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The following article originally appeared in Maryland Today:   Mid-Atlantic mugginess was no match for Fall Welcome 2023. Undeterred by sticky shirts, the heft of overstuffed suitcases and the complex science of properly loading a dolly, more than 9,600 Terps moved into residence halls from Thursday through Sunday with patience and eagerness. A variety of University of Maryland offices and units then drew them out of their new rooms with a weekend packed with games, Do Good activities, giveaways and other gatherings, all aimed at acclimating them to campus—and each other—before the semester officially starts on Monday.

Searching for dinosaur bones has always been an interesting assignment for students in Thomas R. Holtz’s classes. But after the recent discovery of more than 100 dinosaur fossils, the exercise is now a little like prospecting for gold where it’s just been found.

College Park Scholars Graduate Assistant Ewaoluwa Obatuase was so instrumental in crafting state legislation to allow qualified immigrants to obtain professional licenses that the Maryland law has been dubbed "Ewa's Bill."

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.

Incoming students often hear about the various experiences that Scholars take on in their practica–the capstone project or culminating hands-on learning all College Park Scholars are required to complete in their second year. Though specific practicum requirements vary by Scholars program, students are commonly able to meet program needs by engaging in an internship, doing service-learning or conducting research. 

During Sona Chudamani’s first year at the University of Maryland, she volunteered to be a subject for a research project. Her reason? “I didn’t have much to do during my freshman year, especially with everything being online,” she says.