Vunnathi Ankem ’26—finding community and her place at UMBC

For Vunnathi Ankem, psychology, the UMBC experience has been defined by one word: community. As a resident assistant, a researcher, and a multifaceted student leader, she has spent her four years both building community and studying its impact on the human experience. From hosting public service retreats in Baltimore to interviewing members of the South Asian diaspora for her thesis, Ankem’s work bridges the gap between community-centered research and heartfelt advocacy. As she prepares to gradu