Simple wood makes advanced sensors
Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST)
Reposted from UMBC News: Simple wood makes advanced sensors
Picture the most advanced technology and certain qualities probably spring to mind: maybe metallic and sleek, with glowing lights and big digital screens.
The researchers at the Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST) at UMBC, however, have a different adjective they aim for when designing tech: dirt cheap.
Revati Kadolkar in the CAST lab where the team works on inexpensive sensor technology. (Brad Ziegler/UMBC)
For these scientists and engineers, inexpensive doesn't mean low-quality—it means challenging traditional ways of thinking to produce affordable and reliable products that meet vital needs. Toward this end, a CAST research team recently debuted a new environmental sensor made out of simple balsa wood sheets—the kind you could buy at a craft store for a few dollars. The wood was cut and assembled to make a central well to hold samples and channels for the electrochemical components of the sensor to be inserted. The researchers coated the wood to make it waterproof and stuck it together with wood glue.
Inexpensive and sustainable
Choosing wood served two purposes: making the sensor low-cost and also environmentally friendly.
"Sustainability was very important to us," says Revati Kadolkar, a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering who is working on the project. Kadolkar is advised by professors Govind Rao, who directs CAST, and Douglas Frey in the department of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering (CBEE). "Using wood instead of plastic for the structural skeleton of the sensor was a key step toward that sustainability," she says.
In collaboration with another UMBC team from the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education led by CBEE professor Claire Welty, the CAST team tested the sensor in the field by measuring nitrate levels in streams in the Gwynns Falls watershed near Baltimore. Nitrate is a pollutant, often linked to agricultural activities, that can cause gut cancer, birth defects and a condition called methemoglobinemia, also known as the blue baby syndrome. Its concentration in tap water in the U.S. is regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act. The accuracy of the sensor's readings was on par with traditional equipment that cost hundreds of times more money, the researchers say.
Testing in the lab, the team also found the sensor worked well across a range of conditions, including wide variations in temperature and pH levels, and continued to operate well for more than a year.
A schematic shows the layers of the wood sensor, with openings for the three electrodes and a microwell. (Image courtesy of Kadolkar)
A more comprehensive view of the world
Driving down the cost of technology should drive up its impact. Cheaper sensors could be deployed in higher numbers, yielding a more comprehensive view of the world and spotting potential problems earlier.
"Let's say you want to map the whole Chesapeake Bay and know every hour if there is contamination and how it is traveling down the bay," says Venkatesh Srinivasan, a research associate professor at CAST who also worked on the project. "You can get these details more easily if you have lower-cost sensors."
Spreading the benefits of science and technology to resource-limited communities has been a driving force behind CAST research for decades. The team has also developed low-cost infant incubators and a suitcase-sized device to make medicine on-demand.
For now, the sensor operates by analyzing droplets of water added to its central well. Going forward, the team would like to create a sensor that could be submerged in the water and report continuous measurements.
They are already working with the Maryland company NanoForge Systems to commercialize the new nitrate sensor.
"Translating science into innovative products that can help people is what really excites me about this work," Kadolkar says.
Kadolkar shows a sensor the team tested in the field by measuring nitrate levels in Baltimore-area streams. (Photo courtesy of Kadolkar)
In the fall of 2024, Adjunct Professor of Graphic Design Katie Heater '09, visual arts, and MFA '13, imaging and digital arts, was invited by Dr. Renique Kersh, vice president for student affairs, to collaborate on a visual art initiative to highlight and promote UMBC's commitment to inclusive excellence. Dr. Kersh wanted to explore how this core value could be reflected visually in several locations in The Commons – a student-centered building – through the eyes of UMBC students. "Place is so important to building community, and it is even more meaningful when students have a voice in how that place is formed," Dr. Kersh said.
In response, Heater integrated the project into her spring 2025 Professional Practices in Graphic Design course, a senior/junior-level seminar and studio class that provides students the opportunity to apply design thinking while gaining professional skills and real world, client-facing experience. The students were tasked with exploring what inclusive excellence means to them and then developed ways to visually represent these ideas within the building.
Through class discussions and reflection, students defined inclusive excellence as "UMBC's commitment to equality and engagement which enriches the diverse community and its dedication to multiculturalism, academic success, and honors everyone who studies, works, and lives here"; "A culture that celebrates diversity, honors the complex and varied lives of students and staff, and allows members of the community to become the driving force behind the way the institution functions"; and "When diversity meets representation."
Over the course of several weeks, students were divided into three design teams, each with a designated creative lead. Each group created visual language, mockups, and processes by which to create site-specific artworks in The Commons. Students then formally presented their work to Dr. Kersh, along with Student Affairs Communications and Marketing (SACM) and Commons facilities leadership and staff, who provided constructive feedback on their ideas.
"I was really wowed by the students' presentations," said Heater. "It blew me away, seeing how they distilled their ideas and experiences about inclusive excellence at UMBC, from their own experiences to their classmates', and as part of a community."
While only one artwork was expected to be chosen, two initiatives received the green light to move forward and become prominent installations at the west entrance and in the Mezzanine Gallery. Over the remainder of the semester, groups refined their work to incorporate feedback and meet professional standards while maintaining the integrity of their original artistic visions.
Seniors also expressed their gratitude at being invited to contribute meaningfully to the visual fabric of the UMBC community before they graduate.
Petra Janka '25 said, "ART 426, Professional Practices in Graphic Design, has been such an encouraging and eye-opening course. One of the things I've valued most is how the class prepares us for the real world—especially in terms of professional expectations and how to navigate them. The Division of Student Affairs project is definitely a highlight for me. It gave us a real sense of what it's like to collaborate as a team on a client-focused project, from brainstorming ideas to presenting a final product. It taught us how important it is to listen closely, adapt our ideas to meet client needs, and work together to bring a shared vision to life.
"It's been a great experience—definitely a meaningful challenge to dive into and really explore what inclusive excellence means, not just as an academic term but within the context of our own community."
The project, part of UMBC's Arts+ initiative, was completed and installed by commonvision students Shomapti Hussein '25 and Thomas Hammond '25, under the print and installation guidance of Tori Richner '22, print production associate, and the supervision of SACM staff. (Pictured in thumbnail)
All members of the UMBC community are invited to spend time with these installations, reflect on what inclusive excellence means to them, and engage in discussions with fellow community members.
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In the fall of 2024, Adjunct Professor of Graphic Design Katie Heater '09, visual arts, and MFA '13, imaging and digital arts, was invited by Dr. Renique Kersh, vice president for student affairs,...
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Vice President for Student Affairs
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Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:28:19 -0500
Call for UMBC SCIPE (UM-CIP Fellows) Graduate Fellows - Spring 2026
Submission Deadline: Monday, December 1, 2025
Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) SCIPE program (Enhancing the Transdisciplinary Research Ecosystem for Earth and Environmental Science with Dedicated Cyber Infrastructure Professionals), CGC-SCIPE is a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) - iHARP and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences (UMCES). The project aims to strengthen the research capacity in Earth and Environmental Sciences by leveraging High Performance Computing (HPC), Artificial Intelligence, and data-driven modeling, while developing the next generation of Cyber Infrastructure Professionals (CIPs). This project, as part of the iHARP center and Mdata lab, invites applications for UMBC CIP Graduate Fellows (UM-CIP Fellows).
About the Fellowship
The UM-CIP Graduate Fellowship supports a senior PhD student whose dissertation research aligns with Earth or Environmental Science and who seeks to incorporate HPC or advanced AI into their work. The Fellows will receive guidance from an HPC mentor to expand their technical and computational expertise.
Fellowship Details
● Duration: One Year (Starting Spring 2026)
● Funding: Support for Spring and Fall 2026, including tuition, health insurance, and stipend. Note that summer will be supported at 20 hours per week.
● Focus Areas: Earth and Environmental Science (Students may come from any department but must have these focus areas for their research).
For full fellowship details please see the attached announcement. Questions? Contact Dr. Vandana Janeja (
vjaneja@umbc.edu).