Congratulations to Dr. Lee Blaney, professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering for Marilyn E. Demorest Award for Faculty Advancement at annual Presidential Faculty and Staff Awards.

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A huge THANK YOU to all the amazing students who supported our Good Morning Commuters (GMC) events this year! Your participation made GMCs a success.

As finals approach, let us know your feedback here.

Wishing you all the best of luck on exams - you've got this! 

According to the Oxford Dictionary imposter syndrome is “the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.” 

When you are suffering from imposter syndrome the following signs may occur:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of success
• Burnout
• Perfectionism
• Lack of confidence
• Comparison to others.

All of these signs can be experienced in the workplace. For example, you may procrastinate on a project because you’re suffering from fear of failure. Or, you may spend your days comparing yourself to others in your office, hindering you from making connections with your co-workers. Finally, you may be in a state of perfectionism to show your value, which can result in burnout. Imposter syndrome can cause these scenarios and more, leading to less-than-ideal outcomes.

So how do you overcome it? Try one of these methods:

• Keep track of reminders. Keep a folder in your inbox where you can drop in positive notes (“kudos”) from colleagues and supervisors. Every once in a while, look back at those emails.
• Reframe your thinking. Tell yourself that you’re not the only one who has felt this way. Turn around negative sentiments into more positive ones.
• Practice self-empathy.  Know that you’re not alone, and that you are worthy of the job position you’re in. Give yourself grace and credit for how much you’ve already accomplished.
• Commiserate with others. Find colleagues or mentors who know what it’s like to suffer from imposter syndrome. Perhaps there is even an affinity group you can join. Remember that we all go through it at one point or another!
• Take a broader view. Try to look at your situation from a wider lens. You may get a more realistic picture of how you’re performing vs. zooming in under the microscope.

Need help taking the broader view when it comes to your career? Take the FOCUS 2 Assessment to see how you can best apply your strengths, which can help you avoid imposter syndrome. 

Congratulations to Nathaniel Glover, ’25 chemical engineering, biotechnology and bioengineering track on receiving the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship! Nathaniel's dedication to research and innovation shines through in his work on developing a dual-phase steel to combat hydrogen embrittlement. As a Meyerhoff Scholar, Nathaniel exemplifies UMBC's commitment to fostering excellence in STEM fields.

UMBC's remarkable streak of producing Goldwater Scholars for the fifth consecutive year reflects the university's unwavering support for student success. With 31 Goldwater Scholars since 2005, UMBC continues to stand out as a leader in undergraduate research and scholarship.

Nathaniel's experience in the lab of C. Cem Taşan at MIT, coupled with mentorship from Dr. Kyung-Shik Kim, has undoubtedly shaped his journey and prepared him for future endeavors. We're thrilled to see Nathaniel's passion and hard work recognized with this prestigious scholarship, which will undoubtedly propel him towards a bright future in academia and beyond.

Here's to Nathaniel Glover and UMBC's continued tradition of excellence in research and scholarship! 

Nelanne Bolima, ‘24 chemical engineering, biotechnology & bioengineering track was honored as the Black Undergraduate Student of the Year award by the Black Graduate Student Organization (BGSO). This recognition emphasizes Nelanne's dedication to excellence and her significant contributions to the community.

In her gratitude, Nelanne extends heartfelt thanks to her peers, mentors, and the BGSO and NSBE community for their unwavering support and inspiration. Motivated by this honor, Nelanne pledges to continue striving for excellence and making positive impacts.

Read more about Nelanne’s research in Dr. Mark Marten’s lab: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/cbee/posts/133755

Jahir A. Batista-Andrade, PhD ‘23 Environmental Engineering, Diego Iglesias Vega, BS ‘23 Chemical Engineering, Anna McClain, MS ‘2023 Environmental Engineering, with Dr. Lee Blaney have a new paper, published in the ACS Publications. The title of the paper is: "Geospatial Variability of Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter in Urban Watersheds: Relationships with Land Cover and Wastewater Infrastructure".

Publication is available here

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c07925

Abstract: We investigated the fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) composition in two watersheds with variable land cover and wastewater infrastructure, including sanitary sewers and septic systems. A four-component parallel factor analysis model was constructed from 295 excitation–emission matrices recorded for stream samples to examine relationships between FDOM and geospatial parameters. The contributions of humic acid- and fulvic acid-like fluorescence components (e.g., C1, C2, C3) were fairly consistent across a 12 month period for the 27 sampling sites. In contrast, the protein-like fluorescence component (C4) and a related ratiometric wastewater indicator (C4/C3) exhibited high variability in urban tributaries, suggesting that some sites were impacted by leaking sewer infrastructure. Principal component analysis indicated that urban areas clustered with impervious surfaces and sanitary sewer density, and cross-covariance analysis identified strong positive correlations between C4, impervious surfaces, and sanitary sewer density at short lag distances. The presence of wastewater was confirmed by detection of sucralose (up to 1,660 ng L–1) and caffeine (up to 1,740 ng L–1). Our findings not only highlight the potential for C4 to serve as an indicator of nearby, compromised sanitary sewer infrastructure, but also suggest that geospatial data can be used to predict areas vulnerable to wastewater contamination.