Eighteen outstanding graduating seniors at the University of Maryland are committed to a variety of causes and career goals, ranging from statistics and public policy to teaching.

Civic Engagement for Social Good sophomore Leah Gomes recently had her op-ed, "How Early Childhood Influences But Does Not Define Our Political Views," published in the ALL IN Forbes channel. Leah spent the summer as an intern with the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge and is currently an intern for their Civic Nations team.

Kate Quintana, an ETE Scholar published this insightful paper in the English department's InTERPolations publication. This is one of many examples of the excellent work our students are doing across the university.

The tiny, two-toed fossil footprints made by an unidentified dinosaur species some 100 million years ago and preserved in a slab of rock in South Korea are thought to have been made by a raptor no bigger than a modern sparrow. What stumped paleontologists was the animal’s enormous stride; the unknown raptor’s footprints had larger gaps between them than expected for such a diminutive dinosaur.“This guy is dinky—one of the smallest dinosaurs that we have fossils of,” said University of Maryland paleontologist and Science and Global Change program director Thomas R. Holtz Jr.

For a dozen College Park Scholars in the Media, Self and Society program, a three-day trip this fall will give them not only a chance to immerse themselves in the world of famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman, but also help bring that story to a wider audience. This trip project was one of 27 funded by the Do Good Campus Fund in its inaugural year—an example of the ways that UMD faculty, staff and students work to serve humanity and reimagine learning.

Ali von Paris ('12), CEO and Founder of Route One Apparel, an online retailer specializing in Maryland pride apparel and accessories. was recently selected for a new recognition program by The Daily Record— In the Lead: Best Women-Owned Businesses in Maryland. The program recognizes accomplished companies owned by women that demonstrate excellence across a broad spectrum of criteria. Under the Public Leadership alum's guidance, Route One Apparel has secured licensing rights with major corporations like McCormick, Utz, Hershey, and Morton Salt.

A. James Clark School of Engineering Senior Lecturers David Tomblin, director of College Park Scholars’ Science, Technology and Society program, and Nicole Mogul, assistant director of the program, were included in the latest edition of the Maryland Today's roundup of awards and honors for UMD faculty and staff members.