Stanley J. Kemp
professor
Division of Science, Information Arts and Technologies
Contact Information:
Phone: 410.837.5094
E-mail: skemp@ubalt.edu
M.S., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
B.S., Drexel University
I can remember the class as clear as a bell, despite my having taken it far back in my undergraduate years. Our professor, after discussing his research with turtles, invited any interested students to participate in undergraduate research in his lab. Prior to this, I had been frustrated by my attempts to get involved with environmental science research, having received the runaround many times (though I did eventually get a tour of one lab after complaining to the dean of students!). Two of us seized the opportunity, and we were hooked.
Two degrees and numerous opportunities later, I had a clear idea of the track my career would take. As an added bonus, I met my future wife while doing sea turtle research on a beach. There are several morals to this story: One is the huge positive impact a small but unpredictably pivotal experience can have; another is that high-impact educational practices such as undergraduate research, active learning communities and integrative education can make all the difference in a student’s life—in college and beyond.
At UBalt, I am pleased to participate in all of these practices and I find fulfilling indeed the prospect of one day returning the favor of providing a pivotal experience to a student.
It is an exciting time to be a scientist at UBalt, where science was once virtually nonexistent but where we now have several full-time science faculty and an interest in the growth and integration of science education into the University curriculum.
We are investigating the ecology and health of the Jones Falls ecosystem; this project is critical to the city of Baltimore (the Jones Falls is the main tributary to the Inner Harbor and the only greenway in central Baltimore) and has provided many interesting, surprising and important results. The Jones Falls project highlights the strongly interdisciplinary nature of environmental science. I have been able to include my classes and interested undergraduates in this effort, and they will continue to be an integral part of my research.
If you are a current or potential student, and are interested in environmental research, programs or classes at the University of Baltimore, please contact me at skemp@ubalt.edu.