In November 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges desegregated an all-white Southern elementary school. Her determination and bravery helped pave the way for Civil Rights action in the South.
In 1895, George W.F. McMechen was awarded Morgan’s first baccalaureate degree and then went on to receive a law degree from Yale.
Mr. McMechen’s Yale Law School yearbook photo, courtesy of Tania Araya, McMechen family historian.
AT MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, we aim to become one of the top research universities in the nation, while remaining committed to our founding principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We aspire to conduct some of the most consequential research in the world, yet be truthful to our mission of serving many underserved students and urban and marginalized communities.
Morgan was founded in 1867 to provide education for the recently-freed African Americans. And it has succeeded in that mission extremely well. Many Morganites have become distinguished leaders, scholars, and educators. Morgan has now added conducting world-class research to its mission, and our ascension in research ranking has been meteoric. Morgan became a Carnegie-classified Doctoral Research Institution (R3) in 2006 and achieved the status of Doctoral Institution, High Research Activity (R2) in 2018. We aim to reach the coveted Carnegie designation of Doctoral University, Very High Research (R1) by 2030.
In our quest for ascendency in research, we will be intentional and not lose sight of our founding mission. We want to be sure that our research will significantly improve the lives of many in this nation. We aim to enhance equity, reduce disparities, improve communities, and save lives. This is why we have created several new research centers, such as the Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems, the Center for Urban Health Equity, and the Center on Urban Violence and Crime Reduction. This is why the grant applications of our National Transportation Center focus on urban and equitable transportation issues.
We are confident that our vision for attaining R1 research status is a true and clear path. Morgan’s aim to reach the pinnacle of university research, while serving our communities and our students, is a bright, noble, and highly achievable goal.
PICTURED ABOVE, TOP TO BOTTOM: Dr. David K. Wilson, President and Dr. Willie E. May, Vice President for Research and Economic Development
“Poorly designed AI systems not only underperform, but can also rely on significantly biased data. HBCUs play a crucial role in the fields of AI and machine learning, possessing a unique perspective essential to ensuring fair and equitable data use.”
Kofi Nyarko, DEng
PROFESSOR, ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING
DIRECTOR, MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR EQUITABLE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING SYSTEMS (CEAMLS)
Dr. Nyarko specializes in machine learning (ML) and the study of complex systems. He focuses on comprehensive data management, which encompasses data collection, transformation, and subsequent modeling processes. In a collaboration with Morgan’s National Transportation Center, he contributed to the development of an automated wheelchair, currently being tested at BaltimoreWashington International Airport.
Dr. Nyarko and his team have successfully concluded a project with the US Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center aimed at integrating AI and ML technologies for the advanced processing of diverse data types, including video, audio, data transcripts, and sensor data to conduct detailed analyses of conflicts and events.
His research group has been awarded a patent for a novel implementation that optimizes complex solution sets for mathematical functions utilized in signal processing, network topology, code breaking, and the like.
Improving the lives of many in this nation and around the world.
MORGAN is legislatively designated as the State of Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University.
MORGAN is home to eight state-funded Research Centers of Excellence, with a total annual budget of more than $20 million.
MORGAN is proud to have additional top research centers primarily funded by federal grants, such as the National Transportation Center (NTC) and the Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory (PEARL).
MORGAN research centers have an expansive research portfolio with the common missions of equity, reducing disparities, and improving urban life.
Cybersecurity Assurance and Policy Center
Center for Urban Health Equity
Center for Equitable AI and Machine Learning Systems
Center for Data Analytics and Sports Gaming Research
Center on Urban Crime and Violence Reduction
National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities
Center for Research and Education in Microelectronics
Center for Urban and Coastal Climate Science Research
$2.0 million
Dr. Kevin Kornegay 2018
$3.0 million
Dr. Kim Sydnor 2021
$3.1 million
Dr. Kofi Nyarko 2022
Provide the electronics industry and intelligence community with knowledge, methodology, solutions, and skilled cybersecurity engineers.
Positively impact the root causes of urban health inequities through asset-based community-driven research and practice.
Facilitate the development, deployment, and verification of socially responsible and equitable artificial intelligence systems.
$1.5 million
Dr. Ali Emdad 2022
$2.0 million
Dr. Von Nebbitt 2022
Study emerging technological and sociobehavioral attitudes towards e-sports, sports wagering, problem gambling, and entrepreneurial and business development trends.
Conduct evidence-based and promising research that provides strategies and solutions to mitigate violence and crime in urban areas.
$3.6 million
Dr. Meria Carstarphen 2023
Alter the trajectories of Black, Latinx, and low-income children in public schools to achieve their full potential.
$3.1 million Dr. Michael Spencer 2023
$2.0 million TBD 2024
Support education and research on the design and fabrication of microchips, with a focus on workforce development in semiconductor manufacturing.
Study and address, through an interdisciplinary lens, the most pressing and vexing challenges associated with climate change, particularly in urban and coastal areas.
With ChatGPT, autonomous vehicles, speech-to-text algorithms, and cancer diagnosis algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are all around us. While AI and ML can make many aspects of our lives easier and more efficient, they can also wreak extensive and serious harm. Machine learning algorithms are based on human choices (and data supporting and reflecting those choices), so they easily reproduce human biases. Hype and alarm aside, we already have seen real-world examples of algorithmic bias: Job application screenings that rule out candidates with “Black” names.
CEAMLS has served as a subject matter expert on equitable AI for the White House, several US Senators, and various federal agencies.
CEAMLS has received a number of major grants, including one for $9 million from the Office of Naval Research.
Court sentencing algorithms that recommend longer prison sentences for Black defendants.
Medical diagnosis algorithms that are less likely to catch skin cancer and other conditions on Black skin.
Led by Dr. Kofi Nyarko, CEAMLS at Morgan was established in July 2022 to address and eliminate these biases, making AI and ML a more equitable — and more valuable — tool for humankind. Since its inception, CEAMLS has become a national resource for equitable, ethical, responsible, and trustworthy AI development:
Served as a subject matter expert for the White House, several US Senators, Maryland Legislature members, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Society for Science, the National Institutes of Health, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the American Bar Association.
Conducted research projects that refined physics-informed machine learning in communications; developed bias detection and mitigation techniques in neural networks; enhanced disease detection in medical images; and analyzed the ethics of using AI in social work education.
Developed curricula for K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and microcredential and workforce development programs aimed to demystify AI and ML, and make these tools better implemented and used with critical trust.
Although established only recently, CEAMLS has received substantial research funding. A $3 million legislated annual budget was recently boosted by a $2 million grant from the Maryland House of Delegates, a $9 million grant from the US Office of Naval Research, and a $2 million equipment grant from NIST. The Center is currently involved in 14 research projects, which include 17 researchers and three core labs.
Along with the explosive presence of the internet is the growth of consumer and industrial “Internet of Things” (IoT), from smart security cameras to baby monitors and autonomous vehicles like Tesla, which are all vulnerable to cyberattacks. In response, Morgan launched the Cybersecurity Assurance and Policy Center in 2018. Led by Kevin T. Kornegay, PhD, the Eugene Deloatch Endowed Chair in IoT at Morgan, CAP Center has quickly become a leader in developing hardware and software reverse engineering techniques to determine better ways to prevent penetration and manipulation of the nation’s cyberphysical infrastructure. Since its launch, CAP Center has:
Earned designation as a certified Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the US National Security Agency (NSA) and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), placing it at the forefront of cybersecurity research and education.
Collaborated with the NSA to use its reverse engineering tool, Ghidra, to identify vehicle software vulnerabilities, develop more tamper resistant firmware, and improve resistance to cyber threats.
cybersecurity training and scholarships to more than 20 students.
Developed the first-ever benchtop activation of automobile electronic control units to help identify hardware vulnerabilities and improve cyberattack resistance. Received two patents and filed five invention disclosures, including attack detection and countermeasures for autonomous navigation, detection and survival methods against attacks on automated driving systems, ensemble intrusion detection systems for IoT platforms, and defense-in-depth methods based on known device behavior. Received 20 grants totaling more than $7.6 million, including a $3.2 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for the agency’s new CyberCorps Scholarship for Service Program, providing cybersecurity scholarships for up to 24 graduate and undergraduate students.
In addition to research, CAP Center is a vital source for training the next generation of cybersecurity engineers and scientists of diverse backgrounds. CAP Center has already graduated eight security embedded systems PhD students who now work at the NSA, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Mitre, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, CAP Center, and Sandia National Laboratories. Currently, CAP Center has 21 PhD students, 21 Master’s level students, and more than 20 undergraduate student researchers.
“We have adopted a philosophy in the CAP Center that it’s all about student success,” said Kornegay. “And to help prepare that student for success in cybersecurity, we adopt an ‘it takes a village’ philosophy. This model works: we shape and form the students at every stage via experiential learning, capture-the-flag competitions, internships, and peer and professional mentoring.”
The CAP Center has been awarded 20 grants, totaling over $7.6 million.
ONTC recently received a $15 million award from the US Department of Transportation.
NTC won the 2020 Council of University Transportation Centers Workforce Development and Leadership Award.
ne of the major goals of Morgan is to enhance social mobility, especially in underserved communities. But is that possible without an adequate transportation infrastructure to get people to their workplaces, schools, or doctors? Baltimore City has “transportation deserts,” much akin to having “food deserts.”
To address this issue, the US Congress established the National Transportation Center at Morgan as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) in 1991 to conduct research on ways to improve mobility in urban areas. NTC research has helped design infrastructure that allows pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit users of every age and socioeconomic background to use the transportation system in support of their basic needs. To make use of new technologies to improve safety and effectiveness of transportation corridors, the NTC developed the SMART Intersection, a real-world testing facility that uses LiDAR (light detection and ranging) remote sensing and other roadside sensors to prevent accidents and reduce traffic on roadways near Morgan.
Led by Dr. Mansoureh Jeihani, the NTC is now a major hub of research funded by the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). Over the past 33 years, the NTC has received 20 grants, totaling $55 million. The NTC is now home to the Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility Regional Transportation Equity Research (SMARTER) Center, a $15 million USDOT university transportation center for multidisciplinary research to improve the mobility of people and goods.
In 2020 the NTC won the Council of University Transportation Centers Workforce Development Leadership Award. The following year, the NTC was recognized by the Council of University Transportation Centers for its outstanding technology transfer activities. The Center has one awarded patent, three pending patents, and eight provisional patents. Its issued patent is for “Systems and Methods for Generating Vehicle Speed Alerts,” an adaptive driving system that uses real-time vehicle speed and distance from an upcoming traffic signal to alert a driver to adjust their speed for unimpeded flow through the intersection.
The NTC is committed to training future leaders in the transportation sector, academia, and the federal government. Its programs include NTC’s National Summer Transportation Institute (open to middle and high school students) and a collection of internships, fellowships, and graduate programs.
You may suspect that Alaska has the longest coastline in the US, and you’d be right. However, you might be surprised that, out of all states in the US it is the State of Maryland that has the greatest proportion of coastline length to the geographic area of the state. Much of the coastal and environmental research at Morgan State University occurs at a unique research facility called the Patuxent Environmental and Aquatic Research Laboratory, led by Director Dr. Scott Knoche. Located 80 miles south of the main campus on a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, PEARL is at the forefront of coastal environmental research. Much of PEARL’s research is interdisciplinary, providing important insights to natural resource managers and policy makers regarding the impact of environmental change on societies and economies. Key areas of research include Aquaculture, Coastal Ecosystems, Coastal Contaminants & Pollution, and Environmental Economics.
Coastal Contaminants & Pollution Program: Microplastics are plastic pieces less than 0.2 inches in length that are now ubiquitous in US coastal waters. PEARL has received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study this issue. Preliminary data show that microplastic abundance in the Chesapeake Bay is significantly higher than previously estimated. Further, PEARL’s research has found that microplastics can increase the time it takes juvenile oysters to mature by up to 50%. Future plans for this program include exploring the social and economic impacts of microplastics in coastal waters adjacent to underserved communities.
Aquaculture Program: Maryland’s aquaculture industry is reliant on a single species — Eastern oysters. PEARL has successfully initiated a soft-shell clam breeding program, with the ultimate goal of increasing aquaculture industry resilience and generating positive economic impacts in coastal economies. Soft-shell clam research at PEARL has generated five intellectual property disclosures, one of which has been submitted for a patent.
PEARL Coastal Ecosystems and Environmental Economics Programs: PEARL natural scientists and social scientists have teamed up to look at the benefits of oyster restoration in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay. PEARL ecologists have developed ecosystem models predicting 150% increases in blue crab harvest in areas with restored oyster reefs. PEARL economists have linked these predicted changes in blue crab fishing harvest to regional economic impact models, finding that this could generate more than $20 million annually in regional economic impacts. This oyster reef restoration project was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Due to its usefulness to NOAA natural resource managers, PEARL is leading a new NOAAfunded research project that applies a similar approach to examine the benefits of seagrass and oyster restoration in Virginia.
interdisciplinary researchers, PEARL is at the forefront of coastal environmental research.
ABlue-Ribbon Panel on STEM Research Expansion, made up of twelve world-renowned science leaders, convened in 2021 to discuss the evolution of Morgan State University to a Carnegie Classification of R1 (very high research) status. They also discussed potential “Peaks of Excellence,” areas where Morgan could establish a nationally-recognized footprint.
“The potential for establishing the foundation for a world-class research university is within grasp.... If done tactically and with a great degree of intentionality, Morgan can set itself apart, establishing programs of national impact and visibility.”
DR. HRATCH SEMERJIAN
This diverse group of scientists included Nobel-prize winning scientist William D. Phillips, PhD, National Medal of Sciencewinning theoretical physicist Sylvester James Gates Jr., PhD, and National Medal of Technology and Innovation winner, Juan Gilbert, PhD. The two-day convention of the Blue-Ribbon Panel marked the first such effort of its kind in Morgan’s history.
Some of Morgan’s existing research centers or programs of excellence were presented to the Panel, including the Cybersecurity Assurance and Policy (CAP) Center, Center for Urban Health Equity (CUHE), and STEM education programs. The Panel identified other potential Peaks of Excellence, including the Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems (CEAMLS), Center for Predictive Analytics (CPA), a future center for enhancing STEM education among K-12 students, and a center to assess the impact of climate change. The common thread among these centers is reducing disparities and enhancing equity.
The panel members — including some who have significant experience in planning and implementing the expansion of universities’ research portfolios — also recommended key strategies that included reducing teaching loads to free up more time for research, creating teaching courses for faculty researchers, offering strategic faculty development plans for new hires, recruiting top researchers by providing incentives such as start-up funding, eliminating the distinction between teaching and research, and bringing advanced research facilities online.
The Panel members reconvened in June 2023. They were pleased with the establishment of several new centers at Morgan, including some of those that they recommended, and Morgan’s substantial progress toward achieving the R1 status.
HRATCH SEMERJIAN, PhD, Panel Chairperson Chief Scientist Emeritus for NIST, and a Member of the National Academy of Engineering.
EUGENE M. DELOATCH, PhD, the Founding Dean (Emeritus), Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. School of Engineering, Morgan State University, and Fellow and past President for the American Society of Engineering Education.
CAROL ESPYWILSON, PhD, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park.
RHONDA R. FRANKLIN, PhD, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota.
SYLVESTER JAMES GATES JR., PhD, Professor of Physics, Brown University, and National Medal of Science-winning theoretical physicist.
JUAN E. GILBERT, PHD, the Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor and Department Chair for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida, and National Award of Technology and Innovation winner.
CRAIG N. MCLEAN , the Acting Chief Scientist for Science and Technology Priorities and Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
MAHLET N. MESFIN, PhD, the Senior Advisor for Policy Planning to the US Secretary of State.
WILLIAM D. PHILLIPS, PhD, Nobel Prizewinning scientist and Fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Physics, Morgan State University, Distinguished Professor of Physics Joint Quantum Institute, University of Maryland, College Park.
CLAUDIA RANKINS, PhD, the past Program Director at the National Science Foundation for HBCU Undergraduate Programs and the HBCU Excellence in Research program.
LANDON TAYLOR , the Chairman of Base 11, a nonprofit 501(c)3 STEM workforce and entrepreneur accelerator.
ISIAH M. WARNER, Ph D, the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, and a Boyd Professor and Phillip W. West Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Louisiana State University.
“As an HBCU lab director, I have a tremendous responsibility in exposing students to the exciting and interdisciplinary world of environmental research. African American representation in environmental fields — while growing — is far from what it should be. Further, I place a very high priority on engaging with communities disproportionately burdened by environmental challenges, bringing PEARL’s research expertise to the table in a way that can affect meaningful change.”
Scott Knoche, PhD
DIRECTOR, MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY PATUXENT ENVIRONMENTAL & AQUATIC RESEARCH LABORATORY (PEARL)
Dr. Knoche and his team have led PEARL’s transformation from a classic marine field station laboratory into a dynamic interdisciplinary research and education facility, where pressing social and economic concerns determine the focus of the environmental research.
As an environmental economist by training, Dr. Knoche brings a unique perspective as a laboratory director that has led to exciting interdisciplinary research projects. Examples include linking ecological changes of oyster reef restoration to economic impacts in coastal regions, expanding seafood farming in the Chesapeake Bay, and survey research to understand the importance of greenspaces to residents of Baltimore City and other urban areas.
Funding that helps affect fair and meaningful change.
Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research
ASCEND, A Student-Centered Entrepreneurship Development Training Model
Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility Regional Transportation Equity Research Center
Center of Excellence for Advanced Electro-Photonics with 2D Materials
Research Centers in Minority Institutions at Morgan
Maternal Health Research Network for Minority Serving Institutions
Research and Education in Equitable AI and Machine Learning: Cybersecurity Implications for National Defense
Center of Research Excellence in Science and Technology: Advanced Magnets and Semiconductors
The Baltimore Social Environmental Collaborative Integrated Field Laboratories
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
US Department of Transportation (USDOT)
Department of Defense (DoD)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Department of Defense (DoD)
$89 million
Dr. Daniel Laughlin 2011–2026
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Department of Energy (DoE)
$40 million
Drs. Payam Sheikhattari and Christine Hohmann 2014–2024
$15 million
Dr. Mansoureh Jeihani 2023–2029
To partner with the Earth Science Division of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to advance earth science research and leadership.
To train a diverse group of future biomedical research workforce. ASCEND also provides faculty development for MSU’s faculty and strengthens the research infrastructure of the university.
To promote the mobility of people and goods in the mid-Atlantic region through a robust program of research, education, and technology transfer program.
$15 million
Dr. Ramesh Budhani 2021–2028
To pioneer scientific exploration in thin films and nanostructures of layered chalcogenides and other van der Waals solids, while also providing STEM education and mentoring of students.
$14 million
Drs. Paul Tchounwou and Hongtao Yu 2019–2024
$11 million Dr. Yvonne Bronner 2023–2028
To research health issues that disproportionately affect minority groups, utilizing a transdisciplinary team of biomedical, public health, and behavioral science researchers.
To build a coalition of public health researchers committed to significantly reducing the incidence of Black maternal and infant mortality by understanding its origins and offering solutions.
$9 million
Drs. Willie May and Kofi Nyarko 2022–2027
To facilitate the development, deployment, and verification of socially responsible and equitable AI systems and their implications for cybersecurity and national defense.
$5 million Dr. Abdellah Lisfi 2023–2028
To conduct pioneering research and education dedicated to groundbreaking studies in advanced magnets and semiconductors, while expanding educational programs and outreach to foster diversity in workforce development.
$5 million
Dr. James Hunter 2022–2027
To seek a new paradigm for urban climate research that informs equitable solutions to strengthen community-scale resilience.
Morgan is receiving a substantial investment from NASA, and NASA is getting a big bang for its bucks! Morgan is developing an extensive NASA-sponsored research portfolio, including the highly competitive Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research (GESTAR) cooperative agreement, led by Dr. Daniel Laughlin.
Under GESTAR, Morgan has received $89 million in two phases, $41 million in Phase I and $48 million in Phase II. GESTAR’s atmospheric research includes issues such as climate change, air pollution, and changes caused by carbon cycles on ecosystems. The funds are also used to train a cadre of future atmospheric scientists to lead this field of research at NASA, academia, and the industry at NASA, and in academia and industry.
Currently, there are more than 47 Morgan scientists working at GESTAR II. These scientists have had many notable achievements, including authoring more than a hundred journal publications, giving major talks and presentations, and winning dozens of awards. Among many examples, one may note Drs. K. Emma Knowland’s and Christoph Keller’s 2021 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP) Paul Crutzen Publication Award for their paper on the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on surface concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and ozone. GESTAR scientists have been leading cutting edge science. For example, Dr. Keller is the lead developer of the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Composition Forecasts (GEOS-CF) system, which provides high-resolution satellite observations of global pollutants to help map and predict regions with poor air quality; and Dr. Ivona Cetinic is the geobiochemistry science lead for the PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud ocean Ecosystem) mission, which will improve our understanding of ocean health and climate. The PACE team received a 2023 Robert H. Goddard Team award from NASA.
Other partners of the current phase (GESTAR II) include University of Maryland Baltimore County, Colorado State University, Arizona State University, Pennsylvania State University, Northrop Grumman Corp., Earth Resources Technology, Inc., and Southeastern Universities Research Association.
With a $89 million NASA investment, over 40 scientists at Morgan are conducting cutting-edge atmospheric research.
How can we train the next generation of biomedical scientists, enhance Morgan’s research infrastructure, and address the health challenges of the nation? Enter ASCEND.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognized that the biomedical research workforce of the United States needed more diversity to bring in thoughts and perspectives from all groups, especially those who were underrepresented in biomedical and health-related sciences. To address this critical issue, NIH announced the Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program in 2014. The BUILD program included support for students and simultaneously for the universities that had consistently cared for underrepresented minority students for many decades.
Morgan’s response to the BUILD program announcement was to propose ASCEND, A Student-Centered Entrepreneurship Development Training Model to Increase the Diversity of the Biomedical Research Workforce. Morgan’s application was one of only 10 (from the 100+ submitted) selected by NIH for funding, in 2014 and again in 2019. ASCEND has received $40 million to date.
The program, led by Drs. Payam Sheikhattari and Christine Hohmann, has been a careful steward of those federal funds. Over the 10 years of the program’s existence, 100% of our ASCEND Scholars (students fully supported by the program) have completed their education, 68% have been admitted to graduate schools, and four have received doctoral degrees.
ASCEND has also helped Morgan substantially enhance its research infrastructure. Morgan’s annual dollar amount of new grants and contracts increased by 150% (from $30 million to $75 million) in a decade. Morgan elevated its Carnegie classification from R3 to R2 in 2018 and is now well on its way to become a Carnegie-classified R1 Very High Research Activity institution.
ASCEND funds are also used to work closely with the Baltimore community. That includes a major initiative conducting community-based participatory research with involvement from more than 70 community partners.
With a $40 million investment from the NIH, Morgan is training a cadre of biomedical researchers, enhancing its research infrastructure, and addressing some of the nation’s pressing health problems.
“What was interesting to me was that, no matter the outcome we looked at, African Americans were always the worst off. We were living in a historical context that was almost predicting this outcome. We hope to have some studies that shine a light on the fact that when we engage with our communities and listen, we’ll begin to be on the right track.”
Yvonne Bronner, ScD
PROFESSOR, MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF COMMUNITY HEALTH AND POLICY
Dr. Bronner is a specialist in behavioral health and combines that background with experience in nutrition to research maternal and child health among African Americans. She has conducted studies on increasing breast feeding among African-American women, including introducing roles for men in adopting the practice. She also has studied strategies to decrease obesity and diabetes, and live healthy lifestyles. In addition, she was part of a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute project on cardiovascular health in inner cities.
With Dr. Bronner as Morgan’s Principal Investigator, Morgan is a participant in a 16-institution, $50 million grant, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to examine the roles of community workers and others in maternal health.
Our Community, Our Students Research that aims to improve community health, reduce disparities, and save lives.
For the past 20 years, Morgan has been a true partner with the community to conduct impactful research.
Morgan’s CBPR efforts have been strongly supported by the federal government and the State of Maryland.
Which of the following health issues is a bigger problem in Baltimore City than the national average? HIV infection? Asthma? Heroin overdoses? Unfortunately, if you guessed all of the above, you guessed correctly. Baltimore City life expectancy has a disparity of twenty years between high-income and low-income neighborhoods. Similar disparities can be found in other large cities, such as Washington, DC.
As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan has a duty to conduct research on those health issues and offer sustainable solutions, with an emphasis on “sustainable.” Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an approach to research that taps into the real-life expertise and wisdom of the community to find solutions that are more likely to be sustainable and acceptable to the community. In CBPR, the idea (and the ideal) is to bring university researchers and community leaders together as true partners, rather than one being the “investigator” and the other being the “subject” of the research. While the university faculty members are experts in conducting methodologically sound research, the community members may be experts in identifying potential solutions that can work in real life, ones that may be in the “blind spot” of the university researchers.
An example of Morgan’s CBPR activities is a smoking cessation research project entitled CEASE, Communities Engaged and Advocating for a Smoke-free Environment.
Supported by federal grants and led by Dr. Payam Sheikhattari, Professor of Public Health, CEASE has been ongoing since 2007. The community has been engaged in all aspects of this research, including designing surveys, suggesting solutions, and offering peer mentoring. Thus far, over 1,500 residents have participated in multiple phases of research with CEASE, producing scholarly products and branded tools and manuals that are widely disseminated throughout Baltimore and academia.
Based on lessons learned and relationships developed through the CEASE partnership and supported by federal grants, in 2015 a CBPR small grants program was started. In just three years, over 40 NIH-style applications were submitted and 14 CBPR projects were funded — each project codeveloped and implemented by at least one Principal Investigator (PI) from Morgan and one PI from the community.
Morgan CARES (Community-Aligned REsearch Solutions), another community-engaged research partnership, was developed based on the lessons from CEASE. Since its inception, Morgan CARES has attracted over 800 members from academia and the community, provided funding for 29 small community awards, supported four COVID-19 response projects, received external funding from the American Heart Association, collaborated with Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland to create a signature CBPR training program, and hosted many training and outreach sessions.
Morgan has also been an international leader in this space. In 2019, Morgan hosted the International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research (ICPHR) 10th annual working conference, bringing together scholars and international experts for the first time in the United States.
Morgan also hosts the Center for Urban Health Equity (CUHE), which was established in 2021 and is receiving recurring funding from the State of Maryland. This relatively new center, which is led by Dr. Kim Sydnor, Dean of the School of Community Health and Policy, has already given a substantial number of grants to the community and will be a major anchor for future research using the CBPR approach.
By being a leader in the CBPR space, Morgan has already proven, and will continue to demonstrate, why it is the State of Maryland’s Premier Public Urban Research University!
Morgan’s mission has always been to provide the best training experience for undergraduate students, especially those who come from historically underserved backgrounds. How does Morgan stay true to this mission while climbing the research ladder?
“At Morgan, we highly value undergraduate research. Our grants fund students to engage in research, travel to seminars, and become more effective critical thinkers.”
DR. HONGTAO YU PROVOST AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
At Morgan, we believe that we can not only remain faithful to that mission, but also enhance it by valuing undergraduate research. Involving undergraduate students in research will undoubtedly assist them with admission to and improved performance in graduate school, enhancing critical thinking skills, broadening world views, and in some cases obtaining leadership positions. As such, research has been woven into the fabric of the undergraduate experience at Morgan. Nearly all academic departments at Morgan host undergraduate researchers.
Since 1990, Morgan has received a large number of federal grants, with tens of millions of dollars of funding, focused on undergraduate research. Examples abound, including:
ASCEND A Student-Centered, Entrepreneurship Development Training Model to Increase the Diversity of the Biomedical Research Workforce. This grant has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and aims to empower students to exchange ideas and find their own research topic and develop it, so that they are creative and take ownership of their research.
LSAMP The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program is an alliance-based program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It supports the success of students from historically underrepresented groups pursuing and earning a bachelor’s degree in STEM.
NIGMS-RISE The National Institute of General Medical Sciences Research Training Initiative for Student Enhancement is a program funded by the NIH to increase the number of minority scientists in biomedical and behavioral science research. This program enables students to participate in biomedical and behavioral research and go on to obtain a PhD degree.
Now Morgan intends to institutionalize this effort beyond grant funding. As such, in 2020, the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) was established, led by Dr. Lisa Brown. Primarily focused on promoting and creating research opportunities for undergraduates, OUR cultivates student success through innovative approaches to enhancing undergraduate research — meeting the diverse needs and interests of Morganites across all disciplines.
OUR establishes relationships with many research-intensive universities for summer research internship placements, matches Morgan faculty as research mentors for undergraduate students, organizes student research seminars, and works with all funded undergraduate research training programs to optimize their results and success. Further, OUR conducts seminars and workshops on research skills
development, organizes the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium (now in its 29th year) and other research-related conferences and workshops, and helps students prepare applications for external research internships and fellowships.
The success of Morgan’s undergraduate research programs has been stellar. There are many students from Morgan who have completed their doctoral studies in STEM. For example, Morgan has historically been one of the top three institutions of origin for African-American students who receive doctoral degrees in engineering.
“We’ve seen high impacts of climate change on health, especially the health of those who are more vulnerable: the elderly, pregnant women, and underserved communities who are not prepared to respond and evacuate quickly. We are working to understand community resilience, and to see how extreme climate impacts human health.”
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, BIOLOGY
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RESEARCH CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN WASTEWATER-BASED EPIDEMIOLOGY
Dr. Sherchan was recently named a 2024 NIH Climate and Health Scholar. His research has focused on mitigating infectious diseases in Baltimore and other disadvantaged areas of the world and on examining the health impacts of climate change. He has worked with communities affected by climate change and natural disasters in the US, Haiti, and Nepal. Dr. Sherchan currently has several federal grants, including a five-year, $3 million training grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop diverse research approaches to climate change.
Our campus has been honored to host Nobel Laureates, eminent research scientists, and US Secretaries.
MORGAN is honored to have the best and the brightest share their wealth of skills and knowledge with our community. These illustrious guests inspire and challenge our students, faculty, and staff, fostering a culture of excellence. From Nobel prize winners to US Secretaries, Morgan attracts some of the greatest thinkers of our time. Their presence underscores Morgan’s commitment to providing a world-class education.
Dr. William Phillips, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Physics at Morgan State University, gave a presentation entitled “A New Measure: A Quantum Reform of the Metric System” to the campus community in October 2020.
At the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Dr. Phillips’ group developed technologies using lasers to trap and cool atoms to a millionth of a degree above absolute zero, enabling the study of quantum behaviors previously out of reach. These methods have a range of important applications, including atomic clocks and quantum computing. Dr. Phillips was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997 for these achievements.
Dr. Phillips reviewed the history of measurement in physics and explained the recent, revolutionary redefinition of metric system units in terms of fundamental physical constants. He explained how the kilogram was redefined in terms of Planck’s Constant; the ampere redefined in terms of the charge of an electron; the mole redefined in terms of Avogadro’s Number; and kelvin defined in terms of the Boltzmann constant. The last remaining unit yet to be redefined, the second, is currently measured by oscillations of a cesium atom and remains an active area of research.
Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Eric Cornell presented the inaugural colloquium of the Kevin L. Hawkins Lectureship at Morgan State University in April 2019.
With Dr. Carl E. Wieman, Dr. Cornell synthesized the first ever Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) in 1995, a new state of matter at ultra-cold temperatures originally theorized by Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein in the 1920s. In 2001, Drs. Cornell, Wieman, and Wolfgang Ketterle were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their achievements in realizing BECs.
In his lecture entitled, “Looking for Fossils of the Big Bang,” Dr. Cornell spoke about his ongoing exploration of why the universe exists as we know it today. Dr. Cornell explained how his lab is pushing the limits of precision measurement to determine the electron’s center of charge and discover whether the electric dipole moment exists. Dr. Cornell had shown that if there is a difference between the electron’s center of mass and center of charge, it is less than 10–29 cm in length. These precise measurements have disconfirmed the once-popular Minimal Supersymmetric Model of Quantum Mechanics.
In the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Dr. S. Shyam Sunder, former Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Engineering Laboratory, led this groundbreaking investigation into why and how the World Trade Center twin towers collapsed.
The investigation involved more than 200 NIST staff and private sector experts. In September of 2022, Dr. Sunder visited Morgan State University to present the results of the investigation; “How and Why the World Trade Center Towers Collapsed: Building and Fire Safety Investigation of the World Trade Center Disaster.”
Using extensive mapping and innovative physics-based computer technology, combined with available videotapes and photographs, evacuation and emergency response details, and live experiments, Dr. Sunder and his investigators built simulations to create and analyze the sequences of events on 9/11.
The primary factor contributing to the collapse was not solely the intense heat generated by rapidly burning jet fuel. Rather, it was the more prolonged and extensive fires caused by the ignition of materials within the buildings, such as furniture, paper, and flooring, triggered by the initial explosions. These fires gradually spread and weakened the steel support systems. Following their investigation, Dr. Sunder and the NIST team recommended over 40 major improvements in U.S. building design and fire codes, which have led to substantial improvement in the resiliency and safety of building occupants and first responders in disasters.
The US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Maryland Transportation Secretary Jim Ports toured Morgan State University’s National Transportation Center (NTC) and Urban Mobility & Equity Center (UMEC). A three-university consortium led by Morgan State, UMEC is one of 20 Tier1 University Transportation Centers (UTCs) nationwide. Morgan is one of only two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to lead a UTC.
The Secretaries toured the Safety and Behavioral Analysis (SABA) lab where Secretary Buttigieg drove the motion platform-equipped car simulator and visited the autonomous vehicles testbed visualization, work zone safety application, the COVID-19 Dashboard, and the autonomous wheelchair and robot guide dog made by Morgan students and faculty.
In February 2022, Secretary of the US Army Christine Wormuth visited Morgan’s Center of Excellence for Advanced Electro-Photonics with Two-Dimensional Materials. Dr. Ramesh Budhani, Professor of Physics and the Center’s Director, briefed Secretary Wormuth.
Secretary Wormuth was introduced to Morgan’s Bear Battalion US Army ROTC program, comprising students from Morgan State and Coppin State universities. The Bear Battalion produces the highest number of commissioned officers annually in the state of Maryland. Her party also discussed the potential for greater investment in HBCUs by the US Defense Department.
Under Secretary of the Department of Education
James Kvaal visited Morgan State’s Propulsion Rocket Laboratory in March 2022. Morgan’s Rocketry Lab was established in 2019 with a grant of $1.6M from Base 11, a non-profit workforce development acceleration company focused on solving the underrepresentation of women and minorities in STEM fields.
Secretary Kvaal engaged in a conversation with Morgan faculty and students about the Rocketry Program and how this program, and Morgan more broadly, are fostering a more diverse workforce. Several students presented designs of a rocket to be launched to an altitude of 50,000 feet in 2024.
Former NASA Administrator Talks Rocket Science
Former astronaut and NASA Administrator, Charles F. Bolden, Jr., visited Morgan State in May 2022 to host the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and share his experiences as an African-American astronaut. Mr. Bolden met with Morgan’s Rocketry Team and gained insights into the University’s Rocketry Program. Mr. Bolden also recognized Morgan students Micaela Fleetwood and Mikayla Harris as winners of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Award.
As NASA administrator, Bolden oversaw development of the Space Launch System and the Orion Crew Capsule, an increase in commercial resupply of the International Space Station, the Mars Curiosity Rover landing, the Juno mission, an increase of satellites, and the James Webb Space Telescope. As an astronaut, Mr. Bolden logged more than 680 hours in space, flying four space shuttle missions.
“Our students — who form a new generation of diverse professionals — conduct research, receive world-class training, and have opportunities to work at local, state, and national level transportation agencies. Everything we do has diversity and equity in mind.”
Mansoureh Jeihani, PhD
DIRECTOR, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION CENTER, SMARTER CENTER
PROFESSOR, TRANSPORTATION AND URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE STUDIES
Dr. Jeihani’s research focuses on traveler behavior, intelligent transportation systems, connected and automated vehicles (CAV), traffic safety, and equity. She is also the new head of SMARTER, a regional transportation research center funded by the US Department of Transportation. Morgan is the first HBCU to lead such a regional center. Dr. Jeihani has been the principal investigator (PI) or co-PI for 50 state or federal research grants totaling $30 million. Dr. Jeihani’s research grants have equipped the NTC’s safety and behavior analysis lab with car and bicycle simulators and eye tracking systems in order to investigate driver, cyclist, and pedestrian interaction. The Mixed Traffic CAV Advanced Mobility Testbed includes cameras, roadside/ onboard sensing units, and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) to trace objects that move through intersections.
Our Researchers Morgan is home to more than 200 researchers, including many who are Elected Fellows of their academic societies.
Professor of Architecture and Dean, School of Architecture & Planning
Elected Fellow, American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Dr. Asojo’s scholarly research spans cross-cultural design, African architecture, architectural lighting design, computing and design, sustainable design, K–12 spaces and post-occupancy evaluation. She is a licensed architect, a LEED Accredited Professional, and holds a National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certification. Dr. Asojo is a member of the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) and a board member of the Building Information Management (BIM) committee of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES). Twice named a US Design Intelligence top educator, Dr. Asojo engages her students in community-based service-learning projects that tackle both local and global societal challenges.
Professor of Engineering and Dean, The Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering
Elected Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Dr. Barton’s research focuses on the development of approximate closed form solutions for linear self-adjoint systems. Dr. Barton has chaired ASME’s Committee on Engineering Education and served as a member at large on the Executive Committee of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET). He currently serves on multiple boards and on the Academic Advisory Council for ABET. He is also the Vice-Chair for the Council of HBCU Engineering Deans. In 2024, Dr. Barton was selected as the Edwin F. Church Medal recipient for his work to broaden participation in mechanical engineering education.
Elected Fellow, American Physical Society (APS)
Elected Fellow, National Academy of Sciences India (NASI)
Elected Fellow, Indian National Science Academy (INSA)
Dr. Budhani is known globally for his contributions to the field of condensed matter physics research. He has previously worked as a researcher, professor, and leader at many prestigious institutions, including the Brookhaven National Laboratory, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, the Indian National Physical Laboratory, and the Standards Laboratory of the Government of India. He has served as the President of the Metrology Society of India, Vice President of Materials Research Society of India, and member of the IIT Council for the Government of India.
Christine Hohmann, PhD
Professor of Biology
Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Elected Fellow, International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (IBNS)
Dr. Hohmann’s research has focused on the role of modulatory neurotransmitters and early life stress on brain development and behavior, as related to neurologic and psychiatric disorders. Working on rodent models, she has made significant contributions to our understanding of how the disruption of neurotransmitter function, particularly acetylcholine and serotonin, affects brain development and health. Dr. Hohmann has contributed to securing tens of millions of grant dollars that have provided research training for hundreds of students, advanced careers of many junior faculty and staff members, and helped to grow the Morgan research infrastructure.
Farin Kamangar, MD, PhD
University Distinguished Professor and Assistant Vice President for Research
Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Dr. Kamangar, a cancer epidemiologist, has a research focus on the causes of esophageal and gastric cancers. He has published 250+ peer reviewed articles, many in top-tier journals such as The Lancet and BMJ. Dr. Kamangar has served as PI or co-PI of over $60 million of National Institutes of Health-funded projects, as well as several major epidemiologic studies. He has served on national and international panels, such as the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO-IARC). Dr. Kamangar has received 25 awards, including the National Cancer Institute Director’s Innovation Award.
Eugene DeLoatch Endowed Professor of Engineering
Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Dr. Kornegay’s research interests include hardware assurance, reverse engineering, secure embedded systems, side-channel analysis, and differential fault analysis. He has served on the technical program committees of several international conferences, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Symposium on Hardware Oriented Security and Trust (HOST) and the IEEE Physical Assurance and Inspection of Electronics (PAINE). He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the NSF CAREER Award, IBM Faculty Partnership Award, and National Semiconductor Faculty Development Award. He is a senior member of the IEEE, and Eta Kappa Nu, Sigma Xi, and Tau Beta Pi engineering honor societies.
Professor of Engineering
Elected Fellow, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Elected Fellow, Environmental and Water Resource Institute (EWRI)
Dr. Jiang Li is an internationally known authority in theoretical aquifer mechanics. He has secured millions of dollars in research grants. Dr. Li is honored by the Department of Energy as the Dr. Samuel Paul Massie Chair of Excellence in the Environmental Discipline. He served as an International Academic Examiner of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia; an Honored Professor of Nanjing University, China; and a Distinguished Geoscientist at the Beijing Institute of Geology, Wuhan Rock and Soil Mechanics Institute; and Beijing Institute of Mechanics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Professor of Chemistry and Vice President for Research & Economic Development
President and Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Elected Fellow, American Chemical Society (ACS)
Dr. May’s research focused primarily on trace organic chemical analysis of complex media and the determination of physico-chemical properties of organic compounds. Dr. May has served in many senior leadership roles, including the US Under Secretary of Commerce, Director of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Vice President of the International Committee on Weights and Measures (CIPM), Board of Directors for Consumer Reports (CR), Science Committee of NASA’s Advisory Council, Scientific Advisory Board for the UK’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL), and China’s National Institute of Metrology (NIM). Dr. May is also proud to have an award named after him and to have been included on the NIST Scientific “Wall of Fame.”
University Distinguished Professor of Mathematics
Elected Fellow, American Mathematical Society (AMS)
Elected Fellow, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
Elected Fellow, African Academy of Sciences (AAS)
Elected Fellow, Pan African Scientific Research Council (PASRC)
Called by his colleagues the “Godfather of almost automorphy,” Dr. N’Guerekata is a highly decorated mathematician who has authored over 300 publications. His writings on almost automorphy are considered the cornerstones in this subject area. He has received several honors including the French Legion of Honor, Memento of Honor at the 106th Indian Science Congress, AB Roy Lifetime Achievement Award for the development of mathematics worldwide from Jadavpur University, and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education’s (NAFEO) Noble Award. The African Mathematical Union recently established the “N’Guerekata Award for Excellence in Mathematics” in his name.
Anthony Saka, PhD
Professor of Transportation and Urban Infrastructure Studies
Elected Fellow and Life Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Elected Fellow, Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
Dr. Saka is a Professional Engineer (PE) whose research has focused on various areas of transportation including highway traffic safety analysis, traffic recovery time estimation, and models for bus-stop spacing. He is also a great teacher who has received many scholastic and mentoring awards. His current teaching and research activities include using systems thinking approach in modeling and solving complex transportation problems. He has received substantial research project grants from a variety of funders, including the US Department of Transportation, Maryland Department of Transportation, and Virginia Department of Transportation.
Paul Tchounwou, PhD
Professor of Biology and Dean, School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Elected Distinguished Fellow, International Engineering and Technology Institute (IETI)
Elected Fellow, African Scientific Institute (ASI)
Dr. Tchounwou’s research focuses on the elucidation of cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of therapeutic drugs and xenobiotic compounds. He has published nearly 300 peer-reviewed articles, received over $100 million in grants, and mentored over 100 PhD scholars. For these contributions, he received the 2013 AAAS Mentor Award and the 2018 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) bestowed by the White House. Dr. Tchounwou is currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Toxicology, and Associate Editor of Frontiers in Oncology.
David K. Wilson, EdD
President, Morgan State University
Elected Member, American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAA&S)
Dr. Wilson, the 10th President of Morgan State University, is a nationally recognized winner of the 2023 Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. Dr. Wilson serves on the Board of Directors of the Lumina Foundation and the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the HBCU/China Network, and in 2010, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the Board of Advisors on HBCUs. Dr. Wilson has also served on the Board of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and the Board of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).
Growing up poor in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, Willie May had no reason to believe that he would ever be in a position of authority. But if by the wildest chance he was, he vowed to “go out of [his] way to understand and treat everybody fairly.” “This does not mean treating everyone equally! One needs to get to know people and meet their individual needs.” Prior to his current role at Morgan, as Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Dr. May served as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and the Director of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), where he worked for nearly 45 years.
As a very young man, he was more interested in sports—especially baseball and track—than his academic pursuits. He became attracted to chemistry through his high school teacher, Mr. Frank Cook, who took four students under his wing as 10th graders and for the next three years, exposed them to college-level courses in chemistry. “I began to think that this — science in general and chemistry in particular — might be my personal best way out.”
During the 1950’s and 1960’s, dedicated Black teachers in Birmingham like Mr. Cook trained other very successful nationally renowned AfricanAmerican scientists and mathematicians, such as Drs. Wiliam Jackson, Shirley Malcom, Freeman Hrabowski, Tommy Wright, and others.
Dr. May attended Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he majored in chemistry and graduated with highest honors. He received graduate fellowship offers from Harvard University, the University of Illinois, and the University of Tennessee. Because he had a very low draft lottery number, he did not accept any of
the fellowship offers and instead took at job with the Atomic Energy Commission in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. After three years there, he moved on to Maryland and took a one-year position with the National Bureau of Standards, now National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). And, that one-year position lasted 45 years!
At NIST, he had the opportunity to work with some of the smartest people on the planet, and with NIST’s unique and public-service-related mission, after 10 years there, Dr. May became the second youngest Division Chief in NIST’s history.
Initially he wasn’t happy with his new leadership role, but Dr. May’s boss informed him that NIST had many great scientists, but that NIST did not have an abundance of natural leaders. “He and others had their eyes on me and thought I should give this new role my best shot,” Dr. May explained.
After retiring from NIST, Dr. May felt something was missing — he had a need to give back to the larger African-American community and to teachers like Mr. Cook who had nurtured his success. The best way to repay that debt, he reasoned, was to work at an HBCU. Seriously thinking about this option, he became convinced after receiving a call and an offer from Morgan’s President, Dr. Wilson. In 2018, he began his tenure at Morgan as Vice President for Research and Economic Development.
As for leadership, Dr. May does not think about it much. “I’ve been too busy just trying to do it, identifying major goals and objectives and then enlisting the staff to achieve them.” He likens a real leader to a drum major, not a drill sergeant. “If you’re out front and look back and the band is not following in step … you are not leading.”
Find something you are passionate about, something that is your true calling and follow it. This will lead to a rewarding career!
Expect excellence from yourself and from your colleagues.
Support an open, collegial, collaborative, and fair work environment.
Value a strong work ethic. Be strategic and take risks.
Always remember where you came from, reach back, and pay it forward.
5-Year Cumulative Numbers (APPROXIMATE)
MORGAN‘s research enterprise is growing meteorically with increasing research dollars, as well as rapidly escalating IP development and commercialization. Morgan is dedicated to innovation and discovery, showcased through ground-breaking work happening across diverse disciplines. Morgan persistently pushes the boundaries of possibility, driving progress and nurturing a culture of creativity. .
5-Year Periods of Growth (APPROXIMATE)
2021
2022
2023
5-YEAR DOLLAR AMOUNT OF GRANTS AWARDED
FY 2009 – 2013
FY 2014 – 2018
FY 2019 – 2023
* Data is from Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, starting July 1, 2018, through FY 2023, ending June 30, 2023.
Morgan State University is:
Legislatively designated as the State of Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University.
A Carnegie-classified Doctoral University-High Research Activity (R2).
Home to 200+ faculty researchers.
Recipient of approximately $75 million in external sponsored awards annually.
Recipient of more than 30 US Patents, including 13 issued in 2023 alone.
Home to several Research Centers of Excellence, including:
• Center for Data Analytics & Sports Gaming Research
• Center for Research and Education in Microelectronics
• Center for Equitable AI & Machine Learning Systems
• Center for Urban and Coastal Climate Science Research
• Center for Urban Health Equity
• Center on Urban Violence and Crime Reduction
• Cybersecurity Assurance & Policy Center
• National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities
• National Transportation Center
• Patuxent Environmental & Aquatic Research Laboratory