MomentUM Magazine Summer 2020

Craig Beyrouty

Dean and Director

I am delighted to share this issue of Momentum which amplifies the volumes of progress and positivity related to our strategic initiative, Optimize Urban Environments Through Design, Green Technology, and Community Engagement.

Momentum Summer 2020

Features

The past few months have forced us to take a deeper look at our own personal health, as well as the health of our society. With tensions running high from the COVID-19 pandemic, the healing power of nature and green space is an outlet that can provide release and mental clarity. AGNR assistant professor of Landscape Architecture, Naomi Sachs, takes this concept seriously and strives to show the many societal and health benefits of well-maintained and well-designed green spaces, especially in urban settings where “nature” may be harder to come by.

The Spaces Between

In the summer of 2015, Dave Tilley, associate professor in Environmental Science & Technology (ENST), was on vacation with his family in Las Vegas when he decided that it was a little too sunny. Not because Vegas averages 310 sunny days per year and regularly tops out near 115 degrees Farenheit in the summer, but because his hotel patio was completely devoid of umbrellas. He looked over at a group of people hovered around a tiny shrub, and was suddenly hit with a revelation.

Living Eco-Tech

Ask Adel

Adel Shirmohammadi, professor and former associate dean for research and associate director of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES), discusses rejuvenating Mother Earth through green technology and promoting optimal health through urban design.

Ask Adel

In Your Community

Backyard Farming is a long-standing tradition in America, with people owning livestock for their family’s own use. A change to more urban lifestyles saw a decline in the personal farm, but the recent pandemic and related stay-at-home order and food shortages have brought a renewed interest in backyard farming and self-sufficiency.

From Backyard to Barnyard

Alumni News

Combating global climate change has become a race against the clock, and while swift action is needed to make an impact, making sure that the right actions are taken is paramount.

Race to Restore the Earth

Entering UMD as a pre-pharmacy/pre-med major, Robert Post thought he was simply fulfilling an elective requirement for his bachelor’s degree when he signed up for Food Science 101. Instead, the course would end up defining his multi-disciplinary and high-impact career.

All Roads Lead Through UMD

Student Achievement

Marking the beginning of an ongoing effort by the community to revitalize Druid Heights, Baltimore, with AGNR as a driving force, two landscape architecture students left the studio and immersed themselves in a community effort to design a new park to replace urban blight.

Art With A Purpose

Patrick Kangas and Peter May, both faculty members in Environmental Science & Technology (ENST), have built a lasting legacy in the ecological engineering world. But behind any successful faculty research initiative, there are undergraduate students at the center of it all, deploying the fundamentals of research, testing, and prototyping.

Pedal-Powered

In the spirit of "the show must go on," students in the 2020 AgEnterprise Challenge pushed forward despite obstacles created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seeding Commercial Success

Faculty & Staff Recognitions

Joe Fiola

Joe Fiola, principal agent and viticulture specialist for UMD Extension (UME), was awarded the 2019 Monteith Wine Bowl Trophy by the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association (ASWA). This honor is presented annually to individuals or organizations that have delivered exceptional contributions to the development and sustainability of the American wine industry.

Vijay Tiwari

We are delighted to announce that Vijay Tiwari, assistant professor in Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, recently received the Leadership Award from the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), a collection of 2,800 scientists across 70 countries dedicated to the production of superior wheat through high-quality genomics. This award is given annually to a few scientists who are critically impactful in the field of wheat genomics.

Neith Little

Led by Neith Little, urban agriculture educator in Baltimore City for UMD Extension (UME), a team of UME professionals recently published From Surviving to Thriving: Strategies for Urban Farm Success, a comprehensive guidebook designed to assist urban farmers, growers, and their advisers in managing risk and planning for the increased success and stability of their urban agriculture ventures.

MomentUM Magazine Summer 2020