Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly

Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly Presented by Wallace D. Loh, President, University of Maryland  /  March 2012

2012 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly

The University of Maryland A UNIVERSITY WITH A FEDERAL AND A STATE MANDATE

THE FEDERAL MANDATE » In 1862, Congress approved and President Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Morrill Act, which created the land-grant colleges and mandated that they “promote the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life.”

THE STATE MANDATE » In 1988, the Maryland General Assembly

established the University of Maryland as the state’s flagship university.

The Higher Education Act of that year creating the flagship institution specifically mandated that the University of Maryland become “one of the nation’s preeminent public research universities, an institution recognized both nationally and internationally for excellence in research and instruction, which makes the results of its research available for the use and benefit of the state of Maryland and its people.”

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FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

Who We Are

“We desire to have an institution superior to any other.”

Charles Benedict Calvert,

Founder, University of Maryland, 1858

A world-class faculty is the heart of a world-class research university.

This year, honors awarded to our faculty include:

Our world-class faculty includes:

5

3 Nobel Prize recipients

2

5 Pulitzer Prize winners 49 members of National Academies

Highlights of 2011 As a symbol of the state’s commitment to educational excellence, the University of Maryland raises the visibility of the state throughout the nation and world. It attracts the best students, top faculty and job-creating industries. Leveraging our strategic proximity to Washington, D.C., the University of Maryland has established important partnerships with federal and state agencies.

This section highlights how the University of Maryland is meeting our federal mandate to promote education in the “pursuits and professions in life” and our state mandate to be “recognized both nationally and internationally for excellence in research and instruction.” And it highlights how the University of Maryland is becoming a university “superior to any other.”

fulbright scholars

guggenheim scholars 10 national science foundation career awards 2 sloan foundation fellowships 5 american association for the advancement of science fellows 1 tony award

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1

1 1 1

professors elected to the american academy of arts and sciences professor elected to the international academy of astronautics humboldt international research prize stockholm prize in criminology white house “champion of change”

UMD Chamber Singers (right) took top honors at the prestigious Florilége Vocal de Tours in France.

A team of 50 UMD engineering students designed and developed a vehicle, Gamera (below), that established a world record for the longest human-powered helicopter flight.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

The accomplishments of our talented students extend beyond the classroom.

A team of 200 UMD students and faculty won the international Solar Decathlon sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Our winning house, named WaterShed (left), blends solar energy and water conservation.

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who we are / 2012 Highlights

PRESTIGIOUS RANKINGS

U.S. News & World Report

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

17th

among national public research universities

8th

best value among in-state public colleges

30

programs ranked in the top 10 in the U.S.

10th

best value among out-of-state public colleges

71

programs ranked in the top 25 in the U.S.

30th

in the world (out of 20,372 universities)

The President’s Mandate

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

The Wall Street Journal

Academic Ranking of World Universities Shanghai Jiao Tong University

8th

38th

in the world

13th

in the nation among U.S. public universities

among universities where employers like to recruit

Ranking Web of World Universities Cybermetrics Lab at Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Centrificas

14 th

in doctoral degrees granted to African-American students

20th

in bachelor’s degrees granted to African-American students

In pursuit of our federal and state mandates, upon becoming president of the University of Maryland, I announced my own mandate for the university.

In my inaugural address on April 28, 2011, I listed four strategic priorities for the university:

FUNDRAISING

GREAT EXPECTATIONS PROGRESS (AS OF FEB. 3, 2012) $306M STUDENT SUPPORT $281M FACULTY AND RESEARCH SUPPORT $219M FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT $104M ACADEMIC, ARTS AND ATHLETICS PROGRAM SUPPORT

$910 MILLION

119,916

(UNIQUE) DONORS

The $1 billion Great Expectations campaign was publicly launched in 2006.

As of Feb. 3, nearly 120,000 donors had made more than 245,000 gifts totaling $910 million. The $1 billion goal will be reached

by Dec. 31, 2012.

Donors have generously funded $306 million in scholarships and other direct support for students. Gifts totaling $281 million have been made in support of faculty recruitment, retention and development, and for research; $219 million for facilities, equipment and infrastructure; and $104 million for academic, artistic and athletic programs.

Campaign-funded priorities include entrepreneurship, the performing arts, bioengineering, smart growth, economics, teacher education, military veterans’ assistance and athletics.

The Board of Trustees of the University of Maryland College Park Foundation has provided strong volunteer leadership for the campaign. Trustees have collectively contributed more than $150 million to Great Expectations.

I. Student opportunity and achievement

II. Innovation and entrepreneurship III. Internationalization IV. Service to the people of Maryland and beyond

The following pages highlight initiatives under each objective.

MORE THAN

245,000 GIFTS

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the president’s mandate

undergraduate enrollment and degree completion trends (1996–2011) 45

I. Student Opportunity and Achievement

percentage change

35

“Educated children grow up to join the workforce with good-paying jobs. Because of our investment in education, Maryland has the best-educated workforce in the country.”

Michael E. Busch,

Speaker, Maryland House of Delegates

20 15

10.1%

As the state’s flagship university, the University of Maryland attracts and educates the most talented students from Maryland and beyond. The intellectual rigor and energy of a world-class university prepare these students for successful careers and to meet the challenges of life as it provides them with a dynamic learning and living experience.

The academic talent level of incoming freshmen again reached a new high in Fall 2011, with an average GPA of 4.008 and SAT scores in the 25th and 75th percentiles, at 1220 and 1380, respectively.

MORE VERSATILITY & ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR STUDENTS

INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

• UMD has the largest number of STEM graduates in our state.

General Education Program This year, the University of Maryland began implementing its new General Education program, an exciting new college curriculum developed by our renowned and talented professors.

This new curriculum ratchets up basic requirements in math, English, oral communication and analytical skills, while offering the ingenious I-Series courses that invert the traditional pedagogical pyramid.

This new curriculum is creative yet conservative, imaginative yet practical. It will not only transform undergraduate education at UMD, it could well become a model for other institutions.

’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11

19

fulbright 23 gilman 2 goldwater 1 hollings 1 marshall 31 other

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20

44 UCLA

47

59

63

UNC, university of university of chapel hill illinois michigan

77

102

Maryland

UC, BerkEley

Reflects data for 21 national scholarship programs with publicly available results.

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undergraduate enrollment / unduplicated bachelor’s Degrees

• The Chronicle of Higher Education listed the University of Maryland among the nation’s top producers of Fulbright scholars.

scholarships

100 number of national scholarships

25

5

Prestigious fellowships and scholarships (peer universities 2010–11)

6

30

10

This section further highlights why our students are the pride of our university.

10

42.1%

40

• A team of engineering undergraduates, the Thirsty Turtles, designed and built a chemically powered model car that won the Mid-Atlantic ChemE-Car Competition.

• Members of the Clark School’s Terps Racing team were the 2011 Sports Car Club of America Solo National Champions in the Formula SAE class.

• A team of UMD graduate students finished in the “final four” in the 2011 Gerald D. Hines Urban Design Competition sponsored by the Urban Land Institute. (More than 160 teams from graduate schools around the country participated.)

incoming freshmen have a

4.008 grade point average

Alternative Breaks This year, 450 students participated in UMD’s Alternative Breaks program, which acts as a catalyst of change in our community and beyond. They made 27 trips to 14 states and seven countries as well as to Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay region. They have already engaged in 37,000 hours of community service this academic year.

Blended Learning Initiative In early 2012, the university launched a new initiative to develop innovative learning opportunities for students.

The 10 “blended learning” courses feature a combination of traditional classroom and online interactions, including multimedia data offerings, computer simulations and advanced computerized visualizations. This environment can enhance student-faculty interactions, improve student learning and use institutional resources more efficiently and effectively.

Living and Learning Communities Our highly regarded living and learning programs allow students with a common interest to share residence halls as well as classrooms and faculty. We offer more than 30 areas of focus, including the latest addition: • Integrated Life Sciences, to engage and inspire Honors College students in all aspects of life sciences and biomedicine.

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the president’s mandate

In fulfilling its mission, Mtech this past year: • Offered 21 entrepreneurship courses with 865 enrollments.

INNOVATION AT UMD

II. Innovation and Entrepreneurship “The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation.” Barack Obama, President, United States of America

UMD is dedicated not only to the dissemination of knowledge, but to its creation and application. The University of Maryland ranks among the top 10 of all Maryland patent holders.

During the last fiscal year, the Office of Technology Commercialization: • Received 118 invention disclosures.

The University of Maryland is not just a preeminent university; it is a preeminent innovation and entrepreneurial university.

Innovation is the fuel that fires the economy. It creates jobs, inspires investment and, most importantly, tackles society’s biggest challenges in health, security, the environment and more.

Entrepreneurial services move new research discoveries to the marketplace, serving society and building businesses. Critical to this process is the culture of entrepreneurship that thrives at the University of Maryland. UMD partners with emerging companies to pioneer new products and to enhance the state’s competitiveness. This builds Maryland’s economy, creating new jobs and businesses, bringing high-tech jobs into the state and improving lives through scientific advances.

75.7% dept. of defense

■

dept. of energy

dept. of health & Human Srvc.

research awards (fy 2011)

dept. of homeland security ■ Nasa ■

national science foundation

other federal

• Using visible light to make tiny integrated circuits that will allow companies to produce even smaller, faster and cheaper computer chips.

• Harnessing and exploiting the “self-renewing” and self-assembling properties of viruses to build small, powerful and highly efficient batteries and fuel cells.

• Producing “digital fingerprinting,” a novel method to authenticate and classify wireless transmissions. It prevents wasteful processing of unintended transmissions and permits nodes to quickly authenticate legitimate users and recognize unauthorized ones.

Mtech The mission of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) is to educate the next generation of technology entrepreneurs, create successful technology ventures and connect Maryland companies with university resources to help them succeed.

Research expenditure totals (FY2001–11)

non-federal / $101,520,122 ■ state of maryland ■ corporations & foundations ■ other

dept. of education

Innovations by our researchers include: • Creating wireless technology to warn officials of impending problems with bridges’ structural integrity.

$500

• Assisted a total of 555 companies.

Mtech’s successful partnerships this year have included: • A new biopharmaceutical advancement program on the Shady Grove campus helps Maryland companies and researchers develop cell culturebased biopharmaceutical products.

• Pixelligent, a manufacturer of nanocrystal additives used in electronics and semiconductors, which graduated from the Technology Advancement Program incubator, moved into an 11,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and closed a $5.1 million round of funding.

$453,545,345

450 400 in millions

dept. of commerce

• Secured 35 patents for UMD inventions from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

24.3%

federal / $316,753,442 ■ dept. of agriculture

• Licensed 33 technologies.

• Launching the world’s first plant field guide app. Leafsnap was created in cooperation with researchers at the Smithsonian Institution and Columbia University. It allows smartphone or tablet users to identify tree species by photographing its leaves, and scientists to better map and monitor the population growth and decline of trees nationwide.

• Launched a new minor in technology entrepreneurship to prepare students for successful technology ventures.

The program has already enrolled 65 students.

350 300 250 200 150

$229,096,795 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11

100

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the president’s mandate

• The U.S. Army Research Laboratory partnership with the university seeks to bridge the gap from lab to market through the Maryland Proof of Concept Alliance. Among the emerging technologies supported: a graphene replacement for silicon transistors; powerful, ultrathin batteries; laser devices that can sniff out dangerous gases over a distance; a new class of antibiotics; and a commercial technique for producing biofuels from trash.

The Maryland Neuroimaging Center

UMD’S NEW RESEARCH CENTERS

Even in these difficult economic times, the University of Maryland has continued to expand research opportunities.

During the past year, we have opened a variety of new research centers including: • The National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SeSync) • The Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (CERSI) • The Maryland Neuroimaging Center • The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism • The Center for the History of the New America • The Center on Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership. ranked

18th

OUR EFFORTS ARE BEING RECOGNIZED

• The A. James Clark School of Engineering placed 11th in the 2011 Academic Ranking of World Universities among engineering/ technology and computer science schools. Among U.S. public university programs, the Clark School ranked 8th.

• The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine ranked UMD 18th in the nation for entrepreneurship programs for undergraduates and 22nd for graduate entrepreneurship programs.

• The U.S. government designated UMD an Intelligence Community “Center of Academic Excellence”— the first higher education institution in the state and one of only 14 U.S. universities to be selected for the program.

• The National Security Agency designated UMD a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research.

• The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded a grant to our Urban Studies and Planning Program to develop a detailed “innovation map” that will pinpoint innovation hotspots and future business locations around the state.

PARTNERSHIPS WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES

Leveraging our location just outside Washington, D.C., the University of Maryland is partnering with federal agencies on many fronts: • In partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, UMD has established the nation’s first International Food Safety Training Laboratory to improve the safety of food imports before they reach the United States.

NIST The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) works with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements and standards. UMD receives more grant money from NIST than any other academic institution in the United States. These grants include: • $27 million to establish the Joint Quantum Institute Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology.

• $15 million for the Technology Center for Neutron Research.

• $15.5 million to develop and implement a NIST measurement science and engineering fellowship program.

Food safety training laboratory

NASA As the fourth-largest academic recipient of NASA funding, the University of Maryland is an active participant in the space program. Highlights include: • 245 active awards from NASA, bringing approximately $190 million in funding.

• 29 UMD scientists working at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

• 12 UMD graduate students engaging in joint thesis work with GSFC. Fischell department of bioengineering

UMD is the

4th

largest academic recipient of nasa funding

• $37 million from NASA to allow the dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering to lead a team of universities in developing third-generation reusable launch vehicle technology.

• a NASA forum on space technology hosted by UMD last summer.

INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS

• The Maryland Cybersecurity Center has established partnerships with Lockheed Martin, SAIC, Google, Tenable and MIT Lincoln Laboratory. In addition, Google has funded a Cybersecurity Seminar Series featuring speakers from industry, academia and government.

• The Fischell Department of Bioengineering has signed a threeyear contractual collaboration with Canon Inc. to develop a genetic sequencing system for infectious disease diagnosis with initial funding of $1.7 million.

• The strategic alliance with Lockheed Martin is funding research in health-care efficiency, genomics, nanotechnology and logistics.

• UMD’s partnership with the National Cancer Institute on cancer technologies has been expanded to include graduate students working with the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases.

in the nation for entrepreneurship programs

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the president’s mandate

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

III. Internationalization

• The Maryland International Incubator has 13 companies, five of which signed on this past year.

“By reaching across borders, we can share knowledge and research, generate promising partnerships, and leverage the power of innovation to create jobs and expand opportunity to make our children winners in this changing, global economy.” Martin O’Malley, Governor, Maryland

• UMD has twice been invited to be part of official state delegations headed by Gov. Martin O’Malley that visited China in August and India in November. These highly successful trips established business, industrial and educational alliances.

The 21st century is the century of the global research university.

As the state of Maryland’s foremost global research university, the University of Maryland is expanding our global connections on many fronts. engineers without borders

in 2010

EDUCATING OUR GLOBAL CITIZENS

UMD’s international connections prepare our UMD students to become global citizens.

1,929 students studied abroad

• Last year, UMD again sent a record 1,929 students abroad.

• The global studies minor provides opportunities for students to study how evolving global connections affect the well-being of people throughout the world.

• The Global Communities living and learning program enables students to examine global issues in unique and active ways.

student in machu picchu

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• The university’s Engineers Without Borders chapter partners with disadvantaged communities in countries including Peru, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Brazil to improve their quality of life through the implementation of environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects.

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• Last year, MBA students in the Smith School of Business: —sponsored global business projects in Brazil, China, Japan and Thailand; —interned in Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Germany and China; —undertook consulting projects in Uruguay and Sri Lanka.

• UMD’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, in partnership with Guanghua School of Management at Peking University, hosted the seventh annual China Business Plan Competition, which awards prizes to students who

pitch the best innovative business plan. This year’s winner, a team from Zhejiang University, pitched an electronic cane for the visually impaired that detects obstacles in three dimensions.

RANKINGS OF INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

17th

in the nation among doctoral/research universities in study abroad.

9 th

in the nation for short-term study abroad.

5th

in the nation among public doctoral/research universities for most Fulbright recipients (19). (The Fulbright Program is our nation’s largest international exchange program.)

3rd

nationally among all universities in Bern Scholarships (seven undergraduate) and Fellowships (six graduate) programs.

25th

in the nation among colleges and universities producing Peace Corps volunteers.

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

UMD’s international connections help prepare our students for a world flattened by technology. Our international partnerships—now numbering more than 300 in 59 countries—also help connect the state of Maryland to the global economy.

• UMD was awarded a contract from the U.S.-Russia Foundation, the largest of four awarded to U.S. universities, to examine university/ industry practices in Russia and to develop an entrepreneurship boot camp in Russia.

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the president’s mandate

Maryland’s Global reach Programs Around the world

8

6

• The Robert H. Smith School of Business is partnering with universities in China to offer an Executive MBA degree there.

7

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1 3 24 1�

1�

• The School of Public Policy’s China Program offers the Executive Master of Public Management degree, which has trained more than 200 Chinese government officials from municipal and provincial governments.

• The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the School of Public Policy, at the request of the government of Vietnam, launched a first-of-its-kind master’s program in justice leadership there.

5

• The Maryland China Initiative, one of the premier training sites for Chinese leaders in the fields of public administration, education, environmental protection and economic development, attracted 500 Chinese officials last year.

• The Department of Geography is conducting a Central African research project for the environment, using remote sensing to map land cover in the Congo River basin.

• The School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation is continuing its work with Italian and other cultural and educational institutions on a major excavation and preservation project in ancient Stabiae (below).

9

1� 1�

select international graduate initiatives

1

beijing, china

3

Executive MBA, Smith school of Business

2

nanjing, china Master’s in Criminology at Nanjing Normal University Developing a Professional Master’s of Forensic Accounting Affiliation and exchange program with Nanjing Library

14

suzhou university, china

5

shanghai, china Joint research projects in cybercrimes Leadership training of provincial officials Developing a degree in Social Work/Human services

7

Professional Master’s in Justice Leadership

School of Public Policy Master’s program

4

hanoi, vietnam

6

university of roehampton, united kingdom Film Studies faculty interaction Working in conjunction to develop Master’s of Arts on London with British museum developing a course on Washington, D.C., in conjunction with Smithsonian to include in this master’s program

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university of tebingen, germany

9

university of copenhagen, denmark Collaboration and research in Agriculture and an exchange of graduate students

1�

Collaboration with Museum of Art of Sao Paulo

research Collaboration in Neuroscience

8

sao paolo, brazil

1�

chile Joint Ph.D. program in Astronomy with Pontificial Catholic University

1�

argentina Student research fellowships in Agriculture

1�

south korea Joint degree in Mechanical Engineering with Pusan National University

malta Joint Master’s in Counseling, College of Education

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the president’s mandate

IV. Service to the State of Maryland “The state must plan now for what we know will create the technology and research jobs that will power our economy and ensure that Maryland is the place to go to get the best education, do high-end research, spin off research into the marketplace and successfully build a company.”

Thomas V. “Mike” Miller Jr.,

President, Maryland State Senate

Service to Marylanders extends far beyond the classroom with faculty and students serving citizens in health care, housing, food, transportation and the arts, among other areas. Service is part of our university’s land-grant mission and part of our educational process. Using university-based research to advance community welfare benefits all.

College of education

Making a Healthier Maryland

UMD research centers help address our state’s pervasive health problems while serving a vital role in Gov. O’Malley’s quest of making Maryland the premier state for health-care delivery.

During the past year, UMD established: • The Center of Excellence in Health Information Technology Research, an interdisciplinary effort to develop solutions that accelerate and facilitate the transformation of health care.

• The Maryland Neuroimaging Center, with a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner to support groundbreaking brain research.

an Economic Powerhouse

The University of Maryland plays multiple roles in driving the state’s economy.

It prepares students for Maryland’s workforce, conducts state-of-the-art research that feeds innovation, commercializes technology and partners with federal agencies and private industry on research and entrepreneurial projects.

These factors form a powerful nexus of discovery, creation and training. UMD: • is a $1.7 billion enterprise.

• puts more than $3.4 billion into the state’s economy every year.

• employs 12,500 people.

• supports 23,000 jobs.

For every $1 the state invests in the University of Maryland, the university returns $8 to the state.

The economic impact of Mtech includes: • 7,053 jobs created or retained since 1985.

• $24 billion generated by its Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program.

• brings in more than a half-billion dollars in research funding each year.

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Preparing the Teachers of Tomorrow

The College of Education is providing the state’s teachers of tomorrow. Highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report, the College of Education:

• $383 million generated by its Manufacturing Assistance Program.

• $3.5 billion generated by its Technology Advancement Program (TAP) incubator.

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• The Center for Advanced Transportation Technology uses advanced technologies to improve transportation, such as the use of a virtual helicopter for real-time traffic monitoring and virtual commute fly-over.

UMD puts more than

3.4 b i ll i o n $

into the state’s economy every year

• Has four departments ranked among the top 10 in the nation. The Counseling and Personnel Services specialty garnered the No. 1 position for the 12th year in a row.

• Has established a pre-college program designed to prepare 11th- and 12th-grade high school students to successfully complete course content, laboratory exercises and introductory undergraduate courses offered in engineering and English at Oxon Hill High School in Prince George’s County.

• Has formal partnerships with 46 Professional Development Schools (PDS) to prepare future teachers.

One hundred thirty-five students completed their internships in Prince George’s County.

• Has participated in Multiple Pathways to Teacher certification projects, with 46 graduates in fiscal 2011, up from 36 students a year earlier. The latest graduates—22 who will teach in high schools and 24 in middle schools—will be eligible for teacher certification in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.

the 21st century LAND-GRANT MISSION

• The Maryland Center for Health Equity is conducting the first comprehensive household survey as part of the Prince George’s County Public Health Impact Assessment. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the health status and health-care needs of residents.

• The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) last year assisted nearly 12,000 entrepreneurs and helped businesses secure more than $37 million in loans. Last year, SBDC launched Branch Avenue in Bloom, an innovative, multipartner program to revitalize the area around the Naylor Road Metro station and the St. Barnabas Road commercial corridor in Prince George’s County.

• UMD’s National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education is conducting housing policy research connected to smart growth and sustainability in response to Maryland’s and our nation’s significant demographic changes.

• The School of Public Health and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources have developed programs to reach individuals at high risk of obesity through evidence-based, learnercentered lessons and activities. Last fall, the expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program worked with 2,486 individuals and reached 9,566 families with children and 7,756 youths.

• The Future of Information Alliance, launched last year, is a transdisciplinary group spanning the entire university and including founding partners from the federal government, leading cultural institutions and the private sector. Together, they’re exploring innovative ways to harness information and mapping to improve the lives of Marylanders and make state government more efficient and effective.

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Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Sea Grant.

Meeting the Challenges of Today

• reduce fertilizer use and nutrient runoff from home lawns.

• work with state legislators to develop environmental legislation to protect the bay.

• improve marsh ecosystems and the coastal wetlands.

Two major challenges of the 21st century are the environment and national security. The University of Maryland is helping our state and nation in meeting these challenges.

ENVIRONMENT

UMD Is a Green Machine The University of Maryland has earned a long list of accolades for its commitment to sustainability, from decreasing its carbon footprint to implementing earthfriendly practices across the campus. In the past year, UMD: • was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of six lead universities for a clean energy business plan competition.

• created a new Council on the Environment to help coordinate the university’s expanding high-level research on global change.

• was awarded a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study with other institutions the relationships of land use, climate and ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay region.

• was ranked among the Top 20 “Coolest Schools” by Sierra magazine.

• was awarded the Nature Climate Leadership Award from the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.

• was awarded a National Science Foundation grant for the Clark School of Engineering, Princeton University and the National Geographic Society to develop hightech monitoring of endangered species.

Researchers at the University of Maryland have joined forces with local, state and federal agencies in conducting research to restore and preserve the Chesapeake Bay. These efforts include studying ways to:

• unveiled electric vehicle charging stations.

• improve blue crab harvests and the black bass population.

• unveiled one of the largest rooftop solar power systems in Maryland, partnering with Washington Gas Energy Services and Standard Solar.

• achieve nutrient reduction.

rooftop solar power system

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Saving the Bay The National SocioEnvironmental Synthesis Center (SeSync) will provide leadership in addressing large-scale environmental challenges like clean water, sustainable food production and interaction between human activity and ecosystems. The center is supported by a $27.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

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• improve the state’s policies on restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and the management of its fisheries, working in partnership with the Maryland

NATIONAL SECURITY

UMD Is Helping to Secure Our State For years, the University of Maryland has partnered with our nation’s military and intelligence agencies in efforts to secure our state. Recently, UMD has become more and more active in another, newer area vital to our national security, cybersecurity.

The Maryland Cybersecurity Center (MC2) was launched in late 2010 and got off the ground in early 2011. It is: • partnering with 10 Maryland companies.

• working closely with the National Security Agency, the new United States Cyber Command, NIST and the Office of the Governor.

• positioning the state of Maryland to be the epicenter for cybersecurity.

• addressing one of the biggest threats to our nation as stated by President Obama and the Department of Defense.

UMD won the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition supported by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and several industries, including Northrop Grumman and Boeing.

The Future of Information Alliance is a new cross-campus initiative to foster interdisciplinary networking, dialogue and research on pressing informationrelated issues.

intelligence community and the military.

National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) Last year the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) renewed the status of UMD’s Consortium for START as a DHS Center of Excellence. It provided $3.6 million in federal funding for START to continue to expand the scientific understanding of the human causes and consequences of terrorism, specifically crucial homeland security issues such as terrorist behavior, violent extremism and counterterrorism.

Center for Advanced Study of Language (CASL) CASL, a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) University-Affiliated Research Center, is a unique partnership between the university and the federal government. As the largest language research center in the United States, CASL has received millions of dollars from DoD and other sources to research how to drastically reduce the time and cost of training the thousands of professionals who need competence in languages vital to our national security. CASL projects include: • developing new tools in language identification and mapping for Pashto, Bengali and Urdu, used widely in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

• producing machine translation tools and human training methods for interpreting cyber communications, such as text messages and blogs.

• conducting research in divergent thinking to improve human analytical performance in interpreting texts and other source materials.

• using brain-imaging techniques, behavioral testing and mental exercises to increase working memory skills in order to expand and enhance the language capabilities of the U.S.

9/11 museum exhibit

START projects include: • maintaining detailed databases that apply advanced statistical methods in identifying trends and patterns related to radicalization, terrorist operations, counterterrorism and the impact of terrorism.

• using computerized text analytic tools for Farsi, Korean, Mandarin and Russian to assess possible behaviors, including personality traits, changes in intent through deception and other psychological responses.

University of Maryland / 2012 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly /

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THE JOURNEY CONTINUES In my inaugural address last April, I stated that transformative excellence is a journey, not a destination. During the past year, we have made tremendous strides.

We did not do it alone. We at the University of Maryland appreciate the support we have received from Gov. Martin O’Malley and the Maryland General Assembly. We have been spared the massive budget cuts that have been imposed on so many other universities, and we have received the appropriations that have enabled us to continue our upward trajectory.

With your help, the journey will not end here. The University of Maryland will become an even more powerful engine of economic progress, a more important catalyst of social mobility and a greater beacon of knowledge for students, faculty and the state of Maryland.

Thank you for your support during the past year, and I look forward to working with you in the years ahead as we continue on the journey toward transformative excellence.

Wallace D. Loh

President, University of Maryland

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/ 2012 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly / University of Maryland

University of Maryland / 2012 Testimony to the Maryland General Assembly /

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