The University of Maryland (UMD) is making a major investment to obtain the most technologically advanced equipment on the College Park campus for application across a broad range of research areas, from neuroimaging to next-generation quantum materials.

The investment of more than $10 million was made possible by the new UMD Research Instrumentation Fund launched in March 2021 and co-led by Interim Senior Vice President and Provost Ann G. Wylie and Vice President for Research Laurie E. Locascio, in partnership with President Darryll J. Pines. The program was created to support faculty and core facilities through significant investments to replace or upgrade research equipment.
Professor Liangbing Hu is one of 31 finalists for the 2021 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists offered by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences. Hu has made headlines numerous times over the last several years for his out-of-the-box and 'green' approach to solving some of the world's most pressing problems.

Two UMD teams took "Best in Theme" for their concepts in NASA’s 2021 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts—Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) program. Maryland was one of only two universities to have three teams selected as finalists to compete, and all three teams were comprised of students from the Department of Aerospace Engineering’s senior capstone course Space Systems Design. 
Young Wook Kim (Ph.D. '14) transferred his Ph.D. research on the bioelectric effect into a pioneering consumer product that improves mouth and gum health. Kim is the founder of ProxiHealthcare Inc., which manufactures the new TROMATZ toothbrush. First available in South Korea, the toothbrush employs the bioelectric effect to effectively attack the mouth’s plaque and tartar biofilms. It has received FDA and FCC approval in the United States and is available for purchase on Amazon.