UMBC students help veterans with PTSD combat insomnia with new app

Nov 12, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

UMBC students Damola Adediran ‘17, computer science, and Sarah Kirby ‘16, computer science, were members of a standout team at the 2015 HackDC Hackathon that won top prize in the “Best Mobile Application for Clinicians” category, for their app “myBivy.” This year’s HackDC Hackathon challenged competitors to build a mobile app to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) deal with insomnia, which is common within this population. The myBivy app tracks veteran’s heartbeat and movements to detect night terrors, and over time works to help prevent them. The app allows veterans to observe their sleep patterns and to share… Continue Reading UMBC students help veterans with PTSD combat insomnia with new app

Lee Blaney explains how technology can transform pollutants in chicken manure into a valuable product

Nov 10, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

While manure is often used as fertilizer for crops, regulations designed to protect the environment do not allow farmers to use untreated manure on fields that already saturated with elements like phosphorus. Lee Blaney, assistant professor in the department of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, is developing new technologies in his lab to remove phosphorus from agricultural waste, such as chicken litter, to transform it into two highly valuable products: processed animal litter that can be used as fertilizer and chemicals that can be sold to farmers with land that is deficient in rather than saturated with particular nutrients. Blaney… Continue Reading Lee Blaney explains how technology can transform pollutants in chicken manure into a valuable product

Renetta Tull presents LSAMP program as model for improving STEM education in high schools

Nov 10, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

Renetta Tull, associate vice provost for graduate student development and postdoctoral affairs, presented at the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Learning for All forum supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on November 9, 2015. She discussed the University System of Maryland’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program at the forum, which kicked off a week of events aimed at improving STEM education, particularly at the high school level. In her speech, Tull discussed mentoring models and messaging that have been successfully implemented in UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars Program. This nationally recognized program provides holistic support to academically… Continue Reading Renetta Tull presents LSAMP program as model for improving STEM education in high schools

Anthony Johnson to chair national advisory board promoting diversity in physics

Nov 9, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

Anthony Johnson, professor of physics and computer science and electrical engineering, has been named chair of the American Physical Society (APS) Bridge Program’s National Advisory Board (NAB). Johnson was involved with the Bell Labs Cooperative Research Fellowship Program for Minorities, a precursor to the APS Bridge Program, in the 1970s. “The Bridge Program had its genesis with the Bell Labs Diversity Program, which I participated in, and thus it was quite an honor to be nominated Chair or the APS Bridge Program’s NAB,” he shares. The Bridge Program was created in 2013, funded by the National Science Foundation and the… Continue Reading Anthony Johnson to chair national advisory board promoting diversity in physics

Tinoosh Mohsenin receives NSF grant for wearable biomedical computing tech

Nov 9, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

CSEE Professor Tinoosh Mohsenin received a $212,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for a three-year project that will develop a heterogeneous ultra low-power accelerator for wearable biomedical computing. The work will be done in collaboration with researchers at George Mason University and students in the UMBC Energy Efficient High Performance Computing Lab. With the rapid advances in small, low-cost wearable computing technologies, there is a tremendous opportunity to develop personal health monitoring devices capable of continuous vigilant monitoring of physiological signals. Wearable biomedical devices have the potential to reduce the morbidity, mortality, and economic cost associated with many chronic… Continue Reading Tinoosh Mohsenin receives NSF grant for wearable biomedical computing tech

Helping kids with asthma breathe easier

Nov 5, 2015 / 4 minutes of reading

UMBC team to develop wearable system to track asthma triggers in pediatric patients. An innovative team of researchers working across engineering fields has received a nearly $2 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) PRISMS program to develop a comprehensive system to monitor critical environmental asthma triggers and physiological status indicators for pediatric asthma patients. Living with asthma, a chronic disease caused by the inflammation of the airway, can substantially impact a person’s well-being and, if not controlled, can be life threatening. Asthma prevalence has increased over the past decade to now impact 25.7 million adults and 7.1… Continue Reading Helping kids with asthma breathe easier

UMBC partnership inspires new CSEE advising website

Nov 2, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (CSEE) is piloting a new advising website, supporting students in computer engineering, computer science, chemical engineering, and mechanical engineering. The new site was developed by students through the spring 2015 course “Principles of Programming Languages,” taught by CSEE lecturer Shawn Lupoli. Searching for a real-world project to focus on, the students identified a need to update the CSEE department’s advising sign-up process. Lupoli oversaw the development of the project and coordinated the implementation of the new advising sign-up system. Joe Popoloski of Next Century, a technology development company in Baltimore, provided feedback throughout the course… Continue Reading UMBC partnership inspires new CSEE advising website

Govind Rao discusses portable bioreactors developed to save lives on battlefields

Oct 30, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

Soldiers on the battlefield and first-responders in conflict zones will soon be able to save lives by using a portable, briefcase-sized tool that rapidly manufactures medicines. Govind Rao, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering and director of the Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST) at UMBC, leads the research team behind this innovation. At the recent Bioprocess International conference, he called the system “beyond revolutionary,” reports BioPharma. “Welcome to the Betty Crocker world of bioprocessing,” said Rao. “Within a few hours you are expressing a high quality protein.” The product emerged from concerns that current methods for getting pharmaceutical supplies… Continue Reading Govind Rao discusses portable bioreactors developed to save lives on battlefields

Marie desJardins discusses underrepresentation of women in artificial intelligence research

Oct 28, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

In 2011, just 18% of undergraduate computer science degrees were received by women, according to data from the National Center for Education. In 1985, less than 30 years earlier, women received 37% of computer science degrees. This lack of diversity is particularly evident in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), UMBC’s Marie desJardins points out in Quartz. desJardins is associate dean in UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology and a professor of computer science. She argues that outdated gender stereotypes in science are rooted in a lack of diverse perspectives contributing to scientific research, and the gender imbalance among… Continue Reading Marie desJardins discusses underrepresentation of women in artificial intelligence research

Ant Ozok explains challenges banks face in using social media to connect with customers

Oct 28, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

As more banks use social media platforms, they are encouraging consumers to view social media as a way to access resources and to have their questions answered quickly. Banks and retailers alike use social media to connect with consumers. However, they use it in different ways and have varying degrees of success, says Ant Ozok, associate professor of information systems, in The Daily Record. Ozok notes that mortgage services and credit cards are difficult to effectively promote on social media due to their complexity, including the regulations surrounding them. Consumers are also more likely to have a negative reaction to… Continue Reading Ant Ozok explains challenges banks face in using social media to connect with customers

Renetta Tull selected as one of three finalists for GEDC Airbus Diversity Award

Oct 26, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

Renetta Tull, associate vice provost for graduate student development and postdoctoral affairs, has been selected as one of three finalists for the GEDC Airbus Diversity Award. Dr. Tull has been invited to present her work and ideas to a jury of experts at the annual GEDC conference in Adelaide, Australia on November 30, 2015. Dr. Tull has been recognized for her work on initiatives to drive inclusiveness and diversity in the STEM fields, including her leadership with the PROMISE Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), a program aimed at increasing the numbers of future engineering faculty from underrepresented groups. Learn more about Renetta Tull’s work… Continue Reading Renetta Tull selected as one of three finalists for GEDC Airbus Diversity Award

UMBC researchers collaborate to improve sustainability, with impacts in Maryland and across the nation

Oct 23, 2015 / 3 minutes of reading

Local sustainability researchers and thought leaders took center stage on October 16, 2015, at a forum for urban sustainability in Baltimore, hosted by UMBC’s School of Public Policy. The forum was designed to examine how collaborations among government agencies, companies, and nonprofits can improve sustainability policies and programs. It also emphasized how a broad range of perspectives is needed to effectively assess and address environmental concerns. This isn’t news to Claire Welty, professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering and director of UMBC’s Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education. Welty is the associate director of research for the Urban… Continue Reading UMBC researchers collaborate to improve sustainability, with impacts in Maryland and across the nation