Researcher of the Week: Nathan Smith Undergraduate researchers explore their interests! How did you find out that you could do research in your field in the summer?
The Meyerhoff program introduced me to the idea of research internships during undergraduate summers. Since freshman year they have encouraged many applications to many places, including the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST.) Before I came to college I had never noticed research opportunities or even heard of them or thought about them. As a Physics/Mathematics major, I had kind of thought all the internships available were more for the life sciences as those were the only ones I had ever heard about.

How did you know that research at NIST was what you wanted to do?
My father has worked at NIST for quite a while and on the few occasions I visited the campus I always loved it. Physics has a huge presence at NIST, which is a delightful change of pace from what I usually see. I liked the idea of starting my first research experience at somewhere close and comfortable that I also knew for sure would be a great place. I'll be back next year if I am fortunate enough to be accepted again.

Did you apply to other places?
I applied to several other places such as NASA, APL, and a few REUs at various universities across the country. I was rejected or did not hear back from all of them.

Was the application difficult to do? Did you have help with this?
The SURF program application is very straightforward, in my opinion. There are some finer details to work out with the college, but for UMBC at least, Ms. McGlynn makes everything you need to do extremely clear and is quite helpful throughout the entire process even going as far to review your personal statement and resume. By the time your application is sent off there is essentially zero chance that anything is incorrect.

What was your summer research project?
My project dealt with the modeling and optimization of metal-oxide-semiconductor electrochemical solar cells. The purpose of the photoelectrochemical cells is to take light and convert it into electricity and use that electricity to break water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, thus providing hydrogen gas for fuel cells. The project deals heavily in renewable energy and aims to make silicon-based solar technologies more viable. I was altering solar cell geometries and composition to attempt to improve the efficiency and ensure that the voltage generated is enough to split water. 

Who was your mentor for this project?
My mentor is a post-doctorate student named Daniel Esposito. I could not have asked for a better mentor. I also worked with Dr. Jon Guyer (who was invaluable as well) when it came to the more complicated FiPy partial differential equation solver.

How much time do you put into this work?
I worked five days a week from around 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for 11 weeks over the summer, so quite a bit of time. The project was large and interesting; I could have used more time!

Were you paid? Where did you live?
SURF students are paid $5,500 for the 11 weeks of work, which is a very good deal. I commuted from home, but I know that NIST will house most of the SURF students at Hyatt House (a nearby hotel) in very accommodating conditions, so that is certainly an option.

What academic background did you have before you started?
I had no previous research experience, but am a rising junior Physics/Mathematics major with ~115 credits under my belt. I have a job setting up labs at the UMBC Physics Department and am fluent in Python as well as MATLAB and Mathematica. Academically I was rather strong, but in terms of research I was completely new to it.

How did you learn what you needed to know for this project?
My mentor gave me a few papers to read and there is a wonderful website called PVCDROM that provides a wealth of information on how solar cells function and the semiconductor physics behind them. Google also played a large role in my learning.

What was the hardest part about your research?
The hardest part would have to be learning to research. When I had problems in classes, I can check my answers and ask questions. Here, I can still ask questions, but what makes this research is that NIST doesn't know the answers; that's why the SURF students are working on these problems, to find answers. It is a bit unnerving at first when you come up with a result and you can't know whether or not it's correct because it's brand new.

How does this research relate to your course work at UMBC?
My research had multiple tie-ins to my Modern Physics course and I was glad to have had it before hand as I was better equipped to understanding the physics behind semiconductors. The classes on/using MATLAB, Mathematica, and Python were invaluable. Having programming knowledge beforehand was very useful and it seems that most of the friends I made here use programming in their research as well.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Try it. I find it extremely rewarding and fun, but not everyone will. Best you don't go through undergrad never taking these opportunities and then get into a research position because it's what you THINK you want and find out instead that you hate it. Find out now. Also, don't get discouraged if you're not accepted the first time, try again. I applied to 17 places my freshman year and got into none of them.

What are your career goals?
I want to get my Ph.D. in physics and go into research at a fine establishment such as NIST. After a nice long time as a researcher I hope to return to academia as a physics professor at a research university. Read more about Nathan's research by visiting the link below... ]]> How did you find out that you could do research in your field in the summer? The Meyerhoff program introduced me to the idea of research internships during undergraduate summers. Since freshman... http://www.umbc.edu/undergrad_ed/research/ResearcherProfiles/nathanSmith.htm https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16595/guest@my.umbc.edu/510816a3f418fa3a34a732017f7b07f6/api/pixel Undergraduate Research https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/undergradresearch https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xsmall.png?1600355057 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/original.jpg?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xxlarge.png?1600355057 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xlarge.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/large.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/medium.png?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/small.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xsmall.png?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xxsmall.png?1600355057 Undergraduate Research https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/595/a2a5e1dc29759ed291e5ba5ecf1d6cbd/xxlarge.jpg?1347286471 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/595/a2a5e1dc29759ed291e5ba5ecf1d6cbd/xlarge.jpg?1347286471 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/595/a2a5e1dc29759ed291e5ba5ecf1d6cbd/large.jpg?1347286471 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/595/a2a5e1dc29759ed291e5ba5ecf1d6cbd/medium.jpg?1347286471 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/595/a2a5e1dc29759ed291e5ba5ecf1d6cbd/small.jpg?1347286471 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/595/a2a5e1dc29759ed291e5ba5ecf1d6cbd/xsmall.jpg?1347286471 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/595/a2a5e1dc29759ed291e5ba5ecf1d6cbd/xxsmall.jpg?1347286471 18 3 true Mon, 10 Sep 2012 10:22:10 -0400 Mon, 10 Sep 2012 10:23:02 -0400 Phone bank for Marriage Equality On-Campus Volunteer Without Having to Leave Campus!
The Women's Center is helping spread the word for an important cause. For any other additional information, please contact the College Democrats. 


College Democrats is hosting several upcoming events in support of marriage equality. Please read the details below:

Phone bank for Marriage Equality On-Campus

September 18th, 5-8 pm, Sondheim 210 (Sign up for this date using this Doodle Poll).
October 9th, 5-8 pm, Commons 327
October 23rd, 5-8 pm, Commons 327

The group will provide the script, the training, the snacks - all they ask is that you donate some cell phone minutes!

While College Democrats is the official sponsor of these phone banks, they are open to student/faculty/staff who don't identify as Democrats but who care about this issue. 
]]> The Women's Center is helping spread the word for an important cause. For any other additional information, please contact the College Democrats.  College Democrats is hosting several... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16584/guest@my.umbc.edu/451bfa641d72a0d47a845e1c6cf2a3d6/api/pixel Women's, Gender, & Equity Center https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/womenscenter https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xsmall.png?1750974263 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/original.png?1750974263 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xxlarge.png?1750974263 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xlarge.png?1750974263 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/large.png?1750974263 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/medium.png?1750974263 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/small.png?1750974263 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xsmall.png?1750974263 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xxsmall.png?1750974263 College Democrats (via the Women's Center) 0 0 false Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:31:37 -0400 Wed, 13 Sep 2023 08:36:48 -0400 Zach Wahls’ “What Makes a Family?” Presentation at CCBC Zach Wahls will be sharing the heartwarming story of his family at his "What Makes a Family?" presentation at CCBC Dundalk on November 29th, 2012 at 12:30 PM in Room G 100.  Please read on for more details:

Zach is a compelling speaker whose story and rise to fame are heartwarming.  As well as being an advocate for civil rights at the state and national levels, Zach is an Eagle Scout who offers an interesting perspective on his own scouting experience in light of the BSA’s ban on LGBT leadership and participation.  Here is a link to Zach’s now-famous testimony on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMLZO-sObzQ

CCBC Dundalk Address:
7200 Sollers Point Rd
Baltimore, MD 21222-4649

For more information and to RSVP contact, Ted McCadden, Assistant Professor, at tmccadden@ccbcmd.edu or 443-840-3783.

]]> Zach Wahls will be sharing the heartwarming story of his family at his "What Makes a Family?" presentation at CCBC Dundalk on November 29th, 2012 at 12:30 PM in Room G 100.  Please read on for... http://www.ccbcmd.edu/directory/dundalk/d_maps.html Flyer https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/attachments/b81e022b41250ca6bae2e865d74bd506/6a739cd3/news/000/016/553/86ba98bcbd3466d253841907ba1fc725/Zachflyer.pdf?1348510336 https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16553/guest@my.umbc.edu/b792f36ae936b95050c74c5c1828796a/api/pixel a ccbc dundalk family makes wahls what zach The Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/themosaic https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/xsmall.png?1755890395 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/original.png?1755890395 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/xxlarge.png?1755890395 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/xlarge.png?1755890395 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/large.png?1755890395 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/medium.png?1755890395 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/small.png?1755890395 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/xsmall.png?1755890395 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/xxsmall.png?1755890395 The Office of Student Life's Mosaic Center https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/553/9d01f88c4721c244674284dbfc79ab77/xxlarge.jpg?1348510361 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/553/9d01f88c4721c244674284dbfc79ab77/xlarge.jpg?1348510361 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/553/9d01f88c4721c244674284dbfc79ab77/large.jpg?1348510361 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/553/9d01f88c4721c244674284dbfc79ab77/medium.jpg?1348510361 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/553/9d01f88c4721c244674284dbfc79ab77/small.jpg?1348510361 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/553/9d01f88c4721c244674284dbfc79ab77/xsmall.jpg?1348510361 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/553/9d01f88c4721c244674284dbfc79ab77/xxsmall.jpg?1348510361 0 0 false Sun, 09 Sep 2012 18:47:13 -0400 Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:12:59 -0400 Marriage Equality Campaign! Your commitment can make a BIG difference. College Democrats is hosting several upcoming events in support of marriage equality. Please read the details below:

Phone bank for Marriage Equality On-Campus

September 18th, 5-8 pm, Sondheim 210 (Sign up for this date using this Doodle Poll).
October 9th, 5-8 pm, Commons 327
October 23rd, 5-8 pm, Commons 327
We'll provide the script, the training, the snacks - all we ask is that you donate some cell phone minutes!

While College Democrats is the official sponsor of these phone banks, they are open to student/faculty/staff who don't identify as Democrats but who care about this issue.

YDM Campaign Invasion - Marriage Equality - On Sunday, September 16, the Young Dems of Maryland are door-knocking for marriage equality from 10 am - 3 pm in Baltimore.  There will be breakfast and lunch provided and lots of fun Young Dems to meet!  RSVP at this link 9/16 Marriage Equality Campaign Invasion and email Mike Ball at mball3@umbc.edu to reserve a spot in the car pool from UMBC.
]]> College Democrats is hosting several upcoming events in support of marriage equality. Please read the details below: Phone bank for Marriage Equality On-Campus September 18th, 5-8 pm, Sondheim... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16550/guest@my.umbc.edu/0366db2d040ccf1acadf0b68dfb09903/api/pixel banks college democrats equality marriage phone The Mosaic: Center for Cultural Diversity https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/themosaic https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/xsmall.png?1755890395 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/original.png?1755890395 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/xxlarge.png?1755890395 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/xlarge.png?1755890395 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/large.png?1755890395 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/medium.png?1755890395 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/small.png?1755890395 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/xsmall.png?1755890395 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/079/8da8369525d899e6fa49decd5a80b73f/xxsmall.png?1755890395 The Office of Student Life's Mosaic Center 0 0 false Sun, 09 Sep 2012 10:21:29 -0400 Sun, 09 Sep 2012 17:28:10 -0400 Weill Cornell Graduate School Medical Sciences Open House New York City, October 6, 2012 Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, October 6, 2012, from 11:30 am to 3:00 p.m., at the Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY. 
]]> Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, October 6, 2012, from 11:30 am to 3:00 p.m., at the Weill Cornell Medical College,... http://weill.cornell.edu/gradschool/ https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16515/guest@my.umbc.edu/fe3f762ba591d88dd358eb8ff1eb17e9/api/pixel cornell medical school weill Undergraduate Research https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/undergradresearch https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xsmall.png?1600355057 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/original.jpg?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xxlarge.png?1600355057 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xlarge.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/large.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/medium.png?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/small.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xsmall.png?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xxsmall.png?1600355057 Undergraduate Research https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/515/bf6359dde093be2a8575fdfd62e5bcb8/xxlarge.jpg?1346955702 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/515/bf6359dde093be2a8575fdfd62e5bcb8/xlarge.jpg?1346955702 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/515/bf6359dde093be2a8575fdfd62e5bcb8/large.jpg?1346955702 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/515/bf6359dde093be2a8575fdfd62e5bcb8/medium.jpg?1346955702 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/515/bf6359dde093be2a8575fdfd62e5bcb8/small.jpg?1346955702 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/515/bf6359dde093be2a8575fdfd62e5bcb8/xsmall.jpg?1346955702 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/515/bf6359dde093be2a8575fdfd62e5bcb8/xxsmall.jpg?1346955702 5 0 true Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:22:07 -0400 EndNote Web Workshops Learn how to manage your citations Learn how to utilize the full range of features included in the free, web-accessible citation manger. 

This hands-on workshop will focus on setting up an account, importing and transferring citations, using the Cite While You Write plug-in for Microsoft Word, and managing groups of citations.  For all students, faculty, and staff.

Choose from two sessions:

10/15/12 or 10/17/12
 

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm;  LIB 259


RSVP to Katy Sullivan at sullivan@umbc.edu or 410-455-3604.

]]> Learn how to utilize the full range of features included in the free, web-accessible citation manger.  This hands-on workshop will focus on setting up an account, importing and transferring... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16517/guest@my.umbc.edu/106b7e09023cfaa7ac595f62b2caca59/api/pixel library-workshops Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/library https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xsmall.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/original.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xxlarge.png?1279120404 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xlarge.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/large.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/medium.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/small.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xsmall.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xxsmall.png?1279120404 Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/517/8f0c515e934bbf18ceaff7e9782be37e/xxlarge.jpg?1346955524 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/517/8f0c515e934bbf18ceaff7e9782be37e/xlarge.jpg?1346955524 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/517/8f0c515e934bbf18ceaff7e9782be37e/large.jpg?1346955524 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/517/8f0c515e934bbf18ceaff7e9782be37e/medium.jpg?1346955524 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/517/8f0c515e934bbf18ceaff7e9782be37e/small.jpg?1346955524 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/517/8f0c515e934bbf18ceaff7e9782be37e/xsmall.jpg?1346955524 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/517/8f0c515e934bbf18ceaff7e9782be37e/xxsmall.jpg?1346955524 4 0 true Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:20:48 -0400 How to Get Started in Research Workshop OPEN TO ALL MAJORS; Monday September 10, 12-12:50 Interested in learning about research but unsure how to get started?  Come to the Office of Undergraduate Education's Research Workshop during free hour:

12-1 on Monday, September 10, 2012 in Administration 101. 
]]> Interested in learning about research but unsure how to get started?  Come to the Office of Undergraduate Education's Research Workshop during free hour: 12-1 on Monday, September 10, 2012 in... https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16480/guest@my.umbc.edu/15a915f6fd15fd76ad6b42b720eb76bb/api/pixel oue research Undergraduate Research https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/undergradresearch https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xsmall.png?1600355057 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/original.jpg?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xxlarge.png?1600355057 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xlarge.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/large.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/medium.png?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/small.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xsmall.png?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xxsmall.png?1600355057 Undergraduate Research https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/480/712711c4792aae089713c1858fbe2f6e/xxlarge.jpg?1346868513 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/480/712711c4792aae089713c1858fbe2f6e/xlarge.jpg?1346868513 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/480/712711c4792aae089713c1858fbe2f6e/large.jpg?1346868513 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/480/712711c4792aae089713c1858fbe2f6e/medium.jpg?1346868513 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/480/712711c4792aae089713c1858fbe2f6e/small.jpg?1346868513 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/480/712711c4792aae089713c1858fbe2f6e/xsmall.jpg?1346868513 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/480/712711c4792aae089713c1858fbe2f6e/xxsmall.jpg?1346868513 9 0 true Wed, 05 Sep 2012 14:08:45 -0400 Wed, 05 Sep 2012 14:18:54 -0400 President's Commission for Women Now Accepting Applications! For 2012-2013 The President's Commission for Women is accepting applications for 2012-2013 academic year.

If you're interested in being more involved on campus with issues related to women's and gender equity, this may be the place for you!

For more information about PCW, visit their website at our website.

Applications and additional information are attached to this post and can be found at the PCW website. 
]]> The President's Commission for Women is accepting applications for 2012-2013 academic year. If you're interested in being more involved on campus with issues related to women's and gender... https://womenscenter.umbc.edu/ https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16460/guest@my.umbc.edu/11cad278b38f24146e720946b87ec8d4/api/pixel Women's, Gender, & Equity Center https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/womenscenter https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xsmall.png?1750974263 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/original.png?1750974263 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xxlarge.png?1750974263 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xlarge.png?1750974263 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/large.png?1750974263 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/medium.png?1750974263 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/small.png?1750974263 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xsmall.png?1750974263 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/125/78272a4842689b30dbf74672182b78f8/xxsmall.png?1750974263 President's Commission for Women (Women's Center) 0 0 false Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:12:44 -0400 Fri, 02 Aug 2024 11:37:25 -0400 ReferenceUSA - Trial Database Trial ends October 1, 2012 ReferenceUSA offers several databases providing contact information for individuals and companies listed by business, profession, lifestyle or region in the United Sates and Canada.

Of particular interest is the One Source database for financial data and news on national and international companies. Patrons can use basic lookups, company and industry profiles and a variety of search variables to find information on international companies and executives.

Current UMBC faculty, students, and staff can access the database through the Visit Website button below. For off-campus access, please login via VPN first (http://vpn.umbc.edu) and follow the link to the UMBC Library Homepage. Then follow the link under "News & Events" on the Library's homepage to return to this post and click on the "View Website" button to access the database. For more info on remote access, see http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/services/remoteaccess.php .

The trial will run through the month of September.

Feedback on the usefulness of this database is appreciated. Leave us a comment to let us know what you think. ]]> ReferenceUSA offers several databases providing contact information for individuals and companies listed by business, profession, lifestyle or region in the United Sates and Canada. Of particular... http://referenceusa.com https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16454/guest@my.umbc.edu/30c21baf9e07ede821d1938cd89ff266/api/pixel Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/library https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xsmall.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/original.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xxlarge.png?1279120404 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xlarge.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/large.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/medium.png?1279120404 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/small.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xsmall.png?1279120404 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/016/854d6fae5ee42911677c739ee1734486/xxsmall.png?1279120404 Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery 3 0 true Tue, 04 Sep 2012 14:52:48 -0400 Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:06:41 -0400 Researcher of the Week: Jeffrey Turner Undergraduate researchers explore their interests! How did you find out that you could do research in your field in the summer?
I’m a rising senor computer science major/mathematics minor and I learned of the opportunity from being on a mailing list from the Shriver Center.

How did you know that research at NIST was what you wanted to do?
I have always wanted to study something that had not been studied yet, and I knew that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was a prestigious institute, and that research and NIST would shine outstanding on my resume for grad schools or workplace.

Did you apply to other places?
Yes. I applied to about five different places for a summer internship and got acceptances from two.

Was the application difficult to do? Did you have help with this?
The application was not difficult to do, but it did take some amount of time. After I was done writing my personal statement and other essay-type questions I got my friends to proofread them for errors.

What was your summer research project?
I am working on a software that can enhance a working video filter to identify and track human facial movement in a video. Because of the complexity of the process, a human face cannot feasibly be identified every frame, so this summer I am working on a mathematical tool that can track what the person could be doing in the “in between” frames.

Who was your mentor for this project?
Dr. Jonathan Fiscus in the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at NIST.

How much time do you put into this work?
I worked seven to nine hours a day, five days a week for 11 weeks over the summer.

What academic background did you have before you started?
I was one course shy of completing a minor in mathematics, and a small handful away from completing my bachelor of science in Computer Science.

How did you learn what you needed to know for this project?
Different programming textbooks around the office were invaluable to my work, I commonly referenced the internet, and did readings assigned by my advisor to help.

What was the hardest part about your research?
Sometimes the computer has memory problems because of imperfect usage of dynamic memory allocation in the C programming language. These errors often do not show right away, but instead cause inconsistent program usage over time, so today’s errors may have been caused by last week’s mistakes.

What was the most unexpected thing?
How well I have adapted to using a Mac OSX system (I am a power Linux user, and thought I disliked Mac products.)

How does this research relate to your course work at UMBC?
Dynamic memory allocation is one of the cruxes of this project, and the computer organization practiced here at NIST is crucial to many core classes of the UMBC computer science program.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Do it, and have an open mind if you don’t think you like the project at first. I thought I didn’t like mine at first glance.

What are your career goals?
I wish to be a computer forensics worker for the United States government.

Are you a transfer student or did you start at UMBC as a freshman?
I transferred to UMBC my sophomore year from James Madison University in Virginia.

Do you now live on campus or commute to UMBC?
I have lived in Walker Avenue apartments on campus for the past two years, going on my third year. Read more about Jeffery's research by visiting the link below... ]]> How did you find out that you could do research in your field in the summer? I’m a rising senor computer science major/mathematics minor and I learned of the opportunity from being on a mailing... http://www.umbc.edu/undergrad_ed/research/ResearcherProfiles/jefferyTurnersprofile.htm https://my3.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/16432/guest@my.umbc.edu/3e2b039851b155a0781a624e2588b550/api/pixel Undergraduate Research https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/undergradresearch https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xsmall.png?1600355057 https://assets3-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/original.jpg?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xxlarge.png?1600355057 https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xlarge.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/large.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/medium.png?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/small.png?1600355057 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xsmall.png?1600355057 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/006/875606ced2b629148af4caa1a4e8dd3c/xxsmall.png?1600355057 Undergraduate Research https://assets1-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/432/6016c49ed12f15bad85a5d3156de5f11/xxlarge.jpg?1346768452 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/432/6016c49ed12f15bad85a5d3156de5f11/xlarge.jpg?1346768452 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/432/6016c49ed12f15bad85a5d3156de5f11/large.jpg?1346768452 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/432/6016c49ed12f15bad85a5d3156de5f11/medium.jpg?1346768452 https://assets2-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/432/6016c49ed12f15bad85a5d3156de5f11/small.jpg?1346768452 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/432/6016c49ed12f15bad85a5d3156de5f11/xsmall.jpg?1346768452 https://assets4-my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/016/432/6016c49ed12f15bad85a5d3156de5f11/xxsmall.jpg?1346768452 12 0 true Tue, 04 Sep 2012 10:29:55 -0400 Tue, 04 Sep 2012 11:48:49 -0400