College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences - Univ. of Maryland

09/04/2026

Over 1,250 new first-year and transfer gathered yesterday for our 2026 CMNS New Student Welcome 💛

Students made new connections through Science Terp Bingo, learned lessons from their peers on a student panel and shared their personal and academic goals for the semester.

Thanks to the amazing CMNS faculty and staff who made this big event possible! And a shoutout to our student panelists: Armaan Ivaturi (Computer Science), Ava Mays (biological sciences), Benjamin Osuala (neuroscience), Emily Elassal (biological sciences), Maddie Simpkins (Biochemistry) and Ryan George (computer science)!

09/03/2026

Is there life beyond Earth? Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences' Ricardo Arevalo Jr. and his team were awarded a three-year, $1.1 million grant from NASA to develop a more efficient life-detecting instrument.

The team will use this grant to develop the Flexible Laser EXperiment (FLEX)—an instrument that fires a laser at a rock or soil sample and routes the resulting particles to two analyzers at once, one reading for biosignatures and one for the surrounding geology, doubling the scientific data from every pulse without added mass, power, or sample material.

Their goal is to deploy FLEX on missions to Mars, Saturn's icy moon Enceladus and other ocean-world targets in the outer solar system.

"[This grant] positions UMD to respond to a wider range of planetary mission opportunities and expands our potential impact, especially as NASA moves toward missions focused on finding life," Ricardo said.

Their work could double the scientific output of future missions searching for life on Mars, Saturn’s moon Encel

09/02/2026

Mathematics Professor Yanir Rubinstein's MATH 440: “Geometry and Data Science of Sports Analytics” trains students for real-world careers in professional sports ⚾️

Jason Lott (B.S. '25, Computer Science and mathematics) took the course in 2024, working on a project to reverse-engineer basketball statistics using machine learning and NBA API data. He's now a junior software engineer in the Baltimore Orioles' baseball analytics department, where he says he uses skills from the class "every day."

For Yanir, the course is more than getting math students into the major leagues. Seeing students like Jason thrive in the sports industry reflects a bigger goal: feeding young people’s interest in math by showing them that it has real-world applications.

By Georgia Jiang August 28, 2026 Feature Stories Student Stories Professor Yanir Rubinstein's MATH 440: “Geometry and Data Science of Sports Analytics” trains students for real-world careers in professional sports.Growing up, Jason Lott (B.S. ’25, computer science and mathematics) was always f...

08/31/2026

We’re so happy you’re here, ! Happy first day of class from all us here in CMNS 💛🐢

08/30/2026

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Telescope successfully launched today, with the help of 10+ !

The new telescope will orbit nearly a million miles from Earth, enabling scientists to investigate dark matter, dark energy and the structure of the universe.

Read about Jackie Townsend's (B.S. '94, physics) experience as program manager for this "groundbreaking, Earth-shattering, universe-defining mission: go.umd.edu/townsend

08/28/2026

Richard Isaacson (Ph.D. ’67, physics) is supporting the next generation of gravitational physics students with a generous gift, establishing the Richard Isaacson Graduate Student Travel Award in Gravitational Physics.

Inspired by the impact of giving his first conference research talk to an audience of legendary scientists 50 years ago, Richard established this award in memory of Physics Professor Charles Misner, the gravitational theorist who encouraged him—and an entire generation of physics students—at UMD.

"I hope I can help these young students, pay something back for the opportunities I’ve had and keep science alive."

Richard Isaacson (Ph.D.

08/27/2026

Once declared functionally extinct in the wild, the scimitar-horned oryx is back on the African savannah—one of conservation's biggest comeback stories. go.umd.edu/oryx

But can an animal that spent generations in captivity relearn to be wild? New research from Biology Professor Bill Fagan's lab is working to answer that.

Biological sciences Ph.D. student Gayatri Anand and postdoctoral researcher Marron McConnell (Ph.D. ’26, biological sciences) teamed up with Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute to track how the reintroduced herd is building a social world from scratch. Gayatri found early evidence that oryx may have adapted to their lack of knowledge—and their work with the movement data has only just begun.

"This work can also serve as a roadmap for future reintroductions of other species elsewhere," Gayatri said, "potentially bringing back other functionally extinct animals from extinction."

08/26/2026

The National Science Foundation renewed the UMD-led NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation (RQS)!

The award—expected to total $37.5 million—reflects UMD's commitment to advancing quantum computing and sparking a new era of scientific, technological and economic development.

“We are at the cusp of determining exactly what quantum computers can and cannot do in the near future,” said incoming NSF RQS Director Mohammad Hafezi, a UMD Minta Martin Professor with joint appointments in physics and electrical and computer engineering.

“Realizing that potential will require vibrant partnerships among universities, federal laboratories and private industry, and we’re grateful for this renewed support to help lead that effort.”

A University of Maryland-led institute focused on robust quantum simulation will launch a new phase of research

08/25/2026

staff delivered a life-changing surprise to incoming freshman neuroscience major Leah Boka!

Watch Leah and her family react to winning the Siegall Scholarship—an award that covers four years of tuition, room and board, books and fees.

08/21/2026

This incoming got a very special surprise today 🎉

Our team traveled to Columbia, Maryland, to surprise incoming freshman neuroscience major Leah Boka with a four-year full scholarship!

The Siegall Scholarship covers tuition, room and board, books and more! Stay tuned for Leah’s reaction!