Physics

UMBC interns spend summer in Hawai‘i chasing black holes and imagining new paths

Sep 4, 2026 • By Sarah Hansen, M.S. '15

Two UMBC undergrads spent their summer at the the University of Hawai'i's Institute for Astronomy studying supermassive black holes and colliding galaxies using fresh data from the James Webb Space Telescope and Subaru Observatory. They also hiked on volcanoes, explored Hawaiian cultural history, and grew their scientific networks. The experience sharpened their research skills, opened new career paths, and left them inspired—and already writing their first papers.