Eight faculty members earned Maryland Smith teaching honors last week, as part of an annual tradition at the business school. Tunay Tunca, chair of Maryland Smith's Teaching Excellence Committee, announced the faculty teaching awards during a virtual spring faculty and staff assembly. Tunca is the Dean's Professor of Management Science and Operations Management at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at University of Maryland. Special Recognition: Tricia Homer

Maryland Smith’s Tricia Homer didn’t let a pandemic stop her from bringing entrepreneurship education home to her native U.S. Virgin Islands. In July, Homer, the director of business communication for Smith’s master’s programs and a faculty lecturer, ran a startup bootcamp program for social entrepreneurs. She’s holding a second program in November. 

With diversity, equity and inclusion at the forefront of organizational change across the country, Maryland Smith is doing its part in driving change at the community level by participating in the 2019 Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program (MEILP).

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business proudly presents its 16th annual Summer Reading List for Business Leaders, as recommended by faculty and staff. The 2019 edition covers history, politics, leadership and even strategies for staying focused in a volatile, fast-paced world. Deep Work By Cal Newport

Kevin Li, class of 2019 marketing and information systems double major, writes about the Diversity Action Forum (Part II), held on Feb. 26, 2018, at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. When people think about “diversity events,” there is a common feeling that they exist solely just to check boxes. But at the Smith School, diversity and inclusion are pillars of the community that members constantly work to better understand and use in their daily lives.

MBA students at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business have an opportunity to develop their communication skills through the new Smith Executive Communication Program. “I wanted to take advantage of this program to build on my soft skills,” MBA candidate Andres Villegas said. “I now feel more confident about speaking in front of big groups.”

As we head into the holiday season, lots of us are anticipating some awkward discussions about family traditions, superspreader events and COVID-19. Here are some management tips for navigating these frought conversations.

With icebergs, often what's visible above the water is just a fraction of the whole picture. The recent chatter about Ellen Degeneres and George W. Bush seemed a bit like that, a Maryland Smith expert says.