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

Creating a Cartoon You

Terp Promotes On-Screen Representation by Making Avatars More Customizable

Post-Grad

Pup ‘Reels’ in the Likes

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

Post-Grad

At Home With a Continent’s Cultural Heritage

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

Post-Grad

Alumni Association News

The Alumni Excellence Awards

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

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.

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

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

Explorations

AI Confronts Seagoing ‘Rogues’

System Can Predict Approach of Giant Waves

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

Commuter Crunch

Management Researcher Eyes Steps to Improve Escalator Efficiency

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

90s

Lorrie L. Hargrove ’90

Lorrie L. Hargrove ’90 joined Thompson Coburn in its higher education practice in Birmingham, Ala., bringing more than 30 years of broad nationwide litigation experience. She joined the firm from Maynard Nexsen. She earned her J.D. from the University of…

70s

M. DeLois “Dee Dee” Strum ’74, M.S. ’77

M. DeLois “Dee Dee” Strum ’74, M.S. ’77 was named interim CEO and president of the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation, which elevates Black voices in community preservation, public policy and environmental justice. She had served as the foundation’s…

00s

Fernando Gonzalez MBA ’04

Fernando Gonzalez MBA ’04, partner and CEO in residence at QED Investors, was named one of DC’s 2024 Tech Titans by Washingtonian magazine, showcasing 219 of the most innovative and important leaders in Washington’s tech scene.

90s

Tamara Wilds Lawson M.A. ’98, Ph.D. ’09

Tamara Wilds Lawson M.A. ’98, Ph.D. ’09, president and CEO, Washington Area Women’s Foundation, was named Washington Business Journal’s Nonprofit Leader of the Year. She joined the community-supported foundation, which invests in the power of women and…

90s

Jean Moody-Williams M.P.P. ’95

Jean Moody-Williams M.P.P. ’95, deputy center director for the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality at the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) received a 2024 Presidential Rank Award from President Joe Biden. The honor recognized her…

90s

Dawn Flythe Moore ’97

Maryland first lady Dawn Flythe Moore ’97 was honored by Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., at its annual Impact Gala with its Champion of Reproductive Health Award. It recognized her work advancing reproductive health care access and…

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…

00s

Naseema Shafi ’00

Naseema Shafi ’00, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health, was named to the Washington Business Journal’s 2024 Women Who Mean Business list, which recognizes the region's most influential women. In her 17-year tenure, she has overseen the development of over…