The University of Maryland, College Park is the flagship institution of the State of Maryland. It traces its history to 1856, when the General Assembly chartered the Maryland Agricultural College, which opened three years later with 34 students. The university reports more than 41,000 students in 12 colleges and schools. Darryll J. Pines is President.
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR), founded in 1856, describes itself as the university’s Cornerstone college. Its departments include Agricultural & Resource Economics, Animal & Avian Sciences, Entomology, Environmental Science & Technology and Nutrition & Food Science, alongside the Institute of Applied Agriculture and University of Maryland Extension.
The Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, first established in 1888, supports research on topics including plant and animal genomics, animal health, food safety, water quality, soil and watershed sciences and bioenergy. More than 100 faculty members conduct research through the station, using campus laboratories and four Research and Education Centers across Maryland: Wye, Western Maryland, Central Maryland and Lower Eastern Shore.