Forward: Empowering the Next Generation of Engineers

A professor sits in a robotics lab with a group of students next to her

On Monday, November 3, the University of Maryland launched Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history. Within the Clark School, the multi-year effort will advance its mission to educate the next generation of engineers, drive research and innovation that improve lives, and strengthen impact across the state of Maryland and beyond.

The Clark School has four key priority areas within Forward, driven by its strategic plan:

Forward for Discovery: Fueling transformative research and solving grand challenges
Forward for Experiential Learning: Embedding hands-on, interdisciplinary learning and leading innovations that benefit society
Forward for Community: Investing in people, removing financial barriers, and recognizing excellence
Forward for Partnerships: Translating knowledge into technologies and driving economic development

“With bold investment, we can expand our impact, accelerate innovation, and prepare the next generation of engineers to lead,” said Clark School Dean Samuel Graham. “Together, we will move Maryland Engineering forward and shape solutions the world urgently needs.”

The Clark School is renowned for turning ambitious ideas into real-world solutions that strengthen our society, including the ethical and impactful use of artificial intelligence (AI); expansion of quantum computing and networking systems; creation of smart manufacturing systems that strengthen our nation’s economy; development of leading energy storage and distribution systems; deployment of autonomous systems that protect people and property; integration of AI and advanced technologies into health care solutions that are accessible, affordable, and personalized to the patient; and more. Forward will enable even greater impact.

Researchers in white coats in a Materials Science & Engineering lab

Forward has already generated $318 million for the Clark School, including dozens of scholarships and fellowships, and other programmatic and facilities support:

At the Edward & Jennifer St. John Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine in Baltimore, working with the University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Medicine, students and researchers are creating technologies that improve clinical practice and patient care.
In Stanley R. Zupnik Hall, multiple engineering disciplines, cross-campus university institutes, and external partners will come together to understand and address the world’s most pressing challenges.
Launched in 2023, the Clark Scholars Program Network (CSPN) is designed to recruit, retain, and graduate exceptionally talented engineering students with financial need who are poised to take on society’s grand challenges. CSPN unifies the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation’s signature academic program, combining engineering, business, leadership, and community service at 11 top engineering schools around the nation.

Published November 3, 2025