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Get your abstracts ready over the break!

Registration for URCAD will open on the 2nd of January, 2026 and applications are due by Feb. 15. This year URCAD moves to a new space in the RAC!

Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day- 30th Anniversary!

Come celebrate 30 years of grit, grunge, and groundbreaking research!

On Wednesday April 22, 2026, Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) will feature research, scholarship, and creative work carried out by UMBC undergraduates. Student work will be shared through oral presentations, posters, artistic exhibits, performances, and film. Over 400 presenters participate annually. Researchers work with faculty mentors on independent research, or research that is part of the mentor's on-going projects. They are from all disciplines, and can be working on a thesis, capstone project, part of a scholars or honors program, or they can be unaffiliated. This campus-wide celebration of achievement affirms UMBC's commitment to the twin goals of research and a distinctive undergraduate experience.

All current undergraduates who have conducted research, scholarship or creative work in the last year may apply to present their results at URCAD. Mentors, fellow students, friends, family members, high school teachers and students, and the general public are invited to attend.

For information on how to prepare your 200-word abstract for the URCAD application please visit our guidelines page.

URCAD Abstract Guidelines

UR.umbc.edu/urcad/

We are looking for a cohort of students to participate in UMBC's Intercultural Engagement Prep course. This course is designed to grow students' intercultural competency and skills.  The course also serves as the orientation for students interested in UMBC's Peace Corps Prep Program.   

This program is open to:

• International students

• Future or returned study abroad students

• Students interested in applying to the Peace Corps or similar international service programs after graduation

• Students who have an interest in preparing for other international or intercultural experiences or development careers

• Students who want to prepare themselves as global citizens in a multicultural world 

As a participant in the Intercultural Engagement Prep pilot program, students will:

• Meet other globally-minded students at UMBC;

• Develop your critical analytical skills;

• Increase your cultural self-awareness and critically reflect on your own unconscious bias;

• Develop strategies to improve your intercultural communication and how you'll apply it in your future career;

• Recognize cultural differences, commonalities, perceptions, power and privilege dynamics, and how they can lead to conflict; and

• Understand the importance of intercultural dialogue and intercultural citizenship competencies for fostering social justice.

This non-credit/no-fee course, PRAC 103 (course # 6928), will meet twice in the Spring 2026 semester at a mutually agreeable time, but the majority of the course is accessed through asynchronous learning. Students will be required to attend two globally themed events or activities and will also have independent assignments to complete in Blackboard. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will earn two digital badges titled Increasing Cultural Self-Awareness and Reinforcing Intercultural Dialogue. 

Both undergraduate and graduate students may register for the course under PRAC 103 and course number 6391.

“As you step into the next stage of your journey—into this complex, technology-driven, and rapidly changing world—I want to challenge you to be an advocate for the irreplaceable value of human communication,” said Christine Mallinson, during last week’s Commencement exercises. The assistant vice president for research and scholarly impact and professor of language, literacy, and culture was tasked with sending UMBC’s new graduates onward and she emphasized the importance of humanity in their next steps.

Nearly 1,000 Retrievers crossed the stage on December 17 and 18 as UMBC celebrated Ph.D., graduate, and undergraduate Commencement ceremonies. At the heart of these celebrations were the people—the family members who offered support, the friends and classmates who were study buddies and allies, the faculty and staff who provided guidance and a listening ear, and the students themselves who pushed through growth even when the road was rocky. 

“One of my favorite things this year has been seeing how supportive graduates are of one another,” shared Aminah Amjad, Ph.D. ’26, chemistry, and president of the Graduate Student Association, while addressing her peers. “Whether it’s sharing lab space or advertising about free food on campus or sharing memes that perfectly describe our collective suffering, you all made it through because you lifted each other.”

As these Retrievers prepare to embark on the exciting journey ahead, Provost Manfred H. M. van Dulmen left the class of 2025 with a final charge: “Let the values you lived here at UMBC guide you as you shape a more just, more inclusive, and more hopeful world. You are the future we’ve been waiting for.”

Visit commencement.umbc.edu to view livestreams of both Commencement ceremonies. All photos by Brad Ziegler/UMBC.

Position Summary:
The Office Manager & Assistant to the Artistic Director supports the daily operations of a dynamic arts nonprofit that includes an orchestra, chamber programs, a residence for fellows, and community initiatives. This part-time role ensures smooth administrative functioning, handles key organizational communications, and provides hands-on support to the Founder and Artistic Director.