Outstanding Faculty, Staff Honored by USM Board of Regents for 2026 Contributions
BALTIMORE (April 14, 2026) — Outstanding faculty and staff are in the spotlight at the University System of Maryland (USM) for their outstanding work for the good of Maryland at their respective public universities.
The 20 faculty members and 19 staff members are the latest recipients of the Board of Regents’ Faculty Awards and Staff Awards, which are the highest honors presented to exemplary faculty and staff across our 12 universities. The Regents’ Faculty Awards recognize excellence in mentoring, teaching, public service, scholarship or research, and creative activity. The Regents’ Staff Awards are presented to both exempt and non-exempt staff who have made exceptional contributions to their campus or the broader community.
“It’s an enormous privilege every year to recognize the USM faculty and staff whose excellence transforms our universities and our communities, and who put our students on a path toward their goals,” said USM Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden. “Of course, across our System, we have thousands of exceptional people — faculty and staff doing similarly important work and doing it incredibly well — but they’re the very ones who nominated their colleagues and said they embody our mission to educate, and discover, and serve; they represent the very best of who we are. And I can’t disagree.”
Working with the USM’s share governance councils, nominating committees identify candidates for these awards to Board of Regents committees that make final recommendations for the approval of the Board itself. Each award carries a $2,000 prize provided by the institutions and the University System of Maryland Foundation.
“Higher education is facing some significant challenges right now,” said USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman. “But what we’ve always been able to count on, no matter what, is that our people will keep doing the work that matters — work that moves us forward as a state and a nation, that changes the lives of our students and our neighbors, that helps us understand our world and how we might make it better. Every faculty and staff member we’re honoring this year shows what it means to be fully committed to your purpose, to your job, and to all those served by it. I’m deeply grateful.”
Chancellor Perman and Chair Gooden will recognize winners at a reception April 26. Due to a change in when awardees are recognized each year, two staff cohorts (2024–25 and 2025–26) are being honored with the 2025–26 faculty awardees.
2025–26 Regents’ Faculty Awards
Awards for Excellence in Mentoring
Dr. Seth Gitter is a professor in the Department of Economics and assistant director of undergraduate research and creative inquiry at Towson University. He has individually mentored nearly 30 students since 2017 (with 19 of them winning campus research awards), mentors faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park, and is highly regarded for nurturing connections between alumni and students to strengthen their professional development.
Dr. Heather Pfeifer is a professor and the executive director of the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Baltimore. She demonstrates unwavering dedication and commitment to student success. Collaborating with colleagues in the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Dr. Pfeifer worked to develop an inclusive environment at an annual doctoral student summit to support these students in their personal and professional development.
Dr. Michael Rabel is a professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Over his career, he has mentored more than 500 physical therapy students; several have returned to instruct in the UMES physical therapy program or have become faculty members elsewhere. His reach extends into the community, as Dr. Rabel has guided students conducting outreach to vulnerable communities, such as individuals experiencing homelessness.
Dr. Michael Summers is a distinguished professor and the Robert E. Meyerhoff Chair for Excellence in Research and Mentoring at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Summers leaves an impact on students beyond the laboratory, mentoring more than 450 students in his career and co-authoring more than 200 papers with undergraduates. He has directed the Meyerhoff Graduate Fellowship Program for students from underrepresented groups.
Awards for Excellence in Teaching
Dr. Tara Carpenter is a teaching professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Teaching more than 1,000 students annually in large, “gateway” courses, she encourages students to take ownership of their learning. Dr. Carpenter has pioneered evidence-based pedagogies such as Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning, resulting in improved performance, particularly for historically underrepresented students.
Dr. Mortimer Sellers is a Regents Professor of the University System of Maryland and director of the University of Baltimore Center for International and Comparative Law. For more than 35 years, Professor Sellers has been recognized as one of the law school’s most accomplished teachers, regularly receiving the highest student evaluations. Students describe him as “inspiring,” “engaging,” and “encouraging.” His classrooms foster ethical reflection, understanding, and active participation.
Dr. Eric Strauch is a professor of surgery and director of the General Surgery Clerkship at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Over nearly 30 years, he has demonstrated an enduring commitment to student learning and professional development. Students consistently describe him as “a wonderful teacher” who is “engaging, knowledgeable, and inspirational,” and who creates learning environments where they feel supported while being challenged to think critically.
Dr. Isabel Quintana Wulf is an associate professor of English at Salisbury University. Her teaching excellence reflects innovation, inclusive practice, and sustained impact. Dr. Quintana Wulf’s portfolio-based teaching model has yielded measurable gains in engagement, confidence, and critical thinking. Students praise her genuine care for their success, while peers highlight her ability to guide students quickly to deep conceptual understanding.
Awards for Excellence in Public Service
Sara Gold of the University of Maryland, Baltimore is a clinical law instructor and director of the Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) Clinic at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. With her students, she has represented hundreds of HIV-positive individuals in cases involving public benefits, medical decision-making, family, and housing. The MLP collaborates with UMB HIV Health Clinics to ensure health care and stability for legal clients.
Nienke Grossman is a law professor and co-director of the Center for International and Comparative Law at the University of Baltimore. She was the first female and first Latina from the United States elected to the Inter-American Juridical Committee of the Organization of American States (OAS), where she has since also been elected General Assembly vice chair. She was a special advisor to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Democratic Republic of Korea.
Dr. Jeff Kukucka is a professor at Towson University and an expert in forensic psychology and misclassified deaths who has provided extraordinary public service to the state of Maryland as a member of the Audit Committee for the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In this role, Dr. Kukucka worked with fellow experts to design and carry out a review of 87 restraint-related deaths in Maryland similar to that of George Floyd, leading to recommendations to improve investigations.
Dr. Carys Mitchelmore is a professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, where, as a biochemist and toxicology expert, she has promoted environmental health, distinguishing herself as a visible and trusted source on plastic pollution, pesticides, and oil spills. She has served as interim director of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) and created Wave of Plastic, a free online curriculum for Maryland K-12 students and USM undergraduates.
Awards for Excellence in Scholarship or Research
John Bessler is a professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law who has written or edited 12 books, many on capital punishment. Over the last three years, while fulfilling his teaching duties with distinction, he has published two prize-winning books, Private Prosecution in America: Its Origins, History, and Unconstitutionality and The Death Penalty’s Denial of Fundamental Human Rights: International Law, State Practice, and the Emerging Abolitionist Norm.
Dr. Curtis Menyuk is a computer science and electrical engineering professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and director of UMBC’s Center for Navigation, Timing, and Frequency Research (CeNTaVR), a hub of collaboration for students and faculty. Dr. Menyuk is an expert in optics and photonics whose research has addressed vulnerabilities in global positioning systems. He has collaborated with the National Institute of Science and Technology and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.
Dr. Maxwell Stearns of the University of Maryland, Baltimore is the Venable, Baetjer, and Howard Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. His scholarship focuses on integrating economic analysis into the study of constitutional law, lawmaking institutions, and democracy. In 2025, Professor Stearns’ book Parliamentary America: The Least Radical Means of Radically Repairing Our Broken Democracy won a silver Independent Publisher Book Award.
Dr. George Jay Unick of the University of Maryland, Baltimore is a faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. He seeks solutions to important societal questions revolving around addiction, substance abuse, mental health, and public health. Dr. Unick’s approach, combining rigorous science with community engagement, has demonstrated effectiveness and is highly respected in the public health community. He has also mentored and trained many students.
Awards for Excellence in Creative Activity
Amanda Burnham, a professor of art at Towson University, is a nationally celebrated visual artist and a deeply respected educator. Her career is distinguished by her vivid, immersive installations and intricate drawings that explore urban landscapes, memory, and the built environment. Dr. Burnham won the 2025 Janet and Walter Sondheim Art Prize, one of Mid-Atlantic's most prestigious honors for visual artists, and she is a four-time recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artist Award.
Andy Duncan is a professor of English at Frostburg State University. Mr. Duncan’s literary work — primarily in the genres of science fiction and fantasy — has earned top prizes in the field. He has received a Nebula Award, which annually recognizes the best works of science fiction and fantasy published in the United States. He is a three-time recipient of a World Fantasy Award, given each year for the best fantasy fiction, and maintains an online chronicle of legends and mysteries titled Weird Western Maryland.
Brian Kaufman is an associate professor of music at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. His work has focused on the importance of creativity and agency for expression and challenging traditional music teaching methods. His CREATE festival (2023), an alternative to adjudicated, large-ensemble festivals, supported K-12 music students and educators in creative composition. This first-of-its-kind event allowed students to bring what they knew and were comfortable with to the sessions.
Dr. Otis Thomas is a professor of communications, chair of the Department of Communications, and director of BSU-TV and WBSU Radio at Bowie State University. His work and contributions have university-wide implications for promotion, advertising and marketing. Dr. Thomas has successfully produced compelling content to educate the BSU community and the public about degree programs, career opportunities, and the value of Bowie State.
2024–25 Regents’ Staff Awards
Exempt Staff
Exceptional Contribution to the Institution and/or Unit: Dr. Anisha Campbell is the associate director of Terrapin Teachers at the University of Maryland, College Park. Terrapin Teachers aims to find and prepare K-12 STEM teachers in areas of shortage. Dr. Campbell has fostered relationships between school districts and departments and colleges at the university to ensure the program is successful. She has recruited more than 1,200 students to take an introductory teaching course and has graduated more than 100 certified secondary STEM teachers.
Outstanding Service to Students: Laura Schraven is the director of student affairs communications and marketing at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Through exceptional leadership and a commitment to innovation, she has improved how the university promotes events and campus life. Laura encourages students who work with her to develop their artistic potential, hone professional skills, and engage with the student body and alumni. She created Commonvision, the UMBC student design and print center.
Extraordinary Public Service for the University or Greater Community: Carla Hopkins is the director of alumni engagement and stewardship at Bowie State University. She has a more than 25-year record of uninterrupted service to various educational boards. The greatest impact to BSU has come from her work with the Baltimore City College alumni board and as the chair of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women board. Through Carla’s personal efforts, more than 25 students have applied, attended and/or graduated from Bowie State.
Effectiveness and Efficiency: Mary Beth Nibley is the director of development research and prospect management at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She has fostered an accommodating work environment for her staff that has contributed to a 70 percent increase in productivity. Mary’s strategic thinking and commitment to a positive work culture has given her team opportunities to adapt and thrive during challenging times, creating cost savings and building important philanthropic constituencies for UMB.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Lauren Meredith is an advisor for students in the College of Business and Economics (CBE) at Towson University. She has established a strong support system and implemented process improvements that have served as a model for other advisors. Lauren oversees CBE’s MentHER mentorship program and Mentoring to Advance Professional Development. Many students in these programs are first-generation college students and/or underrepresented minority students.
Non-Exempt Staff
Excellence in Performance: Andrew Rosenblum is a technology support specialist at Towson University and an indispensable member of the College of Liberal Arts community. Constantly on the move, tablet in hand, Andrew assists faculty, staff, and students with diligence and good humor. Also, as vice chair of the Towson University Staff Senate, he has leveraged his knowledge of university governance to clarify procedures and bridge communications gaps for administrative staff.
Making a Difference to the Campus: Conrad Wilson is an IT specialist at the University of Maryland, College Park who embraces his mission to keep Terps safe and secure. That’s because it is his job to manage thousands of campus security cameras, providing service, maintenance, and extensive training. When a crime is prevented — or a case is solved by the University of Maryland Police Department — Conrad’s commitment to working with UMPD and keeping the network running at all times is essential.
Outstanding Role Model: Michelle Lambert is an executive administrative assistant at Salisbury University. For more than a decade, she has spearheaded the development and shaping of the Perdue School of Business program known as Student Business Leaders, where students compete in a series of interviews. Michelle oversees recruitment and selection, chairs weekly meetings, identifies professional development opportunities, and mentors students as they prepare for the competition.
Excellence as a Team Player: Aricelda Munoz is the sous chef at Mulligan’s Grill and Pub at the University of Maryland, College Park. She sets a standard for excellence not only in the kitchen, but in every aspect of operations. Aricelda prepares delicious cuisine, coaches student waitstaff, and conducts trainings. She is known for a bright attitude and a commitment to teamwork, jumping in to assist at Good Times Catering, Training Table, Yahentamitsi Dining Hall, and even food trucks during football games.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Natasha (Tasha) Sweitzer is an evening circulation supervisor at the Albert S. Cook Library at Towson University. Her commitment to inclusive practices is evident in her work with the library’s award-winning Anti-Racism Action Plan and her stewardship of its Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee. Tasha co-led the development of the library’s Indigenous Research Guide and organized its first organizational equity audit.
2025–26 Regents’ Staff Awards
Exempt Staff
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging: Nicole Palmore is the executive director of employee and organizational success at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She established the Office of Employee and Organizational Success, which cultivates spaces where employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, and supports eight employee-initiated groups providing resources for marginalized employee groups. Nicole also created the WISER Together Inclusion Program to strengthen shared cultures.
Exceptional Contribution to the University and/or Unit: William J. Cooper of the University of Maryland, Baltimore is the chief operating officer and senior associate dean for administration and finance at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. A leader in budget and finance, human resources, facilities, and information technology, William has played a lead role in planning more than $700 million in USM facilities, including the Pharmacy Hall Addition, Pharmacy Learning Center, and Health Science Facilities II and III.
Effectiveness and Efficiency: Michael Franklin is a senior technical operations manager for Event and Conference Services at Towson University and an expert at improving systems, processes, and outcomes. He rebuilt student and part-time staff infrastructure after the pandemic, boosting training and cutting onboarding time. A repair and training position he created has facilitated more than 100 in-house repairs and saved thousands of dollars. He also guided major upgrades to sports video production capabilities.
Outstanding Service to Students: Tammie King-Kelly is director of student success programs for the Division of Student Affairs at Towson University. She successfully grew the longstanding SAGE (Students Achieve Goals through Education) peer mentoring program to more than 80 mentors and more than 400 mentees. Tammie also boosts historically excluded students by supporting the growth of the groups Gen One (first-generation students), Man 2 Man (male students of color), and H.E.R. (female students of color).
Extraordinary Public Service for the University or Greater Community: Jabari S. Walker is the coordinator of sustainability and energy for Facilities Management at Bowie State University. Jabari’s work helped lead to the construction of the world’s first solar-operated bus structure in 2019, the restoration of Peace Park, and the securing of $22 million for the Resilient Microgrid Project. The Climate Career Fair he created has grown into the Central Maryland HBCU Climate Career Expo, linking hundreds of students and alumni.
Non-Exempt Staff
Excellence as a Team Player: Cyndi Funkhouser is an executive administrative assistant in the Office of the Dean at the Salisbury University Fulton School of Liberal Arts. Cyndi does critical work to galvanize and support the largest academic division at SU. Her leadership during technological transitions has resulted in more efficient processes and better communication. Her leadership is also visible through events such as the Welcome Back gathering, the Fall for Fulton festival, and the Fulton Spring Arts Festival.
Excellence in Performance: Nancy Talbott Holton is an academic program specialist supporting the University Writing Center at Salisbury University. Nancy is vital to the operations of an office that serves a quarter of all SU students, managing nearly 40 schedules for staff and handling all campus requests for workshops, requests, and classroom visits. She was instrumental in launching the center’s First Year Seminar workshop and manages the dataset for its largest-ever assessment project.
Making a Difference to the Campus: Donnell VanSkiver is an executive administrative assistant in the Frostburg State University Office of the President. She created ADAPT (Administrative Development and Professional Training) to address a lack of structured professional development for administrative support staff. Donnell then expanded the impact of this program beyond FSU’s campus by launching the annual ADAPT Community Conference Series for administrative professionals throughout Western Maryland.
Outstanding Role Model: Sheryl Gray is a business services specialist for Animal and Avian Sciences in the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences at the University of Maryland, College Park. She demonstrates exemplary professionalism, integrity, and commitment to service. Sheryl’s extensive portfolio includes payroll, benefits, employment coordination, and visa processing, and beyond her core duties, she is known as a trusted resource and mentor for her department and the broader university community.
The University System of Maryland (USM) is the state’s public higher education system: 12 universities and three regional higher education centers working together for the good of Maryland. Our universities enroll 175,000 students and award 45,000 degrees each year — delivering accessible, affordable, excellent education to diverse learners at every stage of life and supporting thriving careers and a skilled workforce. With more than $1.8 billion in research expenditures, our universities make discoveries that drive innovation, spur economic growth, and improve life in Maryland and worldwide. For more information, visit usmd.edu.
Contact: Beau Boughamer
Phone: 410.576.5732
Email: bboughamer@usmd.edu
