The Awards Recognition and Reception event celebrates those who help advance UMB’s mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good.
Photo: From left, UMB President Bruce Jarrell with Founders Week award winners Andrea Morgan, Danielle Basdekis, Kyla Liggett-Creel, Rajabrata Sarkar, and Kirsten Lyke. (All photos by Matthew D’Agostino)
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) recognized its 2025 Founders Week honorees at the Awards Recognition and Reception event Oct. 23 at the M&T Bank Exchange, wrapping up a series of Founders Week events. UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, served as emcee for the evening, introducing the five awardees before videos about their accomplishments were shown to the audience of 200.
“We’ve been doing Founders Week awards for nearly 30 years, and it’s always a wonderful event,” Jarrell said in his opening remarks, which included recognizing special guests such as Jay A. Perman, MD, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, and thanking sponsors including the event’s presenting sponsor, Whiting-Turner.
“We all know that UMB’s mission is to improve the human condition and serve the public good — that’s what we do,” Jarrell added. “We do it across the state, we do it in Baltimore, and there are many people who contribute to this mission. Tonight, we’re going to recognize five individuals who are particularly valuable to advancing our mission.”
(Click on each subhead below to watch the awardee’s video.)
Student of the Year Danielle D. Basdekis
Danielle Basdekis, a Class of 2026 student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, was honored as Student of the Year, having made her mark at the school as a student, scholar, leader, and advocate for public interest law. She has been active in the Student Bar Association, which acts as the student government for the school, and is currently serving as the group’s executive president.
(Photo: From left, Maryland Carey Law Dean Renée Hutchins Laurent, Danielle Basdekis, and Bruce Jarrell)
She also is a member of the board of the Maryland Public Interest Law Project, a student-run nonprofit that provides summer funding for students who want to engage in unpaid public interest internships. After graduation next year, she will be a clerk for Justice Angela Eaves on the Supreme Court of Maryland.
“Throughout her student journey, Danielle has demonstrated what it means to be a leader,” Jarrell said. "We thank Danielle for her dedication to public interest law and for her unwavering support of the Maryland Carey Law community. We are excited to celebrate her many successes to come.“
Researcher of the Year Kirsten E. Lyke
Kirsten Lyke, MD, professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and director of the Vector-borne Diseases and Challenge Unit at the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, was recognized as Researcher of the Year.
(Photo: From left, School of Medicine Dean Mark Gladwin, Kirsten Lyke, and Bruce Jarrell)
Lyke’s research program in emerging infectious diseases is robust and well-funded through federal, foundation, and industry support, and she has developed and led innovative research programs with colleagues at the Institute for Genome Sciences and the Institute of Human Virology.
Since joining the UMSOM faculty in 2002, Lyke’s work has informed global vaccine and public health policy, particularly through her pioneering research in emerging infections and human challenge models.
“Across the University, our investigators are leading groundbreaking research spanning medicine, human health, life sciences, social work, and law. This work is not only central to our mission, it’s also essential to our future,” Jarrell said. “Dr. Lyke has made incredible contributions to the field of infectious diseases, and she has made an indelible impact not only on this country but on the world.”
Public Servant of the Year Kyla Liggett-Creel
Kyla Liggett-Creel, PhD, LCSW-C, was honored as Public Servant of the Year for her work as executive director of UMB’s EMBRACE Initiative, which partners with governments, grassroots organizations, and nonprofits and uses a multifaceted approach to decrease violence in Maryland, transform systems to make them more equitable, and assist justice-impacted youth and adults with transitioning back into society.
(Photo: From left, UMB Provost and Executive Vice President Roger Ward, Kyla-Liggett Creel, and Bruce Jarrell)
Liggett-Creel has over 25 years of executive experience in philanthropy, nonprofit, and civic institutions in Baltimore. She has worked on campus since 2008 in roles with UMSOM, the University of Maryland School of Social Work, and UMB. Jarrell called her “probably one of the most recognizable faces on campus and in the city of Baltimore.”
“At UMB, we take great pride in our community: We are not simply located in Baltimore — we are in many ways shaped by this city,” Jarrell said. “Because of this, community engagement and service to others is integral to our mission. Dr. Liggett-Creel is someone who embodies this every day.
“She has demonstrated incredible leadership and does a lot to elevate the voices of people throughout the Baltimore community on behalf of UMB,” he added. “We thank her for changing lives.”
David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur of the Year Rajabrata Sarkar
UMSOM professor Rajabrata Sarkar, MD, PhD, an expert in treating blood vessel disorders and a nationally known researcher in his field, was recognized as the David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur of the Year. Sarkar also is executive vice chair of UMSOM’s Department of Surgery, a partner in the medical technology startup MDC Studio, and a co-inventor of the MDC vascular access and automatic tourniquet devices and the EO2 emergency resuscitation device.
(Photo: From left, School of Medicine Dean Mark Gladwin, Rajabrata Sarkar, and Bruce Jarrell)
When he applied to become chief of vascular surgery at UMSOM in 2008, Sarkar was interviewed by Ramsay, the then-UMB president whose entrepreneurial vision created UMB’s BioPark. The Founders Week award was named in Ramsay’s honor after his death in 2020.
“We thank Dr. Sarkar for turning clinical insight into innovation that can save lives,” Jarrell said. “His passion for improving patient care is exactly what UMB is about, and I am certain that David Ramsay would be proud of his achievements.”
Educator of the Year Andrea Morgan
University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) clinical assistant professor Andrea Morgan, DDS, MS, was honored as Educator of the Year. As director of student advocacy and cultural affairs and director of student recruitment, Morgan supports students throughout their academic journey at the dental school, helping to produce competent and compassionate oral health professionals.
(Photo: From left, School of Dentistry Dean Mark Reynolds, Andrea Morgan, and Bruce Jarrell)
For 15 years, Morgan has been the faculty advisor to the UMSOD chapter of the Student National Dental Association, which promotes and supports dental students from underrepresented groups. The chapter has received multiple national honors for its fundraising, public service, and outreach efforts aimed at encouraging high school and undergraduate students in underrepresented populations to pursue careers in oral health.
“Our education mission is very near and dear to my heart,” Jarrell said. “Not only are the discoveries made at UMB important now, they also must be transferred to the next generation so that our current students will become more knowledgeable than when we were students. In this way, educators help shape the future of all of these fields. Dr. Morgan demonstrates just how important this is.”
To close the show, Jarrell invited attendees to enjoy a cocktail reception and live music from Darius Scott and the Resolution Trio, a jazz ensemble that also entertained guests as they arrived at the M&T Bank Exchange, which is part of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center and has hosted this event the past three years.
(Photo: UMB employees serve fellow staff members at the annual Staff Luncheon at Westminster Hall.)
Food for Staff and Students
To kick off Founders Week, more than 600 UMB staff members enjoyed food, beverages, and camaraderie Oct. 20 at the Staff Luncheon, which is held each year at Westminster Hall. Lining up along West Fayette and Greene streets, attendees were first treated to appetizers served by UMB leaders before being greeted at the front door by Jarrell and Provost and Executive Vice President Roger J. Ward, EdD, JD, MSL, MPA. Once inside, employees enjoyed sandwiches, wraps, salads, beverages, desserts, and more from a buffet catered by Putting on the Ritz.
Two days later, 600 UMB students lined up along West Lombard Street outside the School of Nursing Courtyard for the Student Cookout, which was catered by Mission BBQ. Students were pleased to feast on beef brisket, pulled chicken, macaroni and cheese, kettle chips, desserts, and more, served by members of the UMB leadership team.
In another Founders Week event Oct. 21, the University invited members of the UMB and local communities to attend the Historical Treasures Tour, which featured open houses at five sites on campus: Westminster Hall and Burying Ground; the Joseph U. Dorsch Sr., BSP ’39, Pharmacy Museum; the Living History Museum at the University of Maryland School of Nursing; the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry; and the Historical Collections Department at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library.
To learn more about these sites, download the Historical Treasures Tour flyer.