Smith Vets Scholarships | Robert H. Smith School of Business

Michael Scott Lamana and Eric Cranford Memorial MBA Fellowship Fund

Established in 2002, the Michael Scott Lamana and Eric Cranford Memorial MBA Fellowship honors these two Smith MBA students killed while serving in the Pentagon's Navy Operations Center on September 11th, 2001. Awarded to military-connected MBA students pursuing their own missions in lifelong leadership, funds for this special scholarship are sourced by the collective generosity of donors in our annual Smith Vets Remember Campaign.

Donate: Lamana and Cranford Fund

Eric Allen Cranford hailed from Drexel, N.C. and was commissioned in the U.S. Navy at the University of North Carolina in 1992. He served in a helicopter squadron in Mayport, Fla., and on the USS Gettysburg, USS McInerney and USS Carr. He was killed in service at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 while pursuing his Smith MBA at the age of 32. The degree was posthumously conferred to him with the Class of 2001. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Michael ‘Scott’ Lamana grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and graduated from Louisiana State University in 1992. Following commissioning in the U.S. Navy, he served as a Naval Flight Officer in P-3 Orion aircraft. He was killed in service at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 while pursuing his Smith MBA at the age of 31. The degree was posthumously conferred to him with the Class of 2001. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery

Marcus Mack is based in Baltimore, Maryland. His military experience began on active duty at the United States Naval Academy Preparatory School before he went on to attend the United States Naval Academy. Marcus’ military experience had a lasting impact on his perspective on leadership, resilience, and service. Marcus is currently pursuing his MBA at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business to further develop as a leader and advance his career in technology and strategy.

Ryan Harris of Forest Hill, Maryland currently serves in the Maryland Army National Guard and will attend Officer Candidate School in the spring of 2027 with the goal of being an Infantry Officert. Ryan is pursuing an MBA to develop skills in leadership and business strategy, while preparing to take on greater leadership responsibilities in both my military and professional careers.

Robert L. Edwards ’39 Military Veteran Leadership Award

The Robert L. Edwards ’39 Military Veteran Leadership Award recognizes outstanding contributions by military service members and veterans affiliated with the Initiative of Veteran Lifelong Leadership in the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Established the Michael Scott Lamana and Eric Cranford Memorial MBA Fellowship in 2002 to honor Eric and Scott’s legacy of lifelong learning and service. Awarded to military-connected MBA students pursuing their own missions in lifelong leadership, funds for this special scholarship are sourced by the collective generosity of donors in our annual Smith Vets Remember Campaign.

Robert Lee Edwards was born in Hyattsville and graduated from the University of Maryland College Park in 1939. Two years later, he enrolled in Georgetown University Law School before interrupting his studies to serve in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Robert flew B-17 bombers in 35 missions over Germany with the 306th Bomb Group, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and seven Air Medals.

After the war, Robert completed law school at Georgetown in 1946 and entered private practice in his hometown. From 1953 until he retired in 1978, he was a founder and president of Maryland Title & Escrow Corp. He was also a founder of and counsel to the Suburban Federal Savings & Loan Association in Lanham, Maryland from its beginning in 1955 until 1985. Robert was a charter member of the Civitan Club of Hyattsville, an original appointee to the Prince George's County convention and business committee, and a director of the Prince George's travel promotion council from 1977 until 1988. He also served as a member of the Largo-Lottsford development committee of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

In later years, Robert transformed his family's farm in Largo, Maryland into commercial developments that included community-serving restaurants, gas stations, subdivisions and offices. He also developed the assisted living building at Homecrest House in Silver Spring and was a member of the 8th Air Force Historical Society. His favorite pastimes were golf, tennis, crossword puzzles, poker, and gin. An ardent fan of Washington football, Robert enjoyed music, exercising, telling jokes, and was never without a four-speed convertible sports car -- or licorice or a lollipop.

In his honor, his daughter Sara Chase Carlson established the Robert L. Edwards ’39 Military Veteran Leadership Awards to support military-connected business students at the University of Maryland pursuing their own legacies of veteran lifelong leadership.

Mahi Shah, from Southern Maryland, serves in the Army National Guard as a Military Intelligence Officer. Mahi is pursuing a Masters in Management at the University of Maryland to better understand people, strengthen leadership skills, and become the best leader she can be.

Originally from Pequannock, New Jersey, Peter Yamasaki is a United States Marine Corps officer currently serving as the Marine Officer Instructor for the Maryland Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Consortium. He attended the United States Naval Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics. Upon commissioning into the Marine Corps, he served as a financial management officer and assumed leadership roles, including as the Officer in Charge of the Defense Travel System section at Regional Disbursing Office-East and deploying as the Disbursing Officer for the 22d Marine Expeditionary Unit. Peter is pursuing a Smith MBA as an opportunity to broaden his perspective by learning from accomplished professors, classmates, and business leaders outside the military.

Smith Armed Forces Association Scholarship

Sponsored by Northrop Grumman Foundation, the Smith Armed Forces Association Fellowships are awarded to military service-connected students in the MBA program at the Robert H. Smith School of Business to support their learning and continued service.

After serving six years in the Marine Corps, Matt decided to pursue his B.A. and M.A. in international relations at the University of Maryland. During his time at UMD, Matt volunteered at the International Rescue Committee and participated in multiple TerpVets activities. After three years in the workforce, Matt has returned to UMD to pursue an MBA with a specialization in finance. Matt intends to use the tools taught at UMD to educate military members on financial literacy and shift the financial mindset from reactive to proactive.