PRESIDENT’S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD CLAUDIA FUNES DINING SERVICES For nearly three decades, food service Coordinator Claudia Funes has been a paragon of hospitality for Dining Services, from the iconic Maryland Dairy to the bustling Chick-fil-A at the Stamp Student Union food court. “At a university and franchise that both place supreme emphasis on the customer, Claudia excels!” says Dave Bullock, assistant director of retail operations. Funes started as a food service supervisor for Dining Services cafes in 1992, and since being promoted to coordinator in 2015, has led training, coaching and scheduling for more than 65 people. Always a team player, she also mentors junior staff, several of whom have also grown into Dining Services leaders. At Turner Hall, previously home to the Dairy, “she built the ice cream shop into a focal point of the community,” says Bullock, welcoming not only faculty, staff and students, but also busloads of guests who stopped by after visiting the nation’s capital. She was instrumental in the Dairy’s move to the Stamp, where it has many more customers. Funes is known throughout campus for her prompt and accurate service and positive attitude. When it comes to food orders for the provost’s office, she is “supportive and helpful,” says Lynn Mullineaux, assistant to the provost, who frequently works with Funes. “She makes creative suggestions and responds promptly. I know that I can count on her to make sure my order is correct.” The Stamp location is “one of my favorite Chick-fil-As in the county thanks to the amazing service, welcome and care I get from the team, led by Claudia,” says Katie Nelson, a longtime patron. “Despite how busy it can be there, she always extends the best hospitably, makes me aware of new items on the menu, and asks how my family is and in general makes me feel special in a big place.” *** BRIAN HORICK ROBERT H. SMITH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS For three decades, Brian Horick has been a tireless advocate for student achievement in the Robert H. Smith School of Business and across UMD, from his earliest days as a one-on-one academic adviser to his role today as assistant dean for undergraduate programs. He is “someone who will go the extra mile,” says Eric Johnson, assistant dean of undergraduate studies and director of the Office of Letters and Sciences. “Students love Brian because of how open, approachable and invested he is in their success.” Horick first came to UMD as an MBA student, then joined the Smith staff in 1993 after earning his degree. Even as he climbed the ranks in the school’s administration, he’s continued to take a hands-on approach. For example, he spends days each summer working with transfer students to create schedules that fit their needs, since many classes are already full, and optimizing course schedules to maximize opportunities for undergrads while efficiently using faculty time, say Director Evan Riddle and former Associate Director Kristin LaRiviere of the Smith Undergraduate Program. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced classes to shift online in 2020, Horick became the Smith School’s policy guru, working to smooth the transition for staff and students and help them understand the new grading policies during a time of rapid change. Horick offers a “thoughtful, stabilizing presence,” says Philip T. Evers, assistant dean for undergraduate academic affairs, and serves as “the go-to person for undergraduate instructors at the Smith School.” In addition, Horick works across campus to share best practices for student retention and academic success, says Ann Smith, assistant dean in the Office of Undergraduate Studies. He is a leader on the Undergraduate Program Advising Committee, where he takes a levelheaded approach to solving challenging problems and removing outdated policies. A sought-after mentor for new advisers and deans responsible for advising, he’s known for carefully assessing individual needs and brainstorming creative solutions. “Brian’s record of exemplary service and leadership have had a remarkable and visible impact on countless faculty, staff and students alike,” Johnson says. *** RAMSEY JABAJI A. JAMES CLARK SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING Whether at Maryland or in Madrid, Ramsey Jabaji is dedicated to lifting boundaries of all kinds for students in the A. James Clark School of Engineering. He began working at UMD in 2005 while completing his M.Ed. on campus and joined the Office of Global Engineering Leadership in 2011, becoming director in 2020; he has more than doubled the number of students studying abroad. Recently, he even stepped into the role of interim director for the Office of Education Abroad. In addition, he created a student onboarding program emphasizing inclusivity and modified an Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) course for an engineering audience. “Ramsey has made sustained and meaningful impact in many important dimensions related to inclusion, diversity and leadership within the college and the campus,” says Clark School Dean Samuel Graham, Jr. While engineering students have traditionally been limited in their study abroad options because of the program’s highly structured curriculum, Jabaji worked with advising staff and faculty to curate approved course packages at universities in Singapore, Denmark, Australia and more. He also developed the Clark in Madrid program in 2017, which offers 40 engineering courses across two Spanish universities, drawing more than 120 participants last school year. Today, 30% of engineering students graduate with study abroad experience—the highest rate of any school or college at UMD. “Ramsey Jabaji is, without a doubt, one of the best citizens at the University of Maryland,” says Ross Lewin, associate vice president for international affairs. Closer to home, Jabaji has worked to break down a different set of obstacles: lack of diversity in engineering, from K-12 to the professional workplace. He piloted the one-day ClarkLEAD program in 2018, now part of UMD’s TerrapinSTRONG initiative, discussing issues of identity and the importance of having teams with different backgrounds tackle society’s grand challenges. Today, it draws more than 900 students and has added stories from diverse faculty and alums. To expand that work, he adapted ODI’s Intergroup Dialogues course for engineering, then joined a committee to help expand these efforts across campus. Jabaji embodies “resourcefulness, ingenious problem-solving and dedication,” says Cynthia Kay Stevens, associate dean of the Office of Undergraduate Studies. “Ramsey is exemplary in every sense of the word.” *** VALERIE LAHOUD ADELE H. STAMP STUDENT UNION As an employee at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union since the 1980s and the business manager of the Student Organization Resource Center (SORC) since 2011, Valerie LaHoud has guided thousands of University of Maryland students, helping them make important decisions about finances, career paths, academic pursuits and more. “Val is one of those rare frontline administrators that gets the administrative processes done with great accuracy, but she also nurtures the aspirations of student employees, leaders and those seeking engagement,” says Marsha Guenzler-Stevens, director of the Stamp. As SORC business manager, LaHoud advises the Student Government Association’s finance committee in its annual allocation of $2 million to student organizations and manages the spending of those funds for 400 groups. She works painstakingly with students to help them understand the bureaucratic process and the implications of their financial decisions. “She does this both in service of ensuring that the funds are managed responsibly and to benefit the students, whose interactions with our office may be the first time they gain practical knowledge about contracts, credit cards or renting a vehicle,” says Joe Calizo, assistant director of student activities. LaHoud earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in criminology and criminal justice, from UMD and was a student employee in the Stamp Student Union, sitting behind the information desk. She progressed to manager of the information desk after graduating and has spent her career at UMD except for two early years during which she worked at the National Criminal Justice Reference Service. LaHoud worked for nearly 20 years in Stamp’s Event Services Office. “If I were to line up the students who counted on her as their most significant mentor, coach and/or teacher while at UMD, the line would wrap around the Stamp more than once,” says Guenzler-Stevens. *** DAVID B. MITCHELL DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY For more than a decade, David B. Mitchell has worked to keep the University of Maryland community safe by uniting stakeholders, introducing new programs and encouraging open communication between his department and the people it serves. As director of public safety and chief of the University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD) since 2010, Mitchell draws from his past leadership experience with the Prince George’s County Police Department, Maryland State Police, Delaware’s Department of Homeland Security and more to help make the sprawling UMD campus and community beyond a secure place to live, learn and work. “The chief is keenly aware of what is required to lead a public safety department on a flagship university’s campus located in an urban setting,” says Michael R. Poterala, former vice president and general counsel at UMD. That perspective has translated into several forward-thinking initiatives. In 2011, Mitchell formed the City Multi-Agency Service Team, a group of university, city and county representatives that discusses and troubleshoots matters of mutual concern. The following year, Mitchell led UMD to become the first university with an explosive detection dog unit, which has protected the community on suspicious package calls, game days, special events and VIP visits. Most recently, he has focused on meeting post-pandemic mental health challenges on campus, launching the Crisis Intervention Team, a specialty unit that assists community members during mental health episodes, and bringing in a comfort dog to calm students dealing with everything from exam nerves to serious crises. “He has, without a shadow of a doubt, kept individuals and communities alive and safer,” says Patty A. Perillo, vice president for student affairs. Amid a national reckoning over race and law enforcement, Mitchell has embraced the importance of meeting members of the community where they are. Besides insisting on body-worn cameras long before mandates, he has taught a criminology and criminal justice class on policing since 2012, and he regularly meets with student groups to allow them to engage comfortably with the department. “I have found him to be empathetic, sensitive and willing to address the difficult challenges of law enforcement,” says Ronald Zeigler, director of the Nyumburu Cultural Center. *** HEATHER TEITELBAUM UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTER As clinical director of the University Health Center (UHC), Heather Teitelbaum helped lead the University of Maryland’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating a strong commitment to the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. “She took an oath when she got her professional health degrees, and takes this responsibility most seriously,” says Patty Perillo, vice president for student affairs. “Her commitment, dedication and competence are extraordinary.” After the pandemic began in 2020, Teitelbaum, a physician assistant, spearheaded the campus’ testing initiative, which was instrumental to restarting in-person learning and other operations; worked with colleagues in the medical field at the University of Maryland, Baltimore; trained staff to work the HEAL phone line, which provided information to people who’d been exposed to or tested positive for COVID; directed quarantine and isolation housing; served on the Student Affairs and Incident Response teams and the Campus Infectious Disease Advisory Committee; and was key to establishing on-campus vaccination clinics. Teitelbaum also took on new administrative responsibilities from 2019, after the UHC director resigned, until a new permanent director was hired in 2021. “Heather served as the leadership bridge during this all-important transition,” says Perillo. Teitelbaum earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Towson University. She has worked at the UHC since 2005. In addition to the duties Teitelbaum assumed during the COVID-19 pandemic, she oversees the UHC’s clinical staff and the medical services the UHC provides. “Heather is appreciated by UHC staff and colleagues in Student Affairs for her gentle and caring manner,” says Dr. Sacared Bodison, former UHC interim director. “She has a long history of capability and compassion when addressing the many challenges that arise in caring for students, faculty and staff of the University of Maryland.” ***** THE SHARON A. LA VOY DATA IMPACT AWARD KATE BLANCH DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS An inclusive innovator in data integration and analytics, Kate Blanch has transformed how the University of Maryland makes decisions on business processes and daily operations, advancing its mission of equity and inclusion, and enhancing the student experience. The director of data services and analytics for the Division of Student Affairs blends technical prowess and creative problem-solving to improve the university’s daily operations and build the technical infrastructure that supports student health and well-being and academic success. During the pandemic shutdown, one of the most challenging times in the university’s history, Blanch worked with Prince George’s County and the University of Maryland Medical Center to synthesize COVID-19 test data essential for bringing the full community back to campus safely. Data integration and visualization systems developed by Blanch, including compliance markers and dashboards, assessed the community’s vulnerability in real time, streamlined testing and reporting, and helped secure millions of dollars in federal reimbursements. “Without Kate’s expertise and leadership, we could not have responded to the COVID-19 testing and immunization requirements necessary to shift the campus from isolation to responsible social distancing,” say Patty Perillo and Tom Flynn, vice president and assistant vice president for student affairs, respectively. Blanch earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Parson School of Design and completed a Master of Science in data analytics from the University of Maryland Global Campus in 2023, five years after arriving in College Park. Her work with the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs have supported efforts to close gaps in educational and professional opportunities for underrepresented and financially disadvantaged students. She is currently overseeing the development of a streamlined system that will improve the student health insurance billing process. “Kate epitomizes the intent of the award, as she has worked intently to enhance data integration, analyze institutional data for business decision-making and provide data reporting in seamless ways to improve services for students,” says Joann Prosser, interim director for assessment for student affairs. ***** PROVOST’S EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR PROFESSIONAL TRACK FACULTY JOE BAILEY ROBERT H. SMITH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS When students in the QUEST (Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams) Honors Program are asked what they remember and love most about their experience, one name consistently comes up: Joe Bailey, associate dean of undergraduate programs in the Robert H. Smith School of Business. “Under his leadership, QUEST proved strongly attractive to students, not just on campus, but also in recruiting applicants to the university—despite the fact that program admission does not begin until midway through students’ first year at UMD,” says William A. Cohen, associate provost and dean for undergraduate studies. Described by one colleague as “both a rock star and a rock,” Bailey served as executive director of QUEST for nearly a decade. He guided hundreds of students from three colleges through the innovative and rigorous curriculum combining business, engineering and science, as well as managed dozens of corporate partners that sponsor the project-based program. It’s just one example of the high-quality undergraduate educational programs Bailey has helped develop since he joined Smith in 1998, after earning a B.S. in electrical engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.S. in engineering-economic systems from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from M.I.T. Bailey, an associate research professor in the Department of Decision, Operations, and Information Technologies, also led efforts to launch the Interdisciplinary Business Honors (IBH) living-learning program as well as to transition the general business minor to an asynchronous online curriculum to serve more undergraduates. The “creation, imagination, preparation and implementation of IBH runs centrally through Professor Bailey’s defining guidance and tireless efforts,” says Peter Mallios, executive director of the Honors College. Bailey also increased the Smith School’s appeal to professionals interested in technology and management, working with internal and external stakeholders to develop a specialty master’s and certificate program in technology management. He is “someone who creates remarkable challenging and compelling multidisciplinary programs, exemplifying the university mission to ‘reimagine learning,’” says Mallios, “but also a ‘rock’ of a human being: decent, humane, consummately collegial, supportive, thoughtful, the ideal kind of colleague you would want to work with in any situation.” *** HILARY BIERMAN DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY As director of one of the University of Maryland’s newest interdisciplinary academic programs, Hilary Bierman has established herself as an agile leader and a passionate advocate for students. The senior lecturer in the Department of Biology has since 2018 taken on significant administrative responsibilities as co-director and then director of the recently created neuroscience major. The program, a collaboration between the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, blends psychology, biology, math, physics, chemistry and more. Her deep commitment to providing an enriching undergraduate education has been key to balancing both roles, says David D. Yager, associate professor emeritus of psychology.“Amidst all the administrative trials and tribulations, she has never lost sight of that most fundamental goal.” Bierman earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at UMD and her Ph.D. in neurobiology at the University of Chicago. After completing postdoctoral work at Brandeis and UMD, she was hired as a biology lecturer at Maryland in 2011 and promoted to senior lecturer in 2018. Despite starting with a skeletal framework for the neuroscience major, she quickly developed a robust curriculum, recruited interested students and hired three professional-track lecturers, academic advisers and other staff to support the program. Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked with faculty to create a neuroscience honors program, and she spearheaded the renovation of office space and a neurophysiology teaching lab in the basement of the Biology-Psychology Building. Meanwhile, she continues to teach lab-based courses in neurophysiology. Unafraid to solicit or receive feedback, Bierman collaborated with two colleges—with two different cultures—to create a program that allows students to explore modern neuroscience at all levels, says Joshua Singer, biology professor and chair. The students, faculty and staff in the major have formed a vibrant, supportive community, and the success—already nearly 400 registered majors—has inspired other programs, like biological sciences, to reorganize in a similar way. “Everyone involved in the neuroscience program understands they are part of something special,” he says, “and Hilary is the face and driving force behind this.” *** EVELYN CANABAL-TORRES SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND CULTURES A dedicated teacher and mentor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese Principal Lecturer Evelyn Canabal-Torres leads her students in service of the local Latinx community. She earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Maryland, and joined the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures faculty in 2010. A pioneer in the field of heritage language learning, she has also developed and taught courses through which students can deliver much-needed services in areas with language barriers and limited resources. Canabal-Torres “is a talented and purposeful mentor that goes above and beyond,” says Laura Tiffany ’19, who enrolled in “Spanish for Health Professions,” one of the most popular courses in the department. She “led the class with active and scenario-based learning to give students the confidence they need to be bilingual in their respective health professions.” Alongside her students, Canabal-Torres regularly provides interpretation services at parent-teacher conferences and open houses in Prince George’s County Public Schools. She has also partnered with a variety of community organizations to provide in-demand services, such as working with CASA de Maryland to hold a citizenship clinic, YMCA Youth Services to offer an after-school club at a local elementary school and Branchville Volunteer Fire Company to develop a “Medical Spanish for EMT Personnel” workshop series. She “has been exemplary in bridging the department’s relationship with the Latinx population in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, especially families and students in the local schools,” says department Chair Manel Lacorte. She “fulfills her duties with grace, efficiency and a spirit of collaboration.” At UMD, Canabal-Torres has served on the Presidential Commission on Ethnic Minority Issues and as coordinator of diversity and inclusion initiatives at the Graduate School. She also recently worked with the Center for Leadership and Organizational Change to provide interpretation for Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research supervisory staff receiving leadership training and coaching. Canabal-Torres’ work is “a true example of doing public good while addressing critical issues in real time,” says Gloria Aparicio-Blackwell, founding director of the Office of Community Engagement. *** BRIAN CONNOR DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY As a committed senior lecturer of the Department of Sociology’s introductory coursework and director of the department’s joint B.A./M.A. program, Brian Connor has helped thousands of students distill complex theory-based curriculum through engaging, innovative and thoughtful teaching. Connor has earned the title of “most valuable professor” from student-athletes every academic year since his arrival in 2016. His skill and engagement have cultivated curiosity among his students, which department Chair Jeff Lucas says played a role in an uptick in both majors and minors in sociology. “Dr. Connor is without question one of the highest-quality instructors in our department,” he says. “His classes have largely served as an entrée into our major, and having a skilled, dedicated and popular instructor in those courses has served the department extremely well.” Teacher and peer evaluations from the seven different classes he’s led reflect an affability and genuine love of teaching and mentorship; in addition to developing new coursework, he advises both undergraduate and graduate students. “Brian’s teaching is masterful and worthy of emulation,” says Long Doan, associate professor of sociology. “I often follow his example when thinking through how to structure my own classes. He is a spectacularly wonderful colleague and a true asset to the department, college and university.” Connor received his B.A. in sociology and political science from Tulane University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In addition to maintaining an active research portfolio, including seven published papers, Connor has been an important voice on department committees dedicated to the enhancement of curriculum and student experience. Colleagues laud him for conveying the real-world obstacles facing students in and out of the classroom. “Dr. Connor brings clarity and a quiet confidence in tackling the teaching challenges we face in higher education,” says Nicole Cousin-Gossett, assistant dean for undergraduate education for the School of Public Health and former director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Sociology. “I strongly believe that Dr. Connor will continue to grow as a leading teaching voice in the Department of Sociology and on our campus.” *** NAZISH SALAHUDDIN DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY A champion of diversity, equity and inclusion and a leader in dismantling structural inequities, Principal Lecturer Nazish Salahuddin has transformed the experiences of underrepresented students in the Department of Psychology and beyond. The department “is a model for others on campus because of (her) foundational work,” says Katherine Russell, associate dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Salahuddin earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology from the University of Maryland, joined the faculty in 2010 and now serves as the director of undergraduate studies as well as the assistant chair of equity and inclusion in the department. Her support of the 1,300 undergraduate psychology majors is invaluable, says Chair Michael Dougherty. She “is a perfect example of someone who contributes in such a way that the traditional ‘buckets’ of excellence blend together,” delivering not only high-quality education but also innovative programs like Welcome to PSYC day, the Psychology Research Fair and numerous workshops throughout the academic year. Salahuddin also goes above and beyond to meet the needs of diverse students, says Professor Karen M. O’Brien, such as forming a bias response team and the Multicultural Association of Psychology Students and the Psychological Research Empowerment Program, which provides mentorship, training, career development and research experiences to first-generation students and students from underrepresented groups. In addition, she developed a diversity strategic plan to ensure that faculty and staff create a more inclusive and welcoming climate. On the college level, she co-chaired the BSOS Anti-Racism Professional Development Committee, collecting faculty data for 10 years to develop a plan to better hire and retain faculty of color. Universitywide, she has led training workshops for developing inclusive curricula for the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center and contributed to the revision of core requirements for multicultural and antiracism experiences. Regionally, she has served on committees for the Bowie State University/University of Maryland Social Justice Alliance. “Because of her leadership, the Department of Psychology, the college and the campus are a better place,” says Russell. *** JASON SMITH DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY As an associate research scientist in the Department of Psychology, Jason Smith has established himself as an exceptional researcher, mentor and partner in the use and advancement of magnetic resonance imaging. For nearly a decade, Smith has expanded our understanding of the brain’s subcortical circuits involved in fear, anxiety and stress, elevating the university’s international reputation as a leader in neuroimaging research. “Dr. Smith is smart, thoughtful, hardworking, productive, generous with his technical expertise and scientifically rigorous,” says Alexander Shackman, associate professor of psychology and director of the Affective and Translational Neuroscience Laboratory. “He is truly one of the behind-the-scenes heroes of the University of Maryland.” Smith earned his bachelor’s from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Arizona State University. He was a postdoctoral fellow, then research fellow at the National Institutes of Health and joined the University of Maryland in 2014. Smith has been integral in securing 12 federally sponsored research grants, as well as a seed grant from Köln Fortune Programme. His contributions have been instrumental in developing crucial neuroimaging tools and resources at the Maryland Neuroimaging Center. He also helped establish the NeuroIMaging Back-Up Server, an off-site storage resource for the UMD neuroimaging community, where he serves as technical and operational director. Beyond an impressive research portfolio, Smith is recognized for his generous support of the neuroimaging community at UMD and beyond. He supports colleagues with application preparation, data collection and interpretation and student training, and he plays a key role in shaping the next generation of researchers by guiding and mentoring graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and research assistants on methodological rigor, scientific integrity, handling massive brain imaging data sets and using different programming languages. “Jason wears many hats, but perhaps his most impactful role is his service as a mentor and teacher,” says Rachael Tillman M.S. ’17, Ph.D. ’21 of the Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine at Children’s National Hospital. “His invaluable training, devotion to science and often astounding wealth of knowledge were an integral part of my graduate education.” *** JULIE TADDEO RESEARCH PROFESSOR, ARHU-HISTORY Julie Taddeo is a leading scholar and public intellectual in a field she’s helped define: the study of British period dramas. The first faculty member in the history department to hold the title of research professor, Taddeo primarily examines gender, relationships between men and women, and sexual violence in shows like “Downton Abbey,” “Poldark,” “Bridgerton” and “Outlander.” She has recontextualized these kinds of shows by analyzing how they engage with the female gaze, and the ways in which gender, race and class intersect in British popular culture. Her other research has explored British modernism through the lens of queer studies as well as Victorian and neo-Victorian sexuality. Taddeo is a frequent commentator on popular culture, appearing in the media to talk about the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, and television shows like “Peaky Blinders.” “Many major media outlets have learned to expect thoroughly informed, engaging and prompt commentary from Taddeo,” says David B. Sicilia, Henry Kaufman Chair and associate professor of history at the University of Maryland. Taddeo received her B.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of Rochester and arrived at UMD in 2006. She has co-edited nine collections, including “Writing Australian History on Screen,” released earlier this year. She is the author of one monograph and co-author of another, and has written eight peer-reviewed articles and seven chapters in edited collections. She has served as guest editor for special editions of prestigious journals in her fields, such as the Journal of British Cinema and Film and History, while also regularly reviewing books and manuscripts for leading academic publishers. Elke Weissmann, a reader in film and television at Edge Hill University in England, lauds the insightful, cross-disciplinary nature of Taddeo’s work and her mentorship of less experienced researchers. “My own experience of being edited by her shows that she is extremely supportive through constructive feedback.” Taddeo has maintained this “remarkable” level of research activity and productivity, says Ahmet Karamustafa, chair of the history department, while teaching, overseeing the department’s internship program and serving as faculty adviser for the History Undergraduate Association. He calls her “an esteemed member of her professional community with her admirable work as referee, reviewer and organizer.” ***** DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR-TEACHER T. LEIGH ANENSON ROBERT H. SMITH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS A leading scholar of equity and government pension law, Professor T. Leigh Anenson is a prolific researcher whose work is widely cited by academics and practitioners. She is also a dedicated instructor who incorporates experiential learning to deepen students’ understanding of complicated legal issues and enhance their critical thinking skills. “She takes on important and ambitious problems,” says Professor and Senior Associate Dean David B. Godes of the Robert H. Smith School of Business, offering “demonstrably and uniquely impactful” perspectives. Anenson’s equity work at the intersection of business and public policy has practical applications in patent and employment law, corporate governance and executive compensation. She has “single-handedly led the resurgence in scholarship of the numerous doctrines and principles that come under the umbrella of equity law,” says Professor Larry DiMatteo of the Warrington College of Business Administration at the University of Florida. Her study of constitutional barriers to government pension reform has also been transformative. Her research has been cited in 35 court decisions, including the Delaware Court of Chancery, the seminal forum for business cases. Her citations rank in the top 2% of the Social Science Research Network’s author rankings across all disciplines and is the incoming president of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business. Anenson joined UMD in 2007 after a decade of experience in business and law, and has received teaching awards nearly every year at Smith, including the Krowe Award for teaching excellence. She was also honored as one of the best U.S. business school professors by trade site Poets & Quants. The recipient of multiple innovation grants, Anenson incorporates active learning exercises and other real-world examples into her business law course, even taking students to hear cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Outside of the classroom, she invites undergraduates to join her research, mentors faculty members, and advises the Business Law Society. She also championed a new Fellows Program in Business Law and co-launched the Business Law Bowl competition. “I am very confident that if I had not been in her classroom or had the incredibly fortunate opportunity to receive her mentorship, I would not have submitted my law school applications this fall,” says Tyler Sisca ’22. *** DANIEL CHAZAN DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING, POLICY AND LEADERSHIP Daniel Chazan studies the teaching of mathematics in high schools, institutions created to educate future generations. His research treats teaching as an activity carried out by individuals with particular identities and beliefs who must conform to institutional constraints. Chazan’s professional interests include student-centered mathematics teaching, practice-based teacher education, and constructive links between educational scholarship and practice. “Dr. Chazan’s work stands out for its theoretical depth and for its grounding in the reality of teaching rather than in currently fashionable but transitory ideologies,” says Paul Cobb, research professor of mathematics education at Vanderbilt University. Chazan, the Jean, Jeffrey, and David Mullan Professor of Teacher Education, directs the Center for Mathematics Education, a research hub that strives to improve K-16 math teaching, and co-directs Terrapin Teachers, an initiative to increase the number of STEM secondary teaching graduates. Chazan has published 52 refereed articles, three books and 32 book chapters that have been cited over 5,000 times, and he has been the PI or co-PI for projects that have received over $10 million in funding. Most recently, his work earned him the 2023 Excellence in Scholarship Award from the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators. He received his bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and his Master and Doctor of Education degrees from Harvard University. Chazan joined UMD as an associate professor of curriculum and instruction in 2002 before assuming his current role a decade later. He has developed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as outreach programs—including on mathematics education research, curriculum and history—while establishing a reputation for excellence in advising and mentoring. Those around him consistently laud the respectful, supportive learning and teaching environment he has fostered. “Dr. Chazan’s accomplishments have been obtained while maintaining a humble spirit, attending to students, teachers and colleagues as full human beings while he works with them,” says Whitney Johnson, associate professor of mathematics education at Morgan State University and a former mentee of Chazan’s. *** DON DEVOE DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Don DeVoe is widely respected for integrating his high-caliber research program with inspirational and innovative teaching and an exemplary commitment to undergraduate and graduate education. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UMD and his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. When he returned to the A. James Clark School of Engineering in 1997, he was its first faculty member to pursue microelectromechanical systems research. He brings “unbridled enthusiasm, meticulous work and unwavering commitment” to the field, says Minta Martin Professor and department Chair Balakumar Balachandran. DeVoe, a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering and of the Royal Society of Chemistry, is particularly well known for his studies on microfluidic manufacturing of lipid nanoparticles; a commercial relative of his initial platform was used in the production of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. “Dr. DeVoe's passion for multidisciplinary science, combined with his drive to connect engineering with biomedical research, has made our partnership exceptionally productive and rewarding,” says Peter Swaan, dean of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. DeVoe has published more than 120 articles and written nine book chapters, and his publications have been cited nearly 10,000 times. He has also taught courses from the sophomore to advanced graduate levels, always with a focus on learning by doing. His popular senior elective on the internet of things ends with a “battle royale” of student-built mobile mechatronic ball-launchers. Graduate student education is intertwined with research in his lab. He has trained more than 60 postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, and nine have gone on to take faculty positions at universities around the world. One of them, Balaji Panchapakesan Ph.D. ’01, is now a professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and credits DeVoe for making him a better teacher, researcher, writer, thinker and mentor. “He told me once that if I was successful, that would be indicative of his success also,” he says. “I never forgot that.” *** JULIE GREENE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY Julie Greene has dedicated her career to uncovering the stories of people who have historically occupied positions of lower societal status—immigrants, women, members of the working class and people of color—and challenging her students to examine those perspectives. Greene joined the University of Maryland faculty in 2007, and was a co-founder and co-director, and then sole director of the Center for Global Migration Studies. Her work focuses on themes of power, agency and resistance, and on putting United States history into a global context. “Dr. Greene is known for her careful historiography, her pioneering research, and her crisp and lucid mode of composition and expression,” says Stephanie Shonekan, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. “The remarkable range of courses and seminars that Dr. Greene has taught and continues to teach speaks powerfully to the clear integration of research and teaching manifested in Dr. Greene’s record.” Greene earned her bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Michigan, an additional bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in history from the University of Cambridge, and a Ph.D. in history from Yale. She has written two books, including “The Canal Builders: Making America’s Empire at the Panama Canal,” which received the James A. Rawley Prize for the Best Book on the History of Race Relations from the Organization of American Historians. Greene has edited three books and written numerous journal articles, book chapters and review essays. She integrates her research into courses including “Workers of U.S. Capitalism” and “Illegality, Rights and Resistance,” connecting the subjects to broader global dynamics and engaging them in critical thinking about how the past shapes the present. “As a doctoral candidate, I benefited from Dr. Greene’s deep well of knowledge,” says Lane Windham M.A. ’13, Ph.D. ’15, associate director of the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University. “What makes Dr. Greene so unique is her deep commitment to helping her graduate students blaze their own paths and produce their strongest possible scholarship." *** PAUL JAEGER COLLEGE OF INFORMATION STUDIES Paul Jaeger, a professor in the College of Information Studies, is a highly regarded scholar combining the fields of information justice, library sciences and disability studies to make a profound impact on students, the university community, and library and information science (LIS) around the world. His research explores the human and civil rights implications at the intersections of law, policy and information with the goal of increasing awareness of inequities and sparking advocacy and solutions. Professor Bharat Mehra from the University of Alabama’s School of Library and Information Sciences calls him one of the field’s “movers and shakers,” saying, “His work on inclusive design, technology ethics and disability law is cutting-edge and exceptional in its relevance, impact and significance.” Jaeger received his bachelor’s degree from New College of Florida, Master of Education from the University of North Florida and a Juris Doctor, master’s in LIS and Ph.D. from Florida State University. He joined UMD in 2006. He has published 20 books, 56 book chapters and 158 journal articles—with nearly 80 publications including student co-authors—and has been cited more than 14,500 times. Jaeger founded two major conferences at UMD: the Conference on Inclusion and Diversity in Library and Information Science and the fast-growing Disability Global Summit. He has also served as editor of Library Quarterly, for more than 15 years, and he co-founded the journal Including Disability. He is the associate director of the Maryland Initiative for Digital Accessibility to bring more equitable access to information in local communities and the director of the museum scholarship and material culture graduate program. He previously chaired the UMD President's Commission on Disability Issues and directed the MLIS program. Students, colleagues and mentees appreciate his passion for disability justice and capacity for collaboration and kindness as an educator. “Paul works tirelessly to welcome and celebrate those who feel excluded into spaces where they can become successful academics and advocates for their communities,” says a beneficiary of his mentorship, disability rights program specialist Sara H. Olsen Ph.D. ’22. *** CHRIS LASKOWSKI DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS Mathematics Professor Chris Laskowski has been a pillar of the logic community for nearly four decades, not only making profound contributions to his field, but also developing the next generation of logicians. His “groundbreaking research has always been intertwined with his passion for teaching, mentoring and education at all levels, from high school students to postdocs,” say Professors Doron Levy and Lawrence C. Washington, department chair and associate chair for undergraduate studies, respectively. Laskowski works primarily in model theory, a branch of mathematical logic, though he has also made important strides in descriptive set theory and computability theory. Highlights include advances in classification theory, Borel classification of countable models, Vapnik-Chervonenkis theory, trivial theories and mutual algebraicity. “A distinguished feature of his work is his ability to cross boundaries and tie in ideas from set theory, combinatorics and other areas of mathematics,” says Professor David Marker of the University of Illinois, Chicago. “I find the breadth of Chris’s work remarkable.” Laskowski has been at UMD since 1989, shortly after earning his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a highly collaborative researcher who has crossed disciplines to contribute to economics and biochemistry. His work has been supported by National Science Foundation funding for 32 of the last 33 years, and he has more than 60 publications. In addition, Laskowski is also an enthusiastic teacher and mentor. His former students hold key positions in private industry, government agencies and academia. “He is the ultimate gold standard as a graduate adviser and mentor, and a teacher,” says former student Shirin Malekpour Ph.D. ’04, an associate dean at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Chris’s generosity with sharing his knowledge and wisdom and time is second to none.” Laskowski’s impact extends further through his participation in activities that serve as important recruiting tools and enhance UMD’s reputation: He has long served as an evaluator for the Intel Science Talent Search; worked for 30 years with the Maryland High School Mathematics competition; and graded the Putnam Math Competition. *** VALÉRIE ORLANDO SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND CULTURES Professor of French and Francophone literatures Valérie Orlando has earned a reputation for elevating the voices of marginalized communities in the French-speaking world by analyzing the roles of women and colonized people especially in Francophone film, literature and art, and through her stellar teaching. Focusing primarily on France, North and sub-Saharan Africa and the French-speaking Caribbean, Orlando examines how writers, filmmakers and artists engage with themes like feminism, human rights, colonialism, immigration, displacement and violence. “The most remarkable aspect of Dr. Orlando’s extensive publishing (whether in books or among the scores of articles and book chapters that she’s authored) is its boundary-pushing emphasis and its capacity to give voice and import to voices often ignored or bypassed by the academic literature,” say Stephanie Shonekan, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, and Mary Ellen Scullen, director of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Orlando earned a bachelor’s degree in French at the University of Redlands, a master’s degree in French language and literature at George Mason University and a Ph.D. in French studies at Brown University. She has been at the University of Maryland since 2006, and has authored or edited nine books, in addition to numerous book chapters, journal articles and translations. Orlando served for three years as director of the Honors Humanities living-learning program in the Honors College and has also led the Department of French and Italian and director of French graduate studies. She has also served as a director on 13 doctoral dissertations and as a committee member on numerous others while teaching classes that consistently earn her students’ respect and praise. “While the courses I took with Dr. Orlando have clearly had lasting effects, I particularly value the mentorship and guidance she provided me while I worked on my dissertation,” says Julia L. Frengs Ph.D. ’13, associate professor of French and Francophone studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “I am grateful to have had such a dedicated and invested professor, research mentor and model for scholarly excellence.” *** SCOT REESE SCHOOL OF THEATRE, DANCE, AND PERFORMANCE STUDIES During nearly 30 years at the University of Maryland, Scot Reese has been a prolific theater director, researcher and respected teacher who champions diversity and inclusion on and behind the stage. The associate chair of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, Reese is a renowned director, counting more than 50 productions at UMD, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Round House Theater and the African Continuum Theatre Company. He is an award-winning actor, appearing in dozens of plays and other productions. Stephanie Shonekan, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, notes that Reese’s recent work as co-director of TDPS’s production of the play “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” illustrates his range and talent: “Not only was the play a remarkable demonstration of acting talent and effective staging, it also was fully multimedia, with a robust use of film, music and photography.” Reese shares his research in conferences, master classes and beyond, and empowers his students to follow their own vision. “He brings the best of the professional world into his campus projects. I also know that he understands the importance of being in the room (but deliberately not always leading) to cultivate the leadership potential in young artists,” says Harvey Young, dean and professor in Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. Reese earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and an MFA in directing from Northwestern University. He joined UMD in 1994 and spearheaded the creation of the MFA degree in performance as well as the development of courses on Black theater. Reese has acted as faculty adviser for College Park Scholars-Arts and student groups such as Maryland Night Live, Voices of Color and Kreativity Diversity Troupe. Reese “pushes for the best from his students,” says Khalid Long Ph.D. ’17, assistant professor of theatre and film studies at the University of Georgia. “He is a teacher-artist in the truest sense of the word. His dedication to teaching and mentorship extends beyond the classroom and, in my case, beyond graduation.” *** EFRAIN RODRIGUEZ DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY Professor Efrain Rodriguez is a brilliant solid-state chemist known for his creative synthesis of new low-dimensional solids and his research in the emerging field of quantum materials—and who also genuinely loves engaging with students. In his lab, Rodriguez mixes earth-abundant materials, good chemistry and the carefully choreographed arrangement of atoms to fabricate substances with new structure-electronic properties that display extraordinary behaviors such as superconductivity, advancing materials systems and technologies in quantum, energy storage and the sequestration of chemical warfare agents. He has nearly 90 publications, earning about 400 citations per year, and co-edited “Fundamentals of Quantum Materials: A Practical Guide to Synthesis and Exploration,” considered the essential guide on materials synthesis. “Efrain has set the bar very high for those in the field who aspire to work on quantum materials, but who do not ‘dig in their heels’ and actually plan and perform the really difficult experiments,” says Northwestern University Professor Mercouri Kanatzidis. “Solid-state chemistry is thriving in the U.S., and I rank Professor Rodriguez to be one of our best young solid-state chemists and young professors.” Rodriguez earned his B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He held academic positions at the National Institute for Science and Technologies and Los Alamos National Laboratories before joining UMD in 2014. He is a dedicated and effective instructor, inspiring a work ethic and curiosity that has propelled his students into advanced degrees and positions at leading institutions. Through compelling coursework, mentorship and leadership—including directorship of the chemistry Ph.D. program—he is committed to integrating research into his students’ university experience and teaching them “how to think like a scientist.” “Efrain Rodriguez makes us a better university,” say Janice Reutt-Robey and Jeffery Davis, chair and professor, respectively, in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “He raises the bar on scholarship and teaching and provides a wonderful role model for both students and faculty.” ***** DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR RALPH DUBAYAH DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES Ralph Dubayah’s groundbreaking work in the field of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) remote sensing and processing techniques has led to major advancements in understanding the rapid changes in Earth's forests and other landscapes, even as he consistently demonstrated a commitment to teaching and service. An internationally recognized leader in the satellite Earth observation community, he has collaborated with NASA on dozens of projects spanning four decades. These have included pioneering activities on the agency’s Carbon Monitoring System and interdisciplinary science investigations bridging climate, hydrological and ecological studies. He has also worked closely with international space organizations, including the European Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center. He is best known as principal investigator of NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Mission, overseeing construction of the $100 million LiDAR instrument mounted on the International Space Station that has provided invaluable data for studies on ecology, carbon cycle science and hydrology. Dar Roberts, professor of geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara, calls GEDI “one of the most well-orchestrated missions in recent NASA history.” “The fact that the mission was launched six months ahead of schedule, and under budget with a set of highly evolved, well-validated algorithms is a testament to the leadership role Professor Ralph Dubayah played in shepherding this technology from its inception in the early 2000s, to success today,” he says. Dubayah earned a B.A at the University of California, Berkeley and his M.A. and Ph.D. at UC Santa Barbara. His 150-plus journal articles have been cited over 20,000 times. He has researched and taught for over 30 years at UMD, where he is a respected colleague and mentor who shapes the graduate programs of the department and the research endeavors of young scientists. “Dr. Dubayah has demonstrated an extraordinary and consistent commitment to scholarship, teaching and service in his department and the campus, extending into national and international arenas,” says Wayne McIntosh, professor emeritus of government and politics and former interim dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. “All the while, his efforts and achievements have raised the profile and distinction of our university." *** SHARON FRIES-BRITT DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELING, HIGHER EDUCATION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION Sharon Fries-Britt is a trailblazing researcher who has shifted the national conversation about racism in higher education, dedicating her career to advancing equity and dismantling the systems of oppression that harm students, faculty and staff. A professor of higher education for nearly three decades, she is widely recognized for challenging the “deficit approach” to studying Black college students, which focuses on factors contributing to lower levels of academic performance. “Her scholarship flipped the tired questions of what was wrong with students and faculty of color to what was right with them and what mattered in their achievement,” says Tiffany Jones, deputy director of measurement, learning and evaluation at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Also among her influential research, Fries-Britt and colleagues collaborated with the University of Missouri and the American Council on Education to examine how Missouri could have better addressed a 2015 racial crisis that led to the resignation of the university chancellor and the system president. Her analysis has been critical in advancing reforms on campuses nationwide. Additionally, she’s made significant contributions to understanding the persistence of underrepresented populations in STEM fields. “At this point, it is nearly impossible to write anything good or credible about Black student success in college without citing her studies,” says Shaun R. Harper, University Professor and Provost Professor of Education and Business at the University of Southern California. Fries-Britt received her bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from UMD and her master’s from Ohio State University. She joined Maryland’s faculty in 1995 and was the first African American woman to be promoted from assistant to associate to full professor in the College of Education. Her groundbreaking work, which has garnered more than 3,000 citations, has earned her numerous accolades. The American Educational Research Association honored her with the Social Justice in Education Award in 2021, and she won the American Physical Society Excellence in Physics Education Award in 2022 for her efforts to increase Black representation in physics and astronomy. “She is seen by so many as an example of how to engage in work that is critical, rigorous and impactful,” says Kimberly A. Griffin, professor and dean of the College of Education. *** LIANGBING HU DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING Liangbing Hu has rapidly proven himself a creative force in the field of wood nanocellulose technologies—where he’s developed wood that’s stronger than steel, and types that cool buildings and desalinate water—as well as ultrafast high-temperature manufacturing, which creates ceramic and metallic materials in a flash. The Herbert Rabin Distinguished Professor and director of the Center for Materials Innovation focuses on projects with broadly environmental objectives, including advancing batteries for the storage of clean energy and replacing damaging fossil-fuel based plastics with natural fiber alternatives. His work is extremely prominent, with 10 articles published in Science and Nature in the last five years, including four cover stories on his various lines of research. “Dr. Hu is a truly innovative, truly high-quality, truly original, immensely energetic and broad (and very young!) researcher,” exclaims Ioannis Kevrekidis, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University. His publication record is already extensive, with 437 articles and over 82,000 citations. He holds 23 U.S. patents with 46 applications pending, and has won four R&D 100 Awards, considered the Oscars of tech development. He led or co-led projects receiving $66 million in federal funding, much of it from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). “As a former ARPA-E program director, I am very sure that he ranks No. 1 in both the number of grants and total dollar value of ARPA-E awards,” says JC Zhao, chair of materials science and engineering at UMD. Hu earned a bachelor’s in physics from the University of Science and Technology of China and his Ph.D. in physics at the University of California, Los Angeles. After a term as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University, Hu came to UMD as an assistant professor in 2011 and was promoted to full professor in 2019. Among his honors, he is UMD’s first fellow of the Materials Research Society and received the journal Nature’s Spinoff Prize. He has founded several firms, including three to commercialize his UMD work alone. Zhenan Bao, former chemistry department chair at Stanford, says Hu displays a “determination to bridge the gap between research innovation and manufacturing/commercialization to address real societal challenges.” *** MATTHEW KIRSCHENBAUM DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH English Professor Matthew Kirschenbaum is a pioneer in the fields of book history, digital humanities and media studies, expanding our understanding of the ways that technologies have influenced the written word. He has long advocated for greater consideration of technology as critical context for literature, while his new research revolves around artificial intelligence and writing. “As a star practitioner and advocate for the intersection of textual and digital modes of humanistic inquiry, Professor Kirschenbaum has raised the research profile of the department, college and university,” says Amanda Bailey, chair of the Department of English Language and Literature. Kirschenbaum earned a bachelor’s degree in English and history at the State University of New York at Albany, and master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Virginia. He came to the University of Maryland in 2001 and was the founding director of the graduate certificate in Digital Studies in the Arts and Humanities, and the Design Cultures and Creativity living-learning program in the Honors College. He also served as associate director of the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities and is a founding director of BookLab, a makerspace and campus hub for letterpress printing and the book arts. Kirschenbaum has authored three books (which have won multiple awards), edited one, and written numerous journal articles, book chapters, public white papers, book reviews and pieces in media outlets like The Atlantic, The Paris Review and The Washington Post. He is the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Guggenheim Foundation. He collaborates with academic peers as well as artists, designers, IT architects and archivists, teaches a variety of courses, and mentors students and junior scholars, including serving as primary adviser on 10 doctoral dissertations. “Professor Kirschenbaum’s intellectual program of integrating the digital, the bibliographical, the textual and the historical beautifully fulfills its ambitious mission and elevates one’s expectations of the field,” says Michael F. Suarez, professor of English, director of the Rare Book School and honorary curator of special collections at the University of Virginia. “His generosity of spirit, kindness and gracious humanity might perhaps even make one believe in the adage that dedication to humanistic studies can help make one more humane.” *** TOM PORTER DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL AND AVIAN SCIENCE Through his influential research and leadership of professional organizations and journals, Tom Porter has emerged as a central figure in the field of poultry endocrinology, while in his academic department, he’s dedicated to the growth of assistant professors of animal and avian sciences. Porter is considered the go-to expert on pituitary gland function in birds, advancing understanding of growth and reproduction in poultry. “These fundamental discoveries, in turn, have opened the door to improved efficiency in production of animal protein, thus facilitating the security of a wholesome and economical food supply,” says Susan J. Lamont, distinguished professor at Iowa State University. Porter is both a highly funded scientist, gaining over $28 million in external awards, and a highly cited one, with more than 3,600 references to his research, so colleagues are eager to keep up with his work. At conferences, “people would excuse themselves from a conversation because they wanted to hear ‘Porter’s talk,’” says Walter Bottje, poultry science professor at the University of Arkansas. Porter earned his undergraduate biology degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth and Ph.D. in animal physiology from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. He was an assistant professor at Texas A&M University before arriving at UMD in 1997, and he was promoted to full professor in 2004. Among his honors, he is a fellow of the Poultry Science Association and served as its 2022-23 president, and he is editor-in-chief of World’s Poultry Science Journal and past editor-in-chief of Poultry Science. Beyond his research prominence, his colleagues stress his deep dedication to the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, which he led as chair for eight years. He then didn’t flee the administrative realm for the lab but helped his successor ease into the role. He is also passionate about teaching students and nurturing an inclusive atmosphere for incoming faculty; he mentors 80% of them. “His willingness to help mentor and support junior faculty is something I have not witnessed in the three other departments I have been a part of in my career,” says Chair and Professor Chad Stahl. *** SENNUR ULUKUS DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING Over more than two decades at UMD, Sennur Ulukus has risen to become one of the world’s leading researchers in wireless communications and information theory, producing scholarship that has been central to the design and analysis of modern wireless systems. Among her more than 130 publications—cited nearly 18,000 times—are fundamental papers on a broad spectrum of topics: optimized wireless transmission, power control, physical layers security, energy-harvesting communications, private information retrieval and age of information. “Her research path is loaded with innovations in different topical areas, and she has been at the front of the pack in each area she has touched,” says Tamer Başar, an electrical and computer engineering professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Ulukus earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical and electronics engineering at Bilkent University in Turkey and her Ph.D. at Rutgers University. After working as a senior technical staffer at AT&T Labs, she joined the UMD faculty in 2001, became a full professor in 2011 and today serves as chair of electrical and computer engineering. “Sennur is great at research production and dissemination, great at grant procurement, great at teaching and well-known as a scholar outside of UMD,” says Christopher Rose, professor of engineering and associate provost for STEM initiatives at Brown University. She is a dedicated instructor of undergraduates and graduate students; nearly half of her doctoral students have gone on to tenured positions, and three have won NSF CAREER awards for outstanding young scientists. Among her honors, Ulukus was named an IEEE fellow and an IEEE Information Theory Society Distinguished Lecturer, received two IEEE Technical Achievement Awards, and won the prestigious IEEE Marconi Prize Paper Award. She has also served as an editor for six top journals in her field and served on numerous professional committees in the U.S. and abroad. “Many of her research contributions are viewed as foundational in her field. In addition, she has been an outstanding citizen of the campus, contributing heavily to teaching and service,” says Samuel Graham, Jr., dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering. *** LAI-XI WANG DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY Lai-Xi Wang has achieved broad recognition as one of the world’s leading scientists in the field of chemical glycobiology, which focuses on understanding the functions of sugar chains (glycans) and the proteins that attach to them. His breakthroughs in the field have opened new avenues in science, and he has helped realize important advances in several areas including therapeutic antibodies and HIV vaccine design. A vexing problem with such studies is the extreme structural variation in glycans and glycoproteins as they’re manufactured within human and animal cells under non-template-driven biosynthesis, making laboratory investigations difficult. In a major breakthrough, he developed an innovative method for synthesizing large, homogeneous glycoproteins for experiments. “The chemoenzymatic methods developed by Professor Wang’s laboratory are among the most powerful methods in the field and enable key structural and functional studies that were previously unobtainable,” says Linda C. Hsieh-Wilson, Milton and Rosalind Chang Professor of Chemistry at Caltech. Wang earned his doctoral degree at Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. After postdoctoral studies at Johns Hopkins University and MIT, he accepted an assistant professor position in 2000 at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he was promoted to full professor in 2009. He was recruited to the University of Maryland, College Park as a professor of chemistry and biochemistry in 2015. Wang has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and has been awarded 33 US and foreign patents. He has served as chair of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry. Wang was named an AAAS Fellow in 2014 and an ACS fellow in 2019. His startup, GlycoT Therapeutics, is harnessing his innovations in the fight against deadly illnesses. “His research is enabling a molecular-level understanding of virus-cell interactions, and the rational development of therapeutics to treat diseases such as cancer and HIV,” says Amitabh Varshney, dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. ***** KIRWAN FACULTY RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP PRIZE DONALD K. MILTON MARYLAND INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH In March 2020, as COVID-19 began disrupting life worldwide, Dr. Donald K. Milton posted a paper online as co-senior author demonstrating that face masks stopped coronaviruses from getting into the air. Published in Nature Medicine the next month, it was a key piece of evidence warning of airborne spread of SARS-CoV-2 and supporting masking. This work drew on decades of Milton’s research showing that tiny particles lingering in the air can transmit respiratory viruses—bucking global scientific and medical establishments. “What today feels like a long-held fact that masking and indoor ventilation prevent disease transmission and save lives is in large part due to the influence of this paper,” says Dr. Boris Lushniak, School of Public Health dean. Milton’s career-spanning effort on aerosols—which he continues to pursue with $25 million in current funding—created a “clear turning point” in science, says Dr. Robert T. Schooley, distinguished professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego. The editor-in-chief of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases when the pandemic began, Schooley says, “Dr. Milton’s paper got my attention and changed the way we approached these issues at the journal.” Milton earned his undergraduate chemistry degree at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, medical degree at Johns Hopkins University, and master’s and doctoral degrees in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. After medical internships and residencies at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, University Hospital in Boston and the Harvard School of Public Health, he served in research and faculty positions at Harvard. He then became a professor of work environment at the University of Massachusetts Lowell before arriving at UMD in 2009 as the first permanent director of the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, where he now serves as MPower Professor. Among his seminal works is a 2003 paper—rejected by Science and published by Indoor Air—demonstrating how simple carbon dioxide measurements can predict which indoor spaces present risks. In addition to 1,200-plus citations for the 2020 Nature Medicine paper, Milton’s works have more than 20,000 citations, with nearly 11,000 since 2019. “Although his contributions are now widely recognized, Don has not received the accolades that he has deserved,” says Dr. Jonathan M. Samet, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health. “It took a pandemic—the COVID-19 pandemic—for his work to finally receive an appropriate level of attention, given its implications.” ***** KIRWAN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION AWARD MADLEN SIMON SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING AND PRESERVATION Professor Madlen Simon’s distinguished teaching career in architecture is founded on providing students with experiences that mirror the real world, nurturing the collaborative and creative problem-solving skills so important to their success in the profession. An architect and professor for over 30 years, Simon earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Architecture degrees from Princeton University. She joined the UMD faculty in 2006 and quickly dedicated her expertise to shaping the architecture curriculum, first as program director and later as associate dean for academic affairs and outreach; during her time in these positions, the program’s undergraduate enrollment tripled in size. “She works to make the school community a place where all feel welcome and understand the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion through the lens of our built environment disciplines,” says Assistant Clinical Professor Tanya Bansal. Simon pioneered a curriculum that emphasizes design thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on learning. She was co-principal investigator of WaterShed, the university’s winning house in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2011, and developed a study abroad studio in St. Petersburg, Russia, with Maryland and Russian colleagues. Her signature undergraduate general education course, “Design in Practice,” was an inaugural Fearless Ideas course. Beginning in Fall 2023, Simon will lead a new Carillon Communities living-learning program centered on the theme “design in practice.” “Madlen Simon exemplifies the commitment, fearlessness and willingness to continue to use her classroom as a space for global discourse and design,” says Dawn Jourdan, dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Presentation. Over the years, Simon’s students have developed projects for Glen Echo Park, the Girl Scouts, NASA and the city of College Park. In 2016, a partnership with design firm Gensler and Al-Nahrain University in Bagdad resulted in an award-winning studio course that pairs U.S. and Iraqi architecture students to tackle cross-cultural design challenges. Simon is the recipient of Architect Magazine’s Studio Prize and has been recognized as an Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship distinguished fellow, a Center for Teaching Excellence Lilly teaching fellow and a Carillon Communities faculty fellow. She has served as a research adviser for nearly 100 students. ***** PRESIDENT’S MEDAL GLORIA APARICIO BLACKWELL OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Throughout her 26-year career at the University of Maryland, Gloria Aparicio Blackwell has strengthened the university’s ties to the diverse communities just beyond the campus. As founder and director of the Office of Community Engagement, she is a conduit for university-civic activities and partnerships that broaden UMD’s accessibility, impact and service. “Gloria’s unwavering commitment to UMD, her tireless work on behalf of local communities, her dedication to the practice of diversity, equity and social justice, and her generous support of faculty, staff and employees on campus are unparalleled and unmatched,” says Ana Patricia Rodríguez, associate professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. “It is safe to say that her service to UMD extends to every corner of campus, the length of the Baltimore Avenue corridor and beyond the city of College Park.” Aparicio Blackwell began cultivating her mission-driven commitment during her time with the Office of Administration and Finance. There she founded the CP Dream Team, a popular campus and community event that pairs local law enforcement with community youth on the basketball court. In 2012, she lobbied to establish the Office of Community Engagement and open the university’s doors to its neighbors; over the years, she has developed an extensive network of partnerships that put UMD faculty, staff, students and alums to work in surrounding communities, launched college-preparatory events to break down language barriers in nearby immigrant communities, and cultivated K-12 programs locally that educate and inspire future Terps. The office’s hallmark event is Good Neighbor Day, a partnership between the university, city of College Park and Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission that galvanizes thousands of students, faculty and staff each year to give back by planting trees, cleaning streams and distributing food to those in need. “She does all she does so well because she truly cares,” says Laura Anderson Wright, associate general counsel. “The intelligence, grit and professionalism Gloria exhibits embody the spirit of the Maryland Terrapin: always moving forward.” For local governments, civic groups, faith-based organizations and area businesses, Aparicio Blackwell is the face of the university; she is a familiar presence at city and town meetings and presentations of community-centered student project work. She serves on several nonprofit boards including the Montgomery College Board of Trustees, Nonprofit Prince George's County and the Association of Community Colleges Trustees Latino Caucus. She advocates and collaborates at the local and state levels for funding to support meaningful programs and university’s community-centered initiatives. During the pandemic, her network helped bring COVID vaccines to the campus community. Aparicio Blackwell holds an associate’s degree in safety and fire science from Instituto Tecnológico de Seguridad Industrial in Venezuela, a bachelor’s in industrial technology from UMD and a master’s in management from the University of Maryland Global Campus. She earned the University of Maryland President’s Distinguished Service Award and the Governor’s Certificate of Merit for Crime Prevention, both in 2016, and the University of Maryland President's Commission on Women Issues’ Women of Excellence Award. She was recognized by The Daily Record as one of Maryland's Top 100 Women in 2023, and as a Maryland Census Champion.