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

Passings

Marguerite Deborah Nye Corgan ’72, ’73,

Marguerite Deborah Nye Corgan ’72, ’73, of York, Maine, died on Sept. 13, 2023. She was born in Washington, D.C., majored in English at UMD and later studied music and voice and earned her postgraduate degree in secondary education from California State…

Passings

Dagmar Renate “Reni” Henney Ph.D. ’65

Dagmar Renate “Reni” Henney Ph.D. ’65 died on Sept. 16, 2023, at Beebe Hospital in Lewes, Del., after a struggle with cancer. She was 92. Henney was born in the Spandau section of Berlin, Germany, to a Catholic father and Jewish mother, who was murdered…

00s

Ahmed Elyased-Ahmed ’06

Ahmed Elyased-Ahmed ’06, vice president of strategic analytics for the Maryland Hospital Association, was named to the Baltimore Business Journal's “40 Under 40.”

Passings

Susan Nagler Beatty ’81

Susan Nagler Beatty ’81 died on Oct. 28, 2023, three months after being diagnosed with cancer. She was 70. Beatty grew up in Hyattsville, Md., and graduated from Northwestern High School and UMD, then began her career in the U.S. House of Representatives,…

Passings

Daniel A. Williams ’64

Daniel A. Williams ’64 of Westminster, Md., died on Dec. 27, 2023, at Carroll Hospital Center after a brief illness. He was 81. Willams grew up in Baltimore and majored in Spanish at UMD. He earned master's and doctoral degrees from Johns Hopkins…

00s

Steve Elliott MFA ’03

Steve Elliott MFA ’03 was named president of Black Hills State University in Spearfish, S.D. He was previously vice president of academic affairs at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. He held various positions there, including faculty member, department…

Passings

Edward John Standera Jr. ’59

Edward John Standera Jr. ’59 died on Oct. 18, 2023, at the age of 89. Born in Nanticoke, Pa., Standera attended the University of Maryland after serving in the U.S. Navy. Standera moved to Florida to work as a consulting engineer, eventually working in…

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,…