Balaji Vishwanathan, CEO of Invento Robotics, with Mitra, its flagship robot. Image: Hemant Mishra for Forbes India

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Balaji Vishwanathan (MS ’07) startup company Invento Robotics is featured in Forbes India magazine

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Balaji Viswanathan started his career at Microsoft, and moved from there to develop startups in such diverse areas as robotics, education, and finance. He has embraced the true calling of an entrepreneur, using long term goals to develop companies that actively seek to make a global impact. This is exemplified by his Bengaluru-based company, Invento Robotics, which is currently using its humanoid robots to provide a myriad of services, from taking temperatures to collecting patient information to bringing medications and food to patients in isolation wards, in an effort to fight COVID-19.

His business was featured in Forbes India magazine as part of a series on companies that have pivoted to use technology to address the Covid-19 pandemic. The article discusses how  Invento has applied its first mobile robot models, Mitra, to perform tasks like collecting patient details, checking temperatures, and setting up video calls with doctors. Two new models, C-Astra and Robodoc have now been deployed to disinfect rooms and virtually interact with patients inside Covid-19 wards.

Balaji has recently returned to UMBC as a part-time Ph.D. student in the Computer Science program and will work on research topics that will advance the state of the art in supporting intelligent robotics.

The post CSEE alum Balaji Vishwanathan’s robotics company featured in Forbes appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

Arifat Ola-Dauda (She/Her)

Hello Everyone, my name is Arifat Ola-Dauda. I am a double major in Social Work and Political Science here at UMBC. I’ll be working in the women’s center this year for my Social Work field Placement. I am very passionate about social justice, and the issues that are currently affecting America’s minorities. When I am not doing schoolwork or with the women’s center, you will find me reading a book or on Netflix. Looking forward to a great year with everyone, despite the current circumstances. 

Kaitlyn Kylus (She/Her)

Hello! My name is Kaitlyn and I’m a Senior majoring in Social Work with a minor in Psychology. Hopefully I will be continuing on to grad school next year at UMB School of Social Work. I’m passionate about supporting survivors of sexual and power based violence, and am the current Vice President of We Believe You. I’m super excited to be working at the Women’s Center again this year and can’t wait to meet you all!

Some fun facts about me are that I’m a pisces sun with a libra moon and rising, but I only kinda know what that means. In my spare time you can catch me embroidering, re-reading books I loved in middle school, or taking a nap. 

Nandi Cook-Creek (She/Her)

Hi! My name is Nandi. I am a Senior English major and student staff member here at the Women’s Center. I’ll be co-facilitating our Women of Color Collective and We Believe You discussion groups, and I love being in community with you all more than anything at UMBC!

In my free time I like writing poetry, drinking tea, and watching anything animated. 

Carol Canales (She/Her)

Hi everyone! My name is Carol and I am currently a senior majoring in Financial Economics with a minor in Political Science. This is my first year as a Women’s Center Staff member, and I am very excited to build relationships with so many communities! 

I am also a member of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. and We Believe You on campus. On a personal note, I love going on nature walks, playing volleyball, sketching and journaling. My favorite shows to watch range from HGTV shows to the Avatar franchise. During my time at the Women’s Center, I hope to empower women of all backgrounds by working on the Women of Color Coalition programs. I’m excited to develop my skills and knowledge while working at such an awesome place. I cannot wait to work more closely with students, faculty, and the WC team.

Autumn Cook (She/They)

Hey, everyone! I am a senior Meyerhoff Scholar (M29), Honors College member pursuing a BS in Chemistry and a BA in Gender, Women and Sexuality studies and currently a student staff member at the Women’s Center. After I graduate, I hope to pursue a PhD in inorganic chemistry and materials science and become the first transgender person in space! This semester, I will be co-facilitating Spectrum, the Women’s Center’s discussion group for transgender and nonbinary individuals. While I am not working, I enjoy playing ultimate, spending time enjoying video games, and creating cosplays using my 3D printers.  

Sandra Crespin-Melgar (She/Her)

Hello! My name is Sandra and I am a senior majoring in Social Work with a minor is Psychology. I am also a Returning Woman Scholar and the President for Phi Alpha National Social Work Honor Society at the UMBC-Shady Grove Campus. This academic year, I am thrilled to be a student staff intern completing my field placement at the Women’s Center. I will be assisting with the Returning Women Scholars & Affiliates Program! As an adult learner, I have learned the importance of creating and cultivating relationships with students and staff members. Therefore, I cannot wait to “meet” everyone this year!

Other fun facts:

I love sloths!

I have a shih tzu named Luna.

I love crime podcasts/shows.

I am bi-bilingual (English and Spanish).

I am a first-generation college student/adult learner.

I am also vegetarian/vegan (I love animals!).

My ultimate favorite shows are Avatar: The Last Airbender & Legend of Korra (I also love the comics and novels).

• UMBC’s Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars Program, in collaboration with The Shriver Center, is seeking applicants for the Reach Together Program. This new program engages UMBC students in mentoring and tutoring Baltimore City youth. Applicants should be in their second year at UMBC or beyond. Mentor-tutors will each provide targeted math tutoring for five students through an eight-week program (September 28 – November 20) with a week of training starting on September 21. Upon full completion of the program, mentor-tutors will receive a $1200 stipend.  
• Submit your application as soon as possible through this Google form and schedule a 15-minute interview between now and September 18.

The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center located in the Washington, DC area. As a member of our research staff, individuals will have an opportunity to support and improve government decision-making, policies, or processes.  We are actively recruiting for Summer Interns and Data Science Fellows. At the end of the month, we will start recruiting for Science, Technology and Policy Fellows.  

Attached are flyers for these programs and their requirements. Below are the links to the application page.

·         2021 Summer Associate Program

·         2021 Data Science Fellowship

Please note that candidates will be subject to a security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information as required. U.S. Citizenship is also required.

Please contact Ms. Willette with any questions.

by CATALINA SOFIA DANSBERGER DUQUE

Ten recent UMBC alumni are recipients of 2020 – 2021 Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards, including seven from UMBC’s Class of 2020. Each year over 11,000 students apply and just over 2,000 are selected from hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States. The award secures funding for U.S. students to pursue international graduate study, research, internships, or teaching.

While COVID-19 has presented a range of challenges and uncertainties for Fulbright recipients, UMBC is proud to celebrate their hard work and achievements. 

“This year’s recipients have demonstrated great flexibility and maturity as they navigate the changes that our current global situation requires,” explains Brian Souders, M.A.‘19, TESOL and Ph.D. ’09, language, literacy and culture. He serves as associate director of global engagement opportunities in UMBC’s office of International Education Services. 

Souders, who is also UMBC’s Fulbright program advisor and scholar liaison, says that these hurdles have also not deterred UMBC faculty, students, and alumni from applying for the 2021 – 2022 Fulbright award.

Souders with Fulbright class of 2019 – 2021.

UMBC’s 2020 – 2021 Fulbright U.S. Student Program award recipients

Middle East

• Kiplyn Jones, M.P.P. ’20, public policy, Jordan, English Teaching 

East Asia

Osia on campus.
Photo courtesy of Osia.

• Hannah Jang ’20, global studies, Korea, English Teaching Assistant
• Phillip McKnight, M.A. ’19, instructional systems design, Laos, English Teaching Assistant
• Samina Musa ’20, chemical engineering, Malaysia, English Teaching Assistant
• Uchenna Osia ’19, computer science, Malaysia, English Teaching Assistant

Europe and Eurasia

• Brandon Ables, M.F.A., ’20, intermedia and digital arts, Romania, English Teaching Assistant
• Alida Hartwell ’20, bioinformatics/computational biology, Latvia, English Teaching Assistant
• Matthew Linz ’20, modern languages, linguistics, and intercultural communication, Kazakhstan, English Teaching Assistant
• Jocelyn Wilkins ’20, mechanical engineering, University of Porto, Portugal, Master’s Program

Kashett in Costa Rica, where he previously studied abroad. Photo courtesy of Kashett.

Western Hemisphere

• Daniel Kashkett ’19, global studies, Mexico, Bilateral Internship Program

Top Fulbright producer

The Fulbright U.S. Student program is highly competitive, and recipients are chosen based on academic or professional achievement and demonstrated leadership potential. UMBC’s ten 2020 – 2021 recipients include students from a broad range of majors. And they’ve been selected for a diverse range of experiences, as English teaching assistants, interns, and graduate students in Europe, East Asia, Western Hemisphere, and the Middle East. 

This success comes after UMBC was named a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for receiving fourteen Fulbright U.S. Student awards in 2019 – 2020. Only a small portion of institutions participating in the Fulbright program are designated as top producers each year, an honor granted by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 

Both the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program are designed to help build networks to support cross-cultural understanding. They connect people from the United States with people from around the world to dispel stereotypes and help each other reach common goals.

Faculty Fulbright for research in Southeast Asia

Beyond the student program, faculty are eligible to apply for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program to further research on critical world problems in all disciplines. This year, UMBC’s John Rennie Short, professor of public policy, has received a Fulbright award to conduct research in Southeast Asia on the geopolitics of the South China Sea.

Rennie Short with local university students and staff in Nanchang, China.
Photo courtesy of Rennie Short.

The award will support Rennie Short’s research in Malaysia and the Philippines and allow him to visit Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. He will interview scholars and foreign policy analysts while at the Asian Center at the University of the Philippines Diliman and the Centre for ASEAN Regionalism at the University of Malaya, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Rennie Short also plans to give public lectures and seminars about U.S. public policy and other topics while in Southeast Asia.

Kuala Lampur, one of the places Rennie Short will visit for research.
Photo courtesy of Rennie Short.

This research will inform Rennie Short’s second book on East Asian maritime issues. “The book will widen our understanding of the complex and troubled geopolitics of the South China Sea,” he explains. “It will provide an Association of Southeast Asian Nations perspective to counter the dominant Chinese and U.S. narratives.” 

Rennie Short’s first book on East Asian geopolitical issues, Korea: A Cartographic History (2012, University of Chicago Press), tackled the East Sea versus Sea of Japan naming dispute between South Korea and Japan. He has also written “Troubled Waters: Conflict in the South China Sea Explained,” republished in U.S. News & World Report.

Other recent UMBC faculty recipients of Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards include Charissa Cheah, professor of psychology; Guenet Abraham, associate professor visual arts; Chuck Eggleton, professor and chair of mechanical engineering; and Marc Zupan, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

Abraham in Ethiopia as a Fulbright Scholar in 2018. Photo courtesy of Abraham.

Photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 unless otherwise noted.