UM Named Business of the Year

The Prince George's County Chamber of Commerce named the University of Maryland the county's Business of the Year in a ceremony Thursday, Oct. 16 in Landover.

The Chamber cited the university and President C.D. Mote Jr. for becoming a "significant force in the cultural, academic and economic development" of the county. The citation noted that the university has continued to extend its outreach to the county even in the face of declining state support for higher education.

With annual research and development expenditures greater than $300 million, the university's economic impact in the region is more than $1.8 billion a year.

Some highlights of the university's activities that benefit the county include:

• The Maryland Small Business Development Center serves small businesses in the county;
• Research partnerships continue to expand with federal agencies in the county, including NASA Goddard, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, the FDA Center for Food Safety and NOAA;
• Cultural activities at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
  
  

President Mote accepted the citation from Janet Porter of Six Flags America, who was a member of the Blue Ribbon Selection Committee that chose the award winners.