Users of the Maryland Transit Administration's bus system will be able to track buses in their area via their smartphones and other mobile devices starting this fall, one of many changes announced Monday as part of the agency's multiyear bus improvement plan.

Riders will also see updated bus schedules, additional MTA supervisors showing up along bus routes and increased service to certain job centers, such as the rising Horseshoe Casino Baltimore on Russell Street.

The changes are part of the agency's Bus Network Improvement Project, which was launched last summer with the goal of improving service using the input of local residents. Changes under the program will be rolled out through next year, officials said.

"It's imperative that this system runs as efficiently and reliably as possible, and this comprehensive review will help us achieve that goal," said Robert Smith, the MTA's administrator and CEO, in a statement. "We will continue to work closely with riders, residents, businesses, elected officials, civic leaders and transit advocates to complete the Bus Network Improvement Project."

The initiative is part of Gov. Martin O'Malley's goal of doubling transit ridership in the state by 2020, and a response to riders' complaints that buses in the city and county are often late and sometimes never show up.

A final project report was meant to be released in April but was delayed. The changes announced Monday are the first under the stalled program to be made public.

Officials said updated bus schedules, a major component of the project, will be released Aug. 24. One change will realign the No. 51 line to service the casino. In February, a new route will service a planned Amazon distribution center in the city.

Also starting next month, the MTA will launch a pilot program intended to improve efficiency by better positioning stops, including by eliminating some. The pilot program will be tested on four local bus lines: No. 50, No. 53, No. 56 and No. 59.

The real-time bus tracking system will be available to riders in the fall, at myMTAtracker.com, and will be similar to the real-time light rail tracker launched in May.

The local bus system carries an average of 223,183 riders per weekday, the MTA said. The system has 57 routes.

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CSEE professor Nilanjan Banerjee was interviewed at the Microsoft Faculty Summit on UMBC research that is developing sensors that can be sewn into textiles such as clothing or bedding and used control devices though gestures. Professor Banerjee is working with colleagues Ryan Robucci, Chintan Patel and Sandy McCombe-Waller (UMB) and students to prototype the hardware sensors and software components that can be part of an Internet of Things environment.

With support from Microsoft, their experimental systems are using Microsoft’s Lab of Things platform for research on connected devices in homes and other spaces. One of the use cases driving the research is helping people with limited mobility lead more independent lives by enabling them to control the environment. Buz Chmielewski, who became a quadriplegic after a surfing accident, is helping the team test and refine the system and its usability.

Every so often, we’ll chat with an alum about what they do and how they got there. Today we’re talking with Roberta Sabin ‘90 Ph.D., computer science, about her career as a professor and her recent teaching excursion to Malawi on a Fulbright Scholar grant.

Name: Roberta Sabin ’90 Ph.D., computer science
Job Title: Professor Emerita of Computer Science at Loyola; Fulbright Scholar

Q: You were the first woman to graduate from UMBC with a Ph.D. in computer science. What did that feel like?

A: It was great, and it’s something I’m really proud of. It was an effort of myself and my family.

I feel like it was a quality degree that I’ve really been able to build on – the beginning of my research career was in the same area my dissertation was in and I was able to attend conferences and meet people from around the world.

Q: What is your favorite memory of UMBC?

A: My dissertation defense was pretty vivid. I spent many many many hours here working on my proposal and the final defense, and I remember the faculty – especially Dr. Samuel Lomonaco – being very supportive and helpful. I also remember that before I presented, I was puttering around and someone asked me about the coffee, because I was the only woman. It was a public defense so not all the people knew me. It was a definite indication of the time.

Q: How did it feel to be awarded the Fulbright? Why Malawi?

A: My motto is “try and try again.” I had tried in 2004 for a Fulbright to Vietnam and got close. I’ve had a lifelong interest in Africa, so I thought applying again for a Fulbright to Africa would be a good way to use my time after retiring from Loyola.

Q: What was your time like in Malawi?

A: We were there for one semester, from September of 2013 through February of 2014. It is truly a different world. It’s rich in many ways, especially regarding the quality of the people – they’re friendly, hardworking, and peace-loving – but it lacks natural resources like oil, coal, etc. so it’s very poor. College is a privilege and the students take it very seriously.

I’ve kept in touch with a number of the students since I left – I’ve heard from about 15 or 20. It’s wonderful to be able to continue a relationship and I’d love to go back.

Q: As you reflect on your career, can you tell us a little bit more about yourself and why UMBC was your school of choice?

A: I’m a native Baltimorean and a product of an all-women education (secondary school and college). I was always interested in math and politics, and at one time thought I might be president. I got a lot of encouragement [growing up] – there was an assumption that women could do anything, and that underlined my whole education.

I taught secondary level mathematics for about 15 years. During that time I took a course in programming that was offered by the school system and was bitten by the excitement of programming. I also realized there was a tremendous need for instructors in computer science (this was about 1980), so I enrolled at Hopkins for a Master’s in just that. At that time I was teaching at Coppin State with Dr. Hrabowski – he was my dean, he hired me, so I saw him regularly. I completed my Master’s at Hopkins and was then recruited, in a sense, by Loyola to teach computer science. The big deciding factor to come to UMBC was Loyola offering to support me while I got my Ph.D.

Non-traditional students like me were welcomed [at UMBC]; they made my time here as smooth as possible. It was a stressful time for me – by then I was married and had two children under the age of six.

Q: What advice would you give to UMBC students now?

A: Computer science and teaching make an unbeatable combination. There are continuous changes and intellectual challenges [in computer science], and it’s a lively and active professional group. Plus, technology is so needed. People who are interested in communicating about technology are needed and that’s what teaching is all about. Especially if you’re female – students need to see young women who are excited about that.

Have a story of your own to share? Tell us about it!