Hello players! Tonight we will be playing "Thanksgiving Feast" in Sondheim 114 at 7 in celebration of the upcoming holiday.

We will NOT be meeting on Thursday due to the holiday break. Enjoy the break and eat lots of turkey (or brains)!

Join me in congratulating M26 Naomi Mburu (CENG) who has made history by becoming UMBC's and Meyerhoff/MARC's first Rhodes Scholar!  We'll formally recognize Naomi at Monday's Family Meeting.

Major: Chemical Engineering

Minor: Physics

Hometown: Ellicott City, MD

Campus Activities:
President of National Society of Black Engineers; Meyerhoff Scholar; Barry Goldwater Scholar; Research in Dr. Gymama Slaughter’s laboratory in the computer engineering department. My project focuses on developing self-powered implantable biofuel cells; Interned in Geneva, Switzerland at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN). I worked on monitoring the concentration of impurities leaving the muon detectors on the Large Hadron Collider; Interned at Vanderbilt University. I worked on developing a 3D printed artery that could be used for drug delivery testing.

Why did you chose UMBC?
I have been at UMBC basically my whole life because my mom works here, so I have always been familiar with the campus. What really drew me to UMBC was the Meyerhoff program because it has a remarkable track record for preparing minority students to earn STEM-related PhD’s, which is exactly what I want to do.

What do you love about UMBC?
I love the size of UMBC. This school is big enough that I can meet someone new everyday, but small enough that I can really get to know my professors and the students in my department. I also love the commitment to diversity, because I am very passionate about increasing access to higher education for people from diverse backgrounds. I also love how highly interdisciplinary UMBC is. UMBC is a place where I feel free to explore all of my interests.

What would you say to a prospective student?
If you want to be a part of a vibrant, diverse community of people who love to learn and work together, come to UMBC!

What has been your favorite class at UMBC?
I took a Modern Physics course my sophomore year, and my mind was blown almost every time I opened the textbook for that class. It was different from the courses I usually take because the information I was learning was not practical at all, but it was incredibly interesting to read about, ponder, and debate about with my peers.My favorite subject from that class was special relativity. Did you know that if you were on a rocket capable of moving near the speed of light, you would be a different weight and height from the point of view of someone on earth, but these values would be different from the point of view of someone who is also on the ship with you. So whose point of view is the “correct” value? This class really made me think.

What are you researching?
I work in Dr. Gymama Slaughter’s lab in the computer engineering department. We are working on developing self-powered, implantable biofuel cells that can sense glucose and lactic acid concentrations in the body.  I have presented this research at a technology conference in Washington, D.C.

Where did you complete your internship/applied learning experience?
Last summer, I interned at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. I applied to this program through the University of Michigan as a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). My stay was fully funded, and I was provided a healthy stipend. There were 300 students chosen from all over the world (roughly ten per country). During my time there, I worked on analyzing the gas mixtures used to detect muons on the Large Hadron Collider using several chemistry-related techniques such as mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. In my free time, I attended physics classes taught my physicists at CERN, and explored Europe with my new friends. I traveled to France, Spain, Germany, the UK, and the Czech Republic, as well as all over Switzerland.

What do you hope to achieve after you complete your degree at UMBC?
After I graduate, I intend to pursue a PhD and then work in industry.

UMBC’s Amended Policy on Sexual Misconduct prohibits Interpersonal Violence. Relationship Violence and Domestic Violence are forms of Interpersonal Violence under the University’s Policy.

Who does the Policy apply to?

Relationship Violence:

§  A person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with a UMBC community member.

§  Social Relationships are determined based on:

o   Relationship length

o   Relationship type

o   Frequency of interaction between the persons involved

Domestic Violence:

§  A UMBC community member’s current or former spouse or intimate partner;

§  A person with whom the UMBC community member shares a child in common;

§  A person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the UMBC community member as a spouse or intimate partner;

§  A person similarly situated to a spouse of the UMBC community member;

§  Any other person who is protected from those acts under the domestic or family violence laws of Maryland. 

What do these Prohibited Behaviors look like?

*not all of these factors have to be present

Where can my student get help on campus if they experience either of these forms of Interpersonal Violence?

Confidential Support and Access to Resources

University Health Services:  410.455.2542

Counseling Center:                 410.455.2472

Quasi-Confidential Support and Access to Resources

Women’s Center:                   410.455.2714 

Title IX Resources Team (see the Policy for the list of faculty/staff members on the team and their contact information).

Non-Confidential Support and Access to Resources

Bobbie L. Hoye, Title IX Coordinator                                          410.455.1606

Vice President of Student Affairs Office                                      410.455.2393

Mosaic Center                                                                                   410.455.2686

Student Disability Services                                                            410.455.2459

International Education Services                                                 410.455.2624

Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships                                       410.455.2387

Off Campus Student Services                                                       410.455.2770

Climate Change Discussion w/ NASA Scientists

Naomi Mburu ’18, chemical engineering, is the first student in UMBC history to receive the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, although several UMBC students have been finalists for the Scholarship in the past. She is one of 32 students from across the United States to receive this prestigious honor for the 2018 year. 

Established in 1902, The Rhodes Scholarship is the world’s oldest international scholarship award. Rhodes Scholars are selected based on their academic and research accomplishments, their leadership and commitment to others.

“Being selected as a Rhodes Scholar will provide me with the network and resources to be an influential scientist and education advocate on the global level,” says Mburu.  “Rhodes Scholars come from all over the world, but they are unified by a joint passion to make great change in their communities.” says Mburu.

“As a Rhodes Scholar, I will be completing a Ph.D. in engineering science and likely conducting my research under Dr. Peter Ireland to work on heat transfer applications for nuclear fusion reactors,” says Mburu. “I believe the Rhodes Scholarship will allow me to foster a stronger community amongst my fellow scholars because we will all be attending the same institution.”

As a UMBC student, Mburu is involved with research and scholars programs, and is a leader in many student organizations. As a Meyerhoff Scholar, she is a peer mentor for freshmen and sophomores pursuing chemical engineering. Mburu is also a MARC U*STAR Trainee. The Meyerhoff Scholars Program and the MARC U*STAR Scholars Programs aim to increase the number of underrepresented minorities who pursue PhD’s in STEM fields. She has a passion for supporting STEM education and increasing diversity in STEM fields, which have led her to be involved with with programs and organizations with similar missions.

“The UMBC community as a whole has been incredibly instrumental in preparing me to compete for these awards. As a Meyerhoff and MARC U*STAR Scholar, I have learned how to write compelling personal statements that express my desire to influence the world in terms of both nuclear fusion power generation and in the removal of barriers to quality education for all people,” says Mburu. “The staff and faculty in the Honors College and chemical engineering department have engaged in mock interviews with me to help me prepare for the broad varieties of questions I could be asked, and I actually found some of their questions to be more difficult than my actual interview questions.”

Mburu is currently working with Gymama Slaughter, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering, to develop a bioreactor to extend the viability of human organs awaiting transplant. The sensors will track glucose levels, lactic acid, and nitric oxide to ensure that the organ remains healthy as it is transported to the recipient.

“Increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in STEM fields reflects our changing world and is what we desperately need for working toward discoveries that will improve the human condition,” says Slaughter. “As a mentor, I’m fortunate to work with the best and brightest students at UMBC, including Naomi, who have a strong desire to change the world. Naomi’s aspiration is to become an advocate for scientific advancement in renewable energy sources and education equality. The Rhodes scholarship is a well-deserved recognition of the positive impact she will have in the field of nuclear engineering and on the human condition across the world. We are very proud of Naomi’s accomplishments.”

This past summer, Mburu interned at Intel and developed an interactive model to estimate the cost of coatings applied to equipment. Her work helped improve the pricing negotiations and paved the way for additional should-cost models to be established for other chemical processes.

Mburu’s success shows that UMBC’s commitment to research and unique undergraduate academic opportunities is working, explains April Householder ‘95, visual and performing arts, director of undergraduate research and nationally competitive scholarships. “What is particularly striking about Naomi is that she is accomplished doing high-level scientific research, has a sophisticated grasp of issues related to nuclear energy, and is thoroughly committed to becoming a leader and a role model for other young scientists in her field,” she adds. “It is truly rare to find this combination of intellectual virtuosity and attention to detail, along with the ability to bridge different disciplines and a true desire to give back to others.”

Outside of the classroom and lab, Mburu is involved with many local chapters of national organizations. She has served as the president and pre-college initiative chair of the UMBC’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, and currently is the vice chair for Region II of NSBE. Mburu is committed to mentoring youth and supporting them in their schoolwork. She spends time each week working with high school girls on STEM-related research projects, and worked with K-12 students on homework during her first semester at UMBC.

While Mburu was a student at Mount Hebron High School, she completed research with Lasse Lindahl, biological sciences. Her work focused on how the introduction of phosphate affected the ribosomal protein L4. She has also pursued research at The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and Vanderbilt University. In summer 2016, Mburu spent the summer in Geneva, Switzerland at the European Organization for Nuclear Research. She worked alongside physicists to measure the impurities found in the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator.

“Being selected as a Rhodes Scholar will provide me with the network and resources to be an influential scientist and education advocate on the global level,” Mburu says.

Photo by Marlayna Demond ‘11 for UMBC.

DATE:  November 15, 2017

TO:    Business Managers/Department Chairs/Center Directors/Faculty

FROM:Stan Jackson

RE:     OSP deadlines over the Winter Break, Dec. 23, 2017 – Jan. 1, 2018

________________________________________________________________

 This is a special announcement concerning the OSP schedule for reviewing/approving proposals with deadlines to federal and other agencies that occur during Winter Break this year. 

 Please note:

 All proposals with submission deadlines occurring between December 23, 2017 and January 1, 2018 must be fully routed, ready for submission, and released to the OSP office by the close of business on December 19, 2017; and: all proposals with submission deadlines occurring between January 2 - 3, 2018 (the first 2 business days after the break) will be due to OSP by the close of business on December 20 & 21, 2017, respectively.

 This schedule is consistent with our current policy, which requires the submission of complete proposals to OSP at least three business days before the agency submission deadline, since OSP will be closed during the Winter Break. 

 The campus closure during Winter Break will cause a heavy workload on OSP staff, so we will enforce our current policy more consistently.  Proposals received after the OSP deadlines specified above will be reviewed on a first come first serve basis and will be submitted only if time permits.  

Thank you for your understanding.