--- title: May 2021 date: 2021-05-01T00:00:00-04:00 author: Lauren Stephenson canonical_url: "https://govrelations.umd.edu/news/may-2021" section: News --- # May 2021 *May 1, 2021* — by Lauren Stephenson > May 2021 *inauguration of President Pines* **UMD Inaugurates President Darryll J. Pines** The University of Maryland celebrated the formal installation of Dr. Darryll J. Pines as its 34th President with a week of events showcasing the university’s excellence. During his investiture ceremony, President Pines announced five bold actions that reflect the university’s mission, values, traditions and culture and reinforce his two priorities for his leadership: ensuring excellence in all that we do and creating a more inclusive, multicultural community for all. - [Read about President Pines' inauguration](https://www.umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/university-maryland-inaugurates-president-darryll-j-pines) --- *Provost Rice* **UMD Names Jennifer King Rice Senior Vice President and Provost** Effective August 11, 2021, Rice will lead the university in its mission to advance academic excellence while promoting social justice, cultural diversity, resource conservation, and economic opportunity. - [UMD names new Provost](https://www.umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/university-maryland-names-jennifer-king-rice-senior-vice-president-and-provost) *UMD building* **UMD Announces $40 Million Investment in Faculty Diversity Initiatives** The investment will create the Faculty Advancement at Maryland for Inclusive Learning and Excellence (FAMILE) program. Through FAMILE, the university will recruit and retain more than 100 tenured and tenure-track faculty from underrepresented backgrounds over the next 10 years. - [Read about a new initiative at UMD](https://www.umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/university-maryland-announces-40-million-investment-faculty-diversity-initiatives) --- **Highlights** *solar panels* **UMD Accelerates Emissions-Cutting Goal:** President Pines announced the university’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2025 through a mix of infrastructure improvement and targeted investments in sustainability by 2035. - [Read more about a new initiative at UMD](https://www.umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/university-maryland-accelerates-emissions-cutting-goal) *UMD engineering building* **Engineering Student Receives Knight-Hennessy Scholarship:** University of Maryland senior, Elizabeth Childs, is among 76 scholars newly selected to become a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University. The prestigious award aims to create a multidisciplinary, multicultural community of scholars, to fund doctoral studies at Stanford. - [Read about a student scholarship](https://today.umd.edu/articles/engineering-student-receives-knight-hennessy-scholarship-b24bd50f-dad3-4fee-8210-c2ac4ed36221) *person arranging flowers* **Honoring Lives That Contributed to 'Community of Excellence:** At the University of Maryland's inaugural Memorial Celebration, university leaders individually called out the name of each Terp lost from January 2020 through last month. Invitees, including family members and university leaders, attended a physically distanced ceremony at Memorial Chapel, along with many more virtual attendees. - [Read about UMD memorial ceremony](https://today.umd.edu/articles/honoring-lives-contributed-community-excellence-a464dc1c-0b54-4548-b433-7a13466eb93b) *scientist with needle* **Mandatory Vaccinations for Fall 2021 Semester:** University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay A. Perman and the Board of Regents announced that all eligible students, faculty, and staff who will be on USM campuses this fall, including UMD, are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. - [Read about a new policy](https://umd.edu/virusinfo/emails/042321) *Zoom screenshot* **2021 Pitch Dingman Competition: Winning Team Soars With Drones:** Blimp Logistics won the $30,000 grand prize in the 11th Pitch Dingman competition, hosted at Maryland Smith. Six teams were selected to compete in the finals for three competition tracks, with prize money doubled to over $70,000 in startup funding. - [Read about a competition](https://today.umd.edu/articles/winning-team-soars-drones-2021-pitch-dingman-competition-b844aada-1cbd-4f2d-b6cb-9005ac777c67) *building* **Sustainability at UMD:** Since 2011, the Sustainability Fund has given around $3.2 million to 156 projects to improve the environmental performance of campus operations, bolster opportunities for Terps to learn about sustainability, and contribute to research on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, decrease waste and more. - [Read about sustainability efforts at UMD](https://today.umd.edu/articles/grants-going-green-5a245e2d-878b-44a7-8cc9-4d2b57fa6687) --- **Research Impact** *Michele Gelfand and Alessandra Buonanno* **Two UMD Faculty Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences:** Michele Gelfand, a distinguished professor of psychology, and Alessandra Buonanno a research professor of physics—have been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors that a researcher can receive. - [Read about 2 faculty members](https://www.umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/two-university-maryland-faculty-elected-us-national-academy-sciences-0) *old image of street* **History Professor Specializing in Slavery, Resistance Named Andrew Carnegie Fellow:** Richard Bell, an expert of early American history and slavery, abolition and resistance, has been named a 2021 Andrew Carnegie Fellow, receiveing a $200,000 award to fund significant research and writing in the social sciences and humanities. - [Read more about a UMD professor](https://today.umd.edu/articles/history-professor-specializing-slavery-resistance-named-andrew-carnegie-fellow-313702c6-b972-4d65-9a68-3a9718622e2d) *scientists* **$2.5M Gift Funds Influenza and COVID-19 Prevention Research:** A new gift from Flu Lab will support Dr. Donald Milton’s study on the potential for a resurgence later this year of influenza and on how flu could interact with the virus that causes COVID-19. - [Read about a new gift](https://umd.edu/) **Alumni Spotlight** *award ceremony* **UMD to Honor Billy Jones and Darryl Hill, Two Athletic and Social Justice Trailblazers** President Pines recognized two trailblazers who broke the color barrier in basketball and football. The legacy of Billy Jones and Darryl Hill will be commemorated with the naming of Jones-Hill House in their honor. Jones-Hill House will serve as the new home of Maryland Football in the Cole Field House. - [Read more about the awards ceremony](https://www.umdrightnow.umd.edu/news/university-honor-billy-jones-and-darryl-hill-two-athletic-and-social-justice-trailblazers) *Maryland Awards ceremony* **A Celebration of Terps: Featuring the Maryland Awards** The Alumni Association’s marquee event, A Celebration of Terps: Featuring the Maryland Awards, was reimagined this year as a virtual gala on Friday, April 23, 2021. The celebration capped off a week of events for the inauguration of Darryll J. Pines, the 34th president of the university. - [Read more about the Maryland Awards](https://alumni.umd.edu/news/celebration-remember) --- **Fearless Ideas** [UMD Spring 2021 Commencement Ceremony](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS89ksfe5qg)