Apply to present at URCAD by Feb. 14th
It's gonna be groovy, baby!
Register NOW to present your research or creative work at Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) on April 16th!
All current undergraduates who have conducted research, scholarship or creative work in the last year may apply to present their results at URCAD. Student work will be shared through oral presentations, posters, artistic exhibits, performances, and film. Over 300 presenters participate annually. Researchers work with faculty mentors on independent research, or research that is part of the mentor’s on-going projects. They are from all disciplines, and can be working on a thesis, capstone project, part of a scholars or honors program, or they can be unaffiliated.
Apply at:
https://ur.umbc.edu/urcad/
For information on how to prepare your 200-word abstract for the URCAD application please visit our guidelines page.
URCAD Abstract Guidelines
Come be a part of one of UMBC's grooviest events of the year!
Questions? Email: aprilh@umbc.edu
Click here to register and learn about writing an effective abstract:
Required: Title, 200-word abstract and mentor approval
URCAD is Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
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Registration to present at URCAD is January 3- February 14, 2025. Click here to register and learn about writing an effective abstract: https://ur.umbc.edu/urcad/ Required: Title,...
https://ur.umbc.edu/urcad/
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Thu, 09 Jan 2025 17:58:10 -0500
URCAD is coming!!
Applications open Jan. 3
Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day
On Wednesday April 16, 2025, Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) will feature research, scholarship, and creative work carried out by UMBC undergraduates. Student work will be shared through oral presentations, posters, artistic exhibits, performances, and film. Over 300 presenters participate annually. Researchers work with faculty mentors on independent research, or research that is part of the mentor’s on-going projects. They are from all disciplines, and can be working on a thesis, capstone project, part of a scholars or honors program, or they can be unaffiliated. This campus-wide celebration of achievement affirms UMBC’s commitment to the twin goals of research and a distinctive undergraduate experience.
All current undergraduates who have conducted research, scholarship or creative work in the last year may apply to present their results at URCAD. Mentors, fellow students, friends, family members, high school teachers and students, graduate school recruiters, and the general public are invited to attend.
Apply starting January 3 at URCAD.umbc.edu
A 200-word abstract describing your research and mentor approval is required.
Email aprilh@umbc.edu with any questions.
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Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day On Wednesday April 16, 2025, Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) will feature research, scholarship, and creative work...
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Wed, 18 Dec 2024 14:59:11 -0500
Researcher of the Week: Paul Wampler
How galaxies merge
Paul is a senior Physics major with minors in Astrophysics and Mathematics. He is the recipient of the Merck Undergraduate Fellowship.
Title of your research project:
Relative Velocity Distribution of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Major Mergers
Describe your project:
My project involves gathering and cleaning a sample of high mass ratio (major) galaxy mergers and determining the relative velocities between the galaxies in each merger. Using this sample of mergers, I also search for a way to distinguish between true mergers and galaxy pairs that only appear to be interacting due to a projection effect without needing spectroscopic information.
Who is your mentor(s) for your project?
My mentor is Dr. Adi Foord in the Physics department. I have a general interest in astrophysics, which aligns with Dr. Foord’s research related to active galactic nuclei and galaxy mergers. I first heard of her research from another professor in the department and because of our similar interests reached out to talk about research.
How did you become interested in this project?
This project was interesting to me since galaxy mergers are thought to be an important mechanism for the evolution of galaxies. So, learning more about mergers could help answer deeper questions about galaxies, supermassive black holes, and active galactic nuclei. Participating in this project also seemed like a great way to get familiar with handling and interpreting astrophysical data.
What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher?
Throughout my time working on this project, I have realized how important it is to have good organization, particularly when working with a large sample of data. Oftentimes I would need to return to and reference my previous work, which if not documented properly can be difficult.
What has been the most rewarding part?
I have enjoyed being able to talk about my research and learn about others’ research during group meetings. It has helped me not only with getting experience with sharing my results, but also get more informed about current research in the field and learn about what other members of the research group are working on.
How will you disseminate your research?
I will be presenting about my research both at URCAD and at the 245th American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting, in the form of a poster. I am also writing a paper which will be submitted for publication to the Astrophysical Journal.
What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
I would recommend keeping good track of what work you do each day towards your research project. If you are writing code, it is very useful to be organized and write comments so that it is easy to go back and reuse it.
What are your career goals?
I hope to go into a career researching physics, possibly as a professor or as a contractor for some research facility. To this end, I have applied to some graduate physics programs and hope to attend graduate school starting next Fall.
]]>
Paul is a senior Physics major with minors in Astrophysics and Mathematics. He is the recipient of the Merck Undergraduate Fellowship. Title of your research project: Relative Velocity...
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Fri, 13 Dec 2024 12:43:07 -0500
Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:36:51 -0500
Nardos Kebede Selected as Rangel Graduate Fellow!
Congratulations to Nardos Kebede for earning the Rangel Fellowship!
The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service in which they can help formulate, represent and implement U.S. foreign policy. Each year, the Rangel Program selects about 40 outstanding Rangel Fellows in a highly competitive nationwide process and helps support them through two years of graduate study, internships and professional development activities, and entry into the Foreign Service.
At UMBC, Nardos is a political science major, a McNair Scholar, a Sondheim Scholar, a Writing Center Tutor, and a member of the Honors College. She has been an intern with the U.S. Foreign Service where she worked in the Bureau of African Affairs within the office of East Africa inside the Department of State. She also participated in Georgetown University's Political Science Predoctoral Summer Institute.
At URCAD (2023) , she presented an original, SRI funded political science research project (under the mentorship of Dr. Cynthia Hody) as a poster titled "The Effects of Different Birth Rates upon Industrial Output within Nigerian States".
Congratulations Nardos!!
For more information about the Rangel and other prestigious scholarships, email Dr. April Householder at aprilh@umbc.edu.
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Congratulations to Nardos Kebede for earning the Rangel Fellowship! The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the...
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Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:51:59 -0500
Tue, 19 Nov 2024 09:19:17 -0500
Researcher of the Week: Asiya Ahmed
How plants defend themselves
Asiya Ahmed is a senior Biological Sciences major, MLL Spanish Minor, and Public Health Minor. She is a STEM BUILD @ UMBC BTP Affiliate & UMBC 2024-25 URA Scholar.
Title of your research project:
“Investigating Genetic Interactions between FLK and HOS1 in Plant Defense and Flowering”
Describe your project:
I’m currently investigating how plants defend themselves from pathogens and abiotic stressors, such as cold temperatures and UV radiation, by examining a possible relationship between two genes named HOS1 and FLK. By analyzing this genetic interaction, my research could contribute to developing crops that are better suited to withstand environmental stresses and disease pressures.
Who is your mentor for your project?
My mentor is Dr. Hua Lu, who is in the Biological Sciences department. I first connected with Dr. Lu after taking her BIOL 302 (Molecular Genetics) course in my sophomore Spring semester. Near the end of the semester, I was interested in joining a research lab and started browsing the Biological Sciences Department website. I landed on Dr. Lu’s profile and looked into her work which caught my attention as she focuses on genetics, a field of science I took much interest in. After contacting her, I met with Dr. Lu and her team, and the atmosphere in her lab was amazing. They were all so welcoming and encouraging, and I knew that a supportive lab like this was the type of lab I would best thrive in.
How did you become interested in this project?
Towards the end of BIOL 302, we started learning techniques geneticists use in the lab such as PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), Gel Electrophoresis, and DNA extractions. I was very interested in this unit, so when I joined Dr. Lu’s lab, it was cool to see these exact techniques being done in real life in front of me. Now, I use these techniques myself to genotype my sample plants, allowing me to detect if they have any mutations in their FLK and/or HOS1 genes which can contribute to the possible genetic interaction I’m studying.
What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher?
I think the hardest part was learning the science behind the work. There were many, many research papers I had to read, but they were not sufficient to understand the foundational concepts. I did my research on the weekends and met with Dr. Lu and PhD student Leah Vrydagh, who I directly work with, to go through the papers. It took me about three months to fully grasp what our lab aims to uncover. To me, the most unexpected thing about being a researcher is how good you get at public speaking. At certain points in the semesters I’ve been working, I have had to present my research and work to the team during our weekly lab meetings. At first, I messed up a lot because of stage fright, but now presenting comes at ease. Truthfully, these lab meeting presentations help tremendously when I present at research conferences or lead general body meetings for the Red Cross Club at UMBC.
What has been the most rewarding part?
The most rewarding part was putting all my 7 months of hard work together into an abstract and poster for my first-ever research conference presentation. This past February, I attended the American Physician Scientist Association (APSA) Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting at Georgetown University where I presented said abstract and poster. I showcased the science I’ve learned, the techniques I’ve used, and the results I obtained to a diverse audience, ranging from undergraduate students to postdocs and physicians. Also, because I obtained this amazing opportunity through my research, I got to meet and speak with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Former Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States, who was our keynote speaker that day. He had shared advice about resilience and purpose which resonated with me and is something I carry as I navigate my studies and research. Without my research and Dr. Lu as my mentor, I never would’ve had this surreal experience.
How will you disseminate your research?
I will be presenting my research at URCAD in Spring 2025, and if there is another conference opportunity next semester, I plan to present there as well.
What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Take rejection as a re-direction, not a failure. When I was trying to join a research lab on campus, I emailed more than a dozen principal investigators before Dr. Lu, and none of them responded (which I understood as they were very busy with their work and the courses they taught). I kept on emailing and emailing for more than a month, but even if I kept on getting no responses, I continued to look for more potential openings and email more PIs. After what felt like years, I finally got a response back from my now mentor. If I had stopped emailing after my first few rejections, I never would’ve done the research I have and made the connections I have today. Just keep on trying even if you fail multiple times because, at the end of the day, your perseverance will be worth it.
What are your career goals?
I am an aspiring physician so medical school is my next step after my studies at UMBC. I understand that it is a challenging path to become a physician, but by persevering and putting in the effort needed, I hope I’ll be able to achieve this goal of mine.
]]>
Asiya Ahmed is a senior Biological Sciences major, MLL Spanish Minor, and Public Health Minor. She is a STEM BUILD @ UMBC BTP Affiliate & UMBC 2024-25 URA Scholar. Title of your research...
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Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:37:44 -0500
Thu, 14 Nov 2024 10:04:19 -0500
Researcher of the Week: Nehal Naqvi
Outsmarting audio deepfakes
Nehal Naqvi is a senior Political Science, and Applied Statistics major.
He is a member of the Honors College and a Sondheim Scholar.
Title of your research project: Interdisciplinary educational training to improve students' audio deepfake discernment
Describe your project: We evaluated whether a deepfake audio training created by sociolinguists at UMBC would be effective in improving students’ discernment of audio deepfake files.
Who are your mentors for your project?
Dr. Christine Mallinson (LLC), Dr. Vandana Janeja (IS), and Dr. Elizabeth Stanwyck (Math/Stat). I found my mentors (Dr. Mallinson and Dr. Janeja) through the Data Science Scholars program at UMBC, which is an interdisciplinary program that allows students to apply their technical skills towards faculty research projects. Currently, my research has transitioned from the Data Science scholars’ program to UMBC CISAAD (Community Infrastructure to Strengthen AI for Audio Deepfake analysis) where students and faculty are working to tackle deepfake recognition through various academic disciplines (AI, linguistics, educational training).
Dr. Stanwyck was my faculty advisor for statistics and was my instructor for STAT 454 Applied Statistics. As I applied paired hypothesis testing method which were covered in Applied Statistics, I often would go back to Dr. Stanwyck to make sure I was fulfilling the assumptions for each method.
How did you become interested in this project?
I became interested in this project because of the impact of deepfakes in politics, especially within U.S. elections. I saw this research experience as an opportunity to apply my skills in statistics in an interdisciplinary context. I think researchers should be open to applying their skills in unfamiliar disciplines, as it can expose oneself to new perspectives and methodologies.
What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher?
The hardest part of my research was explaining the statistical methodology to my PIs, as well as PhD and graduate students on team who came from a linguistics or AI background. I found it to be really important to explain the methods that one plans to use in an approachable and simple manner, so that individuals outside of the discipline can understand why the problem is being approached in a certain way.
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Nehal Naqvi is a senior Political Science, and Applied Statistics major. He is a member of the Honors College and a Sondheim Scholar. Title of your research project: Interdisciplinary...
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Mon, 04 Nov 2024 10:23:54 -0500
Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:46:03 -0500
Researcher of the Week: Allison Smock
Mexican Feminist Movements and the Role of Social Media
Allison is a senior majoring in Spanish, with a Latin American Studies minor, and Law and Justice minor.
Title of your research project: Mexican Feminist Movements and the Role of Social Media: Civic Participation and Transnational Solidarity
Describe your project: How social media can help spread knowledge and awareness of issues important to Mexican feminists and engage participants across borders.
Who is your mentor for your project?
My mentor is Thania Munoz Davaslioglu, Modern Languages, Linguistics, and Intercultural Communication. My mentor has been my advisor for my major, I have known her the entire time I’ve been at UMBC! I was very eager to work with her on her next project.
How did you become interested in this project?
This was a topic that was presented to me when I took an Individualized Study class with Dra. Munoz last spring. While researching hashtags on social media on March 8 (International Women’s Day), I noticed events being held in the United States that were inspired by events and movements in Mexico. These featured the same colors, symbols, and hashtags, and oftentimes were advertised in Spanish and held at Mexican embassies or consulates. We wanted to investigate further and expand on this idea!
What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher?
This being my second research project, I was used to the general procedures of research. However, this time, I was using social media as my primary tool - which meant I had to sift through more posts than I ever thought possible! This turned out to be the most fun and rewarding part of it, however, as it was amazing to see the amount of people standing in solidarity with each other. It was also the “breakthrough” moment of our project!
What has been the most rewarding part?
Getting to work with my advisor on such an important project and topic. I have known her for years now and I hope she’s proud of me!
How will you disseminate your research?
I will be presenting my research at the National Women’s Studies Association Annual Conference in Detroit, Michigan on November 17, with a Travel Grant from the Undergraduate Research Office. I also really want to bring this project to URCAD this spring!
What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Please do it! It’s so, so rewarding, and the skills you will learn are ones you will keep for life. Be brave!
What are your career goals?
I hope to be a paralegal, and expand on my legal knowledge. Although, doing research permanently does sound pretty appealing! I will never rule it out.
]]>
Allison is a senior majoring in Spanish, with a Latin American Studies minor, and Law and Justice minor. Title of your research project: Mexican Feminist Movements and the Role of Social...
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Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:55:24 -0400
Wed, 30 Oct 2024 11:11:01 -0400
Researcher of the Week: Emmanuella Osei
Investigating food insecurity at UMBC
I am a junior pursuing a dual degree in Public Health, and Sociology. I am a member of the Honors College, a Sondheim Scholar, a McNair Scholar, and a Jack Kent Cook Scholar.
Title of your research project: Food Insecurity among College Students at a Minority Serving Institution
Describe your project:
I developed a study to investigate food insecurity at UMBC and to understand student experiences and perceptions of ways to combat this issue. After gathering over 500 responses, I am currently analyzing the data in preparation to share my findings with UMBC administration and Retriever Essentials.
Who is your mentor(s) for your project?
I began this project in the fall of 2023 through the McNair Scholars Program and chose Dr. Sameera Nayak from the Public Health department as my mentor. I selected her because I knew she would be exceptionally helpful in guiding me through the research process. Additionally, she has expertise in researching topics related to the social determinants of health. Dr. Nayak has been incredibly supportive and continues to provide invaluable assistance.
How did you become interested in this project?
During the summer after my first year at UMBC, I interned at a nonprofit in my local community named Columbia Community Care. My work included managing the food pantry and deepening my understanding of food insecurity in Howard County. When I returned to school for my sophomore year, I was interested in exploring this issue on my college campus and generating data that could be used to address it.
What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher?
There have been challenges at every stage of my research journey, which is completely normal. As I’m currently in the data analysis phase, some of the difficulties I’ve faced include learning to use programming software that I wasn’t previously familiar with. I also didn’t anticipate how time-consuming the research process can be.
What has been the most rewarding part?
The most rewarding part has been connecting with others who share similar research interests and meeting individuals who have provided valuable insights for my study. I am also very grateful for the perspectives students shared in my survey and the solutions they proposed.
How will you disseminate your research?
I plan to present my results to the UMBC administration, the Retriever Essentials staff, the broader UMBC community at URCAD, and at future conferences outside of UMBC.
What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Talk to your professors whose research interests you and ask if they have opportunities for you to join their lab. You can also design your own research project, like I did, and find a professor who can support you through it. Lastly, I recommend applying for and participating in summer research opportunities outside of UMBC to broaden your network!
Be featured as a UMBC Undergraduate Researcher of the Week!
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Wed, 23 Oct 2024 12:54:08 -0400
Thu, 24 Oct 2024 10:49:52 -0400
Researcher of the Week: Caly Ferguson
Using engineering to help amputees
Caly is a junior, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He is a Meyerhoff Scholar, URISE Trainee, and HHMI Scholar.
Title of your research project:
Decoding Hand Movements From Healthy Electromyographic Signals Toward A Transferable Near-Natural Prosthesis.
Describe your project:
The specific objective of this project is to create a computational neuroscience model using machine learning that can synthesize non-amputated individuals’ muscle signals from forearm muscle groups, and predict diverse hand movements based on these signals as a transferable method of predicting amputated individuals’ desired hand movements. After successfully creating the software foundation, we plan to apply it to a 3D-printed prosthetic arm as a proof of concept to show how the system works in a real-life application.
Who is your mentor(s) for your project?
My project mentor is Dr. Ramana Kumar Vinjamuri from the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. I found my mentor through the Meyerhoff HHMI Scholars program, which allowed me to start rotating in different research labs on campus during my freshman year of college.
How did you become interested in this project?
Going into college, I set a goal for myself to build a working prosthetic before I graduate, due to my long-time interest in enhancing technology in the medical field. To do this I looked for a specific lab that would help me achieve this goal, and Dr. Vinjamuri’s lab was the best environment for me to pursue my goal. Even though my idea for a project when first starting was a bit different from the larger theme of the lab, he helped direct my project to fuse elements of the work that was being done in the lab with my personal goals so that I could further the knowledge in my field of work while achieving my four-year plan.
What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher?
The hardest part about my research is learning all of the computer science skills that go into creating a machine learning algorithm that aims to apply that as a base software for a device. Since I am a Mechanical Engineering major, I do not take a lot of coding classes, so over the years I have built those skills from the ground up through my experience working on this project.
What has been the most rewarding part?
The most rewarding part of my research has been sharing my results with others at big conferences, where I can walk people through the progression of my learning and progress on my project. As time goes on and I attend more conferences, I can see the end goal that I set for myself in freshman year becoming more and more of a reality!
How will you disseminate your research?
This academic year I have planned to attend the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting in October and the Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day at UMBC in the Spring.
What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
My advice is for students to try different research experiences while they are in undergrad, whether it be through sustained research or summer research experiences so that they have a better understanding of what they do and don't like about lab environments, project development, and other things that are helpful to know before applying to graduate school.
What are your career goals?
My career goal is to earn a PhD in Biomedical Engineering so that I can start and run a Biotechnology company that manufactures advanced and affordable medical devices. I also have aspirations of running a research lab as a principal investigator.
]]>
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