Read Dr. Jarrell’s column on mentorship and learn about student, faculty, and staff achievements; upcoming events; and news around the University, including the 2024 Founders Week award winners.
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: The Importance of Mentorship at UMB
Something I have learned in my long career is the importance of having a mentor and the importance of serving as a mentor to others. One of my most influential mentors was Donald Wilson, MD, who recruited me to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) over 25 years ago to be the chair of surgery at the School of Medicine (UMSOM).
Dr. Wilson was the nation’s first African American dean of a non-historically Black college or university medical school when he came to UMSOM. When he retired as dean 15 years later, he had the second-longest tenure for a medical school dean at that time. He is someone I trust, and he helped guide me to where I am today. I saw how he set priorities and made decisions to support those priorities, and how well he ran the School of Medicine. I appreciate what I learned from him.
Mentors help us develop our skills, think through professional challenges, expose us to diverse perspectives, and impart their wisdom. They offer valuable advice on career planning, job search strategies, and professional development. Mentors and mentees benefit from these relationships equally. Mentors can serve as role models and sources of inspiration to their mentees. By observing the successes and experiences of their mentors, mentees gain concrete examples of how to overcome obstacles and achieve professional milestones. This role modeling not only provides practical insights but also motivates mentees to aspire to and achieve their own goals.
The relationships we develop from mentors and mentees continue to enhance our careers. Even presidents of universities seek advice and counsel. I often talk with George A. Pruitt, PhD, president emeritus of Thomas Edison State University. He was one of the longest-serving public university presidents in the nation, and I meet with him regularly. Dr. Pruitt offers good, solid, and pragmatic advice, and he serves as a sounding board and often challenges my thinking. I think everyone can benefit from having trusted mentors, coaches, and advisors.
UMB has nearly 6,700 students and over 7,400 faculty and staff who make up this wonderful community — that means there are a lot of opportunities to learn about and from each other. Across the seven schools, there are plenty of formal and informal ways to get connected to a mentor or to serve as a mentor. I hope that you will take advantage of them. Some of them include:
The UMBrella Coaching Program is a rich program complete with supportive coaches, networking opportunities, and exclusive activities designed to enhance the coaching experience.
The UMB Professional Administratives Committed to Excellence (UMBPACE) group has a Mentoring Program.
Faculty and students can serve as a mentor for the UMB CURE Scholars Program.
The Graduate Program in Life Sciences and the Office of Postdoctoral Scholars at UMSOM offer mentoring workshops for faculty involved in mentoring.
The School of Nursing offers a Faculty Mentoring Program Resource Hub as well as tips for selecting a mentor in its Nursing Leadership Institute.
UMSOD Connect at the School of Dentistry is an alumni-driven mentoring program based on mutual requests between alumni and current students.
The Francis King Carey School of Law’s Alumni Mentor Program connects first-year JD students with alumni who are practicing law and who are using their legal training in other professions.
At the School of Pharmacy, the PGSA (Pharmacy Graduate Student Association) Mentor Program provides support for incoming first-year students in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program to help improve their transition to graduate school.
The School of Social Work’s Peer Mentor Program is in its fifth year. The program consists of volunteer advanced student mentors and incoming student mentees.
The GRID (Graduate Research Innovation District) at the School of Graduate Studies provides entrepreneurial support to students including mentoring.
These are just a few examples of mentoring programs at UMB; there are countless others. I know that both being a mentee and serving as a mentor are incredibly enriching opportunities. As we begin this new semester, I hope you will consider participating in a mentoring relationship.
Sincerely,
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
President
Laurels
See our monthly roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements.
New Hires
See a list of new hires at UMB central administration and our seven schools for July and August.
News and Notes
Top row, from left: Nicol Tugarinov, Kathleen Hoke, Luana Colloca. Bottom row, from left: Adam Puche, Joga Gobburu.
Founders Week Award Winners Announced: For their outstanding achievements and service to UMB, the University recognizes Dr. Adam Puche as Educator of the Year, Professor Kathleen Hoke as Public Servant of the Year, Dr. Luana Colloca as Researcher of the Year, Dr. Joga Gobburu as David J. Ramsey Entrepreneur of the Year, and Nicol Tugarinov as Student of the Year. The award winners will be celebrated during Founders Week in October.
Institute for Health Computing to Anchor Metro Redevelopment: A life sciences hub featuring the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing will be part of the North Bethesda Metro station redevelopment proposal that was announced July 29. UMB is a partner in the institute, which launched in November 2022. (See video below.)
LGBTQI+ Equality Clinic to Open in Fall: The Francis King Carey School of Law is launching an LGBTQI+ Equality Clinic in the fall 2024 semester. The yearlong, eight-credit course will give law students opportunities to advocate on behalf of the LGBTQI+ community’s most vulnerable members.
Academy of Lifelong Learning Launches Aging Forum: The academy’s latest online community offers expert advice and support for aging and caregiving challenges and empowers users by providing resources and guidance from UMB’s seven schools. Our expert contributors are professionals with a deep understanding of the aging process, offering practical advice and emotional support.
“The Pulse” Podcast: The Knipp Legacy: The podcast welcomes Harry Knipp, MD, FACR, chair of the UMB Foundation Board of Trustees. A 1976 School of Medicine graduate, Knipp represents the fourth in a line of five consecutive generations of UMB graduates, starting with his great-grandfather in 1887 and continuing with his son, David, in 2014. We discuss Knipp’s experiences at UMB, the evolution of the University, and his family’s enduring legacy.
Proud to Work Here, Proud to Give Here Success: The University thanks the 630 employee donors who participated in our sixth annual employee giving campaign whose contributions exceeded $1.1 million. This generosity helps to fund student scholarships and endowments, professorships, research activities, public service projects, institutional programs, and areas of greatest need at UMB.
Monique Dixon Named Executive Director of Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the Law: The veteran civil rights attorney and former Biden administration official returns to the Francis King Carey School of Law with a sense of urgency sparked by the political and cultural climate in the U.S. She is a 1996 graduate of Maryland Carey Law.
Monique Dixon, a 1996 Maryland Carey Law graduate, has an impressive record as a civil rights leader.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 19: State of the School of Medicine: Join Dean Mark T. Gladwin, MD, (pictured at left) for the annual State of the School Address, which will start at 3:30 p.m. at MSTF Leadership Hall and be followed by a reception at the Health Sciences Research Facility III Atrium.
Sept. 20: UMB Night at Oriole Park: Join UMB co-workers, students, alumni, friends, and family for UMB Night at Oriole Park as the Baltimore Orioles face the Detroit Tigers at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase in Lower Box and the Lower Reserve sections.
Sept. 21: PATIENTS DAY: This year’s PATIENTS Day focuses on physical and mental health, featuring a health fair and interactive panel sessions at the UMB Community Engagement Center. This School of Pharmacy-sponsored event is free to attend, but registration is required.
Sept. 24 and Oct. 7-8: Middle States Town Halls: UMB’s Middle States accreditation self-study report draft will be discussed in three town halls designed to allow the UMB community to provide feedback — in person and virtual Sept. 24 at the Universities at Shady Grove; in person Oct. 7 at the SMC Campus Center; and a virtual session Oct. 8. Registration information will be available soon.
Oct. 1: Quantum Human Capital Management Town Hall: Register to attend this virtual town hall, which will start at 1 p.m. and provide an update on the new UMB human resources/payroll system that is scheduled to launch in spring 2025.
Save the Date
Oct. 14-17: Founders Week: This year’s recognition of UMB’s founding will feature the Awards Recognition and Reception event (Oct. 17), Student Cookout (Oct. 15), and Staff Luncheon (Oct. 16), plus a celebration of the Community Engagement Center’s 10th anniversary (Oct. 16) and a groundbreaking for the new School of Social Work building (Oct. 17) that will be constructed between Lexington and Saratoga streets.
Oct. 21-25: Wills Week Conference: Join the University System of Maryland for five free, expert-led webinars during National Estate Planning Awareness Week.
Oct. 31: A Conversation with Jody K. Olsen: The UMBrella Group and the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) will host an event featuring Jody Olsen, PhD, MSW ’72, the former CGE director who led the Peace Corps from 2018 to 2021 and is currently a senior fellow at CGE.
Video of the Month
Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin joined UMB President Bruce Jarrell and other leaders to discuss the construction of the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing.