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USM Board of Regents Announces Winners of Annual Staff Awards

Recipients to be Acknowledged During Sept. 16 Regents Meeting, Scheduled for UM College Park

Baltimore, Md. (Aug. 1, 2022)—The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents is honoring seven members of its staff at institutions across the system as recipients of the 2022 USM Regents’ Staff Awards.

The awards are the highest honor presented by the board to exemplary staff members. The awards honor excellence in the following categories: Contribution to the Institution; Outstanding Service to Students in an Academic or Residential Environment; Extraordinary Public Service to the University or to the Greater Community; Effectiveness and Efficiency; and Inclusion, Multiculturalism, & Social Justice.

Institutional staff nominating committees make recommendations to the institutional presidents, who review nominations and supporting material and forward recommendations to USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman. The Regents Staff Review Committee makes the final recommendations.

Each award carries a $2,000 prize provided by the institutions and the University System of Maryland Foundation. Chancellor Perman and Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden will offer notice of the awards at the meeting of the full board on Sept. 16. The meeting is the board’s first regularly scheduled meeting of the 2022-23 academic year and will be held on site at the University of Maryland, College Park.

“I’m constantly struck by the dedication of our USM staff. Their work isn’t always public; it doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves,” said Chancellor Perman. “And that’s a shame. Because it’s our staff—working in thousands of departments, and units, and offices across the System—who enable the life-changing education, scholarship, and service we undertake every day. And when we bring these amazing winners together in September, I look forward to sharing my gratitude.”

EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE INSTITUTION
Exempt Staff
Felicity Knox, Library Associate with the Albert S. Cook Library at Towson University (TU)
For more than a decade, Ms. Knox has worked to develop and promote one of Towson University’s most distinctive resources, its Special Collections and University Archives. In fact, Felicity’s commitment to expanding access to the university’s collective history and memory—both as a research resource and a community touchstone—has earned her the nickname of “unofficial university historian.” She was co-author of TU’s 150th anniversary commemorative book and has written about the history of facilities, women’s athletics, and accessibility on campus. Ms. Knox provides outstanding archival research support, a commitment to incorporating diversity into Towson University’s collections, and a passion for sharing the university’s story.
Non-Exempt Staff
Donna Carey, Executive Administrative Assistant, Office of the Dean at Salisbury University’s (SU) Fulton School of Liberal Arts
Donna Carey collaborated with colleagues to create and support a MyClass site to assist with the on-boarding of administrative support staff. She holds professional development meetings with all Fulton administrative staff. Beyond her service to the Fulton School, she also served as a member of the university staff senate, representing non-exempt employees for six years (2015- 2021), chairing the Human Resources Standing Committee from 2017-2019. In this capacity, Ms. Carey led the charge for non-exempt employees—who are not covered by collective bargaining—to be included in the equity adjustment pool.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO STUDENTS IN AN ACADEMIC OR RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT
Exempt Staff
Maureen Schrimpe, Quality Coordinator, Nutritionist & Certified Allergen Trainer in Dining Services at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP)
Ms. Schrimpe, known to the campus community as Sister Maureen, has spent nearly 30 years delivering high-quality and safe meals to students, faculty and staff at UMCP. She has been not just a dedicated and valued manager in University of Maryland Dining Services but also a source of experience and expertise. She is a teacher and mentor, leading the university’s nutrition teams. She is an advocate, giving nutritional guidance to new students. In the words of UMCP President Darryll Pines, “Sister Maureen works to be an example for everyone at Dining Services.”

EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC SERVICE TO THE UNIVERSITY OR TO THE GREATER COMMUNITY
Exempt Staff
Tanya Jones, Executive Assistant & Operations Manager in the Office of the President, Bowie State University (BSU)
Ms. Jones has established herself as a highly valued member of BSU’s campus community. Her professionalism, commitment to high standards, and demonstrated excellence have led to increasingly greater responsibilities and leadership roles. She has served in leadership positions across campus, including chair of the Administration & Finance Strategic Planning Group, vice chair of the BSU Staff Council, chair of the BSU Women’s Forum, and chair of the USM Women’s Forum. Ms. Jones is known for bringing together numerous groups—staff, faculty, students, alumni, and friends of the university—to inspire and strengthen Bowie State University and the USM, especially in efforts supporting women across the system.

EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY
Exempt Staff
Jackie Gabrielian, Academic Advisor Coordinator with the Academic Renewal Program at Towson University.
Towson University initiated the Academic Renewal Program (ARP) as a pilot program to allow suspended students to remain enrolled, provided they met certain requirements. Ms. Gabrielian had a significant role in launching that program and developing its requirements, which included meetings with academic advisors, online learning modules, and academic coaching. The program was so successful that in 2013, ARP became a permanent option for students to take Towson University classes in lieu of suspension. This is a true win-win solution. Students receive the encouragement and support they need to continue their academic career. Meanwhile, the university has preserved tens-of-millions of dollars in tuition revenue that would have been lost if those students had not returned to TU.
Non-Exempt Staff
Haley Cristea, Instructional Designer in the Office of Instructional Design & Delivery at Salisbury University
In her position, Ms. Cristea emphasizes making Instructional Design & Delivery systems flexible, responsive, and cost-effective. When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, and SU pivoted to the virtual realm, that emphasis became more pronounced. Faculty and staff needed to reach students and maintain a quality learning experience, using technologies and platforms that had not been factored into pre-pandemic budgets. In several key areas—using preexisting, SU-licensed virtual platforms, and software solutions—Ms. Cristea worked with faculty and staff to seamlessly transition their face-to-face programming to “COVID-proof” virtual or hybrid iterations. It is estimated that her effort saved over $100,000 while increasing access and participation via virtual and hybrid options.

INCLUSION, MULTICULTURALISM, & SOCIAL JUSTICE
Exempt Staff
Kathryn Atchison, Associate Director of the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion & Diversity in Computing in the Department of Computer Science at University of Maryland, College Park
Ms. Atchison has worked to build a center that is committed to championing diversity, equity, inclusion, and success. She created a survey of first-year students to identify gaps in support while addressing recruitment and retention issues. She also expanded tutoring and mentoring programs. Ms. Atchison regularly engages with faculty and student groups on how to make the computing fields more diverse and welcoming. Today the Iribe Center is a leader in the recruitment and retention of computing students from underrepresented populations. It attracts financial support from private donors, corporate partners, and public grants, while standing as a model for peer institutions nationwide.

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The USM comprises 12 institutions: Bowie State University; Coppin State University; Frostburg State University; Salisbury University; Towson University; the University of Baltimore; the University of Maryland, Baltimore; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; the University of Maryland, College Park; the University of Maryland Eastern Shore; and the University of Maryland Global Campus. The USM also includes three regional centers—the Universities at Shady Grove, the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, and the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland—at which USM universities offer upper-division undergraduate and graduate courses.

Systemwide, student enrollment was 164,851 in fall 2021. The USM and its institutions compete successfully nearly $1.5 billion in external grants and contracts annually. USM institutions and programs are among the nation's best in quality and value according to several national rankings. To learn more about the University System of Maryland, visit www.usmd.edu


 

Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu

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