On November 1, the UMBC community celebrated faculty who have earned exemplary recognition as fellows by their professional associations and societies. Designation as a fellow is one of the top honors an academic can earn, recognizing a career of accomplishment, often decades in the making. Nearly 50 UMBC faculty members—about 14 percent of the university’s tenure-track faculty—have received this high distinction in their fields, and the number is growing quickly across all three UMBC colleges.

At a special event to honor their achievements, organized by the Office of the Vice President for Research, President Freeman Hrabowski told the faculty fellows, “All of you here today represent the best in your disciplines and we wanted to celebrate what you have done, to make the point that our institution has a wide range of scholars from literature and history, to the sciences and social sciences, to the arts.”

Hrabowski specifically mentioned Michael Summers, Robert E. Meyerhoff Chair for Excellence in Research and Mentoring and University Distinguished Professor of chemistry and biochemistry, who recently became the first UMBC faculty member elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Jessica Berman, professor of English and director of the Dresher Center for the Humanities, received praise for her editorial work on the Modernist Latitudes book series (Columbia University Press) and service to the board of the American Comparative Literature Association. Robert Provine, professor of psychology, internationally known for his expertise on human behavior, met with hearty applause for his 40+ years of service to UMBC.

Hrabowski highlighted Bimal Sinha, professor of mathematics and statistics since 1985 and founding member of the statistics program at UMBC, and department colleagues Thomas Mathew and Nagaraj Neerchal for their extensive international collaborations, including applied statistics work to address economic challenges in Africa.

Hrabowski also honored Tulay Adali, University Distinguished Professor of computer science and electrical engineering, for research completed in her lab at the intersection of signal processing and medical imaging, and Warren DeVries, professor of mechanical engineering, for his long-term commitment to mentoring students and younger faculty as they launch their careers.

“The recognition that you’ve received from your international peers is one of the most tangible measures of your success as a scholar and a researcher,” shared Provost Philip Rous, “and through that recognition you bring great honor and visibility to our community and our university.” Rous stressed UMBC’s emphasis on excellence in research with impact, and thanked the faculty fellows for their contributions to that trajectory.

Provost Rous also recognized that each honoree’s efforts go far beyond scholarship. “Every one of you who’s here is an outstanding professor, teacher, and dedicated mentor for our students,” Rous shared, “and it’s that combination as well as your incredible achievements in research that makes UMBC such a great place to be.”

The complete list of faculty fellows is available here. It can be sorted by name, department, or professional society.

Banner image, left to right: Scott Casper, dean of College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Jessica Berman, professor of English and director of the Dresher Center for the Humanities; President Freeman Hrabowski, III. 

All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Eight administrators and faculty members from the University of Kassel in central Germany visited UMBC from August 29 to September 2 to build on a thriving university partnership between the two schools by continuing to cultivate broader research collaborations and student exchange programs.

Both UMBC and Kassel are young, innovative institutions known for promoting interdisciplinary programs and with particular strengths in STEM fields and the arts. “This visit is very important for us, as Kassel recognizes UMBC to be an international partner of strategic importance,” shares David diFuccia, professor of chemistry education at Kassel, at a lunch celebrating the partnership. “I hope our cooperation will grow and deepen, and that with every meeting we will take a step further.”

The partnership began when Matthias Gobbert, professor of mathematics at UMBC and a Kassel native, spent his sabbatical at Kassel during the 2011–2012 academic year. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two universities’ math departments grew out of that visit, leading to fruitful exchanges of graduate students and faculty. In 2014, the MOU expanded to the university level, and undergraduate students have been studying abroad at each institution since fall 2015.

Karl Steiner, UMBC vice president for research, and Antonio Moreira, vice provost for academic affairs, have visited Kassel and discussed ways to grow the relationship, including development of a streamlined study abroad program. Now, Moreira says, “It’s truly expanding to the whole campus here at UMBC and at Kassel.”

Fields of study where UMBC and Kassel teams are already conducting complementary research and which are rife for collaboration include renewable energy, cybersecurity, nanoscience, remote sensing, and education. Other departments such as visual arts; economics; modern languages, linguistics, and intercultural communication (MLLI); and computer science are also exploring opportunities to partner.

Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park, discussed potential future business collaborations with the German guests. “We think global opportunities are really significant for companies,” she says, “so we’re always looking for natural ways to form partnerships.”

Both universities also see student academic exchange, beyond language classes, as a major priority in the partnership. Given course and lab research requirements, many students with majors in the hard sciences and engineering perceive study abroad as unrealistic—an option not truly available to them. However, UMBC and Kassel are committed to making it a clear and accessible process for students of any major. Julie Ross, dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology, notes, “The things they’ll be working on in engineering and IT are global issues,” so it’s important for students to gain international exposure.

Susanne Sutton, coordinator of German in MLLI at UMBC, adds, “We have many STEM majors in our German classes. This is a tremendous opportunity for them to study abroad, as well as for students who are less familiar with the language and culture of Germany but have an interest in exploring it.”

Scott Casper, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, is particularly excited to see his global studies students and Humanities Scholars travel abroad. “The problems our students are tackling are not limited to the U.S.,” he says.

Students in UMBC’s teacher education program, including those in the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program, will also have opportunities to visit German schools and learn about teaching methods in Germany through collaboration with Kassel. In this digital age, “the students they will be teaching are global students,” says Casper, so it’s important teachers come to the classroom with a global perspective. The delegation also met with leaders of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, who see excellent opportunities for their students to study abroad at Kassel.

The next step for the burgeoning UMBC–Kassel relationship is to expand the undergraduate exchange component. Already, many courses at the German university are taught in English, expanding the number of UMBC students who are able to complete discipline-specific coursework through an international exchange experience.

UMBC and Kassel are growing their cooperation steadily in many directions, with over a dozen faculty and staff working to make productive international exchanges possible for faculty and students on each side of the Atlantic. “When something comes together and it seems effortless,” says UMBC Provost Philip Rous, “you know that means a tremendous amount of effort has gone into it.”

UMBC students interested in learning more about study abroad should attend a Study Abroad 101 seminar offered twice a week by the Study Abroad Office, 2^nd floor Administration building. Apply by October 10 to study abroad in the following spring semester.

Images: The University of Kassel delegation and UMBC representatives, August 30, 2016; students at UMBC’s Study Abroad Fair, September 2, 2016, interact with University of Kassel representatives. Photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Readers of this year’s Baltimore Magazine guide to popular colleges in Maryland opened the publication to see a full-page vibrant photo of UMBC’s campus, taken from a rooftop above the tree canopy. UMBC is one of nine area colleges featured in the guide, with a university profile emphasizing the growing reach of UMBC’s positive reputation, the diversity of UMBC programs, and the university’s affordability.

“We are a best-value institution with national name recognition for undergraduate education, entrepreneurship, and innovation,” shared Diane Lee, vice provost and the dean of undergraduate education. UMBC’s strength in undergraduate research across all academic fields also earned a mention.

“We are producing great outcomes and people see it,” added Yvette Mozie-Ross, vice provost of enrollment management and planning, emphasizing how UMBC graduates are well prepared for the workforce and for graduate degree programs.

The magazine lists STEM fields as popular areas of study at UMBC, while also calling attention to the LEED Gold-certified Performing Arts and Humanities Building (“The PAHB”).

Faculty members Manil Suri, mathematics and statistics, and Kimberly Moffitt, American studies, are listed as “popular professors.” In addition, Kaye Whitehead Ph.D. ‘09, language, literacy, and culture, is highlighted as a popular professor at Loyola University.

Andrew Belasco, head counselor at College Transitions, an independent college-counseling company, says UMBC today is underrated. According to him, the Retrievers “have arrived.”

Image: The UMBC library in spring; photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Each summer dozens of college students from around the nation travel to UMBC to take advantage of the university’s leading research facilities and faculty.  This year, 28 students studied climate change, diabetes, and other topics as part of UMBC’s Interdisciplinary Program in High Performance Computing, a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) housed in the mathematics and statistics department. At the same time, 10 students tackled projects through the new Chemical Sensing and Imaging REU, hosted by the chemistry and biochemistry department. Students learned new scientific skills, refined career goals, and practiced teamwork.

Matthias Gobbert, professor of mathematics and director of the Interdisciplinary Program in High Performance Computing, explains that the program emerged from a collaboration between the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Consulting (CIRC) and the High Performance Computing Facility. Gobbert and math department colleagues match each student team with a client from a local company who comes to the table with a problem they’d like the students to solve. It’s not about imagined scenarios, Gobbert says, “It’s real consulting.”

“It’s a good chance to get used to working with teams,” says Lois Miller, a rising senior at DePauw University. Abigail Kramer, a rising senior at Kent State University, agrees, adding, “It’s been great to talk to math majors from other schools.”

The interdisciplinary projects have exposed students to new options. “People don’t think about how math can overlap with other things,” says Danielle Sykes ‘19, mathematics and statistics and a Meyerhoff Scholar, whose team applied a data analytics model to huge amounts of climate data from across the Missouri River Basin. “It’s definitely expanded my thinking about what my career options are,” she shares.

The National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, and National Security Agency all contributed funding for the program this year, enabling a larger student cohort to participate. Fifty percent of students come from institutions with limited research opportunities, so the program gives them rare first-hand experience and helps them decide if they’d like to pursue research further. A graduate student and faculty member are assigned to each undergraduate team, “so teams can be really well supported,” says Gobbert.

UMBC’s new chemistry REU “embraces the UMBC mission to provide research and education opportunities to students from all backgrounds, including students from underrepresented minorities in STEM,” says Zeev Rosenzweig, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry. Supporting these students is a team effort. “I greatly appreciate the dedication of our UMBC faculty and graduate student mentors to the participating students,” he says.

The 10 students in the program had eye-opening experiences in their research projects. “I’ve gained an appreciation for the principal science behind a lot of the things we use,” says Kalen Sullivan, a pre-med student at Iona College who worked with Marcin Ptaszek, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry. Sullivan didn’t meet his project’s goal to produce a specific novel compound in the lab, although he worked long and hard, but he’s found an even greater respect for people who work “in the trenches” of science.

Kathy Barron, a 2016 chemistry graduate from Virginia Tech, worked with Jennie Leach, associate professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering (CBEE), and Erin Lavik, professor of CBEE. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn about a field of research I was unfamiliar with,” she says. It went so well that Lavik asked her to stay on after the REU ended. She’ll continue doing research in the lab and is considering graduate study in the same field.

Becca Pontius, a rising senior chemistry major at Clemson University, has been inspired to pursue a new field after working to develop quantum dots in Rosenzweig’s lab. Slightly uncertain about her project at first because it contained a significant biology component, “Now I know I can stretch out to new things and still be successful,” she shares. “The REU program at UMBC was a big step towards my dream job of becoming a research professor.”

All UMBC REU students presented their work at the 19^th annual Summer Undergraduate Research Fest on August 10.

Rosenzweig hopes the students take away more than research knowledge from UMBC. “It is my hope that the REU students will become ambassadors of UMBC in their academic institutions, and help us to promote and expand the UMBC culture of inclusive excellence.”

Faculty Mentors for Chemical Sensing and Imaging REU:
Brad Arnold, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Marie Christine Daniel-Onuta, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Lisa Kelly, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Minjoung Kyoung, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Erin Lavik, professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering
Jennie Leach, associate professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering
Matt Pelton, assistant professor of physics
Marcin Ptaszek, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Zeev Rosenzweig, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry, REU director
Ryan White, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry

Interdisciplinary Program in High-Performance Computing REU:
Nagaraj Neerchal, professor of mathematics and statistics, REU co-director
Brad Peercy, associate professor of mathematics and statistics, REU faculty mentor
Kofi Adragni, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics, REU faculty mentor

Banner image: 2016 Chemical Sensing and Imaging REU cohort at SURF.
In-text image: 2016 High-Performance Computing REU cohort at SURF.
Photos by Tim Ford for UMBC.

Each year several hundred UMBC students take advantage of the summer months to explore careers related to their majors, expand their knowledge and skills, and learn more about themselves through internships. The advancement of UMBC alumni as non-profit, corporate, and public service leaders as the university approaches its 50th birthday has added another layer to those internship opportunities: a chance for current students to work directly with alumni mentors.

One local nonprofit hosted four UMBC social work students focused on elder services in Baltimore communities. LaToya Solomon ‘17, Emily Preston ‘17, Jessica Praybe ‘17, and Sabrina Hall ‘18, interned with elder services coordinator Lauren Averella ‘11, social work, at Cities for All Ages, a Civic Works program where Averella also interned as a UMBC undergraduate.

Solomon heard about the program from a professor, and Preston, Praybe and Hall learned of the internship opportunity while attending a panel organized by Phi Alpha, the social work honor society at UMBC. Averella was one of the panelists and they were impressed with what she said about her work in Baltimore.

“I was really looking for a way to get my foot in the door, and I’m not sure which social work path I want to someday work in, so I wanted to try working with older adults,” explained Hall.

Cities for All Ages typically hosts two UMBC interns each summer, but Averella says this year’s candidates were so strong in their interviews that the organization decided to expand the number of positions to accept four. She has been impressed by their growth and the results of their work this summer.

Working as community organizers, the interns planned community events, visited neighborhoods around the city to share resources, and wrote monthly newsletters sent to an audience of 1,500. The students shared that budgeting, soliciting donations to support community events, and meeting deadlines were the most challenging aspects of the internship, but working with clients proved tremendously rewarding.

In addition to guiding the interns through their summer experience, Averella encouraged the students to shadow leaders in different roles, working on a broad range of projects. Averella says, “I encourage everyone to try everything,” to move beyond their comfort zones and get a sense of the range of career possibilities.

At House of Ruth, a shelter for victims of domestic violence, located a few miles from Cities for All Ages, Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar Allie Mann ‘17, psychology, is answering a 24-hour hotline. “I take calls from people who are experiencing intimate partner violence,” she explains, as well as from people who need help and support for other reasons.

During the beginning of her internship, Mann says she was nervous about taking calls on the hotline. “It’s very scary to be a student and be talking to people as if you have all the answers,” she shared. “I’m familiar with some community resources but I by no means know everything.”

Over the course of her internship her confidence grew, as she saw the impact of her work. “There are some people who I’ve talked to who when they’ve called back they’ve asked for me…Once they’ve told their story, it’s nice that they know someone here knows their story,” she says.

Erin Fox ‘08, gender and women’s studies and sociology, is supervising Mann, who is also a gender and women’s studies minor and who shares the same UMBC faculty mentor. She has been impressed by Mann’s deep commitment to the House of Ruth’s mission, and also wants to encourage students who are less familiar with the work service organizations do to see internships as a foot in the door.

“The reason you get an internship is to get that practical experience. So if you haven’t done something like this before, it shouldn’t be a barrier to you applying. If you look at the skills you learn through school and other jobs, a lot of them probably apply to the internships you’re applying for,” says Fox.

Mann says that her time at UMBC has “largely been shaped by service,” and she plans to continue her internship during the fall semester with support from the Shattuck Family Entrepreneur Internship Program coordinated by the Career Center and Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship.

Phanindra Kumar Kannaji M.S.‘19, computer science, spent the summer at PayPal in Lutherville-Timonium, in an internship he found through UMBC’s Career Center. Kannaji arrived at his internship interview with questions about the technologies he could expect to see and projects he would be working on. During his internship, his supervisor, Christopher Powell ‘13, computer science, was then able to give him opportunities to work with the technologies he expressed the most interest in learning more about.

Powell says he is consistently impressed with the technology programs at UMBC, and the skill set they provide to UMBC students. “PayPal is a big organization [that often works with] big schools like Stanford and MIT and Carnegie Mellon, so to have someone who came in on the same path that I came on at UMBC…has been really rewarding.”

PayPal works to connect interns around the world to one another through workshops and collaborative projects. “What we try to do is not have the interns work in a silo. We really want them to come in and gain the domain knowledge and learn what [PayPal employees] are doing because the ultimate goal is to hire them as full-time employees,” says Powell.

Kannaji enjoyed working on meaningful projects with tangible outcomes, including developing a new bot to alert support teams in the event of a technical problem. He encourages fellow students to “take the risk” of trying something new with an internship to get the most out of the experience, and Powell agrees. “Don’t be afraid to go out for an internship that you feel is above your skill level or current set of abilities,” Powell says. “You’re not going to know whether you can do something unless you actually try it.”

David Atlas ‘18, mathematics, spent the summer interning with Nick Welsh ‘93, information systems management, at T. Rowe Price in Baltimore. The two have worked together on data visualization projects— developing ways to display large quantities of information that are easily understandable—and on projects that seek to prevent errors in prediction models relating to financial risk.

Atlas feels that his UMBC education prepared him well for his internship both in terms of his approach to learning and work culture. “At UMBC, they definitely teach you to think outside of the box, and to work hard and keep pushing at things,” he says, sharing that he could also sense that focus on hard work and “grit” at T. Rowe Price.

One challenge that Atlas faced was determining which projects were the top priority, and which were not as time-sensitive. He learned about flexibility and prioritizing, and the importance of asking questions, especially when doing new tasks for the first time. “There are certain things that are only done here, in this building, so you can’t really learn about them in school,” he says.

Welsh is continually impressed with the quality of interns coming from UMBC, and he encourages students new to the internship experience to take initiative: “Make the most of it. Be engaged…Ask questions.”

Justin Kang ‘17, psychology, would like to pursue a career in human resources, and was excited for the opportunity to develop training guides and process internship application materials through an internship with the Madison House Autism Foundation, one of few foundations with a focus on supporting autistic adults. Kang worked closely with Steve Robinson ‘12, history, who was delighted to “mentor a fellow Retriever” who was so interested in the mission of the organization.

Kang found his internship to be a valuable crash-course in the differences between school and the workplace. “In the classroom, you get an A or a B, and you pretty much know how well you did from there, but in an office setting, you don’t really have that criteria to go off of,” says Kang. “You just have to keep doing work and constantly ask questions to see how you’re doing…and constantly find ways to improve yourself.”

For more information on how to prepare and apply for internships, and to connect with employers, visit the Career Center. Find photos of more student summer internship experiences—from Apple, Microsoft, and Cisco to law offices, chemistry labs, and construction sites—on Twitter with #UMBCintern.

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All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Manil Suri is one of just 15 leading experts worldwide awarded a prestigious academic residency for September 2016 at the The Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center in Italy. During the upcoming residency, Suri, a professor of mathematics, will work on his current book project, The Godfather of Numbers.

As an arts and literary arts resident, Suri is now part of a 56-year legacy that includes Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, artists, social entrepreneurs, and activists and the selection is recognition of his ability to promote the well-being of humanity around the world.

The residency program is made up of leading academics, artists, thought leaders, policymakers, and practitioners who have been recognized for their bold thinking and promise to further change the world for the better.

“The Foundation’s Bellagio Residency Program has a track record for supporting the generation of important new knowledge addressing some of the most complex issues facing our world, and innovative new works of art that inspire reflection and understanding of global and social issues,” according to a description about the program on the Rockefeller Foundation’s website.

In a short biography announcing September’s Bellagio residents, the foundation states: “Suri’s The Godfather of Numbers is a novel that aims to posit mathematics as the basis of all creation with The Godfather of Numbers as the narrator who initiates a mathematical big bang to create the counting numbers out of nothingness. His foremost objective for the book is to create a compelling piece of fiction and to allow readers an entry into the world of mathematics which does not assume mathematical expertise. While bringing out mathematics’ playful aspects for a wide target audience, he also wants to provide insight into how it works invisibly in so much of the universe. Mathematics is a much-maligned and poorly understood subject, and he hopes the book is a step towards reducing the anxiety surrounding it.”

Read more about residency program on The Rockefeller Foundation’s website. For more on Manil Suri’s previous books, visit his author website and to learn more about his teaching and research, visit his UMBC website.

Image: Manil Suri. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

Brandon Enriquez ‘17, economics and mathematics, has been named student regent for the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, effective July 1, 2016.

Enriquez was among three new members appointed to the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents by Governor Larry Hogan for the upcoming fiscal year. The Board of Regents oversees USM’s academic, administrative, and financial operations.

As student regent, Enriquez represents more than 168,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 12 institutions across the state, including UMBC. As a voting member of the board, he will work fellow regents members and USM institutions to address a wide variety of issues that impact students, faculty, and staff.

“I am very excited to be named student regent,” said Enriquez. “I look forward to applying some of the insights I’ve gained in my research to help students across the state.”

During his one-year term, Enriquez plans to focus on college affordability and student success. His ongoing undergraduate research focuses on the economics of education and policies surrounding remediation and student employment on academic performance. “I not only care about making sure college is affordable for students, but also about helping them succeed academically—both for undergraduate and graduate students,” he says.

Enriquez is the fourth UMBC student to be appointed to the USM Board of Regents in the past decade. He joins Collin Wojciechowski ’13, political science and media & communication studies (2011-12); Josh Michael ’10, political science (2008-09); and Phil Shockley ’04, information systems and political science, ’09, M.P.P. (2003-04).

“It’s a great honor when one of our students is selected to serve on the USM Board of Regents,” says President Freeman Hrabowski. “I was delighted to learn of Brandon’s appointment. He represents the very best of our university, and we look forward to seeing him learn and grow with this new opportunity.”

This summer Enriquez is working as a research assistant at MIT on a project to evaluate the effects of randomly awarded student scholarships. From this study, researchers hope to examine the potential causal effect of financial aid on enrollment, retention, and graduation rates of poor and working-class students. Last year, he spent the summer at Harvard University analyzing the impact of limiting postsecondary remediation to two-year community colleges.

Enriquez is a Meyerhoff NSA Scholar and member of the Honors College. He has served as president and co-president of the UMBC College Democrats, and has participated in UMBC’s STRiVE Leadership Retreat.

Media coverage:
Three new regents join USM Board (The Daily Record) 

Images, top-bottom: UMBC Administration Building, courtesy of Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. Brandon Enriquez head shot, courtesy of Brandon Enriquez.

The highly anticipated 2016 Probability and Statistics Day at UMBC on May 20 and 21 featured numerous compelling talks from leading statisticians. Previous years included workshops and student presentations on innovative work, while this year included a poignant celebration. In addition to marking the event’s 10^th anniversary, participants also honored event founder Bimal Sinha, longtime professor of mathematics and statistics at UMBC, on his 70^th birthday.

Sinha founded the graduate program in applied statistics at UMBC and has made substantial contributions to the UMBC community over three decades. “What stands out for me,” said Bill LaCourse, dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, “is that he is a kind, thoughtful, and generous person.” Reflecting on Sinha’s work to expand statistics at UMBC is like watching “an acorn…growing into a mighty oak,” said LaCourse.

Many of Sinha’s former students returned to UMBC to attend the event, which is “a testament to his mentorship and involvement,” said Liz Stanwyck Ph.D. ’11. Stanwyck recalled that Sinha helped arrange for her to give invited talks in Bangladesh and India during her graduate studies, an opportunity that proved to be transformative. Stanwyck currently serves as a lecturer in the UMBC math department and as the statistics program advisor.

Barry Nussbaum, president-elect of the American Statistical Association (ASA), lauded the UMBC math and statistics department—and by extension, Sinha, who helped shape it—for “embracing all the traits the ASA suggests departments have” to be recognized as standard bearers. These include an emphasis on data science and external communications, real applications of theoretical work, and interdisciplinary initiatives. Nussbaum was particularly impressed by what he called UMBC’s “innovative extras,” such as the strength of undergraduate research and the “math gym” tutoring program.

Colleagues also reflected on Sinha’s pivotal role in developing strong relationships with local agencies where his theoretical work is applied. In addition to furthering research, relationships with groups like the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Census Bureau create important opportunities for students and alumni.

“It’s fascinating to see what our alumni have done with their careers,” said Rouben Rostamian, who joined the UMBC faculty the same year as Sinha and is now chair of UMBC’s math department. He shared, “It gives meaning to what we do here.”

In addition to his contributions to UMBC, Sinha has founded an annual mathematics and statistics conference in Africa, hosted over the first three years in Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Senegal, and planned to take place next in South Africa. “We can actually see the impact it is having,” said Thomas Mathew, professor of mathematics and statistics at UMBC.

Throughout his long career, still going strong, Bimal Sinha has cultivated a global research network, mentored dozens of graduate students to their Ph.D. and M.S. degrees, contributed new knowledge to the field of statistics, and founded a graduate program and two successful conference series, among other accomplishments. The secret to his success, he says, is simply, “Do good work and be nice to everybody”—a message his students and colleague have taken to heart.

Images: Attendees (header image) and Bimal Sinha (l) and Barry Nussbaum (r) at UMBC Probability and Statistics Day 2016. Photos by Ricardo Moura.

The University Center Ballroom was humming on Wednesday, April 27, with the voices of hundreds of UMBC students presenting their research and creative work to proud long-time supporters and curious first-time visitors alike.

This year UMBC celebrated its 20th annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day, a particularly special celebration for a university so focused on student-led projects and engaged learning experiences. As Diane Lee, dean of undergraduate education, said, reflecting on the anniversary, “Indeed, we know of no other university where so many students, faculty members, and staff gather to come and learn from the voices of undergraduate students.”

URCAD programming included performances, film screenings, exhibits, posters, and talks from all disciplines, as well as a large number of interdisciplinary partnerships.

Aakash Bajpai ‘18, mechanical engineering, and three partners presented a collaboration with the Baltimore City Department of Public Works on research to anticipate when aging city pipes will fail before those incidents occur. Their research is also helping to determine why these pipes are failing and how the failures can be prevented in the future. Bajpai says that this project can save Baltimore millions of dollars by minimizing the disruptions caused by emergency repairs, moving toward a more proactive and cost-effective infrastructure maintenance approach.

Joel Tyson ‘18, biochemical engineering, is studying probes to determine whether they are compatible with the chemistry of the human body, under the mentorship of Gymama Slaughter, assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering. The probes will be used to simultaneously sense neurotransmitters and monitor the electrical activity in the brain. Analyzing the safety of the probes and how they interact with the body’s chemical composition will be essential for when the probes are tested on mice and, later, in human models. The sensor is being designed as a more effective, less invasive way to continuously monitor neurotransmitter release and the brain’s electrical activity in people with neurological disorders.

Elise Donkor ‘16, computer engineering, is developing more personalized software to better diagnose and treat patients experiencing heart arrhythmia. Unusual patterns in heart activity can be signs of conditions like diabetes or heart attacks. Current software designed to track heart activity is mass produced, Donkor explains, and personalization could make it a more effective tool. The algorithms that she has developed to detect abnormalities have shown a 97.8% level of accuracy in identifying arrhythmia patterns.

Nerissa Vasconcells ’16, dance, presented her solo dance performance Limitless. Her primary research focuses on modern dance and methods developed by such masters as Graham, Horton, and Limon, but Vasconcells also has studied ballet. She was motivated to create a work that “emphasized beauty as a classical ballet choreographer, while using choreographic methods commonly found in modern dance.” Vasconcells says, “classical ballet has its origins in the 18th and 19th centuries, emphasizing elegance, beauty, and regimentation, and has a choreographic process directly related to a musical score. Modern dance, a product of the 20th century, is often abstract and uses a wide variety of choreographic processes not linked to the musical score. Combining these varied techniques has been a personal challenge and a pursuit of self-exploration.”

Rachel Wolven ’16, visual arts, presented her time-lapse photography film, Light Inhibits Light, the culmination of a comparative study of the visibility of deep space objects and the Milky Way as affected by light pollution. Her film presented over a dozen night sky locations from Baltimore to Nova Scotia, with light pollution measurements and GPS coordinates noted to orient viewers. Her time-lapse photography captured sublime celestial movements across dark skies as well as starless, hazy summer city nights, highlighting both particle and light pollution. Wolven aims to “bring attention…to show what is missing from the skies above our cities.” She says, “To protect this natural resource, awareness must first be raised in order for people to want to make changes and work to fight the overabundance of light pollution.”

James Loy ’16, mathematics and physics, works with Matthew Pelton, assistant professor of physics, on “quantum dots,” which are nanoscale semiconductor crystals. The dots may eventually be used as a lower-cost alternative to silicon-based solar cells. Using “acceptor molecules” to grab the excited electrons released by the dots increases overall electrical current output. Loy’s work showed that more acceptor molecules increased the output linearly, which is encouraging for future work to optimize quantum dots for eventual commercial use in solar energy harvesting. “Working in Dr. Pelton’s lab was the best part of my college career,” Loy says, noting “I experienced research from the posing of the problem through to publication.” Loy will pursue a Ph.D. in physics at Princeton this fall.

Rebekah Rashford ’18, biological sciences, is studying how ribosomes, the cellular structures that build proteins, are put together. Ribosomes are made of both protein and RNA. The unnecessary parts of the initial RNA molecule need to be cut out before it can function in the ribosome, a process called “maturation.” Ribosomal proteins bind to the RNA throughout the maturation process. By taking snapshots of the RNA at different points in time, she’s creating a map of what happens when. This foundational research could eventually contribute to treating diseases caused by ribosomal defects. Rashford’s mentor, Lasse Lindahl, professor of biological sciences, has had a major impact on her UMBC experience and aspirations as a scientist. “He’s so excited about the research, and he gets me excited about it, too.” Rashford says. “When you’re motivated, your work will be that much better.”

Taisha Gainor ‘16,political science, and Asfiya Mariam ’16, biological sciences, researched how pop culture can influence citizens’ participation in politics. After coming across studies suggesting people who have read or watched Harry Potter are statistically more likely to participate in politics, they focused on exploring the series’ political elements. Gainor noted that she hopes her work will spur more engagement with the political system. “I think it’s a great way to get people involved in politics…relating it to something that they want to talk about and then showing how that actually relates to things in their everyday life.”

Deirdre Lohrmann ‘16,ancient studies and history, studied Roman glass production in antiquity with a specific focus on glassware from the Marie Spiro collection. Viewing a display during UMBC’s Ancient Studies Week sparked her interest in the project, and she says that studying artifacts from Ancient Rome has helped her develop a greater appreciation and understanding of the world around her. “We learn from our past,” she says, to understand the similarities between people in antiquity and people today.

Throughout the event, students shared the impact of mentors who served as guides through research and creative processes and as sounding boards on graduate school and career path possibilities inspired by their work.

Featured URCAD speaker Mark Reynolds ‘78, ‘82 M.A., psychology, picked up on these themes. Reynolds, now dean of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, shared how his undergraduate research experience paved the way for his career and how UMBC faculty mentors helped him develop a passion for teaching, learning, and supporting others.

“To students, please give back,” said Reynolds crediting his career success to the interest and mentorship of people who encouraged him during his student years. “It is so important,” he told the URCAD crowd, “…and you want to perpetuate that.”

Visit the URCAD website to access the full list of student presenters.

**Update: Dean Scott Casper and Provost Diane Lee invite the university community to a campus forum on Thursday, May 12, at noon in the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery, where students Zoe Wang and Riley Auer will present their poster, “Illustrating the Unseen: Analogy and Metaphor in an Ancient Gynecological Text.” This event follows a decision made to move the poster before URCAD began and a thoughtful conversation that followed, regarding the important issues of the nature of artistic, humanistic, and scientific research and representation; the presentation of research to academic and public audiences; and the meaning and centrality of academic freedom. In addition to the presenting students, several members of UMBC’s faculty, including Carole McCann, Preminda Jacob, Molly Jones-Lewis, and Stephen Freeland, will reflect on the issues that the poster and its presentation raise for scholarship and our academic community, and audience members will be welcomed to join in the dialogue.

Images: URCAD 2016 posters, performances, and presentations by (from top to bottom) Taisha Gainor ’16, political science; Elise Donkor ’16, computer engineering; Nerissa Vasconcells ’16, dance; and Mark Reynolds ’78, ’82 M.A., psychology. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Grace Choi
B.S., Mathematics and Statistics
Summa Cum Laude
Hometown: Ellicott City, Maryland
Plans: Ph.D. in Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania

The support from faculty and availability of undergraduate research opportunities have helped me gain vital work experience and discern my passions and skills. The rigor of UMBC classes helped me grow academically and highlighted the importance of group studying.

Grace Choi is an outstanding example of the UMBC student drive to pursue academic excellence at its highest levels while also taking time to support communities and causes of personal resonance.

Graduating with a 4.0, Choi has been admitted into the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and placed on the UMBC President’s Academic List. She has received numerous departmental awards, including the Outstanding Learning Assistant in Physics and Outstanding Graduating Senior in Statistics. She also received support from the UMBC Centennial Award Scholarship and Sinha Endowment for Excellence in Statistics.

 
Beyond the classroom, Choi has served as mission and advocacy chair for UMBC’s Relay for Life and was the secretary and large group coordinator for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. This role involved leading discussions on topics such as faith, race, and social justice.

Images: Choi emceeing an InterVarsity large group meeting, an activity that helped her broaden her perspectives; photo courtesy Grace Choi. Portrait by Marlayna Demond ‘11 for UMBC.