A Top-Rated Public University
Breakthroughs Start Here
Turning bold thinking into real world impact
Innovation doesn’t live in one discipline.
It lives in the space between all of them.
At UMBC, innovation happens across science, technology, humanities, and the arts in collaborations that encompass faculty to student mentorship, corporate and governmental partnerships, and peer to peer thought leadership.
UMBC’s dedication to conducting research meant to impact and better the world is reinforced by our R1 Carnegie Classification.
UMBC’s Research 1 Carnegie Classification as a comprehensive doctoral institution places us among the top 146 research universities in the nation.
Impacting the World
Pinpointing a Weak Spot in Ovarian Cancer
UMBC researchers have identified an enzyme that makes a promising target for more precise treatment of ovarian cancer. Led by Ph.D. student Ayo Ogunsanya, the study found that depleting USP15 slows tumor growth, hampers cell division, limits metastasis, and makes cancer cells more responsive to standard chemotherapy.
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Innovating Student Experience
Reimagining Career Readiness Through Work-Integrated Learning
At UMBC, preparing for a career doesn't wait for junior year. During summer 2026, more than 100 incoming first-year and transfer students started working with Baltimore community partners a month before classes began. These students will stay with the same site all year to connect hands-on work to their coursework, building career readiness from day one.
Read the storyResearch in Real Time
View Playlist on YouTube
UMBC Research in Real Time: Herana Kamal Seneviratne
Listen to Herana Kamal Seneviratne discuss improving drug development and efficacy.
UMBC Research in Real Time: Juan Sebastián Delgado
Juan Sebastián Delgado, music, discusses how current and future music is shaped by lessons from the past.
UMBC Research in Real Time: Molly Mollica
Molly Mollica, mechanical engineering, discusses platelet force generation in individuals and its impacts.
UMBC Research in Real Time: Adi Foord
Adi Foord, physics, shares how her work seeks to unravel some of the mystery behind black holes.
UMBC Research in Real Time: Achuth Padmanabhan
Achuth Padmanabhan, biological sciences, discusses how his team is working to identify the factors that cause metasis and growth in ovarian cancer to better treat this disease.
UMBC Research in Real Time: Lee Blaney
Lee Blaney, chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering, shares how his research is helping to shape the way we think about water and the importance of its accessibility.
UMBC Research in Real Time: Christine A. Mair
Christine A. Mair, sociology, anthropology, and public health, discusses her gerontology work and why we as people need to rethink traditional caregiving for our aging population.
Diverse teams and inclusive mentoring drive innovation at UMBC
UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby discusses how the university pairs equity with excellence through inclusive mentoring, deliberate AI adoption, and deep community engagement, covering its approach to evolving teaching and research in support of student success.
A Place for Inquiring Minds
UMBC takes a truly cross-disciplinary approach to research and creative achievement. That means bringing researchers together from different disciplines to explore questions in new ways while also living up to our university’s mission of inclusive excellence by creating welcoming spaces for the next generation.
Inviting new perspectives makes all of our work stronger. We invite you to learn more about why UMBC is up for the challenge.
