Produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications
The COVID-19 pandemic is fueling xenophobia against Chinese Americans, with parents and youths reporting racial discrimination and damage to their mental health, according to a new study from University of Maryland, College Park and University of Maryland, Baltimore County researchers. This study, the first to examine online and in-person instances of perceived racial discrimination due to the novel coronavirus, was published online this month in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
First Look Fair, one of the most popular fall traditions at the University of Maryland, is for the first time going virtual. The event, hosted by the Stamp Student Union’s Student Organization Resource Center, will host more than 400 student clubs and organizations, departments and corporate sponsors so students can gather information about what interests them, learn how to get involved, and connect with other students with similar interests.
LGBTQ+ students are reporting high rates of emotional and psychological distress, substance use and difficulty meeting basic needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey led by John P. Salerno, UMD doctoral student in behavioral and community health. The national survey of 565 undergraduate and graduate LGBTQ+ students from May to August found that 65% met the clinical criteria for moderate or severe psychological distress. Forty-three percent had lost their job, while 25% reported that their grades
The University of Maryland is giving away two free face coverings to students as part of its efforts “4 Maryland” to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Today and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., students can pick up masks from tents outside of three locations: the Physical Sciences Complex, Tawes Plaza and Xfinity Center.
A three-year, $616,700 grant from the Army Research Office will fund a University of Maryland-led team examining how intelligence analysts can improve their work by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled systems. AI could help review greater volumes of material, help extract key findings and assemble them into actionable intelligence, while aiding in the accuracy and efficiency of analysts’ work. But increased use of AI might also have drawbacks.
With consumer trends moving toward antibiotic-free animal agriculture, selecting disease-resistant livestock has become a priority for both animal welfare and production. Now, a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture will help researchers led by Li Ma, an associate professor of animal and avian sciences, analyze millions of cattle breeding records to identify genes and underlying mechanism for disease resistance in dairy cattle.
University of Maryland students, faculty and staff are invited to join President Darryll J. Pines and Vice President for Administration and Finance Carlo Colella tomorrow to learn about and discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the university’s budget.
Jeff Hollingsworth, vice president for information technology and chief information officer, sent the following email to the campus community today: We are all adapting to learn and work during the COVID-19 pandemic while striving to keep our community safe and healthy. Today I am pleased to announce new ways that technologies developed by the Division of IT, in consultation with the University Health Center, can help us all stay healthy.
Dr. Sacred Bodison, interim director of the University Health Center, sent the following message to the campus community today: As we continue the gradual reopening of campus, with the expectation that in-person undergraduate education will begin on Sept. 14, this email provides important updates about testing requirements and your next opportunity for COVID-19 testing on campus.
Terps athletics training has been suspended after on-campus COVID-19 screenings by the University Health Center on Monday and Tuesday returned 46 positive results for 501 student-athletes tested, affecting 10 teams, Maryland Athletics announced this evening. The suspension is a precautionary measure pending the results of a screening scheduled for Sept. 8.
In an email to campus today, University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines, Vice President for Student Affairs Patty Perillo and Dr. Sacred Bodison, interim director of the University Health Center, said resuming in-person instruction as planned on Sept. 14 could depend on vigilance against COVID-19 during the extended Labor Day holiday weekend.
The University of Maryland Academic Achievement Programs has received a $2,355,070 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund its counseling and academic services for low-income and first-generation participants. The grant is nearly $80,000 larger than the last award. “We are thrilled—this grant boost means we’ll be able to help more students with underrepresented backgrounds but high academic potential achieve high academic performance,” said Jerry L. Lewis, executive director of Academic Achievement Programs (AAP).
As the arrival of COVID-19 caused millions to lose their jobs and the federal government to enact an eviction moratorium, the University of Maryland’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism today released a package of stories published in news outlets nationwide examining whether that ban successfully kept people from becoming homeless.
The Quantum Technology Center (QTC)—a joint venture between the A. James Clark School of Engineering and the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences—today entered into an education partnership agreement with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to identify and pursue quantum technology research opportunities. The new partnership with NRL is focused on advancing quantum information science for applications relevant to national defense, and will involve exchanges of expertise and samples; collaborations in experimental, theoretical and educational work; mutual research proposals; and the exchange of researchers.
The University of Maryland has been nominated in two categories in the 2020 “Best Of” awards competition sponsored by Unique Venues, an organization for event planning. UMD is on the ballot for “Best Venue for Youth Retreats & Camps” and “Best Venue for Weddings.”
Supported by two recent grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a University of Maryland research team will partner with the South African Medical Research Council to focus on how disease stigma affects tuberculosis (TB) and HIV patients in South Africa, home to the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS and one of the highest rates of TB globally. The same community health workers deployed to interact with HIV and TB patients are now charged with doing home-based testing for COVID-19, which is prevalent and increasing in South Africa.
A portion of Campus Drive that had closed to make way for the light-rail Purple Line has reopened to vehicle traffic and pedestrians. Campus Drive east of Baltimore Avenue at the underpass near the College Park Metro station closed in April until Aug. 23.
The University of Maryland has launched a new glass recycling collection program, part of a partnership with colleagues at a county facility in Northern Virginia that aims to maximize the value of the material.
Vice President for Administration and Finance Carlo Colella, Vice President for Student Affairs Patty Perillo and Senior Vice President and Provost Mary Ann Rankin sent the following email to the campus community today: We are hearing from students, faculty and staff who want to work together to hold each other accountable for achieving the goal of successfully completing fall semester with in-person instruction and other academic and social experiences.
Dr. Sacared Bodison, interim director of the University Health Center, sent the following email to the campus community today: Testing is an essential tool in managing the spread of COVID-19, and as more students, faculty and staff physically return to campus, I wanted to clarify testing expectations for all members of our campus community. All students who are physically returning to campus or the College Park area must have a pre-arrival and post-arrival COVID-19 test.
Andrea Goodwin, director of the Office of Student Conduct, sent the following email to students today: Over the past several weeks you have received a lot of communication from campus about the 4 Maryland Commitment, healthy behaviors and compliance. As a result, I have received many questions about what will happen if students fail to adhere to the 4 Maryland guidelines.
The University of Maryland is giving away two free face coverings to students as part of its efforts “4 Maryland” to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
President Darryll J. Pines sent the following email to the campus community today: Over the past week, several prominent academic institutions were forced to pull back from their return-to-campus plans due to outbreaks of COVID-19 and the evolving pandemic. Positive cases on college campuses have been measurably linked to attending large gatherings or house parties.
A federal $300,000 grant has been awarded to the U.S. Economic Development Administration-supported University Center at the University of Maryland, College Park and Morgan State University (UMD-Morgan EDA Center) to help Maryland small businesses respond to the devastating economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci envisioned a craft that flew using a single helix-shaped propeller—the aerial screw—viewed by many as the first vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) machine ever designed. In 2020, University of Maryland aerospace engineering graduate students won first place and undergraduates took second place in the Vertical Flight Society’s (VFS) 37th Annual Student Design Competition, which challenged students from across the world to reimagine da Vinci’s design.
A team of researchers at the University of Maryland and Texas A&M University has identified the structure of “blue whirls,” small, spinning blue flames that produce almost no soot when they burn and are a potential new avenue for low-emission combustion.
The University of Maryland will transition its on-campus research operations to Phase 2, or “immediate presence,” on Aug. 24, Vice President for Research Laurie E. Locascio wrote in an email to staff and faculty today. Researchers who are able to continue to do their research remotely should do so and not return to campus at this time.
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $300,000 grant to University of Maryland researchers to provide decision-making tools to colleges and universities during the coronavirus pandemic and for any similar scenarios in the future.
The University of Maryland announced yesterday that all UMD students must take a COVID-19 test after arriving for the fall semester, in addition to the testing required of all students, faculty and staff within 14 days before they come to campus, following University System of Maryland guidance.
Three upcoming online workshops from the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) and the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center (TLTC) will explore how instructors can incorporate antiracist teaching practices and tackle potentially uncomfortable discussions in a classroom setting.
The Department of Resident Life will release appointments for moving into residence halls tomorrow, and has extended the deadline for canceling an On-Campus Housing and Dining Agreement for the 2020-21 academic year through noon on Wednesday.
The Stamp Student Union has reopened, featuring a renovated and expanded University Book Center. Grab a Starbucks coffee, lunch to go or a scoop at the Maryland Dairy.
Maryland Today is produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications for the University of Maryland community on weekdays during the academic year, except for university holidays.
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