---
title: "Op/Ed: Reimagining College to Meet the Future of Work"
date: 2025-04-22T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/op-ed-reimagining-college-to-meet-the-future-of-work"
section: Articles
---
# Op/Ed: Reimagining College to Meet the Future of Work

*April 22, 2025* — by [Jennifer King Rice](/author/jennifer-king-rice)


> UMD Changes How Students Learn to Build Real-World, Tech-Ready Skills, Provost Says

*AI Violin Portraits 05012024 JC 9955 1920x1080 — Ph.D. student Seong Jong Yoo uses artificial intelligence to study movements made by musicians like Doctor of Musical Arts candidate Daniela Arias Gallego that are too subtle to be captured by the human eye.*

*The following op/ed by Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice appeared Monday on The Washington Post online:* We are in the midst of an extraordinary technological revolution. Every day, advances in artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and other emerging technologies reshape how we live, work and learn.

Naturally, the job market is evolving just as fast.

Employers are looking for candidates who vault beyond the basics of a job description. They want tech-savvy individuals who are quick learners, critical and creative thinkers, leaders and doers.

As universities, it’s our responsibility to ensure that our students graduate with those skills and to prepare them for successful careers. This means a focus not just on what we teach, but how we teach it.


*students and professor make canopy structure — As part of UMD’s Partners for Action Learning in Sustainability program, undergraduates and art Assistant Professor Brandon Donahue-Shipp build a canopy structure out of salvaged items for a public place-based art project. (Photo by Riley N. Sims)*


*students look at screen at observatory — At UMD’s observatory, senior astronomy major Chaitanya Garg (right) works with students taking his astrophotography Student Initiated Course. (Photo by Riley N. Sims)*


Through these experiences, they’re honing their skills in teamwork, communication, problem solving and leadership—all critical skills sought by employers in today’s workplace.


*silhouettes of students with images of ocean and space — UMD students helped create “Wave: From Space to Ocean,” an interactive installation on display at the Kennedy Center through April 13. (Photo by Stephanie S. Cordle)*


*gloved hands brush off powder from 3D-printed Testudo statue — A student brushes powder off of a miniature version of the university’s Testudo statues, freshly created at Terrapin Works, a 3D-printing and rapid prototyping resource on campus. (Photo by Stephanie S. Cordle)*



**Sidebar note:**

All through April, Maryland Today will celebrate how the University of Maryland is reimagining learning and teaching. Find more stories at [today.umd.edu/topic/we-reimagine-learning](https://today.umd.edu/topic/we-reimagine-learning).





**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [Office of the Provost](https://today.umd.edu/topic/office-provost)