FSU undergraduates visit the University of Maryland, learn about engineering graduate programs

Fourteen STEM undergraduate students from Florida State University visited the University of Maryland on Monday, March 10, 2025, to explore graduate programs in the A. James Clark School of Engineering.

The visit began in the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building, where students were introduced to the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CHBE) by Peter Kofinas, department chair and Fischell fellow, Tejaswi Nori, a CHBE Ph.D. student and member of Kofinas’ Functional Macromolecular lab, and CHBE Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies Amy Karlsson.

“It was really a fun group of students,” said Karlsson. “I talked with one who was really interested in learning about new battery technologies. These are the kinds of students I would love to have in class, and I hope they apply to Clark School graduate programs!”

Next, the students headed to A. James Clark Hall, where they met with representatives from Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering (MAGE) and the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices. MAGE’s Assistant Dean for Continuing Education George Syrmos and Coordinator for Admission and Recruitment Emily Golub spoke about UMD’s graduate program offerings and answered admissions-related questions.

“It was a pleasure to meet the students and share with them graduate continuing education opportunities in engineering at UMD,” said Syrmos.

The Fischell Institute’s Communications and Program Specialist Ambi Narula shared the institute's mission to advance public good through biomedical device development, and highlighted the Fischell Institute and MPower Entrepreneurship Fellowship, which offers a unique opportunity for students interested in pursuing a M.Eng degree while gaining hands-on experience in biomedical engineering.

Following the presentations, Fischell Foundry engineer Quinn Burke and MPower Fellow Jason Chen guided students through the institute's lab, showcasing previous projects, device prototyping tools, and discussing their experiences with the MPower Entrepreneurship Fellowship.

Mechanical engineering Ph.D. student Kat Pacheco then led the group to the Maryland MEMS and Microfluidics lab, run by Mechanical Engineering Professor and Fischell Fellow Don DeVoe.

Pacheco toured students around the lab, showing examples of the research they complete while explaining the role of microfluidics in the development of nanomedicines and vaccines, diagnostic tests, cancer immunology, and aerobiology.

“It was rewarding to give these students exposure to our research and hopefully make an impact on their future careers,” said Pacheco.

The visit concluded at Martin Hall, where Center for Minorities in Science and Enginee ring (CMSE) Associate Director Jeany Cadet brought together a panel of current students who are pursuing master’s and doctorate degrees in cybersecurity, computer science, and engineering.

The panel offered the visitors a student’s perspective on what to consider when applying for graduate programs, how to navigate being a graduate student, and how to utilize graduate faculty, mentors, and resources.

“The panel of graduate students emphasized the benefits of being involved with CMSE and all the support our office provides to them, including scholarships,” said Cadet. “The FSU visit was a positive experience for all involved.”

Published March 13, 2025