The Synapse

The June issue of The Synapse contains news about the launching of Loyola's New Bachelor of Science in Nursing, the Hauber 2024 summer fellowship program, students' achievements, and important announcements about opportunities for students and faculty. June is also the month we celebrate Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the United States.

"Start by doing what's necessary, then do what's possible, and suddenly, you're doing the impossible." — Francis of Assisi

Share your news, photos, inspiring stories, and upcoming events for a future issue. Please send any feature suggestions to jguerra@loyola.edu

Loyola University Maryland’s new Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) has received approval from the Maryland Board of Nursing.

The program, which is scheduled to launch in Fall 2025, has already been recommended for implementation by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). The program will be run through a partnership with Mercy Medical Center, which will provide clinical placements at Mercy’s downtown Baltimore campus, in addition to other resources and support. Read more.

This year's cohort of the Hauber Summer Fellowship Program comprises 20 students. The 10-week program formally started on June 3rd and will end on August 9th. The welcome reception for the Hauber fellows was held in the Fernandez Center on June 5th and was attended by the Hauber mentors, student researchers and faculty from other departments, and the provost.

The Hauber fellows' introductory workshop took place on June 5th. Dr. Suzanne Keilson from the Engineering department delivered a lecture on Research Methods and immediately followed by the reception program.

During the second week of the Hauber fellowship program, two main topics were covered. The first topic was about the Library Resources, presented by Jennie Ray, Information Literacy Coordinator of the LNDL. The second topic was about the National Fellowship Program, shared by Dr. Terre Ryan, Director of the National Fellowships.

The Loyola Biology Department hosted 23 undergraduate research summer interns from across the country for a one-week training course in Laboratory Practices and Techniques (LPT) on May 20-24th. This training program is part of the Nathan Schnaper Summer Internship Program (NSIP) in Translational Cancer Research held through the University of Maryland Greenbaum Cancer Center. NSIP interns come from college campuses across the United States to participate in the 11-week NSIP program. The program, open to students interested in careers in cancer research, provides a summer-long research internship as well as exposure to clinical and translational cancer experiences. Interns begin their summer experience by attending the LPT course held on the Loyola campus each year to learn commonly used biomedical laboratory techniques. This training allows NSIP research interns to begin their research projects in individual laboratories at the University of Maryland with a foundation of basic skills as well as confidence in the lab. Additionally, the LPT course at Loyola provides an important opportunity for NSIP interns to build a community and connect with their peers before beginning their research work in separate laboratories for the summer.

The NSIP internship program typically admits one to three Loyola students each year. This year three Loyola students will be participating: Grace Acle, Sophie Werner, and Benick Mbaya. Three faculty members from the Biology Department contributed to the instruction of the LPT program modules. They are Dr. Lisa Scheifele (instructor), Dr. Armina Kazi (instructor), and Dr. Theresa Geiman (course director and instructor). The LPT course is funded as a sub-award of an NIH R25 Cancer Training Grant through the National Cancer Institute. Loyola has been conducting the LPT course for the NSIP program as a sub-awardee of this NIH grant since the 2015-2016 academic year. Loyola students interested in applying to the NSIP program can find out more about the program and the LPT course by contacting Dr. Geiman (tmgeiman@loyola.edu) or visiting the NSIP program website. Applications are generally due in early to mid-February each year.

Loyola’s 2024 NSIP Interns: Grace Acle, Benick Mbaya, and Sophie Werner

The Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society of Loyola is proud to congratulate its 37 members graduating with the Class of 2024. These 37 graduating seniors from the Theta Chi Chapter of Tri-Beta excelled in the biological sciences during their undergraduate education by maintaining at least a 3.3 gpa in all biology courses and laboratories. Congratulations on your academic achievements in Biology!

Loyola University Maryland’s Theta Chi Chapter of the Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society is proud to announce the induction of 37 new members. The 2024 induction ceremony, led by Dani Niedermeyer and Jacob Martin, was held on April 26th at Loyola’s Alumni Chapel and featured a keynote address by Dr. Bernadette Roche, Associate Professor of Biology at Loyola. Induction into Tri-Beta requires completion of at least three courses at the majors-level in biology as well as maintaining at least a 3.3 gpa in all biology courses and laboratories. Congratulations to these new inductees for demonstrating academic excellence in biology!

Sophomore Leah Rottler-Gurley, ’26, has been named a Class of 2024 Ernest F. Hollings undergraduate scholar by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Education. Scholars receive a two-year academic scholarship for their junior and senior years, paid summer internship opportunities, and funding to participate in two national scientific conferences. Read more.

The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce consists of 36.8 million U.S. workers, accounting for 24% of the total U.S. workforce. Between 2011 and 2021, the percentage of workers in STEM occupations increased from 22% to 24% of U.S. workers. More than half of these workers (52%) did not have a bachelor’s degree and were therefore classified as the skilled technical workforce (STW). Employment rates for STEM workers decreased less between 2019 and 2021 (88% to 86%) than non-STEM workers (83% to 79%). These and similar trends are discussed in The STEM Labor Force: Scientists, Engineers, and Skilled Technical Workers report. Read the report.

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.

The Bridge

Visit The Bridge for upcoming campus meetings and events.

Training and Development Opportunities for Employees and Students

OUTLoyola SafeZone Training

Green Bandana Brigade

Academic Calendar

• 2023-2024 Academic Calendar
• 2024-2025 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

• Counseling Center
• Campus Ministry
• Office of Student Life
• Center for Community, Service, and Justice

Employee Support Resources

• Human Resources website
• Employee Assistance Program
• Financial Crisis Assistance Program
• Employee Return to Work on Campus Guidelines & Training