Reposted from UMBC News: From better batteries to safer surgery: Three engineering grads to tackle society’s big challenges with support from prestigious NSF research fellowships

How can we make the world a better place? It's a question that Nathaniel Glover '25, chemical engineering, Jacob Lombardo '25, mechanical engineering, and August Phelps '25, mechanical engineering, have spent a lot of time thinking about. And each has concluded that advancing science is a powerful way to advance humanity. From left to right, Nathaniel Glover, August Phelps, and Jacob Lombardo on the UMBC campus. The three were awarded prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program support. (Photo by Catherine Meyers)

The three promising researchers were each recently recognized and rewarded by the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), which provides financial support to U.S. graduate students who have shown the potential to be high-achieving scientists and engineers. 

"The NSF GRFP award is a very prestigious and competitive award," says Deepa Madan, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, who has worked with both Glover and Lombardo on research projects in her lab. So far this year the program has awarded 1,000 fellowships across the U.S., about half of the typical number, making the process even more competitive. This fall, Glover, Lombardo, and Phelps will all head to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore to begin their graduate education and research. 

The thrill of research

Glover, Lombardo, and Phelps knew early in their college careers that they wanted to become researchers. The three are part of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at UMBC, which is at the forefront of efforts to increase diversity among future leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by supporting students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. or combined M.D./Ph.D. in these fields. Throughout their time at UMBC, they engaged in a variety of research projects with different faculty mentors. 

Nathaniel Glover stands next to the research poster he presented at the end of his internship at Argonne National Laboratory in summer 2024. (Photo courtesy of Glover)

"I really enjoy the quest to answer unanswered questions," Glover says, explaining what attracts him to research. Most recently, he worked in Madan's lab on a project to develop rechargeable, safe, and flexible zinc alkaline batteries, which could revolutionize how consumers power devices such as wearable health monitors.

Lombardo has also worked in Madan's lab, studying materials that can convert wasted heat into electricity, while Phelps recently worked with mechanical engineering assistant professor Ankit Goel to develop methods for improving control over the flight trajectory of multicopters. Multicopters, which use multiple rotors for lift and maneuvering, are inherently unstable and underactuated, meaning the craft is limited in the ways it can move and must actively stabilize itself at all times. The researchers developed a method to guide the aircraft along a desired trajectory as precisely as possible despite variations in operating conditions and physical properties of the multicopter.

The problems the students and their mentors study—such as how to power and control machines—transcend any particular application, and the solutions the researchers develop could have profound effects on a variety of technologies. 

For example, in graduate school, Phelps will join a lab that develops control systems for medical robots. There, he will study electrocauterization, a medical procedure that uses heat generated by an electric current to perform tasks such as removing harmful tissue and controlling bleeding during surgery. Phelps said the speed of the process needs to be carefully controlled to avoid excess damage to healthy tissue, and the lab he is joining is working on ways to automate this control. He notes that both his father and girlfriend have undergone medical procedures with long recovery times. Making the process better is personal to him. 

Glover and Lombardo agree that what keeps them going, even through late-night problem solving and failed prototypes, is the desire to improve the way things get done. "I love how engineering research takes fundamental science principles and applies it to making a difference in the world," says Lombardo.

"My real passion is figuring out how to progress as a species," echoes Glover. "Science is one of our most powerful tools for that." 

A launch pad for big dreams

Jacob Lombardo (left) and labmates Jiyuan Huang and Srushti Kulkarni attend the 2024 Consumer Electronics Showcase, as part of the Southwest I-Corp program. The program guides engineers to engage with stakeholders outside the lab to better understand market needs and consumer requirements. (Photo courtesy of Lombardo)

 More Career Opportunities Await! 

UMBC hosted our Career & Internship Fair on September 17, but we know that one event can't capture every opportunity. To give our Retrievers even more chances to connect with employers and explore next steps, we're excited to promote two upcoming partner fairs hosted by nearby universities:

 Towson University Career & Internship Fair

• Date: Friday, September 26

• Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

• Location: SECU Arena, Towson University

• A wide range of employers will be in attendance—don't miss your chance to network and explore career opportunities!

 Goucher College Graduate School Fair

• Date: Tuesday, October 7

• Time: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

• Location: Goucher College Library, Towson, MD

• Explore graduate school programs in the Baltimore area that can help you launch your career. Walk-ins welcome!

• Register here: https://gradprograms.goucher.edu/portal/events-web

UMBC is proud to be a collegial partner in our university community and to support your success—whether it's finding your next job, internship, or graduate program. Take advantage of these great opportunities!

Note: UMBC will not provide transportation to these events.

Join us for our first Good Afternoon Commuters (GAC) of Fall 2025!

Enjoy lunch with other UMBC commuters and get connected with on-campus resources! 

GAC will be hosted on September 23, 2025 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. It is complimentary with your Commuter Gold Card.

Gold Cards are a one-time per academic year purchase and are available to be purchased at every GMC and GAC with cash only.

Gold Cards at $5 for Commuters

$10 for Residential & Graduate Students

Name: Nardos Araya

Pronouns: she/her

Semester of Internship: Summer 2025

Major: Information Systems

Current Class Level: Senior

This semester I completed a(n)...: Internship

Internship, Co-op, or Research Site (Company/Organization Name): Morgan Stanley

Location of the Organization (City, State): Baltimore, MD

Title of position: Operations Analyst Intern

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities:

I interned at Morgan Stanley in the Baltimore office as an Operations Analyst Intern. During this internship, I worked alongside the Global Reconciliation Services team and was a team lead for a group project involving automating manual processes using various automation tools like Alteryx and Power BI. I also worked on documenting business requirements and reengineering business processes through automation and process-mapping.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I heard about this internship around the end of summer of 2024 and obtained this internship by first, making an appointment with the career center to help review and tailor my resume to the internship's job description. I also networked with full-time employees at Morgan Stanley that were previous interns and asked them how I can stand out in my application and my interview. After preparing my application, I submitted my application within 2 weeks.

What resources did you use to find your current experience?

UMBC Career Center, Networking events (UMBC Connects, Info Sessions, Arts With a Purpose, etc.), Alumni Networking, Student Organizations/Scholar Groups, LinkedIn or other social media

What have you enjoyed the most about your position and organization?

What I enjoyed most about interning at Morgan Stanley was learning alongside experienced professionals that I looked up to and receiving guidance from them on familiarizing myself with a corporate environment. Getting to know other interns from different schools and backgrounds was also a great opportunity that I appreciated the most because those connections I built are always going to be helpful for my future as I grow professionally. Additionally, getting to use skills that I learned in the classroom in a real-world environment where I'm given a project and I have the opportunity to create impact for the organization was very rewarding!

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

The automation project that I led was for a daily manual process that usually took 1008 hours to complete annually. By automating the daily manual process, I saved the company 750+ hours annually and eliminated manual error completely. The company can now spend more time on more crucial tasks at hand.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

Advice I would give to another student seeking an internship would be to reach out alumni that works at the company and has the role that you're interested in and have them look at your resume and overall application. I would also suggest to network with students who just recently interned in your company of interest because their insights would be fresh in terms of what skills the company looks for, interview tips, etc.