Join us for the culminating event of the 2025-2026 President’s Symposium and White Paper Project, where this year’s fellows will present the findings and recommendations developed through their yearlong exploration of civic engagement, civic leadership, and civic education.
Over the course of the academic year, fellows engaged in critical inquiry, collaborative dialogue, and in-depth learning to examine the role of higher education in fostering civic leadership and education. Through a comprehensive literature review and interviews with leaders across the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), they explored how institutions like ours can more intentionally prepare students to lead, serve, and engage in meaningful ways within their communities and society at local, state, national, and international levels.
Working as an interprofessional cohort representing multiple schools across the University, the fellows not only developed content expertise, but also navigated the complexities of collaboration across disciplines, schedules, and perspectives. Along the way, they cultivated best practices for effective group work, learned how to move complex projects forward in a primarily virtual environment, and strengthened their capacity to communicate, adapt, and lead within diverse teams. These skills reflect the realities of today’s professional and civic landscapes.
At this culminating event, fellows will share key insights from their work and offer actionable, forward-thinking recommendations for how UMB can continue to strengthen and expand its impact as a national leader in civic engagement and civic education. Their presentations will highlight both the opportunities and responsibilities that come with being a public-serving anchor institution and invite the campus community to think collectively about what comes next.
This event is not just a presentation. It is an opportunity to engage with emerging thought leaders from across the University and to consider how each of us contributes to a more civically engaged and civically educated university and society.
The 2025-2026 fellows include:
- Paige Bristow (School of Medicine)
- Thomas Northrup (School of Social Work)
- Shri Walton (School of Social Work)
- Wade Preston (School of Nursing)
- Shaun KewalRamani (School of Law)
- Frank Gamboa Fuentes (School of Dentistry)
Whether you are a student, faculty member, or staff member, we invite you to attend, learn from the fellows’ work, and be part of the ongoing conversation about civic life at UMB.
Register to attend the event at 1 p.m. April 22. In-person and virtual attendance are both available.