Engineering at Maryland Spring/Summer 2026 University of Maryland > Fearlessly Forward - - - - - FOR THE FEARLESS FORWARD is the University of Maryland’s largest fundraising campaign in history—a $2.5 billion initiative to fuel Maryland’s momentum as a top public research and academic institution. On Nov. 3, a traveling letter installation appeared on the plaza outside of the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building. The Forward pop-up activated students and other passersby in the campaign with contests, giveaways, and the chance to chat with Clark School Dean Samuel Graham. “This is our home; we should build it.” A. James “Jim” Clark ’50 Photo by Mike Morgan - - - - - WELCOME Friends and Supporters, In Fall 1894, the Department of Mechanical Engineering—the university’s first engineering discipline—opened its doors with just a handful of students. Today, 132 years later, the Clark School’s currently enrolled student base of 6,200 represents every county in our state. While our main campus is in College Park, our teaching and research serve Marylanders wherever they are: Shady Grove, Baltimore, the Eastern Shore, Southern Maryland, and beyond. We take seriously our responsibility as a land grant institution as well as our responsibility as educators and engineers. As educators, we work to ensure that anyone who wants to become an engineer can do it; as engineers, we solve society’s challenges of today and tomorrow. Statewide, the Clark School partners to achieve these ambitions: from new educational and research initiatives that embed engineers with doctors to revolutionize health care and patient outcomes to new community-facing facilities that connect Maryland’s youngest “makers” (and future change-makers) with the transformative power of engineering. Engineering is powered by the joy of discovery. We are fortunate that Maryland Engineering’s students, faculty, staff, donors, and supporters like you help us share that joy. Thank you for your partnership in engineering a brighter future. Sincerely, Samuel Graham Dean and Nariman Farvardin Professor A. James Clark School of Engineering TOP 20 UMD ranks #17 for future leaders among public universities, according to Time magazine. - - - - - Engineering at Maryland Spring/Summer 2026 VOLUME 26, ISSUE 1 Engineering at Maryland is published twice a year by the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland. DEAN Samuel Graham EDITOR Melissa L. Andreychek ART DIRECTOR Matt Laumann ASSISTANT DEAN FOR COMMUNICATIONS Chris Bender CONTRIBUTORS Daniela Benites Robert Herschbach Annie Krakower Nola Mak Alex Pile Megan Stolz Rogers Jennifer Figgins Rooks Robyn Ross Rebecca Ruark Katherine Shaver Seth Sirbaugh John Tucker COVER Illustration by Alex Foster WEBSITE eng.umd.edu/em-magazine MAIL Send letters to the editor: Melissa L. Andreychek Engineering at Maryland magazine A. James Clark School of Engineering College Park, MD 20742 mandreyc@umd.edu Engineering at Maryland magazine refers to the A. James Clark School of Engineering by that name in all cases, including stories that describe alums who graduated before the name was established, in 1994, to honor Mr. Clark’s outstanding philanthropy. Copyright ©2026 University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering - - - - - TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE Future Forecast Across the state of Maryland, Clark School engineers are shaping a smarter, safer, more sustainable tomorrow. IMPACT Technology A Technological Revolution for Oyster Farmers A ‘Key’ Step Toward Safer Surgeries Worldwide Innovation Engineering AI for the Public Good A Strategy-Forward Future for AI Infrastructure Improving Self-Driving Vehicles with Mario Kart Faculty Honors, Awards, and Accolades COMMUNITY Influencers Meet the Clark Scholars Class of ’29 A New Investment in Tomorrow’s Trailblazers Martin Medalists and Greenaugh Awardee Dean’s Circle Spotlight Yearbook 28 Celebrating Three Clark School Milestones Campus & Beyond A First Look Inside: Stanley R. Zupnik Hall Snapshots: Events to Remember Last Issue’s Puzzle: Did You Solve It? Terrapin Works Baltimore photo by Maximilian Franz; Illustration by Chris Gash; Clark Scholars photo by Alison Harbaugh - - - - - IMPACT: Technology Revolution for Oyster Farmers By uniting robotics, AI, and computer vision, Maryland engineers could modernize an industry that many call technologically archaic. When Eric Wisner steers his boat across the Chesapeake Bay, he plunges a bamboo stick into the murky water, searching for the hard bottom terrain necessary for baby oysters to thrive while avoiding the sand and mud that gobble them up. The tap-tap-tap strategy “is kind of caveman-ish,” the 58-year-old Nanticoke, Md., oyster farmer admits. “The bamboo is only an inch in diameter, and you’re lowering it down every three feet, sometimes with the wind blowing really hard.” Wisner’s bamboo might soon become a souvenir. A team of Maryland engineers and aquaculture researchers has built an artificial intelligence (AI)-trained sonar device that, when mounted to a boat’s hull, can differentiate between hard and soft sea bottom several feet below. Once fully developed, the technology could shorten Wisner’s forages exponentially. Beyond measuring aquatic turf, the sonar beam can pierce turbid waters to locate oysters with pinpoint precision and determine their sizes—tiny ones left to grow, larger ones marked for harvest—and even differentiate the living from the dead. When attached to surface-going drones, the device can traverse dark basins with penetrating vision, charting GPS-directed courses to oyster-rich areas within a waterman’s lease, helping them increase their yields by the bushel. Project lead and mechanical engineering Professor Miao Yu said the breakthrough can strengthen one of Maryland’s most iconic industries while satisfying fried oyster and raw-bar aficionados region-wide with increased supplies: “We are using robotics and AI to make the whole sea bottom visible. If you’re a farmer who can see the oyster, you can grab the oyster.” The UMD sonar technology was tested in Washington State’s Puget Sound; by the end of the test, the sensor determined oyster density and size with 75% accuracy, on average. The research team is conducting more tests on the Gulf Coast, and it will pursue another grant to lend their device to active watermen as well as restoration specialists invested in oysters’ ecological role as a natural water filter, coastline protector, and habitat provider for other marine life. From his Nanticoke hatchery, Wisner—familiar with the sonar technology—is intrigued by what the future holds: “Like any kind of technology that’s targeted toward your industry, this is another tool in the toolbox. More productivity, more oysters.” Photo by John T. Consoli - - - - - A ‘Key’ Step Toward Safer Surgeries Could this durable, reusable laparoscope help prevent deaths in low- and middle-income countries? Surgical complications worldwide claim more lives each year than tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria— combined. Minimally invasive laparoscopic methods (which involve inserting a thin instrument with a camera through a small incision) could prevent many of those deaths, but patients in low- and middle-income countries rarely have access: Just one operating room outfitted with even the most modest system costs $130,000 or more. Maryland bioengineer Jenna Mueller and her team’s durable, reusable device is stitching up those gaps in affordability. Dubbed KeyScope, the device—which can be built for around $1,000—reduces cost and complexity by replacing the standard system’s fiber optic technology with a tiny consumer-grade camera, ring of LED lights, and waterproof casing for easy cleaning. After creating the initial prototype at Duke University, Mueller brought it to Maryland, where she teamed up with the Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices’ John Rzasa and Kevin Aroom to refine it and address design challenges. Even with all the modifications, the team is working to keep the device accessible and easy to make: “Don’t design stuff that you need a Ph.D. to assemble,” Rzasa says. KeyScope began human clinical trials at the Uganda Cancer Institute earlier this year. Photo by Eric Kruszewski; Keyscope rendering courtesy Anne Barnes - - - - - IMPACT: Innovation AI for the Public Good Maryland Engineering is developing the creative, pragmatic solutions needed to lead in an AI-forward future. Illustrations by Chris Gash A ‘Report Card’ For Data Centers With their immense size, heat generation, water usage, and noise production, data centers are unlike any other infrastructure. But the data-center construction industry is young: no building standards or maintenance protocols exist. The current construction boom is akin to a gold rush, says Nii Attoh-Okine, chair of UMD’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: “Everybody is focused on the output, and that’s important—but we’re overlooking the civil and the maintenance aspect of these huge buildings. If the building itself will have problems in a few years, that threatens the investment in the computer technology within.” Attoh-Okine is developing a data center “report card” based on metrics (such as water use per square foot) that companies can use for self-evaluation and improvement. He’s also partnering with industry to develop maintenance protocols—adaptable to regional variations in climate, water availability, soil structure, and seismic activity. Such guidelines can be used to train the data center technicians who maintain this new type of infrastructure, including the foundation, walls, roof, and (especially) the computing equipment within. - - - - - A ‘Cool’ Reduction In Power And Water Usage Keeping data centers cool is a perennial challenge for the industry. Around 80% of data centers rely on air cooling—an average data center that relies on evaporative cooling towers can use as much water annually as a small city. Damena Agonafer, associate professor of mechanical engineering, warns that air cooling isn’t sufficient to cool next-generation graphics processing units (GPUs): “Ever-more sophisticated AI will require high-performance, high-power-consumption GPUs. More powerful chips mean more heat generation.” He says that two-phase liquid cooling is a superior environmental choice. Circulated via cold plates—inserts typically made of metal that are integrated into the server rack on top of the GPUs, like icing between layers of a cake—the liquids turn to vapor as they absorb heat from the GPUs: evaporating, recondensing, and beginning the process anew. The technique, called direct-to-chip cooling, is far more efficient than air cooling and can vastly reduce the industry’s power and water use. Yet two-phase fluids commonly used in this technique, refrigerants classified as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” can have deleterious environmental consequences. Agonafer is identifying better, safer two-phase fluids as part of his work with the Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH), a National Science Foundation– funded Engineering Research Center that pools the talents of UMD and five other engineering schools. These fluids will be tested in novel two-phase cold plates that Agonafer and his team are developing with support from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency— Energy COOLERCHIPS program. - - - - - Faster Computing With Fewer Energy Demands The development and deployment of large language models (LLMs) require vast amounts of energy. Communities where data centers are located have seen strains on their electric supply and spikes in energy prices. Sanghamitra Dutta, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is devising more efficient ways to design language models in order to save energy and precious natural resources. Her work is applicable to models customized for specific tasks, such as a bank’s chatbot that provides customer service. In contrast to general-purpose LLMs like ChatGPT, customized models are generally deployed in environments with more constrained storage and memory capabilities. One project involves knowledge distillation, the process of training a smaller language model (called a student) from a larger model (called a teacher). Dutta’s work makes the knowledge distillation process more efficient by using a strategic set of data points to tune the model. Take, for instance, a feature on a bank’s website that can tell a customer whether they’d qualify for a loan. Instead of training the model with data-point pairs of loan applications and their result—acceptance or decline—her method gets more specific by using contrasting data points called “counterfactuals,” designed to help the model understand and generate “what-if” scenarios that assess how outcomes changed with small differences in past conditions. By using counterfactuals, Dutta’s method cuts the total number of data points needed for training in half and also yields performance improvements. Less training time means less energy used: “We can train these student models much faster, and the student models are more faithful to the teacher models,” Dutta says. “It’s a win-win situation.” - - - - - AI Leaders Come to Maryland Photo by Lisa Helfert The scene: AI leaders in education, industry, and government from the U.S. and Canada convened at Maryland for a National Academy of Engineering member-led event in March. The symposium, “Closing Strategy Gaps for the Future of AI”— co-hosted by the University of Maryland and AMD with partners including the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the National Science Foundation—focused on the investments in technology innovation, energy and critical infrastructure, export control policy, and workforce development that are needed in an AI-forward future. - - - - - Safer Autonomous Vehicles Maryland engineers use AI to give Super Mario a new job: driving instructor. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sets safety standards for aspects of traditional cars, and drivers are tested before they are issued a license. In contrast, no broadly applicable regulatory framework exists for evaluating the safety of autonomous vehicles—even though they already operate on public streets. “It’s kind of the Wild West out there right now,” says Mumu Xu, associate professor of aerospace engineering. “We don’t really have a process to figure out, ‘Is this autonomous car going to be safe when driving?’” Xu is working to fill that gap with a process that relies on the classic Nintendo game Mario Kart. Her team downloaded an online version of the game and trained a computer to play it, using reinforcement learning: They augmented the code with a reward structure—a set of “if-then” statements—to grant Mario points for finishing a lap and not hitting the wall. Over time, after trying different actions and learning how to maximize its reward, the computer’s driving behavior improved. Xu then extracted the map of Mario’s driving path and speed and verified whether it met the standards she had set, effectively evaluating whether the computer had learned to drive safely. The video game is the perfect tool for developing a safety-testing process because it’s a simple analog for the simulators that will be used to test actual vehicles. Xu’s research is funded by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, which may apply the basic process she’s developed with its own higher-fidelity simulators. Photo by Stephanie S. Cordle Mumu Xu holds a V900 radio-controlled plane her lab uses for pilot training; in the foreground is a Chimera drone custom-built by UMD's UAS Research and Operations Center. - - - - - IMPACT: Faculty DEPARTMENTS AERO: Aerospace BIOE: Bioengineering CEE: Civil & Environmental CHBE: Chemical & Biomolecular ECE: Electrical & Computer FPE: Fire Protection ME: Mechanical MSE: Materials Science PHY: Physics INSTITUTES AIM: Artificial Intelligence BBI: Brain & Behavior IBBR: Bioscience & Biotechnology Research IPST: Physical Science & Technology IREAP: Electronics & Applied Physics ISR: Systems Research JQI: Joint Quantum MEI2: Energy Innovation MTECH: Technology Enterprise REFI: Biomedical Devices UMIACS: Advanced Computer Studies Associate Professor and Clark Faculty Fellow DAMENA AGONAFER (ME) won a first-of-its-kind pitch competition for new ways to deal with heat generated by data centers, hosted by the Ideation Program (a partnership between Boston-based Vicinity Energy and the Maryland Energy Innovation Accelerator to spur new approaches to clean heating and urban decarbonization). Agonafer took the top prize for his tech that captures waste heat from data centers and redirects it to warm local communities. Minta Martin Professor and Distinguished University Professor BALAKUMAR BALACHANDRAN (ME/AERO) was selected by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers to receive its Thomas K. Caughey Dynamics Medal. Balachandran is an internationally recognized expert on applied mathematics, nonlinear phenomena, and dynamics and control. Lecturer BRENT BARBEE (AERO), Senior Lecturer LIAM HEALY (AERO), Associate Professor MICHAEL OTTE (AERO/ISR), and Affiliate Assistant Professor UMBERTO SAETTI (AERO) were named 2026 Associate Fellows of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). AIAA fellowship recognizes individuals who have accomplished or been in charge of important engineering or scientific work, done original work of outstanding merit, or otherwise made outstanding contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or astronautics. Deborah J. Goodings Professor in Engineering for Global Sustainability MICHELLE “SHELBY” BENSI (CEE) received the American Nuclear Society’s 2025 Mary Jane Oestmann Professional Women’s Achievement Award, which recognizes outstanding personal dedication and technical achievement for work performed in the fields of nuclear science, engineering, research, or education. Professor SIDDHARTHA DAS (ME/MAGE) was named a 2025 Fellow of the American Physical Society for his fundamental discoveries of the properties of polyelectrolyte brushes, brush-supported water molecules and counterions, and liquid transport in nanochannels grafted with polyelectrolyte brushes, by pioneering the use of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning to such systems. Professor ALIREZA KHALIGH (ECE/ISR/MEI2) was named director of UMD’s Institute for Systems Research, which was founded in 1985 as one of the original six National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers. KHALIGH was also named a 2026 Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for his contributions to power electronics for transportation electrification. The IEEE Fellow designation is conferred to less than 0.1% of IEEE’s voting members in recognition of extraordinary accomplishments. Visiting Lecturer Isaac Leventon ’10, M.S. ’11, Ph.D. ’15 (FPE) and colleagues won the prize of artistic merit in the 2025 Combustion Art Competition, hosted by the Combustion Institute, for their work “Flame structure and soot production of surrogate vegetative fuels burning in the vertical configuration” (pictured above), part of a set of experiments studying the burning behavior of a surrogate vegetative fuel. Assistant Professor DAVIS MCGREGOR (ME/REFI) was selected by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers as one of its 2025 “30 Under 30” honorees. McGregor, who directs the Manufacturing Intelligence Research and Advanced Geometry Evaluation Lab, investigates methods for automating metrology of diverse part geometries using computer vision and computational geometry, and is developing machine learning models for rapidly qualifying additively manufactured parts. Assistant Professor ERIKA MOORE (BIOE) was named to Science News’ SN 10: Scientists to Watch list for 2025, one of only five early-to mid-career researchers selected for the honor. She was recognized for her research on uterine fibroids, the most common gynecological tumors that affect an estimated 70–80% of women in the U.S. by age 50. Assistant Professor TAM NGUYEN (AERO) received a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award (YFA) to support her work that could speed detection of faint objects in space. DARPA’s YFA program provides funding, mentoring, and industry and national security contacts to high-performing awardees early in their careers so that they may develop their research ideas in the context of national security needs. University President and Glenn L. Martin Professor DARRYLL J. PINES (AERO) and Patrick and Marguerite Sung Professor SRINIVASA RAGHAVAN (CHBE/BIOE/ BBI/REFI/MEI2) were named 2025 Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). NAI fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded to inventors in the U.S.; it recognizes individuals whose patented innovations have made an enduring and profound economic and societal impact. Associate Professor and Clark Faculty Fellow ALBAN SAURET (ME) was selected by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for its 2025 cohort of Experimental Physics Investigators. His research is interested in the physics behind post-wildfire mudflows— rapid, destructive debris flows that occur when intense rainfall hits water-repellent soil left by wildfires—with an aim of delivering predictive rheological models that improve early warning systems for debris flows in vulnerable landscapes. Department Chair and Distinguished University Professor SENNUR ULUKUS (ECE/ISR) was elected by the Science Academy Society of Turkey to its 2025 class of members. The Academy brings together Turkey’s accomplished scientists to promote and preserve scientific excellence, scientific methods, traditions and procedures, and scientific freedom and integrity. Professor UZI VISHKIN (ECE/UMIACS) is the 2025 recipient of the Association for Computing Machinery Symposium on Parallelism in Algorithms and Architectures Parallel Computing Award. Vishkin helped establish the parallel random-access machine algorithmic theory, a foundational model that simplifies the design and analysis of parallel algorithms. Institute Director, William L. Crentz Centennial Chair, and Distinguished University Professor ERIC WACHSMAN (MSE/MEI2) was named a 2026 Fellow of the Materials Research Society in recognition of his advancing the fundamental knowledge of solid ion-conducting materials and applying this knowledge to develop and commercialize higher-performing energy conversion and storage technologies. WACHSMAN was also selected by Maryland Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman to serve on the state’s Climate Advisory Council. The council, which includes subject matter experts, professionals, and advocates in the climate, sustainability, environmental justice, and resilience fields, is charged with helping the Office of the Comptroller position Maryland as a national leader on climate resilience and sustainability. Assistant Professor YICHAO ZHANG (MSE/MEI2) and team were named to Physics World’s list of Top 10 Breakthroughs of the Year in physics for capturing the highest-resolution images ever taken of individual atoms in a material. According to Physics World: “Their microscopy technique should boost our understanding of the role that moiré phasons and other lattice vibrations play in the physics of solids. This could lead to the engineering of new and useful materials.” Assistant Professor HANNAH ZIERDEN (CHBE/BIOE/REFI) was honored by her alma mater, The Ohio State University, with its 2025 William Oxley Thompson Alumni Award in recognition of her research to develop specialized treatments for reproductive diseases. - - - - - A “quantum nose” that helps fight food waste. A “smart pill” that detects and treats GI disease earlier. Environmentally friendly methods to reuse warmed water from data centers. When the world needs solutions, it comes to Maryland Engineering. MARYLAND ENGINEERS THE SOLUTION Get the full story: go.umd.edu/the-solution - - - - - FUTURE FORECAST Clark School faculty, researchers, and students are engineering breakthroughs for the future—all while helping people today. By Katherine Shaver Across Maryland, the A. James Clark School of Engineering is accelerating partnerships and innovating solutions to our state’s, nation’s, and world’s most pressing challenges. In Prince George’s County, educators are empowering hundreds of rising high schoolers with a hands-on jump start in engineering. In College Park and Shady Grove, college students are preparing for a health care industry transformed by artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. In a West Baltimore neighborhood, an engineering makerspace is igniting young learners’ imaginations—and helping to inject new investment into a financially struggling community. University of Maryland engineers are shaping a smarter future. Here are five ways their work is moving us forward. Prince George's County & Anne Arundel County Every Student will have Access to an Engineering Education. Photos by John T. Consoli MAKE SOME NOISE/ Hundreds of rising ninth graders descend upon UMD’s Ritchie Coliseum each year for the GOAL engineering kit competition. BUILT TO LEARN/ The GOAL program is designed to inject a sense of hands-on play into learning complex, often difficult-to-understand engineering principles. As pompom-waving teenagers cheered from the stands, 600 rising ninth graders from Prince George‘s County Public Schools faced off in UMD‘s Ritchie Coliseum. Crouched on the basketball court, high school teams catapulted small foam balls into the air, testing different launch angles to maneuver around obstacles and reach their targets. The winning school clinched the “Innovators of Tomorrow” trophy—and all of the competitors got a fun lesson in the principle of projectile motion. The friendly contest held every summer is a highlight of the Clark School’s Get Outside and Learn (GOAL) program, which uses engineering kits like “Launch, Land, and Learn” to engage students in STEM around the critical middle school years, when adolescents often choose their academic interests. It’s also when many girls and students from underrepresented communities decide math and science aren’t for them. “We’re hoping that after they’ve done this activity, students see themselves as engineers,” says Jen Kuntz, assistant director of outreach and recruitment for the Clark School’s Women in Engineering Program. “It’s within their grasp, and they belong.” The Clark School issues about 2,000 kits per year, mostly to schools and STEM programs in nearby Prince George’s, Montgomery, and Anne Arundel counties. The kits are designed to inject a sense of hands-on play into learning complex, often difficult-to-understand engineering principles like trajectory, tension, and traction. Plus, by competing in College Park, the rising ninth graders get to experience a college campus. The GOAL program was born of necessity in Fall 2020, after UMD, like many universities, had canceled on-campus outreach events because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, teachers were seeking hands-on activities to keep kids tuned in during online learning. (Initially, students worked on the kits at home and competed in virtual events.) GOAL kits contain supplies to design and build engineering projects, whether delivering a “space rover” or a cart propelled by a rubber band. UMD undergraduates develop the kits, which are manufactured on campus in Terrapin Works makerspaces. Felicia Martin Latief, STEM supervisor for Prince George’s County Public Schools, says the kits were a “lifesaver” during the pandemic. They remain a key part of the schools’ science, technology, and aerospace summer bridge programs for rising ninth graders. UMD undergraduates benefit, too, says Vincent Nguyen ’03, Ph.D. ’11, principal lecturer in the mechanical engineering department. In addition to volunteering as judges and mentors at competitions, undergrads in Nguyen’s “Entrepreneurial Design Realization” class conceptualize the kits, design the hardware, and establish the GOAL curriculum with local teachers who test concepts. “It’s good engineering,” Nguyen says of his undergraduates’ input. “It’s also a way to show them that they can use their professional skill set in a way that has a positive impact.” GOAL Empowers Young Learners Before GOAL 53% had little to no previous experience with engineering. After GOAL 70% said they believe they have what it takes to be an engineer. 76% said the GOAL activity made them more excited about engineering. Terrapin Works Baltimore You can ‘make’ it in West Baltimore. Photo by Shane Cromwell TOOLS FOR TOMORROW/ Hands-on projects expose youth learners to engineering and how it's an integral part of their daily lives. Photos by Maximilian Franz MAKE IT HERE/ Makerspace manager Brian Palmer operates UMD's newest Terrapin Works facility, designed to inspire and empower future engineers in West Baltimore. In the Mondawmin area of Baltimore, where half of children live below the poverty line, school students are using 3D printers, a laser cutter, and woodworking tools to create with their hands—and discover their potential. As in other Terrapin Works makerspaces, the cutting-edge manufacturing equipment here is helping future engineers bring their ideas to life. But this newest makerspace—the first one located in a community beyond UMD’s campus—goes one step further by also helping to revitalize a neighborhood with new investment and a sense of possibility. “I want to motivate West Baltimore students to want more and do more,” says India Alexander ’12, who leads the Baltimore makerspace’s community programming and curriculum development out of UMD’s civil and environmental engineering department. Helping young people see what they can build, she adds, “broadens the way they think about their future selves and what they’re capable of.” Boosting West Baltimore residents’ self-confidence is exactly what Tim Regan ’77, president and CEO of construction firm Whiting-Turner, and his wife, Joanne, had in mind when they bought a shuttered Target store adjacent to the Mondawmin Mall in 2022. The couple had the 127,000-square-foot building renovated into The Village at Mondawmin, a community hub that provides a health clinic and senior center as well as meeting space for community groups that help local youth. The Regans contributed funding for the village’s makerspace, dubbed Terrapin Works Baltimore, as a safe place for hands-on learning and discovery. Most participants are in third to 12th grades. They come through community programs in partnership with TouchPoint Baltimore, a nonprofit that Regan cofounded with Calvin Butler, then-CEO of BGE, to support residents. Jim Zahniser ’93, M.S. ’99, the Clark School’s assistant dean for strategic operations and IT who oversees Terrapin Works’ 16 makerspaces, helped set up the Mondawmin site—and he’s already witnessed its impact on children: “You can see the pride when they finish something they’ve made with their own hands,” he says. Manager Brian Palmer operates the facility about 20 hours a week, funded by a bequest from the late Charles A. Irish Sr., Whiting-Turner’s former chief operating officer. Plans include also using the space for adult job training programs. Alexander says she wants makerspace users of all ages to see how engineering skills can help solve real-world problems. It’s why she’s helped students use the 3D printers to make miniature lacrosse sticks and a laser cutter to create signs for imagined new storefronts. “Tell me what sparks joy for you,” Alexander asks participants. “Tell me what your interests are. Tell me what types of problems you want to solve, and I can tell you a field of engineering that can help you do that.” “It's kind of life-changing when people realize they can make things.” Tim Regan ’77 University of Maryland, Baltimore Your next doctor could be an engineer. Photo by Maximilian Franz A high school internship researching how to recreate damaged or missing tissue from patients‘ own stem cells convinced Nane Manukyan she wanted to be a doctor. The work had reminded her of her father’s dramatic stories about being a military surgeon, treating soldiers with lost limbs and severe burns, in their native Armenia. “Being able to help save someone’s life—I feel like, what’s a bigger reward or blessing?” says Manukyan, who grew up in Howard County. Rather than pursue a traditional pre-med major, such as biology or public health, Manukyan chose bioengineering—and a program at College Park that puts her on a fast track to medical school. Manukyan is one of the first seven students selected for a B.S.-M.D. program launched in Fall 2025 that recruits undergrads majoring in engineering, computer science, and math to the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. The program is meeting the demand for doctors who can navigate the complexities of AI and devise new treatments and diagnostic tools using the latest technology. While other universities offer joint B.S.-M.D. programs, UMD’s is one of the first to specifically target engineering, math, and computer science majors. Medical schools “want more engineers and data scientists combining their interest in innovation, their knowledge of technology, and their passion for practicing medicine,” says Bioengineering Professor Ian White, codirector of the B.S.-M.D. program. “Clinicians need to be on the forefront of understanding what new technology is coming and whether it’s useful or not.” The program facilitates the research, volunteer work, and clinical experience that Manukyan and her fellow participants will need for their med school applications. It also gives them special access to shadow doctors and network with medical students. If they complete other pre-med requirements, they’ll get a leg up on admission to Maryland’s School of Medicine and can attend straight after college. The demanding, STEM-heavy course load, on top of a hefty time commitment for off-campus clinical work, requires extraordinarily driven students—the “best of the best,” White says. He expects about 50 applicants annually for the seven spots. “It’s tough,” he says, “and it’s not for everybody.” Because of that rigor, the program works to build a support network and sense of community among participants. In addition to traveling together to Baltimore for clinical work, B.S.-M.D. students volunteer weekly as a group, playing with children in an after-school program at a shelter for unhoused families. Manukyan says she appreciates the service work, both because she enjoys helping others and because she believes it will make her a more compassionate doctor. “Being aware of the communities that you’re part of is important,” she says. “Working with these kids pushes you to be more open-minded and keeps your heart open to listen and understand where others are coming from.” Engineers make your Health Care Team a Dream Team. Photo by John T. Consoli Professor Giuliano Scarcelli (pictured above) firmly believes the maxim that doctors are best positioned to highlight medical problems while engineers are best positioned to solve them. In Maryland, such collaboration previously suffered from a geographical hurdle: 32 miles between the Baltimore-based medical school and the College Park-based engineering school. That distance shortened significantly last year with a $10 million gift establishing the Edward & Jennifer St. John Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine. Now, engineers work on Maryland’s School of Medicine campus, joining their clinical colleagues in labs, working down the hall from each other, and sharing insights over lunch or at the gym. Scarcelli, the center’s codirector, says he’s witnessed how informal, face-to-face interaction can lead to big results. In 2017, his bioengineering office neighbor, Professor Ian White, invited him to join a meeting with visiting med school doctors.They were seeking a device that patients could use at home to monitor their eyes for glaucoma, an irreversible disease that can cause blindness. Together, the group eventually came up with video imaging technology to measure the eyeball’s interior pressure via a pair of glasses. It’s now in a clinical trial. “Hopefully,” Scarcelli says, “that’s the kind of collaboration that will become routine with this new model.” Universities at Shady Grove Big Data Will Revolutionize What We Think We Know About Health Care. Photo by Stephanie S. Cordle A CUT ABOVE/ BCE graduates enter the workforce armed with advanced knowledge of programming, modeling, and machine learning as well as fundamental bioengineering competencies. Growing up with a mother who works as an MRI technician, Leonardo Buitrago ’24 has long appreciated the power of medical imaging to reveal the inner workings of the human body. He’s now fascinated with the field’s next frontier: teaching computer models to accurately analyze those images to make predictions, including whether a tumor is malignant. So when Buitrago transferred from Montgomery College to the University of Maryland, College Park, he chose Biocomputational Engineering (BCE) as his major. The niche program became one of the first of its kind in the nation in Fall 2021. It teaches students how to analyze and visualize reams of health data to solve some of today’s most challenging medical problems. One of the projects Buitrago worked on as a BCE student researcher entailed training a computer model to quickly recognize breast cancer tumors via thermal imaging—one way AI can be used to help patients avoid long, anxious waits for test results. “You want to help patients get treatment early and make sure that their test results are accurate,” says the BCE graduate, who now works with the program as a student assistant while pursuing a master’s in biotechnology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “I always feel good that I’m contributing to this type of research.” Thanks to the big-data boom, there are endless medical quandaries for “biocomp” engineers like Buitrago to explore. Using high-performance GPU workstations and AI, BCE students are also mining, analyzing, and visualizing troves of medical data to help predict the spread of viruses and develop new medicines, vaccines, and treatments. Recent student projects have included distinguishing between different strains of the COVID-19 virus, predicting how various coronavirus mutations behave, and classifying blood cells to speed up diagnoses of leukemia and other diseases. Lan Ma, the program’s director and bioengineering faculty instructor, sees BCE students helping to shape an emerging field with the potential to transform global health: “We need more newcomers to help make the treatment and diagnosis of diseases more efficient, more accurate, and more at a personalized level.” The big challenge? Spreading the word so that more computer-loving engineers and data-driven biology buffs can join the growing, in-demand field. As Sivan Saravanapavan ’09, the BCE program’s coordinator of academic affairs and recruitment, puts it, “We want students who are passionate and want to help others but maybe don’t yet realize this new way they can use their mathematical brains and their love for science.” Maryland prepares graduates to adapt to the future of work. Photo courtesy The Universities at Shady Grove Major In The Future: Maryland’s BCE major is meeting calls from biotech and pharmaceutical companies across the U.S.— including Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and Novartis—for graduates as well-versed in (and passionate about) engineering and computer analytics as they are in math and biology. Classes For Where You Are: BCE courses are held at The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville (pictured above), in the heart of Montgomery County’s biotech corridor. Students graduate with a degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Powered By Maryland Engineers: Students in the BCE program have collaborated with experts at the nearby National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research, the Food and Drug Administration, and the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Southern Maryland These robots will work for good. Photo by John T. Consoli; Photo courtesy of UROC SUPPORT FOR RESEARCHERS/ UROC takes care of the technical complexities of UAS operations, ensuring that the drone used for the project is the right fit and that every step is legal, safe, and effective. Facing three large fans blasting air, the small drone drifted backwards before it quickly got its bearings, fought its way into the wind, and touched down about five feet from its launch site. Mission accomplished. In a lofty room about half the size of a high school gym, 40 cameras had measured—down to the millimeter—the rapidly changing distances between the wobbly drone and its landing spot. Kasra Torshizi ’23, M.S. ’24, a Ph.D. student focusing on AI and robotics, uses the camera data to teach the drone how to navigate the kinds of topsy-turvy winds it could encounter when landing on aircraft carriers at sea. Such technology could also be used with larger unmanned drones, sparing military pilots the risky job of refueling planes mid-air before returning to ship. It’s one example of the cutting-edge research underway at the Maryland Autonomous Technologies Research Innovation and eXploration (MATRIX) Lab, UMD’s research hub for autonomous technologies in Southern Maryland. At MATRIX, researchers are developing self-guided robots that can fly and swim—all while learning and making decisions as they go. Independent robots not only need to carry out their mission; they also must prove safe and reliable. “These are intelligent machines that will make our lives easier and more efficient, so they have to be trusted,” says Reza Ghodssi, UMD Distinguished University Professor and MATRIX Lab executive director of research and innovation. Just down the road from MATRIX, aerial robots are moving out of the lab and into open-air testing at UMD’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Research and Operations Center (UROC). Using restricted airspace at the nearby Naval Air Station Patuxent River, UROC has tested drones that could be used to deliver prescription drugs to rural Maryland communities and emergency trauma kits to car crashes in remote areas. Others are equipped with sensors and advanced AI to quickly locate mass casualty victims, assess their condition, and direct ground robots and human medics to those most badly hurt. One big next step: working with the Federal Aviation Administration to enable broad access to the nation’s busy airspace. Another: demonstrating to the public that drones can make their lives better and safer while protecting the privacy of people on the ground, says UROC Director John Slaughter. He recently joined the Maryland Advanced Air Mobility Council, a group created by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore to explore ways the state can lead the nation in emerging aviation technology. “A big challenge is getting the public to embrace these technologies, not be afraid of them,” Slaughter says. “We believe the best way to do that is to let people see them in action: making it more convenient to get food, medicine, or merchandise while also improving their quality of life.” Southern Maryland anchors the state's autonomy corridor. Photo by Zachary Cusson All In One Place: Here at the MATRIX Lab (located at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland), researchers can access unparalleled resources to research, design, manufacture, and test the next generation of AI and autonomous systems, including: 80'x60' Open Air-Land Lab: Radio frequency attenuated and featuring a Vicon Vantage V16 camera system for testing and tuning air and ground autonomous systems in an electromagnetic-shielded space Fluid Dynamics Tank: Equipped with laser and optical measuring systems for aerodynamic and hydrodynamic research Anechoic Chamber: A high-level electromagnetic “clean room” for testing radio frequency transmitting and receiving components and systems Outdoor UGV Playground: A 750-square-foot area with terrains and obstacles providing challenging scenarios for testing robotic ground vehicles Other Facilities: A project assembly area, 3D printers, machine shop facilities, and electrical and mechanical engineering labs for researchers, students, and others to collaborate, create, and revise. - - - - - COMMUNITY: Influencers Meet the Clark Scholars Class of ’29 Clark Scholars photos by Alison Harbaugh In fall 2025, the Clark School welcomed nine engineers from across the state of Maryland as its newest class of A. James Clark Scholars. The students selected for this highly distinguished program represent some of the most promising scholars among Maryland Engineering’s first-year class. The Clark Scholars Program, a signature A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation initiative, recruits, supports, and graduates exceptionally talented engineering students who are poised to take on society’s grand challenges. Implemented at 11 of the nation’s top engineering institutions, the program is led by Maryland Engineering through the Clark Scholars Program Network. Alexander Mahn Major: Civil Engineering High School: The Park School of Baltimore Hometown: Baltimore, MD David Woo Major: Bioengineering High School: Urbana Hometown: Frederick, MD Elana Brooks Major: Fire Protection Engineering High School: Damascus Hometown: Damascus, MD Fnu Kifa Ul Eman Major: Mechanical Engineering High School: Western School of Technology Hometown: Catonsville, MD Ishan Joshi Major: Aerospace Engineering High School: Duval Hometown: Hyattsville, MD Kaitlyn Diaz Claros Major: Civil Engineering High School: Meade Hometown: Laurel, MD Samantha Ruth Major: Mechanical Engineering High School: Fallston Hometown: Fallston, MD Selorm Avoke Major: Electrical Engineering High School: Long Reach Hometown: Elkridge, MD Veena Raj Major: Mechanical Engineering High School: Eleanor Roosevelt Hometown: Greenbelt, MD - - - - - A New Investment in Tomorrow’s Trailblazers In November 2025, UMD received $51.7 million in new philanthropic investments from its most generous benefactor, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, to dramatically expand scholarships and professional development opportunities for promising engineering students and to deepen academic collaborations among the Clark Scholars Program Network’s 11 participating engineering schools. Who was Jim Clark? Coming from a family of modest means, A. James “Jim” Clark ’50 hitchhiked his way each day from his family’s home in Bethesda, Maryland, to College Park to pursue a degree in civil engineering. He credited a state scholarship for making his university education possible, a fact he never forgot—and would pay forward time and again. After graduating, Clark was hired as a field engineer by the George Hyman Construction Co. and, over the next several decades, worked his way up to grow it into Clark Construction, one of the largest firms of its kind in the nation. The company’s massive footprint across the DMV includes L’Enfant Plaza, Nationals Park, and dozens of buildings on the UMD campus. As his business grew, so did Clark’s philanthropy to Maryland. In total, the Clark Foundation (which sunset in December 2025), Clark family, and Clark Enterprises have contributed over $364 million to UMD. - - - - - Clark Dream Three Clark Scholars are behind a new ice cream flavor from UMD’s Maryland Dairy. Iman-Louise Mwai, Toni Paylor, and Alexa Soto blended chocolate ice cream, silky white chocolate ganache, cookie dough, and brownie bits into Clark Dream (one irresistibly rich, sweet treat). Their inspiration? A. James “Jim” Clark ’50 and his love of chocolate. - - - - - A Celebration of Terps Photo by Mike Morgan Maryland Engineers are not afraid of unconventional ideas, breaking down barriers, or changing course when it is demanded. Etched among the many stories of our Terp community is a tacit sense of risk, curiosity, perseverance, drive—and the undeniable urge to make something better. The Clark School acknowledges and celebrates our Martin Medal and Greenaugh Award honorees: These Terps exemplify our spirit as a community, and they will define our history in inspirational and pivotal ways. Glenn L. Martin Medal Awardees Honoring individuals whose service to the profession or public uplifts the mission and ideals of the A. James Clark School of Engineering. James L. Cantor ’81, M.S. ’84 In recognition of his enduring commitment to the University of Maryland through leadership, philanthropy, and advocacy to advance student success, elevate research impact, and shape the future of engineering education. Edward St. John ’61, D.P.S. (Hon.) ’12 In recognition of his distinguished leadership, transformative philanthropy, and unwavering dedication to education and research, advancing engineering and medicine to the lasting benefit of the region and the world. Patrick M.S. ’69, Ph.D. ’72 and Marguerite ’70 Sung In recognition of their exceptional leadership and generous support to advance student success, elevate faculty excellence, foster innovation, and inspire future generations of scientists and engineers as global Terp ambassadors. Kevin C. Greenaugh Award Honoree Recognizing engineering excellence in the federal sector that contributes to critical priorities and a stronger nation and world. Ellen Williams, Distinguished University Professor Emerita In recognition of her extraordinary career as a technically excellent scientist and mission-driven strategic leader whose work has shaped national strategies and helped advance the United States as a global leader in innovation and impact. - - - - - Dean’s Circle Spotlight Fueling the Future of Fire Protection Photo courtesy of Robert C. Andrews, Jr. The dream of becoming a firefighter began early for Robert “Bob” C. Andrews Jr. ’80. At age 5, he played in his Pennsylvania front yard wearing the battered fire helmet his father had salvaged from the dumpster behind a fire station; at age 16, presenting a permission slip with his mother’s signature, he became a junior member of the East Whiteland Volunteer Fire Association in his hometown of Malvern, near Philadelphia. A first-generation college student, Andrews wasn’t sure where to apply or how to “major in firefighting.” He consulted his volunteer chief, who put Maryland’s Department of Fire Protection Engineering (FPE) on his short list. By this time, Andrews’ mother was a single parent, and he and his brother were getting by with help from food stamps. Andrews wrote a letter of interest to John Bryan, who was then department chair of FPE; Bryan sent two pieces of encouragement in return. First was an application to UMD, which Bryan had already signed to approve Andrews’ admission. The second was a note: Bryan had put Andrews on the waiting list for the student dormitory at the College Park Volunteer Fire Department (CPVFD) across the street from campus, an accommodation affectionately called the Sackroom. By covering most of his living expenses, the arrangement (which eventually allowed Andrews to gain Maryland residency and pay in-state tuition) brought the cost of college within reach. He went on to a career fighting fires in industrial settings including oil refineries, chemical plants, tank farms, ships, and factories and settled in Texas. Three decades after graduation, he returned to College Park and to the CPVFD, where he was surprised to learn that no FPE students were living in the dorm. Wanting to rebuild the relationship between FPE and the fire service across the street, he played a significant role in funding the James A. Milke, Ph.D. Endowed Professorship of Practice to ensure the FPE curriculum includes applied coursework for future firefighters like himself. (The endowment now exceeds $3.4 million.) He also created the Dr. Robert C. Andrews, Jr., P.E. College Park Volunteer Fire Department Scholarship to support FPE students who face the same financial challenges he once did. The scholarship is aimed at out-of-state students who serve as volunteer firefighters and, ideally, live in the Sackroom—gaining applied experience while they study. The first recipient of the scholarship will begin studies this fall. “Even if you never get on a fire truck again once you leave College Park, you will be a much better fire protection engineer having had the experience,” Andrews says. “You’ll be more empathetic. You’ll observe firsthand the emotional and financial impact of a fire, and you will better appreciate how fire protection engineering can make a significant contribution in reducing that loss.” Two additional gifts are also inspired by elements of his own biography. Andrews earned his master’s degree in executive fire service through an online program of Grand Canyon University in 2002, when remote learning was still a novelty. When Maryland began developing its online FPE program, Andrews—a “walking, talking apostle” for online education—wanted to help. He created both the Dr. Robert C. Andrews, Jr., P.E. Online Course Operating Fund to underwrite curriculum development and technology acquisition and the Dr. Robert C. Andrews, Jr., P.E. Scholarship for students in the online program. Andrews also plans to donate part of his estate to the university and is engaged in ongoing discussions with the department. “I’m always looking for other ways to help and other needs that can be fulfilled, for the good of fire protection engineering and the good of the fire service,” he says. “How do we make the world better through this profession I’ve enjoyed? By promoting the merits of fire protection engineering to the world at large, showing how it can dramatically reduce the risk of fire in the built environment, ultimately improving the human condition. That’s the overarching goal.” The Dean’s Circle recognizes those who have committed $100,000 or more during their lifetime to the Clark School. To learn how your charitable donation can make a significant difference in the future of Maryland Engineering, contact Jennifer L. Schwartz, assistant dean for advancement, at 301-405-0317 or jschwar2@umd.edu. - - - - - COMMUNITY: Yearbook Remember When? Three Clark School milestones. Decades of impact on the student experience. 40 Years of Steel Bridge Most Likely To Build The Next Big Thing Terps have competed in Steel Bridge since 1986, advancing to nationals multiple times (including appearances in 2013, 2015, and 2017). Students compete to build a scale-model steel bridge that spans 21 feet and can carry a load of 2,500 pounds; the ideal bridge is light, assembled in just minutes, and aesthetically pleasing. The unique challenges posed during Steel Bridge competitions push students to utilize their engineering knowledge, problem-solving creativity, and teamworking prowess. 1993 photo courtesy of University Archives; 2013 photo courtesy of Jonathan Schneider ’15; 2023 photo courtesy of Mike Galczynski 30 Years of Women in Engineering Most Likely To Come A Long Way Since opening its doors in 1995, the Women in Engineering (WIE) program has empowered thousands of students (from middle and high school through college and grad school) to pursue a career in engineering. One of the first programs of its kind in the country, WIE— open to all—delivers 13 signature programs and has helped achieve a 146% increase in women engineering students at Maryland since its inception. (Turn to page 32 for photos from WIE’s 30th anniversary celebration, held at BWI Marshall Airport.) Evelyn the Engineer: 1928, Maryland Engineering welcomed the school’s first female student, Evelyn Harrison, an event so historic she was interviewed by The Washington Post—once on admittance and again when she graduated in 1932. The first woman to earn an engineering degree from UMD, Harrison went on to serve a distinguished career in civil service, becoming the highest-ranking woman at the time at the Bureau of Programs and Standards. 1927 photo courtesy of Library of Congress; 2010 & 2024 photos courtesy of Women in Engineering; 20 Years of Keystone Most Likely To Succeed In 2006, powered by a vision to change the paradigm, William “Bill” Fourney launched the Clark School’s Keystone Program, which places outstanding faculty with first- and second-year students in smaller, experiential learning classes. The program guarantees that every engineering student has the strongest possible foundational education and has helped Clark School retention and graduation rates soar. The Keystone Program’s ENES 100 course, “Intro to Engineering Design,” is mandatory for all engineering disciplines. ENES 100 isn’t easy, but students learn a lot: Teams have designed and built autonomous hovercrafts, over-sand vehicles, and over-terrain vehicles. 2012 Photo by John T. Consoli; 2024 Keystone photo Maximilian Franz What’s your favorite photo memory from your time as a Terp? Calling All Alums: Submit your photo to Engineering at Maryland magazine, along with a couple sentences describing what was going on when the flash went off. All submissions will be considered for a future issue. Reader submissions go.umd.edu/your-photo - - - - - COMMUNITY: Campus & Beyond A First Look Inside: Stanley R. Zupnik Hall Illustration by Chris Gash Construction of the Clark School’s newest building is well underway. Inside Zupnik Hall, Maryland engineers will innovate solutions that change the world. Basement Level 1. CITY@UMD A research center where faculty, students, and researchers work together to create healthy indoor environments by reimagining urban infrastructure through sustainable systems and ecological design. 2. Paul And Ellen Gaske Quantum Technology Teaching Lab A hands-on innovation hub that includes workstations for students to conduct quantum experiments and custom-made concrete flooring to provide a stable surface for sensitive quantum equipment. 3. Basement Atrium Ground Level 4. Clark Foundation Legacy Space 5. Intelligent Infrastructure Lab 6. Scott And Carole Greenhaus Building Information Modeling (Bim) Lab 7. Connected Autonomous Vehicle (Cav) Lab Advancing intelligent transportation through cutting-edge research, real-world testing, and innovation of safe, efficient, connected mobility systems. 8. Ground Floor Atrium 9. Public Art Installation By Rob Ley 10. Whiting-Turner Plaza First Floor 11. Rattan L. Khosa Student Lounge 12. Student Organizations Suite Bright, inviting student meeting spaces foster collaboration, community building, and connection across engineering student groups as well as places for study. 13. Constellation Energy Student Study Space Second Floor 14. Mechanical Engineering Research Lab Third Floor 15. Environmental Engineering Lab A new resource within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering where students, faculty, and researchers work together on fundamental research that serves as a basis for solving pressing infrastructure and environmental problems. Fourth Floor 16. Civil And Environmental Engineering Faculty Offices Featuring the Robert L. Peskin Faculty Office and the Capt. Thomas C. Crane USN ’62 Faculty Office 17. Rooftop Terrace - - - - - Snapshots Terps in Houston and Silicon Valley In September, engineering Terps gathered at the Petroleum Club of Houston for stunning city views and a networking reception with fellow alums. Pictured from left: Jaime Valencia ’74 (chemical engineering), Clark School Dean Samuel Graham, Jeanette Epps M.S. ’94, Ph.D. ’00 (aerospace engineering), and Bob Andrews ’80 (fire protection engineering). Photo by Eduardo Verastegui Clark School alums from around Silicon Valley descended upon the Stanford Park Hotel for a networking reception in February. At the event, Dean Samuel Graham and Associate Dean for Research Jelena Srebric shared exciting updates from the labs and classrooms of Maryland engineers. Photo by Mike Morgan 30 Years of WIE The Observation Gallery of BWI Marshall Airport served as the backdrop for a December event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Clark School’s Women in Engineering (WIE) program. Among the more than 100 guests who gathered to celebrate 30 years of WIE, pictured from left: WIE advisory board founding member Zulema Caldwell M.S. ’99 (electrical engineering), WIE advisory board member Keiva Rodriques ’04 (civil engineering), WIE Director Paige Smith, Cassie Duah ’05 (electrical engineering), and UMD President Darryll J. Pines. Photos by Mike Morgan Engineers Week Ice Cream Social Ice cream-loving engineers took a break for a sweet treat during National Engineers Week in February. During the community-building social, students and other campus passersby had the chance to try Clark Dream, a new Maryland Dairy ice cream flavor “engineered” by UMD Clark Scholars. (Turn to page 25 to see what Clark Dream is made of.) Photos by Al Santos 15 Years of Alumni Cup With their Clean Green ChemE Machine, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering won bragging rights at the Clark School’s 15th annual Alumni Cup competition during National Engineers Week in February. First held in 2012, Alumni Cup challenges student teams from each of the Clark School’s eight departments to build Rube Goldberg-inspired machines. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering won second place—and the People’s Choice Award—with their timely CivOlympics machine, which featured discipline-related sporting events (such as the balancing I-beam). Photos by Greg Fume - - - - - Did you solve it? In the last issue of Engineering at Maryland magazine, we challenged you to solve an acrostic puzzle that revealed advice given to UMD engineering graduates by civil engineering alum A. James “Jim” Clark ’50 in his 1992 commencement address. “Remember that you are engineers and as engineers you are uniquely qualified with the skills and training to solve problems and confront challenges no matter how difficult.” Puzzle masters Congrats to James “Jim” Beattie ’64 (mechanical engineering) and Jan Beattie, John Dreher M.Eng. ’24 (fire protection engineering), Srikar Paida M.Eng. ’25 (cybersecurity), Michael “Mike” Keller ’00 (mechanical engineering), Dennis Upton ’88 (electrical engineering), and Darren Taillie ’11 (aerospace engineering) for being among the first to submit their completed puzzle to E@M! - - - - - The Next Big Thing We’re engineering new ways to keep data centers cool. Turn to P.6 to see how our work could vastly reduce the industry’s thirst for water. - - - - - University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering 3110 Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building 8228 Paint Branch Drive College Park, MD 20742-2831