Avis and Bruce Richards Endowed Veterans Scholarship Fund

Bryan Garofolo

Brian is an active-duty Marine with 11 years of service and is currently in the NROTC program at UMD. He serves as an advisor to prospective naval officers, providing mentorship to develop their leadership skills and challenging them physically to prepare them for future service.

Justin Goodwin

Justin is a senior set to graduate in December with a double degree in philosophy and German studies. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served for 8.5 years. He has been an active member of the German department and has studied abroad in Germany.

Connor Jennings

Connor was born in Torrington, CT, and he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2009. He has been at UMD since August 2023, where he has enjoyed participating in the NROTC program. He has held the positions of athletics officer and battalion executive officer.

Brandon Koskey

Brandon was an avionics technician in the U.S. Marine Corps and is now pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. At UMD, he served as a volunteer manager at the Sandbox Makerspace, helping students and staff bring their creative and technical ideas to life. His studies focus on signal processing and quantum mechanics, and he applies the knowledge he's accumulated at UMD to radar processing techniques at the Naval Research Laboratory.

Kylie London

Kylie is deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve others and help build community at UMD. Being active in campus clubs and supporting both people and animals is central to who she is as an individual.

Jazmine Miranda

Jazmine served 6.5 years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force before starting her degree in family health at UMD. She chose to pursue this path to better understand how to improve the health and well-being of families and communities. Her time in the military taught her resilience and commitment, which are skills she carries throughout her academic journey.

Ashlee Swanson

Ashlee is an electrical engineering student and a U.S. Navy veteran, where she first developed her passion for engineering as a cryptologic technician. At UMD, she works for Veteran Student Life and serves as president of TerpVets, where she supports and advocates for fellow student veterans. Her academic focus is on communication systems and how technology can improve access to information in underserved communities.

Lafayette Tyger

Lafayette is from Washington, D.C., and joined the Marine Corps in 2016. He has served for the past 9 years as an infantryman, where he also teaches marksmanship and urban leadership. He is majoring in criminal justice with minors in leadership and naval science. He plans to earn a master's degree in criminal justice to pursue a career as a detective or politician after his service.

Ashlee Swanson

Ashlee Swanson is in the Navy for seven years and deployed twice as a cryptologist to the Middle East. She is now pursuing an Electrical Engineering degree with a minor in Spanish, and was recently given the privilege to be TerpVets Vice President. She also works with Veteran Student Life at the university and enjoys trying to give a little back to the vet community.

Bryan Garofolo

Bryan Garofolo is a new transfer student that is currently with the NROTC program for the University of Maryland as a Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) student. He is currently an active duty Sergeant in the Marine Corps and is thankful for the opportunity to attend the University of Maryland and experience the local area around the campus with his family of six. While this is his first semester with the school, Bryan has gotten nothing but friendly and helpful support from the staff and is excited for the future ahead as a Terp!

Dennis Pote

Dennis Pote is an Electrical Engineering major and Marine Corps veteran in his third year of school. Dennis hopes to complete his degree with a focus in communication systems and go on to work in that field. Dennis plans to look into a variety of internship options in the upcoming semester with the goal of gaining relevant work experience. 

Hannah Jacobson

Hannah Jacobson is a Marine Corps veteran currently pursuing a dual undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and Kinesiology. She is highly involved in the Veteran Student Life engagement office and Terp Vets student organization at UMD. Hannah plans to pursue a career in the field of neuroscience either in the medical field or by conducting research.

Jason Barbier

Jason Barbier is originally from Waldorf Maryland and joined the United States Air Force out of high school to gain technical skills, global insight, and leadership experience. He served 7 years as both a radio communications and aircraft maintenance technician at Royal Air Force Base croton, United Kingdom and Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. He was awarded below the zone early promotion to E5 (staff sergeant) for distinction in his job and involvement in his community. Jason Barbier, majoring in physics, is planning to continue studies in graduate school to advance research in nuclear and quantum scale physics. Outside of studies, Jason enjoys learning as much as he can about the world (in science, history, language) and volunteering to help shelter dogs find a new home.

Jenny-Precious Fobang

Jennyprecious Nagwa Fobang is an immigrant from Cameroon and a first-generation college student. She is enlisted in the Army and pursuing a career in ROTC to become a 2LT in the Army National Guard. She's also a Nursing major and heavily involved in CRU on campus, which is a group of communities joined together to serve God.

Kenneth Swindell

Kenneth Swindell is currently still active duty and a mentor within the UMD NROTC program. He helps with development and instruction within the command. Kenneth hopes to receive his degree in Computer Science to reenlist as a Cyber Security Officer. 

Steven Fox

Steven Fox is a dedicated junior studying Information Science, blending his passion for technology with a strong foundation in leadership. Steven is currently serving as the President of "Impact," a thriving campus ministry, he is committed to fostering a positive and transformative environment for fellow students by sharing with them the gospel of Jesus Christ, and while continually seeking opportunities to integrate his technological prowess and leadership acumen to make a lasting impact.

Kenneth Swindell

Kenneth Swindell is currently still active duty and a mentor within the UMD NROTC program. He helps with development and instruction within the command. Kenneth hopes to receive his degree in Computer Science to reenlist as a Cyber Security Officer. 

Hannah Boss

Hannah Boss is originally from Nekoosa, Wisconsin, and joined the Marine Corps directly out of high school. As a Marine, she served five years active duty as a CH-53E helicopter crew chief stationed in North Carolina. She is currently majoring in Neuroscience with plans of going to graduate school to become a professor of Neuroscience. When not doing schoolwork, Hannah enjoys Olympic weightlifting, reading, and playing the piano.

Thomas Geisler

Thomas Geisler is a seven year veteran of the U.S. Army where he served one deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Thomas is a first generation college student who hails from Baltimore, Maryland. He is currently a sophomore with a 3.98 GPA who is studying Fire Protection Engineering having followed this path from an early interest in being a firefighter. Thomas has an Associate’s degree in Arabic from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. He hopes to work in the field of wildfire prevention and management when he graduates.

Nicholas Culwell

Nicholas Culwell is currently a senior at the University of Maryland, pursuing a degree in Environmental Science and Policy, with a concentration in Land Use. For the past year, Nicholas held the position of TERPVETS President, and he is a member of the Vice President of Student Affairs Student Advisory Council. Prior to attending the University of Maryland, Nicholas served in the US Coast Guard for 5 years. Since my separation from active duty service, Nicholas has continued his military career through the capacity of the Coast Guard Reserves.

Kenneth Swindell

Kenneth Swindell is currently still active duty and a mentor within the UMD NROTC program. He helps with development and instruction within the command. Kenneth hopes to receive his degree in Computer Science to reenlist as a Cyber Security Officer. 

Dennis Pote

Dennis Pote is an Electrical Engineering major and Marine Corps veteran in his third year of school. Dennis hopes to complete his degree with a focus in communication systems and go on to work in that field. Dennis plans to look into a variety of internship options in the upcoming semester with the goal of gaining relevant work experience. 

Andrew Glipin

Andrew Gilpin enlisted into the Air Force in 2011 and served 10 years in Security Forces serving most of his career overseas in Italy, Korea, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. With experience gained as a Base Defense Controller, Assistant Flight Chief and NCOIC of Investigations & Intelligence, Andrew is reshaping his career and future at Maryland by focusing on education and research in Physics and Astrophysics. Since enrolling at UMD, Andrew immediately got involved in quantum research and dark matter detection, projects at the Quantum Technology Center and plans to continue this research for the majority of his time at the university. 

Jason Barbier

Jason Barbier is originally from Waldorf Maryland and joined the United States Air Force out of high school to gain technical skills, global insight, and leadership experience. He served 7 years as both a radio communications and aircraft maintenance technician at Royal Air Force Base croton, United Kingdom and Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. He was awarded below the zone early promotion to E5 (staff sergeant) for distinction in his job and involvement in his community. Jason Barbier, majoring in physics, is planning to continue studies in graduate school to advance research in nuclear and quantum scale physics. Outside of studies, Jason enjoys learning as much as he can about the world (in science, history, language) and volunteering to help shelter dogs find a new home.

Hector Lopez-Lucero

Hector Lopez-Lucero was born and raised in Maryland. After graduating from Parkdale High School in Riverdale, MD he joined the Marine Corps. He served as an infantry rifleman and deployed to Okinawa, Japan and the Gulf of Aden during his 4 years on active duty. He is currently studying Civil Engineering and upon graduation hopes to go into public service and ultimately become a professional engineer.

Amber Carnazza

Thomas Geisler

Thomas Geisler is a seven year veteran of the U.S. Army where he served one deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Thomas is a first generation college student who hails from Baltimore, Maryland. He is currently a sophomore with a 3.98 GPA who is studying Fire Protection Engineering having followed this path from an early interest in being a firefighter. Thomas has an Associate’s degree in Arabic from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. He hopes to work in the field of wildfire prevention and management when he graduates.

Ben Johanson

Nisa Pottinger

Nisa Pottinger is a transfer student majoring in Chinese language. She is a veteran of the United States Navy, where she spent her time as a Gunners mate. She served two back to back deployments in the Pacific and Middle East regions. She hopes to achieve her goal of becoming a Translator or Interpreter through her studies at the University of Maryland.

Yaggya Thappa

2019-2020 Scholar

Yaggya is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology at the School of Public Health. As a Health Care Specialist for five years in the US Army, Yaggya provided primary edical care, emergency medical treatments and preventive health trainings at garrison and in deployment in Kuwait and Poland. Yaggya hails from Nepal and a long line of military family members. His grandfather served in the Indian Armed Force and his father served in the British Army. Upon graduation, he intends to continue providing service to veterans as a Rehabilitation Therapist. Yaggya and his wife are expecting their first child in a few months.

Messan Anato

Emely Santos

Hannah Boss

Hannah Boss is originally from Nekoosa, Wisconsin, and joined the Marine Corps directly out of high school. As a Marine, she served five years active duty as a CH-53E helicopter crew chief stationed in North Carolina. She is currently majoring in Neuroscience with plans of going to graduate school to become a professor of Neuroscience. When not doing schoolwork, Hannah enjoys Olympic weightlifting, reading, and playing the piano.

Sean Charbonneu

In 2008, Scott joined the U.S. Army and spent one year in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a helicopter mechanic. After his first tour of duty, he was assigned to the historic Bravo Company Lancers of 101st CAB and deployed to Afghanistan in the fall of 2012. He flew over 400 hours as a crew chief in a UH-60 Black Hawk. For his countless hours of work and dangerous missions that he flew in support of U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Forces, and other military units, he was awarded the Air Medal. After being denied flight school, he left the Army and decided to learn how to build aircraft. As a senior in the A. James Clark School of Engineering’s Aerospace program, he is also an active member with Sigma Gamma Tau, the aerospace engineering honor society; American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; the Vertical Flight Society, and Terp Vets. After working multiple internships at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to design, build, and test the United States Marine Corps’s and Canada’s Cyclone helicopters, he will achieve his goals. During his engineering coursework he has also become an FAA certificated A&P Mechanic and a private helicopter pilot.

Raymi Chatman

Raymi Chatman is an Air Force veteran and returning student. She was born in Florida and later moved to Silver Spring, Maryland where she graduated from Springbrook High School. Upon graduation, Raymi enlisted in the military, where she served four years in Spokane, Washington. Currently, Raymi is a junior with an intended major in Psychology. She plans on completing her undergraduate degree at UMD while taking prerequisite courses for a Physicial Assistant program.

Scott Green

In 2008, Scott joined the U.S. Army and spent one year in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a helicopter mechanic. After his first tour of duty, he was assigned to the historic Bravo Company Lancers of 101st CAB and deployed to Afghanistan in the fall of 2012. He flew over 400 hours as a crew chief in a UH-60 Black Hawk. For his countless hours of work and dangerous missions that he flew in support of U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Forces, and other military units, he was awarded the Air Medal. After being denied flight school, he left the Army and decided to learn how to build aircraft. As a senior in the A. James Clark School of Engineering’s Aerospace program, he is also an active member with Sigma Gamma Tau, the aerospace engineering honor society; American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; the Vertical Flight Society, and Terp Vets. After working multiple internships at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to design, build, and test the United States Marine Corps’s and Canada’s Cyclone helicopters, he will achieve his goals. During his engineering coursework he has also become an FAA certificated A&P Mechanic and a private helicopter pilot.

Benjamin Johanson

Benjamin Johanson is a nine year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Originally from California, Ben is a sophomore majoring in Astronomy with a 3.8 GPA. He has an Associate’s degree in Russian from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. He also has over 1,100 hours in specialized training in basic Pashto from the National Cryptologic School. He served a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Ben is married with two children and when he isn’t studying, he volunteers as a local den leader for his son’s Cub Scout troop.

Julessa Jolley

Julessa Jolley is majoring in Architecture with a minor in Construction Project Management with a planned 2020 graduation. She hopes to continue her dedication to public service in the Department of Defense as a civilian employee. Julessa is an 8 year veteran of the US Army where she served as a military policeman and achieved the rank of staff sergeant. She served one deployment to Afghanistan.

David Pichardo

David Pichardo is the first in his family to serve his country. A proud US Marine Corp veteran who served for 5 years during 2003-2008 with two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, David is a junior in the iSchool majoring in Information Science. My interests include computer and technology, more specifically programming. My goal is to become a Data Scientist because I love the human-computer aspect and solving organizational and societal problems using information and technology. He has two children (1-month-old son and 2-year-old daughter).

Stephen Summers

Seldon Warner

Seldon is an Army Airborne veteran with seven years of service. He was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, jumped into internationally combined training missions in Europe, and held the high honor of being in Alpha Company’s firing party at The 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard. Having recently completed his Associates Degree in Applied Health Science through American Military University and completing the Dog Tag, Inc. Fellowship earning a Certificate of Business Administration from Georgetown University of Continuing Studies, Seldon will major in Electrical Engineering at Maryland. He is very involved in helping underemployed veterans afford homes and hopes to put his engineering degree to use developing lighter body armor for soldiers. Seldon is married and will begin his Maryland journey this fall.

Raymi Chatman

Raymi Chatman is an Air Force veteran and returning student. She was born in Florida and later moved to Silver Spring, Maryland where she graduated from Springbrook High School. Upon graduation, Raymi enlisted in the military, where she served four years in Spokane, Washington. Currently, Raymi is a junior with an intended major in Psychology. She plans on completing her undergraduate degree at UMD while taking prerequisite courses for a Physicial Assistant program.

Sean Charbonneu

In 2008, Scott joined the U.S. Army and spent one year in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a helicopter mechanic. After his first tour of duty, he was assigned to the historic Bravo Company Lancers of 101st CAB and deployed to Afghanistan in the fall of 2012. He flew over 400 hours as a crew chief in a UH-60 Black Hawk. For his countless hours of work and dangerous missions that he flew in support of U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Forces, and other military units, he was awarded the Air Medal. After being denied flight school, he left the Army and decided to learn how to build aircraft. As a senior in the A. James Clark School of Engineering’s Aerospace program, he is also an active member with Sigma Gamma Tau, the aerospace engineering honor society; American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; the Vertical Flight Society, and Terp Vets. After working multiple internships at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to design, build, and test the United States Marine Corps’s and Canada’s Cyclone helicopters, he will achieve his goals. During his engineering coursework he has also become an FAA certificated A&P Mechanic and a private helicopter pilot.

Sara Feret

Sara Feret served in the U.S. Navy for four years and was stationed on U.S.S. John Paul Jones (Guided Missile Destroyer) where she worked as a cryptologic technician. She was deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and was awarded the Navy Marine Corp Medal of Achievement and an ESWS pin (Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) all while deployed. Sara hails from Texas and is married to a fellow service member. They have a young daughter. Currently Sara serves as the Executive Vice President of TerpVets, the University of Maryland student veteran organization, and she is a mentor for the PAVE (Peer Advisors for Veteran Education) program. Sara is working on her Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and has plans to continue her education in Occupational Therapy after she graduates. She maintains a 3.28 GPA.

Simone Frazer

Simone Frazer is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served for five years including one deployment to Germany. A Maryland native, Simone has returned to the University to gain an undergraduate degree in Biology. She is a sophomore with a 3.42 GPA and is active in TerpVets. Her prior experience working at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science (USUHS) and her service in a military hospital were her inspiration to pursue a career in medicine. She hopes to become a child psychiatrist.

Thomas Geisler

Thomas Geisler is a seven year veteran of the U.S. Army where he served one deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Thomas is a first generation college student who hails from Baltimore, Maryland. He is currently a sophomore with a 3.98 GPA who is studying Fire Protection Engineering having followed this path from an early interest in being a firefighter. Thomas has an Associate’s degree in Arabic from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. He hopes to work in the field of wildfire prevention and management when he graduates.

Ben Johanson

Martha Mckinney

Martha McKinney is a 4 year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and hails from Texas. She is in her final semester of her Kinesiology Bachelor’s degree and hopes to become a physical education teacher and coach in the future. Martha maintains a 3.4 GPA while balancing school, being active in TerpVets and sharing the parenting of a 3 year old son with her husband who is also a USMC veteran. Martha is a first generation college student and hopes to continue her education with a graduate degree in Education.

Colton Treadway

A returning Richards Veterans scholar, Colton Treadway spent four years in the Marine Corps with two deployments — one to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. He received a Combat Action Ribbon and a Navy Unit Commendation medal among others. He is a Maryland native who is working on a double Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Chemistry and carries a 3.67 GPA. He will graduate in December 2019 and plans to go to medical school. He is a volunteer EMT for a local fire department and is an undergraduate Research Assistant. Colton recently won a competition that resulted in his experiment being included on the International Space Station leaving in August. He is also working on biophysics research in the Upadhyaya Lab.

Read Treadway's story on the college's website: https://cmns.umd.edu/news-events/features/4273

Brittany Carty

Brittany Carty hails from New Jersey. She graduated from the police academy in 2009 and started work as a law enforcement officer. In 2010, she joined the U.S. Army where she served six years as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician. Brittany is currently a junior working on her Criminology and Criminal Justice Bachelor's degree. She has a 3.68 GPA and intends to graduate in May 2019. Her career aspirations involve securing employment with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives where she can use her extensive knowledge of explosives to help stop terrorism and future attacks in the United States. Brittany is married.

Sean Charbonneu

In 2008, Scott joined the U.S. Army and spent one year in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a helicopter mechanic. After his first tour of duty, he was assigned to the historic Bravo Company Lancers of 101st CAB and deployed to Afghanistan in the fall of 2012. He flew over 400 hours as a crew chief in a UH-60 Black Hawk. For his countless hours of work and dangerous missions that he flew in support of U.S. Navy SEALs, Special Forces, and other military units, he was awarded the Air Medal. After being denied flight school, he left the Army and decided to learn how to build aircraft. As a senior in the A. James Clark School of Engineering's Aerospace program, he is also an active member with Sigma Gamma Tau, the aerospace engineering honor society; American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; the Vertical Flight Society, and Terp Vets. After working multiple internships at Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to design, build, and test the United States Marine Corps’s and Canada’s Cyclone helicopters, he will achieve his goals. During his engineering coursework he has also become an FAA certificated A&P Mechanic and a private helicopter pilot.

Michael Callahan

Michael Callahan is a seven year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and was deployed twice. He is a Maryland native and received an Associate’s degree in Construction Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. He is working on his Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of Maryland and expects to graduate in December 2017. He hopes to concentrate in international agriculture policy with a focus on service to underdeveloped countries. This summer, Michael is interning with Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona on Capitol Hill.

Simone Frazer

Simone Frazer is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served for five years including one deployment to Germany. A Maryland native, Simone has returned to the University to gain an undergraduate degree in Biology. She is a sophomore with a 3.42 GPA and is active in TerpVets. Her prior experience working at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science (USUHS) and her service in a military hospital were her inspiration to pursue a career in medicine. She hopes to become a child psychiatrist.

Sara Feret

Sara Feret served in the U.S. Navy for four years and was stationed on U.S.S. John Paul Jones (Guided Missile Destroyer) where she worked as a cryptologic technician. She was deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and was awarded the Navy Marine Corp Medal of Achievement and an ESWS pin (Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) all while deployed. Sara hails from Texas and is married to a fellow service member. They have a young daughter. Currently Sara serves as the Executive Vice President of TerpVets, the University of Maryland student veteran organization, and she is a mentor for the PAVE (Peer Advisors for Veteran Education) program. Sara is working on her Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and has plans to continue her education in Occupational Therapy after she graduates. She maintains a 3.28 GPA.

Christopher Rand

Christopher Rand is a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy. During his nine and a half year career, he was stationed for five years on-board the U.S.S. Gettysburg, and two years on-board the U.S.S. Carney where he completed a total of five deployments including three to the Middle East. On-board both vessels he served as an Aegis Fire Controlman, whose duties include mainlining and operating the ship’s Aegis weapon system. Active in the TerpVets organization and a board member on the Student Conduct Committee, Christopher is majoring in Electrical Engineering where he maintains a 3.12 GPA. He hopes to continue to work on either missile defense systems or power systems when he graduates. Currently he serves as an Electrical Engineer Intern at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. He will graduate in May 2018.

Mahesh Guda

Mahesh was born in India and immigrated to the US as a student in 2007. Two years later, in 2009, he received an offer to join the US Army as a language interpreter for Special Forces teams. He served a combat tour in Afghanistan with them. Following that, he got an opportunity to serve with an aviation unit in South Korea, where he stayed until he finished his service in the Army. After serving 4 years in the Army, he arrived at the University of Maryland in spring of 2014. Currently, he is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering and is expected to graduate by end of fall 2017. Following graduation, he looks forward to serving in the US Air Force as a commissioned officer.

Colton Treadway

A returning Richards Veterans scholar, Colton Treadway spent four years in the Marine Corps with two deployments — one to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. He received a Combat Action Ribbon and a Navy Unit Commendation medal among others. He is a Maryland native who is working on a double Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Chemistry and carries a 3.67 GPA. He will graduate in December 2019 and plans to go to medical school. He is a volunteer EMT for a local fire department and is an undergraduate Research Assistant. Colton recently won a competition that resulted in his experiment being included on the International Space Station leaving in August. He is also working on biophysics research in the Upadhyaya Lab.

Read Treadway's story on the college's website: https://cmns.umd.edu/news-events/features/4273

Charles Turner

Charles Turner was born in San Diego, California while his father served in the U.S. Navy. However, he spent the majority of his adolescent years near Ann Arbor, Michigan. He currently lives with his wife Mireille and his son Elijah in Severn, Maryland. Before arriving at the University of Maryland, Charles served four years in the U.S. Army and two years in the Maryland National Guard as an all-source military intelligence analyst. During his service, he deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 to support multiple Special Operations units. He also responded with his guard unit during the Baltimore Civil Unrest. While in school and under the support of veterans scholarships, Charles worked as a research assistant in the High-Power Frequency Laboratory under the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics (IREAP). The main focus on his research group is developing a particle accelerator which will be used in support of ionospheric research. As of September, Charles also works as a Radio-Frequency Engineer Intern for NASA Goddard in the Microwave Instruments Division. There, he works on a team which develops microwave instruments for various spacecraft. These instruments support both earth science and planetary research. Charles will graduate in May 2017 and expects his internship with NASA to turn into a full-time position.

Jose Githens

Jose Githens is an 8 year Veteran of the US Army with two deployments - one to Iraq and another to Kuwait. A Maryland native, Jose recieved the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal among others. He is married with a young daughter, he is working on an undergraduate degree in Physics and expects to graduate in May 2018. He hopes to continue his education in the field of engineering eventually earning a terminal degree. He volunteers at his daughter's school and is a member of the Physics Society on campus.

Colton Treadway

A returning Richards Veterans scholar, Colton Treadway spent four years in the Marine Corps with two deployments — one to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. He received a Combat Action Ribbon and a Navy Unit Commendation medal among others. He is a Maryland native who is working on a double Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Chemistry and carries a 3.67 GPA. He will graduate in December 2019 and plans to go to medical school. He is a volunteer EMT for a local fire department and is an undergraduate Research Assistant. Colton recently won a competition that resulted in his experiment being included on the International Space Station leaving in August. He is also working on biophysics research in the Upadhyaya Lab.

Read Treadway's story on the college's website: https://cmns.umd.edu/news-events/features/4273