UMBC’s Office of the Vice President for Research has named seven new recipients of Strategic Awards for Research Transitions (START). The awards are formerly known as Special Research Assistantship/Initiative Support (SRAIS). Reaching up to $20,000 each and beginning July 2016, the awards are intended to help faculty compete more effectively for external support and to pursue new areas of inquiry.

Rachel Brewster, associate professor of biological sciences, was awarded funding to study how zebrafish are able to survive extreme environmental conditions by entering hypometabolism.

Felipe A. Filomeno, assistant professor of political science, will receive START funding to study inclusionary policies on immigration settlement in Baltimore City. His case study will assess the outcomes of local immigration policies, examine how effective the policies have been in Baltimore, and advance understanding of local immigration policies.

Erin Green, assistant professor of biological sciences, will use the START funding to study the role of yeast genes in cellular stress response pathways. By understanding how yeast genes affect a cell’s response to stress, her work will expand the understanding of how environmental stimuli change the structure and function of DNA and proteins in chromosomes.

Marcella Mellinger, assistant professor of social work, was awarded START funding to study the evolution of anti-domestic violence advocacy efforts. She will gather qualitative data through focus groups and interviews, and identify themes that illuminate how advocacy work has shifted over time.

George Derek Musgrove, associate professor of history, will use START funding to conduct research and writing for the study “The Black Nationalist Resurgence and the Changing Nature of Black Protest in the Post-Civil Rights Period.” The study will focus on black political activism between 1980 and 1995, and will reframe this time period by displacing the popular teleological narratives in today’s discussions of race.

Hamed Pirsiavash, assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering (CSEE), was awarded START funding to develop computer algorithms that can make computers “see” the world and “interact” with the world in ways similar to humans, accounting for a level of uncertainty. Utilizing these algorithms, computers watching large-scale unlabeled videos should be able to predict what will happen next.

Meilin Yu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, was awarded START funding to develop a 3D computational fluid dynamics simulation tool that will be used to study the fin-body-flow interaction in fish locomotion. The findings of this research will help improve the design of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).

Image: Associate professor Rachel Brewster. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC. 

JOB SUMMARY:
Young Audiences is seeking enthusiastic, hardworking artists/teachers to serve as teaching artist assistants for its Summer Arts and Learning Academy operated in partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools. This job is a key component of the success of the academy, and teaching assistants will have the opportunity to work alongside some of our state’s most experienced and accomplished professional teaching artists. Assistants will be paired with a teaching artist for the entirety of the program and will work closely with them to plan and implement lessons in their given art form. Assistants will assist with set-up and breakdown, assist students in learning through the art form, assist with attendance and record keeping, and assist with the coordination of student showcases and performances/exhibitions throughout the city. Assistants will also accompany students, teaching artists and staff on field trips.

JOB SUMMARY:
The Summer Arts and Learning Academy Grade Level teacher is key to insuring rigorous and meaningful learning in both literacy and math at the Summer Arts Learning Academy sites. Grade level teachers will be paired with a highly skilled teaching artist to provide arts integrated instruction daily.

Three faculty in UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) have received distinguished awards from leading professional organizations for their commitment to mentoring students and advancing engineering education.

Amy Hurst, assistant professor of information systems, has been named a recipient of the National Center for Women and Information Technology’s Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award 2016, which she will receive at the group’s Summit on Women and IT in May.

Hurst studies accessibility issues and develops assistive technologies and tools to empower others to build their own assistive technologies. During her five years at UMBC, Hurst has mentored more than 40 undergraduate students and nearly 25 graduate students. She engages students in her lab in various ways, and says that mentoring students is a huge part of why she is a professor.

“Students are embedded in my research lab by conducting independent research, supporting my PhD students’ research, and maintaining our lab equipment,” says Hurst. “Through working in my lab, undergraduate students have gained valuable experiences and been very successful.”

Over the past five summers, she has also hosted 11 undergraduates from other institutions in her lab through the Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU) program. The program allows students to work alongside UMBC students and complete meaningful research, while having access to a faculty mentor.

Hurst prioritizes meeting with all of her students at least once each week to discuss ongoing projects. “I have found that this topic [DIY assistive technology] is engaging for undergraduate researchers interested in having real-world impact and working with special populations,” she says.

Hurst’s award follows state and national recognition of Anne Spence, professor of practice in mechanical engineering, and Marie desJardins, associate dean of COEIT and professor of computer science, as mentors and advocates for engineering education.

Spence received the Engineering and Technology Education Advocacy Award from the Technology and Engineering Educators Association of Maryland (TEEAM) in February. The award recognized her substantial contributions to Project Lead the Way, a national organization focused on increasing the number, quality and diversity of engineers in the U.S. by effectively engaging more K-12 students in engineering through energetic, hands-on learning experiences.

In July, desJardins will be presented with the Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentoring Award from the Computing Research Association-Education (CRA-E). The award recognizes her work advancing computer science education in K-12 schools and preparing young women to pursue majors and careers in computer-related fields.

Since 2005, desJardins has mentored more than 70 undergraduate students, many of whom have gone on to pursue graduate programs in computing. She connects with undergraduate students during their first two years, and guides more senior students—particular those with research experience—in serving as peer mentors.

Hurst shares desJardins’s focus on engaging undergraduates in research through the support mentoring provides. “Mentoring has always been a priority to me, particularly helping students who are interested in research but have had little experience or exposure to it,” Hurst explains. “I feel that mentorship is one of the best ways to support students as they grow intellectually and make their career choices.”

Image: Amy Hurst talks with a student in her lab. Photo by Tim Ford, coordinator of illustrative services in the biological sciences department at UMBC.

The UMBC men’s lacrosse team welcomes 11th-ranked Johns Hopkins to UMBC Stadium in the first night contest of the Retrievers' season on Wednesday, March 30. The opening face-off between the Retrievers and Blue Jays is slated for 7 p.m. 

The first 250 fans will receive UMBC "Blackout" t-shirts. Both the UMBC Down and Dirty Dawg Band and the JHU Band will be rockin' the Dawg House! There is also UMBC Sports Marketing's halftime contest of a shot from midfield, which is now up to $9,000! Moreover, it's Fan Appreciation Night, with $1 hot dawgs!

Do you want to contribute to the UMBC Community?
Are you available 1-3 hours per week?

The Student Parking Appeals Board hears contested student parking tickets.  This is a paid position and a great opportunity to gain leadership experience, group interaction dynamics, and develop problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills.  Training is provided.

Applications for 2016-2017 are now available!

April 1^st is the deadline! You’ve still got a few days left to apply! 

Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference in the UMBC community!

Call 410-455-2453 or email Conduct@umbc.edu with your questions.

Design competition: Looking for a Few Good Carrots!

Attention artists and designers! Single Carrot Theatre is looking for an original design for our 10th Anniversary Carrot--that’s where you come in! We would love you to design our next carrot. Let your imagination go! It could be typeset, litho, vector, photo, or anything else as long as it is in the form of or accompanied by a high-res, printable image.

The Office of Student Judicial Programs facilitates student and community development and ethical growth opportunities promoting personal integrity, civility, self-responsibility, citizenship and appreciation for diversity.  

The UMBC Student Hearing Board supports The Office of Student Judicial Programs, and our mission, by resolving contested cases of student misconduct in a formal hearing setting. 

The Student Hearing Board resolves contested charges brought against any student or student organization for alleged violations of the Code of Student Conduct or Code of Student Organization Conduct.

The Student Hearing Board determines whether the student or student organization is responsible or not responsible, as well as what the appropriate consequences will be.

A student is eligible to apply to be a Justice of the UMBC Student Hearing Board if s/he:

* is a full-time student
* is in good academic standing
* is in good conduct standing
* has completed at least one semester at UMBC

April 1^st is the deadline! You’ve still got a few days left to apply! 

Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference in the UMBC community!

Call 410-455-2453 or email Conduct@umbc.edu with any questions!