Honoring Achievement: Celebrating Latine Heritage Month

Dedicated UMD and Clark School resources

Clark School Community,

Once again, welcome to a new academic year and a new chance to spotlight the histories, cultures, and contributions that make Maryland Engineering such a dynamic community.

History and heritage months are a reminder of what we should be doing every day—creating an environment where anyone can pursue their passion and make a difference in society, and a celebration of the people who did it before us. We want to empower engineers from all backgrounds and experiences to innovate for the public good. Every voice is vital.

We are proud to join campus partners in celebrating Latine Heritage Month and the Latine engineers whose generosity of spirit and dedication to their craft are making a difference in the lives of others. I hope you will read and share all the stories of our Latine community members, and participate in campus-wide activities. For example:

Senior fire protection engineering major and Clark Opportunity Transfer Scholar Jonathan Portillo has found academic and personal satisfaction in applying the theoretical to real-life projects, both in his courses and at his summer internship at an architecture and engineering firm.
Tabatha Cuadra Rodriguez, J.D. ’04 (psychology and criminology and criminal justice) and assistant director of retention for the Women in Engineering Program leverages her love for advising students—and knowledge of the law—to foster a more connected Clark School and campus community.
Emilio A. Fernandez ’69, the inventor, entrepreneur, and visionary behind the IDEA Factory has generously funded the creation of the new iSTEM@UMD program aimed at unlocking the potential of unconventional learners—further enabling the Clark School to positively impact students and society.

Luz Martínez-Miranda, professor of materials science and engineering and a cherished member of our community, passed away in April. Through her leadership of organizations like the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and the National Society for Hispanic Physicists, she helped to ensure that anyone who wanted to pursue engineering had that opportunity. “When a student sees a role model who looks like them,” Luz would say, “they feel like they can make it.”

Her presence in the Clark School helped pave the way for students including materials science and engineering senior Mikaela Campos, who shared this advice for new Maryland Engineering students that I think we all should take to heart. “Never doubt your place at Clark,” she said. “This is a place to explore, learn, and grow all around.”

I encourage you to review our resources and visit our Maryland Engineering Student Organizations (MESO) website to find a community organization, and join in.

Sincerely,

Samuel Graham
Dean and Nariman Farvardin Professor

Published September 15, 2026