UMBC

UMBC researchers are using NASA’s PACE satellite to map fall colors by tracking changes in leaf pigments like chlorophyll, anthocyanins, and carotenoids. The new method provides more precise timing of peak autumn color than traditional indices, with applications for tourism, monitoring plant stress, and understanding climate impacts.

At UMBC, entrepreneurship transcends a traditional business education: It empowers scientists, artists, and technologists to transform their expertise into real-world impact. Through business accelerators, ambassador programs, interdisciplinary courses, and other innovation pathways, the university offers many avenues for ideas to flourish.

For decades, the United States made steady progress in reducing surface ozone pollution, the main ingredient in smog. But that progress – achieved as vehicles, industries and power sources became cleaner – is increasingly being overshadowed by a different and growing source of ozone pollution: wildfires. We found that the gases in wildfire smoke have reversed the national ozone trend, forcing a s…

They say a rising tide lifts all ships—the idea that when an ecosystem prospers, everyone within it is propelled upward by the same powerful current. The same can be said for UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars Program. At least that was the experience of Alycia Marshall ’95, mathematics. The Meyerhoff tide eventually lifted her higher than she imagined: president of the Community College of Philadelphia.&…

Payton Barry, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences, is diving into the world of Maryland’s streams. Under Tamra Mendelson’s mentorship, he studies how introduced species of darters, a family of freshwater fish, are affecting native ones. Equal parts dedicated researcher and enthusiastic science communicator, Payton has creatively pieced together funding from organizations like The…

When UMBC founded the Institute of Politics (IoP) in fall 2024, the new politics research center housed in the College of Arts, Humanities, and the Social Science outlined a clear mandate: to produce public-facing and community-engaged research and events on political, policy, and social issues for the betterment of Maryland, and to include UMBC students every step of the way.  Two years on,…

Manil Suri moved to the United States after spending the first 20 years of his life living in a 400-square-foot room in Bombay, India, with his father, Ram, and mother, Prem, to whom he dedicated his latest book, A Room in Bombay. The

After Shanika Freeman ’24 walked across the stage, she had something on her mind—basic human rights. For the past four years, Freeman’s research has focused on the reentry experiences of formerly incarcerated women in the United States and Maryland. Basic human rights—including access to healthy food, education, housing, healthcare, clothing, and job skills development—are difficult to acce…

Marc Seigar, Ph.D., has been appointed the next dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), effective August 3, 2026.

UMBC’s new Make Your Research Come Alive (MyRCA) program is helping faculty translate their scholarship into compelling stories that resonate across disciplines, sectors, and audiences. "We created the MyRCA program to help faculty strengthen their research communication skills and effectively convey the significance and real-world impact of their work beyond traditional academic audiences and f…

It was around five o’clock on a Wednesday in May, and Michelle Jabès Corpora ’03, English and theatre, was on her sofa watching her favorite British murder mystery on TV. It had been a long shot to think her newest book, His Face Is the Sun, would hit the New York Times (NYT) bestsellers list, and since she hadn’t heard anything and it was getting late, she figured it wasn&#8217…

Hailey Turney, M.A. ’21, first came to UMBC as a student pursuing an academic passion in the text, technologies, and literature program. She connected right away with faculty and other community members. Now, as an undergraduate academic advisor in the College of Engineering and Information Technology and an instructor teaching introductory English and university orientation classes, she helps cu…

Dear Colleagues, I am writing to update you regarding recent changes to federal immigration and visa policies. Please remember that each individual’s circumstances are different, and this communication is provided for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. If you have specific questions and hold F-1, H-1B, or J-1 immigration status, please c…

With full hearts and eyes fixed on the future, the UMBC Class of 2026 stepped across the stage last week, crossing the threshold into life’s next chapter. Surrounded by family, friends, and mentors, UMBC’s newest alumni embody the university’s spirit of curiosity, resilience, and community.

UMBC's creative arts journal, Bartleby, is celebrating 50 plus years of publishing students poems, short stories, and art. Work from issues spanning decades was showcased at the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery spring 2026.

Isabel Kendall ’26, modern languages and linguistics, is described by Julie Oakes, assistant director of curriculum and retention in UMBC’s Honors College, as someone who “truly represents what is best about well-rounded humanities folks.” This comes as no surprise, given her time at UMBC, where she took on mentorship roles in the Honors College, created art installations, and traveled abroad to …

Unlocking the Milky Way’s history through cosmic rays: UMBC nuclear physicist Priyashini Ghosh is leading a first-of-its-kind experiment at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), measuring how chromium-52 breaks apart as it travels through space. Her work fills critical data gaps, sharpening models of galactic chemical evolution and supporting NASA's upcoming TIGERISS mission.

Katie King ’26, biology and dance, UMBC Dance Team co-captain, and Admissions Grit Guide, pursues a future that engages her passions.

Dear UMBC Community, Today, I am very pleased to share the Strategic Plan Steering Committee’s significant progress this semester towards completion of the UMBC strategic plan. As a reminder, the strategic plan will be built on five pillars: cultivating organizational innovation and vitality; redefining excellence in research and creative achievement; strengthening Maryland and its communit…

Dear Faculty and Staff, I am writing to share additional information on the university’s budget outlook for the coming fiscal year, as well as our long-term work to enhance our budget-planning capabilities.  As we shared with you last month, the State of Maryland has set an operating budget of $70.8 billion for Fiscal Year 2027. Following significant reductions in the state’s allocation to the Un…