Deputy Office Director, Office of Neurological & Physical Medicine Devices, FDA/CDRH

Dr. Nina Mezu Nwaba spoke on the opioid crisis and how we, as individuals, can save lives by recognizing and treating overdoses using Naxolone. Dr. Nwaba proposed that everyone carry Naxolone, and explained the steps involved in administering it. Dr. Nwaba is shown explaining the process to Cindy Harrison.

Chair of the District 7620 Peace Committee

Ukpeme Okon, chair of the District 7620 Peace Committee, presented conflict resolution strategies and promoted Rotary Peace Fellowships, which are designed to train leaders from around the world to become catalysts for peace.

Co-founder and CEO of National Center for Housing & Child Welfare

Dr. Ruth White gave a lively presentation about the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare. Her organization supports children making the transition from foster care to independent living.

Executive Director, College Park Academy

Dr. Sandy Abu-Arja gave a lively presentation on the College Park Academy, a public charter school offering an innovative blended learning program to middle and high school students. CPA is one of the first schools in the country to have a fully digitized curriculum., and is one of the high schools from which we recruit students for Rotary Youth Leadership Training.

Director of the Office for Communications and Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science

Rick Borchelt, director of the Office for Communications and Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, led a “Conservation Conversation,” focused on the protection of birds. Cutting down trees is the biggest threat to our declining bird population. Rick recommended “making our yards work” for birds by planting native trees at three levels – canopy, understory, and shrubs.

Dr. Fazlul Kabir, Mayor of College Park

Dr. Kabir thanked us for donating the flagpoles at City Hall and reviewed the City’s recent accomplishments. Among them are the launch of the Community Preservation Trust, renovation of Attick Towers, and support for the College Park Food Bank.

City Manager, College Park, MD

Mr. Young enthusiastically presented College Park's vision for the future. He emphasized the importance of economic development in building a diverse, equitable, and livable city.

President, College Park Community Food Bank

Lisa touted the many accomplishments of the College Park Community Food Bank in meeting the nutritional needs of the residents of College Park and the surrounding communities. In 2023, it distributed food to more than 17,000 households.  CPCFB relies on donations of money and food.

Health Scientist, NIH ODP

Brama Kowtha, a health scientist at NIH, explained the negative effects of food processing on health. Natural foods, such as fruit, vegetables, fresh meat and fresh fish, are best for a healthy diet. Ultra-processed foods, such as cereals, chips, and canned goods have negative outcomes, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

Chief of the College Park Volunteer Fire Department

Ari Schloss, Chief of the College Park Volunteer Fire Department, gave us a fascinating tour of the CPVFD facilities. The department’s firefighters and EMTs are almost all UMD student volunteers. CPVFD responds to over 4,000 emergency calls annually.

Interim Director of the College Park Aviation Museum

Kevin introduced us to the Museum's many community-focused initiatives, including Girls in Aviation, Blacks in Aviation, and Youth in Aviation, which offers career-oriented modules for future pilots, air traffic controllers, and avionics (under development). The annual Santa Fly-in is supported by a RCCP donation.

Maryland State Senator District 21

State Senator Jim Rosapepe reported on the accomplishments of the 21st District Delegation at this year’s Maryland State legislative session. Highlights included allocating $5m to acquire more affordable UMD graduate student housing, $1m for a new north College Park community center, and support for the recently opened Monarch preschool (monarchpreschool.com).

Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental Science and Technology, UMD

Dr. Bowerman introduced us to his globally-recognized research on the decline in vulture populations in Africa, and conservation efforts to reverse them.

Professor Emeritus, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UMD

Dr. Walters is a retired professor of nuclear chemistry from the University of Maryland, and a 50-year member of RCCP. Among his avocations is travel. Dr. Walters delivered a fascinating travelogue about his visit to the Middle East, with an emphasis on the history of the region.

Prince George’s County Council Member (District 3)

At our February 8 meeting, Prince George’s County Council Member Eric Olson (District 3) spoke about his legislative priorities. Eric’s primary goal is to make our District a more livable community.

Assistant Director, UMD Extension Environmental and Natural Resources

Dr. Hubbard introduced us to programs of the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service. Extension’s niche is education, training volunteers to lead 4-H, Master Gardener, and Watershed Stewards programs. Extension agents are “on the ground,” listening to Maryland residents, and taking their concerns back to the University of Maryland faculty and research associates. Among its foci are aquaculture, preserving the Chesapeake Bay, and protecting forests.

Founder and CEO of Board Veritas

Ms. Thompson Taylor described how Board Veritas, a professional services firm in Bar Harbor, ME and Washington, D.C., helps organizations grow and increase shareholder value. Among the clients served by Board Veritas are the Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia), Habitat for Humanity, and the National Peace Corps Association.