The Elm

Seventeen faculty members from five University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) schools have successfully completed the inaugural EDGE Fellowship, offered by the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning and sponsored by Leaders in Education: Academy of Presidential Scholars (LEAPS). 

EDGE, which stands for “Educator Development for Growth and Effectiveness,” is a 10-month professional development experience for early career faculty that bolsters knowledge and confidence in teaching and learning. Clinical and classroom faculty explore key pedagogical concepts that will help them as they continue to teach, serve on curriculum committees, and participate in accreditation activities.

Fellows also create a portfolio of materials to submit for promotion and tenure processes within their schools and design an educational project that will benefit their department or program.

Here are a few examples of the projects envisioned by members of this year’s cohort:

• Esther Carlson (School of Social Work) designed a new two-day orientation to prepare first-year SSW students for their professional responsibilities in clinical placements. This orientation will run for the first time in fall 2025.
• Kimberly Hollander (School of Medicine) proposed a new formative feedback process for medical trainees, aligning “entrustable professional activities” with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education milestones, while providing more frequent and informal feedback to trainees on various aspects of their skill development.
• Christopher Mathis (Maryland Carey Law) examined the differences between the current bar credentialing exam and the NextGen bar exam, scheduled to be released in 2026. He created an overview of these differences in Tort Law for faculty who teach Torts, and he will help facilitate conversations with the broader faculty about how instructional approaches might be adapted going forward.
• Azin Parsa (School of Dentistry) assessed the impact of polling software on the attendance rates and exam scores of students in larger lecture courses with optional attendance.

We congratulate and celebrate this cohort and are excited to see the continued impact of their learning on their students and programs going forward.

This EDGE Fellowship will run again in the 2025-26 academic year. Learn more and apply here: https://www.umaryland.edu/fctl/programs/fellowships/educator-development-for-growth-and-effectiveness-edge/

2025-2026 EDGE Fellows: 

Marisa Astiz-Martinez, School of Nursing

Esther Carlson, School of Social Work

Rachel Fanaroff, School of Medicine

Renan Fernandes do Espirito Santo, School of Dentistry

Isadora Garcia, School of Dentistry

Kimberly Hollander, School of Medicine

James Kim, School of Medicine

Cameron Lee, School of Dentistry

Sarah Lee, School of Medicine

Bobbi-Jo Lowie, School of Medicine

Christopher Mathis, Maryland Carey Law

Hwan Hee Park, School of Dentistry

Azin Parsa, School of Dentistry

Chethan Rao, School of Medicine

Chloe Renshaw, School of Medicine

Krista Tookhan, School of Medicine

Lane White, School of Medicine