

Have you ever wondered what a provost does? Do you have a question about the state of higher education or the Eredivisie (Dutch football's top division)?

Drop in and join us for a warm beverage and a snack and meet Provost Manfred van Dulmen. 

This is a great opportunity to connect, share ideas, ask questions, or simply enjoy some conversation over coffee and light refreshments.

October 9
10-11 a.m.
Information Technology / Engineering 456

No RSVP required and all are welcome. 

Happy Friday and welcome to the inaugural edition of the Provost Newsletter. We're still workshopping names, so if you have a good idea send it to Aaron Burnett for consideration. 

Each Friday throughout the academic year I'll be highlighting the great work being done by you, our faculty and staff members, sharing important information for you to be aware of, and providing a look ahead at events and opportunities.

The newsletter is a work in progress and will evolve over time through your feedback and direction. If there is something you want to see or hear about, let me know. My goal is to provide a forum that is informative and additive to your experience as a Retriever.

So, without further ado …

'Must-see' Exhibit at AOK Gallery

I want to give a big welcome to UMBC's first vice provost and dean of the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery, Sophia Blessitt-Sotilleo. Sophia joined us this summer and has hit the ground running.   

The AOK Gallery's fall exhibition, Picturing Mobility: Black Leisure and Tourism during the Jim Crow Era, curated by Dr. Elizabeth Patton, is on view until Dec. 19. The curatorial talk and reception on Sept. 19 drew 74 attendees and the exhibition was declared "must-see" in BmoreArt.

I just did see the exhibit last night and highly recommend you check it out.

UMBC Named a Leading Public University

The latest U.S. News & World Report ratings dropped this week and UMBC is on the rise. We climbed 17 places in the ranking of national universities and 11 places on the list of top public schools. While rankings can never capture the full scope of UMBC, it is great to see outside organizations recognize the world class organization I see every day.  

Join Me for Coffee on Thursday, Oct. 2, 10-11 AM

Mark your calendars as I'll be hosting Coffee with the Provost next Thursday from 10-11 a.m. in ITE-456. No RSVP required and all are welcome. Stop by, grab a cup, and say hello!

New Faculty Spotlights

Each week we will feature the newest members of our community. Up first:

Mark E. Woodcock, Assistant Teaching Professor, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

Area of Research: Formal Methods

Interesting Fact: Mark is an expert in non-inscriptional Carthaginian Literature

Chulwoo "Charles" Park, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health

Areas of Research: Immigrant and minority health, global health, psychosocial epidemiology, and infectious disease epidemiology

Interesting Fact about Charles: I run a full marathon every year!

Are you a new faculty member? Please take two minutes to fill out the form and submit your bio if you have not already done so. 

Help Make this Newsletter Better

Do you have a great idea? Are you organizing an event everyone should know about? Send an email to Aaron Burnett, director of provost communication, aaronb4@umbc.edu.

Until next week, 
Manfred van Dulmen