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Photo of a stack of four open books on a wooden table

Reading Day

Come study in ESJ (Room) on December 10!

Save the Date invitation for Gemstone Formal on December 6, 2024 at Mulligans Golf Course from 7 to 10pm

Gems Formal 2024

All students are invited to Gems Formal at Mulligans' Golf Course on December 6!

RSVP here

Photo of Avery Parker wearing a black shirt against a beige backdrop

Avery Parker awarded Gingrich Firebaugh Scholarship

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 Avery Parker, a senior from Warrington, Pennsylvania majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. Congratulations, Avery!

They are a member of Team QCrypt, whose research goal is to examine how the security of novel post-quantum cryptographic systems compare to current-day encryption methods, as well as how these new cryptographic systems may affect cybersecurity as a whole. Avery also serves as the team financial liaison and manages their expenses and budget. They are also one of the instructors of CMSC398R, a student-run course focusing on exploiting and fixing common vulnerabilities in applications. Outside of academics, Avery enjoys playing tabletop roleplaying games, hiking, and creating maps.

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Four students of Team Color standing in front of a presentation in a lecture hall.
Two students of Team COAST standing in front of a presentation in a lecture hall.
Two students of Team TOXINS standing in front of a presentation in a lecture hall.
Team VIRAL in front of presentation slide that reads "Preventing Virally Induced Brain Injury"

Congratulations to junior teams who presented at Do Good Showcase!

Our junior teams presented at the 7th annual Do Good Showcase on Monday, November 4. Congratulations to teams COAST, COLOR, and TOXINS, who received awards from the judges and will each receive funds from the Do Good Institute. Teams TOXINS and VIRAL 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.

Eleven UMD students wearing red and black clothes on a stage
Image is courtesy of the UMD Homecoming Instagram page (@umdhomecoming).

Esohe Owie nominated 2024 Spirit of Maryland Finalist

Gemstone's very own Esohe Owie was a finalist for the Spirit of Maryland Award for Homecoming 2024! The award is presented each year during half-time at the Homecoming football game to two seniors who demonstrate the "spirit of Maryland" through exceptional leadership, campus involvement, and community service. Congratulations, Esohe!

Four students wearing hard hats standing in front of a tidal turbine

Team COAST trip to Scotland

Team COAST visited Northern Scotland to get up close and personal with tidal turbines. With the help of their mentor, Dr. Niemeier, the team was able to connect with an operations manager at Meygen to tour the facilities and discuss their research.

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Check out the team website!

Photo of Nick Salantri wearing exoskeleton prototype

Team EXO won second place overall at ASTM International Exo Games

Congratulations Team EXO! This past August, Team EXO put their exoskeleton prototype to the test at ASTM International's Exo Games in Philadelphia. They won second place overall and first place in design. 

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Team MARINE presented at two Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry meetings

Team MARINE, mentored by Dr. Lance Yonkos, presented their research at both the regional chapter meeting in Baltimore and European meeting in Seville, Spain of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). Check out their poster and thesis!

Photo of Owen Mank in black polo shirt standing in front of a tree

Owen Mank won Dinah Berman Memorial Award

The A. James Clark School of Engineering holds an annual award celebration to recognize outstanding undergraduate students. Owen Mank, on Team SCOOT, received the Dinah Berman Memorial Award for excellence in academics, leadership, and service. 

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Shannon Ganley and Nathan Roy Inaugural Excellence in Research Awards recipients

Last spring, Shannon Ganley (Class of 2024, Team SOLAR) and Nathan Roy (Class of 2025, Team ANDRR) were recognized by the Office of Undergraduate Research for their excellent research and poster presentations at the annual Undergraduate Research Day. Congratulations, Shannon and Nathan! 

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Yash Anand and Malcom Maas awarded Goldwater Scholarships

Yash Anand from Team ASQ and Malcom Maas from Team TORUS were both named 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholars. Congratulations! Click below to read their features on the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) website. 

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Esohe Owie won Inaugural Dushanka Kleinman Lightning Round Talk award

Esohe Owie presented at the School of Public Health's Research and Practice Day on April 4, 2024. Her talk was titled "Examining Contributors to Maternal Health Disparities in Prince George’s County (Team Black Mamas Matter)." Congratulations, Esohe and Team BMM!

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Alumni Spotlight

Photo of Kyeshia Laurence in front of McKeldin Mall

Kyeshia Laurence '21

Kyeshia Laurence '21 has increased diversity in NIH study participants, hosted a college-prep workshop in St. Maarten, and started a college mentoring program for college students.

Read SNMA article
Photo of Chris Grant against a navy and red background next to the Forbes 30 Under 30 logo

Chris Grant '13

Chris Grant '13 has been named to a prestigious list of young entrepreneurs.

Read Forbes article
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