The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is driving state policy and economic development through faculty-led, student-powered research partnerships with Maryland agencies, while providing experiential learning that equips students with analytical skills and real-world impact opportunities.

Krisha Chheda, ’25 MQF, presented a Google-sponsored credit risk project at Google’s Higher Ed Leader Series, highlighting Smith master’s students’ use of AI to analyze banking and fintech practices through the Smith Enterprise Risk Consortium’s experiential learning program.

Graduate students at UMD’s Smith School, led by finance professor Liu Yang, analyzed Maryland’s earned wage access market and presented findings to lawmakers, influencing policy on financial regulations and highlighting the real-world impact of academic research and experiential learning.

Smith students manage nearly $12 million across three funds—among the largest student-run programs nationwide. Their strong performance enabled a record $494,000 grant to the school this year, showcasing real-world investing experience and exceptional career preparation.

Now in its third year, Smith’s Office of Experiential Learning expanded real-world opportunities through alumni and industry partnerships—engaging 255 companies and facilitating hundreds of capstone projects, live cases, classroom coaching sessions and more across 214 classes in 2024–25.

Smith students manage nearly $12 million across three investment funds, gaining real-world experience in equity analysis and portfolio management. Their returns, decisions and teamwork prepare them for top roles in finance after graduation.

Master’s in Management students tackle real-world business challenges in Roy Thomason’s experiential learning class, partnering with companies like MLB and ServiceNow to develop solutions. The project-based course builds skills in leadership, strategy and teamwork while preparing students for professional success.

A new report from the Smith School, led by adjunct professor Geoff Milsom, offers first-of-its-kind transparency into logistics service provider tech spending on AI and robotics. Developed with students and alumni, it invites broader industry participation for future editions.

Students from the Smith School and University of Utrecht collaborated in a course led by Professor Amna Kirmani, developing export plans for RavenBeer and La Trappe while gaining real-world experience in cross-cultural teamwork and international marketing challenges.

Students in the QUEST Honors program explored Silicon Valley over Spring Break, pitching at Meta, visiting top tech firms, and networking with alumni. Highlights included winning Meta’s competition, touring Google and Nuro, and bonding over Bay Area adventures.