At a time when information and misinformation are coming at us from all directions, and everyone is looking for answers, UMBC researchers are stepping up. They’re working hard to answer pressing questions about COVID-19 and sharing their expertise to help the public stay healthy and make informed decisions. By taking time to share their knowledge with local, national, and global communities, UMBC researchers are fulfilling our critical mission as a public university.

Lucy Wilson, professor of emergency health systems and an infectious disease expert, has been speaking regularly with leading national news outlets. She’s offered sobering analysis of what to expect in the days and weeks ahead, as well as practical advice to help people limit coronavirus exposure, like removing rings and switching to glasses from contacts.

• Photo by Carl Mikoy. Used under CC BY 2.0
• Photo by Kyler Kwock. Used under CC BY-ND 2.0

As the number of cases in Washington, D.C., began to surge in mid-March, Wilson offered a reminder about the impact of social distancing. “Whatever numbers [of COVID-19 cases] we are seeing today reflect the transmission that was occurring one to two weeks ago,” Wilson told The Washington Post.  “We shouldn’t be surprised by numbers continuing to increase, and we also shouldn’t discredit the effect of social distancing until we’ve given it time to take effect.” 

Wilson has also talked about the importance of protecting the nation’s healthcare workers in The New York Times and the need to ramp up testing, also in the Post.

Dispelling rumors, sharing truths

Other faculty members are writing their own articles to help the public better understand issues in the news. Jeffrey Gardner, associate professor of biological sciences, explained “Why vodka won’t protect you from coronavirus, and four other things to know about hand sanitizer” in The Conversation. The article has been viewed more than 275,000 times across 44 different publishers. Almost overnight it has become the third most popular UMBC-authored article of all time in The Conversation.

Katherine Seley-Radtke, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, addressed whether the drug chloroquine is safe to use against COVID-19 in “5 questions answered about a promising, problematic and unproven use for an antimalarial drug.” The article, which calls on her seven years of research on coronaviruses and her career as a medicinal chemist, has been viewed more than 233,000 times across 49 publishers. It is UMBC’s all-time fifth-most-read Conversation article. 

Katherine Seley-Radtke. Photo courtesy of Seley-Radtke.

Both Radtke’s and Gardner’s articles give readers useful and accessible information they can apply today.

Other UMBC experts are helping the public understand COVID-19’s effects on our communities, and how people can better support each other. John Fritz, associate vice president for instructional technology, has contributed to the conversation around the rapid transition from in-person to online learning. In the Baltimore Sun, he called the shift “a big step for a university like ours,” requiring flexibility and creativity. He also noted the importance of focusing on the needs of students who might not yet have access to the tools they need for distance learning.

Charissa Cheah, professor of psychology, is leading a new NSF-funded research project addressing how Chinese-American communities are experiencing discrimination related to COVID-19, and how they are coping. “The negative impact of infectious diseases on psychological health is understudied but highly significant,” Cheah says. Shimei Pan, assistant professor of information systems, will lead the study’s analysis of outbreak-related social media.

Alumni focused on vaccine development, testing

UMBC alumni have taken lead roles in the record-paced development of a vaccine to prevent COVID-19. Kizzmekia Corbett ’08, M16, biological sciences, has led a team working on the vaccine at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. She and her teammates, including Olubukola Abiona ‘17, M25, biochemistry and molecular biology, received the genetic sequence of the virus early this year and developed a potential vaccine within two months. 

They’ve since passed their findings to Darian Cash ’02, M10, chemistry, at the biotech company Moderna. Moderna is already administering phase I clinical trials with volunteers in Washington state.  

On top of her research, Corbett has also been actively discussing her work with the media, including The New York Times, NPR, and Bloomberg News. 

Corbett, Abiona, and Cash thank the Meyerhoff Scholars program for helping them get to where they are as researchers, and to handle the intense pressures of the moment. “The Meyerhoff program not only showed me the Ph.D. pathway, but also provided mentorship and guidance to make it achievable,” Cash says. “Now, I use the skills the program taught me, such as public speaking and critical thinking, in my role as a scientist at Moderna.”

Corbett and Abiona draw on UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski’s consistent exhortation to “Focus, focus, focus,” Corbett says. “The UMBC connection and the training we received there, for both of us, has been instrumental in how we are operating right now,” she adds.

By bringing their expertise to bear in solving the COVID-19 crisis, these researchers are helping the United States and the world move through this uncharted territory.

Banner image: Chemical reactions sketched on a fume hood in Katherine Seley-Radtke’s laboratory. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Dear Colleague,

I thought you might be interested in this webinar sponsored by MarylandOnline which will take place next Tuesday, March 31st. Please see the description and registration information below.

M.O.S.T. Commons: A Resource to Support the Shift to Remote Teaching

• Mindy Boland (Director, OER Services, ISKME/ OER Commons);
• Colleen McKnight (Director of Library Services, Frederick Community College, M.O.S.T. Commons Library Fellow)
• Moderator: Melissa Goldberg (Consultant, edBridge Partners)

The Coronavirus pandemic continues to cause major disruptions for Maryland’s communities, institutions, faculty, and students. We recognize the challenges of preparing programs and courses for remote delivery and are encouraging faculty and staff to consider the Maryland Open Source Textbook (M.O.S.T.) Commons as a resource for locating openly licensed educational resources to support learning.

During this webinar, presenters will discuss how M.O.S.T. Commons can support institutions and faculty in finding high-quality digital materials; how digital rights and responsibilities change when remote teaching; how colleges and systems in other states are using OER to address their transition to remote teaching; and ways the M.O.S.T. team can support your efforts.

There will be plenty of time to answer your questions and address your concerns. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CZF29Y6)

The M.O.S.T. initiative is here to support your efforts to ensure academic continuity and the well-being of your students during this stressful time.  Please let us know if there is something we can do to help at most@usmd.edu.  

For additional resources related to remote teaching from across the USM and beyond, please visit https://www.usmd.edu/cai/remote-teaching-usm


MJ

Three UMBC students have been named Barry Goldwater Scholars for the 2020 – 2021 academic year, earning one of the most prestigious scholarships available to U.S. undergraduates. This is the second time that three UMBC students have received Goldwater Scholarships in the same year.

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program seeks to provide the United States with “a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.” UMBC’s Goldwater Scholars include Jordan Troutman ‘21, M29, computer science and mathematics; Dominique Brooks ‘21, M29, biological sciences; and Olumide Fagboyegun ‘21, M29, biochemistry. They will receive substantial scholarship funding that advances their undergraduate work and supports their educational paths. 

“We are so proud of UMBC’s Goldwater Scholars. Each student will make significant contributions to their respective fields, as future Ph.D.s,” says April Householder, director of undergraduate research and prestigious scholarships at UMBC. 

“Their research—in neuroscience, genetics, and machine learning bias—is timely and important,” Householder says. “We can’t wait to see where they will take it with the help of this scholarship.”

Brooks, Fagboyegun, and Troutman are among the 396 winners selected this year. More than 1,300 students applied from 461 institutions across the country. 

This year, the Goldwater Scholarship modified their nomination guidelines and allowed each institution to send forward up to five nominees, with one spot specifically designated for a transfer student. Fagboyegun is the first UMBC transfer student to receive a Goldwater. 

Jordan Troutman: Eliminating biases in computer algorithms

Troutman currently serves as student commissioner for the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), and is committed to both research and leadership. His research, at the intersection of technology and policy, focuses on eliminating biases in computer algorithms. 

Jordan Troutman. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Troutman explains that artificial intelligence and machine learning have changed how the world operates in complex ways. Those impacts aren’t uniformly positive or equitable. Built by people, these technologies can include discriminatory biases that can impact how people are treated and cared for. 

“It is so exciting to see a student who is such a strong scientist doing work that has extensive applications in everything from how banks determine home loan acceptance to recidivism rates for prisoners of color,” says Householder.

At UMBC, Troutman works alongside James Foulds, assistant professor of information systems. He has also completed research experiences at Rutgers University and the University of California, Berkeley, and is passionate about using his work to improve society. 

“Receiving the Barry Goldwater Scholarship provides me with a stronger sense of confidence in my ability to research topics that have a significant impact on all people,” he says. “Being a Goldwater Scholar reminds me that I will always and forever be a curious scientist.”

Outside of the classroom, Troutman has been involved with UMBC’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), where he serves as the conference planning chair. UMBC’s NSBE chapter supports the NSBE Jr. chapter in Howard County. Troutman and the chapter support middle school and high school students through tutoring, workshops, tours, and other activities. He also helps Baltimore City College students prepare for the SATs.

Additionally, Troutman serves on UMBC’s Undergraduate Student Advisory Council, where he advises the vice president for Undergraduate Academic Affairs on important university decisions that affect students.

Support from the UMBC community, including fellow students applying for the Goldwater, has been important to Troutman throughout the process. “Dr. Householder has been pivotal in encouraging me to apply for scholarships like the Goldwater,” he shares. He adds that the Honors College and Meyerhoff Scholars Program encouraged him to apply for the scholarship and helped him refine his career goals.

The application process for the Goldwater Scholarship enabled Troutman to push himself beyond his comfort zone and what he thought he could achieve. “Eventually, after I got comfortable with my uncertainty, I understood that I had nothing to lose. It is better to try and not win than not try at all,” he says, adding, “When one UMBC student wins, I think we all win. And when three students win, that says something powerful about UMBC.”

Dominique Brooks: Developmental biology research and developing as a researcher

Dominique Brooks developed an interest in genes from a young age. She shares that growing up as a light-skinned African American child, she felt that she was treated differently than her mostly dark-skinned classmates in primary school. She wondered about how genes worked and how that physical difference, which impacted her experience in school and in her community, came to be. 

Dominique Brooks. Photo courtesy of Dominique Brooks.

At UMBC, Brooks’s curiosity about genes and gene expression led her to the developmental biology lab of Rachel Brewster, professor of biological sciences. She has worked with Brewster for the last two years and intends to earn a Ph.D. in genetics. Her goal is to launch a career as a researcher in gene therapy or genetic engineering.

“My mentors, Dr. Brewster and UMBC graduate student Maki Negesse, push me to exceed beyond my own expectations,” she shares. “They challenge me to take on various projects while encouraging me to overcome moments of failure in the lab.” 

Brooks is involved in research through the Meyerhoff, MARC U*STAR, and HHMI Scholars programs. For Brooks, the community generated through these scholars programs has been critical to her success.

“My peers will forever keep me motivated and focused on achieving my academic and career goals,” Brooks says. “I would also like to thank the staff members of these programs for caring about my future and providing a nurturing environment for me to seek guidance.”

Brooks has received awards for her research posters at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students and UMBC’s Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Chemical and Biological Sciences. She is also highly engaged in leadership, service, and mentoring through several organizations.

Brooks serves as a student justice in UMBC’s Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and tutors for UMBC’s introductory biology courses. She also volunteers with the Global Brigades international service organization and the student-led STAR STEM outreach program.

When selecting potential Goldwater Scholar candidates, “Dominique emerged because of her strong academic record, impressive research, international service, and community engagement,” Householder says. “She is a STEM leader who will definitely go on to give back to the community and represent Goldwater, and UMBC, well.”

Brooks is already successful by any measure. But “being named a Goldwater Scholar signifies my potential to become a successful researcher in the STEM field,” she says, “which has given me confidence in my ability to be a leader in the field of genetics.”

Olumide Fagboyegun: Tackling neurological disorders and impostor syndrome

Olumide Fagboyegun came to UMBC after graduating from Anne Arundel Community College as its valedictorian in 2018, and has focused his research on how the brain works. 

Olumide Fagboyegun at his graduation from Anne Arundel Community College. Photo by Larry Canner.

Fagboyegun has worked with both Erin Green, assistant professor of biological sciences at UMBC, and John Cirrito, associate professor of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU). Doing research has fueled his desire to pursue basic science on brain function, in hopes of contributing to improved therapies for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Through research and the other opportunities he has pursued, Fagboyegun has also always kept top of mind supporting other underrepresented students in STEM. He shares that as an African American, he is all too familiar with the challenges that underrepresented minority students can face in STEM and in broader U.S. culture.

Fagboyegun talks about struggling with impostor syndrome, but the research he has done at UMBC and WashU has helped build his confidence. Now, he wants to pass that on to others through his career as a researcher and mentor—and he’s already putting that plan into action. 

Fagboyegun served as a STEM Ambassador and supplemental instruction leader for general chemistry at Anne Arundel Community College. He participates in the STAR STEM outreach program at UMBC. He is also a member of the Sigma Lambda Alpha Honor Society, a Meyerhoff and MARC U*STAR Scholar, and part of the LSAMP program.

Participating in formal and informal mentorship roles “gave me a significant appreciation for mentorship and the influence a single individual can have on a person’s success,” Fagboyegun shares. “I’ve rarely felt greater joy than when students would email me or come to me in person talking about their success on an exam or their interest in science.” 

With the Goldwater Scholarship, Fagboyegun is well-aware of his capacity to serve as a role model for other underrepresented minority students in STEM, and especially transfer students from all backgrounds. “This [scholarship] is a sign to other community college transfer students that such an accomplishment is definitely within reach,” he says, “and that UMBC has the ability to help them achieve it.”

That UMBC support has included mentors such as Peter DeCrescenzo, who coordinatesLSAMP; Keith Harmon, director of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program; Jackie King, associate director of MARC U*STAR; and Fagboyegun’s research mentors.

“All of these individuals have been instrumental in helping me understand that I have the ability to pursue whatever goals I set my mind to,” Fagboyegun shares. “They’ve given me opportunities to grow and succeed, and have helped me paint an image of the kind of mentor I will tirelessly work to become.”

From artificial intelligence to human brain function and development, undergraduate scholars at UMBC make meaningful contributions to research. With support from mentors across campus, and now as Goldwater Scholars, Troutman, Brooks, and Fagboyegun will continue to make scientific advances. 

Just as importantly, they will also advance the cultures of their disciplines to be more inclusive. They aim to produce a ripple effect, encouraging future talented students from underrepresented groups to pursue STEM research careers.

Banner image: UMBC’s library and pond.

Story written by Sarah Hansen and Megan Hanks.

Ever since the COVID-19 outbreak hit the United States, for Calista Ogburn, just going to the Home Depot with her brother can produce stares.

“We were walking around, and these people would stare at us. Not just a quick glance,” Ogburn said. “I’ve become [to them] this person that they assumed would be the carrier of the virus.”

Ogburn lived in South Korea from 10th to 12th grade and graduated from an international school. “When I was hearing how severe [COVID-19] had gotten in Korea, I was just really sad. When it finally came over here, it was interesting to see how ignorant some people are, a lot of people assuming that it’s the ‘Chinese virus,’ and assuming that I’m Chinese,” Ogburn said.

During one of his press briefings, President Donald Trump crossed out the word “Corona” and replaced it with “Chinese” when referencing coronavirus, deeming it the “Chinese virus.” On March 25, he told Fox News in an interview that he would cease using the term. “Look, everyone knows it came out of China, but I decided we shouldn’t make any more of a big deal out of it. I think I made a big deal. I think people understand it,” Trump said. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, had also referred to the virus as the “Wuhan virus.”

“Since that whole thing [in Home Depot] happened, I’ve not wanted to go out. I don’t want people to look at me a certain way,” Ogburn said.

Ogburn, who is a published poet with a book called “a splash of yellow” available on Amazon, has been using her art to express her frustrations and concerns about racism and the virus. Before COVID-19 had reached a global population, Ogburn says she was writing poetry for other Asians who were feeling targeted and stereotyped. But as the situation grew and worsened, she has widened her target audience. “Now more than ever we need the arts, we need to cope, paint or write. More than anything, personally, poetry has been my form of providing comfort to others or to myself,” Ogburn said.

This problem is widespread, as Ogburn sees it. And the way she sees it being handled is through education. “It’s important to find reliable resources, and people need to realize how they treat other people,” Ogburn said. “Asians are humans, too. Since Asians are considered the ‘model minority,’ a lot of people are saying this is okay to bash on Asians. While everyone’s doing that, it’s just showing how unempathetic people are.”

Tamara Bhalla, who is the council chair of the Asian American Faculty and Staff Council and an associate professor of American Studies, echoes Ogburn’s sentiment about the “model minority.”

“There’s this assumption very much associated with Asians in the United States, that Asian-Americans are the ‘model minority,’” Bhalla said. “One of my goals has been to look at the diversity within the Asian student population and to realize that they are not all similarly privileged and that they deal with different problems and encounter problems.” 

And, as she points out, this is by no means the first time a disease like this has been racialized. 

“You see Ebola as a disease that’s racialized [and] the SARS epidemic was racialized, so I think that the coronavirus and the way that the media’s talking about it has this kind of embedded anti-Asian sentiment and this idea that, you know, this disease is associated with China, but also with East Asians more generally,” Bhalla said. 

That anti-Asian sentiment that was sparked by SARS dates back to the 19th century when the term “Yellow Peril” first emerged, or the “othering of Asians,” according to Dr. Fan Yang, an associate professor in the Department of Media and Communication Studies and acting associate professor for the Dresher Center for the Humanities at UMBC. 

 “Yellow Peril, of course, refers to this kind of skin color, yellow, and simultaneously evoking that biological feature, but also as this othering category that signifies some kind of disease, some kind of invasion, so the virus idea is in resonance there,” Dr. Yang said.

As Dr. Yang sees it, UMBC is already an inclusive environment, and the best thing students can do is to try to educate themselves. “Be informed about the unpredictable nature of this virus and recognize the complex social systems that are called upon to address this public health crisis, which [is] global rather than national in scope,” Dr. Yang advised.

A team from UMBC and College Park is trying to do just that.  Led by UMBC psychology professor Charissa Cheah, they are conducting research about discrimination against East Asians with help from a grant from the National Science Foundation. The co-investigators are Shimei Pan, a UMBC information systems assistant professor and Cixin Wang, an assistant professor of school psychology from UMD.

The team hopes to be able to fully understand the racial discrimination and the long-term effects of the racialization of the disease. The team will be using focus groups and surveys, according to the UMBC News.

As Cheah stated in the interview conducted by UMBC News, she hopes that the “knowledge from this RAPID grant will help educators, health care providers and policymakers to proactively support targeted marginalized groups and the larger public during future emergency events.”

Morgan Casey contributed reporting.