Fall 2022

Post-Grad

A Request to Stamp Out ‘Coarseness’ and ‘Misbehavior’

On Centennial of UMD Hiring First Dean of Women, Peek at President’s Letter to Her

Post-Grad

Blue Ambition

Food Chemist Perks Up Palette of M&Ms, Other Candies

Post-Grad

Anju Bist MBA ’98 and group show banana fiber sanitary pads

A Period of Change

Alum’s Banana Fiber Menstrual Pads Offer Accessible Solution to Girls and Women in India

Post-Grad

Critic Thinking

Vulture Writer Makes Sharp Points on Popular Culture

Post-Grad

Alumni Association News

Directory to You; Stoking Homecoming Spirit

Explorations

Flipping the Channel

New Professor Left Cable News for Climate Data Science

Explorations

The Big Question

What’s the Best or Worst Fictionalized Depiction of Your Field in Film, TV or a Book?

Explorations

Painting of Ukraine flag colors with Twitter birds

Big Data ‘Early Alarm’ for Ukraine Abuses

System Analyzes Millions of Tweets Daily to Quickly Pinpoint Atrocities, Refugee Flows

Explorations

At Journey’s End, a Warmer Welcome

Researcher Studies How Schools Can Better Integrate Young Unaccompanied Migrants

Explorations

Right in the Nose

Inhaled Vaccine Creates Immunity Where It’s Most Needed

Explorations

A New ‘Script’ for LGTBQ+ Patient Caregivers

Training Program Aims to Improve Mental Health Treatment

Explorations

Painting of woman at table with "hey," "wyd" text bubbles

How to Make Friends as an Adult—and Keep Them

In New Book, Psychologist Debunks Myths, Offers Tips

Explorations

Signs of the Times

Dean’s Expert Testimony Illuminates Texas ‘No Guns’ Case

Campus Life

Kevin Willard guides Julian Reese through a drill

Fast Break With New Head Hoops Coach

Get to Know Kevin Willard Through a Rapid-Fire Q&A

Explorations

A ‘Word’ About Research

Museum-based Project Engages Broader Public on Language Science

Campus Life

Talk About an Impressive Season

Men’s Lacrosse Team Captures NCAA Title—and We’ve Got the Final Words (and Tweets) on It

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

20s

Mike Ravenscroft MBA ’21

Mike Ravenscroft MBA ’21 was named managing director of the Maryland Momentum Fund (MMF), a $16 million investment fund that supports early stage companies affiliated with University System of Maryland institutions. He joined MMF from Dreamit Ventures…

Passings

Dr. Neil W. Brayton ’66

Dr. Neil W. Brayton ’66 of Chestertown, Md., died on July 14, 2022. He was 77 years old. Brayton graduated from Liberty High School in Youngstown, Ohio, where he lettered in basketball, golf and cross country and received 35 basketball scholarship offers.…

00s

Ranjani Varadan Ph.D. ’04

Ranjani Varadan Ph.D. ’04 was appointed the first chief scientific officer of Shiru, a sustainable ingredient innovator for the food industry. Varadan was a key scientist and leader for 10 years and one of the first hires at Impossible Foods. Varadan…

Passings

Leonard “Len” Oliver M.A. ’67

Leonard “Len” Oliver M.A. ’67, a National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, died July 24, 2022 at age 88. The Philadelphia native earned a full scholarship to play soccer at Temple University, winning the 1951 national championship. He spent the next three…

90s

Roger Snyder M.S. ’98

Roger Snyder M.S. ’98 became the permanent U.S. Department of Energy Fermi Site Office manager for the Office of Science. Snyder was the acting Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory site office manager since February while he continued a decade of service…

00s

Adam Cohn ’08

Adam Cohn ’08 joined Valence Surface Technologies as chief financial officer. Most recently, he was treasurer and a corporate officer at Triumph which designs, engineers, manufactures, repairs and overhauls aerospace and defense systems and components. He…

80s

Sylvie Ryckebusch ’87

Sylvie Ryckebusch ’87 was appointed chief business officer of BioInvent, a biotech company focused on cancer immunotherapy. Prior to joining BioInvent, Sylvie has served in key positions at Serono, Merck KGaA and Index Ventures as well as McKinsey and…

Passings

Daniel Stern M.S. ’57

Daniel Stern M.S. ’57, a longtime resident of Berwyn, Pa., and an Army veteran, died in Bunnell, Fla., on May 14, 2022, at the age of 92. Stern was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., graduated from Lincoln High School and went on to earn his B.S. in mechanical…