Read Dr. Jarrell’s column on the West Lexington Corridor Project 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
WEST LEXINGTON CORRIDOR PROJECT: BUILDING A ‘COLLEGE TOWN’
In my May 2024 State of the University Address, I shared a vision for a more vibrant University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) campus and surrounding area.
At that time, our community had already celebrated the opening of the new Lexington Market, as well as the revitalization of the Hippodrome Theatre and CFG Bank Arena — two jewels of the Bromo Arts District on our east side. UMB’s 21,000-square-foot Community Engagement Center was in its fourth year of operation, providing more adults and families than ever before with programs that leverage University resources to meet community-identified needs.
In May 2024, we were also about a year and a half into construction of 4MLK, a building that is now a hub for researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs — and the gateway to the University of Maryland BioPark’s biotech corridor. And we were mere months away from breaking ground on our new six-story School of Social Work building for which, just last week, Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. and its marvelous construction team laid the final beam.
So much has changed on our campus in such a short time. Yet, what’s most impressive is that this is only the beginning.
On Feb. 13, the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents approved a development initiative, the West Lexington Corridor Project, that will further transform our campus and the surrounding areas into a bustling district.
(Photo: Artist’s rendering of the proposed North Quad area on West Lexington Street.)
Funded primarily by Wexford Science & Technology — the main developer in the BioPark — and built on land owned by UMB, the two-phase project will bring modern, amenity-rich residential, retail, and indoor and outdoor recreation spaces along Lexington Street, from Lexington Market to Pine Street. This work deepens UMB’s investment in Baltimore and our commitment to making this city a vibrant destination to live, work, and learn.
The first project phase, scheduled to begin early next year, will include a North Quad tower with 356 apartments (764 bedrooms) and nearly 16,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. This phase will include renovation of Pascault Row, and the Pharmacy Learning Center on Pine Street will become a 16,500-square-foot indoor gathering and recreational center.
The second phase, scheduled to begin in 2028, will include construction of a South Quad building with another 380 bedrooms and more than 9,000 square feet of additional ground-floor retail space.
During both phases, infrastructure and public realm improvements, such as sidewalk and streetscape work and public art installations, will create an inviting atmosphere, adding to the vibrancy. Additionally, dedicated funds will support programming to activate spaces throughout the corridor.
It’s a tremendously exciting time to be at UMB. We know that our campus is going to change in exciting ways in the next few years, but we also know that our commitment to vibrancy involves more than the construction or renovation of buildings and spaces. It also means bringing together UMB students, faculty, and staff — as well as collaborators, community partners, local business owners, Baltimore residents, and visitors — to ensure that every aspect of this transformation reflects our University’s mission, our core values, and the needs of our city. It means understanding that the success of our University is intertwined with the future of Baltimore. And we know that the future is bright.
Over the past couple weeks, folks all across Maryland have been talking about what the West Lexington Corridor Project means for West Baltimore and for our University. Below are some of the recent media highlights of this initiative:
- UMB’s ‘College Town’ Plan for Downtown Baltimore’s West Side Clears Hurdle (The Baltimore Sun)
- University of Maryland Plans Major Downtown Baltimore Redevelopment Project (WMAR-TV)
- UMB Shares Renderings of Proposed ‘College Town’ in Downtown Baltimore (The Baltimore Banner)
- UMB Ready to ‘Go Big Early’ with $300M Project Near Downtown (Baltimore Business Journal)
- University of Maryland, Baltimore Plans to Revitalize Surrounding Area with Housing, Retail Spaces (WBAL-TV)
In the coming months, you’ll hear more information about this initiative, including plan details and timelines.
In the meantime, I once again thank the USM Board of Regents and all who share our commitment to West Baltimore and to the future of our University.
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) Elisa Spitalsky, senior quality management specialist, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, School of Medicine, who was named UMB's January Employee of the Month; Roger Ward, provost and executive vice president, UMB, who was among the inaugural winners of the Baltimore Business Journal Executive Leadership Awards; and Lisa Finn, assistant director of assessment and accommodations, School of Pharmacy, who was honored as UMB's Employee of the Month of December.
New Hires
See a LIST OF NEW HIRES at UMB central administration and our seven schools for February.
News and Notes
Above: Chris Pernell delivers her keynote speech during the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month Celebration on Feb. 5 at MSTF Leadership Hall. Below, right: Tonya Webb of the School of Medicine accepts her MLK Leadership Award for Outstanding Staff Member. (Photos by Matthew D’Agostino)
NAACP’S PERNELL CALLS FOR HEALTH JUSTICE AT MLK EVENT
Chris Pernell interweaved stories about her relatives’ medical experiences into a call for health justice in the United States during her keynote speech at UMB’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month Celebration on Feb. 5. Known as Dr. Chris, Pernell is a physician leader, social change agent, and director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity. “If we are not uplifting the stories of those who are the most harmed, the most abused, the most disenfranchised, those who consistently are pushed off of the ‘Cliff of Good Health,’ then we are doing a detriment to the population as a whole,” she said. The annual event also included recognition of MLK Leadership Award winners Tonya Webb, School of Medicine; William Epperson, Police and Public Safety; and the student representatives on the School of Nursing's Strategic Engagement and Impact Council, as well as the Community Champion of Equity and Justice honorees, Rev. Franklin Lance and the CASH Campaign of Maryland.
REAFFIRMING THE FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Lawmakers and leaders from state and local government and social service and faith organizations gathered Feb. 3 at the Maryland State House in Annapolis to discuss progress and challenges in the fight against human trafficking. Susan Esserman (in photo, left), founder and CEO of the University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment (SAFE) Center, spoke at the event, as did state leaders such as Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Attorney General Anthony Brown, and Secretary of State Susan Lee. Esserman expressed thanks to the attorney general’s office for its role in investigating labor trafficking cases, and she encouraged that additional steps be taken to help victims of labor exploitation. “While many people believe that labor trafficking does not take place in Maryland, our statewide survey showed that in a recent five-year period, Maryland service providers assisted nearly 1,200 labor trafficking survivors,” Esserman said.
SAFETY IN NUMBERS: CRIME REMAINED LOW AT UMB IN 2025
UMB is consistently one of the safest areas in downtown Baltimore. The data speaks for itself. As an urban campus, UMB does experience some crime. However, the data shows that overall crime on campus has been steadily declining since 2019 and remains consistently low on campus. In an initial release of 2025 crime statistics, UMB Police and Public Safety reports that on-campus burglaries and stolen vehicles fell to zero. Murder, rape, and arson on campus also remained at zero. UMB police officers successfully arrested the person involved in the one robbery that occurred on campus in 2025. Theft at UMB continues to decline. In many cases, the stolen items were left unattended and unsecured, and stolen bicycles and electric scooters made up almost half of all thefts at UMB.
UMB SUPPORTS DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL
Digital accessibility begins with awareness and action across the UMB community. At UMB, we prioritize accessibility and continue strengthening how we put that commitment into practice. New federal regulations now require public universities, including UMB, to ensure that their websites, digital documents, and online tools are accessible to people with disabilities. These updated Title II requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act take effect April 24, 2026. In response, UMB is launching a campuswide communications campaign that advances access and inclusion. In the months ahead, UMB will share clear guidance, practical tips, and helpful tools that will enable faculty, staff, and students to create accessible digital content in their daily work. Together, we are ensuring equal access to information, programs, and activities for everyone.
SEVENTH EDITION OF ‘1807’ IS ANOTHER WORK OF ART
UMB is excited to announce that 1807: An Art & Literary Journal Issue 7 is hot off the press and ready for you to enjoy. This latest issue celebrates the remarkable creative talents across our UMB community. Inside, you’ll find a rich range of artistic expressions — including inspiring poetry and striking visual art. An excerpt from UMB President Bruce Jarrell’s foreword summarizes what you’ll find in this issue: “Seven issues strong, 1807 continues to capture our collective imagination. Each new edition builds upon the last, offering fresh perspectives, bold imagery, and words that challenge, inspire, and connect us. The pages of this journal remind us that creativity is not confined to the arts alone — it is embedded in the research we pursue, the care we provide, the lessons we teach, and the impact we make across Baltimore and beyond.”
UMB TOPS OFF NEW SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK BUILDING
UMB faculty, staff, and students joined the Whiting-Turner Contracting crew and Ballinger architects on Feb. 25 inside the University of Maryland School of Social Work building’s future assembly room to reflect on what this construction milestone represents: change. At a topping-off ceremony at 600 W. Lexington St., UMB and Whiting-Turner celebrated the structural completion of the building that culminated in the raising of the final beam. This construction tradition is symbolic in one sense — raising a painted white beam topped with an American flag and a small evergreen tree to represent good luck and respect for the tree spirits — and practical in another sense as a handoff between the trades people working on the foundation and structure and the crew that will complete the interior and façade.
Workers maneuver the final beam at the topping-off ceremony for the new School of Social Work building. (Photo by Matthew D’Agostino)
Upcoming Events
MARCH 9: VALUES IN ACTION SPEAKER SERIES
The next Values in Action Speaker Series event will be focused on UMB’s core values set of Equity and Justice and feature Rhea Roper Nedd, assistant vice president in the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Institutional Effectiveness. She will lead an inspiring conversation allowing for the exchange of ideas and critical reflection with colleagues across our community focused on how by working together, we can create a more equitable and just community. The hybrid program will be offered in person at the 4MLK building and on Zoom.
MARCH 26: FOURTH ANNUAL LEAPS SYMPOSIUM
Registration is open for the UMB Leaders in Education: Academy of Presidential Scholars (LEAPS) Symposium, “Taking the LEAP: AI in Professional and Graduate Educational Research.” The event is designed to empower faculty scholars to engage with artificial intelligence (AI) in their educational research and scholarly projects. Interactive sessions will emphasize practical strategies for using AI to further their educational research agendas, using concrete examples from UMB educational scholars.
REGISTER FOR STRATEGIC PLAN TOWN HALLS
The 2027-2031 Strategic Plan co-chairs — Jenny Owens, vice provost of academic affairs, and Yolanda Ogbolu, the Bill and Joanne Conway Dean of the School of Nursing — will host four town halls to discuss the overall process for UMB’s next strategic plan and gain feedback from the University community on the plan’s themes, goals, objectives, and more. The in-person town halls will be held March 23 and May 7; the virtual town halls will be held March 25 and May 8.
Save the Date
APRIL 15: 14TH ANNUAL IPE DAY
UMB’s 14th annual Interprofessional Education (IPE) Day will be held from noon to 5 p.m. at MSTF Leadership Hall. Lunch will be provided. This event brings together UMB students from across disciplines to engage in collaborative learning, develop interprofessional competencies, and strengthen their teamwork skills in real-world scenarios. Lunch will be provided. Registration closes March 18.
APRIL 22: UMBPACE ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS DAY LUNCHEON
UMB’s Professional Administratives Committed to Excellence (UMBPACE) group will host its annual luncheon in the Elm Ballrooms at the SMC Campus Center. The event is open to all UMB support staff and will include a speaker, exhibits, and lunch. Please mark your calendar and look for more information soon on how to register to attend.
Video of the Month
The CASH Campaign of Maryland held its annual kickoff event on Jan. 30 at the UMB Community Engagement Center. The Baltimore-based nonprofit coordinates community partners and policymakers to serve tens of thousands of Marylanders with services such as free income tax assistance, education, and coaching.