McNair & RGPN at the Honors College Charity Gala: A Night Under the Stars

The McNair Scholars Program and RGPN have purchased tickets for 30 scholars to attend the 2026 Honors College Charity Gala.

 Date: February 21, 2026

Time: 7:00 PM

 Location: University Center Ballroom

This year's Gala will support the Esperanza Center and will bring together Honors and Scholars students for an evening of cultural celebration and community.

McNair & RGPN are sponsoring tickets for up to 30 students. Spots are limited and will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you would like to attend, please complete the Google Form to secure your ticket: https://forms.gle/Vbk5ux6uiKRxgXSn8

If you plan to bring a guest who is not affiliated with McNair or RGPN, please direct them to the ticket URL to purchase their ticket: https://umbctickets.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=3663  

• "Documented status as either a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident;

• A declared major in the biological or chemical disciplines (e.g. Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, or Chemistry);

• Status as a second-year or third-year student for the 2026-2027 academic year (i.e. graduating from UMBC Spring 2028 or later); 

• Status as a full-time undergraduate student at UMBC for the 2026-2027 academic year; 

• Two letters of recommendation from science faculty members

• A written essay of purpose describing (a) Your future career interests/goals and how they align with pursuing an MD/PhD degree; (b) Your desire to be a Beckman Scholar and how you feel the program would benefit you in your pursuit of being an MD/PhD; (c) A discussion of a challenge(s) you've experienced in your undergraduate STEM journey and steps you took to overcome that challenge. There is a 500 word maximum. Generative AI use is NOT permitted to write your essay."

UMBC Professor David Garcia presents his research on "Leveraging Cell-Free Synthetic Biology and AI for Point-of-Care Diagnostics, Biomanufacturing, and Materials" in a seminar held by the Biological Sciences Department from 12-1pm on Wednesday, February 18 in room 004 of the Biological Sciences building.

David C. Garcia is an Assistant Professor in UMBC's Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering department, where he leads the Garcia Lab. His work involves extracting biological machinery from cells to design and engineering novel systems—such as paper-based biosensors and metabolic pathways—that can function in resource-limited environments for diagnostics and biomanufacturing. He earned his Ph.D. in Energy Science and Engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and his lab actively collaborates with the biological sciences community, frequently presenting on topics like high-throughput characterization of biological systems and AI-guided biological design.

Hey Retrievers,

We want to give our campus community and valued riders a heads up about a service impact to the UMBC Transit Downtown Route on Monday, February 16, 2026.

The City of Baltimore will host A Walk in Legacy: Baltimore City's 2nd Annual Black History Month Parade, beginning at 12:00 p.m. The parade route will begin at MLK Jr. Blvd & Eutaw Street and conclude at Baltimore Street.

Because of road closures along the parade route, UMBC Transit will be unable to service the following Downtown stops during the event:

• Stop 6: Baltimore St. & MLK Jr. Blvd.

• Stop 7: S. Poppleton St. & Hollins St.

• Stop 8: Pratt St. & MLK Blvd.

Please plan ahead and allow extra travel time if you are riding Downtown that day. Riders are encouraged to utilize stop #9. Pratt St & & Greene St. (UMB), 10. Pratt St & Howard St @ The Baltimore Convention Center and 11. Pratt St & Light St @ The Baltimore Inner Harbor during this parade. also We recommend checking the Transit App for real-time updates before your trip.

We appreciate your patience and flexibility as the city comes together for this meaningful celebration. If you have questions about service adjustments, please contact UMBC Transit directly.

Thank you for riding with us!

Safe Travels ~ Your Transit Team