First Video Game From UMBC’s Game Developer’s Club Up on Steam

Sep 15, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

A game developed by a four-student UMBC team was recently added on Steam, the giant PC game platform. The success prompted stories in the Baltimore Daily Record and in Technical.ly/Baltimore featuring interviews with team lead Michael Leung ’16; programmer Tad Cordle ’16; and Marc Olano, who heads the game-development track in the computer science department. HueBots made it to the national “final four” of college game video development this spring. The competition for the Microsoft Imagine Cup entailed not only creating the game but a business plan that included getting the game onto Steam. Acceptance is a significant boost because… Continue Reading First Video Game From UMBC’s Game Developer’s Club Up on Steam

Amy Hurst, Information Systems, Describes “Making for All” in Huffington Post

Sep 9, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

The intersection of technology and do-it-yourself (DIY) culture, known as the Maker Movement, has been praised for encouraging Americans to be creative and resourceful. However, the costly technology associated with the movement has raised concerns about accessibility. Amy Hurst, information systems, spoke to the Huffington Post this week about how she is encouraging diverse populations to engage in making. Through working with individuals with intellectual disabilities and visual impairments, Hurst found that many DIY tools were difficult to use. Supported by a National Science Foundation grant, she started developing new tools and platforms to help people repair or customize objects,… Continue Reading Amy Hurst, Information Systems, Describes “Making for All” in Huffington Post

Anupam Joshi, Cybersecurity, Analyzes Wearable Tech Data Safety in Nature

Sep 4, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

Wearable electronics, which includes devices like fitness trackers and smart watches, is a rapidly growing industry that promises to connect the real and digital lives of consumers. As the technology evolves, researchers have been challenged to improve the safety and quality of data transfer to and from wearable electronics. Anupam Joshi, cybersecurity, spoke to Nature about the security concerns raised by this emerging technology. “With wearables… we truly are entering into a new era, and we have to start thinking of these issues,” Joshi declared. He shared how UMBC’s Center for Cybersecurity is working on privacy issues related to wearable… Continue Reading Anupam Joshi, Cybersecurity, Analyzes Wearable Tech Data Safety in Nature

Jian Chen, CSEE, Discusses New Hybrid-Reality System in The Daily Record

Sep 4, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

Jian Chen, computer science and electrical engineering, received a $360,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to build π², a hybrid-reality system that can project 3D images in order to display and interact with data. Chen and Karl Steiner, vice president of research, spoke to The Daily Record about the project. The π² system is to be constructed over the next year and will consist of high-resolution, floor-to-ceiling LCD panels. Chen explained that the screens can display images in 3D when used with special glasses. “That freedom of movement is part of what separates the hybrid-reality system from virtual-reality systems… Continue Reading Jian Chen, CSEE, Discusses New Hybrid-Reality System in The Daily Record

Sarah Jewett, STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative, and Susan Martin, CWIT, Write Series of Op-eds for Evolllution

Aug 27, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

Sarah Jewett, executive director of the STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative, and Susan Martin, associate director of the Center for Women in Technology, recently co-wrote a two-part series op-ed for Evolllution about their work developing programs to bridge access to STEM fields, focusing on underserved transfer students. The first part of the series discussed the STEM Transfer Success Initiative, which creates local institutional partnerships to support the success of students in transition, and the T-SITE Scholars program, which targets talented engineering and computing transfer students who demonstrate financial need. “These projects illustrate the potential of collaborative relationships to improve academic success, increase retention… Continue Reading Sarah Jewett, STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative, and Susan Martin, CWIT, Write Series of Op-eds for Evolllution

Anupam Joshi and Rick Forno, Cybersecurity, Comment on Ashley Madison Data Leak

Aug 21, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

As Ashley Madison experienced a widespread data breach this week, Anupam Joshi and Richard Forno, cybersecurity, spoke to the media about Internet security and how the leak will affect high profile users in Washington, D.C. In an interview with ABC2, Joshi cautioned that data breaches are increasingly becoming part of daily life. “Information is valuable,” he said. “People are after information. No security is perfect and once you marry these things, there is an incentive for someone to spend the right time and effort to steal some information.” He also spoke about users falling into a false sense of security.… Continue Reading Anupam Joshi and Rick Forno, Cybersecurity, Comment on Ashley Madison Data Leak

Mehdi Benna, CSST, Confirms Presence of Neon in Moon’s Exosphere

Aug 19, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

Mehdi Benna, a Center for Space Science and Technology planetary scientist, is the lead author of a paper confirming the presence of neon in the Moon’s exosphere. The paper was published in Geophysical Research Letters and has received widespread international media attention. In the paper, Benna describes observations from NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, known as LADEE. Though many have suspected that the Moon’s exosphere contained neon, Benna’s paper is the first to confirm its presence. “The presence of neon in the exosphere of the moon has been a subject of speculation since the Apollo missions, but no… Continue Reading Mehdi Benna, CSST, Confirms Presence of Neon in Moon’s Exosphere

Anne Spence, Mechanical Engineering, Shares Passion for Mentoring with CBS Baltimore

Aug 14, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

When Anne Spence, mechanical engineering, began her undergraduate studies in engineering, she noticed that a number of fellow female students dropped out of the program before graduation. She wondered if a female professor might have made a difference and decided to dedicate her career to serving as a role model for young women. In an interview with CBS Baltimore earlier this month, Spence shared her passion for the recruitment, training, and retention of engineering majors. “Here at UMBC, we are training almost 300 teachers each year to teach engineering in elementary, middle and high school,” Spence said. “We believe that… Continue Reading Anne Spence, Mechanical Engineering, Shares Passion for Mentoring with CBS Baltimore

Women Tech Leaders at bwtech@UMBC Encourage Inclusive Work Environments in Baltimore Business Journal

Aug 10, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

As the country struggles to attract more women to technology, an article in the Baltimore Business Journal this week explored how women tech leaders in Baltimore are encouraging diverse and inclusive work environments. Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of bwtech@UMBC, and Zuly Gonzalez, founder and CEO of Light Point Security based in bwtech@UMBC, were featured in the article for the example they are setting for women entrepreneurs. Gonzalez shared her experiences as a women in the cyber security industry, recounting the sexism she has faced in her career. However, she is determined to perverse, saying, “I try not to let that… Continue Reading Women Tech Leaders at bwtech@UMBC Encourage Inclusive Work Environments in Baltimore Business Journal

Ramon Goings, Sherman Scholars, Calls for Increased Representation of African-American Male Doctors

Aug 7, 2015 / 1 minute of reading

A recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) found that African-American males had the lowest application rate for medical school. Ramon Goings, program coordinator for the Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program, responded to this report by issuing a call to action to increase the representation of African-American males in the medical profession. In a column for The Edvocate, Goings points to barriers in the education pipeline and advocates for improving STEM education and supporting historically Black colleges and universities as they train African-American doctors. “We must work collaboratively to increase the amount of African American males not… Continue Reading Ramon Goings, Sherman Scholars, Calls for Increased Representation of African-American Male Doctors

Andrew Miller, Geography and Environmental Systems, Highlights UMBC’s Role in the Urban Water Innovation Network

Aug 5, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

UMBC is a founding member and partner of a new consortium of 14 institutions to develop strategies to keep urban water systems healthy and address challenges that threaten them both nationally and internationally. The Urban Water Innovation Network, or UWIN, is led by Colorado State University and will build locally on research by UMBC geography and environmental systems professors Andrew Miller and Christopher Swan, with Claire Welty, a professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering and associate director of research for UWIN, leading UMBC’s participation in the program. UMBC was recently featured in The Daily Record for its role in the project. “In the… Continue Reading Andrew Miller, Geography and Environmental Systems, Highlights UMBC’s Role in the Urban Water Innovation Network

Dean Julia Ross outlines UMBC’s commitment to increasing diversity in engineering at White House Demo Day

Aug 5, 2015 / 3 minutes of reading

The Engineering Deans Council of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) seized the opportunity to outline tangible steps to improve the inclusiveness of engineering education at the first White House Demo Day, hosted by President Barack Obama on Tuesday, August 4, in the White House East Room. UMBC Dean Julie Ross, College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT), is one of more than 100 deans who signed on to the ASEE letter of commitment to diversity presented at Demo Day, which was designed to highlight “why we need to give every American the opportunity to pursue their bold, game-changing… Continue Reading Dean Julia Ross outlines UMBC’s commitment to increasing diversity in engineering at White House Demo Day