University of Maryland Business School Appoints Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship Associate Director

College Park, Md. April 28, 2006 - The Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland today announced that Melissa K. Carrier has been named to the newly created position of associate director at the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. She will help manage the top-ranked national entrepreneurship centers programs, continue to develop the centers network of investors, and assist regional and student entrepreneurs. The position was created as part of the Dingman Centers continued efforts to support Washington and mid-Atlantic entrepreneurs and investors.

Melissa will help us expand the centers role and influence by allowing us to significantly increase the quality and breadth of our programs and activities, said Asher Epstein, managing director of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. She will allow us to expand our focus to include a greater proportion of established firms in addition to emerging startups and student-run businesses. Her impressive business experience and contacts will also be of benefit and were excited to have her on board.

In her new position, Carrier will be responsible for coordinating and managing Dingman Center programs such as the Capital Access Network, an angel investment network linking entrepreneurs with potential investors; and the Mentor program, which provides business consulting services for companies to develop marketing and strategic initiatives. Carriers management role also will support efforts to expand the centers international presence and initiatives such as the China Business Plan Competition, an annual competition designed to support the growth of entrepreneurship and world-class business ideas in China.
In her previous position with AT&T, Carrier served as financial director of corporate development, mergers and acquisitions. Prior to her three years with the telecommunications giant, she served on the business strategy group at AOL Time Warner Inc. and was a business development manager at SAP America Inc. She also has worked as a business consultant at US Interactive Inc., Cambridge Technology Partners and Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). Carrier is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, having earned an MBA in strategic management and finance with honors in 2003. She earned a bachelors degree in chemical engineering from the Ohio State University, graduating magna cum laude in 1995.

About the Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research for the digital economy. One of 13 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, Executive MBA, 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 four continents including North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. More information about the Robert H. Smith School of Business can be found at www.rhsmith.umd.edu.