Researcher, Mentor Works to Slow Scourge of Alzheimer�s

Theresa Good, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, works to slow the toll of Alzheimer’s, one of the world’s most devastating illnesses. Her peers recently voted her as among the most talented in her field, electing Good as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

The Rochester, NY native came to UMBC from Texas A&M in 2002. A former Peace Corps volunteer who taught biology and chemistry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Good has always been drawn to real-world challenges.

About 10 percent of the population over age 60 and 50 percent of those over age 80 develop Alzheimer’s. The progressive, fatal disease causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior.

Good’s lab specializes in a protein found in senile plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s in the brain.  Senile plaques are large globs of protein that grow to about the same size as brain cells.

Good is grateful for the AIMBE recognition, but says that her true passion is working with undergraduate and graduate students and helping them to develop into researchers.

“I’m pleased that my colleagues recognize my contributions, but to be honest, the GSA mentor award (Good won the Donald Creighton Memorial Faculty Award for Graduate Student Mentoring in 2007) meant a lot more. 

I like to teach undergraduates at UMBC; they’re talented, they’re funny and every day is different. It’s wonderful to be recognized for producing useful research, but another thing I help to produce is people.”

“Theresa is a tremendous role model to her students and will go to any length to ensure that they are both growing intellectually and succeeding in their efforts,” said Julia Ross, professor and chair of chemical and biochemical engineering.

Good and her colleagues study beta amyloid protein (BAP) as a target for potential new Alzheimer’s drugs. A buildup of BAP in the brain is linked to most forms of the disease, including early-onset Alzheimer’s, impacting some patients as early as in their 40’s. 

Alzheimer’s is an especially challenging adversary since it is difficult to diagnose in the early stages. “The brain is redundant; people compensate for memory loss until the damage to brain cells reaches the catastrophic stage,” said Good. Her lab is examining if fluorescent or metal nano-molecules can be used as tools for earlier diagnoses.

According to Good, there is room for cautious optimism for Alzheimer’s research and possible new therapies. “I think there will be something in clinical trials in the next five years to help prevent further neural damage, but it won’t be perfect,” she said.

Researching Cancer, Serving the Uninsured

Paula Whittington ’01 is a healer in more ways than one. As a doctor in training, she gives medical treatment to patients at an inner-city Detroit medical center, many of them uninsured. Outside of the clinic, her research may offer hope for millions of breast cancer patients.

The former MARC*U*STAR and Meyerhoff scholar at UMBC has already earned her Ph.D. and is working towards her M.D. at Wayne State University. She was recently lead author on a Cancer Research article announcing a potential new vaccine for a type of breast cancer.

Whittington, who has always been fascinated by the immune system, worked under the mentorship of Wayne State Medical School’s Wei-Zen Wei that focused on HER-2, a surface protein that is over expressed by breast cancer cells. Doctors screen for high HER-2 levels as an indicator of a poor prognosis, but it also gives a target for a treatment that has caused tumors to regress.

The problem with HER-2 as a drug target is that after about nine months of treatment, the cancer cells that remain in circulation become resistant to the therapy and the tumors come back. Wei has developed a DNA vaccine to address this complication that is currently undergoing clinical trials in Sweden. “The idea is to train the body to recognize HER-2 and attack cancer cells, not healthy cells,” said Whittington.

Outside of the lab, Whittington enjoys serving clinic patients. “I like treating different people from different cultures,” she said. One of her most recent rotations was pediatric hematology/oncology. “You think it would be depressing with cancer and kids, but 85 percent of their cancers are curable,” said Whittington.

Whittington continues to represent UMBC well, despite the passing of time and distance. She remains in touch with former UMBC mentors such as Professor of Biological Sciences Sue Rosenberg and Professor Emeritus of Africana Studies Daphne Harrison.

“I remember Paula as an energetic student who seemed to flourish when working on assignments or participating in discussions and activities,” said Harrison. “I am excited about her achievements and that she continues to be a scholar and scientist of exceptional talent and humanitarian concern.”

(1/23/09)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Retrievers Sweep Conference Crowns at America East Swimming and Diving Championships

The UMBC men’s swimming and diving team was crowned America East Conference Champions on Sunday, February 11 for the fourth year in a row. This year, however, was different, as for the first time the Retriever women shared in the glory, claiming their first-ever America East title, marking the fourth time in conference history but first in a decade that the same school has won both the men’s and women’s championships.

The Retriever men amassed 876.5 team points to hold off runners-up Binghamton (805). Stony Brook placed third (506.5), followed by host Boston University (448) and Maine (393).

UMBC ties an America East record with its fourth-straight conference championship, as Delaware won four in a row from 1997-2000. The league crown is actually the Retrievers’ 10th straight, as they took six ECAC titles from 1998-2003 before joining the America East in 2003-04. Since then, UMBC has dominated the conference, winning every year.

The Retriever women totaled 719 team points to defeat runner-up Boston University (616) by more than 100 points and unseat two-time defending champion New Hampshire, which placed third (596). Maine (462), Vermont (454), Stony Brook (264) and Binghamton (247) round out the seven-team field.

The last time the same school won both the men’s and women’s America East Championships was 1997 when Delaware accomplished the feat. Boston University has also done it twice, in 1990 and 1994. It also marks the fifth time the Retriever men and women have both won conference championships, as they each claimed the Northeast Conference title in 2000, 2002 and 2003 and the ECAC crown in 1999.

Read more about individual award winners.

(2/13/07)

© 2006-07 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Science in the Summer

Before his summer internship at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (NIST-SURF), Andrew Dillon ’11 didn’t know what scientists really did in their labs. He wasn’t even sure what his future career path would look like. All he knew was that he liked math and chemistry. His time spent at NIST, however, showed him that these interests could be turned into skills for a career in science.

“In my 11 weeks at NIST, I got firsthand experience of what researchers do,” said Dillon. “I did real research that is being used now.”

Dillon went into the internship as a Montgomery Community College student set to transfer to UMBC in fall 2009. Knowing he’d be attending UMBC, he connected with several other UMBC students – in addition to the rest of the 150 student interns.

“In my opinion, the best part about working at NIST was getting to know the other interns,” he said.

Research varies among interns, who work in groups across NIST laboratories. Dillon’s research focused specifically on DNA and the nanomaterials that would change the chemical structure of DNA – resulting in mutations, cancer or pre-mature aging. He also studied how nanomaterials could potentially affect the environment if used commercially.

Although Dillon’s time in the lab didn’t solidify his career as a researcher, it did help him figure out another path. The summer taught him that although research is fascinating to him, it’s not something he’ll necessarily pursue in the sciences.

“Either way, I’m still going to look into the NIST-SURF program again next year,” he said. “I was paid to do things I love, learn what scientists really do and hang with friends for a summer. What more can I want from an internship?”

In the past four years, the number of UMBC students who’ve attended the NIST-SURF program each year has grown from one to ten. UMBC is among the top schools for highest attendance at the program, which generally accepts around 100 students. Read about last year’s interns here.

(10/30/09)

Students Give Back, Gain Affordable Experience through Alternative Spring Break

UMBC’s Alternative Spring Break trips share one common theme: helping others locally. Through the four trips offered March 16-20, students have the chance to work with children and people with disabilities, assist with trail building and experience homelessness firsthand.

“These trips are for students who want to volunteer with Alternative Spring Break but don’t have the money,” said Jordanna Spencer ‘09, graduate coordinator for service and volunteerism. “Financial opportunities are tight; these trips will give students an opportunity to become immersed and have an extensive experience at a low price.”

Students pay $75 and stay in Erickson Hall, where they will cook together and camp out in three lounges. The groups will use vans from The Shriver Center to reach nearby destinations. Three of the four programs will take place in Baltimore, with another in Arlington, Virginia. There are two student leaders for each group along with volunteers both in and outside of the Division of Student Affairs.

The four trips were planned based on the economy and the passions of students. One group will work with The ARC of Carroll County, an organization assisting people with developmental disabilities. Students will teach these citizens about partnership and provide them with job skill training. Spencer said the student who organized this trip has a disabled sister, and he promotes and supports this organization.

Another group will head to the Gwynns Falls Trail, spearheaded by UMBC’s Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA). These students will build trails and speak with students at local schools about the environment. Professor of American Studies Ed Orser will also attend and give a historical perspective based on his book. Tanvi Gadhia ’09, environmental studies, is a student leader for this group and looks forward to educating students in Baltimore city schools.

“I really hope to connect inner city kids with nature and teach them, expose them to young and enthusiastic mentors,” said Gadhia. “I want to use my leadership skills to share my passion for the environment with my fellow students to help empower them to make a difference in their surrounding community.”

The third Baltimore group will partake in “A Day in the Life: Poverty and Homeless Simulation.” Students will spend the week volunteering with with Centro, Helping Up Mission, CAN Bannaker Center and St. Vincent D. Paul’s, Sarah’s Hope. On Wednesday, March 18, students will embark on a full 12-hour simulation where they will live in Baltimore for $2 a day, excluding transportation costs.

“They’ll have to take on a character and find food, shelter and apply for a job,” said Spencer. “They’ll be in Baltimore from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., and the lounges at Erickson will be closed.”

Another group is headed to The Gesundheit Institute (Hillsboro, West Virginia), an organization UMBC has volunteered with in the past and is popular with students. While at the Institute, students use an alternative approach of medicine by interacting with patients through a variety of games and activities. The care they receive is focused on fun and play.

This year marks the last of Spencer’s ASB coordination, as she is graduating with her master’s degree in the spring. She hopes the program will provide students with more Alternative Spring Break options in the future. 

“We hope the program grows and students become more immersed,” Spencer said. “With additional financial support in the future, we can provide more opportunities for students.”

For more information on ASB at UMBC, visit www.umbc.edu/umbcserves/.

Watch the UMBC homepage for a reflection story about ASB 2009 after Spring Break.

(3/10/09)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

Students� Biofuel Idea Funded by MTV Contest

Story Note: Learn more about the UMBC Biodiesel Club on Maryland Public Television’s “Motorweek” show, starting on Friday, March 13. In Baltimore County, the episode featuring coverage of Maryland’s homebrewed biodiesel community will air Saturday (3/14) at 5pm and Sunday (3/15) at 2pm, Thursday (3/19) at 8pm on MPT. Check your local listings for other broadcast times.

Nothing says “reduce, reuse and recycle” like turning horse manure into fuel. Inspired by Indian innovators, four members of the UMBC Biodiesel Club recently won $1,000 in seed funding in an MTV-sponsored, international environmental contest for their idea to make biofuel at a Maryland farm.

Four  UMBC sophomore chemical engineering majors —  Nick Selock, Marsha Walker, Donterrius Ethridge and Angela Nealen – earned funding from  MTV Switch’s  “Dream It, Do It Challenge,” a global competition for the best environmental and sustainability ideas from young people around the world.

According to Selock, the Club’s proposal for the MTV contest was inspired by the Gober (Hindi for cow dung) gas innovators in India, who use specially designed equipment to digest dung from sacred cows and refine it into cooking gas used by many households. The biogas produced is clean, cheap and sustainable; perfect for developing nations and for anyone looking to reduce environmental impact.

“The MTV prize money will enable us to purchase and set up an anaerobic digester to collect methane, which is a more potent and harmful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, from horse manure and then convert it into methanol,” said Selock. “The current methanol we use is made from natural gas, which is much less environmentally friendly.”

Under the mentorship of Bradley Arnold, associate professor of chemistry, the Club has been working at a local horse farm in Burtonsville, Md., since September 2008 to apply classroom and lab concepts to their all-volunteer operation to improve the biodiesel brewing process.

Supporting Maryland�s Workforce

From the moment BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) plans were announced several years ago, Maryland knew it would see an influx of people and jobs around the military installments of Ft. Meade in Anne Arundel County, Ft. Detrick in Frederick and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County. With the increase in activity among both the military and area defense contractors comes the need for workforce training to help current and future employees meet the demands of the jobs created. UMBC, with its convenient location (just a short drive from Ft. Meade) and strengths in science, engineering and IT, is well-positioned to offer training to the BRAC population.

On December 15, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown announced that UMBC received one of 12 BRAC Higher Education grants from the Maryland Higher Education Investment Fund. The grant, totaling $83,208, will help establish a Center for Cybersecurity Training. Fifteen courses will be developed by UMBC Training Centers and will be targeted to employees of state and federal government agencies and contractors, active military, veterans and any others seeking job training or skill enhancement.

With an estimated 60,000 jobs in communications, intelligence and other high-skilled fields coming to Maryland via BRAC, there will be a critical need for cybersecurity training. UMBC’s cybersecurity program will prepare those employees to obtain the required certification.

Courses planned include Network Security, Computer Forensic Investigation, Enterprise Linux Security Administration, and Java Development for Secure Systems. The goal is to begin delivering pilot courses to small groups of students this spring. While it is projected that 75-150 students will be served during the pilot phase, ultimately the goal is to serve about 720 students per year.

“People are recognizing that cybersecurity is the next strategic area of our national defense,” says Jon Lau, practice manager for engineering and IT programs at UMBC Training Centers. Lau, who will manage the Center for Cybersecurity Training, added, “Now, no matter what your job is [in the defense industry] you need comprehensive training in cybersecurity. We recognized there would be a big need among the staff at Ft. Meade and the need to train the new people.”

Lau says the courses will focus on hands-on training. They will primarily be delivered at UMBC Training Centers, but equipment can be set up at client sites. There is also the possibility of some courses being offered online.

Currently, about 25 percent of participants in UMBC Training Centers courses are from defense-related organizations, but with the establishment of the cybersecurity program, Lau expects that percentage to increase significantly.

(12/21/09)

Tackling the Shortage of STEM Teachers in Baltimore

Due to the growing shortage of highly-qualified science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers, the Sherman STEM Teacher Education Scholars Program was implemented in fall 2007 to support selected STEM majors. Students are assisted academically, professionally and financially through advising, fellowships, cohort building and a summer bridge program. Above all, the Sherman Scholars Program promotes working with youth and being in the classroom as much as possible.

Eleven students comprised the inaugural cohortin fall 2007, and there are currently 20 students in the program. They range anywhere from freshmen to graduate students and are at different life stages.

“In addition to those considered traditional students, we have a former marine, a mother whose children are in college and a former Ph.D. candidate who realized she’d rather teach at the high school level,” said  Rehana Shafi, assistant director of the Sherman Program.

Scholar Catrin Eike ’10, a former high school dropout and single mother of three, earned her GED and worked her way from community college into UMBC and the Sherman Program.

“The program has not only given me an opportunity to meet other people in STEM majors, it has given me the chance to look within myself,” said Eike. “I now realize that I am a person with gifts to share.”

Once admitted to the program, students receive support for the duration of their time at UMBC and into their careers as classroom teachers. They are required to complete at least one semester of service learning and one classroom-based fellowship.

“We want them to have many hands-on and tangible experiences working with youth before they’re student teachers,” Shafi said. 

Because the program expects scholars to teach in the Baltimore area, these experiences take place locally.

When in the planning stages in 2006, Shafi looked at national and local programs focusing on teacher education and student support. The Sherman Program is a combination of ideas from these and best practices of UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars Program.

The program is young, but there are a handful of alumni. Three are teaching in Baltimore city and county schools. Shafi said the first few years are the most challenging for teachers. 

“A big piece we’re working on is teacher induction,” Shafi said. “The first three to five years are the toughest. We’re working toward supporting our new teachers in terms of mentoring and continued professional development.” 

In addition to mentoring, the Sherman Scholars Program is fostering the environment and expectation needed to establish a connected and active alumni group.

A generous gift from George and Betsy Sherman, founders of the Sherman Family Foundation, supports the Sherman STEM Teacher Education Program. Awards for undergraduates range from $5,000-$10,000. Awards for MAT candidates range from $10,000-$30,000.

For more information, visit www.umbc.edu/shermanprogram.

(3/10/09)

© 2007-08 University of Maryland, Baltimore County � 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250 � 410-455-1000 �

The Art of Educating

When Laura Pasquini ’98, visual arts, started her studies in art at UMBC, she thought she wanted to be a museum curator, creating exhibits that set great art in narrative contexts.

Pasquini did end up working at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., one of the most prestigious museums in the United States. But she did so in way that’s making a difference for thousands of young people and their families by opening up the Corcoran’s magnificent collection and the gallery’s other assets for learning.

As the director of the Corcoran’s Youth and Family Programs, Pasquini has revamped and revitalized the gallery’s approach to education with the aim of “empowering kids to confidence.” Most notable among her achievements is the growth in Corcoran ArtReach – an after school program that collaborates with community centers to reach 150-200 disadvantaged students a year.

In one evaluation of the program, a parent called Corcoran Artreach “the best youth arts program in the area.” And this success has also brought Pasquini recognition, most recently as the winner of the 2009 UMBC Outstanding Alumni of the Year award for a graduate in the visual and performing arts.

Pasquini points to a junior year internship at UMBC in the university’s Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture as a key moment in choosing a career in arts education, one which she says “changed my career and life outlook.”

Working in conjunction with Arbutus Elementary School, Pasquini designed a program to introduce and integrate students into the world of art that included talks, tours of the UMBC Fine Arts Gallery and the creation of original works of art by students. The important thing, Pasquini recalls, was to find and reinforce connections between art and the students’ experiences.

Her enthusiasm for the project steered Pasquini away from an intended career as a museum curator. “I realized I didn’t want the academic, the behind-the-scenes,” she recalls. “It awakened a world I didn’t know was out there – a world of possibilities.”

After taking a master’s degree in teaching at the Corcoran, Pasquini ended up working at the gallery full-time. She quickly worked her way up into her present position as director of Youth and Family Programs, where she drew upon her UMBC experiences to spark a renewal in the Gallery’s Corcoran ArtReach program – which brings the gallery’s art to disadvantaged children in the Washington, D.C. area.

ArtReach works in partnership with community centers in District neighborhoods. Pasquini and other members of the Corcoran Gallery develop curricula specifically geared towards each individual community, complete with lesson plans, slides of Corcoran art exhibits and a brief outline of each work.

ArtReach students also get a chance to explore the Corcoran itself, and the program augments individual coursework with monthly family workshops that incorporate parts of the gallery’s exhibits collection into broader contexts. Pasquini points to “Creatures of the Deep” workshops that the program offered last October in concert with the gallery’s “Sargent and the Sea” exhibit. These family workshops used John Singer Sargent’s paintings as a springboard for an examination of sea creatures, providing a fun, kid-friendly science lesson communicated through art.

Pasquini says that exciting student interest is the key element in ArtReach’s success. “Art has value and meaning,” Pasquini insists. “It isn’t supposed to be dead on the wall. It isn’t about a lecture – it’s about the experience, about making a learning connection [for the students] between what they saw on the wall to what they see in their own lives.”

The culmination of the ArtReach experience is a chance for students to create their own works of art using techniques and knowledge gleaned in their classes. The work is both displayed in community galleries and professionally framed and hung (with accompanying silkscreen text) in the Corcoran Gallery of Art itself.

Pasquini says that ArtReach has become “a place of learning through visual learning, creating an experience for people that brings [art] to life… It empowers kids to talk about art. It ignites curiosity and higher thinking skills. Seeing [the students] gain confidence in themselves and their art…it’s incredible.”

For more details about ArtReach, check out www.corcoran.org/artreach/index.php.

This story, written by UMBC student Holly Britton ‘11, originally appeared in UMBC Magazine.

(2/19/2010)

The Engineering Education Frontier

Julia Ross, professor and chair of chemical and biochemical engineering at UMBC, was selected to attend the National Academy of Engineer�s (NAE) first Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) symposium. Ross joined 49 of the nation�s brightest engineering researchers and educators who are developing and implementing innovative educational approaches in a variety of disciplines and are in the first half of their careers. Ross was the only participant chosen from a Maryland institution.

Throughout the 2-1/2-day event, educators and researchers shared ideas, learned from research and best practices in education and left with a charter to bring about improvement at their home institution. The participants were chosen from a competitive pool of applicants and were nominated by fellow engineers or deans.

Ross�s research focuses around the application of chemical engineering principles to examine how cells bind to one another. Her goal is to identify and understand the mechanisms involved in the process so cells can be manipulated to achieve advances in engineering. When it comes to education, Ross feels the need to recruit more students into engineering fields is urgent. Although employment opportunities for engineering graduates are stable, enrollments have declined. Ross�s goal is to attract more students to the engineering fields by preparing them at the high school level. She is currently working on high school curricula that will make this possible.

The FOEE program gave Ross and others a unique venue to share and explore innovations in teaching and learning. NAE President Charles M. Vest hopes that FOEE will become �a major force in identifying, recognizing and promulgating advances and innovations to build a strong intellectual infrastructure and commitment to 21st-century engineering education.�

Ross was nominated by Warren DeVries, dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology and a professor of mechanical engineering.

The symposium was held November 15-18 in Herndon, Virginia.

(11/18/09)