Spring 2023

Parting Shot

red shoes peek out of a teal hammock on McKeldin Mall

In the Sling of Things

Students Embrace Warmer Weather on McKeldin Mall

Post-Grad

Underexposed

Can You Help Us Identify These Terps?

Post-Grad

Kylie D’Alessio films Alex measuring wall

Renovation Sensations

Thousands Follow Alums on TikTok, Instagram

Post-Grad

Ryan Bunch poses with "Oz and the Musical" book, on yellow background with white and gray Wizard of Oz illustrations

Following the Yellow Brick Road

Alum to Head International Wizard of Oz Club

Post-Grad

Sahil Rahman ’12 and Rahul Vinod ’11 pose outside Rasa restaurant

Serving Up Time-Honored Flavors Fast

Friends’ Fresh Take on Indian Cuisine Expands Across D.C. Area

Post-Grad

Amber Mayfield with "While Entertaining" magazine cover

Party Queen, Behind the Scenes

Alum Highlights Black Chefs, Artists at NYC-Based Event Agency

Post-Grad

Alumni Association News

Alums Share Advice at Terps Under 30, Women’s Leadership Development Conference

Explorations

woman with briefcase walking through red tape

Why Noncompetes Could Soon Be a Non-Thing

Maryland Economist’s Studies Fueled Federal Drive to Ban Controversial Employee Contracts

Explorations

Antidote to Overdoses: A Universal Treatment

New Compound Fights Both Fentanyl and Meth in Bloodstream

Explorations

A Season of Healing

REI-Funded Center Promotes Nature-Based Research and Reparation

Explorations

Roll Over, Paper Towels

Engineers’ Picker-Upper Is Even Quicker

Explorations

An On-Campus Oscar Nominee

Researcher Executive-Produced Lauded Documentary

Explorations

Wildlife Ecologist Explains How to Get Ticks Off, Not Ticked Off

Ask a Researcher: Advice for Real Life

Explorations

car going from house to brick office building

Maryland, Start Your Engines

Survey Shows Cars Fuel Post-COVID Commute

Explorations

$30M in Grand Challenges Grants Awarded

Unprecedented UMD Research Program Targets Climate, Racial Justice, Energy and More

Campus Life

Maryland women's basketball player shoots ball vs. South Carolina

Sports Briefs

Achievements by Women’s Basketball, Softball and Gymnastics Teams

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

90s

Nicole Zussman MBA ’94

Nicole Zussman MBA ’94 was named president and chief executive officer of the Appalachian Mountain Club, the nation’s oldest conservation and recreation organization. She was most recently chief people officer for Rute Gilt Groupe.

90s

Natalia Sokolova ’98

Natalia Sokolova ’98 was appointed chief operating officer by Cytta Corp. She spent the past decade leading investor relations for publicly traded U.S. and Canadian firms globally.

Passings

Diane Alexander Shankman ’66

Diane Alexander Shankman ’66 of Silver Spring, Md., died on May 7, 2023, at age 78. She graduated from Wheaton High School and graduated from UMD with a degree in textiles and clothing. Shankman held a variety of positions in the federal government,…

Passings

John Marshall David ’62, M.S. ’72

John Marshall David ’62, M.S. ’72 died on May 11, 2023, from cardiovascular disease at age 88. John was born in 1935 in Galveston, Texas, David graduated from Kirwin High School (now O’Connell High School) and joined the U.S. Navy. While there, David…

Passings

Kathleen Frank Brannigan ’79

Kathleen Frank Brannigan ’79, of Haymarket, Va., died on April 13, 2023, at age 66 after a 13-year battle with cancer. She grew up in Bowie, Md., and graduated from Elizabeth Seton High School in 1975. She spent a semester studying abroad in…

Passings

Margaret H. Eads ’65

Margaret H. Eads ’65, of Washington, D.C., died on Jan. 19, 2023. She was 79 years old. Born in Miami, she and her family moved north with stops in Anacostia and eventually Clinton, Md., in 1950. Eads taught at elementary schools in Prince George’s…

10s

Rose C. McClave ’11

Rose C. McClave ’11 was promoted to partner at Reed Smith LLP in New York City. As a member of the Real Estate Group, she represents a variety of major financial institutions, borrowers, private equity funds, real estate investment trusts , commercial…

Passings

Robert Henry Merson Jr. ’56

Robert Henry Merson Jr. ’56 of Laurel, Md., died on May 6, 2023 at age 91. He grew up in Mount Rainier, Md., and graduated from McKinley Tech High School. He went on to study marketing at UMD. An accountant, Merson spent the first years of his career at…