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Winter 2024

Winter 2024 Testudo turtle mascot with open arms. Vintage mascot photos in background

Standing the Testudo of Time

From Turtlenappings to TikTok Shenanigans, How an Unassuming Reptile Evolved to Represent Terp Spirit

 Features rainbow turtle, turtle with pink and light blue pattern, "Support #TransTerps" pin. "Debilitating Queerness", "they" pin

Out of the Shell

Twenty-five years ago, the LGBTQ+ Equity Center opened to support queer Terps who felt invisible, isolated and harassed. Some of the founders recount its humble start and hard-won victories.

 Features Testudo turtle mascot with open arms. Vintage mascot photos in background

Standing the Testudo of Time

From Turtlenappings to TikTok Shenanigans, How an Unassuming Reptile Evolved to Represent Terp Spirit

 Features View of low, tan buildings against a large sky. Dessert terrain.

Tribal Loyalties

American Indians have long been denied fair access to homes, health care, schooling and jobs. For Joseph Kunkel M.Arch. ’09, the mission to change that is personal.

 Post-Grad Gold star on red backgroud

Alumni Association News

The Alumni Excellence Awards

 Parting Shot McKeldin Mall at sunrise

Monumental Mainstay

Testudo Watches Over McKeldin Mall From Perch of Nearly 60 Years

 Post-Grad "Testudo II" wheels near stands at football game

Road-Ready Reptile

An ‘Underexposed’ Photo of UMD History

 Post-Grad Alex Kin ’08 and Sarah Tostanoski ’09 on wedding day

A Match Made in Lot 1

Alums Celebrate Wedding at Homecoming Tailgate

 Post-Grad Cheese board with M in middle; Kara McGrath inset portrait

Cheese the Day

5 Tips for Making a Board Bursting With Flavor and Color

 Post-Grad Zebrafish stamp

Alum’s Photo to Live ‘Forever’ on Stamp

Image Chosen by Postal Service Opened New Avenues to Treat Brain Diseases

 Post-Grad Bonnie Bernstein portrait and "She Got Game: Inspiring Women, Inspired by Sports" illustration

Ahead of the Game

Sports Journalist’s Podcast Links Women’s Success in Careers to Experiences on the Field and Court

 Post-Grad John Kelly at desk

Capital-area Chronicler Turns the Page

Departing Washington Post Columnist Shares 20 Years of Family Tales, Reader Favorites

 Explorations three people sit on stage at PROGRESS launch

PROGRESS on Gun Violence

Initiative to Offer Research, Solutions to National Crisis

 Explorations group installs Mesonet tower

Towering Ambitions for Forecasts

Maryland Mesonet to Provide Early Weather Warning in a Changing Climate

 Explorations adult and baby bald eagles in nest

A Soaring Success

Bald Eagle Expert Joins Legendary Explorers Club Honorees

 Explorations Arlington House perched atop Arlington National Cemetery

In the Shadow of History

At Robert E. Lee’s Former Residence, Researcher Opens Door to Overlooked Legacies

 Explorations Web otm fewtures 960x500

The FEWture of Food Forests

Persimmons, Pawpaws and Beach Plums Thrive in Edible Ecosystems

 Explorations robot under nose identifies cheese, fire, fish, etc.

What the Bio-Nose Knows

Futuristic Smeller Uses Talents of Living Cells

 Explorations man and woman sit at table with dishes flying around them; boxers shake hands

Talking Politics—Without Getting the Silent Treatment

Ask an Expert: Advice for Real Life

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue
Sherri Beatty-Arthur headshot

90s

Sherri Beatty-Arthur ’95, MBA ’11

President Joe Biden nominated Judge Sherri Beatty-Arthur ’95, MBA ’11 to the District of Columbia Superior Court. She has been a magistrate judge for D.C.’s Superior Court since 2020 and previously served as an administrative law judge in the District of…
Buffy Giddens headshot

00s

Buffy Giddens ’02

Buffy Giddens ’02 was appointed county attorney for St. Mary’s County. Giddens became St. Mary’s County deputy attorney in September 2022, after serving as an assistant state’s attorney for 16 years. She received her J.D. from the University of Maryland…

10s

Monica McNutt M.Jour. ’13

Monica McNutt M.Jour. ’13 became the primary New York Knicks radio analyst, calling most of the team’s games on 98.7FM ESPN New York. She continues her duties as a pre- and postgame analyst for select MSG Networks’ Knicks telecasts.
Lawrence Gramling headshot

Passings

Lawrence Gramling DBA ’82

Lawrence Gramling DBA ’82 of Milford, Conn., died on Oct. 17, 2023, at age 77. He was born and raised in Williamsport, Pa., and served in the Army during the Vietnam War. After attending the University of Scranton, Northeastern University (where he met…
Helen Patricia (Mullen) Prout headshot

Passings

Helen Patricia (Mullen) Prout M.Ed. ’70

Helen Patricia (Mullen) Prout M.Ed. ’70 died on Nov. 9, 2023, at the age of 77. She grew up in West New York, N.J., where she met her future husband, Maurice, in kindergarten. She graduated from Saint Joseph's of the Palisades High School and Jersey City…
Raul Fernandez

90s

Raul Fernandez ’90

Raul Fernandez ’90 was promoted to interim president and CEO of DXC Technology, an IT services provider based in Ashburn, Va. He had been CEO of DXC since 2019 and chairman since 2022, overseeing a restructuring at the IT services provider, which employed…

Passings

Jackson Yeager ’52, ’59

Jackson Yeager ’52, ’59 died on Dec. 14, 2023, in Silver Spring, Md. He was 98. Yeager attended Montgomery Blair High School and earned degrees in German and electrical engineering at UMD. He served in the U.S. Navy and worked for McGraw Hill Publishing…

20s

Anusuya Sivaram Ph.D. ’23

Anusuya Sivaram Ph.D. ’23 joined the nonprofit Institute for Defense Analyses as a research staff member in its Strategy, Forces and Resources Division. She earned her bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University.