As Fall 2024 begins, UMBC welcomes students back and builds partnerships offering career and research opportunities.
To read more about these and other campus news stories, visit UMBC news.
Record number of new Retrievers join UMBC this year
UMBC welcomes a new record-breaking class of retrievers this year with 2,250 first-year undergraduates, 800 transfer students, and over 800 graduate students. In an email to the school, President Valerie Sheares Ashby expressed excitement about the new academic year with “the remarkable human beings who constitute our beloved UMBC community.” She also introduced the UMBC Institute of Politics (IoP), a new initiative aimed at providing political research and experiential learning opportunities. During Convocation, Provost Manfred van Dulmen promised support for students’ success, and SGA President Meghna Chandrasekaran encouraged new students to engage deeply with the UMBC community and embrace its culture.
Read more about the start of the year here.
UMBC expands partnership with Baltimore-based energy company Constellation
UMBC continues to expand and strengthen its research-focused partnership with Constellation. In the past year, UMBC has collaborated with Constellation on a Master Research Agreement, COEIT’s inaugural Research Day, and discussions on potential joint research projects. UMBC has a long history of working with Constellation, with more than 20 years of collaboration between the two organizations. Constellation has funded scholarships, endowed a professorship, and recruited many top students for internships and jobs. Future research collaborations between UMBC and Constellation will have a focus on sustainable energy practices.
Read more about this innovative collaboration here.
UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology aligns with UBalt’s Merrick School of Business to deliver enhanced degrees
UMBC’s COEIT and UBalt’s Merrick School of Business have launched a new agreement that enables students to transfer credits between schools. UMBC students can apply engineering management credits to an MBA at UBalt, and UBalt students can apply MBA credits to an engineering management MS at UMBC. The goal of this agreement is provide the opportunity for students to gain a competitive edge in the job market with an enhanced degree that diversifies their skill set. This partnership between the two University System of Maryland schools takes advantage of the strengths of each school to provide students with greater opportunities for multiple career pathways.
Learn more about the program and how to apply here.
Partnership with biotech giant Genentech benefits UMBC graduate students
UMBC and Genentech have partnered to enhance doctoral students’ career prospects in biotech. In the third year of a five-year agreement, six UMBC Ph.D. students are receiving financial support and hands-on research experience through Genentech Fellowships. Each year, two Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows are funded to intern at Genentech’s South San Francisco headquarters, gaining industry experience while continuing their thesis work at UMBC. The program also includes seminars from Genentech scientists and presentations from returning fellows. This initiative bridges the gap between academic training and industry careers, providing valuable exposure to the biotech sector and supporting the diversification of the scientific workforce.