The William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation is pleased to announce that 17 faculty members have been selected to participate in the Boosting Course Accessibility mini grant program. This initiative aims to enhance the digital accessibility of courses across USM institutions and help ensure that all students have equitable access to course materials.
The selected faculty will receive funding and support to redesign their courses with accessibility in mind, including implementing universal design principles that benefit all learners. Participants will work closely with Kirwan Center staff to identify and address barriers in their course materials, learning activities, and assessments.
Through this initiative, we expect to see immediate improvements in course accessibility while building long-term capacity for inclusive design across departments. The selected faculty span the System and represent diverse disciplines, resulting in accessibility course models across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; social sciences; humanities; business; education; and health professions.
The mini grant program aligns with USM’s commitment to creating inclusive learning environments where all students can succeed regardless of disability status. We look forward to sharing the outcomes and best practices developed through this program across the System and beyond.
Please join us in congratulating the faculty members who have been selected for this mini grant program:
Dr. Haitham Alkhateeb, Professor of Mathematics, Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences, University of Baltimore
Prof. Ellen Anderson, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Salisbury University
Dr. Katryna Andrusik, Assistant Clinical Professor, Counseling, Higher Education, Special Education, University of Maryland, College Park
Dr. Maria Joao Lobo Antunes, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Towson University
Dr. Amina Ayodeji-Ogundiran, Assistant Professor & Program Coordinator, Management, Marketing and Public Administration, Bowie State University
Dr. Thomas Cadenazzi, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator, Engineering and Sustainable Technologies, Frostburg State University
Dr. Sarah Gunning, Associate Professor & Director, M.S. Professional Writing, English, Towson University
Dr. Ahalya Hejmadi, Collegiate Professor, Social & Behavioral Sciences & Gerontology, University of Maryland Global Campus
Dr. Nicole Hollywood, Interim Director of Assessment and Professor of Management, Office of Accreditation and Assessment, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Dr. Yewon Lee, Associate Clinical Professor, Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, University of Maryland, College Park
Dr. Isabell May, Associate Professor, Health Sciences/Science Communication, University of Maryland, Baltimore
Dr. Laura Rose, Associate Teaching Professor and Psychology Program Director at UMBC Shady Grove, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Prof. Sherida Morrison Santiago, Instructor, Management and Marketing, College of Business, Coppin State University
Dr. Ellen Schaefer-Salins, Associate Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work, Salisbury University
Dr. Hany F. Sobhi, Professor of Organic Chemistry, Natural Sciences, Coppin State University
Dr. Wendy Whitner, Clinical Associate Professor & Allied Health Program Coordinator, Department of Health Sciences, Towson University
Dr. Ming Xie, Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency and Disaster Health Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
