We’ve had an incredible fall semester! From deepening connections with industry and government to celebrating student success and engaging alumni, the momentum is undeniable.
We are so honored to receive an $8 million gift from alumnus Stephen M. Schanwald ’77, former Executive Vice President of Business Operations with the Chicago Bulls and a trailblazer in sports marketing. The gift is part of an $18 million commitment to the university, which also supports Maryland Athletics.
We also celebrated Steve and other philanthropists at our Dean’s Circle event in November, where we inducted 15 new members who have given $100K or more in their lifetime. And we recently hosted our advisory board meeting in our brand new Ab and Kristen Krall Active Learning classroom and showcased our new Bill Boyle Virtual Teaching Studio — both new spaces named for the generous alumni whose support made them possible.
We are congratulating finance professor Michael Faulkender on his recent nomination for Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary. Faulkender
We’ve hosted an impressive lineup of guests this semester, including Washington Commanders managing partner Josh Harris, Gap CEO and Smith alum Richard Dickson ’90, Cava founder and UMD alum Bret Schulman ’95, and former IMF Chief Economist Raghuram Rajan. Not only did our students learn a lot from them, they also learned a lot in numerous real-world experiential learning opportunities, including a new Artificial Intelligence in Business Case Competition where they worked with local small businesses.
We’re looking forward to many more exciting developments in 2025. Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and happy, healthy and prosperous new year!
Best,
Prabhudev C. Konana
1. Alum’s $8M Gift Endows Sports Management Program
Stephen M. Schanwald ’77, former Executive Vice President of Business Operations with the Chicago Bulls and a trailblazer in sports marketing, has given an $8 million gift to establish the Stephen M. Schanwald Sports Management Program. The gift is part of a larger, $18 million commitment which also supports Maryland Athletics. The sports management program is a collaboration between the Smith School, the School of Public Health’s Department of Kinesiology, the Philip Merrill College of Journalism’s Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and Maryland Athletics.
2. Faulkender Nominated for Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary
Dean’s Professor of Finance Michael Faulkender was selected to be deputy U.S. Treasury secretary by President-elect Donald Trump. This would be his second term with the Treasury, having served as assistant secretary of economic policy under the first Trump administration. He shepherded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided loans to small businesses to help them keep their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Faulkender’s nomination awaits Senate confirmation.
Read More: Faulkender Nominated for Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary
3. Students Deliver AI Solutions for Local Businesses
More than 120 MBA and master’s students participated in Smith’s first Artificial Intelligence in Business Case Competition on Nov. 1. They worked in teams to help small local businesses find ways to use AI technology for social media marketing, human resources, logistics and real estate. Each student team was given just under a week to meet with clients and prepare their ten-minute presentation, followed by a five-minute Q&A with a panel of faculty and AI industry judges on the day of the competition. The competition was hosted by the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business.
Read More: AI Solutions for Local Businesses
4. CEOs Visit Smith
This fall, the Smith School hosted an impressive lineup of guests, including Washington Commanders managing partner Josh Harris, GAP CEO and alumnus Richard Dickson ’90, Cava co-founder and CEO Brett Schulman UMD ’95.
5. Newly Named Active-Learning Classrooms Unveiled
The Smith School unveiled two newly named learning spaces in Van Munching Hall in November. The Bill Boyle Virtual Teaching Studio, named for longtime Smith School supporter Bill Boyle ’81 who funded it, is the first of its kind on the University of Maryland campus. It’s equipped with a 22-by-8-foot floor-to-ceiling video wall, two cameras, a lightboard and a full control room to enhance the interactive online learning experience. Smith also celebrated a new active-learning classroom, named for Ab Krall ’81 and his wife Kristen.
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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.