The Synapse
Updates from the Sciences at Loyola University Maryland
Save the date for 2026 Grand Seminar lecture: Thursday, November 12, at 6 pm!
The Natural and Applied Sciences is pleased to announce this year's Grand Seminar titled Between our Bodies & The World: Tissue Stem Cells in Health, Inflammation, and Cancer on Thursday, November 12 at 6 PM, McGuire Hall, and will also be accessible live via Zoom.
Our keynote speaker is Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D., Cell Biologist/Developmental Biologist; recipient of National Medal of Science, a renowned expert and authority in adult skin stem cells and wound repair, as well as cancers/genetic syndromes.
Please register here to attend the 2026 Grand Seminar.
Loyola welcomes Empowered Scholars Program class of 2030!
The Empowered Scholars (ES) program welcomed its1st cohort from the class of 2030 on August 26, 2026, with a pre-fall orientation event for incoming students and their parents and guardians. The ES class of 2030 consists of 13 students from 6 states with the following intended majors: Biochemistry/Chemistry: 3, Biology: 2, Engineering: 4, and Forensic Science: 4.
The incoming cohort has a strong STEM and academic background with on average 17 honors/AP/dual enrollment courses and an average GPA of 3.95. In their first year, ES scholars will be taking their two-linked, STEM-related Messina courses (PT270 Basic Digital Photograph with Jon Malis and PL204 Methods of Reasoning with Meghan Page), having weekly workshops and group tutoring sessions with The Study, and beginning their professional skills workshops with Jim Dickinson, Loyola alum and founder of Radial, LLC.
The incoming scholars are:
Oluwadarasimi (Dara) Adebusoye
Wafa Ashir
Akilah Bello
Mariana Bowen
Lucille (Lucy) Driscoll
Angelina Garcia
Jaylah Gray
Isabella (Bella) Holmes
Claire Hummel
Seiyong Lee
Ellena Nelson
Sabriyya Robinson
Cooper Wright
The Empowered Scholars Program provides not generous need-based scholarships, academic support, mentoring, and career opportunities students need to thrive in STEM fields related to biochemistry, chemistry, biology, engineering, and forensic science (B.S.). For more information on the program, visit Empowered Scholars STEM Program | Empowered Scholars | Loyola University Maryland.
Dr. Jeff Rzeszotarski, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Dr. Jeff Rzeszotarski is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Loyola Maryland. He received a B.A. in Computer Science from Carleton College. He earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction from the Human-Computer Interaction Institute within the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. His doctoral research on crowdsourcing and novel data visualization interactions was supervised by Aniket Kittur. While a graduate student, Dr. Rzeszotarski co-founded a data visualization startup, DataSquid. Prior to joining Loyola, he served as an Assistant Professor of Information Science at Cornell University. His current research focuses on techniques for embedding large language models in interactive interfaces which help users to employ them without prompting and with inherent guard rails built into the system. Dr. Rzeszotarski has published award-winning papers on interactive data analytics, crowdsourcing, and interfaces for novice AI developers. His research has been funded by the NSF, USDA, Bloomberg, and Microsoft.
Dr. Schyler Ellsworth, Assistant Teaching Professor, Biology
Dr. Schyler Ellsworth is a new Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Biology starting Fall 2026. He earned his PhD in Ecology and Evolution at Florida State University, where his research centered on the molecular evolution of venom and venom resistance. From this work, he spent time across the southwestern United States and Brazil, where he conducted field work on venomous snakes and invertebrates. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, he focused on describing the composition of function of marine cyanobacterial mat communities. He collected samples across the Caribbean on coral reefs and in the costal mud flats of North Carolina, where he used bioinformatics to describe the spatial patterns in cyanobacterial mats and their function which provides insight into the stability of these bacterial communities and how they might impact local ecosystems. In addition to his research, he passionate about providing evidence-based and skill-focused education through engaging courses in ecology and evolution. At Loyola University Maryland, Dr. Ellsworth is excited to share his excitement about biology and his research experiences in classrooms and laboratories in the Department of Biology.
Dr. Jennifer Viveiros, Assistant Teaching Professor, Biology
Dr. Jennifer Viveiros received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from Drexel University in 2017 and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine this past year. Her graduate research explored the cellular microenvironment that supports germline stem cells in the Drosophila testis, shedding light on how stem cell niches are maintained. In addition to her lab work, she supported graduate education at Johns Hopkins and taught in the Natural Sciences Department at Coppin State University. Jennifer is excited to continue teaching in Loyola's Biology Department. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking and spending time with family.
Dr. Kalpani Werellapatha, Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor, Physics
Dr. Kalpani Werellapatha received her B.S. in Physics from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and her Ph.D. in Physics, specializing in experimental condensed matter physics, under the guidance of Prof. Bruce A. Bunker, from the University of Notre Dame, USA. As a graduate student, she investigated the electronic and structural properties of solids, liquids, and nanomaterials under ambient conditions using synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. She completed her postdoctoral training at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California, where she used X-ray diffraction techniques to study structural phase transformations in materials during dynamic laser compression experiments at the National Ignition Facility under the guidance of Dr. Laura Robin Benedetti. Before joining Loyola University Maryland, she worked as a Staff Engineer at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), California, supporting user experiments in synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy. Throughout her career as a physicist, she has taught introductory physics courses for both physics and non-physics majors at various academic institutions and has trained junior researchers in X-ray techniques and instrumentation at synchrotron facilities.
NCUR 2027 is Now Accepting Abstract Submissions!
Undergraduate researchers from across the country will gather in Grand Rapids, Michigan, April 12–14, 2027, for NCUR, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research.
NCUR is a premier conference celebrating undergraduate research across disciplines. It gives students the opportunity to present their work to a diverse audience of fellow undergraduate researchers, mentors, and higher education professionals.
Whether a student’s project is complete or still in progress, NCUR provides a national platform to share ideas, receive feedback, build confidence, and connect with a community of researchers and mentors. NCUR also offers a variety of presentation formats. Students can submit for oral presentations, poster presentations, films, visual arts displays, or performances.
The deadline to submit is December 4, 2026.
View the NCUR 2027 Abstract Guidelines and Submit an Abstract
2027 Summer Internship opportunities at Textron!
Textron Summer 2027 Internship applications are open. Apply early and allow ample time for consideration and selection in the process.
Internships are available in the following areas:
- Engineering
- Business Development
- Manufacturing
- Information Technology
- Finance/Accounting
- Supply Chain
- HR
- Legal
- Quality Assurance
- Sales
- Communications/Marketing
Make an appointment with the staff at the Rizzo Career Center for help preparing your resume & cover letters, as well as other services.
Discover Science: Applications Open for Spring 2027 Undergraduate Internships
An amazing opportunity -- students and recent grads may apply to conduct research and technical projects at the Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories.
The DOE starts to accept applications for the Spring 2027 term to the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program and the Community College Internships (CCI) program. Applications are due September 30, 2026 at 5:00pm ET.
Two workshops are planned to introduce the programs, explain the application process, and provide strategies for submitting a compliant application.
Summer internship opportunities at Southwest Airlines
The application window for Southwest Airlines Internships opens soon.
Summer Intern applications will be accepted from October 1-7, 2026
- Summer Internship opportunities will be across multiple departments
Mushtariy Ishmukhamedova, BS Computer Science, 2027
During two intensive weeks in August, Mushtariy participated in the Albrecht Fellowship of the World Trade Center Institute (WTCI), an experience that fundamentally shifted how she approach professional growth. The program paired classroom learning with direct access to senior leaders at companies like Under Armour, Catholic Relief Services, Pandora, and site visits to industries including McCormick, Pompeian, Stanley Black & Decker, and M&T Bank, culminating in a team-building retreat with Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound.
The fellowship taught her that advancing in business isn't just about refining skills, it's about pushing beyond comfort zones and building authentic relationships with people who share their curiosity about the world. Through conversations with professionals across industries and intentional networking, she learned that the corporate world is far more human and approachable than it appears from the outside. Everyone has a starting point, and what ultimately matters is the willingness to ask hard questions and embrace continuous growth.
Sudeshna Basu, Ph.D., Assistant Teaching Professor, Mathematics and Statistics Department
- Invited speaker at the INDUSTRIAL AND COMPUTATIONAL MATHEMATICS: June 1-5, 2026. (Satellite Conference to the International Congress of Mathematicians 2026) at Morgan State University
- Speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians at Philadelphia Convention Center, July 23 -30, 2026
- Invited talk at the Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Kharagpur, India, August 7, 2026
- Invited talk at the Department of Mathematics, SRM University, August 12, 2026.
Register for the MS Data Science Virtual Info Session on Wednesday, September 23, 2026!
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.
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.