Rethinking Local Infrastructure Finance
University of Maryland Smith School MBA candidate Anton Steshenko proposes a Hybrid Institutional Capital Model to help local governments attract pension and insurance investment for infrastructure. Executive Director Nima Farshchi says the framework could unlock institutional capital through improved financial design and credit enhancement.
Smith's Reuben Hurst and Co-Authors Map Political Fault Lines Running Through American Workplaces
Smith School professor Reuben Hurst and colleagues analyzed 31 million U.S. workers, finding workplaces are politically segregated, especially among leaders and politically engaged employees. Democrats dominate most workplaces, while Republicans encounter greater political diversity. Workplace political sorting has changed little since 2012.
Why Uber’s Business Model Gives it an Edge Against Robotaxis in the Ride Hailing Race
UMD Smith researchers found ride-hailing platforms like Uber and Lyft remain more profitable and adaptable than robotaxi operators such as Waymo. The study warns autonomous vehicle expansion could increase congestion and wait times, while platform-based services retain strategic and cost advantages for now.
ASCEND Fellows Program Positions Smith School at the Center of UMD’s Grand Challenges Initiative
The University of Maryland this fall will launch ASCEND, a multidisciplinary graduate fellowship that brings students together to tackle global challenges in health, climate, food and energy. The program combines academic research, industry partnerships and hands-on projects to develop future leaders and innovators.
SpaceX’s Record IPO Tests the Limits of Narrative Driven Valuation, Smith Experts Say
SpaceX’s record-setting IPO offers a real-time case study in technological speculation, according to Smith School professors David Kirsch and Brent Goldfarb. They argue the company’s $2 trillion valuation reflects investor expectations about future AI and orbital computing markets as much as current business fundamentals.
The Relative Effects of Design Thinking Versus After-Action Review on Team Performance: An Experiential/Episodic Team Learning Perspective
Learning is key to teamwork success. In a field experiment, a design thinking intervention was shown to promote effective team learning, leading to greater team performance and financial savings. Adopting a learning orientation -- emphasizing hypothesis development and testing foir improving work efficiency - was shown to be is key to teamwork success.
Abortion Restriction Laws and Mobility of Scientists
We track the enactment of targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) laws in the U.S. and analyze 4.98 million person-year mobility records for 535,568 biomedical scientists from 1990 to 2018. Our estimations reveal a 0.8-1.6 percentage-point increase in scientists’ relocation probability after states enacted abortion-restrictive laws, with substantially stronger effects among junior scientists (1.6-3.9 percentage points). Anti-abortion states also became less likely to be chosen as relocation destinations, particularly by higher-quality scientists.