University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland.[9] Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland.[10] It is also the largest university in both the state and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area.[11] Its 12 schools and colleges offer over 200 degree-granting programs, including 113 undergraduate majors, 107 master's programs, and 83 doctoral programs.[12] UMD is a member of the Association of American Universities and competes in intercollegiate athletics as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
"University of Maryland" redirects here. For other uses, see University of Maryland (disambiguation).
Former names
Maryland Agricultural College (1856–1916)
Maryland State College (1916–1920)[1]
"Strong deeds, gentle words"
March 6, 1856
$997 million (2022)[3]
4,474 (Fall 2023)[4]
6,216 (Fall 2023)[4]
14,922 (Fall 2023)[4]
41,200 (Fall 2018)
30,762 (Fall 2018)[5]
10,438 (Fall 2018)[5]
Red, gold, white, and black[8]
The University of Maryland's proximity to Washington, D.C., has resulted in many research partnerships with the federal government;[13] faculty receive research funding and institutional support from many agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, NASA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Security Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security.[14][15] It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity"[16] and has been labeled a "Public Ivy".[17]
In 2016, the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore formalized their strategic partnership after their collaboration aimed to create more innovative medical, scientific, and educational programs,[18] as well as greater research grants and joint faculty appointments than either campus has been able to accomplish on its own.[19][20][21] According to the National Science Foundation, the university spent a combined $1.14 billion on research and development in 2021, ranking it 17th among American universities.[22][23] As of 2021, the operating budget of the University of Maryland is approximately $2.2 billion.[24]
Notable alumni include House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer;[90] Google co-founder Sergey Brin;[91] The Muppets creator Jim Henson;[92] The Wire creator David Simon;[93] former NFL Quarterback Norman "Boomer" Esiason; CBS host Gayle King; journalist Connie Chung; and Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm creator Larry David.[94] Prominent alumni in business include Ed Snider, former chairman of Comcast Spectacor and former owner of the Philadelphia Flyers; journalist Jim Walton, former president and CEO of CNN; Kevin Plank, founder and executive chairman of the athletic apparel company Under Armour; Chris Kubasik, former president of Lockheed Martin; and Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Journalist Carl Bernstein, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for his coverage of the Watergate scandal, attended the university but did not graduate.
Attendees within the fields of science and mathematics are Nobel laureates Raymond Davis Jr., 2002 winner in Physics; Herbert Hauptman, 1985 winner in Chemistry, and Fields Medal winner Charles Fefferman. Other alumni include George Dantzig, considered the father of linear programming; late NASA astronaut Judith Resnik, who died in the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger during the launch of mission STS-51-L; and NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin.
Several donors have distinguished themselves for their sizable gifts to the university. Businessman Robert H. Smith, who graduated from the university in 1950 with a degree in accounting, gave over $45 million to the business school that now bears his name and to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, which bears his wife's name.[95] Construction entrepreneur A. James Clark, who graduated with an engineering degree in 1950, donated over $45 million to the college of engineering, which also bears his name.[95] Another engineering donor, Jeong H. Kim, earned his Ph.D. from the university in 1991 and gave $5 million for the construction of a state-of-the-art engineering building.[96] Philip Merrill, a media figure, donated $10 million to the College of Journalism.[97] Robert E. Fischell, physicist, inventor, and holder of more than 200 U.S. and foreign medical patents[98][99][100] donated $30 million to the A. James Clark School of Engineering,[101] establishing the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. Brendan Iribe, a co-founder of Oculus VR, donated $31 million to the university in 2014 towards a new computer science building and scholarships.[102]
