Centers & Initiatives

Pioneering business research can prepare students to be transformational business leaders, and equip companies to transform themselves and their markets.

At the Smith School we have created a cluster of Centers of Excellence that serve as the intersection of scholarship and the marketplace, putting breakthrough research at the service of students and companies. Each of our centers immerses our students in complex and evolving marketplaces in which success depends on critical thinking, creativity and entrepreneurship. 

We have also added exciting new Initiatives to further augment the learning experience, align with industry and government trends, and chart the future of business.

Centers

Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business

The Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business pioneers AI research and outreach. With a focus on human judgment and creativity, it fosters safe, innovative products and services through intentional AI-enabled design and governance frameworks.

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Center for Excellence in Service

The Center for Excellence in Service (CES) is an academic research center with a network of Smith faculty members who are thought leaders in service marketing and management. 

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Center for Financial Policy
Center for Financial Policy

The Center for Financial Policy leverages the Smith School’s world-renowned faculty, leading research, and proximity to Washington, D.C. to promote a collaborative exchange of ideas on the key issues that affect financial markets.

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Center for Global Business

The Center for Global Business (CGB) is the driver of internationalization and global mindset education at the Smith School and a preferred partner for international commerce in the state of Maryland, specifically in regard to training and supporting students, companies, and current and future business leaders to engage successfully in global business.

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Center for Social Value Creation

The Center for Social Value Creation embodies a passionate mission: to educate, engage and empower the Smith community and the world through thought-provoking dialogue, thought leadership, and hands-on experience.

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Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship

At the Dingman Center, we create an inclusive environment where we educate, empower and equip students with the business skills needed to be an entrepreneur and the resources necessary to make their business ideas a reality.

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Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets

The guiding principle for the Ed Snider Center is that social progress is born of free and creative individuals who, driven by self-motivation, passion, and a positive approach to trading value for value, make the world a better place. 

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Supply Chain Management Center

The Supply Chain Management Center at the Robert H. Smith School of Business is dedicated to conducting research and education designed to further the discipline of supply chain management.

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Initiatives

Smith Analytics Consortium

Expanding understanding of business analytics and relevant careers, the Robert H. Smith School of Business runs the Smith Analytics Consortium (SAC). A partnership between industry and Smith’s diverse, inclusive community, the Consortium serves as a central hub for networking, thought leadership, experiential learning, co-curricular activities and collaboration opportunities enhancing the Smith student experience and giving back to the business community.

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Initiative for Veteran Lifelong Leadership
Initiative for Veteran Lifelong Leadership

Promoting veterans as strategic assets for a united economy.

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Future of Government Management Initiative

The imperatives facing America's government and market leaders have rarely overlapped with the complexity they do today. At the Smith School, we aim to help with new programs and partnerships to promote the future of U.S. public-private talent, training, and research.

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Smith Enterprise Risk Consortium

Corporate risk officers are grappling with a host of nontraditional risks associated with and ranging from cyber to climate. The Smith Enterprise Risk Consortium recognizes these emerging risks and endeavors to address them through research, tools and education.

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News

October 15, 2021
Wermers Becomes First Paul J. Cinquegrana Chair in Finance

The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business has named Russ Wermers as the Paul J. Cinquegrana ’63 Endowed Chair in Finance. Named for the late Paul J.

Read News Story : Wermers Becomes First Paul J. Cinquegrana Chair in Finance
October 14, 2021
Farshchi Chairs Americas Day at Conference for Value Creation
When industry professionals want to take the next step in their career and focus on a bigger picture, the Conference for Value Creation can help. Maryland Smith’s Nima Farshchi, who chaired the first day of the three-day conference this year, says the event offers a robust discussion of the definition of value creation in business, showcases various cultures and perspectives, and explores how to…
Read News Story : Farshchi Chairs Americas Day at Conference for Value Creation
October 12, 2021
Agarwal Discusses ‘Aha’ Moments in Undergraduate Research Series

“The reason we do research is for all those moments of true inspiration,” Maryland Smith’s Rajshree Agarwal told a group of undergraduate students last Thursday. “My PhD students inspire me as they showcase how entrepreneurship and innovation helps create solutions to the world’s thorniest challenges and unmet needs.”

Read News Story : Agarwal Discusses ‘Aha’ Moments in Undergraduate Research Series
October 8, 2021
CGB Welcomes Fall International Business Exchange Students
This fall, 18 exchange students from Maryland Smith’s partner universities across eight countries are in College Park for a semester-long study abroad experience.
Read News Story : CGB Welcomes Fall International Business Exchange Students
October 5, 2021
Maryland Smith's Ritu Agarwal Elected 2021 INFORMS Fellow
Maryland Smith’s Ritu Agarwal was elected as a fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). The honor is in recognition of her lifetime contributions to the profession and is reserved for only the very top academics and professionals in the field.
Read News Story : Maryland Smith's Ritu Agarwal Elected 2021 INFORMS Fellow
October 1, 2021
Center for Global Business Announces New Advisory Board Members

The Center for Global Business is pleased to announce new additions to the center’s advisory board, which serves to provide the center strategic functions and outreach with the business, government, and thought leadership communities. The newest members of the advisory board include:

Read News Story : Center for Global Business Announces New Advisory Board Members
September 30, 2021
Maryland Smith Partners with Ghana’s Ashesi University for Faculty Development
The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business has recently established a partnership with Ashesi University, a private university in Accra, Ghana. This partnership will first involve a yearlong faculty development program, focused on enhancing Ashesi’s scholarship of teaching and learning. The initiative also taps Maryland Smith faculty in the top 2% of the most-cited scholars…
Read News Story : Maryland Smith Partners with Ghana’s Ashesi University for Faculty Development
September 28, 2021
New ‘Federal Risk Academy’ Certificate Program to Launch from Maryland Smith’s Center for Financial Policy
The Center for Financial Policy (CFP) at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and Deloitte have jointly developed a new risk management training program they will deliver to government financial professionals beginning on Jan. 11, 2022. The certificate program, called the Maryland Smith Federal Risk Academy, will provide thought leadership, training…
Read News Story : New ‘Federal Risk Academy’ Certificate Program to Launch from Maryland Smith’s Center for Financial Policy
September 20, 2021
‘Maryland Business Adapts’ Event Announces Call for Nominations

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Sept. 20, 2021 – COVID-19 was a test like no other for global businesses. Some failed. But many others persevered, adapted – and thrived.

Read News Story : ‘Maryland Business Adapts’ Event Announces Call for Nominations
September 17, 2021
‘Trade Guys’ Come to Smith to Talk Trade Policy, China Relations, and Trade’s Impact on Climate
What is the Biden administration’s stance on global trade? What’s the status of the U.S.-Chinese trade relationship? And are things changing at the intersection between climate and trade regulations? Those were some of the topics covered in a recent discussion as the Center for Global Business (CGB) hosted a live podcast with The Trade Guys from the Center for Strategic and International Studies…
Read News Story : ‘Trade Guys’ Come to Smith to Talk Trade Policy, China Relations, and Trade’s Impact on Climate
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