Latest News

QUEST Launches Alumni Newsletter!

QUEST has a special network of alumni and friends beyond our on-campus community! To keep in touch, we have created a student-run newsletter that features news about our program and students. Please take a look, and if you did not receive a copy and would like to receive the monthly newsletter, please email Callie Riley with your updated contact information.

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QUEST Team Featured in Climate.Edu

Amy Hudson, Sam Miller, Tiffany Yang, and Liangbi Zu, senior QUEST students, had their work on College Park Carpooling featured in the National Wildlife Foundation's publication Climate.Edu. Although the University of Maryland in the past had developed carpooling plans for students, these QUEST seniors worked to create a carpooling program for staff. Partnering with the Office of Sustainability, Facilities Management and the Department of Transportation (DOTS), the QUEST team analyzed the needs of university employees and made several recommendations to help the campus move forward with sustainability. The University of Maryland aims to become carbon neutral by 2050, and the Office of Sustainability has more information about initiatives towards this goal. Find the article in Climate.Edu here! 

QUEST Students Apply Systems Thinking to CAFE Standards

On Thursday, March 12th, QUEST students presented on various aspects of CAFE standards using systems thinking principles and iThink software. From economic demand to political lobbying to natural disasters, students analyzed the impact various events would have on emissions output in the United States. Students will continue in this course with projects of their choosing, applying the same principles to a variety of topics.

New Executive Director of QUEST

Professor Joe Bailey became Executive Director of the QUEST Program on January 1, 2009. Joe Bailey has a Ph.D. in Technology, Management and Policy from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology.) He has been at the Smith School of Business since 1998 and knows the school and the QUEST program very well. He is currently the Research Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Decision, Operations and Information Technologies Department. Bailey's research and teaching interests span issues in telecommunications, economics, and public policy with an emphasis on the economics of the Internet. This area includes an identification of the existing public policies, technologies, and market opportunities that promote the benefits of interoperability. Bailey is currently studying issues related to the economics of electronic commerce and how the Internet changes competition and supply chain management.

QUEST Welcomes Melanie Lee and Callie Riley!

We welcome Melanie Lee as QUEST Assistant Manager. Melanie joins us from the Office of Executive Education at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. With Executive Education, Melanie worked with multiple cohorts of EMBA students, both in College Park, and internationally. She provided assistance to them as they pursued their graduate degrees as well as the faculty who taught them. Melanie also brings with her energy and enthusiasm for QUEST and its mission. Melanie is an alumna of the University of Maryland earning a B.A. in Psychology. I am very confident that Melanie will quickly become an invaluable member of the QUEST community. Welcome Melanie!

Callie Riley is a new Graduate Assistant with QUEST. Callie is beginning her studies as a Masters student in the Education Policy Studies Department of the College of Education at the University of Maryland. Most recently, Callie taught at the Glenridge Middle School in Orlando, FL. Prior to that, Callie also taught in Kuji City, Japan. She has a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Wittenberg University. Welcome, Callie!

New QUEST Location!

We have a new location! There are several offices and some adjacent shared student space on the 3rd floor of Van Munching Hall right between the original wing and the north wing of the building. I am in VMH3335, Nicole is next door in VMH3337, Melanie is across the hall in VMH3338, Dr. Herrmann is next to her in VMH3340 on one side, and Callie is next to her on the other side in VMH3336. Just around the corner, there is some open space that will soon have a couch and and adjacent student space in VMH3324. We will be sharing this student space with the PhD students who are in the 3rd floor of the north wing of Van Munching Hall. Please stop by and say hello!

Thank you and Goodbye, Rachel!

We congratulate Rachel Cohen for her extraordinary service to QUEST and wish her well with her new position at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Rachel will be moving on from QUEST with Dr. Suarez to the Office of External Strategy for the Smith School. This is a wonderful opportunity for Rachel and I know that we all wish her well. We will certainly miss her in QUEST but are very thankful that she will continue on in our University of Maryland community. Rachel has meant a tremendous amount to QUEST and we are very thankful for all of her lasting contributions. Best wishes, Rachel!