Richard "Ricky" Arnold, alumnus of the Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Science (MEES) program, will be part of the NASA Discovery STS-119 mission to launch in the fall of 2008.

MEES Alumnus Ricky Arnold Moves from Sea to Space as he Joins NASA Mission

NASA has assigned the space shuttle crew for Discovery's STS-119 mission, targeted for launch in the fall of 2008. The flight will deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and truss element to the International Space Station. Air Force Col. Lee J. Archambault will command Discovery. Navy Cmdr. Dominic A. Antonelli will serve as the pilot. The mission specialists are Joseph Acaba, Richard R. Arnold II, John L. Phillips and Steven R. Swanson. ... Arnold, raised in Bowie, Md., earned a bachelor's degree in science and completed the teacher certification program at Frostburg State University, Md. He earned a master's in marine, estuarine and environmental science from the University of Maryland, College Park (Chemical & Life Sciences). Read the complete article from Space Daily, October 22

Football Star Neal Olkewicz Helps Launch Higgins Fund at Homecoming Tailgate

About 50 College of Chemical and Life Sciences alumni, students, staff, and friends gathered for a tailgate before the Terps vs. UVA Homecoming football game on Saturday, October 20th.
Special guest and Maryland alumnus, Neal Olkewicz ’79 (pictured far left), who played football for University of Maryland, was team captain and MVP, and went on to play for the Washington Redskins (with whom he won two Super Bowl Championships over Miami and Denver) attended the college’s homecoming party. In addition to Terp football, Olkewicz came out to support the launch of the William J. Higgins Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Fund, which was created to honor Bill Higgins, Professor of Biology (pictured near left), who inspired generations of students to become successful dentists, physicians, researchers, and other health care professionals. Founded by alumnus Julius Hyatt, DDS, (Zoology ’80), the William J. Higgins Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Fund will endow a professorship in the Department of Biology that will support an outstanding faculty member who excels as a scientist and teacher.