All posts by: Sarah Hansen, M.S. '15

Meyerhoff Scholars Program celebrates 500th Ph.D.

This spring, the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at UMBC celebrates a landmark achievement: 500 program graduates have earned a Ph.D.

The milestone highlights the program’s success as the nation’s original model for increasing diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Grounded in high expectations and robust support, Meyerhoff Scholars consistently go on to excel in top graduate programs and lead in academia, industry, and government while mentoring the next generation. UMBC has maintained its position as the national leader in producing Black M.D./Ph.D. graduates: Between 2014 and 2024, UMBC alumni accounted for 15 percent of all such dual-degree recipients nationwide, far outpacing any other institution. UMBC is also the leader in graduating Black students who go on to earn Ph.D.s in the life sciences, math and computer sciences, and engineering.

Keith Harmon speaks from a podium, backed by dozens of smartly dressed Meyerhoff Scholars — Keith Harmon, director of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, celebrates graduating scholars at the 2024 Meyerhoff Senior Reception. (Jim Burger for UMBC)

Joseph Washington ’97, mechanical engineering, a member of the fourth Meyerhoff cohort (M4), embodies this trajectory. A first-generation college student, he initially considered trade school after a knee injury derailed his plans to attend the U.S. Naval Academy. The Meyerhoff scholarship changed his path. In particular, Selection Weekend for admitted Meyerhoff Scholars and Summer Bridge, intensive group programming prior to the scholars’ first UMBC semester, affirmed his identity and potential: “The most important message I internalized from the Meyerhoff program was that I can be Black and intelligent,” he recalls.

Washington earned a master’s degree before returning to UMBC for his Ph.D. Today, he serves as an assistant teaching professor at UMBC at the Universities at Shady Grove. He mentors students informally, advises the UMBC chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and creates space for Meyerhoff Scholars to discuss graduate school and careers. “UMBC has always felt like home,” he says. “I would not be here if not for the Meyerhoff Scholars Program.”

A family tradition

Sadella Santos ’12, chemical engineering, M20, and her sister Melissa Santos ’12, chemical engineering, M19, also credit the program with shaping their journeys. Sadella, a senior scientist at Exponent, Inc. with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, values the emphasis on community. “Academic success is a collective effort, rather than individual competition,” she says. “At work, I champion the message that diverse perspectives are necessary to drive scientific progress.” She pays it forward by reviewing abstracts for the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) and hosting lab visits to expose high school students to possible careers.

group photo of five Meyerhoff Scholars with arms around each other's shoulders, all wearing UMBC gear — Meyerhoff Scholar alumni gathered at the 2022 Meyerhoff Family Meeting. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

Melissa, who earned a Ph.D. in chemical engineering followed by a J.D., applies problem-solving and adaptability skills honed through Meyerhoff to her legal career. She recently participated in a panel for McNair Scholars on summer research experiences. “Community and network are important,” she notes. “Surround yourself with people who will support you but also challenge you to grow.”

Meyerhoff scholars often refer to themselves as family—and that’s especially true for the Santoses. Justin Santos ’17, biochemistry and molecular biology, M25, is the third scholar in the family. He is completing his M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience at Emory University this spring and will begin residency in emergency medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. He mentors students pursuing clinical-scientist careers and assists with ABRCMS abstract reviews. “High-quality, comprehensive mentorship” was invaluable to him, and he works to provide that same guidance to others.

Reaching back to pay it forward

Naomi Mburu ’18, M26, chemical engineering, was UMBC’s first Rhodes Scholar, attending Oxford University on one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious scholarships. She earned a D.Phil. in engineering science from the University of Oxford and today serves as lead analyst at Fusion Advisory Services, providing analysis of the fusion industry to a wide range of stakeholders. Meyerhoff pushed her beyond her comfort zone into leadership roles and strengthened her public speaking and networking skills, she says. She now reviews scholarship essays for UMBC students and organizes summer internships to bring diverse talent into the fusion energy field. “Supporting the next generation is so important,” she says. “I have only come this far myself with the help of my own mentors.”

Four students in business dress stand in front of pond. — From left to right, UMBC sophomore Amir Walton-Irvin, and juniors Jessica Slaughter, Deeya Mistry, and Phoenix Bryant all received a Goldwater Scholarship this year—and all four are Meyerhoff Scholars. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)

These alumni illustrate the program’s lasting influence. Meyerhoff Scholars do not simply succeed—they reach back, creating opportunities and building communities for current students and early-career researchers. The model’s impact now extends even further: universities including Penn State, UNC-Chapel Hill, UC Berkeley, Stony Brook, and others have adapted key elements of the Meyerhoff approach with support from funders such as the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Simons Foundation. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has also been a long-term supporter of Meyerhoff and its replications.

With more than 2,200 undergraduates supported to date and a national reputation for producing leaders committed to diversity in STEM, the 500th Ph.D. stands as compelling proof of the Meyerhoff model’s effectiveness. As alumni advance in their fields and invest in those who follow, the Meyerhoff Scholars Program continues to change lives one by one, transforming the face of American science through excellence, community, and a powerful ripple effect that will benefit generations to come.

One photon, a trillion electrons: UMBC physicist Daniel Suárez-Forero explores the quantum frontier

Imagine a material where trillions of electrons are locked in an intricate, collective dance—so tightly choreographed that the tiniest nudge can send ripples across the entire system, transforming its behavior in dramatic ways. Now picture using light—especially the delicate touch of a single photon—to peek inside that dance, understand its hidden steps, and maybe even change the rhythm.

That’s the frontier Daniel Suárez-Forero is exploring at UMBC. He joined the Department of Physics as an assistant professor in August 2025 and leads the Quantum Optics of Correlated Materials group. His experimental approach sits at the intersection of two powerful fields: quantum optics, which studies how light behaves when quantum effects like entanglement come into play (the 2022 Nobel Prize recognized research in this area), and correlated materials, where electrons interact so intensely that they create physics impossible in ordinary conductors or insulators.

By shining quantum light into these strongly interacting systems, his lab aims to reveal quantum behaviors that existing tools can’t see, probe states that have so far been hidden, and help build the foundation for future technologies. His work, featured in two recent papers published in Science and Nature Materials, blends deep questions with real long-term promise, and he’s excited to build his lab here at UMBC.

Q: What will your research group at UMBC focus on, and how has your background prepared you for it?

portrait of Daniel Suarez-Forero — Daniel Suárez-Forero joined the UMBC faculty in 2025 and is already making waves in the physics department. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)

A: At UMBC, my group will use single photons—the tiniest packets of light—to probe and even gently tweak materials where electrons interact extremely strongly. The exciting goal is to use one photon to affect about a trillion electrons at once: either to reveal hidden quantum details that ordinary tools miss, or to modify the whole material’s behavior with just one particle of light.

My path has been building toward this. In my Ph.D. in Italy, I worked on light-matter hybrids using entangled photons. Then, as a postdoc at the Joint Quantum Institute at the University of Maryland, I dived into these strongly interacting materials. Before joining UMBC, I spent a year in Geneva, Switzerland, learning new experimental techniques that I’m now bringing to campus. The fields of quantum optics and correlated materials had been developing separately, but technology is advancing so that the time is right to bridge them—and that’s what I’ll be doing at UMBC.

What excites me most is the scale: Using one photon to influence a trillion particles could unlock mysteries in these materials and help solve real challenges, like using photons more effectively in quantum computing or creating ultra-sensitive detectors. It’s fundamental science with huge potential for real impact.

Q: How did you choose UMBC and how is your first year going?

A: UMBC made the decision easy. The startup support for my lab’s equipment was strong, and infrastructure from recently retired professors transferred to incoming experimentalists like Geoffrey Diederich, Alex Senichev, and me—creating an excellent setup to build experiments.

Also, the DMV area is a major quantum hub, and Maryland’s initiative to become the “capital of quantum” aligns with UMBC’s Quantum Science Institute, which connects departments across science and engineering to advance quantum from every angle.

Man in safety glasses in dark room; red laser beam crossing in front of him — Ph.D. student Nico Rueda-Becerra works with a laser in the Suarez-Forero laboratory. (Courtesy of Daniel Suárez-Forero)

My first year has been wonderful—I’ve gotten tremendous support from the administration, department, and students. I’ve taught graduate quantum mechanics, following the same cohort from their first to second semester. It’s rewarding to watch their understanding and independence grow. I now have one Ph.D. student from Colombia, another starting soon, and two enthusiastic undergrads helping set up the lab. It’s been a positive, exciting start.

Q: What were the key findings from your two recent papers, and how do they relate to your current work?

A: Both papers came from my time as a postdoc and looked at special layered materials where electrons interact very strongly with each other.

In the Science paper, we found something really surprising. Normally, when electrons get “stuck” in place because of their strong interactions (think of them crowding each other so much they can’t move easily), you’d expect other particles in the material to slow down too. But we saw the opposite: Certain particle pairs—made of an excited electron and the empty spot (or “hole”) it left behind—actually moved much faster, about 1,000 times faster than expected! The crowding actually helped these pairs zip around more freely by interfering with their usual tight pairing. It was a “wow” moment that showed how these interactions can lead to unexpected enhanced mobility.

Daniel Suarez-Forero points to a microscope image on a screen while two students look on across a table with an optical laser setup — Daniel Suárez-Forero’s group uses complex optics systems to study the properties of correlated materials. Here, he explains the output of one of the research group’s tests. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)

The Nature Materials paper looked at the flip side: When we shined laser light on the material to create more of those electron-hole pairs, they started lining up neatly all in the same direction—like tiny magnets snapping into alignment. And we could control and reverse this alignment just by turning the light on and off. It’s a way to use light to change how the material behaves, almost like flipping a switch.

These discoveries help us better understand how light and super-strong electron interactions can work together. That’s exactly what sets the stage for my research at UMBC: using single photons to explore or even tweak these materials in new ways—probing hidden details or switching states with just one photon.

Q: What advice do you have for students who are interested in quantum science?

A: If you’re already curious about quantum physics, of course I think that’s a good choice—it’s an exciting field. A Ph.D. can be challenging and involve a lot of failure—like experiments that don’t work—but persistence pays off. Keep digging, stay curious, try different approaches, and don’t get stuck on one path.

If you’re ready to start doing research, choose a group carefully—look at their publications and the tools they use to make sure they match what you’re passionate about. Get hands-on experience early. Quantum is challenging but incredibly rewarding—keep going, and the breakthroughs will eventually come.

Daniel Suarez-Forero holds gold cylinder, Nico Rueda-Becerra asks a question — The gold cylinder Suárez-Forero (left) is holding is how samples are loaded into the cryostat instrument for experiments. Suárez-Forero discusses the process with Nico Rueda-Becerra. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)

UMBC Center for Precision Aquaculture launches to boost sustainable U.S. fish farming

UMBC has secured $1.5 million in congressional funding to establish the UMBC Center for Precision Aquaculture, an interdisciplinary effort aimed at revolutionizing land-based fish production through real-time monitoring and smart technology.

The new center brings together faculty and students from UMBC’s marine biotechnology, chemistry and biochemistry, and computer science and electrical engineering (CSEE) departments. The interdisciplinary team will strive to make domestic aquaculture more efficient, healthier for fish, and environmentally responsible—while helping reduce America’s massive seafood trade deficit.

“Fish are the last ‘hunt-and-gather’ animal crop,” says Yonathan Zohar, professor and chair of marine biotechnology and the new center’s lead. “To relieve pressure on our oceans, fish—like other animal proteins—must be produced through farming or aquaculture.”

Bringing a “blue revolution”

The U.S. imports over 90 percent of its seafood and nearly all its Atlantic salmon, contributing to American seafood imports exceeding exports by roughly $20 billion, the largest deficit across all agricultural crops. And aquaculture is the fastest-growing sector of global and U.S. agriculture, yet the U.S. ranks only 18th in production.

Keiko Saito and Yonanthan Zohar stand on either side of a large cylindrical tank at the aquaculture research center full of what look like pasta wheels — Researchers Keiko Saito (left) and Yonathan Zohar (right) discuss the remediation of liquid waste, which is carried out by bacteria in tanks like this one. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)

To address these challenges, Zohar and his team at the Aquaculture Research Center (ARC) at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor have long pioneered recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS)—self-contained, land-based tanks that recycle nearly all their water and discharge nothing into the environment. Compared to the floating, open-ocean pens currently used to farm fish, other perks of land-based operations include preventing commingling of captive fish with wild stocks, limiting disease exposure, the ability to bring fish to market size more quickly and more often throughout the year, and reduced transportation costs and emissions associated with bringing fresh seafood to inland areas. The ARC even converts solid fish waste into biogas that could supply part of the facility’s energy needs.

The new Center for Precision Aquaculture will add a high-tech layer to this work. Advanced underwater imaging, optical sensors, and artificial intelligence will track fish biomass, behavior, body condition, stress signals, and early disease indicators in real time. Producers can then intervene quickly and optimize tank conditions for better growth, health, and welfare.

Zohar, whose decades of work in sustainable aquaculture recently earned him the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from the United States Aquaculture Society, said the project “will contribute to the U.S. and global ‘blue revolution’ by helping develop the next generation of highly efficient and environmentally responsible aquaculture technologies.”

Connecting disciplines, pursuing impact

The center’s strength lies in its cross-department collaboration. Brian Cullum, professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry and co-investigator on the grant, brings long-standing expertise in multispectral imaging (MSI). His group will use MSI to detect subtle color changes in the visible, infrared, and UV light spectra that are invisible to standard cameras and signal early disease or unwanted sexual maturation, both of which can hurt profitability.

Emmanuella Duruye tinkers with the laser setup in the Cullum lab — Emmanuella Duruye, a UMBC chemistry Ph.D. student in Brian Cullum’s lab, is taking the lead on the multispectral imaging aspect of the project. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)

Emmanuella Duruye views the output of a multispectral camera — Emmanuella Duruye, a UMBC chemistry Ph.D. student in Brian Cullum’s lab, is taking the lead on the multispectral imaging aspect of the project. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)

“In high-density RAS tanks, disease can spread rapidly, so early detection is critical,” Cullum says. “This project combines multispectral imaging with AI to identify stressed or maturing fish early, allowing growers to remove them from the tank.”

“With global demand for protein rising, improving aquaculture systems means contributing to a more stable and responsible food supply,” says Emmanuella Duruye, a Ph.D. candidate in Cullum’s lab. “I am excited about the multidisciplinary aspect, and being part of a team whose goal is to improve systems that make real-world and long-term impacts.” She is focused on improving non-invasive monitoring of hidden stress signals via multispectral imaging.

Rebecca Williams, assistant professor of CSEE, is a co-investigator on the project. Beamlak Bekele, a master’s student in Williams’s group, is developing computer vision tools tailored to underwater environments. “I am excited about this project because it connects computer science with aquaculture, allowing me to apply computer vision to a real-world problem,” Bekele said. “As the project progresses, it can contribute methods that improve the application of underwater vision data to other scenarios as well.”

Beamlak Bekele, Rebecca Williams, and Don Engel stand in front of a screen that shows a heat map image of one of the fish tanks — Beamlak Bekele (left), Rebecca Williams (center), and Don Engel (right) are developing software to analyze heatmap images of the fish tanks, as pictured on the screen. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)

Ph.D. students Sean Ravel and Max Prager; postdoctoral fellow Matthew Stromberg, Ph.D. ’26, environmental engineering; and John Stubblefield, ARC laboratory director, are all working with Zohar at IMET. Undergraduates are contributing, too: Krish Bakshi, a junior biochemistry and molecular biology major, and Mason Chialastri, junior biological sciences major, are currently doing research internships with the Zohar lab.

“Early maturation is one of the biggest challenges in salmon aquaculture, and I’m excited to be part of the cutting-edge research to better understand and manage it,” Ravel shares. “We are building tools that let us understand fish in ways that are only possible because we combine biology, engineering, and AI into a single, integrated system.”

Krish Bakshi works under a fume hood in a laboratory — Juniors Krish Bakshi (left) and Mason Chialastri (right) have contributed to the precision aquaculture project as interns in the Zohar lab. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)

Mason Chilasatri works at a lab bench — Juniors Krish Bakshi (left) and Mason Chialastri (right) have contributed to the precision aquaculture project as interns in the Zohar lab. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)

Piloting the future of aquaculture

The new funding will support a pilot RAS system that integrates the new precision technologies. ARC will serve as a demonstration site for industry, hands-on student training, and public outreach. It builds directly on UMBC’s existing strengths, including ongoing USDA- and NOAA-funded salmon research and a popular Sustainable Aquaculture course. The center will also help train the next generation of skilled workers through internships and research opportunities for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students.

By combining UMBC’s deep foundation in RAS technology with state-of-the-art imaging and AI, the Center for Precision Aquaculture positions Maryland as an emerging hub for innovative, sustainable seafood production—reducing reliance on imports, easing pressure on wild fisheries, and delivering healthy food to American tables.

Eight Retrievers awarded prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Eight UMBC students and alumni have been awarded the prestigious 2026 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP), a highly competitive honor that supports outstanding graduate students in STEM disciplines. This year’s large cohort of Retriever recipients demonstrates the university’s commitment to fostering research excellence and preparing students to become leaders in their fields.

The recipients are already making waves with their work. Caly Ferguson ’26, mechanical engineering, was recently named to the National Society of Black Engineers’ “25 Under 25” list and received the Barry Goldwater Scholarship in 2025. He has been working on developing an affordable and dextrous prosthetic forearm and hand with Ramana Vinjamuri, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering.

Graduate Research Fellowship recipient wearing a mask and gloves working at a lab bench — Lesley Hernandez conducted research with Michael Summers at UMBC. Today she is a Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan in biomedical science. (Melissa Penley Cormier, M.F.A. ’17/UMBC)

Lesley Hernandez ’25, biochemistry, will use the GRFP to support her doctoral studies in biomedical science at the University of Michigan. At UMBC, she studied HIV replication with Michael Summers, professor of chemistry and biochemistry. Both Ferguson and Hernandez are Meyerhoff Scholars, and Hernandez also balances her science with a passion for Latin dance.

Peter Allen Wilschke ’24, economics and political science, is heading to graduate school after completing a two-year research assistant position at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, DC. His research at UMBC on the complex relationships between political factors and fiscal policy garnered national attention.

two people stand on either side of a research poster — Peter Wilschke (right), presented his research at the 2024 Pi Sigma Alpha National Student Research Conference. Eric Stokan (left), professor of political science and one of Wilschke’s mentors, was there to support him. (Courtesy of Carolyn Forestiere/UMBC)

Sydney Braithwaite, who completed her bachelor’s in forensic chemistry at Towson University, will bring her fellowship to UMBC for graduate study with Lee Blaney, professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering. Meredith Morse ’25, chemical engineering; Shefra Shah ’24, biochemistry and molecular biology; and Terra Miley ’25, chemical engineering, are all conducting doctoral work at the University of Delaware; Salman Mirza ’25, mechanical engineering, is pursuing a Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University.

three well-dressed students stand outdoors — Caly Ferguson (center) was one of three UMBC recipients of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship for the 2025 – 2026 academic year, along with Lea-Pearl Njei (right) and Jariatu Kargbo (left). (Michael Mower/UMBC)

The substantial fellowship provides three years of financial support, including an annual living stipend and funds for tuition and fees, and the recipients can take their fellowship to any institution in the U.S. That flexibility makes it easier for students to pursue exactly the research they are passionate about with faculty who share their enthusiasm, regardless of the level of resources available at the host institution.

These eight fellowships are a testament to the drive and talent of UMBC’s graduates as they take on new challenges along their research journeys. Each is in a strong position to make their mark on scientific discovery and innovation across the country.

Manav Narendra ’26—Applied mathematician and cancer survivor fueled by support at UMBC and at home

Through a rigorous academic curriculum, service as a tutor, internships, tennis pick-up games, close friendships, and more, Manav Narendra ’26, mathematics and computer science, has made the most of his time at UMBC and built a strong foundation for future success in applied math and related fields. A leukemia survivor, Narendra has adopted a posture of gratitude and resilience, crediting in part his mother’s unwavering support and UMBC’s close-knit community for helping him thrive academically and personally. Here, Narendra reflects on his path to date, the people who shaped it, and the lessons he’s carrying forward.

Q: Why did you choose UMBC and your two degrees?

A: As a QuestBridge Scholar in high school, I was able to apply to select colleges with no application fee and the potential for a full-ride scholarship. In the end, UMBC just felt right—it was the closest to home, and I appreciated the smaller, more intimate community feel. I felt like at a bigger school I could’ve gotten lost in the crowd, but here I could actually stand out. Plus, UMBC gave me a merit scholarship, which mattered a lot coming from a single-parent household.

I’ve always loved math—calculus was my favorite class in high school. I originally planned to double major in math and physics, because I wanted to go into astronomy or astrophysics. But the job outlook seemed stronger for computer science, and I’d enjoyed coding since middle school, so I switched to that. Now I’m leaning toward applied math fields like actuarial science, because I enjoy stochastic (chaotic) process modeling and probability analysis more than pure software development.

group of smiling students on a bench in a park, blooming magnolia tree in background — Manav Narendra made friends at UMBC through the discussion and connection possible in smaller classes. (Courtesy of Narendra)

three students in professional clothes at an arcade carrying bags — Manav Narendra made friends at UMBC through the discussion and connection possible in smaller classes. (Courtesy of Narendra)

Q: How did your internships enhance your education and influence your career trajectory?

A: I did the same business operations internship at the investor services division of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, where I supported third-party mutual fund administration, twice—after my sophomore and junior years. I’m convinced that talking to company reps in person at the UMBC Career Fair really helped me get the offer. I spent a ton of time in Excel and learned Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), writing programs to automate procedures for other teams at the company. The internship taught me what a corporate environment feels like—being accountable, professional, and how one mistake could have a real effect on production.

The experience was incredibly valuable, even though I don’t think it’s the exact kind of work I want to do long term. I had zero Excel or VBA experience before, and those skills are huge in actuarial work. So even though I realized I want something more independent and creative, the internships gave me practical skills I can take straight into data analysis or actuarial roles. The internships also showed me it’s okay to explore—every experience teaches you something you can carry forward.

group photo of friends at a food court — Manav Narendra (back row, left) found plenty of opportunities to spend time with friends despite his demanding academic curriculum. (Courtesy of Narendra)

Q: What’s next for you after graduation?

A: The job market is tough right now, so I’m keeping my options open. I’m considering actuarial positions, data science and analysis, underwriting, even some IT and software roles. I’m open to moving anywhere—I’ve moved a lot in my life, and after five years in Maryland I’m actually getting a little restless!

Certification exams are really important in the fields I want to go into, and I took my first actuarial exam in January. Right now I’m in the Financial Math for Actuaries class at UMBC, which lines up perfectly with the next exam in June. I just want to get my foot in the door somewhere and keep learning.

Q: How have you gotten involved on campus, and how have those experiences supported your well-being and growth?

A: The smaller class sizes at UMBC—especially the 20- to 30-person ones—made everything feel more personal. That’s where I made most of my friends, through connections sparked by real discussion. I also tutored math and Japanese at the Academic Success Center for three years. That was rewarding and kept me grounded.

young man holding tennis racket and standing on tennis court — Manav Narendra enjoyed pick-up tennis matches during his time at UMBC. (Courtesy of Narendra)

I’m in the Honors College and the national mathematics honor society, Pi Mu Epsilon, and I just applied to Mu Sigma Rho, the honor society for statistics. My friend is an officer of the Bonsai Club, and I’ve gone to some of their origami and painting events. And I play a lot of pickup tennis—UMBC’s courts are great, and that’s been huge for my physical and mental health and making friends. All of it kept me balanced, especially with a heavy course load to complete both of my degrees in four years.

Q: Who has supported you in your academic and life journey, and what difference has that made?

mother and son smiling and hugging — Manav Narendra with his mom, who has provided critical support for him as he underwent cancer treatment and now pursues his professional goals.

A: My mom has been everything. She’s my biggest supporter and my lifelong inspiration, both personally and academically. She stopped working for years to take care of me when I had cancer, getting me to every appointment and advocating for my treatment. I tell people it was much harder for her than for me—I just had to deal with the physical pain, but she handled so much, mentally, emotionally…I wasn’t the brave one during treatment; she was. She’s overcome so much adversity to get me to where I am today, and for that I’m eternally humbled and grateful. Also, at a time in India when women were discouraged from pursuing their dreams and there were large gender disparities in higher education, she embraced her passion for public health and became the first person from her village to earn a doctorate. She later completed a postdoc at Duke—that’s why we first came to the U.S. Her story inspires me every single day to chase after my dreams and always stay true to myself.

At UMBC, Dr. Simon Stacey and Dr. Julie Oakes in the Honors College; Dr. Hye-Won Kang and Dr. Kal Nanes in the math department; and pretty much every professor I’ve had have been incredible. They’ve advised me on careers, written recommendation letters, and helped me explore actuarial science. That support made me feel seen and capable.

Q: How did having cancer affect your outlook?

A: When I was 13, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) while we were living in India. The first year of intense chemo was brutal—my brain has blocked out memory of the worst of the agonies. In my debilitated state, I was forced to miss the bulk of 8th grade. Later on, I had GI complications that left me bedridden and using a nasal feeding tube for months, but one silver lining of that time overlapping with the pandemic was that I could join online school right from my bed. Thankfully, I’ve been off treatment since summer 2020, and I’m doing well now. I still have some minor residual issues from treatment—but I’m here!

Cancer gave me resilience. It’s my second chance at life. Challenges that used to feel huge just don’t faze me the same way anymore. That experience put everything in perspective: If I could get through that, I can get through anything. I try to live life to the fullest because of it.

Q: What advice do you have for incoming UMBC students?

mathematics student leans back on railing in front of pond, large academic building in the background — Manav Narendra has come into his own at UMBC, and now he is ready to take on his next chapter. (Courtesy of Narendra)

A: Keep going. Even when things get hard—personal stuff, academics, whatever—just keep moving forward. Break everything into small steps. I’m a serial procrastinator, but I still get everything done by staying consistent with a simple to-do list. Whatever your goal is—an internship, a recital, a competition—just take one small step at a time. Nothing is impossible.

And above all, try to be a good person. I love this Einstein quote: “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives.” Be kind. Be empathetic. That matters more than straight As. And UMBC’s community will meet you where you are, and then help you grow, as long as you show up.

Unlocking motivation: Grad student leads discovery of how two hippocampus regions team up to fuel goal-driven behavior

New UMBC research reveals how two different parts of the hippocampus—the brain’s memory center—team up in a key reward region to help mice, and likely humans, combine memories of places and contexts with the drive to pursue rewards.

portrait of woman on stairway platform; sculpture in shades of pink in background — Tara LeGates’ research group works at the intersection of neuroscience and behavior. (Brad Ziegler)

The findings offer fresh insight into how the brain integrates information about “where” and “what feels good” to guide everyday decisions, such as heading to a favorite restaurant to meet friends or seeking out rewarding experiences. Specifically, this discovery, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, shows that inputs from the dorsal and ventral hippocampus converge on the same individual neurons in another brain region, the nucleus accumbens, where they interact in ways that amplify each other’s effects.

“The connection between the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens is where the brain’s map of where to go meets a sense of why it’s worth going,” explains senior author Tara LeGates, assistant professor in UMBC’s Department of Biological Sciences.

For years, scientists viewed the connections from the dorsal hippocampus, which is more closely tied to spatial memory and navigation, and the ventral hippocampus, which is linked more strongly to emotions and motivation, as mostly separate. This paper challenges that understanding.

“A single neuron can receive inputs from different brain regions, and figuring out how it integrates them is crucial for understanding what drives goal-directed actions,” LeGates says.

While the current study focuses on individual cells, the implications reach further. Better knowledge of how these reward-related circuits process and combine information could shed light on conditions where motivation is disrupted, such as depression, addiction, or anxiety disorders.

A close-up on convergence

The research team used advanced methods including using light to stimulate specific pathways (a technique called optogenetics), precise recordings of electrical activity in neurons, and detailed microscope imaging to identify a group of neurons in a specific part of the accumbens that receives direct input from both the dorsal and ventral hippocampus.

Importantly, the synapses involved in these two pathways sit very close together—often within a couple of microns (thousandths of a millimeter)—on the same branches of the neurons’ dendrites, which look like tree roots on nerve cells. That proximity allows them to influence each other quickly. The team found that when both inputs are active at the same time, they produce a stronger combined response than either one alone.

woman standing in laboratory pointing at computer screen showing nerve cells in conversation with two seated students — Tara LeGates (right) discusses hippocampus cell images with Ph.D. student Nick Anderson (left) and undergraduate Branwen She. (Brad Ziegler)

The researchers collaborated with Tagide deCarvalho, director of UMBC’s Keith Porter Imaging Facility, to obtain the high-resolution imaging that confirmed these close partnerships. Upgraded software at the facility allowed the team to capture ultra-thin digital slices (0.2 microns thick) and create 3D reconstructions of neuron branches, clearly demonstrating the close proximity of the synapses that would allow them to interact.

The study’s first author, Ashley Copenhaver ’20, mathematics and biological sciences, Ph.D. ’25, neuroscience and cognitive sciences, led much of the hands-on work in recordings and imaging while mentoring undergraduate team members.

large group photo in laboratory — Tara LeGates’ research group includes a number of graduate and undergraduate students who are gaining experience in techniques like electrophysiology and dissection. (Brad Ziegler)

“One of the most exciting parts of this technically challenging project was performing dual-color optogenetics during electrophysiology—I was literally shining tiny beams of red and blue light onto brain tissue, which was activating the dorsal or ventral hippocampus neurons, so that I could record the electrical responses in the nucleus accumbens neurons. It was magical,” Copenhaver says. “Beyond loving the technique, in my opinion, we identified some really critical and fundamental mechanisms of signal integration within the brain. I’m super excited to see where this work heads next.”

From cells to behavior

Understanding how a single neuron handles signals from different brain areas is key to grasping complex behaviors, says LeGates, who has a secondary appointment in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Signals from the dorsal and ventral hippocampus are “probably converging more than we’ve previously appreciated, which could change how people approach questions about motivation and learning,” she adds.

That kind of convergence likely helps animals form associations between rewarding outcomes and the environments where they occur—an essential capability for survival. Similar convergence has been seen in other brain areas involved in emotional learning, LeGates says, suggesting the brain may use this strategy widely to link a particular context with feeling and action.

two people standing at a lab bench, one is pipetting — Kaela Befano ’24, biological sciences (left), is now a staff researcher in the LeGates laboratory. (Brad Ziegler)

LeGates’ lab is already building on this paper’s foundation by exploring how stress and substances like food, medications, and illicit drugs affect these same connections, with the long-term aim of informing more targeted treatments for various mental health conditions. In the immediate future, the team hopes to record activity from these specially connected neurons during real behaviors to directly link the newly discovered crosstalk between the ventral and dorsal hippocampus to actions.

By uncovering this hidden layer of cooperation between hippocampal pathways, the LeGates lab has advanced our understanding of how the brain weaves together memory and motivation—a fundamental process that shapes the decisions driving daily life.

Boosting resilience: UMBC secures $1M+ congressional funding to launch lab addressing flood risks in vulnerable Maryland communities

UMBC researchers have secured a $1,031,000 congressional earmark to launch a vital new initiative tackling the escalating threat of flooding in Maryland’s most vulnerable communities.

Led by Alan Yeakley, professor, and Dillon Mahmoudi, associate professor, both in geography and environmental systems, the project establishes the UMBC Laboratory for Flood Risk Impact Assessment and Adaptation in Impoverished Maryland Communities. This lab will serve as a hub for analyzing and tracking the impacts of rising flood risks on low-income populations in both urban and rural areas across the state. Yeakley and Mahmoudi will bring on two postdoctoral researchers and graduate and undergraduate research assistants, who will gain critical skills in community-engaged research and data analytics while supporting the work.

The project focuses on communities along the Chesapeake Bay and its major tributaries, including historically underserved neighborhoods in Baltimore such as Turner Station. Researchers will investigate how the legacies of blockbusting and redlining have heightened flood vulnerability in low-income areas and assess whether flood mitigation resources have been distributed equitably. The team will also evaluate the current state of adaptation strategies at every level—from individual households to the city, county, state, and federal governments.

two men stand talking on a marshy islet in the middle of the UMBC Library Pond, the library in the background — Alan Yeakley (left) and Dillon Mahmoudi discuss their project to help communities adapt to flood risks on the UMBC Library Pond, which itself serves as a stormwater management system for the UMBC campus.

portrait of man in glasses and suit outdoors — Dillon Mahmoudi studies urban geography and development.

portrait of man with white beard in collared shirt outdoors — Alan Yeakley’s research centers on urban ecology.

Through hands-on workshops, interviews with residents, and discussions with government agency personnel, the lab will document communities’ existing adaptation methods and raise awareness of growing hazards. Advanced computer modeling completed in UMBC’s state-of-the-art geographic information systems (GIS) laboratory will help quantify predicted risks, which researchers will share with affected communities along with practical, low-cost strategies to enhance resilience. This approach will foster opportunities to co-create solutions, in alignment with UMBC’s commitment to bidirectional partnerships with our neighbors as we all seek to address environmental challenges.

“We’re thrilled to be able to help local communities experiencing flooding along the Chesapeake Bay,” Yeakley says. “We hope to learn what they are already doing to mitigate these hazards, and to suggest strategies that might improve their resilience to ongoing and future threats to their properties and their lives. We also hope that, eventually, communities will share successful strategies with each other directly, creating a grassroots network of neighborhood and environmental stewardship.”

Celebrating the misunderstood: Mercedes Burns featured in new book on North America’s overlooked critters

GRIZZLED: Love Letters to 50 of North America’s Least Understood Animals spotlights the quirky, often-misunderstood inhabitants of our backyards and beyond. It hits bookstores this week, and Mercedes Burns, associate professor of biological sciences, is featured in an essay that dives into the world of harvesters—better known as daddy longlegs.

The essay debunks the common myth that harvesters are the most venomous spiders in the world, but only harmless because their mouthparts are too small to bite a human. In fact, rather than being spiders at all, Burns shares that they are intriguing arachnid relatives. She unpacks their survival tactics, like shedding legs to escape predators, and other eccentric behaviors that make these gangly denizens more endearing than eerie.

“I’ve studied arachnids for over a decade, and learning about them has opened my eyes to the diversity of less-appreciated and absolutely fascinating species that occur in North America,” Burns shares. “I am excited to join the league of researchers who contributed to this book, and I hope that readers find a new local species to love.”

Burns’ passion for arachnids isn’t new—and it’s been weaving its way into public consciousness for years. In a 2020 New York Times piece, she demystified the fuzzy clusters of daddy longlegs that sometimes “grow” on buildings, turning a gross-out moment into a lesson on their harmless, communal nature. She’s also weighed in on arachnid feats, such as spiders devouring snakes up to 30 times their size, as featured in a 2021 Smithsonian article.

closeup of a woman's hands extending from the white sleeves of a lab coat holding a misunderstood daddy longlegs — Mercedes Burns handles one of her study organisms in the lab. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

At UMBC, Burns’ impact extends beyond the page. Her 2023 NSF CAREER Award funds research on arachnid evolution in Japan, blending fieldwork with student mentorship to nurture the next generation of scientists and champion arachnid appreciation. There is even a trapdoor spider species named Ummidia mercedesburnsae in her honor.

Burns’ work reminds us that even tiny creatures deserve our attention and care. Dive into science journalist Jason Bittel’s GRIZZLED to discover your own “local species to love.”

Connecting NASA to the classroom: UMBC physicist Zhibo Zhang to lead Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute

Zhibo Zhang, professor of physics, has been named director of the Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute (GPHI), UMBC’s arm of the Partnership for Heliophysics and Space Environment Research (PHaSER). PHaSER, a multi-institution consortium led by Catholic University of America, contributes to NASA’s Heliophysics Science Division at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) through research on the Sun, its processes, and space weather, which can affect planet Earth and human technologies.

NASA allocated $10 million to UMBC in 2021 under its $64.1 million PHaSER award, underscoring the university’s contributions to heliophysics research and building on more than thirty years of successful collaboration between UMBC and GSFC, located in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Jan Merka led GPHI from from its inception in 2011 and will hand the reins to Zhibo Zhang this month. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

“My first priority is to support GPHI faculty and help enable the outstanding science and engineering they carry out at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,” Zhang says. “At the same time, I hope GPHI can serve as a stronger bridge between NASA and UMBC by connecting GPHI faculty with UMBC research resources, collaboration and funding opportunities, and with students and faculty who can expand our collective capacity and open doors to bigger, cross-cutting ideas.”

Zhang follows Jan Merka, who has served as the inaugural GPHI director since 2011. As director, Zhang will continue in his faculty role at UMBC, advancing his team’s research on atmospheric dust’s influence on climate and remaining deeply committed to teaching and mentoring. His guidance of undergraduate and graduate students has helped multiple students secure the prestigious NASA Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) Fellowship and other awards, including the 2025 Elsevier/JQSRT Richard M. Goody Award, fostering the next generation of scientists.

“We are very proud of the fact that UMBC is currently ranked as the #11 institution in the nation in NASA expenditures,” say Karl V. Steiner, vice president for research and creative achievement. “Zhibo Zhang is an outstanding colleague with a broad set of relevant expertise and experiences who will provide important leadership to GPHI and to our partnership with Catholic University under PHaSER. I know that he is the right leader to strengthen our relationship with NASA, building on over three decades of successful cooperative partnership between UMBC and NASA Goddard.”

group of five people standing on a stairwell platform chatting; bright windows in the background — Zhibo Zhang (second from right) thoughtfully mentors undergraduate and graduate students, including Qianqian Song (right), Ph.D. ’22, who received the FINESST fellowship, and Jianyu Zheng (far left, rear), Ph.D. ’23, who received the 2025 Elsevier/JQSRT Goody Award. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

Chronic illness redirected Jaime Miller’s medical career—today she advocates for people with lupus, including herself

When Jaime Miller ’06, biochemistry, was in the final stages of her M.D/Ph.D., she did not expect her 15-year educational journey to be derailed by her own medical mystery. She certainly didn’t foresee finding peace and purpose through turning her chronic illness into a life of advocacy—but that’s exactly what’s happened.

Before coming to UMBC, Miller seized early opportunities: Her teachers encouraged her interests in STEM, leading her to attend the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly), a STEM magnet high school requiring a combined bus and light rail commute from her home in Baltimore’s Morrell Park neighborhood. After her junior year, a summer neuroscience program for high schoolers at the University of Maryland further ignited her love for life science. As a first-generation college student, she entered these unfamiliar spaces with an uncommon boldness.

“I didn’t wear a plain Jane suit to the interview for the University of Maryland program. It was mint green, which is hilarious, looking back,” she says. “I didn’t know what I was doing. But I’ve just always been somebody that hasn’t feared failure. You just learn and keep on going. It’s like a building step.”

The summer program, where Miller thrived in a lab studying Alzheimer’s disease under mentor Mervin Monteiro, extended into her senior year through Poly’s research practicum, where she continued lab work, wrote a thesis, and won first prize at the Intel Science Talent Search (now the Regeneron STS). When Miller learned from a lab colleague that most M.D./Ph.D. programs pay for medical school, it was “like fireworks going off in my head,” she says, knowing medical school would be beyond her family’s budget. Aware of UMBC’s reputation for preparing STEM majors to excel in graduate study, Miller decided to use the local institution as a launchpad for a funded graduate program.

Right on track

woman in commencement regalia, Maryland flag in background — Jaime Miller graduated *magna cum laude* from UMBC and was inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society. (Courtesy of Miller)

Drawn to UMBC’s supportive environment, strong science programs, and proximity to home, Miller accepted a College Bound scholarship and a small award from a pharmaceutical company. Miller found a minor in philosophy complemented her scientific pursuits by honing her critical thinking and providing diverse insights. She particularly enjoyed courses in moral theory, she says, exploring challenging topics like euthanasia, abortion, and pornography in a safe environment for discussion.

The emphasis on clarity, precision, and organization in philosophical arguments directly enhanced her scientific communication and planning skills, too: “You want to make sure any experimental design is clean and succinct, so that when you present it, everybody understands what you’re doing and what your goal is.”

Again seizing opportunities, Miller emailed Michael Summers, distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry, about joining his lab, even negotiating her pay. “It was my first foray in advocating for myself,” she reflects. Summers remembers Miller as “a wonderful, caring person” with standout “resilience, professionalism, and commitment to others in need.” Her work with his research group led to a publication in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

After UMBC, Miller pursued an M.D./Ph.D. at the University of Virginia, focusing on epigenetics and blood disorders. “There was something about blood and blood cancers that I was just really drawn toward,” she says. After being selected for a fellowship in hematology-oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in 2015, Miller seemed poised for a thriving clinical and research career.

Redirected by chronic illness

In 2018, however, a constellation of nagging symptoms escalated: extreme fatigue, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and, finally, pneumonia. After seemingly endless testing and specialist visits, she was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease. Lupus, she explains, “can affect literally any organ in the body” and manifests in every patient differently. Unfortunately, “I ran into a lot of obstacles” when requesting accommodations like no overnight shifts, she says, including dismissive comments about her “mystery illness.” Ultimately, UPMC terminated her, refusing a part-time option.

Jaime Miller (Courtesy of Miller)

This setback could have been devastating after 15 years of rigorous training, but Miller channeled it into purpose. “Despite how negative it sounds, it’s not tragic. My husband could see I was mentally breaking from sacrificing so much of my quality of life for my career. Leaving medicine was a brutal reality check, but it also showed me how much else I could explore and enjoy,” Miller says. For example, “When I was too sick to do much, I started small things I’d always wanted: I bought a guitar to learn music, a sewing machine to make clothes—simple activities I could do sitting in a chair. It was an eye-opener. I’m happier now—100 percent.”

As an ambassador for the Lupus Foundation of America, she co-facilitates a Pittsburgh support group and organized the city’s first officially sponsored Walk to End Lupus Now in 2025, raising $60,000. She has also found a way to continue her medical career on a part-time basis by voluntarily consulting for All4Cure, an online platform where specialists like her provide guidance for multiple myeloma patients, ensuring equitable care for those in rural areas treated by general oncologists.

From adversity to purpose

Miller spent years practicing self-advocacy on her academic journey, and now she’s using those skills to benefit others, as well. This resilience shines in her advice for the chronic illness community: “You have to take care of yourself. You can’t take care of anything else unless you take care of yourself, both physically and mentally.” She emphasizes seeking counseling early and advocating fiercely for one’s needs, even when it feels isolating.

Miller was raised in the Catholic church but drifted toward atheism during her medical training. After her diagnosis, however, she found herself sensing the voice of her grandmother, a committed Christian who also had lupus: “Maybe this is happening for a reason. You’re a physician and you’ll be able to educate and advocate a lot better for those that can’t advocate for themselves.” Today she is still navigating her spiritual life, but for now she believes in “something out there in the universe that makes things the way that they are”—an energy or presence that gives meaning to hardship and opens new paths.

UMBC played a foundational role in where Miller finds herself today, fostering her confidence and research skills in a nurturing setting. Today, at 41, Miller embraces a fuller life than a traditional physician path would have allowed. Her mantra extends to younger generations, who she hopes will try new things, take risks, and forge their own paths. “Failure is okay,” Miller reiterates. “It’s nothing more than a learning step to success.”

group of four college students dressed up for going out — Jaime Miller, right, celebrates with close friends in Baltimore’s Little Italy after her UMBC graduation. (Courtesy of Miller)

Sisters in science: How one UMBC lab kindled a family tradition of discovery

On the fourth floor of UMBC’s Meyerhoff Chemistry Building, where students are hard at work exploring the intricacies of RNA molecules that may hold the key to combating viral diseases, a unique family tradition has taken root. Three sisters—Huda, Reem, and Rowah Abdelghani—have each stepped into the same research space and found the thrill of discovery, the warmth of community, and a mentor who welcomes eager learners at all levels.

It began with Huda, the trailblazing eldest of the three sisters. As a high school junior in Howard County’s Applications and Research Laboratory (ARL) biotechnology program, she dove into the program’s intensive training—mastering lab basics like micropipetting, PCR, and gel electrophoresis alongside students from across the county. ARL encourages seniors to pursue off-site internships, so Huda cold-emailed labs at nearby universities. “It was tough,” she recalls. “Some of my friends emailed over 30 people before finding a spot. I got lucky with Dr. Koirala.”

Huda, the oldest of three sisters, wearing orange head kerchief, white lab coat, and gloves pipets at a lab bench — Huda Abdelghani (left) was the first of her three sisters to work in Deepak Koirala’s lab through Howard County’s Applications and Research Laboratory program. At right: Deepak Koirala (left), Naba Krishna Das (center), and Huda Abdelghani discuss their research in Koirala’s office. (Photos by Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

three people sit around a desk, one points to a computer screen that shows diagrams of protein structures — Huda Abdelghani (left) was the first of her three sisters to work in Deepak Koirala’s lab through Howard County’s Applications and Research Laboratory program. At right: Deepak Koirala (left), Naba Krishna Das (center), and Huda Abdelghani discuss their research in Koirala’s office. (Photos by Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

Skills that apply everywhere

Deepak Koirala, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, leads a UMBC research group that studies the structures of RNA in enteroviruses—a family of pathogens behind illnesses like hand-foot-and-mouth disease, polio, and myocarditis. Huda joined in the summer of 2022 and stayed through spring 2023. Mentored by a Ph.D. student in the lab, Hasan Al Banna, she quickly learned that scientific research frequently involves failure—but that’s no reason to give up.

“You can do everything right and still not get results,” she says. “It’s not personal—that’s just science.” This lesson in perseverance stuck with her, as did Koirala’s individualized attention. When her graduate student mentor was away, he spent hours helping her set up trays of crystallization plates for her experiments.

seated student wearing white lab coat squeezes a multi-pipet into wells — Left: Reem Abdelghani works with a multi-channel micropipet in the lab. Right: Reem and Deepak Koirala discuss research at a poster in the hallway outside Koirala’s lab. (Photos courtesy of Deepak Koirala)

two people standing in a hallway, one pointing at a research poster and speaking — Left: Reem Abdelghani works with a multi-channel micropipet in the lab. Right: Reem and Deepak Koirala discuss research at a poster in the hallway outside Koirala’s lab. (Photos courtesy of Deepak Koirala)

Huda is now a junior mechanical engineering major at MIT, spending this semester on co-op with Apple’s Mac product design team in Austin, Texas—but the lab’s influence lingers. It sparked her interest in tools that help accelerate biochemistry research, like imaging platforms. “The technical and soft skills I gained at UMBC can apply anywhere,” she reflects. Even her first MIT lab connection came from a conversation overheard down the hall from her bench in Koirala’s lab. “It showed me the interconnectedness of academia,” she says.

Shattering preconceptions

Huda’s enthusiasm inspired Reem, the middle sister, to reach out to Koirala for her own ARL biotech internship. She started in Koirala’s lab in the summer of 2024, before her senior year of high school. “I saw how happy Huda was—and it looked like something I’d enjoy, too,” Reem says.

Mentored by Ph.D. student Naba Krishna Das, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland, Reem immersed herself in the lab’s operations, from presenting at lab meetings to executing tasks like sterilizing equipment and generating crystal structures of RNA and protein complexes. The lab’s collaborative vibe shattered her preconceptions. “I was worried grad school could be isolating, but it’s so interactive, with people at every stage of their scientific careers,” she explains.

student wearing lab coat and safety glasses peers into a microscope — All three sisters gained valuable experience and skills working with Koirala. Left: Rowah looks at experimental wells under a microscope. Right: Reem (left) and Manju Ojha analyze data. (Photos courtesy of Deepak Koirala)

two students in white lab coats sit looking at a computer that shows several line graphs — All three sisters gained valuable experience and skills working with Koirala. Left: Rowah looks at experimental wells under a microscope. Right: Reem (left) and Manju Ojha analyze data. (Photos courtesy of Deepak Koirala)

Reem conducted experiments for a project on viral replication, earning co-authorship on a 2025 Nature Communications paper as a high schooler. “I never expected to be so involved—I feel privileged,” she says. The process taught her the value of replication and troubleshooting. “Sometimes it’s trial and error as you’re exploring something new,” she says.

Now a first-year student at UMBC majoring in biochemistry, Reem plans to return to the Koirala lab as soon as space becomes available. “I didn’t consider grad school before, but now it’s definitely on the table,” she says—a perspective born of early research experiences that revealed what the scientific process is really like.

A real community

Rowah, a high school senior, joined the lab last fall. Her expectations of a “scary, strict PI” melted away. “Dr. Koirala is one of the kindest people I’ve met,” Rowah says. The lab’s supportive dynamic impressed her, too. Members shared resources, brainstormed next steps, and lifted each other up. “They push each other to do better—it’s a real community.”

Building on her ARL skills, Rowah felt like a valued member of the team. Her mentor in the lab, Ph.D. student Bethel G. Beyene, provided scientific papers for context, ensuring she grasped the concepts behind the team’s research, not just individual lab techniques. She, too, came face to face with failure and learned from it.

student in lab coat, gloves, and safety glasses opens a laboratory refrigerator containing various flasks — Rowah (at left and pipetting on right) received supportive mentorship from Ph.D. student Bethel Beyene (right photo, background). (Photos courtesy of Deepak Koirala)

two students in lab coats, gloves, and safety glasses work at a lab bench, on is pipeting — Rowah (at left and pipetting on right) received supportive mentorship from Ph.D. student Bethel Beyene (right photo, background). (Photos courtesy of Deepak Koirala)

“When things go wrong, we sit down and figure it out. It’s not that failure means you’re wrong; overcoming it is how you succeed.” That creative problem-solving carried over into her high school robotics competitions. “I applied lab thinking by evaluating all the possible sources of error to debug our robot—it felt great,” Rowah says. With her interests across biology and engineering, Rowah is considering a biomedical engineering major in the future. “The Koirala lab showed me that I don’t have to choose between my interests,” she says.

Making science better

The sisters’ bond fueled their experiences. “We talk openly—about lab life, plans, even arguments,” Reem laughs. Rowah says her admiration for Huda encouraged her to pursue working in Koirala’s lab. Though they never overlapped in the lab, Huda’s path reassured the others. “If I hadn’t had that chance, I couldn’t have shared it with my family,” Huda says.

Koirala credits the ARL program for bringing talented high schoolers like the Abdelghanis into his group. “They’re not just mentioned in the acknowledgments for completing experiments, but contributing intellectually at the level of authorship,” he says, noting the paper Reem co-authored.

His inclusive approach welcomes students with diverse backgrounds, training the next generation of scientists. “High schoolers, undergrads, women and men from varied backgrounds—they’re all making science better,” Koirala says. Clearly, including less experienced scientists isn’t hurting the lab’s output. Koirala has received multiple major grants and published high-profile papers since he arrived at UMBC in 2020.

In Koirala’s welcoming space, beginners become contributors, failures forge innovators, and family ties amplify ambition. As Rowah troubleshoots gels, Reem eyes graduate school, and Huda designs bioimaging tech at MIT, their paths affirm that science thrives on curiosity, community, and the courage to explore.

A place to spark scientific curiosity—UMBC hosts 1,200 high schoolers at Science Olympiad invitational

On a cloudy Saturday in January, UMBC buzzed with the energy of over 1,200 high school students from across the Mid-Atlantic region. For the third consecutive year, UMBC’s College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) hosted its Science Olympiad Invitational Tournament, transforming the campus into a vibrant hub of hands-on scientific discovery for the high school competitors.

From building hovercrafts and bridges to tackling exams in anatomy, astronomy, and beyond, the event showcased 23 competitive challenges across an array of STEM disciplines. What started as a modest gathering of 40 teams three years ago has ballooned into Maryland’s largest invitational, drawing participants from Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and D.C.

The tournament exemplifies UMBC’s commitment to nurturing young talent and building community connections. “A couple of years ago, I suggested a Science Olympiad tournament as a way to invite more high school students onto the campus and get them excited about science—and UMBC,” shared event co-organizer Bindu Abraham, Ph.D. ’06, chemistry, assistant teaching professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and executive director of Maryland Science Olympiad.

Abraham first encountered Science Olympiad as a homeschool parent watching a passion for science emerge in her son. Now, she is happy to be involved in encouraging a similar enthusiasm for science in students across the region. This year’s event also spotlighted partnerships with organizations like STEM Champions of Baltimore, ensuring under-resourced Baltimore City schools could participate in a dedicated league and envision futures at UMBC.

two students kneeling on tile floor, holding a homemade winged device as it prepares to lift off. — Cape Henlopen High School in Delaware brought three complete teams to the Science Olympiad at UMBC. Left: Nathaniel Hoang and Ellie Sprague compete in the helicopter event. Right: Quinton Eisenmann and Ava Lewis prepare for the hovercraft event. (Photos courtesy of Priscilla Coolbaugh)

two students, one standing and giving a thumbs up, the other seated on a stool. Between them is a large plastic tub containing an electronic device. — Cape Henlopen High School in Delaware brought three complete teams to the Science Olympiad at UMBC. Left: Nathaniel Hoang and Ellie Sprague compete in the helicopter event. Right: Quinton Eisenmann and Ava Lewis prepare for the hovercraft event. (Photos courtesy of Priscilla Coolbaugh)

Inspiring students’ interest in science

Volunteers—including UMBC faculty, alumni, current students—made the day possible, each driven by motivations rooted in their own journeys. Mark Grzanna, M.S. ’15, biological sciences, today a Science Olympiad coach at John Carroll High School in Bel Air, Maryland, brought two teams of eager students for his third year at the UMBC tournament. Grzanna teaches biology, anatomy and physiology, and a biotech course he designed at John Carroll, and he views the Olympiad as a gateway to scientific curiosity.

“Education is so important. I became a teacher to get kids interested in science—or at least to help them understand enough science to navigate their world,” he said. His co-coach, John Carroll teacher Andrew Ketchum, echoed the sentiment: “It’s a great experience for our kids to see other students excited about science.”

Frank Tagaytay, a senior physics and math major, supervised the “boomilever” event, where teams tested structures’ strength and integrity. Based on experience as president of his high school Science Olympiad club, Tagaytay patiently guided participants through event regulations, offering encouragement amid the occasional structural mishap.

two high school girls set up a "boomilever" to compete in the Olympiad while a UMBC student running the event observes — Left: Frank Tagaytay (left), a senior UMBC physics and math major, encourages Aalyna Johnson (center) and Cassidy Mehegan from Cape Henlopen High School as they set up their “boomilever” for competition. (Photo by Sarah Hansen, M.S. ’15/UMBC) Right: Cape Henlopen students Theodore Noe Fellows, Shouta Sano, Quinton Eisenmann, and Ava Lewis (left to right) carry their equipment to the competition site in the UMBC Physics Building. (Photo courtesy of Priscilla Coolbaugh)

four high school Science Olympiad team members stand in a hallway, two are holding large plastic tubs containing electronic devices — Left: Frank Tagaytay (left), a senior UMBC physics and math major, encourages Aalyna Johnson (center) and Cassidy Mehegan from Cape Henlopen High School as they set up their “boomilever” for competition. (Photo by Sarah Hansen, M.S. ’15/UMBC) Right: Cape Henlopen students Theodore Noe Fellows, Shouta Sano, Quinton Eisenmann, and Ava Lewis (left to right) carry their equipment to the competition site in the UMBC Physics Building. (Photo courtesy of Priscilla Coolbaugh)

“It’s an early season event for teams to work out the kinks,” he explained, highlighting how the low-stakes environment builds confidence and resilience. For Tagaytay, volunteering bridges his past and present, reinforcing UMBC’s supportive community.

Fareedah Owolabi, a junior chemical engineering major who recently transferred from the Community College of Baltimore County, found the event particularly meaningful. “I have a soft spot for STEM outreach, because it’s how I was introduced to UMBC,” she shared. Through the Upward Bound Math and Science program, Owolabi connected with UMBC tutors as a high schooler. Now, as a volunteer, she fielded questions from participants about campus life. “I want to inspire younger students,” she said, embodying the cycle of mentorship that defines the tournament.

Broadening their horizons

Priscilla Coolbaugh, Science Olympiad coach at Cape Henlopen High School in Delaware, started her team three years ago after loving Science Olympiad as a student herself. “I want to share that love,” she said. Her three full teams traveled far to compete. “They get to see themselves at these universities. They might have planned to stay close to home, but this way they get exposure to out-of-state schools,” Coolbaugh said. “It broadens their horizons to different schools as well as different STEM fields.”

three people seated at a table surrounded by two laptops and snacks; a screen in the background advertises UMBC campus tours — Students and a coach from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland, relax in the UMBC Ballroom between events. (Photos courtesy of Jonathan Lee)

four girls sitting at a table surrounded by papers and snacks — Students and a coach from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland, relax in the UMBC Ballroom between events. (Photos courtesy of Jonathan Lee)

Students expressed their sense of community and excitement about their experiences at the UMBC event. Cape Henlopen freshman Aalya Desai noted how the event helped her make friends despite starting as a newcomer, and sophomore Grace Eanes appreciated the chance to bond with peers across grades while exploring the beautiful campus. Michael Song, a junior from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland, who with his teammate, Leo Jiang, earned the top score in the hovercraft event, commented, “UMBC is much bigger than I expected. It’s a lot of fun to travel to Olympiad events.”

In good hands

Faculty and staff volunteers underscored the event’s broader impact. CNMS dean William R. LaCourse, surveying the awards ceremony, reflected on the promise of the participants. “As I stood on the stage looking over the ballroom filled with excited and creative students, I couldn’t help feeling as if I was looking into the future and thinking, ‘We (all of us) are in good hands,’” he said.

Zeev Rosenzweig, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, supervised the rocks and minerals test with three undergraduates and three of his graduate students. “Being here is just an important thing to do,” he said. “It’s a great outlet to show them that their interests matter,” he noted. “The kids who come to the Olympiad—they’re our people.” Ph.D. student Kushani Mendis, a Ph.D. student in Rosenzweig’s lab, added, “The best way to support the next generation in STEM is to organize events like this and spend time with them.”

In April, UMBC will host the Maryland State Science Olympiad for the first time, building on this invitational’s momentum. “It’s fun to see young people so excited about different areas of STEM,” shared Michelle Starz-Gaiano, professor and chair of biological sciences, adding, “It’s critical to foster the growth of young scientists. We love the energy and enthusiasm that they bring.”