COEIT

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

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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

Marie desJardins explains what’s needed to bring computer science to K-12 nationwide

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Since 2007, student enrollment in computer science (CS) at the university level has increased by about 120%. However, despite this level of interest, there are major gaps in CS education that result in fewer girls and students from underrepresented minority groups entering the field, argues Marie desJardins, associate dean in UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology and professor of computer science, in The Conversation. desJardins has worked to improve CS education at the K-12, undergraduate and graduate levels. She particularly sees boosting the availability of K-12 CS education, and the skills of teachers teaching CS at that level, as… Continue Reading Marie desJardins explains what’s needed to bring computer science to K-12 nationwide

Kavita Krishnaswamy, CSEE Ph.D. student, named an emerging leader in robotics

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Robohub has named CSEE Ph.D. student Kavita Krishnaswamy ’07, computer science and mathematics, to their new “25 Women in Robotics You Need to Know About” list, along with other emerging innovators from around the globe, including MIT and Stanford. Krishnaswamy focuses her work on developing robotic systems and interfaces that increase the independence of people with disabilities. She has worked at the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Center—Quality of Life Technology Center (QoLT) at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and IBM Business consulting services. Krishnaswamy is also a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellow and a National Science Foundation Graduate… Continue Reading Kavita Krishnaswamy, CSEE Ph.D. student, named an emerging leader in robotics

Ting Zhu receives NSF grant to develop localization and mapping techniques

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CSEE professor Ting Zhu received an award from the National Science Foundation to develop improved techniques for identifying a person’s location in dynamically changing environments. The award of $250,000 will support the three-year research project, Real-Time Indoor and Outdoor Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. Location-based service was ranked number one for the top technology trends by a recent survey in Time magazine, with potential applications in the area of location-based advertising, recommendation, navigation, asset recovery, and gaming. While many companies are working to improve location-based services, most existing indoor and outdoor maps are relatively static. In reality, many indoor and outdoor… Continue Reading Ting Zhu receives NSF grant to develop localization and mapping techniques

Dean Julia Ross receives “Outstanding Chemical Engineer” honor

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Purdue University has honored Dean Julia Ross of UMBC’s College of Engineering and IT as one of six Outstanding Chemical Engineers for 2015.Dean Ross is an alumna of Purdue and received her PhD in chemical engineering from Rice University in 1995. She has served as dean of COEIT since August 2014, and is also UMBC’s Constellation Professor of Information Technology and Engineering.Prior to her appointment as dean, Ross served as special assistant to the provost for inter-institutional research initiatives, 2012-14, and was instrumental in enhancing research collaborations between UMBC and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.Among her current projects, Dean Ross has collaborated… Continue Reading Dean Julia Ross receives “Outstanding Chemical Engineer” honor

Renetta Tull shortlisted for GEDC Airbus Diversity Award

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Renetta Tull, associate vice provost for graduate student development and postdoctoral affairs, is one of ten impressive candidates shortlisted for this year’s GEDC Airbus Diversity Award. The GEDC Airbus Diversity Award honors people and projects worldwide that “have encouraged students of all profiles and backgrounds to study and succeed in engineering.” This year’s shortlist includes scholars from Germany, South Africa, Australia, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Tull’s profile in the GEDC/Airbus announcement reads: Renetta Tull leads the PROMISE Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), a program that has grown to include a global STEM diversity and… Continue Reading Renetta Tull shortlisted for GEDC Airbus Diversity Award

UMBC joins National STEM Collaborative supporting opportunities for underrepresented girls and women

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Responding to the underrepresentation of minority women in STEM fields, UMBC has joined a new national collaborative committed to supporting educational opportunities for girls and women of color in STEM. The White House Council for Women and Girls announced the formation of the National STEM Collaborative at a special event at the White House on September 15, 2015 (watch video). In addition to UMBC, the consortium, led by Arizona State University, consists of 19 institutions of higher education and nonprofit partners, including Amherst College, City College of New York, Diné College, Maricopa Community Colleges, Spelman College, University of Alabama, University of California-Riverside,… Continue Reading UMBC joins National STEM Collaborative supporting opportunities for underrepresented girls and women

Sarah Jewett, STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative, Discusses Workforce Prep on WalletHub

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In a ranking of the nation’s community colleges, WalletHub asked experts about changes in the higher education landscape. Sarah Jewett, executive director of the STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative, spoke about whether community colleges should focus on preparing students for the workforce or a four-year institution. “Both community colleges and universities can benefit from collaborative inter-institutional partnerships in which everyone shares the responsibility for helping students to develop a robust and realistic set of academic and career options,” Jewett said. “Early exploration of majors and fields, active participation in experiential learning opportunities, sustained development of  goals and plans, and transitional… Continue Reading Sarah Jewett, STEM Transfer Student Success Initiative, Discusses Workforce Prep on WalletHub

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

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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

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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

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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

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