To assist our military and veteran students with enrollment, financial, and academic planning we have a committed and dedicated team to serve you:
Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation
Lori Smith-Watson
Assistant Director, Admissions and Orientation
Admissions and Orientation (Undergraduate)
Library 010F
+1 410 455 2272
Lori Smith-Watson is the Assistant Director for Special and Target Populations in the UMBC Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation. Throughout her thirty years of admissions counseling, she has enjoyed the diversity of experiences veterans and active duty military students bring with them to UMBC. She believes it is an honor to be able to give back to these students who have given so much to our country. “My mantra is: Provide the information and assistance a student needs when and where they need it. This is not a one-size-fits-all-process.
Graduate Admissions
+1 410 455 1607
Mike Suica ’13 has five years of experience in graduate admissions. As the Manager of Recruitment and Admissions at The Graduate School, Mike can help answer your questions about our programs, application processes and admissions requirements.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
+1 410 455 8148
Colleen Lindbeck holds a BS in Criminal Justice and after 3 years of social work, she transitioned to higher education. Ms. Lindbeck has served in varying capacities during her 15 years in UMBC’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, including 3 years as the VA Certifying Official. Currently, she is the Associate Director of Financial Aid and oversees the federal and state aid programs, as well as the institution’s financial need-based grants. In addition to serving students seeking financial aid assistance, Ms. Lindbeck serves on various committees, including Orientation and the Financial Literacy and Education Committee. When not serving students, Colleen can be found running on the great trail systems in Maryland, or playing with her latest foster dog.
Academic and Pre-Professional Advising
Kenneth Baron
Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Advising
Academic and Pre-Professional Advising
Sherman Hall (Academic IV Bldg) 410 455 8113
+1 410 455 8113
Dr. Ken Baron is currently Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Advising and Student Success at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). He is in his 13th year of service at UMBC where he leads and manages academic advising practices as both an administrator and a practitioner. Before coming to UMBC, Dr. Baron held leadership positions at a variety of institutions including Emory University, The College of New Jersey, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the American InterContinental University in London. Dr. Baron received his bachelors and masters degrees from The University of Maryland, College Park. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Educational Studies at the University of Surrey, Guildford, England where a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship supported his graduate study and research. Dr. Baron also holds four professional counseling certifications sponsored by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) and the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE).
Tuition Assistance (TA) Program
+1 410 455 1481
VA Educational Benefits
Veterans Programs and Support Services
M. Antonio Silas
Director of Off-Campus Student Services
Off-Campus Student Services
The Commons 1A02
+1 410 455 1754
Dr. M. Antonio Silas serves as the Director of Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing programming around the support, advocacy, and retention of adult learners, veterans, commuter, and transfer students at UMBC. OCSS hosts various events throughout the semester to encourage and build community among veteran students at UMBC. While he is not a veteran, he is very intentional and deliberate in seeking to understand the needs of this population. When he is not working on behalf of students at UMBC, he can be found roller skating or practicing his photography.
Disability Services
Tawny L McManus
Assistant Vice Provost for Accessibility
Student Disability Services
Office of Accessibility & Disability Services
Math & Psychology 227
+1 410 455 2459
Tawny McManus is the Assistant Vice Provost for Accessibility & Disability Services and the Director in the Office of Student Disability Services within the Division of Academic Affairs at UMBC. She is a member of UMBC’s Title IX Resources team, an executive board member of MD-AHEAD, a member of the University System of Maryland’s (USM) Accessible Technology & Information Workgroup, a former liaison to the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology, and serves on a number of University committees and initiatives. She has been working in postsecondary education in roles that have included disability services, advising, counseling, clinical research, and as an adjunct teaching faculty member for the past 16 years. Prior to higher education, she worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor at the International Center for the Disabled in New York City which included a working partnership with the New York State Regional Veterans Administration.
Tawny is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and greatly enjoys working with our veteran population. Her father served in the US Marine Corps and she has many active duty family and friends in the Armed Forces. Tawny holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from DePaul University, a master’s degree in forensic psychology from the City University of New York, and is completing her PhD in counseling and school psychology through Northeastern University.
Career Services
+1 410 455 2340
Serving as the leader of the Career Center’s Employer Relations team, Sue Plitt brings nearly 20 years of experience as a member of the UMBC community. A former career advisor, Sue has a passion for connecting students to employers and assisting them with navigating the job search process, ultimately helping them achieve their career goals.
Having family members and friends who have served in the military, with some remaining on active duty, Sue relishes the opportunity to be of service to our military and veteran students.