Read Dr. Jarrell’s column on University milestones and learn about student, faculty, and staff achievements; upcoming events; and news and notes from around the University.
To see previous editions of The President’s Message newsletter, go to the archives page on the Office of the President website.
President’s Column: New Year Brings Look Back on Milestones
Happy New Year! As we start 2025, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) has a lot to celebrate and look forward to! The beginning of a new year is an excellent opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come, celebrate achievements and initiatives like those below, and keep pushing forward in our mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good.
It’s been five years since the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded and worsened in early 2020, changing the way we work, sparking innovation and discovery, but also creating challenges to which all of UMB’s schools rose to meet. From vaccine trials and clinics to adapting how we work, our community stepped up and met the challenge.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of UMBrella (UMB Roundtable on Empowerment in Leadership and Leveraging Aspirations) empowering women at UMB in their professional and personal lives. In its early years, UMBrella hosted seminars and lunch-and-learn events and established a book club and affinity groups as a part of its programming. Today, UMBrella focuses on a robust coaching program that helps to develop and support UMB employees, a daylong symposium celebrating Women’s History Month, a speaker series focused on women’s issues, an awards program recognizing those who support the success of women at UMB, and scholarships to provide opportunities for professional development.
2025 also marks the 10th anniversary of the Council for the Arts & Culture, with its mission to promote the rich history of UMB and surrounding neighborhoods and celebrate the creative talents of the University community, thereby raising awareness of the links between the arts and science. This initiative’s accomplishments include six award-winning editions of 1807: An Art & Literary Journal (Issue 6 was just published and is on sale now for $18.07) as well as four public art galleries found on the north side of campus.
The President’s Entrepreneurial Fellowship (PEF) also celebrates 10 years since its founding. PEF is a competitive fellowship that pairs students with real-world startup companies and investigators who are commercializing UMB technologies. PEFs work on interdisciplinary teams with UMB inventors, life science entrepreneurs, and UM Ventures, Baltimore staff on projects for UM Ventures companies or technologies that are in the process of becoming companies. By providing a hands-on experience, the PEF program helps the fellows develop valuable, real-world skills and unique insight into early-stage business ventures.
50 years ago, UMB swore in its first police officers. The UMB Department of Police and Public Safety began in 1948, when security officers were hired to keep the campus safe. In 1975, the first police officers were sworn in. The department’s mission was then and still is to promote a safe and secure campus environment for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The department has received Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. and International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators accreditation for professional excellence in public safety and has been accredited continuously since 1996.
The new year offers us a chance to celebrate anniversaries and events big and small, and it also offers us a time to reflect on what new initiatives, programs, and activities we’ll start. How are you working toward our mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good? What will you do this year that we’ll celebrate in years to come?
I know without a doubt that the UMB community will continue to use our core values as we educate the next generations of health and human service professionals. We’ll create more positive milestones and improve the lives of others.
Sincerely,
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
President
Laurels
See our monthly roundup of the achievements of STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF.
New Hires
See a LIST OF NEW HIRES at UMB central administration and our seven schools for December.
News and Notes
Local community members were able to buy reduced-priced gifts at the UMB Christmas Store. (Photo by Matthew D’Agostino)
SHOPPING SPREE: UMB’s Community Engagement Center (CEC) buzzed with holiday spirit as volunteers and families gathered for the annual Christmas Store on Dec. 13-14. Each year, the store features tables overflowing with brand-name toys, puzzles, and scooters, all neatly arranged for shoppers to purchase at deeply discounted prices. Using donated funds, items are sold for between $1 and $10, enabling families to pick out presents without breaking their budget.
THE FUTURE OF HEALTH: Scientists at the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC) took the occasion of the center’s second anniversary to showcase their latest work and introduce new collaborations with government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well as prominent members of the region’s burgeoning biotech industry. UM-IHC’s mission is to use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and state-of-the-art data analytics to benefit public health.
READ THE LATEST ‘CATALYST’: The Fall 2024 issue of UMB’s CATALYST magazine offers a showcase of our collective achievements, innovations, and unwavering spirit that defines the University. Read about a program to enhance oral health care among elderly Marylanders; a podcast dedicated to supporting the blind and visually impaired community; the Center for Health and Homeland Security; the new leader of the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center; and much more.
MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING: The Student Counseling Center recognizes the need to equip UMB faculty, staff, and students with tools to support students based on the increased prevalence of their health concerns. Thanks to a gift from Patricia Attman, MD, the University is offering Mental Health First Aid training, a national program that educates participants on how to recognize individuals in mental health distress and respond to them in a safe and compassionate manner.
EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION: Nominations are open until Jan. 31 for the annual Community Service Award and James T. Hill Scholarship, which will be announced at the Employee Recognition and Service Awards Luncheon this spring. Employee of the Month nominations are welcomed, too, throughout the year.
HONING THEIR CRAFT: UMB’s annual Holiday Craft Fair attracted a festive crowd to the SMC Campus Center on Dec. 4 including students, faculty, staff, and UMB leaders. Shoppers could choose from a range of homemade and handmade items, including bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, baked goods, T-shirts, sweaters, jewelry, wax candles, dog treats, and greeting cards, not to mention tree skirts, key chains, tabletop Christmas trees, and more.
Shoppers check out the items for sale at a vendor table during the UMB Holiday Craft Fair. (Photo by Matthew D’Agostino)
Upcoming Events
JAN. 13: THE STATE OF EDI AT UMSOM: Join UMB President Bruce Jarrell and Chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Officer Diane Forbes Berthoud, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, for the third Convening of Schools to discuss the state of EDI at UMB, with the School of Medicine (UMSOM) providing a summary of its efforts in this hybrid session at the SMC Campus Center and on Zoom.
JAN. 29-30: ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION TRAINING: Human Resources offers training that provides an overview of the alternate dispute resolution options available to supervisors and staff at UMB. These sessions can help you effectively address workplace concerns, improve communication, promote mutual understanding, and learn how to further integrate core values in interactions with one another.
FEB. 6: MLK AND BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION: UMB will hold its celebration of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and diversity from noon to 1:30 p.m. at MSTF Leadership Hall. Diversity Recognition Award winners will be honored, community leaders recognized, Darrick Hamilton of the New School in New York will be the keynote speaker, and spoken-word artist Lady Brion, the poet laureate of Maryland, will perform.
Save the Date
FEB. 28: LEAPS PANEL DISCUSSION: Leaders in Education: Academy of Presidential Scholars (LEAPS) will host an in-person panel discussion that will include faculty members from across the University, including those with experience serving on Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure committees, who will provide their expertise on best practices and challenges associated in achieving faculty promotion.
MARCH 13: WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH SYMPOSIUM: Each year, UMB and the UMBrella Group celebrate Women’s History Month to commemorate the pioneering, courageous women of our past and to honor the equally heroic women of today who propel this University, our state, nation, and world toward true equality, inclusion, and opportunity.
APRIL 2: LEAPS SYMPOSIUM: Registration is open for the LEAPS 2025 Symposium, with the topic “Navigating Your Professional Path: Scholarship Development Strategies for Tenure and Promotion in Professional and Graduate Education.”
Video of the Month
The UMB Office of Community and Civic Engagement teamed up with partners such as the Staff Senate and BioPark to provide the Polar Express Experience for local families in December: