Amery Thompson and Serena Studivant Co-present at NASPA Student Success Conference

Amery Thompson, director of student affairs success initiatives, and Serena Studivant, assistant director, commuter connections, co-presented at the June 2025 NASPA Conference on Student Success in Higher Education. 

Thompson shared, "Not only were we able to share some great information about the work that we do here at UMBC with colleagues from around the country, we also had the chance to reset and realize what we need to focus on to build off of the great momentum we have created."

In “Building Bridges of Belonging: Empowering Success for Commuters and Transfers,” Thompson and Studivant explored the unique challenges that impact academic success and sense of belonging for these populations. Using Astin’s theory of student involvement and the belonging theory created by the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, they discussed Transfer Transition and Commuter Connections, two initiatives in the Division of Student Affairs designed to break structural barriers and foster community for these populations.Through engagement strategies and data from their transfer and commuter welcome programs, Thompson and Studivant shared how these initiatives and their collaborative programming are helping to enhance retention and success. 

“I'm happy to be in a role where I can create experiences for our students, especially commuters, to feel connected to other students, staff, faculty, and the institution,” Studivant said. “Community is a crucial piece in the college experience, and I'm looking forward to further progression by continuing to build on the amazing programming we already have!”