Members of the Smith community recently came together to revise the school’s mission statement. After vigorous discussion and multiple drafts, we agreed on 30 words that guide our programs, initiatives and centers of excellence:

Roland is well-read – as in, everyone has read Roland’s research.  Roland Rust’s publications could fill an entire bookcase in McKeldin Library. His hundreds of peer- reviewed articles, the research citing his work, and his books, including Driving Customer Equity: How Customer Lifetime Value is Reshaping Corporate Strategy, have changed the world of marketing.

Military veteran Victor Valdez, EMBA ’14, arrived at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Sept. 22, 2014. But already the new chief operating officer and managing executive of the agency’s Enforcement Division is looking toward the future.

The floor of the New York Stock Exchange is sometimes noisy, and so is the bank management class taught by finance Professor Haluk Ünal at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. His Master of Finance students shouted, ran, waved their arms and hopped up and down during three-hour bank simulations on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2014, at the school’s satellite campus in Washington, DC.

Smith Finance Expert Proposes Steps, Rationale to Undo Federal Takeover of Twin Mortgage Giants WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oct. 3, 2014 - The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) can use existing powers to reverse the government's control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – without a gridlocked Congress, said Cliff Rossi, professor of the practice in finance at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business and executive-in-residence at the school's Center for Financial Policy.

On September 30th, Frank Auditorium was filled and attendees were on the edge of their seats at the BB&T Colloquium on Capitalism, Ethics and Leadership. The event was sponsored by BB&T and hosted by the Center for Leadership, Innovation and Change (CLIC) at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. The fascinating discussion centered on the moral psychology of economic life and strife. 

When Intended Strategy Meets Reality in Turbulent Times By Rajshree Agarwal

Thursday, October 2, 2014, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, October 5, 2014, 7:30 a.m. Should you buy or rent? Consumers have long debated this decision when it comes to homes and cars, but a recent explosion in the rental market has provided more rental options than ever before. Everything from movies to designer handbags and dresses to jewelry and beyond can be rented. And according to new research, consumers have no problem opening their wallets to rent. 

Thursday, September 18, 2014, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, September 21, 2014, 7:30 a.m. Where should you put your money? For the average person, figuring out where and how to invest can be overwhelming. But if you have the right mindset, it doesn’t have to be.  In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, host Jeff Salkin sits down with David Kass to talk about investing and how to figure out a strategy that works for you.