In our final newsletter of the year, we reflect on START’s 2025 contributions, from our research achievements and data engagement to the ways our work reached new audiences. This year also marked START’s 20th anniversary, offering us a special opportunity to recognize how our work and impact have evolved over two decades. We’re also excited to share updates on our new course offerings and upcoming application deadlines, as we continue to expand educational pathways for students and professionals in the field.
This month’s student and researcher spotlights highlight the people whose expertise and dedication drive our mission forward. And as federal funding priorities continue to shift, your partnership has played a critical role in sustaining our capacity to deliver rigorous, policy-relevant research.
We look forward to new projects, partnerships, and opportunities for collaboration in the year ahead. Thank you for your continued support, and we wish you a happy holiday season.
Amy Pate
START Director
YEAR IN REVIEW
7 |
103 |
85 |
27,647 |
914,480 |
Global Terrorism Database (GTD)
MOST-ACCESSED DATASET IN 2025 (182,465)
Tracking CartelsInfographic Series |
Proud Boys Crimesand Characteristics |
SPOTLIGHT: START VOICES
Student Spotlight: Alexandra Atherton
Meet Alexandra Atherton, newly named a 2025 Philip Merrill Presidential Scholar, whose passion for understanding extremism was ignited through START’s Global Terrorism Studies Minor. Her story shows how the program equips students with the tools to navigate today’s complex information environment. We’re proud to celebrate her achievements.
Researcher Spotlight: Leah Peckham
START researcher Leah Peckham began her path in START’s Global Terrorism Studies Minor and a Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States (PIRUS) internship that sparked her interest in radicalization and targeted violence. Today she contributes to research that strengthens policy, prevention, and our understanding of emerging extremist threats.
TRAINING AND EDUCATION
NEW COURSERA COURSE
Cybersecurity: Overlooked Threats to Your Strategy
Explore the “who, what, where, why, and how” of non-state cyber threats, from their tools and tactics to their goals and targets.
SPRING 2026 ONLINE GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Application Deadline: January 2, 2026
Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Security and Terrorism Studies
Graduate Certificate in Terrorism Analysis
Graduate Certificate in Insider Risk Management and Mitigation
WINTER 2026 ONLINE COURSES
January 5-23, 2026
Misinformation, Conspiracy Theories, and the Radicalization of Modern Societies
Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, and Global Jihadist Movement
Social Network Analysis for Terrorism
If you have any questions, contact the Education Team at education-start@umd.edu.
SUPPORTING START
The START Consortium is dedicated to generating knowledge of the human causes and consequences of terrorism. Applying rigorous standards to both research and education, START seeks to illuminate one of the most highly politicized and understudied phenomena in the social sciences for students, practitioners and policymakers. Funded primarily through research grants to date, START is seeking to generate an endowment that will provide the flexibility and autonomy to ensure that it can continue to serve as an objective source of data and empirically based analysis into the future.