The Association for Biosafety and Biosecurity honor recognizes outstanding contributions to biological safety through teaching, research, service, and leadership.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Melissa Morland, executive director, Operations and Maintenance, Administration and Finance, was named the winner of the Arnold Wedum Distinguished Achievement Award. The award is given to a current Association for Biosafety and Biosecurity (ABSA) member for outstanding contributions to biological safety accomplished through teaching, research, service, or leadership.
At the award ceremony, Morland was introduced by the outgoing ABSA president and UMB colleague Sherry Bohn, executive director, Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), who recognized her accomplishments and leadership.
“Melissa has served as a mentor for professionals in the United States and beyond,” Bohn said. “She served as ABSA president twice and is still involved in ABSA’s credentialing program. She has mentored at least 10 foreign professionals who were new to biosafety in countries located in the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond. Every project Melissa was affiliated with has been a rousing success.”
ABSA is a nonprofit professional membership organization that is dedicated to serving the needs of biosafety and biosecurity professionals throughout the world. The award is named after Arnold G. Wedum, the person most responsible for creating the biosafety profession.
Recognition Beyond Biosafety
“Melissa is an amazing blend of practicality, toughness, and always trying to do the right thing,” said Matt Fischer, biosafety officer and assistant director of EHS, who has worked with Morland since 2013. He says her contributions to UMB and the biosafety community extend far beyond those recognized by the award.
“Mentorship is a concept that doesn’t always carry over to parts of academia outside the laboratory, but Melissa takes it seriously and has been an unwavering ally and resource for biosafety professionals all over the world,” Fischer said.
“Her leadership during the pandemic helped the organization continue to thrive in a difficult time and inspired us to keep going and help however we could. If you think about the effort and dedication she’s put in to reach the Wedum Award, it’s really awe-inspiring.”
In her acceptance speech, Morland credited those around her.
“This award is not just a recognition of individual achievement, it is a celebration of collective effort. It reflects the dedication, insight, and support of every colleague, mentor, student, and partner who has walked this path with me,” she said.
“Together, we’ve built programs, solved challenges, and advanced the field of biological safety. This honor belongs to all of us — it’s a testament to what we can accomplish when we work together with purpose and lift each other up.”
Morland called being part of the ABSA team as a highlight of her time at UMB.
“Serving ABSA International has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” she said. “To have had the opportunity to lead this organization through two presidential terms was both a privilege and a responsibility I did not take lightly. I am proud of the strides we made together — advancing biosafety practices, fostering global partnerships, and strengthening our professional community.”
Morland, who has been at UMB for more than a quarter of a century, earned her BS from Towson University, an MS in Environmental Management from University of Maryland University College, and her MBA from University of Maryland Global Campus.
She started at UMB in 1999 as an environmental hygiene assistant, where she developed the laboratory audit program, and worked her way up to assistant director and biosafety officer before ascending to her current role in 2020.
Morland has been a member of ABSA since January 2003. In that time, she has served as a council member, secretary, and president. She also is a member of the Chesapeake Area Biological Safety Association, where she has served as both a council member and president.
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