Smith News, Research and Insights

People

Alumni

Charity Fundraisers: Building a Quality Product to Benefit Nonprofits

Brian Rechtman ’05, founder of Bluetree Marketing, helps nonprofits raise funds through curated experiences and auctions. Inspired by Smith School advice to “sell the best,” he’s built a social enterprise that’s supported nearly 10,000 charity events worldwide.

Student

Seizing Opportunity: Smith Student Leads While Learning

Darrell Lipscomb, MS Accounting ’25, a former Army chaplain's assistant, leads with service and drive. Now Smith Master’s Student Association president, he’s building community, mentoring peers, and preparing for a finance career—with a KPMG internship and CPA goals ahead.

Faculty

Name That Tune: Smith Professor Combines Academic Rigor, Entrepreneurial Application and Musical Innovation

Associate Professor Daniel McCarthy blends rigorous research with creative teaching tools—like music—to make marketing analytics memorable. His focus on customer-based valuation, real-world applications, and student engagement helps transform complex concepts into impactful, real-life learning experiences.

News

World Class Faculty & Research

Smith Faculty Receive UMD Grants for AI Research Projects

Smith School professors earned AI research seed grants from UMD’s AIM Institute. Louiqa Raschid and Eaman Jahani will use AI for public health; Lauren Rhue will explore legal limits of AI-generated content. AIM awarded 22 grants across interdisciplinary categories.

Experiential / Reality-based Learning

Experiential Learning Class Uses Thought Leader Support and Real-world Clients to Prepare Students

Master’s in Management students tackle real-world business challenges in Roy Thomason’s experiential learning class, partnering with companies like MLB and ServiceNow to develop solutions. The project-based course builds skills in leadership, strategy and teamwork while preparing students for professional success.

KFC Sustainability Chief Speaks at UMD

KFC Chief Sustainability Officer Nira Johri spoke to UMD students about global sustainability strategy, sharing career insights and discussing how companies like KFC are aligning environmental and social responsibility with business goals across international markets.

Smith Brain Trust

Faculty Insights On Latest News

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

“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

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.

Research

Marketing

The Tax Revenue and Problem-Gambling Balancing Act

Research co-authored by associate professor Dan McCarthy finds that online sports betting legalization has led to a rise in irresponsible gambling, especially among lower-income individuals. The study highlights financial risks and calls for safeguards to mitigate potential societal harm.

Marketing

The Language of Buying: Deciphering AI Conversations

Marketing PhD student Ziting Liao, with faculty Liye Ma and Wendy Moe, developed a model predicting purchase intent from AI assistant interactions. By analyzing language patterns, the tool helps advertisers better target consumers and optimize strategies based on intent.

Marketing

Are You Ready for the Future? AI Can Help

Joseph Reiff, assistant professor of marketing, co-invented The Retirement Visualizer™, an AI tool using GPT and DALL·E to help individuals vividly imagine retirement goals. By making the future feel tangible, it aims to boost motivation and increase retirement savings.