Feb. 21, 2013; Feb. 24, 2013 American Airlines and US Airways are said to be ironing out the details of a merger that would create the world’s largest carrier. What could a deal mean for the industry, airports and passengers? In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Mike Ball talks about the impacts of a mega merger in the airlines industry.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Improved customer service driven by robust competition lies ahead of the new U.S. Airways-American Airlines merger, says Michael Ball, a University of Maryland expert on transportation systems and airport operations. (Ball co-directs NEXTOR, the National Center of Excellence for Aviation Operations Research. He oversees the Collaborative Decision Making research project for the center, which is funded by the FAA, NASA and other airline industry members.)

College Park, Md. – The announced resignations of Pope Benedict XVI and Small Business Administration Head Karen Mills have drawn reaction from experts at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. The Smith School has an in-house facility for live or recorded video or multimedia content. Opportunities, Pitfalls for Benedict’s Successor Gilad Chen, Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Organizational Behavior and Department Chair: giladchen@rhsmith.umd.edu, 301-405-0923

 January 28, 2013 The Center for Health Information and Decision Systems (CHIDS) Research Fellow Chad Konchak is part of the first place winning team for the 2013 Healthcare Informatics Innovator Awards for the Electronic Surveillance System that Flags Undiagnosed Hypertensive Patients. Konchak is currently Director of Clinical Analytics at Northshore University Health System.

A Smith professor’s research proposal on how to improve quality transparency in healthcare and inform consumer choice has won a prestigious award from the National Science Foundation.

Thursday, January 10, 2013, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, January 14, 2013, 7:30 a.m. New year, new career? 2013 could be the year you get that new job, big promotion or develop as a professional. Set your goals now. In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Joyce Russell outlines how to tackle setting some New Year’s resolutions for your career.

Thursday, January 24, 2013, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, January 27, 2013, 7:30 a.m. The global financial crisis has prompted some policymakers around the world to tighten economic controls, restricting currency and capital, capping interest rates, and imposing import/export licenses. Governments should be use caution when manipulating the free flow of currency and goods – history shows it can lead to an uptick in black market violence.

The University of Maryland’s Robert H. School of Business and School of Public Policy co-hosted the ninth annual Forum on Financial Information Systems and Cybersecurity: A Public Policy Perspective, on Jan. 16, 2013.

Bill Rand, assistant professor of marketing and director of the Center for Complexity in Business at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business comments on social media’s effect on the gun control debate that has been revived by the recent mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.:

Russ Wermers' recent work toward restoring integrity to capital markets has garnered international recognition. He has earned a top industry award for research into improving hedge fund monitoring and was recently tapped to collaborate with other experts to redefine global standards for evaluating investment management.