Alumni Association News

Letter From the Executive Director

At the University of Maryland Alumni Association, we strive to provide programs, events and activities that Terps want and enjoy. So we recently asked for your feedback, and 8,000 of you responded.

Our survey encouraged alumni to share their attitudes toward the university and Alumni Association, along with their preferences and interests. When asked what should be our top priorities, the No. 1 answer was “to connect alumni for professional networking and career development,” followed closely by “to connect alumni for social events and fun experiences.”

Your Alumni Association is working hard to deliver on those priorities. We recently hired a new manager of alumni career programs, Ellie Geraghty, who will work to expand and strengthen our offerings, both in person and through virtual platforms.

We’re also focused on helping Terps grow personally and professionally through:

• Terrapins Connect, with 2,800+ volunteer mentors helping fellow alumni navigate their career paths;

• Webinars to learn from alumni experts and faculty members;

• Networking events to meet other business leaders and C-suite executives (many of which Alumni Association members can attend for free);

• The Alumni Association’s LinkedIn page, a tool for networking and finding job openings;

• A robust calendar of nationwide networking events that cater to entrepreneurs, attorneys, Terps in real estate and more; and

• The Alumni Directory, where you can find alumni in your region, profession or company.

Learn more about these and other opportunities at alumni.umd.edu/prof-dev.

As a part of our mission to serve our alumni community of more than 377,000, we recently revamped our awards program. Read on these pages about these inspiring Terps and all they have accomplished.

Go Terps!

Amy Eichhorst

Executive Director

University of Maryland Alumni Association

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The Alumni Excellence Awards

Graduates of the University of Maryland are among the best and brightest in their fields. From scholars and innovators to entrepreneurs, teachers and researchers, our alumni are leaving their mark on our state, nation and world. The Alumni Excellence Awards recognize the accomplishments of select Terps and honor these recipients with distinction. The following standout alumni are the inaugural recipients of this honor. Learn more at alumni.umd.edu/excellence.

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Rising Terp Award

The following alumni are an inspiration to the next generation of Terp leaders. All under the age of 30, they have already made significant professional accomplishments.

Beth Barkley ’12, M.Ed. ’13

Secondary English/Language Arts Teacher,

District of Columbia Public Schools

Mackenzie Burnett ’15

Co-founder,

The Next 50

Jonathan Chen ’14

Co-founder and Technology Advisor,

FiscalNote

Co-founder and CTO,

Pathover

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Research Award

The following alumni have led transformational research with local and global impact.

Sharon Fries-Britt ’81, Ph.D. ’94

Higher Education Professor,

University of Maryland

Stephen Kerber ’03, M.S. ’05

Vice President, Research,

Underwriters Laboratories

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EnTERPreneur Award

These Terps are fearlessly disrupting their industries as successful entrepreneurs who have notably contributed to their respective fields.

Anthony Casalena ’05

Founder and CEO,

Squarespace

Evan Lutz ’14

CEO,

Hungry Harvest

Shayan Zadeh M.S. ’02

Founder and CEO,

Leap Rail

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Legacy Award

This alumnus has left a positive legacy in his community, and the award celebrates his personal and professional lifetime achievements.

David Diehl ’74

Retired, Executive Director (Emeritus),

M Club Foundation

Retired, Chief of Computer Security and

Oversight, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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Save the Date: April 24, 2020

A Celebration of Terps | Featuring the Maryland Awards

Each spring, the Alumni Association celebrates the achievements of seven outstanding Terps at this marquee event, bestowing the highest awards that alumni can receive from the university.

This event recognizes fearless alumni who have risen to the highest levels of public service, launched successful companies and made groundbreaking discoveries. The recipients are icons to our students, alumni and the greater community.

For additional information and past award recipients, visit alumni.umd.edu/Maryland-Awards.