Kevin is a Biology major who will graduate in 2019. The major focus of his work is to explore issues at the interface between development and human disease, with a view towards identifying novel points of therapeutic intervention. He works in Dr. Charles Bieberich's lab on the ongoing question of homeobox gene function in mouse development intersected with human prostate cancer with the discovery of the mouse Nkx3.1 gene.

How did you find you mentor? I work with Dr. Charles Bieberich in the Biological Sciences department. I originally came to hear of his research through searches for researching professors in cancer biology at UMBC. I then emailed him and checked by his office persistently until I was able to schedule a time to meet with him.I began researching in cancer biology during a biophysics high school summer internship at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology in radiation dosimetry. I was enthralled by cancer research ever since and knew after meeting Dr. Bieberich that his research in prostate cancer would be a perfect fit for me.

Is this your first independent research? This is my second independent research project with the first being my radiation dosimetry project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

How much time do you put into it? I spend about 15 hours an academic week in the laboratory with a 35-hour week during academic breaks and vacations.

How did you hear about the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program? I heard about the Undergraduate Research Award from my mentors in the Honors College. I am currently preparing my application for the 2018-19 award.

What has been the hardest part about your research? The hardest part of conducting my research is that since I work with mice, I must be available at any given hour during the day to check on the mice and handle any circumstances that may arise from working within a murine model. It becomes difficult at times to manage working in the laboratory and working on schoolwork.

What was the most unexpected thing? The most unexpected thing to occur from working in Dr. Bieberich’s prostate cancer laboratory is that after two years of working in the laboratory, I would be working on proposing a dietary study that involves the surprising link between prostate cancer, diabetes, and obesity. I never thought that diabetes could actually decrease prostate cancer risk.

How does your research relate to your work in other classes? My work in the laboratory relates to many of the laboratory procedures that I learned about in BIOL141, BIOL302, and BIOL303. My newest research in the effects of diet on prostate cancer relate to my Honors College seminar on the science of obesity.

What else are you involved in on campus? I am Treasurer of the Honors College Council, a Red Cross Volunteer, and Student Brand Ambassador for Kaplan Test Prep.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? My advice to other student about getting involved research is to never be too shy to approach a mentor about their research. Mentors are busy and may seem cold at first, but they genuinely do want to teach students about research and inspire students to become involved in research.

What are your career goals? My career goal is to become a professor in cancer biology researching the effects of macromolecule receptors and microtubule stabilizing proteins on cancer progression.

Want to be featured as a Researcher of the Week?
Email aprilh@umbc.edu

Kourtney Rutkowski is majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Psychology. She will graduate with her B.S. in May, 2018, and in 2019 she will complete her M.S. as part of the accelerated B.S./M.S. program in Mechanical Engineering. She is also a member of the Honors College, a CWIT Scholar, a Grand Challenges Scholar, and a member of Tau Beta Pi. She is currently conducting research at the Universidade do Porto in Portugal, as the first UMBC student to study in the UMBC/Porto exchange program.

What are your research interests? I am interested in materials, composites, and additive manufacturing with metals and thermoplastics. This research is applicable for many industries, including the aeronautical, energy, defense, and automotive industries.

Describe your project: My current research project is determining a manufacturing strategy for the production of metal/polymer composite sheets. Currently, I am looking at which types of surface treatments are needed to best adhere the polymer, a thermoplastic prepreg, to sheet metal. The conditions in which the prepreg is applied and cured must also be tested, and material characterization will be performed to determine which process would be optimal for production purposes. The reason that this is important is that polymer/metal composite such as these are low in weight but are high enough in strength to replace heavier materials, especially in the transportation industries to improve safety and fuel economy. When I return from Porto, I will join the research team in Dr. Marcus Zupan’s lab, focusing on the development of tools and methodologies for qualifying additively manufactured parts. This research is in collaboration with JHUAPL and PAX River, and can improve the additive manufacturing technologies and part quality.

Who are your mentors and why did you choose them? I work withProfessors Abel Santos and António Torres Marques at the Universidade do Porto. Professor Abel teaches the Global Engineering class on the Porto side, allowing me to meet him from when I took the class in the Fall 2016 semester at UMBC. Professor Torres Marques was introduced to me by Dr. Zupan and is my main research advisor in Porto. Their dedication to the process, helping me get prepared to come to Porto, and helping with the bureaucracy once I arrived has been invaluable. They also introduced me to their labs and graduate students, and have been very helpful in regards to questions involving my research project.

How did you become interested in this project? As an avid outdoorswoman, I’m passionate about finding solutions for the conservation and preservation of our natural resources and mitigating for and adapting to climate change. This led to an interest in renewable energy sources, and using my skills as an engineer to solve problems related to making renewables for more efficient and economical manufacturing.  Through the Global Engineering course, I learned about different international cultures and made some good friends. I also studied abroad in Germany in January and took a course in renewable energy sources in Kassel, Germany. I wanted to study abroad in Porto and open the gate as the first student in the UMBC/Porto collaboration. I worked with Dr. Zupan and Dr. Moreira to complete an application to the Mobile 2+ Erasmus scholarship and was awarded a living stipend, airfare, health insurance, access to cultural events, and opportunities to interact with students from around the world, as well as the engineering faculty from U.Porto.

What has been the most unexpected thing about your experience abroad? I love my time here in Portugal but I have definitely had some mishaps! My second week in Porto a homeless woman stole my jacket at a café, and I still see her wearing it around the downtown area. My first time traveling outside of Porto, I got on the wrong train coming back from Lisbon and got kicked off at a train station in the middle of nowhere because I didn’t have enough cash to pay to the fare. Most recently, I had my mom send me some winter clothes which got held up in the Portuguese customs for a month, but luckily my flatmate lent me some for my travels further North.

What has been the most rewarding part? One of the best things was finally meeting my friends in person were from Porto and I had met through the UMBC Global Engineering course. In that course, students from around the world work in teams on theoretical solutions for global issues. Students interact via Skype and WhatsApp, and for some students, like myself, there were some strong friendships formed across the ocean. Meeting those friends who I had made, as well as making new friends here who are from across the world, has allowed me to learn about a variety of cultures and open my mind more and more every day. Even better, day by day I find myself feeling like a local here in Porto, and know that it will always be a second home for me.

What will you do next with your research? I’m hoping to bring back what I’m learning to Dr. Zupan’s lab and use my experiences as a basis to start my thesis research, which I hope to publish. I will present on my Porto experience and the research I conducted there at URCAD, in April.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? Be flexible and open minded. Don’t be afraid to take risks- say yes to things and take opportunities as they come. Ask for help- make connections and friends wherever you go. Don’t get locked into graduation dates. Studying abroad won’t take any extra time- you can combine it with Master’s work or do it over the summer or winter, so it won’t take time out of your academic schedule, even in a major with successive classes like engineering!  If for some reason it does take extra time, the experience to go abroad is more valuable than graduating in four years. Money is not an issue- there are so many ways to get it paid for and Portugal is really cheap in terms of the cost of living.  My rent is 250 euros a month and includes utilities!  No one looks back and regrets studying abroad and says, “I’m glad I didn’t do that so that I could graduate on time.”

What else are you involved in on campus? Besides the scholar’s programs and honors organizations that I am involved in, I am also involved with numerous other things on campus. I am an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow for the Mechanical Engineering department, which besides simply teaching the students, has also allowed me to meet and mentor the students in the years below me. I also try to work through my scholar’s program, CWIT to be a role model for the young women in engineering who are in the cohorts after me. I volunteer with an organization that holds its state competition here at UMBC named First Lego League (FLL). FLL is STEM competition for elementary and middle school students that helps to introduce them to topics such as engineering, and seeing the passion and intelligence of these students continuously encourages me in the promotion of STEM and fills me with hope for the next generation of engineers. Last but not least, I am a member of UMBC Cru and the UMBC Rock Climbing Club.

Career goals? After completing my M.S., I plan on obtaining a Ph.D. in environmental engineering. I hope to use my education to pursue a career that can create renewable energy solutions to help the environment, and people, in a large-scale way. After a while in industry, I plan on following the path of some of my mentors and becoming a college professor.

Want to know more about research abroad in Porto and other countries? Contact Dr. April Householder at aprilh@umbc.edu

Richard is an American Studies major who will graduate this May. Over the summer, he worked with Dr. Simone Chambers, Dr. Michael Tesler, and Dr. Davin Phoenix at the University of California, Irvine, Political Science Department, during the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program of the UCI Graduate Division. His research focuses on the intersections of culture and politics and the effects of political rhetoric on voting patterns and election outcomes.

How did you know this was the project you wanted to do? I had worked on the origins of this project the previous summer, but I learned from these professors and incorporated new statistical insights. In this study, a cultural and linguistic approach was used to analyze the effect that speeches by members of the right-wing Tea Party Caucus have had on conservative political discourse. The rhetoric of these politicians after their ascendance in the 2010 congressional elections was compared to the rhetoric used by John McCain, the Republican nominee in 2008, and Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in 2016, to understand their effect on conservative discourse. This shift in discourse was studied using speech analysis to code for instances of negative discourse and establish a comparison between the election years while also noting rhetorical shifts among mainstream conservative politicians.

How much time do you put into it? I worked on this project for at least 10 hours each week this past summer, but I also worked on it during last summer at UMBC as a McNair Scholar in their Summer Research Institute, and during the winter semester. I received credit through the Career Center’s internship practicum (PRAC).

How did you hear about the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program? I have worked with Dr. Householder in the past, when she advised me as a McNair Scholar, and my mentor on my previous project was Dr. Kathy Bryan (American Studies). Both have been very supportive of my research, and encouraged me to continue working on this topic through the UCI program.

How much did your mentor help you with the application? My mentors assisted me greatly in developing a strong application. They are a key part of the process.

What has been the hardest part about your research? The hardest thing was finding speech transcripts for some of the Tea Party congressmen and women.

What was the most unexpected thing? I didn’t think the increase in harmful discourse usage by Republicans would be that stark, but I found a fivefold increase from 2008 to 2016.

How does your research relate to your work in other classes? I have done rhetorical analyses in multiple American Studies and Political Science classes. This project is a continuation of the research I did last year entitled, “It’s Just A Jump To The Right: How The Tea Party Has Affected Conservative Discourse.” (abstract available here: https://ur.umbc.edu/home/our-researchers/research-profiles-16-17/richard-elliott/)

What else are you involved in on campus? I am currently the President of UMBC Progressives and I assist the College Dems as well.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? Don’t be afraid to follow up. Don’t be afraid to email professors twice. Use all your leads to try and get the best opportunities you can.

What are your career goals? I would like to be an academic/issue advocate in the Baltimore area.

Have Mentor-led research and want to be featured as a Researcher of the Week?  Email aprilh@umbc.edu.

Learn more about how to fund your research and become a URA scholar: https://ur.umbc.edu/ura/

Temitope Ibitoye is a Chemical Engineering major who will graduate in 2019.

My research is titled, "Photolysis of Macrolide Antibiotics at 253.7 NM". I work with Dr. Lee Blaney in the Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering department. Research in the Blaney Laboratory focuses on the intersection of environmental, analytical, organic, and inorganic chemistry. Our primary research interests are the (1) fate, transport, and toxicity of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in natural and engineered systems and (2) recovery of vital resources to ensure sustainable development. My advisor from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute program set up a 6-week rotation in Dr. Blaney’s laboratory. After that, Dr. Blaney invited me to continue bworking in his laboratory. He also encouraged me to apply for the Undergraduate Research Award (URA).

How did you know this was the project you wanted to do? One of my life goals is to help solve the global water crisis. I knew that one way that I could do this was to study Environmental Engineering during my undergraduate career. When I started at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County I learned that there was a lab on campus that conducts research concerning water quality, and I knew that I had to join this lab.

What academic background did you have before you applied for the URA? I had just completed the first semester of my sophomore year when I applied for the URA. I had completed about 6 months of research and had just passed my Chemical Engineering gateway requirements.

How much did your mentor help you with the application? I am still learning to write technical papers, but my mentor helped revise my application multiple times. He gave me valuable advice on writing and communicating my research.

What has been the hardest part about your research? There was a learning curve when I first joined the lab. I joined the lab in the spring semester of my freshman year. Many of the experiments I would run required knowledge that I had not acquired in class yet. I had to learn difficult concepts and apply them for my research.

What was the most unexpected thing? I did not expect to enjoy data analysis as much as I do. Deciphering the results I receive after weeks of research is very enjoyable.

How does your research relate to your work in other classes? All of my research requires skills that I am learning in my engineering and chemistry courses. As I learn more in my classes, I get a better grasp on the research that I am conducting.

What else are you involved in on campus? I am a member of the National Society of Black Engineers. Last semester, I was an athletic tutor, and about a year ago I volunteered weekly at the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? I would tell all students to try it out! Many people are scared that they do not have enough knowledge to participate in research, but that is not true! Nobody expects you to know everything from the get-go. You learn so much as you conduct research. 

What are your career goals? I would like to obtain a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and continue working in water quality research. I would like to work to create water quality technology that can be used in lower resource regions.

Want to be a URA Scholar like Temitope? Apply for a URA award: https://ur.umbc.edu/ura/forms/

Questions? Contact Dr. April Householder at aprilh@umbc.edu

ur.umbc.edu

Attend the upcoming workshop on how to write a winning research proposal for a URA award: This Wednesday, Nov. 1 from 12-12:50pm in 113 Sherman Hall A-wing!

It's application season, and we have a number of resources to help you find the right summer research opportunity.

Don't wait to apply at the last minute. Schools are updating their research opportunities for the 2018 session, so now is the perfect time to start looking for a research experience. We have research opportunities for virtually every major and a several ways to look for them:

1. myMajor page

http://ur.umbc.edu/home/mymajor/

Look at different research opportunities by department. Each department page also features some of the research done by students in that field and also the benefits offered to those in that major.

2. Research Opportunities page

http://ur.umbc.edu/summer-research/

Here, you can find resources for application assistance, opportunities for graduating seniors and international students, as well as opportunities separated into other categories like STEM and Social Sciences.

3. Summer Research Spreadsheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14-Gu0u8aTdq3AplVtVuaeur0OYjRdTVdrjXWGjzP1fI/edit#gid=0

This spreadsheet lists over 450 research opportunities. You can sort through the information by program name, host, deadline, or the last time an opportunity was updated. It also features important notes about application instructions and more. Deadlines range from August to as late as May.

While we are working to update all of this information, it is still possible to go to each research website and see if it has been updated.

If you have any questions about finding summer research or you need assistance with you application, please contact Dr. April Householder, aprilh@umbc.edu.

Seven students, faculty, and staff from UMBC attended the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) conference in Salt Lake City October 17 - 21, 2017. The students participated in various activities throughout the conference such as the GEM GRADLab, and culturally-relevant science discussions with mentors. The Maryland delegation included students from LSAMP and the board from the new SACNAS chapter on campus as well as mentors.

Participants will be attending the SACNAS 2017 conference in Salt Lake City, October 19-21, 2017 and will tweet about their experiences.

SACNAS Website: SACNAS Conference 2017

Conference Hotel:

Hilton Salt Lake City Center: Hilton Salt Lake City Hotel

Specific Items of interest for Participants/travelers:

• Be sure that you have checked your email and followed all instructions from Yarazeth Medina regarding travel forms, travel allowance, etc.
• Departures for Delta Airlines: All participant must arrive 2 hours in advance to the airport. General Delta Airline procedure includes checking in online within 24 hours of the flight.
• Please remember to save the date for our Pre-departure meeting on Friday, October 13. 
• Attire for the conference: Business

Salt Lake City, Utah

• Weather for the week: 49 degrees
• Time Zone: UTC/GMT -6, No daylight savings time, 2 hours BEHIND Maryland.

Program

Twitter activity is obligatory. Please engage, and use in your tweets:

#ThinkBigDiversity #GEMGRADLab #SACNAS2017

• Tuesday, October 17: Arrival (casual clothing)
• Wednesday, October 18  –  Attire: Business casual
  • Registration 1 PM
  • Modern Math Workshop 12 PM – 5 PM or
  • GEM Getting Ready for Advanced Degree Laboratory (GRAD Lab) 2 PM – 6 PM –
• Thursday, October 19: ALL DAY SESSIONS – Attire: Business/ business casual
  • 8:45 AM – 10:15 AM Funding Opportunities for Graduate School and Beyond
  • 10:30 AM – 12 PM Experiences of Latinx STEM Graduate Students / Imposters, Resilience, and Academy Training / Insights to Success: Real-Life Adventures of SACNAS Scientists
  • 12 PM – 1:45 PM Plenary
  • 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Student Poster Presentations
  • 5 PM – 6:30 PM Conversations with Scientists
  • 6:15 PM – 8 PM Plenary
• Friday, October 20: ALL DAY SESSIONS – Attire: Business/business casual
  • 8:45 AM – 10:15 AM Graduate School Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint / Imposter Syndrome / Intersectionality / Interview Success!
  • 10:30 AM Success in STEM Goes Beyond Traditional Practices
  • 11:30 AM Plenary
  • 1:45 PM Student Poster Presentation
  • 4 PM Graduate Oral presentations
  • 5:30 PM Plenary
  • 8 PM – 10:30 PM Annual SACNAS Pow Wow (Cultural, networking)
• Saturday, October 21: Return (casual clothing)

Twitter

Students who travel with the Maryland delegation will be expected to participate in a daily twitting exercise that will start on October 17, 2017, and end on October 21, 2017. All participants will tweet daily for the duration of the trip in Salt Lake City and will respond to questions that are posted about the conference sessions and experiences, using the hashtags #ThinkBigDiversity and #SACNAS2017.

Channel is a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major with minors in Mathematics and Sociology (class of 2018).

During my paid summer internship at the Institute for Regenerative Engineering in Farmington, Connecticut, I was at the University of Connecticut Health Center, School of Medicine in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. I was a participant in the Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) Program, under the instruction of Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, a recent award recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the Nation's highest Honor for Technological Achievement.  My project focused on the Development and Characterization of Human Recombinant Lactoferrin Nanofibers as Scaffolds for Regenerative Engineering. I studied the regeneration of bone, skin and cartilage growth in-vitro and in-vivo, with electrospun nanofibers, coated in various proteins that are found in both blood, like Albumin and in bone, like Lactoferrin. I used various solvents and concentrations to create a stable nanofiber, that would induce increased Bone Cell viability and proliferation, while also activation biodegradation upon cell regeneration. For tests with cartilage and bone, I used hydro gels that were surgically implanted in mice and rats. I was able to gain a confident skill set in Cell Culturing, Cell Suspension, Immunostaining, ALZ Staining, Live/Dead staining, and with using the Scanning Electron Microscope for various imaging. I have also gained skill in using Image J analysis, FTIR analysis, Electros pinning, Titer Blue Assay, and Cross-linking. I was trained to used the Confocal Microscope, with the Velocity Imaging Program, Lab Safety, Animal Safety,  and Rat Implantation and Surgical Stitch Patterns.

How did you find the research opportunity?
I realized that I wanted to have a career in Medicinal Research and noticed that I had an interest in the Musculoskeletal System. I researched African American Cutting Edge Researchers and Dr. Laurencin popped up. I was so intrigued with his accomplishments and research projects. I just knew I needed to work under him and with him. A friend of mine pepped talked me into emailing him that night, (it was 2:00am!), because she knew I'd chicken out when the excitement ended. So, I emailed him and asked him to be m mentor. I also mentioned that I wanted to do research with him during the summer and quite honestly, to my amazement, Dr. Laurencin emailed me back in the next hour and set up a teleconference from there. The rest is history!

How did you learn what you needed to know to be successful in this project? This project has definitely taught me so much about myself and about the world of Science. My Graduate Assistant, Eric James, a recent PhD recipient, was amazing! He quickly realized that this was all new to me, but did not lighten up on his expectations. He made to teach me the reasoning and purpose behind certain research methods and topics, but also introduced me to the Medical Library, PubMed, and other various sources for additional help. Eric also cared about my critical understanding for Medical Research and understanding Medical Research Papers. During that time, there was a Cell Biology and Tissue Engineering Journal Club. Eric made sure that we attended meetings weekly and I even got a chance to present a review of a research paper. I Participated in this  journal club, that was designed to understand molecular aspects of cell biology and tissue engineering scientific literature. Presentations include “Language of Science” and “How to read and understand a science article”.

What was the hardest part about your research?The hardest part about my research would have been the numerous trials with error and repeat. Initially, it was hard dealing with that many negative results. It was quite discouraging, but Eric continued to reassure me in qualitative critic and support. I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything.It was then where I truly learned PERSERVERANCE!

What was the most unexpected thing? I did not know how much of a family a research (SQUAD) could really be. Honestly, I thought research was suppose to be sleep, lab, work, and repeat, but it wasn't, at all! This lab was amazing! My cohort and I went out to eat, to the movies, the mall and even had dinner at my house. Dr. Laurencin even invited us over his house and allowed us to get to know his family and him, in a more personal level. How cool was that?!

How does this research experience relate to your work in other classes? My research correlates to so many classes that I am taking now, for instance, toxicology, with Dr. Fishbein. We talk a lot about the toxins that can affect blood and during my experience with REM, we spoke a lot about the importance of Blood, not just in circulation, but especially for your bone health. I can also relate this course to a previous course, Organic Chemistry II, which depicts mechanisms and various conformational changes due to their affects. This was definitely practiced in lab, as I had to continue testing various solvents, at various concentrations with Albumin and Lactoferrin.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? GET. IN. VOLVED. I can not express how much research really helped anchor me, as a student at UMBC. It's easy to get caught up in classes and GPA, but when you actually practice what you have always wanted to do, there is a rush that happens within you. There's a focus that comes to you. All of a sudden, things make sense. It's no longer school, because my parents say so, its school because I want to be my MENTOR!

What are your career goals? I am planning on going into the Medical Field, also studying Regenerative Engineering with Stem Cell Treatment to Bio-printed Organs and Tissues.

What else are you involved in? I am the President of United Christian Council, a member of the Retriever Leadership Institute, a Mathematics Grader/Tutor, STEM Education Advocate for students in Baltimore City, a Mentor and friend!

Have mentor-led research and want to be featured as UMBC's next Researcher of the Week? email aprilh@umbc.edu