Moving the Needle
With their hearts in the work and their ears to the ground, the people behind some of UMBC’s longest-standing homegrown programs are solving big societal problems. But the work is never done. Continue Reading Moving the Needle
meyerhoff
Two Meyerhoff Alumnae Included in Sun “Women to Watch” List
Two Meyerhoff Scholars Program alumnae, Kavita Krishnaswamy, M13, ’07, mathematics, and Tabassum Majid, M18, M.A. ’18, aging studies, ’10, interdisciplinary studies, have been included in the Baltimore Sun‘s “25 Women to Watch in 2018” annual listing. Read the article online here. Current Ph.D. student Kavita Krishnaswamy, who through her work as a roboticist focuses on giving people with severe disabilities greater independence, has invented voice command interfaces, and is working on another that responds to eye movement. Krishnaswamy, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive disorder that severely limits her movement below the neck, works from home via a telepresence… Continue Reading Two Meyerhoff Alumnae Included in Sun “Women to Watch” List
Annica Wayman M6, ’99, to launch translational science program at Shady Grove
For Annica Wayman M6, ’99, mechanical engineering, this fall marks a homecoming wrapped up in a new beginning. After eight years with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), building programs from the ground up to support research projects that address international development challenges such as global health, agriculture, food security, and renewable energy, Wayman is ready for a new chapter. Wayman, who holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering with a bioengineering emphasis from Georgia Tech, sees parallels between what she did at USAID and her new role at UMBC as the College of Natural and Mathematical Science’s associate dean for… Continue Reading Annica Wayman M6, ’99, to launch translational science program at Shady Grove
Leaving a Legacy: Inaugural Toliver Scholar Named
UMBC has named its inaugural LaMont Toliver Scholar — graduating senior chemical engineering major Adrian Davey ’18, a member of the 26th Meyerhoff Scholars cohort. Continue Reading Leaving a Legacy: Inaugural Toliver Scholar Named
Rhodes to Success
Becoming an academic superstar doesn’t happen overnight. It takes grit, character, and a community of true believers. Luckily for Naomi Mburu ’18 — UMBC’s very first Rhodes Scholar — she has all three. Continue Reading Rhodes to Success
Path to Success: Psychiatrist Chinedu Varma ’04, M12, serves Retrievers at UMBC Counseling Center
When asked what kind of advice she has for first-year students as an alumna, Chinedu Onyedike Varma ’04, M12, interdisciplinary studies, has a simple answer: find your passion, get involved, and have fun – “as long as it’s safe,” she’s quick to add. As a consulting psychiatrist at the UMBC Counseling Center, keeping students safe is a big part of her job, along with giving them the mental health support they need to have the best college experience possible. Students seek out Counseling Center services for a whole range of concerns, whether they’re grappling with anxiety and depression, questioning aspects… Continue Reading Path to Success: Psychiatrist Chinedu Varma ’04, M12, serves Retrievers at UMBC Counseling Center
Alumni Awards 2017: Kafui Dzirasa ’01, M8, Chemical Engineering
In the weeks leading up to the Alumni Awards Ceremony, we’ll be profiling each honoree in more detail here on our blog. Today, meet Kafui Dzirasa ’01, M8, chemical engineering, associate professor at the Duke University School of Medicine and this year’s Outstanding Alumnus in Engineering and Information Technology. As an associate professor of psychiatry, behavioral science, neurobiology, and neurosurgery at the Duke University School of Medicine, Kafui Dzirasa ’01, M8, chemical engineering, has dedicated his career to creating a kind of “pacemaker for the brain,” a device that can effectively rewire neurological signals in patients with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and… Continue Reading Alumni Awards 2017: Kafui Dzirasa ’01, M8, Chemical Engineering
Creating a “Pacemaker” for the Brain
Kafui Dzirasa ’01, chemical engineering, is only 38, but is already emerging as a national leader in brain science. His research – which posits that some of the most common mental illnesses might be explained by unexpected connections between electrical patterns in different parts of the brain – could lead to more targeted and effective ways to treat conditions from schizophrenia to autism to depression. The former Meyerhoff Scholar has also drawn national attention. Last October, as part of a White House panel on research, he found himself explaining to the leader of the free world what it means to… Continue Reading Creating a “Pacemaker” for the Brain
Legends of Excellence 2017: The Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, Former Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs
Hosted every five years by the UMBC Chapter of Black and Latino Alumni (CBLA), the Legends of Excellence Awards Brunch honors the achievements and contributions of faculty and staff who have made a significant impact on the lives of UMBC’s black and Latino students. In the weeks leading up to this year’s event, we’ll be profiling each of this year’s honorees here on our blog. Read on for today’s bio… The Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington arrived at UMBC in 1986 as the Assistant Director of Residential Life, and at first, he says, he “wasn’t sure how [he] would be received” by… Continue Reading Legends of Excellence 2017: The Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, Former Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs
Hurdles & Healing
Damon Tweedy ’96, biological science, graduated from UMBC in 1996 with a 4.0 grade point average – the first participant in the Meyerhoff Scholars Program to achieve that mark. And when he entered Duke Medical School, he excelled in the classroom there as well. But when Tweedy began his clinical rotations and his residency after taking his M.D., he faced the task of translating that knowledge into effective care for real human beings. He also found his transition carried special challenges. He was one of the few African American students in his medical-school cohort, and he was training in a… Continue Reading Hurdles & Healing
Firm Foundations – Earnestine Baker
Earnestine “Ernie” Baker UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars Program, created in 1988, is one of the landmark contributions to student success at the university – and has become a national and international model for creating greater diversity in STEM disciplines through concentrated cohort learning. Earnestine Baker, served as director and later executive director of the program before turning over the reins to her successor, the late Lamont Tolliver, who was succeeded by Keith Harmon. What follows are edited excerpts from a recent UMBC Magazine interview with Baker. Read our full story about how staff built UMBC’s infrastructure for student success. On transition… Continue Reading Firm Foundations – Earnestine Baker
Lift Off
Kamili Jackson ’97, M.S. ’99, mechanical engineering, has witnessed one NASA space launch in person during her nine years at the agency: the Hubble Servicing Mission 4 in 2009. Jackson was a contracted materials engineer at NASA for that mission, helping the team make decisions on what metals, plastics and ceramics should be used for the craft. And as she watched her hard work blast off and enter orbit, she was filled with satisfaction. That same year, Jackson co-founded a project that helps high school students take off into careers in engineering – the Future Innovative Rising Engineers (FIRE), National… Continue Reading Lift Off