Strong Sense of Belonging

Jingli Yang '95 is Happy to Give Back, Recalls How Welcome She Felt as an International Student 

When Jingli Yang (GEOG '95) arrived at the University of Maryland as a graduate student from China, at first she wasn't sure how quickly she would feel at home.

Things turned out much better than Yang expected. Even now, some 25 years after she received her Ph.D. in geographical sciences from Maryland, she still has fond memories of her years on campus.

"It didn't take long for me to feel a strong sense of belonging," she recalls. 

Yang's appreciation for the stellar education and mentoring she received at UMD moved her to start making annual gifts to the university's graduate program in geographical sciences soon after her graduation. Now, she and her husband have made this investment permanent, establishing the Dr. Jingli Yang and Dr. Peter Li Graduate Support Endowment Fund in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS). Their endowment fund will provide support to graduate students in the Department of Geographical Sciences pursuing summer research opportunities, specifically those focused on developing remote sensing and geographic information systems projects. 

Yang also serves on the Board of Visitors for BSOS. Being a Terp means a lot to her: "I'm a proud Maryland graduate," she affirms. "UMD is my home. I run into Terps all the time, as customers, business partners, government officials. It's always a great pleasure, and the sense of community is just inspiring." 

Story courtesy of UMD's Campaign Insider e-newsletter, produced by the Division of University Relations. 

Published on Mon, Feb 3, 2020 - 2:38PM