I am a huge coffee addict, and a bit of a coffee snob. Caffeine addiction is a pretty common occurrence among entrepreneurs, especially in the start up phase of a business concept.

I know its summer and not everyone is on campus, but I've been here a lot. The Starbucks is closed, and the other coffee shops close at 3 pm. It would be great if I could brew a fresh cup of coffee anywhere.

I’m not the only one. In fact, a number of UMBC students identified and tackled this problem; Mojoe lets you brew your own coffee on the go.

Mojoe is a travel mug-sized portable coffee maker that heats any temperature water from any source to brew up the perfect cup of joe.

Here’s how it works. You load in your favorite coffee (Zeke’s is pretty good, but Green Mountain may be one of my favorites that easy to find), to the filter, cream and sugar if you’re into that, and hit the road. Add water whenever and wherever you can.

Watch the Mojoe Information Video

The system powers up, using a rechargeable battery, a 12V car adapter, or a wall adapter, and heats up the water; your coffee is heated to about 200 degrees and mixes in your cream and sugar. After its done brewing, you can comfortably enjoy the coffee directly from your Mojoe.

The founders of Mojoe, Joseph Hyman and Ezekiel Kolajo, have launched their crowdfunding campaign and need your help. I know that times are tough and as a college student money can be tight. In a crowdfunding campaign, I can tell you that every little bit helps. Even if you don’t have cash to invest in Mojoe, the secret to a successful crowdfunding campaign is sharing. We all know people who love coffee…let them know about Mojoe.

Learn more by visiting their website

Help fund Mojoe

One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community.

• Bambi Chapin, Sociology and Anthropology, on WYPR’s Maryland Morning
• Thomas Schaller, Political Science, in Politico Magazine and The Baltimore Sun
• Robert Provine, Psychology, in Real Simple

Find more news here!

Walk In Advising Hours July 14th-18th
Got a question? Need registration clearance? Stop on by! 

Monday, July 14th:
10am-11:30am

Tuesday, July 15th:
10am-11:30am

Thursday, July 17th
1:30pm-3pm

Friday, July 18th
By appointment only

Advisors are also available by appointment.

The UMBC community was deeply saddened to learn that Dr. Rita Sloan Berndt ‘71, psychology, passed away on June 17 of lymphoma. Born in Baltimore and raised in Catonsville, Berndt first attended the Institute of Notre Dame, ‘62, and continued her education at UMBC after her first son was born. Her final degrees, ‘75, M.A. psychology, and ‘77, Ph.D. cognitive psychology, were earned at the Johns Hopkins University.

After her graduation from Johns Hopkins, Berndt became a faculty member in the neurology department at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She worked as a full-time professor and studied those who suffered from aphasia – the loss of the power to use or understand words – and retired in 2008. Dr. Sheila Blumstein calls Berndt a “force in the fields of aphasia and neuroscience” and credits Berndt as one of the reasons aphasia is better understood today.

While her work and education were deeply important to Berndt, her obituary in The Baltimore Sun explains that she had a great enthusiasm for all aspects of life:

She loved to travel and spent many summers at Great Gott Island in Maine. She also traveled each year to Italy with friends and loved going to Yellowstone National Park to watch the wolves.

The couple shared a love of athletics, and her husband remembers Dr. Berndt keeping a pair of Converse hightops and socks in the trunk of their car until they were in their 30s, in case they spotted a game of basketball they could join.

A celebration of Berndt’s life will be held at UMBC on July 16 at 11 a.m. in the Performing Arts and Humanities Building. A private burial will follow in the fall at Great Gott Island.

Learn more about Dr. Berndt’s life and legacy.

The Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) received a three year, $600,000 grant from the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation to implement the Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneurs Fellowship Program. IMET is a research institute supported by UMBC, University of Maryland Baltimore’s School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

The fellowship program supported by the grant will help young scientists gain leadership and business skills that will allow them to introduce their research to a commercial market. IMET Director Russell Hill commented, “This is a tremendous opportunity not only for IMET but also for investors, business people and citizens in the region who will benefit from economic development flowing from this new program.”

Click here to read more.