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

a sandy landscape, with a deep ditch down the middle

UMBC’s Steve Freeland co-leads $1.8 million research grant to predict the biochemical foundations of life beyond Earth

/ 7 minutes of reading

Every living thing on Earth uses the same set of 20 amino acids to build all of its proteins. But why that particular set of 20? And how might we recognize life beyond Earth based on different molecules? Now Stephen Freeland and colleagues are taking this work from theory to the laboratory for the first time. “Nobody knows what will happen,” Freeland says. “This is a first.” Continue Reading UMBC’s Steve Freeland co-leads $1.8 million research grant to predict the biochemical foundations of life beyond Earth

a large ballroom full of people and rows of research posters

STEM BUILD interns shine at UMBC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fest

/ 4 minutes of reading

Summer Undergraduate Research Fest gives students early in their research careers a chance to feel like part of a scholarly community. In mentoring students completing summer research, “Our main goal is to help them see and feel that they belong in science and that they can be future leaders in this field,” Maria Cambraia says. Continue Reading STEM BUILD interns shine at UMBC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fest

two people in lab coats, one sitting, one standing, having a conversation at a lab bench.

NEXUS Institute for Quantitative Biology celebrates student success, community college partnerships

/ 7 minutes of reading

In 2018, faculty at UMBC and four of its top-sending community colleges embarked on a project to improve students’ quantitative biology skills and eliminate the achievement gap between transfer and direct-entry students in courses requiring these skills. This summer, they reported significant positive outcomes and committed to continue the work. Continue Reading NEXUS Institute for Quantitative Biology celebrates student success, community college partnerships

Group photo of nine people in a brightly lit laboratory

UMBC’s Achuth Padmanabhan to pursue promising ovarian cancer research with $1.5 million in grants

/ 5 minutes of reading

Achuth Padmanabhan’s research group, which includes graduate, undergraduate, and high school students, is revealing new potential treatment options by expanding understanding of the basic biology of ovarian cancer. Overall, “our goal is to eliminate ovarian cancer mortality,” he says. Continue Reading UMBC’s Achuth Padmanabhan to pursue promising ovarian cancer research with $1.5 million in grants

group photo of three women in overalls holding plants, indoors

Sustainability Fellow Isabel Dastvan ’22 grows her career and invasive species management at UMBC

/ 5 minutes of reading

Throughout the 2022 – 2023 academic year, Isabel Dastvan completed on-the-ground surveys, created maps of invasive species on campus, identified the most urgent invasive threats, and determined the best ways to combat their spread. The end result is a 187-page, comprehensive Invasive Species Management Plan for UMBC. Continue Reading Sustainability Fellow Isabel Dastvan ’22 grows her career and invasive species management at UMBC

portrait of woman standing in front of colorful, science-themed mural

Michelle Starz-Gaiano brings leadership experience, relationships to new department chair role

/ 6 minutes of reading

Michelle Starz-Gaiano began as an assistant professor at UMBC in 2008. Since then, her research program has blossomed, she’s mentored half a dozen graduate students and more than 50 undergraduates, and she’s taken on numerous leadership roles. Now she’ll add department chair to that list. “I think we have amazing people working and studying here,” she says, “and I really want to make sure they can be successful.” Continue Reading Michelle Starz-Gaiano brings leadership experience, relationships to new department chair role

a group of young people gather around a garden plot, working the soil

Growing Fruitful Campus Connections

/ 4 minutes of reading

The occasional clang of a shovel rings through the chilly spring air amid the chatter of a small group of cheerful students at the UMBC Community Garden. The students and Ariel Barbosa, program coordinator for Retriever Essentials at UMBC and a master’s student in community leadership, are working hard to ready seven garden plots for crop production the growing season. Already, cold-hardy greens are on their way in one bed, and cucumbers and eggplant are growing indoors awaiting transplant. The gardening effort is a new initiative of Retriever Essentials, a faculty, staff, and student partnership to tackle food insecurity within… Continue Reading Growing Fruitful Campus Connections

Portrait of woman; trees in background

X-ray emissions from black hole jets vary unexpectedly, challenging leading model of particle acceleration

/ 4 minutes of reading

“One of the reasons we’re excited about the variability is that there are two main models for how x-rays are produced in these jets, and they’re completely different,” Eileen Meyer explains. “And one of those models is completely incompatible with any kind of variability.” As such, the new findings appear to rule out one leading theory of how particle acceleration works in black hole jets. Continue Reading X-ray emissions from black hole jets vary unexpectedly, challenging leading model of particle acceleration

Group of five people in fieldwork clothing, one holding a small bird. Tropical forest in the background.

Mentors help students grow their research skills, from fieldwork in Puerto Rico to labs at UMBC

/ 4 minutes of reading

Ellie Bare completed multiple projects with Kevin Omland’s research group, gaining valuable leadership and research skills that will support her future success. “Dr. Omland encourages that in his undergrads, which is really special,” Bare says. “He’s really supportive of undergrads getting the full research experience.” Continue Reading Mentors help students grow their research skills, from fieldwork in Puerto Rico to labs at UMBC

Satellite image showing Africa on the right and a large sweep of tan atmospheric dust over the Atlantic Ocean along with white and gray clouds

UMBC researchers co-author new Science study on how atmospheric dust impacts ocean health

/ 3 minutes of reading

New findings reveal details of the complex relationship between atmospheric dust and vast populations of phytoplankton at the ocean’s surface. These tiny photosynthetic organisms form the foundation of the ocean food chain and play a key role in the global carbon cycle, so the new research will be especially useful as dust patterns shift with climate change. Continue Reading UMBC researchers co-author new Science study on how atmospheric dust impacts ocean health

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