Meet Joy Ware

Any other major, minor, certificate, and/or honors that will be on your graduation records

• Honor College Certificate 

Degree Mentors 

• Dr. Karen Chen, Assistant Professor, Information Systems 
• Dr. Jamie Gurganus, Assistant Teaching Professor, College of Engineering and Information Technology 
• Dr. Vickie Williams, Director of Student Services, Department of Education 
• Steven McAlpine, Assistant Teaching Professor, Individualized Study 

Why did you choose to major in INDS?

I felt incredibly limited by the predetermined path that the information systems four-year degree plan had set. I felt as if I didn't have full autonomy in what I was learning and was able to pursue my interdisciplinary interest. Especially with my desire to code, program, create, and improve, I realized that I wanted to do so in the field of education. Thus, HCI (human-computer interaction) and ID/UX (interface design/user experience) became my primary academic and research interests. Media and communication are invaluable assets to this interface design, so I take classes in IS, education, and MCS to fulfill all aspects of what I initially thought I could never discover.

What are your plans for after graduation, and how do you see using your INDS degree?

I plan to conduct educational technology research abroad and apply to graduate school to earn my PhD while also working a job related to curriculum design and development.

Were you involved in any clubs or organizations? Did you hold any leadership positions? URCAD? URA? Off-campus internships? On-campus research experiences?

• Vice President, UMBC African Student Association
• PeerSIST Mentor & Data Science Scholar, UMBC CWIT program
• Research Assistant, UMBC Education Department  
• Research Assistant, UMBC ITE Department
• Researcher as a Principal Investigator and Presenter at URCAD 

Joy is a Zainab Damji Memorial Scholarship and an INDS Award Recipient 

For More information on Joy's INDS journey please click here: