The new director, Charles Ichoku, brings deep and well-rounded experience in Earth science research, at NASA, and in student development programs—exactly the elements GESTAR II brings together and hopes to expand upon. Continue Reading New center director to take NASA-supported Earth science research into next era at UMBC
On a chilly morning in early spring 2022, Eileen Meyer, Roy Prouty, and Erik Crowe were on the roof of the UMBC Physics Building. They were inside the observatory dome, trying to figure out what had gone wrong with the 32-inch telescope installed when the building was constructed in 1999. They had already determined that the shutters designed to keep dust off the mirrors were jammed, rendering the telescope temporarily unusable. “So we’re up there with flashlights and ladders that are not quite tall enough,” Meyer recalls, “trying to figure out what is happening and realizing that some of the… Continue Reading A Space of One’s Own
Natural dust particles and pollutants in the atmosphere affect Earth’s overall energy budget in nuanced ways. A new project will study how dust, pollutants, and water vapor in the atmosphere interact, to increase understanding of their overall effects on the global climate. Continue Reading UMBC’s Zhibo Zhang to clarify atmospheric dust’s role in climate with NSF grant
Amid a bustling day filled with Homecoming excitement, GRIT-X returned to UMBC this month for its sixth year, delivering a wide-ranging lineup of Retriever excellence in action. Held in the Fine Arts Recital Hall, this year’s GRIT-X was the first for new UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby. Enjoying one engaging talk after another, she deemed the event “the essence of UMBC.” Continue Reading GRIT-X 2022 brings to life the “essence” of UMBC research and creative achievement
Maurice Roots and Kylie Hoffman, UMBC Ph.D. students in atmospheric physics, have received competitive Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) awards that will support the remainder of their graduate studies. Roots’s research project will focus on air pollution and Hoffman will target thunderstorms, both using remote sensing techniques. Continue Reading Ozone and thunderstorms: Two UMBC Ph.D. students receive prestigious NASA grants, mentor undergraduates
The HARP cubesat, in orbit from November 2019 to April 22, was just the beginning of UMBC researchers’ efforts to increase understanding of how particles in the atmosphere affect climate and air quality. This month, HARP2 will be delivered to NASA for inclusion in a new mission. Continue Reading UMBC researchers build next-gen satellite tech to examine Earth’s atmosphere
Meet Emily Faber, a first generation college student who is pursuing a Ph.D. in atmospheric physics and who is also very involved as a student leader in the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. Continue Reading Meet a Retriever – Emily Faber, Ph.D. student in atmospheric physics
“This is probably the most clear-cut case” illustrating this phenomenon that scientists are aware of, says Eileen Meyer. The black hole is zipping away from its galaxy’s center at more than 4.5 million miles per hour. Continue Reading UMBC’s Eileen Meyer and team find strongest evidence yet of a black hole zooming away from its galaxy’s center
Nine recent UMBC graduates and alumni will soon travel to the UK, El Salvador, Kuwait, France, Colombia, Taiwan, South Korea, and Germany as 2022 Fulbright U.S. Student scholars. They include emerging leaders in education, astrophysics, cybersecurity, human rights, and more, and they are excited to explore difficult questions through fresh perspectives. Continue Reading UMBC’s 2022 Fulbright student scholars will travel the world to explore difficult questions
“As a first generation college student … I didn’t know if going to graduate school would be possible for me, but people believed in me, saw my potential, and gave me the ability to succeed,” Kaitlynn says Kaitlynn Lilly ’22, mathematics and physics. “Being able to give that back to other people has been really powerful for me and has made my UMBC experience very fulfilling.” Continue Reading First-generation grad reflects on the power of seeing potential, giving support
Articles on The Conversation offer context to current events, explain natural phenomena, introduce new research in an accessible way, and more. “The Conversation helps us contribute to our public service mission as a public university,” says Vice President for Research Karl Steiner. “This milestone underscores the importance of academic researchers actively participating in the public discourse of complex issues.” Continue Reading Ten million reads: UMBC researchers hit milestone in sharing knowledge through The Conversation
Two new papers from Can Ataca’s research group at UMBC set the stage for further advances in solar power and other renewable energy technologies. Graduate students Daniel Wines and Gracie Chaney led the projects. Ataca’s group’s work is theory- and computation-based, but these projects took advantage of collaboration with experimental researchers. As work in this field develops from theory to implementation in devices, “There’s a need for both kinds of research at every stage,” Wines says. Continue Reading UMBC research group tackles ongoing hurdles to efficient solar power tech
