CHECK meetings are group sessions for pre-chemical engineering students led by a CBEE faculty member.
These meetings supplement the one-on-one advising session with a COEIT Advisor to receive advising clearance. They are not a replacement for the one on one advising session.
During the CHECK meeting students will :
When did you do your Research?
Center for Advanced Sensor Technology with Dr. Govind Rao at UMBC
What is the focus of your Research?
The focus of my research is fluorescent sensor technology and developing genetically encoded sensors to be used in Cell-Free Bioreactors.
What do you enjoy the most about your Research?
I am surrounded by extremely intelligent engineers and researchers from whom I have the privilege to learn so much from. I am specifically looking forward to working with my mentors, Chad Sundberg Ph.D. student and Dr. Govind Rao, to become a better researcher as well as advancing in my project.
What was the best part of your Research OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Research ?
The best part of my research experience are the small wins and discoveries that are made in the lab each and everyday. Through working with others, it is amazing to see what can happen when multiple different people approach a problem. I have been able to apply what I learn in my classes to my research project. I have been able to learn so much from others, and I look forward to continuing to learn and apply our research to solve real-world problems.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?
My advice is to not hesitate to reach out to research labs or internships that you are interested in. Reach out early and do research ahead of time to learn about the research done in the lab.
Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?
I am the Secretary and Communications Conference Chair for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as well as the Panhellenic Delegate and Historian for Phi Mu, Phi Gamma Chapter. I was also a teaching fellow for ENCH 215, Chemical Engineering Analysis, during the summer.
What are your goals after graduation?
After graduation I plan to continue my education in graduate school, to hopefully pursue my Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.
Learn more about Terra Miley:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/terra-miley-690885268
]]>When did you do your Internship?
June 2023
Where was your Internship?
Clene Nanomedicine in North East, Maryland
What is the focus of your Internship?
I evaluated the amount of the edible gold nanoparticle medication in samples. The medication is intended to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's, ALS, and MS.
What are you looking forward to the most about your Internship?
I had prior experience as a Federal Employee for a Federal Contractor. Working at Celene allowed me to expand my experience. I was inspired to work at Celene, a small pharmaceutical company, because they focus on developing medications for diseases that are frequently underfunded and aim to treat conditions like Parkinson's, ALS, MS, and many more.
What was the best part of your Internship OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Internship ?
The highlight of my internship was when a drug trial participant found out they were likely to be examined by the FDA and they sent a heartfelt email promising to do anything they could to support Clene Nanomedicine. The treatment they received as a drug trial participant was life changing for them.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?
My advice would be to diversify the applications to help find what is best for you, even if you think you might not be eligible for some jobs. As a chemical engineering major I even applied to roles for electrical engineering at NASA and got an interview. I got interviews for positions I applied to mechanical engineering roles, process control roles, safety roles. Applying to various positions allowed me to explore all the options and select the position that was the best fit for me.
Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?
UMBC Crafters: Founder and President
What are your goals after graduation?
I plan to work in the industry after graduation. I am still deciding if I want to pursue a graduate degree.
]]>UMBC intellectual sports programs were featured in the fall Baltimore Sun Education supplement, published on Oct. 15. The article, "More than just having fun: Being active in student organizations has long-reaching benefits," includes an interview with Lesa Goodhue.
"'UMBC's use of 'intellectual sports' as a category is unique,' says Lesa Goodhue, special assistant to the AVP, intellectual sports and applied learning. 'While other universities have similar groups, outside of UMBC those groups are often separated and 'owned' by their respective academic departments or colleges. At UMBC, on the other hand, intellectual sports are student organizations recognized by the Student Government Association (SGA). Being an SGA entity ensures that all of our undergraduate students have the opportunity to be a member.'"
"According to Goodhue, student organizations are viewed by the university as ideal spaces for students to develop as leaders, build communities of peers, collaborate across interests and acquire power skills. She notes that UMBC student organizations write constitutions, attend regular roundtables, have access to scheduled professional development workshops, follow budgeting timelines, and adhere to processes designed to maximize equity and ensure their safety."
The article, which begins on page 1, also includes the full interview with Goodhue and quotes from Mock Trial member Samisha Connor '25, financial economics, and American Institute for Chemical Engineers member Benjamin Welling '25, chemical engineering.
ORIGINAL POST: https://my3.my.umbc.edu/groups/vpsa/posts/136468
]]>A PDF of the report with images, is available using the "Download Document" button at the bottom of the story on the myUMBC post.
Tithi Prajapati, Krisha Pandya, Kalina Kostova
Tithi Prajapati is a rising undergraduate sophomore pursuing a Bioinformatics and Computational Biology degree at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is a Meyerhoff Scholar at UMBC. Her program supports the mission of increasing the number of Ph.D. for minorities in the STEM field. Being part of such a program, and her dedication to obtaining a Ph.D., she has decided to get research experience to learn the skills and techniques which will be critical in her educational journey. She started working in the Center of Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST) because she found that CAST had various projects where she could learn various skills, both biological and technological, which are fit for her major. She enjoys working with CAST and being part of such a diverse and welcoming group. Being here only for a short time so far, she has learned multiple things -- working on the nitrate absorbance data, CO2 sensor, and creating microfluidic chips -- and she can't wait to expand her knowledge.
Krisha Pandya is a rising high school senior at Franklin High School, Baltimore County. An avid member of the Science Olympiad chapter at her school, she has found a passion for STEM over the three years of her participation there. She was introduced to CAST this summer and has assisted in several projects, under the guidance of amazing mentors. Krisha has worked with the time to conduct trial experiments for CO2 sensors and nitrate testing in tap water and DI samples. She now looks forward to planning her next academic year, applying to colleges.
Kalina Kostova is a rising freshman in high school, attending Centennial High School in Howard County, Maryland. While she might not have much experience in the STEM field, she has always been curious about it and is eager to expand her knowledge. During her internship at CAST, she helped collect nitrate absorbance data. Kalina is very grateful for everything she was taught by her mentors and for their responsiveness to any issues she faced during this experience. She is interested in pursuing a career in STEM in the future and looks forward to working with others in similar fields.
STEM is an acronym grouping together fundamental interdisciplinary principles: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is a commonplace term pertinent to the conversation of the various technical undergraduate degrees and career possibilities today.
To understand the situation in STEM, we interviewed a few women in STEM. In the interview, they all gave similar responses to the question, "how do you maintain a good balance between your personal and professional life?"
Revati Kadolkar, a graduate student at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County said, "it is a challenge."
Like the other interviewees, she describes that the gender gap is very much prominent and that the household duties do eventually take a toll. Kadolkar positively affirms the importance of consistency though -- women must enable themselves to be consistent through their work to create their impact.
STEM fields have been primarily male-dominated, despite some developments in the 20th and 21st centuries[1]. From an MIT study, in 2023, the percentage of women in the STEM workforce comes to a marginal 28% around the world. When comparing statistics of other big nations specifically, we see that the United States has 24%, European Union has 17%, Japan has 16%, and India has 14% women in the STEM workforce [3]. Hence, not just in the US, this is a worldwide problem. Women are largely seen working lower-level administration positions at lower pay rates than their male counterparts.
Statistics show women in healthcare comprise 80% of total employment, but a closer look at the statistics evidences only 21% of this population holds upper executive positions even in healthcare [6]. Women are much less likely to have stature enabling them as authoritative figures responsible for decision-making and upper management. Their skill sets are undermined evident by the continual absences of more women in the engineering and computational science areas, and surgery.
In an interview with Dr. Sadhika Jamisetti, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, she points out, "In terms of female to male ratio, we actually have more females, because I'm in family medicine, but if you get out of family medicine and you go to different specialties, like surgical, especially surgical, might not see as many women...". She still believes there is hope, and aspires that one day there will be more women in STEM. Excelling in multiple specialties, not confined to just one.
Dr. Prerna Joshi, working more at the technical forefront, also feels similarly. A senior scientistelectrochemistry at Xerion Advanced Battery Corp in Ohio, she says, "In the field of electrochemistry I have not seen more women, they either go in biology as in pursuing medicine or in chemistry as in polymer related things but they don't usually go towards the physics kind of field in science." But she too hopes that this problem will be fixed soon.
Women are more involved in the social standpoint of the world. They are more likely to read blogs, make up a huge audience of social media content readers, and generally they tend to stay more engaged in world affairs than men [4]. Having such strong involvement adds value to their perspective and their activeness and dedication proves to be of significant value towards the society. A strong attribute of females that STEM cannot put away. Not just females, diversity in STEM is critical as a whole.
When seeking a solution to challenges and problems faced, the lack of diversity in STEM acts as a barrier. Increasing diversity in the STEM field will bring new ideas and creativity, which will only help foster more development within STEM. This development is only possible when multiple perspectives are taken into account. STEM should be more inclusive of minority groups including not just women, but marginalized racial groups and children.
With the many opportunities and career choices today, lies the future of the new generation. This new generation needs to be informed on how they can contribute to the advancement and progression of their lives by being part of STEM. Diversifying STEM is diversifying an ideology that promotes stronger collaboration and unity.
Dr. Sai Kiran Mani, how she found her way
"It's amazing how different minds think differently. [It makes for] a dynamic environment."
As postdoctoral fellow at UMBC, Dr. Sai Kiran Mani focuses her research on the development of low-cost and effective sensors for water samples, specifically nitrate sensor. She is a strong believer that passion drives an individual and firmly stands for collaboration in the workspace.
According to her, having mentors and experts who are willing to give their guidance helps alleviate the pressure of benchwork in STEM.
Dr. Preety Ahuja, on why she chose STEM
Dr. Preety Ahuja is an Assistant Research Scientist at UMBC with a Ph.D. in Electrochemistry from the University of Delhi, India. A reputed member of the Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST) here at UMBC and as a mother, Dr. Ahuja has shifted her research focus to the development of non-invasive room-temperature CO2 monitors for neonates.
Dr. Ahuja decided she wanted to make safer sensors that would not be irritable to newborns with sensitive skin. Current CO2 sensors for newborn care are within the temperature ranges of 44-45 degrees Centigrade; these temperatures are extreme for younger children, especially neonates [7].
In her statement, she mentions she wanted to do this for her daughter. She has first-hand witness of the technologies used for neonate care and opines that huge improvements are needed within healthcare especially on technologies for postnatal and neonatal care. She aspires to initiate the change through CAST.
At CAST, she has the freedom to be able to begin her project. The reason Dr. Ahuja was able to do this is because she had the opportunity to do so -- something not many women have access to.
Dr. Pegah Rezaei, on her journey to the US
Dr. Pegah Rezaei has been part of the CAST team at UMBC. She described her experience in Medical School in Turkey, where medical students from neighboring countries would come to Turkey to study. She realized the differences in medical advancement even between borders, not everyone has the same access to medicine.
To explore this, she got interested in research, and came to the US to start her post doctorate after medical school. As part of her research, she has been working on developing the CO2 monitoring device relevant to the escalating opioid crisis.
These three women with three different backgrounds yet they come together to work in a lab in another country. Together they continue to show their knowledge and motivation towards research by being strong leaders in their respective fields, working towards the creation of low-cost and highly effective sensors such as nitrate and CO2 sensors.
There are fewer women relative to men in STEM. Even fewer minority-based women. There is a need for regulation in underdeveloped policies and agendas which facilitates a culture where women are discredited and remain segregated in the opportunities they are given to succeed. To say the least, America has yet to cross the 50% benchmark but there is still change to come about, slowly but surely.
We would like to thank Dr. Venkatesh Srinivasan, the Assistant Professor at CAST, for giving us the opportunity to write this paper and for setting up interviews. We would like to extend our appreciation to the interviewees, Dr. Preeti, Dr. Sai Kiran Mani, Dr. Sadhika, Dr. Joshi, Dr. Pegah, and Revati Kadolkar. They have all been a great source of inspiration for us.
We lastly extend our gratitude to Dr. Govind Rao, the Director and Chairman of CAST, who has welcomed us to be a part of the CAST team. Thank you.
1. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). EPA. https://www.epa.gov/perspectives/whyrepresentation-matters-girls-and-women-stem
2. Filed in Employment Trends Data and Technology Career Information By: Emily Krutsch, V. R. - N. 4. (n.d.). Stem day: Explore growing careers. DOL Blog. https://blog.dol.gov/2022/11/04/stem-day-explore-growing-careers
3. The gender gap in Stem. MIT Professional Education. (2023, July 12). https://professionalprograms.mit.edu/blog/leadership/the-gender-gap-in-stem
4. Posts. (2022, March 2). The importance of women in STEM: Why diversity matters. Her Culture. https://www.herculture.org/blog/2022/3/2/the-importance-of-women-in-stem-whydiversity-matters
5. Special topics annual report: Women in the stem. US EEOC. (n.d.). https://www.eeoc.gov/special-topics-annual-report-women-stem
6. The stem gap: Women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. AAUW. (2022, March 3). https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/the-stem-gap/
7. Use of transcutaneous CO2 monitoring in NICU (May 2019). (n.d.). https://www.ashfordstpeters.net
Photo credit: Tithi Prajapati. Krisha Pandya, Kalina Kostova and Tithi Prajpati (From left to right)
** Originally published in UMBC's Undergraduate Research Group**
Meet Garrett Hill, a FOUR-TIME URA Scholar!
Garrett attended Mount Hebron High School in Howard County, where he had the opportunity to participate in the Biotechnology Career Academy at the Applications and Research Laboratory (ARL) program and conduct research at UMBC during his senior year at Hebron. He is a senior Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, a Meyerhoff Scholar, and conducts research in the Marten lab.
Research Title: Characterization of the PrkA Protein Kinase in Aspergillus nidulans
Describe your project:
My project aims to investigate the way that mold repairs its cell wall after damage and how the cell organizes structures related to this repair. New understandings gained through this research can contribute to how we use fungi to make drugs and enzymes and may even help others to design new antifungal medications.
Who is your mentor for your project?
I work with Dr. Mark R. Marten in the Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering. As a high school senior, I was a part of a program that allowed me to participate in research at neighboring institutions, and I came across Dr. Marten and his lab when searching for research I may be interested in. After meeting and talking about the work done in the lab, something that stood out to me was how Dr. Marten stressed the importance of project ownership. Being the “expert” in the lab on a project gives students a unique level of both responsibility and drive, and this is what drew me to joining his lab.
How did you become interested in this project?
Before starting work on this project, I had assisted some graduate students with their projects, and that’s when I learned that I had an interest in both the molecular genetics and the fluorescence microscopy that we do in our lab. This project seemed to combine both interests, so I decided to choose it when looking for a project of my own.
What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher?
Something that really took getting used to was the number of setbacks I faced in my project. I quickly learned that in research, it takes many tries to get something right, and failure became much more familiar to me throughout my journey as an undergraduate researcher.
What has been the most rewarding part?
I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to engage in research at almost every stage a projects life. I started with comprehensive literature reviews, where I then formulated my own hypotheses, and under the guidance of my mentor, I designed experiments to test these hypotheses. I also got experience communicating my science in conferences and presentations, allowing me to get a great view of what research really feels like.
How will you disseminate your research?
I plan to present my research next spring at URCAD and look forward to the prospect of attending conferences to potentially present my work.
What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
I think getting involved in research can seem a little daunting at first, so I would recommend that people just take the leap! There is a lot of exciting research being done at UMBC, so I would say to just see what’s out there and if something seems interesting, reach out to the lab to see if you can get involved. Now is the time to experiment and see what you want to do in your career, and there are many mentors here that could help you on that journey.
What are your career goals?
After graduating UMBC, I plan to pursue a PhD in microbiology. The prospect of staying in academia and becoming a mentor for others is exciting to me, but I also look forward to exploring what other career paths I might be able to follow after graduate school.
Read more about UMBC's URA Scholars:
ur.umbc.edu
]]>STEM Conferences 2023-2029
WE23: Los Angeles, CA, October 26-28, 2023
WE24: Chicago, IL, October 24-26, 2024
WE25: New Orleans, LA, October 23-25, 2025
WE26: Boston, MA, November 5-7, 2026
WE27: Denver, CO, November 4-6, 2027
WE28: Minneapolis, MN, October 26-28, 2028
WE29: Atlanta, GA, October 25-27, 2029
Northrop Grumman Engineering Facility Tours on 9/8Registration Required today! |
Northrop Grumman Engineering Facility Tours
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers is hosting two facility tours at Northrop Grumman!
This Friday, Sept. 8th, Northrop Grumman is kind enough to host the UMBC Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers chapter at two of their facilities. SHPE has an established partnership with the ADELANTE group at NG. They are very generous to open up not one but TWO of their engineering facilities for a student tour. There will be two tours happening consecutively:
Tour 1: NG's Sykesville Location
- Unit: Power & Controls Systems Business Unit
- Date: Friday, September 8th, 2023
- Time: 10:30am - 1:00pm
- Who: Any UMBC students
- What:
- Technical Presentation related to Electrical Power Systems by Chief Engineer, Matthew Superczynski.
- A comprehensive site tour through the manufacturing facilities.
- Lunch with Pizza & Light refreshments.
Tour 2: NG's Annapolis Location
- Unit: Naval & Oceanic Systems Business Unit
- Date: September 8th, 2023
- Time: 10:30am - 1:30pm
- Who: Any UMBC students
- What:
- Site Tour showcasing the impressive operations in Annapolis.
- "Ask an Engineer" - engaging Question and Answer session.
- Lunch with Pizza & Light refreshments.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Transportation: Please be advised that transportation to the event is NOT included.
- Eligibility: U.S. CITIZENSHIP IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND.
- REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
- Further details can be found in the RSVP form here: https://forms.gle/2MnLyCY6vDJUQnx3A