The five honorees offer their thoughts on Respect and Integrity, Well-Being and Sustainability, Equity and Justice, and Innovation and Discovery.
Photo: Top row, from left: Nicol Tugarinov, Kathleen Hoke, Luana Colloca. Bottom row, from left: Adam Puche, Joga Gobburu.
Each year, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) recognizes our Educator, Public Servant, Researcher, David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur, and Student of the Year during Founders Week, which will be celebrated Oct. 14-17 this year. In recent years, we have asked the award winners which UMB core values set means the most to them: Respect and Integrity, Well-Being and Sustainability, Equity and Justice, or Innovation and Discovery. Here is what this year’s winners said:
“Respect and Integrity. Maintaining the respect of the community for what UMB does, ensuring respect between colleagues, and making students feel they are respected by the institution are all key aspects of a culture of belonging. That culture sustains integrity as well as integrity helping sustain all the diverse aspects of the respect core value.”
— Adam C. Puche, PhD, Educator of the Year
“Equity and Justice is at the core of our work at the Legal Resource Center for Public Health Policy. Persistent and emerging health inequities plague our communities and demand that we design and implement public health policies that target the causes of those inequities. Knowing that I am part of the public health community in Maryland and nationally that is working to improve health outcomes for people who have been systemically marginalized motivates me to do my best work, to expect that of my team, and to educate and train future lawyers to do the same.”
— Kathleen Hoke, JD, Public Servant of the Year
“The significance of UMB’s core values shifts depending on the day and my experiences. Respect and Integrity resonate with me the most. Respect forms the foundation of all relationships, whether with people or the environment. It is essential for fostering trust and collaboration. Integrity, on the other hand, is crucial in all aspects of life, from everyday actions to major decisions. It ensures that we act consistently with our values and principles. While I deeply value all of UMB’s core values, Respect and Integrity stand out as the pillars that guide my actions and interactions, underpinning the pursuit of equity, sustainability, and innovation in our work.”
— Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS, Researcher of the Year
“To me, respect means valuing diverse perspectives, while integrity is staying true to principles, ensuring honesty and accountability in all professional and personal actions. I have strived my entire career to make sure clinical pharmacologists and translational scientists get a seat at the table to be part of making important decisions.”
— Joga Gobburu, PhD, MBA, David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur of the Year
“Well-Being and Sustainability resonates most with me because it aligns closely with my commitment to addressing physician burnout and promoting mental health within the medical community. As a Wellness Representative and co-president of the Peer Support Network at the School of Medicine, I have seen firsthand the importance of fostering a supportive environment for students navigating the challenges of medical training. This value not only emphasizes the well-being of individuals but also ensures the sustainability of our health care workforce. By prioritizing mental health, we create a more resilient medical community that can provide better patient care.”
— Nicol Tugarinov, Student of the Year
For more information on UMB’s annual celebration and associated events, please check out the Founders Week website.