This year, three undergraduate research assistants with ESI were recognized with research awards and internships: Kaylin Burrell, Alex Esposito, and Natalie McCourt. UMBC physics undergraduates Burrell and Esposito won Undergraduate Research Awards (URAs) for the 2026-2027 academic year. Sponsored by the UMBC Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, the URAs are solicited annually as a medium for motivated undergraduates to participate in research under the supervision of UMBC faculty. UMBC computer science undergraduate McCourt won a competitive NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) internship for summer 2026.

Burrell, under ESI scientist Dr. Brent McBride, will characterize an open-source, handheld remote sensor called the STELLA Q2, for the purpose of knowledge building in remote sensing and expanding citizen science initiatives relative to NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission. Created by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the STELLA (the Sustainable Technology for Land and Life Assessment) program is designed for middle and high school students to engage with the vegetation science of the LandSat mission. However, these remote sensors also have high compatibility with aerosol, cloud, and ocean measurements from PACE. In her project “Advancing STELLA into a Research-Grade Instrument for Outreach and Remote Sensing with UMBC in Support of NASA’s PACE Science Goals,” Burrell will adapt and calibrate the STELLA Q2 sensor for closer alignment with PACE and will collaborate with ESI and NASA faculty throughout the year.

Esposito, under physics professor and ESI director Dr. J. Vanderlei Martins, will develop a laser tomography system as part of his URA. Martins and ESI faculty have transformed one of the ESI research labs into a cloud chamber, where cloud droplets and ice particles can be generated, controlled, and studied against different variables like temperature, pressure, supersaturation, and convection. Tomography, a technique common in medical fields to see into solid volumes without incisions (i.e., MRI), is gaining in popularity in cloud physics to study droplet growth properties inside the cloud. In his project titled “Cloud Chamber Laser Tomography System,” Esposito will build the instrument to probe simulated clouds in this way and grow ESI’s in-situ capabilities.

 McCourt, who won the National Science Foundation (NSF) REU internship, will study ocean fertilization by aerosols using data from NASA’s PACE mission, under the supervision of Drs. Ivona Cetinic and Andrew Sayer (GESTAR II/GSFC). McCourt is part of a cohort of 12 students participating in UMBC’s NSF EXPeriments in Earth and Atmospheric Science (EXPLORE) REU program. Prior to this internship, McCourt led efforts to characterize various Earth surfaces using the multi-angle and polarized measurements of PACE HARP2, under the supervision of ESI's Dr. Brent McBride. This work led to McCourt’s first-author paper, which was published in SPIE in June.

Congratulations to our undergraduate researchers!

Photo: UMBC physics undergraduate Kaylin Burrell measures the irradiance of the Homecoming bonfire scar on the Erickson Field with the STELLA Q2 sensor. (Credit: B. McBride/ESI)Photo: UMBC physics undergraduate Alex Esposito presents research results related to ESI’s cloud chamber at UMBC’s URCAD conference in April 2026. (Credit: B. McBride/ESI)Photo: UMBC computer science undergraduate Natalie McCourt presents research results related to multi-angle and polarized signals measured by HARP2 over various Earth surfaces at UMBC’s URCAD conference in April 2026. (Credit: B. McBride/ESI)

Recently, Procurement held their second session in their Supplier Spotlight series.  This series is designed to highlight strategic supplier partners that assist UMBC in conducting it's business for the campus community.

This session was with BISM: Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, a preferred provider by the State. BISM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the blind and low-vision community by educating, training, employing, and empowering them to be confident and lead independent lives. Their manufacturing and retail businesses are the largest employers of blind and low-vision individuals in Maryland.  To find out more go to www.BISM.org

A recording of the session (37 minutes) can be viewed at this link.  A transcript can be viewed here.

Be on the lookout for information about future sessions in this series.

If your summer plans involve scooping ice cream, life-guarding at the community pool, or folding clothes in retail, you might feel like your career goals are on pause. Many students fall into the trap of thinking that if a summer job isn’t a corporate internship in their exact major, it doesn't "count" on a resume.

The truth is, employers aren't just looking for technical keywords — they are looking for foundational capabilities. According to data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), traits like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving are consistently rated as top priorities by recruiters across every industry. Your seasonal job isn't a distraction from your career; it’s a training ground for it. You just need to know how to reframe it.

Translate Tasks into Competencies

The secret to a high-impact resume is moving away from a basic list of duties and moving toward skills-based storytelling. Instead of writing "Ran the cash register," reframe it as: "Managed daily cash and digital transactions up to $2,000 with 100% accuracy while maintaining a fast-paced customer workflow." By focusing on accuracy, speed, and financial responsibility (with numbers and percentages to further emphasize your points), you show an employer that you possess the core reliability they crave.

Highlight Your Problem-Solving Under Pressure

Every retail worker, camp counselor, and server has dealt with an emergency or an unhappy customer. In the eyes of a recruiter, handling a chaotic situation at a summer job proves you have problem-solving skills — a top attribute sought by over 60% of employers in recent NACE updates. Did you resolve a scheduling conflict? Did you pacify an angry client? Document those moments using the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to show you don't panic when things go wrong.

Own Your Professional Leadership

Did you train a new seasonal hire this summer? Were you trusted to open or close the store? Leadership isn't reserved just for CEOs; it is demonstrated by anyone who takes initiative. If you were responsible for guiding others or ensuring a shift ran smoothly, you are building project management experience. Don't diminish your responsibility just because you wore a uniform instead of a suit.

Emphasize Interpersonal Communication

Navigating diverse personalities — whether they are demanding customers, energetic campers, or corporate managers — is the definition of exercising teamwork and communication. In a world increasingly driven by digital tools and AI, employers are putting a premium on human-centric skills. Your summer job demonstrates that you can operate effectively in a collaborative environment, manage stress, and communicate clearly.

Ready to Get Started?

Unsure how to articulate your summer experiences on paper? Don't wait until the fall rush to get your resume in shape. Come to one of our drop-in appointments — no appointment needed — on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2-4 PM. Can’t make it in person? No worries, you can make an express virtual appointment on Handshake, available Mondays and Thursdays from 2-4 PM.  

The Office of Residential Life will be closed Friday, July 3, 2006. Please plan accordingly for in-person office visits. 

The office will reopen on Monday, July 6, 2026.

Our hours of operation during the summer are Monday - Friday, 9 am - 4:30 pm, with the exception of Holidays. 

If you have any general questions during this time, please submit an RT Ticket (reslife.umbc.edu/contact-us). 

If you are in need of urgent assistance, please contact Campus Police at 410-455-5555

Happy end of June everyone,

I'm writing to give everyone an update regarding the UMBC HPCF and other Research Computing projects currently undertaken by DoIT during the month of June.

Summary

• ada Volumes Being Sunset by End of Summer

• Continued Work to Improve Ceph Performance in Edge Cases

• chip Maintenance Period Scheduled for July 28th https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/hpcf/posts/160868 

ada Volumes Being Sunset by end of Summer

As mentioned in the previous newsletter, the ada file storage server is aging and we are starting the process to migrate the 170TB spread across 42 volumes to RRStor in coordination with volume owners. We’ve sent out emails to all of the volume owners that will be affected with a deadline of June 30th (today!) to respond.

Huge thanks to everyone who has responded to get their migrations scheduled! We’ve already migrated ~20% of the volumes and are in a good position to finish before our goal of July 31st.

Continued Work to Improve Ceph Performance in Edge Cases

Our team is continuing to collaborate closely with the users experiencing performance anomalies on the RRStor Ceph storage cluster. While we’ve made some headway with understanding where the bottlenecks are, we are still actively diagnosing the underlying causes and evaluating potential approaches to see what will be most effective. We deeply appreciate the patience and collaboration of those affected as we work toward ensuring a consistent, high-speed storage experience for all workloads.

If you experience unexpected slowness or suboptimal performance with the new RRStor storage cluster, please submit an RT Ticket so we can investigate!

chip Maintenance Period Scheduled for July 28th

As we mentioned yesterday, the chip cluster will undergo a scheduled maintenance window on July 28th from 0800-1800ET to implement essential infrastructure and software upgrades. You can refer to https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/hpcf/posts/160868 for more information on the downtime.

Please plan your workloads and batch jobs accordingly, as cluster services will be temporarily unavailable during this window. We appreciate your patience as we complete these updates to ensure a more robust and high-performing computing environment.

Publications
If you have any publications, presentations, theses, or other works that made use of the campus cluster, please submit an RT Ticket with bibliographic information so that we can accurately reflect this work in our records and on the HPCF Website. 

Need Help?
As always, please communicate any issues/questions to the Research Computing RT Queue (hpcf.umbc.edu > User Support > Request Help).

Gregory Ballantine,
HPC System Administrator

Maryland Office of the Public Defender (OPD)

Fall 2026 Internship Opportunity

Application Deadline: July 10, 2026

• Maryland Office of the Public Defender (OPD) offers hands-on experience for current undergraduate, paralegal studies, and graduate students to assist in the client-centered and team-based representation of OPD clients.
• This unparalleled experience allows interns to be fully incorporated into OPD's innovative and strategic approach to aggressive litigation and comprehensive advocacy. 
• The vast majority of interns work in OPD's District offices assisting OPD trial attorneys in the representation of adult and juvenile clients in criminal cases. 

OPD has 12 District offices spread across the State of Maryland. 

If you are interested in trial work, be sure to request placement with one of OPD's District offices (the specific office would depend on your geographical preferences and transportation). 

Some of OPD's more specialized division also provide internship opportunities. These smaller divisions offer a unique opportunity to work closely with a smaller group of attorneys in a more highly specialized area of the law. The following offices host interns (please note the location of these offices in parentheses): 

​Criminal trial (All Locations) 

• Post Conviction Defenders (Baltimore City)
• Parental Defense (Rockville, Upper Marlboro, Baltimore City, Towson, Snow Hill)
• Forensics (Baltimore City)
• Juvenile (All locations)
• Legal Affairs

Note: All internships are in-person positions.

Students must start the internship by September 8, 2026 and work for at least 10 weeks.

Visit this website for more information, including the Fall 2026 Intern Application.

The Maryland Hispanic Bar Association (MHBA) is awarding scholarships to offset the costs of an LSAT preparation course to college students and recent graduates who have demonstrated commitment to the Latinx community.

• Recipients of the scholarship will receive a registration for an LSAT prep course from Kaplan titled "LSAT Prep -- Live Online" and it provides 12 months of unlimited access to expert-led instruction and practice materials valued at $1,299.
• Award recipients will also receive one courtesy ticket entry to the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association's 2026 Gala to network with attorneys and judges in attendance. 

To be eligible applicants must:

• Show that they have earned a Bacherlor’s Degree from an accredited 4-year college or university in Maryland, DC, or Virginia, OR be on track to obtain a Bachelor’s degree by the end of 2026 or 2027 (applicants who have already graduated cannot be more than 5 years out from their graduation date by the application deadline).

• Submit an Unofficial Transcript along with their application.

• Demonstrate involvement and commitment to the Latinx community.

• Be eligible to register and attend the Kaplan LSAT Online Prep Course in 2027.

• Plan to sit for the LSAT exam in 2027.

• Plan to apply to law school for the 2027 or 2028 cohort (spring or fall)

• Demonstrate a financial need.

• Attend the 33rd Annual Maryland Hispanic Bar Association Gala on Friday, September 18, 2026 in Ellicott City, MD

Application materials along with unofficial transcripts must be submitted no later than 11:59PM, July 31, 2026. 

Any questions regarding the scholarship can be directed to MHBAScholarships@gmail.com.

Scholarship finalists will be notified via email to attend an online interview with the Scholarship committed to be held on July 18, 2026. 

Scholarship finalists will be notified no later than September 1, 2026.

Applications are now open, and information on how to apply can be found here.

https://www.marylandhispanicbar.com/scholarship

Reminder: Applications are still open for the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Affiliates Program.

Application Deadline: July 15 at 11:59 p.m.

Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Affiliates Program

• In honoring UMBC’s commitment to inclusive excellence, the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program has established an Affiliates Program to support more undergraduate students in pursuing their public service goals.
• The Affiliates Program creates an opportunity for UMBC students who did not apply for or were not selected for the Sondheim Program as prospective freshmen, but whose qualities and goals align with the Sondheim Program. 
• The Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program supports, inspires, and empowers talented undergraduate students as they address society’s most pressing problems. 

Eligibility

For the 2026-2027 academic year, applicants may be:

• Freshmen
• Sophomores
• Juniors
• Transfer students with at least two years remaining at UMBC
• Note: Seniors, graduate students, and current Sondheim Scholars are not eligible to apply
• Applicants must have a 3.0+ GPA.

Application and Selection Process

The application process will include completing an online application form, and submitting a resume and unofficial transcript by email to sondheimscholars@umbc.edu.

• A cohort of up to 10 Sondheim Affiliates will be selected for the upcoming academic year. 
• Affiliates will have access to many of our Sondheim events, resources, and activities.
• After 1 year of active participation in the program, Affiliates will be eligible to apply for an Experiential Learning Award (up to $5,500) and an Academic Enrichment & Professional Development (up to $550) Award.
• The Affiliates Program is open to students who will be incoming freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and transfer students (with at least 2 years of time remaining at UMBC).

Sondheim Program Affiliates Information Sheet

Sondheim Affiliates Application

Questions can be directed to sondheimscholars@umbc.edu. 

This program is 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.

Hi all,

I have had a couple emails  and texts in the last few days concerning the conditions found in both the conference rooms and shared refrigerators. If you are using any facility in the building, please try to leave it in as good as, if not better condition than you found it. Lab groups have found lunch bags and crumbs in conference rooms upon entry for meetings. Spills and expired food have been found in shared refrigerators in the research wings and the building has seen an invasion of mice throughout the last few weeks.

This is a shared facility, we all need to take respossibility for the upkeep of the shared spaces.

Thank you!

Good afternoon,

The FY27 Student Wage Guidelines are now available.  

Please refer to the attached document for comprehensive information, including a detailed summary, important reminders, and additional guidance.

This document can also be accessed on the HRSTM website.