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Fall 2023

football team runs through "Go Terps" banner

Parting Shot

September 14, 2023
Popular Football Uniform Returns Full-Time This Fall
two gymnasts pose on horse

Post-Grad

September 14, 2023
Can You Make Sense of This Horseplay?
food in test tubes

Post-Grad

September 14, 2023
Food Scientist Melds Chemistry, Culinary Passion at McCormick
Lynde Washington poses in front of his artwork

Post-Grad

September 14, 2023
Former Cornerback Tackles Subjects’ Essences on Canvas
Amie Ward portrait

Post-Grad

September 14, 2023
Alum Serves Up Resources to Improve Health, Equity of Hospitality Industry
members of the Sugar Hill Sisterhood

Post-Grad

September 14, 2023
From College Park to the Caribbean, Sugar Hill Sisterhood Celebrates 50th Gathering
fans watch as Mighty Sound of Maryland marches by

Post-Grad

September 14, 2023
Meet the New Members; 3 Reasons to Return for UMD Homecoming
A white truck was driving down a country road

Features

September 14, 2023
In rural Maryland, a new “been-there-done- that” approach to the opioid crisis offers hope on four wheels.
Yellow taxi on the road

Features

September 14, 2023
Alum named NYC taxi commissioner navigates ridesharing’s rise, drivers’ economic woes—and plenty of midtown traffic.
two students sit on WMUC couch. Inset photos: students install radio tower; students review tally sheets

Features

September 14, 2023
How do you track 75 years of college radio at Maryland? Decades of deejays replay history, hijinks and the music that made WMUC.
fire burns down houses

Explorations

September 14, 2023
UMD Leads National Study on Long-Term Effects of Wildfires
Hal Daumé III behind projection of code

Explorations

September 14, 2023
Researcher Heading New $20M NSF-Backed Institute Says Systems Should Support Societal Good
Toucha11y rendering

Explorations

September 14, 2023
Palm-sized Robot Navigates Touchscreens for Visually Impaired Users
Jennifer Smallwood-Holmes talks to kids in classroom

Explorations

September 14, 2023
Ask an Expert: Advice for Real Life
holding hands

Explorations

September 14, 2023
We’ll Give Up a Lot to Share Experiences With Loved Ones, Study Shows
bus shelter with plant growing on top

Explorations

September 14, 2023
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…

00s

Peter Rosenberg ’02

New York City radio personality Peter Rosenberg ’02 wed photographer Natalie Amrossi on July 8 in Manhattan. Their story of meeting via Twitter was featured in The New York Times.

Passings

Cecelia “Gail” Coffin Ed.D. ’93

Cecelia “Gail” Coffin Ed.D. ’93 died on July 2, 2023, at age 80. Coffin was born in California, Pa., and graduated from Clinton Dale High School, Wayne State University, where she earned undergraduate and master’s degrees, and the University of Maryland.…

10s

Foster Russell ’19

Foster Russell ’19 joined the nonprofit Institute for Defense Analyses as programmer and analyst in the Systems Development and Implementation directorate.

80s

Aaron Ghais ’89

Aaron Ghais ’89, an attorney with Shulman Rogers in Potomac, Md., was named to Best Lawyers 2024, a recognition based on peer review that he also earned last year. He practices in the areas of corporate law and mergers and acquisitions law.

Passings

Jean Marie Bir ’84

Jean Marie Bir ’84 of New Market, Md., died on July 5, 2023, at Frederick (Md.) Health Hospital. She was 62. Bir completed degrees in special education from UMD and Hood College and was employed as a special education teacher in Rockville for 40 years,…

20s

Caroline Drogin M.L.S. ’2

Caroline Drogin M.L.S. ’20 was named the islands engagement manager at The Trustees of Reservations for Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. She most recently worked as a children’s librarian on Martha’s Vineyard.

10s

JJ Rivers M.Arch, MRED ’14

JJ Rivers M.Arch, MRED ’14 was named to the Washington Business Journal’s 2023 40 Under 40 list. Rivers is studio director and regional leader in mixed-use development in architecture and design firm Gensler’s Washington, D.C.’s office. He manages more…