Do you feel unsure about how to get started with a research or writing assignment? Would you like some tips on preparing an annotated bibliography?

This workshop features interactive activities to help you choose research topics that you care about, read academic articles more effectively, and prepare bibliographies that showcase your research skills. Meet Library and Writing Center staff who will share how you can get research and writing help. Come and practice strategies for acing your college writing assignments! 

Note: This workshop is designed especially for first-year and transfer students. To accommodate a variety of schedules, this workshop is being offered three times in different formats (in person, hyflex, online). You only need to attend once! Feel free to attend the format that works best for you. 

Wednesday, October 7, 2026 from 12-1pm in Library 259 

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 from 4-5pm Hyflex in Library 259 and online via WebEx

Monday, October 26, 2026 from 6-7pm online via WebEx

*Light refreshments will be provided in Library 259 for the 10/7 and 10/20 sessions

Get ready to lock in and boost your research and writing skills! Join us during any of the following library workshops that are scheduled throughout the semester. From citation management and grad student resources, to tips on how to give your academic research poster the ultimate glow up, you’ll find the tools you need to succeed and ace your semester! 

Follow us on the AOK Library's myUMBC page for updates on registering and more info on our events!  

• Monday, August 31, 12pm–1pm: Library Services for Graduate Student Success

• Wednesday, September 2, 12pm–1pm: Navigating the UMBC Library: Resources and Support for International Students

• Tuesday, September 15, 4pm–5pm: How to Prepare a Social Science/Humanities Literature Review 

• Monday, September 21, 12pm–1pm: How to Write a STEM Literature Review (Introduction) 

• Tuesday, September 22, 4pm–5pm: Skills for Graduate Students: Technical Writing

• Monday, September 28, 12pm–1pm: Using Citation Management Tools for Your Research and Writing

• Monday, October 5, 12pm–1pm: Creating an Academic Research Poster Using Canva

• Thursday, October 8, 12pm–1pm: How to Write a STEM Literature Review (Advanced)

• Monday, October 19, 4pm–5pm: Navigating the Use of AI Tools in the Research Process

• Monday, October 21, 12pm–1pm: Skills for Graduate Students: Advanced Research Strategies

• Monday, October 26, 12pm–1pm: Creating an Academic Research Poster Using Google Slides

• Tuesday, November 10, 4pm–5pm: Skills for Graduate Students: Managing and Organizing Your Research 

These workshops are open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University’s nondiscrimination policy.

Have you been seeing more announcements or emails related to AI tools or usage on campus? Do you have questions regarding the recent guidelines that were shared on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the classroom? Would you like your voice heard, or would appreciate having student perspectives brought to the forefront of these conversations relating to AI policy and guidelines? 

The Kotturi Lab would like to hear from you! If you would like to come together in a safe space to discuss AI use on campus, please stop by room 259 in the Library for this student only, student focused, in-person listening session on Wednesday, April 22nd, from 12 noon - 1:30PM. Faculty will not be present, and conversations that occur within the space will remain anonymous to protect students' identities. All majors are welcome!

Free pizza and swag will be provided!

We encourage students interested in participating to add the individual events to their calendars!

These listening sessions are supported by the AOK Library, in partnership with Computer Science & Electrical Engineering, Information Systems, and the Dresher Center. We thank you for your support!

URCAD is Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in the RAC!
For the full schedule see:urcad.umbc.edu

Sara Abbas | Intelligent Fault Detection and Risk Management for Autonomous Spacecraft Operations | Anthony Campbell | Computer Science and Electrical Engineering | RAC Arena, 10-11am, Poster #3  

Yanyu Arias | Development of a Vagina-on-a-Chip Model for Studying Recurrent Bacterial Vaginosis | Corine Jackman Burden | Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering | RAC Arena, 10-11am, Poster #30 

Naomi Aruna and Tammy Hong | Asian American Adolescents' Internalized Stereotypes Moderates the Socioemotional Impact of Racial Discrimination | Charissa Cheah | Psychology | RAC Arena, 10-11am, Poster #13 

Djina Awungnjia | Impact of APPL Gene Mutation on Food Preference Behavior in Aging Drosophila Melanogaster | Fernando Vonhoff | Biological Sciences | RAC Arena, 10-11am, Poster #14 

Shrikant Bhatnagar,Kalei Kai, Ben Bazarsuren, Daniel Shin, Jonah Malcolm, Austin Wagener,Nebiyu Mammo, Murali Indukuri, William Vandenberg | UMBC AIAA DBF and SUAS Aircrafts | Joseph Washington | Mechanical Engineering | Special Exhibit | RAC Upper Track, 1st Floor 

Francheska Burrola | Automated Monitoring Sensors for Process Analytical Technology Applications in Cell and Gene Therapy | Venkatesh Srinivasan | Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering | RAC Arena, 10-11am, Poster #24 

Faridah Folorunsho | Structural and Functional Analysis of the KH-Domain Protein FLK in Regulating Arabidopsis Defense and Development | Hua Lu | Biological Sciences | RAC Arena, 2-3pm, Poster #20 

Emily Hernandez| Testing Ethanol Treatment for the Reduction of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) In Drosophila | Fernando Vonhoff | Biological Sciences | RAC Arena, 2-3pm, Poster #28 

Kiara James | Exploring Chinese American Adolescents' Experiences of Barriers to Civic Engagement | Charissa Cheah | Psychology | RAC Arena, 2-3pm, Poster #37 

Amarachukwu Onaga | The Effects of Sex and Age on Sleep in Drosophila Models of Autism | Fernando Vonhoff | Biological Sciences | RAC Arena, 10-11am, Poster #70 

Irene Teye | Investigating Extracellular Matrix-derived Factors in the Activation of Adipose Tissue T-cells During Severe Obesity | Diana Elizondo | Biological Sciences | RAC Arena, 10-11am, Poster #102 

Maia Turman Cooke | The Language of Decriminalization: Drug Policy Rhetoric and Public Health in 21st Century Canada | Earl Brooks | English | RAC 106 | 11:00-11:15am

Anelsy Valencia | Immigration Vulnerability and Self-Rated Oral Health Among Latin* Adults: A Pilot Study | Dina Garcia | Public Health | RAC Arena, 2-3pm, Poster #71 

Laila is a Biological Sciences major. Most recently, she completed a summer research fellowship at Duke University School of Medicine through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP).

Mentors: Dr. Chantell Evans in the Department of Cell Biology at Duke SOM.

Title of your research project: Mitochondrial Stress Remodels TFAM Organization in Primary H

What research experiences have you had? (focus on most recent)

I began my research journey as a freshman in 2022 at the University of Maryland

Baltimore, School of Medicine in the Kelly Lab, where I was introduced to neurobiology

and neurodegenerative research. Since then, I have continued working in translational

neuroscience across multiple labs, including the Parker Lab at UMSOM and currently the

Wolff Lab at UMSOM.

Most recently, I completed a summer research fellowship at Duke University School of

Medicine through the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Summer Undergraduate

Research Program (SURP). In the Evans Lab (Department of Cell Biology), I studied

mitochondrial DNA integrity in primary neurons, specifically investigating how cellular

stress remodels endogenous TFAM puncta using confocal microscopy and 3D image

analysis.

Across these labs, I have gained experience in rodent colony management, transcardial

perfusions, embryonic microinjections, vibratome and cryosectioning, primary

hippocampal neuron culture, immunocytochemistry, and confocal microscopy. I have

applied machine-learning–based behavioral analysis (SLEAP), curated large behavioral

datasets, and implemented Python/Conda workflows for scalable analysis. These

cumulative experiences have strengthened my interest in translational neuroscience and

mechanistic disease research.

How did you find the research opportunity?

I discovered the HHMI SURP opportunity through UMBC’s pre-med/pre-dental online

community in April. I applied shortly after and was thrilled to be accepted in May.

Who is your mentor for your research, scholarship, or artistic project? (give full

name and department) How did you arrange to work with this person?

My principal investigator was Dr. Chantell Evans in the Department of Cell Biology at

Duke SOM. I also worked closely with graduate student mentor Olivia Conway.

After being accepted into the HHMI SURP program, I was matched with Dr. Evans’s lab

based on my research interests. From the beginning, Dr. Evans and her lab created an

incredibly supportive and intellectually stimulating environment.

Do you get course credit for this work? Paid? How much time do you put into it?

This summer fellowship was fully funded by HHMI, and I was fortunate enough to have

received $12k over the course of three months. I worked full-time in the lab throughout

the summer, dedicating approximately 40 hours per week to experiments, lab meetings,

and weekly virtual HHMI programming.

What academic background did you have before you started?

At the time, I was a junior/rising senior majoring in Biology.

How did you learn what you needed to know to be successful in this project?

HHMI SURP provided weekly seminars covering both scientific topics and professional

development, including how to present research effectively. Within the lab, I learned

hands-on through mentorship, troubleshooting experiments, reading primary literature,

and asking questions constantly. The lab culture emphasized curiosity and persistence.

My mentors modeled what it looks like to approach research not with fear of failure, but

with excitement about discovery.

What was the hardest part about your research?

The hardest part was not mastering technical skills.. it was developing grit.

Experiments don’t always work the first time. Cells don’t always stain correctly. Imaging

parameters sometimes need to be completely re-optimized. Early on, that unpredictability

felt frustrating.

One of the staff scientists, Dr. Lola Kalejaiye, often reminded me that it’s called

“research” for a reason — you must keep re-searching. She genuinely found joy in

troubleshooting and refining experiments. Over time, I began to understand that

persistence and patience are the true foundations of scientific growth. Learning to

embrace that process was the most challenging, and most valuable lesson.

What was the most unexpected thing?

How much I loved it.

This experience solidified my desire to pursue an MD-PhD rather than solely an MD. I

found deep fulfillment not only in conducting experiments, but in asking mechanistic

questions about disease and working toward translational impact.

How does this research experience relate to your work in other classes?

As a Biology major, my research directly connects to concepts I’ve learned in cell

biology, genetics, and molecular biology courses. Seeing mitochondrial dynamics,

transcriptional regulation, and cellular stress pathways play out in real experiments

reinforced and deepened my classroom learning.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?

Believe in yourself before anything else.

You must believe you belong in scientific spaces.. even before you feel “ready.”

Opportunities often come from putting yourself forward and being willing to learn. Every

researcher starts somewhere. Confidence, curiosity, and resilience matter just as much as

prior experience. Send the email. Apply to the program. Ask the question. Growth

follows initiative.

What are your career goals?

I plan to pursue an MD-PhD with hopes to specialize in transplant medicine, particularly

end stage kidney disease in diabetic patients. As someone deeply invested in both clinical

medicine and biomedical research, I hope to bridge mechanistic discovery with patient-

centered innovation.

What else are you involved in on campus?

I am involved in the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and the Egyptian Student

Association at UMBC. I have also previously volunteered with Hearts for the Homeless.

By: Ashwathi Menon, Bioinformatics & Public Health Major

When I first entered the world of neuroscience lab work, science seemed to be all about being objective: clean lines, sharp corners, and no emotion involved whatsoever. It all seemed to point to the notion that too much emotion clouds one’s vision; you didn’t want emotion near your microscope. But as I stood at my lab bench operating my RT-PCRs on rat hypothalamus samples, it hit me just how much emotion was already infused into everything we did. It takes patience to accurately pipette one perfect microliter of liquid. It takes collaboration to run repeated tests. It takes the knowledge and obligation to know your own scientific pursuits may one day impact an individual’s life; the entire point being care is not the opposite of science but its pulse instead.

This is not something one can read in books or lectures. It is something my grandmother taught me: my Achamma. She suffered from a stroke just over a year ago, and since then, I have been assisting my family with her care. Watching her relearn to move her arm or to pronounce a few words sparked my own interest in the same paths inside her mind because these paths looked just like what we discussed and viewed in class, but instead of graphs or PowerPoint presentations, they were hers.

In science, we’re expected to measure everything: voltage, pH levels, and reaction time. But there is no measuring the act of holding someone’s hand while they forget your name, or the strength required to continue to come back to them anyway. This is the kind of labor women have always done. Unacknowledged labor, uncounted labor, but vital labor nonetheless. It is this kind of labor, the kind of labor devalued by society as care, that fuels scientific progress itself. This is one thing feminism helped me recognize.

As someone who works in scientific research, I have been struck by how often science attempts to polarize emotion and intellect. You’re legitimate if you’re logical, but weak if you’re empathetic. But beyond just hurting women in science, this kind of false dichotomy also hurts science itself. The questions we ask in scientific research come from who we are. When more women, and especially women of color, enter science, we bring questions that have never before been asked.

One thing feminist theory often addresses is “ethics of care,” because care is not something to be scorned but rather something to do with moral and intellectual power. This is what I think of every time I go to lab work. This is what I do every time I label a vial of cells or give a presentation or stand up to talk about my findings: practice care for my field and help to transform it from something that once made me feel small to something that contains care.

When I first embarked on my research internship at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, I noticed that I was among the youngest individuals in the lab setting. And yes, I recall wondering whether my voice would really carry any weight or whether anyone would take me seriously at all. But every time I decided to speak out or share my thoughts on whether to use this or that approach, I realized that confidence didn’t lie in being loud but in being anchored to my values instead. And this is something feminism showed me before science did.

It is to walk a high wire between precision and patience, between brains and intuition, and between being strong and being soft. But it seems to me now that these things are no longer on one side or the other of any kind of divide. The most excellent scientific minds happen to approach things whole-brained or whole-hearted, asking “who” questions. Who is helped? Who is hurt? Who is not being allowed to participate in this conversation?

At times, I wonder what my Achamma would have thought if she were to witness me now in my lab setting, my gloved hands steady and strong around my work involving data and fluorescence. But she would smile and remark matter-of-factly, “You’re still taking care of people.” And she would be right because science is nothing but another expression of “caring for others” or our “world” around us.

Perhaps care itself is not what serves as a distraction from science but is rather what makes science human. Perhaps future generations of women pursuing science can forget having to choose between being kind and being smart because we have always been both.