USM Regents Approve University of Maryland: MPowering the State; Bold Collaboration to Leverage UMB and UMCP Resources
Will increase opportunities for
students and strengthen state’s innovation economy
Annapolis, MD (March
1, 2012)—The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents today
approved an innovative and structured collaboration between the University of
Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, College Park
(UMCP). Called University of Maryland:
MPowering the State, this new
working relationship will leverage the resources of the two universities to serve
students better; attract even more exceptional faculty and researchers; and boost
research, technology transfer, and commercialization.
“The regents see University of Maryland: MPowering the State as the kind of 21st-century
organizational model needed for today’s fast-changing, fiscally challenging,
and globally competitive environment,” said Board Vice Chair Patricia S.
Florestano. “We are pleased with the vision, creativity, and innovative thinking
that led to the development of such a forward-looking plan.”
“This new partnership between these two great institutions
will benefit students, faculty and researchers, and the entire state of Maryland,” says USM Chancellor
William Kirwan. “Leveraging the combined resources of our founding campus and
our flagship campus will enable USM to address Maryland's workforce needs better. Moreover, it will help attract more research
funding to the state and create opportunities to commercialize the substantial
research both of these major institutions produce.”
Among the partnership’s components are:
- Combining
the research efforts at the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology
Research—a joint UMB-UMCP institute—at the Universities at Shady Grove
(USG) in Montgomery County with new educational programs in health, law,
human services and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics),
business, and the social sciences. USG is one of the university system’s
two higher education regional centers.
- Creating
a Collaborative School of Public Health by combining the Master of Public
Health (MPH) Program at UMCP and the MPH Program in Baltimore.
- Establishing
University
of Maryland Ventures
to promote technology transfer and commercialization, taking discoveries and
innovations from the campus laboratories to the marketplace.
- Developing
new educational offerings and activities including the University of Maryland
Scholars Program, through which students
from each institution will engage in research led by faculty at the other
institution.
- Implementing
a process to facilitate joint appointments and joint grant submissions.
“UMB and UMCP have complementary research strengths. Under
the aegis of the University System
of Maryland, we are establishing this special new working relationship so
that we can magnify the scale and impact of our education, research, and
commercialization,” says UMCP President Wallace Loh. “The state of Maryland has recognized
that improving tech transfer is a critical need for its public university
system. And the system has charged its campuses with making critical advances
in this area.”
"This new partnership will help develop a generation
of students focused on entrepreneurship, new business creation, and
commercialization," says UMB President Jay Perman. "Just as students
from the seven schools at UMB have learned to work together, now the students
from both Baltimore and College Park will do the same. For example, UMCP students will be much more
involved in UMB’s life sciences programs and similarly, University of Maryland Carey
School of Law students from Baltimore will work
in the intellectual property law clinic at the Clark School of Engineering in College Park.”
The Board of Regents on December 9, 2011, charged Kirwan,
Loh, and Perman to develop the plan. Board action resulted from a comprehensive
six-month study of the advantages and disadvantages of merging the two
universities in response to a Maryland Joint Chairmen’s directive. Based on the
study, the board concluded that a structured collaboration between UMB and UMCP
would yield more success than a merger.
A Steering Committee, appointed by and reporting to Loh and
Perman, will lead this new collaboration initially. Presidents Loh and Perman
will be accountable to Chancellor Kirwan and the Board of Regents for the
success of the collaborative activities.
Implementation of the plan, which begins immediately, will
require investment of funds from a variety of sources, including internal
reallocation at UMB and UMCP, the state, the federal government, and private
support.
A copy of the plan overview can be accessed here Overview
A copy of the implementation plan can be accessed here: Implementation Plan
The web site for the University of Maryland: MPowering
the State, can be accessed at http://mpowermaryland.com.
At University of Maryland, Baltimore contact Ed Fishel, 410.706.3801
At University of Maryland, College Park contact Lee Tune, 301.405.4679
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
