UMBC Postdoctoral Fellow Evelyn Thomas Profiled in SIAM News

Mar 12, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

Evelyn Thomas, a faculty diversity postdoctoral fellow in mathematics and statistics, is featured in a new profile in SIAM News, a widely read newspaper sponsored by the professional organization Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. The profile was written by Mathematics Professor Manil Suri. The article illustrates the challenges and opportunities Thomas has encountered over the course of her career and describes her motivation for researching her doctoral dissertation. In the article, Suri also writes about the work Thomas has begun since arriving at UMBC for her postdoc, including starting a new epidemiological project based on the rise of cholera in Haiti… Continue Reading UMBC Postdoctoral Fellow Evelyn Thomas Profiled in SIAM News

Marie desJardins, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, on Voice of America

Mar 11, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

Voice of America’s International Women’s Day coverage highlights the efforts of leading women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to encourage girls to pursue those fields. In a video posted on the news site, Marie desJardins, professor of computer science and electrical engineering, says, “Make sure your kids are getting [exposure to STEM] from an early age so they think of themselves as creators of technology and new ideas, not just following the rules.” See the video and article on Voice of America by clicking here.

Karan Odom and Kevin Omland, Biological Sciences, Make Headlines for Bird Song Research

Mar 6, 2014 / 3 minutes of reading

Karan Odom and Kevin Omland, biological sciences, recently made headlines around the world with a Nature Communications article that challenges the assumption that bird song is an exclusively male trait resulting from sexual selection. Odom, a Ph.D. student in Omland’s lab, led a team of researchers from UMBC, the University of Melbourne in Australia, Leiden University in the Netherlands and the Australian National University in this groundbreaking work. The researchers completed an extensive global study of songbirds and found that 71% of songbirds surveyed had female song. They also mapped the traits of female song onto an evolutionary tree, which… Continue Reading Karan Odom and Kevin Omland, Biological Sciences, Make Headlines for Bird Song Research

Brian Cullum, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Named SPIE Fellow

Mar 5, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

Brian Cullum, chemistry and biochemistry, has been elected as an SPIE fellow for his achievements as an innovator in photonics and sensors. SPIE’s announcement of the honor recognizes Cullum specifically for “pioneering research on intracellular SERS nanosensors and optical sensing techniques for both environmental and biological monitoring.” As the head of the Center for Translational Nanobioscience, Cullum focuses on developing nanotechnology for biomedical and defense related applications. He also founded and chairs Smart Medical and Physiological Sensor Technology, an annual international conference. SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics and Fellows are honored for their technical achievements and… Continue Reading Brian Cullum, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Named SPIE Fellow

Dr. Rick Forno discusses data breaches on WEAA

Feb 27, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

CSEE’s Dr. Rick Forno, Cybersecurity GPD and Assistant Director of the UMBC Center for Cybersecurity, was a guest on WEAA’s ‘The Marc Steiner Show’ where he joined Dr. Lisa Yeo of Loyola University in discussing cybersecurity issues and best practices in light of recent high-profile data breaches such as those at the University of Maryland, Target, and Indiana University. Listen to the segment here.

Prof. Fow-Sen Choa Elected SPIE Fellow

Feb 27, 2014 / 2 minutes of reading

CSEE professor Fow-Sen Choa has been selected as a Fellow of SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics. SPIE Fellows are honored for their technical achievements and for their service to the general optics community and to SPIE in particular. Professor Choa was cited for for achievements in the development of standoff chemical sensing using quantum cascade lasers. In the announcement of Dr. Choa’s section, the SPIE noted that: “Choa has contributed significantly to the advancement of standoff chemical sensing using quantum cascade lasers, achieving a greater than 41 feet standoff chemical detection distance. In addition his research on… Continue Reading Prof. Fow-Sen Choa Elected SPIE Fellow

Stephen Freeland, INDS, in WIRED

Feb 13, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

Most scientist accept the RNA world hypothesis, which states that RNA was the first biological molecule due to its ability to copy itself and pass along genetic traits. However, Nicholas Hud, a chemist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, wasn’t convinced. A recent article in WIRED, courtesy of Quanta Magazine, discusses Hud’s experiment with the building blocks of RNA. The experiment made a breakthrough with the discovery of a chemical recipe that points to the existence of a molecule that might pre-date RNA. Quanta interviewed Stephen Freeland, director of UMBC’s interdiscipinary studies program, for the article. “In my opinion, nothing… Continue Reading Stephen Freeland, INDS, in WIRED

Dr. Kenneth Gibbs ’05, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in Science Magazine

Jan 30, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

Most new Ph.D.s in science are encouraged to pursue tenure-track faculty positions. Dr. Kenneth Gibbs felt pressured to follow that path, but instead he decided to explore a career in science policy in order to more directly impact society. Dr. Gibbs recounts his professional journey and shares advice for future scientists in an essay in Science Magazine, entitled “Planning a Career in Today’s Landscape.” As a member of the 13th Meyerhoff cohort, Dr. Gibbs majored in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He then completed a Ph.D. in Immunology at Stanford. Currently, Dr. Gibbs is a part of the Cancer Prevention Fellowship… Continue Reading Dr. Kenneth Gibbs ’05, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in Science Magazine

Glenn Wolfe, Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, in The Baltimore Sun

Jan 27, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

The Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, a partnership between UMBC and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, recently sent research scientist Glenn Wolfe to Guam. The Baltimore Sun reports that Wolfe will be joining a team of international researchers who are studying how the western Pacific Ocean shapes the Earth’s climate. Wolfe will focus on measuring formaldehyde to gather data on how gases move upward and alter the atmosphere. Wolfe told The Baltimore Sun that, “This is a new frontier for atmospheric chemistry, and we are excited to see what’s out there.”

Tom Cronin, Biology, in WIRED

Jan 13, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

What’s the Absurd Creature of the Week in WIRED science? Why it’s none other than one of biologist Tom Cronin’s favorite sea critters, the mantis shrimp. And the eyes of these creatures are Cronin’s specialty and that’s where he comes into the article. “As with bees or flies or crabs, they are compound eyes, but unlike those creatures, mantis shrimp “have a very unusual adaptation in that multiple parts of the same eye view the same point in space,” said biologist Tom Cronin of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, “which is sort of like having multiple eyes in one, in… Continue Reading Tom Cronin, Biology, in WIRED

U.S. News Ranks UMBC’s Information Systems Online M.S. as a Top Program

Jan 13, 2014 / 1 minute of reading

Congratulations to UMBC’s Department of Information Systems for being ranked a top online graduate program in information technology by U.S. News & World Report. The UMBC program was ranked #19 in the nation, and is one of just two programs in Maryland to appear on the list. See the rankings. Learn how U.S. News & World Report calculated the rankings.

Prof. desJardins receives NSF research award for CS education development

Jan 6, 2014 / 2 minutes of reading

Professor Marie desJardins received a research award from the National Science Foundation focused on increasing the expertise of Maryland high school teachers for teaching computer science, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of computer science classes offered in Maryland and the number and diversity of students taking them. The project, CS10K: Collaborative Research: A Structured CS Principles Approach to Professional Development for Maryland High School Teachers, is led by Dr. desJardins and will involve collaborators from the Computer Science department at the University of Maryland, College Park, and high school teachers from Charles County and Baltimore County. The… Continue Reading Prof. desJardins receives NSF research award for CS education development