The Synapse
Updates from the Sciences at Loyola University Maryland
Celebrating the Life of Fr. Haig
The Rev. Fr. Frank R. Haig, S.J., professor emeritus of physics, passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. An accomplished astrophysicist, Fr. Haig will be remembered for his distinguished career as a scholar and professor, along with his leadership as president of two Jesuit institutions, Le Moyne College and Wheeling Jesuit University.
Notes of Condolence may be sent to Fr. Haig's niece, Barbara Haig at behaig7@aol.com.
Important announcements for the Eclipse on April 8th!
- Dr. Alex Young's eclipse talk will be on Tuesday 4/2 at 6:00 pm in KH-B03. Dr. Alex Young is a heliophysicist from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
- Dr. Inge Heyer, a teaching professor in Loyola’s Physics Department will give an eclipse talk "Hiding the Sun: An Eclipse Tale" in the Library in the IDEA Space on Monday April 8 12:00 pm.
- The Loyola Astronomy Club will have a solar scope and pinhole camera workshop on 4/2 (time and room TBD).
- Six solar scopes will be set up on the quad for people to take turns observing the sun. We will start activities around 1:45pm. Activities will conclude around 4:45 pm.
- We will also have pinhole cameras for safe observing of the solar disk. Visit the stations for the Loyola Astronomy and Physics Clubs for more information.
- If you have a salad colander, you want to bring it to observe the crescents its holes will make during the partial eclipse.
- Free eclipse glasses will be available for the first 1250 people showing up on the quad on 4/8 (one per person).
- We will have live-streaming from NASA and Time-and-Date in KH-B03 from 1-5 pm. You will be able to see the totality in other places. This is also in case our weather is unsuitable for solar observations.
Eclipse Resources to Remember
NASA: 2024 Total Eclipse (nasa.gov)
Time and Date: LIVE Stream: Total Solar Eclipse April 2024 (timeanddate.com)
Resources: Great American Eclipse
Rainbow Symphony Scientific Products | Study Light + Color | Rainbow Symphony
American Paper Optics Solar Eclipse Glasses | Eclipsers | American Paper Optics, LLC (3dglassesonline.com)
Thousand Oaks Optical Thousand Oaks Optical – Manufacturer of SAFE solar filters for over 35 years
Making Pinhole Cameras Student Project: How to Make a Pinhole Camera | NASA/JPL Edu
To find the eclipse timing in your area, go to: Solar Eclipses - Total & Annular - Xavier Jubier (free.fr) click on the April 8th 2024 eclipse and then click on your location
Want to receive periodic updates about NASA’s eclipse activities? Sign up for the NASA eclipse newsletter. Find More: go.nasa.gov/3oObEDI
Register now for 2024 Capital PKAL Regional Network Meeting!
Join us this Friday, March 15th, as we take on the challenges of “Empowering Students and Preserving Critical Thinking in the World of AI” with Kelsey Behringer, noted expert in STEM teaching and CEO of Packback, an instructional AI platform empowering STEM students to be fearlessly curious, develop strong writing skills, and find their unique voice.
For more information about AAC&U’s Project Kaleidoscope Regional Networks, contact pkal-networks@aacu.org.
Save the date! Virtual Briefing on the 2024 State of U.S. Science & Engineering report
The 2024 State of U.S. Science and Engineering will take place on Wednesday, March 13, 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. ET. The virtual briefing will be livestreamed via YouTube.
The event will feature the following:
Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
Daniel Reed, Chair, National Science Board (NSB)
Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director, U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)
Emilda Rivers, Director, NSF National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES)
Maureen Condic, Chair, NSB Science and Engineering Policy Committee
Loyola co-sponsors the CAPWIC 2024
Loyola is co-sponsoring the CAPWIC 2024. The CAPWIC is the ACM Capital Region Celebration of Women in Computing and provides a low-cost, regionally tailored, small conference for women and minorities in computing. The participants include women (students, faculty, and professionals), as well as all supporters of women in computing. The goal of CAPWIC is to bring together female students and allies to promote the recruitment, retention, and progression of women in computing fields.
The conference will be hosted by the University of Virginia, on April 5-6, 2024. All levels of experience are welcome.
For inquiries, please contact Prof. Megan Olsen (mmolsen@loyoa.edu) or visit CAPWIC page for more information.
Calling Freshmen & Seniors to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement!
Loyola University values providing the best educational experience to its students, and completing the 20-minute National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is a significant way for students to share their feedback in achieving this goal. Only first-year and senior students can participate in this survey, and all responses are kept confidential. The NSSE results will be shared by Loyola’s Office of Institutional Research (OIR) in aggregate form only. The survey can help Loyola identify its strengths and weaknesses to improve the education and experience offered to students.
If you are a first-year or senior student and have received an email invitation from NSSE (nsse@nssesurvey.org), click on your survey link to participate.
If you have any questions, please contact OIR at survey@loyola.edu or visit the Loyola Institutional Research website.
Spring 2024 Pop-Up Classes
This semester's pop-up classes will take place virtually and in-person, promising a wide variety of new skills and knowledge! The following pop-up classes are open to the Loyola and Notre Dame communities. If you have any questions, ideas for potential pop-up classes, or would like to teach a future class, contact Clara Love at cmlove@loyola.edu.
Pop-up Class: Adobe Express and Generative AI
Thursday, March 21, 2024, 4:30-6 pm
In Person at LNDL IDEASpace
Instructor: Jay Dunmore
Learn to use the Adobe Express software platform and how to enhance your Adobe projects with Generative AI!
Pop-up Class: ArcGIS StoryMaps
Monday, March 25, 2024, 4-5pm
Online via Zoom
Instructor: Clara Love
Learn to use ArcGIS StoryMaps to make scrolling narrative webpages!
Pop-up Class: Telescope Stargazing
Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 8-9pm
In Person at Outdoors at LNDL
Instructor: John Damond (EPFL)
Explore the night sky and look at the full moon through a telescope!
Pop-up Class: Customize a Mug with Sublimation Printing
Thursday, May 2, 2024, 4-5 pm
In Person at LNDL Front Steps and IDEAspace
Instructor: Nicky McDougal and Youlanda Halterman
Learn about the science behind sublimation printing with a dry ice demo, then customize a mug with sublimation!
Great employment and internship opportunities!
The LOYOLA READY INTERNSHIP & JOB FAIR 2024 will host employers from a variety of concentrations, including:
- Business/Industry
- Government/Policy
- Marketing/Media
- Nonprofit/Fine Arts
- STEM
This Fair is a great opportunity for students to meet with reputable employers eager to hire Loyola students and learn about current full-time, part-time, and internship opportunities.
For more information, please contact Penelope Flury pbflury@loyola.edu.
Applications for the Voyager Scholarship for Public Service now open!
The Voyager Scholarship for Public Service is a special opportunity for sophomores who have demonstrated a commitment to community service and plan a career in some form of public service after graduation. The funders define public service broadly, and the Voyager Scholarship is open to rising juniors from all majors.
Funded by a partnership between the Obama Foundation and Airbnb founder Brian Chesky, the Voyager Scholarship is the gift that keeps on giving. It provides up to $50K over your junior and senior year, plus a $10K work/travel stipend for summer 2024, plus $2K of travel credit from Airbnb annually for 10 years after graduation, plus mentoring and networking opportunities—all to help you reach your public service career goals without taking on crushing debt.
Here is the link to the scholarship:
Please be sure to read the FAQs and check your eligibility.
The application deadline is March 27 at 11:59 p.m.
Need help? Contact Dr. Terre Ryan, Loyola’s Director of National Fellowships, at tmryan@loyola.edu.
Research grant of $500-$5000 for undergraduate and graduate students
Since 1922, the Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research (GIAR) program has provided undergraduate and graduate students with valuable educational experiences. By encouraging close working relationships between students and mentors, the program promotes scientific excellence and achievement through hands-on learning. Sigma Xi strongly encourages applications from women and underrepresented minorities, including Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinx, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, or Native Hawaiians. Click here for more information and to apply.
Application Deadlines: Spring cycle: March 15 Fall cycle: October 1
Competition in biomedical design and innovation up to $20,000 award
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and VentureWell have come together to support and expand the Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge, a competition that recognizes undergraduate excellence in biomedical design and innovation.
DEBUT challenges teams of students in undergraduate biomedical education to solve real-world problems in healthcare.
Important dates: Deadline: May 31, 2024 Winners announced: August 26, 2024
Click here for more information and to apply.
Register for MS Data Science Info Sessions on March 13 & April 17
Join us for an upcoming information session to learn more about Loyola University Maryland's Graduate Data Science program. The faculty director and the director for program operations will be present to answer your questions regarding program formats, application requirements, and the admission process.
By attending any of our information sessions, you can save yourself from paying the $60 graduate application fee.
Join us and explore the opportunities that await you! Please register here.
