Four Years of Fearlessly Forward

All of these achievements underscore the strength of our students’ academic preparation and leadership potential, driven by experiential programs that prepare graduates for a rapidly changing world. For example, through the Office of Undergraduate Research, over 7,000 students have strengthened critical thinking and collaboration skills through hands-on research opportunities. At the graduate level, the Grand Challenges Graduate Communities—anchored in UMD’s new Discovery House graduate housing complex—connect students with faculty and external partners to tackle societal challenges and build cross-sector leadership skills. 

We’ve also made an unprecedented investment in need-based financial aid for undergraduate students. Our Terrapin Commitment program, which has supported 8,000 students to date, ensures that the full cost of tuition and fees is covered for Maryland students with financial need. This builds on broader efforts, including a more than 60% increase in average financial aid over the past five years, helping more students enroll, persist and graduate prepared to contribute in their communities and professions.

Our commitment to reimagining learning is buoyed by programs such as Teaching Innovation Grants to support instructional innovation, our Teaching Academy to advance teaching excellence, and Learning Environment Modernization to create dynamic, technology-rich learning spaces. Together, these initiatives create engaging learning experiences that help students develop the knowledge and skills needed to lead in their fields.

The people who fuel our research enterprise generate knowledge and apply it in ways that improve lives. Through our Grand Challenges Grants, we have supported 50 projects tackling society’s most pressing issues, from environmental resilience to global health to civic engagement. These projects have generated more than $55 million in external funding—nearly doubling the university’s initial investment—and have built over 400 partnerships across Maryland and beyond. Our recently announced second round of Grand Challenge Grants will further this progress.

Several projects have evolved into long-term initiatives. For example, the Maryland Democracy Initiative connects scholarship with policymakers, educators and communities to strengthen civic participation and inform public policy. The Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM) has brought together more than 200 faculty across disciplines to advance responsible, trustworthy and ethical AI and prepare students for a technology-rich workplace.

The research ecosystem we’ve built is fueling innovation. UMD is ranked 10th among U.S. public institutions and 24th worldwide for patents awarded in 2025, and university research has helped generate 75 startups—a 25% increase since 2021—bringing new technologies, companies and jobs to market and strengthening both Maryland’s and the nation’s innovation economy.

Through our Center for Community Engagement, we are building partnerships with schools, nonprofits and local governments to ensure our teaching and research respond directly to community priorities. We were recently recognized with the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a national designation that reflects our institutional commitment to mutually beneficial partnerships that advance both scholarship and public good.

As the nation’s first Do Good Campus, we are aligning teaching, research and public service with a dedication to societal impact, including a $460,000 investment in projects and initiatives across campus that drive meaningful change in our communities and beyond.