Welcome to this archive of UMBC Alumni stories. Use the search bar to the right to find alumni by grad year, major type, and more. We hope you enjoy reading about fellow Retrievers. If you have news to share, please email retrievernet [at] umbc [dot] edu.

For many students, it takes more than brilliant professors, hours of study, and supportive classmates to succeed in college. Often, a gesture as simple as a book scholarship, or a conversation with someone who’s walked in your shoes, so to speak, can mean the difference between earning straight As and struggling to stay afloat.
For Latino students needing that extra boost toward graduation, there’s plenty of “esperanza,” or hope, for the future, thanks in part to Dr. Shivonne L. Laird ’99, biological sciences.

One of the founding members of UMBC’s Chapter of Black & Latino Alumni (CBLA), Laird also helped establish the Esperanza Fund committee, which is dedicated to endowing a scholarship that would support students of Latino heritage and/or students who are committed to the advancement of minorities, especially of Latino or Hispanic descent. In a little over a year and a half, the committee has raised $11,700 toward the $25,000 needed for an endowment.

“I thought it was important to form a network of minority alumni, both to support each other socially and professionally, and to inspire current minority UMBC students to achieve what we have achieved,” said Laird, a policy analyst for the University of Maryland School of Medicine who also happens to be of Panamanian descent.

“I felt that minority students could look at the members of CBLA, knowing that we all once were where they are, and see their futures.”

A Unique Perspective

Laird came to UMBC in 1994 as a member of the sixth cohort of the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program. Early on in her student career, she joined the newly-formed Hispanic/Latino Student Union, and later became a co-founder of the first Latina sorority on campus, Lambda Theta Alpha.

For Laird, this was not only an opportunity to explore her own heritage, but a chance to see up-close the challenges other Latinos on campus faced.

“We understood each other, and were consequently able to support each other in a way that others did not always understand,” she said.

“There were some students that were struggling to balance their personal and financial obligations…with their desire to do well and finish school, and we were sometimes able to find solutions for these students that fit within our cultural priorities.”

Staying Involved

After graduation, Laird went on to earn her master’s degree from Tulane University in Louisiana, and her Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University. Although she left the academics of UMBC behind, she has steadily volunteered with the UMBC Alumni Association for the good of her alma mater. In addition to her work with C-BLA and the Esperanza Fund committee, Laird serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

“Shivonne is an amazing volunteer,” said Stanyell Bruce, Assoc. Director of Alumni Relations.

“She saw a real need here at UMBC and felt that as an alumna her greatest contribution would be support current and future Latino students through the Esperanza Fund. Her energy, compassion and commitment to the Latino community and to students at UMBC helps to keep everyone motivated and on task with endowing the fund.”

In addition to raising money for scholarships, the Esperanza Fund committee also plans social and networking events to help students and alumni connect, often while also learning about issues of heritage, or listening to Latin music. Upcoming events include an “Esperanza Scholarship Social” at Restaurante Ceviche in Silver Spring on September 12, as well as a “Sabor Latino” social event in the UMBC Commons on October 16.

Laird truly enjoys every chance she has to interact with current students.

“I want to show them how important it is to give back to your community,” she said. “I believe that if even one of us comes back to campus after graduation, we can start a legacy of helping those who need to get to where we are.”

– Jenny O’Grady
Originally posted September 2008

For many students, it takes more than brilliant professors, hours of study, and supportive classmates to succeed in college. Often, a gesture as simple as a book scholarship, or a conversation with someone who’s walked in your shoes, so to speak, can mean the difference between earning straight As and struggling to stay afloat.
For Latino students needing that extra boost toward graduation, there’s plenty of “esperanza,” or hope, for the future, thanks in part to Dr. Shivonne L. Laird ’99, biological sciences.
One of the founding members of UMBC’s Chapter of Black & Latino Alumni (CBLA), Laird also helped establish the Esperanza Fund committee, which is dedicated to endowing a scholarship that would support students of Latino heritage and/or students who are committed to the advancement of minorities, especially of Latino or Hispanic descent. In a little over a year and a half, the committee has raised $11,700 toward the $25,000 needed for an endowment.
“I thought it was important to form a network of minority alumni, both to support each other socially and professionally, and to inspire current minority UMBC students to achieve what we have achieved,” said Laird, a policy analyst for the University of Maryland School of Medicine who also happens to be of Panamanian descent.
“I felt that minority students could look at the members of CBLA, knowing that we all once were where they are, and see their futures.”
A Unique Perspective
Laird came to UMBC in 1994 as a member of the sixth cohort of the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program. Early on in her student career, she joined the newly-formed Hispanic/Latino Student Union, and later became a co-founder of the first Latina sorority on campus, Lambda Theta Alpha.
For Laird, this was not only an opportunity to explore her own heritage, but a chance to see up-close the challenges other Latinos on campus faced.
“We understood each other, and were consequently able to support each other in a way that others did not always understand,” she said.
“There were some students that were struggling to balance their personal and financial obligations…with their desire to do well and finish school, and we were sometimes able to find solutions for these students that fit within our cultural priorities.”
Staying Involved
After graduation, Laird went on to earn her master’s degree from Tulane University in Louisiana, and her Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University. Although she left the academics of UMBC behind, she has steadily volunteered with the UMBC Alumni Association for the good of her alma mater. In addition to her work with C-BLA and the Esperanza Fund committee, Laird serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
“Shivonne is an amazing volunteer,” said Stanyell Bruce, Assoc. Director of Alumni Relations.
“She saw a real need here at UMBC and felt that as an alumna her greatest contribution would be support current and future Latino students through the Esperanza Fund. Her energy, compassion and commitment to the Latino community and to students at UMBC helps to keep everyone motivated and on task with endowing the fund.”
In addition to raising money for scholarships, the Esperanza Fund committee also plans social and networking events to help students and alumni connect, often while also learning about issues of heritage, or listening to Latin music. Upcoming events include an “Esperanza Scholarship Social” at Restaurante Ceviche in Silver Spring on September 12, as well as a “Sabor Latino” social event in the UMBC Commons on October 16.
Laird truly enjoys every chance she has to interact with current students.
“I want to show them how important it is to give back to your community,” she said. “I believe that if even one of us comes back to campus after graduation, we can start a legacy of helping those who need to get to where we are.”
– Jenny O’Grady
Originally posted September 2008

Sideshows featuring amazing feats and astonishing freaks became an industry in the United States in the 19th century. But these traveling caravans have been on the endangered list in recent decades. Collecting the artifacts and celebrating the artistry of this vanishing industry has proven addictive to James Taylor ’73, interdisciplinary studies.

Read more in the Winter 2010 issue of UMBC Magazine…

In just over 40 years, UMBC has progressed from a fledgling university to a nationally renowned institution of higher education. And when it comes to areas such as undergraduate teaching or encouraging diversity in scientific and technological disciplines, UMBC is now regularly mentioned in the same breath with Harvard University, MIT and Stanford University.

But that growth didn’t happen without a lot of help. And an important element in helping UMBC rise in national prestige has been the university’s successful Exceptional by Example campaign.

This year, the board of UMBC’s Alumni Association has recognized the key role played by its alumni in the campaign by awarding Gene Trainor ’86, health science and policy, the 2010 Distinguished Service Award. Trainor will receive his award at the university Alumni of the Year awards ceremony in October.

UMBC embarked on its very first sustained capital campaign in 2006, in the same year that the university celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding. Among the goals of the campaign was to engage the university’s alumni more directly in philanthropic giving to UMBC.

Trainor agreed to serve as the chair of the Alumni Campaign Committee. Among his tasks in that role were serving as chairman of committee meetings and training exercises, sending out regular e-mails to committee members – and even holding a campaign event at his own home. Thanks to his unflagging support of the campaign, UMBC’s alumni not only met but surpassed their goal of raising $3 million to support the university’s various initiatives.

“Gene dove into the role of UMBC Alumni Ambassador, and enthusiastically reached out to alumni locally and across the county,” says Greg Simmons, M.P.P. ’04, who serves as UMBC’s vice president of Institutional Advancement. “His candor, enthusiasm, and leadership have helped change our expectations of how alumni can work alongside faculty and staff to help UMBC achieve our short-term goals and our long-term vision.”

When it comes to vision, it’s no surprise that Trainor was a perfect fit. He’s built a career in supporting and facilitating the efforts of venture capital firms. Throughout his career at companies such as Cramer Rosenthal McGlynn, New Enterprise Associates, and, most recently, Foundation Capital, Trainor has trotted the globe helping firms grow and expand their offices – and ensure their futures through succession planning.

“I am not an entrepreneur per se,” says Trainor. “But I believe in and have a passion for entrepreneurship. I realized I wanted to be closer to that side of the world.”

Trainor sees himself as the proverbial “man behind the curtain,” handling the day-to-day operations that are critical to a firm’s success. Successful navigation of this difficult behind-the-scenes work, he observes, allows a firm’s investing partners more flexibility and time to do their job: seek out bold new ideas and provide the creative minds behind them with the necessary funding to develop and sharpen their ideas and eventually bring them to the marketplace.

“Most of the innovation in the world is driven by venture-backed companies,” he says. “My role is to run the internal operations of the firm so the investing partners can do what they do best.”

Through his willingness to engage in philanthropic work and service, Trainor has also brought that spirit of discovery and adventure to another marketplace of ideas: UMBC.

“I was a commuter student during college, so I didn’t build up a vast network of friends,” says Trainor. “It was neat to have the opportunity to come back to UMBC and meet alums from various years while working on the campaign to create awareness for the University.”

When Trainor talks to people about making an investment, he says that he asks them to consider where their resources – time, money, or effort – can have the greatest impact.

“There are very few places where I think you can get a better bang for your buck than UMBC,” he says. “All you need to do is look at the progress UMBC has made in the last ten to 20 years. Even with limited resources, it has made incredible progress not just regionally but nationally.”

— Meredith Purvis

Curtis Tarver ’03, psychology and music, has made music for UMBC as a former member of the “Down and Dirty Dawgs” pep band. And he keeps up with his alma mater and other matters musical and sporting via his blog: “80 Minutes of Regulation.”

A native of Wilmington, DE, Tarver banged the drums for UMBC’s pep band for four years. These days, he works as an associate director of student programs at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, but part of his heart will always remain in Catonsville.

“I talk the most about the things that mean the most to me, and the things I follow most closely,” Tarver said. “Since I love UMBC and follow their programs, I tend to talk about them quite a bit.”

Tarver updates the blog once or twice a week. In the late spring, he posted an entry about his bout of sad nostalgia over the new look of UMBC’s athletics logo.

“I will not obsess over UMBC’s new logo,” Tarver wrote four times, tongue firmly in cheek. He also added a picture of the old logo, wishing it “Farewell and Godspeed, old friend.”

Tarver says that one of his post-graduation highlights was a chance to cheer on his alma mater in person when the Retrievers met Georgetown University in Raleigh, NC, in the 2008 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. He also made a trip to Chapel Hill to catch UMBC’s lacrosse team play the University of North Carolina in a 2009 NCAA tournament game.

“UMBC is where I met my wife, and, obviously, where I started my college career. It means the world to me,” Tarver says.

— Jeff Seidel ’85
Originally published in the Fall 2010 issue of UMBC Magazine