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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
Joe Feldmann on "Jeopardy!" set

00s

Joe Feldmann '04

Joe Feldmann '04, who took home $45,000 on the TV series “Jeopardy!” in June 2022, returned this fall for the new Champions Wildcard tournament; it pitted winners from the previous two seasons against each other for a spot in the Tournament of Champions.…
McKayla Kelly headshot

20s

McKayla Kelly ’20

McKayla Kelly ’20 joined Choptank Community Health System’s Fassett Magee Medical and Cambridge Dental Center as a physician assistant. She received her Master of Health Science degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Pearl Alice Hanson Johnson headshot

Passings

Pearl Alice Hanson Johnson ’67, M.Ed. ’73

Pearl Alice Hanson Johnson ’67, M.Ed. ’73 died in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Dec. 28, 2023, after a short illness. She was 98. Johnson was raised in Idaho as the fourth of 11 children and attended Utah State University for one year. She worked as a doctor's…

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…

Passings

Thomas Floyd Trail M.A. ’60

Thomas Floyd Trail M.A. ’60 of Moscow, Idaho, died on Nov. 2, 2023, at age 88. He graduated from Moscow High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Idaho, master’s in education from the University of Maryland and…
Stephanie L. Williams headshot

00s

Stephanie L. Williams M.C.P. ’04

Stephanie L. Williams M.C.P. ’04, president of Bozzuto Management Co., was named to the board of directors of Veris Residential, a real estate investment trust that primarily owns, operates, acquires and develops Class A multifamily properties.

90s

Lynn O'Brien ’97

Lynn O'Brien ’97 was elected partner at the national law firm Quarles and Brady. O’Brien is a member of the Washington, D.C., office and the labor and employment practice group. She manages a wide range of business immigration matters, guiding employers…

Passings

Nancy Nealy Ragsdale M.S. ’66, Ph.D. ’74

Nancy Nealy Ragsdale M.S. ’66, Ph.D. ’74, a research associate for UMD’s botany department, died on Oct. 2, 2023, at her home near Crozet, Va., after a battle with lung cancer. She was 85. Ragsdale graduated from Griffin High School and attended Emory…