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Nearly a year ago, a group of engineers and scientists including UMBC physicists became one of 10 teams to successfully submit a proposal to NASA to develop the Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS). In October, the AXIS team learned that they were one of the final two instrument designs selected for further development. Over the next year, each of the two teams will receive $5 million to flesh out their plans as part of what NASA calls a “Phase A study.” Then NASA will review the proposals and select one of these two instruments for construction and testing, with plans to launch in the early 2030s. 

Adi Foord, assistant professor of physics, and Eileen Meyer, associate professor of physics, serve on the AXIS leadership team, and during the proposal development phase, Foord co-led the sub-team focused on supermassive black hole evolution. The AXIS team is led overall by Chris Reynolds at the University of Maryland, College Park and deputy lead Erin Kara at MIT. 

X-rays come from extremely hot processes such as exploding stars or the accretion of black holes, so tracing them back to their source can paint a picture of galactic formation. As scientists search for life beyond Earth, X-rays could even offer clues about potentially habitable planets.

“We’re extremely excited that AXIS has been chosen for Phase A study! AXIS represents a huge leap forward in high-resolution and high-sensitivity imaging that will allow us to study the early universe and trace the growth of the earliest supermassive black holes,” Foord says. “It’s a unique opportunity to answer some of the most fundamental questions in astrophysics. With AXIS, we’ll have the sensitivity and resolution to detect faint X-ray signals from galaxies in the early universe, offering unprecedented insight into how supermassive black holes formed and evolved over cosmic time.”

A new kind of explorer

AXIS and the other satellite design selected for further study, PRIMA—also led by scientists in College Park—are competing to be the first in the new Probe Explorer class of NASA missions, which fit neatly between its flagship missions and smaller missions.

“Both of the selected concepts could enable ground-breaking science responsive to the top astrophysics priorities of the decade, develop key technologies for future flagship missions, and offer opportunities for the entire community to use the new observatory, for the benefit of all,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.  

“In observational astronomy we are now in the era of big and sensitive surveys of large portions of the sky,” Meyer adds. “AXIS is not only 10 times more sensitive than its predecessor, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, it also has the ability to make high-resolution images over a much larger sky area, or field of view. This is transformative for deep surveys, and AXIS will synergize with a lot of other missions and observatories operating in the 2030s.”

Ian Stockwell ’03, information systems and financial economics, M.A. ’06, economic policy analysis, and Ph.D. ’14, public policy, has spent his 20-plus-year career analyzing healthcare operations. One major inefficiency he sees in the U.S. healthcare system is an overreliance on clinical medicine when other interventions, such as support accessing healthy food and safe housing, are also needed. 

“We have a health system that under-invests on social needs,” Stockwell says. “It is failing a lot of people.”

Now an associate professor in information systems at UMBC, Stockwell recently launched a new project, supported by a five-year, $3.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, to address this shortcoming. He is partnering with a major Medicaid health plan to build a machine-learning-powered system to help identify patients with social needs—factors, such as food insecurity or financial stress—that impact an individual’s ability to maintain their health. The system will also help determine how best to connect these patients with social support systems on a long-term basis.

The system will use multiple individual- and community-level data sources to predict which members use the emergency department to fulfill social or non-urgent needs. It will also identify the hurdles that frequently prevent individuals from engaging with a community-based social needs organization.

The dream outcome, Stockwell says, is that the system provides robust support to healthcare providers for effectively engaging with people with social needs. “We could then take the infrastructure that we build and work to propagate it through the healthcare system. Ultimately, we want to use what we create to help people by shrinking disparities in health outcomes in this country.”

The study team brings together researchers from multiple departments and colleges at UMBC, including Tera Reynolds, James Foulds, and Osman Gani from the Department of Information Systems; Sameera Nayak from the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health; Lucy Wilson from the Department of Emergency and Disaster Health Systems, and Joby Taylor, Ph.D. ’05, language, literacy, and culture, from the Shriver Center.

“As a career-long UMBCer, I’m excited that this project helps broaden the footprint of NIH funding at the university. It also pushes the boundaries of what an interdisciplinary collaboration can mean,” Stockwell says.

Good morning, Veterans and Military-Affiliated Students!

We're excited to welcome you to a brand-new space designed just for you! Introducing the Veterans and Military Affiliated Student Success MYUMBC page—your go-to hub for all things veteran-related at UMBC.

Here, you’ll find event dates, important info, and exclusive updates on what’s happening in the Veterans Lounge! Whether it's a social meet-up, important campus news, or resources just for you, this page has it all. Plus, it's a great way to stay connected with fellow vets and service members in our community.

This week we are hosting Veterans Week which consists of a week full of events which includes a Staff & Student Mix & mingle starting today from 1:30PM Until 4:00PM (Flyer attached)

Keep an eye out for fun events, opportunities to unwind in the lounge, and everything you need to make the most of your UMBC experience.

Welcome aboard, and we can’t wait to see you around!