UMBC partnered with the Maryland State Department of Education to bring more than 200 educators, industry leaders, and legislators together for the Maryland Computing Education Summit, the state’s largest gathering focused on computing education. The event was held at UMBC on Tuesday, April 12, 2016.

The Maryland Computing Education Summit began as an annual event in 2013, with the goal of finding a way to offer at least one computer science course to students in every high school across the state, explained Marie desJardins, associate dean of UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) and professor of computer science, one of the leaders behind the event.

Continuing the vision of the original summit, Jack Smith, Maryland interim state superintendent of schools, delivered opening remarks, emphasizing that computer science education needs to be integrated into all levels of K-12 education.

Throughout the summit, attendees participated in sessions on topics such as instructional resources, curriculum for students at different levels, teacher preparation, careers in computer science, and introducing students to computer science outside of the classroom. The session “Diversity and Equity: Why is CS Education Access So Important?” prompted participants to discuss unconscious and societal stereotypes within and about the field of computing.

Jan Plane, director of Maryland Center for Women in Computing and senior lecturer in the University of Maryland, College Park’s department of computer science, showed a graph illustrating the how fields such as biology, chemistry, math, and physics have become increasingly representative of the U.S. population, and how computer science still has significant work to do. “Without fixing the K-12 issues, we cannot fix the computer science pipeline,” Plane noted.

Both desJardins and Plane shared concerns that students often feel they aren’t “good at” or “cut of out for” computer science despite the fact that they haven’t tried it. They stressed that it is important for students to have exposure to computer science from an early age, before taking to heart stereotypes about who computer scientists are, and to have an understanding of the breadth of computing and the ways computing is used in society.

In one popular session, five UMBC students participated on a panel about their experiences in computing. Beatrice Garcia ‘16, computer science, recalled feeling troubled when she was one of a handful of women in her computer science courses. “Am I behind? Am I on par with the guys?” she would ask herself.

Several students mentioned that diversity is a huge issue in STEM fields. Sarah Heiner ‘19, computer science, said that she felt like an imposter during some of her classes, and wishes that one of her technology teachers in high school had been a woman. She did positively reflect on one high school STEM experience, recalling an exciting field trip to the Applied Physics Lab at Johns Hopkins University to learn about the broad ways math can be useful in careers.

Kiante Brantley ‘15, computer science, M.S. ‘16, computer science, emphasized that when educators present information about computer science and careers that use computer science, it is important to present the content in a way that young students find engaging, relatable, and memorable.

Other sessions highlighted resources that educators can use in their classrooms to introduce students to computer science, and gave attendees opportunities to brainstorm ways to integrate computer science principles into their courses.

Core to all these conversations was an understanding that computer science should not be siloed and accessible to only the small percentage of students who might discover it on their own. “We need to make coding a part of our culture,” said UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski, “in the same way that students need to know how to write and think.”

Maryland Secretary of Commerce Mike Gill visited UMBC on April 7, 2016, for an afternoon focused on UMBC research and entrepreneurship.

While at UMBC, Secretary Gill met with President Freeman Hrabowski and UMBC leaders focused on research and technology commercialization, including Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the bwtech@UMBC Research & Technology Park. He also toured the lab of Govind Rao, director of the Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST) and professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering (CBEE).

CAST is known as an international leader in developing revolutionary technologies intended to scale up to impact lives across the globe. One tool currently under development is a portable, briefcase-sized bioreactor that rapidly manufactures medicines, replacing airdrops of pharmaceutical supplies to battlefields with point-of-care technology to manufacture specific drugs as they are needed. Rao’s lab has also developed an affordable incubator for vulnerable newborns in low-resource areas. With co-PI Yodan Kostov, CBEE research professor, and faculty collaborators from the College of Engineering and Information Technology, Rao is also working on a wearable system to track asthma triggers in pediatric patients, supported through a nearly $2 million award from NIH.

“I often say that economic development is a team sport, and an important player on Maryland’s team is UMBC,” says Secretary Gill. “Our higher education institutions foster the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that help drive Maryland’s industry sectors like cyber and life sciences. It was terrific seeing firsthand the great work that UMBC’s researchers and innovators are doing.”

“We were proud to share with Secretary Gill the strong record of our faculty in launching new companies and contributing to the Maryland economy,” says Karl Steiner, vice president for research. “UMBC and bwtech have been partnering successfully for a long time on creating and attracting businesses that match our scientific strengths in cybersecurity, life sciences and environmental technologies.”

Secretary Gill began his service in the Maryland Department of Commerce in January 2015, after four decades as an entrepreneur, tech executive, and investment banker. His work with UMBC extends back over a decade, through his service on the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, 2004-2009. Sec. Gill’s team includes Brady Walker ’08, political science, special assistant to the secretary.

Image: Maryland Secretary of Commerce Mike Gill, Brady Walker, and  Prof. Govind Rao (left-right). Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Six members of the UMBC community, including one current undergraduate and five recent alumni, have received highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Awards for 2016.

“Through the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the nation invests in those individuals who have shown great potential to excel in STEM graduate programs and become the next generation of research leaders,” explains Janet Rutledge, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School at UMBC.

The high number of UMBC students and alumni who receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awards demonstrates national recognition of the quality of a UMBC education, which is particularly well regarded for providing robust research experiences for undergraduate and graduate students alike.

Gaurav Luthria ‘16, bioinformatics; Nicholas Rogers ‘15, chemical engineering; Akua Nimarko ‘15, biological sciences and psychology; Abraham Beyene ‘08, chemical engineering; Abigail Jackson ‘15, biochemistry and molecular biology; and Hythem Sidky ‘11, chemical engineering, all received fellowships for 2016. The three-year-long awards support students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Luthria will use the fellowship funding to support a Ph.D. in bioinformatics and integrative genomics at Harvard Medical School, beginning in the fall. “Since coming to UMBC, I have received tremendous support and exposure to a wide array of research projects,” he says. “I am very excited for graduate school and hope to conduct significant research and develop computational tools to help doctors, scientists, and patients understand, diagnose, and treat human disease.”

Rogers received offers from ten Ph.D. programs, and is now deciding where he will pursue his degree.“The NSF GRF is a tremendous honor for me. It reflects my growth as a researcher and the mentorship that has guided me along this path,” he says. “Many others who have won this fellowship before me have emphasized that the impact of this award stretches beyond what I can see now, and I am very excited to see what opportunities it provides!”

Nimarko, pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience at Stanford University School of Medicine, shares, “I am grateful for the opportunities at UMBC that allowed me to successfully compete for this fellowship.”

More than five million Americans have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and Kafui Dzirasa ‘01, chemical engineering, is working to develop an electrical device that would stabilize a person’s mood without the side effects caused by medications. His work is featured in “Ride the Tiger: A Guide Through the Bipolar Brain,” a new PBS documentary that gives viewers a glimpse into the lives and stories of people with bipolar disorder.

Dzirasa, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University, describes how he is able to approach studying the brain from the perspective of an engineer.

Nearly one third of people with bipolar disorder are prescribed lithium as a way to help manage their symptoms. “These medications go everywhere in the brain. And when they go everywhere, the come along with some side effects that are pretty troubling,” explains Dzirasa.

When it comes to treatment, Dzirasa says, “We want to do the least necessary thing to get [a beneficial] outcome.”

The device that he is creating is able to specifically target a certain part of the brain where there is a “roadblock.” “Because the stimulation is only going where you need it, you don’t have to worry about any of the other side effects,” he notes.

The technology Dzirasa is developing is being tested on mice, which are injected with a human bipolar gene and over time begin to show behaviors that are similar to behaviors exhibited by people with bipolar disorder.

Watch the full documentary “Ride the Tiger: A Guide Through the Bipolar Brain” on PBS or in the window below. Learn more about Dzirasa’s research in a recent UMBC News article about his Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Image: Dr. Kafui Dzirasa. Photo by Les Todd, Duke Photography. 

As a nation, the United States appears to be becoming more and more sleep deprived. And it may be our busy lifestyle that keeps us from napping. While naps do not necessarily make up for inadequate or poor quality nighttime sleep, a short nap of 20-30 minutes can help to improve mood, alertness and performance. Nappers are in good company: Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and George W. Bush are known to have valued an afternoon nap. (https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/napping)

Six members of the UMBC community, including one current undergraduate and five recent alumni, have received highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Awards for 2016.

“Through the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the nation invests in those individuals who have shown great potential to excel in STEM graduate programs and become the next generation of research leaders,” explains Janet Rutledge, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School at UMBC.

The high number of UMBC students and alumni who receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowship awards demonstrates national recognition of the quality of a UMBC education, which is particularly well regarded for providing robust research experiences for undergraduate and graduate students alike.

Gaurav Luthria ‘16, bioinformatics; Nicholas Rogers ‘15, chemical engineering; Akua Nimarko ‘15, biological sciences and psychology; Abraham Beyene ‘08, chemical engineering; Abigail Jackson ‘15, biochemistry and molecular biology; and Hythem Sidky ‘11, chemical engineering, all received fellowships for 2016. The three-year-long awards support students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Luthria will use the fellowship funding to support a Ph.D. in bioinformatics and integrative genomics at Harvard Medical School, beginning in the fall. “Since coming to UMBC, I have received tremendous support and exposure to a wide array of research projects,” he says. “I am very excited for graduate school and hope to conduct significant research and develop computational tools to help doctors, scientists, and patients understand, diagnose, and treat human disease.”

Rogers received offers from ten Ph.D. programs, and is now deciding where he will pursue his degree.“The NSF GRF is a tremendous honor for me. It reflects my growth as a researcher and the mentorship that has guided me along this path,” he says. “Many others who have won this fellowship before me have emphasized that the impact of this award stretches beyond what I can see now, and I am very excited to see what opportunities it provides!”

Nimarko, pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience at Stanford University School of Medicine, shares, “I am grateful for the opportunities at UMBC that allowed me to successfully compete for this fellowship.”

Image: Akua Nimarko. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

Virtual Reality Design for Science: Integrating Research, Communication, and Learning for Interdisciplinary Training – A team led by Jian Chen, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, will harness the growing interest and popularity of virtual reality through the creation of a new course designed to challenge graduate and senior undergraduate students to collaboratively write, review, and critique research proposals. The project-oriented class will introduce students to the use of hybrid reality displays, 3D modeling, visualization, and fabrication to conduct and analyze scientific research. The new course embraces the university's goal of advancing interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research activity.

Designing and Developing Effective Mobile Applications – A team led by Viviana Cordova, Assistant Professor of Visual Arts, and Nilanjan Banerjee, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, will create a new interdisciplinary project that teaches both designers and developers the life cycle and project management of mobile application development. Working with professional clients, visual arts and computer science students will use teamwork to tackle real-world projects with deadlines, milestones, and budget constraints. Throughout the semester, students from the Advanced Interface Design and Mobile Programming classes will collaborate to apply their design and programming experience to develop smartphone applications for clients.