The next time someone teases you about your hidden passion for philately, Hummel figurines or sudoku, consider the successes of UMBC’s own Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg.
An avid comic book reader and collector since early childhood, Blumberg ’93, English, has managed to weave his love of super heroes, zombies, monsters and robots into a career as a published author, adjunct professor and – most recently – curator of the brand-new Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, a mecca of pop culture paraphernalia located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
“I like to joke with people and tell them all my hobbies have eventually turned into jobs,” said Blumberg, the author of five books ranging in subject from comic book pricing to the finer points of zombie movies.
“It’s pretty much true, though.”
A Passion for Stories
Blumberg, who grew up in Randallstown and has lived in Baltimore ever since, started reading comics like Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost as soon as he was able – around two years old if you believe his mother. Like many young readers, he also started writing short stories. When it came time to choose a college, he knew two things right away. He would be an English major, and he would do it at UMBC.
“I always felt comfortable at UMBC,” said Blumberg, who visited the campus as a 10th grader. “When I walked around on campus I felt a sense of the world opening up to me.”
While a student at UMBC, Blumberg joined the staffs of student literary magazines Bartleby and the now-defunct Apostrophe, which gave him his first taste of desktop publishing. He also worked with the late Dr. Philip Landon on an honors project examining how robots in science fiction film and literature reflect America’s changing relationship with technology.
The Next Steps
Following graduation from UMBC, Blumberg entered the publications design program at the University of Baltimore, earning first a master’s, then a doctorate. During this time, he found employment with Gemstone Publishing, a local publishing house devoted to comics and toy collecting literature owned by the Entertainment Museum’s namesake/owner Stephen A. Geppi.
In November 2000, Blumberg self-published his first book, a comprehensive guide to collectibles associated with the British science fiction series, “Doctor Who,” entitled Howe’s Transcendental Toybox (co-authored with David J. Howe). To date, Blumberg has written or co-written ten books, including The Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide, The Big Big Little Book Book, Pop Culture With Character: A Look Inside Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, and Zombiemania: 80 Movies to Die For, which he penned with fellow UMBC alumnus Andy Hershberger ’99, American studies.
“One of my main passions is to continue to write books about the things I love,” said Blumberg.
In addition, Blumberg has taught a course in comic book literature at UMBC every year since 1999. Not surprisingly, the course fills up pretty darned fast.
“Being able to go back and teach was wonderful,” said Blumberg, who describes himself as an innately nostalgic person. “I love the idea that every year I come back and I’ve never really left UMBC.”
A New Home
Walking throughout Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, Blumberg can spout fun facts about everything from the 1,400 glassed-in comic books to Steamboat Willie, from a Superman secret chamber ring to the display of Star Wars figurines, which includes more than one piece belonging to Blumberg himself.
But no amount of knowledge of comic book statistics or story could prepare him for the effects such a collection would have on viewers. Since beginning his tenure as curator of the museum in August 2005, Blumberg has come to truly enjoy watching the faces of museum-goers as they re-live integral pieces of their younger lives.
“There are very few places where you can go and be completely immersed in your own childhood,” he said. “I learn something new every day.”
– Jenny O’Grady
Originally posted December 2006

The next time someone teases you about your hidden passion for philately, Hummel figurines or sudoku, consider the successes of UMBC’s own Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg.

An avid comic book reader and collector since early childhood, Blumberg ’93, English, has managed to weave his love of super heroes, zombies, monsters and robots into a career as a published author, adjunct professor and – most recently – curator of the brand-new Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, a mecca of pop culture paraphernalia located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

“I like to joke with people and tell them all my hobbies have eventually turned into jobs,” said Blumberg, the author of five books ranging in subject from comic book pricing to the finer points of zombie movies.

“It’s pretty much true, though.”

A Passion for Stories

Blumberg, who grew up in Randallstown and has lived in Baltimore ever since, started reading comics like Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost as soon as he was able – around two years old if you believe his mother. Like many young readers, he also started writing short stories. When it came time to choose a college, he knew two things right away. He would be an English major, and he would do it at UMBC.

“I always felt comfortable at UMBC,” said Blumberg, who visited the campus as a 10th grader. “When I walked around on campus I felt a sense of the world opening up to me.”

While a student at UMBC, Blumberg joined the staffs of student literary magazines Bartleby and the now-defunct Apostrophe, which gave him his first taste of desktop publishing. He also worked with the late Dr. Philip Landon on an honors project examining how robots in science fiction film and literature reflect America’s changing relationship with technology.

The Next Steps

Following graduation from UMBC, Blumberg entered the publications design program at the University of Baltimore, earning first a master’s, then a doctorate. During this time, he found employment with Gemstone Publishing, a local publishing house devoted to comics and toy collecting literature owned by the Entertainment Museum’s namesake/owner Stephen A. Geppi.

In November 2000, Blumberg self-published his first book, a comprehensive guide to collectibles associated with the British science fiction series, “Doctor Who,” entitled Howe’s Transcendental Toybox (co-authored with David J. Howe). To date, Blumberg has written or co-written ten books, including The Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide, The Big Big Little Book Book, Pop Culture With Character: A Look Inside Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, and Zombiemania: 80 Movies to Die For, which he penned with fellow UMBC alumnus Andy Hershberger ’99, American studies.

“One of my main passions is to continue to write books about the things I love,” said Blumberg.

In addition, Blumberg has taught a course in comic book literature at UMBC every year since 1999. Not surprisingly, the course fills up pretty darned fast.

“Being able to go back and teach was wonderful,” said Blumberg, who describes himself as an innately nostalgic person. “I love the idea that every year I come back and I’ve never really left UMBC.”

A New Home

Walking throughout Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, Blumberg can spout fun facts about everything from the 1,400 glassed-in comic books to Steamboat Willie, from a Superman secret chamber ring to the display of Star Wars figurines, which includes more than one piece belonging to Blumberg himself.

But no amount of knowledge of comic book statistics or story could prepare him for the effects such a collection would have on viewers. Since beginning his tenure as curator of the museum in August 2005, Blumberg has come to truly enjoy watching the faces of museum-goers as they re-live integral pieces of their younger lives.

“There are very few places where you can go and be completely immersed in your own childhood,” he said. “I learn something new every day.”

– Jenny O’Grady
Originally posted December 2006

Eric Conn doesn’t exactly have a traditional career. Then again, he was never a traditional student.
Between switching majors several times and taking a few years off from college to play in a rock band, it took Conn nearly seven years to finish school. However, he has never regretted his decision to take a non-traditional path.
In fact, it is Conn’s adventurous edge that has allowed the 1985 computer science major to prosper as an inventor and entrepreneur.
His latest project, Cellblock.com – a social networking site that allows users to e-mail photos from their cell phones to a real-time online slideshow – will be on display at UMBC’s 40th Anniversary, Homecoming and Family Celebration this month.
The Rock Star Life
After high school, Conn chose UMBC for its reputation in the sciences as well as its proximity to home.
“I lived only 4 miles away in Catonsville, and since I didn’t have a car, my primary means of transportation was my feet.”
He started off as a pre-med major, however, the chance to make a living as a rock guitarist lured him from his studies.
“Since music, especially rock music in the early 80s, was a young person’s game, I decided to pursue that career path while I had the chance. After I had lived the rock star life (albeit on a local level) for a few years, I wanted to get back to school and challenge myself intellectually. My junior and senior years at UMBC were my favorite because I had scratched my musical itch and could really concentrate on academic activities,” he explains.
The Perfect Major
By this point, Conn had also finally found his perfect major. After trying out biology, chemistry, physics and math, he decided to study computer science.
“I ultimately selected computer science because I found it intriguing and it allowed me to solve many of the scientific problems that I had encountered in related disciplines more efficiently,” he said, adding, “There were also many jobs available in the local area and since I paid my own way through college, finding a job was a top priority.”
He credits his experiences at UMBC with teaching him self-confidence, discipline, and problem-solving skills. These skills went a long way to help him establish his career.
After graduating from UMBC, Conn worked as an engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for almost 10 years. During this time, he received a master’s degree in computer science. In 1996, he launched a software development company with several friends, which they sold in 2003. In April 2005, Conn started his new company, Gloto Corp.
“Gloto.com is our original concept for a mobile phone interface that enables social networking and remote directory services like maps and directions,” says Conn.
A Twist on the Traditional Slideshow
Gloto Corp. recently launched a new concept as part of its mobile phone interface. The new component, Cellblock, allows users to e-mail photos from their computers or camera phones to a shared photo album at Cellblock.com.
“The idea is simple; however, the implications are great,” said Conn. “Many people can contribute to a shared photo album using regular camera phones and the pictures can be displayed on a large screen as they arrive. This is ideal for public events like UMBC’s 40th Anniversary where anyone in attendance or at home can contribute and view pictures of the activities without any special software or advanced notice. It takes the traditional photo album concept and turns it into a social event that promotes communication between groups of people.”
Cellblock.com’s technology will be used extensively at UMBC during the 40th Anniversary weekend. Attendees will be able to email photos from their phones to a UMBC album (umbc@cellblock.com). The photos will be updated in real-time and appear in a slideshow projected at various points on campus.
In the future, Conn would love to see Gloto.com and Cellblock.com achieve the popularity of other social networking sites.
“We hope that consumers and businesses discover the uniqueness of Gloto.com and Cellblock.com and use it in imaginative ways for fun or for profit. We’d love to have millions of users visit the site each day and contribute content for everyone to enjoy.”
– Jennifer Matthews ’07
Originally posted October 2006

Eric Conn doesn’t exactly have a traditional career. Then again, he was never a traditional student.

Between switching majors several times and taking a few years off from college to play in a rock band, it took Conn nearly seven years to finish school. However, he has never regretted his decision to take a non-traditional path.

In fact, it is Conn’s adventurous edge that has allowed the 1985 computer science major to prosper as an inventor and entrepreneur.

His latest project, Cellblock.com – a social networking site that allows users to e-mail photos from their cell phones to a real-time online slideshow – will be on display at UMBC’s 40th Anniversary, Homecoming and Family Celebration this month.

The Rock Star Life

After high school, Conn chose UMBC for its reputation in the sciences as well as its proximity to home.

“I lived only 4 miles away in Catonsville, and since I didn’t have a car, my primary means of transportation was my feet.”

He started off as a pre-med major, however, the chance to make a living as a rock guitarist lured him from his studies.

“Since music, especially rock music in the early 80s, was a young person’s game, I decided to pursue that career path while I had the chance. After I had lived the rock star life (albeit on a local level) for a few years, I wanted to get back to school and challenge myself intellectually. My junior and senior years at UMBC were my favorite because I had scratched my musical itch and could really concentrate on academic activities,” he explains.

The Perfect Major

By this point, Conn had also finally found his perfect major. After trying out biology, chemistry, physics and math, he decided to study computer science.

“I ultimately selected computer science because I found it intriguing and it allowed me to solve many of the scientific problems that I had encountered in related disciplines more efficiently,” he said, adding, “There were also many jobs available in the local area and since I paid my own way through college, finding a job was a top priority.”

He credits his experiences at UMBC with teaching him self-confidence, discipline, and problem-solving skills. These skills went a long way to help him establish his career.

After graduating from UMBC, Conn worked as an engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for almost 10 years. During this time, he received a master’s degree in computer science. In 1996, he launched a software development company with several friends, which they sold in 2003. In April 2005, Conn started his new company, Gloto Corp.

“Gloto.com is our original concept for a mobile phone interface that enables social networking and remote directory services like maps and directions,” says Conn.

A Twist on the Traditional Slideshow

Gloto Corp. recently launched a new concept as part of its mobile phone interface. The new component, Cellblock, allows users to e-mail photos from their computers or camera phones to a shared photo album at Cellblock.com.

“The idea is simple; however, the implications are great,” said Conn. “Many people can contribute to a shared photo album using regular camera phones and the pictures can be displayed on a large screen as they arrive. This is ideal for public events like UMBC’s 40th Anniversary where anyone in attendance or at home can contribute and view pictures of the activities without any special software or advanced notice. It takes the traditional photo album concept and turns it into a social event that promotes communication between groups of people.”

Cellblock.com’s technology will be used extensively at UMBC during the 40th Anniversary weekend. Attendees will be able to email photos from their phones to a UMBC album (umbc@cellblock.com). The photos will be updated in real-time and appear in a slideshow projected at various points on campus.

In the future, Conn would love to see Gloto.com and Cellblock.com achieve the popularity of other social networking sites.

“We hope that consumers and businesses discover the uniqueness of Gloto.com and Cellblock.com and use it in imaginative ways for fun or for profit. We’d love to have millions of users visit the site each day and contribute content for everyone to enjoy.”

– Jennifer Matthews ’07
Originally posted October 2006

Jason Chamberlain first learned the value of investment as a kindergartener.
Urged by his parents to deposit his allowance into a savings account, the youngster quickly learned that with a little patience, his pennies would grow to nickels, his quarters to dollars.
Today, as vice president of wealth management for Smith Barney and incoming president of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors, Chamberlain takes a similar approach to life, his career and his role as an alumnus. With a little effort and time, anything is possible.
“UMBC is like most things in life,” said Chamberlain, who majored in economics and has volunteered for the university ever since his graduation in December 1997. “If you are motivated, you can start ‘doing’ right away. It is easy to carve out a place for yourself and get involved in a meaningful way.”
Building Traditions
Chamberlain took the Association reins from retiring president Anita Maddox Jackson ’80, health services, who served for two years. She will remain on the board as immediate past president.
In his role as president, Chamberlain oversees the 25-person Board of Directors and guides the group in attaining goals of improving alumni involvement through events and volunteer opportunities, as well as student retention and donor giving. He formerly served as vice president of finance for the group, and he also currently sits on the Chapter of Young Alumni steering committee, of which he is a charter member. He is also a member of the Alumni Campaign Committee and the 2016 Alumni Strategic Planning Committee.
“I am delighted that Jason Chamberlain agreed to lead the Alumni Association,” Jackson said. “I have complete confidence Jason will continue our strategic plans to maintain and increase alumni involvement.”
The Making of a Leader
A native of Millersville, Chamberlain attended UMBC as a commuter. From early on, his interest in economics propelled him through classes. He later honed his developing leadership skills as a member of the fraternity Zeta Beta Tau and in the Student Government Association as speaker of the senate.
As a senior, Chamberlain took on an internship with Legg Mason in downtown Baltimore. He loved the work so much, he never left. He was hired by the firm as a Financial Advisor after graduation and achieved his Certified Financial Planner designation in 2003. Legg Mason’s brokerage firm was bought by Smith Barney in 2005, where Chamberlain continues to enjoy the challenges of investment on others’ behalf.
To top it off, Chamberlain will marry his fiancée, Becky Grabenstein, a pediatric intensive care nurse at Sinai Hospital, this December.
“My involvement at UMBC helped me hone my business sense and my sense of responsibility,” he said. “Roll it all together, and the whole package was really significant to my personal development.”
Investing in UMBC’s Future
Chamberlain already has goals for his presidency. Topping the list is his wish to get more alumni invested with their alma mater – whether as volunteers, mentors, donors or simply participants in key alumni events like the annual Legislative Reception hosted by the Association.
“I view UMBC as a critical cog in our region, and I think it’s important to support it,” he said, citing the high numbers of UMBC graduates who stay to work in Maryland and the surrounding area.
“I want to invite everyone to reconnect with UMBC,” he said. “There’s a place and a home for every talent and perspective here. UMBC has always had an extremely diverse population of cultures, and we need all of those perspectives to continue to thrive.”
– Jenny O’Grady
Originally posted September 2006

Jason Chamberlain first learned the value of investment as a kindergartener.

Urged by his parents to deposit his allowance into a savings account, the youngster quickly learned that with a little patience, his pennies would grow to nickels, his quarters to dollars.

Today, as vice president of wealth management for Smith Barney and incoming president of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors, Chamberlain takes a similar approach to life, his career and his role as an alumnus. With a little effort and time, anything is possible.

“UMBC is like most things in life,” said Chamberlain, who majored in economics and has volunteered for the university ever since his graduation in December 1997. “If you are motivated, you can start ‘doing’ right away. It is easy to carve out a place for yourself and get involved in a meaningful way.”

Building Traditions

Chamberlain took the Association reins from retiring president Anita Maddox Jackson ’80, health services, who served for two years. She will remain on the board as immediate past president.

In his role as president, Chamberlain oversees the 25-person Board of Directors and guides the group in attaining goals of improving alumni involvement through events and volunteer opportunities, as well as student retention and donor giving. He formerly served as vice president of finance for the group, and he also currently sits on the Chapter of Young Alumni steering committee, of which he is a charter member. He is also a member of the Alumni Campaign Committee and the 2016 Alumni Strategic Planning Committee.

“I am delighted that Jason Chamberlain agreed to lead the Alumni Association,” Jackson said. “I have complete confidence Jason will continue our strategic plans to maintain and increase alumni involvement.”

The Making of a Leader

A native of Millersville, Chamberlain attended UMBC as a commuter. From early on, his interest in economics propelled him through classes. He later honed his developing leadership skills as a member of the fraternity Zeta Beta Tau and in the Student Government Association as speaker of the senate.

As a senior, Chamberlain took on an internship with Legg Mason in downtown Baltimore. He loved the work so much, he never left. He was hired by the firm as a Financial Advisor after graduation and achieved his Certified Financial Planner designation in 2003. Legg Mason’s brokerage firm was bought by Smith Barney in 2005, where Chamberlain continues to enjoy the challenges of investment on others’ behalf.

To top it off, Chamberlain will marry his fiancée, Becky Grabenstein, a pediatric intensive care nurse at Sinai Hospital, this December.

“My involvement at UMBC helped me hone my business sense and my sense of responsibility,” he said. “Roll it all together, and the whole package was really significant to my personal development.”

Investing in UMBC’s Future

Chamberlain already has goals for his presidency. Topping the list is his wish to get more alumni invested with their alma mater – whether as volunteers, mentors, donors or simply participants in key alumni events like the annual Legislative Reception hosted by the Association.

“I view UMBC as a critical cog in our region, and I think it’s important to support it,” he said, citing the high numbers of UMBC graduates who stay to work in Maryland and the surrounding area.

“I want to invite everyone to reconnect with UMBC,” he said. “There’s a place and a home for every talent and perspective here. UMBC has always had an extremely diverse population of cultures, and we need all of those perspectives to continue to thrive.”

– Jenny O’Grady
Originally posted September 2006

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to consider -for the fifth time – a case regarding the custody of a child born to a lesbian couple in Vermont.

The couple, Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins, had been in a civil union in Vermont and had been ruled legal co-parents by a Vermont court. When the relationship ended in 2003, Miller, the biological mother, moved to Virginia with the couple’s daughter and, later that year, returned to Vermont to dissolve their civil union. In June 2004, the Vermont Family Court awarded the former partner visitation rights in Vermont and Virginia.

After a new law went into effect in Virginia on July 1, 2004, purporting to null and void civil unions along with other partnerships between same-sex couples, the biological mother filed a petition requesting sole custody based on the fact that the new law made the civil union null and void. During this time, Jenkins, still living in Vermont, filed for full custody. The Vermont court heard oral arguments in early August 2004, and in November 2004 the Vermont court held that Jenkins had all the legal rights that any parent would have to a child born into marriage. The Vermont court also found the Miller in contempt because she refused to allow her former partner visitation.

In August 2004, a Virginia court ruled that Virginia had jurisdiction in the case. This decision was appealed to the Virginia Court of Appeals. In November 2006, the Virginia Court of Appeals ruled that Vermont had jurisdiction in this case and that Virginia courts must give full faith and credit to the custody and visitation orders of the Vermont court.

In March 2008, the Vermont Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision to award custody to Jenkins and hold Miller in contempt of Court. Then in June 2008, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeals decision that Vermont has jurisdiction. Miller disappeared with their daughter in late 2008 and failed to turn the child over to Jenkins in January 2009 as ordered by the court.  Miller’s whereabouts are unknown.

At four o’clock in the morning, most of the world is quietly sleeping.
However, George Maroulis ’73 is hard at work. As general manager of the Fulton Fish Market in the Bronx, N.Y., this UMBC alum spends the early hours of his mornings running one of the largest fish markets in the world.
Maroulis describes the Fulton, which does over a billion dollars of business each year, as “one of a kind.” Alumni Relations staff member Carol Myers ’72, who spent an early April morning touring the facility with Maroulis, agrees.
“It’s like walking into a giant refrigerator!” she describes, noting that the chilly air helps keep the fish, which comes from as far away as Japan and South Africa, as fresh as possible.
And it’s not just the fish that come from diverse backgrounds. Thousands of restaurateurs, chefs, tourists, and New Yorkers congregate daily to take part in the unique buying experience. Their purchases range from standbys like tuna and salmon to the more exotic, such as octopus.
The Fulton’s board of directors hired Maroulis as general manager two years ago, while the 400,000 sq. ft. building was being constructed. He is responsible for everything from interacting with the thirty-plus wholesalers who base their operations at the market, to making sure the building’s lights, which appear to go to infinity, stay lit.
It was this uniqueness that drew Maroulis, an established businessman in the food wholesaling field, to the position – a step he may not have imagined when he was a student at a brand-new UMBC in the early 1970’s.
Maroulis still remembers being excited about attending a new campus. He recalls the “energy in the air” and the sense that “things were changing.”
Because he was interested in business administration, Maroulis chose to study economics. “I always wanted to work in a field that involved business,” he said, and at the time, majoring in economics was the best way to achieve his goal.
After he graduated from UMBC in 1973, Maroulis explains, “an opportunity presented itself” to work as a bookkeeper for a company that provided food to restaurants and hotels.
“I learned about bookkeeping and everything else,” he says, adding that during his career in the food industry, he has also worked as a buyer, distributer, and of course, in management. However, not all of his knowledge came from experience in the real world. He credits his economics courses with giving him “an understanding of how theories of economics work,” and notes that his career has been about taking the “particular perspective” he formed in his courses and using it to evaluate issues in the business world.
But for Maroulis, it’s not all about business theories.
His favorite part of his job is interacting with people. “I have an opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and from around the world,” he says, explaining that it’s a “rich experience” and an educational one as well.
“There’s nothing else like it,” he says.
– Jennifer Matthews ’07
Originally posted July 2006

Contact:
Anthony Lane
UMBC
(410) 455-5793
alane@umbc.edu

Megan Mitchell
Northrop Grumman
(571) 205-1093
megan.mitchell@ngc.com

A partnership between the Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Research Park Corporation will create a new incubator tailored to the specific challenge of developing technology to protect the nation from a growing range of cyber threats.

The Northrop Grumman Cync Program will build on bwtech@UMBC’s successful business-incubation framework by offering a “scholarship program” for companies with the most promising cybersecurity ideas. Participants in the program will draw on UMBC’s research expertise and Northrop Grumman resources to develop tools that will secure and protect the computer hardware, software and networks vital to national defense.

The Cync Program will accept applications from high-potential, early-stage companies from across the country looking to commercialize and develop their technologies. The companies will collaborate in the Advantage Incubator at the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park in Baltimore.

“Northrop Grumman is excited to partner with bwtech on this important initiative,” said Chris Valentino, Northrop Grumman cybersecurity director and technical fellow. “This technology is even more important as our reliance on cybersecurity increases, and collaborating with both academia and small businesses brings a breadth of technological expertise that goes beyond what any one entity is able to supply.”

Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the UMBC Research Park Corporation, which operates the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park, noted that the program is a perfect fit for a region with a strong information technology workforce and a growing array of businesses and governmental agencies working on cybersecurity.

“UMBC and Northrop Grumman share a culture of innovation,” she said. “This program will build on UMBC’s strength in information technology and its success nurturing new companies. Businesses started through this partnership will come from across the country, expanding the local business base and spurring economic growth in the region.”

Applicants with the best ideas for technologies that will protect the country from cyber threats will be selected in a nation-wide search to join the Cync Program. Participating companies will be provided with office space, business support services and academic resources, including access to faculty and student employees. For more on the program and information about applying, visit www.advantageincubator.com.

UMBC ranks fourth among U.S. research universities in the production of IT degrees and certificates, and it is the largest producer of such graduates among research universities in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. The campus offers a master’s degree and a graduate certificate in cybersecurity, and it is rated a Center of Excellence in information assurance education and research. Thousands of UMBC graduates work in the intelligence community for key federal agencies and private partners.

bwtech@UMBC (www.bwtechumbc.com) is a 71-acre research and technology community that is home to nearly 60 technology and life science companies in the Research Park and Incubator and Accelerator programs.

Northrop Grumman is an industry leader in all aspects of computer network operations and cybersecurity, offering customers innovative solutions to help secure the nation's cyber future. For more about cybersecurity at Northrop Grumman, go to www.northropgrumman.com/cybersecurity.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more

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