News & Events
Tami Mumuney received Portz Outstanding Honors Student Award
November 2025
This recipient of this year's Portz Award was Tami Mumuney, a senior (Class of 2026) on Team TOXINS.
Tami has been a teaching assistant, Gems Camp leader, Director of the Alumni Mentor and Partner Program, Coordinator for Cohort Cohesiveness, and committee member for Gemstone's quadrennial program review process. She has shown commitment to her personal growth and development as a leader, and also dedication to ensuring other students feel connected and supported throughout their time in our program.
Outside of Gemstone, Tami has worked on other research projects with the FIRE program and served as an undergraduate researcher in Professor Lawrence R. Sita’s chemistry lab. She has also served in multiple leadership positions for UMD's Global Medical Brigades chapter, and is currently a co-president. Tami contributes to her community beyond UMD as well by volunteering at her church and Khadijah’s House, an assisted living facility. Congratulations on this achievement, Tami!
Congratulations to Do Good Showcase 2025 winners!
November 2025
Gemstone junior teams presented their research at the Do Good Showcase on Monday, November 3. Congratulations to teams VALVE, VISTA, and GABA, who received awards from the judges and will receive funding from the Do Good Institute to further their research goals. Teams VALVE and FSH won the Audience Choice awards and will receive funds from the Gemstone Program. The program also thanks the Do Good Institute for their continued partnership with us and donation of $1,500 to support Gemstone research.
Sarah E. Gingrich Firebaugh Memorial Scholarship awarded to Paola Rojas
We are honored to continue the tradition of awarding the Sarah E. Gingrich Firebaugh Memorial Scholarship to a well-rounded Gemstone student studying science, math, or engineering. This year’s recipient is Paola Rojas, a current Gemstone junior! Congratulations, Paola!
Paola Rojas is double majoring in neuroscience and human development. She is from Rockville, MD. Paola has exhibited great involvement in the field of neuroscience research ever since her first year at UMD. Starting as an undergraduate research assistant at the LEAD Lab led by Dr. Romeo, where she presented a poster project on the intersectionality between theory of mind and bilingualism in children–part of the larger Preschool Language and Neural Engagement Study (PLANES). She has also displayed great passion for collaborative research settings as part of Team GABA, a team currently in the midst of data collection aimed to uncover how past and current stressors influence gastrointestinal health in college students.
Sustaining involvement in Gemstone, Paola also serves as co-director of GEMS101, a newly launched course that supports first-year Gemstone students as they transition into research and life in Gemstone.
Outside of Gemstone, she is a team leader for the Latino Student Fund tutoring program, supporting a group of over 40 mentors working with Prince George’s County students. She is also actively involved in several campus organizations, serving as VP of Academic Affairs for Sister to Sister, Vice President of Schools for Smiles, and Secretary of the Coalition of Latinx Student Organizations. Ultimately, nurturing lifelong commitment to the fields of public health, education equity, and cultural engagement. Amidst a busy schedule, Paola enjoys making pipe cleaner crafts, trying new coffee creations, playing badminton, and collecting pins.
Class of 2025 Citation Ceremony
May 2025
The Gemstone Honors Program hosted the annual spring Citation Ceremony on May 19, 2024 at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center to congratulate our seniors for earning their honors citation. We wish you the best of luck, Class of 2025!
Class of 2025 Thesis Conference
April 2025
The Gemstone Senior Class of 2025 defended their theses on Friday, April 11th in the 26th Annual Gemstone Honors Program Thesis Conference. Check out the booklet below to learn more about each team's research.
Clara Abdelmalek awarded Goldwater Scholarship
April 2025
Congratulations to Clara Abdelmalek (Class of 2026, Team TOXINS) on receiving the Barry Goldwater Scholarship! This scholarship recognizes students' amazing accomplishments in science, engineering, and mathematics research. Read more about Clara's work, research interests, and post-grad goals here. Great job, Clara!
Tami Mumuney & Esohe Owie 2025 Do Good Semi-Finalists
March 2025
Tami Mumuney (Class of 2026, Team TOXINS) and Esohe Owie (Class of 2025, Team BMM) were chosen as semi-finalists in the 2025 Do Good Challenge!
Tami is a member of the Pre-Health Global Brigades team, which focuses on increasing access to quality healthcare in under-resourced communities. This year, Tami traveled to Guatemala to provide medical aid and hygienic supplies to local communities.
Esohe is on the Terrapin Think Tank team, which is UMD's first student-led policy incubator. Their project this year focused on equitable healthcare in Prince George's County in partnership with UMD's School of Public Health. Check out the article here!