NASA

Two women wearing all black smiling at the camera on UMBC's campus.

UMBC hosts “NASA Days” event series with Goddard Space Flight Center

/ 4 minutes of reading

UMBC is collaborating with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to host an interactive, three-day event series that takes a closer look into the center’s current research activity, with insight into how faculty and students can engage with Goddard scientists and engineers.  NASA-UMBC Interaction Days launched on September 9 and continues on September 16 and September 30, highlighting a range of topics on the diverse research and technological advancements in space exploration from leading scientists and engineers at GSFC. The series also provides an overview of the extensive research activity happening in collaboration between UMBC and NASA, a partnership… Continue Reading UMBC hosts “NASA Days” event series with Goddard Space Flight Center

PACE atop SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket in the raised to launch position. Photo credit: NASA

On PACE to Unravel Earth’s Mysteries

/ 12 minutes of reading

The third time’s the charm. Against a calm and crisp dark night sky on Florida’s Cape Canaveral on February 8, 2024, just after 1:30 a.m., the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) spacecraft rocketed to orbit carrying on board Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP2)–UMBC’s wide-angle imaging polarimeter.  The launch marked the first time NASA deployed a university payload on a large operational Earth science space mission. Continue Reading On PACE to Unravel Earth’s Mysteries

An artist's computer generated drawing of the STAR X space craft in space

UMBC partners on STAR-X, a $3M NASA mission concept study through the CRESST II research consortium

/ 3 minutes of reading

UMBC researchers are partnering on STAR-X, a nine-month mission concept study investigating black holes, galaxy clusters, and often-elusive transient cosmic events like supernova explosions. STAR-X is one of two Explorer missions to receive $3 million from NASA for this concept phase, before NASA selects one in 2024 to proceed with implementation, targeted for launch in 2028. Continue Reading UMBC partners on STAR-X, a $3M NASA mission concept study through the CRESST II research consortium

Demoz meets with students on top of the physics building. Photo by Marlayna Demond '11.

Climate Shift

/ 13 minutes of reading

Climate change and other environmental issues like air and water quality disproportionately affect people of color. Today, Demoz sees his role at UMBC as empowering students, especially students from underrepresented backgrounds, to take ownership of their research and contribute to their communities. Eventually, he hopes his graduates will also become mentors and advocates for their own students and colleagues—behaviors he models for them every day. Continue Reading Climate Shift

UMBC Alums: Out of this World

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UMBC alums are taking off into new realms as advancements continue to be made in space exploration and engineering. Erika Nesvold ’09, mathematics and physics, M.S. ’11 applied physics, Ph.D. ’15 physics, and Isaac Matthews (M15) ’07, mechanical engineering, are both receiving attention for their incredible work within the aerospace community. Erika Nesvold ’09, mathematics and physics, M.S. ’11 applied physics, Ph.D. ’15 physics, co-developed a 3-D model of the star Beta Pictoris to observe the development of warps and eccentric rings and track collisions among the particles. The modeling technique entitled, SMACK, Superparticle-Method Algorithm for Collisions in Kuiper belts, tracks the… Continue Reading UMBC Alums: Out of this World

Round Up: UMBC in the News, 10/24

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One of the things that makes UMBC great is how wonderful our alumni, students, faculty, and staff are. Because of these amazing people, UMBC often finds itself “in the news,” so each week, we’ll be sharing with you a round-up of the most newsworthy achievements from our community. “UMBC AIRS Team” has won a NASA Group Achievement Award Intramural 3K Monster Dash (10/29) Head Swimming and Diving Coach Chad Cradock Earns 200th Career Victory Two Students From the English Department Named HASTAC Scholars for 2014-2015 Read more at UMBC Insights!

Lift Off

/ 4 minutes of reading

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

Meet our Newest Alums: Bradley, Snowberger, Jacobs, and Keniston

/ 2 minutes of reading

For many, working at NASA while in school is a dream. Damon Bradley, Ph.D. electrical engineering, worked as the lead computer engineer in the Instrument Electronics Development Branch at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He also founded the National Society of Black Engineers (Greenbelt Space Chapter) and the Digital Signal Processing Technology Group at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Now, with a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, he will continue his work as Lead Computer Engineer at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. As an undergrad, Sebastian Snowberger, chemical engineering, earned two Undergraduate Research Dissemination Awards to talk about… Continue Reading Meet our Newest Alums: Bradley, Snowberger, Jacobs, and Keniston

Meet our Newest Alums: Tang, Leiter-Mason, Shah

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UMBC is always full of hard-working people who aspire to do great things, and the class of 2014 is no exception. Today, we wanted to share with you what some of our recent graduates are planning to do with their Retriever education. While enrolled in UMBC for her undergraduate career, Ke “Coco” Tang, B.A. political science, history, and visual arts, a National Security Education Program (NSEP) Boren Scholarship and Undergraduate Research Award recipient, completed a documentary in Jordan and traveled to the Philippines for disaster relief. The native of Shenyang, China, plans to continue her community outreach by doing medical… Continue Reading Meet our Newest Alums: Tang, Leiter-Mason, Shah

Today’s Forecast: Stellar

/ 11 minutes of reading

  Researchers at UMBC’s newly formed NASA research center wrestle with basic questions about our neighborhood star – and the effects that its weather can create on Earth. By Anthony Lane On the morning of September 1, 1859, a British solar astronomer was using his telescope to look at a projected image of the sun when something strange happened: Two brilliant patches of white light pierced the thicket of sunspots he’d been tracking. Richard Carrington, the astronomer, was astounded by what he saw. He scrambled outside to find someone to join him as a witness to the amazing spectacle, but… Continue Reading Today’s Forecast: Stellar

Today's Forecast: Stellar

/ 11 minutes of reading

  Researchers at UMBC’s newly formed NASA research center wrestle with basic questions about our neighborhood star – and the effects that its weather can create on Earth. By Anthony Lane On the morning of September 1, 1859, a British solar astronomer was using his telescope to look at a projected image of the sun when something strange happened: Two brilliant patches of white light pierced the thicket of sunspots he’d been tracking. Richard Carrington, the astronomer, was astounded by what he saw. He scrambled outside to find someone to join him as a witness to the amazing spectacle, but… Continue Reading Today's Forecast: Stellar

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