Meet Maxwell Amoh-Mayes, a junior biological sciences major and Meyerhoff Scholar who is minoring in public health and on the pre-med/Ph.D. track. Maxwell has truly found his people at UMBC, from the work he does in HIV research, to volunteering at Shock Trauma, and spending time with his friends in the African Student Association (and beyond). We’re excited you’ve shared your story with us, Maxwell—take it away!

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d like people to know about you?

A: I’m a junior majoring in biological sciences with a minor in public health, on the pre-M.D./Ph.D. track. I come from Ghanaian immigrant parents who instilled in me a deep sense of culture, which inspires much of the work I do on campus. I’m passionate about uplifting underrepresented groups in STEM and take pride in mentoring students, especially those exploring the sciences or navigating the pre-med path. I enjoy showcasing cultural expression and creating spaces where identity and excellence thrive together. I currently conduct HIV research in Dr. Michael Summers’ lab and do clinical volunteering in the Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center, both of which have deepened my dedication to research and patient-centered care.

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?

A: At UMBC, you’re never just a face in the crowd—you’re a thread in a tightly woven net that catches you when you fall and lifts you higher when you rise. That net is made up of tutoring centers, SI PASS sessions, counseling services, various student orgs, and leadership opportunities—each strand designed to hold you up, stretch with you, and pull you forward. The support here isn’t just available—it finds you, grows with you, and walks beside you, woven into every part of your journey.

Q: Are you a part of any scholars programs?

A: Yes, I am currently part of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at UMBC, and it has completely shaped my college experience for the better. The community within the program is incredibly strong and supportive—I honestly don’t think I would have made as many like-minded, goal-oriented peers in just my first year had I attended another college for a full four years. From the start, Meyerhoff creates a space where driven students in STEM can uplift and push one another, forming bonds that go beyond the classroom.

What I appreciate most is how we all support each other through the challenges of rigorous coursework and personal growth, constantly holding each other accountable and encouraging one another to stay focused on our long-term goals. On top of that, the advising and mentorship from faculty, Mrs. Mitsue Wiggs, Mrs. Holly Willoughby, and Mr. Keith Harmon is unmatched. They provide consistent guidance on academics, research, and career development, making sure we’re not just surviving but thriving. The program doesn’t just offer opportunity—it offers a true family, one that motivates me daily to stay grounded in my purpose and push forward with confidence.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: There are many individuals who have supported and inspired me throughout my time at UMBC, but three in particular have played a pivotal role in shaping who I am today.

Mr. Keith Harmon, the director of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, has been a consistent source of guidance and strength. His leadership and commitment to student success especially for those from underrepresented backgrounds has taught me the value of community, excellence, and perseverance. His belief in my potential has motivated me to push forward, even during the most challenging moments.

Dr. Michael Summers, my principal investigator and research mentor, has played a key role in developing my scientific mindset. Conducting HIV research in his lab has sharpened my technical and analytical skills while fueling my passion for biomedical discovery. His mentorship has shown me what it means to pursue research with both curiosity and integrity.

Dr. Hua Lu has deeply inspired my approach to mentorship. Through an NSF-funded summer program, I worked alongside her to guide high school students from underrepresented communities through the fundamentals of research. That experience reminded me of the power of mentorship and how transformative it can be to create space for young students to see themselves in science.

Q: Tell us about what you love about your academic program or an organization you’re involved in.

A: What I love most about being part of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program is the genuine sense of community, support, and shared purpose. It’s more than just an academic program—it’s a family that fosters excellence, resilience, and the pursuit of higher goals, especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM.

Early in my journey, I was fortunate to be mentored by Noah Cruz [’24, biological sciences and psychology], a UMBC alum whose support and encouragement made a lasting impact on me. The way he guided me—patiently, intentionally, and with genuine care—inspired me to do the same for others. His mentoring style showed me how powerful it is to have someone who believes in you and walks alongside you through the challenges.

That inspiration led me to become a mentor to five students in the program. Helping them navigate research, academics, and campus life has been one of the most meaningful parts of my college experience. I see parts of myself in them, and it reminds me why mentorship matters.

Being in Meyerhoff has taught me the value of lifting as you climb. I’ve grown academically and professionally, but more importantly, I’ve grown into someone who can support others just as I was supported. Helping others build confidence and find their voice in STEM has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my journey.

Q: What brought you to UMBC in the first place?

A: My reason for UMBC is threefold: diversity, STEM programs offered, and closeness to home. Four of my cousins — Nana Kwame Owusu-Boaitey M19, Kwadwo Owusu-Boaitey M22, Kwame Owusu-Boaitey M26, and Yaw Owusu-Boaitey M29 — attended UMBC and I had the chance to visit with them on campus. One of the first things I noticed was how diverse the campus was while walking around. The school feels like a melting pot of various ethnic groups and made me feel very welcomed. Given the opportunity, UMBC would be a place where I can also use my background to enrich diversity at the school.

UMBC offers minorities interested in the STEM fields the opportunity to develop their skills. Four of my cousins were part of the Meyerhoff program, and the program is still aiding them to pursue their Ph.D.s and medical school. The success stories of my cousins relating to UMBC programs inspired me to follow in their footsteps, if given the opportunity.

UMBC is close to home making it attractive to me. Having a good support system and being close to home helps me balance academic work and social/family life. The school gives me the social interactions needed to balance academic life, but it is also equally important to have the support system of the family.

Q: Since you’ve been a part of the UMBC community, how have you found support?

A: During difficult times, my roommate Nathan Dayie and Kwesi Halm, both Meyerhoff Scholars and Ghanaian like myself, have been my pillars of strength. They have the same cultural heritage and career ambitions, and we understand each other. Through late-night conversations regarding our dreams, academic responsibility towards each other, or just being there when times were tough, they’ve been instrumental in my life.

Additionally, my study group of Antuan Palmer, Ryan Addai, and Emmanuel Omole has been my friends since the first year. We are all pre-med and share the commitment with one another that has given us a bond as close as it gets. We study, we motivate, and we celebrate together. That continuity and support have not just served academically but also emotionally as we work together to meet the same long-term goals.

Together, this network has grounded me, kept me focused, and reminded me that I’m not in this alone. It’s made all the difference in staying true to my WHY.

Q: What clubs, teams, or organizations are you a part of? What do you love about them?

A: I’m an active member of the African Student Association (ASA), and it’s one of the communities on campus that I feel most connected to. What I love about ASA is how it brings together students from across the African and Black diaspora to celebrate our cultures, share our stories, and create a space where we feel seen, heard, and valued.

I’ve had the opportunity to be at the forefront of many of our events. I ran for Mr. ASA during our annual pageant, which gave me the chance to represent not just myself, but my Ghanaian heritage with pride. I was also the groom in our mock traditional wedding—a vibrant, high-energy event where I performed Azonto and showcased a variety of traditional dances from different African cultures. It was more than entertainment—it was a powerful display of unity, rhythm, and cultural pride.

One of my favorite projects was organizing a cultural photoshoot for Ghanaian students on campus in honor of Ghana’s Independence Day. We dressed in beautiful traditional attire, from kente to smock, and used the shoot to highlight the elegance and diversity of Ghanaian fashion. It was a way to not only celebrate our heritage but also educate and engage others in the richness of our traditions.

Being part of ASA has helped me grow as a leader, collaborator, and cultural ambassador—while having a lot of fun along the way.

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a student leader?

A: One of the most meaningful roles I’ve taken on is being a research mentor for high school students over the summer. I worked closely with students who were just starting to explore STEM and research, helping them understand not just the technical side of the work, but also how to think critically, ask questions, and gain confidence in their abilities.

What I enjoy most about it is seeing their growth—watching a student who was once hesitant about speaking up in a lab meeting become the one confidently presenting their findings at the end of the program. It’s rewarding to be part of that transformation and to know I’m helping shape future scientists. Being a mentor also pushes me to be a better communicator and leader, and it reminds me why I love science in the first place: It’s about curiosity, discovery, and sharing knowledge with others.

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Header photo courtesy of Eric Nkrumah ’28.

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UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

B.A.: Nutrition and Dietetics

The tantalizing aroma of food from everyone’s favorite UMBC alumni-founded restaurant, Ekiben, wafts through the air of the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery. People are drawn in by the steamed buns and tofu nuggets and stay for the community, including a Q&A with Ekiben co-owner Steve Chu ’12, economics, and Mark Padoongpatt, associate professor and director of the Asian and Asian American Studies Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The discussion, part of the Reframing Global Asias Conversation Series and led by UMBC’s Global Asias Initiatives postdoctoral fellow Mika Thornburg, dives into Padoongpatt’s book, Flavors of Empire, with Chu providing support using his own experience creating community through food.

Mika Thornburg: Tell us a little about your personal history and how you came to work with food. 

Steve Chu: When my family immigrated from Taiwan to the U.S., most decided to go into the restaurant business. All my aunts and uncles had restaurants at one point in time, so I grew up with it. I understood the work hours behind it, the work ethic. When I was 13, I read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. I told my mom that this is what I wanted to do, and she was like, “No, you’re going to college.”

So I came to UMBC, studied economics, and every paper I did was about food. I did a paper on Taco Bell, did a paper on Chipotle, and around sophomore year I was like, alright, this is getting kind of silly. So I decided to get my first job in a restaurant and work and go to school full time. That’s when I started diving into this industry and I haven’t really looked back since.

Mark Padoongpatt: Growing up as a Thai American, you get associated with food even if you have no professional relationship to food at all. I didn’t want to perpetuate that stereotype, so I avoided even thinking about food until graduate school. And that’s when I realized Thai people are so visible through food. Thai food comes to stand in for Thai people and there’s really nothing else we know about Thai people.

So instead of talking about the community outside of food, I thought maybe I should just think about that. How did we come to this point where Thai food comes to stand in for Thai people? Since then, I’ve been thinking about food as a very dynamic way to study communities.

Steve Chu ’12, left, and Mark Padoongpatt, right.

Thornburg: Our event theme is about food and community. Can you speak a little bit about your perspective on the relationship between these two things from your respective position?

Chu: Food brings people together. You see that at this event, you see that at Costco with the free sample line. When we opened Ekiben in Baltimore City, we realized that it was a very polarized city, so we built a space where people from all walks of life could come, afford the food, and sit next to someone that they typically wouldn’t be sitting next to. On any Saturday, you’ll have a squeegee kid sitting next to a Jewish grandmother listening to Cardi B on the speakers, eating some fried chicken. It’s things that you normally wouldn’t put together. Food is a really, really powerful tool to build a community.

Thornburg: What role can food play in changing culture and relationships between different groups of people, whether they be individuals, local communities or entire nations?

Padoongpatt: Food culture is incredibly transformative. Just look at European empires. How did they grow? Through food commodities. They created political and economic systems that were around food and food production. And so in terms of nation building, the evidence is all there in terms of the significance of food and the role that food can play.

The Thai government for the last 15 years has been pouring a lot of effort, time, and energy into this through a kind of gastro diplomacy so that more people will come to Thailand. I think it is a great way to stimulate curiosity and human connection, but just the eating of the food itself is not enough.

Chu: What I find really cool is if you grew up in a very diverse community, chances are you’ve had a very diverse group of friends and you’ve tried a very diverse group of foods. And that helps break down walls and allow for understanding and the building of community. One of the coolest things about coming to UMBC was how diverse a group of friends I was able to meet.

After UMBC, I went to New York and worked as a line cook, and I brought back a lot of creativity with me. I sat down with my two future business partners, [Ephrem Abebe ’13, information systems, and Nikhil Yesurpriya ’13, M.S. ’16, biological sciences]. I said, “Hey, bring me all these random ingredients that your moms aren’t using in the pantry.” And so they bring me all this stuff, and over time we just learned how to incorporate it into our core menu. Honestly, there wasn’t a lot of thought behind it—except, “that tastes good.”

Learn more about the Global Asias Initiative and follow along with their events.