Skip site navigation

Fall 2023

Photo football team runs through "Go Terps" banner

Rewriting the Script

Popular Football Uniform Returns Full-Time This Fall

Post-Grad two gymnasts pose on horse

Underexposed

Can You Make Sense of This Horseplay?

Post-Grad food in test tubes

Lessons in Flavoring

Food Scientist Melds Chemistry, Culinary Passion at McCormick

Post-Grad Lynde Washington poses in front of his artwork

Brush With Greatness

Former Cornerback Tackles Subjects’ Essences on Canvas

Post-Grad Amie Ward portrait

Cheers to Safe Bars

Alum Serves Up Resources to Improve Health, Equity of Hospitality Industry

Post-Grad members of the Sugar Hill Sisterhood

The Sweetest Connection

From College Park to the Caribbean, Sugar Hill Sisterhood Celebrates 50th Gathering

Post-Grad fans watch as Mighty Sound of Maryland marches by

Alumni Association News

Meet the New Members; 3 Reasons to Return for UMD Homecoming

Features A white truck was driving down a country road

Roads to Recovery

In rural Maryland, a new “been-there-done- that” approach to the opioid crisis offers hope on four wheels.

Features Yellow taxi on the road

All Hail David Do

Alum named NYC taxi commissioner navigates ridesharing’s rise, drivers’ economic woes—and plenty of midtown traffic.

Features two students sit on WMUC couch. Inset photos: students install radio tower; students review tally sheets

‘Get Listening, Kids’

How do you track 75 years of college radio at Maryland? Decades of deejays replay history, hijinks and the music that made WMUC.

Explorations fire burns down houses

Burning Question for Babies’ Health

UMD Leads National Study on Long-Term Effects of Wildfires

Explorations Hal Daumé III behind projection of code

Building AI You Can Trust

Researcher Heading New $20M NSF-Backed Institute Says Systems Should Support Societal Good

Explorations Toucha11y rendering

An Ally for Access

Palm-sized Robot Navigates Touchscreens for Visually Impaired Users

Explorations Jennifer Smallwood-Holmes talks to kids in classroom

Preschool Director Explains How to Turn Tots’ Chatter Into Conversation

Ask an Expert: Advice for Real Life

Explorations holding hands

Better Together

We’ll Give Up a Lot to Share Experiences With Loved Ones, Study Shows

Explorations bus shelter with plant growing on top

Gimme (Green) Shelter

UMD-Grown, Plant-Packed Bus Shelters Debut Near Campus

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

Passings

Denise Tanczyn Arnett ’78

Denise Tanczyn Arnett ’78 died on July 2, 2023, at Brightview Senior Living-Westminster (Md.). She was 67. The Baltimore native earned a bachelor's degree in special education and later a bachelor's degree in physical therapy at UMD, then completed all…

10s

John Devlin M.M. ’11, D.M.A. ’15

John Devlin M.M. ’11, D.M.A. ’15 received a 2023 Georg Solti Career Assistance Award, given to 22 young conductors by the Solti Foundation U.S. His contract as music director of the Wheeling (Va.) Symphony has been renewed for four years, and he was…
Jack Lee Holcomb headshot

Passings

Jack Lee Holcomb ’62

Jack Lee Holcomb ’62 died on July 18, 2023, at his home in Melbourne, Fla. He was 87. He was born in Monroe County, Tenn., where he was raised until age 13. He then lived with his family on naval bases in California, Hawaii and Maryland. He graduated from…

80s

Ed Novak ’80

Ed Novak ’80 was appointed managing director, North America of Acclime, Asia-Pacific’s leading tech-enabled professional services provider. He has held significant roles in the technology and professional services sectors, including at IBM, PwC, Amdocs,…
Mark Shmueli headshot

80s

Mark Shmueli M.A. ’89

Mark Shmueli M.A. ’89 joined Jaskot Law in Baltimore as senior counsel. He is an immigration attorney who earned his J.D. at the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Ricardo Jackman headshot

90s

Ricardo Jackman

Ricardo Jackman ’95 was hired as a partner at the Washington, D.C., office of Morris, Manning & Martin, where he chairs the new sports and entertainment practice. Most recently, Jackman served as co-chair of Ballard Spahr’s sports and entertainment…
Katherine Layne McCoy headshot

Passings

Katherine Layne McCoy ’53

Katherine Layne McCoy ’53 died on July 20, 2023 at the Terraces in Bonita Springs, Fla., where she resided since 2014. She was 93. McCoy graduated from Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Md., Centenary Junior College in New Jersey, and UMD, where she majored…

Passings

Charles F. Smyser Jr. ’50

Charles F. Smyser Jr. ’50 of Amherst, Mass., died on July 20, 2023, at age 98. Smyser attended high school at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, followed by the University of Maryland and graduate school at the University of Connecticut. After graduation,…