UMBC-affiliated artists receive Zaentz fellowships for new collaborative projects
SZIF awards are granted to nurture unique project ideas that have the potential for socio-political impact and that advance the art and craft of audiovisual media. In addition to receiving financial support for project development or production, selected fellows participate in ongoing mentorship and workshops with industry professionals. Continue reading UMBC-affiliated artists receive Zaentz fellowships for new collaborative projects
How the darter got its stripes: New UMBC research expands on sexual selection theory to explain complicated animal patterns
“Quantitatively describing visual patterns is a big challenge, and there’s not one easy way to do that,” Sam Hulse says. By integrating their skills in math and biology, he and colleagues figured out a method to do it for the first time. The new results pave the way for a great deal of new research. Continue reading How the darter got its stripes: New UMBC research expands on sexual selection theory to explain complicated animal patterns
Acting locally and globally: Four UMBC students embark on community-engaged careers
Community-engaged work has been integral to the UMBC experience for so many Retrievers, including the four featured here. Despite coming from such different academic programs, they have all been able to connect in meaningful ways with local and international communities. And after graduating this week, they’ll each apply their talents, skills, and sense of commitment to community-engaged careers. Continue reading Acting locally and globally: Four UMBC students embark on community-engaged careers
Creating new pathways: Meet ten UMBC arts graduates advancing their fields
Majoring in the arts requires intense levels of stamina and self-discipline — long hours rehearsing, creating, writing, designing, interpreting — coupled with an inner drive for inquiry and perfection. UMBC’s undergraduate and graduate students in the arts are no exception, reaching forward even in this era of social distancing. Continue reading Creating new pathways: Meet ten UMBC arts graduates advancing their fields
Support comes full circle: When students become mentors
“I love to help people succeed, so for me, if others have put time into my career and my future, I feel that it’s only right to reciprocate that love to other students,” says Cherie Tebah ’20. She and other UMBC students have found ways to support their classmates while still pursuing their own degrees. Continue reading Support comes full circle: When students become mentors
Mentorship matters: UMBC connections help three students create their own paths
The connections UMBC students make on campus often lead to strong relationships that impact career and life goals. Meet three students who utilized these networks during their academic careers. Continue reading Mentorship matters: UMBC connections help three students create their own paths
Where math and medicine meet: Jeremy Rubin is one of UMBC’s nine new NSF Graduate Research Fellows
Jeremy Rubin had an unusual personal experience with the medical field early in life, and it sent him down a path to a research career. The experience “made me think, how can I use my interest in statistics to help the field of precision medicine? How can we tailor diagnoses and treatments to the individual?” Continue reading Where math and medicine meet: Jeremy Rubin is one of UMBC’s nine new NSF Graduate Research Fellows
Unique research experiences open doors for UMBC’s Class of 2020
Danilo Symonette, Robin Bailey, and Hye-Jin Park are earning their UMBC degrees this month having researched in top labs and being invited to present their findings to colleagues across the country. They sound like phenomenal Ph.D. students, but they’re actually all undergraduates. Continue reading Unique research experiences open doors for UMBC’s Class of 2020
Graduating CNMS Scholars carry on a commitment to support women in STEM
Olivia Norman ’20 has taken the goals of the CNMS Scholars program to heart. “Being a CNMS Scholar has made me interested in not just doing research, but making sure that where I do research and how I do research is reflective of the scholars program itself,” she shares. Continue reading Graduating CNMS Scholars carry on a commitment to support women in STEM
Graduating UMBC student advocates keep building community in an unprecedented time
For Nadia BenAissa and Sam Hertl, UMBC has been a place to grow as leaders and advocates. Their college experiences have been defined by their work to educate, speak out, and create resources for survivors of sexual assault and LGBTQIA+ students at UMBC. As the university community has responded to COVID-19 and transitioned to a virtual environment, they have held steadfast in their commitments. Continue reading Graduating UMBC student advocates keep building community in an unprecedented time
UMBC’s Naghmeh Karimi receives NSF CAREER Award to develop long-lasting security for cryptographic chips
Naghmeh Karimi will investigate how device-aging related risks compromise the security of cryptographic devices through a NSF CAREER Award. Continue reading UMBC’s Naghmeh Karimi receives NSF CAREER Award to develop long-lasting security for cryptographic chips
This spring, UMBC’s Returning Women Student Scholars achieve dreams long deferred
This month Karla Gonzalez ‘20, social work, will become the first in her family to graduate from college, at age 34. For much of her life, college didn’t really seem like a possibility. “I never saw myself as a leader,” she says, “but at UMBC I learned that I was one.” Continue reading This spring, UMBC’s Returning Women Student Scholars achieve dreams long deferred
UMBC students create products to meet community needs at Cangialosi Business Innovation Competition
Four UMBC student groups vied for the top prize in the finals of this year’s Cangialosi Business Innovation Competition (CBIC), held entirely online for the first time on April 30. Their projects ranged across industries, from fashion to artificial intelligence. Continue reading UMBC students create products to meet community needs at Cangialosi Business Innovation Competition
Three UMBC student veterans adapt to a new mission: teaching science and math online
As military veterans, these student teachers are used to managing stressful and rapidly changing situations. They have drawn on skills and strategies from their years in the military to support their students and their own families during this time. Continue reading Three UMBC student veterans adapt to a new mission: teaching science and math online
UMBC researchers receive a Fast Grant to study antivirals’ effectiveness against COVID-19
The “fleximer” compounds Katherine Seley-Radtke developed work similarly to the antiviral Remdesivir, but come with distinct advantages. Continue reading UMBC researchers receive a Fast Grant to study antivirals’ effectiveness against COVID-19
UMBC to receive $7.7 M for U-RISE, a research training program focused on STEM leadership
The new U-RISE program will build on the outstanding 23-year legacy of the MARC U*STAR Scholars at UMBC. “If I was not a part of the MARC program, I would not be where I am today,” says Robin Bailey ’20. Continue reading UMBC to receive $7.7 M for U-RISE, a research training program focused on STEM leadership
UMBC’s Jianwu Wang receives NSF CAREER Award to help climate scientists make discoveries from massive, complex data sets
Jianwu Wang is the most recent UMBC faculty member to receive a prestigious CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. It will support his work to develop more efficient and reproducible causality analytics for use in climate science. Continue reading UMBC’s Jianwu Wang receives NSF CAREER Award to help climate scientists make discoveries from massive, complex data sets
Scholar-athlete grads draw on resilience forged in challenging times
On the surface, Kennedy Lamb ‘20, English, and Jethro Ssengonzi ‘20, mechanical engineering, didn’t have much in common when they arrived on campus. Today, these two accomplished scholar-athletes are coping with the challenges of graduating during a pandemic by drawing on stores of resilience and communities of support. Continue reading Scholar-athlete grads draw on resilience forged in challenging times
New Times Higher Ed ranking names UMBC a global leader in social and economic impact
Times Higher Education has just named UMBC one of the top universities worldwide for social and economic impact. UMBC is one of only 31 universities recognized from the United States. UMBC is also the only university in Maryland represented on the list. Continue reading New Times Higher Ed ranking names UMBC a global leader in social and economic impact
UMBC doctoral student Ciara Christian receives AAC&U 2020 K. Patricia Cross Award for equity and inclusion work
The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has honored UMBC’s Ciara Christian with its 2020 K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award. Christian, M.A. ‘18, sociology, is a doctoral student in the language, literacy, and culture program. Continue reading UMBC doctoral student Ciara Christian receives AAC&U 2020 K. Patricia Cross Award for equity and inclusion work
UMBC team makes breakthrough discovery in HIV research, opening path to new, better therapies
“For decades, the scientific community has known that two different structural forms of HIV RNA exist—they just didn’t know what controls that balance. So our discovery that a single nucleotide is having a huge effect is a paradigm shift in understanding how HIV works,” says Joshua Brown, Ph.D. ’18, biochemistry. Continue reading UMBC team makes breakthrough discovery in HIV research, opening path to new, better therapies
UMBC Cyber Dawgs rank #1 among university teams at annual Capture the Flag event
UMBC went head to head with both collegiate teams and teams of professionals from the industry, placing third overall and #1 among the universities. Continue reading UMBC Cyber Dawgs rank #1 among university teams at annual Capture the Flag event
URCAD 2020 showcases UMBC student researchers and artists in a new, interactive online format
UMBC students are no strangers to ingenuity. This year, due to COVID-19, the 24th annual iteration of URCAD calls for creative dexterity at a whole new level. URCAD has transitioned to a week-long online symposium, April 22 – 29. Continue reading URCAD 2020 showcases UMBC student researchers and artists in a new, interactive online format
CWIT Scholar Sammie Maygers ’20 finds, and builds, a community of support at UMBC
A community of support welcomed Maygers to UMBC before she started classes freshman year. She thoughtfully grew that community during her time as a Retriever. Now, she’ll carry it with her to the next stage of her life and career. Continue reading CWIT Scholar Sammie Maygers ’20 finds, and builds, a community of support at UMBC
UMBC’s Rickesh Patel determines how mantis shrimp find their way home
“As soon as the [mantis shrimp] notice you, they’ll turn around and zip straight to some sort of shelter,” Patel said, based on his field experience. “That got me wondering how they go about finding their way home.” Continue reading UMBC’s Rickesh Patel determines how mantis shrimp find their way home
Three years in, UMBC’s Inclusion Imperative connects humanities scholars focused on diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice
“The Inclusion Imperative has created real excitement about the benefits of connecting humanities faculty with one another,” shares Jessica Berman, director of the Dresher Center for the Humanities. “Faculty at UMBC have learned a variety of new tools to practice inclusive and engaged teaching.” Continue reading Three years in, UMBC’s Inclusion Imperative connects humanities scholars focused on diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice
UMBC Cyber Dawgs win Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition
Over the weekend, the UMBC Cyber Dawgs took first place in the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, which was held virtually. Now, they head to the national competition. “We are so proud of our team, and their ability to work together as a team under such extraordinary conditions,” says faculty advisor Charles Nicholas. Continue reading UMBC Cyber Dawgs win Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition
UMBC’s Tagide deCarvalho wins Olympus Image of the Year contest with striking portrait of a “water bear”
“I knew the moment I saw this colorful specimen that it was going to be a remarkable image,” Tagide deCarvalho says. “I love sharing the fascinating things I see in the microscope with other people.” Continue reading UMBC’s Tagide deCarvalho wins Olympus Image of the Year contest with striking portrait of a “water bear”
Latest global and national rankings name UMBC a leading university, from engineering and biology to public policy
UMBC is again one of the top 500 universities in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings. Continue reading Latest global and national rankings name UMBC a leading university, from engineering and biology to public policy
UMBC psychology faculty work to prevent intimate partner violence and support survivors
UMBC’s psychology faculty closely collaborate with communities on research to prevent intimate partner and gender-based violence and to support survivors. Their work is earning new awards that will enable them to have an even greater impact. Continue reading UMBC psychology faculty work to prevent intimate partner violence and support survivors
Three UMBC student researchers receive prestigious Goldwater Scholarships
“We are so proud of UMBC’s Goldwater Scholars,” says April Householder. “Their research—in neuroscience, genetics, and machine learning bias—is timely and important.” Continue reading Three UMBC student researchers receive prestigious Goldwater Scholarships
UMBC researchers offer knowledge, innovation during the time of COVID-19
At a time when information and misinformation are coming at us from all directions, and everyone is looking for answers, UMBC researchers are stepping up. They’re working hard to answer pressing questions about COVID-19 and sharing their expertise to help the public stay healthy and make informed decisions. Continue reading UMBC researchers offer knowledge, innovation during the time of COVID-19
UMBC historian Anne Rubin examines food scarcity in the Confederate South through NEH fellowship
“I research people who don’t always leave letters or diaries, but can be found through a receipt for the food they were given,” says Rubin. “I want students to think of food history as another tool in the historian’s toolbox—that you can look at a recipe and you can piece together a whole social network from it.” Continue reading UMBC historian Anne Rubin examines food scarcity in the Confederate South through NEH fellowship
UMBC leads research team to study COVID-19-related discrimination against Chinese Americans
The researchers will collect data on public opinion, the social climate, and the experiences of Chinese-American families. They seek to capture the current moment and make it possible for future researchers to study this phenomenon in the longer term. Continue reading UMBC leads research team to study COVID-19-related discrimination against Chinese Americans
International team led by UMBC identifies new bird species in the South Pacific
“Even in this well-studied group of birds, that’s been a textbook example since 1942, we did not really know what the units of biodiversity were,” says Kevin Omland. He and postdoc Anna Kearns have now contributed significant new research to help answer that question, and their findings have major conservation implications. Continue reading International team led by UMBC identifies new bird species in the South Pacific
UMBC once again ranks among the top 150 universities in federal research funding
The Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey aggregates federal research and development expenditures for fiscal year 2018. The survey data combines total funding from all federal agencies and also provides information on research funding from non-federal and non-governmental sources. Continue reading UMBC once again ranks among the top 150 universities in federal research funding
UMBC’s Suzanne Ostrand-Rosenberg recognized for 40-year career advancing cancer immunotherapy
After 41 years at UMBC, Suzanne Ostrand-Rosenberg, professor emerita of biological sciences, retired in August 2018 and moved to Utah to enjoy the mountains with her spouse. But she couldn’t stay away from her research and mentoring for long. “I just can’t quit it,” Rosenberg says. “I realized I really did not want to stop.” Continue reading UMBC’s Suzanne Ostrand-Rosenberg recognized for 40-year career advancing cancer immunotherapy
UMBC men’s swimming and diving named America East champions, women’s team captures 2nd place
UMBC senior Ilia Rattsev swept the freestyle sprints (50, 100, 200 yards). In doing so, he became the first-ever swimmer in America East history to sweep the freestyle sprints in three consecutive years. He earned the league’s David Alexander Coaches’ Award (most points accrued in a meet) and Elite 18 Award (highest academic achievement). While excelling in the pool, Rattsev is also maintaining a 3.97 GPA in bioinformatics and computational biology. Continue reading UMBC men’s swimming and diving named America East champions, women’s team captures 2nd place
Linda Dusman, professor and chair of music, named Bearman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship
Linda Dusman, professor and chair of music, has been named The Herbert Bearman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship for 2020 – 2023. The three-year appointment will enable Dusman to further her work with EnCue, an audience engagement app she co-designed for use during classical music performance. Continue reading Linda Dusman, professor and chair of music, named Bearman Foundation Chair in Entrepreneurship
Sensing an opportunity to improve wind energy: Maryland Innovation Initiative and bwtech help UMBC faculty commercialize their research
Wind turbines are massive. UMBC engineer Soobum Lee thinks about their size as an enormous opportunity and also a challenge. Today, sensors used to maintain turbines need their batteries replaced every two years, a challenge when they are on blades hundreds of feet in the air. Lee came up with a novel solution and received state and university support to make it a reality. Continue reading Sensing an opportunity to improve wind energy: Maryland Innovation Initiative and bwtech help UMBC faculty commercialize their research
Wearable sensors and infrared cameras: Introducing UMBC’s User Studies Lab
“This lab enables us to harness the precise study of movement and perception, which will open up doors of collaborations across many different disciplines that are interested in its study. Collaborative work through this lab will bring us closer in our joint pursuit of knowledge of human behavior and interaction with and through technology,” says Vandana Janeja, interim chair of information systems. Continue reading Wearable sensors and infrared cameras: Introducing UMBC’s User Studies Lab
U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence selects UMBC Training Centers to design a cyber curriculum for soldiers
The U.S. Army recently selected UMBC Training Centers as the sole recipient of an award to develop a novel cybersecurity curriculum for soldiers. UMBC was the only recipient selected, explains Kent Malwitz, president of UMBC Training Centers. This relatively rare move by the Army affirms the quality of UMBC Training Centers’ proposal and existing programs. Continue reading U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence selects UMBC Training Centers to design a cyber curriculum for soldiers