The third annual COEIT Research Day on Friday, May 1, 2026, showcased research from across the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) at UMBC. In its third year, the event drew over 250 presenters and attendees from across the COEIT community. It provided a venue for researchers and potential collaborators to network and foster interdisciplinary innovation.

The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Susan Gregurick, Associate Director for Data Science and Director of the Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Other speakers included additional representatives from NIH, the Army Research Laboratory, and the Maryland Department of Commerce and Industry.
Photo: Dr. Susan Gregurick delivers the keynote address at COEIT Research Day 2026 (Photo courtesy of Chloe Evered)

The agenda included a series of parallel sessions, a college-wide poster day, and keynote talks, with a goal to spark new research ideas and partnerships. The research day event is designed to lead into a follow-up seed funding initiative, COEIT Innovations and Interdisciplinary Projects. These COEIT-funded projects support cross-departmental teams designed to stimulate and support the development of new research projects and expand existing projects.

The UMBC Graduate Experiences, Achievements, and Research Successes (GEARS) Research Symposium showcases our students’ creativity, collaboration, and scholarly excellence. The annual event brings together faculty, staff and undergraduate and graduate students from across disciplines to discuss research, engage in meaningful dialogue, and celebrate innovation and real-world impact.

The 2026 symposium was held on April 7, 2026. 

Best of COEIT award 

A highlight of the symposium is the presentation of awards across four categories, including the “Best of COEIT Award,” which was presented this year by COEIT Dean Jeanne van Briesen.

This distinction is reserved for students who demonstrate not only technical mastery but also the ability to articulate the real-world impact of their work.

This year, the Best of COEIT Award was presented to Dharani Nadendla, a master’s student in data science, for her presentation of research conducted with Dong Li, assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering, “ULTRASOUND WATERMARK: Real-time Acoustic Watermarking for Voice Scam Protection on Smartphones.”

The other awards presented at the ceremony were:

• Best of CNMS – Kushani Mendis, Ph.D. student in chemistry
• Best of CAHSS – Kaitlin Worzalla; B.A./M.S. in Geography and Environmental Systems
• People's Choice Award - Francheska Burrola; B.S. in Biological Sciences
• Provost's Choice Award - Aeon Kaplowitz, B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

Why GEARS matters

The GEARS Symposium also offers all UMBC students the opportunity to engage with campus leadership, expand professional networks, and gain recognition for their scholarly contributions. The primary goal of GEARS is to shine a spotlight on the commitment and dedication of graduate students, who often spend years working behind the scenes in laboratories and research environments.Photo: Chaturya Yarradoddi stands in front of her poster presentation: "Analysing the impact of  Financial Aid and Academic Pathways Preparation on Graduation using AI" (Photo courtesy of Yarradoddi)

Among this year’s participants, Chaturya Yarradoddi, a master’s student in data science, showcased a predictive AI model designed to analyze financial aid strategies and identify reliable predictors of student success. Reflecting on her experience, Yaradoddi shared:

“This project has taught me as much about myself as it has about data science. From merging messy datasets to deploying a live dashboard, I’m proud of the rigor we brought to the process and the conversations it sparked with fellow researchers."

From posing an initial research question to developing a functioning learning system, Yarradoddi’s research journey highlights the process of translating complex problems into informed decision-making tools that was on display through the GEARS Research Symposium. The event underscores the converging roles of technical analysis and human-centered inquiry in advancing scholarly development and meaningful societal impact.

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.