What is the Alumni Cup?

The Alumni Cup is one of the most popular events developed by the Engineering Alumni Network Board Student Outreach Committee. It is an annual engineering design competition where teams of students from each department compete against one another in a week-long challenge to develop a machine that will perform a specific task within certain parameters. Teams are judged on the machine’s effectiveness in completing the task within the parameters given, a demonstration within the design of the team’s respective discipline, an oral presentation and rough sketches in correlation to the design, and team spirit. The goals of the event are to:

1. Teach students teamwork skills, innovation and creativity through a fun, competitve event
2. Provide an applied learning experience for students by motivating and challenging students to connect the concepts learned in class to real world situations
3. Connect students with professionals in the field and UMD alumni
4. Build community at the Clark School 

Why this matters

The Engineering Alumni Network believes that providing students with applied learning and career-preparatory experiences is vitally important in helping students develop the academic and professional skills necessary to becoming successful engineers. 

The Alumni Cup helps bridge the gap between academic, classroom-based learning and the real world skills required as an engineer.

What started as a small event with a few students has grown to hundreds of students and alumni in crowds filling the Kim building rotunda several people deep. The Alumni Cup is now one of the most popular events at the Clark School, providing students with a fun and challenging applied learning experience and networking opportunity.

What we're going to do with the money we raise

We are going to make the Alumni Cup the single largest event at the Clark School that brings together students and alumni.

With additional funds, we will be able to:

1. Increase funding for student teams, allowing them to design better machines
2. Access better technology for the day of the event
3. Host a reception after the competition to bring alumni and current students together

This new, supercharged Alumni Cup event will allow students and alumni to connect in a way that does not currently exist. It will provide a vital link between the many generations of UMD Engineers, which will result in a stronger overall Clark School community. By connecting students with more alumni, we are helping students build their professional networks, as well as building a stronger UMD community.

With additional funding, we will create a true hallmark event for the entire Clark School student, staff, faculty, and alumni community.

We are asking for YOUR support to help continue this fantastic academic competition that teaches our students applied engineering and teamwork skills in a fun and competitive environment, and so that we can bring our event to the next level by hosting the largest student-alumni networking reception ever done at the Clark School.

Gifts in support of the University of Maryland are accepted and managed by the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the Board of Regents.  Contributions to the University of Maryland are tax deductible as allowed by law.  Please see your tax advisor for details.