World Class Faculty & Research
MSI Appoints Smith’s P.K. Kannan and Wendy Moe as Co Executive Directors
Smith Family Foundation Gift Funds Faculty and Student Initiatives
AI Hiring Tools May Favor Their Own Work, Smith Study Finds
Alumni
May 22, 2026
A Missed Bus Led To A Meet Cute
It was a Maryland connection meant to be. Despite Lauren Niffenegger Lumpp ‘09 and Nick Lumpp ‘09 both studying at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, Lauren in accounting and Nick in finance, it was a bus that never showed up during their first few weeks in College Park that brought them together.
May 12, 2026
Why I Give: Craig ’79 and Lisa Adler, UMD ’79
Craig and Lisa Adler, both 1979 graduates of the University of Maryland, are making a significant estate gift to support students and scholarships, aiming to create lasting impact and expand access to education through the university’s Forward campaign long term.
March 23, 2026
Investing in the Future
Isa Farhat ’96 switched from architecture to accounting during a recession, building a career as a Deloitte partner. A first-generation student, he overcame personal challenges and now gives back to Smith through mentorship and support for future accounting professionals.
June 22, 2026
Smith School marketing professors P.K. Kannan and Wendy Moe will become co-executive directors of the Marketing Science Institute in July 2026, leading research on artificial intelligence, analytics and marketing measurement while strengthening connections between academic scholarship and business practice.
David Bruce Smith and the Smith Family Foundation donated $10 million to the University of Maryland, including $5 million for the Smith School. The gift funds endowed faculty positions, AI curriculum integration, innovative student programs, experiential learning opportunities and business research initiatives.
New research from the University of Maryland’s Smith School finds that AI hiring systems may favor resumes generated by the same AI model used for screening. The study identifies a new form of AI-to-AI bias and highlights practical strategies to reduce its impact on hiring decisions.
Faculty Insights On Latest News
May 30, 2025
Summer Reading List 2025
Get ready for summer with the 22nd Annual Summer Reading List for Business Leaders—featuring Smith School faculty picks on investing, neuroscience, human connection, and more, including a novel inspired by a radio show turned TV series.
Management and Organization
April 24, 2025
“The Future is Not What it Used to Be”
Ambiguity arises when choices must be made despite unclear outcomes, says Professor J. Gerald Suarez. In today’s fast-paced world, discernment, flexibility, and embracing uncertainty—not rigid control—are key to navigating change, complexity, and an unpredictable future.
Marketing
October 04, 2024
Small Businesses Take Big Hit from Apple’s Privacy Regulation
Smith marketing professor Daniel McCarthy's research found that Apple's 2021 App Tracking Transparency (ATT) significantly impacted small direct-to-consumer businesses. ATT caused a 37% drop in ad click-through rates and up to a 60% revenue decline for smaller firms reliant on Facebook ads.
May 20, 2026
From Classroom to Publication: Smith Tech Management Capstone Project Becomes Published Research
A collaboration between a unique nonprofit and a tireless group of Smith Technology Management students has resulted in the program’s first published research.
March 24, 2026
Referred for the Job, Less Welcome by the Team
Employee referrals can aid hiring but carry hidden downsides. Research by Smith’s Rellie Derfler-Rozin finds staff often see referred hires as less meritorious and offer less support, despite strong performance. Clear communication about hiring rigor and involving employees can reduce bias.
March 10, 2026
Where GenAI Consumer Research is Likely Headed
Generative AI expands access to consumer research but risks biased, generic findings detached from real behavior, Roland Rust and Ming-Hui Huang say. They identify democratization, the “average trap” and model collapse as growing threats, urging human-centered methods to prevent synthetic, nonhuman results.
