Annual Report: State of the Association

Letter from the Senior Executive Director

Dear alums, colleagues and friends,

This past fiscal year was a testament to the strength of our Terrapin community. At your Alumni Association, everything we do is rooted in one powerful idea: Terps support Terps. Throughout fiscal year 2026 (FY26), we saw that commitment come to life time and time again. We gathered together to celebrate the launch of Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless. We connected alums impacted by changes in the federal government with each other, and with resources. We celebrated our shared Terp pride at a record-breaking Homecoming tailgate, and much more.

As the power of a Maryland degree continues to grow and our campus evolves, your Alumni Association continues to expand in tandem. FY26 brought more award-winning programming, meaningful connections and opportunities for Terps everywhere to stay engaged as we move Forward together. None of this would be possible without our incredible 431,000+ alums, 25,132 members, 1,534 volunteers and our dedicated staff who make up our community. I could not be more proud to be a part of it.

Our mission is to connect, cultivate and channel the power of alums to enrich their own lives, advance the university and serve the greater good. In this report, you’ll see that mission in action through the programs, partnerships and experiences that bring Terps together every day.

Go Terps!

Jessica K. Roberts ’02
Senior Executive Director, University of Maryland Alumni Association

If you would like to receive a PDF of the report via email or a physical copy via mail, please email alumni@umd.edu.

The UMDAA launched new, innovative virtual programming to bring Terps around the world together, including Redefining College Athletics, where 136 attendees heard directly from the new Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics, Jim Smith. Also new this year were National Crafting Month, which transformed 177 alums into donors by engaging them with a Testudo diamond art kit available on the alumni web store, and Mental Health Awareness Month, which connected alums through three virtual events. Beloved annual programs returned as well, engaging nearly 5,500 alums through the Summer Reading Challenge, Virtual Book Clubs and the ongoing Webinar Series.

Bridging in-person and virtual engagement, the UMDAA expanded Career Week into Professional Development Month in February, offering 36 events and engaging over 1,400 alums. The month culminated with National Networking Night, which brought 489 alums together in person across the country.

To further support professional development, the UMDAA hosted Terrapins Connect: Turning Change into Opportunity, providing networking for 160 attendees impacted by changes in the federal government. The event extended the impact of the Terrapins Connect online mentorship platform, which has grown to connect more than 27,000 Terps across generations.

The UMDAA expanded lifelong learning opportunities by launching Terp Academy, bringing alums back to campus and into the classroom for a day. The Terp Author program also grew its reach through the Terp Book Fair (215 attendees), online author list and other initiatives, earning a CASE Silver Award for its continued innovation and engagement.

The EnTERPreneur Conference returned, connecting alums with each other and speakers like Brett Schulman ’95 and Mary Schulman ’97. Terrapin Fest brought 345 shoppers together to support Terp businesses, and the Pitch Dingman Competition welcomed 373 attendees while featuring an alumni track through the UMDAA’s ongoing partnership with the Dingman-Lamone Center for Entrepreneurship.
 

For Giving Day on March 4, The UMDAA Board of Governors and alumni networks galvanized support for their fellow Terps, helping to raise more than $52,000 through contributions from 441 donors. Overall, 6,534 alums made a gift to the UMDAA in FY26, accounting for 36% of all alum donors to the university. 

The Association also increased engagement through women's programming, featuring a sold-out Tea Around Town experience and a Women’s Mentorship Program. Other affinity network events included Canvas y Cultura with the Latinx Alumni Network and Strikes & Connections: APAAN Bowling Mixer.

To connect the global alumni community with the new Forward campaign, the UMDAA hosted a town hall with President Darryll J. Pines, offering 400+ alums a firsthand look at its vision and priorities. To further engage and educate alums about the campaign, The Forward Experience welcomed over 300 attendees, providing opportunities to interact with hands-on campaign-related activations.

For the UMDAA’s awards and recognition programs, categories aligned with campaign priorities, and 15 Terps were honored through The Maryland Awards and Alumni Excellence Awards. Brendan Iribe, CEO & Co-Founder of Sesame received the President's Distinguished Alumnus Award and First Lady of Maryland Dawn Flythe Moore '97 was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Cross-campus partnerships continued to thrive. Through a growing postcard campaign with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 370 alums hand-wrote messages to 5,000 admitted students. The Becoming a Terp webinar provided nearly 250 prospective students and families with exclusive access to admissions experts and answers to their questions. In collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs, the “M Book,”  a guide to the student experience, was distributed to new students at 16 Orientation events.

For current students, the UMDAA-piloted Student-Alumni Industry Networking Night attracted 300+ attendees from a wide range of fields to share their experiences.

Grad Bash brought together 1,361 graduating students for a well-received new format in partnership with Maryland Athletics. For the first time, students and Testudo ran through the tunnel and onto the field at SECU stadium.

Now in its third year, the Senior Class Gift initiative raised $11,375 from 1,100 donors to support the Campus Pantry, reflecting growing senior engagement and a strong culture of philanthropy. The campaign kicked off 100 days before graduation with a champagne toast and a vote by 248 students to select a fund to support.

The Student Alumni Leadership Council (SALC) remained a critical pipeline for future alum leaders. SALC students led the First-Generation Terps Panel as well as the annual Terps Under 30 event, where 149 students and recent grads heard from three dynamic alum speakers.

The Forward Traveling Letter Initiative introduced students to the fundraising campaign through an interactive engagement opportunity. The program received 2,835 submissions, awarded five $1,000 prizes and later earned a Gold Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

Terp pride showed up in full force at the most-attended away tailgate in UMDAA history, with nearly 400 attendees joining before UMD took on UCLA.

The annual Homecoming tailgate was also record-breaking as the most-attended UMDAA event with 1,544 guests. That same day, 368 Terps also attended the reveal of new names on the Eric S. and Frann G. Francis Lifetime Member Wall.

Alumni Association lifetime membership reached new heights, officially surpassing 18,000. To keep up the momentum, the Association launched a new Terp tradition: a red Homecoming T-shirt created in collaboration with Maryland Athletics and the Office of Marketing and Communications. The shirt served as a membership campaign, drove donations through the Alumni Store and Terrapin Club, and exceeded initial expectations with 1,609 T-shirts sold.

To celebrate and steward the growing current member community, the fan-favorite Member Basketball Pre-Game event returned with 210 attendees, while the Maryland Day Member Breakfast reached its highest-ever turnout with 630 attendees.

Black Alumni Weekend returned in April for its third iteration, welcoming 850 alums and their families back to campus for a weekend of inspiring speakers, local music, great food and Terp pride. The event was made possible through collaboration with 15 campus and community partners.

Alums’ forever home on campus, the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, received upgrades including updated technology, fresh paint and new flooring in rental spaces. The reopening celebration welcomed 300 attendees to experience the enhanced spaces and catering options. The revamped Brick and Paver program allowed 576 Terps to etch their Terp pride onto campus, forever. The Association lobby also underwent a refresh to better welcome alums as their front door to the university.