Science & Tech

Anne Spence, Mech. Engineering, to Participate in Rep. Cummings’ Roundtable Discussion

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Anne Spence, mechanical engineering, will participate in a roundtable discussion hosted by Congressman Elijah Cummings. The panel is part of a Congressional initiative to learn about issues women educators encounter in building and sustaining economic security. The discussion will also focus on strategies to increase the number of women pursuing STEM fields. Spence has conducted extensive research on engineering education and seeks to identify best practices for educating teachers and engaging students. The discussion will take place on August 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the University of Maryland Biotech Park Conference Center. Click here to learn more… Continue Reading Anne Spence, Mech. Engineering, to Participate in Rep. Cummings’ Roundtable Discussion

Erle Ellis: Nature

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Erle Ellis, Geography and Environmental Systems, was recently quoted in the Nature article written by Virginia Gewin, Science and politics: Hello, Governor. “Although there is little disagreement that abrupt shifts occur in Earth systems, including climate and the composition of ecosystems, some scientists baulk at the suggestion that there is enough evidence to predict a single tipping point for the whole planet. “I thought it was a great review of the evidence for rapid shifts in ecology, but then it switched to a series of unsupported statements — at best a hypothesis — about how a global tipping point in the… Continue Reading Erle Ellis: Nature

Meyerhoff Expansion Program: Nature Jobs

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Virginia Gewin writes in Nature, about diversity in science and the problems facing minorities in science. Gewin writes that, Neil deGrasse Tyson has suggested that the low numbers of minorities and women in the US science workforce are due in large part to a lack of equal access to opportunities for entering that workforce. “To solve that problem, universities are now looking to the example of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It has crafted a formula for mentoring students from minority groups underrepresented in the sciences and helping to guide them into science, technology, engineering… Continue Reading Meyerhoff Expansion Program: Nature Jobs

Yonathan Zohar, NPR’s Morning Edition, Father of Bluefin Tuna

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Yonathan Zohar, professor of marine biotechnology, was recently featured on NPR’s Morning Edition for his success in keeping, as Dan Charles of NPR says, “the tiger of the ocean,” bluefin tuna larvae alive for 10 days. “It’s amazing. We cannot stop looking at them! We are here around the clock and we are looking at them, because it is so beautiful,” says Yonathan Zohar. Charles says, “The fish can grow to 1,000 pounds. They can swim up to 45 miles per hour and cross entire oceans.” To learn more about this remarkable research: Listen to the story

Paul Smith, Chemistry, in The Baltimore Sun

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The Baltimore Sun reported on the Mid-Atlantic Nanonscience Education Hub internship program, which allows students from the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) to participate in nanoscience and nanotechnology internships at UMBC, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Morgan State University and the Fab Lab in Catonsville. Paul Smith, associate professor of chemistry, coordinates the internship program, which offers students exposure to a four-year institution, research experience and improved job prospects. “Part of our mission as a state institution is to promote education and to provide opportunities for students for better employment,” he said. “Certainly we also have an obligation as a Maryland… Continue Reading Paul Smith, Chemistry, in The Baltimore Sun

Victoria Lentz ’15, Cybersecurity, Wins HP Scholarship

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Earlier this year HP and the Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security (SWSIS) selected Victoria Lentz ’15, cybersecurity, and 10 other female cybersecurity students from across the U.S. to receive scholarships. Lentz was in the first “cohort” of students to be accepted into UMBC’s Cyber Scholars Program, which began in Fall 2013. The program prides itself on influencing minorities and women to become involved in the cyber security and computing industries. With particular interests in malware and digital forensics, Lentz plans to work in the cybersecurity industry after finishing her undergraduate education to gain experience before returning to school for… Continue Reading Victoria Lentz ’15, Cybersecurity, Wins HP Scholarship

Visual Ecology, Tom Cronin

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A new book written by Tom Cronin and colleagues — the publisher’s note says: “Visual ecology is the study of how animals use visual systems to meet their ecological needs, how these systems have evolved, and how they are specialized for particular visual tasks. Visual Ecology provides the first up-to-date synthesis of the field to appear in more than three decades. Featuring some 225 illustrations, including more than 140 in color, spread throughout the text, this comprehensive and accessible book begins by discussing the basic properties of light and the optical environment. It then looks at how photoreceptors intercept light… Continue Reading Visual Ecology, Tom Cronin

LA Times: Mantis shrimp wear tinted shades to see UV light, Tom Cronin and Michael Bok

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“When you look at a mantis shrimp, you see a vivid lobster-like crustacean whose forearms can strike with the force of a .22-caliber bullet. But when a mantis shrimp looks at you, we have no idea what it sees. That’s because the mantis shrimp possesses one of the most complex eyeballs on the planet, an organ that allows it to perceive a rainbow of colors in both the visible and ultraviolet spectrum without the massive brainpower required for human vision,” so writes Julia Rosen of the Los Angeles Times. Rosen’s story, Mantis shrimp wear tinted shades to see UV light, tells of Tom… Continue Reading LA Times: Mantis shrimp wear tinted shades to see UV light, Tom Cronin and Michael Bok

U.S. News, Colleges Work to Engage Women, Minorities in STEM Fields, Penny Rheingans

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Delece Smith-Barrow of U.S. News & World Report, recently wrote about the importance of engaging women and minorities in STEM fields. Smith-Barrow interviewed UMBC’s Penny Rheingans, director for the Center of Women in Technology (CWIT). Smith Barrow wrote: “If students struggle in class and have few peers and faculty that look like them, it’s easy for them to think, “maybe I’m not supposed to be here, either,” says Penny Rheingans, director for the Center for Women in Technology at the University of Maryland—Baltimore County. Prospective college students who are women or underrepresented minorities can determine if a school can help them in their STEM… Continue Reading U.S. News, Colleges Work to Engage Women, Minorities in STEM Fields, Penny Rheingans

Say Something: Jesse Smith

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The Chronicle has just featured math major and Meyerhoff Scholar Jesse Smith in their Say Something audio series. Smith talks about his experience with the Meyerhoff program and how peer connections through the program have given him a sense of confidence and what is possible to achieve in his career. The article also links to the HHMI story about the Meyerhoff Replication Project.

IMET Receives $600,000 Grant from Ratcliffe Foundation

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The Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) received a three year, $600,000 grant from the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation to implement the Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneurs Fellowship Program. IMET is a research institute supported by UMBC, University of Maryland Baltimore’s School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. The fellowship program supported by the grant will help young scientists gain leadership and business skills that will allow them to introduce their research to a commercial market. IMET Director Russell Hill commented, “This is a tremendous opportunity not only for IMET but also for… Continue Reading IMET Receives $600,000 Grant from Ratcliffe Foundation

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