Fourteen faculty teams at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business have been awarded three-year grants from the school for research projects that address the world’s grand challenges and reimagine learning in support of the University of Maryland’s vision and the Smith School’s strategic plan.

Consumers, shareholders and regulators are increasingly demanding that companies be committed to sustainability and social good, and now a comprehensive new report from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business can help companies figure out how to do that most effectively.

The Maryland Smith chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi drew multiple accolades at the world’s largest business fraternity’s 2022 Convention, held August 3-6 in Miami. The Smith chapter, represented by President Jean Han (’23) and Director of Pledge Education Ayman Bootwala (’24), received Outstanding Programming awards in the categories of Knowledge, Integrity and Unity.

Maryland Smith is pushing students and business leaders to create a better world through business. That means considering multiple stakeholders – how a company’s environmental, social and corporate governance policies impact the world beyond just returning profits to shareholders. ESG is gaining momentum among businesses and investors and was the topic of Maryland Smith’s inaugural ESG Conference: Reimagine Your Impact, hosted by the Center for Social Value Creation on May 6, 2022.

Beyond quantifying and getting their boards to understand traditional financial risks such as credit and market risk, corporate risk officers are grappling with a host of nontraditional risks associated with and ranging from cyber to ESG (environmental, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion).

When industry professionals want to take the next step in their career and focus on a bigger picture, the Conference for Value Creation can help. Maryland Smith’s Nima Farshchi, who chaired the first day of the three-day conference this year, says the event offers a robust discussion of the definition of value creation in business, showcases various cultures and perspectives, and explores how to utilize research to create positive change in industries.

There’s always cause for celebration at the end of semesters, and Maryland Smith’s Social Innovation Fellows (SIF) made the most of theirs. Students met with Faculty Champion David Kirsch, associate professor of management and organization at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, for an outdoor dinner at a nearby College Park restaurant.

It’s difficult to figure out where to start when it comes to addressing the economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But these Maryland Smith students have an idea. On March 6, Maryland Smith MBA students – Ashlee Albertson, Daylin Russo, Morgan Daly and Sara Bartczak – placed fourth out of 80 teams internationally in the 3rd annual Net Impact Case Competition on Social Responsibility at the University of Colorado, Boulder’s Leeds School of Business.

When it comes to determining the sustainability of an investment, these four Maryland Smith students are tough to beat. The team of undergraduate seniors – Ajay Shankar (finance and information systems), Faben Henok (OMBA and SCM with a minor in technology entrepreneurship), Josh Chen (economics and minor in business analytics), and Alex Leipold (marketing and OMBA) – recently won first place honors in the Milgard Invitation Case Competition on Social Responsibility, garnering the coveted first place title and a $1,000 cash prize per student.

Maryland Smith’s Center for Social Value Creation recently concluded its second Impact Consulting Fellowship, a program that puts students to work in cross-functional teams to provide pro bono consulting services to impact-driven organizations. And as with every ICF term, this one ended with an ICF Huddle, and a chance to present their final deliverables and compete for awards.