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Welcome to the Department of Information Systems at UMBC. Our interdisciplinary program helps students develop in demand skills, preparing them for careers in IT and IS. Located near technology hubs, our suburban campus is an exciting place to be for students in tech. With a variety of degree programs to choose from, we offer programs designed to give you options for applying information systems to your career. To learn more, please contact us with any questions.

 

Student Opportunities

Visit our Current Opportunities webpage for complete information and details.

2024-2025 On Campus Job Opportunities – The UMBC A-Team is currently accepting applications for COEIT Peer Navigators. Apply by March 25.

COEIT Scholarship Applications Now Open – The College of Engineering and Information Technology has officially launched scholarship applications for current UMBC students for the 2024-2025 academic year! Applications are due by April 19.

Student Spotlights and News

Chris Fortney headshotChris Fortney is currently enrolled in our Online MS program. He graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a BFA in 2014 concentrating in graphic design and painting. Fortney is currently the Project/Lab Manager for the Immersive Simulation Program (ISP) at the National Human Genome Research Institute where he develops custom virtual reality simulations for conducting experimental human trials. He takes the time to talk about his work at NHGRI, his interest in the cross section of technology, research, and design and why it is important to value and nourish your creative process.

 

Kirk Crawford selfieKirk A. Crawford ’14, information systems, M.S. ’16, human-centered computing, is a Product Manager and Research Advisor at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and is currently enrolled in our Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing program. He talks about his research interests, what his day-to-day position at the IRS looks like, and shares why pursuing his academic and professional careers at the same time is important to him.

 

 

Dr. Zhiyuan Chen presenting at event on campus

The Department of Information Systems held its first-ever IS Student Research Outreach event with early 40 attendees packing the room, including faculty, campus partners, and undergraduate and graduate students.

 

 

 

Yetunde Okueso posing against a wallYetunde Okueso is currently in our MS in Human-Centered Computing program. She received her undergraduate degree in Literature from the Babcock University in Nigeria in 2017 and is expected to graduate from the MS HCC program in December 2023. Okueso kindly shares with us how she first became interested in HCC, her thoughts on usability, and why she is choosing to continue her education at UMBC.

 

 

God’sfavour Sunday headshoot, standing in front of a wall wearing a suitGod’sfavour Sunday is currently in our combined BS to MS program. Sunday is expected to finish with the BS in Information Systems in December 2023 and the MS in Human-Centered Computing in the fall of 2024. Sunday takes time to answer some questions for us about usability, how he got interested in the combined program, and his plans after graduation.

 

 

Photo of Jennifer Posada Granados in a sunflower fieldJennifer Posada Granados ’21 is a current master’s student in our Human-Centered Computing program. She graduated with her BA in Psychology from UMBC in 2021 and plans on graduating with her MS in Human-Centered Computing in Spring 2024. She was kind enough to share with us stories about her Salvadorean roots, her switch from Psychology to Human-Centered Computing, and how she is able to blend her creativity with her academic interests.

 

 

Information Systems Security Association officers gathered around a tableStudent Org Spotlight: The Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) Chapter at UMBC has a mission to bring together technology majors in order to network with Information System and Cyber Security professionals and provide education and guidance through presentations and interactive activities. The student organization aims to enhance the knowledge, skills, and professional growth of their members.

 

 

Karina Lopez-Brown posing in front of scenary

Karina Lopez-Brown ’21 received her BS in Information Systems from UMBC, and is currently in our Information Systems MS program with a cybersecurity track, expecting to graduate in December 2024. She shares with us about her grandmother’s teachings, how CWIT and the Cyber Scholars Program sparked her interest in cybersecurity and offers cybersecurity tips and tricks for students to protect themselves online.

 

 

Yosi Montes de Oca standing in front of the National Mall in DCYosi Montes de Oca is a current graduate student in our Human-Centered Computing Program. She kindly agreed to share with us about her Venezuelan heritage, how her background in architecture and sustainable design led her to UX design and Human-Centered Computing, and talks about her internship experience with Amazon.

 

 

 

All Student Spotlights>>>


Alumni Spotlights and News

Kara Freeman posing for a photo outsideKara Freeman ’91, engineering and information technology and advisory board member talks with President Emeritus Freeman A. Hrabowski III and Vice President Emerita for Administration and Finance Lynne Schaefer about their book, The Resilient University: How Purpose and Inclusion Drive Student Success.

 

 

 

Devin Price headshotDevin Price ’14, information systems, is an information security professional, writer, educator, and thought leader with over 9 years of experience in the tech industry. Price took the time to answer some questions about his time as a student and why it is important to never stop learning.

 

 

 

Mihir Patel standing in front of a tree in a suitMihir Patel, M.S. ’22, information systems, earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology from K.J Somaiya Institute of Engineering and Information Technology (Mumbai, India) and is a recent graduate of our M.S. in Information Systems program, data science track. Patel took the time to tell us about his passion for technology and how his internship at VITG turned into a full-time DevOps Engineer position. He also offers advice to students as they prepare for a new semester at UMBC.

 

Chuck Miller headshotChuck Miller ’11, musical composition, M.S. ’23, information systems is recent graduate of our Online MS program and is active in the InfoSec community. He recently presented at DEFCON31 and mentions how all the televisions in the hotel were hacked during the event. Miller also talks about how he transitioned from a musical career to cybersecurity and how he got involved with fundraising for the American Cancer Society.

 

 

Zhensen Huang headshotDepartment of Information Systems alumni and current advisory board member, Zhensen Huang M.S. ’00, PhD. ’04, is presenting at GRIT-X this year during homecoming. Huang’s presentation is titled, “Create Possibility – On Campus and in Business.” Visit the website for more information and to get your tickets today!

 

 

Cornelia Carapcea headshotDepartment of Information Systems alumni and current advisory board member, Cornelia Carapcea ’09 is being inducted into the Hall of Fame Homecoming Weekend! Current Director of Product Management at Netflix, Carapcea was an outstanding member of our tennis team. Visit the website to read more and see all the inductees. Congrats! 

 

 

 

More Alumni News>>>


Faculty and Research News

Karen Chen headshot standing outside on campus

Professor Karen Chen will discuss her research on developing multimodal machine learning and data analytics to characterize parent-child Interactions and its possible applications in education and social work. 2-3:00 pm ET in 412 Math/Psych, virtual option available. Read more on the Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics webpage.

 

 

 

Group photo of Information Systems visitors in the front office.Recently, we were honored to host Professors B. S. Murthy and Tarun K. Panda of the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad at UMBC. After tours of COEIT, Murthy and Panda visited with several faculty in person and online. They provided an overview of IIT Hyderabad, discussed the possibilities of research collaborations between our two institutions and ways to strengthen existing academic collaborations with UMBC and India. Aditi Walunj, First Secretary, Embassy of India joined the tours, presentations and meetings.

 

Karuna Joshi standing outside posing for a photoLed by Dr. Karuna Joshi. UMBC expands its next-generation tech analytics research with Phase II of the Center for Accelerated Real Time Analytics. “In Phase II, we are focusing more on collaborative projects with our university partners and building on those collaborations and making them stronger,” says Joshi.

 

 

 

Augusto Casas headshotOctober is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a collaboration between government and private industry to raise awareness about digital security and empower everyone to protect their personal data from digital forms of crime. We are recognizing several faculty and alumni who work in the cybersecurity field. Augusto Casas is a Senior Lecturer in our Online MS program and has over two decades of higher education teaching experience in the fields of information systems and computer science.