The Synapse
Updates from the Sciences at Loyola University Maryland
January 2025 | Issue 75
Welcome to the Spring 2025 semester! The January issue of The Synapse features exciting summer opportunities for our faculty and students, with application deadlines quickly approaching. It also includes upcoming campus events, important announcements, and more. Wishing you a fantastic start to the new semester!
"“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
Dr. King
Share your news, photos, inspiring stories, and upcoming events for a future issue. Please send any feature suggestions to sciences@loyola.edu.
HIGHLIGHTS & GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Attend the 32nd Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation!
Loyola University Maryland will welcome award-winning investigative reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones for the 32nd annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Convocation on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in McGuire Hall. The event, which is also part of the Bunting Peace and Justice Speaker Series, is free and open to the public and will also be livestreamed. Advance registration is encouraged for in-person and virtual attendance.
Loyola Grand Seminar Speakers Among 2025 National Medal of Science Honorees!
President Joe Biden recently announced the newest recipients of the National Medal of Science. This prestigious award, presented during a ceremony at the White House on Friday, January 3, 2025, honor exceptional contributions that have advanced knowledge, spurred progress, and addressed critical global challenges. The awards highlight the indispensable role of research and creativity in building a brighter, more sustainable future.
We are proud to share that two of this year's fourteen National Medal of Science honorees have ties to our Grand Seminar at Loyola. Richard Alley, from Pennsylvania State University, delivered a compelling Grand Seminar lecture in Spring 2014 titled Jobs and Security, Pikas and Penguins: The Big Surprisingly Optimistic Story on Energy and the Environment. Another esteemed laureate, Bonnie L. Bassler from Princeton University, captivated us with her 2016 Grand Seminar talk, Tiny Conspiracies: Cell-to-Cell Communication in Bacteria.
We are thrilled to see these remarkable scientists recognized for their groundbreaking work and are grateful for the insights they have shared through our Grand Seminar lectures. Their achievements inspire us and reinforce the importance of fostering a community dedicated to scientific discovery and innovation.
Celebration of Science week starts with STEM Academic Excellence on Pi Day!
On March 14, 2025, the STEM Academic Excellence event will be marking the start of Science Week (March 14-21). This special event will honor five groups of outstanding graduating STEM scholars: Choudhury Sarkar-Dey Medal finalists, Hauber Fellows, Haig Scholars, Hyman Science Scholars (formerly CPaMS Scholars), and Health Outreach Baltimore (HOB) Fellows.
We encourage NAS students, student organizations, and departments to actively participate in the festivities. The Celebration of Science week page will be updated with activities planned for this year by early March. For more details about the Celebration of Science Week events, including the STEM Academic Excellence event, please contact the NAS Associate Dean’s office (Julieta Guerra jguerra@loyola.edu or Bahram Roughani broughani@loyola.edu). Let's come together to celebrate the achievements and contributions of our STEM community!
STEM Academic Excellence
STEM Academic Excellence 2024
Celebration of Science Week
Donnelly Science Center Addition & Construction Livestream
The Donnelly Science Center has been the hub for Loyola’s science programs since 1978. As part of the University’s strategic plan Together We Rise: Loyola University Maryland's Strategic Plan for 2030, we aim at enhancing our STEM offerings, thus, university is making significant investments to strengthen STEM and health programs including extensive renovation and expansion of Donnelly Science Center.
More info and to view the Donnelly Science Center Addition & Construction Livestream.
Interested to support our Growth: To learn about making a gift to the Donnelly Science Center project, contact Mary Lineburger, '99, assistant vice president for major gifts, at mlmazzuca@loyola.edu or 410-617-2797.
See the upcoming Parade of Six Planets!
In January and February 2025, six planets will form a giant arc in the evening sky: Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Neptune, and Saturn. At the end of February, Mercury will join the fun, replacing Saturn. Here’s your guide to the Planet Parade 2025, including suggested dates, directions, and frequently asked questions, courtesy of expert astronomer Dean Regas.
Nominate a Colleague for an Award!
Nomination is now open for faculty for the various awards sponsored by Academic Affairs. The goal of this award is to show the appreciation of all the work that goes into teaching, research, and service.
The priority deadline to nominate is February 1.
As a reminder, a faculty can nominate a colleague for:
- Distinguished Scholar of the Year
- Excellence in Community-Engaged Teaching
- Excellence in Community-Engaged Scholarship
- Excellence in Graduate Teaching
- Excellence in Transformative Teaching
- Excellence in Digital Teaching Practice
Maryland aiming at Boosting Technology, Life Sciences, and Innovation
Maryland is set to boost its technology, life sciences, and innovation sectors following Governor Wes Moore’s December 2024 executive order. This directive, outlined in Section F, allocates resources to priority industries such as life sciences, IT, aerospace, defense, and emerging fields like computational biology, quantum technology, and positioning, navigation, and timing. The order underscores a commitment to these sectors by utilizing state resources and financial incentive programs across various government agencies.
Loyola University, with its emphasis on STEM and health, is well-positioned to benefit from this initiative, which aims to expand STEM-related career opportunities. The aerospace and defense industries, supporting over 10,000 companies and nearly 400,000 workers, are major contributors to Maryland's economy. As advanced technologies like computational biology and quantum technology develop, they are expected to revolutionize problem-solving globally and enhance Maryland’s leadership in innovation. Loyola’s strong STEM programs, supported by NAS initiatives, will play a crucial role in preparing graduates to thrive in Maryland’s evolving innovation economy.
STUDENT AND FACULTY OPPORTUNITIES
Mark Your Calendar! Student Opportunities Due: January 31, 2025
2025 Hauber Summer Research Program: Undergraduate students at Loyola University Maryland pursuing studies in Natural and Applied Sciences and are interested in collaborating with a faculty mentor on 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 2025-2026 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.
Summer Program Duration: June 2 – August 8, 2025
Appointments Details: A stipend of $5000 for the duration of the 10-week program, plus discounted or free summer housing. The summer 2025 Hauber program is open to all NAS majors, except for May 2025 graduates.
The Haig Scholars Program is an academic excellence and leadership program for students majoring in Natural and Applied Sciences. The program recognizes the accomplishments of highly motivated students based on academic work, the impact of participation in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, meaningful community engagement, and impact as student leaders.
Haig Scholar program is open to all NAS majors, with rising junior or rising senior status and a GPA of 3.5 or better.
Outstanding Scholarship for STEM Sophomores
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)is currently accepting applications for the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship. This award provides $19,000 spread over your junior and senior years. Hollings scholars also get full-time, PAID ($700/week) summer internships at NOAA facilities. Desired majors include (but are not limited to) oceanic, environmental, biological, and atmospheric sciences, mathematics, engineering, remote sensing technology, computer and information science, physical and social sciences including geography, physics, hydrology, geomatics, or teacher education that support NOAA's programs and mission: “To understand and predict changes in climate, weather, ocean, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.” Application window closes in January.
Interested? Please contact Dr. Terre Ryan, Loyola’s Director of National Fellowships, at tmryan@loyola.edu.
Summer STEM Research Fellowship for Juniors
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Summer Student Fellowship is a 10-to12-week program that provides hands-on research experience for students. Housing is provided, and students receive $700 in travel expenses and a weekly stipend of $700. Preferred majors include (but are not limited to) biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, geophysics, mathematics, meteorology, physics, oceanography, and marine policy. Application window closes in early February.
Interested? Please contact Dr. Terre Ryan, Loyola’s Director of National Fellowships, at tmryan@loyola.edu.
Join the ACE Women’s Network Leadership Conference!
The 2025 American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Network Leadership Conference (WNLC) will convene on February 13–14 in Washington, DC in conjunction with and immediately following ACEx2025. This event aligns with ACE’s Moving the Needle: Advancing Women in Higher Education Leadership® initiative, which has an aim for gender and racial parity among higher education chief executives by 2030. This year’s conference will focus on advancing women in leadership through systemic and personalized strategies and preparing women leaders and state network chairs for upcoming challenges and policy changes after the 2024 elections.
Dr. Megan Olsen Chairs the 2025 CAPWIC Conference!
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 and non-binary students, faculty, and professionals, as well as all supporters of women in computing. The conference will be hosted at The George Washington University on March 29, 2025, and this year Dr. Olsen from Loyola’s computer science department is the conference chair. We encourage you to consider attending or presenting. Submissions will be open soon and are due February 3rd. If you are a faculty member, please encourage your students to submit! We are looking for submissions of flash talks, student posters, student research shorts, technical talks, workshops, birds-of-a-feather, and panels. All levels of experience are welcome. More info at http://capwic.org.
Join Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) for the First Virtual Connections of 2025!
Attendees will learn how to create and implement an applied angel investing course from 2024 GCEC Award Winner Loyola University Maryland. Please register here.
Apply for National Library of Medicine Summer 2025 Data Science & Informatics Scholars Program!
The National Library of Medicine (NLM), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is seeking exceptional candidates to join in Summer 2025 for the NLM Data Science and Informatics (DSI) Scholars Program!
The NLM welcomes undergraduate and graduate students to apply for the DSI Scholars Program. The academic backgrounds include computer science, engineering, statistics, information science, mathematics, physics, and biology.
The application is now open, and will be accepted through Wednesday, February 19, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting in January. Additional details, including full eligibility and application instructions, are available on the DSI Scholars Program website.
Please reach out to NLMDSI@nih.gov with any questions.
Register for the MS Data Science Virtual Info Session on Wednesday, February 19th!
Join us for an upcoming information session to learn more about Loyola University Maryland's Online Graduate Data Science program. The academic program director and the director of 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.
Reminders & Resources
The Bridge
Visit The Bridge for upcoming campus meetings and events.
Training and Development Opportunities for Employees and Students
Academic Calendar
Coronavirus Resources
- Loyola Coronavirus Updates - General university information for all students, faculty, staff including reopening plans, COVID-19 dashboard, FAQs, policies, and resources
Student Support Resources
Employee Support Resources