Thursday, June 5, 2014, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, June 8, 2014, 7:30 a.m. Congress is still working on massive reforms to the country’s housing-finance system, with major reforms proposed for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. What does this mean for the housing market and home buyers? In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Cliff Rossi talks about reforms for the mortgage industry.

Thursday, May 22, 2014, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, May 25, 2014, 7:30 a.m. Michael Lewis’s new book, “Flash Boys,” delves into the world of high-frequency trading. Blamed for the May 2010 stock market “flash crash,” this type of trading – which relies on using fast computers to make quick trades – has changed the playing field for traders. In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Professor Albert “Pete” Kyle discusses high-frequency trading and Lewis’ new book.

Thursday, May 8, 2014, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, May 11, 2014, 7:30 a.m.

New Program at UMD’s Smith School Debuts at No. 4 Less than one year after its January 2014 launch, the Online MBA at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business has earned a top-five ranking from a national publication. The blended program, which caters to working professionals, debuted at No. 4 in “The Definitive Guide to Online MBAs,” published by Poets & Quants in August 2014.

Media Advisory COLLEGE, PARK, Md. -- Though Google and Amazon, among others, have begun testing delivery drones, they are at least five years from launching.  Business and engineering experts (below) at the University of Maryland are available to expand on their following comments. They say:

The University of Maryland has selected Robert H. Smith School of Business Professor Gilad Chen as a 2014-15 Distinguished Scholar-Teacher. He is one of six professors to receive the honor this year. 

University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business and the Center for Leadership, Innovation and Change present the BB&T Colloquium on Capitalism, Ethics and Leadership on Tuesday, Sept. 30,  in College Park. Featured speaker, psychologist Jonathan Haidt, will explore the moral psychology of business ethics and how companies can structure and run themselves in ways that will be resistant to ethical failures.

The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is happy to welcome 12 new full-time faculty members to start the fall semester of 2014. New faculty joined the following areas: Accounting and Information Assurance Sebahattin Demirkan, Visiting Assistant Professor Samuel Handwerger, Lecturer (formerly adjunct faculty) Decisions, Operations and Information Technology

Media Alert Michael Faulkender Addresses Tax Policy Implications; David Kass Explains Buffett's Stake COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Finance experts in the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business are available to expand on their comments, below, covering tax policy and investing implications from the Burger King-Tim Hortons merger.  The deal involves a tax inversion by Burger King relocating to Canada and its lower -- 26.5- versus 35-percent -- corporate tax rate compared to the United States.

Latecomer Strategy Propels Amazon Local Register Mobile card reader will give Amazon new access to offline consumer data, UMD Expert Says Amazon's push into a mobile payment space targeting brick-and-mortar merchants with Amazon Local Register means the online retail giant is poised to leverage new insight into offline shoppers, a University of Maryland expert says.