A UMBC faculty member and a UMBC alumnus were recognized by the Maryland Science Center for their outstanding work in engineering and science. Lee Blaney, associate professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, was one of two people to receive the 2017 Outstanding Young Engineer Award, and Phillip Graff ’08, physics, was awarded one of two 2017 Outstanding Young Scientist Awards. The ceremony, hosted annually by the Maryland Science Center and the Maryland Academy of Sciences, highlights the work being done by young scientists and engineers in Maryland to advance the fields.

In his work, Blaney develops technology used to recover nutrients, such as phosphorus, from poultry litter. The phosphorus found in poultry litter often saturates the soil on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, making the water that runs off into the Chesapeake Bay a hazard for aquatic life. The technology he is testing in his lab could reduce the amount of phosphorus that ends up in the Chesapeake Bay from manure by about 90 percent.

Earlier this year, Blaney received a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to address contaminants of emerging concern, from personal care products and pharmaceuticals, found in the Gwynns Falls watershed.

“Dr. Blaney is a dedicated professor with unique and innovative research ideas. He is a great mentor who encourages his students to think about research problems from multiple angles and asks tough questions to push us to reach for the best solution,” says Mamatha Hopanna, Ph.D. ‘22, environmental engineering, who works in Blaney’s lab.

Blaney is the faculty advisor of the UMBC’s Engineers Without Borders student organization. He has led several trips to Kenya, where he and his students developed a clean-water supply for a village with a population of 500.

Graff currently works as a data scientist and astrophysicist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Baltimore. He has industry experience in many fields including cybersecurity. Previously, he worked at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and helped develop an algorithm for the Laser Interferometry Gravitational Wave Observatory. He has also developed algorithms to protect the nation’s computer networks for the Department of Homeland Security National Cyber Protection System.

Banner image: Lee Blaney. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. Videos courtesy of the Maryland Science Center.

College students all over America are gearing up for winter break. Having a few weeks between semesters to relax and unwind helps many students keep their minds sharp. However, many university students use this time to catch up on classes they could not take during Fall semester. Summer break is similar, allowing two separate sessions for students to take basic classes outside of the four-year plan in their majors.

While this resource is available at UMBC’s main campus, making it accessible to many students who live within a few miles of the Baltimore/Catonsville area, it carries a hefty price tag. For this year’s Winter Session, each credit costs $347 plus fees for a Maryland resident undergrad. For a non-Maryland resident, each credit costs $934, almost three times that for a resident.

Because extra sessions are a necessary asset for students who wish to graduate on time, each student should be offered one or two free Winter or Summer Session classes during their time as an undergraduate student.

The variety of classes during each session is geared toward beginner classes. Reiji Tsukamoto, a senior majoring in biochemistry, took Modern Language and Linguistics 191 and Biology 142 in two separate Summer Sessions. Another biochemistry major, junior student Pablo Dominguez, will be taking Economics 101 this Winter Session.

These classes, and classes like them, are offered because a high percentage of the student body need to take them before they specialize into higher level electives. However, because many students take their beginner classes during the Fall and Spring semesters rather than over the summer, their class needs are different.

“I would definitely like to see electives for specific majors, such as for biochemistry, during the winter,” Tsukamoto said. He took most of his lower level classes during his early years as a student and is now trying to fit multiple 300 and 400 level classes into a single semester. However, he admits, “finding teachers who are willing to sacrifice their winter break time isn’t exactly easy.”

Dominguez had a similar opinion. “[The session should offer] upper-level electives, and definitely upper-level language classes,” he suggested. Dominguez requires some beginner classes for the General Education Program requirements for UMBC but otherwise needs to complete his major with upper-level classes.

When asked if they would be more likely to take a Summer or Winter Session class if the first one was free, both said yes. “Especially in the summer,” Tsukamoto added. Dominguez said he would definitely prefer more online classes in the winter.

The fact that summer and winter break classes are offered at all is invaluable. However, the price of classes is often frustrating and prohibitive. Students would benefit from being able to take 100 and 200 level classes over their first summer or winter at UMBC,  freeing up their schedules later for upper-level courses. The best incentive for taking a lower level class outside of the normal four-year plan would be to offer that class for free.