Celebrating the Lives of CMSE Alumni...Lives Well Lived
Celebrating the Lives of CMSE Alumni...Lives Well Lived
Although they no longer grace us with their presence, we hold them in our hearts and minds as we cherish the memories of the times spent together. We pay tribute to our past CMSE alumni.
For the gift of this life, we thank our creator.
Hiram Whittle
01/17/1931 - 09/27/2021
Mr. Hiram Whittle was the first African American student to enter the University of Maryland at College Park. In 1949, he applied for admission as an engineering student and was denied admission due to his race. In 1951, Mr. Whittle was granted admission to the University of Maryland at College Park, after much persistence; several years of legal action; a petition to Baltimore City court; and assistance from the NAACP. As UMD’s first African American undergraduate student, Mr. Whittle pursued coursework in Engineering Mechanics and Drawing, Sociology, Government and Politics. He left the university in June 1952 without completing his degree. Mr. Hiram Whittle was awarded a UMD Honorary Degree in 2020.
Blessing Asuguo Mbang '99
07/05/1977 - 01/03/2022
Blessing Mbang began her academic career at UMD in 1995. She was a part of CMSE's 1st LSAMP Bridge that was sponsored by NSF. She was the first LSAMP Bridge cohort in the CMSE in 1995. She graduated in 1999 with a degree in Geology.