CHECK meetings are group sessions for pre-chemical engineering students led by a CBEE faculty member.

These meetings supplement the one-on-one advising session with a COEIT Advisor to receive advising clearance. They are not a replacement for the one on one advising session.

During the CHECK meeting students will :

• connect about important topics regarding course selection and curriculum requirements specific to Chemical Engineering
• gain insider knowledge about the best timing of classes and prerequisites
• discuss updates about electives courses

SIGN UP NOW for your CHECK MEETING

The RAND Corporation is currently recruiting for our 2024 Summer Associate research internship for doctoral students. Please share the information below with current graduate students enrolled in doctoral or professional degree programs who may be interested in a paid summer internship that provides experience with policy research at a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institution. We welcome all applicants, including those who identify as part of historically marginalized groups.

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RAND Summer Associate Paid Internship

Summer Associates are mentored by an experienced researcher, typically work in an interdisciplinary team, and engage in a wide range of activities to learn what it is like to work at RAND. The program is typically 12 weeks of full-time research; students receive a bi-weekly paycheck.

Application Information

Positions will only be available for students residing in the U.S. (excluding U.S. territories) for the duration of the summer associate assignment.

Read more important details and FAQs »

About RAND

The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND's research and analysis address issues that impact people everywhere, including security, health, education, sustainability, growth, and development. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest.

Our research is sponsored by government agencies, international organizations, and foundations. We rely on philanthropic support to pursue visionary ideas; address critical problems that are under-researched; and devise innovative approaches for solving acute, complex, or provocative policy challenges. RAND values objectivity and integrity in both its research processes and internal interactions. We emphasize a collegial, equitable, and inclusive environment that respects the contributions and dignity of all staff.

Terra Miley, 
'25 Chemical Engineering - biotechnology & bioengineering track, Minor: Entrepreneurship

When did you do your Research?

Center for Advanced Sensor Technology with Dr. Govind Rao at UMBC

What is the focus of your Research?

The focus of my research is fluorescent sensor technology and developing genetically encoded sensors to be used in Cell-Free Bioreactors.

What do you enjoy the most about your Research? 

I am surrounded by extremely intelligent engineers and researchers from whom I have the privilege to learn so much from. I am specifically looking forward to working with my mentors, Chad Sundberg Ph.D. student and Dr. Govind Rao, to become a better researcher as well as advancing in my project.

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

The best part of my research experience are the small wins and discoveries that are made in the lab each and everyday. Through working with others, it is amazing to see what can happen when multiple different people approach a problem. I have been able to apply what I learn in my classes to my research project. I have been able to learn so much from others, and I look forward to continuing to learn and apply our research to solve real-world problems.

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

My advice is to not hesitate to reach out to research labs or internships that you are interested in. Reach out early and do research ahead of time to learn about the research done in the lab.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

I am the Secretary and Communications Conference Chair for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as well as the Panhellenic Delegate and Historian for Phi Mu, Phi Gamma Chapter. I was also a teaching fellow for ENCH 215, Chemical Engineering Analysis, during the summer.

What are your goals after graduation?

After graduation I plan to continue my education in graduate school, to hopefully pursue my Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.

Learn more about Terra Miley: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/terra-miley-690885268

Emily Bolt,
'24 Chemical Engineering - traditional track, Minor: Entrepreneurship and Innovation

When did you do your Internship?

June 2023

Where was your Internship?

Clene Nanomedicine in North East, Maryland

What is the focus of your Internship?

I evaluated the amount of the edible gold nanoparticle medication in samples. The medication is intended to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's, ALS, and MS.

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

I had prior experience as a Federal Employee for a Federal Contractor. Working at Celene allowed me to expand my experience. I was inspired to work at Celene, a small pharmaceutical company, because they focus on developing medications for diseases that are frequently underfunded and aim to treat conditions like Parkinson's, ALS, MS, and many more. 

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

The highlight of my internship was when a drug trial participant found out they were likely to be examined by the FDA and they sent a heartfelt email promising to do anything they could to support Clene Nanomedicine. The treatment they received as a drug trial participant was life changing for them. 

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

My advice would be to diversify the applications to help find what is best for you, even if you think you might not be eligible for some jobs. As a chemical engineering major I even applied to roles for electrical engineering at NASA and got an interview. I got interviews for positions I applied to mechanical engineering roles, process control roles, safety roles. Applying to various positions allowed me to explore all the options and select the position that was the best fit for me.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

UMBC Crafters: Founder and President

What are your goals after graduation?

I plan to work in the industry after graduation. I am still deciding if I want to pursue a graduate degree.

Sam is a sophomore Biochemistry major and a transfer student from Howard Community College. He is currently working on two research projects.

Title of your research projects:

Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a Model for KRAS G12C Cancers (HCC research)

 Nicotine-Induced Associative Learning in Caenorhabditis elegans (Build a Bridge to STEM (BBS) internship research)

Describe your work:

Our project at Howard Community College uses a species of yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae to model a type of cancer in humans that occurs from mutations in one of our genes involved with growth, KRAS. Our model could visualize a live cell to see pathways and tumor growth in real-time, which relates our model to live human cells.

Our project at UMBC in the BBS internship uses a roundworm called Caenorhabditis elegans to model human nicotine addiction. We saw if the worm could make an association between their food and the presence of nicotine to see what effect food/hunger has on nicotine addiction.

Who are your mentors for your projects?

At Howard Community College (HCC), my mentor is Professor Joseph Sparenberg. I met Professor Sparenberg through the research program at HCC. Our initial talk was riveting, and I found a lot of qualities Professor Sparenberg had as a researcher relatable. His dedication to his research and students despite his very limited time is a quality that I will always respect about him.

At UMBC, my mentor is Dr. Maria Cambraia from the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences department. I met Dr. Cambraia through the Build a Bridge to STEM (BBS) internship program over the summer. Dr. Cambraia is a selfless and wonderful mentor. Her selfless behavior helped me to establish myself at UMBC and attend the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minortized Scientists (ABRCMS).

How did you become interested in these projects?

I had and still have an extremely positive outlook on the success of the project. Professor Sparenberg’s thoughts on the application of our model were very interesting to me, and I knew that his project would be something I would love to dive into. His ideas on how we literally use a live cell to visualize cancer are crazy to me because I knew that traditional research starts within cells that are dead or in a frozen state. Over time, the project has evolved to be a collaborative effort from Professor Sparenberg, myself, and my lab members to determine the future of the project.

At the BBS internship, we were given freedom over our entire project and were allowed to come up with our own research topic, but we had to center it around the C. elegans roundworm. My group, including a current UMBC student, Supriya Jones, were interested in psychology and how people/organisms learn. Our topic on associations between food and nicotine hadn’t been investigated extensively, so we thought it would be quite a novel idea to simulate the learning process in C. elegans.

What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher? 

The hardest part about being a researcher is time commitment. You can only commit so much time to certain tasks and your brain can only take so many rigorous tasks before you either burn out or become tapped out from working for the day. There are definitely ways to circumvent this problem (mainly by finding a balance), but it is quite intimidating at first.

What has been the most rewarding part?

The most rewarding part of my research is the ability to talk about research. From conferences to regular scientific conversations, I have a platform to talk about my research and hear about other's research. I love feeling involved in a community where I can get to know a diverse collective of research projects to learn a variety of different information.

How will you disseminate your research?

My plan is to present my summer research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS), present my HCC research at URCAD, the Maryland Collegiate STEM Conference, and possibly at the Frontiers at the Chemistry-Biology Interface Symposium conference (FCBIS), and publish my HCC research in the Journal of Research in Progress (JRIP) at HCC or possibly, the UMBC review. Other options for publication or presentation still remain up for discussion.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?  

My advice to students trying to get involved in research (especially transfers) is to not feel afraid to reach out, gain information, and be willing to put yourself out there. However, do not overextend yourself and take on a lot of responsibilities in the pursuit of getting yourself established because it is quite possible that you will burn yourself out or lose sense of your priorities.

What are your career goals?

My current career goals are to work toward a Ph.D. in a molecular biology-related field like microbiology, virology, or cancer biology. After obtaining my Ph.D., I plan on doing my post-doc in either public health or academia and working toward becoming a principal investigator in public health or a professor in academia. My end goal is to become involved in administrative work (i.e. a director, a dean, etc.), or possibly pursue scientific entrepreneurship.

UMBC intellectual sports programs were featured in the fall Baltimore Sun Education supplement, published on Oct. 15. The article, "More than just having fun: Being active in student organizations has long-reaching benefits," includes an interview with Lesa Goodhue.

"'UMBC's use of 'intellectual sports' as a category is unique,' says Lesa Goodhue, special assistant to the AVP, intellectual sports and applied learning. 'While other universities have similar groups, outside of UMBC those groups are often separated and 'owned' by their respective academic departments or colleges. At UMBC, on the other hand, intellectual sports are student organizations recognized by the Student Government Association (SGA). Being an SGA entity ensures that all of our undergraduate students have the opportunity to be a member.'"

"According to Goodhue, student organizations are viewed by the university as ideal spaces for students to develop as leaders, build communities of peers, collaborate across interests and acquire power skills. She notes that UMBC student organizations write constitutions, attend regular roundtables, have access to scheduled professional development workshops, follow budgeting timelines, and adhere to processes designed to maximize equity and ensure their safety."

The article, which begins on page 1, also includes the full interview with Goodhue and quotes from Mock Trial member Samisha Connor '25, financial economics, and American Institute for Chemical Engineers member Benjamin Welling '25, chemical engineering.

ORIGINAL POST: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/vpsa/posts/136468