$portrait of man standing in front of whiteboard with equations$

Justin Webster receives NSF grant to study mathematical models behind oscillation of plane wings, bridges, energy harvesters

Sep 6, 2023 / 2 min read

Although objects like bridges, buildings, and airplane wings may seem quite rigid, by design they are capable of a surprising deal of bending. This elasticity allows them to deform safely and temporarily in windy conditions. However, very rarely, “Elastic systems like bridges, buildings, and planes can become oscillatory or unstable in the presence of everyday wind, with potential for the oscillations to become damaging,” Justin Webster says. “Understanding this has big implications for fields like civil engineering or alternative energy.” Continue Reading Justin Webster receives NSF grant to study mathematical models behind oscillation of plane wings, bridges, energy harvesters

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Deepak Koirala to explore how RNA viruses hijack cellular machinery, with eye to future drug treatments

Aug 30, 2023 / 4 min read

RNA viruses cause many human diseases, but understanding of how they do it is poorly understood. Deepak Koirala is pursuing new research to figure out how they trick their host cells into making viral proteins. “It could be a new biological mechanism we’ve never seen before,” Koirala says. Continue Reading Deepak Koirala to explore how RNA viruses hijack cellular machinery, with eye to future drug treatments

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

Aug 25, 2023 / 7 min read

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

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

Aug 24, 2023 / 4 min read

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

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

Aug 17, 2023 / 7 min read

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

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Harnessing AI to improve healthcare: Sanjay Purushotham wins $590,000+ NSF CAREER award

Aug 4, 2023 / 4 min read

Sanjay Purushotham recently received a prestigious NSF CAREER award to support his team’s efforts to develop new ways to train healthcare-focused machine learning models. Continue Reading Harnessing AI to improve healthcare: Sanjay Purushotham wins $590,000+ NSF CAREER award

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

Jul 26, 2023 / 5 min read

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

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UMBC alum leads successful pilot of method for monitoring biodiversity on farms

Jul 26, 2023 / 5 min read

Study author Adam Dixon, Ph.D. ’21, understands that protected areas alone are not enough to solve the biodiversity, food, and health challenges the world is facing—so his work seeks to help “integrate conservation solutions into our most intensive places.” Continue Reading UMBC alum leads successful pilot of method for monitoring biodiversity on farms

Two people look at model plane in lab space.

UMBC teams with the Navy and the University of Arizona to develop new capabilities for hypersonic flight

Jun 23, 2023 / 6 min read

UMBC’s Ankit Goel has been investigating better ways to control aircraft flying at hypersonic speeds, by primarily focusing on the vehicle’s engine. He recently received more than $850,000 in funding from the Office of Naval Research to further the investigations. Over the next three years he will partner with Kyle Hanquist at the University of Arizona and researchers from the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) to develop improved engine control strategies and assess their performance in ground experiments conducted at the NAWC facility at China Lake, California. Continue Reading UMBC teams with the Navy and the University of Arizona to develop new capabilities for hypersonic flight

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

Jun 23, 2023 / 6 min read

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

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UMBC awarded $1 million in grants from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to support promising STEM students with financial need

Jun 20, 2023 / 2 min read

UMBC has been awarded $1 million in grants from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to support students with financial need who intend to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Continue Reading UMBC awarded $1 million in grants from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to support promising STEM students with financial need

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UMBC’s 2023 Cybersecurity Exploratory Project Awardees Announced

Jun 14, 2023 / 2 min read

UMBC’s Cybersecurity Leadership Task Force has recently awarded funding to seven exploratory projects on cybersecurity education and research, with a goal of enhancing UMBC’s role as a leader in cybersecurity. Continue Reading UMBC’s 2023 Cybersecurity Exploratory Project Awardees Announced