After years of championing faculty, UMB’s assistant vice provost of faculty affairs invests in the next generation of HPE leaders.
For Christina Cestone, PhD, investing in the Department of Health Professions Education (HPE) at the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies (UMSGS) reflects both sides of her career: championing faculty and mentoring graduate students.
As the inaugural director of HPE’s academic programs — two certificates, a Master of Science, and a Doctor of Philosophy — Cestone led each program’s curriculum design and launch. Today, she continues to serve as an associate professor under the current leadership of Violet Kulo, EdD, PhD, director of HPE’s PhD and Leadership Certificate programs, and Karen L. Gordes, PhD, DSc, MS, director of HPE’s MS and Teaching Certificate programs.
Much of Cestone’s work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) centers on faculty development. She is the assistant vice provost of faculty affairs, supervises the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, and co-directs UMB’s educators’ academy, Leaders in Education: Academy of Presidential Scholars.
But with a new support fund, Cestone is giving back to the students she helps prepare in HPE.
Five years in, HPE’s programs have become interprofessional communities. Students come from careers in nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, medicine (including physician associates), and others. Many are working professionals with tuition assistance from the University System of Maryland. Even with that help, the additional costs of graduate study remain. Publication fees for academic journals add up quickly. So do the expenses of traveling to conferences where students present their emerging research agendas.
This is where Cestone’s new fund comes in.
“The HPE Student Fund is really about supporting the extras that help students share their work more broadly,” Cestone said. “In academia, dissemination of your work is central to becoming an expert in your field. By giving our students the opportunity to present their research widely, their accomplishments reflect positively on the program and UMB, while raising our visibility as a leader in health professions education.”
Cestone’s decision to create the fund was inspired by feedback from HPE students and examples of leadership philanthropy across the University, including UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, and his support for the Leslie S. Robinson, MD Endowed Professorship at UMSGS.
“Seeing others invest in our community at a high level inspired me to think about how I could contribute in a way that directly supports our HPE students,” Cestone said. “My love of teaching and mentoring motivated me to create something meaningful that helps students along their academic journeys.”
Cestone hopes her fund will encourage others to contribute.
“If you’re an alum who found your time in HPE impactful or believe in the importance of preparing health professionals to lead and improve education, I hope you’ll consider contributing to this fund,” Cestone said. “It’s one of the most meaningful ways to invest in the next generation of health professional colleagues and students.”
Join Dr. Cestone in supporting HPE students by donating to the Cestone Health Professions Education Fund.