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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
Divya Prasad headshot

10s

Divya Prasad ’16

Divya Prasad ’16 joined Friedlander Misler as an associate and member of the real estate and commercial transactions practice groups. She previously practiced in Baltimore, representing financial institutions and financing parties in structuring lending…

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…

Passings

Martin Lewis Berger ’66

Martin Lewis Berger ’66 of Rockville, Md., died Dec. 18, 2023, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Raised in Silver Spring, Md., Berger attended Coolidge High School and UMD, where he studied education. He began his career teaching middle school…
John Grimm headshot

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…

Passings

Helen Gary Warner German ‘75

Helen Gary Warner German ‘75 of Greenbelt, Md., died on Oct. 23, 2023, at age 70, nearly seven years after suffering a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. She was born in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Parkdale High School and UMD. German…
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…

80s

Matt Hicks ’83

Longtime Texas Rangers radio play-by-play announcer Matt Hicks ’83 fulfilled a career dream by covering the World Series. Hicks started his career at WMUC.

10s

Paul Plymouth ’10

Paul Plymouth ’10, director of state government and local engagement at Verizon, was named to the Baltimore Business Journal's “40 Under 40” for 2023. He earned an M.P.A. from the University of North Carolina.