An animated short co-directed by UMBC’s Robin Corbet, senior research scientist in the Center for Space Sciences and Technology, and Laurence Arcadias, an animation professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art, will screen at the Iron Mule Film Festival—a short comedy film fest—in New York City on October 7. Corbet and Arcadias will attend the screening and take questions from the audience about science, art, and how they can complement each other. 

The playful and zany short film features animations representing the 2024 total eclipse. The soundtrack showcases a delightful and scientifically accurate track, “The Sun Song,” performed by The Chromatics, an a cappella group consisting primarily of NASA scientists.

A large group of astronomy researchers attending a meeting of the American Astronomical Society took part in a collaborative art and science workshop where they developed the animations just before viewing the eclipse. 

The final product “uses the first film ever made of an eclipse, produced by magician Nevil Maskelyne in 1900, as a basis,” Corbet explains, “but the astronomers and artists added quite a few of their own wild embellishments.” 

The eclipse workshop was a project of AstroAnimation, an ongoing collaboration led by Corbet and Arcadias. AstroAnimation brings together art students at MICA and NASA scientists to produce animations based on cutting-edge science. The eclipse film represents AstroAnimation’s effort to expand its impact beyond the classroom.  

Faculty & Student Discussion with Lunch

Professor Lee Blaney, in the Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, formally assumed the role of president of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) at a board of directors meeting in early September.

AEESP is a nonprofit organization founded in 1963 to foster inclusive connections between environmental engineering and science researchers and educators. It provides programs for members to develop the academic networks and career skills needed for professional success, increase equitable societal impact of environmental engineering and science scholarship and creative expression, and reimagine the skills necessary for environmental engineers and scientists to provide solutions that benefit regional, national, and global communities. 

The association currently has more than 1000 members from universities around the world. AEESP assists its members in improving education and research programs, encourages graduate education, and provides information to government agencies and the public. The biennial AEESP Research and Education Conference brings the field together to share research, teaching, and outreach outcomes. Blaney’s term as president will include the next conference, which is scheduled to occur in May 2025 at Duke University. 

“We’re excited about Dr. Blaney’s new role as president of AEESP,” says Mark Marten, the chair of the Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering. “His deep involvement with this organization not only makes a positive impact in our discipline, but also raises awareness of our department and UMBC in this influential community.” 

Blaney and his research group study environmental contaminants of emerging concern, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are sometimes called “forever chemicals” because of the way they persist in the environment. They also research how to recover vital resources, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, from waste streams to improve water quality and ensure sustainable development. Blaney was a winner of the 2021 James J. Morgan Early Career Award from the American Chemical Society, and has also been recognized for the quality of his teaching and mentorship.

Blaney joined AEESP in 2012 after starting as an assistant professor at UMBC. He quickly joined and became chair of the AEESP Membership & Demographics Committee, through which he led efforts to initiate a student video competition (check out this winning video from UMBC). He also led efforts to document the demographics of environmental engineering faculty and students in reports such as “Trends in Population and Demographics of U.S. Environmental Engineering Students and Faculty from 2005 to 2013” and “Another Grand Challenge: Diversity in Environmental Engineering.”

In 2021, Blaney was elected to the AEESP board of directors. Since that time, he has led a number of initiatives aimed at improving inclusion. During his one-year term as president, he will lead the board and executive committee, provide new charges to standing committees, correspond with members, represent AEESP at conferences and meetings, and drive new initiatives to grow the organization and support its members. 

In his first presidential address to AEESP, given in June, Blaney told members of how he found direction as an undergraduate student after attending a talk by environmental engineer Arup SenGupta, who spoke of efforts to remove arsenic from contaminated groundwater in rural villages in India.

“His passion and dedication to helping those without other resources inspired me, set me on the path to becoming an environmental engineer, and helped me to become a better person,” Blaney said. He hopes to bring these same values to AEESP and its members.

As president of AEESP, Blaney plans to develop an “AEESP Experts” program, which will connect environmental experts with reporters, and also an “AEESP Communities of Practice” initiative, which will gather small groups of AEESP members to develop new resources, such as new course material on climate change or best practices for graduate student recruitment, which can be shared with the whole community.

Dr. Marten spoke with 31 first semester students during three “Lunch with CBEE Chair” events in September 2024. These lunches were a part of CBEE’s welcome week events.

During each lunch Dr. Marten and CBEE Student Ambassadors (who are current chemical engineering undergraduate students), met with groups of first semester students. The group enjoyed meeting each other over a lunch of pizza and sodas as they discussed the academic and research opportunities available to chemical engineering majors at UMBC. In one group, students learned they lived in the same dorm, while others recognized each other from classes. 

“This is the first year we've hosted this event, and it was a tremendous success! Not only were we able to help the students feel more connected with CBEE, but it allowed them to develop new connections with each other.” - Dr. Mark Marten, CBEE Chair

Every student received the highly coveted 2024 CBEE t-shirt. Since the first event on September 5, CBEE faculty have already recognized students with their shirts and connected with them while walking across campus. Thus, further building community among students and faculty. 

"I had just finished teaching my class and, as I was walking out of the classroom, I saw a student wearing their ChemE shirt as they were heading into class. Excited, I said, 'You’re a ChemE!' to the student, and they replied with a big smile, 'Yes!' Without the shirts, I wouldn’t have known they were first-year ChemE students so early in the semester." - Dr. Mariajose Castellanos, CBEE Undergraduate Program Director.

These efforts are part of a strategic approach to support student success in chemical engineering by connecting first semester pre-chemical engineering students with CBEE faculty and peers before their Gateway requirements are completed. 

Based on research CBEE conducted in 2021 with data provided from IRADS, early career undergraduate students have limited interaction with CBEE faculty and other chemical engineering students prior to completing their gateway coursework.

In Fall 2022, CBEE partnered with COEIT Advising to pilot CHemical Engineering Curriculum Knowledge (CHECK) meetings (cbee.umbc.edu/check). CHECK meetings provide pre-chemical engineering students with the opportunity to talk with a CBEE faculty member, receive specialized chemical engineering pre-advising and learn about internship and research opportunities for chemical engineering students. Due to the success of the Fall 2022 pilot, this program has continued each semester. 

We look forward to connecting with (pre-) chemical engineering students at our next event. See you there!