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Spring 2024

collection of Terp license plates

Features

May 17, 2024
UMD-themed vanity plates are the highway four-leaf clovers we love to spot. We share some of the best—and the tales behind the tags.
cooking utensils and lock

Explorations

May 21, 2024
Researchers Use Recipes to Test Tool for Analyzing DoD Classification Guidelines
Melvin Edwards poses with statue

Parting Shot

May 17, 2024
Sculpture Dedicated to Late Groundbreaking Artist
people hold hands along Baltimore Avenue

Post-Grad

May 17, 2024
An ‘Underexposed’ Photo of UMD History
Lauren Champion rowing

Post-Grad

May 17, 2024
Terp, Teammate Complete Race Across Atlantic in Record Time
collage of Lee Mendelowitz, Di Zou and Benjamin Eidelberg

Post-Grad

May 17, 2024
3 Alums Crunch Numbers as Sports Analytics Experts for Pro Teams in the DMV
Jeanette Epps in astronaut gear

Post-Grad

May 17, 2024
Alum Astronaut Joins International Space Station
volunteers hold bags

Post-Grad

May 17, 2024
Terps ‘Do Good’ on Campus and Beyond
A couple sits behind a table with some card games on it

Features

May 17, 2024
A Fluctuating, Ever-Changing, Up-and-Down Journey to Gaming Success
The image is a stylized, futuristic illustration that depicts a hilly landscape with a car winding through it.

Features

May 17, 2024
Ninety-second battery fill-ups. All-day range. Unparalleled safety. UMD researchers are powering up EVs to save the planet.
two baby deer near mailbox

Explorations

May 17, 2024
Is Neighborhood Wildlife Spreading COVID?
one person whispers into another's ear

Explorations

May 17, 2024
Gabbing About Others Offers Unexpected Benefits in Social Groups, UMD and Stanford Researchers Find
three cartoon brains exercising

Explorations

May 17, 2024
Researcher Finds That Moderate Movement Can Protect Memory and Cognition
SHELBI NAHWILET MEISSNER portrait

Explorations

May 17, 2024
Professor Tells Stories Behind Her Traditional Tattoos
Frederick Douglass statue

Explorations

May 17, 2024
New Center Links Humanities, Social Change

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue
“Seven Summer Weekends” book cover

80s

Jane L Rosen ’87,

“Seven Summer Weekends,” the fifth novel by Jane L Rosen ’87, will be released on June 4 by Berkeley. In it, a woman inherits a beach house, along with a series of weekend guests, while butting heads with the irritable (and irritatingly handsome) man next…
Jeremy Ben-Zev headshot

10s

Jeremy Ben-Zev ’10

Jeremy Ben-Zev ’10 was named to the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. Ben-Zev is market president of Truist Financial Corp.
Nora Shearer headshot

90s

Nora Shearer ’91

Nora Shearer ’91 was named Seward & Kissel’s chief marketing and business development officer. Most recently, she served as chief business development and marketing officer at Nardello & Co., the global investigations and business intelligence…
Prashant Gaur headshot

00s

Prashant Gaur M.B.A. ’08

Prashant Gaur M.B.A. ’08, president and CEO of Credence, was named to the Federal 100, which recognizes excellence in federal IT. The company has been a Washington Post Top Workplace for four consecutive years, on Inc.'s list of fastest growing companies…
Manuel Antonakas headshot

Passings

Manuel Antonakas ’63

Manuel Antonakas ’63 died in Towson, Md., on Jan. 19, 2024, at the age of 84. Was born on Jan. 2, 1940, in Baltimore. He graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and earned a mechanical engineering degree from UMD and a law degree from the…
Justin Di Palo headshot

10s

Justin Di Palo ’11, M.S. ’12

Justin Di Palo ’11, M.S. ’12 rejoined the international engineering firm Syska Hennessy Group to serve as co-lead of its national sustainability practice and as an associate partner. He is based in the Los Angeles office. Di Palo first joined that office…
David Robert Ellis headshot

Passings

David Robert Ellis ’61

David Robert Ellis ’61 of Atlanta, died peacefully on May 5, 2024, at age 85 after a long battle with dementia. Ellis graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School and earned an accounting degree at UMD. He worked for Arthur Anderson in various roles in…
Thomas Grafton Lee headshot

Passings

Thomas Grafton Lee ’76

Thomas Grafton Lee ’76, of Poolesville, Md., died on April 15, 2024, at age 71. He graduated from UMD with an accounting degree and spent his career as a CPA. He enjoyed traveling with his wife, spending time with his children and grandchildren, working…