Meet Some of BSOS' Newest Alumni!

Ahead of the University of Maryland's Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony, we highlighted on social media a few of the outstanding College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) students who would be crossing the stage.

If you missed seeing them, here's your chance to get to know a few of the college's newest alumni:

Nicholas Lugu Reign 

Degree: M.S. in Survey & Data Science 
Hometown: Volta Region, Ghana
Plans After Graduation: Join the Ghana Statistical Service and use expertise to help strengthen statistical and data systems, contributing to economic development through data-informed policy and decision-making

Hilda Owusu

Degree: B.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice
Hometown: Ghana
Plans After Graduation: Combine background in criminology and criminal justice with knowledge in healthcare to serve and support people in meaningful ways, especially vulnerable individuals, families, and communities

Lia Dolev

Degree: B.A. in Government & Politics
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Plans After Graduation: To work on a political campaign and then attend law school with a focus on policy and constitutional law

Eric Stone

Degree: Ph.D. in Sociology
Hometown: Thurmont, MD
Plans After Graduation: Continue work at the U.S. Census Bureau developing and testing new content for various national surveys, evaluating different contact strategies, and researching advances in survey methods

Emma Dezenzo

Degree: B.S. in Environmental Science & Policy
Hometown: Hoboken, NJ
Plans After Graduation: Studying for the LSAT and applying to law school in the fall

Tobias Hone West

Degree: B.S. in Economics, B.S. in Mathematics
Hometown: Takoma Park, MD
Plans After Graduation: Moving to NYC to work as a research assistant at the New York Fed

Charlie Lott

Degree: M.S. in Geospatial Information Sciences
Hometown: Silver Spring, MD
Plans After Graduation: Continuing employment with the GIS software company Esri

Liz Rouch

Degree: B.S. in Psychology
Hometown: Erie, PA
Plans After Graduation: Work full time in a post-bac research position for 1-2 years before applying to Ph.D. programs in counseling psychology

Alexandra Atherton

Degree: B.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice,  B.S. in Government & Politics
Hometown: Gaithersburg, MD
Plans After Graduation: Look for opportunities with think tanks and nonprofits that focus on preventing political violence and protecting democracy

Anna Tovchigrechko

Degree: B.S. in Psychology, B.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice
Hometown: Olney, MD
Plans After Graduation: Pursue a Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of California, Irvine

Natasha Chabra

Degree: Ph.D. in Sociology
Hometown: Pune, India, then Ottawa, Canada
Plans After Graduation: Work in applied research using the skills and experience gained during the Ph.D. program at UMD

Abigail Ernst

Degree: B.S. in Environmental Science & Policy
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
Plans After Graduation: Internship at the City of Alexandria Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, and looking for full-time opportunities

Gerald Markey

Degree: B.A. in Government & Politics, B.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice
Hometown: Bowie, MD
Plans After Graduation: Continuing work as a Student Advocate at the Undergraduate Student Legal Aid Office

Alyssa ShenFilerman

Degree: B.A. in Sociology, B.S. in Human Development
Hometown: Arlington, MA
Plans After Graduation: Pursuing a career in secondary education, with hopes to work in educational program coordination or in student life

Julia Devine

Degree: B.S. in Economics
Hometown: Calvert County, MD
Plans After Graduation: Working as an analyst at the economic consulting firm Cornerstone Research

Laiba Nisar

Degree: B.A. in International Relations
Hometown: Catonsville, MD
Plans After Graduation: Take a gap year and travel the world before attending law school

Denilson Mejía-Rivera

Degree: B.A. in Hearing & Speech Sciences, B.S. in Information Science
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Plans After Graduation: Returning to UMD to pursue a M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology

Dominique Curtis

Degree: B.A. in African American and Africana Studies 
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Plans After Graduation: Pursue a career as an archival producer for documentary films and complete a Master's of Library and Information Science

Savannah Robbins

Degree: B.S. in Psychology 
Hometown: Rockville, MD
Plans After Graduation: Attending Towson University’s Counseling Psychology Master’s Program to be trained as a therapist

Aspen King

Degree: B.S. in African American and Africana Studies
Hometown: Hagerstown, MD
Plans After Graduation: One day joining the Secret Service

Published on Thu, May 14, 2026 - 11:32AM