The Snider Enterprise and Leadership Fellows (SELF) marked its 10th year by reviving its residential program at UMD’s Smith School. This summer, 68 students—including 15 in campus housing—reignited the “magic” of living, learning, and building entrepreneurial ventures together.

The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is driving state policy and economic development through faculty-led, student-powered research partnerships with Maryland agencies, while providing experiential learning that equips students with analytical skills and real-world impact opportunities.

Krisha Chheda, ’25 MQF, presented a Google-sponsored credit risk project at Google’s Higher Ed Leader Series, highlighting Smith master’s students’ use of AI to analyze banking and fintech practices through the Smith Enterprise Risk Consortium’s experiential learning program.

Graduate students at UMD’s Smith School, led by finance professor Liu Yang, analyzed Maryland’s earned wage access market and presented findings to lawmakers, influencing policy on financial regulations and highlighting the real-world impact of academic research and experiential learning.

Now in its third year, Smith’s Office of Experiential Learning expanded real-world opportunities through alumni and industry partnerships—engaging 255 companies and facilitating hundreds of capstone projects, live cases, classroom coaching sessions and more across 214 classes in 2024–25.

Master’s in Management students tackle real-world business challenges in Roy Thomason’s experiential learning class, partnering with companies like MLB and ServiceNow to develop solutions. The project-based course builds skills in leadership, strategy and teamwork while preparing students for professional success.

Master’s in Management students at Smith will collaborate with Toyota Mobility Foundation under the guidance of Nicole Coomber and Ab Krall. Applying problem-solving frameworks, they’ll explore business expansion and thematic innovation for TMF’s Mobility Unlimited Hub and present recommendations in March 2025.

The Smith Alumni Board (SAB) strengthens alumni connections with the Smith School through events, networking, and philanthropy. Committees focus on alumni engagement, career services, and fundraising, creating opportunities for mentorship, experiential learning, and community-building while promoting the school’s mission and goals.

During the annual Smith Advisory Council Day, students at Maryland’s Smith School of Business showcased experiential learning projects and engaged with industry leaders. Advisory council members discussed program improvements, highlighting increased experiential learning and networking with faculty, alumni, and peers.