Pines: UMD Must ‘Stay Focused on Who We Are as Terps’

Terps are engaged in current affairs and seek to make a difference—it’s something that the University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines admires about the campus community. In a new essay, he encourages everyone to remain open to learning about new and different communities, cultures and experiences:

On Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, the University of Maryland lost one of its most important icons with the passing of Elaine Johnson Coates, the first African American woman to graduate from our university with a bachelor’s degree.

I had the privilege of meeting her many times, presented her with an honorary degree, and was always struck by her joy, optimism and love for our university. Despite the many obstacles and adversity she faced, she dedicated her life to the pursuit of the public good as an educator and social worker, and told everyone to “turn every scar into a star.”

Read the rest at president.umd.edu.