The University of Maryland Terrapin Soil Judgers made another “Final Four appearance” at the 64th National Collegiate Soils Competition held March 26 and 27, in Raleigh, NC. Despite tough competition, the Terrapins had two individuals among the top 10 (Cole Chapman 3rd and Zie Goodman 7th) which was enough to land the team in 3rd place overall. Both Cole Chapman and Zie Goodman have been invited to be part of the USA Soil Judging Team that will be competing in the International Soil Judging Competition this June in Nanjing, China, immediately prior to the 23rd World Congress of Soil Science. The strong showing this week in NC, means that during the eight national contests held over the last 10 years (none in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID), UMD Soil Judging has had seven “final four” appearances including three National Championships (2017, 2019, 2023). Congratulations to the team and coach, Martin Rabenhorst!
Congratulations also to our ENSP Environmental Politics and Policy students, Khushi Desai and Leila Vergara, who have been awarded the 2026 NOAA Hollings Scholarship! The award provides two years of financial support at $9500, annually, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship and is one of the nation’s highest honors for exceptional students in STEM fields. We are so proud of these students!
This week holds a variety of meetings although a rescheduled trip to the Wye Research and Extension Center to meet with our University of Maryland Eastern Shore partners has opened up some planning time. I look forward to participating in my first AGNR Discovery and Innovation Night on Thursday evening. I am eager to hear from our students and learn from their experiences. I encourage our faculty and staff to make time in their schedule for this event and support our students. Our Agricultural and Resource Economics department is hosting Joytsna Puri, Director of Policy and Programs in the UN Environment Programme division on Friday. I look forward to her noon seminar where she will share a global perspective on environment and sustainability progress. There is effort to schedule a check-in meeting with our partners at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, another important partner. The calendar is full of interesting topics to advance our common goals and collective impact. After a few days in New Orleans last week, I realized that I don’t miss traveling out of state. I am fortunate to have everything I need in the way of exciting opportunities right here!
Photo Caption: University of Maryland Soil Judging Team at the 2026 National Competition in Raleigh, NC. L to R: Kelsey Genovese, Helen McConville, Emily O’Neill, Sage Greiner, Crystal Kitburi, Ellie Rogers, Tyler Demory, Martin Rabenhorst (Coach) Spencer Goldberg, Zie Goodman (7th place), Anya Olson, Cole Chapman (3rd place).