It was a Maryland connection meant to be. Despite Lauren Niffenegger Lumpp ‘09 and Nick Lumpp ‘09 both studying at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, Lauren in accounting and Nick in finance, it was a bus that never showed up during their first few weeks in College Park that brought them together. 

In his latest book, 1929: The Inside Story of the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History, Andrew Ross Sorkin couldn’t help but notice some modern parallels.

University of Maryland’s Smith School joins the American Bankers Association Partner Network, expanding industry-aligned coursework, boosting career readiness and connecting students with banking employers through credentials, expert insights and greater visibility to recruiters seeking job-ready finance graduates.

The University of Maryland’s Smith School hosted its 23rd Wikler Finance Case Competition on April 17, 2026. Twenty-seven students across seven teams analyzed a real-world case, presenting to industry judges in a long-standing program blending academic rigor with practical financial decision-making.

Albert “Pete” Kyle’s landmark 1985 paper on insider trading was honored at a University of Maryland conference, where scholars and industry experts examined its lasting influence on market structure, liquidity and asset pricing more than four decades later.

H. Kent Baker’s career was shaped at Maryland and transformed finance through behavioral research. His legacy includes decades of scholarship, a major gift to Smith and hands-on student experiences, as the school advances finance education, policy impact and industry-ready training.

Matthew Allen ’26 turned a hand-me-down pickup truck into Two Dudes Junk Removal, a growing Maryland business. The finance major balances classes at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business with expansion plans, aiming to take his company statewide after graduation.

The Comptroller of Maryland, in collaboration with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, released a new scenario analysis, demonstrating the estimated, direct impact of spending and job cuts for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Maryland jobs, wages, grants, and contracts.

Twenty-one Smith School professors were named among the top 2% most cited researchers globally, according to Elsevier’s 2025 study across 22 fields. Representing both current and emeritus faculty, their impactful research advances business knowledge and global academic excellence.