Get ready for summer with the 22nd Annual Summer Reading List for Business Leaders—featuring Smith School faculty picks on investing, neuroscience, human connection, and more, including a novel inspired by a radio show turned TV series.

KFC Chief Sustainability Officer Nira Johri spoke to UMD students about global sustainability strategy, sharing career insights and discussing how companies like KFC are aligning environmental and social responsibility with business goals across international markets.

The Center for Social Value Creation hosted its Spring Undergraduate Case Competition in partnership with Gallo, challenging Smith School students to develop marketing strategies for Nobilo wine. Six teams presented recommendations to a panel of industry and faculty judges.

The Smith School’s Center for Social Value Creation and AquaKraft Ventures launch Water Parliament, a global think tank advancing water sustainability. Led by Nima Farshchi, it promotes governance, innovation, and investment, including AQOIN, the first water-backed digital asset.

The Grand Global Challenges Competition invites UMD students to tackle global issues through ethical, sustainable solutions. This year’s winning team will compete at Loyola Marymount’s International Business Ethics and Sustainability Case Competition in April.

Joe Kattan ’23 leveraged his Smith finance degree to land a consulting role at Bain before pursuing his entrepreneurial passion. Now the owner of AppraiseItNow, he applies automation and AI to modernize appraisals, drawing on skills honed at Smith.

The Smith School's Center for Social Value Creation partners with AqVerium, the first digital water bank, to drive water sustainability. This collaboration will promote education, research, and water-saving practices, aiming to achieve Water Positivity by 2030.

Impact Consulting Fellowship students from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business participated in the PALS spring project showcase, winning Outstanding Student Awards for collaborating with Community Forklift. They worked on sustainability projects with real-world community impact.

The 21st Annual Summer Reading List for Business Leaders from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business offers diverse recommendations. Highlights include a memoir on AI advances, a book disputing free will, a Grover Cleveland biography, and a novel by Nobel Prize-winning Kazuo Ishiguro.

Montgomery County, Maryland, aims for 100% greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2035. Smith Business Consulting students collaborate with the county, providing pro-bono services to achieve these goals. This initiative aligns with the Smith School's social impact and experiential learning strategies.