This month, I am honored to begin my second term as dean of the Smith School. I have spent the past five years growing the impact of the school inside and outside the classroom, and I am excited to continue that mission. I remain committed to students, faculty, University of Maryland partners and serving the wider community. I’m energized by everything happening here this spring!
We just received more than $1 million in federal funding for our Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business to help small businesses throughout the state of Maryland adopt AI. We officially opened a new campus in Baltimore. It's one of three locations where we deliver our Flex MBA program, recently ranked No. 1 in Maryland, No. 2 in the Washington, D.C. region, and No. 12 among public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The Full-Time MBA is No. 5 in the Mid-Atlantic and No. 20 among public colleges.
We are hosting more events than ever, which focus on key areas like artificial intelligence and financing risk. We are welcoming impressive speakers, including journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin and movie producer Mark Ciardi ’83. In March, we celebrated Albert “Pete” Kyle’s groundbreaking research contributions to financial market structure at a conference, hosted by our Center for Financial Policy. We are forging partnerships to help the media industry navigate the new age of AI and to ensure our students increase the pipeline of banking professionals in the state of Maryland.
Those are just a few of the things we’re buzzing about now. There’s much more to come this semester and in the next five years!
Prabhudev C. Konana
Dean, Robert H. Smith School of Business
1. CENTER FOR AI IN BUSINESS AWARDED $1M FEDERAL GRANT TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES ADOPT AI
Smith’s Center for Artificial Intelligence received more than $1 million in federal funds for an initiative to help small businesses adopt AI solutions to improve efficiencies. The grant was championed by U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), who presented the funds at an event in College Park on March 24. The Smith School, with support from the Maryland Small Business Development Center, will use the money to analyze existing AI solutions, develop new programs, and provide direct consulting, online courses and workshops for small businesses across the state. Smith students will be involved in all phases of the initiative. The efforts will be led by Professor Balaji Padmanabhan, director of the Center for AI in Business and associate dean of strategic initiatives, and Tejwansh Anand, clinical professor and academic director of the MS in Information Systems & AI program. READ MORE
2. EVENTS EXPLORE AI, CELEBRATE GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH
The Smith School hosted a number of events this spring to explore artificial intelligence and celebrate important faculty research contributions:
Albert "Pete" Kyle, Distinguished University Professor and Charles E. Smith Chair in finance, was recognized for his groundbreaking 1985 research on market structure at a conference hosted by Smith’s Center for Financial Policy and UBS. READ MORE
Smith’s Center for AI in Business, hosted the 2026 AI Symposium on Design and Governance on April 8 to explore how artificial intelligence will impact the future of work, software and healthcare. It was organized by Balaji Padmanabhan, director of the center. READ MORE
Roland Rust, the David Bruce Smith Chair in Marketing, is also exploring AI in a speaker series this spring, which so far covered “AI and Leadership in the Age of Cognitive Infrastructure,” and “AI in Society and Business.” READ MORE
Student teams from across the University of Maryland and American University used AI, problem-solving and data skills in the 7th annual Datathon, with the finale April 10. The Smith Analytics Consortium hosted the 15-day competition, sponsored by the Maryland Department of Information Technology in collaboration with Deloitte and American University. READ MORE
3. SMITH PARTNERS ON ‘BUSINESS OF JOURNALISM IN AGE OF AI’ FOR MEDIA
The news business needs to reinvent itself to best serve the public, and “The Business of Journalism in the Age of AI” — a new free, monthly webinar series from the Smith School and the University of Maryland’s nationally renowned Philip Merrill College of Journalism — will teach news leaders worldwide how to be part of that transformation. Experts from Merrill College and the Smith School will team with industry leaders to explore how the business model of journalism can evolve into something more sustainable and show how to thrive in the age of artificial intelligence. READ MORE
4. JOURNALIST, MOVIE PRODUCER, CEOs SHARE INSIGHTS ON FINANCING RISKS
Industry leaders are sharing their insights on risk and financing at the Smith School this spring. Andrew Ross Sorkin, an award-winning financial journalist, best-selling author and co-anchor of CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” comes to Smith on May 8 for a conversation about “1929: The Crash that Changed America.” Alumnus Mark Ciardi ’83, one of Hollywood’s most prolific true-story movie producers — whose films include “The Rookie,” “Miracle,” and “Secretariat” — spoke at Smith April 9 about his career. Jay Sunny Bajaj ’99, founder and CEO of Digital Capital LLC, will speak April 28 at Smith about his latest venture. He previously founded and grew Digital Management Inc. into a global technology solutions firm serving hundreds of clients and employing thousands worldwide before selling it in 2021. William J. “Bill” Fishlinger ’71, CEO and chairman of Gramercy Risk Holdings, spoke extensively about the hurdles he encountered and the knowledge he gained along the way to becoming a transformational figure in public-sector risk financing at Smith on March 11. READ MORE
5. MARYLAND BANKERS ASSOCIATION AND SMITH LAUNCH STATEWIDE BANKING FELLOWS PROGRAM
The Maryland Bankers Association and the Smith School partnered to launch a statewide Smith Banking Fellows Program, with the goal of increasing Maryland's banking talent pipeline. Beginning in summer 2026, select high-achieving sophomore and junior finance majors will participate in the structured program, which combines advanced coursework, paid internships and industry-led professional development. The Maryland Bankers Association announced the collaboration at an event in January, where it was lauded by Gov. Wes Moore. READ MORE
Media Contact
Greg Muraski
Media Relations Manager
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gmuraski@umd.edu
About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.