- April 01, 2026
- By Jessica Wilson
A University of Maryland benefactor whose gifts have already energized innovation on campus is now giving an additional $2.1 million to recruit and retain high school students with potential that might otherwise go unrecognized.
Emilio A. Fernandez ’69 is funding the creation of the iSTEM@UMD program to attract what he calls “zig-zag learners”—divergent thinkers, sometimes with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or executive functioning challenges, who approach problems that interest them with single-minded intensity to the exclusion of other subjects. This often comes at the expense of the GPA or standardized test scores needed to earn college admission.
An unconventional learner himself, he aims to support such students now to persist in their education so that they too can contribute their big ideas to society. “The very essence of what makes it difficult for these students to learn in a linear fashion makes them very, very powerful in the workplace,” said Fernandez, namesake of the university’s E.A. Fernandez IDEA (Innovate, Design, and Engineer for America) Factory.
His gift supports Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless, a $2.5 billion fundraising initiative that aims to expand access to UMD’s world-class education, accelerate groundbreaking research and strengthen communities in our state, our country and our world. Part of Fernandez’s gift is a matching challenge to incentivize other donors to join him in supporting the iSTEM@UMD program’s long-term sustainability.
Maryland will join Stevens Institute of Technology and George Washington University, where Fernandez earned his master’s degree, in a growing iSTEM network created with his seed funding. Fernandez served as trustee at all three universities. He has committed $20 million to help launch as many as 10 iSTEM programs at leading universities across the country.
Starting this fall, the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS) and the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center will join forces in iSTEM@UMD to support an annual cohort of 10 engineering students and to transform teaching to benefit all learners at the Clark School.
“iSTEM@UMD will be a unique interdisciplinary approach to creating more inclusive and accessible opportunities in higher education,” said Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice. “This program will offer specialized coaching while creating a scalable model for inclusive teaching and course redesign that will serve as a blueprint for continued transformative education across the university.”
Students in iSTEM@UMD will also be provided with a set of experiences designed to ignite the excitement for learning needed to sustain motivation in a college environment. These will include a study abroad program, hands-on learning opportunities with coaching from engineering directors and career development.
“We believe anyone who wants to become an engineer should have that opportunity,” said Clark School Dean Samuel Graham. “From our new makerspace in Baltimore and research immersion programs for undergraduates in College Park, Maryland Engineering offers unique opportunities to give students hands-on engineering experience. We are privileged and proud to add iSTEM@UMD to those offerings, furthering our ability to impact students and society.”
iSTEM@UMD will tap into the expertise of internationally recognized ADHD researchers and clinical team members within BSOS. The UMD SUCCEEDS Program will provide students with evidence-based, comprehensive support for managing ADHD and executive functioning difficulties through peer-based groups, weekly individualized coaching and supervised study halls to develop critical skills such as task initiation, time and deadline management, breaking down long-term projects and self-regulation in demanding academic settings.
"Our college and our Department of Psychology have already made meaningful progress in serving students with ADHD and other executive functioning challenges, and we are excited that this gift and this initiative will accelerate and expand outreach to more students,” said BSOS Dean Susan Rivera. “It is only fitting that the UMD community takes a multidisciplinary approach to creating and implementing solutions."
With the help of the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center, the iSTEM@UMD program will facilitate a faculty development series resulting in the iSTEM Unconventional Excellence meta-credential. Through mini-courses and consultations, Clark School faculty will participate in a guided process of inquiry to learn how to implement inclusive course design and teaching strategies, which will have broad impact across the college. Similar micro-learning experiences will be developed for university staff to strengthen their academic advising and mentorship skills to support unconventional learners.
Fernandez was inspired to make this gift by his own struggles to learn during his education: “I didn't think I could succeed in the workplace. Nevertheless, I did. This was a perplexing thought I carried for a long time.”
After graduating from Maryland as an engineering major, Fernandez co-founded the railroad engineering company Pulse Electronics with classmate Angel Bezos ’69. He has been awarded dozens of patents, some as co-inventor with Bezos, across various fields, including one that defined key elements of e-reading devices such as the Kindle.
His work as an inventor and entrepreneur motivated Fernandez to contribute $10 million to launch the construction of the E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory, which opened in 2022. The hub of labs and collaboration spaces spurs the development of technological innovation and prototypes, and is home to xFoundry@UMD.