Forbes has announced its annual 30 Under 30 Healthcare 2026 list, and Courtney Cavin, '22, chemical engineering, M.S. '23, chemical and biochemical engineering, was named as one of the young leaders shaping the future of healthcare innovation.

Cavin serves as the chief operating officer of Baltimore-based Astek Diagnostics, a medical technology company that has developed a diagnostic tool to enable rapid, point-of-care detection of bacterial infections in urine, along with antibiotic susceptibility testing.

During her time at UMBC, Cavin was a CWIT Scholar (C17) and received the Student Personal Excellence Award at the 2022 CWIT Community Awards, recognizing her integrity, leadership, and commitment to treating others with dignity and respect as an engaged member of the CWIT community.

Black and Gold Rush is here! On March 4 and 5, our UMBC community will come together for 36 hours of giving.

Be part of UMBC's future and show the strength of Retriever pride and generosity. Give today and help amplify support for our students and programs. 🖤💛 Support the College of Engineering and Information Technology and donate today! 🐾

Last year, the College of Engineering and Information Technology raised over $10,000 in support of departments, scholars programs, and student organizations.

Here's how you can help:

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a group of likely carcinogenic chemicals, were banned in the U.S. in 1979. Yet because the chemicals were so widely used, and linger in the environment for so long, PCBs continue to be a major source of fish consumption advisories in Maryland and surrounding states. 

A recent study by Professor Upal Ghosh, in the Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, demonstrates the “unfinished work” of ridding our waters of PCB pollutants, the researchers write. The study was highlighted in a story in the Bay Journal.

The researchers, led by Ghosh and Research Assistant Professor Nathalie Lombard, analyzed PCB concentrations in fish that had been collected across 323 monitoring stations in Maryland over three decades. They identified five watersheds as highly impacted by PCBs, including the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Most impacted waterways have seen gradual, yet steady improvements over the years, with the exception of the Gunpowder-Patapsco near Baltimore, which showed no decrease in PCB pollution concentration levels in fish since 1996. 

Overall, the study showed that the ban on PCBs and pollution remediation efforts implemented across Maryland and surrounding states have helped waterways recover, the researchers say, but more efforts are still needed.

Each year, communities across the nation celebrate how engineers shape our world with Engineers’ Week, running February 22-28 in 2026. COEIT expands the celebration to include the vital work of the computing community too. Join us for a week of showcases, challenges, and new connections!

Ralph Semmel, Ph.D. '92, computer science, has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Election to the NAE is among the highest levels of professional recognition conferred to any engineer.

Semmel, director emeritus of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is recognized for his "leadership in generating innovative and disruptive engineering advancements in defense, national security and space exploration."

Semmel was named a UMBC Outstanding Alumni of the Year in 2011. His career includes influential leadership and technical roles advancing artificial intelligence, database systems, and software engineering.

Members of the NAE Class of 2026 will be formally inducted during the NAE Annual Meeting in the fall.