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When Viktoriia Savchuk Kennet Ph.D. ‘25 crossed the stage at commencement this May, she carried not only a doctoral degree, but a mission—to return home and use her research on communication and resilience to help rebuild her country.“I love Ukraine. It is a beautiful country,” Viktoriia says. “I cherish every opportunity to be here with my family, friends, and my people, and to contribute in any way I can to positive change and good memories despite everything.”

UMD recently was ranked No. 4 among all institutions nationwide in the number of students to receive Gilman scholarships, a program of the U.S. Department of State that awards up to $5,000 to U.S. students eligible for Pell Grants for their pursuits abroad.

Since the Peace Corps’ founding in 1961, the University of Maryland has produced 1,175 alumni who have served abroad as volunteers. Currently, 28 alumni are serving in 17 countries around the world.

The UMD School of Public Health recently welcomed scholars from Ireland, Germany and the U.S. for the Spring 2025 U21HREx Symposium.

As SPH doctoral student Ibiyinka Amokeodo listened to Tanzanian farmers’ worries about the safety of the water they use on their crops and in their homes. She had her lightbulb moment: Aquasafe. The project supports farmers by providing affordable water testing kits and education on water quality management, including how to improve crop safety and local public health through monitoring contamination in irrigation water.

Four scientists from the University of Maryland's Department of Geology traipsed through mud to collect garnets from woods, mines and coastlines on the island south of the Australian mainland affectionately called “Tassie.” Garnets are a multicolored mineral widely used in jewelry and industry, but to geologists, they’re treasured time capsules containing secrets of Earth’s past.