MAPP News
Columbia University Reclaims Victory at Tenth Annual Colvin Case Study Challenge
College Park, Md.— The analysis of a towering, 26-story affordable housing project in the South Bronx took first place at the tenth annual Colvin Case Study Challenge on Saturday, Dec. 5. Columbia University returned to College Park for its second victory in the competition’s history, beating out student teams from Virginia Tech, UT Austin and University of Nevada-Las Vegas.View Article Details for Columbia University Reclaims Victory at Tenth Annual Colvin Case Study Challenge 
Terps Top AIA Potomac Valley’s 2026 “Emerging Professionals” Short List
Julia Campbell ’20, M.Arch ‘22 Samanty Habib’ 21 M.Arch ‘23, and Judy Tram ‘20, M.Arch, M.C.P. ‘24 join an elite cadre of early-career designers selected for the Emerging Professional (EP) Awards Program Class of 2026, a leadership development and mentorship program through AIA Potomac Valley (AIAPV). Campbell, Habib and Tram will participate in a year-long mentorship program with members of AIAPV’s Fellows community. They were three of five individuals selected this year.View Article Details for Terps Top AIA Potomac Valley’s 2026 “Emerging Professionals” Short List 
Distilling a Dream into a Destination
Twenty minutes north of Maryland’s bustling downtown Bethesda, Montgomery County’s vast Agricultural Reserve could be another planet. But among the agrarian outposts nestled along serene, rolling fields is a barn that could easily fit into both: with a seemingly endless backdrop of blue sky, it's a sleek interpretation of its rural counterparts and the state’s latest destination for sampling Maryland-grown spirits at their source.View Article Details for Distilling a Dream into a Destination 
Study Finds Dangerous Bacteria in Homes Plagued by Sewage Backups
Written by Katherine Shaver, originally published in Maryland Today.A University of Maryland study of Baltimore houses with recent sewage backups revealed that most had toxic bacteria that could potentially infect residents who touch a contaminated surface or breathe contaminated air.View Article Details for Study Finds Dangerous Bacteria in Homes Plagued by Sewage Backups 
For Urban Studies Professor and Alums, It’s (Not) Just Lunch
The food just kept coming: heaps of steaming noodles, pillowy pork buns, glistening spears of Chinese broccoli. As the dishes amassed on the tractor tire-sized lazy Susan, University of Maryland Associate Professor Emeritus Alexander Chen turned to his former students at the table. He taught them how to plan cities, inform federal policy and spearhead community development—but apparently not how to coordinate a dim sum order. “You’d think after nearly 10 years, we could get this right,” he said, shaking his head. “We always order way too much food.”View Article Details for For Urban Studies Professor and Alums, It’s (Not) Just Lunch 
UMD AI Study Aims to Ensure Transit Options Don’t Create One-Way Ticket to Rising Rents
Written by Katherine ShaverAs construction on the light-rail Purple Line continues between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, University of Maryland researchers are helping to ensure that lower-income renters can continue living close enough to share in its benefits.View Article Details for UMD AI Study Aims to Ensure Transit Options Don’t Create One-Way Ticket to Rising Rents