Read Dr. Jarrell’s column on the Eastern Shore Pathways initiative and learn about student, faculty, and staff achievements; news from around the University; and upcoming events.
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
PROVIDING A PATHWAY TO BETTER HEALTH CARE ON THE EASTERN SHORE
As you might know, I was raised in Goldsboro, a small farming town in Caroline County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. From when I was very young, my parents — a farmer and a teacher — taught me the importance of education and the value of serving your community.
The Eastern Shore is a beautiful place, home to picturesque landscapes, charming small towns, and truly incredible people. But as is often the case in rural areas across the United States, the Eastern Shore grapples with a significant health care shortage.
My mother knew this. Even if she hadn’t known that nearly the entire Eastern Shore is designated both a medically underserved area and a health professional shortage area by the federal government, our community experienced the challenges of finding good, affordable care firsthand. Once I decided to pursue a career in medicine, my mother started to ask me, “How do you plan to fix the health care shortages at home?”
Here at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), our twofold mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good is by no means hemmed in by our city’s boundary lines. As a preeminent health and human services university, we account for more than half of the medical and pharmacy degrees granted in the state of Maryland. We also account for nearly one-third of the master’s-level nursing degrees and nearly half of the doctoral nursing degrees granted by all Maryland colleges and universities. Further, our entry-into-practice Bachelor of Science in Nursing program graduates more than 400 students each year.
This means we are uniquely positioned to address the health care access challenges that disproportionately affect Maryland’s most rural counties. To do this — to make real, lasting impact — we not only need to continue to educate world-class health care providers, but we also need to create and maintain a pipeline that draws leading clinicians and practitioners to the Eastern Shore.
“Over time, each of our seven schools will play a part in UMB’s Eastern Shore Pathways initiative. ... The impact of this work will be felt throughout rural Maryland for generations to come.”
That is why we are working in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical System, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and others to implement an ambitious plan to bridge the rural health care gap in our state. Central to our commitment is the development of an educational ecosystem supported by unique scholarship opportunities for UMB students who agree to serve on the Eastern Shore after graduation; clinical rotations and professional training opportunities that immerse UMB students in hands-on experiences in a rural setting; and student mentorship and curriculum input from health care providers on the Eastern Shore.
With nearly $3 million in state support and additional funding from private donors, our School of Medicine established the Rural-MD Scholars Program to train and place students in rural health care settings. Having just wrapped their first year in the program, the inaugural cohort has already benefited from interactions with Eastern Shore health care professionals and hands-on clinical experiences. In the future, the program aims to provide full scholarships for up to 10 new students a year who will go on to serve the Eastern Shore’s medically underserved areas.
To address the severe nurse workforce shortage in the region, our School of Nursing is in the planning stages with University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, working toward establishing a holistic nursing education pathway and a dedicated clinical excellence center to recruit, educate, and retain nurses.
Our School of Dentistry also is sensitive to the needs on the Eastern Shore. After all, up to 25 percent to 30 percent of children in the region do not receive regular dental or oral health care. This gap in care can have long-term impacts on a patient’s overall health; dental decay correlates with significantly increased risks of heart disease mortality, chronic dental pain, and overall quality of life.
Our School of Pharmacy (UMSOP) and the School of Graduate Studies (UMSGS) also are expanding their reach in Maryland’s rural communities. UMSOP’s Pharmapreneurship model and partnership with Salisbury University provide outstanding career options for students, and, throughout the Eastern Shore, students in the UMSGS Physician Assistant Program are providing hands-on, direct patient care in family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, emergency medicine, pediatrics, and behavioral health.
And our efforts won’t stop there. Over time, each of our seven schools — and many of our partners across the state — will play a part in UMB’s Eastern Shore Pathways initiative. These efforts demonstrate our University’s dedication to excellence in education, research, clinical care, and public service, and the impact of this work will be felt throughout rural Maryland for generations to come.
My dear friend Lawrence Hayman is as adamant as my mother was that Maryland’s Eastern Shore can become — and will soon become — a place where residents can access the highest quality health care. Three years ago, Lawrence, a lifelong Eastern Shore resident and a childhood friend of mine, made a transformational bequest to help make this vision a reality.
Thanks to the support of folks like Lawrence and that of the state, our partners, and countless other donors, this vision — and my mother’s — is coming into clearer view.
Sincerely,
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
President
Laurels is a roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements that is published 11 times a year in The President’s Message newsletter. This month’s edition includes kudos for (in photo, from left) the School of Dentistry’s Nileshkumar Dubey, who was named an associate editor of the Journal of Translational Medicine; the Office of the Provost’s Leilani Uttenreither, who was honored as UMB Employee of the Month for June; and the School of Nursing’s Danielle McCamey, who was appointed as the school’s inaugural associate dean for clinical partnerships and innovation.
DOWNLOAD UMB LAURELS FOR SEPTEMBER 2025
New Hires
See a list of new hires at UMB central administration and our seven schools for JULY and AUGUST.
News and Notes
COMMUNITY COMES FIRST AT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
The first official National Night Out event in the United States took place in 1984, nine years after police officers joined UMB. It wasn’t until 2018 that the event, which builds positive relationships between police officers and the communities they serve, officially began at the University. National Night Out at UMB has grown each year, up from 200 attendees in 2018 to about 500 at this year’s event, which was held Aug. 5 at the University of Maryland BioPark. “National Night Out is one of my favorite times of the year,” Chief Thomas Leone said. “It’s a great way to celebrate and give back to our community and be a part of our community.” Deputy Chief Barbara Duncan (at right in photo, talking with an attendee) enjoyed her first National Night Out at UMB. “There’s a lot of kids here from the neighborhoods surrounding the University footprint, which is amazing and exactly what we want. We want to be connecting with everyone here in a nice, relaxed environment,” she said.
‘FROM LOST TO FOUND’: THE BACKSTORY OF THE JOHN DAVIDGE PORTRAIT DISCOVERY
In this episode of “The UMB Pulse” podcast, we hear the story of how a rare portrait of University of Maryland School of Medicine founder Dr. John Beale Davidge was found in a shuttered Baltimore restaurant and discuss its significance to UMB. Hosts Dana Rampolla and Charles Schelle talk with Larry Pitrof, executive director of the Medical Alumni Association at UMB, and Meg Fairfax Fielding, director of the history of Maryland medicine at the Maryland State Medical Society, about the astonishing recovery of a long-lost portrait of UMB’s founding father. Learn how this 200-year-old painting was found during an estate auction and listen to the stories behind the significance of Davidge and historical treasures at UMB.
CAN BUILDING RESEARCH CAPACITY ABROAD STOP THE NEXT PANDEMIC?
At the School of Nursing, Veronica P.S. Njie-Carr, PhD, RN, ACNS-BC, FWACN, is leading a cross-continental effort to build research capacity where it’s needed the most. With funding from the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health, she’s collaborating with partners in The Gambia to train future generations of health professionals in research ethics and methodology, the foundation for a stronger, faster response to health crises before they spread. “We are training health professionals and research scholars to conduct research with high ethical standards and scientific rigor to address the urgent health needs in The Gambia,” Njie-Carr said. “This work strengthens global health systems as well as human capacity to protect all of us.” Read about Njie-Carr and other research in UMB’s Breakthroughs Can’t Wait campaign.
CENTER FOR CYBER, HEALTH, AND HAZARD STRATEGIES HAS A NEW NAME, EXPANDED MISSION
UMB has renamed its long-standing Center for Health and Homeland Security to the Center for Cyber, Health, and Hazard Strategies (CHHS) — a change that reflects the center’s expanded mission to address the interconnected challenges facing communities in Maryland and beyond. For more than 20 years, the center has been a trusted partner to public- and private-sector organizations in Maryland, across the country, and around the world — helping leaders prepare for and respond to complex emergency management challenges. Today, CHHS partners with state and local emergency managers and public health officials, as well as universities, hospitals, community organizations, and businesses, to develop customized, actionable solutions that enhance preparedness and resilience.
PROUD TO WORK HERE, PROUD TO GIVE HERE CAMPAIGN RAISES MORE THAN $1.6 MILLION
June 30, 2025, marked the end of UMB’s seventh annual employee giving campaign — Proud to Work Here, Proud to Give Here. Nearly 700 employee donors participated, and their contributions helped to build a campaign total exceeding $1.6 million. What’s more, the employees’ pride in UMB is making a difference for student scholarships and endowments, professorships, research activities, public service projects, institutional programs, and the areas of greatest need at UMB. (Download the campaign’s Fiscal Year 2025 Impact Report.)
(Photo: Leslie Robinson and Gerald Kayingo)
FIRST LESLIE S. ROBINSON, MD ENDOWED PROFESSOR ANNOUNCED
Gerald Kayingo, PhD, MMSC, PA-C, was named the inaugural Leslie S. Robinson, MD Endowed Professor and Chair of Health Professions Education at the School of Graduate Studies (UMSGS). The professorship was established to support UMB’s commitment to excellence in health professions education and research. Named in honor of Dr. Robinson, a respected internal medicine physician who taught at the School of Medicine, the endowed professor will hold a research leadership role in UMSGS’ PhD and MS in Health Professions Education programs. Kayingo, who joined UMB in 2020, serves as assistant dean for research at UMSGS and executive director of the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy.
FUN AND A FRESH START AT THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH
Free bookbags, a bounce house, and a marching band created a festive atmosphere Aug. 16 at the Fourth Annual Back-to-School Bash, helping Baltimore families start a new school year on the right foot. Smiling faces of children and parents beamed outside Booker T. Washington Middle School for the Arts and Renaissance Academy, where the University of Maryland School of Social Work’s Center for Restorative Change, Bethel AME Church, and partners distributed nearly anything a child would need for their first day of school and beyond. (Watch a video about the event below under Video of the Month.)
The Back-to-School Bash was held Aug. 16, providing local families with school supplies and more. (Photo by Charles Schelle)
Upcoming Events
SEPT. 12: CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT FAIR
UMB Student Affairs and the University Student Government Association will close their 2025 Fall Kick-Off with music, giveaways, campus resources, and more in this annual event on the School of Nursing Lawn. Learn how student organizations, UMB departments, and local nonprofits serve students and learn how to get involved on campus — all while scoring some free UMB swag.
SEPT. 15: HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH EVENT
The University Student Government Association’s first event of the semester will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in partnership with the Intercultural Center. “Somos Comunidad UMB! — We Are UMB Community” is a fantastic opportunity to meet faculty members, connect with fellow students, and engage with community vendors.
SEPT. 19: FRONTIERS IN VACCINOLOGY GUEST LECTURESHIP
The School of Medicine Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health’s 32nd annual guest lectureship, which is part of its annual Frontiers in Vaccinology program, will feature Trevor Mundel, PhD, MSc, president of the Global Health Division of the Gates Foundation. The event will start at 3 p.m. at MSTF Leadership Hall, with a reception to follow.
Save the Date
OCT. 9: HSHSL AND UMSOP VACCINATION CLINIC
The Health Sciences and Human Services Library and the School of Pharmacy will hold their annual vaccination clinic from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the library’s Weise Gallery. The following vaccines will be available: flu, COVID-19, pneumonia, RSV, shingles, and Tdap.
OCT. 20-23: FOUNDERS WEEK
The annual celebration of UMB’s founding begins Oct. 20 with the Staff Luncheon at Westminster Hall. Other events include the Student Cookout at the School of Nursing Courtyard, the Awards Recognition and Reception (invitation only) at M&T Bank Exchange, and the UMB Treasures Tour at various sites on campus. Check out The Elm website and The Elm Weekly for more information in the weeks ahead.
Video of the Month
The School of Social Work’s Center for Restorative Change teamed with Bethel AME Church and other partners to host the fourth annual Back-to-School Bash on Aug. 16: