Hi Folks,

I hope the preparation for your finals is progressing well? Please see the opportunity below from our faculty advisor Prof Gloria Chuku and apply.

The Dresher Center for the Humanities invites applications for two Graduate Student Research Fellowships for the 2022-23 academic year. One fellowship will be awarded for Fall 2023 and one for Spring 2024. Funding is intended to support and promote promising humanities research by graduate students at UMBC.

The fellowships are open to all UMBC doctoral and master's level students working on humanities-related research projects that will culminate in a dissertation or master's thesis. Proposals will be reviewed by the Dresher Center Advisory Board.

Click here for more information and an application form.

Contact Jessica Berman, Dresher Center Director, or Rachel Brubaker, Dresher Center Assistant Director, with questions.

Submit completed proposals and letters of support from department chairs or program directors to dreshercenter@umbc.edu.

Applications are due by April 30, 2023

Are you a CBEE Alumni? Stay connected via Linkedin

CBEE faculty and students are highlighted for their innovative and impactful work in the areas of 'Climate and Environment' and 'Health and Life Sciences' in the inaugural issue of Inquiring Minds: UMBC Research and Creative Achievement. 

Front Page (bottom right)

Matthew Stromberg, Environmental Engineering PhD student, under the guidance of advisors Dr. Upal Ghosh, professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering and Dr. Yonathan Zohar, professor of marine biotechnology.

Global Leadership in Sustainable Aquaculture Research - Page 1

Matthew Stromberg's work with Dr. Yonathan Zohar, professor of marine biotechnology, on land-based aquaculture is highlighted. Dr. Zohar has been a driving force behind decades of research into land-based aquaculture, which has taken off in the U.S. and abroad in recent years. These operations produce fish for human consumption in land-based facilities that are less susceptible to disease and result in fresher fish for locals. They also remove the risk of releasing waste or farmed fish into the environment and reduce costs and the carbon footprint associated with shipping. Plus, they create jobs and help decrease American reliance on seafood imports.

Centering Communities in Climate Action - Page 3

Dr. Claire Welty, professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, is featured for her leadership role in the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative (BSEC), a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to address urban environmental challenges. Welty and her UMBC colleagues received $2.3 million of the $24.5 million grant awarded to the BSEC. The project aims to generate solutions to environmental concerns through community engagement and collaboration with organizations in three American cities. The team brings decades of experience in environmental monitoring and has received awards from the U.S. Forest Service and the National Science Foundation to support their work. Welty emphasizes the importance of partnering with local communities to address their needs and concerns and finding effective ways to implement solutions. She describes the project as a giant puzzle to put together and looks forward to seeing how it all unfolds.

Developing Nanoparticles That Stop Internal Bleeding - Page 17

The groundbreaking work conducted by Dr. Erin Lavik, professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering and Dr. Nuzhat Maisha, Ph.D. '21, chemical and biochemical engineering and colleagues to develop nanoparticles that can stop internal bleeding is highlighted in the story on page 17. 

The article discusses the challenges of controlling bleeding in trauma patients and the need for faster delivery of medication to control the bleeding. The researchers developed a novel approach to modifying the surfaces of nanoparticles used in lifesaving medications to provide infusions that can be delivered more quickly and with a reduced risk of negative reactions.

The article goes into detail about the researchers' findings and how they focused on the core material of the nanoparticles to reduce infusion reactions, which limit the treatments available to patients. The article also discusses how this groundbreaking research lays the groundwork for future testing of preclinical models using nanocapsules to stop internal bleeding.

Read full articles:  Inquiring Minds: UMBC Research and Creative Achievement. 

Ellie Bare

Degree: B.S., Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hometown: Sharpsburg, MD
Post-grad plans: Postbaccalaureate program, National Institutes of Health

Ellie Bare has been a core member of Kevin Omland’s research team, focused on bird evolution, ecology, behavior, and conservation, since 2021.

Bare, a member of the Honors College, has proven to be an adept field researcher as well as excellent in the laboratory, Omland says. On three research trips to Puerto Rico, she collected field data starting at 4:30 a.m. through midday heat, day in and day out. She also initiated a new project monitoring nocturnal bird behavior. In the lab, she independently developed molecular analysis protocols for determining a bird’s sex. That ability is especially valuable for tropical birds, because males and females often have the same plumage.

Bare’s work was partially funded by a National Science Foundation International Research Experience for Students grant. “She was an indispensable asset to our project, and she was a great team member,” Omland says. She has also supported fellow UMBC students as a tutor and mentor, and interned with the Folded Crane Foundation, which focuses on women’s education and empowerment.

Has there been a mentor or fellow student who influenced your time at UMBC?

“I joined the Omland lab to help Ph.D. student Michelle Moyer with her field research project studying Orchard Oriole female song in spring 2021. We’ve grown close over four more field seasons. Her confidence, passion, and positivity are contagious. She has given me invaluable advice about my career path and about life as a whole. I’m very thankful to have met and worked with her.”

What has been the best part of your UMBC experience?

“My favorite UMBC experience has been getting involved with research. I love being able to apply what I learn in the classroom to hands-on work. I’ve been lucky enough to network with accomplished scientists at conferences, have ownership over my own projects, and learn from great mentors and peers. My research experiences have given me the expertise to enter the next stage of my career with confidence and excitement.”

Zinedine Partipilo Cornielles

Degree: B.S., Financial Economics; B.A., Mathematics
Hometown: Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Post-grad plans: Predoctoral research fellow

Zinedine Partipilo Cornielles fled Venezuela at age 16 with his family to seek asylum in the U.S., an experience that has fueled his passion for public service, from his research to his work with communities he identifies with. 

PartipiloCornielles, a Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar and member of the Honors College, has conducted independent research projects with Tim Gindling, professor of economics, and Salem Abo-Zaid, associate professor of economics. His project with Gindling on the impact of financial literacy on student loan decisions among undergraduates across the United States earned the Economics Department Chair Award in 2022. Meanwhile, he has served as a teaching assistant and tutor for fellow students and has taught English to local immigrants through the Esperanza Center and UMBC’s Shriver Center.

PartipiloCornielles is also a member of UMBC Mock Trial and helped the team win the American Mock Trial Association National Championship in 2021 against perennial frontrunner Yale University. He is part of the Sloan Predoctoral Program through the UMBC economics department and, after pursuing a Ph.D. in economics, plans to conduct research on labor economics with a focus on Latin America. 

Has there been a mentor or fellow student who influenced your time at UMBC?

“Professor Tim Gindling provided me with great insights as a research mentor, course instructor, and academic advisor. Thanks to Professor Gindling, I was supported in my research interests and gained invaluable experiences that have helped me fall in love with the research process. Brevin Franklin and Seth Thomas, fellow Sondheim Scholars who graduated in 2022, also helped me navigate through college when I first came to UMBC, and I appreciate their friendship.”

What has been the best part of your UMBC experience?

“On one hand, winning a Mock Trial National Championship against the odds, through Zoom, and against Yale, was incredible. On the other hand, I also want to highlight my service learning experiences as great experiences I have had. I was able to give back to the community by helping others and understand first-hand the value of education and human capital.”