A New Way for Terps to ‘Accelerate’ Toward Career Success

So far this summer, Kendall Lee ’28 has used artificial intelligence to code a landing page and promotional game for the nonprofit Charity: Water and has worked to improve search engine optimization for hair- and skincare company CeraVe, collaborating with peers from Oklahoma, New York and Florida. And she’s done it all without leaving her living room.

She’s one of more than 200 Terps enrolled in the University of Maryland’s new Global Career Accelerator, an online, for-credit program that provides undergraduates with exposure and experience at recognizable companies and nonprofits. The 10-week pilot, offered for the first time this summer in partnership with experiential learning and career platform Podium Education, aims to bolster students’ marketable skills for a diverse, AI-driven workforce. And because it’s virtual, students can get that valuable career-readiness background even if they’re unable to travel or have other commitments.

“Our goal is for every student to have the opportunity to engage in experiential learning,” said William A. Cohen, associate provost and dean for undergraduate studies, who helped bring the program to UMD. “That sets students up for success, both by preparing them for their careers and by giving shape and meaning to their education while they’re students.”

Undergrads from any major can choose among five program tracks, each led by experts from relevant industries: digital marketing, data analytics, web development for everyone and coding for data; the last track, career rotation, allows students to explore multiple career paths. Students can earn three or six credits on each track, and digital certifications and badges are available to boost resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

Throughout the session, Terps watch weekly asynchronous videos in which company leaders share background on skills like brand strategy and data visualization. Then in synchronous LiveLabs every Monday, students meet virtually with dozens of others in their track to put those skills into practice through hands-on projects for companies including Shopify, Zillow and the Grammy organization. But they’re not just collaborating with fellow Terps; students join from more than 90 partner schools, including the University of Michigan, the University of Texas and Georgetown. 

“I really like that part, meeting new students around the world,” Lee said. “Everyone has the same goal, and everyone’s willing to learn.”

Projects offer authentic work experience: Students might create a marketing campaign for Crocs’ annual “Croctober” celebration, for example, or build a functional chatbot to help L'Oréal customers understand the brand’s range of products.

“This program puts students in direct contact with industry leaders to see how they approach problem solving and decision making within their organization in real time,” said Leeanne Dunsmore, director of strategic initiatives for the Office of Undergraduate Studies, who noted that the program also includes student success coaches from Podium to offer support throughout the team projects.

The accelerator is slated to continue with a new session this fall. It doesn’t hurt that Podium, the company behind the program, was co-founded by alum Chris Parrish ’10. After joining UMD as a member of its inaugural Freshmen Connection cohort, he’s aiming to pay it forward, helping fellow Terps jumpstart their careers.

“My hope is that as we grow with Maryland, we’ll feature more Maryland-related industry partners,” he said, “and spotlight some of the really interesting and cool companies and nonprofits right in Maryland’s backyard.”