Spring 2024

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.

Explorations

May 21, 2024

Researchers Use Recipes to Test Tool for Analyzing DoD Classification Guidelines

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

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

Post-Grad

May 17, 2024

Alum Astronaut Joins International Space Station

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.

Explorations

May 17, 2024

Is Neighborhood Wildlife Spreading COVID?

Explorations

May 17, 2024

Gabbing About Others Offers Unexpected Benefits in Social Groups, UMD and Stanford Researchers Find

Explorations

May 17, 2024

Researcher Finds That Moderate Movement Can Protect Memory and Cognition

Explorations

May 17, 2024

Professor Tells Stories Behind Her Traditional Tattoos

Explorations

May 17, 2024

New Center Links Humanities, Social Change

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

00s

Ahmed Zaman ’09, M.Arch. ’11

Ahmed Zaman ’09, M.Arch. ’11 was named to the Washington Business Journal’s 2024 list of 40 Under 40. He is a senior associate at the global architecture and design firm Perkins Eastman.

80s

Marisa Bartolomei Ph.D. ’82

Marisa Bartolomei Ph.D. ’82 was awarded the 2024 March of Dimes Richard B. Johnston, Jr., MD Prize. She is a co-director of the Epigenetics Institute at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, where she is also a professor of cell…

80s

Philip W. Steitz Ph.D. ’90

Philip W. Steitz Ph.D. ’90 joined Clear Demand as chief technology officer. He has held that role at American Express, Deem, Edgenuity, Pegasus and Nextiva.

90s

Ali M. Tafreshi ’91, M.S. ’92, Ph.D. ’97

Ali M. Tafreshi ’91, M.S. ’92, Ph.D. ’97 was appointed chief information officer of Goddard Systems. He previously served as chief information officer at Authority Brands, LLC and served as an IT leader for the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport,…

70s

Willie May Ph.D. ’77

Willie May Ph.D. ’77 was named to the Baltimore Business Journal’s “Faces to Watch” for 2024, which highlights leaders in Greater Baltimore business who are leading top companies, nonprofits and projects with “a mission to effect change.” May is the vice…

80s

Martha A. Busser ’86

Martha A. Busser ’86 joined the financial services firm Janney Montgomery Scott’s new wealth management office in Bethesda Md., as its first major hire. Busser spent nearly 15 years at Wells Fargo Advisors before joining Janney in April.

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…

00s

John Lawson ’02

John Lawson ’02 wrote his first novel, “Kurtz,” which MilSpeak published on March 1. New York Times bestselling author Gary Shteyngart calls it “a romantic thriller oozing with maturity and insight.” It’s the story of Annie Kurtz, a Marine whose…