Winter 2025

Winter 2025 Kan Cao holds flask as she works in lab

A UMD researcher of a rare disease that fatally ages children has discovered how an obscure blue compound could help us all look younger.

Explorations

strawberry holding umbrella with crabs on it; a pear holding a "RIPE" sign shaking hands with a banana; a sparkling steak

Fresh Takes on Fighting Food Waste

Researchers Devise Spoilage-Stopping Tech That Could Change How We Grow, Buy and Store Produce

Parting Shot

Kermit sits with statue of himself and Jim Henson on UMD campus

Kermit Comes Home

Famed Frog Makes a Rainbow Connection With Terps

Post-Grad

Ag Day A-moo-sment

An ‘Underexposed’ Photo of UMD History

Post-Grad

At Home With a Continent’s Cultural Heritage

Alumna’s Book Weaves Together African Design Principles and Contemporary Decor

Post-Grad

Pup ‘Reels’ in the Likes

Antics of Alums’ Goldendoodle Bring Joy to Millions on Social Media

Post-Grad

Creating a Cartoon You

Terp Promotes On-Screen Representation by Making Avatars More Customizable

Post-Grad

Alumni Association News

The Alumni Excellence Awards

Explorations

one person says "Bonjour!" and the other says "Tres bien!"

How to Make a Second Language Second Nature

Ask the Expert: Advice for Real Life

Features

Joi Howard poses by brick columns and greenery

A Fresh Start for ‘Maryland’s Shame’

Joi Howard ’03 seeks to turn a shuttered, segregated psychiatric hospital into a working farm and wellness site for the Black community.

Features

collage of photos: cars driving on Route 1 at night; students standing in Rendezvous; students dancing; students standing outside on sidewalk; man wearing hat playing pinball with beer; man in aviator sunglasses

The Lost Haunts of Route 1

No matter the decade, Terps found refuges and ‘Rendezvous’ points on College Park’s Main Street

Explorations

silhouette with scribble brain and garbled words coming out of mouth

Lost (and Found) in Translation

Migraines Rob Doctoral Student of Words. He Helps Youths Find Theirs.

Explorations

Commuter Crunch

Management Researcher Eyes Steps to Improve Escalator Efficiency

Explorations

Jill Bradbury signs in front of stage next to electronic sign that reads, "Welcome to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center"

Signs of Accessibility in Performing Arts

School’s First Deaf Leader to Expand Options to Guests

Explorations

AI Confronts Seagoing ‘Rogues’

System Can Predict Approach of Giant Waves

Explorations

house with fertilizer, salt shaker, cleaning products, cinder block and ice melt

Salt Life

Take a Home Tour to Learn How We’re Worsening Salinity Around the World

Campus Life

students sit at round tables as professor lectures; screens show slide reading, "What are the most pressing social issues of our time?"

Freshmen Philanthropists

For 10 Years, iGive Students Have Learned by Awarding Grants to Nonprofits

Campus Life

women's rifle team lies on ground to shoot

Steady Eye on the Target

Hoops Shooters and Sharpshooters Pioneered Terp Women’s Sports a Century Ago

Campus Life

collage of Edmond Dédé, flowers and musical notes

A ‘Mind-Blowing’ Premiere, 130 Years Later

UMD to Debut Oldest Existing Opera by Black Composer

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

20s

Varun Shankar ’24, ’24

Varun Shankar ’24, ’24 joined The Washington Post as a Washington Wizards reporter. He was most recently a summer intern at The Post, where he covered a variety of teams and sports, and was a news aide for The Post for three years before his internship,…

Passings

Barbara Jenkins Bull ’71

Barbara Jenkins Bull ’71 died on Dec. 3, 2024, following outpatient surgery in Gainesville, Ga. She was 75, She grew up in Essex, Md., and earned her bachelor's degree in math education from the University of Maryland. She taught middle school in St.…

00s

Matt DeZee ’00

Matt DeZee ’00 was promoted from CFO to chief transformation and strategy officer at Precision Medicine Group. A member of Precision's founding team in 2012, DeZee served as corporate development officer for eight years before becoming CFO in 2020. Prior…

80s

Rick Rudman ’84

Rick Rudman ’84, CEO of Curbio, a pre-listing home improvement company for real estate agents and their clients, was named a 2024 HousingWire Vanguards Award recipient. It recognizes 100 executives who have led their respective organizations to greatness…

Passings

Retired Air Force Col. Alvin Leon Day ’62

Retired Air Force Col. Alvin Leon Day ’62 of Pensacola, Fla., died on Dec. 12, 2024, at age 84. Day graduated with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering at UMD, where he met his wife of 58 years, Jeanne H.C. Martin. He retired from the Air Force…

90s

Jeffrey Rosen ’98, MBA ’05

Jeffrey Rosen ’98, MBA ’05, managing partner of Rosen, Sapperstein and Friedlander in Towson, Md., was among 31 leaders recognized by The Daily Record as the 2024 Most Admired CEOs. Honorees were selected based on professional accomplishments, community…

00s

Roya Mohadjer ’09, MBA ’13

Roya Mohadjer ’09, MBA ’13 was promoted to vice president of government business Development at Battelle. She joined the company in 2020 after holding roles at DLH, Leidos and Lockheed Martin. In 2022, Washington Exec named Mohadjer a Top Healthcare…

80s

Joanna Sullivan ’87

Joanna Sullivan ’87, who led the Baltimore Business Journal as editor-in-chief since 1999, accepted a senior editor position within the American City Business Journals chain, the publication’s parent company. She joined the BBJ in 1993 as a reporter and,…