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University of Maryland Fearlessly Forward
UMIACS Interface a monthly newsletter highlighting interdisciplinary research and innovation at the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies
September 2025
A false-colored scanning electron micrograph shows diverse pathogenic Vibrio species

Tracking Climate-Linked Pathogens Through DNA Science

UMIACS Postdoc Kyle Brumfield is working with Distinguished University Professor Rita Colwell, using DNA sequencing and other technologies to study how environmental factors can impact pathogens like the Vibrio species, a naturally occurring bacteria in aquatic environments linked to waterborne diseases.

Andrew Childs headshot

Director's Message

Work at UMIACS is driven by unrelenting passion to make new discoveries and develop new technologies that will have a positive impact on science and society.


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Doug Oard headshot in suit

New Interim Dean Maintains Strong Ties to UMIACS

Douglas W. Oard, interim dean of the College of Information, plans to continue strengthening the college’s collaboration with UMIACS on interdisciplinary research and computing initiatives.

Yizheng Chen headshot

Chen Receives NSF CAREER Award to Improve Security of AI Coding Tools

She will use the funding to develop advanced AI coding tools, bringing together research and computing expertise to ensure they generate secure, high-quality code.

laptop with arrows pointing to and from lock to demonstrate security

Lampropoulos and Miers Receive NSF Funding for Privacy-Preserving Computing

They will create programming tools to simplify the implementation and understanding of non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs.

Heng Huang Leads Cross-Institutional Effort to Advance AI-Powered Wildfire Forecasting

The collaborative project—supported by a $1.86 million NSF award—leverages AI and diverse environmental data to better predict and manage wildfires.

Matt Baney

Baney Pulls the Strings Behind the Screens at UMIACS

As assistant director of computational systems, he oversees technical operations, high-performance computing, and student mentorship, ensuring an efficient infrastructure and strong user support.

an arm being prepared for a vaccine

UMD Researchers Will Use AI to Help Boost HPV Vaccine Confidence

Philip Resnik is part of a $2.8 million NIH grant that's funding an interdisciplinary chatbot project in collaboration with the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

TRAILS Summer Fellows Develop Technology to Enhance Reliability in AI Responses for Blind Users

Five undergraduates worked with the blind and low-vision community to develop a mobile app that adds verification layers to AI responses to make them more reliable and trustworthy.

What is Trustworthy AI?

In a new video series, director of the Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society (TRAILS) Hal Daumé III and colleagues discuss how AI is impacting the world we live in, and the myriad ways that TRAILS is involved.

Katie Shilton headshot

With AI Common on Campus, Some Educators Are Leaning In

Katie Shilton spoke with GBH News about how AI tutors like TeachGPT can expand individualized learning and give students space to ask questions—while stressing that classroom interaction remains essential.

Jing Liu headshot

Jing Liu Discusses AI in Schools with Maryland Matters

As an education expert in the Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society, he emphasizes the need for fast, evidence-based research to guide policies and ensure students use AI responsibly.

cover of Nature Physics journal showing entanglement

New Study Shows That Entanglement Accelerates Quantum Simulation

Research by former QuICS Hartree Postdoctoral Fellow Qi Zhao and QuICS Fellow Andrew Childs was featured on the cover of the August issue of Nature Physics.

In Quantum Sensing, What Beats Beating Noise? Meeting Noise Halfway.

Innovative work by Jacob Lin, Victor Albert and Alexey Gorshov was published in Physical Review Letters and reported on by NIST.

thermodynamic illustration

Maryland Quantum-Thermodynamics Hub Secures Funding for Three More Years

Co-led by QuICS Fellow Nicole Yunger Halpern, the research hub is dedicated to exploring the intersection of quantum science and thermodynamics.

the orientation of quantum particles with spin (the blue arrows) are influenced by the presence of the masses (represented by red balls).

Researchers Imagine Novel Quantum Foundations for Gravity

A team of researchers including QuICS' Daniel Carney and Jacob Taylor have proposed new models of how gravity could result from many quantum particles interacting with massive objects.

Ken Brown headshot

Brown Leads NSF Initiative to Build a 256-qubit Computer

Ken Brown, a co-PI and Associate Director of Research at the Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation (RQS), has received a $4 million federal award to advance the co-design of an ion trap quantum computer.

Zierden Awarded $2 Million by NIH to Address Fundamental Science Gaps in Novel Nanomedicine

A member of the UMD Center of Excellence in Microbiome Sciences, the funding will support Hannah Zierden's ongoing research to study how the mucosal barrier influences drug delivery in the human body.

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