Whether bolstering learning in underserved areas, battling food insecurity or fighting climate change, projects supported by the University of Maryland’s Grand Challenges Grant program are doing good in communities around the state. President Darryll J. Pines recently visited three of them to see the work first-hand.
At an elementary school in Adelphi, Md., Pines observed work by researchers with the Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity (MILE) aimed at improving teaching methods for dual-language students. His journey also took him to an urban farm in Baltimore, where researchers with the Global FEWture Alliance are working with residents to harvest rainwater to grow crops. A visit to UMD’s own golf course showed scientists affiliated with the Climate Resilience Network studying how to keep greenhouse gases locked in wetlands rather than warming the atmosphere.
This latest installment of “Enterprise: University of Maryland Research Stories” zeroes in on the dedication of Terp experts to using their knowledge to address society’s biggest challenges.
Watch the video. (The segment on MILE begins at 3:28 and features Melinda Martin-Beltran, associate professor in the College of Education and associate director of professional development for MILE.)
This article is adapted from a story that first appeared in Maryland Today.
