UNIVERSITY SETS FUNDRAISING GOAL

The university has set a goal of raising $200 million per year, Peter Weiler, university relations vice president, told the University Senate on Thursday.

In its effort to engage alumni and find new donors, the university’s fundraising operation plans to add 41 new employees, Weiler said.

The university’s fundraising lags behind its soon-to-be counterparts in the Big Ten, he added. Over the past three years, Big Ten schools have averaged $44 million in future financial commitments from donors, while this university’s average is $7 million, according to Weiler.

UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION TOPS ANGUS CATTLE LIST

The University System of Maryland Foundation, Inc., registered the most Angus beef cattle in the state with the American Angus Association during fiscal year 2013, according to myeasternshoremd.com.

The foundation, which was created in 1979, maintains a herd of cattle through the university’s agriculture college, according to the foundation’s website.

It recorded 99 head of cattle with the American Angus Association out of the 388,822 total registered by Angus breeders across the nation, MyEasternShoreMD reported.

FALL MAY BRING RECORD NUMBERS OF STINK BUGS

The colder weather will likely bring a surge in the stinkbug population, especially in the mid-Atlantic region, according to The Washington Post.

“The numbers have just been way up all summer long heading into August,” Mike Raupp, a university entomology professor, told The Post. “The data coming in says numbers are pretty high.”

Although scientists said it’s too early to tell how bad home invasions will be, many said they are working on identifying what attracts the bugs and how to keep them at bay, The Post reported.

UNIVERSITY RANKED TOP IN TECH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The university was ranked as the top public school for tech entrepreneurship — and second university overall — in the 2013 StartEngine College Index, as reported in PandoDaily, a Web publication focusing on technology news and analysis.

The list includes colleges and universities with at least 15 alumni who have gone on to found and receive investment for a startup business, pared down to the top 27 schools.

PandoDaily pointed out the rating may not come as a surprise, as Google co-founder Sergey Brin graduated from the university with a computer science and mathematics degree. Under Armour founder Kevin Plank and Sirius XM Radio co-founder Robert Briskman are also university alumni.