To celebrate and promote the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) core values, the University launched this year the Presidential Core Values Awards, designed to recognize students, faculty, and staff who embody the seven values at the heart of UMB’s mission: accountability, civility, collaboration, diversity, excellence, knowledge, and leadership.
Civility Award Winner: Al Essien, associate director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, UMB
Al Essien, associate director of corporate and foundation relations in UMB’s Office of Philanthropy, embodies civility on a professional and personal level. His colleague, Meredith Upton, has seen Essien’s good nature and acts of kindness firsthand.
“Al is one of the most courteous and respectful colleagues with whom I’ve had the good fortune to cross paths,” says Upton, director of corporate and foundation relations. “He is always friendly and genuinely interested in hearing what his colleagues have to say. He always stays late to work on proposals and enjoys his work, keeps his cool even when things are not going perfectly, and is the utmost professional in his manner, speech, and appearance.”
Upton says Essien thinks nothing of sacrificing his personal time to help colleagues and friends, be it giving people rides in bad weather, staying late to help the team meet deadlines, or offering support, mentorship, and kindness to everyone he meets.
“When a colleague had a difficult proposal due while a family member was in the hospital, Al completely took over the work, ironed out budget details, worked with the submission team, and contacted the funding foundation on their behalf,” Upton says. “Each time they emailed to check in, his response was the same: ‘I’ve got this. Don’t worry. Go be with your family.’ ”
Essien’s impact extends to UMB’s community engagement efforts.
“Al is always focused on the community and uplifting others,” Upton says. “Without Al’s tireless work on behalf of the CURE Scholars Program, the Positive Schools Center, Promise Heights, and the Community Engagement Center, among others, UMB’s impact on the community would be significantly less profound.”
Essien says he is humbled and grateful that his colleagues took the time to nominate him for the award.
“It’s an honor and privilege to work at UMB with the awesome team in Office of Philanthrop,” he says. “I am passionate about fundraising for the faculty and program directors to serve the community or do research. When I see how tirelessly they serve the community or work on their research to solve problems, I am inspired to joyfully do my part.”
Honorable mention: Fadia Shaya, PhD, MPH, School of Pharmacy; Lei Zhang, PhD, School of Medicine.