Spring 2025

Spring 2025 collage of receipt, court documents, photo of two women and red string connected by red pushpins

Criminal Calculations

How Students in UMD’s Forensic Accounting Club Helped Crack a Murder Case

Parting Shot

Sweet Success

Women’s, Men’s Basketball Teams Advanced to Sweet 16 Together for First Time

Post-Grad

A Towering Terp Achievement

An ‘Underexposed’ Photo From UMD History

Post-Grad

Maia Shanklin Roberts portrait with images of Barry Farm

Building on a Legacy

Alum Strives to Help Residents Reclaim Vibrant Black Community in Redeveloped Barry Farm

Post-Grad

Beating the Drum for Brain Benefits

Alum’s Rhythmic Fitness Regime Exercises Body and Mind

Post-Grad

mom and daughter look at dinosaur at museum

‘Jurassic Park,’ a Little More Real

At New Dinosaur Museum Led by Paleontologist Alum, Visitors Can Dig In

Post-Grad

couple and two kids wearing Maryland gear at Testudo statue

Alumni Association News

Love of a Lifetime; 5 Reasons to Join Now

Features

Solutions to Bird Flu Hatched

On the farm and in the lab, researchers are fighting a virus that’s pushing up food prices and threatening a new pandemic

Explorations

Bottleneck Buster

After Key Bridge Collapse, Engineer Seeks to Ease Commutes in Baltimore

Explorations

house floating in water with flames in background

Losing a Game of Risk

Insurance Expert Proposes Plan to Save Homeowners’ Coverage

Explorations

A New Twist on Tornado Tracking

Undergrad Coproduces First Database Documenting Events Worldwide

Explorations

A Vote for Civic Education

Gift to Maryland Democracy Initiative Supports Political Engagement, Literacy

Explorations

cartoon brain with hands holding dumbbell, papers, phone, ball, book, briefcase

Heart-Healthy Lifestyles Can Also Delay Brain Aging, UMD Researchers Find

Diet, Exercise and Other Behaviors Can Impact Dementia Risk, Study of 20K Brain MRIs Shows

Explorations

Sherlock examining news story with magnifying glass

How to Be Your Own Fact Checker

Ask the Expert: Advice for Real Life

Explorations

two students point to cream pan they dug up

Crystal Clear

Centuries-Old Stones Uncovered by Archaeologist Reveal Stories of Ireland’s Mystical Past

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

90s

Tracy Margolies ’96

Tracy Margolies ’96 was named president of Bergdorf Goodman. She was previously chief marketing officer at Saks.

90s

Shravan Goli M.S. ’94

Shravan Goli M.S. ’94 was named CEO of Colibri Group, which through over 40 leading brands, offers flexible, online and in-person learning solutions to licensed professionals. He was previously COO and chief product officer at Coursera.

80s

Dr. Michael Severino ’87

Dr. Michael Severino ’87 was named to the board of directors of Viatris, a global healt hcare company. He serves as chief executive officer of Tessera Therapeutics and CEO/partner of Flagship Pioneering. He earned an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University.

90s

Melissa Rocha ’96

Melissa Rocha ’96 joined the national office of audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG. She previously worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), where she spent 24 years, most recently serving as acting chief accountant in the Office of Chief…

10s

David Goodwin ’16

David Goodwin ’16 was promoted to president of Reliable Real Estate Services. He joined in 2022 as vice president. Goodwin earned an M.S. in real estate from New York University.

00s

Nicole Helmer ’07, ’07

Nicole Helmer ’07, ’07 was promoted to chief product officer at Degreed. She joined the company six months ago from SAP, where she led the company’s skill transformation.

Passings

Donald M. McCall Jr. ’81

Donald M. McCall Jr. ’81 died on April 19, 2025, in Melbourne, Fla., at the age of 70. He was a varsity football player at Liverpool High School outside Syracuse. At 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served until 1985. During his time in…

Passings

George Fischer Viereck ’56

George Fischer Viereck ’56, of Morehead City, N.C., died on March 29, 2025, at the age of 83. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from UMD and a Master of Arts degree from George Washington University. He was a beloved teacher…