Fall 2025

Features

September 15, 2025

UMD scientists built a fungus that wipes out mosquitoes. With African partners, they hope to save millions of lives.

view from behind Kermit the Frog as he addresses graduates at UMD Commencement at SECU Stadium

News

September 15, 2025

At 2025 Commencement, Famed Amphibian Implores Students to Make, Keep Connections

Jim Smith and Darryll J. Pines smile at introduction event

News

September 15, 2025

Smith Brings Leadership and Business Experience to Build on Maryland Athletics’ Success

News

September 15, 2025

Campus Core Gets First Traffic Signal

Buzz Williams dribbles basketball, with red, white and gold background

Campus Life

September 15, 2025

Get to Know New Men’s Basketball Head Coach

exterior of Barry P. Gossett Basketball Performance Center

Campus Life

September 15, 2025

Men’s, Women’s Teams Celebrate Opening of Barry P. Gossett BasketballPerformance Center

Brat Pack in academic regalia walk on Frat Row in "St. Elmo's Fire" movie

Campus Life

September 15, 2025

At 40th Anniversary of ‘St. Elmo’s Fire,’ Alums Remember Filming on Frat Row

Jan Plane speaks to students during the CompSciConnect summer camp

Campus Life

September 15, 2025

Donation Launches University of Maryland Computing Catalyst

Jose-Luis Izursa works in aquaponics lab

Campus Life

September 15, 2025

Aquaponics Greenhouse Grows Lettuce and Fish for Education on Sustainable Systems

handwritten letters with portraits of George Mason and George Washington

Campus Life

September 15, 2025

Student Finds Little-Known Correspondence Between George Mason and George Washington

Campus Life

September 15, 2025

Run Club Started by UMD Faculty Members Is Biggest in North America

Explorations

September 15, 2025

Entomology Team Delves Into Benefits, Challenges of Eating Insects

Explorations

September 15, 2025

UMD’s Unique Forest-Monitoring Capabilities Revealed an Alarming Wildfire Spike

Illustration of Warren Buffett with money

Explorations

September 15, 2025

Buffett Scholar Reflects on Role Model’s Retirement

chatbot with text boxes on screen and magnifying glass

Explorations

September 15, 2025

Ask the Expert: Advice for Real Life

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

Passings

Alan Richards ’62

Alan Richards ’62 died on Aug. 17, 2025, in Rockville, Md. After spending his early years in Salt Lake City, Utah, his family moved back east to Silver Spring, Md., and he graduated from Montgomery Blair High School, UMD (where he majored in English) and…

Passings

Frank Coleman Young Ph.D. ’62

Frank Coleman Young Ph.D. ’62 died at Falcons Landing in Sterling, Va., on Aug. 1, 2025. He was 90. Due to the uncertainties of Depression and war, his family moved frequently throughout his childhood. Eventually they settled in Arlington, where he…

80s

Ari Gross M.S. ’86

Ari Gross M.S. ’86, founder of TRUE, a leader in intelligent automation and decisioning software for the mortgage industry, was named its chairman and chief innovation officer. He has been a trailblazer in applying AI to automated document intelligence…

00s

Anne Choe ’02

Anne Choe ’02 joined the law firm Simpson Thacher and Bartlett as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office. She focuses on registered funds and regulatory and enforcement matters. Choe was previously at Willkie Farr and Gallagher.

”Beyond Difficult: An Attachment-based Guide to Dealing With Challenging People” book cover

10s

Jessica Stern Ph.D. ’19

Jessica Stern Ph.D. ’19 co-wrote the book ”Beyond Difficult: An Attachment-based Guide to Dealing With Challenging People” with Rachel Samson, an Australian clinical psychologist. They provide frameworks for understanding difficult behavior, as well as…

00s

Dontá L. Wilson MBA ’05

Dontá L. Wilson MBA ’05 was elected chair of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte’s board of trustees. Wilson is chief consumer and small business banking officer at Truist Financial Corporation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in management from UNC…

20s

Grace Darling ’25

Grace Darling ’25 is one of 65 Americans selected to study and work in Germany as part of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals program, administered by the U.S. Department of State through nonprofit partners.  While in Germany,…

Passings

Thomas L. Hollowak ’84, M.A. ’90

Thomas L. Hollowak ’84, M.A. ’90 died on July 31, 2025, after a long battle with cancer. He was 71. Born in Baltimore, he began his career in 1973 as a page at the central branch of the city’s Enoch Pratt Free Library. In 1978, he was promoted and moved…