Off-Road Engineers Excel

Safety goggles are required gear in many campus labs. Mechanical engineering graduate student Sam Markkula and his teammates just prefer one that also requires a helmet, rollbars and lots of mud.

Markkula is a member of the UMBC chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), a student club of hands-on engineers who design, build and race an off-road vehicle for Baja SAE, a series of annual endurance races against national and international competition.

The group just returned triumphant from the SAE Baja East race in Auburn, Alabama, with the best overall score (7th out of 100 teams) in UMBC SAE history. Team UMBC finished ahead of cars from Georgia Tech, Auburn University, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Bucknell, Virginia Tech and other prestigious universities.

“Our months and countless hours of hard work have definitely paid off,” said Mark Foster, a senior mechanical engineering major and president of UMBC Baja SAE.

In addition to a four-hour long endurance race, Baja SAE teams are graded on their cars’ maneuverability, suspension, traction, speed, ergonomics and production cost. The 2009 UMBC team continued its tradition of excelling in the cost category, achieving their Top 10 overall results with the cheapest-to-produce car in the field.

“UMBC’s Baja SAE team is now in the top 10 nationwide, but in our eyes, they are number one,” said Shlomo Carmi, professor and chair of mechanical engineering. “It is especially impressive that during this difficult budget cycle, they delivered again on the ‘best bang for the buck.’ We are so proud of this team of outstanding students.”

The Baja SAE endurance race is a sensory overload of noise and nerves. Drivers have to resist the urge to drive at top speeds so the car can last the entire duration without being disqualified, tumbling down steep hills, or crashing into logs, rocks and other cars. Other team members serve as pit crew for fuel or repair stops.

“Imagine over 100 lawnmowers all running in close proximity,” said Markkula. “It’s quite loud. We cleaned off at least 30 pounds of mud from each car, and the drivers probably have breathed in at least a half pound by the end of the race.”

This year’s team owes a tip of the helmet to nearby Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) Catonsville. A change to an independent rear suspension required moving and custom-designing the gearbox. The UMBC team was fortunate to receive help from Bill Werneke, an expert machinist and instructor of CCBC-Catonsville’s manufacturing technology program.

Werneke programmed blueprints for the gearbox design into computer-assisted manufacturing and design software, and built the rig in the workshop with the help of his students. Werneke and the CCBC program serve as an apprenticeship path and hands-on training for future machinists from across Maryland. 

Baja SAE is open to graduate or undergraduate students willing to contribute their time, learn how to operate the shop tools and who are in good academic standing. UMBC Baja SAE is advised by mechanical engineering professor Tony Farquhar.

The UMBC team’s next race is in Wisconsin in June. For more information, visit www.sae.org and click on the Baja SAE link.

To watch video of UMBC’s Baja SAE team in action at a 2008 event, click on the video player below:

(4/22/2009)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Passionate Promoting

Not many people discover their life’s passion at 14. But after doing “street team work” (passing out flyers and promoting bands online) Baltimore native Christine Osazuwa ’11, interdisciplinary studies and music journalism, knew the music world was the place for her.

While some high school students dream of being rock stars, Osazuwa wanted to work behind the scenes by promoting bands. At age 16, she hosted a party featuring six local bands that drew 400 people, netting several thousand dollars in profits for the bands. Soon after, Osazuwa received requests from other local bands and venues to help them with promoting their shows.

In 2006, Osazuwa founded Scene Trash Promotions, an all-girl promotions company based in Baltimore that supports and promotes bands, shows and events throughout the east coast. As part of that business, she oversees the production of Scene Trash Magazine, which builds awareness of unsigned or independent-label pop punk rock bands through album reviews and interviews. Originally, the magazine focused on local bands but has expanded to cover bands from New York to South Carolina. Produced out of Osazuwa’s house with a staff of 15, the monthly magazine is distributed online to individual subscribers and in print at record stores and concerts.

Osazuwa continues to do street team work for record companies such as Island Records and Atlantic Records and this past summer got the opportunity to travel with Vans Warped Tour, a touring punk rock festival, for two weeks. She served as assistant to the press coordinator, which gave her a behind-the-scenes look at how a large tour is promoted and also allowed her to meet many journalists and photographers. The experience was not without its wild moments: Osazuwa fondly recalls dancing with a member of the band 303 at the after-party at one of the tour stops.

In addition to her business and academic work, Osazuwa holds several part-time jobs and has taken additional courses during summer vacation, noting that she likes to keep busy. She advises students interested in starting a business to “be organized, plan things out and manage your time wisely.”

In her last year at UMBC, Osazuwa will produce a documentary on fandom in the pop rock genre. Through concert footage and interviews with fans, artists, record label executives and concert promoters, she hopes to capture the intensity of the concert experience and how bands can brand and market themselves effectively to a teenage audience. Following her graduation from UMBC, she plans to pursue her MBA in marketing and hopes to one day start her own record company.

(2/19/10)

Preview UMBC�s Homepage �Refresh�

On Friday, August 28, UMBC will launch a “refreshed” version of its homepage in order to provide a better user experience for the variety of visitors that use the page.

“Our last full redesign launched in August 2006 and since then we have been challenged with keeping an increasing amount of content organized on the page. The new page provides new, clearer content areas for a cleaner look. We also want to give users access to the many ways people can connect with the UMBC community through our social networking sites,” said Eleanor Lewis, senior communications director.

The new homepage was designed by Michelle Jordan ‘93, with input from UMBC’s Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA) and Creative Services, as well as Collier Jones in the Division of Information Technology (DoIT).

UMBC’s homepage refresh highlights:

• Audience navigation was moved from the left side of the page to underneath the panoramic campus life image to free up space for new content areas
• A new Community section on the lower right side of the page provides information about UMBC’s social networking sites
• The black tool bar above the panoramic campus life image now includes links to the UMBC Campaign  and giving information as well as our sustainability initiatives and research
• The What’s New section has been renamed Headlines and has moved to the left side of the page in order to allow for a larger number of stories
• The Events section now includes a link to the myUMBC calendar in order to provide more information about campus life
• UMBC featured stories are now on the left side of the page and the section has been redesigned to make it easier for users to scroll through each story
• Announcements that are posted in the column between the homepage feature and Events/What’s New column on the current UMBC homepage have been reorganized into two sections in order to better define the type of information presented: Announcements and Did You Know?

During the 2006 UMBC homepage redesign, OIA, Creative Services and DoIT worked together to refocus the UMBC homepage on the needs of external users, and made myUMBC more useful to internal users through richer content and self-service options.

If you have a comment about the UMBC homepage you would like to share, please e-mail elewis@umbc.edu.

(8/24/09)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Prove It!

The 2008-09 UMBC Prove It! Campaign, a UMBC Student Government Association (SGA) initiative, provided $50,000 for a new Green Space, located near the entrance of the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture at the Fine Arts building and Lot 16 – a highly traveled area of campus. With the help of her peers and faculty, Elani Odeyale ’09 led the Green Space initiative through the planning and construction phases. A dedication ceremony will be held Friday, September 4, at noon.

The Prove It! contest gives students the challenge to create a novel and innovative project, service, or event on the UMBC campus that makes everyone proud to be a member of the community.

Green Space highlights UMBC’s environmental sustainable practices through its design, which includes a retaining wall to better handle storm water and run off along with flooring made of precast concrete for better water drainage. Hybrid plants and trees also shade, protect and decorate the area. The area has Wi-Fi internet access and will soon have benches and picnic tables.

Since the implementation of the space, the Prove It! concept was highlighted in a November 2008 meeting of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. It’s currently being used as a model at other national universities such as Portland State University and Towson University. And other student government associations have reached out to the SGA including Western Kentucky University and Central Connecticut State University.

Prove It! 2008-09 winners receive $50,000 to complete the project and a $5,000 reward for the winning idea. Past projects include the transformation of the Student Organizations Area in The Commons along with the investment of $45,000 into a GPS tracking system with UMBC Transit Services.

Prior to Green Space’s opening, Elani Odeyale ’09 talked about the project in process.

(8/28/09)

Putting Perspectives in Perspective

For Michael Young ’11, it’s important to act when he sees something wrong. This is the advice his grandparents, both holocaust survivors, always told him. This guiding principle, combined with his life experiences, has led him toward a life of ethical questioning.

“Bioethics is the interface of my two interests, medicine and philosophy,” he said. “The idea behind bioethics is especially important for my generation and issues we will face.”

Since coming to UMBC in fall 2008 as a transfer student, Young has taken every opportunity to learn more about bioethics. He joined the Bioethics Student Association (BSA) and then attended the National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference at Harvard University, along with other UMBC students. He also applied for and was offered a prestigious internship with Yale University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, one of a handful of students selected from across the country. He will spend the summer of 2009 in New Haven, where he will complete research and “get a feel for what a bioethicist does.” In the months before and after his internship, he will work at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the Bioethics Department.

The diversity of UMBc’s campus attracted Young to enroll at UMBC, and he has not been disappointed.

“I like having friends from different backgrounds,” he said. “It helps to be at a place like UMBC because you can put your own perspectives into perspective. It gives me an opportunity to understand what separates us and yet brings us together.”

In addition to his involvement with the BSA, Young also participates in the Fencing Club and is on the editorial staff of Bartleby, the University’s literary magazine. He is also active in Healing Harmonies, a student volunteer organization for musicians. Through these organizations, he has been introduced to new ideas and exposed perspectives, something he feels all students should experience in college.

“Students should study in an environment in which they are exposed to new ideas, and UMBC offers that in a way that exceeds other colleges,” he said.

Although Young isn’t set on his future plans, he knows he wants to focus on medicine in conjunction with philosophy. He hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in Philosophy along with an M.D. He thinks each field enhances and strengthens the other.

Young also believes that not only will he have to act – as an individual – but society must also play a role.

“I personally feel that what society will need are leaders that can understand the ethical implications of facts. We need guidance from leaders in a diverse way.”

To read more about Young and the students who attended the National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference, visit http://www.umbc.edu/research/blog/2009/03/umbc_bioethics_association_stu_1.html.

(4/3/09)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Researcher, Mentor Works to Slow Scourge of Alzheimer�s

Theresa Good, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, works to slow the toll of Alzheimer’s, one of the world’s most devastating illnesses. Her peers recently voted her as among the most talented in her field, electing Good as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

The Rochester, NY native came to UMBC from Texas A&M in 2002. A former Peace Corps volunteer who taught biology and chemistry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Good has always been drawn to real-world challenges.

About 10 percent of the population over age 60 and 50 percent of those over age 80 develop Alzheimer’s. The progressive, fatal disease causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior.

Good’s lab specializes in a protein found in senile plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s in the brain.  Senile plaques are large globs of protein that grow to about the same size as brain cells.

Good is grateful for the AIMBE recognition, but says that her true passion is working with undergraduate and graduate students and helping them to develop into researchers.

“I’m pleased that my colleagues recognize my contributions, but to be honest, the GSA mentor award (Good won the Donald Creighton Memorial Faculty Award for Graduate Student Mentoring in 2007) meant a lot more. 

I like to teach undergraduates at UMBC; they’re talented, they’re funny and every day is different. It’s wonderful to be recognized for producing useful research, but another thing I help to produce is people.”

“Theresa is a tremendous role model to her students and will go to any length to ensure that they are both growing intellectually and succeeding in their efforts,” said Julia Ross, professor and chair of chemical and biochemical engineering.

Good and her colleagues study beta amyloid protein (BAP) as a target for potential new Alzheimer’s drugs. A buildup of BAP in the brain is linked to most forms of the disease, including early-onset Alzheimer’s, impacting some patients as early as in their 40’s. 

Alzheimer’s is an especially challenging adversary since it is difficult to diagnose in the early stages. “The brain is redundant; people compensate for memory loss until the damage to brain cells reaches the catastrophic stage,” said Good. Her lab is examining if fluorescent or metal nano-molecules can be used as tools for earlier diagnoses.

According to Good, there is room for cautious optimism for Alzheimer’s research and possible new therapies. “I think there will be something in clinical trials in the next five years to help prevent further neural damage, but it won’t be perfect,” she said.

Researching Cancer, Serving the Uninsured

Paula Whittington ’01 is a healer in more ways than one. As a doctor in training, she gives medical treatment to patients at an inner-city Detroit medical center, many of them uninsured. Outside of the clinic, her research may offer hope for millions of breast cancer patients.

The former MARC*U*STAR and Meyerhoff scholar at UMBC has already earned her Ph.D. and is working towards her M.D. at Wayne State University. She was recently lead author on a Cancer Research article announcing a potential new vaccine for a type of breast cancer.

Whittington, who has always been fascinated by the immune system, worked under the mentorship of Wayne State Medical School’s Wei-Zen Wei that focused on HER-2, a surface protein that is over expressed by breast cancer cells. Doctors screen for high HER-2 levels as an indicator of a poor prognosis, but it also gives a target for a treatment that has caused tumors to regress.

The problem with HER-2 as a drug target is that after about nine months of treatment, the cancer cells that remain in circulation become resistant to the therapy and the tumors come back. Wei has developed a DNA vaccine to address this complication that is currently undergoing clinical trials in Sweden. “The idea is to train the body to recognize HER-2 and attack cancer cells, not healthy cells,” said Whittington.

Outside of the lab, Whittington enjoys serving clinic patients. “I like treating different people from different cultures,” she said. One of her most recent rotations was pediatric hematology/oncology. “You think it would be depressing with cancer and kids, but 85 percent of their cancers are curable,” said Whittington.

Whittington continues to represent UMBC well, despite the passing of time and distance. She remains in touch with former UMBC mentors such as Professor of Biological Sciences Sue Rosenberg and Professor Emeritus of Africana Studies Daphne Harrison.

“I remember Paula as an energetic student who seemed to flourish when working on assignments or participating in discussions and activities,” said Harrison. “I am excited about her achievements and that she continues to be a scholar and scientist of exceptional talent and humanitarian concern.”

(1/23/09)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Retrievers Sweep Conference Crowns at America East Swimming and Diving Championships

The UMBC men’s swimming and diving team was crowned America East Conference Champions on Sunday, February 11 for the fourth year in a row. This year, however, was different, as for the first time the Retriever women shared in the glory, claiming their first-ever America East title, marking the fourth time in conference history but first in a decade that the same school has won both the men’s and women’s championships.

The Retriever men amassed 876.5 team points to hold off runners-up Binghamton (805). Stony Brook placed third (506.5), followed by host Boston University (448) and Maine (393).

UMBC ties an America East record with its fourth-straight conference championship, as Delaware won four in a row from 1997-2000. The league crown is actually the Retrievers’ 10th straight, as they took six ECAC titles from 1998-2003 before joining the America East in 2003-04. Since then, UMBC has dominated the conference, winning every year.

The Retriever women totaled 719 team points to defeat runner-up Boston University (616) by more than 100 points and unseat two-time defending champion New Hampshire, which placed third (596). Maine (462), Vermont (454), Stony Brook (264) and Binghamton (247) round out the seven-team field.

The last time the same school won both the men’s and women’s America East Championships was 1997 when Delaware accomplished the feat. Boston University has also done it twice, in 1990 and 1994. It also marks the fifth time the Retriever men and women have both won conference championships, as they each claimed the Northeast Conference title in 2000, 2002 and 2003 and the ECAC crown in 1999.

Read more about individual award winners.

(2/13/07)

© 2006-07 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Science in the Summer

Before his summer internship at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (NIST-SURF), Andrew Dillon ’11 didn’t know what scientists really did in their labs. He wasn’t even sure what his future career path would look like. All he knew was that he liked math and chemistry. His time spent at NIST, however, showed him that these interests could be turned into skills for a career in science.

“In my 11 weeks at NIST, I got firsthand experience of what researchers do,” said Dillon. “I did real research that is being used now.”

Dillon went into the internship as a Montgomery Community College student set to transfer to UMBC in fall 2009. Knowing he’d be attending UMBC, he connected with several other UMBC students – in addition to the rest of the 150 student interns.

“In my opinion, the best part about working at NIST was getting to know the other interns,” he said.

Research varies among interns, who work in groups across NIST laboratories. Dillon’s research focused specifically on DNA and the nanomaterials that would change the chemical structure of DNA – resulting in mutations, cancer or pre-mature aging. He also studied how nanomaterials could potentially affect the environment if used commercially.

Although Dillon’s time in the lab didn’t solidify his career as a researcher, it did help him figure out another path. The summer taught him that although research is fascinating to him, it’s not something he’ll necessarily pursue in the sciences.

“Either way, I’m still going to look into the NIST-SURF program again next year,” he said. “I was paid to do things I love, learn what scientists really do and hang with friends for a summer. What more can I want from an internship?”

In the past four years, the number of UMBC students who’ve attended the NIST-SURF program each year has grown from one to ten. UMBC is among the top schools for highest attendance at the program, which generally accepts around 100 students. Read about last year’s interns here.

(10/30/09)

Students Give Back, Gain Affordable Experience through Alternative Spring Break

UMBC’s Alternative Spring Break trips share one common theme: helping others locally. Through the four trips offered March 16-20, students have the chance to work with children and people with disabilities, assist with trail building and experience homelessness firsthand.

“These trips are for students who want to volunteer with Alternative Spring Break but don’t have the money,” said Jordanna Spencer ‘09, graduate coordinator for service and volunteerism. “Financial opportunities are tight; these trips will give students an opportunity to become immersed and have an extensive experience at a low price.”

Students pay $75 and stay in Erickson Hall, where they will cook together and camp out in three lounges. The groups will use vans from The Shriver Center to reach nearby destinations. Three of the four programs will take place in Baltimore, with another in Arlington, Virginia. There are two student leaders for each group along with volunteers both in and outside of the Division of Student Affairs.

The four trips were planned based on the economy and the passions of students. One group will work with The ARC of Carroll County, an organization assisting people with developmental disabilities. Students will teach these citizens about partnership and provide them with job skill training. Spencer said the student who organized this trip has a disabled sister, and he promotes and supports this organization.

Another group will head to the Gwynns Falls Trail, spearheaded by UMBC’s Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA). These students will build trails and speak with students at local schools about the environment. Professor of American Studies Ed Orser will also attend and give a historical perspective based on his book. Tanvi Gadhia ’09, environmental studies, is a student leader for this group and looks forward to educating students in Baltimore city schools.

“I really hope to connect inner city kids with nature and teach them, expose them to young and enthusiastic mentors,” said Gadhia. “I want to use my leadership skills to share my passion for the environment with my fellow students to help empower them to make a difference in their surrounding community.”

The third Baltimore group will partake in “A Day in the Life: Poverty and Homeless Simulation.” Students will spend the week volunteering with with Centro, Helping Up Mission, CAN Bannaker Center and St. Vincent D. Paul’s, Sarah’s Hope. On Wednesday, March 18, students will embark on a full 12-hour simulation where they will live in Baltimore for $2 a day, excluding transportation costs.

“They’ll have to take on a character and find food, shelter and apply for a job,” said Spencer. “They’ll be in Baltimore from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., and the lounges at Erickson will be closed.”

Another group is headed to The Gesundheit Institute (Hillsboro, West Virginia), an organization UMBC has volunteered with in the past and is popular with students. While at the Institute, students use an alternative approach of medicine by interacting with patients through a variety of games and activities. The care they receive is focused on fun and play.

This year marks the last of Spencer’s ASB coordination, as she is graduating with her master’s degree in the spring. She hopes the program will provide students with more Alternative Spring Break options in the future. 

“We hope the program grows and students become more immersed,” Spencer said. “With additional financial support in the future, we can provide more opportunities for students.”

For more information on ASB at UMBC, visit www.umbc.edu/umbcserves/.

Watch the UMBC homepage for a reflection story about ASB 2009 after Spring Break.

(3/10/09)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �