TODAY AT NOON, SHERMAN 113 WITH DR. APRIL HOUSEHOLDER, Director of Undergraduate Research and Nationally Competitive Scholarships

Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) features research, scholarship, and creative work carried out by UMBC undergraduates. Student work is shared through oral presentations, posters, artistic exhibits, performances, and film. Over 300 presenters participate annually. Researchers work with faculty mentors on independent research, or research that is part of the mentor’s on-going projects.  They are from all disciplines, and can be working on a thesis, capstone project, part of a scholars or honors program, or they can be unaffiliated.

This campus-wide celebration of achievement affirms UMBC’s commitment to the twin goals of research and a distinctive undergraduate experience.

All current undergraduates who have conducted research, scholarship or creative work in the last year may apply to present their results at URCAD. Mentors, fellow students, friends, family members, high school teachers and students, graduate school recruiters, and the general public are invited to attend.

Kourtney Rutkowski is majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Psychology. She will graduate with her B.S. in May, 2018, and in 2019 she will complete her M.S. as part of the accelerated B.S./M.S. program in Mechanical Engineering. She is also a member of the Honors College, a CWIT Scholar, a Grand Challenges Scholar, and a member of Tau Beta Pi. She is currently conducting research at the Universidade do Porto in Portugal, as the first UMBC student to study in the UMBC/Porto exchange program.

What are your research interests? I am interested in materials, composites, and additive manufacturing with metals and thermoplastics. This research is applicable for many industries, including the aeronautical, energy, defense, and automotive industries.

Describe your project: My current research project is determining a manufacturing strategy for the production of metal/polymer composite sheets. Currently, I am looking at which types of surface treatments are needed to best adhere the polymer, a thermoplastic prepreg, to sheet metal. The conditions in which the prepreg is applied and cured must also be tested, and material characterization will be performed to determine which process would be optimal for production purposes. The reason that this is important is that polymer/metal composite such as these are low in weight but are high enough in strength to replace heavier materials, especially in the transportation industries to improve safety and fuel economy. When I return from Porto, I will join the research team in Dr. Marcus Zupan’s lab, focusing on the development of tools and methodologies for qualifying additively manufactured parts. This research is in collaboration with JHUAPL and PAX River, and can improve the additive manufacturing technologies and part quality.

Who are your mentors and why did you choose them? I work withProfessors Abel Santos and António Torres Marques at the Universidade do Porto. Professor Abel teaches the Global Engineering class on the Porto side, allowing me to meet him from when I took the class in the Fall 2016 semester at UMBC. Professor Torres Marques was introduced to me by Dr. Zupan and is my main research advisor in Porto. Their dedication to the process, helping me get prepared to come to Porto, and helping with the bureaucracy once I arrived has been invaluable. They also introduced me to their labs and graduate students, and have been very helpful in regards to questions involving my research project.

How did you become interested in this project? As an avid outdoorswoman, I’m passionate about finding solutions for the conservation and preservation of our natural resources and mitigating for and adapting to climate change. This led to an interest in renewable energy sources, and using my skills as an engineer to solve problems related to making renewables for more efficient and economical manufacturing.  Through the Global Engineering course, I learned about different international cultures and made some good friends. I also studied abroad in Germany in January and took a course in renewable energy sources in Kassel, Germany. I wanted to study abroad in Porto and open the gate as the first student in the UMBC/Porto collaboration. I worked with Dr. Zupan and Dr. Moreira to complete an application to the Mobile 2+ Erasmus scholarship and was awarded a living stipend, airfare, health insurance, access to cultural events, and opportunities to interact with students from around the world, as well as the engineering faculty from U.Porto.

What has been the most unexpected thing about your experience abroad? I love my time here in Portugal but I have definitely had some mishaps! My second week in Porto a homeless woman stole my jacket at a café, and I still see her wearing it around the downtown area. My first time traveling outside of Porto, I got on the wrong train coming back from Lisbon and got kicked off at a train station in the middle of nowhere because I didn’t have enough cash to pay to the fare. Most recently, I had my mom send me some winter clothes which got held up in the Portuguese customs for a month, but luckily my flatmate lent me some for my travels further North.

What has been the most rewarding part? One of the best things was finally meeting my friends in person were from Porto and I had met through the UMBC Global Engineering course. In that course, students from around the world work in teams on theoretical solutions for global issues. Students interact via Skype and WhatsApp, and for some students, like myself, there were some strong friendships formed across the ocean. Meeting those friends who I had made, as well as making new friends here who are from across the world, has allowed me to learn about a variety of cultures and open my mind more and more every day. Even better, day by day I find myself feeling like a local here in Porto, and know that it will always be a second home for me.

What will you do next with your research? I’m hoping to bring back what I’m learning to Dr. Zupan’s lab and use my experiences as a basis to start my thesis research, which I hope to publish. I will present on my Porto experience and the research I conducted there at URCAD, in April.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? Be flexible and open minded. Don’t be afraid to take risks- say yes to things and take opportunities as they come. Ask for help- make connections and friends wherever you go. Don’t get locked into graduation dates. Studying abroad won’t take any extra time- you can combine it with Master’s work or do it over the summer or winter, so it won’t take time out of your academic schedule, even in a major with successive classes like engineering!  If for some reason it does take extra time, the experience to go abroad is more valuable than graduating in four years. Money is not an issue- there are so many ways to get it paid for and Portugal is really cheap in terms of the cost of living.  My rent is 250 euros a month and includes utilities!  No one looks back and regrets studying abroad and says, “I’m glad I didn’t do that so that I could graduate on time.”

What else are you involved in on campus? Besides the scholar’s programs and honors organizations that I am involved in, I am also involved with numerous other things on campus. I am an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow for the Mechanical Engineering department, which besides simply teaching the students, has also allowed me to meet and mentor the students in the years below me. I also try to work through my scholar’s program, CWIT to be a role model for the young women in engineering who are in the cohorts after me. I volunteer with an organization that holds its state competition here at UMBC named First Lego League (FLL). FLL is STEM competition for elementary and middle school students that helps to introduce them to topics such as engineering, and seeing the passion and intelligence of these students continuously encourages me in the promotion of STEM and fills me with hope for the next generation of engineers. Last but not least, I am a member of UMBC Cru and the UMBC Rock Climbing Club.

Career goals? After completing my M.S., I plan on obtaining a Ph.D. in environmental engineering. I hope to use my education to pursue a career that can create renewable energy solutions to help the environment, and people, in a large-scale way. After a while in industry, I plan on following the path of some of my mentors and becoming a college professor.

Want to know more about research abroad in Porto and other countries? Contact Dr. April Householder at aprilh@umbc.edu

Temitope Ibitoye is a Chemical Engineering major who will graduate in 2019.

My research is titled, "Photolysis of Macrolide Antibiotics at 253.7 NM". I work with Dr. Lee Blaney in the Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering department. Research in the Blaney Laboratory focuses on the intersection of environmental, analytical, organic, and inorganic chemistry. Our primary research interests are the (1) fate, transport, and toxicity of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in natural and engineered systems and (2) recovery of vital resources to ensure sustainable development. My advisor from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute program set up a 6-week rotation in Dr. Blaney’s laboratory. After that, Dr. Blaney invited me to continue bworking in his laboratory. He also encouraged me to apply for the Undergraduate Research Award (URA).

How did you know this was the project you wanted to do? One of my life goals is to help solve the global water crisis. I knew that one way that I could do this was to study Environmental Engineering during my undergraduate career. When I started at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County I learned that there was a lab on campus that conducts research concerning water quality, and I knew that I had to join this lab.

What academic background did you have before you applied for the URA? I had just completed the first semester of my sophomore year when I applied for the URA. I had completed about 6 months of research and had just passed my Chemical Engineering gateway requirements.

How much did your mentor help you with the application? I am still learning to write technical papers, but my mentor helped revise my application multiple times. He gave me valuable advice on writing and communicating my research.

What has been the hardest part about your research? There was a learning curve when I first joined the lab. I joined the lab in the spring semester of my freshman year. Many of the experiments I would run required knowledge that I had not acquired in class yet. I had to learn difficult concepts and apply them for my research.

What was the most unexpected thing? I did not expect to enjoy data analysis as much as I do. Deciphering the results I receive after weeks of research is very enjoyable.

How does your research relate to your work in other classes? All of my research requires skills that I am learning in my engineering and chemistry courses. As I learn more in my classes, I get a better grasp on the research that I am conducting.

What else are you involved in on campus? I am a member of the National Society of Black Engineers. Last semester, I was an athletic tutor, and about a year ago I volunteered weekly at the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? I would tell all students to try it out! Many people are scared that they do not have enough knowledge to participate in research, but that is not true! Nobody expects you to know everything from the get-go. You learn so much as you conduct research. 

What are your career goals? I would like to obtain a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and continue working in water quality research. I would like to work to create water quality technology that can be used in lower resource regions.

Want to be a URA Scholar like Temitope? Apply for a URA award: https://ur.umbc.edu/ura/forms/

Questions? Contact Dr. April Householder at aprilh@umbc.edu

ur.umbc.edu

Attend the upcoming workshop on how to write a winning research proposal for a URA award: This Wednesday, Nov. 1 from 12-12:50pm in 113 Sherman Hall A-wing!

Meet Undergraduate Researcher Emily Slaby, Chemical Engineering class of 2018!

Title of Research Project: Boosting Immune Cells using Plasma Membrane-inserting Drugs to Combat Cancer

Who is your mentor for your research project? I emailed a few professors in my department about lab positions and I included my enthusiasm about cancer research when one of them connected me to Professor Gregory Szeto, Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering . I contacted Dr. Szeto with my resume and answered a few questions about my interests and goals. The lab had just opened in January 2016, so I helped with the startup and started learning about immunology. My mentor encouraged a few of my lab members to apply for an Undergraduate Research Award (URA) to help us explain our projects and get ready to present at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD). It really helped me understand the background and explain my project better to lab members who did not do similar work. The URA application was like writing a grant proposal, without preliminary results.

How did you know this was the project you wanted to do? I studied the relationship between stem cells, cancer, and aging during an English research paper my first year of community college. Cancer research interested me because of the complexity of the disease, and this was a wonderful opportunity to build my skills and apply myself. I have learned so much about cancer stages, therapies, and immunology through this project.

Do you get course credit for this work? I currently get course credit as an elective for my chemical engineering bachelor’s degree. A comprehensive report is required to compile results and relate the research back to chemical engineering cores. This helps me apply concepts learned in classes to research applications.

How much time do you put into it? During the semester, I put in about 15-20 hours of lab and outside research time. This time may be spent performing experiments, analyzing results, or making presentations to explain results. During the summer, I have much more time to explore my project and try new things, so I am usually there about 40 hours per week.

What has been the hardest part about your research? The hardest part of the research is troubleshooting after analyzing the results. This is also what makes research fun, interesting, and unexpected. New discoveries can come from unexpected results, so the hardest part is the most interesting. I love the challenge of finding the little things that affect results the most.

What was the most unexpected thing? It is amazing how close you become with lab members and how much input they have when something does not go quite right. We each have different strengths and background to help fill in the gaps, keep each other thinking on our feet, and keep us learning more about our projects each day.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?Think about a few areas of research that interest you, and look on the departments’ websites to find labs that you want to explore. Do not be afraid to go outside your department! You can gain tons of new perspectives with interdisciplinary research. Reach out to the professors about your interests, ideas, and how you think this collaboration would help both of you!

What are your career goals? My main goal is to stay in disease-based research by pursuing a Ph.D. to continue my education and passion for research. I want to combine my chemical engineering background with biomolecular engineering to discover therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer. During the next year, I want to get more exposure to research labs at graduate schools that align my interests in engineering and immunology to develop broadly applicable platforms as therapies for human diseases. After my Ph.D., I want to go into research and development in industry to continue designing therapies.

Have mentor-led research and want to be featured as a UMBC Researcher of the Week? Email: aprilh@umbc.edu

Mia is using her URA research and creative work to raise awareness about human trafficking!

Mia is a Theatre Design & Production major, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Minor, and a Linehan Artist Scholar, who will graduate in 2019. Her URA research project is entitled, "Visual Storytelling Applied to Human Trafficking Awareness".

Describe your project: With funding from my Undergraduate Research Award (URA), I attended the 2017 Summer Scene Painting session at Cobalt Studios in New York. I am applying the painting skills I built there to both my research in scenic designing the production of Far Away at UMBC in the spring, as well as creating a large-scale mural to visually tell stories of human trafficking.

Who is your mentor(s) for your project? How did you find your mentor? Why did you choose them?

Professor Sinnott is my advisor and mentor in the UMBC Theatre Department who I work with frequently, in both design and painting for productions. Professor Sinnott has been my mentor from the beginning of this research, and is mentoring my theatrical research and production for Far Away in the spring.

I am currently taking Social Entrepreneurship in Place with Professor Bradley and, through that class, collaborating with him on arts-based community engagement projects in Curtis Bay. Professor Bradley is mentoring me in community-based research and artistic responses and solutions to social issues.

How did you become interested in this project? How has it evolved?

My mentor, Professor Nate Sinnott, first recommended I attend a session at Cobalt Studios; in addition, throughout the summer, I was reading the UMBC first-year experience book, Half the Sky, which was propelling my existing investment in the fight against human trafficking into greater action. As I began to take Social Entrepreneurship in Place in the fall with Professor Stephen Bradley, I realized that I wanted my research for the Undergraduate Research Award to evolve into a parallel project of creating a mural for URCAD. Now, I am exploring parallel themes of dehumanization in both Far Away by Caryl Churchill, and in our world today through human trafficking. In addition, I am partnering with nonprofit organizations in the Baltimore area whose missions are to end domestic child sex trafficking, provide care for survivors of women’s domestic sex trafficking, and empowerment of women.

What has been the hardest part about your research?

In dealing with heavy themes, it can be difficult to continue to stay engaged with the material. I have found it most difficult to stay continually engaged with the realities of human trafficking: to keep learning.

What has been the most rewarding part?

I have been astonished at how well my research is connecting. Once I allowed my ideas to change, and let my research become flexible, I was worried that my original studies through theatre might feel irrelevant, or even distracting, from this other goal. This has not been the case. In fact, I have felt a greater motivation through my theatrical research, as I am exploring themes in both a practical production and an artistic response to a social issue.

I will be presenting at URCAD on April 25th, and the spring production of Caryl Churchill's Far Away will be staged from March 9th through March 11th.

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

I would like to say this a little bit poetically:

jump in

dive in

be unafraid of change

and see where it carries you

be ready for hard work

be ready for not-enough-time

get creative

be thrifty

be ready for excitement

be ready for some let-downs

but jump in

What are your career goals?

My career goals are:

To always give my utmost effort to any work I am doing.

To be a creative and innovative force.

To collaborate, communicate and engage with community.

My highest hopes are to continue using art as a tool for raising awareness about human trafficking; whether that be through theatre, visual art, socialpreneurship or nonprofit intrepreneurship. Ultimately, though, I care most that I am achieving these three goals, regardless of the work I am able to do.

Want to be featured as a Researcher of the Week? Email: aprilh@umbc.edu 

Attention All Undergraduate Researchers!

Have you completed research that you want to refine and publish?

Would you like to be able to put “published author” on your resume?

Would you like professional criticism on your writing from a peer and faculty reviewers?

Submit your paper to the 2018 UMBC Review for consideration. Direct all questions to our editors at umbcreview@umbc.edu.

Deadline: September 15, 2017