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Greetings,
Tuesday, September 9th
Friday, September 12th
Monday, September 15th
Thursday, September 18th
Friday, September 19th
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at studentorgs@umbc.edu
We hope to see you there!
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A glass knifefish darts back and forth in a short tube, its brain activity being recorded in real time. This small fish, alternating between swift bursts of sensing activity and slower, task-driven behaviors, is helping scientists understand how animals decide when to gather information about their environment versus act on it. A team of researchers is blending neuroscience, math, and engineering to decode these choices, with potential to guide robots in uncertain terrains or unlock secrets of the brain.
The team’s research has just been funded by the Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (CRCNS) program—a joint initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) that supports interdisciplinary research. Kathleen Hoffman, professor of mathematics and statistics, co-leads the grant.
The CRCNS program emphasizes collaborative efforts to advance understanding of nervous system functions through computational tools. With the lead investigator at Johns Hopkins University and additional collaborators at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), and the University of Minnesota, the team for the newly funded project spans biology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science—a mix well-positioned to discover deeper insights into brain mechanisms.
Kathleen Hoffman is leading data analysis for the newly funded project. (Courtesy of Hoffman)
The new project builds on the same team’s prior research, published in 2023 in Nature Machine Intelligence, which revealed similar decision-making patterns across species, from amoebas to humans. In that work, the team analyzed the behavior of glass knifefish—weakly electric fish that navigate dark waters using self-generated electric fields—in experiments run by Noah Cowan, the lead investigator for the new grant. Then they compared their findings to the behavior of other species as described in the scientific literature, uncovering similar patterns in 11 species, including bats, mice, moths, and humans.
In the prior work, “We looked at velocity distributions, and we found that there were two modes of movement. We called them ‘explore’ and ‘exploit,’ but you could also describe them as ‘fast’ and ‘slow,’” Hoffman explains. During experiments in narrow tubes, the fish alternated between two modes: rapid, exploratory movements to sense their surroundings (“explore”) and slower, deliberate actions using the information they’d collected (“exploit”).
That research challenged robotics norms, showing that animals don’t constantly scan their environment, but rather burst into action when needed, a strategy the team showed is both more economical and more effective. The new project ramps up data collection—from 40 seconds per trial to 10 minutes—allowing the team to reveal subtler patterns, like burst lengths and correlations between the fish’s movement mode and its position in the tube.
This glass knifefish is participating in the team’s experiments, which involves measuring the velocity of the fish’s movements. (Courtesy of Noah Cowan)
A primary goal is to uncover what prompts the mode switch. “How does it decide when to switch? And the hypothesis that we’re considering is that it’s based on some internal measure of uncertainty in the fish, meaning that if the fish isn’t sure if it’s inside the tube, it’s going to move so it can gather sensory information,” Hoffman says.
To test this, the team integrates several methods. At the University of Minnesota, engineers led by Andrew Lamperski will apply machine learning to map relationships between sensory inputs and behavioral outputs in the form of mathematical functions. Hoffman handles data analysis, starting with manual pattern-spotting before coding.
“I can’t wait to get my hands on the data,” Hoffman says. She’ll start by simply printing out the velocity and position results and poring over them visually. “I don’t think there’s anything better than the human brain to see patterns, and mathematics is the study of patterns,” she adds. After observing what looks like a pattern, she’ll bounce her ideas off the rest of the team, and eventually “go write a program to automatically go through all the data and see if that pattern recurs.”
A boon for the project comes from NJIT, where biologist Eric Fortune will record neural activity via electrodes inserted into the fish’s brains during the movement experiments—a technique unavailable in prior work. This will let the team compare brain signals with behavior in real time, and look for an underlying mechanism that drives the switch from “explore” to “exploit.”
This project’s power lies in its teamwork. Hoffman coordinates from UMBC, analyzing data from all the collaborators. Cowan oversees behavioral tests on fish without brain probes, which allows for more complex experimental setups. Fortune at NJIT is handling the neural recordings, while Lamperski at Minnesota focuses on machine learning models that reflect what the others are seeing in the lab.
“What I love about this project is that all the components are necessary to elucidate the mechanism,” Hoffman reflects. “Nobody could do this completely on their own.”
“I’m excited to have this dream team of mathematicians, engineers, and neuroscientists to assemble behind this problem,” Cowan said. “My lab at Hopkins has struggled to make sense of these movements for over a decade. This new team puts us on a path to finally decode the neural mechanisms animals use to switch gears between gathering task information, on the one hand, and getting the task done, on the other.”
Noah Cowan at Johns Hopkins University is the overall lead for the new project. (Courtesy of Cowan)
This research could eventually transform robotics.
“If you want to build a robot that is going to mimic the motion of animals that exhibit this explore/exploit pattern for incorporating sensory information, you have to know how the animals do it,” Hoffman says. “This grant is focused on figuring out what that mechanism is.”
A robot that mimics natural intermittent sensing might navigate uncertain spaces, like disaster zones, more efficiently than constant-scanning models. The shared explore-exploit pattern also suggests broader relevance for the research, potentially informing understanding of neurological disorders—though Hoffman stresses those possibilities are further down the road.
The grant will also open doors for students: Hoffman plans to involve undergraduates in data visualization and analysis, offering hands-on experience in interdisciplinary research that demonstrates how together, diverse minds can unlock secrets of the brain—with ripple effects in tech and health.
“The one thing I’m really excited about in this grant is that it’s completely multidisciplinary,” Hoffman says. “Everybody has a different perspective that helps us understand what’s going on. This is my favorite kind of science.”
]]>On August 7, Matt Hoffman, director of the Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Pluralism, presented at Interfaith America's Interfaith Leadership Summit, where he was part of a pre-conference on "Sustaining Pluralism: Exploring Existing and New Models for Campus Leaders." For the panel entitled "New Models for Student Leadership Development,” Hoffman spoke about the development of UMBC’s Interfaith Fellows and Bridge Builders programs and how they are critical pieces of support for both civic and religious pluralism on campus at UMBC.
The panel was facilitated by Melissa Carter, adjunct assistant professor of public service, New York University, and also included Cecil Duffie, dean of the chapel, Tuskegee University and Melissa Gilbert, dean of student engagement, Center for Student Engagement, Otterbein College.
Faculty or staff interested in learning about the underlying principles behind the QM Rubric may be enrolled into QM’s flagship workshop, Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR), that will be offered October 7-28 in an asynchronous online format.
In this three-week workshop, participants will learn the critical elements of the QM quality assurance process and how to draft helpful recommendations as they apply the Rubric to an actual course.
Target Audience
QM's workshop on the QM Rubric (Higher Education, 7th edition) and its use in reviewing the design of online and hybrid courses is intended for a broad audience, including but not limited to faculty, instructional designers, administrators, and adjunct instructors.
It is particularly helpful to those new to QM or are considering the adoption of a quality assurance process for online and hybrid learning. The workshop offers hands-on experiences as participants apply what they have learned to review components of a course and draft helpful recommendations based on QM Standards.
The workshop is recommended for:
After completing this workshop, participants will be able to:
The APPQMR is the prerequisite for the Peer Reviewer Course, which is required to become a QM-Certified Peer Reviewer. Since 2019, 41 UMBC faculty and staff have completed the APPQMR workshop. Several have gone on to become QM-Certified Peer Reviewers or Master Reviewers.
Details and Workshop Schedule
To be enrolled into this workshop or for additional questions, please contact Dr. Susan Biro, one of UMBC's QM coordinators, no later than 12 PM, Friday, October 3.
(Image: Decorative, Quality Matters logo)
]]>Hey Retrievers! Physics isn’t just in the classroom — it’s experiments, events, and epic discoveries waiting for you.
Follow @umbcphysics, tag your own physics moments with #UMBCPhysicsFam, and see what makes our community one-of-a-kind.
Connect, explore, and show off your physics pride. Don’t miss out!
#UMBC #umbcphysics #UMBCLife #UMBCPhysicsFam #UMBCPhysicsInAction #DiscoverUMBCPhysics
]]>commonvision (UMBC Student Design and Print Center) students and Student Affairs Communications and Marketing (SACM) staff received four awards from the University & College Designers Association for several projects:
The Pizza Zine (spring 2025) - Excellence Award in the category of "Integrated Marketing Campaign"
Aidan Sobutka ‘25, brand designer and Mary Budnitz ‘27 / brand designer and animator
The Major Event (fall 2023 campaign) - Silver Award in the category of "Integrated Marketing Campaign"
Aidan Sobutka ‘25, graphic designer and Toni Olafunmiloye ‘24, animator and motion designer
Welcome, Retrievers branding (fall 2024) - Excellence Award in the category of "Integrated Marketing Campaign"
Aidan Sobutka ‘25, designer and Catherine Frizzell ‘25, animator and motion designer
the Baja Livery Design - Excellence Award in the category of "Other-Print"
Jordan Fisher ‘25, student graphic designer and Emma Hagen ‘14, assistant director
The UCDA Design Awards are judged by a hand-picked panel of jurors composed of designers, design educators, photographers, and videographers working in or doing a significant portion of their work for educational institutions. Winning entries will be part of the UCDA Design Show on display during the 55th annual UCDA Design Conference this fall.
For more than 50 years, the UCDA Design Awards has recognized the best of exceptional design and creative work as part of our mission to promote design excellence, support educational institutions, and drive the exchange of ideas and information relating to the unique role creatives play in education and the world.
Full list of project credits:
Pizza Zine branding (spring 2025): Excellence Award in the category of "Integrated Marketing Campaign"
SACM
Laura Schraven, Director, SACM
Katie Chrzanowski ‘07, Senior Web Experience/Digital Designer, SACM
Emma Hagen ‘14, Assistant Director, SACM
Rebecca Huppman, Project Manager, SACM
Tori Richner ‘22, General Associate: Print Production, SACM
commonvision students
Aidan Sobutka ‘25, brand designer
Mary Budnitz ‘27, brand designer and animator
commonvision contributors:
Bebe Obinwa ‘26
Bella Berry ‘26
Catherine Frizzell ‘25
Ghazal Mojtahedi ‘25
Gwen Knott ‘25
Jeremiah Dammons ‘25
Jordan Fisher ‘25
Joshua Bowman ‘26
Kate Thorp ‘25
Makenna Fairbrother ‘27
Noah Udoff ‘26
Rachel Wesley ‘22
Sara Bondroff ‘25
Sarah Myers ‘25
Shomapti Hussain ‘25
Siskind Oshry ‘25
Thomas Hammond ‘25
Zaara Ismailjee ‘27
The Major Event (fall 2023, Baltimore theme): Silver Award in the category of "Integrated Marketing Campaign"
Commonvision students
Aidan Sobutka ‘25, graphic designer
Toni Olafunmiloye ‘24, animator and motion designer
SACM
Emma Hagen ‘14, Assistant Director, SACM
Katie Chrzanowski ‘07, Senior Web Experience/Digital Designer, SACM
Laura Schraven, Director, SACM
Welcome, Retrievers! branding (fall 2024): Excellence Award in the category of "Integrated Marketing Campaign"
commonvision students
Aidan Sobutka ‘25, designer
Catherine Frizzell ‘25, animator and motion designer
SACM
Emma Hagen ‘14, Assistant Director
Katie Chrzanowski ‘07, Senior Web Experience/Digital Designer
Laura Schraven, Director
Baja Livery Design: Excellence Award in the category of "Other-Print"
commonvision student
Jordan Fisher ‘25, graphic designer
SACM
Emma Hagen ‘14, Assistant Director
Laura Schraven, Director
Rebecca Huppman, Project Manager
Emma Hagen ‘14, assistant director, Student Affairs Communications and Marketing, was invited to participate in the Saint Elizabeth School (SES) job fair this past July. SES, a school for students with disabilities in Baltimore city, organized a job fair for diploma-seeking students looking to enter the workforce post-graduation.
This unique opportunity allowed students to engage with guest speakers in smaller, more focused groups than a traditional job fair. Students were called to ask specific questions to the presenters, and create a ranking system for jobs they would potentially be interested in. SES students were very enthusiastic about the different skillsets Hagen could speak to, one of the most popular being 3D printing, something that the school now does in-house.
“One of my favorite parts of this event was getting to talk to students about how their creative endeavors can turn into full-time careers,” said Hagen. "Many of them were excited and surprised to see the practical applications of their creative interests, and were excited to share some of the awesome work they had done in school.”
You can find out more about the school by visiting the Saint Elizabeth School website.