Meet the UMBC alumni who built the Smithsonian’s Searchable Museum, expanding online access to African American history and culture

Feb 7, 2022 / 4 minutes of reading

Baltimore-based tech company Fearless and a team of UMBC alumni led the development of the the Searchable Museum to complement the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s “Slavery and Freedom” exhibition. The Fearless and NMAAHC teams worked together to reimagine this exhibit specifically for online audiences. Continue Reading Meet the UMBC alumni who built the Smithsonian’s Searchable Museum, expanding online access to African American history and culture

UMBC’s Mohamed Younis earns IEEE Fellow distinction as a leader in wireless network research

Feb 1, 2022 / 2 minutes of reading

Mohamed Younis has long been known as an innovator in wireless communications and networks, addressing complex protocol and security challenges. Now, he is one of the newest fellows of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The IEEE is a professional organization dedicated to advancing technology. It is the world’s leading and largest technical society, with over 400,000 members in more than 160 countries.The organization awards the IEEE Fellow distinction to members who have contributed to their fields in particularly significant ways. Continue Reading UMBC’s Mohamed Younis earns IEEE Fellow distinction as a leader in wireless network research

Student works in a lab, wearing a face mask and protective globes and coat.

UMBC to launch prestigious Beckman Scholars Program for aspiring M.D./Ph.D.s

Jan 25, 2022 / 6 minutes of reading

“The Beckman Scholars Program at UMBC will serve as a springboard for students from all backgrounds to launch themselves into successful careers as physician scientists. And as Beckman Scholars, they will be surrounded by a community that enables them to explore, challenge themselves, and, yes, sometimes fail—all while feeling supported,” says Dean Bill LaCourse. Continue Reading UMBC to launch prestigious Beckman Scholars Program for aspiring M.D./Ph.D.s

UMBC’s online master’s in information systems is one of the nation’s best, U.S. News reports

Jan 25, 2022 / 3 minutes of reading

U.S. News today announced that UMBC’s online master’s degree in information systems is one of the nation’s best online programs in this growing field. This year, joining UMBC in the top 50 ranked programs are universities like Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins, and George Mason. UMBC’s program is also included on the Best for Veterans list for the second year in a row, among the top 25 programs nationwide. Continue Reading UMBC’s online master’s in information systems is one of the nation’s best, U.S. News reports

covered terrace in front of a modern, large building

UMBC continues to advance Maryland’s biotech workforce through $900K biomanufacturing grant

Jan 19, 2022 / 5 minutes of reading

UMBC’s new biomanufacturing program “is really the next wave of UMBC expanding our training offerings,” says Annica Wayman, associate dean. It builds on success with an award-winning Biotech Boot Camp and the Translational Life Science Technology bachelor’s degree, launched in 2019. Continue Reading UMBC continues to advance Maryland’s biotech workforce through $900K biomanufacturing grant

A man wearing a white dress shirt and dark rimmed glasses stands in front of a light brick building.

Smithsonian features Erle Ellis’s research on how humans have shaped ecology over millennia as a top discovery of 2021

Jan 13, 2022 / 2 minutes of reading

“Our work shows that most areas depicted as ‘untouched,’ ‘wild,’ and ‘natural’ are actually areas with long histories of human inhabitation and use,” Ellis previously shared with UMBC News. They might be interpreted like this, he suggests, because in these areas, “societies used their landscapes in ways that sustained most of their native biodiversity and even increased their biodiversity, productivity, and resilience.” Continue Reading Smithsonian features Erle Ellis’s research on how humans have shaped ecology over millennia as a top discovery of 2021

UMBC research group tackles ongoing hurdles to efficient solar power tech

Dec 17, 2021 / 6 minutes of reading

Two new papers from Can Ataca’s research group at UMBC set the stage for further advances in solar power and other renewable energy technologies. Graduate students Daniel Wines and Gracie Chaney led the projects. Ataca’s group’s work is theory- and computation-based, but these projects took advantage of collaboration with experimental researchers. As work in this field develops from theory to implementation in devices, “There’s a need for both kinds of research at every stage,” Wines says. Continue Reading UMBC research group tackles ongoing hurdles to efficient solar power tech

Black woman with long, curly hair smiles while standing next to microscopes in a lab.

Hero of the Year: TIME honors UMBC alum Kizzmekia Corbett, COVID-19 vaccine leader

Dec 13, 2021 / 3 minutes of reading

TIME magazine’s famed Person of the Year issue today announced Kizzmekia Corbett as a Hero of the Year for her leadership in developing the COVID-19 vaccine. “Vaccines have the potential to be the equalizer of health disparities, especially around infectious diseases,” Corbett has said. Continue Reading Hero of the Year: TIME honors UMBC alum Kizzmekia Corbett, COVID-19 vaccine leader

A man wearing glasses smiles at the camera.

UMBC Marshall Scholar Joshua Slaughter seeks to advance equity in personalized medicine

Dec 13, 2021 / 5 minutes of reading

Joshua Slaughter ‘22, M30, has received the Marshall Scholarship, becoming the second student in UMBC history and the first in 29 years to be selected for the prestigious award. He was also a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. Continue Reading UMBC Marshall Scholar Joshua Slaughter seeks to advance equity in personalized medicine

UMBC and Israeli Ministry of Agriculture establish aquaculture research partnership

Dec 10, 2021 / 5 minutes of reading

The partnership will center on addressing challenges to the aquaculture industry that, once overcome, will make aquaculture more efficient and sustainable, and expand it to more seafood species. “There is an urgent need to promote agriculture in a sustainable way in the U.S.,” said Russell Hill, “and we hope to contribute as much as possible to that effort.” Continue Reading UMBC and Israeli Ministry of Agriculture establish aquaculture research partnership

Viral inventors: UMBC study finds virus DNA orchestrates a critical cellular pathway in bacteria

Dec 9, 2021 / 7 minutes of reading

A protein produced by viral DNA is orchestrating the critical “SOS response” in a large group of bacterial species, according to a new study in Nucleic Acids Research. “It’s the SOS response because if the bacteria or virus doesn’t get it right, they die,” Ivan Erill says. Continue Reading Viral inventors: UMBC study finds virus DNA orchestrates a critical cellular pathway in bacteria

two students in lab coats at a microscope

UMBC continues to advance biotech in Maryland through new $900K biomanufacturing grant

Nov 23, 2021 / 6 minutes of reading

A growing list of programs and partnerships is positioning UMBC as a leader in developing Maryland’s biotech and biomanufacturing workforce. “We are driven by the vision that Maryland can be a leader in biotech,” Dean Bill LaCourse says. “We’re establishing strong pathways to develop the workforce, where students and professionals have an array of choices about how to get to the biotech career they want and that the region needs.” Continue Reading UMBC continues to advance biotech in Maryland through new $900K biomanufacturing grant