Smith Reunions Go Virtual
Smith graduates from the classes of 2019, 2015, 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, 1990, 1985, 1980, 1975 and 1970: Join us later this month as we celebrate your reunion virtually. Take part in one or more events to connect with your classmates and fellow alumni throughout the world.
We look forward to seeing you at one or all of the events on October 27-29, 2020! Please see the schedule and registration links below to get signed up!
Virtual Reunion Schedule
Tuesday, October 27
Town Hall with Interim Dean Ritu Agarwal
3 p.m.
Interim Dean Ritu Agarwal shares updates on the State of the Smith School, including insights on how she is leading Maryland Smith as the country navigates a dual pandemic environment. Learn how the school is continuing to be innovative and creative in business education despite these challenges. Participants will also have an opportunity to ask questions during the event.
Virtual Industry & Regional Networking
6 p.m.
Spend an hour catching up with classmates and making new connections with fellow Smith alumni in your industry or in your region. Using a new platform called Gatherly, alumni are invited to experience a networking event from their desk. Gatherly allows alumni to connect in one on one interactions or in larger group conversations using video chat software.
Wednesday, October 28
“Building Resilience to Setbacks” with Jennifer Carson Marr
11 a.m.
Over 70% of working adults have experienced a significant setback at work, where they have experienced a drop in respect and admiration in the eyes of others. As businesses grapple with the current pandemic, it is likely that even more employees will face unexpected setbacks. For the last ten years, Jennifer Carson Marr has studied how high performers deal with setbacks at work. She has examined what happens when they experience a setback, and how to help them become more resilient to these events. Across different occupations – real estate agents, Major League baseball players, college students, office workers and blue-collar workers – Marr finds that the types of setbacks people experience are different, but they have a similar effect on the performance and health of star employees. In this webinar, she will discuss the implications of setbacks for high performers and what individuals and organizations can do to build their resilience to setbacks. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and contribute to current research on resilience.
Centergize
3 p.m.
Maryland Smith is home to a number of centers of excellence, which help our students and alumni dive deeper into complex ideas in the marketplace, through research, innovation and entrepreneurship. Centergize is the opportunity for you to learn more about these centers, their impact, and how you can be involved with them. The event is set up for you to hear brief remarks from all the participating centers followed by breakout rooms, where you can learn even more about three of the centers of your choosing.
Join this event to learn more from the following centers:
- Center for Excellence in Service
- Center for Global Business
- Center for Health Information and Decision Systems
- Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Change
- Center for Social Value Creation
- Center for the Study of Business Ethics, Regulations, and Crime
- Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship
- Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets
Thursday, October 29
“Being an Adaptive Leader in 2020” with Neta Moye
5 p.m.
Many say the best leaders are the most adaptive leaders. 2020 seems to be the year where this perspective has been put to the test. Are you finding yourself wondering “how the heck do I do [fill in leader role] virtually?” Are you worried that you – and your team – are just one more crisis away from breaking? The good news is, adaptive leader skills can be honed; and, chaos, or crisis is one of the best times to hone them. In this session, we will identify the key skills that enable leaders to adapt, we will ponder the important question of how to adapt but still be authentic, and we will layout a simple set of habits you can adopt to continually stretch your leader behaviors, expand your leadership repertoire, and thus, your capacity to adapt to new situations that come your way.
If you don’t see your question answered here, please email smithalumni@umd.edu and we will help you!
Why should I attend Smith Reunions?
Smith Reunions is a celebration of Maryland Smith alumni and their achievements. It’s a great opportunity to not only catch up with your classmates but an opportunity to make new connections to fellow Smith alumni and a chance to learn more from the top faculty at Maryland Smith.
Do I have to attend all of the Smith Reunions events?
While we’d love to have you attend all the Smith Reunion events, you are free to pick which specific components of the day you would like to attend. Please register for all you plan to attend so we can have an accurate count.
Why should I give to the Smith Reunions Giving Campaign?
Giving back is good business and we invite our alumni to commemorate their reunion by making a charitable donation to Maryland Smith. By giving back to business education at Maryland Smith, you are supporting the future graduates who will follow in your footsteps. We cannot continue to improve, grow, and rise in the rankings without help from our alumni community and we hope you answer the call!
How can I make a contribution to the Smith Reunions Giving Campaign?
Make a gift in celebration of your reunion milestone. See the Reunion Giving section below.
How can I volunteer for Smith Reunions?
Reach out to Mary Wagner at mwagner5@umd.edu if you’d like to find out more about serving as a reunion class champion.
Who is invited to Smith Reunions?
Maryland Smith alumni from the classes of 2019, 2015, 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, 1990, 1985, 1980, 1975, and 1970 and their guests.
Honor and celebrate your reunion with a gift to the Robert H. Smith School of Business!
By joining your fellow alumni in a philanthropic gift, you are supporting the future of business education and creating a legacy for your class. Whether you join us for reunion activities or are there in spirit, reunion giving is a way to reflect on your experiences and pay it forward for future generations.
Commemorate your graduation with a gift to any Smith School fund by June 30, 2020. Questions? Please contact rhsmith-annualgiving@umd.edu.
Thank you to our Class Champions!
Reunion class champions are an essential part of making your reunion a success. We’d like to thank the following volunteers for their dedication to making Smith Reunions 2020 a special event!
Zach Azrael ’19
Andy Baer ’80
Kevin Beran ’10
Matt Bernstein ’05
Abhijeet Biswas, MBA ’00
Raj Chakraborty, MBA ’10
Etim Edim, MBA ’05
Halee Helmer ’00
Zoddy Imoisili ’15
Carolyn Karbel ’10
Laura Kauls ’70
Jennifer Long, MBA ’15
Paul Marcon ’05
Brian Meenaghan ’05
Megan Moy ’05, MBA ’10
Albert Murad ’95
Anusha Nallapati, MBA ’15
Damon Patrick, MBA ’10
Anusha Polavarapu, MBA '15
John Posey ’81, MBA ’85
Kash Rehman ’00
Parker Rist ’19
Rebecca Salzman ’15
Vicky Shi ’15
Jim Spencer ’90
Eugene Vassilas ’10
Aaron Yang ’19
Rashid Zaman, MBA ’10
If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a reunion class champion, please complete this form.