By James Matheson
University President Darryll Pines delivered his 2023 State of the Campus Address at a university senate meeting on Wednesday where he discussed campus excellence as well critical topics like an initiative to reduce gun deaths in the United States.
The over 30-minute-long address began with a nod to International Women’s Day and Holi, an Indian cultural holiday. By the conclusion of President Pines’ speech, he had congratulated dozens of University of Maryland’s students, programs, faculty and staff. Pines even used ChatGPT to write a portion of his speech. He said the tool was to be embraced as a catalyst in continuing the excellence on display at this university.
“This consistent excellence around every group — faculty, staff and students — is a product of our multicultural community that’s built by welcoming students from everywhere, faculty and staff from everywhere, all over the world, from every background,” Pines said.
Sixty-seven UMD faculty are members of the National Academies, with eight new inductees in the last year. According to Pines, the university is represented by new inductees in the National Academies of sciences, inventors, arts and sciences, and medicine. The academies are nonprofit, nongovernmental groups which provide objective advice for the betterment of society, according to the National Academies’ description.
Pines acknowledged other university achievements. A team of three undergraduate students placed fourth in a pool of 156 institutions across the United States and Canada in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. The competition consisted of twelve questions in six hours. UMD finished behind only MIT, Harvard, and Stanford, earning the number one rank among public schools.
Pines also addressed serious issues, including gun violence. He mentioned the fact that firearms have become the no. 1 killer of 18-25 year-olds in this country, and most people on college campuses are in that age range.
“We don’t want this number to increase anymore, we want the bloodshed to end,” Pines said.
President Pines recognized the shooting at Michigan State University just three weeks ago. In an attempt to avoid a similar incident at UMD, Pines launched the 120 Initiative along with President Gregory Washington at George Mason University and other universities throughout the Washington Metropolitan area.
The name of the initiative comes from the average of 120 individuals who die each day due to gun violence in the United States. The initiative seeks to conduct active research while also finding practical solutions. Areas of focus include community intervention, policy and legislation, and safety and training, according to Pines.
“It is definitely something that is more concrete and less ethereal than previous years,” said Donald Bolger, an associate professor and researcher in the College of Education. “This is a real driven, upward motion, and a real focus on having an impact.”
Featured Image: University President Darryll Pines speaks alongside tribal elders at the inauguration of the new Yahentamitsi Dining Hall on Nov. 1, 2021 in College Park Maryland. Photo by Joel Lev-Tov.