Meet John. He is a Bioinformatics and Computational Biology major and a researcher in the Undergraduate Biology and Mathematics (UBM) training program. His research attempts to document cases of gene flow between closely-related species of birds, particularly the Baltimore Oriole and the Mexican black-backed Oriole.

What research experiences have you had? 
I have been a part of the Undergraduate Biology and Mathematics (UBM) training program since last December. For UBM, I work in Dr. Kevin Omland’s lab and focus on resolving phylogenetic trees using species tree algorithms and parallel computing. Also, within the Omland Lab, I assist other laboratory researchers by going out in the field to record and catch birds.

How did you find the research opportunity? 
I actually found out about UBM through an email that Dr. Omland sent out! He was looking for a computational biology researcher to join the UBM program, and I jumped at the opportunity.

Who did you work with on this project?
I work with Tylynn Pettrey, who is an undergraduate and my partner in the UBM program. I also work with Dr. Omland, Dr. Matthias Gobbert in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Dr. Frode Jacobsen in the Omland Lab.

Was this your first independent research project?
Yes it was!

Do you get course credit for this work? Paid? How much time do you put into it?
I do get course credit and I am paid. I put in between 8 and 12 hours a week during the semester.

What academic background did you have before you started?
I had a very diverse scientific background when I started in the lab. As a Bioinformatics major, I took courses in biology, computer science, chemistry, and mathematics - nearly all of the courses have paid off in some way or another.

How did you learn what you needed to know to be successful in this lab?
The biology and computer science courses I took were extraordinarily helpful in learning about my research topic and being able to implement the specific computer programs that I use. Also, the UBM program uses a mentor program in which older students “train” new members during their first semester on the project. My mentor, Leila Kazerooni, helped me learn more about the details of the project and taught me what I needed to know to become independent.

What was the hardest part about your research?
The hardest part is making everything work! I use many computer programs on a daily basis, and sometimes they do not all work the way I want. Solving the problems that subsequently arise is the most challenging part for me.

What was the most unexpected thing?
The most unexpected thing was the amount of traveling I have gotten to do. Within the last 5 months, I have gone to Puerto Rico, Chicago, and the Appalachian Mountains - all for research. When I first began work on my project, I had no idea that I would be able to go to all those places in the name of science. Being able to see and experience them has been the most unexpected reward my research has offered me.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! Professors are always looking for students who are interested and engaged, but the only way they can tell if you are interested is for you to make the first move.

What are your career goals?
Right now, I am focused on getting into graduate school and pursuing a doctorate. As of right now, I am unsure of a full-time career path, but I know I do enjoy evolutionary biology in general. I can certainly see myself in a career relating to that field sometime in the future.

What are you doing next for research?
For the next semester, I will be continuing to work in the Omland lab on my UBM project.

What else are you involved in on campus?
I am involved all over the place! I am the Vice President of the Honors College Council (and a member of the Honors College), part of the orientation team as a Woolie, as well as a teaching assistant for Cell Biology and a computer science tutor. I also play the viola in the UMBC Community Symphony Orchestra and swim for the newly founded Swim Club.

Have you shared the results of your work with professionals in the field?
Yes I have! I traveled to the American Ornithological Union Meeting in Chicago, Illinois this August to present my research to professionals in the field of ornithology. I also recently presented at the South Eastern Population, Ecology and Evolutionary Genetic (SEPEEG) Conference in Mountain Lake, Virginia to an audience of evolutionary biologists.

Read his abstract here...

Meet Paul. He is a History major and a current Undergraduate Research Award (URA) scholar. His research focuses on Russian Civil War propaganda posters and their effects on Cold-War and post-Cold War history.

How did you find your mentor for year research project?
I had a class with Dr. Kate Brown. 

How did you know this was the project you wanted to do?
I have been interested in the Soviet Union since I was six. For a very long time, I have wanted to do in-depth research on the Russian Civil War.

Is this your first independent research project?
I have completed two other pieces of research on my other interest, which is China’s rise. I have already written a 75-page paper on the People’s Liberation Army-Navy, and a paper on the Sino-Australian relationship.

Do you get course credit for this work? How much time do you put into it?
This URA also doubles as a History honors thesis. During the summer I lived in DC, and I went to the Library of Congress on a weekly basis. I also am reading books for my research for a significant portion of my day.

How did you hear about the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program?
Through the Sondheim Scholars program.

What academic background did you have before you applied for the URA?
I have taken a few years of Russian and I have taken most of the Russian history courses offered at UMBC.

Was the application difficult to do?
It was moderately hard. Coming up with a research question that is doable in one year is very challenging. My mentor was very helpful in the process of writing the proposal.

What has been the hardest part about your research? What was the most unexpected thing?
The hardest part was finding materials that deal with this issue. The most unexpected was finding out how many religious symbols that the supposedly atheist Communist Party used in its propaganda.

What else are you involved in on campus?
Debate Team, Model UN Team, History Student Council, Jewish Student Union and trying to manage two other majors, one minor, and two certificate programs.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Finding a good mentor is critical. If you want to get a good mentor, stand out in a class that the mentor teaches and take it from there. Additionally, it would help if your mentor is your major adviser. 

Read his abstract here...

After graduating from undergraduate studies, I plan on going straight to graduate school for a master’s and a Ph.D.

Read her abstract here...

Over the summer, Natnael worked in the Transcription Regulation Section of a cancer research lab at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda. He plans to complete his B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2015 and apply for an MD/PhD program or medical school.

What research have you been doing this summer?
I have been working in a lab at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD. I specifically work in a Transcription Regulation Section of a cancer research lab at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

How did you find out about this opportunity? Was there a formal application process?
I found about the internship through a friend who interned at NIH a while back and he recommended I apply.

Who did you work with on this project?
I directly work with the PI, Staff Scientist, a Postdoc (my daily supervisor) and a Postbac who actually graduated from UMBC last year.

Was this your first independent research project?
This is my second time in this same lab. I started last summer and they offered me a chance to come back and continue the work this summer.

Do you get course credit for this work or get paid?
Yes, I did get paid for the internship. I don’t know if Prac 98 counts as a credit but I did get that for last summer internship and I will also be getting it for this summer internship as well. I also got a notation on my Official School Transcript.

How much time do you put into it?
On average I put in about 6-8 hours a day for about 6 weeks.

What academic background did you have before you started?
My background is in Biology, Chemistry and Statistics.

How did you learn what you needed to know to be successful in this summer project?
The first and most important thing I learned is to ask questions about anything I don’t understand or am confused about. I learned I had to put in a good effort and hard work to succeed and get what I wanted from the internship. I also learned to talk to other summer interns and learn and exchange information.

What has been the hardest part about your work this summer?
Some of the scientific experiments I performed are really complex and far from the theories I learned in class. Also, I am not good at networking with different people so I had a bit of a hard time initiating a conversation with people I knew would be helpful.

What was the most unexpected thing?
How helpful and easy to approach people are in research; they are always eager to help as long as you ask for it. Also, the manner in which theories from class apply in a real scenario, it was simply amazing to witness.

How does this research experience relate to your course work?
I am currently in the Bio track of Chemical Engineering at UMBC, so I take Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry classes and this research has helped me understand the things I have learned during my years at UMBC . It has helped cement the concepts I have learned in class.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
Start early, prepare a good application. This means getting to know your Professor early at class so you can develop a good relationship and you can get a good recommendation because often times your competition has either as good a GPA as you do or even better, so you need something that can set you apart and recommendation letters are one of those things. Go to the Shriver Center. Find students who have done internships before and ask questions.

What are your career goals?
I plan to complete my B.S in Chemical Engineering and either apply for an MD/PhD program or Medical school.

What else are you involved in on campus?
I am involved in AICHE, NSBE, Pre-Med Society and I am also involved in a new organization called “Unite Africa”.

Read his abstract here...