Experiential / Reality-based Learning
Smith Students Turn Cutting-Edge Analytics into Real-World Financial Insight
QUEST Students Explore Innovation in Silicon Valley During Spring Break 2026
Smith Professors Make Sense of March Madness Marketing Trends and AI-Involvement in Bracket Building
Alumni
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.
Alumnus Dials in the Dollars in Senior Role at T-Mobile
Johannes Thorsteinsson, MS ENGR ’05, MBA ’07, leveraged engineering and finance training at UMD to rise to T-Mobile senior vice president and treasurer. He credits Smith for shaping his career and now mentors students, emphasizing curiosity, resilience and relationships.
Building Meaningful Relationships
Wealth management advisor John Bates, ECON ’83, mentors Smith finance students through the Financial Advisory Council. With decades of industry experience, he emphasizes networking, real-world skills and collaboration with faculty to better align education with careers in financial services.
March 31, 2026
With spring semester past midpoint, University of Maryland Smith School students are completing experiential and capstone projects with industry partners, applying AI and data analysis to financial market questions, producing research on mortgage risk, banking trends and private credit exposure.
Twenty University of Maryland QUEST Honors students visited Silicon Valley over spring break, touring major tech companies, meeting alumni and exploring careers in AI, engineering and product development during the program’s Design and Innovation elective.
March 27, 2026
Despite few upsets, the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments remain compelling, with millions tracking brackets. One perfect bracket remains. Smith professors Henry C. Boyd III and Daniel McCarthy discuss AI, marketing trends, NIL and fan behavior.
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.
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.
March 03, 2026
Debate Training May Help Employees Rise as Leaders, New Research from Smith’s Hui Liao Shows
A study co-authored by Smith School professor Hui Liao finds debate training boosts leadership advancement by increasing assertiveness. Published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, the research shows structured training helps participants emerge as leaders and earned a 2025 Academy of Management award.
