August 26, 2019 by Megan Hanks

UMBC’s Lee Blaney and research partners have published a landmark study on contaminants of emerging concern in the Chesapeake Bay. Their article in Science of the Total Environment is the first research study that quantifies concentrations of antibiotics, estrogenic hormones, and UV-filters in multiple locations of the Bay.

Blaney, an associate professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering, conducted the research with Ke He, Ph.D ‘17, chemical engineering, and Ethan Hain ‘21, chemical engineering. They also partnered with collaborators at the U.S. Forest Service and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 

Underway since 2016, their work highlights the importance of understanding how previously unexamined chemicals impact the environment. The project has been primarily funded by Maryland Sea Grant through a Program Development Fund to Blaney, and a Graduate Research Fellowship to Hain.

The researchers studied the prevalence of contaminants of emerging concern in water, sediment, and oyster tissue collected from the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Their study of how accumulated UV-filters negatively impact the environment is the first of its kind. UV-filters are one of the primary ingredients in personal care products, such as sunscreen and cosmetics. The accumulation of these UV-filters can impact organisms and animals.

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$100,000 STEM seminar: Applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Important, you must bring a laptop computer to attend this event.

Location: UMBC Campus, Sherman Building, Room 003 (Lecture Hall IV)

Parking: If you are not a UMBC student, please use the pay-to-park stations. Click here for parking map. The nearest pay-to-park station to the venue is located in the top of Administration Drive garage.

The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) has been in existence for many years. The fellowships are available to students in STEM (social sciences and psychology are included) and STEM education, and come with a 3-year stipend and other benefits.

Applicant Eligibility:

See the information provided in the Detailed Eligibility Requirements of the solicitation.

Applicants must self-certify that they are eligible to receive the Fellowship. To be eligible, an applicant must meet all of the following eligibility criteria by the application deadline:

• Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
• Intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based graduate degree program in an eligible Field of Study in STEM or STEM education (psychology and social sciences included)
• Have never previously accepted a GRFP award
• If previously offered a GRFP award, have declined by the deadline
• Have never previously applied to GRFP while enrolled in a graduate degree program
• Have never earned a doctoral or terminal degree in any field
• Have never earned a master’s, professional, or bachelor’s-master’s degree in any field, unless (i) returning to graduate study after an interruption of two (2) or more consecutive years immediately preceding the deadline, and; (ii) are not enrolled in a graduate degree program at the application deadline
• Not be a current NSF employee

For more information about the NSF GRFP please visit: https://www.nsfgrfp.org/

To attend this event please email yarazeth@umbc.edu subject: NSF GRFP and add your name, campus and department.

Looking for a person to rent out 1 room in a 4 bedroom townhouse. The townhouse is located on Regina Drive and is walking distance away from Weis, Rite Aid, Giant, and more. The house is on the Courtney Road (Paradise) shuttle route and the bus stop is 5 mins away from the house. 

Rent includes utilities except for BGE. 

Common areas include the kitchen, dinning room, and living room.

Washer and dryer available.

No pets allowed.

For more information please contact: 3015380321 or raymond8@umbc.edu

Dream-pop Minnesotan Vansire gave the grooviest performance to the crowd at Songbyrd on Aug. 18. Vansire has been releasing music on Bandcamp since 2015 but have been making music together since high school, and their style has evolved into something truly special. It really is the contrast of Josh Augustin’s voice against the instrumentals that creates a dreamy atmospheric sound. Augustin’s rich and easy-going melodies shift ever so slightly as he lilts over the bouncing bassline and synth. 

Their most recent release “Metamodernity” utilizes Josh’s hooky synth sounds against Sam Winemiller’s guitar. At their performance, and on some of the tracks, Sam’s younger brother Isaac Winemiller plays bass. On stage he dances back and forth, making exaggerated faces at the members of the opening bands, Kainalu and Jeff Draco, who are standing in the wings of the venue, as well as the incredible drummer Joanna Quinn who is a friend of the band from Oberlin College. 

In addition to the band’s rich instrumentals, their lyrics examine everything from abandoning youth, to losing love, and to gorgeous descriptions of the landscapes that paint their Midwest hometown, Rochester, Minnesota. In “Angel Youth,” Josh sings “You could quit your day job / We’d call ourselves the Angel Youth / You’ll find us traveling and making tunes.” While in “Metamodernity,” Josh opts for a more descriptive narrative, singing, “It’s humid in the Midwest / From June to July / All beneath a pinkish sky / From the wildfires / Which mantle the horizon line.” 

The band has a kind of friendly feeling as they perform. Whether that can be attributed to the Midwestern stereotype or if it is more based off Vansire’s close-knit group, it is infectious and wonderful. Augustin leans into the microphone between each song, thanking everyone for coming out. After finishing “Set Piece,” he laughs, recalling their Philadelphia show, “When we played in Philly, like three songs later, this guy yelled out ‘Play Set Piece!’ and I was like, we just played that. Where have you been?” “Oh god, that’s going to become some kind of new weird meme now, isn’t it?”

Though Vansire played almost exclusively rhythmic and danceable songs that showcased Augustin’s voice, their discography also includes many songs that are mainly instrumental or have less vocal presence. These, I suggest, are best listened to in the fall, preferably with some crunchy leaves underfoot. 

Another highlight of the show was their choice of the encore. Vansire does sound like a bit like Beach Fossils’ distant cousin, with a similar dusky guitar hook line in songs like “Suits and Coats.” Both have an incredible grasp of repetition, so it only makes sense that Vansire chose to cover “What a Pleasure” by Beach Fossils. Hopping up and down on stage and nailing the recognizable hooks, Vansire had the whole venue shaking and screaming the lyrics. 

Winemiller and Augustin are both currently students at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the University of Minnesota, respectively. Balancing music with school is not easy, but they are sure to keep making strides in the dream-pop genre with new releases. Hopefully soon.

Photo credit: Josh Augustin’s tonality makes Vansire’s music truly special. Photo by Anjali DasSarma.

The Institutional Review Board (IRB), the formally designated UMBC committee to approve, monitor, and review research involving humans is currently accepting applications from students to join.  Graduate and undergraduate students are considered full members of the board. Student members serve for a one (1) appointment and review research protocols, attend meetings, and vote on issues with the aim to protect the rights and welfare of the research subjects. Appointments begin in October 2019. The board typically meets 5 times during the academic year: October, December, February, April and June. Meetings are on Mondays from 10 am-12 pm.

This is a terrific opportunity to learn about ethical issues related to research. Also, being a member of the IRB looks good on a curriculum vitae or resume. Please contact Dr. Susan Sonnenschein, IRB Chair, (sonnensc@umbc.edu) no later than September 20, 2019 if you wish to apply. Your email should include a copy of your curriculum vitae or resume and a few sentences describing your research interests and experience. We are particularly interested in people who have had research experience with human participants.

The Office of Research Protections and Compliance (ORPC) offers training and guidance throughout the protocol review process. Please contact the ORPC at compliance@umbc.edu or click on the IRB's web page for additional information.