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. 

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. 

“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

These Retrievers say UMBC offered the tools and the mentorship to progress toward their biggest ambitions. 

“So many people took their time to sit with me, to push me forward,” says Lombardo. “I had the opportunity to go to scientific conferences, engage in world-class research, and find a community that embraced me.”

Lombardo notes that with support from programs such as the National Institute of Health’s Undergraduate Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement (U-RISE) program and the Southwest Regional National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, he was able to network with researchers outside of his discipline, as well as with industry experts who understand the consumer market. The interactions honed his career goals and reinforced his passion for translating fundamental science principles into practical and impactful engineering, he says. 

Glover, Lombardo and Phelps agree being awarded NSF GRFP fellowships is both a validation of the work they have done so far and an obligation to make a positive difference with research going forward. “It does make me feel that what we do is seen and appreciated,” Glover says. “I have this feeling that I will be able to have the impact that I am hoping to have on the world, which is inspiring and humbling.”

Phelps says he is excited to take the next steps: “I’m looking forward to exploring new topics, pushing the boundaries, and creating new things.”

Starting July 1, 2025, the Maryland Teachers and State Employees Supplemental Retirement Plans (MSRP) is  changing their name to the Maryland State Employees Supplemental Retirement Plans, due to the Maryland General Assembly passing Senate Bill 200.

Nothing else is changing, so no need to worry!

Here is the link to our website for Supplemental Retirement Account (SRA). On this website, you can find information for: 

• General Information: rolling enrollment anytime during your UMBC employment, no deadline to open an SRA
• Comparison charts: for Pre-Tax and ROTH (post tax) accounts
• USM Retirement@Work portal: for enrolling in SRA accounts with either TIAA or Fidelity
• MSRP/Nationwide: No paper forms - enroll online here: MSRP/Nationwide

Center supports transformational education in the Baltimore community

Michael Sarbanes, a leading voice in educational transformation, has been appointed the inaugural executive director of the George and Betsy Sherman Center beginning June 23, 2025.

The George and Betsy Sherman Center furthers the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s (UMBC) commitment to excellence in urban schools in Baltimore City and the region. Established by a visionary gift to UMBC from the Sherman Family Foundation, the center brings together initiatives to support transformational education in four connected areas:

Sherman Scholars: The Sherman Teacher Scholars Program develops STEM and early childhood educators who are skilled, passionate, and committed to an excellent education for all children.

School Community Partnerships: The Sherman School Partnerships program works with schools, families, and community groups to create innovative, responsive, and effective partnerships that help students thrive.

Early Childhood Learning: The Sherman Center engages parents, community groups, and schools to ensure that a child’s early years become the foundation for life-long learning.

Research: The Sherman Center supports applied research linking the insights of UMBC’s outstanding faculty with the daily educational experience of school communities.

“Michael Sarbanes’ experience as a visionary community leader and educator in Baltimore City and Maryland uniquely qualifies him to lead the transformational work of the Sherman Center,” said Manfred H.M. van Dulmen, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at UMBC. “I am excited to see the advancements that the Sherman Center and Michael will bring to education in the Baltimore community.”

The Sherman Center for Early Learning in Urban Communities served Baltimore City’s early childhood education field from 2017-2024. Several of the initiatives are being continued through the George and Betsy Sherman Center.

“Michael and I share a passion for the transformational power of education,” said Betsy Sherman. “He knows first-hand the importance of equipping future educators with the necessary skills to meet students’ unique needs, the value of forging innovative community partnerships, and the life-altering capacity of early childhood education. Michael’s passion and experience have prepared him to launch the George and Betsy Sherman Center as the inaugural director.”

As the inaugural executive director of the Sherman Center, Michael brings to UMBC a unique range of leadership experiences in education, partnerships, and community engagement. As executive director of engagement for Baltimore City Schools, he led the city’s efforts to mobilize Baltimore’s institutions and communities around educational excellence. He brings to the Sherman Center a decade of experience and passion for excellent classroom teaching, as a physics teacher at Green Street Academy in the same Baltimore City neighborhood where he lives. His work has also involved leadership roles in community safety as the head of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention, and in transportation, and housing as executive director of the Citizens Planning and Housing Association.

• The SURE application process is aligned with the Federal Work Study (FWS) process. Both SURE and FWS are programs which can only be used to pay hourly undergraduate employees. SURE-eligible students are in their first four semesters at UMBC, while FWS eligibility is need-based.
• Faculty recipients may only receive one SURE award per academic year.
• Due to the migration of FWS to Handshake, the SURE application process now uses Handshake, as well. SURE applicants post the student job description to Handshake and include "(SURE)" or "(SURE eligible)" in the position title.
• Handshake postings can be used to recruit FWS-eligible and SURE-eligible students at the same time, although checking the "FWS" box is not required for SURE postings.
• Award Size: up to $1,500, paid as reimbursement to the faculty recipient's departmental account. 
• Deadline for SURE: Positions must be posted to Handshake by the start of the Fall semester (August 27, 2025).
• Contact Prof. Don Engel, Associate VP for Strategic Research Initiatives, at donengel@umbc.edu with any questions
  

We have the following courses that may be used by your students as electives:
• Ethics in Software Engineering | SENG 601: Software has entered into everyday objects and now the game has changed. Do you build software that's ethical first?
  
• Software Process Management | SENG 638: When do you use agile processes? Do rich processes still have a place? Can we use a process modeling language to create processes that are purpose-made?
  
• Advanced Software Engineering | SENG 645: Do you know how to engineer a software product? What does it take to create a high-fidelity prototype? Do you want to build a minimally viable product (MVP)?
  
• Special Topics in Software Engineering | SENG 691
•  NEW! AI Agent Computing: New course for Fall 2025 (section is being added and will be available on myUMBC Class Search soon). Do you need an AI agent? Do you want to use Agent Computing to build new applications, tools, and devices?
• Data Intensive Applications: Updated for Fall 2025. Do you want to build apps that serve millions of users with the potential to make lasting meaning and maybe money?
• Reading to Write Code: Updated for Fall 2025. Do you know how to read large open-source code baselines? What if we ask you to add a new feature to an existing code baseline that already has 2 million lines of code and has been in development for 6 years? What do you do?