UMBC Parent Preview

UMBC rising sophomore Andrew McKissick won the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim (GCBS) for the second consecutive year, Sunday, June 8 near Annapolis.

McKissick completed the 4.4-mile open-water swim with a time of just under 90 minutes (1:29:35), to best the field of over 600 competitors. The time also beats his winning mark of 1:31:46 from last year.

"It was a little better the second time around," said McKissick. "I tried a little different strategy of going out strong and holding on, as opposed to building into it, and it worked."

The Mount St. Joe product was not the only Retriever in the water as McKissick's classmate Steven Rigby placed seventh in his age group and 14th overall with a time of 1:41:12. In addition, incoming freshman Alissa Caulfield was the fifth female swimmer to finish, and 32nd overall, coming ashore with a time of 1:47:22.

"We're extremely proud of our three swimmers for their effort in this challenging swim," UMBC swimming and diving head coach Chad Cradock said. "It was a beautiful day, but the water was a little rough, so for them to swim so well shows a lot.

"And for Andrew, to win the event again is clearly special for him, but for our program as a whole as well."

The 23rd edition of the race saw 606 swimmers complete the swim, which started on the western shore of the bay at Sandy Point State Park and finished on the beaches of Kent Island.

UMBC students quickly find that learning at an honors university takes place in many different ways and in a variety of settings. The students who make the most of such an environment have a sense of personal mission: they aim to get the most out of their education and find themselves important members of a culture of success.

Orientation 2014 is where the adventure begins. The Orientation Program begins with placement testing in the spring, continues with Course Selection Day this summer and concludes with the Welcome Week celebration during the week preceding the start of classes. The program is designed to help students meeting one another, prepare for their academic careers at UMBC, embrace campus traditions and learn more about student life on- and off-campus.

Before you and your student attend Orientation this summer, be sure to check out the Orientation 2014 website. We're looking forward to seeing you soon!

After Orientation, be sure to stay connected to UMBC with the Family Connections Newsletter from the Division of Student Affairs. The Family Connections Newsletter is a publication to provide information on what is happening at the University. This can include tips, important dates, and useful articles to assist students in their academic endeavors.

UMBC is proud of all of our graduates. On May 21 and 22, we honored bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degree recipients at our Graduate School and Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies. This year, our Graduate School marks a special milestone: surpassing 100 doctoral degrees in one year for the first time! Meet a few of our exceptional students and discover what the future has in store for the Class of 2014.

UMBC has a national reputation for the strength of its undergraduate research offerings. It creates a campus energy directed in pursuit of discovery that is contagious–even for freshman.

That energy attracted Michael Moubarek's attention and inspired him to become involved in research almost three years ago, when he was a UMBC freshman. After hearing upperclassmen discuss their experiences and seeing flyers advertising research opportunities, Moubarek approached Charles Bieberich, a professor of biological sciences. He soon started working on prostate cancer research in Bieberich’s lab and continues to do so today. “There’s an atmosphere of research that just buzzes around here,” he says.

And that early start on discovering what research is about pays off. Moubarek '15, biochemistry and molecular biology, and Akua Nimarko ’15, biological sciences and psychology, recently won prestigious 2014 Barry Goldwater Scholarships. Talmo Pereira ’15, bioinformatics and computational biology, received an honorable mention in the competition.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program is the premier national scholarship for undergraduates in science, engineering and mathematics. It was established by Congress in 1986 to increase research capacity in the United States. The Goldwater Scholarship is intensely competitive. Fewer than 300 awardees are selected out of over 1,500 applicants, with a maximum of four winners allowed from each university.

All three UMBC students recognized by the Goldwater program this year credit their success to participation in hands-on research early in their college career. The lab experience they received at UMBC played a large role in their Goldwater applications.

“I'm so grateful for these opportunities at UMBC that have allowed me to apply for this scholarship,” says Nimarko.

Nimarko and Pereira were attracted to UMBC because of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, which supports students who aspire to research careers. Nimarko has researched sensory neuroscience in the lab of Weihong Lin, an associate professor of biological sciences, while Pereira worked with Ivan Erill, an assistant professor of biological sciences, studying computational genomics.

“Every step of my college career has had many professors and mentors who were instrumental to my success, all of whom I am profoundly grateful for,” Pereira says.

The foundation in research they received at UMBC has been the springboard for all three students to pursue opportunities in renowned labs around the country.

Nimarko spent last summer at Columbia University researching proteins related to stress with Eric Kandel, a Nobel Prize winner who is also a professor of biochemistry and biophysics in Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. Pereira participated in the MIT Summer Research Program studying connectomics, a subfield of neuroscience, and he has extended his stay at MIT at the request of lead researcher Sebastian Seung, a professor of computational neuroscience. Moubarek continues to collaborate with Bieberich on work conducted at a Johns Hopkins University lab, and he has published research in the journal Cancer Cell.

Eight UMBC students have been recognized by Goldwater since 2008, and this year marks the second time that UMBC has had two winners in the same year. Previous winners include Carla Valenzuela ’10, biological sciences, who is studying to be an M.D. at Vanderbilt University; Geoffrey Clapp '11, mathematics and computer science, who is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Maryland, College Park; Nathaniel Kim ’11, chemistry and political science, who is pursuing a Ph.D. at Columbia University; and Robert Wardlow II ’12, biochemistry and molecular biology, who is working on a M.D./Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins.

Simon Stacey, director of the Honors College and chair of UMBC's Goldwater Selection Committee, hopes to increase UMBC's participation in the scholarship program.

“We want to grow the number of people who express an interest and complete an application for the scholarship,” Stacey observes. “UMBC, with its strengths in the sciences, could easily have 15 students complete strong applications for Goldwater.”

The UMBC Student Events Board is proud to present the biggest Quad Mania ever! Here are just some of the awesome things that our students have to look forward to:

-A Great Big World: The duo behind the hit single “Say Something” will be performing on the quad at 8pm!

-Elephant Rides- This UMBC favorite is back and better than ever!

-Fireworks- Following “A Great Big World”, Fireworks will light up the night sky!

-Carnival Rides- Zipper anyone? What about Some bumper cars?

-Food trucks- Some of the Baltimore’s best trucks are coming to make your foodie dreams come true. Bring an appetite and some cash!

-Also featuring games, prizes, student orgs, and live music!

UMBC’s Imaging Research Center employs innovative strategies to help researchers across the disciplines share their vision.

For 25 years, UMBC’s Imaging Research Center (IRC) has taken an entrepreneurial approach to leveraging new technologies and emerging media platforms to help researchers across the disciplines tell their stories using a wide range of visual media.

In the late 1980s, when the IRC was founded, personal computers were only just emerging and mobile phones didn’t exist. Now, in 2013, the IRC’s state-of-the-art facilities enable research in 3D visualization, immersive technologies, interactive installations, feature-length films, social media, and mobile device applications.

A hub of campus research activity, the IRC works with faculty and researchers in departments and centers across the disciplines. “At the Imaging Research Center here at UMBC, we use the broadest definition of the word ‘imaging,’” says Dan Bailey, director of the Imaging Research Center. “We work with NASA to help the general public understand our climate and our place in the universe. We’ve created a unique and comprehensive visualization of early Washington, D.C. We’ve created virtual sets for theatre, and we’ve brought inanimate objects to life in impossible and aesthetic ways.”

The IRC is also an educational facility where faculty and undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students engage in real-world, project-oriented, creative and collaborative research to complement learning in the classroom and prepare students for further learning and life after the university. The IRC continues to imagine new directions for interdisciplinary research in combination with technologically advanced media that communicate to and resonate with the general public.

Visit this link for a short video presenting the work of UMBC's Imaging Research Center.

UMBC is featured in two articles in The Baltimore Sun’s February Education Supplement. Josh Massey, an interdisciplinary studies major, is profiled in an article titled “Tools of success” for his role in developing “Banana Bones,” a mobile campus navigation app to help students and visitors find their away across college campuses.

Massey and two of his fellow classmates, Andres Camacho and Hashem Kanfash, started the app as part of a class project that was later purchased by Tecor Networks. “None of us is really a techie,” said Massey, explaining why they didn’t produce the app themselves. “We knew we needed someone to help with the programming.”

UMBC’s Global Studies program is featured in an article titled “A global perspective,” which focuses on new programs that go beyond the traditional study abroad experience. Political Science Professor and Global Studies Program Director Devin Hagerty is quoted in the article describing the program, in which students are required to study abroad and take courses across several disciplines.

“This program is based on a global competence concept involving knowledge of other cultures and the ability to embrace change and learn about cultures outside your own environment. This way, if you are transferred to an office in Berlin or Stockholm, you will have the confidence to hit the ground running,” Hagerty said.

To read the full article featuring “Banana Bones,” click here. You can read the full article featuring the Global Studies program here.

UMBC's Pete Caringi III (Perry Hall, Md./Calvert Hall) signed a professional soccer contract with Oklahoma City Energy FC, general manager Jason Hawkins announced today.

"We're very happy to have Pete on board," said Energy FC Head Coach Jimmy Nielsen. "We're looking forward to working with him. He's a well-schooled, intelligent soccer player who will play a big part on our offense. We can't wait to see his game develop."

In December, Caringi became the first Retriever student-athlete to earn NSCAA First Team All-America honors in program history.

The 2012 and 2013 America East Striker of the Year, Caringi scored 27 goals over his last two seasons. The local product was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 2013 America East Championships and finished his career with 37 goals (fourth on the all-time list) and 91 points (fifth all-time).

"It is a great day for UMBC soccer," said head coach Pete Caringi, Jr. "We are excited for Pete and look forward to watching him play at the next level. "

OKC Energy FC is one of the newest members of the USL Professional Division. USL PRO will feature 14 teams for the 2014 season with the addition of Oklahoma City and Sacramento. In 2013, USL PRO and Major League Soccer began a partnership to enhance the development of professional players in North America, strengthen the competition in both leagues and establish a solid foundation for future collaboration.

OKC Energy is one of two affiliates of Sporting Kansas City. The team's inaugural 28-game slate begins on the road against LA Blues on April 5 and the team's home opener is April 26 against defending USL PRO champion Orlando City SC, also a Sporting KC affiliate.

A huge thank you to our faculty, staff, students and alumni for making Homecoming a big success! We’re already looking forward to next year. Be sure to keep checking our Flickr account for pics of all the fun!

Want to get an in-depth look at what it means to be a Retriever? Our Retriever Day programs enable prospective students and their families to learn about admission, financial aid and scholarships, residential life, the Honors College, student activities and more. You will also have an opportunity to speak with representatives from various academic and service departments and students can sit in on a class of their choice. Student-guided walking tours are also provided.

Monday, November 11, 2013
Friday, December 6, 2013

Register Online!

For a tentative schedule of events, click here.