Campus Conversations
UMBC Bold: Campus Conversations was a series of listening sessions held in the spring of 2023 that invited the broad UMBC community to share their perspectives on the state of the university and to reflect on its future potential.
More than 1,000 participants attended 22 sessions that focused on a breadth of topics, including: the academic experience, our research enterprise, partnerships, governance, and other areas that impact students, staff, faculty, and alumni.
Our Guiding Questions
1. What achievements and core values should we celebrate and nurture?
2. What challenges might hinder our ability to advance our mission and vision?
3. What are your bold aspirations for the future of UMBC?
UMBC Bold: Leadership
COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
Vandana Janeja
Chair and Professor of Information Systems
Michelle Scott
Professor of History
Greg Simmons, M.P.P. ‘04
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
HONORARY COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Adrienne Jones ’76
Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates
Alan Wilson
Chair of the UMBC Board of Visitors
Subcommittees
UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: February 27 and March 29
Carolyn Forestiere
Professor, Political Science
Nilanjan Banerjee
Professor, CSEE
GRADUATE ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: March 13 and March 28
Lauren Edwards
Associate Professor, Public Policy
Rachel Brewster
Professor, Biological Sciences
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: February 28 and March 16
Belay Demoz
Professor, Physics
Tamara Bhalla
Associate Professor, American Studies
THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: March 9 and March 29
Charissa Cheah
Professor, Psychology
Jimmy Foulds
Assistant Professor, Information Systems
OUR ALUMNI COMMUNITY
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: March 13 and March 27
Jen Herson ’99, Interdisciplinary Studies – English, Visual Arts, Modern Languages and Linguistics
President and COO of Data Canopy, Vice President for Operations, Alumni Association Board of Directors
Jason Grant ’10, Computer Engineering, M17
Assistant Professor of Computing Sciences at Villanova, Meyerhoff Alumni Advisory Board President
UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE AND ENGAGEMENT
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: March 7 and March 8
Bobby Lubaszewski ’10
Director of Communications and Marketing, Office of Institutional Advancement
Loren Henderson
Associate Professor, Public Policy
STAFF AS EMPOWERED STAKEHOLDERS
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: March 9 and March 31
Cael Mulcahy
Director of Operations, CAHSS
Amery Thompson
Assistant Director for Transfer Student Success, Off-Campus Student Services
Michele Kimery
Business Services Specialist, Police
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: March 14 and March 16
Donna Ruginski
Executive Director for Cybersecurity Initiatives
Tim Oates
Professor of Computer Science Electrical Engineering
A COMMUNITY-ENGAGED UNIVERSITY
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: March 7 and March 27
Eric Ford
Interim Director, Shriver Center and Director, Choice Program
Brian Kaufman
Associate Professor, Music
FACULTY ADVANCEMENT
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: March 10 and March 14
Kathleen Hoffman
Professor, Mathematics
Felipe Filomeno
Associate Professor, Political Science
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Subcommittee Conversation Dates: February 28 and March 28
Amir Ledbetter
Senior, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ethan Post
President, Graduate Student Association, Master’s Student, Historical Studies
Tara Carpenter
Principal Lecturer, Chemistry