Community News

TIME and Statista recently named the top 250 U.S. companies reducing environmental impact, and two of the four Maryland companies on the list were established at the University of Maryland and the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEI2).

University of Maryland women have made dramatic contributions in the worlds of sports, science, media, space exploration, policy and beyond. Get to Know TV Trailblazers, Sports Heroes, Scientists—Even an Astronaut. 

By combining robotics, automation and artificial intelligence (AI), Maryland Engineering researchers and students are building solutions that can help save lives, protect property and safeguard the environment. One such system, RoboScout, the University of Maryland’s entry in a competition run by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), would rapidly survey and assess injuries at sites of disasters or violence.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to add a buff Pikachu to your action figure collection. Or to piece together a topographically accurate 2-foot-wide globe. Or to replicate your canine companion—sized to fit in the palm of your hand. It’s all possible at the Advanced Fabrication Lab, the flagship facility of Terrapin Works, a unit of the A. James Clark School of Engineering that provides design, education and manufacturing services to the University of Maryland community and beyond.

UMD students, faculty, staff and alums are hosting and producing dozens of podcasts, covering the arts, athletics, business, research and more.

Mblue Labs, founded in 2018 at the University of Maryland, is touting a splash in the fountain of youth with products featuring a 150-year-old antioxidant called methylene blue that penetrates skin all the way into the cell. By extending cellular life, it appears to slow outward signs of aging.

As a tight end at the University of Maryland, Matt Furstenburg says he was going through hundreds of pairs of gloves a year just to keep that new stickiness. He says he learned that chemical engineers at the university were working on a polymer derived from shrimp and crab shells. They were testing the gel on pig skin to see if it could be used as a bandage for gunshot wounds. They created a partnership and eventually a gel and glove company called Grip Boost, which Furstenburg runs. The company's products for football, baseball and hockey help enhance and revitalize the stickiness of surfaces.

John Samura, a UMD master’s student in agricultural and extension education, checks out an innovative irrigation system at Cultivaid’s demo farm in Dodoma, Tanzania. Samura traveled with five other Global STEWARDS Fellows to the country over winter break to learn from and share knowledge with partners about the food-energy-water nexus.

A $3.8 million gift from the widow of a longtime, influential dean of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business school will support and expand the work of its nationally known entrepreneurship center, which will be renamed for him. In recognition of Linda Lamone’s generosity, the Dingman-Lamone Center for Entrepreneurship will honor the contributions and legacy of Rudolph P. “Rudy” Lamone, who led the school from 1973-92. Lamone established the center, one of the first of its kind at a business school, with a gift from founding donor Michael Dingman in 1986.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore joined University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines and IonQ President and CEO Peter Chapman to announce a landmark public-private partnership to catalyze $1 billion in investments and position the state as a global leader in quantum information science and technology. The “Capital of Quantum” initiative was introduced at an event highlighting Moore’s 2025 economic growth agenda held at IonQ, a leading quantum computing and networking firm founded on UMD research and headquartered in the university’s Discovery District.

The Research Roundup strives to spotlight the breadth and depth of creative, innovative work happening all across our campus in so many different disciplines. The University of Maryland had much to celebrate in 2024: UMD was named a top-10 university for entrepreneurship for the tenth consecutive year, climbed higher among the top 20 universities for research and development spending, and received the largest contract in the university’s history to support the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS).

Three Terps have been named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 lists: From left, Tyler Denk '16, Parinaz Fathi '15 and Julia Lamb ’17.

From your email inbox to your thyroid to the battery in your phone, University of Maryland grads are transforming critical aspects of your everyday life. Three young innovators and entrepreneurs have been named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 lists, the magazine’s annual roundup of 600 rising stars in education, music, social impact, health care and more. They join more than 25 other Terps recognized by Forbes since 2011.

Drew Haas ’24 bakes enough colorful cookies each week to feed a few hundred people, but her signature Nutella-stuffed treats virtually tempt her more than 160,000 online followers.

This Terp switched studies for sprinkles this spring to pursue Cookies by Drew full time after graduating with a degree in communications and entrepreneurship. Her business blossomed during her time at UMD, and she now collaborates with some of Gen Z’s biggest stars on social media, sharing her love of baking one bite at a time.

UMD student and alum businesses offer a variety of great gift options this holiday season. If you don’t yet know what you’ll stuff into stockings for the holidays, turn to a Terp-owned business for ideas. From sweet and savory snacks to custom-made wood carvings and quirky jewelry and stickers, you’ll find plenty of options to finish your shopping.

The University of Maryland again stands among the best in the nation at promoting student entrepreneurship, according to 2025 rankings released today by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine.

UMD placed No. 7 across all institutions, No. 5 among public universities, No. 17 for graduate entrepreneurship education and No. 1 in the mid-Atlantic for both undergraduate and graduate programs. This marks Maryland’s 10th straight year in the top 10.

Electrical engineering major Matthew Weirich ’25 earned a patent for his design of a traffic “cone” device that contains a miniature computer and wireless communications equipment that digitally transmits information to self-driving vehicles.

The goal: to enhance safety for drivers and construction workers while creating an eco-friendly alternative to traditional traffic cones and barrels. Because the new cones aren’t designed to be seen by people, but by autonomous cars, they don’t need to be as large, and far fewer can do the job.

In the world of streaming, where around seven million creators vie for viewer attention across platforms, the ability to repurpose content efficiently can make the difference between obscurity and viral success. For Twitch streamers, translating hours of live footage into digestible, shareable clips is daunting. A group of University of Maryland students has taken on this challenge with their startup, Saved. It uses machine learning to identify and repurpose key moments from streams, turning them into ready-to-post highlights for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts.

Miheer Khona's Kraveworthy Kitchens is the first tenant at the UMD IDEA Factory's food incubator, a collaboration between xFoundry and Dining Services, serving a variety of unique plant-based dishes.

If you’re looking to get out of your chicken Caesar salad or ham-and-cheese sandwich rut each day, an out-of-the-box concept at the IDEA Factory café could spice up your next meal.

Offering curry-covered tater tot bowls, Baja tacos with fried hearts of palm, a barbecue chili crunch black bean burger (right) and more, Kraveworthy Kitchens is a plant-based micro-food hall now operating at the University of Maryland.

The Ignition Schools list honors the top academic institutions that play an enormous role in shaping the businesses that influence society. Innovation and entrepreneurship—the editorial lodestars for Fast Company and Inc., respectively—are also the focus of Ignition Schools. The 50 colleges and universities we’re honoring in our inaugural list don’t just produce elite students and groundbreaking research; they also are economic engines that generate the ideas, businesses, and opportunities that move cities, regions, and countries toward a better future. 

Korion Health co-founders Akshaya Anand ’19, M.P.S. ’23 and Anna Li, a University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University M.D./Ph.D. student, took first place at the annual Hult Prize challenge in London earlier this month, beating nearly 10,000 teams of young people from around the world with startups dedicated to solving social issues.

Advocates like Jenn Tran help small businesses weather changing neighborhoods. Tran leads a discussion on efforts to protect longstanding, Vietnamese-owned businesses at Eden Center  in Falls Church, Va. Her group, Viet Place Collective, used strategies developed by UMD researchers from the Small Business Anti-Displacement Network (SBAN) to impact the city's development plan.

Mike Ravenscroft, MBA ’21, knows there is value in community. It’s why he’s passionate about working with the University System of Maryland’s entrepreneurs and technologists, and why he gives his time to help students at the Robert H. Smith School of Business build careers in startups and venture capital.

George Laurer '51, inventor of the Universal Product Code, was inducted into the A. James Clark School of Engineering's Innovation Hall of Fame in 2011. 

UMD was presented with the Entrepreneurial University Award, an annual honor given to an institution that exemplifies excellence in fostering an entrepreneurial culture across its campus.

UMD’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has a track record of turning out creative, problem-solving businesses that make an impact—from campus to the global economy.

Om Desai, a public health science major in the School of Public Health and humanities, health, and medicine minor, applied for the xFoundry’s Xperience cohort last fall where he is learning how his unique public health perspective can help his team find a potential solution to improve school safety.

19 juniors and seniors at College Park Academy (CPA), a public charter school launched with support from the University of Maryland in 2013 and located in UMD’s Discovery District, designed an adaptive device. These students are part of the Engineering for Us All (e4usa) program, which was co-created by University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines and the American Society for Engineering Education.

A new student club that creates software to solve real-world problems and a foundation that works to break down racial divides took the top prizes at the University of Maryland’s 12th annual Do Good Challenge.

University of Maryland, College Park Awarded 59 Patents in 2023

Annual Cohorts to Seek Solutions to Gun Violence, Then Mental Health Challenges

Alums Recognized Among Young Achievers in Retail and E-commerce, Music

The University of Maryland climbed into the nation’s top five colleges for cultivating student entrepreneurialism, according to rankings released by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine.

Alumna’s Brand Offers Different Take on LGBTQ+-themed Fashion

UMD students have developed a web platform, WISE Cities (Where Innovation Supports Everyone), that aims to combat social isolation among older adults.

Passion for Provolone, Parmesan Drives Alum to Pivot From Overseas Development to Opening Tasting Bar. From delicious cheese boards to elaborate wedding "cakes," Kara McGrath '13 creates all types of savory delights at Paste and Rind, the cheese and wine bar she and husband Aaron Fagan '13 opened earlier this year on Washington, D.C.'s H Street.

Computer Science Major, Assistant Professor Design System to Locate Trapped, Injured Victims After Catastrophes

Former Terps Cornerback Tackles Subjects’ Essences on Canvas. Unlike many working artists, dissecting his peers’ techniques and the politics of the art world bores Lynde Washington ’99. He’d rather figure out how to put you in the shoes of a quarterback about to get flattened by legendary Bears linebacker Mike Singletary.

Opening of the movie “Barbie” has inspired a marketing juggernaut by doll producer Mattel (led by Richard Dickson ’90) and other corporate partners, including, clockwise from top left, a branded Xbox; a Barbie that looks like the movie’s star, Margot Robbie; a Gap dog hoodie; hot pink Aldo pumps; a Mattel pool float; and sparkly Pinkberry fro-yo.

Anthropology Alum’s Food Tour Dishes Out Tales From ‘Black Broadway,’ Taste of Immigrant Culinary Traditions. Blue Fern Travel tour guide Jim Haefele standing outside of the the iconic Ben's Chili Bowl mural.

Entomology Alum’s Startup Works to Protect Farmers and Reduce Plastic Waste. Krisztina Christmon Ph.D. ’23 has created a company to tackle the problem of agricultural plastic waste by collecting and cleaning it for recycling into new products.

Alum Highlights Black Chefs, Artists at NYC-Based Event Agency. From intimate dinner parties to glamorous galas and even a sleek magazine, Amber Mayfield '14 highlights Black chefs and creators through her company, To Be Hosted.

Sam Panitch ’18 and Parker Yablon ’18 turned to a whiteboard to workshop what didn’t feel right in their lives. They have recorded hundreds of episodes of their podcast, "Elevation Nation," which explores topics related to building their adult lives after graduation.

Retired Climate Scientist Spent Months Teaching English to Thai Kindergarteners. After retiring from a career as a climate scientist, Dian Seidel Ph.D. '92 spent several months in Thailand teaching kindergarteners English. Now, she's written a memoir, "Kindergarten at 60," about the experience.

Terp tutors from Peer to Peer will soon be able to zoom to local schools to teach refugee students in person, rather than being limited to online Zoom sessions, after winning the Zipcar Students with Drive Challenge.

From tackling food insecurity to fostering cultural exchanges, UMD students and alums are positively impacting communities through their newly formed companies.

Inside the studio, students can now use 3D scanners, depth-sensing cameras, laser cutters and circuitry equipment.

From Next-Gen Security Cameras to Smart Sorters, Hackathon Winners Provide Innovative IoT Solutions

Innovate Maryland Event Also Celebrates Work on Plastic Substitutes, Cancer Detection, Quantum Science

The expanded Do Good program was announced during Maryland Day, the university’s annual open house, with the official unveiling of a new campus icon, the Do Good sculpture.

New Report Lists USM 14th in U.S. Public Universities, 32nd Worldwide

Six student teams split $20K for their impactful ventures and projects tackling social issues.

Six teams that spent the year advocating, fundraising, volunteering and developing solutions to address social issues will take the stage during this year’s Do Good Challenge finals.

Team members of Sustainabli, a startup dedicated to reducing energy loss from fume hoods in laboratories and making the practice of science more sustainable, display their $30,000 grand prize at the Pitch Dingman Competition on Tuesday.

UMD President Darryll J. Pines speaks to attendees at UMD's Quantum Investment Summit at the Hall CP on Wednesday.

Rahul Vinod '11 and Sahil Rahman '12 are opening the fifth location of their fast-casual Indian restaurant, Rasa, this spring in Rockville. The pair are following in the footsteps of their parents, who own more formal Indian restaurants together.

Two new apples developed by a UMD team—one red and one yellow —are far easier to grow and could be better suited to a warming climate than traditional varieties.

Cool Green Shelters, an offshoot of Maryland-born company Living Canopies, will bring comfortable, sustainable bus shelters to riders often left unprotected. The company's first shelters will debut in Hyattsville this summer.

Mira Azarm, an innovation instigator in the Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, peers out from under a table during a recent improv workshop designed to help instructors bring more playfulness and creativity into their classrooms.

Ori Zohar ’07 and his Burlap & Barrel co-founder, Ethan Frisch, are appearing tonight on ABCs “Shark Tank’ to pitch the investing panel their single origin spice company. "You only have one shot," said Zohar. "Whatever happens, happens."

Food Recovery Network, the Midnight Mile (and later Madness), campus versions of “Survivor,” streaking and the Gamer Symphony Orchestra all trace their origins to the University of Maryland.

The craft beer that Geoff Larson ’80 produces for his Alaskan Brewing Company draws from the natural resources of Juneau.

Dean Muhtadi ’08, MBA ’11, known as Mojo Rawley during his days as a WWE wrestler, recently launched Paragon Talent Group with business partner Steve Kaye to help current and former pro wrestlers make a comfortable living—with or without the sport.

Tyler Denk ’16, Sarah Lorentzen ’18, Daniel Luu ’16 and TJ Ademiluyi ’17 were named to this year’s Forbes’ 30 Under 30 lists, which highlight North America’s up-and-coming entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, scientists and activists.

Rudolph P. Lamone, or "Rudy," as he was commonly known, served from 1973-92 as dean of the Robert H. Smith School of Business and established the widely recognized Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship.