To increase the relevance and benefit of students’ projects, members of community partner organizations co-advise students on their research. Co-advisors have come from organizations like Baltimore Green Space, Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, and the South Baltimore Community Land Trust. ICARE began with a handful of faculty members from all three colleges at UMBC who wanted to collaborate more closely. Over time, it grew into an NSF-funded training program that today includes more than 100 people and 36 organizations.
Earlier this month, the ICARE program celebrated its impact with “ICARE Day,” including a research poster session and luncheon with keynote address.
Left: Erin Hamner collected weekly water quality data from this stream for six months, using the battery-powered digital probe she’s holding. (Sarah L. Hansen, M.S. ’15/UMBC) Center: Natalia Figueredo, M.S. ’23, geography and environmental systems (second from left), interviewed local community members about their experiences with zero-waste practices. (Courtesy of Figueredo) Right: Chris Blume, M.S. ’23, geography and environmental systems, studied urban bat populations to investigate heavy metal pollution. (Courtesy of Blume)
“You’re combining the skills, knowledge, and perspectives you gained here in ICARE with your already strong commitment to environmental justice to make the world better for people and the ecosystems we live in,” said Tamra Mendelson, professor of biological sciences and ICARE program director, of program alumni, while members of the current cohort are “flexing those skills, nurturing your passions, and finding your way toward meaningful and consequential work in the environmental sector.”
“What’s happening now is that individuals realize that every single thing we do—every single economic activity we engage in, from the food you eat, to the clothing you wear, to how we power our cities—everything hinges on the environment and natural resources,” he said. “It’s not just about having a nice landscape—the environment impacts economic bottom lines.”
Current trainees, set to graduate in the next few months, are pursuing a diverse set of projects. For example, Isabella Molatore has been studying the presence of invasive fish species in Baltimore Harbor through a combination of angler interviews and DNA testing of harbor water samples. Donovin Smith is exploring novel methods to detect heavy metals in the air and using the data to measure how proximity to railways, incinerators, and other factors affects air pollution. And Will Kaselow has compared the roles and effects of different entities that influence environmental education, such as nonprofits, various levels of government, and local institutions like schools and community centers.
Left: Kids at Glenwood Middle School in Howard County raised horseshoe crabs hand-delivered by Jessica Baniak during the 2023 – 2024 school year. (Courtesy of Baniak) Right: Margaret Siao (left) and Donya Hamidi collect water samples from around Baltimore Harbor, part of the initial stages of a project to measure PFAS in the local waterways. (Image courtesy of Siao)
Despite undeniable environmental challenges, Miralles-Wilhelm ended the event on a hopeful note.
“If you look at the news, you get bombarded by so much negative stuff. You may end up believing that the world is becoming a worse place. However, I counter that by saying that since World War II, every single human development indicator and every single environmental and development indicator around the world has gotten better,” Miralles-Wilhelm said. “We’ve spent quite a bit of effort—scientists, policymakers, and investors—to try to make a better world, and it is working. It may not be working at the pace that you want it to work, it may not be improving everywhere at the same time, but it’s also undeniable that we have gotten better.”
ICARE trainees and alumni, armed with skills from technical laboratory techniques to community organizing, are now poised to contribute to and accelerate that positive trend.
Vast, quasi-circular features on Venus’ surface may reveal that the planet has ongoing tectonics, according to new research. On Earth, the shifting and recycling of tectonic plates continually renews our planet’s surface. Venus doesn’t have tectonic plates, but its surface is still being deformed by molten material from below.
“These features are not found on Earth today; however, they may have existed when our planet was young and before plate tectonics had been established,” says the study’s lead author, Gael Cascioli, a UMBC assistant research scientist with the Center for Space Sciences and Technology. “By combining gravity and topography data, this research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus.”
Seeking to better understand the underlying processes at work on Venus, researchers studied a feature called a corona. Ranging from tens to hundreds of miles across, a corona is most often thought to be the location where a blob of molten, buoyant material from the planet’s mantle rises (called a “plume”), pushing against the uppermost part of the planet’s mantle and its crust. Coronae are usually oval and surrounded by fractures in the crust, and hundreds are known to exist on Venus.
Unlike on Earth, where tectonic plates move sideways and down in a process called subduction, the plumes on Venus might be pushing the surface upward and outward, making the surrounding surface sink down. The scientists also think that in some places, the plumes might be driving volcanoes. Here, Sif Mons, a volcano on Venus, is rendered from data collected by Magellan. The lighter orange trails coming from the peak to the foreground are lava flows. (NASA)
Old data, new discoveries
The new study, published in Science Advances, found telltale signs of corona-shaping activity at or beneath Venus’ surface. These signs may also provide a unique window into Earth’s past. To find them, the authors turned to NASA’s Magellan mission, which orbited Venus in the 1990s and collected what is still the most detailed gravity and topography data of Venus available.
There are various theories about how coronae form. “The most exciting thing for our study is that we can now say there are most likely various and ongoing active processes driving their formation,” coauthor Anna Gülcher, Earth and planetary scientist at the University of Bern in Switzerland, says.
The scientists created detailed 3D models that predicted different ways the coronae might have formed, and then compared them to data from Magellan. Their work revealed that beneath about 70 percent of the coronae they studied, there were hot, low-density plumes rising from deep inside Venus, which might be causing the unique geological activity.
The NASA VERITAS mission, scheduled for launch no earlier than 2031, will be key to filling gaps in understanding of how coronae form. According to coauthor Suzanne Smrekar, planetary scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and principal investigator for VERITAS, the mission will provide much greater resolution than Magellan, supplying “an unprecedented level of detail that could revolutionize our understanding of Venus’ geology and implications for early Earth.”
When Samuel Geleta ’25, biological sciences, arrived at UMBC from Ethiopia, he was confident he wanted to go to medical school. But that was before he started conducting HIV research with Michael Summers, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and fell in love with the scientific process. This fall, he’s headed to Yale University to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical and biological sciences. He dreams of conducting research that he can parlay into biotech entrepreneurship in his home country.
Q: How did you choose UMBC?
A: I’m from Ethiopia, and the health sector there needs a lot of work. I wanted to contribute to my community, and at that time I thought getting a medical degree would be the best way to do that. I first started looking at UMBC because I had family living in Maryland. But what really drew me in was UMBC’s reputation as a research powerhouse in the area, with exciting and innovative research that captured my interest. I also appreciated the more affordable price tag at UMBC, and I really liked the communication I had with UMBC staff while I was applying. Especially as an international student, I had a lot to figure out, and they were very quick to respond to all of my requests. I thought, “This is the kind of environment I want to be in.”
Q: How did you get connected with the Summers lab?
A: I was waiting for an Uber at the campus entrance circle, and I saw then President Freeman Hrabowski walking to his car from the Administration Building. I thought, “Let me go talk to him for a second—this is the president, I might never get another chance.” So I talked to him about where I’m from and my strong interest in science. He mentioned the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, and that conversation started a whole chain of communication with him. Eventually he connected me with Keith Harmon, the director of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program. After I met with Mr. Harmon, I became a friend of the program and started receiving advising and other support from Meyerhoff staff. Mr. Harmon was also the one who connected me with Dr. Summers.
Sam Geleta works hard in Dr. Michael Summers’ lab (left), but also finds time for fun with friends. At right, he celebrates Diwali on campus at an event hosted by the Hindu Student Association. (Courtesy of Geleta)
I was really excited about what Dr. Summers’ lab was doing, and I wanted to be a part of it. We study HIV’s RNAs and proteins, particularly how the virus replicates and packages its genetic material. That was really exciting for me, because Ethiopia is heavily affected by the HIV epidemic. If I could do research that could help us understand how the virus works and ease the epidemic, I wanted to participate in that. Fast forward, and it’s been two-and-a-half years since I joined the lab.
Q: What are you working on in the lab?
A: My first project was on understanding the role of RNA structures in modulating the translation and packaging of the HIV genome. That project was one of the reasons I became strongly interested in doing research, because it showed me the ups and downs of science. A lot of things didn’t work as planned, but eventually they came together, and just that pursuit itself was an incredibly rewarding experience.
We were able to publish results from that project in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) last summer, and now I’m working on a new project where I study how HIV proteins interact with human proteins—how they hijack cellular factors to enhance their own replication. The goal is to find new therapeutic targets for HIV.
Going to conferences taught me that you’re not just limited to your own little bench. Science goes much wider, and you can collaborate with people from across the country or the world, which is amazing.
Samuel Geleta ’25
Q: How did you decide to pursue a research career?
When we published the paper on my first project, I thought, “Wow, by doing research, I can be a part of a story that’s not done yet, but will continue to help other people. That really got me excited about pursuing my Ph.D. Also, for the paper, we collaborated with researchers at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Michigan. That showed me how much collaboration there is in science—that other people are also trying to figure out what’s going on.
Going to multiple conferences also really inspired me to pursue a Ph.D. I was able to meet people from different places and backgrounds, and it was just amazing how much we had in common in terms of what we wanted to pursue. At the same time, there were differences in how we approached our questions. That was really exciting, because I felt like doing my Ph.D. could connect me to a lot more potential collaborators and opportunities. Going to conferences taught me that you’re not just limited to your own little bench. Science goes much wider, and you can collaborate with people from across the country or the world, which is amazing.
Left: Sam Geleta poses by the ABRCMS sign, a major conference for undergraduate scientists. Right: Samuel Geleta (far left), Dr. Michael Summers (center) and other undergraduate researchers attend UMBC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fest in 2023. (Courtesy of Geleta)
Q: Who has supported you through your UMBC career?
A: I chose to work with Dr. Saif Yasin, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate in the Summers lab, because of how passionate he was about his science. We clicked immediately. He gave me a lot of freedom to think like a scientist, and come up with solutions to problems in the lab. He’s been an amazing support, and I learned a lot from him.
After he defended his Ph.D and returned to medical school, now I’m working with Dr. Nele Hollman, a postdoc in the lab. She has helped me take ownership of my work and come up with new ideas for the project that I’m doing right now. Even other grad students and postdocs in the Summers lab are always there if I need help. It’s an awesome environment for doing science.
The entire Meyerhoff staff has also been very supportive, and their support didn’t waver as my goals changed. Dr. Tiffany Gierasch, a teaching professor in chemistry and biochemistry, gave me the opportunity to be a learning assistant for organic chemistry classes, which really helped me understand organic chemistry even more and give back to other students. Dr.Deepak Koirala, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has also been an awesome mentor. He does RNA research, and I’ve gotten to know him because we’ve gone to a lot of conferences together. I sit in on some of his classes on RNA structures.
The Center for Global Engagement has been very supportive, too. Whenever I have a question, I just go there during their walk-in hours and talk to someone. They are so responsive.
And I can’t leave out my family and friends—some of them are still in Ethiopia. They’ve also been incredibly supportive and encouraging.
It’s perfectly fine if you are not sure about what you want to do. If you’re confused and looking for inspiration for what to do, then you’re doing the right thing. You should let the process play out. Just explore all the paths and everything you’re interested in, and eventually you will find what you really want to do. And once you find that, just keep going.
Samuel Geleta ’25
Q: What’s next for you?
A: I committed to Yale for my Ph.D. in biomedical and biological sciences. I’m really looking forward to starting life in New Haven and being in a new environment to do science. I’m interested in studying RNA therapeutics and how they can be used for viral interventions in different kinds of viruses.
My research got me looking into biotech as well, and after my Ph.D. I would be interested in pursuing that while also potentially working in academia. I would like my research to produce a product or get patented—translational work. That prospect got me more excited to do my Ph.D. I also want to bring some of the business back to Ethiopia and see what I can do. I want to be an entrepreneurial scientist.
Q: What advice do you have for incoming UMBC students or aspiring undergraduate researchers?
A: It’s perfectly fine if you are not sure about what you want to do. If you’re confused and looking for inspiration for what to do, then you’re doing the right thing. You should let the process play out. Just explore all the paths and everything you’re interested in, and eventually you will find what you really want to do. And once you find that, just keep going.
Also, forming connections is really important. Attend events with people from different places, and you’ll gain new insight into what they do. If you decide to start up a conversation with someone who doesn’t know you, you don’t have to go into the conversation with a specific goal. If you’re kind and curious, the other person will take the next step and want to help you out. Even if they can’t help you directly, they may be able to connect you with someone else who can.
I’m still in touch with Dr. Hrabowski. I told him about my post-grad plans and how he’s impacted me, and he was really happy. When I first had that conversation with him, I didn’t think it would lead up to this. I just took a chance, and it worked out. It’s been amazing.
Left: Sam Geleta (far left) with Dr. Summers and other members of the laboratory, all sporting sweatshirts advertising where they will pursue further study. Right: Geleta visited Yale’s campus before making his graduate school decision.
At UMBC, undergraduate students are redefining the boundaries of scientific and artistic pursuits. From a chemical engineer who graces the stage with his cello to a bioinformatician who paints and a biochemist who ignites the dance floor with Latin rhythms, these scholars thrive in an environment that celebrates their diverse passions.
This spring, several U-RISE Scholars—the National Institutes of Heath’s Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement—shared their multidisciplinary interests with Jacqueline King, associate director of the U-RISE program, and Mariano Sto. Domingo, associate director of research and evaluation within the Meyerhoff Scholars Program. As a result, King and Sto. Domingo started researching how the arts and science blend in these students’ lives, and presented their findings at an academic conference this spring. What they learned was that here, rigorous research and creative expression intertwine, fostering a vibrant community where students explore every dimension of their talents.
Ajeetha Aruchandran, a seniorbioinformatics and computational biology major, studies how the neural tube—a precursor to the spinal cord—forms in zebrafish embryos with Rachel Brewster, professor of biological sciences.
The development of the embryos, which are transparent, “is a very visual process,” Aruchandran says. Her artistic skills have allowed her to generate beautiful and accurate diagrams that communicate her research, she says. “When you’re not able to communicate science well, then the meaning is lost. So I think my art has really strengthened that aspect of my science. The connection has surprised and delighted me, because for a long time I thought my science and my art had to be separate.”
Biologist Ajeetha Aruchandran also loves to paint. (Courtesy of Aruchandran)
Aruchandran began with drawing, but has transitioned to painting. “There’s something so special about the freeness of a brushstroke,” she says. The two pursuits “create balance in my life, because when I need more structure, I have research and the scientific method, but when I need to feel more free, I have my art.”
Rhythm and harmony
Lesley Hernandez, a senior majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, is hunting for factors that regulate how viruses like HIV multiply in cells with Michael Summers, University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The ultimate goal is to disrupt the viruses’ replication. She also loves to dance.
“My family is from the Dominican Republic, so I grew up surrounded by music and movement. I decided to embrace that part of my culture at UMBC by joining the Latin Dance Club, where I could perform and share my love for dance with others,” Hernandez says. “I love incorporating dance into the workspace by sharing a laugh with my peers and dancing between experiments. It fosters stronger connections and creates an enjoyable work environment.”
Lesley Hernandez loves being able to “go to my dance class and come back [to the lab] with a refreshed mind.” (Melissa Penley Cormier, M.F.A. ’17/UMBC)
And, when the science gets intense, “I can go to my dance class and come back with a refreshed mind,” Hernandez says. Her attention to detail benefits both her science and her dance. Being “a calculated person” helps her pick up rhythmically complex dance moves more quickly, for example. Both activities also require creativity, whether in trouble-shooting an experiment that’s not working or coming up with new dance routines.
In the Summers lab, “We are all really into science, but what is fun for you outside of that? Everyone in my lab has their own outlet, and that is encouraged,” Hernandez says.
For Daisy Parry, a senior majoring in biological sciences, that outlet is singing. “I’ve had a lot of interests that have come and gone, but singing has been a constant thread throughout my life. It’s very important and very centering to me,” Parry says. Her music minor has created dedicated times that provide a respite from the demands of science, she says.
Daisy Parry (in front, with microphone) performs with the UMBC Stilettos, an all-female a cappella group. (Courtesy of Parry)
Parry is a member of The Stilettos, an all-woman a cappella group at UMBC, and her church choir. She arranges songs for The Stilettos to perform, which permits taking some creative license with the original work. “I like changing up the rhythms and dynamics to add depth to the music, and I think’s encouraged me to think a bit outside the box with my science, too, in terms of trying new experimental techniques.”
For now, her work on cell migration in fruit fly embryos with Michelle Starz-Gaiano, professor of biological sciences, her classes, and her music keep her busy, but Parry is looking forward to pursuing a master’s in public health after UMBC. She emphasizes how the concept of harmony—so central to music—carries over to the kind of work she wants to do. Factors such as research, clinical care, public policy, economics, the environment, and how they intersect are all relevant to public health outcomes, she explains.
‘It makes me whole’
Ella Reinders, a junior biological sciences major, also likes to tackle projects—scientific or artistic—from many angles. Watercolor and acrylic paints, sketching and drawing, handicrafts, sewing, and ballet have all captured her interest. “There are all different kinds of random things that I think are fun,” Reinders says.
In the lab, “I am able to come up with different ways of thinking about something because I’ve taken so many different approaches,” she says.
Reinders does behavioral research with Tara LeGates, assistant professor of biological sciences. The lab needed a new piece of equipment, but it was too expensive to buy off the shelf. “So I decided, why not create our own?” Reinders recalls.
Ella Reinders says that “moving through life with both scientific and artistic interests just makes everything more interesting.” (Courtesy of Reinders)
She sketched it out, learned how to render it on the computer, how to 3D print it at the UMBC library, and then how to wire it. “And now I’ve actually been using it, and it works,” she says. “It was really exciting. I love turning something from my brain into something that I’m actually holding.”
There is also direct overlap between Reinders’ science and her art. “I’ve done imaging of neurons, and being able to turn them into this piece of artwork that you want to hang on your wall is really exciting. Moving through life with both scientific and artistic interests just makes everything more interesting and feels like a way to express all sides of myself.”
For Joshua Dayie, a senior chemical engineering major, both discipline and creativity are required for his research and his art—playing the cello. “You really have to strike a balance between them to make any meaningful progress,” he says. Practicing cello requires hours of repetition, until technical passages flow out of his fingers from muscle memory alone. In the lab, sometimes experiments must be repeated many times before they’re successful—that’s the discipline.
Playing the cello and conducting research makes Joshua Dayie feel “more whole.” (Melissa Penley Cormier, M.F.A. ’17/UMBC)
Dayie applies that discipline to his research with Mark Marten, professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering, on characterizing signaling pathways in fungi that activate in response to environmental stressors.
Then comes the creativity. Only after someone masters the fundamentals can they explore nuance in the tone or emotion conveyed on the cello, Dayie says. Similarly, in science “a lot of the innovation that you generate is really only meaningful after you’ve spent a lot of time understanding the core scientific concepts behind everything.”
“I think that’s been the most surprising thing: The creativity that comes from a very sound foundation of discipline is something that is translatable pretty much anywhere,” Dayie reflects.
As an added bonus, “Music has been a really nice outlet for me to use a different part of my brain, just to express myself in a different way,” he adds. “I feel like it makes me a little bit more whole.”
Lea-Pearl Njei, biological sciences; Caly Ferguson, mechanical engineering; and Jariatu Kargbo, biological sciences, have each received the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for the 2025 – 2026 academic year. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation strives to promote a strong STEM workforce in the U.S., and Njei, Ferguson, and Kargbo are among this year’s 441 awardees nationwide. Since 2005, 34 UMBC students have been awarded a Goldwater Scholarship.
“Caly, Lea-Pearl, and Jariatu emerged from a field of well-qualified students to represent UMBC in the Goldwater competition,” shares April Householder ’95, director of undergraduate research and prestigious scholarships. “They worked with me and the Goldwater faculty committee to strengthen their applications, and their dedication paid off. For several years in a row, UMBC has had multiple winners for this extremely competitive award.”
Njei is conducting colorectal cancer research with Jean-Pierre Raufman at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, after an internship at Yale sparked her interest in gastrointestinal organs. Njei has found support in the Meyerhoff Scholars program, especially from staff such as Jacqueline King.
“Sometimes I have that fear, where I know I can do something, but I need a little push, or someone to give me that confidence that I can do it,” Njei says. “And Dr. King’s support has been wonderful.”
Raufman, too, “has always been incredibly supportive of me as a young researcher and continually challenges me to grow and reach my full potential,” Njei says.
Njei also appreciates how much assistance she’s received as an international student and the diversity among biological sciences majors. “There are people who want to go to medical school, who want to go to graduate school, and others who want to go into the pharmaceutical industry or engineering,” she says. Njei serves as president of the UMBC chapter of Phi Delta Epsilon, the international medical fraternity. The fraternity offered “another community on campus that, besides seeing myself as a researcher, helped me see myself in the world of medicine.”
Left: Lea-Pearl Njei presents her research at an NIH symposium. (Courtesy of Njei) Right: Jariatu Kargbo presents her research at a conference. (Courtesy of Kargbo)
The perfect place to grow
Ferguson is developing a prosthetic arm that runs on software driven by machine learning and is also affordable—a tricky combination. His work with Ramana Vinjamuri, associate professor of computer science and electrical engineering, has taken Vinjamuri’s lab in a new direction.
Vinjamuri is “open to ideas,” and tells his students that “the biggest thing you have to do is learn,” Ferguson says. “He’s been an incredible help to me over these past couple of years working on this project. UMBC has been the perfect place for me to grow.”
The project is making good progress, and right now Ferguson is working on a live simulation and moving toward a prototype that other lab members can use in experiments. He’s picked up substantial coding skills from his time in Vinjamuri’s group.
Ferguson is inspired to pursue the prosthetic arm in part because of a birth defect that caused portions of two fingers on each of his hands not to develop. It doesn’t affect his daily life much—Ferguson says he can still type, play basketball, and play video games, for example. “But it got me thinking about people with much bigger challenges,” he says. “Being able to impact that community with technology that I created would be pretty cool, so that’s how I got started with this idea.”
Caly Ferguson (foreground, right) is developing an affordable robotic hand that runs on machine learning. Parthan Olikkal (background, right) works with Ferguson in Ramana Vinjamuri’s research group. (Melissa Penley Cormier, M.F.A. ’17/UMBC)
Right at your doorstep
Kargbo is studying melanopsin, a protein in the eye, with Phyllis Robinson, professor of biological sciences. “I singled out UMBC because of its emphasis on community and research—that’s what I wanted out of my university experience,” Kargbo says, and she found what she was looking for. She chose Robinson’s lab because of her interactions with other lab members. “It felt like a really safe lab environment for me to make mistakes, learn from them, and then grow as a researcher,” she says, “even though I didn’t understand that much when I first started out.”
Kargbo encourages aspiring researchers not to sell themselves short. “You don’t know what you’re capable of until you actually try to accomplish your goal,” she says. “And if you don’t have the confidence to show what you’re able to do, nobody’s ever going to know about it.”
All of the recipients agreed that receiving the Goldwater will open up a new support network among current and former recipients, and that the application process improved their communication skills and helped them sharpen their career goals.
“Goldwater is another opportunity for me to practice communicating my science,” Kargbo says. “I can now use the skills that I learned from applying for Goldwater, even if I hadn’t won the award, to apply for other grants, for example the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship for graduate school or Fulbright.”
The newest Goldwater scholars also felt that UMBC offered the environment and resources they needed to succeed. To go after big goals, “You need people who believe in you. You need mentors, you need support groups, and you can and will find them at UMBC,” Njei says. “You don’t even have to look too far, because they are all right there at your doorstep.”
April Householder, left, supports UMBC students through the Goldwater application process. (Michael Mower/UMBC)
Samuel Barnett ’25, biochemistry, is on his way to the Ph.D. program in cellular and molecular biology at the University of Pennsylvania this fall, after seizing opportunities to conduct research at Howard Community College and then at UMBC. Always mindful of how others have supported him and wanting to pay it forward, Barnett has served in leadership roles in UMBC student organizations and created resources to help his classmates land their own opportunities.
Q: How did you choose your major?
A: My high school biology teacher at Wilde Lake was adamant about getting high school students involved in STEM. Even though the course was online because of the pandemic, she was still able to enrapture people in the wonders of biological sciences. I added the chemistry aspect because I wanted to dive a little bit deeper into how everything works from a basic science perspective. The interdisciplinary nature of biochemistry can sometimes make things a little more challenging, but also fun. Actually, if what I’m doing isn’t challenging, it’s not going to be as fun, I don’t think.
Q: How did you choose UMBC?
My research mentor at Howard Community College, Joseph Sparenberg, nominated me for the BUILD a BRIDGE to STEM (BBS) Internship at UMBC, part of the STEM BUILD program, after my sophomore year. I can confidently say that BBS was the most crucial turning point of my undergraduate career, making the shift from HCC to the “bigger pond” of UMBC much smoother. The mission of the BBS internship was to give transfer students a sense of belonging while immersing them in biological research. While I had research experience from Howard Community College, BBS made me feel like a researcher at UMBC.
The BBS mentors gave us a lot of autonomy and intellectual freedom to create our own projects, and I acquired experience that was relevant for my lab at UMBC and a later internship at the University of Pennsylvania. I also connected with a diverse network of mentors, familiarized myself with unique scholarship and scientific presentation opportunities, and met fellow community college transfers who helped inspire me to become the scientist I am today.
Sam Barnett with the research poster he presented to conclude his internship at the University of Pennsylvania. (Courtesy of Barnett)
Q: How did you get connected with your research mentor at UMBC, Fernando Vonhoff, and what are you studying?
A: It’s a funny story, actually—Dr. Vonhoff grew up in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish, and one day he stepped in for my UMBC Spanish teacher. I talked to him after the Spanish class about his work and later visited him in his office to learn more. Even though his lab is mostly focused on behavioral neuroscience, I was up front about the fact that I’m interested in molecular biology. Dr. Vonhoff could have said I wasn’t a good fit, but he gave me a chance and connected me with one of his Ph.D. students, Zach Smith, who does a lot of the molecular work in the lab. Gaining those molecular skills has opened up doors for me when it comes to getting research experience.
I started in the lab in January 2024. Initially, I worked with Zach to master skills like qPCR and later Western blotting—foundational research techniques for identifying and quantifying genetic material and proteins in a sample. This semester I’ve been trusted to do Western blotting completely on my own.
Dr. Vonhoff’s lab works with fruit flies, a common model system for lots of kinds of studies. I’m trying to figure out a better way to identify the presence of a specific very tiny protein in the flies. Because it’s so small, it’s hard to visualize using traditional Western blotting. We tried a procedure that added a larger, fluorescent protein to the small protein to make it easier to see on the blots. It didn’t pan out, but that happens! So now we’re trying to go back to the basics and find new ways to observe the really small protein, but it’s really difficult.
That was definitely disappointing, but I think at the end of the day that’s just how the scientific process works. Progress ebbs and flows. We’re always asking, what can we do beyond this?
Samuel Barnett
That was definitely disappointing, but I think at the end of the day that’s just how the scientific process works. Progress ebbs and flows. We’re always asking, what can we do beyond this? Maybe another type of test or approach will work. I think the best way to approach those challenges is just optimism and to engage your curiosity and expose yourself to alternative solutions.
Q: Along with Vonhoff, who else has supported you along the way?
A: I first met Dr. Maria Cambraia, assistant director for research and international affairs in CNMS, through the BUILD a BRIDGE to STEM internship, and she has since been one of the most influential people on my undergraduate journey. She advised me on what pathways to take when I transferred to UMBC, gave me opportunities to present at national conferences, wrote letters of recommendation for anything and everything under the sun, and has been an overwhelming source of support throughout my undergraduate career. It is genuinely difficult to quantify the impact she has had on me and my fellow undergraduates.
Dr. April Householder, director of undergraduate research and prestigious scholarships, has also been essential in making sure that my place at UMBC was seen and heard. She helped me apply for the prestigious Goldwater and Knight-Hennessy Scholarships, and was always there to lend an ear. She worked overtime with the Goldwater representative at HCC, Cheryl Campo, to help me get my application submitted.
Sam Barnett, right, with April Householder, director of undergraduate research and prestigious scholarships.
Q: What are you most proud of from your time at UMBC?
A: I am most proud of winning the Barry Goldwater Scholarship. According to the Barry Goldwater Scholarship website it is “the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering in America.” An academic institution can select up to five students to apply for the scholarship, including one slot for transfer students. Originally, I competed for the transfer slot at UMBC, but wasn’t selected. However, at a national conference I attended, I met the president of the Goldwater foundation, who told me about a policy change that allowed transfer students to reapply at their previous institution. That led to Dr. Householder and Dr. Campo rushing to help me get my application submitted as a nominee from HCC. In April 2024, I got the email that I had won the scholarship. At the moment I won, I could hardly believe it; I was quite literally shaking and overjoyed.
Q: What else are you involved in at UMBC, and how have those activities benefited, challenged, or surprised you?
A: In addition to research, I’ve served in leadership roles as the vice president of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) UMBC chapter and secretary of the UMBC chapter of the Tau Sigma National Honor Society, an honor society specifically for transfer students. I’ve also been a tutor for analytical chemistry on campus and volunteered regularly at Grassroots Crisis Intervention.
Sam Barnett presents at a general body meeting of the UMBC chapter of the American Chemical Society in 2024. (Courtesy of Barnett)
The biggest surprise was my position within the ACS chapter here. It turned out to be a bigger job than I expected. I compiled a list of 200+ active internships to help out other students. Recently, I leveraged one of my connections at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology to invite a guest speaker to campus. A lot of my work for the ACS chapter was self-driven, but I’m grateful to the group’s advisor, Dr. Maria van Staveren, who really supported my ambitions to make the position into more than the minimum required.
Q: What’s next for you, and what are you looking forward to?
A: This fall, I’ll begin a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology with a concentration in cancer biology at the University of Pennsylvania. I was an intern at Penn’s Center for Cellular Immunotherapies in summer 2024, and I had a really good time there. The rigorous research environment was just enthralling to me. I was able to focus completely on being a researcher for the first time. I had my own independent project, under guidance from a postdoc. It was really intimidating at first. At Penn, you’re able to work through the entire research process and bring new things to the table.
Sam Barnett, far right, with STEM BUILD Trainees at UMBC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fest in 2023.
Q: What has been the best part of your UMBC experience?
A: The best part of my UMBC experience has been the opportunity to meet mentors that have defined my career. I’ve been given a lot of opportunities, and sure, I’ve taken initiative and put in effort, but at every step of my undergraduate journey, I’ve had a mentor in my corner who’s been willing to lend me a hand and give me a chance.
UMBC offers many opportunities for undergraduates to get connected to administrators and research faculty. In my experience, faculty have always been friendly and open to connecting with undergraduates. I am extremely grateful to both UMBC and my mentors for the continued support throughout my career, and all that support has inspired me to try to give back, through efforts like the ACS internship database.
Q: What advice do you have for transfer students and aspiring undergraduate researchers?
A: Don’t feel afraid to reach out to everyone—faculty members, classmates, staff. They can all help you. And if they don’t respond via email, you can go to their office to introduce yourself. Even in a period of uncertainty, move forward anyway—research is still necessary and important. Stay ambitious, and stay involved in science.
UMBC has received a $1.2 million solar energy grant from the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) to support solar power installations on campus and other sustainability initiatives.
The funding will enable construction of solar canopies over the north portion of the Stadium Lot. Rooftop solar arrays will be mounted on UMBC’s central receiving warehouse, located adjacent to the lot. The installations will be highly visible to the UMBC community and members of the public attending events at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
Together, these solar installations will generate 1,000 kWAC of clean, carbon-free energy, or about 2.5 percent of UMBC’s current annual electricity. The solar panels’ output will reduce UMBC’s carbon footprint by roughly 500 tons per year and earn Solar Renewable Energy Credits from the state of Maryland, which can be sold to power companies. The combined savings from the electricity generation and accompanying SRECs may save UMBC $200,000 to $300,000 annually.
“This solar energy project is a significant step forward for UMBC to reach its sustainability goals, and will benefit our campus and local communities,” Taylor Smith, assistant director in the Office of Sustainability, says. “For the first time, the university will generate a significant amount of clean, renewable electricity right here on campus. We are lucky to have a community of partners that made this happen.”
The UMBC Library Pond and surrounding vegetation are home to numerous wildlife species, such as yellow-crowned night herons and red-winged blackbirds. The pond also serves as an important stormwater management feature on campus. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)
Beyond solar
The grant will also support the development of UMBC’s Campus Clean Energy Master Plan (CCEMP). The CCEMP will rely on past studies and a forthcoming decarbonization engineering study to identify opportunities to save energy and decarbonize campus energy systems, including the central and satellite utility plants.
UMBC’s geography and environmental systems department and engineering faculty affiliated with the Grand ChallengesScholars Program are designing new learning opportunities that will use the solar project as an educational tool. Grant funds will partially fund academic experiences that provide students with hands-on learning opportunities in solar energy technology, renewable energy systems, and sustainability management, integrating real-world problem-solving into the academic curriculum. Five interns will also gain critical experience through supporting these projects, under the supervision of the Office of Sustainability and departmental faculty.
“The campus community can be proud of this commitment to bring solar energy to campus,” Smith says. “This project will not only accelerate UMBC’s shift to clean energy but will also create a visible, tangible symbol of the progress that’s been made. Plus, the new solar arrays will create learning opportunities for students to build the skills they need to thrive in the green economy.”
Thomas Seidman, late emeritus professor of mathematics and statistics, gave 45 years of his life to teaching, mentoring, and conducting research at UMBC before retiring in 2017. After his death in August 2024, his estate donated $1.06 million to UMBC to create the Dr. Thomas I. Seidman Endowed Chair in mathematics. The Maryland E-nnovation Initiative, an effort within the Maryland Department of Commerce, matched the bequest, bringing the total endowment to more than $2 million.
Thomas Seidman (Courtesy Seidman family)
“The Seidman family’s generous gift, along with the MEI match, will make it possible for UMBC to hire world-class applied mathematics faculty with expertise in research fields that will drive the economy of the future,” said William R. LaCourse, dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. “CNMS is deeply grateful for Dr. Seidman’s service to UMBC throughout his decades as a faculty member. With this gift, his impact will extend even further by helping UMBC students prepare for rewarding careers in booming fields like data science and AI.”
Joining UMBC only a few years after the university’s founding in 1966, Seidman created a home for himself in the mathematics and statistics department. In addition to his prolific and widely-cited scholarship in applied analysis and fierce dedication to teaching, Seidman also contributed to the young department’s development through writing bylaws for department chair election processes, chairing the promotion and tenure committee for many years, and serving as acting department chair in 1992. He never missed a department seminar and was known for asking insightful questions.
“He was able to build a niche and a role for himself that fit him perfectly,” Seidman’s son, Gregory Seidman, says. “The continuity and stability of the environment, combined with the roots our family had put down in the area, made him feel at home in a way he couldn’t imagine rebuilding elsewhere.”
Leaving a legacy
Seidman “cared deeply about teaching,” his son says, and took pride in instructing students in both foundational math courses like Linear Algebra and courses for non-majors, such as a course on the history of mathematics. Seidman’s one regret was that he did not advise more graduate students, his son shares.
Gregory believes his father hoped to leave a legacy by supporting further work in his mathematical research fields and creating opportunities for students. “It is my hope that his bequest will support many doctoral students following in his research footsteps,” Gregory says, “who would otherwise have been that legacy.”
The younger Seidman remembers spending much of his childhood in his father’s office and in a UMBC computer lab. Father and son learned to program an original Apple PC together in the early 1980s, which inspired Gregory to pursue computer science. Eventually, he even co-authored a research paper with his father. Gregory also recalls regular meetings of the minds with department members in the Seidman household when he was young.
Thomas Seidman was known for his commitment to teaching, and his bequest will create more opportunities for UMBC students to study with outstanding mathematicians. (Courtesy Seidman family)
“While I know my father made a difference at UMBC in various ways, some more significant than others, it feels good to have his name on something that will be seen for years to come,” Gregory says. “I’m also especially pleased that, some day, my kids will be able to show their kids that their great-grandfather, whom they will never meet, made a difference here.”
Seidman notes that his father’s life was a fulfilling one, rich in warm personal relationships and professional success. “His was a life well lived,” he says. And now, the Dr. Thomas I. Seidman Endowed Chair will help create opportunities for more aspiring mathematicians to build their own lives and legacies.
A new $7.8 million award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will support the development of biologically-powered underwater sensors. Right now, a vast network of underwater sensing devices in oceans around the world conducts environmental monitoring and supports national security—and most of these devices rely on batteries and underwater cables for power.
“The motivation of the project is to eliminate the requirement for periodic battery replacement or recharging, which is expensive and logistically demanding,” says Kevin Sowers, professor of marine biotechnology and a co-PI on the award, which is led by Stephanie Lansing, a professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland, College Park. The project is supported by DARPA’s BioLogical Undersea Energy (BLUE) program and includes researchers from nine universities and companies.
A new fuel source for underwater sensors
The proposed devices, called the Persistent Oceanographic Device Power (PODPower) system, will autonomously draw phytoplankton from the surrounding water into a fermentation chamber. There, microorganisms will break down the phytoplankton into simpler chemical compounds. Finally, other microorganisms in a microbial fuel cell will use those compounds to generate electricity, Sowers explains. Sowers, a microbiologist, will work on engineering bacteria that can break down the phytoplankton into chemicals such as acetic acid that the microbes in the fuel cell can use.
Sowers will also lead efforts to develop a testing environment in the Aquaculture Research Center (ARC) at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) in downtown Baltimore to evaluate components and a complete prototype of the new devices. The current award will support development of a functioning prototype, and there is the potential for $3.4 million more for testing in the open ocean.
“This unique collaboration of interdisciplinary experts will produce a bio-inspired system that has game-changing potential to provide direct electric power to improve sensing capabilities while protecting and limiting the impact to the environment through use of this unique bioenergy system,” Lansing said.
Adi Foord is a Scialog Early Science with LSST Fellow. (courtesy of Foord)
In this role, Foord has the opportunity to propose research analyzing data coming from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the largest ground-based telescope in the world. Over the next 10 years, it will carry out the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), scanning the entire sky every three days. Construction of the observatory, in Chile, is nearly complete, and its first images of the sky are expected later this year. LSST will collect an unprecedented amount of astronomical data ripe for analysis—and full of discoveries just waiting to be uncovered.
The Scialog fellowship is designed to hasten those discoveries. A cohort of 50 fellows includes early-career researchers in a wide range of fields: astrophysicists like Foord, theoretical physicists, data scientists, software engineers, and more. Each year of the three-year fellowship, the fellows gather for a multi-day workshop designed to facilitate development of innovative research proposals that would use LSST data.
Foord’s first proposal, in collaboration with Krista Lynne Smith at Texas A&M University, is one of eight proposals selected for funding out of the 33 submitted after the first Scialog workshop.
Below, Foord answers questions about the fellowship, her research at UMBC, and her passion for physics, and shares advice for aspiring astronomers.
Q: How is this fellowship unique?
A: LSST’s open-access dataset will be higher in volume and complexity than any previous astrophysics survey and will contain unexpected data that will provide insights into fundamental questions about the universe.
This fellowship addresses two key challenges to unlocking the discoveries in LSST data: 1) the lack of seed funding to support early LSST discoveries, and 2) the need to create cross-disciplinary connections to address the ambitious questions LSST is poised to answer. By facilitating creative proposals from interdisciplinary teams and then funding those proposals, the fellowship program addresses both of these challenges.
On top of this, I was really excited by the interdisciplinary nature of the program. The most creative and innovative ideas often emerge when scientists from diverse fields come together. By fostering collaboration—over food, coffee, and discussions—the fellowship provides an ideal environment for sparking ideas.
Q: What are the goals of your funded proposal?
A: My proposal is focused on building and using a “Dual Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) Finder” on LSST data. Dual AGN are pairs of actively accreting supermassive black holes whose galaxies are merging. They are very difficult to find, because they generally just look like one source, instead of two.
Thankfully, the brightness of different kinds of objects in the sky varies predictably over time, so a graph called a “lightcurve” that represents an object’s varying brightness can be used to identify an unknown object. Our tool will use the unique lightcurve expected from dual AGN systems to search for pairs of merging AGN. As of right now, there are less than 100 confirmed pairs of merging AGN, so we hope to dramatically expand this sample size using our tool. LSST scans the full sky every three days, so it will have millions of lightcurves of AGN. It’s the perfect observatory to carry out such an analysis.
This new project with LSST nicely bridges my Ph.D. work on dual AGN with my current interests in how galaxy mergers influence supermassive black hole growth. It also opens the door to utilizing a completely different type of data.
Snowfall blanketed the mountains of northern Chile on August 4, 2024, including Cerro Pachón, where Rubin Observatory is located. (NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/F. Bruno)
Q: Why are you passionate about this field, and how did you find your way to it?
A: I wasn’t sure what I wanted to pursue in college until my senior year in high school, when I had the opportunity to take an observational astronomy class. Prior to that, I enjoyed physics and math, but I hadn’t found the applications particularly exciting. That all changed the first time I looked through a telescope and held a meteorite that had originated from a collision on Earth about 50,000 years ago. The sheer excitement I felt in those moments made me realize that astrophysics was the perfect intersection of math, physics, and an interesting environment. The support I received from my high school physics (Mr. Woosnam) and astronomy (Mr. P) teachers gave me the confidence to pursue this path.
I still experience that thrill every time I open new data, not knowing what discoveries await, but eagerly anticipating what the data will reveal. The unwavering support of my mentors and friends has enabled me to stay the course and be successful in this field. Now, as a professor, I strive to inspire that same excitement in my students and help them discover their own passions.
Q: What do you enjoy about being a member of the physics department and the UMBC community more broadly?
A: Since joining UMBC in fall 2023, I have been truly impressed by the students. The undergraduates are incredibly passionate about joining research teams and learning about astrophysics. It has been a rewarding experience to start building my own research group of graduate students and mentor them through their first graduate research projects.
A UMBC physics student gives a tour of the observatory on top of the Physics Building to members of the local community. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)
I also particularly appreciate the amount of resources available for new faculty. In my first year, I participated in three different programs that introduced me to faculty across various departments, which I found invaluable. The Eminent Scholar Mentoring Program is especially unique—it has allowed me to professionally and personally connect with a seminal scientist in the field, someone I may not have had the opportunity to easily meet otherwise. These resources truly set you up for success and make you feel incredibly supported.
Q: What advice do you have for aspiring astronomers?
A: At the undergraduate level, actively seek out research opportunities wherever you can. Look for options at your own institution, nearby universities, and through programs offered by various agencies. Even if the research isn’t in an area you originally wanted to pursue, these experiences will help you develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability to ask important questions.
I also encourage you to surround yourself with supportive mentors and colleagues. Every successful scientist got to where they are because they had people backing them along the way—the “lone genius” is rarely the full story. Being part of a supportive community not only helps you move forward but also fosters creativity and passion in your research, which is ultimately what drives us.
Sagittarius A*, the black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy, is located at the brightest, central point in this image. (NASA/CXC/MIT/Frederick K. Baganoff, et al.)
Q: Anything else you are burning to share?
A: My favorite supermassive black hole, of course! It’s Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy. While it’s puny (only about four million times the mass of our Sun, which is relatively small for a supermassive black hole) and not particularly active, its proximity to us makes it an incredibly intriguing object. Despite being so close, there are still many unanswered questions about its growth and activity. Most of my research focuses on supermassive black holes in other galaxies, but if I had unlimited time, I would love to dedicate more of my work to studying Sagittarius A*.
A new course in UMBC’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics is having a positive impact on student success in a notoriously difficult course for math majors everywhere. Two new papers by UMBC mathematicians and members of UMBC’s Faculty Development Center strongly suggest that MATH 300: Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning(IMR) is helping students succeed in MATH 301: Real Analysis, the first course math majors take that relies on one’s ability to construct and analyze proofs, rather than just do calculations.
In Real Analysis, “We’re switching gears of how students think. They go from calculational things to proof-based work,” says Kathleen Hoffman, professor of mathematics and lead author on the new papers. “Now your solution is a paragraph that you have to write in full sentences. It has to have logical structure. It has to start with a hypothesis and end with a conclusion. It’s a big hump for students to get over.”
Real Analysis is easily one of the most challenging courses for math majors nationwide, Hoffman says. Over the years, many institutions have introduced a preparatory course that teaches students how to develop proofs without requiring them to learn new math content at the same time. The conventional wisdom is that these courses help, but almost no one had conducted a rigorous study to find out.
“There was a huge gap in the literature,” Hoffman says.
Forming the team
UMBC math faculty had seen the need and been talking about adding a dedicated proof-writing course for years, but it hadn’t quite come together. Hoffman jump-started the process by applying for a Hrabowski Innovation Fund Grant in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning category. These awards support faculty who want to do ambitious projects that they might not otherwise have bandwidth for.
Kathleen Hoffman wrote the Hrabowski Fund for Innovation proposal that supported the team’s efforts to rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of their new course. (Courtesy of Hoffman)
When the award was funded, Hoffman formed a team with Justin Webster, associate professor of mathematics, and Kal Nanes, associate teaching professor of mathematics, to design the course for UMBC. Webster had re-designed and updated one of these proof-writing courses at his previous institution, the College of Charleston. The math team also worked with staff in UMBC’s Faculty Development Center to design a rigorous study to evaluate the course’s effectiveness over time. The team knows of only one other such study, from the 1980s, despite the rising incidence of proof-writing courses at universities nationwide.
Hoffman, Webster, and others believed that IMR would help UMBC math students, and informal observations supported their hunch once the course launched. These publications provide statistical analyses to back their intuition, and now Retrievers and students from other institutions can benefit from their successful formula.
Thinking about thinking
The first paper, published in a special issue of Educational Sciences, focused on written reflections the students completed every week along with their proofs. Prior research suggests that students tend to struggle in specific skills related to proof-writing, so the students were required to address how well they thought they did on each of four skills in their reflections.
“Students who did very thoughtful responses did much better in this course, but they also did much better in Real Analysis, where they didn’t do any reflections,” Hoffman says. The reflections “give the students a framework for understanding what they know and what they don’t know. It gives them the words to use.”
The study analyzed the quality of the reflections, but not necessarily the content. It didn’t seem to matter exactly what aspects of proof-writing the students addressed in their writing—simply the act of metacognition, or “thinking about thinking,” seemed beneficial.
The correlation was strong, but Hoffman admits the study does not prove causation. Strengthening the evidence, though, is that thoughtful reflections in IMR were not correlated with success in its prerequisite course, MATH 221: Introduction to Linear Algebra. That suggests the reflections, and potentially other elements of IMR, were the difference-maker for students moving forward.
A solid foundation
A second paper, published in the International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, compared students’ grades in Real Analysis depending on whether or not they had taken the proof-writing course. The findings showed that IMR did not much affect the outcomes for students who earned As in the prerequisite linear algebra course—they were also likely to do well in Real Analysis whether they took IMR or not. However, students who earned a B or C in the prerequisite course were much more likely to successfully complete Real Analysis if they had taken IMR.
The researchers also received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students who had taken IMR about its benefits. One student said,
“I feel like [IMR] gave me a solid foundation in understanding how to write proofs, which allowed me to come into [Real Analysis] with a bit more confidence. Without it, I probably would have struggled through [Real Analysis] since I would have been learning how to write proofs and the [Real Analysis] material at the same time.”
Based on the results of these studies, the UMBC mathematics and statistics department has decided to make IMR a required part of the curriculum for math majors and minors. Minors used to take Real Analysis as their terminal course, but now they take IMR. For majors, IMR provides the foundation needed to support success in Real Analysis.
More than pushing symbols around
When he took it as an undergraduate, an IMR-type course “was the thing that made me want to be a math major,” Webster says, so designing this course for UMBC was an exciting prospect. Becoming proficient in writing and analyzing proofs, rather than doing calculations, is like “writing versus writing literature,” he says—you have to spend a lot of time thinking about what you’re trying to accomplish and how to structure your arguments. You can’t just “plug-and-chug,” applying various theorems and techniques to instances of a given type of problem. “Math isn’t just the act of pushing symbols around,” Webster says.
Justin Webster often meets with students to support their progress in math courses. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)
To prepare students to write mathematical literature, Hoffman says that in IMR, “In one sense I’m teaching math, but in another sense I’m not. I’m teaching them how to think—how to structure their argument and express it clearly.” Almost never can a student simply sit down and write a proof in one sitting, like completing a problem set in prior math courses. It’s more like writing a paper.
When you work on a proof, “You think, you don’t get it, you go do something else, you think, ‘Oh, I think I know what to do,’ you come back, and that is normal,” Hoffman says. “They have to understand, this is not instant gratification—you will struggle with this and I’m expecting you to. It’s inevitable that they will struggle—I’m teaching them to persist through the struggle.”
A collective commitment
The studies would not have been possible without support from the Faculty Development Center. While many faculty might like to conduct more rigorous analysis of their teaching methods, it’s not their area of expertise. “If you want people like me who do disciplinary research to engage in pedagogical research, you have to give me some help,” as Hoffman put it.
Kerrie Kephart was one of several members of the Faculty Development Center who contributed to the study of the new course’s impact. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)
That’s where the FDC came in. Several staff members became involved in the project, including Tory Williams, Jennifer Harrison, Kerrie Kephart, and Linda Hodges, adding their individual areas of expertise.
“The math faculty have deep expertise in math pedagogy, but needed our support to help plan the intervention, design the research study, and analyze the data. The project required all hands on deck.” shares Kephart, co-author on the written reflections study and interim FDC director. “As a qualitative researcher with expertise in the teaching of academic writing, I enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to study the effects of incorporating reflective writing into a math class.”
The project is also a demonstration of the math department’s commitment to supporting student success, even if that required some culture change. Since IMR’s initial offering in 2019, several additional math faculty have taken on teaching the course. Each time someone new takes it on, they work closely with experienced instructors, and all sections of the course are closely coordinated to ensure quality and consistency for students.
The project is a masterclass in recognizing a challenge (a high failure rate in Real Analysis) and taking creative, concerted, and collective action to address it, with very positive results. “After realizing there was a gap in students’ preparation, a group worked together to fill it, and in the process learned a lot about how to measure progress in math education and pedagogy,” Webster says. “We leaped at this opportunity to effect change and measure outcomes in a novel and modern way.”
And because they carefully evaluated the project’s effects and published the results, now other math departments can benefit from their findings. That possibility was a highlight for Kephart. “Since our work in the FDC generally supports faculty, teaching, and learning here at UMBC,” she says, “it’s exciting to make a contribution toward the development of math pedagogy beyond our campus.”
UMBC has received $1.5 million from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to organize a new UMBC Quantum Science Institute. The funding will support graduate fellowships for students pursuing quantum technology research, the development of new courses and academic programs focused on quantum, and equipment to enhance existing quantum labs and start new ones.
“This institute is the crowning jewel of several decades of pioneering quantum research here at UMBC,” says QSI director and professor of physics Todd Pittman, Ph.D. ’96, physics. “We have some heavyhitters here who are founders in the field, and the QSI is building on that foundation with a new generation of outstanding quantum-focused faculty.”
Quantum technologies harness the odd behaviors of particles at the atomic level to generate new functions, and are typically much more powerful than their conventional technology counterparts. To approach quantum research from every angle, the institute includes faculty across the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences and the College of Engineering and IT in physics, mathematics and statistics, computer science, and information systems. They are pursuing quantum research in areas including computing, communications, sensing, information theory, algorithms, and more. “You just can’t do comprehensive quantum research without bringing together engineers, data analysts, computer scientists, mathematicians, and physicists,” Pittman says.
“I am thankful for the support provided by NIST to develop the UMBC Quantum Science Institute under the leadership of Dr. Pittman,” shares Karl V. Steiner, vice president for research and creative achievement. “QSI will catalyze a new quantum research effort, in support of Governor Moore’s ‘Capital of Quantum’ Initiative to position Maryland as a global leader in this rapidly growing field.”
Training quantum-ready workers
In addition to contributing to research innovation and discovery, the institute will train students from a range of backgrounds to take on skilled roles in the booming quantum industry.
“The quantum industry has exploded,” Pittman says. The quantum technology market was valued at $10 billion in 2021 and is projected to rise to $44 billion by 2028, with potential for much more growth beyond that. In addition to tech giants like Google and IBM, hundreds of start-ups are working in the quantum space. “The market is hungry for quantum-ready workers,” Pittman says, and UMBC is ready to train them.
UMBC marked World Quantum Day in 2022 with a short video highlighting the quantum technology research happening in the physics department.
Sandra Cheng, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in physics, is a member of the first cohort of quantum graduate fellows. “Quantum science research, particularly in computing and networking, is quite interdisciplinary by nature,” she says, “and I’m hopeful the QSI will bring together like minds from all the departments involved, so that we’ll be able to contribute towards a greater understanding of quantum science together.”
The QSI leadership team plans to offer social and professional development programming for the fellows. In addition to preparing them for the workforce, the connections they make will help generate a personal network of support, encouraging persistence in a demanding field. Organizing interdisciplinary offerings for the student cohort will also promote collaboration among faculty, Pittman says, adding, “Students are the glue that holds the center together.”
“This new institute is a celebration of our strength and history in quantum research,” Pittman says. “I’m looking forward to seeing QSI unify the quantum researchers on campus in a way that promotes and facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration.”
Representatives from all of the departments involved in the new QSI recently attended a launch event.
