Afrah Ahmes,

'26 chemical engineering - traditional track

When did you do your Research?

Summer 2024

Where was your Research?

Gebbie Group at University of Wisconsin, Madison

What is the focus of your Research?

Investigating the effects of Ion Correlations in the Electrochemical reduction of Nitrate to Ammonia by managing the electrolyte microenvironment.

What was the best part of your Research OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Research ?

The best part was being able to interact with and learn from my mentors and gain insight in graduate student life.

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

Never be afraid to reach out to others. Having connections is a very important thing regardless of what you plan to pursue.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

UMBC AIChE secretary, ENCH 215 Teaching Fellow, CBEE Student Ambassador

What are your goals after graduation?

Earn a PhD in Chemical Engineering

Learn more about Afrah Ahmes: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/afrahahmed0318

Shashane Anderson

‘26 chemical engineering - biotechnology & bioengineering track

When did you do your Research?

Fall 2023 - still doing it

Where was your Research?

My research is at the ATOMS Lab with Dr. Josephson at UMBC.

What is the focus of your Research?

My current focus is on formalizing proofs regarding chemical equilibrium using the Lean Theorem Prover.

What are you looking forward to the most about your Research? 

I am eager to become more proficient with the computational aspects of engineering and math. Although it can be challenging, it’s an incredibly valuable skill.

What was the best part of your Research OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Research?

As a beginner, it’s been fascinating to observe my growth. I’ve gradually developed the ability to apply the knowledge I’ve gained from my courses and research in more practical ways such as proving the mathematical concepts I learn in class. This has significantly strengthened my skills. For this reason, I can be more appreciative of the value of the learning process and the insight it brings.

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

Never underestimate your ability to learn and apply new concepts.

What are your goals after graduation?

I will be pursuing a job in the pharmaceutical industry.

David Ni,

‘25 chemical engineering - traditional track, computer science minor

When did you do your Internship?

Summer 2024

Where was your Internship?

Exxonmobil in Clinton, New Jersey

What is the focus of your Internship?

Extracting data from multiple lab reports and looking for new insights using data analysis.

What was the best part of your Internship OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Internship ?

Best part of the internship was learning about Exxon's product line and wide career development within the company.

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

Network a lot and pursue a leadership role/team-based project.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

AIChE Senior Rep, ChemE Car Power Lead, CSA(Chinese Student Association) Treasurer

What are your goals after graduation?

Pursue a job in industry and potentially earn master's degree in the future

Learn more about David Ni: 

linkedin.com/in/david-n40725/ 

Maya Schreiber

‘27 chemical engineering - biotechnology and bioengineering track 

When did you do your Research?

Summer 2024

Where was your Research?

Rutgers University, RISE Program: Cellular Bioengineering REU (www.rise.rutgers.edu/)

What is the focus of your Research?

Investigating optimal chronic wound healing environments through measuring oxygen consumption.

What are you looking forward to the most about your Research? 

When first starting the research internship, I was excited to gain experience in a wet lab and a better understanding of graduate student life.

What was the best part of your Research OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Research ?

The biggest lesson I learned was the importance of continually asking questions! I was the only undergraduate in the lab. It could be intimidating at times, however I used it as an opportunity to learn from people with much more experience than me. I was inspired by the passion my mentor had for his research. He constantly encouraged me to think of new approaches for my own project. The friendships formed with my REU cohort in the BME department broadened my perspective, exposing me to various research techniques, studies, and research environments across the country.

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

Embrace every opportunity that comes your way! Never underestimate your resume or abilities—you might be exactly what a lab, company, or school is searching for.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

Event Coordinator for Society of Women Engineers, Member of the National Society of Black Engineers, College of Engineering and Informational Technology Peer Navigator

What are your goals after graduation?
After graduating, I hope to pursue a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.

Learn more about Maya Schreiber: www.linkedin.com/in/maya-schreiber1 

Read more about her summer research here: https://collections.libraries.rutgers.edu/new-brunswick-student-exhibits/presenter-list

Student Exhibit Description from RISE 2024 Cohort

Maya R. Schreiber

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Co-Author: Dr. Rick Cohen

Mentor: Dr. Francois Berthiaume, Biomedical Engineering

Measuring Oxygen Consumption to Understand Optimal Chronic Wound Healing Environments

Chronic wounds affect 6.5 million people across the United States, altering lifestyles and immobilizing patients. Adequate healing conditions for chronic wounds involve proper access to oxygen and nutrients, and since these quantities differ between wounds, we seek to quantify the extracellular oxygen consumption rate of wound cells to form conclusions about healing. To understand wound cell metabolism in the context of chronic wounds, we cultured immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) in multi-well plates to mimic epidermal healing in a controlled environment. We developed a system to simulate wounds with differing oxygen levels and manipulate the environment easily and at a low cost. We hypothesize greater rates of oxygen consumption will correlate to faster chronic wound healing because oxygen is vital to cell proliferation and migration. Utilizing an extracellular oxygen sensitive dye allowed us to monitor the oxygen consumption of the HaCaT cells in the well. We standardized the method, confirming that fluorescence intensity increases with decreasing oxygen concentration. Then we plated HaCaT cells to confluence and multiple different treatments were added to the media. We observed changes in fluorescence as a function time over a two hour period. After validating these tools to manipulate oxygen uptake, my lab will perform a scratch assay and image cell closure over time with different conditions, such as the addition of drugs, amino acids, or using cell culture media with differing oxygen exposures. The assay would correlate oxygen uptake rate by the cells with the rate of healing in the wells. We also expect that chronic wounds will heal faster when in high-oxygen environments. The assay platform developed in this project will allow testing different compounds that improve cellular metabolism and wound healing rate, which will support the development of innovative treatments for people with chronic wounds worldwide.

Biography: Maya Schreiber is a motivated rising sophomore attending University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), originally from Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. Maya is majoring in chemical engineering with a biotechnology and bioengineering focus, aiming to deepen her knowledge in pharmaceutical sciences. She has been part of the cellular bioengineering REU, under the mentorship of Dr. Francois Berthiaume and Dr. Rick Cohen of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. With a passion for seeing under-represented groups succeed in STEM graduate and professional fields, Maya is a part of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, serves on the executive board of UMBC’s chapter of Society of Women Engineers, and is an ambassador for the College of Engineering and Informational Technology. She plans to participate in sustained research at her university this fall, and after graduating she hopes to attend graduate school in pursuit of a PhD.

Nathan Gull, 

By: Catherine Meyers Published: Aug 16, 2024 UMBC NEWS

A few weeks into her summer internship with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, rising senior Ortisemoyowa “Moyo” Ikomi, chemical engineering, attended an event celebrating a milestone in the company’s construction of a new drug manufacturing plant in Rockville, Maryland. During the event, the organizers played a video featuring a young girl whose seemingly terminal cancer was cured with immunotherapy drugs—the same type of drugs that would be manufactured in the new facility.

“This girl was in hospice care, at home with her family who thought they might just have to wait for her life to end, and this drug gave her a new lease on life. It drove home for me how important this work is, and how I would love to keep working in the pharmaceutical industry,” says Ikomi.

Ikomi landed her internship with AstraZeneca after talking with a company representative at the UMBC Career Fair. She worked on the company’s management of the planned Rockville plant, investigating a software tool that could track construction progress.

“It’s not traditional chemical engineering, more within the realm of project management of large-scale engineering projects. I’m definitely enjoying it,” Ikomi says. “I’ve learned so much during the internship. The experience has made me think I’d like to continue working in the engineering project management sphere.”

Ikomi credits the UMBC Career Center with supporting her throughout her internship application process—consulting with her on application timelines, uncovering resources for finding job openings, and offering tips for honing her resume and interviewing skills. “They offer an invaluable service,” she says. “Even more students could benefit from using them.” 

Ikomi, who came to UMBC from Lagos, Nigeria, says she arrived thinking she wanted to be a scientific researcher. When she realized basic research wasn’t the best fit for her, faculty and fellow students listened as she talked through her dilemma and offered advice on other options. She found that her true passions lay in shepherding discoveries from the lab to the wider world, where they could directly impact people’s lives.

Since that celebration event at AstraZeneca, Ikomi says she often thinks back to the video of the young girl who was cured of cancer. “When I think of this internship as a whole, my mind always goes to that experience. That moment crystallized that this type of work is what I want to dedicate my career to.” 

Read original post via UMBC NEWS: https://umbc.edu/stories/umbc-chemical-engineering-student-intern/