USM Board of Regents Faculty Awards Presented
Adelphi, Md. (April 12, 2013) -- The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of
Regents at its meeting today announced the recipients of the 2013 USM Regents'
Faculty Awards. The meeting was held at the University of Baltimore.
The awards are the highest
honor presented by the board to exemplary faculty members. Presented in five categories,
the awards honor excellence in mentoring, public service, scholarship, and
teaching. Each award carries a $1,000 prize provided by the institutions and
the University System of Maryland Foundation.
Following are the 2013 Regents' Faculty Award recipients, listed by category:
TEACHING
Dr.
Irena Bojanova, Information and Technology Systems
Department in the Graduate School at University of Maryland University College
(UMUC).
Dr. Bojanova has oversight for all aspects of UMUC's
graduate-level Telecommunications Management specialization, as well as a core
course in the MS in Information Technology.
She teaches seven graduate classes each year, in a mix of online,
face-to-face, and hybrid formats. Dr.
Bojanova earned an award for Outstanding Leadership by an Individual in the
Field of Distance Education from the U. S. Distance Learning Association in
2011 and, in the same year, an honorable mention for the Distance Education
Innovation Award from the National University Technology Network.
Dr.
James Grubb, Department of History, University of
Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Dr. Grubb is one of UMBC's most productive
scholars, excelling at teaching, mentoring, and research. In just the last
three years, he chaired, or was a member of, no less than 17 thesis
committees-an enormous investment of time and energy. Dr. Grubb's students gain
first-hand knowledge of the challenge and thrill of discovery by conducting
original research using primary documents he recently discovered. When he was awarded the 2010 Lipitz
Professorship, he chose to use a sizeable portion of his award stipend to
provide scholarships for graduate students pursuing the M. A. in Historical
Studies. He has published seven books during the past 28 years and between six
and 11 in each of those three decades.
Dr.
Cynthia Zeller, Department of Chemistry, Towson
University (TU). Dr. Zeller began her career at Towson University seven years
ago as a forensic scientist in the Department of Chemistry. She developed the science of forensics at
Towson from a one-course service area to very popular undergraduate and
graduate degree program. She created two
undergraduate courses and nine graduate courses in forensics. She provides hands-on
laboratory experiences for both undergraduate and graduate students and serves
as a mentor. At the spring 2012 meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Association of
Forensic Scientists, she gave podium presentations on three varied forensic
topics, and, since 2009, she has been the recipient of research funding from
the National Institute of Justice.
Dr.
Lisa Seldomridge, Department of Nursing, Salisbury University
(SU). Dr. Seldomridge oversees the departmental operation for nationally
accredited bachelor's and master's degree programs in nursing and she recently
developed the first doctoral degree program to be offered at SU. The
undergraduate nursing program is the largest major on campus, and Salisbury's
nursing students have the highest 5-year pass rate of all four-year
institutions in the state of Maryland on the nursing licensing examination. Dr.
Seldomridge is also very successful in raising money through competitive grants,
with awards of more than $3.3 million during the past four years. She teaches large- and medium-size lecture
classes, has co-authored several articles, and mentors a number of the nursing
students.
RESEARCH
Dr.
Tulay Adali, Department of Computer Science and
Electrical Engineering, UMBC. Dr. Adali has significantly advanced the field of
statistical signal processing during the past 20 years. She has developed a number of powerful
data-driven solutions for medical image analysis and fusion that are now widely
used in the medical field. She has
published a number of referred and frequently cited journal articles and
conference papers. The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Signal
Processing Society named her Distinguished Lecturer for 2012 and 2013.
Additionally, she has tirelessly contributed to graduate education at
UMBC. All of her students have advanced
to successful positions in academia, research labs, and industry.
Dr.
Don DeVoe, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University
of Maryland, College Park (UMCP).
Dr. DeVoe is an international expert in micro-electromechanicalsystems
(MEMS), having instituted the study of this field at UMCP. Due to his efforts, the campus now has five
to six faculty members involved in this field of research, bridging multiple
engineering departments, chemistry, biology and biomedicine. His work in
manufacturing, micro-/nanotechnology, and biotechnology has made major impacts
to a wide range of scientific and technical disciplines. Dr. DeVoe's interdisciplinary collaborations
with the Maryland Robotics Center, the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer
Center and the Center for Energetic Concepts Development are a model for
collaborative scholarship and research.
Dr.
Jonathan Leshnoff, Department of Music, Towson University
College of Fine Arts and Communication. Dr. Leshnoff has received national and
international acclaim for his musical compositions. His work has been performed
by orchestras and symphonies across the United States and internationally,
including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Kansas City
Symphony, National Orchestra of Mexico, and many others. Dr. Leshnoff is an
active composer of orchestral, chamber, choral, and solo music with numerous
commissions to his credit. The release
of his works on the well-respected Naxos label and their extensive public
performance has heightened awareness of the Towson University music
program.
Dr.
Jamal Uddin, Department of Natural Sciences, Coppin
State University (CSU). Dr. Uddin is the founder and director of the Center for
Nanotechnology and a visiting scientist at the Center for Fluorescence
Spectroscopy at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He has participated in a number of
collaborative research studies at University of Maryland, Baltimore. Dr. Uddin's inquisitiveness, collaborative
spirit, and demand for critical study have led to his many accomplishments in
the field of nanotechnology. He was
recognized in 2011 by The Daily Record
as the Innovator of the Year and in 2012 was awarded the University System of
Maryland's Wilson S. Elkins Professorship.
His energy and enthusiasm for his field of study inspire his students
and offers them invaluable educational experiences.
PUBLIC SERVICE
Dr.
Paul S. Herrnson, Department of
Government and Politics and the Center for American Politics and Citizenship, UMCP.
Dr. Herrnson-a longtime member of the UMCP faculty-has received many national
awards and the prestigious title of Distinguished Scholar-Teacher at UMCP. He is a world-renowned expert in the study of
political processes. He is the author or
co-author of four books, co-editor of six, and during the past 10 years he has
published 18 articles in the top journals of his field. At UMCP, he established
the Center for American Politics and Citizenship (CAPC), where he mentored many
young people about the opportunities to participate in politics. In addition to
the creation of CAPC, he led a project that created an electronic absentee
ballot delivery system for the state of Maryland through which he also
established the Maryland Elections Center website.
Dr. John Carroll Weiss, III, Merrick School of
Business, University of Baltimore (UB).
Mr. Weiss-an Executive-in-Residence at UB-combines
more than two decades of service to Maryland's higher education community with
more than 30 years of experience in venture capital, executive management, and
commercial banking in the greater Baltimore area. He is a community leader and dedicated
teacher who believe in the value of public service. Over the years he has been active
in the Biotechnology Institute of Maryland, which trains and places individuals
in laboratory technologist positions. He is also actively engaged in the Engineers
Club, a Baltimore's club for professionals, serving as financial advisor and
president. And his involvement with Vehicles
for Change-a non-profit organization that donates cars to low-income families-has
touched the lives of literally thousands of individuals and families in need.
Dr. Pamela S. Lotterro-Perdue, Department
of Physics, Astronomy, and Geoscience, Towson University. Dr. Lottero-Perdue
has made significant contributions to the Harford County Public School system. She
has successfully partnered with science educators and administrators to
establish and implement science-technology-engineering integrated units into
grades 1-5. Her leadership in this program has significantly advanced the
science curriculum in this region. Dr. Lottero-Perdue performs
professional development workshops for teachers to assist in the success of
this program. Additionally, she has done extensive work in developing and
implementing engineering activities into local clubs.
Dr.
Kara Rogers Thomas, Sociology Department, Frostburg State
University (FSU). Outside of her normal teaching and research duties, Dr.
Rogers Thomas is dedicated to enhancing the lives of Western Marylanders with
humanities programs. She spends hours organizing public committees, planning
events, fundraising, and executing events.
She helps bring Smithsonian traveling exhibitions to the region, offers programs
to present local history in new and engaging ways, and assisted in the
establishment of the Mountain City Traditional Arts alliance, a year-round
venue featuring programs on Appalachian history, culture and environment.
Dr. Rogers Thomas's work on the Appalachian Festival has helped that event to
grow from a small community program to a three-day happening that attracts
between 4,000-5,000 attendees.
MENTORING
Dr. Suzanne Ostrand-Rosenberg, Department of Biological Sciences, UMBC. Dr. Ostrand-Rosenberg has
held the Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Chair of Biochemistry at UMBC since 2000. Since that time she has also run an
internationally recognized cancer immunology research lab, which she
strategically uses as a catalyst to spark student interest in the sciences. Her
exemplary efforts have resulted in the mentorship of 65 undergraduates, 22 of
whom have been lead or co-authors of scientific publications. She is active in
the UMBC Meyerhoff and MARC programs for promoting the development of
under-represented minority students in STEM research areas. Her mentoring
activities also extend to graduate students and junior faculty. Her passion for
advising junior faculty has also resulted in the development of a "10 tips for
tenure" document for new faculty at UMBC, where she has ongoing and frequent
conversations about balancing research, teaching, and service.
Dr. William Falk, African American Studies Department, UMCP.
Dr. Falk has co-authored or edited six books and more than three dozen articles
in high impact journals and has won many prestigious awards. Despite his own
heavy schedule as a scholar, educator, and administrator, he has been a highly
effective mentor. Dr. Falk routinely
makes himself available to work one-on-one with students, directs countless
undergraduate honors theses, assists an endless stream of Ph.D. students, and
works as co-author with numerous young sociologists including junior faculty.
He has also mentored junior faculty by reading and critiquing drafts of journal
articles and preparing them for tenure review. Professor Falk views mentoring as
a "privilege and an honor," an approach that speaks to his tradition of
commitment to students.
Dr. Linda Mabbs, School of Music, UMCP. A renowned
concert artist, Professor Mabbs brings inspiration and information to her
students from her decades of experience as soloist with orchestras and ensembles,
performing with celebrated conductors in prestigious concert halls. Her most ambitious mentoring project-The Art of Argento: A Celebration of Composer
Dominick Argento's Work-brought together elements of both the School of
Music's research emphasis as well as its performance emphasis. She has also diligently mentored junior
faculty, helping them prepare for concerts and assisting them in organizing
portfolios in a manner that clearly highlights their scholarly contributions.
Professor Byron Warnken, University of
Baltimore (UB) School of Law. Professor Warnken, a graduate of UB, has enjoyed
a long and distinguished career and has earned a reputation for opening doors
for his students. He is personally
acquainted with the majority of Maryland's federal and state trial and
appellate judges and for more than three decades has been assisting law
students with clerkships and internships with those judges. He estimates that
with his 36 years of teaching, 34 years of lecturing to bar candidates, and 24
years of providing continuing legal education seminars, he has taught more than
one-third of Maryland's 36,000 lawyers. He is scrupulously honest with
prospective employers about the strengths of individual students, keeping the
door open for future recommendations.
INNOVATIVE EXCELLENCE
Dr. Nagaraj Neerchal, Professor of Mathematics and
Statistics, UMBC. Throughout
his long and productive tenure, Dr. Neerchal has authored multiple books and
numerous journal articles. His leadership
has also pioneered many successful cost-saving initiatives for the department
and its students. He developed the Biostatistics track in the Statistics Ph.D. program
in collaboration with the School of Medicine at UMB. He is also responsible for
redesigning a hybrid statistics learning initiative resulting in blending
elements of on-line instruction with the advantages of face-to-face courses.
Dr. Neerchal's "QuizZero" initiative is yet another exciting and innovative
approach to evaluate student preparedness for key mathematic courses.
Collectively his initiatives have provided a tremendous annual cost-savings to
the department while simultaneously enhancing quality and increasing visibility.
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
