UMBC Parent Preview

The UMBC men’s soccer team has garnered votes in three national preseason soccer rankings and has been tabbed as the second choice amongst America East Conference coaches in the league’s preseason poll.

UMBC was the only America East squad to earn votes in the NSCAA Division I national rankings and College Soccer News’ 2011 Pre-Season Top 30 poll. The NSCAA rankings included 25 teams, plus 14 teams which received votes, while CSN’s poll included 12 squads receiving votes.

Top Drawer Soccer just released its preseason Tournament 48 rankings and the Retrievers were listed at No. 40.

The Retrievers will face two squads in Maryland (No. 4, NSCAA, No. 8, CSN) and Penn State (No. 18, No. 20) that are in the preseason rankings. Louisville is the No. 1 team in both polls.

Seven-time America East champion Boston University is the America East coaches’ choice to become men’s soccer champions in 2011. The Terriers received five of seven possible first-place votes (coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team) for 47 points and narrowly edged out defending champion UMBC, which garnered the other three first-place tallies, and finished with 43 points.

The Retrievers opened the 2011 campaign at home on Sat., August 27 beating local rival Mount St. Mary’s. They are scheduled to take on Towson University on September 7.

UMBC will administer a new NASA research center focused on studying space weather and the impact it can have on human activities.

The Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute (GPHI), operating under a 5-year, $10 million cooperative agreement, will provide support and resources for university researchers to collaborate with scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center as they refine efforts to predict the solar activity that ejects charged particles into space. The “weather” created by these events interferes with power grids, telecommunication systems and other activities on Earth, while also threatening spacecraft and creating risks for space travel.

“This agreement offers a great opportunity to continue research that is deepening our understanding of solar and magnetospheric physics,” said Jan Merka, director of the new center. “The main goal is to more reliably predict space weather so we can avoid the impacts on space and Earth activities caused by extreme solar and magnetospheric events.

UMBC has a long history of working closely with scientists at NASA and the Goddard Space Flight Center. In addition to GPHI, UMBC administers the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), which focuses on geosciences and is now in its sixteenth year. The university is also a partner in the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST), which focuses on astrophysics.

The Department of Theatre presents The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Members of the Tectonic Theater Project, directed by Nyalls Hartman, with scene and costume design by Elena Zlotescu, lighting and projection by Daniel Covey, and sound by Jeffrey Dorfman.

On October 6th of 1998, Matthew Shepard, a young gay man, was beaten and left to die tied to a fence in the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming. He died 6 days later. His torture and murder became a national news event that highlighted the nation's deep-seated cultural bias against homosexuality. A month after the murder, members of the Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie and conducted interviews with the people of the town. From these interviews came the play The Laramie Project. Poignant, moving, and theatrically enticing, it is one of the most celebrated plays of the last decade.

All performances in the UMBC Theatre. $10 general admission, $5 for students and seniors, and $3 for the preview. To order tickets in advance using a credit card, order online through MissionTix or call 410-752-8950. Patrons who would prefer to pay by cash or check at will call may make a reservation through the online Theatre Box Office or by calling 410-455-2476.

Prospective students for the Fall 2012 semester may now apply to UMBC using The Common Application. The Early Action deadline for Fall 2012 is November 1, 2011. For more information about application requirements, please visit the Undergraduate Admissions website or check out our admissions counselor blog where you can find tips on the application process.

Want to get an in-depth look at what it means to be a Retriever? Our Visit 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, during weekday programs, sit in on a class of your choice. Student-guided walking tours are also provided.

Fall 2011 Open House Dates: October 8, October 21, November 11, December 2

Register online to find a Visit Day that best fits your schedule.

Click here for your virtual preview:

UMBC Physics Quad in USA