Students Thrive with Hands-On Learning

At Smith, learning goes well beyond classroom lectures to the kinds of hands-on experiences that create a full education for every student, in every program. Here are a few recent highlights:

AI and Food Insecurity
More than 100 undergrad and graduate students competed in the first University of Maryland-wide AI case competition on “AI and Food Insecurity” on April 24. Presented by Smith’s Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business, the cross-disciplinary challenge asked teams for ways to use AI to fight hunger and food insecurity. The competition was a collaboration with the NourishNet NSF Convergence Accelerator, made possible by a partnership with Capital Area Food Bank. 

6th Annual Datathon
The Smith Analytics Consortium hosted 41 student teams from UMD and American University — including 14 combined teams — in the 6th annual Datathon, with Deloitte and AU. Teams had to sift through data for Spotify to recommend the most profitable concert lineup. Six teams advanced to the finale at Smith on April 11. Winners earned cash prizes and career mentorship from Deloitte professionals.

Google AI Financial Analysis
Students in Smith’s Master of Quantitative Finance worked with Google experts on an extended learning project, using the tech giant’s AI tools to analyze financial data for credit risk signals. The project was led by Smith Enterprise Risk Consortium Director Clifford Rossi and Google’s Pedro Morales.

Craft Beer Consulting
Baltimore-based RavenBeer and La Trappe, a beer produced in the Netherlands, turned to students from Smith and the University of Utrecht for plans to expand to each other’s markets. Mixed teams of Smith and Utrecht students met virtually each week for lectures and to work in groups. The Smith undergraduates were in Professor Amna Kirmani’s global marketing course, designed with the Center for Global Business to expose students to global marketing and the hurdles of operating in foreign markets. 

Management Consulting Projects
Master’s in Management students showed off their mastery of management skills in a capstone course, led by lecturer Roy Thomason. The course had teams consulting with companies, including Major League Baseball, CFG Bank Arena, ServiceNow and Teledoc Health. Industry professionals and alumni guided students on projects and final client presentations.

Global Trade Trek
Students took part in a one-day trek to explore sites in global connectivity, logistics and sustainability. The trek was part of the Careers Crossing Borders Series organized by the Center for Global Business. The itinerary included Hughes Network Systems’ manufacturing facility in Germantown, Md.; the Port of Baltimore; and the Baltimore office of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).

International Case Competition Win
Smith undergrads Marvi Shroff ’26, Eileen Chen ’26, Meilin Yuan ’26 and Jiayi Wang ’26 — all rising seniors studying finance and information systems — won first place at the international Milgard Invitational Case Competition at the University of Washington-Tacoma, where teams from around the globe provide consulting on social responsibility. Smith students excelled in two other recent national case competitions: the International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition in Los Angeles and the NASBITE International Case Competition in Cleveland. 

London Tech Consulting Trip
In January, the Smith School took undergraduates to London for a new hands-on tech consulting program. During the 12-day winter break trip, students met with 13 different companies and completed two consulting projects. The interdisciplinary program, led by clinical professor John Bono, included students from Smith’s Information Systems program, as well as UMD’s College of Information and the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences.