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Four Global Public Health Scholars and a Science, Discovery and the Universe Scholar were among the students honored last month during the annual College Park Scholars citation and awards ceremony.

Outstanding graduating seniors at the University of Maryland have analyzed drought patterns, researched diabetes and tutored elementary school students in math. One plans to be an eye surgeon; another, a human rights attorney.

When the Citation class of 2023 entered the University of Maryland, they were already adjusting to a rapidly changing world being constantly reshaped by the Covid-19 global pandemic. One thing that didn’t change – their commitment to excellence in the classroom. All who successfully completed the requirements of their respective Scholars program received their official Scholars citation. But there were some that went above and beyond the expectations, leaving a lasting impact on the community.

College Park Scholars has announced that, after 25 years of providing students with an interdisciplinary curriculum examining the role of science in society, the Science, Discovery and the Universe (SDU) Scholars program will close at the end of this academic year. The decision was made by mutual agreement between College Park Scholars and the Department of Astronomy, which sponsors the program.

Students in College Park Scholars’s Citation Class of 2022 began their University of Maryland (UMD) careers in the fall of 2020, under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic. They spent their first year almost entirely online: Some Zoomed into their program colloquium from their double-turned-single dorm rooms; others attended virtually from their families’ homes, away from campus.

Dr. Alan Peel, who has been a director of Science, Discovery and the Universe (SDU) Scholars program since 2007, is stepping down from his position. He is pictured here at a Scholars Convocation as his colleagues enjoy an SDU student call and response. Dr.