Clark Distinguished Chairs bring world-class talent to Maryland. Established by the Clark Foundation’s 2017 investment in Maryland, endowed Clark Distinguished Chairs enable UMD to hire top-notch faculty members who explore new research frontiers and propel game-changing innovation.
Clark Distinguished Chair, and Professor, Sudarsanam “Suresh” Babu, with Testudo, in front of the University of Maryland's McKeldin Library. (Photo by: John Consoli)
 DEB Niemeier's (civil and environmental engineering) groundbreaking research has helped spur policy and regulatory changes in vehicle emissions, air quality, affordable housing, and infrastructure funding. |
 Inderjit Chopra (aerospace engineering) boasts a project list that includes a world-record-holding human-powered helicopter, cyclocopter, da Vinci “aerial screw,” Mars helicopter, solar-powered helicopter, and quad-biplane. |
 Jay Lee (mechanical engineering) directs an AI center at UMD that develops, validates, and deploys machine learning algorithms for industrial applications. |
 Saikat Guha (electrical and computer engineering) is a highly recognized quantum scientist named to this year’s class of IEEE Fellows. |
 Sudarsanam “Suresh” Babu's (materials science and engineering) work, spanning more than 30 years in advanced and additive manufacturing, physical metallurgy, and computational materials modeling, has resulted in seven U.S. patents. |
 Tom Marzetta (electrical and computer engineering) has been recognized for his contributions to 5G technology and expanding boundaries in communication tech. |
Page Updated: November 19, 2025