This position has both full-time and part-time opportunities available.

Better Engineering Mfg, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of industrial parts washing machinery in the US. Founded in 1960, Better Engineering is a privately owned, ISO9001 certified, firm with a consistent record of solid growth. Visit http://www.betterengineering.com for a wealth of information on machine types and industries served.

Opportunity:

Better Engineering is searching for a part-time or full-time Electrical Controls Engineer to support machine control design for industrial machinery. We are flexible with hours to work around class schedules. Start date is flexible; willing to onboard a candidate ASAP. Candidates must hold teamwork and leadership paramount, and exemplify a strong work ethic.

Job Responsibilities and Duties:

- Design HMI & PLC programs (primarily on Allen Bradley platforms)

- Schematic & control panel design (AutoCAD & Solidworks)

- Component selection & programming

- Startup, test, & troubleshoot industrial machines

- Review customer specifications

- Create design documentation

Qualifications:

- Currently pursuing a BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

- Experience in PLC programming preferred

- Experience in automation & robotics preferred

- Working knowledge of electrical schematics, electrical distribution, and communication networks

Benefits:

- Convenient location

- Family-owned atmosphere

Apply via UMBCworks : Search for Job ID #9309201

A team of three UMBC graduate students earned first place in an innovation competition for their pioneering work in the rapid detection of bacteria in blood. The students joined teams from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan, which earned second and third place, respectively, at the BMEidea competition hosted by VentureWell, a national alliance of collegiate inventors and innovators.

UMBC’s team competed in the biomedical and bioengineering innovation student category of the competition, and presented a device called ASTEK, which allows physicians to more effectively treat bacterial infections. The interdisciplinary team included Mustafa Al-Adhami M.S. ‘15, mechanical engineering, Ph.D. ‘19, mechanical engineering; David Burgenson ‘17, chemical engineering, PhD ‘21, chemical engineering, and Benjamin Punshon-Smith M.S. ‘17, electrical engineering, and Ph.D. ‘22, electrical engineering.

“It can be difficult to translate science into relatable terms and a feasible business plan,” says Al-Adhami. “Participating in the BMEidea competition proved not only that they are interested in our research, but there is the potential to create a business around it. The BMEidea competition gave us the opportunity to get validation that we are onto something.”

Al-Adhami, Burgenson, and Punshon-Smith share office and lab space in UMBC’s Center for Advanced Sensor Technology, which is directed by Govind Rao, professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering. The group is also advised by Yordan Kostov, research professor in chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering at UMBC, and Alan Cross, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. 

The team will use their $10,000 prize from VentureWell to continue to develop the technology and advance the ASTEK. 

In 2016, Al-Adhami earned third place in UMBC’s Cangialosi Business Innovation Competition, and he explains that the feedback from the judges was valuable and helped him refine the design of the device. “I have used feedback and networking connections gained from these competitions to develop my business plan and expand my outreach on a national scale,” he says. 

The technology was initially developed to detect bacteria in water, but after Al-Adhami learned about sepsis and the serious complications that it can cause, he changed focus to meet a known need in healthcare. The ASTEK displays results of the blood test in a user-friendly interface, he says. 

“The project is at the intersection of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, and biology,” Al-Adhami explains. “The best thing about working on a multidisciplinary team is there are always four solutions to every problem we face.” 

Banner image: Mustafa Al-Adhami gives his three-minute thesis talk at the 2018 Graduate Research Conference. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

The Center for Social Science Scholarship hosts “Tea & Theory,” a monthly seminar-style workshop where we discuss social science theory. All faculty and advanced graduate students are welcome!

The purpose of the workshop is to promote intellectual exchange among the social science community at UMBC. This interdisciplinary workshop is designed to encourage reading across disciplines as well as provide an opportunity to practice debate & critique skills.

Fall workshops are dedicated to reading and discussing the “Classics” of social science theory, while Spring workshops focus on “New Takes on Classics” (works generally published in the last 5 years).

Workshops will be held on the first Wednesday of the month in PUP 451 from 2-3:30pm, unless otherwise noted. No need to sign up, just show up! Tea will be provided but please BYOM (Bring Your Own Mug).

Fall 2019

*Participants are responsible for acquiring their own copies of the readings. Please read the following works by the time we meet:

September 11th: Durkheim, Suicide: A Study in Sociology

October 2nd: Weber, Economy & Society 

November 6th: Foucault, Discipline & Punish 

December 4th: Becker, The Economic Approach to Human Behavior 

To submit a reading suggestion or any other question/concern, please email welborn@umbc.edu.

Now in its 31st year of celebration, UMBC’s annual Alumni Awards honor graduates who have accomplished significant milestones throughout a long career as well as those who inspire us with admirable achievements early on in their fields. 

“This outstanding group of award winners are leading the way for others and making an impact on all facets of our society and on the local, national, and global stages,” says Stanyell Odom, director of Alumni Engagement. “They exemplify the best qualities of a UMBC education—they are intellectually curious, creative, entrepreneurial, innovative, committed to making a difference, and passionate and proud of their UMBC.”

On Wednesday, October 2, the UMBC Alumni Association will present awards to honor these alumni for their professional and personal achievements and service to the university. The Association board will also honor a faculty member for extraordinary teaching and overall impact on students and alumni. 

“Each year, the selection seems to be a more competitive process,” says Sara Lerma Jones, associate director of Alumni Engagement, “especially as we have more alumni and they grow into their careers. The nominators have done a wonderful job highlighting alumni from various backgrounds.”

Leading up the award ceremony, UMBC Magazine will continue publishing stories about the 2019 cohort. 

Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award: 

Visual & Performing Arts: 

Kimberly Patrick ’08 Music Technology —Sound Editor, Skywalker Sound, Lucasfilm, Ltd.

Natural & Mathematical Sciences: 

Jerome Adams ’97, M4, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Psychology —Surgeon General, US Department of Health & Human Services

Social Sciences: 

Kim Shelsby ’85 Geography —Director, Supply Chain Solutions, Chemonics International

Engineering & Information Technology:

Paul Mangus ’86 Information Systems Management —Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, Bart and Associates, Inc. 

Humanities:

La Jerne Cornish ’05 Ph.D. Language, Literacy & Culture —Provost and Senior Vice President, Ithaca College

The Young Alumni Rising Star Award:

Kelsey Krach ’14 Anthropology —Product Manager & Designer, Fearless 

The Outstanding Faculty Award: 

Beverly Bickel ’94 M.A. Instructional Development Systems, ’05 Ph.D. Language, Literacy, & Culture —Clinical Associate Professor, UMBC, Language, Literacy, & Culture; Affiliate Associate Professor, Gender and Women’s Studies

Register here alumni.umbc.edu/alumniawards2019 to join the Alumni Association Board of Directors for our alumni awards ceremony to recognize and celebrate the professional personal achievements of this year’s recipients. 

* * * * *

For more information about the Alumni Awards, please contact Sara Lerma Jones, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, at 410-455-2276 or via email at slj@umbc.edu.

Read more about past Alumni Award winners here.

The first fall '19 bill is due on 8/20.

If your department has not submitted tuition remission forms for grad assistants (GAs) for fall '19, we ask that you do so as soon as possible (and no later than 8/14) to ensure that GAs are not assessed late fees. Please keep in mind that once departments submit the forms there is additional processing that happens at the Graduate School.

Please go to the links below for more information and to submit your forms:

 GA Tuition Remission form

https://gradschool.umbc.edu/funding/assistantships/forms/