UMD is the latest university to expand closer to Amazon HQ2

University of Maryland is the next higher education facility to announce plans to expand into Crystal City, Virginia, near Amazon’s second headquarters.

We're bringing College Park to Crystal City! #UMD plans to open the Discovery Center to help connect our students and faculty to the emerging tech hub fostered by Amazon's move to the region #UMDinnovates https://t.co/nCptKBm3Q1

— Univ. of Maryland (@UofMaryland) August 23, 2019

The 8,000-square-foot space in Crystal City coined “The Discovery Center” will be used to promote innovation and collaboration among UMD students, faculty, alumni and employees as well as local residents, UMD reports.

“Amazon HQ2 is a regional phenomenon, and we are just a Metro ride away,” said UMD President Wallace D. Loh in a statement. “This new space will help connect our flagship researchers and students with this emerging technology hub, fostering innovation in our growing Cyber Valley.”

UMD is following in the footsteps of Virginia Tech, George Mason University and Northern Virginia Community College, which have also announced initiatives to bring its innovation and tech work closer to Amazon’s second headquarters.

UMD said its computer, math and natural sciences, engineering, information studies, and business schools plan to host learning events and lectures out of the Crystal City center. In addition to functioning as an event space, the center will feature seminar rooms, a strategic planning and creative problem-solving center, and open and private work space for collaboration.

This won’t be UMD’s first satellite campus: The university also has the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in D.C., and the presence of 16 UMD degree programs at the Universities at Shady Grove in Montgomery County, Maryland.

The Crystal Center community can expect to see the university’s presence in the area as soon as fall 2020.