Since the launch of the Speakers Series in April 2009, the Merrick School of Business has received accolades from students, alumni and members of the area business community. From the beginning of the series, the School sought to provide audiences with valuable perspectives and tools for the ever-changing business environment. The Speaker Series has had more than 1,500 audience members since last spring’s series debut with Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. Many of those who attended have offered their personal thanks to Dean Darlene Smith for bringing an array of interesting and provocative speakers to Baltimore. This year’s series will culminate on April 7 with Steve Forbes, chairman and CEO of Forbes Media, editor-in-chief of Forbes Magazine, and co-author of the newly released book, How Capitalism Will Save Us: Why Free People and Free Markets Are the Best Answer in Today’s Economy.

On April 8, The Edward Attman and Mildred Cohen Attman Enterprise Hatchery that provides resources for early-stage entrepreneurs will have its official ribbon cutting ceremony. The facility serves as a launching point for student entrepreneurs: business coaching, mentoring, consulting and strategizing are all part of the student entrepreneur experience within the hatchery. It's a true extension of the classroom.

A new statistical portrait of Baltimore shows that the city has made important improvements in core city issues such as crime, housing, and education prior to the recession. Other social conditions, such as the number of teen births and the number of children with elevated levels of blood lead, have also improved. The latest "Vital Signs" report by the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance-Jacob France Institute shows that while there have been significant improvements in a variety of economic and social indicators in Baltimore, not all neighborhoods within the city have benefited equally.