Madison McLaren 

Where did you conduct your research: 

Dr. Hennigan's lab, UMBC

When did you start your research on campus?

I started my research in June of 2022. I was partnered with Dr. Hennigan through the LSAMP program, which I participated in during the summer of 2022. For the fall semester, I was hired under Dr. Hennigan as an undergraduate student researcher and I plan to continue to research in the lab until graduation in May of 2023.

What is the focus of your research/internship?

The focus of my research is to study brown carbon content in cloud water. Brown carbon is light absorbing organic material that has an effect on climate change.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?

Reach out to professors and do your research on other clubs and organizations on campus. Your connections are your best bet in getting involved in a lab.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

AIChE, Tau Beta Pi. 

What are your goals after graduation?

I will be attending Rice University to obtain a PhD in biomedical engineering starting Fall 2023

Learn more about Madison McLaren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mclrmadison/ 

John Velkey, '23 chemical engineering - traditional track, mathematics minor

When was the internship? 
Summer 2022

Where was the internship? 
Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, in Newport News, Virginia

What was the focus of your research/internship?
As the Plant Utilities Operations Engineering Intern, John provided facilities and utilities engineering support. 

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?
Apply early, apply often, consider a wide range of internships/research fields

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?
John works for the UMBC Undergraduate Admissions Office.

What are your goals after graduation?
John would like to pursue a career in industry after graduation. 

Learn more about John Velkey:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-velkey-2a3507189 

Joana Hernandez

Degree: B.S., Chemical Engineering, biotechnology & bioengineering track
Hometown: Hyattsville, MD
Post-grad plans: Applying to biochemical engineering Ph.D. programs

McNair Scholar Joana Hernandez is a research enthusiast who found her interest in scientific exploration and mentorship while at UMBC. Since 2019, Hernandez has worked as a research assistant in the lab of Fernando Vonhoff, assistant professor of biological sciences. The lab uses fruit flies as a model to study human neurological diseases. It was in Vonhoff’s lab where she realized that there were opportunities to turn her love of learning into a career in research. 

Hernandez has taken her interest in conducting research to the next level by helping to guide fellow students who may be unfamiliar with the academic research process. As a teaching fellow in the McNair Scholars Program, Hernandez led workshops in a class dedicated to teaching students how to develop research proposals. During these workshops, she presented on topics ranging from how to give a research presentation to how to apply to Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs). 

Hernadez shares that she’s proud to be a McNair Scholar. “As a first-generation college student, it can be difficult to navigate academic spaces and obtain resources on applying to graduate programs,” Hernandez says. “McNair welcomed me with open arms and helped grow my confidence by providing me with opportunities to conduct research and present at national conferences.”

Has there been a mentor or fellow student who influenced your time at UMBC?

“My mentors Fernando Vonhoff and María Célleri, assistant professor of gender, women’s, and sexuality studies, have both had a positive influence on me. As a first-generation college student, I was unaware that undergraduates could participate in research or present at research conferences. When Dr. Vonhoff enabled me to join his lab my freshman year, it opened the doors to a lot of future opportunities. I am very grateful to have had a research mentor that was so understanding and encouraging.

“Dr. Celleri, my McNair mentor, is someone I can always count on to give me advice about navigating academic spaces as a Latina, and how to balance my life between my immigrant household and school. I appreciate all the wisdom I have gathered from her.”

What academic achievement are you most proud of?

“I am most proud of when I presented the research I did in the Vonhoff lab at the 2019 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS). That was the first time that I had attended a national conference and flew out to the West Coast. It was an eye-opening experience being able to see other undergraduate researchers from diverse backgrounds who were also just as passionate about communicating their work.”

Matthew Stromberg, environmental engineering Ph.D. student, was recently mentioned in the Science article, "OCEANS AWAY: Is raising salmon on land the next big thing in farming fish?" by Erik Stokstad. Stomberg is co-advised by Dr. Ghosh, professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering and Dr. Zohar, professor of marine biotechnology. 

The article explores the emerging trend of land-based fish farming, specifically focusing on Superior Fresh, a Wisconsin-based farm that raises Atlantic salmon. The farm's unique approach to raising fish in tanks and integrating them with its greenhouse operations has attracted attention from investors and customers looking for locally produced and high-quality fish.

The article highlights the challenges associated with land-based fish farming, including the high costs of equipment and infrastructure, potential environmental impacts, and the need to address fish health and welfare. To address some of these challenges, the farm has implemented various innovative practices, such as using ultraviolet light to purify water and using antisense RNA to prevent salmon from sexually maturing and ensuring larger filets.

Stromberg is testing a system that uses ultraviolet light and titanium electrodes to break down water-borne chemicals that can give land-reared salmon a muddy flavor. Their research is crucial in ensuring the long-term success of land-based fish farming.

CBEE faculty and students are highlighted for their innovative and impactful work in the areas of 'Climate and Environment' and 'Health and Life Sciences' in the inaugural issue of Inquiring Minds: UMBC Research and Creative Achievement. 

Front Page (bottom right)

Matthew Stromberg, Environmental Engineering PhD student, under the guidance of advisors Dr. Upal Ghosh, professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering and Dr. Yonathan Zohar, professor of marine biotechnology.

Global Leadership in Sustainable Aquaculture Research - Page 1

Matthew Stromberg's work with Dr. Yonathan Zohar, professor of marine biotechnology, on land-based aquaculture is highlighted. Dr. Zohar has been a driving force behind decades of research into land-based aquaculture, which has taken off in the U.S. and abroad in recent years. These operations produce fish for human consumption in land-based facilities that are less susceptible to disease and result in fresher fish for locals. They also remove the risk of releasing waste or farmed fish into the environment and reduce costs and the carbon footprint associated with shipping. Plus, they create jobs and help decrease American reliance on seafood imports.

Centering Communities in Climate Action - Page 3

Dr. Claire Welty, professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, is featured for her leadership role in the Baltimore Social-Environmental Collaborative (BSEC), a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to address urban environmental challenges. Welty and her UMBC colleagues received $2.3 million of the $24.5 million grant awarded to the BSEC. The project aims to generate solutions to environmental concerns through community engagement and collaboration with organizations in three American cities. The team brings decades of experience in environmental monitoring and has received awards from the U.S. Forest Service and the National Science Foundation to support their work. Welty emphasizes the importance of partnering with local communities to address their needs and concerns and finding effective ways to implement solutions. She describes the project as a giant puzzle to put together and looks forward to seeing how it all unfolds.

Developing Nanoparticles That Stop Internal Bleeding - Page 17

The groundbreaking work conducted by Dr. Erin Lavik, professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering and Dr. Nuzhat Maisha, Ph.D. '21, chemical and biochemical engineering and colleagues to develop nanoparticles that can stop internal bleeding is highlighted in the story on page 17. 

The article discusses the challenges of controlling bleeding in trauma patients and the need for faster delivery of medication to control the bleeding. The researchers developed a novel approach to modifying the surfaces of nanoparticles used in lifesaving medications to provide infusions that can be delivered more quickly and with a reduced risk of negative reactions.

The article goes into detail about the researchers' findings and how they focused on the core material of the nanoparticles to reduce infusion reactions, which limit the treatments available to patients. The article also discusses how this groundbreaking research lays the groundwork for future testing of preclinical models using nanocapsules to stop internal bleeding.

Read full articles:  Inquiring Minds: UMBC Research and Creative Achievement. 

Research led by Dr. Govind Rao, Director of Center for Advanced Sensor Technology and professor in the department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering is featured in a recent article posted on leaps.org titled “With This New Technology, Hospitals and Pharmacies Could Make Vaccines and Medicines Onsite, 2023” The story was written based on a preprint of a paper with Shayan Borhani, Chemical Engineering PhD candidate as the first author. Aaron Thole, Chemical Engineering PhD student and Dr. Doug Frey, professor in the department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering are also co-authors. (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.19.521044v1).

The article describes a process to develop a compelling pandemic mitigation strategy to promptly suppress viral emergence at the source of an outbreak using proteins such as GRFT which are efficacious in neutralizing a broad range of viruses. This process is shown to produce a product with consistent purity and potency in less than 24 hours using cell-free biomanufacturing. 

The collaborators demonstrated GRFT production using two independent cell-free systems, one plant and one microbial. Griffithsin purity and quality were verified using standard regulatory metrics. Efficacy was demonstrated in vitro against SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1 and was nearly identical to that of GRFT expressed in vivo. The proposed production process is efficient and can be readily scaled up and deployed anywhere in the world where a viral pathogen might emerge. The current emergence of viral variants has resulted in frequent updating of existing vaccines and loss of efficacy for front-line monoclonal antibody therapies.

Dr. Rao wants to advance technology to the point where any hospital or pharmacy could load up the media containing molecular factories, mix up the necessary amino acids, nucleotides, and enzymes, and harvest the medications in a matter of hours. This will enable on-site and on-demand medication production. Once this approach is thoroughly validated it might revolutionize medicine-making even outside of hospitals and pharmacies and extend beyond urgent situations.

Jahir Antonio Batista Andrade, environmental engineering doctoral candidate,is the 2023 American Chemical Society (ACS) Graduate Student Awardee for the Division of Environmental Chemistry (ENVR). 

Batista Andrade is pursuing his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Lee Blaney.Recently, his first publication related to his Ph.D. research was relased in the journal 'Water Research'. 

Congratulations on your successes in the early stage of your career in environmental chemistry and engineering.