Bright Futures

UMBC’s growing reputation as a hub for research with powerful impact isn’t founded on the achievements of renowned scholars who have created laboratories or explored the limits of the arts, humanities and social sciences at the university alone. It is also built on a growing number of impressive younger scholars who have found a home for their work at UMBC.

The pedigree of the scholars who will propel research and teaching at the university in its next 50 years can be measured in part by the number of early career teaching and research awards these up-and-coming faculty members have received.

One of the most prestigious of these honors is the National Science Foundation’s Early Career Development (CAREER) award, which was created to support “junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholar through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.” UMBC faculty members have received 29 NSF CAREER awards over the last two decades.

UMBC Magazine would like to introduce you to some of the faculty who represent the bright future for research and teaching at UMBC – and how they are already making their mark on academia and the world.

Christopher Hennigan

Everyone dreads a bad air day when it pops up on a weather forecast, but knowing how those conditions are created is essential to finding ways to ameliorate or prevent the damage to health and climate.

Christopher Hennigan, assistant professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering, is at the forefront of analyzing these issues. His work focuses on pollutants known as particulate matter or aerosols—small particles in the air that have detrimental effects on human health and important implications for climate change.

This work has come to the attention of the National Science Foundation (NSF), which gave Hennigan a CAREER award of $524,606 to characterize the effects of acid-catalyzed reactions on the atmospheric transformation of volatile organic compounds into secondary organic aerosol (SOA).

SOA is an ubiquitous component in the atmosphere that contributes to aerosol effects on human health and climate, but there has been disagreement between laboratory studies and ambient readings on the role of particle acidity in its formation. So Hennigan and his team are developing new methods to rapidly measure particle acidity through automated system that provides the best combination of high time resolution and accuracy.

When Hennigan’s new technique is deployed, it will provide more accurate models representing SOA formation, thus improving scientists’ ability to make predictions related to ambient aerosol events.

“The five-year duration of the CAREER award is especially advantageous, as it will allow us to push the work forward in a highly significant way,” says Hennigan.

–Dinah Winnick

UMBC professors are navigating the startup economy – and finding harmony between research and commerce.

By Elizabeth Heubeck ’91

Mark Marten, a professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, was recently selected to participate in I-Corps. His startup, MycoInnovation LLC, is working to develop an additive for chicken feed that would be cheaper and safer than antibiotics, which are currently used in the majority of chicken feed to make the animals grow more efficiently. (The startup also received a $100,000 award from the Maryland Innovation Initiative.)

Marten has been at the university for two decades. He describes I-Corps as “entrepreneurial boot camp,” and he credits the program for making it possible for him to even imagine starting a company. 'We have a lot to learn,” he adds. “We’re not business people.”

UMBC isn’t the only one with a big anniversary milestone this year (#UMBC50 #UMBCproud)!  The Women’s Center is also in the spirit of celebration because this year we turn 25 years old! That’s right – the Women’s Center is half as young as UMBC itself! 

The Women’s Center opened in 1991. The same year Anita Hill’s testimony allowed so many other women to be brave in sharing their stories of sexual harassment. Thelma and Louise took to the big screen. The internet was also opened up to commercial use for the first time ever (which of course would become a hugely important space for feminist activism in years to come). Great social change for women, LGBTQ folks, and other underrepresented populations has happened over the past 25 years across the globe, in our nation, and on our very own campus. The Women’s Center is proud to be a part of the social change in advancing gender equity and social justice. We still have a long way to go and the work is never done, but in this special year, we’ll take a pause to look back on our achievements.

Over the next year, we’ll be celebrating both UMBC and the Women’s Center’s special milestones. As a lead up to UMBC’s 50th Anniversary Weekend events, the Women’s Center will be hosting a 25th Birthday Party on September 13th from 4-6pm. Please join us!

We’ll  be active on social media to help tell the story and importance of the Women’s Center over the past 25 years. We’ll also be working on two special blog feature to include a Then vs. Now series and Where Are They Now? series following former Women’s Center staff. Be sure to follow us on all of our social media platforms and join in on the fun by using #UMBCWC25 to share your own memories, stories, and photos of your time being a part of the Women’s Center at UMBC community.

What pictures do you have of your time in the Women’s Center? Post them on social media using #UMBCWC25 #UMBC50

Great Kids Farm Manager Brooks Binau (an Alum with The Shriver Peaceworker Fellows Program) is seeking an AmeriCorps position at the Great Kids Farm to work as his assistant for the next year starting in September (a year-long opportunity).  This could be a great fit for someone interested in a service year learning sustainable farming, volunteer coordination and more…   

Great Kids Farm continues to be a Service-Learning Site through which UMBC students have had great experiences.  

If you know anyone that is interested or another network that might have someone interested please pass this opportunity along. If you have any questions, Brooks' contact info is below:

John Brooks Binau

Farm Manager, Great Kids Farm

Baltimore City Public Schools

6601 Baltimore National Pike

Catonsville, MD 21228

Phone: 410.736.1681

jbbinau@bcps.k12.md.us