Ramana Vinjamuri explores how to improve robot-human communication to advance robots’ ability to cooperate with and assist people. Continue Reading Robots are everywhere – improving how they communicate with people could advance human-robot collaboration Why do we have belly buttons? Do our pets have them, too? And does anything collect inside them besides lint? Sarah Leupen answers all your questions about the strange and storied belly button. Continue Reading Innies, outies and omphalophobia: 7 navel-gazing questions about belly buttons answered Meet Xavier Smith, a senior computer engineering student who is heading to MIT next year to pursue his dreams of earning a Ph.D. and starting a biotech company. As a part of UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars Program, the U-RISE Scholars Program, and a number of other organizations on campus, he truly understands the meaning of community. Take it away, Xavier! Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: I am a senior studying computer engineering on the communications track. In fall of 2023, I will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where I will be… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Xavier Smith ’23, M31, computer engineering, scholar and mentor Manil Suri believes that the troubled relationship many Americans have with math is ultimately related to the general invisibility of mathematics in popular culture, and has a few ideas for helping to fix that through improving math awareness. Continue Reading Declines in math readiness underscore the urgency of math awareness UMBC cybersecurity expert Richard Forno explains the Biden administration’s first National Cybersecurity Strategy, released on March 2, 2023. Continue Reading What is the National Cybersecurity Strategy? A cybersecurity expert explains what it is and what the Biden administration has changed in recent years, Muslim communities around the world have used the period to rally around themes of social awareness. And this includes understanding the perils of wastefulness and embracing the link between Ramadan and environmental consciousness. As a historian of Islam, Noor Zaidi, assistant professor of history, sees the “greening” of Ramadan as entirely in keeping with the traditions of the faith, and in particular the observance of Ramadan. Continue Reading Calls for a ‘green’ Ramadan revive Islam’s long tradition of sustainability and care for the planet Meet Karndeep Singh ’18, M26, biochemistry and molecular biology, a graduate student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the biochemistry and molecular biology Ph.D. program. Singh is conducting his thesis research in Dr. Michael Summers’ laboratory at UMBC. Outside of research, he’s been involved with UMBC’s Chapter of Young Alumni (CYA), serving as the president since summer of 2020. Singh says he’s found his way at UMBC through involvement in research, residential life, and networking with alumni at UMBC. Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Karndeep Singh ’18, M26, CYA president Meet Anthony Rivera, a senior information systems (IS) major and a first-generation college student. When he’s not working on research related to improving equity for Medicaid recipients, you can also find him exploring his creative side through photography and a minor in theatre. Take it away, Anthony! Q: Tell us about how you wound up at UMBC. A: Hello, my name is Anthony Rivera and I am a senior information systems (IS) major, theatre minor student using he/him pronouns. I study IS because I am fascinated by the way people interact with technology and seeing those trends in human activity.… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Anthony Rivera, information systems major and student researcher Meet Adeola Ojomo, a sophomore sociology major who started working on campus helping other students as an academic peer advocate (APA) after being inspired by another APA who helped her with some excellent advice. Take it away, Adeola! Q: Tell us about yourself. What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? A: My name is Adeola Ojomo and I work at the Academic Success Center as an academic peer advocate. Some activities I enjoy outside of school include Tai Chi and gardening. I’m also a music lover! I can vibe with music from any decade and… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Adeola Ojomo, sociology major and academic peer advocate March 14 is celebrated as Pi Day because the date, when written as 3/14, matches the start of the decimal expansion 3.14159… of the most famous mathematical constant. The true reason to celebrate Pi Day, Manil Suri writes, is that mathematics, which is a purely abstract subject, turns out to describe our universe so well. Continue Reading Pi gets all the fanfare, but other numbers also deserve their own math holidays Meet Nate Dissmeyer ’07, information systems, a program manager with Galapagos Federal Systems, providing Army IT support at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. Dissmeyer finds fulfillment in helping to develop IT professionals and supporting the Department of Defense community. And UMBC really gave him the skills to succeed in his position, he says. Dissmeyer, who is a recurring donor and a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors (AABoD), found his way at UMBC through involvement with the Habitat for Humanity chapter and as a member of Triangle Fraternity. Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Nate Dissmeyer ’07, alumni leader and recurring donor Turning location services off on your smartphone only prevents smartphone apps from receiving location data. By using critical code and documentary research methods, we found that raw satellite location measurement data are perpetually created in our devices all the time. Continue Reading Satellite data: The other type of smartphone data you might not know about
Robots are everywhere – improving how they communicate with people could advance human-robot collaboration
Innies, outies and omphalophobia: 7 navel-gazing questions about belly buttons answered
Meet a Retriever—Xavier Smith ’23, M31, computer engineering, scholar and mentor
Declines in math readiness underscore the urgency of math awareness
What is the National Cybersecurity Strategy? A cybersecurity expert explains what it is and what the Biden administration has changed
Calls for a ‘green’ Ramadan revive Islam’s long tradition of sustainability and care for the planet
Meet a Retriever—Karndeep Singh ’18, M26, CYA president
Meet a Retriever—Anthony Rivera, information systems major and student researcher
Meet a Retriever—Adeola Ojomo, sociology major and academic peer advocate
Pi gets all the fanfare, but other numbers also deserve their own math holidays
Meet a Retriever—Nate Dissmeyer ’07, alumni leader and recurring donor
Satellite data: The other type of smartphone data you might not know about
