The Progress Machine:
Building a Do Good Campus
A call to action for public research universities
University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines. Photo by Stephanie Cordle/UMD
I am an engineer. By nature and by training, I seek to build solutions to complicated problems. There’s certainly no shortage of those. Just scan any major newspaper and you’ll find divisive politics, war in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine, school shootings and natural disasters brought on by the climate crisis.
It can feel overwhelming. Solutions seem far from our grasp. And who should we look to for solutions? Governments? Corporations? Nonprofits?
I propose a perhaps overlooked answer: public research universities. They are uniquely positioned to make a positive difference in the lives of our citizens and across the globe, because universities have a combination of values, assets and problem-solving approaches that simply doesn’t exist elsewhere.
At the University of Maryland, we are proud to be the nation’s first Do Good campus. But we don’t want to be the only one. Research universities must be united in purpose, to do good.
University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines. Photo by Stephanie Cordle/UMD
University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines. Photo by Stephanie Cordle/UMD
Universities have the vision and the people and programs to power it.
First, we believe in evidence-based science. Institutions of higher education such as the University of Maryland have assembled some of the world’s greatest minds. Every day, we test, experiment and create new knowledge. This knowledge isn’t hearsay, it’s not opinion. It’s verifiable. To take on the grand challenges of our time, we must follow the science with our bold research enterprise.
Second, we surround ourselves with diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. At Maryland, we have made it a priority to build a multicultural community. Today’s problems don’t exist in vacuums. Climate change doesn’t care about where you live or the color of your skin. So we must listen to diverse voices to develop solutions that work for all.
Third, universities are bastions of creativity and innovation. The vibrant community of artists, dancers, actors and writers at the University of Maryland inspires us. Our “Arts for All” program seeks to expose every member of our campus to art and performances that broaden our horizons and encourage different ways of thinking. Art and creativity are essential to problem solving.
And finally, we are dedicated to teaching and learning, in and out of the classroom. Our university’s faculty includes some of the best teachers in the country, and our students are the most talented in our history. We put their learning into practice by investing in contests, competitions and challenges. Every year, we host the Do Good Challenge, a “Shark Tank”-style competition to elevate ideas and startups that hold the promise of real impact. And we recently launched the xFoundry, a first-of-its-kind program similar to the XPRIZE that will launch for-profit businesses taking on grand challenges such as school safety, gun violence and health care.
An unwavering belief in science. A diverse multicultural community. Artists and creators. Teachers and learners. This is the formula for progress. This is the formula for U.S. economic security. This is the formula for U.S. national security.
Here are just three examples of how this formula adds up to real impact in our communities today:
Photo by Stephanie Cordle/UMD
Photo by Stephanie Cordle/UMD
1) Taking on the Epidemic of Illiteracy
Like many states, Maryland faces a literacy crisis, and it predominantly affects marginalized groups. Our faculty established the Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity (MILE) to apply the latest findings from brain and behavioral research to knowledge building and training for educators, clinicians, libraries, communities, policymakers and families. We are in schools today across the state, addressing this problem.
Photo by Stephanie Cordle/UMD
Photo by Stephanie Cordle/UMD
2) Ensuring Abundant Food, Energy and Water
Worldwide, 870 million people are food-insecure, 2 billion lack access to safe drinking water, and nearly 1 billion don’t have electricity. However, since food, energy and water systems are so highly interconnected, it's critical to develop holistic food-energy-water (FEW) solutions using a systems thinking approach that integrates all three interdependent resources. UMD is leading the Global FEWture Alliance, which leverages research and experiential learning to effect positive change in underserved communities. The alliance is working on the ground here in Maryland as well as in Israel, Nepal and Tanzania.
Photo courtesy of NASA
Photo courtesy of NASA
3) Addressing Climate Change
From multiple 1,000-year floods in Ellicott City to deadly high temperatures in Baltimore to rising sea levels that threaten the ecology and economy of the Chesapeake Bay, it is clear that climate change is at our door in Maryland. Our program, Addressing Climate Challenges for a Sustainable Earth, is developing and installing sensors across the state to monitor temperature, wind, precipitation and more, allowing state emergency personnel to better predict developing storms, and importantly, to mitigate the damage to our farms and communities from catastrophic climate disasters.
The University of Maryland – and other universities like us – are uniquely positioned to change our world. We are machines of progress, charged with a mission of service. That is the commitment of one university to do good. Imagine the reach and impact if every research university joined this calling.
This content was paid for and created by the University of Maryland. The editorial staff of The Chronicle had no role in its preparation. Find out more about paid content.
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