From the hundreds of UMBC alumni at AstraZeneca, Mark Benesch ’08, chemical engineering, has recruited and inspired a team of eight dedicated to forging stronger links to their alma mater. umbc.edu/stories/mark...

Track and field student athlete Anjayooluwa “Jayo” Adegboyo ’25, biochemistry and molecular biology, was named the 2025 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Sports Scholar of the Year by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine. umbc.edu/stories/meet...

“What makes hackUMBC great is the display of growth, innovation, and teamwork,” says Isabella Goltser, the president of hackUMBC and a junior computer science major who has been part of hackUMBC since her first year on campus. umbc.edu/stories/hack...

School spirit(s): Inside the ghost archives at UMBC

Where are they now? Read more about how these six 2025 – 2026 Fulbright U.S. Student Program recipients are taking on the world...literally. umbc.edu/stories/2025...

Climate change is an ever growing concern, and at times it can be confusing to know how we can help make a difference. Check out how faculty, staff, & students are going green through grants, campus installations, research, and community service projects. umbc.edu/stories/7-wa...

Retrievers of all ages (dogs included) know what it means when the summer heat is replaced with the cool, crisp air of autumn. When the pumpkin spice lattes flow from the UC & hoodies become the marquee clothing item on campus. #UMBChomecoming is upon us. umbc.edu/stories/cele...

Of course there were going to be highlights from an event called Dogapalooza! Thanks to UMBC's Res Life for co-hosting such a fun event on Friday!

“UMBC staff & faculty are dedicated to one another, to our students, and to our mission. That dedication inspires us to continually improve, to support the growth of others, & to participate in setting the course for our future," says President Valerie Sheares Ashby. umbc.edu/quick-posts/...

U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings mark UMBC as tied for #127 among national universities, up 17 places from 2025, and tied for #63 on the list of top public schools, up 11 places. #UMBCproud umbc.edu/stories/us-n...

UMBC opened its doors 59 years ago today on what had previously been 432 acres of farmland. We had 750 students, 45 faculty members, 35 support staff, and 3 new buildings. Today, enrollment is strong at 13,530 students, with more than 100,000 alumni. Look how far we’ve come!

For anyone who finds evolution fascinating or loves nature, Kevin Omland's new book, "Understanding the Tree of Life," offers a fresh angle on how every species on the planet is interconnected. Omland says that his 25 years at UMBC helped shape the text. umbc.edu/stories/tree...

There are volumes of what we can tell you about UMBC's Library, but we wanted to show you instead! Take a peek at the many resources available to you, including study rooms, equipment rentals, and more!

As a sports economist, Dennis Coates is not a fair weather fan. He lives and breathes sports and how they affect the larger economy 365 days a year. The North American Association of Sports Economists recently established an award in his honor. umbc.edu/stories/denn...

Dann Malihom ’10, M.A. ’16, has spent most of his adult life at UMBC—as a longtime staff member, adjunct faculty, and now the vice president of engagement on the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Talk about a lifelong Retriever! umbc.edu/stories/meet...

This summer, hundreds of Retrievers built on the foundational knowledge they learned in the classroom and applied it to their internships—getting front seat roles in bridge engineering and analyzing cyber threats to research opportunities on campus. umbc.edu/stories/camp...

As you continue to settle into our UMBC community, one of your fellow Retrievers has some advice for how to make the most of your new adventure. umbc.edu/stories/retr...

We are ready to tackle our first full week of the fall semester! Extra credit (in the form of a True Grit high five) to any new student who can find themselves in the class photo!

As the fall 2025 semester takes off at UMBC, the campus hums with the energy of our largest-ever incoming class, reflecting a Retriever spirit that draws talent from near and far. This fall UMBC welcomed 2,280 first-time, first-year students & over 870 new transfer students. umbc.edu/stories/welc...

We're going to borrow the mic for a minute to shout out a very happy birthday to President Valerie Sheares Ashby! Wishing you the best year yet!

We know A LOT of you were introduced to the RAC during Involvement Fest yesterday, but it has even more to offer! Check out all the things you can take advantage of as a UMBC student in this mini-tour. youtu.be/W9moDsFpzns?...

Emily DiMarzio, a junior studying environmental science and geography, and Cristian Mena and William McConnell, both seniors studying mechanical engineering, were all selected to join The Key Bridge Rebuild Internship Program this summer. umbc.edu/stories/key-...

The Baltimore Banner profiles Lafayette Gilchrist '92, Africana studies, and his remarkable musical career! @umbc.edu

First week faces are our favorites 😎

Giovanna Orfali, Kendal Howell, Claire McDonald, and Caleb Ruck are just four of the hundreds of Retrievers who maximized their summer by putting their hard-earned skills to work in collaboration with campus and community partners. umbc.edu/stories/arts...

Happy first day of classes, Retrievers! What did we learn at Convocation yesterday? Ask questions! If you're unsure of where your class is (or just want to grab some swag), there are info tents around campus to help. We're looking forward to making this our best year yet!

#NationalDogDay was MADE for us. This seems like a great time to introduce our new Retrievers to some VIPs (Very Important Pups) on campus. We hope you get a chance to give belly rubs to our comfort dog Chip, high five True Grit, & stop by the statue to rub his nose for good luck!

For UMBC students interning at @astra-zeneca.bsky.social, this summer offered a chance to bridge classroom learning with real-world challenges. Through their work, students honed their skills & forged connections w/ peers & professionals on the Baltimore/D.C. biotech scene. umbc.edu/stories/cour...

We cleared everyone out of True Grits to give you a delicious all-access peek at one of the most popular dining locations on campus. Eat all you care to for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night! youtu.be/uN06eI_8Wts?...

When Adi Foord's work on supermassive black holes received NSF funding, it created prime opportunities for UMBC students to contribute, like Ph.D. student Zack Reeves and his research on pairs of black holes in the early stages of a potential merger. umbc.edu/stories/blac...

Congratulations to Ayra Sangi! This Asian studies senior received the 2025 Freeman-ASIA Award that will help fund Sangi’s fall semester at the National Taiwan University to prepare her for a career in Chinese linguistics. umbc.edu/stories/ayra...

A UMBC-study developed a new way to predict 2D materials—super-thin substances made of just a few layers of atoms—that might transform electronics. The research predicted 83 new materials, and some have already been successfully synthesized in the lab. umbc.edu/stories/new-...

We asked, you answered. Here are just a few things our campus community suggested you bring as you start packing. There’s also a packing list on the Residence Life website and don’t forget to drop a line to tell us what else you think our Retrievers need to know!

Do spiders give you the shivers? Arachnologist Mercedes Burns is at the center of a web of mentorship to train aspiring researchers and help the public understand the value of diversity in the natural world, from arachnids to our human neighbors. umbc.edu/stories/arac...

Some students may dream of moving to Silicon Valley, but traditional tech giants aren’t the only option for computer science grads. Retrievers found fulfilling tech internships at the Baltimore-based investment firm T. Rowe Price this summer. umbc.edu/stories/inte...

A deepening partnership between Building STEPs and UMBC brought Baltimore City high schoolers to campus for two weeks of lab-based math instruction and professional development activities. umbc.edu/stories/umbc...

UMBC's first expungement clinic resulted in 24 expungement petitions for eligible community members. Pre-law advisor Molly Timko wanted to offer students of all majors an opportunity to learn from practicing lawyers while serving local communities. umbc.edu/stories/publ...

“The countdown is on! Two weeks until classes start and campus is alive with the sounds of Retrievers!

Debora Fajer-Smith ’81, a lawyer with over 40 years of experience, published her first novel this year, “Pieces of Gold,” under the pen name Leah Kelly, which was named a “must read” by Naptown Scoop. umbc.edu/stories/meet...

At the 2025 UMBC Summer Undergraduate Research Fest (SURF), students presented and celebrated their summer's worth of research and applied learning experiences while contributing to UMBC's scholarly community. Three participants share their moments of joy throughout the process.

Junior Maggie Wang is the first recipient of the new Havelock and Jennifer Brewster Art of Science that recognizes one CNMS student per year who produces original art or data visualizations that effectively communicate an important aspect of research. umbc.edu/stories/art-...

Magaly Lizama Hernandez ’26 received the inaugural Bernard L. Berkowitz Award for her vision to develop a higher education pathway for Baltimore City students—similar to the one that led her to the psychology program at UMBC at Shady Grove. umbc.edu/stories/liza...

Esme Clarke ’29 spent her summer with the DC Youth Orchestra. “I had so much fun learning the music and performing with the orchestra at the Smithsonian Folk Festival...being part of such a big event was exciting and made me feel proud to represent the program there.”

For over 20 years, the Chemistry Biology Interface program at UMBC has been shaping Ph.D. students into leaders. The graduation rate for participants is 97 percent—well above the national average of 63 percent for graduate students in the life sciences. umbc.edu/stories/chem...

“The poems of Born Backwards remember anyone who feels out of place—in a body, a hometown, or a century,” says poet Tanya Olson, associate teaching professor of English. “In a time when such histories are again a threat, remembering becomes urgent.” umbc.edu/stories/_but...

Visual arts' Kelley Bell, M.F.A. ’06, was a 2024 recipient of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance’s Baker Artist Award. The BMA exhibit featured 20 works from five recent Baker Artist Award recipients, including Bell’s “Fantastic Village.” umbc.edu/stories/kell...

Four UMBC faculty and staff members have received highly competitive #Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards to teach, conduct research, and forge cross-cultural connections around the world in the coming year. #UMBCproud umbc.edu/stories/umbc...

Have you heard? @commonapp.org is live and that means it's time for our prospective Retrievers to start the application process and get ready to join #RetrieverNation! Be sure to let us know if you have any questions along the way. #CommonAppDay www.commonapp.org/explore/umbc...

Mary Jumbelic ’79, biology, is an author & former chief medical examiner of Onondaga County, NY. She’s been an expert witness on Dateline, 48 Hours & more. While retired from government work, Mary continues to consult on cases while pursuing her passion for writing. umbc.edu/stories/meet...

Joseph Bennett, chemistry and biochemistry, and Mona Layegh, Ph.D. ’25, chemistry, know how hard it can be to teach density functional theory (DFT) to undergraduates. To address that, Bennett and Layegh coauthored a tutorial on teaching the technique. umbc.edu/quick-posts/...