2017-18 Wilson H. Elkins Professorships to Support Diversity in Marine Sciences, Vision Research, Education, and Open Educational Resources
Adelphi, Md. (Aug. 18, 2017)
-- The 2017-18 University System of Maryland (USM) Wilson H. Elkins
Professorships have been awarded to faculty members at three USM institutions,
in disciplines spanning marine sciences, ophthalmological research, and education.
The Elkins Professorships support professors
and researchers who demonstrate exemplary ability to inspire students and whose
professional work and scholarly endeavors make a positive impact at their
institutions, across the USM, and beyond.
Candidates for the Elkins Professorship must
possess a solid record of achievement in their academic or professional disciplines;
demonstrate a desire and ability to lead and inspire undergraduate and graduate
students; show significant achievement beyond their traditional disciplines;
and demonstrate ability and intent to pursue scholarly or professional
endeavors beyond USM.
This year's award winners are, by
institution/professor:
Coppin State University-to
support the work of Kavita Hegde, associate
professor in the Department of Natural Sciences. Hegde's work involves
ophthalmological research, creating community awareness about common causes of
vision impairment and blindness. Ongoing research is also being conducted to
prevent and treat related diseases. (Award Amount: $50,000)
Coppin State University-Elkins Academic Transformation
Professorship to support the work
of Associate Professor Katherine Cameron, who will continue working with the
USM Office and institutional partners to scale the Maryland Open Source
Textbooks initiative. Her work is part of the 2017 Textbook Costs Savings Act
(passed by the Maryland General Assembly), and it will serve specifically to
develop a more rigorous evaluation of learning outcomes associated with Open
Educational Resources (OER). (Award Amount: $40,000 for Associate Professor Cameron
and OER mini-grants.)
University
of Maryland Center for Environmental Science-to support the work of Professor Rose Jagus. She has been
awarded the Elkins Professorship for her contributions to increasing the
diversity of scientists working in the marine sciences. Jagus is the Project
Director of the Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) at the
summer undergraduate internship program at the Institute of Marine and Environmental
Technology. The LMRCSC is a minority training program operating in
collaboration with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). The Elkins
Professorship will allow Jagus to continue and enhance minority undergraduate
training within the LMRCSC. (Award Amount: $60,000)
Towson University-to support the work of Katherine Holman, associate professor in the Department of Special
Education, who will develop a Towson University Immersion Training Classroom
and Family Support Program (in partnership with the Baltimore County Infants
and Toddlers Program) that will serve infants and toddlers with disabilities
and function as a training program for TU students in the College of Education.
(Award Amount: $40,000)
The Wilson H. Elkins Professorship honors the
late Wilson H. Elkins, who led the University of Maryland flagship campus to
new levels of distinction as its president from 1954 to 1978. The Wilson H.
Elkins Endowment Fund supports the professorship awards in combination with
institutional and system resources. This endowment and others like it further
USM's mission of teaching, research, and public service. For more information,
visit the Wilson
H. Elkins Professorship web page.
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
