Zainab Damji Memorial Scholarship

Thalia Anora 

On a recent Wednesday in September, thousands of people filled the arena of the Retriever Activity Center for the UMBC 2025 Fall Career and Internship Fair. At the booth for pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, Mark Benesch ’08, chemical engineering, eagerly engaged with students, some of whom waited in a line 30-odd people long at times for their chance to ask questions and exchange contact information. 

Benesch has regularly brought his enthusiasm and energy to UMBC career fairs, first as a recruiter for ExxonMobil, where he worked immediately after graduating, and later for the Columbia, Maryland-based chemical company W.R. Grace. But it was after starting at AstraZeneca as the senior director of the capital projects portfolio for the Americas region in January 2023 that Benesch spotted the opportunity to take his connections with the university to the next level. 

AstraZeneca employs thousands of people across the state of Maryland, including at a large scientific campus in Gaithersburg, a center in Frederick that manufactures a diverse class of drugs called biologics, and a newly opened facility in Rockville that will manufacture immunotherapy drugs to treat cancer. The company has announced plans to invest $50 billion in America by 2030 for medicines manufacturing and research and development. 

From the hundreds of UMBC alumni at AstraZeneca, Benesch has recruited and inspired a team of eight dedicated to forging stronger links to their alma mater. They, together with partners in AstraZeneca’s Early Career Programs, have built a strong alumni-driven network linking UMBC students with opportunities at the company. 

“Mark is always thinking about innovative ways to connect,” says Christine Routzahn, the director of the Career Center at UMBC who has worked with Benesch to expand the UMBC-AstraZeneca partnership. “He’s very passionate about UMBC and ensuring our students are successful.”

Benesch’s efforts will be recognized when he receives the 2025 Distinguished Service Alumni Award this October. 

A growing partnership 

The work of the AstraZeneca-UMBC recruiting team has gone far beyond career fairs. Under Benesch’s stewardship, AstraZeneca played a key role at the UMBC-hosted 2024 Mid-Atlantic Student Conference for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The company sponsored the event and Pran Patel, the vice president of global engineering and real estate at AstraZeneca, served as a keynote speaker. Benesch met monthly with student organizers of the conference, helped lead a popular conference workshop, and mobilized other AstraZeneca employees to volunteer.

“From a five-minute conversation at the career fair, Mark took the initiative to follow up and create real collaboration opportunities,” says An Dang ’24, a student organizer who led the fundraising efforts for the conference.

Benesch and his team have also worked with UMBC to launch new collaborations such as dedicated on-campus information sessions and recruiting events, alumni happy hours, and tours and networking at the AstraZeneca Gaithersburg campus.

The efforts have paid off, as the number of UMBC students applying to summer internships at AstraZeneca has increased by 31 percent in the past year, and the number of students accepting internships has grown from one in summer 2024 to seven in 2025.

On the research side, Benesch attended the College of Engineering and Information Technology’s recent Research Day and is facilitating discussions of ways AstraZeneca may partner with UMBC faculty on joint projects. 

“Mark’s ongoing dedication to serving his alma mater has been nothing short of extraordinary,” says Mariajosé Castellanos, a teaching professor in the Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering who first met Benesch in her thermodynamics class in 2006. “As a faculty member who has been in the department for 20 years and served as the AIChE UMBC Chapter advisor for the past nine, I can confidently say that I have never seen this level of consistent engagement and support from any other undergraduate alumnus.”

Building community and empowering individuals 

Benesch, who was the first from his family to go to college, credits his UMBC education with empowering him to realize his own potential. 

“At UMBC, I was exposed to so much, and from that I gained confidence. Technical confidence, yes, but also the confidence to navigate the diversity of the world and the opportunities that come from that,” he says. “So I’m inspired to help today’s students receive that same kind of support, and even more so.” 

“Mark is so animated when he’s connecting with people. He listens well and he really brings out the best in students,” says Miriam Friedman, assistant director of alumni professional networks.

On his part, Benesch says the students give him energy. “They are curious and smart and I see their enormous potential,” he says. “To give them opportunities to realize it for themselves is really gratifying.”

Abi Postus, a junior in chemical engineering who interned this summer on Benesch’s AstraZeneca team, says she was impressed by his efforts to connect her to resources and make sure she got the most out of the experience. 

“I remember one piece of advice he told me,” she says, “which was: ‘Don’t be afraid to take up space.’ I found that very helpful because this was my first internship and it was kind of daunting. That made me feel more confident.”

Mark your calendars for the 2025 Alumni Awards on Wednesday, October 29, at 6 p.m., and consider joining the UMBC community at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena to celebrate Mark Benesch and the many remarkable individuals receiving awards. The event will be livestreamed for those unable to join in person. You can learn more at alumni.umbc.edu/alumniawards.

Enjoy breakfast with other UMBC commuters and get connected with on-campus resources! There isn't a better way to start your day!

GMC will be hosted every Tuesday morning from 8:30am to 11:00am. It is complimentary with your Commuter Gold Card.

Gold Cards are a one-time per academic year purchase and are available to be purchased at every GMC with cash only.

Gold Cards at $5 for Commuters

$10 for Residential & Graduate Students 

Indigenous Peoples' Day: Honoring Community and History

Today, we celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, a time to honor and recognize the rich cultures, contributions, and histories of Indigenous communities across the United States. This day serves as a reminder of the ongoing impact of colonization and the resilience of Indigenous peoples. Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October each year. 

Indigenous communities have faced erasure and marginalization, often misrepresented through harmful stereotypes, media, and caricatures. They continue to confront systemic violence and disenfranchisement. Acknowledging their struggles and achievements requires more than a designated day. It is essential to elevate Indigenous voices, support their communities, and engage in practices that promote awareness of their joys and challenges. We must actively challenge injustices against Indigenous peoples.

About Indigenous Peoples' Day
In 2021, President Biden issued the first presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples Day. South Dakota was the first state to celebrate "Native American Day" in 1990 as a counter to "Columbus Day." Berkeley, California, was the first city to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day in 1992, protesting the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival.

Despite the observance of Indigenous Peoples Day, many still refer to this day as "Columbus Day," celebrating Christopher Columbus and the self-proclaimed "discovery" of the New World. However, history reveals that Columbus was not the first to discover the Americas, and honoring "Columbus Day" overlooks the brutal treatment and genocide of Indigenous peoples. His voyages led to the near extinction of the Taino people and marked the beginning of widespread colonization in the Caribbean.

Uplifting Voices: We are called to elevate Indigenous voices, actively support their communities, uplift the untold histories, and challenge the injustices they continue to face. By doing so, we commit to promoting awareness of both their joys and challenges.

As we acknowledge the land our university occupies, we pay tribute to those who originally cared for it and confront the historical and ongoing injustices faced by displaced communities. This acknowledgment must serve as a foundation for genuine commitment and action to support Indigenous communities, past, present, and future. Land acknowledgments are just the first step in recognizing Indigenous peoples and their histories. We encourage everyone to honor the Indigenous peoples who came before us, those who are present today, and future generations, celebrating their rich legacies. 

We extend our deepest gratitude to all Indigenous faculty, staff, and students at UMBC.

Join us today as we celebrate and honor Indigenous Peoples Day for our Donuts & Dialogue event in collaboration with the UMBC Indigenous Peoples' Union. Stop by the Mosaic Center from 12-1pm. 

Join IPU on October 16 for their Interest Mixer. Learn more at their myUMBC page here. 

Hello UMBC Community,

We rely on Duo two-factor authentication to protect our accounts, and it's an excellent defense. However, cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to get past our security. This week's topic is all about what to do if you receive a Duo push notification you didn't initiate.

You're working on your computer, not logging into anything new, and suddenly your phone buzzes with Duo push notifications, including SMS texts or phone calls from Duo. What's happening? This is likely an attacker who has obtained your password and is attempting to bypass Duo to access your account.

Your immediate action is critical.

• Do NOT Approve It: The most important thing is to never approve a Duo push notification you did not initiate. Approving it will give the attacker access to your account.

• Deny the Request: Decline the request on your phone.

• Report as Fraudulent: If you can, mark the notification as fraudulent.

• Change Your Password: Immediately change your password on a trusted device or computer. This will invalidate the password the attacker is using.

Remember, a Duo push notification is like a digital handshake. You must be the one to initiate it. If someone else is trying to shake your hand, don't approve the connection!

If you received a Duo push notification you did not initiate, deny the request, change your password, and immediately report the event to the security team at security@umbc.edu. Your report helps protect everyone!

Stay safe out there.