Michele Eastman Office of the President President’s Medal For 44 years, Michele Eastman deftly helped power the University of Maryland’s ascent as an educational and research powerhouse, championing its core values until concluding her career in June 2025 after more than a decade as assistant president and chief of staff. “She has applied her sharp intellect, keen insight, and virtually unequaled depth of knowledge regarding the University of Maryland, university system and higher education to address the most challenging problems facing our university,” handling them with “wisdom, integrity, fortitude and grace,” says Karen O’Brien, professor of psychology and faculty ombuds in the Office of the President. Eastman arrived at Maryland in 1981 to work as the graduate secretary in physics and astronomy, holding undergraduate degrees in philosophy and classical studies, a master’s in art history and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction, all from the University of Missouri. She soon became research coordinator for UMD’s condensed matter physics group, then served for 17 years as assistant dean for finance and administration in the College of Arts and Humanities before moving into the Division of Research and Graduate Studies as executive director and later assistant and associate vice president. Among her institutional accomplishments during this time, Eastman helped consolidate four departments into the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. “I cannot think of any major development in the College of Arts and Humanities that would have advanced without her insight and cautionary advice,” says Saúl Sosnowski, professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. She was also central to establishing UMD’s first University Affiliated Research Center in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense, helping write the $15 million proposal for the center today known as the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security. Additionally, she played a key role developing plans that led to The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, and helped separate the Division of Research and Graduate Studies into the Graduate School and the Division of Research. Denise Clark, associate vice president for research administration, calls Eastman’s leadership “nothing short of transformative to the research enterprise,” crediting her with laying the “groundwork for the university’s current success in securing over $700 million in research funding annually.” In 2011, Eastman became the chief assistant to UMD’s president, where she advised two administrations through some of the institution’s greatest challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. “She could talk about issues in Athletics and then concerns with the police and fire marshal and then come back to academics and IT,” says Amitabh Varshney, dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, who relied on her counsel throughout his own transition into deanship. “She is in a class by herself with her mastery of knowledge of so many areas of this university.” Colleagues across campus describe relying on Eastman as a matter of course. Physicist Sankar Das Sarma recalls that she was “ready already in 1985 to run the whole campus with seamless efficiency,” and that decades later, her responses to his questions remained just as immediate and precise. Ann Tonggarwee, the president’s deputy chief of staff, who worked alongside Eastman for 22 years, calls her “one of the best of us—someone who is exceptionally bright, thoughtful and kind.” Eastman received the university’s President’s Distinguished Service Award in 1997 and was a founding member of the MPowering the State Steering Committee. She subsequently spearheaded strategic efforts such as the Center for Health-related Informatics and Bioimaging, among more than a dozen university councils on which she has served, exercising what one former colleague called a gift for connecting people. A longtime advocate of staff development, engagement and mentorship, Eastman was a founding member of UMD’s Thriving Workplace Initiative, and also led the effort to establish policy and procedures for appointment of staff to emeritus status. “She is a stalwart steward for UMD, but she also cares deeply for the people who work here,” says former Vice President of Belonging Georgina Dodge. “Michele empowers others by providing them with resources needed to reach their goals.” Julie Greene Department of History College of Arts and Humanities Kirwan Faculty Research and Scholarship Prize Through her incisive scholarship focused on labor history, empire and migration, Julie Greene has reshaped how historians understand the working class that built and sustained American global power. “She stands at the vanguard of an emerging field of globally-focused labor and social history in which the study of labor migration and the building of empire are deeply intertwined,” says Shelton Stromquist, professor emeritus of history at the University of Iowa. Greene earned undergraduate degrees in history from the University of Michigan and the University of Cambridge, master’s degrees from Cambridge and Yale, and her Ph.D. at Yale. She joined UMD in 2008, where she co-founded the Center for Global Migration Studies with the late history Professor Ira Berlin. “She is truly a world-class scholar who has produced highly significant scholarship,” says Stephanie Shonekan, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. She has authored three books; her second, “The Canal Builders: Making America’s Empire at the Panama Canal,” won the Organization of American Historians’ James A. Rawley Prize and was a 2009 Pulitzer Prize nominee. American history Professor Kevin Boyle of Northwestern University called it a “marvel of historical recreation.” Her latest, “Box 25: Archival Secrets and the World of Caribbean Canal Workers,” was published in 2025 and brings to light migrant workers’ own testimonies to illuminate the canal’s construction. Greene edits the journal Labor: Studies in Working-Class History; the Council of Editors of Learned Journals honored that work with its 2026 Phoenix Award for editorial and design achievement. Among other markers of her leadership, she has served as president of both the Labor and Working-Class History Association and the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. At Maryland, she received the university’s Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award in 2023-24 and has advised generations of doctoral students, several of whom have gone on to win major prizes for books built on her mentorship. “Julie Greene is one of those protean figures who has roamed the world, enriching its feast,” says Eileen Boris, distinguished professor at the University of California Santa Barbara and president of the Labor and Working-Class History Association. “In this era of globalization and labor migration, with the waning of empire, she provides deep history of where we’ve been and where we could go.” Katarina Keane Department of History College of Arts and Humanities Kirwan Undergraduate Education Award Katarina Keane’s deep scholarship of the feminist movement in the U.S. South, her glowing teaching record and her impeccable knowledge of academic administrative procedures combine in an exceptional blend of qualities that unlocks students’ full potential. “I cannot think of a colleague who is as dedicated to undergraduate education as Dr. Keane and as consequential at both the administrative and educational levels,” says Ahmet Karamustafa, history professor and chair, who in 2023 created the assistant director of undergraduate studies position with her in mind. A UMD lecturer since 2010, Keane teaches U.S. history courses that delve into consumerism, women and gender, immigration and migration, and social movements since 1945. Many students have won awards and co-authored their first journal articles under her guidance; Keane received a Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars Faculty Mentor Award in 2021. “Her dedication to undergraduate students is unparalleled,” says Antoine Borrut, associate professor of history. In her administrative role, Keane overhauled the history department’s undergraduate system, improving record-keeping and data-tracking, revising and developing advanced curricula and revamping student advising. She also coordinates the Middle East studies and humanities, health, and medicine minors. Keane has organized and led numerous faculty workshops covering subjects such as integrating AI into classrooms and general education course development; her colleagues praise her ability to help them become better teachers. Keane has been affiliated with the Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies for a decade and served as executive director of the Center for Global Migration Studies from 2011 to 2023, growing it into a vibrant campus hub recognized internationally for its scholarship. She earned her undergraduate history degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her master’s and doctoral degrees from UMD. Her career has encompassed a variety of leadership roles, including her current post on the board of the Nathan and Jeanette Miller Center for Historical Studies. She has led major National Endowment for the Humanities research projects, including “Transforming the Afro-Caribbean World,” a digital humanities initiative; and “Reframing the Teaching and Learning of Migration/Immigration in U.S. History,” in partnership with the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. “Dr. Keane has contributed to undergraduate education in our department more than any other single person that I know, both in the classroom and as an administrator. This combination is very rare,” says history Professor Thomas Zeller, calling her knowledge of procedures and policies “legendary.” Vandaliah “VJ” Aderholt University Human Resources Division of Administration President’s Distinguished Service Award When faculty or staff need time off to care for a new baby or a sick relative, they turn to the leave management team led by Assistant Director Vandaliah “VJ” Aderholt, whose efforts have smoothed the way for thousands of Terps over nearly two decades at UMD. “VJ exemplifies initiative and dedication in every aspect of her work,” says Veronica Turcios, assistant director of human resources for Dining Services. “Her responsiveness, professionalism and willingness to assist are unmatched.” Aderholt is leading the campuswide implementation of the Paid Family and Medical Leave Program, established under Maryland law, which requires collaboration with the University System of Maryland. She also played a key role in the university’s transition to the Workday software platform, providing essential information on the various leave benefits and policies to the Division of Information Technology’s team. During the pandemic, Aderholt helped manage COVID leave, a complicated task with frequent changes to policies and guidelines. In addition, she oversees workplace accommodations for faculty and staff. “She is able to translate what is often complex information in a clear and accessible way, so it is easily understood and practically applied,” says College of Information Dean John Bertot, formerly the associate provost for faculty affairs. She helps navigate “very challenging situations by focusing not only on practical solutions, but also fostering compassion.” Aderholt started at UMD in 2008 as part of Facilities Management’s human resources department before moving to University Human Resources in 2018. She’s grown the leave management team from three to 10 employees and used data-driven metrics to improve customer service and efficiency. “VJ’s impact extends beyond policy and process,” says the leave management team. She “consistently demonstrates a standard of excellence that goes above and beyond the expectations of her role.” Anisha Campbell Terrapin Teachers College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences College of Education President’s Distinguished Service Award As Maryland continues to face a significant K-12 teacher shortage, Anisha Campbell is helping to lead UMD’s efforts to fill those gaps, especially for STEM educators. Since 2014, she has served as associate director of Terrapin Teachers, a collaboration between the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and the College of Education. She has recruited more than 1,200 students across four colleges to take an introductory teaching course, and over 100 have graduated as certified secondary STEM teachers. Campbell “embodies the qualities of an exceptional leader and collaborator. Her dedication to the students she serves, her team and the future of STEM education is visionary and unwavering,” says Shared Master Teacher Steve Karig, a high school biology teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools. She drives every aspect of the program, from developing relationships with school districts to broadening recruitment efforts on and off campus to reach historically underrepresented students, minimizing barriers to completing teacher certification. She has secured major grants and spearheaded the creation of the shared master teacher and part-time paid internship positions as well as a program to support new teachers. Her contributions “have expanded well beyond her original role, driving program growth through creative process improvements, innovative initiatives and mentorship,” says the Terrapin Teachers team. For UMD students, she is a constant source of support. She not only hires tutors, connects students with scholarships and financial aid, and helps them manage the challenges of bureaucracy, but also brings in snacks and creates community. “Before I committed to the university, she took the time to speak with me one on one about the program. Her warmth and enthusiasm for the program immediately inspired me to join,” says Zoe Chabria ’26. “Dr. Campbell has created an inclusive space for students, including myself, and has made a big university feel like a tight-knit community." Blesilda Ladines-Lim Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education College of Education President’s Distinguished Service Award From administering multimillion-dollar research contracts to securing fellowships for graduate student leaders, Blesilda Ladines-Lim has navigated the complex financial needs of all members of the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education (CHSE) for more than 30 years. “She is the embodiment of distinguished service, of a lifelong commitment to this institution, and of a values-driven dedication to the lives of students, staff and faculty,” says department Chair and Professor William Ming Liu. As CHSE’s director of finance and administration, Ladines-Lim oversees fiscal management, strategic planning, grant development and post-award management, human resources, student financial support and facilities maintenance and improvement. Her expertise has helped the department increase its external funding—now more than $20 million—including grants and contracts from the Gates Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. She stays up-to-date on not only UMD policies but also state and federal laws and policies, and passes on her knowledge to faculty, staff and students. Her support has been crucial, in particular, to the success of the Center for Transition and Career Innovation and the Institute for the Study of Exceptional Children and Youth. Ladines-Lim’s behind-the-scenes work enables faculty “to train educators, research important issues in education policy and practice, and support the needs of underserved learners and communities locally and nationally,” says Senior Contract Administrator Maura Collinge. Ladines-Lim earned a B.S. and MBA from the University of the Philippines and joined UMD’s College of Education in 1990. She “builds a more collaborative, diverse and welcoming community,” says former colleague David Toledo, now director of finance and business services for the Division of Student Affairs. “When anyone is having a stressful day, they can count on her ability to cheer them up, to put things into perspective and to guide us all through any problem we may be facing.” Teresa Moore Finance and Administration A. James Clark School of Engineering President’s Distinguished Service Award Since 1990, Teresa Moore has earned the respect of colleagues across campus as a strategic thinker, a savvy decision maker and a resource for a wealth of institutional knowledge. Moore, the assistant dean for finance and administration in the A. James Clark School of Engineering since 2021, has played a critical part in hiring more than 30 faculty members, including five of eight department chairs; she also helped establish a new associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, and hire a new executive director of AI innovation and partnerships. Additionally, she contributed to the development of new research initiatives, helping expand the Clark School’s research operations from $140 million in new awards to $189 million. “This type of growth and operation cannot be sustainable without the proper leadership and support structure, and Moore has gone above and beyond to ensure that we have created the systems to support such growth,” says Dean Samuel Graham. “It is her keen sense of judgment, strategic thinking, planning and the ability to communicate and work through difficult challenges that have made her the go-to person in the Clark School.” Moore began her career at UMD as a word processing supervisor in the Office of Research Administration and Advancement, meanwhile earning a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland University College (now Global Campus). She has also worked in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. In bioengineering, Moore had primary oversight of more than $14 million in departmental expenditures. She also helped oversee its move into A. James Clark Hall. Moore “radiates positivity,” say John P. Fisher and William E. Bentley, former chairs of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. “No matter what the day brings, she is eager to remind each of us that the impact of our work can be well beyond the confines of our offices or classrooms.” Aricelda Munoz Dining Services Division of Student Affairs President’s Distinguished Service Award In more than 30 years supporting Dining Services, Aricelda Munoz has proven herself essential to the daunting task of feeding tens of thousands of students, faculty members, staffers and visitors every day. Now a sous chef at Mulligan’s Grill and Pub at the University of Maryland Golf Course, Munoz has worked in a variety of roles across campus: at the Stamp Student Union Food Court, the now-closed Adele’s, and the 251 North Dining Hall and Commissary. “Everywhere that she has been, she has been central to the success of the operation and the happiness of the staff,” says David Bullock, associate director of retail operations for Dining Services. Munoz leads Mulligan’s kitchen staff in planning and preparing restaurant and catering meals; helps train new staff members; and coaches the student waitstaff, many working as servers for the first time. She is known for pitching in to contribute wherever necessary, from mopping floors to doing dishes, in addition to her primary responsibilities in the kitchen. “Aricelda’s culinary expertise is truly remarkable,” says David Fletcher, general manager of Mulligan’s. “Her consistent high-quality dishes delight our patrons. Her meticulous attention to detail, innovative menu planning and dedication to using fresh, locally sourced ingredients have significantly elevated the dining experience.” Munoz is valued by her team for her collaborative spirit, respect for her colleagues, positive attitude and work ethic. During the pandemic, with the student staff at home, she worked every position at Mulligan’s—cashiering at the order station on The Pavilion, driving the beer cart, staffing the grab-and-go café and mixing drinks at the Pub—adding them to her typical duties without hesitation. “Aricelda is an exceptional individual,” says Fletcher. “Her efforts to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and valued have had a lasting positive impact on both our staff and our patrons.” Dorothea O’Toole Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences President’s Distinguished Service Award Overseeing the operations of nearly 200,000 square feet of research, teaching and administrative space is a daunting task. Dorothea O’Toole, director of building services and facilities for the Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics (CBMG), has demonstrated over five decades that she has the knowledge, doggedness and attention to detail to make the job look easy. O’Toole joined UMD in 1977 as an office clerk in Fleet Services and steadily moved up in Facilities Management before moving in 2007 to the Department of Veterinary Medicine, where she oversaw its physical plant activities. Since 2011, she has managed day-to-day work in the Bioscience Research Building and the Microbiology Building, supervising maintenance of infrastructure, serving as lead on renovations and special projects, negotiating service contracts and acting as laboratory compliance officer, among other responsibilities. “It is rare to find a staff member for which all of their colleagues, both staff and faculty, constantly say, ‘What did we ever do before that person was here?’ and ‘What in the world are we going to do if they ever leave?’” says Kevin McIver, professor and department chair. “I can declare with absolute certainty that Dorothea O’Toole is exactly that integral person for CBMG.” While working full time, O’Toole earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a project management certificate from what is now University of Maryland Global Campus, and a master’s degree in law, homeland security and crisis management from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. “Her knowledge of facility operations is extensive, and her approach to her spaces, systems and projects is characterized by a rare level of initiative, thorough oversight and genuine ownership,” says Jason Lurie, facilities manager for animal research facilities and new construction. “The explicit and tacit knowledge I have gained from Dorothea over the years is substantial. She is, quite simply, an irreplaceable asset.” Conrad Wilson Department of Public Safety Division of Administration President’s Distinguished Service Award Most campus community members don't think twice about the security cameras keeping watch, the electronic locks clicking open and closed each day, or alarms and intercoms waiting silently. Conrad Wilson, an IT telecommunications specialist in the University of Maryland Police Department, has spent 30 years ensuring that when they're needed, they work. Wilson joined the university in 1996 as an electronics apprentice and has since become UMD's authority on physical security. He installs, services and tests the audio and video equipment and door hardware protecting campus buildings and mentors other technicians. At the Adele H. Stamp Student Union, where entrances several years ago could not be secured remotely in an emergency, he wired electronic locks across 60 exterior doors used daily by 30,000 visitors, plus installed a new camera system. And at UMD's Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS), a U.S. Department of Defense-run facility, Wilson replaced the cameras, overhauling the surveillance system to bring it up to current standards. Wilson exudes "positivity and an upbeat attitude," says Jonas Wood, LPS facilities, security and construction manager. "Conrad is an outstanding UMD employee and more importantly an exceptional person—we love having him at our building." Wilson now manages thousands of campus cameras, both at UMD and at the Universities at Shady Grove, helping to solve cases and prevent crimes. UMPD has twice named him Civilian of the Month and, in 2024, he earned a Certificate of Commendation for securing facilities that housed COVID-19 vaccinations and 2020 election ballot drop-off boxes. "When a case is solved by UMPD or a crime is prevented with the assistance of the camera system, it's not Conrad getting the awards and compliments, because he works in the background," says John Hall, building security manager for the Department of Public Safety. "Conrad loves providing the service to the UMPD and is thankful that this helps them in their mission to keep the campus safe." Joann Prosser Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs Division of Student Affairs Sharon A. La Voy Data Impact Award For more than two decades, Joann Prosser has helped students across UMD thrive through innovative use of surveys and data. As the director of assessment in the Division of Student Affairs, Prosser has led the design and implementation of the Wellbeing Improvement Survey for Higher Education Settings (WISHES) and the Belonging and Community at UMD survey. She also chairs the Student Affairs Assessment and Learning Outcomes Group and contributes to Campus Assessment Working Group (CAWG) annual surveys of students. "By pairing rigorous quantitative analysis with qualitative insight, she helps the university better understand how students experience stress, belonging, isolation, connection and well-being on campus," say data services and analytics Director Kate Siplon and Senior Associate Vice President Warren Kelley. "Her work consistently shows that assessment, at its best, connects technical data with the people who rely on that information to make thoughtful decisions that improve the student experience." Prosser has guided 10 administrations of WISHES with high participation rates of 20-25%, garnering new insights on student well-being—especially for first-generation Terps—including financial insecurity, binge drinking, mentorship, and self-reported mental and physical health. In addition, findings from the CAWG surveys have informed campus administrators on student views regarding test-optional practices, COVID learning, academic challenges and classroom technology. "She is generous with her knowledge, and her enthusiasm naturally draws others into collaboration with her," says Assistant Vice President and Chief Data Officer Michelle S. Appel. Prosser earned a bachelor's degree from Penn State and a doctorate in counseling psychology from UMD. She has worked at UMD since 2002, first serving as director of research and assessment for the Department of Resident Life before moving to Student Affairs. Within the division, she has also improved data collection and use. Prosser led the work of embedding metrics, accountability rubrics and SMART goals into Student Affairs' strategic plan to ensure that departments could track progress, identify gaps and adjust their work over time. "Colleagues seek out her expertise because she meets people where they are and helps them feel supported rather than overwhelmed," says Assistant Vice President for Administration Tom Flynn. Josh Davidsburg Philip Merrill College of Journalism Provost’s Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty (Teaching) Documentary filmmaker and senior lecturer Josh Davidsburg has helped shape the Philip Merrill College of Journalism through his embrace of evolving technology, his passion for training young reporters and his ability to get students thinking about new ways to adapt to the changing field of newsgathering. At the onset of virtual reality's ubiquity, he began incorporating it into his video lab course. One student used VR to create an immersive, 360-degree look at the devastating 2018 flood in Ellicott City. He also helped students get permission from the State Department to fly drones over the closed Russian compound on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The resulting video ran on The Washington Post's website. Davidsburg, who has taught 13 courses, "is an innovator, constantly looking for ways to teach new technologies and story forms," says Rafael Lorente, dean of Merrill College. He "is helping Merrill College teach today's students the skills they will need to survive in tomorrow's visual storytelling world." His 2020 film "Queen of the Capital," about a D.C. federal government worker's life as a drag queen, was distributed by Mutiny Pictures, and he recently launched the master's program in documentary journalism. "He identified a curricular need, pitched the idea, built the structure from the ground up, and is now guiding its first cohort," says Adam Marton, senior lecturer in Merrill College. "The initiative demonstrates not only curriculum leadership but a bold commitment to preparing students for the future of journalism." Davidsburg earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Maryland and joined the faculty as a lecturer in 2013. He "is beloved by his students and alumni alike," says Marton. "He not only teaches them skills, but mentors them, supports their careers, connects them to professional opportunities, and fosters a learning environment that is both challenging and deeply supportive." Samuel Handwerger (Service) Department of Accounting and Information Assurance Robert H. Smith School of Business Provost’s Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty (Service) Senior Lecturer and tax expert Samuel Handwerger has made an indelible mark in the Robert H. Smith School of Business by founding and advising two student-led service initiatives that strengthen community partnerships while providing transformative educational experiences. Through TerpTax, an IRS-recognized income tax-assistance program established in 2015, student volunteers serve low-income clients in Baltimore and Prince George's County, saving them the cost of preparation fees while identifying hundreds of thousands of dollars in refunds annually for them. The group also supports UMD's international student population with tax compliance. Students participating in Justice for Fraud Victims use forensic accounting techniques to investigate real-world financial crimes, largely for victims who can't afford expert services. Supported by partnerships with the Prince George's and Frederick County State's Attorney's Offices, students analyze subpoenaed financial data, trace transactions and prepare forensic reports. This work has been admitted as evidence in criminal proceedings, including a homicide investigation and elder-fraud cases that resulted in successful prosecutions. "These programs are more than service initiatives. They are experiential learning ecosystems that merge classroom instruction with civic engagement," says Michael Kimbrough, chair and associate professor of accounting and information assurance and Leroy Herbert Jr. Faculty Fellow. "Sam has masterfully aligned his teaching of tax and forensic accounting with meaningful public service, turning his courses into launchpads for student impact." Handwerger, who holds a bachelor's degree from UMD and a Master of Science in taxation from the University of Baltimore, was previously a senior tax researcher with EY and later led the tax planning and preparation departments with a Baltimore accounting firm. As a certified forensic accountant and cybersecurity investigator, he has testified in numerous legal cases. Since joining the Smith School in 2014, he has twice been honored with the Smith School's Krowe Teaching Award and received a UMD Do Good Innovator Award. According to Associate Dean of Research and Doctoral Programs and Dean's Professor of Accounting Rebecca Hann, Handwerger "has created capacity where public resources are constrained, delivered measurable benefits to vulnerable and underserved communities, and cultivated a generation of students who understand both the technical standards and the civic purpose of our profession." Katherine Izsak College of Information Provost’s Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty (Service) Over nearly two decades at the University of Maryland, Katherine Izsak, associate dean for strategic initiatives and principal lecturer in the College of Information (INFO), has played a central role in identifying emerging areas for academic innovation while deftly managing the college's rapid growth. Izsak earned her bachelor's degree from Duke University and her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan. When she joined INFO in 2018 after 12 years as the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism's education director, the college's undergraduate program was adding an average of 300 new students per year. That blistering rate of expansion required an overhaul of the program's advising, course scheduling, teaching support and academic staff—all of which Izsak navigated successfully. "Kate's leadership has been instrumental in the extraordinary growth and diversification of the College of Information over the past several years," says William Reed, professor of government and politics and associate provost for academic planning at UMD. "Her ability to turn ambitious ideas into practical, scalable systems distinguishes her as one of the university's most collaborative and effective academic leaders." She has transformed INFO through the creation of a B.A. degree program in technology and information design, a B.S. in social data science and a new College Park Scholars program on data justice, all of which have flourished. She also spearheaded INFO's collaboration with the College of Arts and Humanities to launch a B.A. in human-centered artificial intelligence, and with the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences to develop a B.S. in computational structures for AI systems. Her service extends campuswide, with her leadership roles on University Senate committees on academic procedures and standards; faculty affairs; and programs, curricula and courses underscoring her longstanding commitment to shared governance and institutional improvement. "She is a loyal and dedicated campus citizen, and her ability to communicate with students, faculty, staff and external audiences has been one of her most remarkable strengths," says Katherine F. Russell, associate dean in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Joanne Klossner Department of Kinesiology School of Public Health Provost’s Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty (Teaching) In more than 30 years in higher education, half of them at the School of Public Health, Senior Lecturer Joanne Klossner stands out as a mentor both to students and faculty colleagues—one who is dedicated to developing allied and public health practitioners and leaders of all ages. She earned her B.S. in athletic training at Indiana University, M.A. in the same at the University of North Carolina and her Ph.D. in curriculum studies at Indiana, and is a certified athletic trainer. She came to UMD in 2014, where her research on topics like the impact of service learning on education and the professional socialization of pre-service students has informed her teaching and curriculum development efforts. Klossner designs and teaches undergraduate courses related to applied anatomy and athletic healthcare, serves as an undergraduate academic adviser, is co-coordinator of the Department of Kinesiology's internship program and chairs its Learning Outcomes Committee. Students consistently rave about her engaging and supportive classroom environment. "Dr. Klossner has a deep passion and commitment to teaching. It is much more than a job; it is her mission," says Michael Brown, professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology, calling her "an example of what we all aspire to be as educators." Klossner was selected by her peers this year as an inaugural SPH leadership fellow for faculty affairs. Previously, she was a leadership fellow for the UMD ADVANCE Program for Inclusive Excellence. "I am continuously impressed by Joanne's outstanding insights regarding innovative ways to grow our faculty by strengthening their teaching and student interactions," says Robin Puett, former professor and associate dean for research and faculty affairs for the School of Public Health. "Even before her leadership fellow experience, I observed a number of SPH faculty regularly consulting her for teaching and mentoring guidance and support." A member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association Public Health Committee, Klossner led the recent development of a survey to assess the level at which athletic trainers engage in essential public health services. She also served for several years as an associate editor of the Athletic Training Education Journal. Melvin Seale Department of Health Policy and Management School of Public Health Provost’s Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty (Teaching) Healthcare administration educator Melvin Seale has made an outsize commitment to connecting academic learning with professional application while building programs in the School of Public Health that reflect innovation, equity and relevance. An associate clinical professor, Seale develops and teaches courses in healthcare, human resources, financial management, analytics and information systems. He uses simulations to cultivate students' leadership and problem-solving skills, has them work directly with electronic health record systems, and introduces them to digital tools they will use in healthcare analytics and data-informed decision making. Students consistently praise his energy, empathy and the safe, rigorous environment he creates in the classroom. Outside the classroom, he has developed and led a number of workforce initiatives that directly support student readiness and employment outcomes. "He does not just teach public health management; he immerses students in the technologies, leadership frameworks and decision-making tools they will need to succeed as healthcare professionals," says Luisa Franzini, professor of health policy and management. Seale is also the director of graduate studies in his department, where he has revitalized the department's internship and capstone programs, launched certification programs, led workshops such as "What Can I Do With This Degree" and developed a robust job placement tracking system that has led to improved career outcomes. "His ability to connect academic learning with professional application has strengthened our department, improved student experiences and raised the visibility of our programs," says Jie Chen, professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management. Seale's commitment to teaching goes beyond campus, exemplified in his creation of a pharmacy benefit management program for industry professionals, work with local law enforcement on mental wellness initiatives, and partnership with the Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, helping students develop advocacy skills. A registered health information administrator who is certified in clinical coding classification systems and AI for healthcare, he earned a Doctor of Health Science from A.T. Still University, a Master of Arts in teaching from Marygrove College and a Bachelor of Science in health information management. Martha Wang Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices A. James Clark School of Engineering Provost’s Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty (Service) Martha Wang has elevated the university's reputation in life science and medical device innovation in the state, nation and world through her creation of high-profile events and partnerships while maintaining a firm devotion to mentorship and talent development in the A. James Clark School of Engineering. She earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering and biomedical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and Ph.D. in bioengineering from UMD, then immediately was hired as an adjunct lecturer while she was consulting for biotech companies. She returned to UMD to help start the Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices. As the assistant director, Wang in 2024 spearheaded the inaugural Maryland MedTech summit on UMD's campus, showcasing the region's growing influence in medical devices, as well as the university's talent pool. In its third year, she grew the event into a weeklong international gathering of nearly 1,000 participants from academic, government, startup and venture capital communities. Wang also cultivated a partnership with medical device accelerator MedTech, providing unprecedented access for Maryland-based companies and UMD trainees to meet with investors and industry leaders. Her team's attendance at the MedTech Conference in Toronto, where UMD was the sole university exhibiting, brought further prestige and visibility. "Her positive demeanor fosters a supportive, welcoming environment that is a magnet for talent, investment and recognition," says Stefanie Trop, director of life sciences for the Maryland Department of Commerce, a MedTech Week partner. Equally impressive is Wang's passion for student and faculty mentorship. She codesigned and launched the Center for Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research, featuring a curriculum for engineering researchers of all levels. In addition to teaching courses in biomedical device development, she guides undergraduate and graduate students in technical, regulatory, commercialization and career-development concepts. "Her leadership, mentorship innovations and unwavering dedication to cross-sector collaboration throughout the campus, state and region clearly illustrate her excellence in service for the University of Maryland," says Distinguished University Professor William Bentley, the Robert E. Fischell Chair in Engineering and former chair of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. "The infrastructure and relationships she built will continue to benefit the university's life sciences community for years to come." Ryna Yiyun Cui Center for Global Sustainability School of Public Policy Provost’s Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty (Research) Ryna Yiyun Cui's innovative work on climate and energy modeling and policy assessment has significantly influenced policymaking in the U.S. and internationally. In addition, through her research leadership at the Center for Global Sustainability in the School of Public Policy (SPP), she has helped power the rapid expansion of its high-impact work. She completed an undergraduate business degree at Renmin University of China, Master of Public Policy at the College of William and Mary, and doctorate from UMD. Cui continued her research in College Park at the Joint Global Change Research Institute before joining the SPP faculty in 2019. Her research on clean energy technology, national climate strategies and power-sector decarbonization "requires both technical depth and an understanding of how political, economic and social systems interact," says Yueming "Lucy" Qiu, professor and Roy F. Weston Chair in Natural Economics at SPP. "She excels at bringing those threads together." Cui produced the first study of its kind showing how China's plans to expand coal capacity could derail the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius—and suggested how that outcome could be avoided with plant-by-plant transition pathways. "She is certainly one of the top two or three experts working in the United States on the energy transition in China," says John P. Holdren, former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and professor emeritus at Harvard University. Her papers have appeared in top journals and have earned more than 4,300 citations. Cui also serves as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, one of the most prestigious appointments in the field of climate science. As associate director at the Center for Global Sustainability (CGS), she has secured and managed $30 million in externally funded research from major foundations and organizations. "These projects have not only advanced scholarship but have also informed decision-making at the United Nations, the U.S. State Department and the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate," says SPP Professor Nathan Hultman, CGS founding director. "This kind of applied impact is rare and remarkable." Lei Zhou Department of Accounting and Information Assurance Robert H. Smith School of Business Provost’s Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty (Research) An internationally recognized scholar working at the confluence of accounting, economics and cybersecurity, Lei Zhou has influenced both academic thinking and public policy with her research—changing how firms, regulators and investors respond to internet-based risks. "She is one of the foremost scholars globally studying cybersecurity from an accounting and economic perspective," says Michael Kimbrough, chair of the Accounting and Information Assurance Department at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, "and her body of work has fundamentally shaped this field." Zhou earned her B.S. in accounting at Tsinghua University in Beijing and her Ph.D. at the University of Maryland. After four years as an assistant professor at McGill, Zhou returned to Maryland in 2008 as a visiting assistant professor before transitioning to research scholar. She has served as academic director of the M.S. in accounting program since 2023. Zhou's 2003 co-authored paper in the Journal of Computer Security was the first empirical study to quantify how cyberattacks affect firms' stock valuations; it has been cited more than 1,000 times and is credited with inspiring 100 subsequent studies. With Professors Lawrence Gordon and Martin Loeb, colleagues in the Smith School, she extended the Gordon-Loeb model, a cornerstone of cybersecurity economics. Her latest papers offer some of the first empirical evidence on how the Securities and Exchange Commission's 2023 disclosure rules are reshaping investor behavior. Zhou has published more than a dozen peer-reviewed papers in important journals in the field, amassing over 2,600 citations. Her research has drawn a $667,000 Department of Homeland Security award and a $189,000 National Security Agency grant, and she co-chaired the 2025 Workshop on the Economics of Information Security in Tokyo, the field's leading conference. Zhou has combined her scholarship with classroom impact, winning the Smith School's 2024 Krowe Excellence in Teaching Award for her courses in accounting analytics and AI literacy. Her research is rife with potential for "significant practical impact," says Professor Mingyan Liu, associate dean for academic affairs at University of Michigan Engineering, and as a result, "Lei enjoys a very good reputation and visibility in the professional community." Samira Anderson Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Distinguished Scholar-Teacher A practicing audiologist for 26 years before pursuing a Ph.D., Samira Anderson integrates real-life clinical experience and research into her classroom to uniquely enhance her students’ learning. She earned a B.A. and M.A. in speech and hearing sciences at Indiana University, then an Au.D. two decades later at the University of Florida. Anderson found in her clinical work that traditional assessments often fail to fully account for patients’ complex hearing difficulties, inspiring her to again return to school. At Northwestern University, she studied human electrophysiology to better understand the effect of aging and hearing loss on how the brain processes sounds—and to improve diagnosis and interventions. Professor Kelly C. Harris of the Department of Otolaryngology at the Medical University of South Carolina says Anderson’s work has been foundational in shaping modern theories of auditory aging and rehabilitation. “She has redefined how we conceptualize hearing loss, not just in terms of audibility or peripheral impairment, but as a dynamic, system-wide process,” Harris says. Anderson in only 15 years has tallied 66 peer-reviewed publications with more than 6,500 citations, research that informs her teaching. “She knows how to explain ‘what is the clinical relevance of topic X?’ to the students because she was (and still is) a clinician,” say three colleagues in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences: Distinguished Scholar-Teachers Matthew Goupel and Rochelle Newman and Distinguished University Professor Nan Ratner. Anderson joined UMD in 2013 and became a full professor in 2023. She served as director of graduate studies for three years and has been department chair since 2024. With an infectious enthusiasm, she challenges students to reconcile textbook knowledge with case studies—many drawn from her own practice and research—to create a supportive, dynamic learning environment. Rebecca E. Bieber Ph.D. ’21, a research audiologist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, recalls how Anderson mentored her early on in developing an independent study. It became a part of her dissertation research and was published in the journal Neuropsychologia. “Dr. Anderson has provided an important example to me of a good teacher, mentor, researcher and colleague, which I continue to carry with me throughout my work,” she says. Ahmet Aydilek Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering A. James Clark School of Engineering Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Ahmet Aydilek is internationally recognized for his work to bring sustainability to the physical foundations of modern society, from green highway construction to innovative methods to protect and remediate contamination in soil and water. He pairs influential research with a deep commitment to training future engineers to build a better world. He received his undergraduate degree in civil engineering at Istanbul Technical University and his master’s and doctoral degrees in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He joined the University of Maryland in 2001 and was promoted to full professor in 2014. Aydilek’s scholarship, particularly investigations of recycled and alternative construction materials, has resulted in over 200 publications and several million dollars in research grants from the National Science Foundation, the Federal Highway Administration and other agencies. His honors include the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Walter Huber Research Prize and the International Geosynthetics Society Research Award, as well as two best paper awards for papers published in ASCE journals. Aydilek is board-certified by ASCE as a geotechnical engineer, and a fellow of the society. “Dr. Aydilek’s scholarly record is one of sustained excellence and critical relevance to national infrastructure and environmental needs,” says Professor Anand J. Puppala, director of Texas A&M University’s Center for Infrastructure Renewal. “His research agenda is globally recognized and critically important.” As a teacher and mentor, Aydilek has worked to increase faculty-to-student and student-to-student collaboration to extend research and engineering practice to as many students as possible. In addition to advising 13 doctoral students, 31 master’s students and 16 postdoctoral researchers, he has welcomed 61 undergraduate researchers to more than 50 research projects to help them gain valuable hands-on experience. “The skills and knowledge about how to do research which I gained under his supervision enabled me to have a successful career in academia. I have followed his footsteps to mentor my own graduate students,” says Bora Cetin Ph.D. ’12, a distinguished professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan State University. “His teaching methods, commitment to student success, and significant contributions to research are truly inspiring to me. Richard Bell Department of History College of Arts and Humanities Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Richard Bell is a scholar of American history who excels at a difficult task: turning research into stories that captivate not just those in academia, but the mass market. Bell’s books on slavery and the American Revolution have changed how readers understand the fundamental issues that shaped the United States, offering new perspectives on human trafficking and the global impact of a war that founded a new nation. His latest book, “The American Revolution and the Fate of the World,” provides an “accessible and impassioned entry to anyone interested in understanding the nation’s founding from a dazzling, kaleidoscopic perspective,” says Ned Blackhawk, professor of history at Yale. Bell is best known for “Stolen: Five Free Boys Stolen into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home,” an account of the kidnapping of five free Black youths in Philadelphia in 1825. The Wall Street Journal called it “superbly researched and engaging.” A Briton who became an American history scholar, Bell earned a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Cambridge, and a Ph.D. in history from Harvard University. He joined the University of Maryland faculty in 2006. He has written three books, along with chapters in five books and 11 articles in refereed journals. His work has been supported by a two-year Andrew Carnegie Fellowship and a Public Scholar Award from the National Endowment for the Humanities, among other accolades. Bell has also served as primary adviser to eight doctoral students and six master’s students. He teaches three different graduate courses and 10 different undergraduate courses. His passion for teaching the story of the past spills over in his talks at universities—he has delivered more than 100 over the years—and presentations to school and community groups, of which he has given more than a thousand. “His combination of intellectual precision and humane guidance has produced a generation of scholars whose careers have flourished with clarity, purpose and originality,” says Nicole Mahoney, public historian at Iona University’s Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, who was one of Bell’s advisees. “Under his direction, students do not simply complete their dissertations—they learn to inhabit the full identity of professional historians.” John Fourkas Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Over two decades at UMD, physical chemist John Fourkas and his students have developed novel applications for ultrafast lasers and optical methods, including exploring chemical and physical phenomena to improve batteries and solar cells and developing insights into diseases like cancer and mesothelioma. His innovations have revealed the molecular-scale behavior of liquids in nanoconfined spaces and near solid interfaces, and have put his field on a scalable path to fitting more transistors on computer chips to boost their power. “Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Fourkas has made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of chemistry, physics, optics, photonics and nanoscience,” says Malvin Carl Teich, professor emeritus at Columbia University and Boston University. “His pioneering work in liquid dynamics and organization ... has challenged long-standing theories in the field of ionic solutions.” Known for challenging first-year students with rigorous lab assignments, he has mentored several dozen undergraduates, including a future National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, Fulbright Scholar and Marshall Scholar, and several Beckman Scholars. Enrollment has nearly doubled in his primary course, “General Chemistry II,” in the past five years. Among nearly 200 peer-reviewed journal articles he has published, 29 have been co-authored by undergraduates. Fourkas earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry at California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Stanford University. He came to UMD in 2005 as the Millard Alexander Professor of Chemistry, and holds joint appointments in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Institute for Physical Science and Technology; he serves as associate dean for faculty affairs for the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, and is currently the interim associate provost for faculty affairs. Fourkas last year became a fellow of the SPIE—formerly the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers—and boasts fellowships with the American Physical Society, Optica and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “Dr. Fourkas personifies the ideal of a UMD professor by combining excellence in scholarly accomplishment with excellence in teaching,” say Daniel Falvey, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Distinguished University Professor Christopher Jarzynski. “He is a world-renowned scientist and scholar who cares passionately about educating students at the undergraduate and graduate levels.” Valentine Hacquard Department of Linguistics College of Arts and Humanities Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Through a body of groundbreaking research across semantics, syntax, pragmatics and language acquisition, Valentine Hacquard stands among her field’s preeminent scholars—even as she sets the table for the next generation. Hacquard earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and her doctoral degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her dissertation and subsequent Natural Language Semantics journal article, “On the event relativity of modal auxiliaries,” became classics in her topic area, with more than 1,200 combined citations. They showed how the different “flavors” of modal expressions—the way “must” has different meanings in the sentences “You must drive on the right” and “It must be raining”—can derive from linguistic structure. “The approach was bold, creative and of far-reaching significance, leading to a revolution in how we think about context dependence in language and the way that verbs connect with their arguments,” says University of California, Santa Cruz linguistics Professor Pranav Anand. Hacquard’s research includes experimental work in language acquisition, pursuing questions of equal interest to linguists, developmental psychologists and philosophers on how children master the language of possibility, desire and belief. She has received two National Science Foundation grants as principal investigator of such topics. “The quality of her publications in top-tier journals, the originality of her theoretical proposals and her ability to inspire productive collaborations all point to a scholar of the highest caliber,” says Christopher Kennedy, William H. Colvin Professor and chair of linguistics at the University of Chicago. Hacquard joined UMD in 2007 and was promoted to full professor in 2019. She frequently involves students in her research and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, often co-advising students with faculty from other departments and organizing workshops and conferences with scholars from campus and beyond. This helps her cultivate a unique fellowship among her pupils, and she has remained deeply involved in their progress as they have acquired faculty and postdoctoral positions. “She has shaped not only what we know about language and meaning, but also how we approach teaching and mentoring in linguistics and cognitive science,” says a former advisee, Aaron Steven White Ph.D. ’15, associate professor of linguistics at the University of Rochester. Jing Lin Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education College of Education Distinguished Scholar-Teacher At a time when humanity faces unprecedented challenges, Jing Lin is internationally recognized for reimagining education as a transformative force that cultivates wisdom and compassion and leads to a more peaceful, sustainable world. Her pioneering scholarship has helped establish contemplative, holistic, peace and sustainability education as significant fields, integrating insights from Eastern and global wisdom traditions and contemporary educational research. She has authored or co-authored seven books, edited or co-edited nine, and created four book series, including the world’s first on peace education. In 2022, she launched the first free, open-access academic journal with a focus on contemplative and holistic education. “Not only is her research productivity extraordinary,” says Hongyu Wang, professor of curriculum studies at Oklahoma State University, “but her intellectual advocacy of scholarly areas is ahead of her time with significant social, scholarly and global impact.” In addition, she has held leadership roles in two major professional societies, the Comparative and International Education Society and the American Educational Research Association, and inspired educators through keynote addresses, international collaborations and innovative university courses. “Scholars around the world are not just awed by her contributions, but also professionally energized by her ideas,” says Rebecca L. Oxford, UMD professor emerita of teaching and learning, policy and leadership. Lin received her bachelor’s degree from Guangxi University in China, her master’s degree from Michigan State University and her Doctor of Education degree from the University of Michigan. She joined UMD’s College of Education in 2000 and was promoted to full professor in 2007. She employs pedagogies that foster holistic learning, integrating the body, heart, mind and spirit. For instance, she leads students in grounding practices to help them relax their bodies and engage in class more fully. She treats the classroom as a mutual learning community in which teachers and learners co-create knowledge, designing presentations, simulations, storytelling and reflective journals to provide ample opportunities for students to share their insights. “Dr. Lin’s integration of scholarship and teaching, her innovative pedagogical approaches and her commitment to educating the whole person set her apart as truly exemplary,” says Erin Sorensen Ph.D. ’22, one of Lin’s former doctoral advisees. Evan Starr Department of Management and Organization Robert H. Smith School of Business Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Research by Evan Starr, the most prominent scholar on noncompete agreements, has had a major impact on state and federal policy, while the philosophy behind it inspires his students, who learn to merge relevance with rigor. He tackles the question of how restrictive post-employment covenants shape worker mobility, innovation and economic well-being. His groundbreaking, data-driven work provided the first credible estimates of the number of American workers bound by noncompetes—roughly 30 million, or 1 in 5—as well as of how noncompetes and the policies that regulate them affect workers, firms and markets. This evidence transformed an abstract legal debate into a tangible policy issue. Starr has testified before the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and Federal Trade Commission, and his research was cited more than 150 times in the FTC’s 2024 ban of most noncompete agreements and referenced in President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address. “Starr is the leading figure in this field,” says Eric Posner, Kirkland & Ellis Distinguished Service Professor of Law at the University of Chicago. “Few young economists at his level of seniority can claim to have had as important an effect on public policy as he has.” Starr earned his bachelor’s at Denison University and his master’s and doctoral degrees in economics at the University of Michigan. He has been on the Robert H. Smith School of Business’ faculty since 2015. His work has been cited over 2,700 times and has been featured in over a hundred media articles, including in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Economist. Across every level of instruction, Starr integrates his research with teaching, demonstrating to students how credible empirical analysis can inform better decisions in business and in life. His doctoral-level course, “The Best Methods Course Ever, Really,” has become legendary in econometrics instruction. Shotaro Yamaguchi Ph.D. ’24, assistant professor of management and human resources at the University of Wisconsin, recalls that Starr was not only a teaching mentor, research collaborator and career-building supporter; he was a friend who welcomed his family, new to this country, into his home. “His work exemplifies how intellectual excellence can coexist with humility, empathy and genuine care for others,” Yamaguchi says. Amr Baz Department of Mechanical Engineering A. James Clark School of Engineering Distinguished University Professor From sonically “hiding” helicopters to developing enhanced breathing regulators for divers and safer protective gear for firefighters, Amr Baz has led inventive and groundbreaking research on smart structures and materials for more than 50 years. He “is a pioneer and visionary whose contributions to mechanical engineering, and specifically to the areas of smart materials, active vibration and noise control, and acoustic metamaterials have had a profound and lasting impact on our discipline worldwide,” says Professor Massimo Ruzzene of the University of Colorado Boulder. The Minta Martin Chair Professor of Engineering, Baz researches topics including constrained layer damping, for which he holds several patents, and active piezoelectric damping composites for vibration and noise control of rotating shafts, aircraft fuselages and submarine structures. In recent years, he has worked on active control of acoustic cloaks, acoustic black holes and active Willis acoustic metamaterials. “He makes it look easy to transform from one research topic to another without any compromise on quality and intellectual depth,” says Professor Alper Erturk of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Baz earned his bachelor’s degree from Cairo University, then earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin. He joined UMD as a full professor in 1997; he later established the Vibration and Noise Control Laboratory and the Virtual Reality Laboratory. A dedicated teacher and mentor, Baz has advised 46 doctoral and 22 master’s students, many of whom have landed leadership roles in academia, government and industry. Baz has published more than 200 journal articles as well as two books and served on the editorial boards of major journals. On Google Scholar, his work has been cited more than 11,000 times, and he has received several top honors, including the International Society for Optics and Photonics’ Smart Structures and Material Technologies Lifetime Achievement Award and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Adaptive Structures and Material Systems Prize. “I have seen firsthand the depth of his scholarship, the power of his teaching, and the steadiness of his service to the university and the profession,” says a former colleague, Professor James E. Hubbard Jr. of Texas A&M University. Matthew Bell School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Distinguished University Professor Matthew Bell is a national authority on architecture and urban design who continues to help shape the built landscape of Washington, D.C., while teaching new generations of architects to create spaces that thoughtfully and beautifully meet community needs. As a principal at architecture firm Perkins Eastman, Bell’s more than 60 major buildings and public spaces around the District include public libraries, schools and university buildings; he has also shepherded master plans for projects including the new Washington Commanders stadium. “Professor Bell’s expertise lies in the arena of civic architecture and urbanism,” say Dawn Jourdan, dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, and Brian Kelly, professor and associate dean for development and faculty affairs. “No other faculty member in the history of the University of Maryland has made a comparable impact on the design and building of the civic realm in our nation’s capital.” Bell served as a juror for the Biennale of Venice, and his many projects have been honored by numerous professional organizations. He has also served as vice president of the Restoring Ancient Stabia Foundation of Castellammare di Stabia, Italy, where Maryland teams have advanced the understanding of the seaside villas destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius in 79 C.E. through urban design proposals and architectural recording. He earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in architecture and urban design from Cornell University. He joined the University of Maryland faculty in 1989 and has been a full professor since 2005. Bell has been recognized as a fellow by the American Institute of Architects and by the Congress for the New Urbanism. He also serves on D.C.’s Historic Preservation Review Board. “There will undoubtedly be future scholars who study the impact of Professor Bell’s work as an educator and practitioner, and for them, he has left behind a set of artifacts—buildings and public spaces—that will be long admired and acknowledged for their importance in shaping the city that is greater Washington, D.C.,” says Thomas Fisher, professor of architecture and director of the Minnesota Design Center at the University of Minnesota. Carol Espy-Wilson Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering A. James Clark School of Engineering Distinguished University Professor Carol Espy-Wilson has advanced the scientific and engineering foundations of speech science and developed transformative technologies while building a powerful legacy as a mentor and role model, particularly for women and members of underrepresented groups. Espy-Wilson earned her B.S. from Stanford University and became the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She joined UMD 25 years ago and became the first African American faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to achieve tenure and promotion to full professor. Her research integrates signal processing, speech science, linguistics and machine learning to uncover the articulatory, phonatory, emotional and social processes reflected in speech and other behavioral signals. Her work supports clinical assessment, mental health and autism research, behavioral phenotyping, and objective biomarkers of brain, motor and social-communication function. Her speech-enhancement research, conducted through her laboratory and her company, OmniSpeech, has improved speech recognition in noisy environments and influenced commercial technologies used worldwide. Espy-Wilson has devoted decades to mentoring students and early-career researchers. Her work with the Big Ten Women’s Workshop and other initiatives has broadened participation and strengthened the next generation of researchers, says Barbara Shinn-Cunningham, Glen de Vries Dean of the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University: “She leads with both conviction and compassion, bringing clarity, fairness and vision to every role she undertakes.” Espy-Wilson has received continuous external research funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research, Radcliffe Institute and Henry Luce Foundation. She holds nine patents and has authored or co-authored 157 refereed publications and four book chapters. She is a fellow of the IEEE, International Speech Communication Association (ISCA) and Acoustical Society of America (ASA). She serves as ASA’s vice president and has served as an associate editor for leading journals, on ISCA’s advisory board and on advisory councils for multiple NIH institutes. “She is a giant, and I cannot think of anyone in the field who presently compares with her,” says Sheila Blumstein, professor emeritus of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences at Brown University. Leila De Floriani Department of Geographical Sciences College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Distinguished University Professor Working for decades at the cutting edge of computer and spatial data sciences, Leila De Floriani has produced foundational findings and methods that underpin geographic information systems and terrain visualizations worldwide. “I have witnessed her remarkable career as one of the most influential and visionary figures in computational geometry, computer graphics and geospatial data science,” says Elisa Bertino, the Samuel Conte Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Purdue University. “Her pioneering work has profoundly shaped the foundations and evolution of geometric and topological modeling and continues to inspire several generations of researchers.” She earned her Laurea degree in mathematics at the University of Genova in Italy and completed a postgraduate fellowship in applied mathematics at the Italian National Research Council. De Floriani arrived at the University of Maryland as a visiting professor in its Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS) in 1998 while a full professor at the University of Genova, where she founded its Geometric Modeling and Computer Graphics Group. She became a full professor in UMD’s Department of Computer Science and UMIACS in 2003 and later joined the Department of Geographical Sciences. De Floriani developed the first hierarchical terrain model, and the first multiresolution triangle-based surface model: the Delaunay Pyramid. Her Sparse Terrain Pyramid has been adopted by terrain navigation engines including Google Earth and Virtual Earth. Her feature-recognition work in solid modeling earned her Pioneer Status from the Solid Modeling Association. She has “made her name synonymous with the terms ‘terrain visualization’ and ‘triangulated terrain surfaces,’” says Mohamed F. Mokbel, Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota. “One would be pressed hard to try to find any other researcher who has contributed to these research areas more than Professor De Floriani.” De Floriani has published 86 peer-reviewed journal papers, 179 conference papers, one book and 57 book chapters, amassing more than 8,400 citations. She is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the International Association for Pattern Recognition, and Eurographics, and was president of the IEEE Computer Society in 2020. At Maryland, she has advised 24 doctoral students and mentored more than 100 master’s students, while also serving as Geographical Sciences’ graduate director. Gregory R. Hancock Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology College of Education Distinguished University Professor Gregory R. Hancock is a prolific quantitative methodologist whose work has shaped how researchers model and interpret data across the social and behavioral sciences. He is internationally recognized for advancing structural equation modeling, latent growth modeling, measurement reliability and power analysis. His methodological innovations make it possible to measure psychological constructs that cannot be directly observed, like motivation, temperament and intelligence. Hancock’s papers have appeared in top journals in his field, such as Psychological Methods, Multivariate Behavioral Research and Psychometrika, and have tallied more than 20,000 citations. “His work empowers applied researchers to engage more deeply with data, theory and evidence, thereby elevating the quality of scientific practice across a broad range of disciplines,” says Craig Enders, psychology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. Hancock earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington before joining UMD in 1995. He moved up to full professor in 2003. He distinguishes his work by making complex quantitative methods accessible for students and professional scholars alike, achieved in part by co-hosting a popular podcast, “Quantitude.” The weekly show, with more than a million downloads since debuting in 2020, explores quantitative methods using a healthy dose of humor. “Among the psychology students and scholars I talk with at my institution, at international conferences and across numerous social media platforms, the latest episode of ‘Quantitude’ is anticipated and discussed with only slightly less enthusiasm than the latest episode of ‘Real Housewives,’” says Jeffrey A. Greene M.Ed. ’98, M.A. ’06, Ph.D. ’07, the McMichael Professor of Educational Psychology and Learning Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a former student of Hancock’s. In addition, Hancock is a fellow of the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association and Association for Psychological Science, and he organizes workshops as founding director of the influential Center for Integrated Latent Variable Research. “Dr. Hancock is not simply a preeminent scholar; he is also a world-class teacher, a mentor of mentors and a visionary communicator,” says D. Betsy McCoach, the Anne Anastasi Endowed Chair of Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology at Fordham University. “His career demonstrates that methodological rigor and human connection can coexist at the highest levels of academic achievement.” Pallassana “PK” Kannan Department of Marketing Robert H. Smith School of Business Distinguished University Professor A global authority on digital and online marketing, Pallassana “PK” Kannan has transformed the way companies and consumers interact over the last three decades. The Dean’s Chair in Marketing Science, he is a pioneer in digital pricing and “freemium” strategies to turn free users into paying ones as well as of attribution models to understand customer conversion behavior, and a leading researcher across multiple areas of marketing analytics. “His career stands as a testament to marketing as both a science and an applied discipline—pushing boundaries of analytics, technology and consumer understanding,” says Praveen Kopalle, professor of marketing at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. “Through decades of leadership, innovation and mentorship, he has transformed digital marketing research from a niche topic into a cornerstone of modern marketing thought and practice.” He’s among the five most-published marketing scholars worldwide, according to the American Marketing Association (AMA), with more than 28,000 citations on Google Scholar. “His influential body of work has not only shaped academic thought leadership but has also had tangible impact on practice” at major companies like Black & Decker and Marriott International, say Robert H. Smith School of Business Dean Prabhudev Konana, Senior Associate Dean Wedad Elmaghraby and Ralph J. Tyser Professor of Marketing Amna Kirmani. Kannan’s honors include the inaugural AMA TechSIG Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025 and the European Marketing Academy Distinguished Marketing Award in 2024; he has been named a fellow of the INFORMS Society for Marketing Science, the American Marketing Association and the European Marketing Academy. Kannan also served as editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Research in Marketing. “It is extraordinarily rare that a scholar in our field has won every major award,” says University of Pennsylvania Wharton School Professor Eric Bradlow, describing Kannan as an “all-field hitter.” A UMD faculty member since 2005, Kannan earned his bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, and master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Management; he received his doctorate from Purdue University. Beyond research, he is a valued instructor and mentor at the Smith School. He also recently served as associate dean of strategic initiatives, building collaborations with global learning platforms, and growing experiential learning and executive education programs. Sumant Nigam Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Distinguished University Professor One of the foremost scholars in climate science, Sumant Nigam has brought transformative advances in mechanistic understanding and modeling by integrating foundational dynamical-thermodynamical principles and large-scale circulation context into climate analysis. Nigam earned an M.Sc. in physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and a Ph.D. in geophysical fluid dynamics from Princeton, where he trained in future Nobel Laureate Syukuro Manabe’s lab. He joined UMD in 1987 and moved from research to tenured full professor in 2003. He studies ocean-atmosphere interaction, multidecadal climate variability, droughts and deserts, atmospheric teleconnections, and monsoon predictability and water security. The Lindzen-Nigam model of wind response to sea surface temperatures is indispensable to understanding tropical ocean-atmosphere interaction. Distinguished Professor Shang-Ping Xie of the University of California San Diego calls it a contribution with “long-lasting impacts … still cited [approximately] 100 times each year nearly 40 years after publication!” Columbia University Professor Emeritus Mark Cane, a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) member, notes “A substantial section of my textbook is devoted to the Lindzen-Nigam model.” Nigam’s group showed that hydroclimate variability over the Great Plains is driven by atmospheric moisture transports and linked Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation-driven transports to Dust Bowl-era droughts. University of California, Irvine Distinguished Professor Soroosh Sorooshian, a National Academy of Engineering member, calls this “a paradigm shift in our understanding of how sub-continental scale decadal droughts are generated.” Nigam’s group was also the first to analyze the centennial expansion of the Sahara Desert, including regional encroachments. Nigam directs the Maryland Mesonet, a statewide weather-monitoring network providing early warning of extreme conditions. He has been department chair since 2020, recruiting faculty from MIT and Caltech and raising more than $1 million in alumni giving. Nigam has 112 peer-reviewed publications and has mentored 19 doctoral and 13 master’s students. He is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society and the Royal Meteorological Society, a 2016 Jefferson Science fellow of the National Academies, and a 2019 Fulbright-Nehru fellow. He is editor-in-chief of Elsevier’s forthcoming Encyclopedia of Climate System Science. “He has expertly tapped the fundamentals of atmospheric dynamics to address many central problems in climate science, producing innovative results that have significantly advanced the frontiers of knowledge,” says NAS member Professor V. Ramaswamy of Princeton. “Few others match him in this uniqueness.”