On Dec. 20, 2015, 700 students graduated from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The commencement ceremony was held at the Xfinity Center, University of Maryland’s College Park campus. “The occasion of your commencement is a time to celebrate journeys, to celebrate beginnings and endings, and all the amazing things that happened in between,” said Alex Triantis, dean of the Smith School, in his opening remarks. “Today, we will look back on your journey and look forward to your future.”

The Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Change (CLIC) at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is sponsoring a panel on the “Business Athletes” leadership model at the Smith School Business Summit on Nov. 13, 2015, in Baltimore. The panel will feature Senior Associate Dean Joyce Russell and leaders from a variety of professions – from marketing to sports to finance – to foster a discussion on the qualities that great athletes share with great business leaders.

’70s Arnie Applebaum ’79 is the new general manager of Maryland Media. Robert Bedingfield ’70 joined the Board of Directors at GeoPark Limited. Donald Denkaus, MBA ’70, joined the Board of Directors of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals.

This is a critical time in the life of the Smith School, and active engagement by the alumni community is more important than ever. A leadership transition of the Smith Alumni Chapter Board (ACB) took place June 30 while the board was operating progressively and smoothly. As the incoming and outgoing chairs, we would like to share with the alumni community the progress made over the last three years and our future plans as a board.

Women on the Terrapins Final Four team aren’t the only ones with basketball skills at UMD. On Feb. 27, 2015, more than 350 fans filled Ritchie Coliseum for Smith’s inaugural Court Classic, a tournament of student, alumni and faculty/staff teams. “A new tradition has started at Smith, building class bonds among our soon-to-be alumni,” said Patty Carocci, assistant dean of development and alumni relations.

More than 1,000 students, sporting professional attire with résumés in hand, met top employers Sept. 18, 2015, at the Smith Undergraduate Career Fair, the largest recruiting event at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Incoming full-time MBA students at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business didn’t have to wait long to meet employers and learn what kind of talent they want to hire. A panel of corporate recruiters, including four Smith MBA alumni, shared career advice and answered questions during orientation Aug. 10-21, 2015.

On Saturday, June 6, 2015, alumni of the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business enjoyed an exclusive evening event at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, Md. Alumni and their families were able to experience interactive stations without the typical crowds during normal operating hours. Attendees visited the many exhibits the Maryland Science Center has to offer, such as Dinosaur Mysteries, Newton’s Alley, Life Beyond Earth, and Power Up. Three planetarium shows were also shown focusing on space. Special thanks go out to the event host committee:

Earlier this month, we asked our Facebook community at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business to tell us their favorite memories from the 2014-15 academic year. Thanks to all of the Smith Terps who responded with these great answers!

On April 20, 2015, the Accounting and Information Assurance Department at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business hosted its annual Accounting Teaching Scholars  (ATS) dinner.