Join Us for Maryland Day on Saturday, April 30

The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences will host 36 events.

Explore our world of fearless ideas when Maryland Day returns to College Park on Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Maryland Day is an exciting opportunity for prospective students and area residents to learn more about the University of Maryland. Unlock a world of learning, discovery and exploration, with hundreds of family-friendly festivities including exhibits, workshops, hands-on demonstrations, performances, cross-campus tours, lectures, petting zoos and athletic events.

Maryland Day will be held rain or shine. Admission and parking are free. A campus map can be found here.

We hope you’ll join the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences on Science & Tech Way for the 36 events listed below! View the full day’s schedule here.

Biology-Psychology Building

• Maryland Wildlife Quest – Outside, all day
  • Explore the wildlife of Maryland and contribute to a Chesapeake Bay and Appalachian Mountains mural.

Bioscience Research Building

• Elephant's Toothpaste – Fun with Chemistry – Front Entrance, all day
  • The UMD student chapter of the American Chemical Society has fun with chemistry reactions like Elephant's Toothpaste. 

Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering

• Optoro, the Optiverse and Sustainability – Lobby, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • At Optoro, we’re transforming retail by eliminating waste from returns. Learn about your impact on returns and what you can do to live more sustainably.
• Technica Info+Swag Table – Lobby, all day
  • Come learn about Technica, the world's largest hackathon for underrepresented genders taking place on October 15 and 16 at the Hotel at the University of Maryland! Be sure to pick up some techni-swag too!
• Explore Computer Science – Lobby, all day
  • Meet current Computer Science advisors and students and find out why we are one of the top Computer Science departments in the world!
• CompSciConnect Spring Showcase – Rooms 1207, 1104, 1108 and 1116, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Explore projects created with Scratch and App Inventor, dynamic web pages, and basic 3D games created by middle school students at our CompSciConnect Spring Showcase. All ages welcome to attend.
• Immersive Media Design Maryland Day Showcase – Room 0110, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • View showcase and demos of immersive media works by University of Maryland students, faculty and staff.
• Prospective Student Workshop – Room 0324, 11 to 11:45 a.m. and 12 to 12:45 p.m.
  • Learn more about the Computer Science major at UMD in an information session from an academic advisor with opportunity for a Q&A session with current Computer Science students.
• Microbes & Computers ... Oh My! – Lobby, all day
  • Participate in activities related to the human microbiome and computational analyses of microbiome data.
• Maryland Robotics Center Robotics Showcase – Lobby, all day
  • Improve your robotics skills and knowledge with hands-on activities offered by the Maryland Robotics Center.
• Tour of The Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering – Lobby, all day
  • Join us for a 45-minute walking tour of the Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering! Tours will begin every hour on the hour.
• Mokhtarzada Hatchery Open House – Room 2237, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • The Mokhtarzada Hatchery provides dedicated working space, mentors, seed funding and networking opportunities to help student entrepreneurs launch their startups. Learn more about the Hatchery and see demos from student startups participating in the program.
• Meet Break Through Tech DC at UMD – Lobby, all day
  • Break Through Tech DC at UMD representatives will be available to talk about our programs and how you can get be a part of our mission to advance gender equality in tech!
• Ninjas & Turtles – Cantilever, all day
  • Come learn about Kappa Theta Pi while playing small fair games like cornhole and pick-a-duck that have a ninja and turtles spin in honor our mascot and the Maryland Terrapins.
• Discover XR – Room 0318, all day
  • Join the XR Club to explore immersive and interactive technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality! Attendees will have the opportunity to try out state-of-the-art equipment and experiences and view featured student projects.

Glenn L. Martin Building

• Ask an Astronomer – Front lawn, all day
  • Astronomy faculty and students answer your perplexing astronomy-related questions.
• Earth System Science and Climate Change – Front lawn, all day
  • Explore our planet with earth system scientists from the university, NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Participate in educational and entertaining Earth science-themed activities. Find out how much water you can "squeeze" from a cloud and learn about lightning and flash-flood safety from interactive virtual reality displays.
• Our Neighbor, NASA Goddard – Front lawn, all day
  • Around the corner and around the galaxy: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, five miles away in Greenbelt, builds spacecraft and instruments and invents technology to study earth, the sun, solar system and universe. Discover how its mission affects you.
• Solar Observing – Front lawn, all day
  • Take a safe look at the big, bright, yellow (or red, depending on the filter) ball in our sky through telescopes with observatory staff.
• Looking Into the Cosmos – Front lawn, all day
  • Join the AstroTerps, the Terrapin Astronomy Society, to explore the familiar and not-so-familiar sights of the universe. How many can you identify?
• Fingerprinting the Universe – Front lawn, all day
  • Each person has a unique fingerprint. Each chemical element in our bodies and the universe also has a unique fingerprint that is encoded in light. Learn how astronomers study the skies using different wavelengths of light and how they decode the light to unravel the mysteries of the universe.
• Puzzles and Brain Teasers – Front lawn, all day
  • Play with puzzles and other brain teasers brought to you by our math wizards.
• Maryland's Weather and Climate – Front lawn, all day
  • Learn about Maryland's weather, how the materials we use to build cities makes where we live hotter, and play with a tornado in a bottle.
• Explosive Energy Release at the Sun – Front lawn, all day
  • Enormous explosions in the solar atmosphere are driven by the energy associated with the sun's magnetic field. The resulting blast wave that strikes the Earth can knock out communications satellites and ground-based power grids and endanger the health of astronauts in space.

Geology Building

• Moonquakes & Marsquakes – Outside, all day
  • Create your own ‘moonquakes’ and discover how NASA and UMD are helping to prepare astronauts to explore rocky worlds, like the Moon and Mars. Learn about the tools Apollo astronauts used on the surface of the Moon and what new tools we may send with astronauts who will visit the Moon in this decade.

John S. Toll Physics Building

• Can You Move Like a Cell? – Outside, all day
  • Collective motion is important to cells of all types – skin cells that move collectively are better at healing wounds, and immune cells that work together are better at detecting and eliminating infections. This interactive demonstration invites participants to "move like a cell" in games like follow the leader while a camera tracks them. Check out our brand new acoustic levitation demonstration too!
• Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream 1 – Outside, 12:30 to 2 p.m.
  • Bet you haven't had ice cream like this! This homemade specialty tastes great and is safe for all ages. Try it, while supplies last.
• Radar Velocity – Outside, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Test your throwing ability at the Radar Velocity Detector Station.
• Smoke Cannons – Outside, all day
  • Two cannons make for amazing motion when rings collide.
• Think Quantum: Magnetic Levitation – Outside, all day
  • See levitating superconductors, cooled by liquid nitrogen, zoom along a magnetic track.
• Out of the Dark Movie Premier – Room 1412, showings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
  • Be part of our first ever public viewing of "Out of the Dark," a film produced and shot on location here at UMD. The film will follow the amazing journey of discovery in electricity and magnetism through portrayals of famous scientists and inventors by our very own physics community. Grab a bag of popcorn and get ready to have some fun! 

Plant Sciences Building – North Colonnade

• Discover a Swamp – Outside, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Capture and observe the small aquatic creatures that are common in nearby wetlands. Learn about their behavior as they swim through water and climb on plants.
• Insect Petting Zoo – Outside, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Imagine tarantulas, exotic insects, scorpions, bees and millipedes longer than your hand for you to look at and touch – if you dare.

Vortex Makerspace (Building 111, behind Toll Physics Building)

• Vortex Makerspace Open House – Building 111, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Visit the Vortex Makerspace for some fun hands-on activities.