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

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…

60s

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer ’63

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer ’63, the longest-serving Democrat in the House of Representatives, announced that he will retire when his 23rd term ends in January 2027. He spent two decades as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s deputy and was known for maintaining…

10s

Jeff Cheatham MBA ’13

Jeff Cheatham MBA ’13 was appointed vice president of contracts and subcontracts at V2X. He joined the company from Peraton, where he most recently served as vice president of contracts. Cheatham holds a B.S. in economics, cum laude, from George Mason…

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

Jonathan E. Yoffe ’07

Jonathan E. Yoffe ’07 was named to The Daily Record’s 2025 Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury Law Power List. He is a partner at Stavisky, Yoffe & Castro PA and serves as a member of the Board of Governors for the Maryland Association for…

90s

Aisha Braveboy ’97

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy ’97 was named to Washingtonian magazine’s 2025 list of Most Powerful Women. The former Prince George’s state’s attorney was sworn in on Juneteenth on the UMD campus and is focused on public safety and her…

10s

Thea LaFond-Gadson ’14

A year after winning gold in the triple jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Thea LaFond-Gadson ’14 took silver at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo with a mark of 14.89 meters.

00s

D. Paul Monteiro Jr. ’02

D. Paul Monteiro Jr. ’02 was hired as vice president for government relations and community affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He served most recently as the inaugural secretary of the Maryland Department of Service and Civic…