Behavioural scientists are one in saying that there is a direct correlation between sports supremacy and academic achievement. Science Daily, an award-winning site for breaking news about the latest scientific discoveries, also reported a similar study done by a European university among secondary school students, with similar results.
This was proven true by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County when it landed in hundreds of thousands of social media tweets, blog posts and traditional media outlets for beating NCAA top seed University of Virginia in a wildly-matched, uncontestable stunning victory. This new-found admiration eventually drew attention to the university’s unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation and collaboration – values epitomised by long-time (26 years in May) president, Freeman Hrabowski III.
UMBC churns out overachievers – research scientists, computer scientists, engineers and MD-PhD graduates – year after year. But prior to its record wins, few may have heard or known that the UMBC is part of Maryland’s 12 academic institutions recognised for academic and research leadership, except perhaps by the educational institutions themselves within the state and by noteworthy rivals such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California-Berkeley, California Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, and Princeton University to name a few.
“Our magic comes from questioning expectations, putting in the hard work, and staying focused,” points out Dr. Hrabowski, as he highlights life skills that better prepare university students for the world of work and in tackling life’s challenges.
(Photo credits: University of Maryland, Baltimore County website)
