Dan Alpert ’21 is a Maryland Smith marketing major, a member of the Undergraduate Dean’s Student Advisory Council and – beginning next fall – student body president of the University of Maryland’s Student Government Association.

Something happens when a Maryland Smith senior finishes that final exam, submits that final essay, and dons a cap and gown. It is the moment, says Maryland Smith’s Victor Mullins, when they begin to write their stories. For the Spring 2020 graduating class, the book opens in a challenging time. Navigating the unprecedented circumstances invoked by the coronavirus pandemic may prove difficult, Mullins says, but Maryland Smith graduates are prepared for what lies ahead.

Smith Alum’s Maryland-centric Retail Company Wears New Role Supporting Healthcare Workers Gov. Larry Hogan approached the podium for a press conference last week with a bold new accessory for these times: a red surgical-style mask bearing the message “Maryland Strong.”

Despite social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland Smith undergraduates can still attend a career fair, visit top companies, connect with recruiters, meet with advisors and administrators, and celebrate together this spring – all virtually. Smith’s offices of Undergraduate Programs and Career Services are innovating and adapting to bring events and activities online to serve students and keep the community strong.

Few class projects deliver the kind of global impact that comes from those in David Ashley’s course. Ashley, an executive in residence at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, teaches a course that links undergraduate students with entrepreneurs in Africa and helps them grow their businesses. The projects are part of a first-of-its-kind partnership with a U.S. African Development Foundation program that supports young entrepreneurs in Africa.

The University of Maryland is actively monitoring the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus (termed “COVID-19”) that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Very rapidly, the virus has been detected in numerous countries including the United States.

David Rosenstein ’20, a senior pursuing a dual degree in marketing and management, was selected as the 2020 Student Marketer of the Year by the American Marketing Association. The prestigious award recognizes one student nationwide for demonstrating superior leadership and service to the AMA, academic achievement and impact on their community. The award was announced on March 14 at AMA’s International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans.

This year’s freshman class at Maryland Smith kicked off their studies with a new pilot: the iSmith program. It’s an innovative experience designed to prepare students for the workplace by building a personal brand and a narrative of their professional strategies and personal development as they navigate through their undergraduate years.

When you’re looking to start a business, it helps to gain some advice from someone who’s done it before. And that may be doubly true for founders of color. Although 12.7% of the U.S. population is black, only 4.3% of business owners are. That’s why on Feb. 26, 2020, students gathered in Van Munching Hall for Being Black in Entrepreneurship: Fireside Chat, an opportunity for young emerging business owners to learn about starting a business as a founder of color.

For seven years, the Smith Business Academy, designed for black and Latino men; and the Women’s Empowerment Institute, its female counterpart, have provided a supportive community of like-minded peers to help thwart incongruence in academic achievement experienced at many predominantly white institutions (PWI).