UMBC CSEE Assistant Professor Roberto Yus received a prestigious NSF CAREER Award to support his research on democratizing the Internet of Things (IoT) by introducing a semantic abstraction framework that hides the complexity of raw sensor data. While IoT devices collect vast amounts of valuable data, most organizations struggle to use it because transforming raw readings into actionable insights requires deep technical expertise in sensor selection and AI modeling. To bridge this gap, his research enables users to directly query high-level concepts, such as occupancy or energy consumption, while the computer system automatically manages the underlying sensors, machine learning models, and data pipelines to find the answers.

Read more about the award here

Traffic around the arena will be very heavy beginning at 7:30am on 6/8/2026 and throughout the day to accommodate two high school graduations. Graduation start times are 9am and 1:30pm. Faculty, staff, and students are strongly encouraged to avoid entering campus from I-195, as parking on the east side of campus will be difficult to access. Please plan to park in any available legal permit space across campus. Parking Services will be enforcing parking regulations for safety concerns only. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to manage increased traffic and event activity

OWNER BIO
Greetings! I'm a UMBC alum and former adjunct instructor. I have rented to undergrad and grad students on and off for nearly 20 years.

HOUSE DESCRIPTION
Walking distance, 5 minutes to UMBC! (1-2 minutes driving) - literally 4 blocks from campus.

This is a SHARED TOWNHOUSE w/3 other renters. 
Seeking ONE individual renter for one bedroom in upstairs of townhouse. (small-sized, 9x10 bedroom) 

$650/month
1.5 baths, so you will share shower portion of the bathroom with 3 others, but you only have to share bathroom (toilet/sink) with 2 other persons.

Seeking working professional or ideally, a UMBC student. No couples or kids, sorry. 
Semi-furnished first floor, but open to your furniture if you wish to bring. Shared kitchen, dining, living room & deck.

New washer, dryer, shower, hot water heater, furnace, dishwasher, fridge and deck. (all replaced within last 3 months to 3 years)

BGE (gas, electric) would be split between renters. Typically $35-70/month (split up)

Verizon would also be split: $16/month for high speed internet.

Water utility and mowing included (no charge to tenants) 
1 year lease with auto-renew option available. 
Husband and wife that also rent a small property locally in Relay. Not a big "landlord" type of deal or company - very personable yet experienced.

Thanks for your interest!

Tom 

Inquire Here: https://rental.turbotenant.com/p/5421-highridge-st-halethorpe-md/08e6b529-eb7c-48ec-a36c-70112f231b96

Hello everyone,
Me and my friend, We are currently looking for an apartment near UMBC from the beginning of August.

We are preferably looking for a one-bedroom apartment with a separate living/drawing room, basically two usable rooms.

If anyone has any information about available apartments, subleases, or housing options, please let me know. 

Thanks

CSEE professor Rebecca Williams (PI) and IS professor Edward Dillon (CO-PI) were awarded a four-year NSF grant to build industry and academic partnerships and to establish a set of recommendations, resources, and upskilling materials for undergraduate computing faculty and students focused on cultivating AI-related competencies. Working with hiring managers, employees, faculty, and students, they will develop new curricula that align industry and university needs to deliver high-quality educational experiences that enhance students’ competitiveness in the workforce. Read more about this award on the NSF site.

Searching for a private bedroom for a female grad student. Budget including utilities is around $600. Common living area should be available for use. Preference for a house in or around Circle Drive, with lease. If you have any leads, please contact BM32973@umbc.edu.

Hello,

I am searching for a female roommate to move into the other bedroom in the apartment. The bedroom has its own bathroom inside, walk-in closet, there is laundry inside the apartment, parking lot, close garabe bin, and a quiet pet friendly community. The rent is approximatly $900 a month, it is about 15 minutes away from UMBC campus and 5 minutes from Catonsville. The address is 7506 Reserve Circle, Windsor Mill. 

Please text at 443-856-7015 or email amicas1@umbc.edu for more details.

Thank you.

I am subleasing my 2 by 2 1000 sq. ft apartment from July 10, 2026. Living at the community offers a suburban feel while being close to all that the city provides. It includes plush wall-to-wall carpet, spacious closets, Cooking range and central air conditioning. The community is within a short distance to gorgeous parks , delectable restaurants, and stores. If 
comfort, convenience, affordability, and a carefree lifestyle are what you are in search 
of...your search is over! Catons Villas Apartments are in close proximity to the University of 
Maryland’s Baltimore County campus, and are also convenient to I-695 and Rt-40. These 
spacious 2 bedroom feature stainless steel appliances, central AC, a mix of luxury vinyl plank flooring and wall-to-wall carpet, new windows and lighting and on-site parking and laundry facilities. Property Address: FERN VALLEY CIR CATONSVILLE MD 21228
Details:
• Rent: $1500 a month 
• Water & Trash: 50 a month
Utilities: BGE (70 a month)
Apartment Features:
• Wall-wall Carpets
• Four spacious closets
• central air conditioning
• Electronic Thermostat
• Beautiful Views 
• Pets (Allowed with additional fee)
• Laundry Center right beside unit
Community Amenities:
• On-Site Maintenance
• In Building Laundry Center
• Two Fun-Filled Playgrounds
• Freshly Designed Landscaping
• Flexible Rent Payment Options with FLEX
• Report Rent and Build Credit
School Zone: 
• Hillcrest Elementary School
• Catonsville High School
• UMBC at 09 minutes drive distance
• UMBC bus-stop infront of the apartment building
Please message me if you want more pictures, have any questions or concerns!

The International Cyber Security Center of Excellence (INCS-CoE), of which UMBC is a charter member, holds online seminars to explore the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and safety. The next session takes place via Zoom from 7:00-8:45am ET on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, and consists of two presentations, with time for questions after each. Register here to get the link.

Monty Abbas, Virginia Tech
Cyber-Resilient Emergency Response Systems: Integrating Digital Twins, Zero-Trust Architecture, and Reinforcement Learning for Critical Infrastructure Protection

This seminar presents a cyber-resilient framework for emergency vehicle preemption systems that combines digital twins, Zero-Trust Architecture (ZTA), and reinforcement learning. Using an agent-based transportation digital twin, we evaluate the impacts of cyberattacks and demonstrate how adaptive AI-driven policies can identify malicious requests while maintaining efficient emergency operations. The work illustrates how intelligent cyber defense strategies can enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure systems.

Stephen Wolthusen, RHUL
Abstraction in Critical Infrastructures Considered Dangerous

Most critical infrastructures involve (cyber-) physical components (CPS) and hence must interact with these through sensors and actuators, typically while also adhering to real-time and reliability requirements. At the same time, modern CPS architectures will almost invariably have at least indirect connectivity to outside networks and are also susceptible to supply chain attacks, both of which can result in the presence of adversarial activity within CPS. In this talk, we argue that the design and underlying standards for CPS do not (yet) fully take into account such adversarial action and exhibit unforced vulnerabilities not only at the implementation level but at the levels of protocols and their interactions.

Payton Barry, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in biological sciences, is diving into the world of Maryland’s streams. Under Tamra Mendelson’s mentorship, he studies how introduced species of darters, a family of freshwater fish, are affecting native ones. Equal parts dedicated researcher and enthusiastic science communicator, Payton has creatively pieced together funding from organizations like The Explorers Club while sharing his work with the public through outreach events and his engaging Instagram account, @barrybiome.

Q: Why did you choose UMBC for graduate school, and how is it going?

A: I completed my undergrad at the University of Missouri and applied to UMBC specifically to work with Dr. Tamra Mendelson. I discovered her research on Twitter and thought, “This is really cool.” I sensed her great energy in our first virtual meeting, and I knew I could work with her. I moved from Missouri, and it’s been incredible ever since. 

My project is pretty independent, but Tamra is always supportive. She is an awesome mentor—super approachable, really relaxed, and incredibly knowledgeable. Anything I have an issue with or a question about, she’s got an answer or knows who to direct me to. I’m one of three grad students in the lab, including Ph.D. students Georgie Puffer and Shea Buczkowski. Plenty of undergrads are involved in our work, too—sophomore James Keller has been especially helpful with my research. I was humbled to be selected as an Outstanding TA of the Year after nominations from Kevin Omland, Tamra, and Cheng-Yu Li for teaching introductory biology and evolution. 

At right: Payton Barry holds the 2026 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award presented at the CNMS Awards and Recognition Day. (Courtesy of Barry)

Q: What are the primary goals of your research, and why is this work important to you?

A: Darters are small freshwater fish common in streams. They primarily eat macroinvertebrates—little bugs—and reproduce in spring. My research evaluates how introduced darter species might affect native darter species in Maryland. We study two native species and two that were introduced in the late 1950s and 1970s, likely unintentionally by anglers using them for bait.

One of my projects focuses on habitat use. Native darters provide paternal care, with the males guarding eggs, so they need specific microhabitats to reproduce. We found a large degree of overlap between one introduced species and the native species, especially during the reproductive season—that added competition could hamper native reproduction.

We’re also studying what darters are eating, including whether introduced species prey on native eggs. We sample streams to compare how their diet matches or doesn’t with what’s available across the seasons.

This work matters because these little fish play important roles in stream ecosystems. Losing natives through competitive exclusion could affect Maryland’s biodiversity and even impact recreational fisheries. 

At left: Payton Barry conducts fieldwork to monitor the seasonal movement behavior of native and introduced darter species. (Courtesy of Barry)

Q: What does a day in the field look like?

A: It’s mostly me, though Dr. Mendelson joins when she can, and it’s a lot of fun. We drive about an hour to sites near Frederick, Maryland at Little Bennett Creek and the Little Monocacy River; in Montgomery County near Rock Creek; and in the Monocacy River area, plus closer sites on the Anacostia River.

First we catch the darters, and then we survey macroinvertebrates in the stream to measure food availability. We use a nonlethal technique called “gastric lavage” to wash out the fishes’ gut contents. We prep the gut samples and then send them out for genetic sequencing to identify what the fish are eating. We sampled six populations in spring, summer, and winter—when biodiversity is lowest.

Q: To support your work, you’ve sought a range of funding sources. Can you talk about that process and offer any advice?

A: With recent changes to the federal funding landscape, smaller grants from nonprofits have been crucial. I rely on racking up these small awards to support big projects. This project is funded by four or five grants combined. Our newest grant from The Explorers Club covers our genetic sequencing costs. Other support comes from the North American Native Fishes Association (NANFA), the Society for Freshwater Science, and Fly Fishers International.

I just search online for terms like “native fish research grants” or “stream fish restoration.” I tailor my applications and projects for the funders’ priorities—for example, I tied my work to the health of stocked fish populations for Fly Fishers. If you can find an organization focused on your research niche, you might have a greater chance of success, because fewer people are applying.

Q: You’ve made an effort to share your research with members of the broader community. Can you describe some of that work?

A: I’m involved with the graduate student outreach group in UMBC’s biology department. For example, last fall, we hosted an event called Science on Tap at Checkerspot Brewing in Baltimore, where we invited UMBC graduate student researchers in biology and geography and environmental systems to give talks about what they do. We’ve also presented at events run by the Baltimore Underground Science Space. Plus, I run the Instagram account @barrybiome, where I post research updates and a weekly Fieldwork Friday series in collaboration with undergrads in the lab. 

A lot of times researchers present only to specific audiences, which makes science less accessible. It is really fun for me to share my passion for what I do. I love getting questions about how my work relates to people. It really makes an impression when I’m able to tell them how important these little guys are and their role in the ecosystem—everybody’s got a part to play.