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

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…

10s

Ryan Merkel M.A. ’10

Ryan Merkel M.A. ’10 was hired as principal gifts officer at the National Gallery of Art. He most recently was chief development officer at Washington’s Arena Stage, and he began his career in development at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing…

90s

J. Michael Bruff ’90, ’90

J. Michael Bruff ’90, ’90 was appointed chief financial officer at Envision Healthcare. He previously served as CFO of ChenMed of Lifestance Health and of Varian Medical Systems.

00s

Bradi Smith ’03

Bradi Smith ’03 was elected to partner at the international law firm Kilpatrick. She is a trademark attorney in New York.

00s

Laurie M. Wasserman '01

Laurie M. Wasserman '01 was named to the Maryland Daily Record’s 2024 Best Women-Owned Business List. She is partner and founder of Wasserman White Family Law, which has grown to 15 employees in six years.

80s

Jane Lewis-Raymond ’87

Jane Lewis-Raymond ’87 was elected to the board of Unitil Corp. She is principal of Hilltop Strategies, which provides strategic consulting services to senior executives, and also currently serves on the board of Southwest Gas Holdings. Lewis-Raymond has…

90s

Peter Hopsicker M.A. ’94

Peter Hopsicker M.A. ’94, a professor of kinesiology at Penn State, was named associate vice provost for faculty affairs. Hopsicker started at Penn State Altoona in 1996 as an adjunct instructor and joined the Student Affairs staff a year later. He earned…

Passings

Thomas Dercola ’63

Thomas Dercola ’63 of Catonsville, Md., died on Nov. 29, 2024. He majored in business at UMD and later worked for the U.S. Department of Energy as a contract analyst. During the 1950s and ’60s, Dercola founded and played keyboards in the band Tommy Cole…