Mohammad Arif Ul Alam
Ph.D., Information Systems
Magna Cum Laude
Hometown: Quincy, Massachusetts
Plans: Research Staff Member, IBM Research

After I successfully defended my Ph.D. dissertation, I had the chance to stand before all of my mentors who made my Ph.D. possible through guidance, help, and criticism. That was probably the happiest moment of my life.

When Mohammad Arif Ul Alam joined the information systems department as a Ph.D. student in 2014, he  quickly began to make waves in his field. “Arif showed his prompt understanding of research problems and quick delivery of solutions from the very beginning of his Ph.D studies,” said Aryya Gangopadhyay, chair of information systems department.

Within just four months of starting the program, Alam published a paper based on work done in a class project. This was just the beginning for Alam’s academic career as he would go on to publish 17 scholarly articles and be a cited source for over 150 more. He also received three grants from the National Science Foundation to attend conferences and build his professional portfolio.

During his Ph.D. program, Alam interned at the Intel Corporation in Folsom, California, and IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While at Intel, he was recognized as a contributor at the CES 2017 conference, hosted by the Consumer Technology Association, as the CEO of Intel presented a demo of his work.

Following these back-to-back six-month internships, Alam returned to UMBC to defend his Ph.D. dissertation, setting a departmental record by completing the program in only three years and ten months.

After graduating in December 2017, Alam accepted a research staff member position at IBM in Massachusetts. He is currently working on sensor systems that will monitor health metrics in older adults and he plans to continue inventing prototypes that will help other populations in need of accessible health technologies.

Photos courtesy of Mohammad Arif Ul Alam.

Cognitively Rich Framework to Automate Extraction and Representation of Legal Knowledge

Srishty Saha, UMBC
11-12 Monday, 16 April 2018, ITE 346

With the explosive growth in cloud-based services, businesses are increasingly maintaining large datasets containing information about their consumers to provide a seamless user experience. To ensure privacy and security of these datasets, regulatory bodies have specified rules and compliance policies that must be adhered to by organizations. These regulatory policies are currently available as text documents that are not machine processable and so require extensive manual effort to monitor them continuously to ensure data compliance. We have developed a cognitive framework to automatically parse and extract knowledge from legal documents and represent it using an Ontology. The legal ontology captures key-entities and their relations, the provenance of legal-policy and cross-referenced semantically similar legal facts and rules. We have applied this framework to the United States government’s Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) which includes facts and rules for individuals and organizations seeking to do business with the US Federal government.

Bryan Vanek
B.S., Computer Science
Minor: Mathematics
Cum Laude
Hometown: Frederick, Maryland
Plans: Computer Network Operations Development Program, U.S. Department of Defense

If it weren’t for the incredible mentors, teachers, and students at this school, I would not be the security researcher and professional that I am today.

When Bryan Vanek transferred to UMBC from Frederick Community College, he focused on building connections with classmates and professors, which proved incredibly valuable as he developed a passion for computer science and cybersecurity, and sought out new opportunities to grow.

Vanek became president of UMBC’s Cyber Dawgs team, which took first place at the 2017 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. Following that major victory, he has continued to serve as Cyber Dawgs president, while also participating in other cybersecurity competitions, including the Wargames capture the flag event at the international DEFCON conference, where he placed 42nd overall.

The Center for Women in Technology provided mentorship and support to Vanek, who is a Transfer Scholar in Information Technology and Engineering (T-SITE) Scholar. He says that the Cyber Dawgs team and CWIT program have helped him to develop skills necessary for success in a computer science career. Vanek gives back by serving as a mentor in cybersecurity at Exerceo, a nonprofit which provides skill development opportunities to high school students, college students, and young adults.

Vanek also completed two internships at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) while at UMBC. These positions led to an exciting job offer for him, as a member of the Computer Network Operations Development Program at the DoD. Vanek credits “professors that continually showed a vested and fervent interest in my success” and UMBC’s connections with a robust networks of employers with empowering him to plan and pursue a cybersecurity career.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Andrea Davis
B.A., Sociology
Minor: Africana Studies
Magna Cum Laude
Hometown: Nyack, New York
Plans: M.A., Ohio State University

In all of the positions that I have held on campus, I have been treated by staff and faculty as a partner. I have had the opportunity to create curriculum, programs, and experiences that affect students’ leadership development, and it wouldn’t have been possible without all of the tools, resources, and support that UMBC provides.

Andrea Davis has been a major force in UMBC’s student leadership throughout her time on campus, particularly in the area of student life. A Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar, Davis has served as president of the Student Events Board (seb), a Civic Engagement and Leadership Intern for the Office of Student Life, and a Senior Orientation Peer Advisor. She has also supported the Student Government Association vice president as an executive aid, and served as an executive member of the UMBC Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honors society.

NASPA, the national association for Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, selected Davis for their undergraduate fellows program, which provides mentorship for promising students with an interest in entering the student affairs profession. She also received the Residential Life Student Success Scholarship, the Residential Life Clarence E. Robinson, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, and a Student Affairs Leadership Award.

Davis has excelled academically, receiving the Second Generation Scholarship in Africana studies, the Africana studies Award for Academic Excellence, and the Lewis Award in sociology. She also co-organized UMBC’s first Black Lives Matter Week, as well as numerous other events focused on community-building at UMBC.

“UMBC has helped me achieve my goals by cultivating an environment that emphasizes the importance of student voice and citizenship,” Davis says. “I felt empowered at UMBC to make positive change on campus because of support from staff and faculty.”

Davis will continue to focus on helping students have a positive and enriching college experience through pursuing a master’s degree in educational studies for higher education and student affairs at The Ohio State University.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab presents

Classifying Malware using Data Compression

Charles Nicholas, UMBC

12:00–1:00pm Friday, 20 April 2018, ITE 229

Comparing large binary objects can be tricky and expensive. We describe a method for comparing such strings, using ideas form data compression, that is both fast and effective. We present results from experiments applying this method, which we refer to as LZJD, to the areas of malware classification and digital forensics.

Charles Nicholas (*protected email*) earned his B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Michigan – Flint in 1979, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from Ohio State University in 1982 and 1988, respectively. He joined the Computer Science Department at UMBC in 1988. His research interests include electronic document processing, intelligent information systems, and software engineering. In recent years he has focused on the problems of storing and retrieving information from large collections of documents. Intelligent software agents are an important aspect of this work. Host: Alan T. Sherman, *protected email*

The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab meets biweekly Fridays. All meetings are open to the public.

The post 🗣 talk: Classifying Malware using Data Compression, 12-1 Fri 4/20, ITE229 appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab presents

Classifying Malware using Data Compression

Charles Nicholas, UMBC

12:00–1:00pm Friday, 20 April 2018, ITE 229

Comparing large binary objects can be tricky and expensive. We describe a method for comparing such strings, using ideas form data compression, that is both fast and effective. We present results from experiments applying this method, which we refer to as LZJD, to the areas of malware classification and digital forensics.

Charles Nicholas (*protected email*) earned his B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Michigan – Flint in 1979, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from Ohio State University in 1982 and 1988, respectively. He joined the Computer Science Department at UMBC in 1988. His research interests include electronic document processing, intelligent information systems, and software engineering. In recent years he has focused on the problems of storing and retrieving information from large collections of documents. Intelligent software agents are an important aspect of this work. Host: Alan T. Sherman, *protected email*

The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab meets biweekly Fridays. All meetings are open to the public.

The post 🗣 talk: Classifying Malware using Data Compression, 12-1 Fri 4/20, ITE229 appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

Ciara Christian
M.A., Applied Sociology
Hometown: Springfield, Ohio
Plans: Ph.D., UMBC

UMBC has prepared me in myriad ways as an engaged scholar, young professional, and public servant. UMBC has taught me to believe in myself and in my capabilities, and to use them to serve others.

Ciara Christian came to UMBC’s master’s in applied sociology program as a Shriver Peaceworker Fellow, after returning from Peace Corps service in Rwanda. She shares, “Through my experiences, I have learned the importance of interdisciplinarity and seeing the connections across disciplines to address complex, societal challenges. I have learned about the importance of truly engaging community as partners in applied scholarship, and about the symbiotic relationship that occurs when scholars approach communities with an asset-based framework, acknowledging their existing knowledge and capacity.”

While at UMBC, Christian pursued community-engaged scholarship through participatory action research in Baltimore City as well as through her work as coordinator of UMBC’s Grand Challenge Scholars Program, where students of all majors learn how they can effectively collaborate to address important societal problems.

In 2017, as a Sondheim Nonprofit Leadership Fellow, Christian interned at Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance (BNIA). There, she was primarily responsible for organizing Baltimore Data Day, an annual workshop that brings together over 300 community leaders, community groups, nonprofits, government entities, and socially-minded technologists to learn how to access and utilize available public data about their neighborhoods to advocate for change.

Christian will soon begin UMBC’s Ph.D. program in language, literacy, and culture, with a focus on work that prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Maia Schechter
B.A., Dance
Magna Cum Laude
Hometown: Glen Rock, Pennsylvania
Plans: Presenting choreography at the National College Dance Festival; studying with the NW Dance Project

The UMBC dance department has offered incredible support. In addition to cultivating my dance technique, many teachers have introduced me to renowned dance companies and intensives that have helped me network and develop as an artist. Thanks to my teachers, I am setting and achieving goals I never thought would be possible.

Maia Schechter came to UMBC as a Linehan Artist Scholar and a member of the Honors College, driven to pursue a career in dance. She quickly got to work developing her technique as a dancer and choreographer, and taking chances on unique opportunities to grow her craft.

In the summer of her sophomore year, she was accepted to the competitive Broadway Dance Center Summer Professional Intensive in New York City, and in the summer of her junior year she was one of twelve women accepted into the highly competitive Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Dance Program. These opportunities were supported by a Linehan Summer Study Award and a Summer Dance Study and Research Award from the dance department. She also served as the vice president of the Dance Council of Majors.

Schechter has received College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Student Awards for Outstanding Junior in Dance, and Outstanding Senior in Choreography and Performance. During her senior year, her piece Tipping Point, co-choreographed with Ryan Bailey ‘16, dance, was selected for the Maryland Choreographers Showcase. Most recently, her choreography Now Elsewhere was presented at the American College Dance Association Mid-Atlantic North Regional Conference at West Chester University. Judges then selected the work to be presented at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the American College Dance Association National Festival in June 2018, the association’s highest honor.

Since her freshman year, Maia has supported numerous faculty research projects, performing with Baltimore Dance Project in works by professors Carol Hess and Doug Hamby. She has appeared with Baltimore Dance Project in the Akimbo Artwalk Festival in Station North, Baltimore, Light City Baltimore, and in residence at Washington College.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Richard Elliott
B.A., American Studies and Political Science
Cum Laude
Hometown: Bowie, Maryland
Plans: Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University

UMBC has given me the opportunity to craft my own research projects, interact with people from all over the world, and expand my academic abilities. I’m very proud to have attended UMBC and I’ve learned so much here.

Richard Elliott is fascinated by politics, and has pursued this interest through both scholarship and student leadership. Elliott founded the UMBC Progressives, a group designed to catalyze social and political progress at UMBC and in the surrounding Baltimore community. He has also served on the executive board of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society.

Elliott is a McNair Scholar, and his research on the Tea Party’s effect on conservative political discourse actually began at the McNair Summer Institute at UMBC. He continued his work through a summer fellowship at the University of California, Irvine, and later published findings in the European Journal of American Studies, the journal Political Behavior, Proceedings of the 2017 National Conference of Undergraduate Research, the 2017 UMBC Review, and several e-journals.

Elliott has been accepted to the Ph.D. program in political science at Johns Hopkins University with a full fellowship.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Arissa Falat
B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Summa Cum Laude
Hometown: Columbia, Maryland
Plans: Pharm.D./J.D., University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

UMBC is peerless regarding the interest faculty members take in the well-being of students across academic and extracurricular endeavors. Naturally, this gives rise to a tight-knit community of highly motivated individuals.

Arissa Falat is a University Scholar and member of the Honors College who has received numerous scholarships in her time at UMBC, including the 2017 Smithsonian Earth Optimism Summit Student Scholarship, 2017 Lise Satterfield Scholarship, and UMBC Undergraduate Research Award for her work in Kathy Seley-Radtke’s chemistry lab. She was invited to join the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key International Honour Society, and Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

Beyond her own studies and research, Falat serves as a teaching assistant for courses in molecular and general genetics and cell biology, including teaching discussion sections, writing exams and quizzes, conducting review sessions, grading, and more. She has also counseled, hosted, and welcomed to campus on visit days prospective and admitted students as a UMBC Office of Undergraduate Admissions Student Ambassador.

On top of her academic accomplishments, Falat has performed in more than 100 figure skating shows and participated in even more competitions. She passed the senior level test in three figure skating disciplines, making her a triple gold medalist in U.S. Figure Skating.

Falat became a professional in 2017, and she shares her skating skills by volunteering to teach lessons in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and performing in benefit shows. “For me, figure skating provides the essential balance between the rigors of a demanding academic schedule and the relief of that mental tension,” she says.

With so many interests, Falat had a difficult time choosing a particular path forward. “Deciding on which graduate path to pursue used to eat me alive, but UMBC nurtured my passions and made me realize that I don’t have to pick just one interest,” she says. She plans to pursue a dual Pharm.D./J.D. degree.

Portrait by Marlayna Demond ‘11 for UMBC.