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What the Skydance Mega-Merger Means for Subscriber Value
Skydance: Smith Finance Expert Weighs in on Regulatory and Cash Flow Risks
Disney Executive Joe Welch Shares Insights on Building a Global Career
October 05, 2026
Richard “Dick” O’Neill ’69 Spent 33 Years Innovating the Role of Government in the Energy Sector
Richard O’Neill ’69 helped reshape federal energy regulation, promoting competition and more efficient natural gas and electricity markets. He says artificial intelligence can improve energy production and delivery, but human judgment remains essential to developing the industry’s next major breakthroughs.
Student
August 21, 2026
Full Circle Moment as Terp Nick Cross Takes the Field for the Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders safety Nick Cross returns home to the DMV, where the Bowie native, DeMatha graduate and former Maryland football player is continuing his NFL career while giving back to his community and planning to complete his Smith finance degree.
August 17, 2026
Meet the Marketing Graduate Who Kept UMD’s Biggest Secret for Four Years
Luke Hanson ’26 secretly portrayed the University of Maryland mascot Testudo for four years while studying management and marketing. He applied classroom lessons to Testudo’s social media strategy and, after graduation, became Talon, Major League Soccer club D.C. United’s mascot.
October 08, 2026
As Skydance expands its reach through major strategic consolidation, scale alone won’t guarantee long‑term success. Dean’s Chair in Marketing Science at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business P.K. Kannan, an expert in customer analytics and digital platforms, says the merged entity’s real opportunity lies not in size but in how effectively it connects consumer behavior across its expanded portfolio.
October 07, 2026
David Kass warns that Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery could raise prices and reduce consumer choice. He says Skydance must achieve $6 billion in synergies within three years, improve cash flow and reduce debt while navigating challenging regulatory constraints.
Disney executive Joe Welch encouraged Smith School students to explore careers across industries and sectors during a fireside chat. He discussed global business challenges and highlighted Disney internships, cultural exchange programs and a fellowship in public policy.
Faculty Insights On Latest News
May 30, 2025
Summer Reading List 2025
Get ready for summer with the 22nd Annual Summer Reading List for Business Leaders—featuring Smith School faculty picks on investing, neuroscience, human connection, and more, including a novel inspired by a radio show turned TV series.
Management and Organization
April 24, 2025
“The Future is Not What it Used to Be”
Ambiguity arises when choices must be made despite unclear outcomes, says Professor J. Gerald Suarez. In today’s fast-paced world, discernment, flexibility, and embracing uncertainty—not rigid control—are key to navigating change, complexity, and an unpredictable future.
Marketing
October 04, 2024
Small Businesses Take Big Hit from Apple’s Privacy Regulation
Smith marketing professor Daniel McCarthy's research found that Apple's 2021 App Tracking Transparency (ATT) significantly impacted small direct-to-consumer businesses. ATT caused a 37% drop in ad click-through rates and up to a 60% revenue decline for smaller firms reliant on Facebook ads.
September 30, 2026
Noncompetes Suppress Worker Mobility and Earnings Without Protecting Trade Secrets
Smith’s Evan Starr and colleagues found that noncompete agreements reduce worker mobility and earnings without improving protection of business secrets. Their randomized study suggests employers can rely on nondisclosure agreements while avoiding noncompetes’ costs to recruitment and workers’ future earnings.
September 23, 2026
Less Experience Equals More Profit?
Rajshree Agarwal’s research finds that startup founders with little industry experience perform worse on average but can achieve exceptional success. Their innovative ideas can offset knowledge gaps, while partnerships with established companies could combine breakthroughs with expertise and benefit both.
Accounting and Information Assurance
September 10, 2026
Smith Researchers Produce New Framework for Smarter Cybersecurity Budgeting
University of Maryland researchers apply the Gordon-Loeb Model to AI-driven cyberthreats, recommending risk-based cybersecurity budgets generally capped at 37% of expected losses. The framework lets executives update attack probabilities, potential losses and investment effectiveness as threats and conditions evolve rapidly.
