Spring 2026

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May 20, 2026

Jeff Kinney ’93 was a shaky student and failed newspaper cartoonist with a big dream. Recounting some of his own misadventures, he reveals that despite being one of the world’s top-selling authors, he’s still figuring things out.

Parting Shot

May 20, 2026

Light-rail vehicle travels on campus during overnight testing

Post-Grad

May 20, 2026

An ‘Underexposed’ photo from UMD history

Post-Grad

May 20, 2026

Alum infuses tricks with numeric principles on stage and in the classroom

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Post-Grad

May 20, 2026

Alum leads country’s biggest urban national park

Post-Grad

May 20, 2026

The Alumni Excellence Awards

Explorations

May 20, 2026

On nation’s 250th anniversary, UMD celebrates and reflects through the arts

Explorations

May 20, 2026

Researcher helps establish possible DNA link to ‘Mona Lisa’ artist

Explorations

May 20, 2026

In new book, historian depicts American Revolution as global war

Explorations

May 20, 2026

UMD-built AI system amplifies a Universal-NVIDIA partnership

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Explorations

May 20, 2026

Armed with AI, researchers cook up greener alternatives for everyday products

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Explorations

May 20, 2026

Ask the Expert: Advice for Real Life

Explorations

May 20, 2026

Professor develops field guide for providing services to help communities facing challenges

Campus Life

May 20, 2026

How Maryland Athletics recruited 3 top local athletes

Explorations

May 20, 2026

Can engineering researchers make data centers better neighbors?

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

00s

William Wan M.Jour. ’03 and Kelley Benham French M.A. ’02

William Wan M.Jour. ’03 and editor Kelley Benham French M.A. ’02 contributed to The Washington Post’s Pulitzer Prize in Public Service for coverage of DOGE and the federal workforce.

90s

Gregory M. Stone ’92

Gregory M. Stone ’92 joined the law firm Womble Bond Dickinson's patent prosecution and litigation practice group as a partner. His experience includes service as a U.S. patent examiner in the mechanical and biomedical device arts. He earned his J.D., cum…

90s

Blake Wetzel ’91

Blake Wetzel ’91 joined Entelligence, the leader in AI-powered professional services for enterprise software, as chief operating officer. He previously worked in leadership roles at CenturyLink, Qwest Communications and Rackspace.

00s

David Murrell ’02

David Murrell ’02 was promoted to the position of executive vice president and chief banking officer at MainStreet Bank. He joined MainStreet in 2008 and previously specialized in delivering complex financial solutions for high-value sectors, including…

90s

Farooq Anjum Ph.D. ’99

Farooq Anjum Ph.D. ’99 was appointed chief AI and systems officer of Guideway Care, a patient activation company. He will oversee the continued development of enterprise activation intelligence.

20s

Eduardo Ortiz MBA ’23

Eduardo Ortiz MBA ’23, CEO of the digital services firm Coforma, chaired this year’s Heart of Greater Washington campaign for the American Heart Association. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and a former member of the U.S. Digital Service. The…

00s

Joshua Newman Ph.D. ’05

Joshua Newman Ph.D. ’05 was named dean of the School of Education & Human Sciences at the University of Kansas. He was previously the associate dean for research and Sara Lavinia de Keni Endowed Professor at Florida State University’s Anne Spencer…

00s

Adam Blechman ’09

Dr. Adam Blechman ’09 was named to the 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctors list, which recognizes the top 7% of board-certified physicians nationwide for clinical excellence and outstanding patient care. Blechman is board-certified in dermatology and Mohs…