With her generous gift, Susan Murphy (B.S. ’75, mathematics) funded a Maryland Promise Program scholarship to provide students with financial, mentoring and networking opportunities.

For Susan Murphy (B.S. ’75, mathematics), the years she spent as an undergraduate at the University of Maryland made an unforgettable impact.

“Maryland provided me with an excellent educational foundation and then a successful, lucrative and very diversified career,” Murphy said. “That wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have that education.”

Nearly 50 years later, Murphy started writing the next chapter in her UMD story, with the hope of giving others the same kind of academic opportunity she had years ago.

“I tell you what,” she said, “it’s probably one of the best things I ever did.”

It all started one summer day in 2020 when Murphy, now retired and living in South Carolina, received the latest edition of Odyssey, the annual magazine published by UMD’s College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS).

“I am a lifetime alumni member, and I get all these publications from the university,” Murphy explained. “And when I started reading Odyssey, the thing that caught my attention was the very back page of that glossy publication.”

What Murphy happened to see on the back page was an advertisement promoting the Herbert Hauptman Endowed Graduate Fellowship Program, which was established by a mathematics alum’s daughter to honor her late father’s memory. Murphy was immediately inspired.

“You know I looked at that and I said, ‘Why not?” she recalled. “I was very fortunate to get an excellent foundation at Maryland, and when I saw that story, I thought, you know what? I think I want to be a philanthropist, and I want to give back to help others who weren’t as fortunate as I was.”

Murphy soon contacted CMNS Assistant Dean for Development Megan Carnell, and with a generous gift, she established the Susan E. Murphy B.S. ’75 Maryland Promise Scholarship. The scholarship supports undergraduates from Maryland and Washington, D.C., who demonstrate exceptional leadership and academic potential, providing them with financial, mentoring and networking opportunities. Her gift was matched by the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation as part of its Building Together investment in the university.

“Helping students who need that help, this was something I really wanted to do, and it has been a very rewarding endeavor for me,” Murphy explained.

Inspired by mathematics

As an honor student excelling in math at Dulaney High School in Timonium, Maryland, Murphy always saw UMD as part of her plan for the future. From the day she arrived on campus, everything about her college experience—from living in the Centreville dorm to the programs and people that were part of her major in mathematics—was just what she’d been hoping for. 

“My college experience was fantastic. Both educationally and socially,” Murphy recalled.

All my professors were great. The other thing I really remember is that I was so impressed with the graduate students. You would go to your lectures and have your classes and then you’d go to these sessions with graduate students, and there were a couple in there that really made an impression on me.”

Murphy’s studies in mathematics and the other classes she took to broaden her skill set provided a strong foundation for the future.

“After a year or two, I realized I didn’t want to be a math teacher, so I tried to map out my curriculum so I was able to get a minor in computer science,” Murphy explained. “The computer science-math combo was really what got me off to a positive start after I graduated.”

Murphy’s first job took her to Bendix in Columbia, Maryland, where she worked as a contractor for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

“I worked with a lady who was a Ph.D., and quite often we’d get on the van to go to Goddard, and we plotted the satellites,” Murphy recalled. “That kind of knowledge was a little bit above my head, but it was really interesting. Every time a scientist plotted a path for a satellite, a book was written, and I think there were two books where I was mentioned as a contributor.”

Ready for a new challenge, Murphy moved on to Westinghouse, which later became Northrop Grumman, where for the next 35 years she took on a variety of roles, from software programming to business to management. For Murphy, every new position was an opportunity to grow.

“My whole career wasn’t technical. I moved to the business side of the house, and I jumped around in different financial capacities and moved into management for a while,” she explained. “When I would change jobs to a totally different field they would say, ‘There’s your desk, figure it out.’ And that’s what I did. It was kind of self-education—it’s really interesting to be able to get through the muddy waters yourself, to have the self-development to be able to do that.”

Staying connected to UMD

Throughout her career and after she retired in 2012 and moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Murphy stayed connected to people and events at Maryland through the university publications and glossy magazines that showed up regularly in her mailbox. But when she launched her Maryland Promise Program scholarship, that UMD connection began to feel much more personal—especially in 2023 when the scholarship named its first recipient—public health science major Taylynn Taylor.

“They sent me a letter that Taylynn had written to me. It was just very emotional, made me very happy and even made me cry,” Murphy said. “It just made me feel like I made a difference in somebody’s life.”

In her thank-you letter, Taylor shared her passion for science, calling the scholarship a blessing.

“I knew in my junior year of high school that I wanted to go to a school that would support my research and curiosity, and help to develop my interests,” Taylor wrote. “What I didn't know was that by going to Maryland I would also get support outside of the classroom and office hours. To be supported by your organization both in and out of academic pursuits is truly amazing, and I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

On November 8, 2024, Murphy and others who have made generous gifts to CMNS were honored at the CMNS Dean’s Circle Dinner & Induction Ceremony. For Murphy, being able to help students like Taylor realize their dreams means more than she could ever have imagined. 

“It means everything,” Murphy said. “I was able to make a difference for someone who is less fortunate than me, and Taylynn seems like she’s a very, very smart young lady. She’s in the sciences, and if that’s where her heart leads her and that’s what she wants to do, then God bless her, and I’m glad I can make that happen for her. I hope other alums will be inspired to do the same.”

Starting Spring 2025, the Grant Family Outstanding Achievement Undergraduate Student Award will recognize graduating seniors excelling in both fields.

The University of Maryland will launch the Grant Family Outstanding Achievement Undergraduate Student Award in Computer Science and Mathematics in Spring 2025 to honor exceptional graduating seniors excelling in both fields. Established by computer science Adjunct Professor John Grant, the award recognizes undergraduate students pursuing double majors in these interconnected disciplines. Grant has been a faculty member in both mathematics and computer science departments for over 50 years. 

All majors conferred by the Department of Computer Science are eligible for the award, which will be presented to graduating seniors who are also mathematics double majors. Preference will be given to students with the highest GPA.    

Grant, who has dedicated much of his career to teaching and research in both fields, explained his motivation for establishing the award.

“Computer science and mathematics are deeply interrelated fields,” he said. “Mathematics provides a foundation for much of computer science, and the tools of computer science are increasingly used in mathematical work. Students who pursue both fields demonstrate an extraordinary ability to master the complexities of these disciplines.”

The award also reflects Grant’s appreciation for the university, where he has spent decades contributing to the academic development of students. He sees the award as a way to give back to an institution that has been a central part of his professional life.

“I wanted to do something to show my gratitude to UMD. This award is a way to highlight the strength of these departments and the outstanding students they produce,” he added.

The award, which reflects Grant’s decades-long connection to the university, will be overseen by the computer science and mathematics departments. 

Matthias Zwicker, chair of the Department of Computer Science, praised the award's significance.

“The award is a powerful testament to the importance of interdisciplinary education,” said Zwicker, who holds the Elizabeth Iribe Chair for Innovation and the Phillip H. and Catherine C. Horvitz Professorship in Computer Science. “Computer science has increasingly become a field that relies on mathematical rigor to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. Recognizing students who excel in both disciplines sends a strong message about the value of these fields and equips our graduates to tackle challenges in artificial intelligence, cryptography, data science and beyond.”

Doron Levy, chair of the Department of Mathematics, echoed Zwicker’s sentiments and highlighted the collaborative nature of the award.

“This award underscores the connections between the two disciplines that drive innovation in today’s world," Levy shared. “It is the first award in our institution that recognizes students who specialize in both areas. By recognizing these students, the award not only celebrates their hard work but also highlights the interdisciplinary collaborations that are essential for solving complex problems.”

Moving forward, Grant believes the award will reflect UMD’s dedication to celebrating exceptional student achievement.  

“I don't know of any university that has such an award. It will be something special to Maryland,” he said. “I hope this recognition will not only celebrate outstanding students but also motivate others to pursue excellence in these fields.” 

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications 

The Department welcomes comments, suggestions and corrections.  Send email to .

He is the first member of UMD’s Department of Mathematics to receive this prestigious award for young mathematicians.

The European Mathematical Society (EMS) awarded a 2024 EMS Prize to Adam Kanigowski, a Polish-born associate professor in the University of Maryland’s Department of Mathematics. Established in 1992, the prize is presented every four years to esteemed mathematicians aged 35 or under who work in Europe or are of European nationality.

Kanigowski will accept his award on July 15, 2024, at the 9th European Congress of Mathematics in Seville, Spain, where he will also present his research on slow chaos, a subset of chaos theory that involves studying unpredictable events that unfold gradually.

When he first learned he received this award, Kanigowski said he was pleased and humbled by the honor.

“It’s quite a prestigious award, and I’m happy that the work I’ve put in was noticed by other people,” he said.

No more than 10 people receive an EMS Prize in each award cycle, and Kanigowski’s achievement represents a first for UMD.

"We have never had a member of our department receive this award,” said Mathematics Chair Doron Levy. “This is a huge recognition, and many of the previous winners have gone on to receive the Fields Medal."

Kanigowski is a theorist specializing in dynamical systems, a mathematical tool for understanding changes in complex systems over time. He earned his master’s degree from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland, in 2012 and his Ph.D. from the Institute of Mathematics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw in 2015.

After graduating, he joined Penn State University as an S. Chowla Research Assistant Professor in 2015 and then joined UMD as an assistant professor in 2018 after learning more about its dynamics group.

“I think that the dynamics group at UMD is one of the strongest in the U.S., so it was a natural decision for me,” he said. “I'm happy that I can be a part of it.”

Kanigowski’s background is uniquely suited to one of his current responsibilities at UMD: helping to strengthen the relationship between the dynamics groups at UMD and Penn State. Each year since 1991, the two universities jointly sponsored conferences on dynamical systems on their respective campuses. Kanigowski led the organization of UMD’s conference this year, which brought together more than a dozen speakers from around the world in April.

Over the last six years, Kanigowski said he has learned a great deal from his colleagues in the dynamics group—especially Distinguished University Professor Dmitry Dolgopyat—and benefited from his collaborations with Professors Bassam Fayad and Giovanni Forni. Kanigowski has published more than 40 papers in premier mathematical journals—including the Journal of the American Mathematical Society, Annals of Mathematics and Inventiones Mathematicae—and contributed new understandings of the Ratner property, a mathematical concept developed in the 1980s.

In addition to the 2024 EMS Prize, Kanigowski received two other professional awards this year. In March, the Simons Foundation named him a 2024 Simons Fellow in Mathematics, and in April he received the Award of the Institute of Mathematics of the Polish Academy of Sciences for his contributions to the fields of dynamical systems and ergodic theory.

Since December 2022, Kanigowski has led a flagship project at Jagiellonian University in Poland that partly supports a research collaboration with UMD. He also enjoys spending time with his daughters and competing in triathlons. He finished his first Ironman triathlon in Austria in June—a feat wholly separate from his math interests, but one he worked just as hard for.

“I think the stereotype for a mathematician is a person who sits at their desk and is not very active in sports, so finishing a triathlon is one thing I’m really proud of,” he said.

So far this summer, Kanigowski has not stayed idle for long. He recently gave a talk in Bologna, Italy, at a birthday celebration for Forni, an alum of the University of Bologna. He then traveled to Singapore to work with a colleague before boarding a flight to Seville for this week's European Congress of Mathematics.

“There will be a variety of talks at the congress,” he said, “so I'm excited to see the new trends and latest developments in math.”