Join the “We Are First-Gen Terps” Campaign!

 Join the “We Are First-Gen Terps” Campaign!

First Generation Student Initiatives is excited to invite current UMD students, faculty, staff, and alumni to be part of our campus “We Are First-Gen Terps” Campaign. This initiative celebrates the achievements and voices of our vibrant first-generation community.

Your Story Matters! Whether you're a student navigating college for the first time, a faculty member who blazed your own trail, or a staff member supporting others on their journey — we want to hear from you. Your experiences, advice, and encouragement can empower and inspire fellow Terps.

Selected Participants Will Receive:

• A featured spotlight on the First-Gen Terps website and UMD social media platforms
• A framed poster showcasing your story and portrait
• Recognition during National First-Generation College Celebration Week 

Submit Your Story Online by October 2nd!  SUBMIT HERE

Let’s uplift and honor the voices that make our campus stronger. We can’t wait to celebrate YOU!

For questions or more information, reach out to Yanira Pacheco, ypacheco@umd.edu.

Federal Work Study Opportunity - Join the Neuroscience Team

 The Undergraduate Neuroscience Program is hiring a Federal Work-Study Student Administrative Assistant for the upcoming academic year!

This is a great opportunity to gain professional experience while supporting the Neuroscience Program through administrative projects, student engagement initiatives, digital communications, and program events. Students will work closely with program staff in a collaborative and welcoming environment while developing valuable leadership and professional skills.

Position Details

• Pay: $15.00/hour
• Schedule: Approximately 10 hours per week (up to 20 hours/week)
• Eligibility: Current UMD undergraduate students with a Federal Work-Study award

To be considered, applicants should complete the employment form by August 17th at 9:00 AM at the following link: go.umd.edu/NEURStudentworkerFA26.

UMD Senior’s Children’s Book Honors her sister with Autism

In 2023, Seti (Neuroscience major) published a children’s book titled Marvelous Meghan: Our Big Sister, which chronicled her childhood growing up with her sister, Meghan, who has autism. The book aimed to raise awareness, empathy and understanding. It is part of the Lewuh Family Foundation, of which Seti is founder and president.

“These people need assistance, they need love, they need to be cared for,” Meghan said. “That's the message we're trying to spread with our book and our foundation.”

Meghan also inspired Seti’s major in neuroscience and her career goal of becoming a neurosurgeon.

 
“I've always been interested in the brain, especially seeing how different my sister's brain is compared to other people,” Seti said. “That's definitely what inspired my major in neuroscience.”

Read the whole story and share it here: https://cmns.umd.edu/news-events/news/neuroscience-autism-awareness-marvelous-meghan-seti-ouelega

Equity Center closing for renovations (don’t worry—activities will continue!)

What:  News

Caption:  The space will be back in the fall semester with a brand new look! If you have any questions or concerns, email lgbtq@umd.edu.

 

Dr. Dodge retiring in July

You may have seen the big news out of our department last week; in a letter to campus, President Pines shared that Vice President for Belonging Georgina Dodge will be retiring on July 4.

“I’ve loved being a part of and serving the University of Maryland community over these past years,” Dr. Dodge shared, “and I am also looking forward to retirement so I can spend lots of time outdoors with my dog!”

Assistant Vice President for Belonging Dr. Stephanie H. Chang will serve as interim vice president as our work serving the entire campus community continues. Congratulations, Dr. Dodge!

The NEUR Pop-Up Shop is officially OPEN!!

The Neuroscience (NEUR) program at the University of Maryland is powered by a dynamic community of students, alumni, faculty, and supporters who share a passion for understanding the brain and behavior. Through interdisciplinary learning, research opportunities, and mentorship, our students develop the knowledge and skills needed to pursue careers in medicine, research, technology, and beyond.

This year’s design features a brand-new look created by our very own NEUR Terp, Philana Hin, making this collection extra special for our community!

Support the NEUR community with our limited-time Neuroscience Pop-Up Shop. Proceeds help support student programming and initiatives within the neuroscience community.

The shop is open now and will close March 22 at 11:59 PM, so be sure to grab your exclusive NEUR MERCH soon!

Grey Matters Issue 10 is LIVE!

 With the hard work of members old and new, we are proud to introduce our 10th issue of Grey Matters! So much time and energy has gone into ensuring this issue represents everything that Grey Matters holds dear to our organization: neuroscience, accessibility, scientific integrity, audience feedback, diversity, and most of all—developing a publication that make neuroscience a little bit more fun and a little bit easier to understand with each and every issue.

You can find our 10th issue on our website and in our Linktree on Instagram. Physical copies can be picked up starting next semester. Let us know what you think over Instagram or email and we are so excited for you to read all of our amazing stories.

If you love our publication as much as we do…apply to Grey Matters next semester! 

Applications for each section and for graduate student reviewers will be open at the beginning of next semester. 

Neuroscience Major Priyadarshan Narayanasamy Wins 19 of 22 Hackathons, Recognized on MLH Top 50 List

We are proud to announce that Neuroscience major, Priyadarshan Narayanasamy, has been recognized as one of Major League Hacking's (MLH) Top Hackers of 2025!

Priyadarshan, a Jamshedpur, India native and Computer Science and Neuroscience student at the University of Maryland, College Park, class of 2026, has been named one of 2025's MLH Top 50—a list compiled each year by Major League Hacking (MLH) of the organization's most inspiring community members. The recipients are recognized for their exceptional contributions to the tech ecosystem and STEM education.

Narayanasamy earned his place on the list through an extraordinary hackathon record, winning 19 out of 22 events attended over two years, including First Place Overall at HackPrinceton, Track Winner at HackMIT, and Third Place at Hacklytics.

"What truly drives me is bringing ideas to life," Narayanasamy says. "Each event teaches me something new, and every hackathon reminds me how far I've come."

His journey began unexpectedly when he discovered a hackathon through an Instagram post while looking for a way to visit friends in Delhi. That first event, where his team built an alarm clock using Arduino, sparked a passion that transformed his academic and career trajectory.

Originally a biomedical engineering major, Narayanasamy switched to computer science after recognizing its potential as "a universal toolkit" for solving problems across disciplines. At UMD, he co-founded and serves as Vice President of the AI/ML Club, growing membership from eight students to over 600 in just two semesters.

Under his leadership, the club has established partnerships with companies including Deloitte and Cipher Tech, organized workshops on advanced topics like transformer models and RAG systems, and created collaborative research projects with faculty.

His research contributions include work at the iCosMos Lab under Dr. Nirupam Roy, where his SING project was accepted at ICML 2025. He has gained industry experience as a Full Stack ML Engineering Intern at Gencise AI and previously as an ML Research Intern at Kaliber Labs.

"Being selected for the MLH Top 50 is an exceptional honor, as each recipient is chosen from our community of more than 500,000 developers worldwide," says Mike Swift, MLH CEO and Co-Founder. "These 50 individuals represent the most innovative and impactful members of the next generation of technologists, and we're proud to celebrate their contributions to the global developer community."

Congratulations, Priyadarshan! We celebrate not only this achievement, but your passion towards technology and using it to change the world, one hackathon at a time. Click here to learn more about Priyadarshan's journey to hacking.

Neuroscience Major, Jasmine Martin Honored with Prestigious CMNS Alumni Network Endowed Undergraduate Award

We are proud to announce that Neuroscience major, Jasmine Martin, has been named a recipient of the 2025 CMNS Alumni Network Endowed Undergraduate Award!

This highly competitive award is presented annually by the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) Alumni Network to outstanding undergraduates pursuing academic and professional enrichment opportunities during the summer. The award helps students defray costs related to research, conference attendance, or internships—empowering Terps like Jasmine to further develop their scientific interests and career goals beyond the classroom.

Jasmine joins six other exceptional students receiving the award this year:

• Dhruv Agarwal, senior physics major

• Alex Emmert, senior computer science and linguistics double major

• Harikesh Kailad, senior computer science and mathematics major

• Hannah McCright, senior physics and astronomy dual-degree student

• Swathi Sevugan, senior biochemistry and biological sciences double major

• Cindy Wang, senior biological sciences major

We celebrate Jasmine for her dedication to advancing neuroscience through research and professional engagement. Her recognition reflects not only academic excellence but also a strong commitment to shaping the future of brain science.

To learn more about this year’s recipients and the impact of the CMNS Alumni Network Endowed Undergraduate Awards, visit: go.umd.edu/summerawards25

Grey Matters UMD (Neuroscience Journal)

Grey Matters UMD is a student-led neuroscience journal dedicated to making neuroscience accessible. Each semester, the journal publishes 8-10 research papers, guiding writers through the process of scientific storytelling with a focus on clarity, engagement, and accessibility.

Journal Club is a monthly discussion group where participants break down neuroscience papers, explore new research, and engage in open discussions. No prior knowledge is needed—just curiosity.

Production is responsible for the visual and creative elements of the journal, including illustrations, infographics, and layout design. This team works to make neuroscience more engaging and accessible through high-quality visuals. Participation requires a semesterly application, and students interested in science communication and design are encouraged to apply.

Events throughout the semester range from speaker panels and interactive workshops to networking opportunities and hands-on activities. Grey Matters UMD typically hosts one to three events per semester, open to everyone with a simple sign-up process.

Fundraising supports journal operations and outreach through neuroscience-themed initiatives, including brain-inspired art sales, trivia nights, and other creative funding efforts.

Grey Matters UMD is open to anyone interested in neuroscience, whether through writing, research, art, or discussion!

From Brain Science to Lion Dance

 

Neuroscience major Amanda Trieu keeps an ancient art alive on UMD’s campus. 

As a neuroscience major who wants to be a dentist, Trieu studies the intricacies of the human nervous system, examining how the brain influences physical health and behavior. Her coursework focuses on understanding what makes people tick from the inside out.

But when she steps away from her studies and internships with local dental practices, Trieu finds time to explore a different kind of head space as a performer inside the ornate head of a traditional lion dance costume.

Read More HERE

The Undergraduate Major in Neuroscience Welcomes Armon Barnes, Graduate Assistant (Junior Academic Advisor)!

Armon joins the Neuroscience team as a junior academic advisor, graduate assistant. He is originally from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Mary Washington. He is currently a Masters Student in the Higher Education, Student Affairs, International Education Policy Program at UMD. He is passionate about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education and hopes to work with students from underrepresented communities in the future. Armon is excited to work with and advise students studying Neuroscience. In his spare time, Armon enjoys playing volleyball, going to the gym, and watching new shows/movies.

The Undergraduate Major in Neuroscience Welcomes Amber Schlereth, Academic Advisor!

Amber began her career in higher education at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) as an academic advisor in the Gupta College of Science. After relocating to Illinois, Amber worked with Lewis University in the School of Graduate, Professional and Continuing Education providing academic advising services to online programs for degree completion.

She has previously taught First-Year Experience courses at CCU and will be an instructor for CMNS 100 Introduction to the University here at UMD.

Amber received her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science from University of South Florida both in Exercise Science.

She currently resides in Maryland and has joined the University of Maryland as of August 2024 and is advising students in the Neuroscience program. In her spare time, she takes walks with her dog, Luna and is often working on a 1000-piece puzzle. She enjoys baking, spending time with her family, watching any sport and finding new places to travel and explore. 

Congratulations to our Neuroscience Seniors who have successfully defended their Honor Theses!

Congratulations to our Neuroscience Seniors who have successfully defended their Honor Theses!

Last chance! Order your NEUR TERPS T-SHIRT by FRIDAY 4/19

This academic year marks a special time for us, as we celebrate the graduation of our inaugural NEUR freshmen class. Join in the celebration by ordering your very own "NEUR TERPS" T-Shirt!

This can also make a great "thank you" gift for family and friends! 

Please Note: Attendance at field day is not required for T-Shirt orders.

UMD Researchers Developing Technology for Interpreting Imagined Speech

"These Researchers Want to Read Your Mind"

by Maggie Haslam in the Maryland Today

Mar 01, 2024

A UMD neuroscientist is leading a study that aims to use brain imaging to decode "imagined speech" with the goal of helping nonverbal people communicate.

Illustration by Valerie Morgan

Read full article here.

Congratulations to Nathan Boyle on his first co-authored peer-reviewed paper!

Congrats to Nathan on his first co-authored peer-reviewed paper!

Nathan’s interest in neuropsychiatry and neurological disorders led him to working as a research assistant at COACH, where he has been since Fall 2020. As a research assistant, he was responsible for processing and analyzing data used in the paper using MATLAB.

The study investigates the possibility of utilizing virtual reality (VR) as a part of exposure based cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with specific phobias. The paper provides novel evidence that VR is an effective and feasible method for delivering evidence-based CBT.

Phillip Merrill Presidential Scholars Luncheon

 

Language, Experience, and Development (LEAD) Lab Effort to Inclusive Neuroscience Research

"Hair, Hair for Equity in Neuroscience Research"

by Karen Shih ’09 in the Maryland Today 

Nov 6 2023

From left, Assistant Professor Rachel Romeo and Abria Simmons '25 place a fNIRS neuroimaging cap on volunteer Cole Parker. Simmons is developing best practices for styling Afro-textured hair for research on children's early development. Photos by Stephanie S. Cordle

Read full article here.

Philip Merrill Award (Jennifer Li)

Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars Program

Congratulations Jennifer Li for being honored among the Top Students in Presidential Scholars Program along with your Mentor, Dr. Amanda Chicoli.

COLLEGE OF COMPUTER, MATHEMATICAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES

Jennifer Li (Neuroscience, Information Science)

• Teacher Mentor: Jonathan Taylor, Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, Md.
• Faculty Mentor: Amanda Chicoli, Department of Psychology