The Synapse
Updates from the Sciences at Loyola University Maryland
Loyola receives Clare Boothe Luce grant to support two new tenure track positions in STEM
We are pleased to announce that the Selection Committee of the Clare Boothe Luce (CBL) Program for Women in STEM has awarded a grant of $499,112 to Loyola University Maryland in support of two CBL Professorships in the departments of Mathematics & Statistics, Physics, and/or Chemistry & Biochemistry, over a period of five years.
Professor Elizabeth Dahl and Professor Lisa Oberbroeckling led the application for the grant in which they proposed hiring an interdisciplinary cohort of two women faculty members into departments that serve large numbers of STEM majors and offer majors and minors in fields where nationally, women are underrepresented at the undergraduate level or fall out of the STEM pipeline. These new faculty members will have expertise in data science and/or environmental science with the goal of incorporating these interdisciplinary fields into traditional science curriculum and offering related research opportunities.
The goals of Loyola’s CBL program are to:
- Increase the number of women faculty teaching physical science, math, and/or statistics to undergraduate STEM majors at Loyola and teaching in the Data Science major.
- Create an interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship STEM cohort.
- Increase the number of women female faculty researchers working with undergraduate student researchers in mathematical and physical science fields at Loyola.
- Increase inclusive excellence in STEM by bringing in new faculty interested in the incorporation of high impact, inclusive practices in STEM teaching.
- Build an inclusive and welcoming community through community-building programming and networking to help faculty and student retention and encourage underrepresented students to remain in the STEM pipeline.
The CBL program was established through a bequest by Ambassador Clare Boothe Luce “encourage women to enter, study, graduate, and teach” in STEM fields where there have been barriers to their advancement. The foundation awards grants through an annual competition that supports undergraduate scholarships and research awards, graduate fellowships, and professorships and it is the most significant private funder of higher education for women in STEM in the United States. The tenure track faculty searches for the new CBL tenure track assistant professors will take place in Fall 2024 with the goal of the new faculty starting in Fall 2025.
CyberMaryland Challenge Competition
On December 8th, a team of 11 students organized by the Association for Computing Machinery and Loyola University Maryland's Computer Science Department participated in the challenge portion of the CyberMaryland event. The team arrived at the event around 9:20 am, and the competition officially began at 9:45 am. The majority of the participants were students from UMGC and Loyola.
The challenge component of the conference immersed the participants in a gamified Capture-the-Flag setting with cybersecurity problems spanning various categories, such as encoding and encryption, hashing, forensics, and more. This hands-on experience provided students with a unique opportunity to apply their knowledge in a real-world context, offering insights that will prove valuable as they enter the workforce.
The CyberMaryland event, known to attract over 4,000 individuals to date, concluded at 12:50 pm. Following the competition, participants had the chance to network with companies present at the event, enhancing their connections within the cybersecurity industry.
Notably, Loyola University's teams excelled in the competition, with one team securing the podium at 5th place, and the other two teams achieving 6th and 7th places. This success reflected the dedication and skills of Loyola's participants, and the commitment to preparing students for challenges in the evolving field of cybersecurity. The event provided a valuable platform for practical learning, networking, and recognition of the exceptional achievements of the participating teams.
2024 Hauber Summer Research Application
2024 Hauber Summer Research Program: Undergraduate students at Loyola University Maryland pursuing studies in Natural and Applied Sciences and keen on collaborating with a faculty mentor for research in their chosen field are invited to submit applications. The Hauber fellowships have proven to be a catalyst for numerous students, opening doors to campus and national accolades, collaborative authorship on presentations or manuscripts, and successful transitions into professional or graduate programs. Additionally, Hauber Research Fellows will have multiple opportunities to showcase their research posters throughout the 2024-25 academic year. This collaborative experience not only equips students with valuable research insights but also provides faculty members with assistance on their projects, fostering a rewarding direct engagement with students.
Application Deadline: Third Friday of the Spring Semester, February 2, 2024
Summer Program Duration: June 3 – August 9
Appointments Details: A stipend of $5000 for the duration of the 10-week program, plus discounted or free summer housing. The summer 2024 Hauber program is open to all NAS majors, except for May 2024 graduates
PAID summer research opportunity for JUNIOR STEM MAJORS
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Summer Student Fellowship is a 10- to 12-week program that offers hands-on research experience for STEM students. Housing is provided, and students receive $700 in travel expenses and a weekly stipend of $680. Preferred majors include (but are not limited to) biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, geophysics, mathematics, meteorology, physics, oceanography, and marine policy. The application window closes in early February.
Interested? Please contact Dr. Terre Ryan, Loyola’s Director of National Fellowships, at tmryan@loyola.edu
NSF launches EducateAI initiative
Last week, the U.S. National Science Foundation announced the launch of the EducateAI initiative. The goal of the initiative is to enable educators to make high-quality, audience-appropriate artificial intelligence educational experiences available nationwide to K-12, community college, four-year college, and graduate students, as well as adults interested in formal training in AI. To learn more about this new NSF initiative click here.
