Marie desJardins, associate dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) and professor of computer science and electrical engineering, will be leaving UMBC to take up a new position as founding dean of the College of Organizational, Computational, and Information Sciences at Simmons College in Boston.

“What I will remember most about my 17 years here is UMBC’s collaborative spirit. Because of the open environment and commitment to diversity, I’ve been able to work with colleagues across the university on a wide range of initiatives,” desJardins says.

During her tenure at UMBC, desJardins has applied her passion and expertise to implementing programs for students across all disciplines and majors, explains Keith J. Bowman, dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT). “She brought her passion and expertise to UMBC, and has changed the lives of faculty, students, and staff through her work,” Bowman says. “As COEIT’s founding associate dean, she has played a crucial role in establishing how the College operates, with a focus on supporting students at all levels. She has set an incredibly high bar in all areas of her work.”  

One of desJardins’ many accomplishments was the development and launch of UMBC’s Grand Challenge Scholars Program, based on the National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE) Grand Challenges for Engineering. The program is open to students who are interested in working on interdisciplinary teams to address pressing challenges facing society. UMBC’s program is distinct because it is open to all majors, bringing together students studying everything from computing and mechanical engineering to the life sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts. The Grand Challenge Scholars Program is “a great match with so many things that UMBC and UMBC students are already doing: applied, project-based learning; service learning; entrepreneurial explorations; global involvement; and undergraduate research,” desJardins said of the program when it launched in 2016.

desJardins also reached students across the university through her work with the Honors Colleges, as an Honors Faculty Fellow. This role enabled her to teach a seminar called “Computation, Complexity, and Emergence,” where students from a range of majors shared their perspectives on interdisciplinary topics and learned how subjects they had not previously explored were relevant to their lives. desJardins also served as a chair of the Honors College Advisory Board during her tenure at UMBC.

Beyond her passion for expanding computer science education at UMBC, desJardins has also been steadfast in her work to increase access to computing education for K – 12 students. She has served as the lead principal investigator of CE21-Maryland, a series of projects implemented to increase opportunities for high school students to access computer science education. She was also instrumental in the creation of How Girls Code, an afterschool program and a summer camp at UMBC where girls in elementary and middle school develop computer science skills through engaging activities and learn about careers in the field.

In addition to her writing for academic and technical audiences, desJardins has written numerous articles for the public, including pieces for The Conversation and The Baltimore Sun about the need for computing education for students of all ages. She is particularly passionate about engaging girls and women in computer science.

In a recent op-ed in The Baltimore Sun, desJardins discussed the importance of computer science education in K – 12 schools, both to expand career opportunities for students of all backgrounds and identities and to make sure the world has a chance to benefit from a diverse talent pool in computing fields. “The need for computer science and computational thinking skills is becoming pervasive not just in the world of software engineers, but in fields as varied as science, design, marketing, and public policy,” she wrote.

desJardins has also worked to support new faculty in her College, as they work to advance their careers, inviting assistant professors and lecturers in COEIT to participate in the Junior Faculty Initiative. The program introduces participants to university resources through units like the Faculty Development Center and Office of Student Disabilities Services. It also supports junior faculty through a series of workshops addressing topics such as time management, mentoring relationships, and conflict management, to acclimate faculty to UMBC.

Across the nation and the world, desJardins has been recognized as a leader in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Earlier this year, she was named a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. In 2017, she was included on Forbes’ list of women advancing AI research. UC Berkeley, desJardins’ alma mater, also recently recognized her work to advance her field by presenting her with the Distinguished Alumni Award in Computer Science.

“UMBC has given me so many opportunities to learn, grow, and give back to the community around me, I will be forever grateful,” says desJardins. “No matter where I go from here, I will always consider myself to be part of the UMBC community.”

All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Garrett Tignall the 2017-18 UMBC Undergraduate Research Award winner, presented his work at URCAD XXII on April, 25, 2018.  His poster was entitled "Computational Studies of the Rotational State of Comet Nuclei".  His mentor is Dr. Susan Hoban with JCET.

Eight UMBC students have been declared recipients of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship for the 2018-2019 year.

The Fulbright Program is the largest U.S. cultural exchange program and was founded in 1946 by former U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright in an effort to promote international peace during World War II.

It is funded primarily through an annual appropriation by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Direct and indirect support is also provided by governments, host institutions and corporations in many foreign countries.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in more than 140 countries worldwide and enables students and rising professionals to excel in international graduate study, advanced research and primary to post-secondary school teaching, in order to “facilitate cultural exchange … in an atmosphere of openness, academic integrity and intellectual freedom.”

Each year, more than 11,000 graduating seniors, postgraduates and young professionals apply for the opportunity to receive a Fulbright U.S. Student grant nationwide. Out of these applicants, only 1,900 are selected as Fulbright Scholars. This year, UMBC had 33 of their own apply with eight making the cut as Fulbright recipients.

Strong candidates undergo a rigorous application process. Applications are open from March until early October, and decisions are made in March of the following year. The year-long process requires most applicants to go through several stages including creating a personal statement, selecting a host country and assembling a statement of grant purpose.

Brian Souders, Director of the Study Abroad Office and Fulbright Program Advisor, stated that the process was very competitive, but that what makes an applicant stand out is their commitment to enhancing cultural relations and commitment to their project, which he personally saw in all of the following eight UMBC recipients.

Sophia Lopresti, a senior global studies major and intercultural communication minor, will be teaching English in Indonesia. She is a Sondheim scholar and has done volunteer work in Nicaragua, Panama and Indonesia for the Global Brigades program as part of her dedication to helping immigrants there and improving healthcare access around the world.

Morgan Chadderton, a senior Russian and French two-language major with a minor in politicial science, will be an English Teaching Assistant in Kyrgyzstan. She is a member of the Honors College and a Humanities Scholar. Chadderton reacted to her win, saying that she was “super excited” to be a Fulbright scholar and calling it, “an amazing and truly rewarding experience,” where she hopes to learn just as much as she teaches.

Manisha Vepa, a senior global studies and economics major, will be teaching English at the secondary school level in South Korea. She is also a member of the Honors College and a Sondheim Scholar. Vepa said that she hoped to be, “more informed about Korean history and culture,” and develop close relationships so that she may, “share American culture inside and outside of the classroom.”

Flora Kirk, a senior ancient studies major and political science minor, will be based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, where she will be researching imagery and use-wear patterns of Roman coins in Dacia (ancient Romania). Kirk is a Humanities Scholar and has a concentration in Roman history and archaeology. Kirk said, “I am interested in the kinds of imagery/propaganda the Roman emperors put onto the coinage sent to this province.” She will be affiliated with the Archaeology department of Babeș-Bolyai University.

Jessica Willis, a 2017 alumnae linguistics major, will be teaching English in Sri Lanka. She was a member of the Modern Languages and Linguistics Departmental Honors Program and is currently serving as a Maryland Conservation Corps Volunteer.

Kelly Daughtridge, a master’s historical studies 2017 alumnae, will be teaching English in Macedonia. She pursued both her history BA and MA at UMBC and was a former Dresher Center Graduate Student Research Fellow in Fall 2016 for her thesis on women’s monuments in early-modern England.

Morgan Zepp, senior English and global studies double major, will teach English in Lithuania. She is a Humanities Scholar and has experience tutoring and mentoring Baltimore students. She has also studied abroad in Peru and described study abroad programs as being, “one of the most important experiences in [a person’s] life.”

On the significance of the Fulbright Program, Lopresti said, “I think it’s really important that people meet Americans that are not necessarily representatives at the national level. We are more than just our past,” adding that she and her fellow recipients are eager to contribute and learn from the communities around them.

Information about the remaining scholarship winner is expected to be released next week and will be updated soon.

Dedicated cyclists embarked on a week-long ride in support of young adults battling cancer as part of the Key for Keys program. The journey entails 40 to 60 miles of biking each day, and cyclists will travel from Baltimore, MD to Key Largo, Florida.

The program, which takes place from April 14 to April 21, was organized by the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UCF), a group dedicated to, “chang[ing] lives by creating a community of support for young adults, and their loved ones, impacted by cancer,” according to their mission statement.

Key for Keys is an opportunity for volunteers aged 18 and older to come together and share their stories while raising money in support and increasing awareness of young adults affected by cancer. The event is primarily attended by friends and family of those affected; however, it is open to all. Interested individuals can choose to participate in the ride itself or sponsor a rider. It is up to each rider to determine how they wish to promote donations. For example, in the past cyclists have asked for one dollar per mile covered or engaged in other activities, such as hair dying, to encourage support.

The opportunity was designed to be more accommodating to those who wished to support the foundation but were unable to make a commitment to the UCF’s most popular volunteer project, the 4K for Cancer.

The 4K for Cancer is a cross-country bike ride specifically for college students where participants ride over 4,000 miles. The event takes place over the summer and encourages a greater support among young adults for those of similar age diagnosed with cancer. However, due to the time commitment and physical demand, the UCF introduced the Key for Keys ride as a way to encourage participation from those unable to meet the constraints of the 4K.

Both events are highly attended and produce a large part of the donations the Fund receives.

Sasha Nader, representative for the UCF, explained that the Key for Keys ride yields roughly 150 thousand dollars and the 4K for Cancer generates anywhere between 800 thousand to one million dollars. Nader also commented that multiple students from UMBC participated in the 4K for Cancer.

Additionally, involvement is encouraged through sports and traditional donation methods. Nader stated, “The idea is, we are using sports as a platform to raise money for young adults with cancer.” The UCF also holds an event in July called ‘Screw cancer, Brew hope.’ However, she said the cyclist rides are the most well attended events.

The money raised by these events is utilized by the UCF to provide patient navigators in area hospitals to young adults diagnosed with cancer. A patient navigator is similar to a social worker and enables the affected individual to find care more efficiently. The Fund is associated with multiple hospitals such as the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the University of Maryland medical center, MedStar, the Union Memorial, Children’s national in D.C. and the Walter Read Military Medical Center.

Nader explained one of the primary concerns of young adults diagnosed with cancer is the detrimental effects of treatment medications on a young woman’s fertility. The UCF worked to pass a bill through the Maryland General Assembly which would require Maryland insurers to cover efforts of fertility preservation by young woman diagnosed with cancer. The bill is scheduled to be signed within the next month.

Currently, the Ulman Cancer Fund is building a UCF house in east Baltimore near Johns Hopkins Hospital. According to Nader, the house will serve as a, “home away from home for young adults seeking cancer treatment.” With hopes of opening the house in the fall, the UCF is looking for college student volunteers to help with meal preparation and accommodations.

In the Fall 2017 semester, the Student Government Association had a budget of $1,026,165. This budget comes from the Student Activity Fee, $49 that every UMBC student pays each semester.

SGA is the central hub for student events at UMBC. Three branches comprise the SGA: an executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch. Additionally, there is a president, vice president and treasurer. The president serves as the leader and voice of SGA, attends weekly meetings and shapes the year’s strategy for campus policies and plans.

Meghan Lynch, the Vice President for Student Organizations and senior political science major, says “Student Events Board gets $230,000, The Retriever gets $60,000 and Student Organizations get $275,000. Almost every [student]event is funded through the Finance Board.” These funds are listed under the SGA Fall 2017 budget spreadsheet as organizational support while the remaining funds are allocated to operating support, which plays a role in coordinating administrative budgets.

Although SGA is a large and well-known organization, several undergraduates have expressed lukewarm opinions and confusion about SGA operations. Senior information systems major and president of the Vietnamese Student Association Truc Pham says, “Other than finance, there’s really nothing else that [I think] they do. They don’t help us plan; we do all that ourselves. We have to go and request the money and everything has to be planned out beforehand.”

Because students see SGA as a means of acquiring funding for their clubs and events, outreach issues arise. Junior mechanical engineering major Kevin Zimmerman says, “People only know about SGA when they need money for their club. SGA only comes into student’s lives when it comes to their own club activities.”

SGA reaches out to students through its displays on Main Street, social media and email notifications. However, the SGA still has difficulty connecting with students despite SGA’s attempts to increase publicity. Lynch says, “it’s hard to find ways that [can reach] all students, but we’ve thought about introducing students to SGA during orientation and making it more visible during welcome week.”

However, work and study may cause students to ignore SGA entirely. Senior information systems major Urgy Eado says “in college, people don’t really care. They are more independent and busy with classes and jobs. [SGA] is really only good for money. I don’t really know what they can do for me.”

As a commuter, Zimmerman finds it difficult to participate in SGA. “I’m not around enough to listen [to SGA] and it isn’t advertised all that well,” he says. “Commuters won’t care about SGA as much because hours of their day are spent commuting.”

Lynch believes publicity and exposure can possibly increase student interest. “If we could get a partnership with The Retriever and have it report more on the good side instead of scandals, it could be another way to raise student awareness about SGA,” she says. “SGA empowers students; it gives them the power to change things on campus.”

SGA seeks ways to increase involvement by providing an environment where students can share ideas. One way students can express their ideas is by participating in SGA’s campus change competition, ProveIt!. Computer science freshman and SGA senator Jordan Troutman says, “SGA is really about having students [voices] heard. We wouldn’t have had the RLC or the [upcoming] Commons Garage tracker if it weren’t for students.”

Lynch also mentioned Coffee & Conversation, an SGA event that encourages students to share ideas and beliefs. “It was very interesting to watch what happened during the gun rights panel in February. About 90 people showed up to the event,” says Lynch. “It’s like something clicked; they realized what SGA was doing, and we heard from them what SGA needed to do.”

“We desperately need you,” Lynch says to all undergraduates. “We need you to know the work we do and we need you to hold us accountable. People look at us as part of the administration, but that’s not what we are. You decide what events to fund, what happens on campus and what change UMBC needs.”

Aerosol-cloud interaction continues to puzzle climate scientists. It is among the most significant contributors to our climate but least understood. Aerosol-cloud processes are poorly represented in climate models and measurement requires high accuracy, narrow resolution, and cooperation between different instruments.

While clouds are bright, aerosols reflect little to the top of the atmosphere where satellites measure. Molecular scattering, ice and desert cover, and land surface reflectance all complicate the retrieval of aerosol properties from this vantage point. Aerosol are also well-known cloud condensation and/or ice nuclei, and their presence in a moist environment can drastically impact the extent of cloud or ice crystal growth, compared to a clean, unpolluted scene.

Radiometric satellites, with global coverage, wide spectral range, and long lifetime in space, advance the way we attack this problem. Strides made in the past two decades in data interpretation produced new ways to understand the atmosphere by comparing the signal from two different wavelengths. Information about the same scene, viewed from different perspectives, helps constrain how well we perceive the distribution and thickness of aerosol over land and ocean. From 1999 onward, advancements in sampling both the intensity and orientation (or polarization) of light revealed differences in the scattering properties between ice and liquid water, improving radiometric estimates of cloud phase.

Several studies converge on the idea that a multi-angle imaging polarimeter, with high accuracy and narrow spatial and angular resolution, is the strongest candidate to sample cloud and aerosol properties at the level required for climate study. The Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP) is a wide field-of-view camera, designed and developed by J. Vanderlei Martins and the Laboratory for Aerosol and Cloud Optics (LACO) Group at UMBC, to fill this role.

HARP images the intensity and polarization of reflected sunlight from clouds, aerosol particles, land, and ocean. Polarization encodes small-scale information about cloud droplet size and distribution, refractive index, particle sphericity, and optical depth beyond and complementary to what current satellites can measure. Flying HARP in tandem with current satellites improves the ability of those instruments to characterize the atmosphere; this is further emphasized by HARP’s versatile CubeSat size and seamless integration on a variety of research aircraft.

Over the past year, AirHARP, a HARP instrument adapted for aircraft, flew on two NASA research campaigns: the Lake Michigan Ozone Study (LMOS) and the Aerosol Characterization from Polarimeter and LIDAR (ACEPOL). The LMOS campaign was a joint NASA-NOAA-EPA effort to explore the connection between lake breezes and high ozone exceedance levels on the eastern coastline of Wisconsin in the summer months. AirHARP took data on many B-200 flights alongside the NASA LaRC GeoTASO instrument, a trace gas experiment that measures ozone pre-cursors, such as NO₂, through the entire atmospheric column. Brent McBride, a Ph.D candidate in Martins’ group, operated AirHARP on-board the B-200 and led field operations on the ground throughout the campaign, while LACO group members engaged remotely from UMBC. While AirHARP does not have trace gas sensitivity, measurements of convective clouds and low aerosol levels over eastern Wisconsin will be compared to co-incident observations made by AERONET sun photometer sites and the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) on the GOES-R geosynchronous satellite.

AirHARP’s role during ACEPOL was more prominent, as three other polarimeters and two LIDAR instruments on the NASA ER-2 took co-incident measurements for inter-validation over Southern California and the Pacific Ocean. This region is popular for polarimeter experiments due to the many California AERONET sites for ground validation, stable marine stratocumulous clouds for calibration, and high wildfire smoke potential. LIDAR instrumentation was included as part of ACEPOL to better capture the vertical extent of aerosol, juxtaposed with the spatial coverage provided by the polarimeters.

One of the instruments, AirSPEX from Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON), is an airborne prototype of the SPEXone polarimeter that will fly on-board the Plankton-Aerosol-Clouds-ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission alongside a heavily modified version of AirHARP, HARP-2, in the 2020s. The ACEPOL mission served as their first joint venture and data analysis is underway to assess how well SPEXone, AirHARP, and the other polarimeter and LIDAR instruments observe the same scenes. This effort is particularly important for preparation of the upcoming 2018 launch of the HARP CubeSat satellite instrument to the ISS orbit. The CubeSat is a stand-alone payload with a mission lifetime of one year.

Martins and McBride form the leading science team for the analysis of HARP instrument datasets from these two aircraft campaigns and beyond. The LACO team hopes to continue participating on future exploratory missions like ACEPOL, to increase the visibility and utility of polarized remote sensing measurements.

The LACO team is analyzing AirHARP datasets to (1) infer surface and ocean properties, (2) retrieve cloud and aerosol microphysics (cloud droplet effective radius, variance, refractive index, cloud thermodynamic phase, AOD, and particle size distributions, (3) validate and compliment assumption-limited retrievals from radiometers, and (4) help extend retrievals from vertically-resolved LIDAR instruments. The versatility of the HARP instrument suite, in both science output and physical size, provides an attractive platform to explore the toughest questions about how clouds and aerosols interact and their impact on climate evolution.

Adapted from:

McBride, B. A., J. V. Martins, R. F. Borda, H. M. J. Barbosa, and L. Remer (2018): Hyper-angular imaging polarimetry for microphysical retrievals of aerosol and clouds. SOLAS Workshop in Remote Sensing for Studying the Ocean-Atmosphere Interface Event Report (submitted)