A few years ago, Vasanthi Shanmuganandam struggled to keep up with her studies. She had just given birth and was taking prerequisite courses in pursuit of a doctorate.

On a crisp Sunday morning in October, children came running through the doors of a gym in the University of Maryland's School of Public Health (SPH). Others stood more hesitantly before volunteers guided them inside hand in hand, and still others pushed themselves forward in their wheelchairs. 

Jill Whitall and Jane Clark never do anything halfway. From Whitall’s earliest days as a graduate student and Clark’s start as a rising faculty member, they poured themselves fully into the University of Maryland. Each step built on the last: teaching led to leadership, leadership to advocacy, and advocacy to philanthropy.

This summer, Dr. Jennifer D. Roberts brought her research on nature, physical activity and health equity directly to the community with a new summer camp aiming to get high schoolers into green spaces in Buffalo, NY.

When freshmen arrive at the University of Maryland (UMD), they’re placed in orientation classes designed to ease the transition into college life. But transfer students, many of whom come from two-year colleges and have already earned associate’s degrees, are often navigating a new campus, major requirements and social systems alone. 

Dr. Samantha Snyder, Ph.D. ’25, has always been interested in human movement. With a freshly minted doctorate in kinesiology from the School of Public Health, Snyder is wasting no time, already applying her diverse skills to make a difference for people with knee osteoarthritis, a common and painful condition. 

Growing up, Zach Mixer loved fitness – playing sports from soccer to martial arts and spending time weight training. Just as enthusiastic about sports and fitness now, Mixer has won the School of Public Health’s 2025 Whitl

Starting April 4, the UMD School of Public Health will host the Gymkana Home Show, featuring traditional gymnastic acts and circus-like performances.

A love for sports and a passion for helping others were the twin drivers behind alumni Dr. Dillon Balkin’s career.

Watch Kiersten Janjigian discussing her basketball experiment on the School of Public Health's Instagram page.