Anyone who has done undergraduate research at UMBC can submit, including those who have graduated.

questions? E-mail us at umbcreview@umbc.edu. Stay thirsty [for knowledge], my friends.

During my high school summers, I interned at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. While at NASA, I worked on a team to develop various instruments for remote sensing of gas concentrations in the atmospheres of Mars and the Earth.

This past summer, I interned at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in the department of Vascular Surgery. My main project was to design a program to analyze microscopic cross sections of arteries and determine certain characteristics of their elastic microstructure. I used this program to develop a preliminary model of these arteries and how they change with age and various risk factors. This model could ultimately be used by doctors to help them obtain a clearer “view” of their patient’s arteries early on in a case. In order to retrieve data for this project, I also spent a significant amount of time dissecting human arteries and testing their mechanical properties. Another project of mine involved performing comparative genomic studies to isolate mutations responsible for causing abdominal aortic aneurysms. Finally, when time permitted, I was able to shadow surgeons in the operating room, and see what the real life of a surgeon is like!

I found this research opportunity by searching for summer MD/PhD programs. This search returned a page on the American Association of Medical Colleges website that listed several excellent summer programs for students interested in pursuing an MD/PhD.

I worked with a multitude of people from various backgrounds. My supervisor was Dr. B. Timothy Baxter, a vascular surgeon at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. I primarily worked with Dr. Alexey Kamenskiy, a biomechanical engineer, and Dr. Jason MacTaggart, another vascular surgeon. Along with this diverse group of mentors, I worked with several other students, some undergrads and some in the midst of their residencies.

I did receive course credit (Prac 098), as well as a stipend of 3,000. However, I never really thought of either of these facts. I was required to spend about 40 hours every week, but I found myself spending upwards of 60 hours some weeks (especially if I was shadowing a surgeon, or performing an important experiment). This may seem like too much, but I must admit that I enjoyed every second.

I had completed all the introductory science courses (CHEM 102, BIOL 141, MATH 251, PHYS 122), but did not have any “specialized” knowledge per se.

Since my project involved a lot of coding, I learned a substantial amount from online lectures on image processing, tutorials for fast processing, and similar digital sources. I also learned a great deal from reading old papers in the field of biomechanics and discussing these papers with my mentors.

The hardest part of my research was working with variability in human samples. It is difficult to analyze perfect images, but to analyze fuzzy images with different color distributions and shapes is an entirely different story altogether.

The most unexpected part of my research was the fact that I could work on the computer one day, work in the wet-lab the next day, and observe an operation the day after that!

This research relates to my work in ENCH 215, the first major class in the chemical engineering sequence. I am currently working with a team to develop a heart-lung machine, which essentially acts like an external pump that oxygenates blood during open-heart surgery. We are using principles of hemodynamics that were the basis of my summer research.

Presenting at ABRCMS helped me review my research as well as the relevant literature on a far deeper level than I had over the summer. I was able to organize my work into a clear sequence of events and really understand the impact of what I had done. ABRCMS also offered me the opportunity to share my excitement for the subject with other people, and get their feedback on my work. Hearing and answering people’s questions also sparked new ideas that I hope to expound upon in the future.

First, get to know your professors! However, do not do this only for a recommendation letter, do this because your professors can offer excellent advice in helping you get into research, and ultimately into graduate/professional school later!

Second, apply to as many places as you can, and be proactive. Also, don’t dismiss a program because it doesn’t have EXACTLY what you want to do… its better to have 5 options to pick from than none at all.

I hope to pursue an MD/PhD after graduating from UMBC.

I play viola in the UMBC community symphony, I am a member of the Honors College Council, and I am a sophomore representative in our chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. I am also a part of our schools chapter of the American Chemical Society and Pre-Med society.

Read his abstract here...

How did you find out that you could do research in your field in the summer? 

I applied to several internships for the summer and I was offered one (internship) position at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

I had no idea what I wanted to do, but the internship at NIST helped me narrow my career options.

I applied to other places, such as Washington Water and Sanitary Commission in Gaithersburg, Lockheed Martin, and more.

The application was not hard and a lot of help was given in editing the personal statement.

My summer research project was applying machine learning techniques to manufacturing. Machine learning, in this case, is where data is inputted into a program and the program then learns the patterns and structure of the data. After that, predictions of new data are generated. In my project, I studied the efficiency between the theoretical and predicted, or machine-learned, data.

Who was your mentor for this project? 

Dr. Sudarsan Rachuri, an Industrial Engineer in the Life Cycle Engineering Group at NIST.

How much time do you put into this work? 

Eight hours a day, five days a week for 11 weeks.

The internship provided a stipend and housing in a hotel about ten to fifteen minutes from NIST. I recommend staying at the hotel for future interns because students from all over the country come and it is a great learning experience as well.

My academic background included just the prerequisite engineering classes at UMBC.

For this project, I had to do a lot of background research in the beginning stage of the internship.

The hardest part was not having much direction. When my mentor asked for something to be done, I had to figure things out on my own before coming back to collaborate with him.

Throughout the internship, my mentor made many changes to my project, including switching the topic completely in the middle of the summer. That was very unexpected and slightly stressful, but it was a challenge I had to take on.

This research does not relate to my course work at UMBC, but it was a good experience at a professional company.

Be open to any opportunities, changes, and more because research can be very flexible.

I lived on campus my freshman year, but I will be commuting for the upcoming fall.

How did you find out about this opportunity? Was there a formal application process? 

The opportunity was posted by Professor Laura LeMire at CCBC. There was a formal application including a reference and transcript along with an interview with UMBC professors.

There were three principal investigators to whom I addressed questions and from whom I got initial direction: Dr. Marie-Christine Daniel-Onuta and Dr. Ryan White at UMBC and Dr Mark Griep at ARL. I worked most closely with UMBC chemistry graduate students Brian Szychowski, Lauren Schoukroun Barnes, and Florika Macazo; UMBC postgrad Dr. Juan Liu and ARL engineer Travis Tumlin. I also had partners from CCBC in each rotation: Shane Folk, Jennifer Betley and Hinesh Padhiar. Dr. Paul Smith and Dr. Stephen Mang also taught several classes and discussions about nanoscience and science in general. I am incredibly grateful for the time and knowledge given to me by all these great minds.

I had been participating in the Baltimore Underground Science Space, a community lab, for several months before this, working under the guidance of Dr. Thomas Burkett.

This internship was fantastically funded by the NSF, so we were paid. I averaged 35-40 hours a week.

I had completed one year at CCBC which included classes in biology, engineering, math and chemistry.

I did a lot of reading. I read papers from the labs I worked in, as well as papers that may have informed the current work of the lab. I also did a fair amount of reading online and in hardcopy textbooks to get up to speed on subjects like organic chemistry, electrochemistry and nanotechnology.

The hardest part was keeping my head above water when integrating so many different subjects: biology, physics, engineering, and chemistry. For me, once the fields being dealt with are complex enough to touch on quantum mechanics (as is the case with nanotechnology) it’s easy for me to misunderstand. Figuring out what is useful when applied to different subjects is relatively challenging.

The most unexpected thing was the slow pace. To do cutting edge science correctly takes a lot of patience.

In one sense I used concepts learned in my course work every day, so applying course work was integral to an understanding of regular procedures and directions. However, there is a level of deep inquiry that just can’t be addressed by lower level course work. In that sense it’s not related to coursework at all because all research has an unknown ending.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? 

Research facilities and projects are a great way to break out of the lecture-exam (lecture-exam, lecture-exam...) cycle and feel like you’re contributing something. It can take some real patience and persistence to delve deeply, but that can be said of anything that is worthwhile. And maybe research or laboratories are not for you, but it’s pretty hard to know that unless you try it out.

I am interested in working in the intersection of human biology and technology, especially in relation neurology, but I am excited about all fields of biomedical engineering.

I will be attending UMBC for the first time in the fall as a transfer student. I am not sure what I will be involved in yet, but I plan to be tutoring in some capacity. 

I participated in the Leadership Alliance program at the University of Chicago this past summer. I worked with Dr. Benson Farb in the mathematics and statistics department on a project called “The Dirichlet Problem on an Ellipse with Polynomial Boundary Values.”

The Meyerhoff Scholars Program suggested that I apply for summer research opportunities through the Leadership Alliance. I chose to apply to the University of Chicago through Leadership Alliance because the University of Chicago has an outstanding mathematics graduate program.

I worked with my mentor, Dr. Benson Farb, and graduate student Wouter van Limbeek

It was an eight-week summer program where I got paid $3,400. I worked five days a week, from 9am-5pm.

Before I went to Chicago, I had completed my freshman year. My math background included the calculus series, Linear Algebra and Ordinary Differential Equations.

To complete my project, I read papers and books on how to write proofs. I had no knowledge of real analysis coming to Chicago so I had to pick a lot of it up there.

What was the hardest part about your research? 

The hardest part of my research was being confident in my work. Completing a pure theoretical project with no theoretical background was challenging.

I had always been afraid of giving presentations. I had stage fright. During the program in Chicago, my public speaking improved tremendously. I was surprised to see how comfortable I had become talking about my research.

My research focused heavily on writing proofs and theorems so I will have a semi advantage when I take Real Analysis since that class focuses on proofs.

Presenting my work at ABRCMS gave me confidence that I know what I am talking about. My judges were familiar with my project so being able to have intellectual conversations with them about my project was an amazing experience.

I would say that no matter your age, what classes you have taken, you can do it. You can learn anything on your feet if you stay focused and motivated. Self motivation is a hard thing, but to do research you need self-motivation. Do not give up. It will get better and when it does get better, you will be proud of yourself.

I found out about the McNair program through Wanda Soares-Nottingham. She is the administrative assistant in the Africana Studies department. I expressed an interest in conducting research and she informed me of the program and the opportunities it offers. I joined the McNair program in January of 2014.

What have you gained from being a McNair scholar? 

I have gained invaluable knowledge on how to conduct scholarly research with integrity and earnestness. The program has also armed me with the tools to ensure that I am successful in grad school and beyond. I have become more familiar with myself as well.

What is your most recent (or most interesting) independent research project? 

My current research is titled “The Effects of Traditional and Faith Healing on Ghanaian Mental Health Policies.” Research shows that there were only four practicing psychiatrists in the entire country of Ghana in recent years. As a result, the bulk of individuals dealing with mental illness rely on the healing practices of Traditionalists and Faith healers. I analyzed various Ghanaian initiatives and policies to investigate if the government was attempting to integrate spiritual leaders and processes into the health care system.

My mentor for this project is Dr. Okomfo Ama Badu Boakyewa. I had the pleasure of taking her Contemporary African Politics course in fall 2013 and we instantly connected. Her research deals with the Akonnedi Shrine in Ghana and laid as the foundation to my work.

I knew from the very beginning that this was the research I wanted to conduct. In my leisure at UMBC I would find myself randomly reading about spiritual and cultural practices in Africa. I watched a number of documentaries and attended a number of lectures dealing with various aspects of the field as well. I was hooked. Unbeknownst to me I had been conducting research and building a bibliography all along. When the opportunity presented itself I could not resist.

I put my all into this research. I dedicated four to five hours a day this summer to ensure that my work was thorough. Each week had a designated topic that received the whole of my attention. Sundays became my writing days. Interviews were conducted to complement my research by demystifying concepts and processes.

Because I am an Africana Studies major, I’m use to heavy reading and writing. I used the tools I garnered from my professors and coupled those with the skills I fostered from the McNair methodology course. I was well prepared.

Dr. Boakyewa went above and beyond her duties as a mentor. She retrieved rare articles that I could not access, arranged for me to meet with the leading researcher in my field and continued to pour into my spiritual being. Dr. Boakyewa set high expectations for my writing and refused to waiver. Her zany and fun-loving personality made for beautiful conversations that gave me an escape during rough patches in the research process. She is truly beautiful!

The hardest part of my research was focusing my topic. Because there was a void in recent scholarship my ideas became bigger and bigger.

The most unexpected thing was the lack of documents and initiatives to analyze. The Mental Health Act 846 that I analyzed was passed in 2012 as the first of its kind in years.

I have taken a number of courses where I come across literature that speaks of traditional healing in a demonizing way. It would be powerful to not only shed a true light on the practices but their efficacy as well.

Conducting research is your duty as a UMBC scholar. Though it may seem intimidating, the rewards are more than fruitful. Your way of thinking will be changed forever and you’ll pick up skills that are transferrable to everyday life. Give it a chance!

I will be pursuing a PhD in Sociology, researching the relationship between non-cognitive skills and mental health. My focus will be on black adolescent males in the inner city. A children's book and an African/African American youth center are in the works as well. I am currently putting the finishing touches on a series of poems written from the perspective of a black male born in the 1920's. Life is good!