Winter 2024

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

January 12, 2024

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

January 16, 2024

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.

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

Features

January 12, 2024

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

January 12, 2024

The Alumni Excellence Awards

Parting Shot

January 12, 2024

Testudo Watches Over McKeldin Mall From Perch of Nearly 60 Years

"Testudo II" wheels near stands at football game

Post-Grad

January 12, 2024

An ‘Underexposed’ Photo of UMD History

Alex Kin ’08 and Sarah Tostanoski ’09 on wedding day

Post-Grad

January 12, 2024

Alums Celebrate Wedding at Homecoming Tailgate

Cheese board with M in middle; Kara McGrath inset portrait

Post-Grad

January 12, 2024

5 Tips for Making a Board Bursting With Flavor and Color

Post-Grad

January 12, 2024

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

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

Post-Grad

January 12, 2024

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

Post-Grad

January 12, 2024

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

three people sit on stage at PROGRESS launch

Explorations

January 12, 2024

Initiative to Offer Research, Solutions to National Crisis

Explorations

January 12, 2024

Maryland Mesonet to Provide Early Weather Warning in a Changing Climate

Explorations

January 12, 2024

Bald Eagle Expert Joins Legendary Explorers Club Honorees

Arlington House perched atop Arlington National Cemetery

Explorations

January 12, 2024

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

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

Passings

Steven Mark Rochon ’90, M.S. ’97

Steven Mark Rochon ’90, M.S. ’97 died on Oct. 17, 2023, at the age of 56. Born at Ft. Huachuca, Ariz., he earned two engineering degrees at UMD and began a long career as a civil engineer with the Maryland State Highway Administration. Upon retiring,…

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…

Passings

Steven Charles Theodore ’74

Steven Charles Theodore ’74 died on Dec. 16, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla., after a battle with cancer. He was 71. Raised in Wheaton, Md., Theodore and his twin sister, Gwen, graduated from Einstein High School and UMD. It was at the university that he met…

Passings

Robert W. Reiter ’51

Robert W. Reiter ’51, a lifelong resident of Baltimore, died at the age of 97 on Oct. 15, 2023. He was born and raised in the Pimlico neighborhood and graduated from Mount Saint Joseph High School. He was honorably discharged from the Army Air Corp in…

00s

Ryan Spiegel '00

Ryan Spiegel '00 was appointed by Gov. Wes Moore to represent District 17 (including the cities of Gaithersburg and Rockville) in the Maryland House of Delegates. Spiegel, a Gaithersburg City Council member since 2007, will serve out the remainder of…

20s

Maria McGee M.Ed. ’23

Maria McGee M.Ed. ’23 was one of 37 promising high school science and math teachers chosen by the Knowles Teacher Initiative as a 2023 teaching fellow. Knowles Fellows gain access to more than $50,000, including stipends and funds for classroom materials,…

Passings

Lorraine Antoinette Alt ’74

Lorraine Antoinette Alt ’74 died on Sept. 6, 2023, in Palm Coast, Fla., at age 87. She was born in Nanticoke, Pa., and met her husband at a high school dance in Philadelphia. A few years after their marriage, the couple relocated to Kensington, Md.,…

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…