IS Department at UMBC

Home
United States
Baltimore, MD
IS Department at UMBC

Directions Website Contact the university

The Department of Information Systems offers a variety of degrees and certificates for undergraduate

09/04/2026

The Department of Information Systems is excited to welcome Dr. Lujie (Karen) Chen as our new Graduate Program Director for the on-campus M.S. and Ph.D. information systems programs. Dr. Chen is an Assistant Professor in the department and leads the Informatics for Human Flourishing Lab, where her work brings together data and human-centered computing. Her NSF CAREER Award, research leadership, and experience mentoring 10 Ph.D. students bring valuable expertise to this new role. We also thank Dr. Sreedevi Sampath for her five years of dedicated leadership and wish her continued success as Associate Dean for Graduate Academic Affairs in COEIT.

Visit our website to read more about Dr. Karen Chen and her upcoming appointment.

Link in comments.

08/25/2026

We are excited for another great year in the Department of Information Systems at UMBC! This fall we welcome two new faculty members, celebrate the continued success of our Career Talks series and new IS Network mentorship program, and look forward to our first-ever IS Research Showcase this November. Our faculty continue to earn national recognition, from NSF CyberTraining grants to new leadership roles in professional organizations. Read the full welcome message from our Chair to see what's ahead this year.

Link in comments

08/21/2026

It's Welcome Week! 🎉

📍 ITE 469 | Wednesday, Aug 26 | 12-2PM

Stop by to say hi, meet everyone, and grab some free food — just don't forget to RSVP. Link in bio!
📚✏️
Welcome to UMBC

08/03/2026

We were honored to have Good Morning Washington on campus to talk with Dr. Chen recently. Watch the segment, and learn more about the newest track in the Online MS program, Enterprise Information Systems.

There is still time to rsvp for the upcoming virtual info session happening August 5, to learn about the Online MS program!

Link in comments

07/29/2026

Learn more about the program in our upcoming virtual info session. RSVP today!

Specialize in: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Enterprise Information Systems, UX Design

https://umbc.edu/is-online-ms/ - link in bio

07/27/2026

Behind the scenes at UMBC Information Systems!

We were excited to welcome Veronica Ogbe from Good Morning Washington as she visited Professor Zhiyuan Chen to discuss our Online MS program and the opportunities it provides for students.
Stay tuned — the full segment airs this Wednesday!
HigherEducation

06/26/2026

Graduate Spotlight: Jay Harwani, M.S. ’26, Human-Centered Computing

Jay Harwani is a UX and Product Designer passionate about building AI-native design workflows that accelerate innovation and improve user experiences. During his time at UMBC, he combined research, design, and technology to develop solutions at the intersection of human-centered computing and artificial intelligence.

As a Research Assistant, Jay collaborated on a military surveillance project focused on deploying robotics alongside soldiers in the field. He designed an interactive dashboard that enabled users to monitor robot locations and operational status in real time, working closely with researchers, developers, and engineers to bring concepts from design to implementation.

His expertise spans UX Design, Product Design, Figma, React, Tailwind CSS, AI-assisted prototyping, front-end development, and emerging AI tools including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Claude Code. He is particularly interested in leveraging AI to streamline design workflows, accelerate prototyping, and bridge the gap between business goals and user needs.

Jay is currently pursuing opportunities in Product Design, UX Design, and AI-native product development, where he can help create impactful digital experiences through innovative design and technology.

Student Spotlight | Link in Bio to read the full article

Interested in being featured? Complete the Student Spotlight interest form linked in our bio.

[ UMBC, Human-Centered Computing, UX Design, Product Design, Artificial Intelligence, Figma, React, Tailwind CSS, User Experience, AI-Native Design ]

06/17/2026

Graduate Spotlight: Sri Kavya Penta, M.S. ’26, Information Systems

Sri Kavya Penta is an Information Systems graduate passionate about Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Human-Centered Computing. During her time at UMBC, she explored the intersection of technology, research, and education through her work as a Teaching Assistant, researcher, and published scholar.

Her research contributions include studying AI-assisted qualitative coding in online learning and exploring data-driven approaches to understanding computing education. She has published two research papers, presented her work at academic forums, and completed her master’s thesis focused on evaluating AI applications in educational settings.

Sri Kavya’s technical expertise includes Python, SQL, Machine Learning, AI, statistical analysis, data visualization, database management, clustering, PCA, predictive modeling, Power BI, Tableau, and Excel. Beyond technical skills, her experiences in research, teaching, and presentations have strengthened her ability to communicate complex ideas and create meaningful data-driven solutions.

She is passionate about leveraging AI and analytics to solve real-world business challenges and is currently exploring opportunities in Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, AI/ML, Data Science, and Business Analysis.

IS Student Spotlight | Link in Bio to read the full article 🔗

Interested in being featured? Complete the Student Spotlight interest form linked in our bio.

[ UMBC, Information Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Human-Centered Computing, Data Science, Business Intelligence, Research, Python, SQL ]

06/16/2026

Graduate Spotlight: Sahil Shahi, M.S. ’26, Information Systems

Sahil Shahi combined industry experience in data engineering with research, analytics, and hands-on learning at UMBC to build a strong foundation in data-driven decision-making.

Before UMBC, he worked as a Data Engineer at Tata Consultancy Services. During his graduate studies, he gained experience through a Financial Business Analyst internship, research in machine learning for Zero-Day Attack Detection, and his role as a Graduate Student Assistant. His research led to a peer-reviewed publication, reflecting his passion for analytics, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.

With expertise in SQL, Snowflake, Power BI, AWS, Python, Machine Learning, and Data Analytics, Sahil is interested in opportunities across Data Analytics, Business Analytics, Analytics Engineering, and Data Engineering.

IS Student Spotlight | Link in Bio to read the full story 🔗

Interested in being featured? Complete the Student Spotlight interest form linked in our bio.

06/11/2026

Graduate Spotlight: Shourya Rami, M.P.S. ’26, Software Engineering

Shourya Rami is a software engineering graduate who joined UMBC from India seeking academic growth, mentorship, and hands-on experience in software development and emerging technologies. During his time at UMBC, he worked as a Research Assistant, Teaching Assistant, and Graduate Assistant, gaining exposure across software engineering education, research, and applied development.

His academic and professional journey includes research in technical debt and software engineering education under Dr. Carolyn Seaman, as well as teaching support for the Software Engineering Capstone under Dr. Mohammad Samarah. He also led and contributed to multiple development projects, including his capstone project “UMBC Learn,” a learning resource recommendation system designed to support software engineering students with course-aligned materials and AI-driven recommendations.

Shourya’s technical experience spans the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js), JavaScript, Java, Python, REST APIs, Git, GitHub, and AI integrations using Google Gemini. His work reflects a strong interest in building user-centered systems that combine software engineering principles with emerging AI capabilities.

He is currently seeking opportunities in Software Engineering and Full-Stack Development while continuing to explore the intersection of AI and practical software systems.

IS Student Spotlight | Link in Bio to read the full article

Interested in being featured? Complete the Student Spotlight interest form linked in our bio.

[ UMBC, Software Engineering, Full Stack Development, MERN Stack, Artificial Intelligence, Human-Centered Design, Web Development, Research, Cloud Deployment, AI Integration ]

Address

1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD
21250

Website

http://informationsystems.umbc.edu/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when IS Department at UMBC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to IS Department at UMBC:

Want your university to be the top-listed university in Baltimore?