Newsletters

"Qubit Alley" rooted in the Discovery District - In a recent cover story, Quantum Competing, the Washington Business Journal highlighted UMD’s leading-edge role in quantum innovation shining a light on the startups, quantum visionaries, and research collaborations that are making it happen. At the center of this burgeoning industry is the Discovery District, home of IonQ and the new Quantum Startup Foundry (QSF), which launched in April.

Discovery District-based startup IonQ, founded in College Park in 2015 by Dr. Christopher Monroe and Dr. Jungsang Kim, announced its plan to become the first publicly traded quantum computing company last month. The company will enter the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) through a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) valued at $2B. This news comes on the heels of IonQ recently completing an extensive expansion and renovation of its office, which will enable IonQ to grow its workforce. It already has several open positions for engineers and physicists.

The University of Maryland achieved its highest ranking ever in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey for fiscal year (FY) 2019, placing 14th overall nationally and 8th among all public institutions in Research & Development (R&D) spending. For the first time, the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore were linked together as one research enterprise in the ranking, with combined research expenditures of $1.1 billion.

After a whirlwind year, it is hard to believe that 2020 is almost over.  As we approach the holiday season, we are thankful for good health, being home with loved ones, and making time for reflection and rest. We will be taking a short break from the newsletter through the holidays to focus on other pertinent tasks, such as redesigning the Discovery District website, but we look forward to sharing the latest updates and news about the Discovery District in the next edition of the newsletter in February 2021. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

Welcome back, Terrapins! Over the summer, members of the University community including administrators, faculty, staff, and students worked together to prepare UMD for the resumption of on-campus activities this Fall. Learn about the many health and safety precautions UMD has taken, which can been seen through this video, demonstrating how our collective efforts can ensure the Greater College Park community remains #TerrapinSTRONG.

Welcome, President Pines! Dr. Darryll J. Pines took the helm of the University of Maryland as its next President on July 1st, following a 25-year career on campus as a faculty member, chair of the Aerospace Engineering Department, then Dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Get to know the 34th President of the University of Maryland. Read about TerrapinSTRONG in his Welcome Letter, and check out this Pop Quiz with President Pines.

Welcome to the Inaugural Edition of the Discovery District Newsletter. During these unprecedented times, we wholeheartedly believe in the power of community and the importance of staying connected to provide our members and partners with relevant news, resources, and opportunities. As you will read, our community continues to grow and thrive. There is also much to be grateful for as members are stepping up during this pandemic to collect and contribute funds, produce PPE, and donate food.