Read Dr. Jarrell’s column on UMB’s Founders Week events and honorees 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
A Tradition of Celebrating All the Ways in Which UMB Makes a Difference
Founders Week is one of my favorite times of year at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). Each October, our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners come together to celebrate the people and achievements that make our University special, honor our history, and strengthen the connections that bring us together.
The Staff Luncheon and Student Cookout are two events I particularly look forward to each year. I always enjoy seeing faculty, staff, and students step away from their busy schedules to relax, share a meal, and enjoy each other’s company.
This year, Founders Week also included a celebration of the arts and the opportunities they create here in West Baltimore. On Oct. 19, UMB hosted “One Night Only: Broadway in Baltimore” at the M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. The extraordinary evening featured performances by Tony Award-nominated Broadway actor Norm Lewis and Everyman Theatre resident company member Felicia Curry.
Attendees also enjoyed the premiere of the seventh and final installment of UMB’s two-time Emmy Award-nominated documentary series, “From West Baltimore.” The series chronicles five of the first students to participate in UMB’s CURE Scholars Program, a groundbreaking initiative to empower middle school and high school students in West Baltimore. This latest documentary, “College Grad,” followed CURE alumna Princaya Sanders on her journey to graduation from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Through UMB CURE, the University provides students with mentoring, training, and support to help them achieve academic success, prepare for college and careers, and pursue rewarding futures in research, STEM, and health care. Thanks to the generosity of our event attendees and sponsors, “Broadway in Baltimore” raised just over $50,000 to support this important work.
Of course, “Broadway in Baltimore” was not the only star-studded Founders Week event. On Oct. 22, UMB capped its annual celebration with the Founders Week Awards Recognition and Reception. This year, we honored five exceptional members of our University community who exemplify our core values and make UMB a better place.
I am continually inspired by the stories of these remarkable individuals. Their commitment to leading with empathy and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others reflects the very best of our University. I encourage you to watch the videos highlighting the journeys of this year’s honorees by clicking on their names below.
Public Servant of the Year Ramsay Koury, right, and School of Dentistry Interim Dean Gary Warburton watch cellist Lachezar Kostov perform “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” at the Founders Week Awards Recognition and Reception event on Oct. 22. (Photo by Matthew D’Agostino)
2026 Public Servant of the Year Ramsay Koury, DMD, shared how his dentistry journey started when, as a college student, he accompanied his cousin on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. The experience not only sparked his love for promoting oral health, it also instilled in him a commitment to service. Today, Dr. Koury leads UMB’s Mission of Mercy program, through which University of Maryland School of Dentistry practitioners and students provide free oral health care services to underserved and uninsured Maryland residents.
Anum Zehra, our Student of the Year honoree, also embodies what it means to be of service to others. A fourth-year medical student, she has not only excelled academically, but she also launched KindKin, a student-led initiative to support family members and caregivers of hospitalized children by empowering volunteers to take on everyday chores on their behalf. Such acts of kindness mean the world to those navigating some of the toughest challenges of their lives.
Finding ways to make a difference in people’s lives is a common thread that connects all of our honorees. For Graeme Woodworth, MD, FAANS, FACS, our David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur of the Year, making a difference often means pushing the boundaries of medical research to address some of today’s most difficult health challenges. His groundbreaking work using focused ultrasound to treat brain tumors is advancing new possibilities for treatment pathways and offering hope for better outcomes.
Of course, the future of medicine depends not only on today’s breakthroughs, but also on the next generation of health care professionals who will build on them. I firmly believe that the future looks bright, thanks in no small part to dedicated professors such as Leah S. Millstein, MD, our Educator of the Year. In just two years, she has transformed the School of Medicine’s Rural-MD Scholars initiative from a concept into a four-year academic scholarship program dedicated to preparing physicians to work in underserved rural communities, including Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
From educating future physicians to exploring the complex legal and ethical questions that shape our society, UMB faculty are making meaningful contributions across a wide range of disciplines. Natalie Ram, JD, our Researcher/Scholar of the Year, is a wonderful example of this. Her work at the intersection of bioethics, surveillance technology, and constitutional law has led to law and policy changes and helped drive important conversations about how society should govern sensitive biological information.
From left, School of Medicine Dean Mark Gladwin, Student of the Year Anum Zehra, and UMB President Bruce Jarrell. (Photo by Matthew D’Agostino)
Each of these stories — from our UMB CURE Scholars to our Founders Week honorees — and countless others across our community reflect what makes UMB such a wonderful place. Every day, I see how our students, faculty, and staff demonstrate what it means to live with curiosity, lead with empathy, and use their knowledge and talents to work for the greater good.
Whether through a small act of kindness or a discovery that changes lives, each of us has the capacity to make a meaningful difference in the world around us. I am proud of the many ways that the UMB community brings our mission to life by working to improve the human condition and serve the public good, during Founders Week and throughout the year.
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) Mariel Pfister, UMB EMBRACE Initiative, who was honored as the University’s September Employee of the Month; Fengtian Xue, School of Pharmacy, who was appointed chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; and Seantè A. Hatcher, School of Social Work, who received the Honorable Cypert O. Whitfill 100 Year Award from the Harford County (Md.) Office of Family Court Services.
ADD LINK HERE
News and Notes
CURE Scholar Princaya Sanders Steals the ‘Broadway’ Show
Two Broadway stars took the stage, sparkling stars adorned the curtains, and the song “Stars” from “Les Misérables” was performed during “Broadway in Baltimore” at the M&T Bank Exchange on Oct. 19, but the brightest star of all was a young woman from Baltimore named Princaya Sanders. She was the focal point of “College Grad: From West Baltimore,” a 10½-minute documentary that premiered at the special event and recapped Sanders’ journey from sixth-grade student in the first cohort of UMB’s CURE Scholars Program to first-generation college graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The documentary was shown to the audience of 250 and served as a prelude to entertainment from performers Norm Lewis and Felicia Curry in a concert that raised funds for UMB CURE. (Watch the “College Grad” documentary on UMB’s YouTube channel or at the bottom of this article.)
Read more about the “Broadway in Baltimore” concert.
From left, Felicia Curry, Princaya Sanders, and Norm Lewis share a laugh at the “Broadway in Baltimore” event at the M&T Bank Exchange on Oct. 19. (Photo by Matthew D’Agostino)
With $16.3M Grant, Next Phase of Abortion and Reproductive Health Training Begins
UMB has received a new five-year, $16.3 million award from the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to expand the Maryland Abortion and Reproductive Clinical Health (MARCH) Program, an innovative interdisciplinary initiative that prepares health care professionals to provide evidence-based abortion and reproductive health care and education throughout Maryland. The award launches MARCH 2.0, the next evolution of the program, expanding clinical education, strengthening regional partnerships, and increasing access to abortion care, particularly in rural and underserved communities where workforce shortages continue to create barriers to care.
Read more about the MARCH grant and program.
Maryland Charity Campaign Theme for 2026: ‘Maryland Cares: Small Gifts, Big Impacts’
The 2026 Maryland Charity Campaign (MCC), a workplace charitable giving program, offers state employees the opportunity to support charitable organizations outside of UMB that are meaningful to them through payroll deduction or one-time credit card gift. This year’s MCC theme is “Maryland Cares: Small Gifts, Big Impacts.” With more than 700 charitable organizations to choose from, even a small contribution can make a big impact on those who need it most. Gifts can be made conveniently through payroll deduction or a one-time donation. The campaign will run through Dec. 11.
Make a donation to the campaign today.
Join UMB to Support West Baltimore Families This Thanksgiving
The UMB Staff Senate asks the University community to donate to its Thanksgiving Drive to ensure that a local family can enjoy a warm and joyful holiday. The Staff Senate and the University’s Office of Community and Civic Engagement are coordinating the annual drive in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and WJZ-TV. The goal this year is to secure funding for 300 turkeys ($9,000) by Nov. 24. Every $30 contributed will provide one frozen turkey (12-16 pounds) to families connected to the Community Engagement Center, Summer-U Camp, Hollins House, Poppleton Place, Vintage Gardens, and the Flowers-Whiting Initiative at Bon Secours Community Resource Center.
Make a donation to the Staff Senate Thanksgiving Drive.
Drone Program Takes Flight to Support UMB Safety
UMB students, faculty, and staff might notice something new in the skies above campus: a drone operated by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The University’s Drone Program is conducting flights to enhance emergency preparedness, support campus operations, and provide a safer, more efficient way to assess conditions across UMB. The drone provides a bird’s-eye view that can help University personnel identify potential hazards, assess damage, and make informed decisions. UMB recognizes that the use of drones raises questions about privacy, but the program is operated by trained OEM personnel in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, University procedures, and constitutional and privacy protections. Each flight serves a specific, authorized purpose. The program is not intended for random surveillance or routine law enforcement patrols, and UMB's drone is not equipped with facial recognition technology or weapons.
Learn more about UMB’s Drone Program.
Upcoming Events
Nov. 13: ‘When a Witness Recants’: Screening and Panel with Director Dawn Porter
The MOPD Innocence Project Clinic at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law will host a special screening of Dawn Porter’s documentary about the wrongful conviction of Baltimore’s Harlem Park Three — Ransom Watkins, Alfred Chestnut, and Andrew Stewart — and their ultimate exoneration 36 years later. After the film, Maryland Carey Law professor Erica Suter, who directs the Innocence Project Clinic, will moderate a conversation with Porter and the exonerees at the heart of the story.
Learn more about the documentary screening.
Nov. 18: Meet the Founder of Salvage Arc
UMB’s Office of Sustainability and The Grid are co-hosting this event that features Evan Woodard, a self-taught historian, explorer, and content creator known for founding Salvage Arc, a project dedicated to excavating historical artifacts from Baltimore’s urban sites and using them to share accessible stories of the city's past.
Learn more about the “Meet the Founder” event.
Save the Date
Dec. 2: UMB Holiday Market
Get a head start on your holiday shopping at UMB’s annual Holiday Market, which used to be called the Holiday Craft Fair. The event will feature more than 65 vendors, including 15 who are new this year. Find unique gifts, handmade jewelry, crafts, sweet treats, seasonal favorites, and more.
Learn more about the UMB Holiday Market.
Feb. 2: MLK and Black History Month Celebration
UMB honors the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrates Black History Month with this annual event that features a keynote speaker, MLK Leadership and Community Champion of Equity and Justice award winners, and more. More details about the event will be announced in the coming weeks.
Video of the Month
Watch “College Grad,” the seventh and final installment of the “From West Baltimore” documentary series: