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

00s

Luke Grossmann MBA ’08

Luke Grossmann MBA ’08 was promoted to chief financial officer and executive vice president of the U.S. Postal Service. He’s worked there for 20 years, mostly recently as senior vice president of finance and strategy. Grossmann has a bachelor’s degree in…

90s

Keri Mattox ’99

Keri Mattox ’99 was appointed to the newly created role of chief business officer at Parexel, a clinical research organization. She most recently served as chief communications and administration officer at Zimmer Biomet, a global leader in medical…

70s

Marty Brooks ’78

Marty Brooks ’78, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Center District since 2018, was named Milwaukee Business Journal's Executive of the Year. He is credited with revitalizing the downtown venues, including doubling the size of Baird, a convention center,…

00s

Bonny Ghosh ’02, M.S. ’06

Bonny Ghosh ’02, M.S. ’06 was named editorial director of Inc. magazine. For the past two years, Ghosh had been producing programming for Apple’s global events team at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino. She previously served as the managing editor of…

00s

Jason Lee ’06

Jason Lee ’06 was promoted to senior vice president of supply chain at Din Tai Fund North America. He joined the company in 2022 and before that was with Cava Group and Five Guys. He has an MBA from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

90s

Debbie Goldman M.P.P. ’96, M.A. ’07, Ph.D. ’22

Debbie Goldman M.P.P. ’96, M.A. ’07, Ph.D. ’22 wrote the book “Disconnected: Call Center Workers Fight for Good Jobs in the Digital Age” (University of Illinois Press), based on her dissertation for the degree she earned at age 69. The former researcher…

10s

Amaiya Davis ’13 and Matthew Wynter ’10

Amaiya Davis ’13 and Matthew Wynter ’10 were married Oct. 10 at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in New York City; a reception followed the next day at Ravel in Long Island City. She is the vice president of media and cultural impact and engagement at…

80s

Steve Hocking ’87

Steve Hocking ’87 was named a senior regulatory advisor at Kleinschmidt Associates, an engineering, regulatory and environmental consulting firm. He last served as branch chief in FERC’s Division of Hydropower Administration and Compliance.