Asiya Ahmed is a senior Biological Sciences major, MLL Spanish Minor, and Public Health Minor. She is a STEM BUILD @ UMBC BTP Affiliate & UMBC 2024-25 URA Scholar.

I’m currently investigating how plants defend themselves from pathogens and abiotic stressors, such as cold temperatures and UV radiation, by examining a possible relationship between two genes named HOS1 and FLK. By analyzing this genetic interaction, my research could contribute to developing crops that are better suited to withstand environmental stresses and disease pressures.

My mentor is Dr. Hua Lu, who is in the Biological Sciences department. I first connected with Dr. Lu after taking her BIOL 302 (Molecular Genetics) course in my sophomore Spring semester. Near the end of the semester, I was interested in joining a research lab and started browsing the Biological Sciences Department website. I landed on Dr. Lu’s profile and looked into her work which caught my attention as she focuses on genetics, a field of science I took much interest in. After contacting her, I met with Dr. Lu and her team, and the atmosphere in her lab was amazing. They were all so welcoming and encouraging, and I knew that a supportive lab like this was the type of lab I would best thrive in.

Towards the end of BIOL 302, we started learning techniques geneticists use in the lab such as PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), Gel Electrophoresis, and DNA extractions. I was very interested in this unit, so when I joined Dr. Lu’s lab, it was cool to see these exact techniques being done in real life in front of me. Now, I use these techniques myself to genotype my sample plants, allowing me to detect if they have any mutations in their FLK and/or HOS1 genes which can contribute to the possible genetic interaction I’m studying.  

I think the hardest part was learning the science behind the work. There were many, many research papers I had to read, but they were not sufficient to understand the foundational concepts. I did my research on the weekends and met with Dr. Lu and PhD student Leah Vrydagh, who I directly work with, to go through the papers. It took me about three months to fully grasp what our lab aims to uncover. To me, the most unexpected thing about being a researcher is how good you get at public speaking. At certain points in the semesters I’ve been working, I have had to present my research and work to the team during our weekly lab meetings. At first, I messed up a lot because of stage fright, but now presenting comes at ease. Truthfully, these lab meeting presentations help tremendously when I present at research conferences or lead general body meetings for the Red Cross Club at UMBC.

The most rewarding part was putting all my 7 months of hard work together into an abstract and poster for my first-ever research conference presentation. This past February, I attended the American Physician Scientist Association (APSA) Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting at Georgetown University where I presented said abstract and poster. I showcased the science I’ve learned, the techniques I’ve used, and the results I obtained to a diverse audience, ranging from undergraduate students to postdocs and physicians. Also, because I obtained this amazing opportunity through my research, I got to meet and speak with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Former Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States, who was our keynote speaker that day. He had shared advice about resilience and purpose which resonated with me and is something I carry as I navigate my studies and research. Without my research and Dr. Lu as my mentor, I never would’ve had this surreal experience.   

I will be presenting my research at URCAD in Spring 2025, and if there is another conference opportunity next semester, I plan to present there as well. 

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?  

Take rejection as a re-direction, not a failure. When I was trying to join a research lab on campus, I emailed more than a dozen principal investigators before Dr. Lu, and none of them responded (which I understood as they were very busy with their work and the courses they taught). I kept on emailing and emailing for more than a month, but even if I kept on getting no responses, I continued to look for more potential openings and email more PIs. After what felt like years, I finally got a response back from my now mentor. If I had stopped emailing after my first few rejections, I never would’ve done the research I have and made the connections I have today. Just keep on trying even if you fail multiple times because, at the end of the day, your perseverance will be worth it.

I am an aspiring physician so medical school is my next step after my studies at UMBC. I understand that it is a challenging path to become a physician, but by persevering and putting in the effort needed, I hope I’ll be able to achieve this goal of mine.

Be a UMBC Researcher of the Week! Email: aprilh@umbc.edu

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Good news for UMBC employees! For the 2025 calendar year, you will no longer need to complete a DocuSign form to enroll in or make changes to your supplemental retirement accounts (SRA) with TIAA and/or Fidelity.

QUIET PERIOD

While the new system is being set up, there will be a quiet period from November 13, 2024, through December 16, 2024, during which no changes can be made to any TIAA or Fidelity supplemental retirement accounts.  

IMPORTANT: employees who are going to exceed the 2024 IRS contribution limits in December must stop their contribution now, using the current DocuSign forms by November 13, 2024. Any changes made by Wednesday 11/13/2024 will take effect on the 12/06/2024 paycheck.

No new enrollments, changes, or cancellations can be made to the 12/20/2024 paycheck, due to the required quiet period in preparation for the switch to the online portal.

On December 17^th, when the USM Retirement@Work portal is live, you will be able to login and make changes again to your TIAA and Fidelity accounts. Those changes will take effect on the first paycheck in the 2025 calendar year: January 3, 2025.

Please note: all existing contributions will continue for the remaining three paychecks (11/22, 12/06, and 12/20) in the 2024 calendar year. No action is required by employees for their contributions to continue at the current amount. 

WHAT’S CHANGING?

With the new USM Retirement@Work portal, you can now manage your TIAA & Fidelity supplemental retirement accounts online. You will be able to:

• Make Contribution Changes: change your bi-weekly contribution amount and/or how your funds are spread over your accounts with your retirement vendors (TIAA and Fidelity).
• Track Your Progress: see a snapshot of all your investments and view current and past transactions.
• Make Informed Decisions: learn more about your retirement plans and use calculators and other tools to help plan for the type of retirement you want.

In the USM Retirement@Work portal, you can choose from 4 different plan options:

• Pre-Tax 403b
• ROTH 403b
• Pre-tax 457b
• ROTH 457b – NEW for 2025! 

WHAT’S NOT CHANGING:

• You can still login to your TIAA or Fidelity USM accounts anytime to view your balances, allocate your funds, and designate your beneficiary.
• Your current plan elections and deduction amounts will remain the same, unless you make a change in the portal after December 17th. 
• Your current investment choices and fund allocations will remain the same.

MSRP/Nationwide accounts

For employees who have a supplemental account with MSRP/Nationwide, your access will still occur through the MSRP/Nationwide website. Nationwide accounts will not be affected by the new USM Retirement@Work portal.

 

Not enrolled in a supplemental retirement account yet?

You will be able to enroll in a TIAA or Fidelity account through the USM Retirement@Work portal beginning on December 17, 2024.

Employees can enroll in a MSRP/Nationwide retirement account at any time on the MSRP/Nationwide website. 

More to come!

More information will be provided before the USM Retirement@Work portal goes live on December 17th. Please stay tuned!

Questions?

Please email hrbenefits@umbc.edu or visit the HRSTM Supplemental Retirement Account website for the most up-to-date information, including the 2025 Contribution limits memo and link to the USM Retirement@Work website on December 17^th when it is live. 

The club range day will be on Saturday, November 16th at AGC in Marriottsville. I will be at the range from 9:00 AM to about 2:00 PM, and people can come and go at any time in that window.

AGC is a members-only range but allows guests to share a lane with a member. This means we will only have one lane for everyone (we have not been able to get a second badge yet), and guests must check in with a valid photo ID at the Barnes range house (the building in front of the 100-yard range) and each pay a $15 fee.

The range is located at 11518 Marriottsville Road, though the entrance is located just after turning onto Wards Chapel Road. See here for directions from UMBC.

We will make arrangements for carpooling from UMBC and leaving around 9:30-10:00 (exact time and place subject to change depending on attendee needs - fill out the form!). Anyone bringing firearms cannot legally come to campus and will have to make other arrangements. The range is open all day, so you can come later if you want.

Most importantly, make sure to review AGC's rules. The rules are divided into 4 categories, with C4 being the most severe. Most of these rules are common sense, but make sure you know them anyway.

The orientation presentation for new members can also be found here.

Only one person will be allowed up to the firing line at a time (in addition to the badge holder), so it may be a good idea to come later in the day if you're not willing to wait around for a while.

Finally, remember to bring eye and ear protection and dress appropriately for the weather.

Thanks, we hope to see you there!