A family with multigenerational ties to the university is giving $9 million to its School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies (TDPS) to boldly reimagine the future of education in the performing arts.

They marched DeNeen Brown down a street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, hands above her head, in the footsteps of Black people soon to be killed. But those victims had preceded her by nearly 100 years. At her back that day in the summer of 2018 was not an enraged white mob, but a pair of activists—a Black history-focused local tour guide and a city politician—both determined not to allow the orgy of killing and burning that started here in May 1921 to be forgotten.

Even as many stages remain dark, adventurous new forms of theater are emerging from the pandemic—and Jared Mezzocchi is at the center of it. The associate professor of multimedia design for dance and theater has helmed 20 virtual productions since COVID-19 struck, including the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ groundbreaking online version of Qui Nguyen’s fantasy “She Kills Monsters” and Diversionary Theatre’s take on the musical “Cancelled,” about a high school’s online scandal.

The University of Maryland (UMD) co-published a new review paper in the Annual Review of Resource Economics to examine pollinators from both an economic and ecological perspective, providing much needed insight into the complexities of valuing pollination. Pollinators are not only a critical component of a healthy ecosystem, but they are also necessary to produce certain foods and boost crop yields.

Senior faculty specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics Paul Goeringer is leading a team of researchers and Extension specialists in an analysis of risk management tools and the development of educational outreach materials for small and medium-sized farmers interested in transitioning to growing industrial hemp.

One of the most recent graduates of the University of Maryland is Dr. Alena Maze, who is believed by members of the academic community to be among the world’s first Black Ph.D. holders in the field of Survey Methodology, if not the very first. Reflecting on the milestones she has achieved, Dr. Maze said that, from a young age, she was encouraged by her family to take an interest in mathematics.

2021 MAV Team A team of University of Maryland (UMD) students took second place in the Vertical Flight Society’s inaugural Design-Build-Vertical Flight (DBVF) Student Competition. UMD was one of eight teams selected to compete after the Preliminary Design Report earlier this spring.

University of Maryland Vice President for Research Laurie E. Locascio shared the following announcement with the campus community on June 3, 2021:Dear University of Maryland Research Community,After the recent announcement that the University of Maryland is lifting COVID-19 campus restrictions to align with federal, state and county public health guidelines, I am pleased to announce the following updates regarding research operations:

The Milky Way and many other galaxies in the universe formed through collisions and mergers with other galaxies. These collisions determine the shape and composition of the resulting galaxy and trigger the formation of stars and new black holes. But they are violent, high-energy events that can be difficult to study. Untangling what happens when galaxies merge helps scientists understand the forces that shape the universe.

COLLEGE PARK, Md -- The University of Maryland has been awarded a 5-year, $2M grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to launch a new Mid-Atlantic Veterans Business Outreach Center in College Park, Md.