Read Dr. Jarrell’s column on the work of UMB’s Office of Community and Civic Engagement and learn about student, faculty, and staff achievements; upcoming events; and news 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: Celebrating the Office of Community and Civic Engagement
We at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) understand our mission to serve, and we fulfill that mission on a daily basis. This year, we’re celebrating 10 years of one major way that we serve the citizens of Maryland: through the Office of Community and Civic Engagement. This month, we’re taking time to celebrate our service, and we’re rebranding the office to better reflect the mission. As of Oct. 1, the Office of Community Engagement is the Office of Community and Civic Engagement (OCCE).
The new name incorporates the meaningful community engagement work that the office is known for while also reflecting UMB’s evolving mission to empower community members to become active leaders and drivers of civic change, rather than passive consumers. For my message this month, I want to share a bit more about OCCE.
We define community engagement as the process of collaborating with members of one or more “communities” to meet the goal(s) or need(s) of community stakeholders. Programs such as free tax preparation, financial coaching, benefits screenings, the JustAdvice Project legal clinic, and community art and fitness classes support our neighbors in West Baltimore. Our work also includes community wealth building through local hiring, local purchasing, and homebuying assistance.
We’ve added “civic engagement” to the office’s name to recognize the important work happening to get folks engaged in democratic processes and community activities, expand knowledge of democratic practice through direct participation, and deepen understanding of community and the role we all play in community building. OCCE encourages and provides opportunities for UMB staff, faculty, students, and community partners to get engaged.
Community engagement is a part of our academic culture with programs such as the Francis King Carey School of Law’s Clinical Law Program and the School of Social Work’s Community Outreach Service, now known as the Center for Restorative Change, conducting community-engaged teaching and service learning. Across UMB’s schools, there are many great examples of this kind of deep commitment to community and civic engagement, including the Interprofessional Program for Academic Community Engagement, housed at the School of Nursing; the PATIENTS Program at the School of Pharmacy; and two interdisciplinary UMB initiatives, the ROAR Center and the Center for Violence Prevention. The School of Dentistry’s Mission of Mercy brings oral health services into communities, and the partnership between the School of Medicine and University of Maryland Faculty Physicians, Inc., is establishing the new Health Village at Mondawmin.
UMB is in the business of educating the next generation of health and human services providers, and we are focused on ensuring that they understand the importance of advancing our collective impact in community and civic engagement, because it takes all of us to lean into the mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good.
We celebrate the past decade of the Office of Community and Civic Engagement while we redouble our efforts to increase our collective impact across the institution. There are many opportunities to get involved: Check out OCCE’s webpage as well as announcements on The Elm website and in The Elm Weekly newsletter to find an avenue for your energy! I encourage you to participate in the general election by voting on Nov. 5 or by taking advantage of the early voting period in Maryland (Oct. 24-31). Early voting periods vary by state.
Additionally, I urge everyone to consider serving as an election judge. This integral role not only supports UMB’s culture of civic responsibility but allows you to make a direct impact in your community. For more information on how to engage in the electoral process, please visit the UMB Votes webpage developed by the Division of Student Affairs.
I want to congratulate the staff of OCCE on this milestone anniversary and ask that you join me in committing to engage in community and civic engagement work.
Sincerely,
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
President
Laurels
See our monthly roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements.
New Hires: September
See a list of new hires at UMB central administration and our seven schools for September.
Annual Leadership Retreat: Moving UMB Forward
First row (from left): Greg Bowden, Jenny Owens, Kevin Kelly, Patty Alvarez, Diane Forbes Berthoud, Sarah Michel, and Dawn Rhodes. Second row (from left): Scott Bitner, Susan Buskirk, Alana Kyriakakis, Mark Gladwin, Kenneth Wong, and Yolanda Ogbolu. Third row (from left): Gregory Ball, Jennifer Litchman, Stephen Davis, Reneé Hutchins Laurent, James Hughes, Emily Hurst, Bruce Jarrell, Roger Ward, Peter Murray, and Mark Reynolds. (Photo by Matthew D’Agostino)
UMB’s deans and administrative officers gathered at the Donaldson Brown Riverfront Event Center in Port Deposit, Md., on Sept. 3-4 for their annual Leadership Retreat. The senior leaders spent time discussing Middle States accreditation, leadership in times of crisis, artificial intelligence at UMB, and enrollment. The group left energized and ready to keep moving UMB forward in its mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good.
News and Notes
Professor Kimberly Lumpkins of the School of Medicine delivers her speech, which was titled “The Will to Fail,” at the Faculty Convocation on Sept. 12. (Photo by Matthew D’Agostino)
Faculty Convocation Kicks Off the New Academic Year: Faculty members Sydnee Chavis, DMD, MS, School of Dentistry; Andrew Coop, PhD, MA, School of Pharmacy; and Kimberly Lumpkins, MD, MBA, offered words of wisdom at the third annual event to celebrate UMB’s new academic year and honor the latest cohort of Distinguished University Professors. President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, said UMB’s commitment to the community was on full display during the event Sept. 12 — “the commitment to our students, to the diversity of our campus, to our patients and clients, as well as to the citizens of Baltimore and Maryland.” (See video below.)
Police Lieutenant Selected for Obama Foundation Program: Matthew Johnson (in photo at right), a 17-year UMB police veteran, was selected to the Obama Foundation’s 2024 Leaders USA program, a prestigious initiative that focuses on emerging leaders who are driving systems-level change across specific sectors and issues. Johnson was one of 100 chosen from among 6,000 applicants worldwide and only the second law enforcement professional ever selected.
Make a Difference Through the 2024 Maryland Charity Campaign: The annual workplace charitable giving program, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, offers state employees and eligible retirees the opportunity to conveniently, securely, and confidently contribute to charities they care about. This year’s campaign theme is “Making a Difference Together” and runs until Dec. 13. Gifts of every size will be helpful, celebrated, and deeply appreciated.
‘The UMB Pulse’ Podcast: ‘Rooted in Care: Social Work Alumnus’ Journey to Nurturing Families and Futures’: Michael Allen is the CEO of Therapeutic Connections, a licensed outpatient mental health clinic in Ellicott City, Md., and chairman of the School of Social Work’s Alumni Board. He shares his inspiring journey, how he leveraged his experiences to make impactful changes in behavioral health services , and his advice for aspiring social workers.
UMB Night at Oriole Park Is a Home Run: A group of 651 from UMB attended the Orioles’ 7-1 win against the Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards on Sept. 20 as part of the UMB Night at Oriole Park promotion. The University was recognized as a “Heavy Hitter” before the game for buying more than 250 tickets to the game. School of Medicine Dean Mark T. Gladwin (in photo at left) represented UMB during the “Heavy Hitter” recognition ceremony.
Nominations Open for Board of Regents Staff and Faculty Awards: The nomination period for these University System of Maryland (USM) honors is open for 2024-2025. The Staff Awards are the highest honor bestowed by the board for the achievements of exempt and non-exempt staff from USM institutions. The Faculty Awards recognize exemplary faculty members within USM in five categories.
October Is Campus Sustainability Month: The Office of Sustainability is hosting events and initiatives across the University this month to celebrate sustainability. Events include a Sustainability Town Hall; a Meet the Founder event featuring Leonardo Martinez-Diaz, a climate activist and policy expert; a campus cleanup day; and a specialty recycling collection day. The University encourages all members of the UMB community to participate.
Eric Holder Delivers Inaugural Thurgood Marshall Lecture: The former U.S. attorney general urged law students to actively participate in shaping a more just society during the first Justice Thurgood Marshall Lecture, which was held at Marshall's childhood elementary school in West Baltimore on Sept. 25. The new lecture series aims to honor Marshall's legacy and inspire future generations of legal professionals.
“We must let ourselves feel injustices — and then fight for that which is right,” said Eric Holder, who was the U.S. attorney general from 2009-15 and the first African American to hold the office. (Photo by Matthew D’Agostino)
Upcoming Events
Oct. 15: Founders Week Student Cookout: All UMB students can register to attend this annual event, where you can meet President Bruce Jarrell and get lunch from Mission BBQ that will be served by school deans and student affairs deans at the School of Nursing Courtyard. Tickets are required.
Oct. 15: Visit UMB’s Historical Treasures: The following sites will hold open houses from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Westminster Hall and Burying Ground; Joseph U. Dorsch Sr., BSP ’39, Pharmacy Museum; Living History Museum (School of Nursing); Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry; and the Historical Collections Department at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library.
Oct. 21-25: Wills Week Conference: Don’t have a will? You’re not alone — 58 percent of U.S. adults don’t have a will, though it’s probably needed if you have a significant other, are a parent, or own property. Held in conjunction with National Estate Planning Awareness Week, this year’s online conference will be held via Zoom and is free to all members of the UMB community.
Oct. 31: UMBrella Speaker Series: ‘A Conversation with Jody K. Olsen’: The UMBrella Group and the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) will host an event featuring Olsen, PhD, MSW ’72 (in photo at right), the former CGE director who led the Peace Corps from 2018 to 2021 and is currently a senior fellow at CGE. She will discuss her career, life, and leadership history that spans the globe as well as her new book, “A Million Miles: My Peace Corps Journey.”
Oct. 31: State of EDI at UMB: Join UMB President Bruce Jarrell and Chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer (EDI) Diane Forbes Berthoud for the second convening of schools, where the schools of dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and social work will give a summary of the state of EDI in their schools.
Save the Date
Nov. 1: ‘Trick or Treat with UMB’: The Office of Community Engagement will host its third annual trick-or-treat event, which provides safe and free Halloween activities for the youth and families of West Baltimore.
Nov. 7: “The Financialization of Health Care — What Can Be Done?”: Erin C. Fuse Brown, JD, MPH, of Brown University will be the speaker at the 2024 Stuart Rome Lecture at the Francis King Carey School of Law.
Nov. 14: “Expecting Inequity: Race, Class, and Reproductive Justice”: The speaker will be University of California Berkeley School of Law professor Khiara M. Bridges, PhD, JD, who has written many articles concerning race, class, reproductive rights, and the intersection of the three.
Dec. 4: Holiday Craft Fair: This festive annual event will be held in the Elm Ballrooms of the SMC Campus Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stop by, check out the wares, and pick up some gifts for the holidays.
Video of the Month
Here are highlights from the UMB Faculty Convocation on Sept. 12.