CNMS

UMBC Brings Entrepreneurship to the Classroom

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UMBC is known for innovation in education. Now, a couple of faculty members are taking that one step further and are teaching students to become entrepreneurs. Baltimore Business Journal reporter, Sarah Gantz wrote about the class in the October 5, issue. Gantz writes, “Two faculty members are developing a course for the school that would establish partnerships with businesses and nonprofit organizations to bring real-life problems to the classroom for students to solve by developing a product or service. William LaCourse, dean of UMBC’s College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences; and Gib Mason, co-founder of wraparound-earmuff company 180s Inc.” She writes that,… Continue Reading UMBC Brings Entrepreneurship to the Classroom

William LaCourse, Dean of College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, in Baltimore Business Journal

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Maryland universities have been leading the way in getting more students to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering and math, according to an article published August 10 in the Baltimore Business Journal. Dr. William LaCourse, Dean of Natural and Mathematical Sciences was interviewed about UMBC’s work to expand the STEM fields. The university has seen natural and mathematical sciences growing 28 percent, and engineering and information technology growing 19 percent from fall 2007 to fall 2011. That represents 488 and 411 students, respectively, compared to a growth of 768 students in the arts, humanities and social sciences. LaCourse told Gantz that growth in the STEM fields means… Continue Reading William LaCourse, Dean of College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, in Baltimore Business Journal

Raymond Hoff, Physics, Honored with NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Medal

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) held its 2012 Agency Honor Awards on August 2nd to honor individuals who “have distinguished themselves by making outstanding contributions to the Agency’s mission.” Among those honored was Raymond Hoff, physics, who received the Distinguished Public Service Medal (DPSM) at an awards ceremony held at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The DPSM serves as NASA’s “highest form of recognition that is awarded to any non-Government individual or to an individual who was not a Government employee during the period in which the service was performed, whose distinguished service, ability, or vision has personally… Continue Reading Raymond Hoff, Physics, Honored with NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Medal

Jeremy Yap ’08, Biological Sciences, Wins Predoctoral Fellowship

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Alumnus Jeremy “Jerry” Yap ’08, biological sciences, was recently honored as one of four national winners of a 2012-2013 American Chemical Society (ACS) Medicinal Chemistry Predoctoral Fellowship. Yap is currently attending the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, where his work “focuses on the design and synthesis of small-molecule inhibitors (drugs) of oncogenic protein–protein interactions,” according to University of Maryland here. The story also notes that the fellowship will allow Yap to pursue his research by providing a full, year-long stipend. “This is as an excellent example of how important collaboration is in any professional setting,” said Yap upon being… Continue Reading Jeremy Yap ’08, Biological Sciences, Wins Predoctoral Fellowship

Michael Bok ’14, Biological Sciences, on io9

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Michael Bok ’14 Ph.D., biological sciences, was featured in a July 8th blog post on the science blog io9. The piece focused on a video, filmed by Bok and posted on his website Arthropoda, of a dead Longfin Inshore Squid whose chromatophores were still active. Bok set the piece to Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel. You can watch the video and read other posts by Bok at Arthropoda.

Can You Solve President Hrabowski’s Favorite Math Problem?

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The Imaging Research Center (IRC) recently filmed several faculty as they attempted to solve President Hrabowski’s favorite math problem. As told to Nagaraj Neerchal and Manil Suri, mathematics and statistics, and Anne Spence, mechanical engineering, the problem is as follows: 29 children are in a class. 20 have dogs. 15 have cats. How many have both a dog and a cat? Watch the video below to see the various methods and strategies used by the professors to answer the problem. [vimeo 45245451 w=500 h=281] UMBC Professors Solve F. Hrabowski’s Favorite Math Problem from ircumbc on Vimeo.

Alumnus Ed Becker ’01, Biological Sciences, in Cape Gazette

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Cape Gazette, the newspaper which covers the Cape Region of Delaware, published an article written by alumnus and practicing orthopedic physician Ed Becker ’01, biological sciences, on June 24th. The article, entitled “Tennis elbow: not just for tennis players,” is something of an ABC for the sporting ailment, ranging over such matters as symptoms, contributing factors, and finally offers a few recommendations to lessen the likelihood of tennis elbow occurring, and possible courses of action if it does. “Always warm up before play,” wrote Becker, “and put all of [the] major joints through a complete range of motion. Lighter racquets… Continue Reading Alumnus Ed Becker ’01, Biological Sciences, in Cape Gazette

Dr. William LaCourse Becomes Dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences

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UMBC is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. William LaCourse as Dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) beginning July 1st, 2012, according a press release by Provost Designate and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Philip Rous. Holding a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry obtained at Northeastern University in 1987, Dr. LaCourse had been serving as Interim Dean since August of last year, and had previously served as Acting Dean, as well. He had previously served as Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, as well as Scientist at the Ames Laboratory of Iowa State… Continue Reading Dr. William LaCourse Becomes Dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences

Leonid Yurganov, JCET, in the Economist

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The Economist recently spoke with Leonid Yurganov, senior research scientist for the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), among other scientists for a special report entitled “Uncovering an ocean,” detailing the melting of ice in the Arctic region. Yurganov weighed in on the issue of permafrost covered in the article, saying that “there are a lot of white spots in our knowledge,” when it comes to the matter. This is characterized in the report as “extraordinary” given the possible dangers of permafrost thaw due to climate change, as methane hydrates which are contained in permafrost are 25 times more… Continue Reading Leonid Yurganov, JCET, in the Economist

Future Meyerhoff Scholar Austin Murdock in Pasadena Patch

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Incoming freshman Austin Murdock was profiled in a short June 7 article for the Pasadena Patch. Murdock is participating in the “Summer Bridge” sub-program of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, which the student is quoted in the article as “basically just… getting us ready for school.” The article also details his work with the Department of Defense (DOD) during his senior year, along with his academic achievements, including graduating in the top five percent of Chesapeake Senior High School, a Certificate of Merit and membership in both the National Honor Society and the World and Classical Languages Honor Society. Among his… Continue Reading Future Meyerhoff Scholar Austin Murdock in Pasadena Patch

Erle Ellis, Geography and Environmental Systems, in Greenwire

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In a June 6 piece for E&E Publishing’s daily environmental news website Greenwire, associate professor Earl Ellis, geography and environmental systems, spoke with reporter Paul Voosen in regards to the U.N.’s release of its fifth Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5) ahead of this month’s “Rio+20: United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development” to be held in Rio De Janeiro. The article focused on GEO-5’s emphasis on “planetary boundaries” as an important aspect of future environmental policy, which “are roughly based on the limits estimated during the past 10,000 years of human activity, and… have been seized upon by policymakers seeking a guide… Continue Reading Erle Ellis, Geography and Environmental Systems, in Greenwire

William LaCourse, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, in the Baltimore Business Journal

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William LaCourse, Interim Dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, was in last Friday’s Baltimore Business Journal. The section of the story, titled STEM programs try to build the workforce of the future, on LaCourse and UMBC focused on the creation of the Chemistry Discovery Center. “LaCourse and his colleagues developed the Chemistry Discovery Center, an adjunct to the traditional introductory chemistry lecture course. At weekly, two-hour sessions students are randomly paired into teams to solve problems. Each student rotates through roles of supervisor, recordkeeper, data collector and result disseminator. Instructors answer questions but they don’t lecture. The… Continue Reading William LaCourse, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, in the Baltimore Business Journal

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