Congratulations to Nelanne Bolima, ‘24 chemical engineering, biotechnology & bioengineering track, the president of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) student chapter and the leadership team of NSBE on receiving the Organization of the Year Award. UMBC’s Office of Student Affairs recognized NSBE during the annual end of the year event, CelebratingOrgs which honors and recognizes student organizations for their valuable work at UMBC. 

Recently, the NSBE chapter at UMBC, under the leadership of Nelanne Bolima and Conference Planning Chair Jean-Thierry Klassou, attended the NSBE50 Annual Convention in Atlanta, GA. During the convention, UMBC actively participated in both the Academic Tech Bowl and the Technical Research Competition. Their exceptional contributions and dedication were recognized with the prestigious R2 Membership Zone Award, highlighting their significant growth, engagement, and impact within the NSBE community.

Organization of the Year Award Description - The Student Organization of the Year award is presented to an organization that has made a significant effort to further its purpose through its contribution to the UMBC community. This award recognizes the student organization that has demonstrated consistent flexibility, initiative, creativity, and perseverance through its activities and programs. Furthermore, the organization embodies the UMBC spirit through its commitment to leadership development, collaboration among groups, and programmatic efforts to enhance the quality of campus life at UMBC. The Student Organization of the Year is considered a role model for other organizations on our campus.

Read more about NSBE’s success 

Read more about Nelanne’s research in Dr. Mark Marten’s lab: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/cbee/posts/133755

An Dang ’24: A chemical engineer who helped pull off a big student conference

By: Catherine Meyers | Published: May 21, 2024 | UMBC NEWS

An Dang ’24, chemical engineering, an international student from Vietnam, arrived at UMBC in 2021 as a transfer student from Montgomery College. When switching colleges, she also switched majors: from biology to chemical engineering. She quickly became involved in activities in the Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering and this year helped the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) pull together a major student conference for the first time. 

Q: What drew you to UMBC?

A: I talked to Mark Marten, the chair of the Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering (CBEE), and I got the sense that the department is small and they really support their students. That caring environment is what I wanted. It’s also, honestly, an affordable option.

Q: Who were some of your mentors?

A: I’m working in the lab of Lee Blaney, one of the environmental engineering professors. He’s my research advisor and really helped me navigate the process of applying to grad school. In the fall, I’m going to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to pursue my Ph.D. And Neha Raikar, a senior lecturer in the department, devotes so much of her time to making sure students are supported. She’s like a motherly figure for a lot of us.

Q: What clubs and activities were you involved in?

A: I was a CBEE student ambassador. We went to high schools and community colleges to advertise the department and answer student questions. I’m also involved in the AIChE student chapter. At first I was the service chair and I mostly helped with planning K-12 outreach events. This year, we hosted the AIChE Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference and I was on the planning committee. I was in charge of corporate and university relations—I helped secure sponsors for the conference, and made sure we had funding.

Q: What were some of the skills you developed serving in these roles?

A: I’m not an extrovert, and being in these roles forced me to go out of my comfort zone. I learned how to speak professionally with people in higher positions, so they take me seriously, and maybe even want to give us money. The other big thing I realized is that no matter how well I prepare, sometimes things will go wrong, and that’s okay. We all need to give ourselves grace.

Q: How did it feel to host a big conference?

A: It was a lot of hard work! The student organizers spent a lot of time together, and we really got to know each other well and develop close relationships. There are only 28 people from the department in my graduating class, and many of them are in AIChE. When the conference went well, it felt great!

Q: What other places did you find community at UMBC?

A: I am an international student, and I worked for International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS). I got to know some of the staff in the office really well. One problem that I ran into while I was here is that I lost my social security card. I had a lot of challenges getting a new one because there was a mix-up in the social security office with my middle and first name. ISSS helped me write a very good letter to justify my case, and I finally got my card. I’m very grateful that I got that help from them because it’s an important piece of documentation.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: I’m continuing in chemical engineering and plan to go to grad school to study catalysis engineering, which is studying how to speed up chemical reactions. I’d like to work in industry, particularly in the field of renewable energy. Anything that helps with the environment—that’s what I want to focus on.

Photo credit: An Dang (Marlayna Demond '11/UMBC)

Dr. Karrie Godwin (Assistant Professor of Psychology) received a Faculty Research Award for her project, “Student-Centered Design: Optimizing Instructional Reading Materials for Beginning Readers.” With support from the Sherman Center, Dr. Godwin will continue making strides in evidencing improvements to instructional materials for young English Language Learners, with the hope of helping to optimize their reading skills acquisition.

Dr. Amy Tondreau (Assistant Professor of Elementary Education) and Dr. Shuling Yang (Assistant Professor, East Tennessee State University) received a Faculty Research Award for their project, “Amplifying Asian American Voices: In-Service Teachers’ Explorations of Picture Books Centering Asian American Characters.” The Sherman Center’s support of this study will assist Dr. Tondreau and Dr. Yang in promoting culturally relevant pedagogies in Baltimore City Schools through picture books centering Asian American characters and arts integration into the curriculum. This study will foster opportunities for Black/Latinx/Asian solidarity, promoting cultural competency in early childhood educators and students.

For more information about the Sherman Center Faculty Research Award, please visit the Sherman Center website: https://shermancenter.umbc.edu/sherman-center-research-faculty-award/

Do you enjoy helping others?

Do you have an interest in making friends and new connections?

Does $150 Retriever dollars per semester sound awesome?!

Would you like to get more involved with CWIT opportunities??

Apply to be a CWIT Peer Mentor for the 2024-2025 school year!

The purpose of the CWIT Peer Mentoring program is to promote academic success, offer career/internship guidance, and support social connectivity for new CWIT students. 

The time commitment for this position is around 15-19 hours a semester (you can see a full time commitment breakdown on the application) and as a Peer Mentor, you will be mentoring up to three mentees. Not only will you have the opportunity to help guide new Scholars/Affiliates, but you will also be compensated $150 in Retriever Dollars each semester you serve as Peer Mentor. The full responsibilities and expectations of being a Peer Mentor can be found on the application.

The application to become a Peer Mentor is below and the deadline to apply is July 15 at 11:59PM. Please reach out to Morgan at mlovell1@umbc.edu if you have any questions! 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCCiXSwp8LrXig_XZ2L2feeg9h2o1gDq3FtBof_-etryDaoA/viewform

Excerpt from UMBC News:

From solar energy harvesting to advanced batteries: Cohort of new engineering faculty bolster UMBC’s commitment to Earth-friendly research

By: Catherine Meyers | Published: May 10, 2024 

This April 22, as the campus community celebrated Earth Day, the feel of spring’s natural reawakening was in the air. Birds chirped from newly leafed trees and students strolled in the bright sunshine. But the pleasant day belied a concerning trend: In Maryland and beyond, the balance of Earth’s life-supporting systems is shifting, driven in large part by the heat-trapping greenhouse gasses we humans send into the atmosphere. The Earth is getting hotter; weather patterns are changing; and ecosystems are under stress. 

“Climate change is pressing us to adopt a more Earth-friendly lifestyle, to develop renewable energy,” says Dr. Özgür Çapraz, an associate professor in the department of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering at UMBC, who studies advanced battery technologies. Çapraz, who joined UMBC in fall 2023 from a faculty position at Oklahoma State University, was one of three recent faculty hires in the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) who all specialize in different aspects of sustainability and renewable energy-related research. 

The three hires were part of a COEIT effort to build off recognized strength in the environmental domain, while expanding expertise in important areas such as energy, says Lee Blaney, a professor in the department of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering who chaired the search.

Read full article

PHOTO CREDIT: From left to right, Özgür Çapraz, Rajasekhar Anguluri, and Alok Ghanekar. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

On today's episode we hear a rebroadcast of a special event sponsored by the UMBC Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program. In April of 2024 (Earth Month, coincidentally), the Sondheim program convened a special panel of five policy experts on climate change to discuss Maryland's climate future.

The Climate Futures policy event brought together distinguished speakers from academia, government, and nonprofit organizations.

Serena Coleman McIlwain is the Secretary of the Environment for the state of Maryland, having assumed the role under the administration of Governor Wes Moore in March of 2023.

Dr. Meghan Avolio is Associate Professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University.

Sarah T. Koser serves as Restoration Program Manager at the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

Julieta Rodrigo is Urban and Community Resilience Manager at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Brady Walker is Head of US Government Affairs and Market Strategy at Ørsted, a major Danish energy firm specializing in green energy delivery, and is also a UMBC Sondheim Scholars Program alumnus.

Check out the following links for more information on UMBC, CS3, and our host:

• The UMBC Center for the Social Sciences Scholarship
• The University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Ian G. Anson, Ph.D.

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Retrieving the Social Sciences is a production of the UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship.  Our podcast host is Dr. Ian Anson, our director is Dr. Christine Mallinson, our associate director is Dr. Felipe Filomeno, and our production intern is Jean Kim.   Our theme music was composed and recorded by D'Juan Moreland.  Special thanks to Amy Barnes and Myriam Ralston for production assistance.  Make sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where you can find full video recordings of recent UMBC events.