UMD Must “Stay Focused on Who We Are as Terps”

On Saturday, February 14, 2026, Valentine’s Day, the University of Maryland lost one of its most important icons with the passing of Elaine Johnson Coates, the first African American woman to graduate from our university with a bachelor’s degree.

I had the privilege of meeting her many times, presented her with an honorary degree, and was always struck by her joy, optimism and love for our university. Despite the many obstacles and adversity she had faced, she dedicated her life to the pursuit of the public good as an educator and social worker, and told everyone to “turn every scar into a star.”

On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the world woke up to the news that we had also lost the Rev. Jesse Jackson, one of the most legendary and influential civil rights heroes in our nation’s history—another opportunity to consider the legacy of those who spent their lives trying to erase division and stop hate, and reflect on how we can do the same in our own lives and on our own campus. Rev. Jackson always kept us grounded with optimism when he would start or end events with the charge to “Keep Hope Alive.”

Higher education—and the University of Maryland—is one of the jewels of our country. Nowhere else in society can so many people of different backgrounds, talents and dreams gather together to learn, grow and develop into the leaders who will shape the future for generations to come and improve the lives of so many people in our county, state, country and world.

Our campus has an excellent foundation in working to build, and keep, our university a place where everyone can thrive. At the very beginning of my presidency, I established the TerrapinSTRONG program to introduce every Terp to our history, traditions, strategic initiatives and vision of creating an environment where every member of our community feels that they matter and are empowered to reach their full potential. In our most recent Campus Climate and Belonging Survey in 2024, more than 75 percent of our students, faculty and staff were comfortable or very comfortable with the overall campus climate and the environment in classes, departments, programs and work units.

But 75 percent isn’t enough, and we know that, so we continue, fearlessly, to make sure our campus is one where everyone feels agency and belonging. We established a Task Force on Antisemitism and Islamophobia, which did a tremendous job in identifying ways for us to improve in combating and mitigating hate-bias incidents with prevention and actionable strategies, and we are actively implementing many of those recommendations. Just last week, we opened our new Unity Center in Cole Field House, giving more students the opportunity to foster connection, visibility and community-building across differences.

College Park is also not an island—as a diverse university with people who come here from all over the United States and around the world, turmoil at home and abroad will inevitably affect us all. One of the things that I love most about our Terps is how engaged they are in current affairs, and how they want to make a difference. This also means that we will inevitably find ourselves challenged by different views that come from different experiences, as we have seen many times in the last few years—including now. These tough conversations are not to be avoided, but they must be approached with respect and civility, leaving room for all. We also cannot lose sight of who we are and of our values, and must double down on our commitments to being united; respectful; secure and safe; inclusive; accountable; and empowered and open to growth. We must denounce and condemn all forms of hate and discrimination; they have no place in our community. 

So I ask everyone—whether you are a leader of a student organization, a department head, a student-athlete, part of our facilities staff, or any other student, faculty, or member of our campus community—to stay focused on who we are as Terps. We have so much to celebrate and build upon, from our research in emerging areas such as quantum science and technology, engineering and medicine, and artificial intelligence, to our Arts for All initiative, Do Good commitment, exceptional residential learning communities, study abroad opportunities and athletics programs that bring us all together to cheer as one family with Terrapin pride. We must be united in learning about new and different communities, cultures and experiences, and how we can use that collective strength to pursue a better world. So let’s get to work—together—to all do our part and create the conditions necessary so each Terp can participate in the excellent teaching, research and service that advances knowledge and progress for everyone. Let’s keep hope alive and turn every scar into a star.