"The success of UMBC’s chess team—six Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championships in seven years—has made UMBC a chess powerhouse. But more than that, it has brought us to center stage in the national limelight.

Success in chess effectively summarizes exactly who we are as an institution—a place where it’s ‘cool to be smart’ and where hard work pays off. But at UMBC, we are more than just chess champions, as our other achievements demonstrate.

Our national visibility is rising because our momentum has been building so fast, whether it’s in terms of the research dollars we attract or where our graduates are going. People are paying attention to UMBC."