T H E O F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R F O R S U P P O R T E R S O F T H E C A M PA I G N F O R M A RY L A N D ⁄ D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0
“A SEVERE MOTIVATION” TO SUCCEED President Darryll J. Pines Brings a Lifelong Drive to His New Role P 3
OFF TO A GREAT START How Ladeja Robinson’s Maryland Education Prepared Her for Career Success P 6
STUDENTS PRIMED FOR SUCCESS Maryland Promise Scholars Thrive on Campus P4
ANSWERING THE CALL—ONE MORE TIME Fifty years after his Maryland degree, Joseph Torrence’s gratitude is undiminished P 7
CAMPAIGN PROGRESS
GRAND CHALLENGES DEMAND FEARLESS IDEAS
DEAR FRIENDS OF MARYLAND, All of us at the University of Maryland hope that you and your families are staying healthy and safe amid these challenging times. As members of the Terrapin family, we will continue to pull together, and come through stronger and better than ever. On a personal note, I am very happy to be back at Maryland as Vice President for University Relations (I previously held the position from 1999 to 2012) at this pivotal time. President Darryll J. Pines, who I have known for many years— and with whom I share a fierce dedication to student success—asked me to return to help during his first year as president as he guides Maryland to new levels of excellence and impact. Our Maryland community remains united, resilient and, as President Pines says, Terrapinstrong. Yet current events move us to embrace more deeply the university’s mission to support and empower student success and to improve the lives of all global citizens and uphold its commitment to addressing the most urgent issues of our time: disease, poverty, racial justice, climate change. And President Pines’ vision motivates us to address and solve these Grand Challenges. Under President Pines, umd is more committed than ever to creating a diverse, inclusive environment for everyone in our community; and to providing our students the tools to succeed, not just while on campus but after graduation as well. One cornerstone of this initiative is ensuring that talented students from all economic backgrounds continue to have access to a world-class education at Maryland. So, it’s fitting that during this final stretch of Fearless Ideas: The Campaign for Maryland, our central focus is Student Success. All of our campaign priorities are geared toward giving our students an excellent education that prepares them for success after graduation. Our students are the future of our local communities, our state, our nation and our world. Grand Challenges demand Fearless Ideas. In keeping with the focus of Student Success, this issue of our newsletter features a story about how students in the first cohort of the Maryland Promise Program—our flagship scholarship initiative— are thriving on campus. You will also read about President Pines and his vision for our university; a Terp military veteran who answered one more call—this time, to support umd; and an alum from our Incentive Awards Program whose Maryland education put her on the path to a successful career. Thank you for all you are doing for Maryland. I look forward to reconnecting and meeting with many of you in the months ahead. go terps! Sincerely,
91%
of goal met
Brodie Remington Vice President for University Relations President, University of Maryland College Park Foundation
$1.36B
given to date
$140M
remaining PUBLISHER Brodie Remington, Vice President, University Relations ADVISERS Bernadette Maldonado, Assistant Vice President, University
Relations CONTRIBUTORS Maria Clark, Director of Marketing, Fundraising Campaigns, Josh Arinze, Development Writer, Mary Harvey, Director of Campaign Planning, Jason Keisling, Senior Graphic Designer, John T. Consoli, Stephanie S. Cordle, Photographers, Gail Rupert, M.L.S. ’10, Photography Archivist, Jagu Cornish, Production Coordinator
FEARLESS.UMD.EDU
“A SEVERE MOTIVATION” TO SUCCEED President Darryll J. Pines Brings a Lifelong Drive to His New Role
GROWING UP WITH his identical twin brother in Oakland, Ca., Darryll Pines learned early on the value of friendly competition and the thrill of aiming high. He and his brother Derek were as close as identical twins tend to be, but they were also sparring partners. “One of the unique things about being an identical twin is that you and your sibling are very competitive,” he said. “You’re in everything together. Everything. You’re in sports together, you’re in the same math class, the same English class. And everybody knows you two.” The Pines twins strived to outperform each other in grades and sports, especially in basketball games, some of which were epic. “We would have these matchups like Boston Celtics playing Los Angeles Lakers—where they’d always go seven games. He would win, and then we’d fight each other all the way home because one person is mad and the other is happy.” That competitive edge, and the influence of parents who set high standards, shaped the Pines brothers into highly motivated adults eager to seek out new challenges: they both became engineers. It also drove the bold curiosity that made Darryll Pines, fresh out of UC Berkeley to decide he was going to Massachusetts Institute of Technology for graduate school, even though he knew no one on the East Coast. “I got into mit; I got into Stanford; I got into University of Washington,” he recalls. “But I didn’t get into Caltech. For me, not getting into Caltech was a severe motivation to prove I could be successful at mit.” He earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from mit in 1992. Dr. Pines arrived in Maryland in 1995 as an assistant professor, and later served as chairman of the Department of Aerospace Engineering. In 2009, he became dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering. On February 12, 2020, he was named 34th president of the University of Maryland, and assumed the presidency on July 1. As dean, Pines led the expansion of donor support to the Clark School, which ended the university’s last campaign with more than $240 million raised, surpassing the school’s $185 million goal. In umd ’s current campaign, Fearless Ideas, the Clark School has already raised $504 million, eclipsing its goal of $500 million. Dr. Pines had more modest aspirations when he arrived at umd in 1995. He stated: “Like in every new adventure, sometimes you think ‘I don’t know if I’m gonna make it; I just want to get through the first year.’ And then the second year, it’s: ‘I just want to get tenure.’ My aspiration back then was to get tenure.” All that has changed now. In his first university-wide message on July 1, Pines emphasized two priorities of his presidency: “to promote excellence in everything we do—teaching and learning, research, innovation, the arts, and athletics,” and “to create an inclusive, multicultural campus environment.” He added: “These two priorities are closely related; excellence must be rooted in our values because what
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the University does matters.” Among the things that matter the most to President Pines right now is helping umd students and families dealing with the severe impact of covid -19. The university has expanded access to the Student Crisis Fund, which provides assistance to students facing an emergency financial need. It’s also raising more funds for need-based scholarships through the Maryland Promise Program, established by the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. President Pines is also a donor. “My gifts have always been related to helping students,” he said. “So they’re usually to help things like our Student Crisis Fund, scholarships or some student activities. I think our job is to give our students the best experience possible and make it affordable for them as well.”
“I think our job is to give our students the best experience possible and make it affordable for them as well.”
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VIVIAN LE “i’ve found ways to balance my schedule”
SCHOLARS IN THE FIRST COHORT OF MARYLAND PROMISE PROGRAM ARE THRIVING ON CAMPUS IN LATE 2017 , the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation made a $219.5 million investment in the University of Maryland: the biggest gift in the university’s history. As part of this commitment, the Clark Foundation, in partnership with umd, established the Clark Challenge for the Maryland Promise Program. Since this investment was announced, many other generous donors have made significant gifts to support the Clark Challenge for the Maryland Promise Program.f And more donors are stepping up to demonstrate their commitment to helping talented students receive the lifelong benefits of a Maryland education. A. James Clark ’50 was a renowned builder, businessman and philanthropist who received a scholarship for his education at Maryland. He never forgot what Maryland did for him, and shared the fruits of his outstanding success through decades of support—umd ’s A. James Clark School of Engineering is named in his honor. When fully funded, the Maryland Promise Program (mpp) will reach $100 million, providing need-based scholarships to undergraduate students from the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Gifts to mpp are matched dollar-for-dollar by Clark Foundation and the University of Maryland. Scholars in the first cohort of mpp have since completed their freshman year at umd.
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NAMED MPP FUNDS
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SCHOOLS/COLLEGES/ UNITS REPRESENTED AMONG DONOR-NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS
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4,894
TOTAL DONORS TO THE CLARK CHALLENGE FOR THE MPP GENERAL FUND
During her junior year in high school, a tour of umd’s campus left a positive impression on Vivian Le. “I enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere, school spirit and pride,” she recalls. “I wanted to be a part of that.” Vivian was thrilled to get into Maryland. Then came the icing on the cake: the mpp scholarship. “I felt so appreciative to have been chosen,” she says. “The scholarship has provided me with a community of fellow students and older mentors I can rely on for fresh ideas and guidance.” Vivian admits the freedom that comes with college life requires adjustments: “I’ve found ways to balance my schedule.” special thanks to Julie S. Klingenstein Maryland Promise scholarship for supporting Vivian’s Maryland education.
AMANDA HERNÁNDEZ “i’m incredibly grateful”
For as long as she can remember, Amanda Hernández has had a passion for writing. So when she came to umd on a college tour, she gravitated towards the Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
“I fell in love with the place,” she says. “I marveled at the idea of honing my craft while learning new skills like coding and graphic design.” Amanda, now a journalism major, plans to declare a double major in information science. In high school, she wasn't sure she’d make it to college—the odds were stacked against her. The mpp scholarship changed everything. “Had I not been selected, I don’t know if I would have gone to college at all, let alone at Maryland,” she says. “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities I’ve received.” special thanks to Ralph M. Hamaker Maryland Promise scholarship for supporting Amanda’s Maryland education.
JULIANA GUERRA “it was a huge relief”
Juliana Guerra’s introduction to umd was during a 5th grade field trip to campus. Then, in high school, she joined a finance program, and participated twice in the Future Women in Business Conference at Smith School of Business. By her senior year in high school, she realized her true passion was environmental science, and was relieved to learn that Maryland has a robust environmental science program. Juliana was thrilled to be accepted to umd, but now she was anxious about the cost and how many years it might take her to pay off student loans. In any case, no one in her family was in a position to co-sign such a loan. Juliana was scared that her dream of a Maryland education might slip away. The mpp scholarship lifted that cloud. “I strongly believe I wouldn't
even be at umd were it not for this scholarship,” says Juliana. It was a huge relief because I was struggling to figure out how I would pay for my college expenses.” special thanks to J. Robert and Linda Frazee Maryland Promise scholarship for supporting Juliana’s Maryland education.
RACHEL (TESSA) CHOI “this scholarship has given me hope”
Rachel Choi was home making breakfast when she received the phone call that changed her life: she’d been selected for the mpp scholarship. “I remember falling on the floor, shocked,” she recalls. “Tears filled my eyes as I finally felt the satisfaction of having my efforts recognized. I was sitting on the floor, holding a frying pan, smiling and crying at the same time; so excited about the future.” Rachel’s father left the family during her freshman year in high school. Her mother struggled, working three jobs to support two daughters. A college education didn’t seem like a realistic option, but Rachel knew it was key to her dreams. She stayed focused on that goal, pushing herself to earn better grades. The phone call from mpp confirmed her efforts had paid off. “Some mornings I wake up and I still can’t believe it,” she says. “This scholarship has given me hope, motivation, and an opportunity I wouldn’t have otherwise.” special thanks to Scott and Carole Greenhaus Maryland Promise scholarship for supporting Rachel’s Maryland education.
WINTER HAWK “i strive to be the best version of myself”
For Winter Hawk, umd exemplifies three qualities she values: grit, passion, impact. Grit: Because of the work ethic the university and its faculty expect, umd students are motivated to reach levels of achievement they didn’t know they could. Passion: Maryland inspires its students to be passionate and strive to do better. Impact: umd makes a positive impact in its community, the state and the world. A journalism major, Winter looks forward to applying her skills to “helping others and giving a voice to the voiceless.” She added: “To me, being a Terp means always looking for opportunities to improve in every aspect. I strive to be the best version of myself.” Special thanks to Jack and Margaret Tarver Foundation and Davis Family Maryland Promise Scholarship for supporting Winter’s Maryland education.
DARYL PERRY “umd has been an eyeopening experience”
Daryl Perry has a passion for telling stories, so he was drawn to umd and its highly regarded Merrill College of Journalism. “I plan to be a journalist and filmmaker,” he said. “Learning the ins and outs of journalism, ethics, and what makes a good story will help me achieve my goals.”
PH OTOS BY JOHN T. CONSOL I , IL LUSTRATIO N S BY JASO N KE IS L IN G
Daryl says the opportunity to connect with other students from different backgrounds is enriching his college experience in ways he hadn’t fully anticipated. “umd has been an eye-opening experience,” he said. “The independence of being a college student, on top of the various clubs and extracurriculars has been amazing. special thanks to Clark Challenge for the Maryland Promise for supporting Daryl’s Maryland education.
ANNA PHUNG “we all support one another”
Anna Phung calls Silver Spring, Md. home, but takes nothing for granted about the opportunity to attend nearby University of Maryland. The mpp made all the difference. “Because of the scholarship,” she says, “I can focus my time and energy into my academics and extracurriculars instead of calculating how many part-time work shifts I could fit into a semester. Thanks to generous donors, students like me can pursue a future that would otherwise be difficult to attain.” Anna is majoring in general biology and hopes to become a physician assistant. “Being in this major lets me meet other self-driven students with similar career paths,” she stated. “We all support one another.” Special thanks to Elizabeth Gilligan Arbaugh and William Arbaugh, and the Jon C. Graff, Ph.D. Maryland Promise Scholarship for supporting Anna’s Maryland education.
AMONI HAWKINS “i never feel alone”
Growing up in Suitland, Md., Amoni Hawkins considered the University of Maryland her dream school. Not just because it’s close to home. “I also knew Maryland has an amazing engineering program, a fun campus life and a diverse community,” she says. Amoni is majoring in computer engineering, planning to earn an advanced degree in computer science/ engineering and work in cybersecurity at a corporation like Google or Apple. She remembers the surprise of receiving the call that she’d been selected for the inaugural cohort of the mpp scholarship. She immediately called her grandmother to share the news. “We were both so elated,” she recalls. Amoni appreciates the support system on campus. “I never feel alone,” she said. special thanks to Rajagopalan Maryland Promise scholarship for supporting Amoni’s Maryland education.
f The first cohort of MPP scholarship recipients was selected and supported through this cohort’s donor-named scholarship funds and the Clark Challenge for Maryland Promise general fund.
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OFF TO A GREAT START How Maryland’s IAP Scholarship Prepared Ladeja Robinson for Career Success After being accepted into the University of Maryland, Ladeja Robinson ’17 applied for umd’s Incentive Awards Program, but she didn’t dwell much on it. She didn’t think she had a great chance of being selected. In fact, she’d applied for the iap in the first place only because the college access specialist at her high school—Baltimore Polytechnic Institute—persuaded her in a hallway conversation to attend an information session, and kept reminding her to submit her application. She finally did: on the last possible day. Ladeja’s focus shifted when another applicant told her that iap decision letters had been sent out. She asked her mother for the key to their mailbox, then went running down a flight of stairs to see if she’d received any iap mail. “My heart and stomach were sitting in my throat as I opened the mailbox,” Ladeja recalls. “Then I saw the letter. Once I grabbed the envelope, I braced myself. I told myself whatever comes from this is meant to be. Then I read the first sentence and dropped to my knees and let out a squeal. I couldn't believe that I’d received the award. I ran back upstairs with tears in my eyes. My mom and stepdad were waiting for me; I immediately hugged my mom and handed my stepdad the letter. He read it out loud and it turned into a group hug.” Ladeja’s iap award sealed the deal for her. Offers from other institutions no longer mattered: there was no question she was going to Maryland. But after she arrived on campus, she was delighted to realize that being in iap meant much more than receiving a scholarship. The program is designed to provide wrap-around support to its scholars through academic guidance, mentoring and a nurturing community. In other words, the iap prepares its scholars to succeed, not just as students while on campus, but in any career they choose to pursue after graduation. That support structure made a huge difference when Ladeja, facing multiple and daunting personal challenges, considered dropping out of college in her sophomore year. The iap staff
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quickly came to her aid and got her to change her mind. “That moment was pivotal in my life,” she recalls. “I had a very supportive group of people in my corner. The resources I was connected to, led to me switching my major from neurobiology and physiology to what I truly wanted: bioengineering. I’m so glad I held on. That’s why I’m where I am today.” Ladeja now works in Los Angeles, CA as a manufacturing project engineer for defense corporation Northrop Grumman. Her first contact with the company happened at umd, when she participated in a team that won a Northrop Grumman hackathon, gaining valuable experience working on a multidisciplinary team. After graduation, she landed a full time position with the company. By any measure, Ladeja’s career is off to a great start. Her hard work paid off, but she’s also quick to note that her trajectory wouldn’t be what it is today without the opportunities and rigorous preparation she received from Maryland and the iap. “Being an iap Scholar was a transformative experience,” she stated. “The program is responsible for the woman, colleague, and professional I am today. From the etiquette dinners, to volunteering on campus and in the local community, receiving leadership positions within iap, the mentorship, the fellowship—they all helped me grow, learn basic principles regarding timeliness, preparedness, accountability, how to dress professionally, how to speak. It overall changed my life. iap means everything and more to me.” As for the donors who support programs such as iap, Ladeja noted: “I’d say to them that their gifts change lives and unlock the potential in the young men and women they touch. Their generosity changed my life and inspires me to also give back.”
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It was my dream to come to the University of Maryland. I am immensely thankful that this scholarship is helping that dream become a reality.” —JASO N BOSS ’24 , J OS E P H H . TO R R E N C E V E T E RA N SC HOLARS HI P REC I PI ENT
ANSWERING THE CALL—ONE MORE TIME Fifty years after his Maryland degree, Joseph Torrence’s gratitude is undiminished
was a young military veteran just discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps following his deployment to Vietnam. He was now looking to complete his education for a bachelor’s degree. The University of Maryland not only gave him the opportunity to do that; it also offered him employment in the university’s housing department—he was a resident assistant in Harford Hall. Torrence still has fond memories of umd ’s crucial impact during this pivotal juncture in his life. “I received a significant level of encouragement and support from all quarters of the university,” he said. “I still appreciate the opportunity Maryland gave me to finish my undergraduate studies while being employed by the university’s housing department.” So when he received an email from umd on Veteran’s Day 2019 soliciting support for the university’s Veterans Scholarship Fund, Torrence didn’t hesitate. “I thought an endowed veterans scholarship would be a good way to give back and help other deserving student veterans realize their educational aspirations,” he said. Answering the call to action, he established the Joseph H. Torrence Endowed Veterans Scholarship, to provide support for umd ’s student veterans, with a preference for students who served in the Marine Corps and are enrolled in the Robert H. Smith School of Business. IN 1967, JOSEPH TORRENCE
PH OTO COURT ESY OF JOSEPH TO R R E N CE
Torrence explained why he strongly believes that scholarship gifts benefit umd students as well as the university. “Scholarships provide financial support that makes the difference in a student’s ability to attend a college of Maryland’s caliber,” he stated. “And they provide the university with resources to attract high-quality students who otherwise would attend college elsewhere. For deserving student veterans, the assistance of a scholarship will likely determine whether that veteran attends college.” Torrence said what he loved most about his time on campus was the diversity of the student body. “There were students from all walks of life pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in numerous subjects, including veterans like me,” he recalls. “Campus life was very interesting for me because as a resident assistant in Harford Hall, I got to know a lot of people with backgrounds different from mine, and that greatly enhanced my experience.” The first encounter Torrence had with Maryland’s university system was during his military service. While stationed on Okinawa, Japan, he took multiple courses with University of Maryland University College (now University of Maryland Global Campus), which has a decades-long record of educating U.S. military personnel at home and abroad. Upon returning home and being discharged in January 1967, he visited the College Park campus and, pleased with the opportunities he found, promptly applied for admission. In 1969, he received a bachelor’s in Business Administration from the Robert H. Smith School of Business—a milestone that paved his way to a successful career. “I’ve been fortunate to have a happy and productive career,” he said. “I am thankful to the University of Maryland for the education I received and the opportunities that followed as a result.” Among those opportunities that followed was a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. Next came a career in investment banking with such firms as Dillon Read & Co. and Lehman Brothers, in New York City. Torrence is now president of Highmark Holdings, llc a Nashville, Tenn.-based company that specializes in the development and operation of multifamily affordable housing. Jason Boss, ’24 is grateful to be the first beneficiary of the Torrence Scholarship. Boss enlisted in the Marine Corps in October 2014 and finished his service in March 2020. He began his studies at umd this fall semester, and is looking forward to a successful career in defense aviation, preferably working for Lockheed Martin Corp. “It was my dream to come to the University of Maryland,” Boss said. “I am immensely thankful that this scholarship is helping that dream become a reality.” Torrence offered his own call to action to umd ’s alums, parents and friends: “The University of Maryland is a wonderful institution providing world-class education to thousands of people who are making a difference in their communities every day,” he stated. “It can only continue to do that if we all make investments in its future. I hope that everyone reading this will consider supporting Maryland with a gift, or through the many other ways we can support the university’s mission.”
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Division of University Relations Office of Strategic Communications 2101 Turner Hall, 7736 Baltimore Ave. College Park, MD 20742
GIVE THE GIFT OF EDUCATION The Clark Challenge for the Maryland Promise will establish a $100 million endowment that will provide need-based scholarships to undergraduate students in the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia. For more information, contact Susan Smith in University Development at 301.405.0196 or ssmith86@umd.edu. PROMISE.UMD.EDU
SUPPORT THE MARYLAND PROMISE PROGRAM TODAY! 1 Choose the school or other approved program where you hope to support students in need. 2 You can help us by naming your own endowed fund (contact us for program details) or making a gift to the Maryland Promise General Endowment Fund. 3 Receive a dollar-for-dollar match from the university and the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. 4 See your scholarship awarded—in perpetuity.
fearlessideas.umd.edu