University of Maryland, College Park
Encyclopedia
The University of Maryland, College Park (often referred to as The University of Maryland, UM, UMD, UMCP, or Maryland) is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park
in Prince George's County, Maryland
, just outside Washington, D.C.
Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland is the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland
. With a fall 2010 enrollment of more than 37,000 students, over 100 undergraduate majors and 120 graduate programs, Maryland is the largest university in the state and the largest in the Washington Metropolitan Area
. It is a member of the Association of American Universities
and a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
athletic league.
The University of Maryland's proximity to the nation's capital has resulted in strong research partnerships with the Federal government
. Many members of the faculty receive research funding and institutional support from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health
, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology
and the Department of Homeland Security
.
As of fiscal year 2009, the University of Maryland, College Park's operating budget was projected to be approximately $
1.531 billion. For the same fiscal year, the University of Maryland received a total of $518 million in research funding, surpassing its 2008 mark by $117 million. As of June 30th, 2011, the university's "Great Expectations" campaign had exceeded $850 million in private donations.
, a descendant of the Barons Baltimore
, fervent believer in agricultural education, and a future U.S. Congressman, purchased 420 acres (1.7 km²) of the Riverdale Plantation
in College Park for $21,000. Calvert founded the school later that year with money earned by the sale of stock certificates. On October 5, 1859, the first 34 students entered the Maryland Agricultural College, including four of Charles Calvert's sons, George, Charles, William and Eugene. The keynote speaker on opening day was Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
In July 1862, the same month that the Maryland Agricultural College awarded its first degrees, President Lincoln
signed the Morrill Land Grant Act. The legislation provided federal funds to schools that taught agriculture or engineering, or provided military training. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the school became a land grant college in February 1864 after the Maryland legislature voted to approve the Morrill Act.
. In April 1864, General Ambrose E. Burnside
and 6,000 soldiers of the Union's Ninth Army Corps camped on the MAC campus. The troops were en route to reinforce General Ulysses S. Grant's forces in Virginia
.
Later that summer, around 400 Confederate soldiers led by General Bradley T. Johnson stayed on the grounds while preparing to take part in a raid against Washington. In local legend, it is told that the soldiers were warmly welcomed by university President Henry Onderdonk, a Confederate sympathizer, and that the cavalrymen were thrown a party on the campus nicknamed "The Old South Ball." The next morning the soldiers rode off to cut the lines of communication between Washington and Baltimore.
Financial problems forced the increasingly desperate administrators to sell off 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land, and the continuing decline in student enrollment sent the Maryland Agricultural College into bankruptcy. For the next two years the campus was used as a boys preparatory school.
Following the Civil War, the Maryland legislature pulled the college out of bankruptcy
, and in February 1866 assumed half ownership of the school. The college thus became in part a state institution. George Washington Custis Lee
, son of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, was appointed president of the college by the Board of Trustees, but due to public outcry declined the position. By October 1867, the school reopened with 11 students. In the next six years, enrollment continued to grow, and the school's debt was finally paid off. Twenty years later, the school's reputation as a research institution began, as the federally funded Agricultural Experiment Station was established there. During the same period, a number of state laws granted the college regulatory powers in several areas—including controlling farm disease, inspecting feed, establishing a state weather bureau and geological survey, and housing the board of forestry.
In 1888, the college began its first official intercollegiate baseball
games against rivals St. John's College
and the United States Naval Academy
. Baseball, however, had been played at the college for decades before the first "official" games were recorded. The first fraternity at Maryland, Phi Sigma Kappa, was established in 1897, and Morrill Hall
(the oldest instructional building still in use on campus) was built the following year.
On November 29, 1912, around 10:30 p.m., a fire, probably due to faulty electric wiring, broke out in the attic of the newest administration building, where a Thanksgiving
dance was being held. The approximately eighty students on the premises evacuated themselves safely, and then formed a makeshift bucket brigade. The fire departments summoned from nearby Hyattsville
and Washington, D.C.
arrived too late. Fanned by a strong southwest wind, the fire destroyed the barracks where the students were housed, all the school's records, and most of the academic buildings, leaving only Morrill Hall
untouched. The loss was estimated at $250,000 (about $5.5 million in 2007 U.S. dollars) despite no injuries or fatalities. The devastation was so great that many never expected the university to reopen. University President Richard Silvester resigned, brokenhearted.
However, the students refused to give up. All but two returned to the university after the break and insisted on classes continuing as usual. Students were housed by families in neighboring towns who were compensated by the university until housing could be rebuilt, although a new administration building was not built until the 1940s.
A large brick and concrete compass inlaid in the ground designates the former center of campus as it existed in 1912. Lines engraved in the compass point to each building that was destroyed in the Thanksgiving Day fire. The only building not marked on the compass is Morrill Hall, which was spared by the blaze. The intersection of the lines on the compass are known as "The Point of Failure" and a plaque nearby warns students of the danger that if you step on this point you will not graduate in four years.
to form the University of Maryland (1920-Present). The graduate school on the College Park campus awarded its first Ph.D. degrees, and the University's enrollment reached 500 students in the same year. In 1925 the University was accredited by the Association of American Universities
.
During World War II
, Maryland was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
By the time the first black students enrolled at the University in 1951, enrollment had grown to nearly 10,000 students—4,000 of whom were women. Prior to 1951, many black students in Maryland were enrolled at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore which was almost shut down in 1947 due to lack of access, low quality education, and the fear among some black and white leaders that Eastern Shore was allowed to remain a college by the Regents of the University of Maryland solely to keep black students in segregated, inferior institutions.
In 1957 President Wilson H. Elkins made a push to increase academic standards at the University. His efforts resulted in the creation of one of the first Academic Probation Plans. The first year the plan went into effect, 1,550 students (18% of the total student body) faced expulsion. Since then, academic standards at the school have steadily risen. Recognizing the improvement in academics, Phi Beta Kappa established a chapter at the university in 1964. In 1969, the university was elected to the Association of American Universities. The school continued to grow, and by the fall of 1985 reached an enrollment of 38,679. Like many colleges during the Vietnam War, the university was the site of student protests and had curfews enforced by the National Guard
.
In a massive 1988 restructuring of the state higher education system, the school was designated as the flagship campus of the newly formed University System of Maryland
and was formally named University of Maryland, College Park. However, in 1997 the Maryland General Assembly
passed legislation allowing the University of Maryland, College Park to be known simply as the University of Maryland, recognizing the campus' role as the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland.
The other University System of Maryland institutions with the name "University of Maryland" are not satellite campuses of the University of Maryland, College Park, and are not referred to as such. The University of Maryland, Baltimore
is the only other school permitted to confer certain degrees that state, simply "University of Maryland". This is because the Baltimore school offers primarily graduate degrees in disciplines not taught at College Park, such as Nursing, Dentistry, Law and Medicine. The relationship between the University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore is akin to the relationship of the University of California, Berkeley to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), which also primarily offers graduate programs that Berkeley does not provide.
struck the College Park campus, killing two female students and causing $15 million in damage to 12 buildings. That same year brought the opening of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
, the largest single building ever constructed by the State of Maryland, which replaced Tawes Theatre
as the premier fine arts center on campus.
In 2004, the university began constructing the 150 acres (60.7 ha) "M Square Research Park," which is the largest research park inside the Capital Beltway, and includes facilities affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense, Food and Drug Administration
, and the new National Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, affiliated with The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA).
The university launched its 7-year campaign to raise $1 billion dollars via private donations, called "Great Expectations," in 2006. The university published a new 10-year strategic plan in 2008, which includes plans for the East Campus Redevelopment Project which would bring, among other things, on-campus graduate student housing and a state-of-the-art music and entertainment center to campus.
In May 2010, ground was broken on a new $128-million, 158068 square feet (14,685 m²) Physical Science Complex, including an ARRA
-funded advanced quantum science laboratory, which the university hopes will be the premier facility for such research in the world.
The university's administration has recently become embroiled in the debate over the construction of a light-rail line through campus which would give the University another link to the DC Metro System. On August 16, 2010, Wallace Loh
, the Provost of the University of Iowa, was named President of the University effective November 1.
Undergraduate education is centered around both a student's chosen academic program and the selection of core coursework to fulfill general education requirements. For Spring 2010, the average undergraduate GPA for women was 3.22 and 3.05 for undergraduate men.
Digital Cultures and Creativity (DCC) is one of the six University of Maryland living and learning honors programs offered to incoming honors-level students. Started in 2009, the program is currently directed by technologically focused, interdisciplinary artist Hasan Elahi and run by distinguished faculty and graduate students. DCC students are housed in Queen Annes Hall and take a 16 credit, 2 year interdisciplinary curriculum centered on digital culture and innovative thinking in the digital world.
Honors Humanities is the University of Maryland’s honors program for talented beginning undergraduates with interests in the humanities and creative arts. The selective two-year living-learning program combines a small liberal arts college
environment with the dynamic resources of a large research university.
The Gemstone Program at the University of Maryland is a multidisciplinary four-year research program for select undergraduate honors students of all majors. Under guidance of faculty mentors and Gemstone staff, teams of students design, direct and conduct research, often but not exclusively exploring the interdependence of science and technology with society.
The College Park Scholars
programs are two-year living-learning programs for first- and second-year students. Students are selected to enroll in one of 12 thematic programs: Arts; Business, Society, and the Economy; Environment, Technology, and Economy; Global Public Health; International Studies; Life Sciences; Media, Self, and Society; Public Leadership; Science and Global Change; Science, Discovery, and the Universe; Science, Technology, and Society.
The nation's first living-learning entrepreneurship program, Hinman
CEOs, is geared toward students who are interested in starting their own business. Students from all academic disciplines live together and are provided the resources to explore new business ventures.
The QUEST (Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams) Honors Fellows Program
engages undergraduate students from business, engineering, and computer, mathematical, and physical sciences. QUEST Students participate in courses focused on cross-functional collaboration, innovation, quality management, and teamwork.
Other living-learning programs include: CIVICUS, a two year program in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
based on the five principles of civil society; Global Communities, a program that immerses students in a diverse culture (students from all over the world live in a community), and the Language House, which allows students pursuing language courses to live and practice with other students learning the same language.
laureates. The earliest recipient, Juan Ramón Jiménez
, was a professor of Spanish language and literature and won the 1956 prize for literature. Four decades later, physics professor William Daniel Phillips
won the prize in physics for his contributions to laser cooling
, a technique to slow the movement of gaseous atoms in 1997. In 2005, professor emeritus of economics and public policy Thomas Schelling
was awarded the prize in economics for his contributions to game theory
. In 2006, adjunct professor of physics and senior astrophysicist at NASA
John C. Mather
was awarded the prize in physics alongside George Smoot
for their work in the discovery of blackbody form and anisotropy
of the cosmic microwave background radiation
. In addition, two University of Maryland alumni are Nobel Prize laureates; Herbert Hauptman won the 1985 prize in chemistry and Raymond Davis Jr.
won the 2002 prize in physics.
The University also has many notable academics in other field of science. Professor of mathematics Sergei Novikov won the Fields Medal
in 1970 followed by alumnus Charles Fefferman
in 1978. Alumnus George Dantzig
won the 1975 National Medal of Science
for his work in the field of linear programming. Professor of physics Michael Fisher
won the Wolf Prize in 1980 (together with Kenneth G. Wilson
and Leo Kadanoff
) and the IUPAP Boltzmann Medal
in 1983. James A. Yorke
, a Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics and Physics and chair of the Mathematics Department won the 2003 Japan Prize
for his work in chaotic systems.
, Capital Beltway
, known as "M Square." The university completed construction on a new Bioscience Research Building on campus in May 2007. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) is presently constructing the new National Center for Weather and Climate Prediction
on site in M Square. It is scheduled to be completed in early 2009. The University's Physics Department constructed, operates, and maintains the world's largest isochronous synchrocyclotron.
The University of Maryland's location near Washington, D.C. has created strong research partnerships, especially with government agencies. Many of the faculty members have funding from federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation
, the National Institutes of Health
,
NASA, the Department of Homeland Security
, the National Institute of Standards and Technology
, and the National Security Agency
. These relationships have created numerous research opportunities for the university including: *taking the lead in the nationwide research initiative into the transmission and prevention of human and avian influenza
The University of Maryland Libraries
provide access to and assistance in the use of the scholarly information resources required to meet the education, research and service missions of the University.
The Center for American Politics and Citizenship
provides citizens and policy-makers with research on critical issues related to the United States' political institutions, processes, and policies. CAPC is a non-partisan, non-profit research institution within the Department of Government and Politics in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.
The Space Systems Laboratory
researches human-robotic interaction for astronautics
applications, and includes the only neutral buoyancy
facility at a university.
The Center for Technology and Systems Management
(CTSM) has the mission to advance the state of the art of technology and systems analysis for the benefit of people and the environment. The focus has been always on enhancing safety, efficiency and effectiveness by performing reliability, risk, uncertainty or decision analysis studies.
The Joint Global Change Research Institute
was formed in 2001 by the University of Maryland and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
. The institute focuses on multidisciplinary approaches of climate change research.
has become highly selective. According to the 2011 US News and World Report, Maryland is rated "Most Selective" with a 41.9 percent acceptance rate. The university regularly receives about 26,000 applications a year for a freshman class of 4,000, along with 6,500 transfer applications for 2,000 available transfer spots.
The incoming class for 2009 represents the highest qualifications of any class in the University's history, measured by a mean SAT of 1285 and average GPA of 3.93.
The Academic Ranking of World Universities
compiled by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University
ranked Maryland as 36th in the world as well as 8th among public flagship universities in the United States. Newsweek
ranked the University of Maryland as 45th in their ranking "global universities." The THE-QS World University Rankings ranked the University of Maryland 104 on its top 400 universities in the world in 2010. In 2011, QS World University Rankings
ranked the university 113th overall in the world.
buildings and its large central lawn, named McKeldin Mall
. White columns decorate many buildings, with around 770 columns existing on campus. Spanning the university's 1250 acres (5.1 km²) are over 7,500 documented trees and special garden plantings, leading the American Public Gardens Association
to designate the campus the University of Maryland Arboretum & Botanical Garden
in 2008. This designation has allowed the university to showcase interesting species and specific gardens, including extensive native plantings. There are multiple arboretum tours, such as the centralized Tree Walking Tour which is based around McKeldin Mall and features 56 specimen trees.
Additionally, there are nearly 400 acres (1.6 km²) of urban forest
located on campus and the National Arbor Day Foundation
has named the university to its 'Tree Campus USA' list. The recreational Paint Branch Trail, part of the Anacostia Tributary Trails
system, cuts through campus, as does the Paint Branch
stream, a tributary of the Northeast Branch Anacostia River
.
McKeldin Mall serves as the center of campus. On the east and west ends of McKeldin Mall lie the Main Administration Building and McKeldin Library. Academic buildings surround McKeldin Mall on the north and south ends, and are the homes to many departments in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
, College of Arts and Humanities, and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. West of McKeldin Mall is the North Hill Community, and south of McKeldin Mall lies Morrill Hall
and the Morrill Quad, which was the original center of campus. South of the Morrill Quad are the South Hill and South Campus Commons Communities, and to the southwest is the Southwest Mall and the Robert H. Smith School of Business
. Running parallel to McKeldin Mall to the north is Campus Drive, the main thoroughfare through campus. The Adele H. Stamp Student Union
sits along Campus Drive near the center of campus, and serves as a transit center for campus, where Shuttle-UM
(the university's bus service) and municipal buses pick up and drop off passengers; however, the university is considering closing Campus Drive to nearly all vehicular traffic, hoping to make the area around Stamp more pedestrian friendly. Hornbake Plaza home to Hornbake Library and several buildings housing academic departments also lies on Campus Drive, east of Stamp.
Outside of the Stamp Student Union on Campus Drive is the Jim Henson Statue and Memorial Garden, in honor of the late Jim Henson
, a Maryland alum. To the north and northwest of Stamp and Hornbake Plaza are the North Campus communities, Byrd Stadium
, the Eppley Recreation Center (the main gym on campus), the Comcast Center
, and the Wooded Hillock, a 22 acres (8.9 ha) forest located next to the Comcast Center; Stadium Drive runs between the more southern Byrd Stadium and the rest of the these. The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
sits to the west of Byrd Stadium. Another thoroughfare, Regents Drive, runs perpendicular to McKeldin Mall and is home to the iconic Memorial Chapel
and the Campus Farms. Regents Drive crosses Campus Drive at the campus hallmark "M" Circle
, which is a traffic circle with a large "M" formed by flowers in its center. The northeast quadrant of campus, formed by Campus and Regent Drives, is home to many of natural sciences and applied sciences departments. The university is also divided by U.S. Route 1
, known locally as "Baltimore Avenue." While most of campus lies to the west of Baltimore Avenue, fixtures such as fraternity row and the Leonardtown Communities lie to the east. Sitting on the western edge of Baltimore Avenue are the Visitors' Center, also known as The Dairy, The Reckord Armory, and The Rossborough Inn
, which, built during the years of 1798 to 1812, is the oldest building on campus (and is older than the university itself). There are five regularly used entrances to campus; the main entrance, off of Baltimore Avenue and onto Campus Drive, is referred to as North Gate and features The Gatehouse, an ornate gateway honoring the university's founders. The 140 acres (56.7 ha), 18-hole University of Maryland Golf Course
sits at the northern edge of campus, as does the Observatory
. The campus is also home to one of the Root Servers
, responsible with operating DNS.
, a national youth climate activism summit, was held at the University of Maryland in November 2007 with 6,000 individuals in attendance.
The university's first Leed Gold building, Knight Hall, opened in April 2010 as the new home for the Philip Merrill College of Journalism
. Also in April 2010, the Princeton Review named the university one its "Green Colleges." The university added solar panels in the spring of 2010 to the roof of "The Diner" dining hall in North Campus, and plans to add solar panels to the roof of Cole Field House
, as well as additional campus buildings in the near future. The university's announced 158068 square feet (14,685 m²) state-of-the-art Physical Sciences Complex (set to be completed in July 2013) will meet LEED-Silver certification requirements.
, South Hill Community, made up of fourteen small residence halls for upperclassmen, Leonardtown Community, which offers apartment-style living and is further divided into Old Leonardtown (consisting of six buildings) and New Leonardtown (also consisting of six buildings), the South Campus Commons Community, which consists of seven apartment-style buildings (the seventh and most recent building being opened in January 2010), and the Courtyards, a garden style apartment community in north campus consisting of seven buildings. The South Campus Commons Community and Courtyards, while built on campus, are managed by a private company, Capstone On-Campus Management, as part of a public-private partnership between the company and the University of Maryland.
The university does not have family housing. As of 2011 some students with families have advocated for the addition of family housing.
.
. A small public airport in College Park, College Park Airport
, lies nearly adjacent to campus, but operations are limited.
A free shuttle service, known as Shuttle-UM
, is available for all UMD students, faculty, and staff. The university is served by an off-campus stop on the Washington DC Metro Green Line
called College Park – University of Maryland. The station is also served by the Camden Line
of the MARC train
, which runs between Baltimore
and Washington. A Shuttle-UM bus (Route 104) arrives at the metro station every five minutes during fall and spring semesters (every ten minutes during the summer) to bring all visitors to campus (currently stopping in front of the Stamp Student Union). The DC Metrobus and the Prince George's County TheBus bus services also stop on campus.
Over 21,000 parking spaces are on campus, in numerous parking lots and garages. Zipcar
service is also available on campus for all UMD students, faculty, and staff.
The university has been attempting to make the campus more bike-friendly by installing covered bike parking and bike lockers on campus, introducing a bike-sharing program, and plans to add more bike lanes on campus. As of Spring 2011, the University has stayed committed to encouraging bicycling on campus by installing covered bike storage outside of the newly built Oakland dorm as well as security lockers in the Mowatt Lane Garage. In addition to increased storage options, the University runs the Campus Bike Shop where students can get their bikes repaired and learn how to maintain them on their own. The installation of one or more light-rail stops on campus as a part of metropolitan Washington's proposed Purple Line is an ongoing debate.
of the University of Maryland. It was founded in 1910 as The Triangle and renamed in 1921 in honor of a local reptile, the Diamondback terrapin
, which became the official school mascot in 1933. The newspaper is published daily Monday through Friday during the Spring and Fall semesters, with a print circulation of 17,000 and annual advertising revenues of over $1 million. It has four sections: News, Opinion, Sports, and Diversions.
For the 2008-2009 school year, "The Diamondback" earned a Mark of Excellence award from the Society of Professional Journalists
, placing second nationally for Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper and first in its region in the same category. Three years earlier the newspaper had finished third place nationally for Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper and first in its region. Notable journalists who have been with The Diamondback include David Simon of HBO's The Wire and NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street, disgraced Jayson Blair
, who was editor-in-chief in 1996 (Blair did not graduate, instead taking a job with The New York Times
); Norman Chad
, who was editor-in-chief in 1978; cartoonists Aaron McGruder
, who first published his cartoon The Boondocks
in The Diamondback; and Frank Cho
, who began his career with the popular "University Squared" for The Diamondback.
. Notable WMUC alumni include Connie Chung
, Bonnie Bernstein, and Aaron McGruder
.
About 10% of men and 14% of women in Maryland's undergraduate student body are involved in Greek life
. Many of the fraternities and sororities at the school are located on Fraternity Row and the Graham Cracker, which are controlled by the University. Fraternity Row is the background of several recently produced films.
All social Greek organizations are governed by one of three groups: the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Panhellenic Association, or the Pan-Hellenic Council. All cultural Greek organizations are governed by the United Greek Council. These councils assist in the creation and governance of chapter by-laws, risk management plans, and philanthropic activities, with support from the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Each year, every Greek organization must fulfill certain requirements, including doing a service and conducting a program/event related to community service, diversity, or alumni and faculty outreach.
The university sponsors varsity athletic teams in 27 men's and women's sports. The teams, nicknamed the "Terrapins", represent Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association
Division I competition. Maryland became a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
in 1952. As of December 2010, Maryland's athletic teams have been awarded 38 national championships by the NCAA, USILA
, AIAW
, and NCA
. In 2008 and 2010, The Princeton Review
named the University of Maryland's athletic facilities the best in the nation. The Terrapins nickname (often shortened to "Terps") was coined by former university president, football coach, and athletic director H. C. "Curly" Byrd in 1932. The mascot is a diamondback terrapin
named Testudo, which is Latin
for "tortoise." Since the early 20th century, the school athletic colors have been some combination of those on the Maryland state flag
: red, white, black, and gold.
Men's basketball
is one of the most popular sports at the university. Long-time head coach Lefty Driesell
began the now nationwide tradition of "Midnight Madness
in 1971. Beginning in 1989, alumnus Gary Williams
revived the program, which was struggling in the wake of Len Bias
's death and NCAA rules infractions. Williams led Maryland basketball to national prominence with two Final Four appearances, and in 2002, a national championship
. On February 7, 2006, Gary Williams won his 349th game to surpass Driesell and became Maryland's all-time leader among basketball coaches. Maryland football
is also popular at the university. The Terrapins were awarded the national championship by the wire services in 1953, and in 1951, by several retroactive selectors. Maryland has secured eleven conference championships, including nine in the ACC, which ranks third most in the league. The Terrapins most recently won the ACC in 2001
under alumnus and head coach Ralph Friedgen
.
Beyond the two "revenue sports," the university fields 25 other varsity teams. Maryland men's lacrosse remains one of the sport's top programs since its beginnings as a squad in 1865, although it last won the national championship in 1975
. The team has secured ten USILA
and NCAA national championships since its promotion to varsity status in 1924, and is a regular fixture in the NCAA tournament. The women's lacrosse team
has the most national championships of any program in the nation, including most recently in 2010. The women's basketball team
rose to prominence in the 2000s, and head coach Brenda Frese
guided the Lady Terps to their first NCAA title in 2006. The men' soccer team
has reached five Final Fours since 1997 under the guidance of head coach Sasho Cirovski
, and captured the College Cup in 2005 and 2008. The women's field hockey
team has secured seven NCAA championships. The Maryland wrestling
team was dominant in the ACC throughout the 1950s and 1960s and returned to claim two more conference titles in the late 2000s.
The Mighty Sound of Maryland
marching band attends all home football games and provides pre-game performances. During the basketball season, the marching band becomes the University of Maryland Pep Band, which provides music in the stands at men's and women's home games and during tournament play.
—who served as the university's football and baseball coach, athletic director, and president—proposed adopting the diamondback terrapin
as a mascot. The first statue of Testudo cast in bronze was donated by the Class of 1933 and displayed on Baltimore Avenue
in front of Ritchie Coliseum
. However, the 300-pound sculpture was subjected to vandalism by visiting college athletic teams. One such incident occurred in 1947 when students from Johns Hopkins University
stole the bronze statue and moved it to their campus. Maryland students traveled to Baltimore
to retrieve it, and laid siege to the house where it was hidden. Over 200 city police
responded to quell the riot. In 1949, University President Byrd was awakened by a phone call from a University of Virginia
fraternity requesting that Testudo be removed from their lawn. Testudo was later filled with 700 pounds of cement and fastened to his pedestal to prevent future removals, but students at rival schools continued to vandalize it. It was moved to Byrd Stadium
in 1951. In the 1960s, Testudo was moved back to a spot in front of McKeldin Library. Some passersby consider it good luck to rub the statue, which has given its nose a shiny appearance. During finals week, students traditionally leave "offerings" to the statue for good luck.
In 1992 a duplicate statue was placed at Byrd Stadium, where the football team touch it for good luck as they pass by before games. Additional Testudo statues now sit outside of the Gossett Team House near the stadium; Comcast Center
, the school's basketball arena; the Riggs Alumni Center; and in the lobby of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union
. In 1994, the Maryland General Assembly
approved legislation to name the diamondback terrapin (malaclemys terrapin terrapin) as the official state reptile and the legally codified mascot of the University of Maryland. Beginning in the 2000s, the university promoted the slogan, "Fear the Turtle" as a rallying cry for school pride.
, former House Majority Leader
Steny Hoyer
;
Google
co-founder Sergey Brin
; The Muppets
creator Jim Henson
; and Seinfeld
producer Larry David
.
Prominent alumni in business include Jim Walton
, President and CEO of CNN
;
Kevin Plank
, founder of the athletic apparel company Under Armour
;
Chris Kubasik
, President of Lockheed Martin
; Carly Fiorina
, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard
; Telecommunications entrepreneur Brian Hinman
,
and Hamad Al Sayari, Former governor of the Saudi Arabian Central Bank(Saudi Arabia Monetary Agency).
Television personality Connie Chung
; E!
News reporter Giuliana Rancic graduated with a bachelors degree from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism
. ESPN
reporters Bonnie Bernstein, Tim Kurkjian
, and Scott Van Pelt
all graduated from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism
.
Journalist Carl Bernstein
, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service
for his coverage of the Watergate scandal
, attended the University but did not graduate.
Kiran Chetry
, co-host of CNN's American Morning
, graduated with a bachelors of arts in broadcast journalism.
Heidi Collins
of CNN Newsroom
graduated with a bachelors of science. Former Maryland governor Harry R. Hughes also attended. Gayle King
, editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine
, graduated from Maryland with a degree in psychology.
Attendees within the fields of science and mathematics are: Nobel Laureates Raymond Davis Jr.
, 2002 winner in Physics; Herbert Hauptman, 1985 winner in Chemistry, and Fields Medal
winner Charles Fefferman
. Other alumni include George Dantzig
, considered the father of linear programming; late NASA
astronaut
Judith Resnik, who died in the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger
during the launch of mission STS-51-L
; and NASA
Administrator Michael D. Griffin
.
Several donors have distinguished themselves for their sizable gifts to the University. Businessman Robert H. Smith
, who graduated from the university in 1950 with a degree in accounting, has given over $45 million to the business school that now bears his name, and to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, which bears his wife's name. Construction entrepreneur A. James Clark
, who graduated with an engineering degree in 1950, has also donated over $45 million to the college of engineering, which also bears his name. Another engineering donor, Jeong H. Kim
, earned his Ph.D. from the university in 1991 and gave $5 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art engineering building. Philip Merrill
, a media figure, donated $10 million to the College of Journalism.
College Park, Maryland
College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...
in Prince George's County, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, just outside Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland is the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland
University System of Maryland
The University System of Maryland is a public corporation and charter school system comprising 12 Maryland institutions of higher education. It is the 12th-largest university system in the United States, with over 125,000 undergraduate, 43,000 graduate and roughly 13,000 combined full-time and...
. With a fall 2010 enrollment of more than 37,000 students, over 100 undergraduate majors and 120 graduate programs, Maryland is the largest university in the state and the largest in the Washington Metropolitan Area
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
. It is a member of the Association of American Universities
Association of American Universities
The Association of American Universities is an organization of leading research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education...
and a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
athletic league.
The University of Maryland's proximity to the nation's capital has resulted in strong research partnerships with the Federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
. Many members of the faculty receive research funding and institutional support from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology , known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards , is a measurement standards laboratory, otherwise known as a National Metrological Institute , which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce...
and the Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
.
As of fiscal year 2009, the University of Maryland, College Park's operating budget was projected to be approximately $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1.531 billion. For the same fiscal year, the University of Maryland received a total of $518 million in research funding, surpassing its 2008 mark by $117 million. As of June 30th, 2011, the university's "Great Expectations" campaign had exceeded $850 million in private donations.
Early history
On March 6, 1856, the forerunner of today's University of Maryland was chartered as the Maryland Agricultural College (1856-1916). Two years later, Charles Benedict CalvertCharles Benedict Calvert
Charles Benedict Calvert was a U.S. Congressman from the sixth district of Maryland, serving one term from 1861–1863. He was an early backer of the inventors of the telegraph, and in 1856 he founded the Maryland Agricultural College, the first agricultural research college in America, now part of...
, a descendant of the Barons Baltimore
Baron Baltimore
Baron Baltimore, of Baltimore Manor in County Longford, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1625 for George Calvert and became extinct on the death of the sixth Baron in 1771. The title was held by several members of the Calvert family who were proprietors of the palatinates...
, fervent believer in agricultural education, and a future U.S. Congressman, purchased 420 acres (1.7 km²) of the Riverdale Plantation
Riversdale (Maryland)
Riversdale, also known as the Calvert Mansion, is a five-part, large-scale late Georgian mansion with superior Federal interior, built between 1801 and 1807. Also known as Baltimore House, Calvert Mansion or Riversdale Mansion, it is located at 4811 Riverdale Road in Riverdale Park, Maryland...
in College Park for $21,000. Calvert founded the school later that year with money earned by the sale of stock certificates. On October 5, 1859, the first 34 students entered the Maryland Agricultural College, including four of Charles Calvert's sons, George, Charles, William and Eugene. The keynote speaker on opening day was Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
signed the Morrill Land Grant Act. The legislation provided federal funds to schools that taught agriculture or engineering, or provided military training. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the school became a land grant college in February 1864 after the Maryland legislature voted to approve the Morrill Act.
Civil War
A few months after accepting the grant, the Maryland Agricultural College proved to be an important site in the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. In April 1864, General Ambrose E. Burnside
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
and 6,000 soldiers of the Union's Ninth Army Corps camped on the MAC campus. The troops were en route to reinforce General Ulysses S. Grant's forces in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Later that summer, around 400 Confederate soldiers led by General Bradley T. Johnson stayed on the grounds while preparing to take part in a raid against Washington. In local legend, it is told that the soldiers were warmly welcomed by university President Henry Onderdonk, a Confederate sympathizer, and that the cavalrymen were thrown a party on the campus nicknamed "The Old South Ball." The next morning the soldiers rode off to cut the lines of communication between Washington and Baltimore.
Financial problems forced the increasingly desperate administrators to sell off 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land, and the continuing decline in student enrollment sent the Maryland Agricultural College into bankruptcy. For the next two years the campus was used as a boys preparatory school.
Following the Civil War, the Maryland legislature pulled the college out of bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, and in February 1866 assumed half ownership of the school. The college thus became in part a state institution. George Washington Custis Lee
George Washington Custis Lee
George Washington Custis Lee , also known as Custis Lee, was the eldest son of Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee...
, son of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, was appointed president of the college by the Board of Trustees, but due to public outcry declined the position. By October 1867, the school reopened with 11 students. In the next six years, enrollment continued to grow, and the school's debt was finally paid off. Twenty years later, the school's reputation as a research institution began, as the federally funded Agricultural Experiment Station was established there. During the same period, a number of state laws granted the college regulatory powers in several areas—including controlling farm disease, inspecting feed, establishing a state weather bureau and geological survey, and housing the board of forestry.
In 1888, the college began its first official intercollegiate baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
games against rivals St. John's College
St. John's College, U.S.
St. John's College is a liberal arts college with two U.S. campuses: one in Annapolis, Maryland and one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1696 as a preparatory school, King William's School, the school received a collegiate charter in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher...
and the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
. Baseball, however, had been played at the college for decades before the first "official" games were recorded. The first fraternity at Maryland, Phi Sigma Kappa, was established in 1897, and Morrill Hall
Morrill Hall (University of Maryland)
Morrill Hall is the oldest continuously-used academic building on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. Built in 1898 in the Second Empire architectural style for $24,000, it was the sole academic building left untouched by The Great Fire of 1912 which devastated almost all of...
(the oldest instructional building still in use on campus) was built the following year.
The Great Fire of 1912
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
dance was being held. The approximately eighty students on the premises evacuated themselves safely, and then formed a makeshift bucket brigade. The fire departments summoned from nearby Hyattsville
Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
arrived too late. Fanned by a strong southwest wind, the fire destroyed the barracks where the students were housed, all the school's records, and most of the academic buildings, leaving only Morrill Hall
Morrill Hall (University of Maryland)
Morrill Hall is the oldest continuously-used academic building on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. Built in 1898 in the Second Empire architectural style for $24,000, it was the sole academic building left untouched by The Great Fire of 1912 which devastated almost all of...
untouched. The loss was estimated at $250,000 (about $5.5 million in 2007 U.S. dollars) despite no injuries or fatalities. The devastation was so great that many never expected the university to reopen. University President Richard Silvester resigned, brokenhearted.
However, the students refused to give up. All but two returned to the university after the break and insisted on classes continuing as usual. Students were housed by families in neighboring towns who were compensated by the university until housing could be rebuilt, although a new administration building was not built until the 1940s.
A large brick and concrete compass inlaid in the ground designates the former center of campus as it existed in 1912. Lines engraved in the compass point to each building that was destroyed in the Thanksgiving Day fire. The only building not marked on the compass is Morrill Hall, which was spared by the blaze. The intersection of the lines on the compass are known as "The Point of Failure" and a plaque nearby warns students of the danger that if you step on this point you will not graduate in four years.
Modern history
The state took complete control of the school in 1916, and consequently the institution was renamed Maryland State College (1916-1920). Also that year, the first female students enrolled at the school. On April 9, 1920, the college merged with the established professional schools in BaltimoreUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore, was founded in 1807. It comprises some of the oldest professional schools in the nation and world. It is the original campus of the University System of Maryland. Located on 60 acres in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, it is part of the University System of Maryland...
to form the University of Maryland (1920-Present). The graduate school on the College Park campus awarded its first Ph.D. degrees, and the University's enrollment reached 500 students in the same year. In 1925 the University was accredited by the Association of American Universities
Association of American Universities
The Association of American Universities is an organization of leading research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Maryland was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
By the time the first black students enrolled at the University in 1951, enrollment had grown to nearly 10,000 students—4,000 of whom were women. Prior to 1951, many black students in Maryland were enrolled at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore which was almost shut down in 1947 due to lack of access, low quality education, and the fear among some black and white leaders that Eastern Shore was allowed to remain a college by the Regents of the University of Maryland solely to keep black students in segregated, inferior institutions.
In 1957 President Wilson H. Elkins made a push to increase academic standards at the University. His efforts resulted in the creation of one of the first Academic Probation Plans. The first year the plan went into effect, 1,550 students (18% of the total student body) faced expulsion. Since then, academic standards at the school have steadily risen. Recognizing the improvement in academics, Phi Beta Kappa established a chapter at the university in 1964. In 1969, the university was elected to the Association of American Universities. The school continued to grow, and by the fall of 1985 reached an enrollment of 38,679. Like many colleges during the Vietnam War, the university was the site of student protests and had curfews enforced by the National Guard
Maryland Army National Guard
The Maryland Army National Guard is the Army component of the organized militia of the State of Maryland. It is headquartered at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore and has units at armories and other facilities across the state....
.
University System of Maryland
The University System of Maryland is a public corporation and charter school system comprising 12 Maryland institutions of higher education. It is the 12th-largest university system in the United States, with over 125,000 undergraduate, 43,000 graduate and roughly 13,000 combined full-time and...
and was formally named University of Maryland, College Park. However, in 1997 the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
passed legislation allowing the University of Maryland, College Park to be known simply as the University of Maryland, recognizing the campus' role as the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland.
The other University System of Maryland institutions with the name "University of Maryland" are not satellite campuses of the University of Maryland, College Park, and are not referred to as such. The University of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore, was founded in 1807. It comprises some of the oldest professional schools in the nation and world. It is the original campus of the University System of Maryland. Located on 60 acres in downtown Baltimore, Maryland, it is part of the University System of Maryland...
is the only other school permitted to confer certain degrees that state, simply "University of Maryland". This is because the Baltimore school offers primarily graduate degrees in disciplines not taught at College Park, such as Nursing, Dentistry, Law and Medicine. The relationship between the University of Maryland, College Park, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore is akin to the relationship of the University of California, Berkeley to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), which also primarily offers graduate programs that Berkeley does not provide.
21st Century
On September 24, 2001, a tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
struck the College Park campus, killing two female students and causing $15 million in damage to 12 buildings. That same year brought the opening of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is a performing arts complex on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. The facility houses six performance venues; the UM School of Music; and the UM School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. It also houses the Michelle Smith...
, the largest single building ever constructed by the State of Maryland, which replaced Tawes Theatre
Tawes Theatre
The Tawes Fine Arts Building, also known as Tawes Theatre and Tawes Hall, is the home of the University of Maryland's Department of English and is the former home of the Department of Theatre and the School of Music...
as the premier fine arts center on campus.
In 2004, the university began constructing the 150 acres (60.7 ha) "M Square Research Park," which is the largest research park inside the Capital Beltway, and includes facilities affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense, Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
, and the new National Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, affiliated with The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA).
The university launched its 7-year campaign to raise $1 billion dollars via private donations, called "Great Expectations," in 2006. The university published a new 10-year strategic plan in 2008, which includes plans for the East Campus Redevelopment Project which would bring, among other things, on-campus graduate student housing and a state-of-the-art music and entertainment center to campus.
In May 2010, ground was broken on a new $128-million, 158068 square feet (14,685 m²) Physical Science Complex, including an ARRA
Arra
Arra is a census town in Puruliya district in the state of West Bengal, India.-Demographics: India census, Arra had a population of 19,911. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Arra has an average literacy rate of 66%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with 59% of the...
-funded advanced quantum science laboratory, which the university hopes will be the premier facility for such research in the world.
The university's administration has recently become embroiled in the debate over the construction of a light-rail line through campus which would give the University another link to the DC Metro System. On August 16, 2010, Wallace Loh
Wallace Loh
Wallace D. Loh, Ph.D. is the current president of the University of Maryland, College Park, having assumed his role on November 1, 2010....
, the Provost of the University of Iowa, was named President of the University effective November 1.
Profile
The University of Maryland offers 127 undergraduate degrees and 112 graduate degrees in thirteen different colleges and schools:
|
|
Undergraduate education is centered around both a student's chosen academic program and the selection of core coursework to fulfill general education requirements. For Spring 2010, the average undergraduate GPA for women was 3.22 and 3.05 for undergraduate men.
Programs
The university hosts "Living and Learning" programs which allow students with similar academic interests to live in the same residential community, take specialized courses, and perform research. An example is the University Honors College, which is geared towards students with exceptional academic talents. The Honors College welcomes students into a community of faculty and intellectually gifted undergraduates committed to acquiring a broad and balanced education.Digital Cultures and Creativity (DCC) is one of the six University of Maryland living and learning honors programs offered to incoming honors-level students. Started in 2009, the program is currently directed by technologically focused, interdisciplinary artist Hasan Elahi and run by distinguished faculty and graduate students. DCC students are housed in Queen Annes Hall and take a 16 credit, 2 year interdisciplinary curriculum centered on digital culture and innovative thinking in the digital world.
Honors Humanities is the University of Maryland’s honors program for talented beginning undergraduates with interests in the humanities and creative arts. The selective two-year living-learning program combines a small liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
environment with the dynamic resources of a large research university.
The Gemstone Program at the University of Maryland is a multidisciplinary four-year research program for select undergraduate honors students of all majors. Under guidance of faculty mentors and Gemstone staff, teams of students design, direct and conduct research, often but not exclusively exploring the interdependence of science and technology with society.
The College Park Scholars
College Park Scholars
College Park Scholars is a program for academically talented freshmen and sophomores at the University of Maryland, College Park. Freshmen are invited to participate can choose to matriculate into one of 11 interdisciplinary programs. Each program accepts about 75 students at the beginning of the...
programs are two-year living-learning programs for first- and second-year students. Students are selected to enroll in one of 12 thematic programs: Arts; Business, Society, and the Economy; Environment, Technology, and Economy; Global Public Health; International Studies; Life Sciences; Media, Self, and Society; Public Leadership; Science and Global Change; Science, Discovery, and the Universe; Science, Technology, and Society.
The nation's first living-learning entrepreneurship program, Hinman
Brian Hinman
Brian L. Hinman is an entrepreneur and investor in high technology businesses and specifically a pioneer in the computer based communications industry. Hinman founded three successful high technology companies; PictureTel Corp...
CEOs, is geared toward students who are interested in starting their own business. Students from all academic disciplines live together and are provided the resources to explore new business ventures.
The QUEST (Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams) Honors Fellows Program
QUEST Honors Fellows Program
The QUEST Honors Program is a specialized program for undergraduate students at the University of Maryland, College Park. The program accepts students from the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences, the Robert H. Smith School of Business, and the A. James Clark School of...
engages undergraduate students from business, engineering, and computer, mathematical, and physical sciences. QUEST Students participate in courses focused on cross-functional collaboration, innovation, quality management, and teamwork.
Other living-learning programs include: CIVICUS, a two year program in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
University of Maryland College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
The University of Maryland College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is one of the 13 schools and colleges at the University of Maryland, College Park. With nine departments, it is the largest college at the university, with three in ten University of Maryland undergraduates receiving their degree...
based on the five principles of civil society; Global Communities, a program that immerses students in a diverse culture (students from all over the world live in a community), and the Language House, which allows students pursuing language courses to live and practice with other students learning the same language.
Faculty
The university's faculty has included four Nobel PrizeNobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
laureates. The earliest recipient, Juan Ramón Jiménez
Juan Ramón Jiménez
Juan Ramón Jiménez Mantecón was a Spanish poet, a prolific writer who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956. One of Jiménez's most important contributions to modern poetry was his advocacy of the French concept of "pure poetry."-Biography:Jiménez was born in Moguer, near Huelva, in...
, was a professor of Spanish language and literature and won the 1956 prize for literature. Four decades later, physics professor William Daniel Phillips
William Daniel Phillips
William Daniel Phillips is an American physicist and shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for 1997 with Steven Chu and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji. He is of Italian and Welsh descent.-Biography:...
won the prize in physics for his contributions to laser cooling
Laser cooling
Laser cooling refers to the number of techniques in which atomic and molecular samples are cooled through the interaction with one or more laser light fields...
, a technique to slow the movement of gaseous atoms in 1997. In 2005, professor emeritus of economics and public policy Thomas Schelling
Thomas Schelling
Thomas Crombie Schelling is an American economist and professor of foreign affairs, national security, nuclear strategy, and arms control at the School of Public Policy at University of Maryland, College Park. He is also co-faculty at the New England Complex Systems Institute...
was awarded the prize in economics for his contributions to game theory
Game theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
. In 2006, adjunct professor of physics and senior astrophysicist at NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
John C. Mather
John C. Mather
John Cromwell Mather is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate for his work on the Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite with George Smoot. COBE was the first experiment to measure ".....
was awarded the prize in physics alongside George Smoot
George Smoot
George Fitzgerald Smoot III is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist, Nobel laureate, and $1 million TV quiz show prize winner . He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006 for his work on COBE with John C...
for their work in the discovery of blackbody form and anisotropy
Anisotropy
Anisotropy is the property of being directionally dependent, as opposed to isotropy, which implies identical properties in all directions. It can be defined as a difference, when measured along different axes, in a material's physical or mechanical properties An example of anisotropy is the light...
of the cosmic microwave background radiation
Cosmic microwave background radiation
In cosmology, cosmic microwave background radiation is thermal radiation filling the observable universe almost uniformly....
. In addition, two University of Maryland alumni are Nobel Prize laureates; Herbert Hauptman won the 1985 prize in chemistry and Raymond Davis Jr.
Raymond Davis Jr.
Raymond Davis, Jr. was an American chemist, physicist, and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate.-Early life and education:...
won the 2002 prize in physics.
The University also has many notable academics in other field of science. Professor of mathematics Sergei Novikov won the Fields Medal
Fields Medal
The Fields Medal, officially known as International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians not over 40 years of age at each International Congress of the International Mathematical Union , a meeting that takes place every four...
in 1970 followed by alumnus Charles Fefferman
Charles Fefferman
Charles Louis Fefferman is an American mathematician at Princeton University. His primary field of research is mathematical analysis....
in 1978. Alumnus George Dantzig
George Dantzig
George Bernard Dantzig was an American mathematical scientist who made important contributions to operations research, computer science, economics, and statistics....
won the 1975 National Medal of Science
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
for his work in the field of linear programming. Professor of physics Michael Fisher
Michael Fisher
Michael Ellis Fisher is an English physicist, as well as chemist and mathematician, known for his many seminal contributions...
won the Wolf Prize in 1980 (together with Kenneth G. Wilson
Kenneth G. Wilson
Kenneth Geddes Wilson is an American theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner.As an undergraduate at Harvard, he was a Putnam Fellow. He earned his PhD from Caltech in 1961, studying under Murray Gell-Mann....
and Leo Kadanoff
Leo Kadanoff
Leo Philip Kadanoff is an American physicist. He is a professor of physics at the University of Chicago and a former President of the American Physical Society . He has contributed to the fields of statistical physics, chaos theory, and theoretical condensed matter physics.-Biography:Kadanoff...
) and the IUPAP Boltzmann Medal
Boltzmann Medal
The Boltzmann Medal is the most important prize awarded to physicists that obtain new results concerning statistical mechanics; it is named after the celebrated physicist Ludwig Boltzmann...
in 1983. James A. Yorke
James A. Yorke
James A. Yorke is a Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics and Physics and chair of the Mathematics Department at the University of Maryland, College Park. He and Benoit Mandelbrot were the recipients of the 2003 Japan Prize in Science and Technology...
, a Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics and Physics and chair of the Mathematics Department won the 2003 Japan Prize
Japan Prize
is awarded to people from all parts of the world whose "original and outstanding achievements in science and technology are recognized as having advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind."- Explanation :...
for his work in chaotic systems.
Research
On October 14, 2004, the university added 150 acres (60.7 ha) in an attempt to create the largest research park inside the Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
, known as "M Square." The university completed construction on a new Bioscience Research Building on campus in May 2007. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA) is presently constructing the new National Center for Weather and Climate Prediction
National Centers for Environmental Prediction
The United States National Centers for Environmental Prediction delivers national and global weather, water, climate and space weather guidance, forecasts, warnings and analyses to its Partners and External User Communities...
on site in M Square. It is scheduled to be completed in early 2009. The University's Physics Department constructed, operates, and maintains the world's largest isochronous synchrocyclotron.
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
, the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
,
NASA, the Department of Homeland Security
United States Department of Homeland Security
The United States Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet department of the United States federal government, created in response to the September 11 attacks, and with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the United States and protectorates from and responding to...
, the National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology , known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards , is a measurement standards laboratory, otherwise known as a National Metrological Institute , which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce...
, and the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
. These relationships have created numerous research opportunities for the university including: *taking the lead in the nationwide research initiative into the transmission and prevention of human and avian influenza
- creating a new research center to study the behavioral and social foundations of terrorismTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
with funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - launching the joint NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
-University of Maryland Deep Impact spacecraft in early January 2005.
The University of Maryland Libraries
University of Maryland Libraries
The University of Maryland Libraries constitute the largest public research library in the state of Maryland. Seven libraries are located at University of Maryland, College Park campus, plus an additional library and media center located off-campus...
provide access to and assistance in the use of the scholarly information resources required to meet the education, research and service missions of the University.
The Center for American Politics and Citizenship
Center for American Politics and Citizenship
The Center for American Politics and Citizenship is a non-partisan Government and Politics research center at the University of Maryland, College Park...
provides citizens and policy-makers with research on critical issues related to the United States' political institutions, processes, and policies. CAPC is a non-partisan, non-profit research institution within the Department of Government and Politics in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.
The Space Systems Laboratory
Space systems laboratory
The Space Systems Laboratory is part of the Aerospace Engineering Department and A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. The Space Systems Laboratory is centered around the Neutral Buoyancy Research Facility, a , water tank that is used to...
researches human-robotic interaction for astronautics
Astronautics
Astronautics, and related astronautical engineering, is the theory and practice of navigation beyond the Earth's atmosphere. In other words, it is the science and technology of space flight....
applications, and includes the only neutral buoyancy
Neutral buoyancy
Neutral buoyancy is a condition in which a physical body's mass equals the mass it displaces in a surrounding medium. This offsets the force of gravity that would otherwise cause the object to sink...
facility at a university.
The Center for Technology and Systems Management
Center for Technology and Systems Management
The Center for Technology and Systems Management is a research center at the A. James Clark School of Engineering of the University of Maryland, College Park, United States. Established in 1996, the center includes both University of Maryland faculty and staff and external associates...
(CTSM) has the mission to advance the state of the art of technology and systems analysis for the benefit of people and the environment. The focus has been always on enhancing safety, efficiency and effectiveness by performing reliability, risk, uncertainty or decision analysis studies.
The Joint Global Change Research Institute
Joint Global Change Research Institute
The Joint Global Change Research Institute was formed in 2001 by the University of Maryland, College Park and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The institute focuses on multidisciplinary approaches of climate change research....
was formed in 2001 by the University of Maryland and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is one of the United States Department of Energy National Laboratories, managed by the Department of Energy's Office of Science. The main campus of the laboratory is in Richland, Washington....
. The institute focuses on multidisciplinary approaches of climate change research.
Admissions
Admittance to the University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
has become highly selective. According to the 2011 US News and World Report, Maryland is rated "Most Selective" with a 41.9 percent acceptance rate. The university regularly receives about 26,000 applications a year for a freshman class of 4,000, along with 6,500 transfer applications for 2,000 available transfer spots.
The incoming class for 2009 represents the highest qualifications of any class in the University's history, measured by a mean SAT of 1285 and average GPA of 3.93.
Rankings
The University is ranked 55th in the latest 2012 U.S. News and World Report rankings of "National Universities" across the United States, and it is ranked 17th nationally among public universities. 29 undergraduate and graduate programs are ranked in the top 10 and 90 programs are in the top 25.The Academic Ranking of World Universities
Academic Ranking of World Universities
The Academic Ranking of World Universities , commonly known as the Shanghai ranking, is a publication that was founded and compiled by the Shanghai Jiaotong University to rank universities globally. The rankings have been conducted since 2003 and updated annually...
compiled by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University or SJTU), sometimes referred to as Shanghai Jiaotong University , is a top public research university located in Shanghai, China. Shanghai Jiao Tong University is known as one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China...
ranked Maryland as 36th in the world as well as 8th among public flagship universities in the United States. Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
ranked the University of Maryland as 45th in their ranking "global universities." The THE-QS World University Rankings ranked the University of Maryland 104 on its top 400 universities in the world in 2010. In 2011, QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings
The QS World University Rankings is a ranking of the world’s top 500 universities by Quacquarelli Symonds using a method that has published annually since 2004....
ranked the university 113th overall in the world.
Campus
Description
The campus of University of Maryland is noted for its red-brick GeorgianGeorgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
buildings and its large central lawn, named McKeldin Mall
McKeldin Mall
McKeldin Mall is a nine-acre area in the heart of the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. Named after Theodore McKeldin, the former Governor of Maryland, McKeldin Mall is the largest academic mall in the United States.-Description:...
. White columns decorate many buildings, with around 770 columns existing on campus. Spanning the university's 1250 acres (5.1 km²) are over 7,500 documented trees and special garden plantings, leading the American Public Gardens Association
American Public Gardens Association
The American Public Gardens Association is an association of public-garden institutions and professionals primarily in the United States and Canada....
to designate the campus the University of Maryland Arboretum & Botanical Garden
University of Maryland Arboretum & Botanical Garden
The University of Maryland Arboretum and Botanical Garden is located on the grounds of the University of Maryland - College Park. The Arboretum and Botanical Garden is free to visit and is used as an outdoor classroom for a variety of courses at the University...
in 2008. This designation has allowed the university to showcase interesting species and specific gardens, including extensive native plantings. There are multiple arboretum tours, such as the centralized Tree Walking Tour which is based around McKeldin Mall and features 56 specimen trees.
Additionally, there are nearly 400 acres (1.6 km²) of urban forest
Urban forest
An urban forest is a forest or a collection of trees that grow within a city, town or a suburb. In a wider sense it may include any kind of woody plant vegetation growing in and around human settlements. In a narrower sense it describes areas whose ecosystems are inherited from wilderness...
located on campus and the National Arbor Day Foundation
National Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is the world's oldest and largest tree-planting organization. The foundation began September 3, 1971 with a mission "to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees". The Foundation is supported by donations, selling trees and merchandise, and by corporate sponsors...
has named the university to its 'Tree Campus USA' list. The recreational Paint Branch Trail, part of the Anacostia Tributary Trails
Anacostia Tributary Trails
The Anacostia Tributary Trail System is a unified and signed system of stream valley trails joining the Northwest Branch, Northeast Branch, Indian Creek and Paint Branch stream valley parks, set aside and maintained by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in the northeastern...
system, cuts through campus, as does the Paint Branch
Paint Branch
Paint Branch is a stream that flows through Montgomery County and Prince George's County, Maryland. It is a tributary of the Northeast Branch, which flows to the Anacostia River, Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay....
stream, a tributary of the Northeast Branch Anacostia River
Northeast Branch Anacostia River
Northeast Branch Anacostia River is a free-flowing stream in Prince George's County, Maryland. It is a tributary of the Anacostia River, which flows to the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.-Course:...
.
McKeldin Mall serves as the center of campus. On the east and west ends of McKeldin Mall lie the Main Administration Building and McKeldin Library. Academic buildings surround McKeldin Mall on the north and south ends, and are the homes to many departments in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
University of Maryland College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
The University of Maryland College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is one of the 13 schools and colleges at the University of Maryland, College Park. With nine departments, it is the largest college at the university, with three in ten University of Maryland undergraduates receiving their degree...
, College of Arts and Humanities, and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. West of McKeldin Mall is the North Hill Community, and south of McKeldin Mall lies Morrill Hall
Morrill Hall (University of Maryland)
Morrill Hall is the oldest continuously-used academic building on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. Built in 1898 in the Second Empire architectural style for $24,000, it was the sole academic building left untouched by The Great Fire of 1912 which devastated almost all of...
and the Morrill Quad, which was the original center of campus. South of the Morrill Quad are the South Hill and South Campus Commons Communities, and to the southwest is the Southwest Mall and the Robert H. Smith School of Business
Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is a school of business management within the University of Maryland, College Park. The school was named after alumnus Robert H. Smith...
. Running parallel to McKeldin Mall to the north is Campus Drive, the main thoroughfare through campus. The Adele H. Stamp Student Union
Adele H. Stamp Student Union
The Adele H. Stamp Student Union, commonly referred to as "Stamp", is the student activity center on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. First constructed in 1954 , the building was renamed in 1983 for Adele H. Stamp, who served as the university's dean of women from 1920 to 1966...
sits along Campus Drive near the center of campus, and serves as a transit center for campus, where Shuttle-UM
Shuttle-UM
Shuttle-UM is a 24-hour transportation service for the University of Maryland, College Park. It transports approximately 2.6 million passengers a year, making it one of the largest university transit services. In addition to conventional bus service, Shuttle-UM runs a 24-hour paratransit service,...
(the university's bus service) and municipal buses pick up and drop off passengers; however, the university is considering closing Campus Drive to nearly all vehicular traffic, hoping to make the area around Stamp more pedestrian friendly. Hornbake Plaza home to Hornbake Library and several buildings housing academic departments also lies on Campus Drive, east of Stamp.
Outside of the Stamp Student Union on Campus Drive is the Jim Henson Statue and Memorial Garden, in honor of the late Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
, a Maryland alum. To the north and northwest of Stamp and Hornbake Plaza are the North Campus communities, Byrd Stadium
Byrd Stadium
Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium , is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. It is the home of the Maryland Terrapins football and lacrosse teams, which compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, the Eppley Recreation Center (the main gym on campus), the Comcast Center
Comcast Center (arena)
Comcast Center is the arena for the University of Maryland Terrapins men’s and women's basketball teams. The Comcast Center, dubbed "The House Gary Built", was ranked the 7th toughest venue to play in by EA Sports. The on-campus facility is named for the Comcast Corporation, which purchased a...
, and the Wooded Hillock, a 22 acres (8.9 ha) forest located next to the Comcast Center; Stadium Drive runs between the more southern Byrd Stadium and the rest of the these. The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center is a performing arts complex on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. The facility houses six performance venues; the UM School of Music; and the UM School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. It also houses the Michelle Smith...
sits to the west of Byrd Stadium. Another thoroughfare, Regents Drive, runs perpendicular to McKeldin Mall and is home to the iconic Memorial Chapel
Memorial Chapel (University of Maryland)
Memorial Chapel is a non-denominational building on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park, constructed to honor those associated with the university who had lost their lives serving in the United States Armed Forces...
and the Campus Farms. Regents Drive crosses Campus Drive at the campus hallmark "M" Circle
"M" Circle
"M" Circle is a commemorative traffic circle on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. Created in 1976 to celebrate the American Bicentennial, the circle is noted for the large floral "M" that sits in its center. The "M" is replanted twice annually: each fall, about 1,200 new...
, which is a traffic circle with a large "M" formed by flowers in its center. The northeast quadrant of campus, formed by Campus and Regent Drives, is home to many of natural sciences and applied sciences departments. The university is also divided by U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Maryland
U.S. Route 1 is the easternmost and longest of the major north–south routes of the United States Numbered Highway System, running from Key West, Florida to Fort Kent, Maine. In the U.S...
, known locally as "Baltimore Avenue." While most of campus lies to the west of Baltimore Avenue, fixtures such as fraternity row and the Leonardtown Communities lie to the east. Sitting on the western edge of Baltimore Avenue are the Visitors' Center, also known as The Dairy, The Reckord Armory, and The Rossborough Inn
The Rossborough Inn
The Rossborough Inn is a historic building on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. Construction on the building began in 1798 and was completed in 1812, making it the oldest building on campus and the oldest building in the City of College Park...
, which, built during the years of 1798 to 1812, is the oldest building on campus (and is older than the university itself). There are five regularly used entrances to campus; the main entrance, off of Baltimore Avenue and onto Campus Drive, is referred to as North Gate and features The Gatehouse, an ornate gateway honoring the university's founders. The 140 acres (56.7 ha), 18-hole University of Maryland Golf Course
University of Maryland Golf Course
The University of Maryland Golf Course in College Park, Maryland, is the home of the Maryland Terrapins men's and women's golf teams. The semi-private championship course was designed in 1955 by George Cobb, the course has been a longtime host of state and regional tournaments and hosts over 50,000...
sits at the northern edge of campus, as does the Observatory
University of Maryland Observatory
University of Maryland Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the University of Maryland, College Park. It is located in College Park, Maryland, USA. The Observatory hosts free open houses for the public twice a month, where visitors receive a lecture and access to three...
. The campus is also home to one of the Root Servers
Root nameserver
A root name server is a name server for the Domain Name System's root zone. It directly answers requests for records in the root zone and answers other requests returning a list of the designated authoritative name servers for the appropriate top-level domain...
, responsible with operating DNS.
Sustainability
The four-person Office of Sustainability was created in summer 2007 after University President Dan Mote became charter signatory of the American College and Universities Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) with the goal of campus climate neutrality. The Climate Action Plan Work Group completed an inventory of campus emissions from 2002 to 2007, and will finalize a Climate Action Plan by September 2009. All new constructions and major renovations must satisfy LEED-Silver certification requirements. The office has promoted several initiatives, including an increase in the recycling rate from 37% to a 54% recycling rate in 2008, due in part to the "Feed the Turtle" program for home football games. A spring 2007 student referendum passed to raise student fees by $12 per year, which is still pending approval from the Board of Regents. Power ShiftPower Shift
For the book by Alvin Toffler, see Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century. For the driving technique, see Powershifting....
, a national youth climate activism summit, was held at the University of Maryland in November 2007 with 6,000 individuals in attendance.
The university's first Leed Gold building, Knight Hall, opened in April 2010 as the new home for the Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Philip Merrill College of Journalism
The Philip Merrill College of Journalism is a journalism school located at the University of Maryland, College Park. The college was founded in 1945 and was named after newspaper editor Philip Merrill in 2001. The school has about 600 undergraduates and 70 graduate students enrolled.The school...
. Also in April 2010, the Princeton Review named the university one its "Green Colleges." The university added solar panels in the spring of 2010 to the roof of "The Diner" dining hall in North Campus, and plans to add solar panels to the roof of Cole Field House
Cole Field House
The William P. Cole, Jr. Student Activities Building, more commonly known as Cole Field House, was the home of the University of Maryland basketball teams from 1955 until it was replaced by Comcast Center in 2002...
, as well as additional campus buildings in the near future. The university's announced 158068 square feet (14,685 m²) state-of-the-art Physical Sciences Complex (set to be completed in July 2013) will meet LEED-Silver certification requirements.
Residential life
There are two main residential areas on campus, North Campus and South Campus, which are further divided into a total of seven residential communities. North Campus is made up of Cambridge Community (which consists of five residence halls), Denton Community (which currently consists of four halls, including Oakland hall which opened in 2011), and Ellicott Community (consisting of three halls). South Campus includes the North Hill Community, made up of nine Georgian-style halls located immediately west of McKeldin MallMcKeldin Mall
McKeldin Mall is a nine-acre area in the heart of the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. Named after Theodore McKeldin, the former Governor of Maryland, McKeldin Mall is the largest academic mall in the United States.-Description:...
, South Hill Community, made up of fourteen small residence halls for upperclassmen, Leonardtown Community, which offers apartment-style living and is further divided into Old Leonardtown (consisting of six buildings) and New Leonardtown (also consisting of six buildings), the South Campus Commons Community, which consists of seven apartment-style buildings (the seventh and most recent building being opened in January 2010), and the Courtyards, a garden style apartment community in north campus consisting of seven buildings. The South Campus Commons Community and Courtyards, while built on campus, are managed by a private company, Capstone On-Campus Management, as part of a public-private partnership between the company and the University of Maryland.
The university does not have family housing. As of 2011 some students with families have advocated for the addition of family housing.
Dining
There are two main dining halls on campus: The Diner is located in the Ellicott Community, and the South Campus Dining Room is located near the South Hill and South Campus Commons communities. Located in the Denton Community, 251 North is the third dining hall on campus and features the first all-you-can-eat style dining experience on campus. A food court in the Stamp Student Union provides a plethora of dining options for the university community. Additionally, twelve cafés are located throughout campus as are five convenience stores (known as "shops"). Two restaurants exists on campus: Adele's Restaurant in the Stamp Student Union and Mulligan's Grill and Pub, located on the University of Maryland Golf CourseUniversity of Maryland Golf Course
The University of Maryland Golf Course in College Park, Maryland, is the home of the Maryland Terrapins men's and women's golf teams. The semi-private championship course was designed in 1955 by George Cobb, the course has been a longtime host of state and regional tournaments and hosts over 50,000...
.
Transportation
The university is served by the three airports which exist in the greater Washington metropolitan areaWashington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
. A small public airport in College Park, College Park Airport
College Park Airport
College Park Airport is a public airport located in the City of College Park, in Prince Georges County, Maryland, USA. It is the world's oldest continuously operated airport.-History:...
, lies nearly adjacent to campus, but operations are limited.
A free shuttle service, known as Shuttle-UM
Shuttle-UM
Shuttle-UM is a 24-hour transportation service for the University of Maryland, College Park. It transports approximately 2.6 million passengers a year, making it one of the largest university transit services. In addition to conventional bus service, Shuttle-UM runs a 24-hour paratransit service,...
, is available for all UMD students, faculty, and staff. The university is served by an off-campus stop on the Washington DC Metro Green Line
Green Line (Washington Metro)
The Green Line is one of five heavy rail subway lines that constitute the Washington Metro rapid transit system in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Green Line consists of 21 stations, with termini at Branch Avenue and at Greenbelt. The Green Line runs through Prince George's County,...
called College Park – University of Maryland. The station is also served by the Camden Line
Camden Line
The Camden Line is a MARC commuter rail line that runs between Union Station, Washington, D.C. and Camden Station, Baltimore, Maryland over the CSX Capital Subdivision. Service began along this route in 1835 as part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , making it the oldest passenger rail line in...
of the MARC train
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
, which runs between Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
and Washington. A Shuttle-UM bus (Route 104) arrives at the metro station every five minutes during fall and spring semesters (every ten minutes during the summer) to bring all visitors to campus (currently stopping in front of the Stamp Student Union). The DC Metrobus and the Prince George's County TheBus bus services also stop on campus.
Over 21,000 parking spaces are on campus, in numerous parking lots and garages. Zipcar
Zipcar
Zipcar is an American membership-based car sharing company providing automobile reservations to its members, billable by the hour or day. Zipcar was founded in 2000 by Cambridge, Massachusetts residents Antje Danielson and Robin Chase, and is now led by Scott Griffith, Chairman and Chief Executive...
service is also available on campus for all UMD students, faculty, and staff.
The university has been attempting to make the campus more bike-friendly by installing covered bike parking and bike lockers on campus, introducing a bike-sharing program, and plans to add more bike lanes on campus. As of Spring 2011, the University has stayed committed to encouraging bicycling on campus by installing covered bike storage outside of the newly built Oakland dorm as well as security lockers in the Mowatt Lane Garage. In addition to increased storage options, the University runs the Campus Bike Shop where students can get their bikes repaired and learn how to maintain them on their own. The installation of one or more light-rail stops on campus as a part of metropolitan Washington's proposed Purple Line is an ongoing debate.
The Diamondback
The Diamondback is the independent student newspaperStudent newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
of the University of Maryland. It was founded in 1910 as The Triangle and renamed in 1921 in honor of a local reptile, the Diamondback terrapin
Diamondback terrapin
The diamondback terrapin or simply terrapin, is a species of turtle native to the brackish coastal swamps of the eastern and southern United States. It belongs to the monotypic genus, Malaclemys...
, which became the official school mascot in 1933. The newspaper is published daily Monday through Friday during the Spring and Fall semesters, with a print circulation of 17,000 and annual advertising revenues of over $1 million. It has four sections: News, Opinion, Sports, and Diversions.
For the 2008-2009 school year, "The Diamondback" earned a Mark of Excellence award from the Society of Professional Journalists
Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists , formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is one of the oldest organizations representing journalists in the United States. It was established in April 1909 at DePauw University, and its charter was designed by William Meharry Glenn. The ten founding members of...
, placing second nationally for Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper and first in its region in the same category. Three years earlier the newspaper had finished third place nationally for Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper and first in its region. Notable journalists who have been with The Diamondback include David Simon of HBO's The Wire and NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street, disgraced Jayson Blair
Jayson Blair
Jayson Blair is an American reporter formerly with The New York Times. He resigned from the newspaper in May 2003 in the wake of the discovery of plagiarism and fabrication in his stories. Since 2007 he has worked as a life coach in the field of mental health.-Background:Blair was born in...
, who was editor-in-chief in 1996 (Blair did not graduate, instead taking a job with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
); Norman Chad
Norman Chad
Norman Chad is an American sportswriter and syndicated columnist who is seen on the sports channel ESPN. He also was an occasional guest host on the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption and has appeared as both host and movie critic on the ESPN Classic series Reel Classics.He writes a weekly...
, who was editor-in-chief in 1978; cartoonists Aaron McGruder
Aaron McGruder
Aaron McGruder is an American cartoonist best known for writing and drawing The Boondocks, a Universal Press Syndicate comic strip about two young African American brothers from inner-city Chicago now living with their grandfather in a sedate suburb, as well as being the creator and executive...
, who first published his cartoon The Boondocks
The Boondocks (TV series)
The Boondocks is an American animated series created by Aaron McGruder on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, based on McGruder's comic strip of the same name...
in The Diamondback; and Frank Cho
Frank Cho
Frank Cho, born Duk Hyun Cho, is a Korean-American comic strip and comic book writer and illustrator, known for his series Liberty Meadows, as well as for books such as Shanna the She-Devil, Mighty Avengers and Hulk for Marvel Comics, and Jungle Girl for Dynamite Entertainment...
, who began his career with the popular "University Squared" for The Diamondback.
WMUC-FM
WMUC-FM (88.1 FM) is the university's non-commercial radio station, staffed entirely by UMD students and volunteers. WMUC is a freeform radio station that broadcasts at 10 watts. Its broadcasts can be heard throughout the Washington metropolitan areaWashington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
. Notable WMUC alumni include Connie Chung
Connie Chung
Connie Chung, full name: Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S...
, Bonnie Bernstein, and Aaron McGruder
Aaron McGruder
Aaron McGruder is an American cartoonist best known for writing and drawing The Boondocks, a Universal Press Syndicate comic strip about two young African American brothers from inner-city Chicago now living with their grandfather in a sedate suburb, as well as being the creator and executive...
.
Greek life
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. Many of the fraternities and sororities at the school are located on Fraternity Row and the Graham Cracker, which are controlled by the University. Fraternity Row is the background of several recently produced films.
All social Greek organizations are governed by one of three groups: the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Panhellenic Association, or the Pan-Hellenic Council. All cultural Greek organizations are governed by the United Greek Council. These councils assist in the creation and governance of chapter by-laws, risk management plans, and philanthropic activities, with support from the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Each year, every Greek organization must fulfill certain requirements, including doing a service and conducting a program/event related to community service, diversity, or alumni and faculty outreach.
| List of sororities | List of fraternities | ||
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Iota Alpha Pi Iota Alpha Pi was an international collegiate sorority operating in the United States and Canada from 1903 to July 1971. The founders were Hannah Finkelstein Swick, Olga Edelstein Ecker, Sadie April Glotzer, Rose Posner Bernstein, Rose Delson Hirschman, May Finkelstein Spielgel, and Frances... 1969 (closed 1971) Kappa Alpha Theta Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury... 1947 Kappa Delta Kappa Delta was the first sorority founded at the State Female Normal School , in Farmville, Virginia. It is one of the "Farmville Four" sororities founded at the university... 1929 (local Kappa Xi) Kappa Kappa Gamma Kappa Kappa Gamma is a collegiate women's fraternity, founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois, USA. Although the groundwork of the organization was developed as early as 1869, the 1876 Convention voted that October 13, 1870 should be recognized at the official Founders Day, because no... 1929 (closed 1993; local Sigma Delta) Kappa Phi Gamma Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc. , is a South Asian interest sorority geared towards women of all descents... 2003 Kappa Phi Lambda Kappa Phi LambdaΚΦΛFounded:March 9, 1995 atThe State University of New York, BinghamtonFounders:* Elizabeth Choi* Karen Eng* Rei Hirasawa* Hee Cho Moon* Chae Yoo Park* Samantha Somchanhmavong* Connie Yang... 2004 Lambda Theta Alpha Lambda Theta Alpha is a Latina sorority in the United States.The idea for Lambda Theta Alpha began in the late 1970s, when colleges and universities experienced an influx of Latino enrollment; the organization came into being at Kean University in 1975 with Lambda Theta Alpha's seventeen founding... 1995 Phi Sigma Sigma Phi Sigma Sigma , colloquially known as "Phi Sig," was the first collegiate nonsectarian fraternity, welcoming women of all faiths and backgrounds... 1936 (local Beta Pi Sigma, Beacon Club) Pi Beta Phi Pi Beta Phi is an international fraternity for women founded as I.C. Sorosis on April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois. Its headquarters are located in Town and Country, Missouri, and there are 134 active chapters and over 330 alumnae organizations across the United States and... 1944 (closed 1991; local Pi Phi Beta) Sigma Gamma Rho Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on the campus of Butler University on November 12, 1922, by seven school teachers in Indianapolis, Indiana... Sigma Delta Tau Sigma Delta Tau is a national sorority and member of the National Panhellenic Conference, was founded March 25, 1917 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The original name, Sigma Delta Phi, was changed after the women discovered a sorority with the same name already existed... 1952 (local Delta Phi) Sigma Iota Alpha Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. --is a Latina-based Greek lettered intercollegiate sorority founded on September 29, 1990, by 13 dedicated ladies from four universities in the state of New York: SUNY Albany, SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY New Paltz, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute... (closed) Sigma Kappa Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn... 1940 (local Kappa Alpha Sigma) Sigma Psi Zeta Sigma Psi Zeta , a Multicultural, Asian-Interest sorority, was founded on March 23, 1994 at the University at Albany and incorporated in New York on March 15, 1996 by the 10 Founding Mothers. The sorority's colors are red and gold and its flower is a yellow rose with baby's breath.Sigma Psi Zeta is... 2003 Tau Beta Sigma Tau Beta Sigma is a co-educational national honorary band sorority dedicated to serving college and university bands. The Sorority, headquartered at the historic Stillwater Station in Stillwater, Oklahoma, numbers over 3,500 active members in 145 active chapters, and over 40,000 alumni... 1957 Zeta Phi Beta Zeta Phi Beta is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority and a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean... 1973 Zeta Tau Alpha Zeta Tau Alpha is a women's fraternity, founded October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia. The Executive office is located in Indianapolis, Indiana... 1990 |
Alpha Chi Sigma Alpha Chi Sigma is a professional fraternity specializing in the field of chemistry. It has both collegiate and professional chapters throughout the United States consisting of both men and women and numbering more than 63,400 members... Alpha Epsilon Pi Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates... 1941 (recolonized 1999) Alpha Gamma Rho Alpha Gamma Rho is a social-professional fraternity in the United States, with 75 university chapters including chapter in Mindanao State University, Philippines... 1928 (local Alpha Theta) Alpha Kappa Psi ΑΚΨ is the oldest and largest professional business fraternity. The Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity was founded on October 5, 1904 at New York University, and was incorporated on May 20, 1905... 2007 Alpha Nu Omega Alpha Nu Omega is a national Greek letter organization founded in 1988 that comprises both a fraternity and sorority under one Constitution. The Constitution mandates that both branches of ANQ are Christian social Greek letter organizations.-History:... Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ... 1974 Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members... 1947 (co-ed service) Alpha Sigma Phi Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity is a social fraternity with 71 active chapters and 9 colonies. Founded at Yale in 1845, it is the 10th oldest fraternity in the United States.... 1998 Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009... 1930 (rechartered 2000) Beta Theta Pi Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada... 1982 (closed 2006, recolonized 2009) Chi Phi The Chi Phi ' Fraternity is an American College Social Fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The oldest active organization that took part in the union was originally founded in 1824 at Princeton... 2005 Delta Chi Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men... 1990 Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon is a fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore class who had not been invited to join the two existing societies... 1952 (closed 1960) Delta Sigma Phi Delta Sigma Phi is a fraternity established at the City College of New York in 1899 and is a charter member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. The headquarters of the fraternity is the Taggart Mansion located in Indianapolis, Indiana... 1924 Delta Tau Delta Delta Tau Delta is a U.S.-based international secret letter college fraternity. Delta Tau Delta was founded in 1858 at Bethany College, Bethany, Virginia, . It currently has around 125 student chapters nationwide, as well as more than 25 regional alumni groups. Its national community service... (closed 2008) Kappa Alpha Order Kappa Alpha Order is a social fraternity and fraternal order. Kappa Alpha Order has 124 active chapters, 3 provisional chapters, and 2 commissions... (1915) Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin... Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A... 1955 Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living... 1874 (re-chartered 2009) Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a... 1932 Lambda Upsilon Lambda La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity was established on February 19, 1982 in order to address the shortcomings of academic institutions in meeting and addressing the needs of Latino students in higher education... 1995 Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos... |
Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I... 1972 Phi Chi Theta ΦΧΘ is a co-ed professional business and economics fraternity. Phi Chi Theta was founded as a women's business fraternity on June 16, 1924 in Chicago, Illinois. Today, Phi Chi Theta comprises 37 collegiate and alumni chapters across the United States.-History:Phi Chi Theta was formed by the merger... Phi Gamma Delta The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA... 1979 Phi Gamma Nu Phi Gamma Nu is a co-ed professional business fraternity with the intent to prepare its members for professional endeavors in a business workplace. The organization cultivates professional behavior in it members through a variety of activities and committees... 2009 Phi Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta , also known as Phi Delt, is an international fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad. The fraternity has about 169 active chapters and colonies in over 43 U.S... 1930 Phi Iota Alpha Phi Iota Alpha , established December 26, 1931, is the oldest Latino fraternity still in existence, and works to motivate people, develop leaders, and create innovative ways to unite the Latino community. The organization has roots that stem back to the late 19th century to the first Latino... 2000 Phi Kappa Tau Phi Kappa Tau is a U.S. national collegiate fraternity.-History:Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity was founded in the Union Literary Society Hall of Miami University's Old Main Building in Oxford, Ohio on March 17, 1906... 1950 Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been... 2007 Phi Kappa Sigma Phi Kappa Sigma is an international all-male college social fraternity. Its members are known as "Phi Kaps", "Skulls" and sometimes "Skullhouse", the latter two because of the skull and crossbones on the Fraternity's badge and coat of arms. Phi Kappa Sigma was founded by Dr. Samuel Brown Wylie... 1899 (closed 1995) Phi Sigma Kappa -Phi Sigma Kappa's Creed and Cardinal Principles:The 1934 Convention in Ann Arbor brought more changes for the fraternity. Brother Stewart W. Herman of Gettysburg wrote and presented the Creed, and Brother Ralph Watts of Massachusetts drafted and presented the Cardinal Principles.-World War II:The... 1897 (closed 2002, rechartered 2011) Pi Delta Psi Pi Delta Psi is an Asian-American Cultural Interest Fraternity founded at Binghamton University on February 20, 1994. The mission of Pi Delta Psi is to break down cultural barriers by fostering individual growth in the areas of "Academic Achievement, Cultural Awareness, Righteousness, Friendship... 2004 Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:... Pi Kappa Phi Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina... 1992 (closed 2003) Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South... 1943 (rechartered 2009) Sigma Alpha Mu Sigma Alpha Mu , also known as "Sammy", is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Originally only for Jewish men, Sigma Alpha Mu remained so until 1953, when members from all backgrounds were accepted. Originally headquartered in New York, Sigma Alpha Mu has... 1933 (closed 2006) Sigma Chi Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon... 1945 (rechartered 2009) Sigma Nu Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia... 1917 Sigma Pi Sigma Pi is an international college secret and social fraternity founded in 1897 at Vincennes University. Sigma Pi International fraternity currently has 127 chapters and 4 colonies in the United States and Canada and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee... (recolonized 2007) (closed 2009) Sigma Phi Epsilon Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,... 1949 Tau Epsilon Phi Tau Epsilon Phi is an American fraternity with 14 active chapters, chiefly located at universities and colleges on the East Coast of the United States... 1925 (closed 2010) Tau Kappa Epsilon Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent... 1947 (recolonized 2005) Theta Chi Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta... 1929 Zeta Beta Tau Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 as the nation's first Jewish fraternity, although it is no longer sectarian. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is one of the largest, numbering over 140,000 initiated Brothers, and over 90 chapter locations.-Founding:The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was... 1948 (closed 2009) Zeta Psi The Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America was founded June 1, 1847 as a social college fraternity. The organization now comprises about fifty active chapters and twenty-five inactive chapters, encompassing roughly fifty thousand brothers, and is a founding member of the North-American... 1976 |
Athletics
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I competition. Maryland became a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
in 1952. As of December 2010, Maryland's athletic teams have been awarded 38 national championships by the NCAA, USILA
United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of institutions with varsity college lacrosse programs in all three NCAA divisions, founded in 1885.-Awards:...
, AIAW
Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics in the United States and to administer national championships. It evolved out of the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women . The association was one of the biggest...
, and NCA
National Cheerleaders Association
The National Cheerleaders Association was established as a way to bring cheerleaders together to learn new skills. From 1949 on the NCA held summer camps, and is credited with the invention of the herkie jump, the pom pon and being the first uniform manufacturer-History:The NCA was founded in 1948...
. In 2008 and 2010, The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
named the University of Maryland's athletic facilities the best in the nation. The Terrapins nickname (often shortened to "Terps") was coined by former university president, football coach, and athletic director H. C. "Curly" Byrd in 1932. The mascot is a diamondback terrapin
Diamondback terrapin
The diamondback terrapin or simply terrapin, is a species of turtle native to the brackish coastal swamps of the eastern and southern United States. It belongs to the monotypic genus, Malaclemys...
named Testudo, which is Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "tortoise." Since the early 20th century, the school athletic colors have been some combination of those on the Maryland state flag
Flag of Maryland
The flag of the state of Maryland consists of the heraldic banner of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore. It is the only state flag in the United States to be based on English heraldry. The flag of the state of Maryland consists of the heraldic banner of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore. It is...
: red, white, black, and gold.
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
is one of the most popular sports at the university. Long-time head coach Lefty Driesell
Lefty Driesell
Charles Grice "Lefty" Driesell is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Davidson College, James Madison University, and Georgia State University. During his 41-year coaching career, Driesell led teams from each school to the NCAA...
began the now nationwide tradition of "Midnight Madness
Midnight Madness (basketball)
Midnight Madness is an annual event on college campuses that celebrates the first day in mid-October that the National Collegiate Athletic Association permits formal basketball practices each college basketball season. In some cases, the name has literal meaning since an event is scheduled...
in 1971. Beginning in 1989, alumnus Gary Williams
Gary Williams
Gary B. Williams is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. In 2002, he led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament Championship...
revived the program, which was struggling in the wake of Len Bias
Len Bias
Leonard Kevin "Len" Bias was a first team All-American college basketball player at the University of Maryland. He was selected by the Boston Celtics as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft on June 17, but died two days later from cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose...
's death and NCAA rules infractions. Williams led Maryland basketball to national prominence with two Final Four appearances, and in 2002, a national championship
2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 2002, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Atlanta, Georgia...
. On February 7, 2006, Gary Williams won his 349th game to surpass Driesell and became Maryland's all-time leader among basketball coaches. Maryland football
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
is also popular at the university. The Terrapins were awarded the national championship by the wire services in 1953, and in 1951, by several retroactive selectors. Maryland has secured eleven conference championships, including nine in the ACC, which ranks third most in the league. The Terrapins most recently won the ACC in 2001
2001 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2001 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in its 49th season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Terps closed the regular season with a record of 10–1, with its only loss coming to Florida State. The Terps won the ACC Championship and were granted a Bowl...
under alumnus and head coach Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
.
1975 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 1975 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship was the fifth annual Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament. Eight NCAA Division I college men's lacrosse teams met in the postseason single-elimination tournament to decide the national championship.The championship game was...
. The team has secured ten USILA
United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of institutions with varsity college lacrosse programs in all three NCAA divisions, founded in 1885.-Awards:...
and NCAA national championships since its promotion to varsity status in 1924, and is a regular fixture in the NCAA tournament. The women's lacrosse team
Maryland Terrapins women's lacrosse
The Maryland Terrapins women's lacrosse team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women's college lacrosse. The Maryland has won a total of ten NCAA championships, the most of any women's lacrosse program...
has the most national championships of any program in the nation, including most recently in 2010. The women's basketball team
Maryland Terrapins women's basketball
The University of Maryland women's basketball team has been a prominent program in the history of women's basketball. As a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Lady Terrapins have been regular season and tournament champions on numerous occasions. They were struggling with a losing record...
rose to prominence in the 2000s, and head coach Brenda Frese
Brenda Frese
Brenda Frese is the current women's basketball team head coach at the University of Maryland. Regarded as a high energy, positive coach, the 2011-12 season will be her 10th on the sidelines at Maryland. In 2002, Frese took over a Maryland program in need of rebuilding...
guided the Lady Terps to their first NCAA title in 2006. The men' soccer team
Maryland Terrapins men's soccer
The Maryland Terrapins men's soccer team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association college soccer competition. Maryland competes as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The team most recently won the 2008 College Cup.- History :Maryland fielded its...
has reached five Final Fours since 1997 under the guidance of head coach Sasho Cirovski
Sasho Cirovski
Sasho Cirovski is a Yugoslavian-American soccer coach, raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, who led his University of Maryland team to the NCAA championship in 2005 and 2008.-Early life and career:...
, and captured the College Cup in 2005 and 2008. The women's field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
team has secured seven NCAA championships. The Maryland wrestling
Collegiate wrestling
Collegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
team was dominant in the ACC throughout the 1950s and 1960s and returned to claim two more conference titles in the late 2000s.
The Mighty Sound of Maryland
Mighty Sound of Maryland
The Mighty Sound of Maryland is the official marching band of the University of Maryland. It was founded in 1908 at what was then known as the Maryland Agricultural College....
marching band attends all home football games and provides pre-game performances. During the basketball season, the marching band becomes the University of Maryland Pep Band, which provides music in the stands at men's and women's home games and during tournament play.
Testudo
In 1932, Curley ByrdCurley Byrd
Harry Clifton "Curley" Byrd was an American university administrator, educator, athlete, coach, and politician...
—who served as the university's football and baseball coach, athletic director, and president—proposed adopting the diamondback terrapin
Diamondback terrapin
The diamondback terrapin or simply terrapin, is a species of turtle native to the brackish coastal swamps of the eastern and southern United States. It belongs to the monotypic genus, Malaclemys...
as a mascot. The first statue of Testudo cast in bronze was donated by the Class of 1933 and displayed on Baltimore Avenue
U.S. Route 1 in Maryland
U.S. Route 1 is the easternmost and longest of the major north–south routes of the United States Numbered Highway System, running from Key West, Florida to Fort Kent, Maine. In the U.S...
in front of Ritchie Coliseum
Ritchie Coliseum
Ritchie Coliseum is a multipurpose athletics facility at the University of Maryland. It served as the home arena for the Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team from 1931 to 1955, and for its gymnastics, wrestling, and volleyball teams until 2002. It is located on the east side of Baltimore Avenue...
. However, the 300-pound sculpture was subjected to vandalism by visiting college athletic teams. One such incident occurred in 1947 when students from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
stole the bronze statue and moved it to their campus. Maryland students traveled to Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
to retrieve it, and laid siege to the house where it was hidden. Over 200 city police
Baltimore Police Department
The Baltimore Police Department provides police services to the city of Baltimore, Maryland and was officially established by the Maryland Legislature on March 16, 1853...
responded to quell the riot. In 1949, University President Byrd was awakened by a phone call from a University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
fraternity requesting that Testudo be removed from their lawn. Testudo was later filled with 700 pounds of cement and fastened to his pedestal to prevent future removals, but students at rival schools continued to vandalize it. It was moved to Byrd Stadium
Byrd Stadium
Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium , is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. It is the home of the Maryland Terrapins football and lacrosse teams, which compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference...
in 1951. In the 1960s, Testudo was moved back to a spot in front of McKeldin Library. Some passersby consider it good luck to rub the statue, which has given its nose a shiny appearance. During finals week, students traditionally leave "offerings" to the statue for good luck.
In 1992 a duplicate statue was placed at Byrd Stadium, where the football team touch it for good luck as they pass by before games. Additional Testudo statues now sit outside of the Gossett Team House near the stadium; Comcast Center
Comcast Center (arena)
Comcast Center is the arena for the University of Maryland Terrapins men’s and women's basketball teams. The Comcast Center, dubbed "The House Gary Built", was ranked the 7th toughest venue to play in by EA Sports. The on-campus facility is named for the Comcast Corporation, which purchased a...
, the school's basketball arena; the Riggs Alumni Center; and in the lobby of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union
Adele H. Stamp Student Union
The Adele H. Stamp Student Union, commonly referred to as "Stamp", is the student activity center on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. First constructed in 1954 , the building was renamed in 1983 for Adele H. Stamp, who served as the university's dean of women from 1920 to 1966...
. In 1994, the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
approved legislation to name the diamondback terrapin (malaclemys terrapin terrapin) as the official state reptile and the legally codified mascot of the University of Maryland. Beginning in the 2000s, the university promoted the slogan, "Fear the Turtle" as a rallying cry for school pride.
Notable people
University attendees have achieved fame or notability across a variety of disciplines. Famous alumni include physicist Jamal Nazrul IslamJamal Nazrul Islam
Jamal Nazrul Islam is a Bangladeshi mathematical physicist and cosmologist. He is a professor at Chittagong University and a member of the advisory board at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology...
, former House Majority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot and are also known as floor leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives does not officially use the term "Minority Leader", although the media frequently does...
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1981. The district includes a large swath of rural and suburban territory southeast of Washington, D.C.. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
;
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
co-founder Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin
Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin is a Russian-born American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who, with Larry Page, co-founded Google, one of the largest internet companies. , his personal wealth is estimated to be $16.7 billion....
; The Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
creator Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
; and Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
producer Larry David
Larry David
Lawrence Gene "Larry" David is an American actor, writer, comedian and producer. He is best known as the co-creator , head writer, and executive producer of the television series Seinfeld from 1989 to 1996, and for creating the 1999 HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, a partially improvised sitcom in...
.
Prominent alumni in business include Jim Walton
Jim Walton
James Carr Walton is the youngest son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton and the Chairman of Arvest Bank.With an estimated net worth of around US$21.3 billion, Walton is currently ranked by Forbes as the 20th-richest person in the world....
, President and CEO of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
;
Kevin Plank
Kevin Plank
Kevin A. Plank is an American CEO and founder of Under Armour, Inc., a leading manufacturer of sports performance apparel, footwear and accessories based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.-Early life:...
, founder of the athletic apparel company Under Armour
Under Armour
Under Armour is an American sports clothing and accessories company. The company is a supplier of a wide range of sportswear and casual apparel mainly focusing on hi-tech sportswear for professional athletes...
;
Chris Kubasik
Chris Kubasik
Christopher E. Kubasik is President and Chief Operating Officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation. He also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Lockheed Martin Diversity Council.Mr. Kubasik was appointed to his current position in 2010...
, President of Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
; Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina is an American business executive and a former Republican candidate for the United States Senate representing California. Fiorina served as chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005 and previously was an executive at AT&T and its equipment and technology spinoff,...
, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
; Telecommunications entrepreneur Brian Hinman
Brian Hinman
Brian L. Hinman is an entrepreneur and investor in high technology businesses and specifically a pioneer in the computer based communications industry. Hinman founded three successful high technology companies; PictureTel Corp...
,
and Hamad Al Sayari, Former governor of the Saudi Arabian Central Bank(Saudi Arabia Monetary Agency).
Television personality Connie Chung
Connie Chung
Connie Chung, full name: Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S...
; E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
News reporter Giuliana Rancic graduated with a bachelors degree from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Philip Merrill College of Journalism
The Philip Merrill College of Journalism is a journalism school located at the University of Maryland, College Park. The college was founded in 1945 and was named after newspaper editor Philip Merrill in 2001. The school has about 600 undergraduates and 70 graduate students enrolled.The school...
. ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reporters Bonnie Bernstein, Tim Kurkjian
Tim Kurkjian
Tim Kurkjian is a Major League Baseball analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter. He is also a contributor to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. He guests on Mike and Mike in the Morning on Thursdays at 7:44 AM, discussing the latest in happenings in Major League Baseball...
, and Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt
Scott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
all graduated from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Philip Merrill College of Journalism
The Philip Merrill College of Journalism is a journalism school located at the University of Maryland, College Park. The college was founded in 1945 and was named after newspaper editor Philip Merrill in 2001. The school has about 600 undergraduates and 70 graduate students enrolled.The school...
.
Journalist Carl Bernstein
Carl Bernstein
Carl Bernstein is an American investigative journalist who, at The Washington Post, teamed up with Bob Woodward; the two did the majority of the most important news reporting on the Watergate scandal. These scandals led to numerous government investigations, the indictment of a vast number of...
, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service
Pulitzer Prize for Public Service
The Pulitzer Prize for Public Service has been awarded since 1918 for a distinguished example of meritorious public service by a newspaper or news site through the use of its journalistic resources. Those resources, as well as reporting, may include editorials, cartoons, photographs, graphics,...
for his coverage of the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
, attended the University but did not graduate.
Kiran Chetry
Kiran Chetry
Kiran Carrie Chetry was a co-anchor of CNN's early morning cable news program, American Morning.-Early life:Kiran means "ray of light". Chetry refers to the large traditional caste of rulers and soldiers among Hindus in the Middle Hills of Nepal. Kiran's father Hom Chetry belongs to this caste...
, co-host of CNN's American Morning
American Morning
American Morning is the morning television show on CNN. It premiered in 2001.-About the show:American Morning is hosted by Ashleigh Banfield, Zoraida Sambolin & Soledad O'Brien. Others who appear regularly are Rob Marciano with the weather, Sunny Hostin on legal news, and CNN senior medical...
, graduated with a bachelors of arts in broadcast journalism.
Heidi Collins
Heidi Collins
Heidi Collins is an American correspondent and anchor for KMSP-TV Fox 9 News in Minneapolis – Saint Paul. She formerly worked for CNN.-Life and career:...
of CNN Newsroom
CNN Newsroom
CNN Newsroom is an American news program on CNN/US.Broadcasting throughout the week, Newsroom features live and taped news reports, in addition to analysis from experts on the issues being covered, and headlines throughout each hour. The program tends to focus on softer news than their hard news...
graduated with a bachelors of science. Former Maryland governor Harry R. Hughes also attended. Gayle King
Gayle King
Gayle King is editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine and the best friend of Oprah Winfrey. She has previously worked as a television news anchor and talk show host...
, editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine
O, The Oprah Magazine
O: The Oprah Magazine, sometimes simply abbreviated to O, is a monthly magazine founded by Oprah Winfrey and Hearst Corporation.-Overview:...
, graduated from Maryland with a degree in psychology.
Attendees within the fields of science and mathematics are: Nobel Laureates Raymond Davis Jr.
Raymond Davis Jr.
Raymond Davis, Jr. was an American chemist, physicist, and Nobel Prize in Physics laureate.-Early life and education:...
, 2002 winner in Physics; Herbert Hauptman, 1985 winner in Chemistry, and Fields Medal
Fields Medal
The Fields Medal, officially known as International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, is a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians not over 40 years of age at each International Congress of the International Mathematical Union , a meeting that takes place every four...
winner Charles Fefferman
Charles Fefferman
Charles Louis Fefferman is an American mathematician at Princeton University. His primary field of research is mathematical analysis....
. Other alumni include George Dantzig
George Dantzig
George Bernard Dantzig was an American mathematical scientist who made important contributions to operations research, computer science, economics, and statistics....
, considered the father of linear programming; late NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
Judith Resnik, who died in the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
during the launch of mission STS-51-L
STS-51-L
STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time an ordinary civilian, schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. The mission used Space Shuttle Challenger, which lifted off from the Launch Complex 39-B on 28 January...
; and NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Administrator Michael D. Griffin
Michael D. Griffin
Michael Douglas Griffin is an American physicist and aerospace engineer. From April 13, 2005 to January 20, 2009 he served as Administrator of NASA, the space agency of the United States...
.
Several donors have distinguished themselves for their sizable gifts to the University. Businessman Robert H. Smith
Robert H. Smith
Robert Hilton Smith was a successful builder-developer, and philanthropist.-Business:...
, who graduated from the university in 1950 with a degree in accounting, has given over $45 million to the business school that now bears his name, and to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, which bears his wife's name. Construction entrepreneur A. James Clark
A. James Clark
A. James Clark, an engineer and business executive, is chairman and chief executive officer of Clark Enterprises, Inc., headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland...
, who graduated with an engineering degree in 1950, has also donated over $45 million to the college of engineering, which also bears his name. Another engineering donor, Jeong H. Kim
Jeong H. Kim
Dr. Jeong-Hoon Kim is a Korean-American electrical engineer and administrator who, since 2005, has served as president of Bell Labs.Jeong Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea. He came to the U.S. from Korea with his father and stepmother at the age of 14. He began school in Anne Arundel County,...
, earned his Ph.D. from the university in 1991 and gave $5 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art engineering building. Philip Merrill
Philip Merrill
Philip Merrill was an American diplomat, publisher, banker, and philanthropist who committed suicide while traveling alone on his boat in the Chesapeake Bay.- Career and philanthropy :...
, a media figure, donated $10 million to the College of Journalism.
Filmography
The University of Maryland, College Park Campus has been featured in several films.- National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
- Life 101Life 101Life 101 is a 1995 direct-to-video comedy-drama film, starring Corey Haim, Keith Coogan and Ami Dolenz.-Plot summary:A college freshman Ramsy, played by Corey Haim experiences love for the first time in the 1960s when he asks out Joy, played by Ami Dolenz....
(1995) - St. Elmo's FireSt. Elmo's Fire (film)St. Elmo's Fire is a 1985 American coming-of-age film directed by Joel Schumacher. The film, starring Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham, is a prominent movie of the Brat Pack genre, and revolves around a group of friends that have...
(1985)