SMaRT Scholars Program

Collage of SMaRT Scholars Program participants working together in small groups and attending a presentation in a classroom setting at UMBC.

The Center for Health, Equity, & Aging (CHEA) in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Public Health (SAPH) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) has established a new student research training opportunity called the Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMaRT) Scholars Program. The first SMaRT Scholar cohort (2023-2024) was generously sponsored by the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) Dean’s Office.

The SMaRT Scholars Program is focused on building basic social science research skills in literature and grant database management, quantitative data literacy, and qualitative data literacy. Graduate students will receive additional training and experience in facilitating, managing, and leading research teams.

Graphic congratulating the 2025–2026 SMaRT Scholars cohort, featuring portraits of four selected students—Maimouna Bah, Henry Sonti, Sui Sung, and Amdan Saccoh—and their academic majors.

Interested in Becoming a SMaRT Scholar?

Enrollment for the 2025-2026 cohort is now closed.

We will begin recruiting for the 2026-2027 cohort in Spring 2026.

Questions? Contact Dr. Christine Mair at: christine_mair@umbc.edu

  1. To participate, students must first enroll in the 4 week, online (synchronous) summer session of Interdisciplinary Social Science Research Training (see flyer below).
  2. Students who excel in this course will be invited to join the Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMaRT) Scholar Program. SMaRT Scholars enroll in 1-3 credit hours of Research Practicum in the fall and/or spring after the summer training.

Flyer promoting an online summer course in interdisciplinary social science research training, with photos of students collaborating in classroom settings.

Thank you to our 2024-2025 Cohort!

Don Mccray (Sociology)

Muskaan Hammad (Public Health)

Marie-Charlotte Agbogbe (Biology + Public Health)

August Wichmann (Applied Sociology)

Rouguia Barry (Applied Sociology)

Collage of portrait photos featuring participants in the SMaRT Scholars Program.

Thank you to our 2023-2024 inaugural cohort!

Jaminette Nazario (Gerontology), RB Brauer (Applied Sociology), Jordana  Oman (Applied Sociology), Suliyat Adewuyi (Public Health), Halima Thomas (Public Health), Tristan Diaz (Anthropology + Sociology), Sophia Wahl (Anthropology + Psychology), Ethan Broadbent (Anthropology), Alex Parrish (Sociology), Adeola Ojomo (Sociology)

SMaRT Scholars Program participants gathered in a campus office space, smiling, posing together, and holding UMBC SAPH folders.Collage of SMaRT Scholars Program participants in an office setting, sitting at desks and working together in a small group.