Winter 2024

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

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

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

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.

Campus Life

Taulia Tagovailoa looks to pass football

Sports Briefs

Tagovailoa Named Big Ten’s All-Time Passing Leader; Expanded Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex Opens

Explorations

AI Offers Hope on Dangerous Ground

Researchers Pinpoint Unexploded Shells, Rockets in Ukraine’s Agricultural Regions

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

Explorations

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

What the Bio-Nose Knows

Futuristic Smeller Uses Talents of Living Cells

Explorations

The FEWture of Food Forests

Persimmons, Pawpaws and Beach Plums Thrive in Edible Ecosystems

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

A Soaring Success

Bald Eagle Expert Joins Legendary Explorers Club Honorees

Explorations

Towering Ambitions for Forecasts

Maryland Mesonet to Provide Early Weather Warning in a Changing Climate

Explorations

three people sit on stage at PROGRESS launch

PROGRESS on Gun Violence

Initiative to Offer Research, Solutions to National Crisis

Post-Grad

Capital-area Chronicler Turns the Page

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

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

Alum’s Photo to Live ‘Forever’ on Stamp

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

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

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

90s

Michael “Nathan” Shashoua ’92

Michael “Nathan” Shashoua ’92 wrote “Snapshot of a Warped Man,” a memoir of personal dysfunction addressing awkwardness, social alienation and twisted sexual fantasizing. Shashoua has worked as a journalist covering a variety of topics, including finance,…

00s

Robyn Dixon ’00

Robyn Dixon ’00, one of the cast members of the Bravo reality show “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” opened a franchise of GLO30, a monthly membership facial business, in Columbia. She also created the company Embellished, which sells satin-lined hats and…

00s

Bryant “Mack” McGee ’07,

Bryant “Mack” McGee ’07, chief marketing officer at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, was named to the Baltimore Business Journal's “40 Under 40” for 2023.

Passings

Mary Ethel Jacocks McCorkle ’68

Mary Ethel Jacocks McCorkle ’68 of Hillsborough, N.C., died Dec. 18, 2023, at the age of 79. She majored in sociology at UMD and was an accountant at Saint Mary’s School in Raleigh, N.C., for many years. After moving to Emerald Isle, McCorckle enjoyed…

10s

Kristin Fallon MBA ’11

Kristin Fallon MBA ’11 joined Bentley Systems, a leader in infrastructure engineering software, as chief marketing officer. She was previously global head of brand and digital marketing at GE HealthCare. She holds a B.A. in economics from Wake Forest…

Passings

James Dayton Blackwell ’54, M.Ed. ’58

James Dayton Blackwell ’54, M.Ed. ’58 died at his home in Catonsville, Md., on Oct. 16, 2023, at age 91. After completing his degrees in music education at UMD, Blackwell was a pilot in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserves, ending his service career…

00s

Jason Sartori MCP '05

Jason Sartori MCP '05 was appointed planning director for the Montgomery Planning Department in October. Sartori has worked for the Montgomery County Planning Department since 2016.

00s

John Grimm ’06, M.A. ’08

John Grimm ’06, M.A. ’08 joined Goodell DeVries as a partner in the firm’s commercial and business tort litigation and appellate practice groups. He was most recently a partner at a prominent Washington, D.C., litigation and telecom boutique, and…