Winter 2026

January 15, 2026

As UMD steps up with a bold $2.5B fundraising campaign, take an interactive jaunt through Terp pride, purpose and progress.

Features

January 15, 2026

An illegal trade in animals is booming worldwide. Now, a UMD conservation criminologist is turning to artificial intelligence to snare smugglers and expose their networks.

Post-Grad

January 15, 2026

4 Ways to Stay Connected as Maryland Moves Forward

Parting Shot

January 15, 2026

IDEA Factory Window Casts Interior in Otherworldly Light

Post-Grad

January 15, 2026

An ‘Underexposed’ Photo From UMD History

Post-Grad

January 15, 2026

Alum Serves, Protects State’s Threatened Bug Community

Post-Grad

January 15, 2026

Architect Wants Your Next Airport Experience to Feel Less Terminal

Post-Grad

January 15, 2026

Alum Flips, Fights, Tumbles Across New York Sets

Explorations

January 15, 2026

Study: Lightning Creates, and Eliminates, Pollution

Explorations

January 15, 2026

Scientist Examines Sea Ice Via Satellite, Plane and Snowmobile

Explorations

January 15, 2026

Study Aims to Improve Decision-making, Health Outcomes

Explorations

January 15, 2026

Ask the Expert: Advice for Real Life

Explorations

January 15, 2026

Wild Predators Navigate the World Similarly to Domesticated Cousins, Study Finds

Explorations

January 15, 2026

Study: Tripadvisor Readers See Lone Consumers as Invested in Activities

Explorations

January 15, 2026

VR Reading Adventure Improves Skills for Dyslexic Youth

Class Notes

News on Friends and Classmates

See all Class Notes from this issue

Passings

Kenneth Bate ’66

Kenneth Bate ’66 died on April 13, 2025, at his Lusby, Md., residence. He was 85. Bate was raised in Washington, D.C., graduated from McKinley Technical High School and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1958-64, including 21 months in the Weather…

10s

Ryan Leeb ’11

Ryan Leeb ’11 joined the Severna Park, Md.-based KMA Law Office. A third-generation certified financial planner in his family, he focuses on the areas of estate planning, succession planning and wealth management. Leeb graduated from the University of…

00s

Seema Ponda Alexander ’00

Seema Ponda Alexander ’00 was recognized among the Washington Business Journal’s 2025 Women Who Mean Business. She is founder and CEO of Disruptive AI, a technology startup that builds AI-powered systems and funds new AI-technologies. Alexander also hosts…

00s

Anthony Lee Gregg ’09

Anthony Lee Gregg ’09 wed Elizabeth Katherine Thomas on Oct. 18 in front of 175 guests at the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. He is a software engineer at Asurion. The New York Times published a story about their nuptials, focusing on her family’s…

90s

Brooke Iley '91

Brooke Iley '91 was appointed co-chair of Blank Rome LLP's Washington, D.C. office. She counsels and defends domestic and foreign corporations in employment and labor law compliance and litigation. Iley volunteers for the Ronald McDonald House, Linda’s…

90s

Brian Pertman ’96

Brian Pertman ’96 was appointed president of Top Notch Distributors, a distributor of residential and commercial door hardware. He has three decades of leadership experience across Stanley Black & Decker, Allegion and Jeld-Wen.

00s

David M. Porter ’00, ’00

District Court Judge David M. Porter ’00, ’00 was appointed chief judge of the Fifth Judicial District of Iowa, which comprises 16 counties. He was appointed to the district court bench in 2015 and earned his law degree from Drake University Law School in…

00s

Ana Schwarz ’09

Ana Schwarz ’09, a partner at Rubin Rudman, was listed among the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Family Lawyers in America for her expertise in high-net worth divorce, trusts and estate planning, and probate litigation. Schwarz is a co-chair of Rubin Rudman's…