Editor’s note: Here at UMBC, our students are the heartbeat of campus, and we are committed to providing them the best possible education. So, for the month of March, we will be highlighting our amazing academic departments, some of their recent achievements, and ways that you can help fund their continued excellence.

Your gift is extremely important and many of our students are depending on you. Please show your support and make an impact today. With you we can make a difference.

The Chemical, Biochemical & Environmental Engineering department is proud to share a few testimonials of its undergraduate research program.

“As an undergrad at UMBC, I studied the same curriculum that all of you had: learning to size reactors, heat exchangers, separators, etc. [. . .] In contrast, my research gave me a chance to tackle problems that don’t have an answer yet, and that might not even have a satisfying answer. [. . .] That was an exciting challenge for me so I went to grad school to continue working with that kind of problem.” Sean Kshimetski ’14, chemical engineering

“My experience as an undergraduate researcher gave me the confidence and experience to pursue a Ph.D. Through my UG research experience, I was able to build not only a tool set of research techniques but an understanding of how scientific research is conducted in an academic setting. When I was starting my graduate program, I was able to more easily acclimate to a new laboratory setting because I had gained familiarity with basic laboratory protocols from working in Dr. Marten’s lab.” Colleen Courtney ’12, chemical engineering

With your help, the Chemical, Biochemical & Environmental Engineering department can continue supporting students like these in their achievements. Click here to donate.

The Computer Science and Electrical Engineering department is proud to announce that UMBC will be partnering with MITRE Corporation to found national cybersecurity research center that supports the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence and help businesses secure their data and digital infrastructure. The department would also like to announce that Professor Chintan Patel M.S. ‘01, Ph.D. ‘04, and computer engineering student Gurashish Singh recently demonstrated a prototype system that can detect distracted driving behavior at the ATPA Expo, the largest gathering of industries involved with transportation.

With your help, the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering department can continue supplying new equipment and providing resources to build a sense of community among our students.

Click here to donate.

The Information Systems department is pleased to share that a research team led by Dr. Nirmalya Roy, assistant professor of information systems at UMBC, is exploring how to retrofit homes with sensor networks that monitor a resident’s behavior and activity levels. The team is also exploring ways to modify existing sensors and other smart-home technologies to help health care providers and caregivers remotely monitor seniors in their own homes at a lower cost. The department would also like to congratulate Victoria Lentz ’15, cybersecurity, on receiving one of the Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security program’s HP-backed scholarships. Lentz, one of ten recipients, plans to work in the cybersecurity industry and pursue a master’s degree.

With your help, the Information Systems department can continue sponsoring speakers through our Council of Majors and providing travel fellowships for International Field Research.

Click here to donate.

The Mechanical Engineering department is thrilled to announce that Dr. Carlos Romero-Talamas, assistant professor in the UMBC Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been recognized with a DARPA Young Faculty Award for his research in computational models of nuclear fusion technology. The department would also like to share that Anne Spence, ME professor of the practice, participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by Congressman Elijah Cummings. The panel was part of a congressional initiative to learn about issues women educators encounter in building and sustaining economic security and focused on strategies to increase the number of women pursuing STEM fields.

With your help, the Mechanical Engineering department can continue developing a prototyping space to brainstorm ideas and assemble preliminary models and supporting our Baja team — $500 sends a Baja team member to national competition.

Click here to donate.

The MITRE Human Language Technology department is looking to add a talented intern to work on a research project aimed at developing automated methods for detecting dropped pronouns in informal Chinese text. The intern will contribute to the development and evaluation of algorithms and documentation of results in a technical report. Depending upon results, the report will be submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific publication.

Start: April – mid-June (flexible)

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Location: Annapolis Junction MD preferred, McLean VA/Bedford MA possible

For more information, see here.

The MITRE Human Language Technology department is looking to add a talented intern to work on a research project aimed at developing automated methods for detecting dropped pronouns in informal Chinese text. The intern will contribute to the development and evaluation of algorithms and documentation of results in a technical report. Depending upon results, the report will be submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific publication.

Start: April – mid-June (flexible)

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Location: Annapolis Junction MD preferred, McLean VA/Bedford MA possible

For more information, see here.

The College Qualified Leaders (CQL) program offers interested students (undergraduates and graduates) the opportunity to spend the summer working on research in a Department of Defense laboratory. These are paid internships.

The Multilingual Computing Branch (MLCB) at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), based in Adelphi, Maryland is looking for talented computer science and engineering interns this summer. Interns will work closely with ARL researchers on current projects to develop cutting-edge natural language processing and machine learning software. The MLCB has several ongoing projects in computational linguistics/natural language processing, including active projects in machine translation, human-robot communication, and social media analysis.

Interested applicants should have a strong academic record and be willing to take the initiative on projects.

Proficiency in Java, C++, Python, Scala, or similar languages is desired. Proficiency in natural language processing, speech processing, machine learning, or pattern recognition is a plus. Proficiency in multiple natural languages is a plus. Two references are required. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.

The CQL program is not restricted to the summer months and, thus, it may be possible for the intern to continue working with ARL during the school year.

Interested students should apply via the following URL: http://www.usaeop.com/programs/apprenticeships/cql/

It is strongly recommended that interested students apply soon, as the window of opportunity for researchers to select summer interns is rapidly closing.

For more information about ARL, please visit http://www.arl.army.mil

Note that additional CQL positions may also be available for students in other disciplines and/or at other locations (e.g., Aberdeen Proving Ground).

The College Qualified Leaders (CQL) program offers interested students (undergraduates and graduates) the opportunity to spend the summer working on research in a Department of Defense laboratory. These are paid internships.

The Multilingual Computing Branch (MLCB) at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), based in Adelphi, Maryland is looking for talented computer science and engineering interns this summer. Interns will work closely with ARL researchers on current projects to develop cutting-edge natural language processing and machine learning software. The MLCB has several ongoing projects in computational linguistics/natural language processing, including active projects in machine translation, human-robot communication, and social media analysis.

Interested applicants should have a strong academic record and be willing to take the initiative on projects.

Proficiency in Java, C++, Python, Scala, or similar languages is desired. Proficiency in natural language processing, speech processing, machine learning, or pattern recognition is a plus. Proficiency in multiple natural languages is a plus. Two references are required. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.

The CQL program is not restricted to the summer months and, thus, it may be possible for the intern to continue working with ARL during the school year.

Interested students should apply via the following URL: http://www.usaeop.com/programs/apprenticeships/cql/

It is strongly recommended that interested students apply soon, as the window of opportunity for researchers to select summer interns is rapidly closing.

For more information about ARL, please visit http://www.arl.army.mil

Note that additional CQL positions may also be available for students in other disciplines and/or at other locations (e.g., Aberdeen Proving Ground).

Are you tired of winter keeping you indoors? Then venture out to the excellent events happening around UMBC!

[TODAY] Webinar: Stuff Your Resume with Keywords to Highlight Your Experience, March 4, 2015, 8 – 9 p.m.

As competition for jobs continues to grow, it is important to know the key techniques that will set you apart from the candidate pool. Find out how to make your resume stand out above the others as Jay Block teaches the the strategies needed to land your dream job.

Register here to make your ideal career a reality.

Raleigh Happy Hour,
March 6, 2015, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., 222 Glenwood Avenue. Raleigh, NC

Get connected and join us for a happy hour as we celebrate our 50th anniversary! That’s right, UMBC is spreading Retriever Pride and reconnecting with alums in Raleigh, North Carolina (and surrounding areas!). To find out more about this celebration click here.

Admissions Receptions: Rockville/Strathmore Reception,
March 24, 2015 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Strathmore Music Center, Rockville, MD

Show off your Retriever Fever and volunteer! Alumni are invited to share their experiences at UMBC to prospective students and their families. There are a number of receptions and locations to choose from as we help future students establish themselves as a fellow dawg. Click here to find out more!

Continuing through March 22, Rotunda of the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery

Don’t miss your opportunity to view the extraordinary visual displays of Richard Jaquish as he established a spiritual connectivity between the human spirit and elements found in nature. Be sure to visit the exhibit in the Library Rotunda.Click here for more information about this free  event.

A Stirring Song Sung Heroic: African Americans From Slavery to Freedom, 1619 to 1865, Photographs by William Earle Williams

January 26- March 25, Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery

Experience the history of American slavery as William Earle Williams traces the places of slavery in his photographs. Williams helps to identify how black and white Americans defined freedom as we celebrate the anniversary of the the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment. Admission to the gallery is free. To find out more information, click here.

 Take a look at our full calendar of alumni events.

In an article in the March 6 edition of India Abroad magazine, Mathematics professor Manil Suri discussed the play he performed and co-wrote with English associate professor Michele Osherow, “The Mathematics of Being Human.” The play is an outgrowth of a seminar that the two professors jointly taught that bridged their areas of expertise. In the article, Suri participated in a Q&A about the play and his experience teaching with Osherow. To read the full article, click here.

Suri and Osherow, both alumni of Carnegie Mellon University, were also interviewed for a recent news article on the university’s website about the play. In the story, they discussed the value of teaching a course that combined study of math and literature. “We’re trying to suggest that interdisciplinary teaching is extremely hard — there’s something to pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone,” Osherow said.

On March 8, the “Mathematics of Being Human” will make its New York City premiere at the National Museum of Mathematics. For more information, click here. In addition, Suri and Osherow will be performing an excerpt of the play on math and King Lear at the National Academy of Science’s DC Art Science Evening Rendezvous (DASER) on March 19 in Washington, D.C. The performance will be held to celebrate the Man Ray exhibit “A Journey from Mathematics to Shakespeare” at the Phillips. For more information, click here. 

March 19 update: to read a Washington Post article about “The Mathematics of Being Human, click here.    

Anne Rubin, an associate professor of history and author of Through the Heart of Dixie: Sherman’s March and American Memory (UNC Press 2014), recently published an article in the New York Times “Disunion” blog, which follows the Civil War as it unfolded 150 years ago.

Titled “Towns Made for Burning,” the article describes Union General William T. Sherman’s March to the Sea in South Carolina: “Sherman did not explicitly order his men to treat South Carolina’s Confederate civilians cruelly, but he did little to dissuade them,” Rubin wrote.

Rubin further described the general’s thought process behind the march, including exploiting fear among Southern whites as a way to quickly end the war: “…he recalled, disingenuously, that ‘somehow the men had got the idea that South Carolina was the cause of all our troubles … and therefore on them should fall the scourge of war in its worst form.’ Sherman appreciated his men’s enthusiasm, and was loath to ‘restrain the army lest its vigor and energy should be impaired.’”

In addition to her article, Rubin also appeared on C-SPAN on February 28. She discussed the Burning of Columbia and how the event has been remembered by the city and in history. To watch the full segment, click here.

After Sen. Barbara Mikulski announced her retirement on March 2, reaction poured in from across the country and state of Maryland. UMBC political science and School of Public Policy faculty were interviewed by several local and national media outlets to provide perspective and analysis on Mikulski’s legacy and what the political future will hold after her seat is vacated in 2016.

In an interview that aired on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” political science professor Roy Meyers said Sen. Mikulski’s legacy crossed party lines: “Many of the women that came into the Senate and the House, regardless of whether they were Republicans or Democrats, really viewed her as a role model,” he said. Meyers said Mikulski was “a groundbreaker in terms of making sure the voices of women legislators were taken seriously.”

Political science professor Thomas Schaller reflected on Sen. Mikulski’s service to Maryland and the nation in an op-ed published in the Baltimore Sun: “She will leave a legacy as one of the state’s most admired politicians and among the most influential women ever to serve in Congress,” Schaller wrote in his column titled “A lifetime spent in service.”

Schaller was also quoted in a Washington Post article about former Gov. Martin O’Malley’s decision not to run for Mikulski’s seat, saying “I think this makes it pretty clear that he’s going to run for president or at least give it a shot.” Schaller was also mentioned in a Washington Post column by E.J. Dionne on his analysis of the national Republican party in his new book The Stronghold: How Republicans Captured Congress but Surrendered the White House.

School of Public Policy director Donald Norris appeared on WJZ-TV and commented on what could happen in the race to fill the vacated Senate seat: “Who the Republicans field, if they field a very serious, well-funded candidate, the Democrats are going to have to match that. So yes, it could be very expensive,” said Norris. “There could be a huge number of Democrats in the primary,” he added in a Capital Gazette article.

For a list of complete coverage, see below:

Roy Meyers:
Sen. Mikulski, Groundbreaker for Female Legislators, Won’t Seek Re-Election (NPR)

Thomas Schaller:
A lifetime spent in service (Baltimore Sun op-ed)
O’Malley will not run for Mikulski’s U.S. Senate Seat (Washington Post)
The GOP’s big ‘yes’ to ‘no’ (Washington Post)

Donald Norris:
Race to Replace Sen. Barbara Mikulski Wide Open (WJZ-TV)
‘Free-for-all’ expected in wake of Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s retirement announcement (Capital Gazette)