About NREL

At NREL, we focus on creative answers to today’s energy challenges. From breakthroughs in fundamental science to new clean technologies to integrated energy systems that power our lives, NREL researchers are transforming the way the nation and the world use energy.

More on their link: https://www.nrel.gov

“Join us in building a clean energy future. At NREL, you’ll discover how you can make a difference in the world while also growing professionally. We combine our mission with our heart, making NREL a place where you can grow your passion inside and outside the lab.”

More information about opportunities at NREL: https://www.nrel.gov/careers/discover-nrel.html

Active job opportunities (last checked January/2019):

• Postdoctorate – Chemical/Mechanical Engineering for Thermal-Fluid Modeling
• Postdoctoral Researcher – Buildings Materials and Thermal Science
• Post Doctoral Position in Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Analysis
• “Commercial Buildings Research Engineer – Energy Modeler” (Los Angeles)
• Graduate Intern Position in Solar Collector Optical Characterization using Image-Processing
• Geothermal-Modeling and Simulation Scientist
• Building Research Engineer – Electrical Power Systems
• Researcher – Control and Optimization
• Post-Doctoral Researcher –Development of system engineering tools for wave energy converter applications
• Post-Doctoral Researcher – Structural and Mechanical Engineer in the Water Power Program
• Postdoctoral Researcher – Design and Systems Engineer in the Water Power Program
• Postdoctoral – Integrated Transportation-Energy Systems Modeler

“Students Maya Hanna, MPH, and Juan-David Rueda, MD, received the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research’s (PHSR) Student Travel Scholarship to present their research at the 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research meeting in Europe. Other PHSR awards to graduate students included the Harris Zuckerman Scholarship to Yoon Hong, PharmD, the Donald O. Fedder Memorial Fellowship to Jacquelyn McRae, PharmD, and the Dr. Arthur Schwartz Memorial Scholarship to Chengchen Zhang, MPH.” (pages 8-9)

Please see page 16 regarding our STAR-PREP Fellows. This is outstanding news!

More about this message from the Presiden in the December 2018 edition at the following link: https://www.umaryland.edu/media/umb/president/the-presidents-message/2018-19/December-2018.pdf

The UMB Graduate School, Writing Center, and PROMISE Program Dissertation Boot Camp are returning to UMB the Dissertation House on January 15-17, 2019.  If you haven’t heard about this dynamic program or if you would like to learn more about how it works, visit this direct link to the following 2016 CBE Life Science Education article “The Dissertation House Model” by Carter-Veale, Tull, Rutledge, and Joseph.

Additional Required Application Materials                

The lead publisher of this article and director of Dissertation House, Dr. Wendy Carter-Veale, will guide us through the program as our dissertation coach. As part of your application, she needs your responses to the following prompts. By January 5, 2019, submit your responses in an email to

·         Dr. Erin Golembewski, Senior Associate Dean, Graduate School: egole001@umaryland.edu

·         Dr. TaShara Bailey, PROMISE program: tbailey@umaryland.edu

·         Dr. Wendy Y. Carter-Veale, UM PhD Completion & PROMISE Coordinator: drcarter@umbc.edu,

·         James Wright, Acting Associate Director of the Writing Center:  james.wright@umaryland.edu.

Submit a brief description (maximum 2 pages, font size 11-12 point 1 inch margins) that describes your project and what you wish to accomplish during the Dissertation Houseprogram.

Please use the following guidelines:

(1) Summary of the project, including research question(s), data or texts, and method

(2) Amount completed on the project to date

(3) Any obstacles that you are encountering that hinder completion of the dissertation.

(4) Include the following header information with the description:

• Name
• Address
• Telephone numbers (home, office, and fax)
• E-mail address
• Academic Program and Year in the program

Program Details

Where/Location: UMB Green Room, 1^st Floor, SMC Campus Center, Room 115

When: January 15, 16, and 17 from 9am-5pm

Food: Breakfast provided 8-8:45am each day

Lunch 12-1pm provided each day

Afternoon snack provided each day

Coffee piping hot and available all day!

Who/Participants: Focused instruction for PhD student currently writing dissertations

Parking: Visit the SMC Campus Center link here and scroll down to “Parking Options”

We will send a full schedule of the program to you after the January 5 deadline for additional application material. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. TaShara Bailey at tbailey@umaryland.edu and/or James Wright at james.wright@umaryland.edu.

We look forward to receiving your additional materials and seeing you at the Dissertation House!

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!

Stoop Stories:

Telling Your Research Story

A Saturday Workshop

Presented by Laura Wexler of The Stoop Storytelling Series

Photo collage developed from individual images that are the property of the Stoop Stories Series website.

When: Saturday, January 26, 2019

Time: 09:00 AM – 02:00 PM

Location: University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Sherman Hall Building, 1st Floor – SHER 003.

Driving directions: UMBC 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 Administration Drive Garage.

Parking: Parking is FREE on the weekend, please use the visitor spaces on
upper Admin Drive Garage or Hilltop Circle parking spaces A & D.  Do not pay for the visitor spaces, no permit is required.

Walking from Administration Drive Garage directions: Sherman Building at UMBC.

Registration:

• Attendees who are part of the UMBC community: Please click the “Going” button on https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/promise/events/66394.
• Attendees outside the UMBC community: Please email promisestaff@gmail.com with Subject line: “Stoop Stories – Registration” and the following details in the content of your email: Name, Department, University.

This workshop in a nutshell:

In this lively and informative workshop, you will learn how to harness the power of true, personal storytelling to create an engaging and accessible story about your research focus, project, or goals. Workshop includes lecture, discussion, and a chance for everyone to share a 3-5 minute story and receive feedback.

To prepare for the workshop, please listen to these Stoop stories:

• Sonia Sarkar. Listen here.
• Richard Huganir. Listen here.
• Janet Stephens. Listen here.

Please bring paper, pen, and a willingness to experiment, with you to the workshop.

Workshop Mission

Participants will learn to use the tools of true, personal storytelling to create and share an engaging and accessible story about their research focus, project, or goals.

Workshop Outcomes

Participants will:

• enhance their understanding of true, personal storytelling as a powerful tool of communication to engage and connect with a variety of audiences, and explain complex issues in an accessible and relatable way.
• improve their ability to identify and enact the principles of powerful true, personal storytelling.
• create a 3- to 5-minute engaging true, personal tale that illuminates their research focus and findings.
• share that personal research tale with a group of peers and receive feedback.

Workshop Structure

09:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Registration and breakfast

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Lecture

Break

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM – 3-5 people tell 3-5-minute stories and get feedback in front of entire group

12:15 PM – 01:30 PM – Breakout into groups of 20 people to share stories. Eat box lunch in rooms.

01:30 PM – 02:00 PM – Final reconvene and synthesize

Workshop Presenter

Laura Wexler is the co-founder and co-producer of The Stoop Storytelling Series, a popular cultural event and podcast in which “ordinary” people tell extraordinary true tales about their lives. Since 2006, Laura has presented workshops in true, personal storytelling for a range of organizations, businesses, and individuals. Her storytelling curriculum is based on 10 years of teaching memoir writing at the collegiate and graduate level, and her experience coaching nearly 2,000 people to tell the true, personal tales of their lives. In addition to her work with The Stoop, Laura is the author of the narrative nonfiction book, Fire in a Canebrake: The Last Mass Lynching in America (Scribner), as well as nonfiction published in The Washington Post Magazine, The New York Times, and elsewhere. She has developed a TV pilot for Amazon Studios, and is currently writing a narrative feature. She and her writing partner wrote and produced a Virtual Reality film that world premiered at Sundance Festival 2018.

• Laurawexler.com
• Stoopstorytelling.com

Laura Wexler’s photo and biographical information are the property Stoop Stories, and Johns Hopkins University, where Wexler is a member of the adjunct faculty.

Key Co-Sponsors: The Graduate School at UMBC, PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP

2019 USM PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium & Professional Development Conference

Location:
University of Maryland College Park
Adele H. Stamp Student Union – Center for Campus Life
3972 Campus Dr
Colony Ballroom
College Park, MD 20742

Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Attire: Business Casual

Transportation:
There will be free transportation from UMBC and UMB campus to UMD. Please send an email to promisestaff@gmail.com before February 8, with the subject title, “2019 Research Symposium Bus,” with your name, school, and cell phone number. The bus departs from the UMBC Administration Circle at 7:30 AM. This location is in front of the administration building. The bus will depart from UMD at 4:00 PM and arrive at UMBC around 5:00 PM.

Parking:
If you choose to drive on your own, you may pay to park in the Union Lane Garage – located between the Adele H. Stamp Student Union Center for Campus Life and Cole Field House. Hours of operation are 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily. In this garage, you park in a numbered spot, remember your number, and walk out toward the entrance to enter it into the machine, where you will pre-pay for a certain number of hours. Other parking lot information can be found here: http://cvs.umd.edu/visitors/parking.html.

Important:

• Presentation slots are limited to graduate students within the University System of Maryland.
• A custom webpage will be designed for each presenter. The presenter’s website will include a photo, bio, abstract, synopsis of research, and list of other relevant publications or presentations as applicable. Students who participated in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 can update their current pages.
• Postdocs from universities and organizations outside of the University System of Maryland can participate as mentors and judges for poster sessions.
• All graduate students and postdocs are invited to participate as audience members and attend the professional development workshops.
• Undergraduate students are invited to attend to learn from the presentations.
• Faculty from within the USM are invited to serve as judges to provide constructive feedback.

Join us! Registration is free. 

Register here:

Types of Presentations

This conference will feature STEM-based oral presentations, posters, and professional development seminars. Participants are invited to submit abstracts to participate in three oral categories and one poster category.

Oral Category 1: Traditional Research Presentations

[7 minutes presentation, 3 minutes critique, 2 minutes of questions, traditional PowerPoint presentation]

Oral Category 2: TED-Styled Talks

[5-minute talks + 5 minutes for critique/questions, PowerPoint presentation with images only – no text]

Oral Category 3: Lightning Round Talks (elevator speech)

[2-minute talks with a timer on the screen, no PowerPoints, no critique.]

Posters:

Please print a 4 ft by 3 ft poster.

Call for Abstracts

The slots will be filled in a first come – first get basis, the earlier you submit your application the better chance to get in line with the presentation style of your choice. Those who did not specify a category will be given a space for a poster.

If you are interested in presenting, please follow the schedule below:

January 18, 2019: Abstracts and the information below is required for all presentations types. Email all materials from all four categories below to promisestaff@gmail.com, with the subject: “2019 USM PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium Presenter Information.”

1. Name, school, department, choice of oral category (1, 2, 3) or poster, and title of your presentation. “TED-Styled” and “Lightning Round” titles must be tailored to appeal to a general audience.
2. Formal Abstract (250 words or less). Biographical Sketch (250 words or less)
   • Font: 12 Point, Times New Roman
   • Heading, Left-justified:
     • Title (Bold)
     • Name (Italicized)
     • Department (No abbreviations)
     • University (No abbreviations)
3. General Summary of Graduate Research (250 words or less)
4. High-Quality Photograph
5. Numbered List of up to 5 publications and or/presentations. Please give precedence to publications and conference proceedings as applicable.

All presenters must register.

Agenda

Colony Ballroom, Adele Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland College Park

2019 PROMISE AGEP Research Symposium & Professional Development Conference

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Arrival, Coffee & Refreshments, Registration, Poster Set-Up

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Opening Remarks, Traditional Oral Research Presentations

Welcome:

1. Host’s Opening and Welcome: Jeffrey Franke, Assistant Dean and Chief of Staff, Graduate School, University of Maryland College Park.
2. Moderator: Dr. Renetta Tull, Director of Graduate and Professional Pipeline Development, and Special Assistant to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University System of Maryland.

Oral Category 1: Traditional Research Presentations

1. Linda Moise, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
2. Canessa Swanson, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
3. Ramses Long, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Biology
4. Jeffrey Inen, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Biology

Confirmed Judges:

1. Dr. José A. Ortiz, Assistant Clinical Professor, LEAP Director & Bilingual Certificate Program Coordinator Hearing & Speech Sciences, University of Maryland
2. Dr. Takamasa Kanaya, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Laboratory for Rock Physics, Department of Geology, University of Maryland
3. Dr. Alexis Y. Williams, Instructional Development Specialist, Teaching and Learning Transformation Center, University of Maryland
4. Dr. Isabella Alcañiz, Associate Professor, Department of Government and Politics, University of Maryland
5. Dr. Muhammed Shafeekh Muyyarikkandy, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland
6. Dr. Efrain E. Rodriguez, Associate Professor Chemistry Graduate Program Director Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland
7. Dr. Alfredo Ruiz-Barradas, Associate Research Professor CMNS-Atmospheric & Oceanic Science, University of Maryland
8. Dr. Christopher Bonner, Assistant Professor of History, University of Maryland
9. Dr. Nicole Cousin-Gossett, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, University of Maryland
10. Dr. Daniel Contreras, Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM: Networking Break

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM: “TED-Style” Talks

1. Alex Rittle, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Geography & Environmental Systems
2. Ajmeeta Sangtani, University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), Department of Bioengineering
3. Daniel Teodoro, University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), Department of Geographical Sciences

Confirmed Judges:

1. Dr. Elizabeth Marie Aparicio, Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland
2. Dr. Carolyn Fink, Senior Faculty Special EDUC-Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education, University of Maryland
3. Dr. Jennifer Roberts, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology Faculty Associate, University of Maryland Population Research Center and Prevention Research Center, School of Public Health, University of Maryland
4. Dr. Yaqiong Xiao, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, BSOS, University of Maryland
5. Dr. Ricardo Arevalo Jr., Associate Professor, Department of Geology, University of Maryland
6. Dr. Renee F. Hill, Senior Lecturer, Director, School Library Specialization, Associate Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Equity Administrator, University of Maryland
7. Dr. Kelly E. Slay, Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education (CHSE), College of Education, University of Maryland
8. Dr. Richard Prather, Assistant Professor, EDUC-Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland
9. Dr. Christopher Bonner, Assistant Professor of History, University of Maryland
10. Dr. Eusebia Mont, Assistant Clinical Professor, Director, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Emphasis Program (CLD-EP) Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland
11. Dr. Nicole Cousin-Gossett, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, University of Maryland
12. Dr. Ronald Luna, Undergraduate Director, Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland 
13. Dr. Vanessa Frias-Martinez, Assistant Professor, INFO-College of Information Studies
14. Dr. Belinda Huang, Higher Education Administration, The Graduate School, University of Maryland College Park

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM: Lightning Round Talks

1. Brianda Beverly, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Biology
2. Denise Williams, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
3. Lampouguin Y. Douti, University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), Department of Bioengineering
4. Shawnisha S. Hester, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Language, Literacy & Culture (LLC)
5. Erika Aparaka, University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership
6. William Easley, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Information Systems

Confirmed Judges:

1. Dr. Katie White, Assistant Director, Consortium on Race, Gender, and Ethnicity, University of Maryland
2. Dr. Eliza A. Thompson, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences, University of Maryland
3. Dr. Akua Asa-Awuku, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland
4. Dr. Hugh Bruck, Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Mechanical Engineering, Office of Advanced Engineering Education, University of Maryland
5. Dr. Kevin M. Daniels, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Institute for Research in Electronics & Applied Physics, University of Maryland
6. Dr. Siddhartha Das, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland
7. Dr. Justicia Opoku, Department of Biology, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, University of Maryland
8. Dr. Marccus Hendricks, Assistant Professor, Urban Studies and Planning Program, University of Maryland
9. Dr. Gregg Duncan, Assistant Professor, Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland
10. Dr. Carlos A. Machado, Professor, CMNS-Biology, University of Maryland
11. Dr. Keith Yearwood, Lecturer, BSOS-Geography, University of Maryland

12:00 PM – Buffet Lunch

Remarks by Dr. Steve Fetter, Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Maryland College Park (UMD).

12:45 PM – 1:30 PM: Poster Session and Dessert Reception

1. Cassandra Jordan, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), Department of Microbiology and Immunology
2. Annette Kenney, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (UMES), Department of Agriculture, Food, and Resource Sciences
3. Valencia Watson, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering
4. Zoe C. Johnson, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (UMES), Department of Natural Sciences
5. Ellen Freebern, University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), Department of Animal and Avian Sciences
6. Chinedu Ahuchaogu, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (UMES), Department of Natural Sciences
7. Eguono Omagamre, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (UMES), Department of Natural Sciences
8. John Fenimore, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), Department of Biology

Confirmed Judges:

1. Dr. Caryn N. Bell, Assistant Professor, Department of African American Studies, University of Maryland
2. Dr. Manuel Franco Sevilla, Assistant Professor, CMNS-Physics, University of Maryland
3. Dr. Claudia Galindo, Associate Professor, Education Policy and Leadership Program, University of Maryland
4. Dr. José A. Feijó, Professor, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland
5. Dr. Kevin M. Daniels, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Institute for Research in Electronics & Applied Physics, University of Maryland
6. Dr. Craig S. Fryer, Associate Professor, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, Associate Director, Maryland Center for Health Equity, Faculty Associate, Maryland Population Research Center, University of Maryland
7. Dr. Shannon Dunn, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Baltimore
8. Dr. Ebony Terrell Shockley, Associated Clinical Professor, Diversity Officer, Director, Office of Teacher & Leader Education, Director, Master’s Certification Program College of Education, University of Maryland
9. Dr. Diana Obanda, Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences
10. Dr. Nicole LaRonde, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization
11. Miryam C. Gerdine, M.P.H., Social Science Research Analyst at Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSAgov), HHS
12. Dr. Keith Yearwood, Lecturer, BSOS-Geography, University of Maryland

Additional Confirmed Judges

Dr. George Kintiba, Lecturer, Department of African American Studies, University of Maryland

Dr. Jarred Young, Keystone Lecturer, Space Power & Propulsion Lab, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland

1:30 PM – 3:15 PM: Professional Development Workshops (postdocs and graduate students)

Session I – 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

“Navigating Graduate School, Postdoc Life, and Career – Fulfilling the PROMISE with Excellence, Social Justice, and Love.”

by our very own Dr. Renetta G. Tull

Founding Director of PROMISE,  Engineering Report II team for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Global Engineering Deans Council/Airbus Diversity Finalist, VP for Initiatives for the Latin and Caribbean Consortium of Engineering Institutions (LACCEI), University System of Maryland (12 Institutions): Director of Graduate and Professional Pipeline Development, and Special Assistant to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, http://www.usmd.edu/institutions/; NSF USM LSAMP, NSF USM PROMISE AGEP UMBC: Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives (housed in The Graduate School), Professor of the Practice, College of Engineering & IT @ UMBC. Twitter: @Renetta_Tull, Personal: http://www.renettatull.com, LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/renettatull.

2:15 PM – 2:45 PM: Networking Break

Session II – 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM

“Learning-through-Diversity: Being Inclusive, Being Human”

by Dr. Spencer Benson

Consultant Graduate School and TLTC at UMD
Education Innovations International Consulting, LLC Eii-Consulting LLC

3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Closing Reception and Awards Ceremony

This is a research symposium for current University System of Maryland graduate students, postbaccalaureate and postdocs. If you are currently a student in one of the 12 institutions part of the Maryland System, this conference is for you! This is a free event funded by the University of Maryland College Park, OGDI office, and the National Science Foundation. We aim to serve underrepresented students in STEM fields pursuing a graduate degree or faculty position.

September to October 2018

My name is Denise Williams and I am an AGEP scholar studying nanoparticle chemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). In addition to being an AGEP scholar, I am a proud member of the Rosenzweig Lab in UMBC’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and also a Meyerhoff Graduate Fellow. I am from Prince George’s County Maryland, but prior to my studies at UMBC I left the state for my undergraduate studies in both Chemistry and Forensic Science at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. My undergraduate research experiences in analytical chemistry inspired me to pursue graduate studies in a similar area. Hence my current research topic which combines analytical chemistry with inorganic, polymer, and conjugation chemistries. My current research and the international research experience that I will share here have been funded by a National Science Foundation AGEP graduate fellowship supplement award (Grant No. CHE-1506995), the National Science Foundation Center for Chemical Innovation (CCI) program award for the Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology (CSN)(Grant No. CHE-1503408), and a National Institute of Health training supplement (Grant No. NIH-T32-GM066706).

I had the opportunity to spend 6 weeks as a Visiting Scientist in the lab of Dr. Karen Lienkamp in the Freiburg Centre for Interactive Materials and Bioinspired Technologies (FIT) at the University of Freiberg, and at the Department of Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the University Hospital of Freiburg.

This trip served to satisfy the cross-disciplinary training component of my dissertation research as required by the UMBC Chemistry-Biology Interface (CBI) program. As a CBI trainee, I am required to: 1) present papers at multiple conferences, 2) take an upper level course outside of my discipline, and 3) participate in cross-disciplinary research training. Fortunately, not only did my research allow me to pursue biological cross-training, it also enabled me to obtain an invaluable international research training experience.

The international component was fostered through an ongoing collaboration between the Rosenzweig group at UMBC, my principal investigator’s lab, and the Lienkamp group in Freiburg. The Rosenzweig group is a nanoparticle focused group, where we seek to make new nanoparticles and study their impact on the environment and human health, and their use in biomedical applications. The Lienkamp group is a polymer synthesis group, which aims to make and characterize polymers for several different applications. The collaboration between the two groups seeks to explore the potential use of the Lienkamp group’s patented antimicrobial Synthetic Mimics of Antimicrobial Peptides (aka PONs for their chemical name) when used to coat nanoparticles that the Rosenzweig group provides as antimicrobial nanoparticles. The motivation behind this collaboration arises from: 1) the increasing prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria, 2) the ability of the PONs molecules to kill even these drug-resistant strains of bacteria, and 3) existing literature which demonstrates that coating nanoparticles with antimicrobial drugs and polymers can increase the drug loading and targeting to specific bacteria, followed by increased killing efficiency of the bacteria. To this end, the PONs-coated nanoparticles are used to investigate the interactions between the coated nanoparticles with environmentally-relevant membranes and bacteria, an area of prime interest to the national CSN which supports research projects in the Rosenzweig laboratory.

The overarching goal of this experience was for me to learn the microbiological techniques used to characterize the activity of the antimicrobial PONs polymers against cells. After learning the techniques, I could then use them to characterize the activity of nanoparticles that are coated with the PONs polymers. The specific objectives to reach this goal were to: 1) successfully coat nanoparticles with PONs molecules, 2) characterize the coating efficiency, and 3) conduct parallel microbiological experiments with the free PONs molecules and PONs-coated nanoparticles.

The coating and characterization of PONs-coated nanoparticles were started at my home institution, so that they could be shipped in advance and be ready for the microbiological studies once I arrived in Germany. Unfortunately, the particles were held in customs for a week and a half! This meant that instead of working with PONs-coated nanoparticles from the beginning, I alternatively had the chance to thoroughly learn the biological assays with other samples while waiting for their arrival. The specific microbiological studies taught to me by those in the Lienkamp group looked at the how the samples would impact the ability of different bacteria cells and human red blood cells to live after exposure. Specifically, bacteria inhibitory growth assays were completed against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus cells to look at bacteria growth changes after the cells interacted with polymers and nanoparticles. The bursting of human red blood cells in the same conditions was investigated using a hemolysis assay.

While only some of the objectives were fully completed in the six weeks, every objective was started with general success. Fortuitously, the preliminary results analyzed from replicates of these microbiological assays with free PONs, nanoparticles, and PONs-coated nanoparticles indicate the potential for this cross-training experience to continue into a publication-producing collaboration with the Lienkamp group.

I am appreciative of the opportunity to complete this international cross-training experience. It afforded me the opportunity to be immersed in a different scientific culture and discipline, interact with people from Germany and Switzerland at their home, and even take in a new country’s scenery and history in my free time.

I’d like to acknowledge Dr. Lienkamp, Vera Bleicher, Dr. Sibylle Rau and others of the FIT and the University Hospital for extending their time, resources, expertise and friendliness. Further, I’d also like to thank Dr. Rosenzweig for allowing me time away from the UMBC lab to receive this training, and Dr. Seley-Radtke for facilitating the CBI program and encouraging me and other trainees to pursue cross-disciplinary training and expand our expertise and horizons. Provided the opportunity, I would feel more confident returning to Germany or any other international lab to receive training and international perspectives.

Please click on the following link and read the entire post. Please follow the guidelines specified to be considered for funding and as a member of our Maryland delegation.

https://usmlsamp.wordpress.com/2018/12/13/2019-latin-american-and-caribbean-consortium-of-engineering-institutions-laccei-in-jamaica/