Sixteen Receive Regents' Faculty Awards
Sixteen Receive Regents' Faculty Awards
Adelphi, Md. (April 16, 2010) - The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents at its meeting today announced the 16 recipients of the 2010 USM Regents' Faculty Awards. The board met at University of Maryland University College.
The awards are the highest honor presented by the board to exemplary faculty members. Presented in five categories, the awards honor excellence in teaching; scholarship, research or creative activities; public service; mentoring; and collaboration. Each award carries a $1,000 prize provided by the institutions and the University System of Maryland Foundation.
Following are the 2010 Regents' Faculty Award recipients listed by category:
MENTORING
Arthur Popper, professor of biology and associate dean, University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP). In response to a study revealing that UMCP was losing junior faculty, especially women and minorities, he established a task force to address the problem. Out of this has come a series of workshops for junior faculty on grant writing, running a laboratory, and balancing work life with home life that has helped junior faculty better transition to tenured appointments.
Raymond Blakely, founder and chair of the physical therapy program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), established the original bachelor's in physical therapy at UMES and later moved the program to master's level. Under his leadership the program has experienced exceptional first-time licensure pass rates and all graduates have found employment within the field.
Margo Coleman, University of Maryland University College (UMUC) European Division. In addition to undergraduate and graduate psychology courses, she has provided mentoring to a highly mobile undergraduate and graduate military student base from diverse backgrounds. She established the European Division UMUC chapter of Psi Chi, an international honor society of psychology.
Matthias Gobbert, associate professor of mathematics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He has provided students of mathematics and statistics valuable career experience, most notably through the Center of Interdisciplinary Research and Consulting (CIRC). He has also been able to use student involvement to develop a marketing plan for CIRC clients off-campus, further expanding its value to students.
PUBLIC SERVICE
Joseph Arumala, professor, UMES. Through a partnership between UMES and the town of Princess Anne, Md., he spearheaded the conversion of an old clam factory into an outdoor athletic center of children of low income families. Dr. Arumala also helped organize Education Week on the Eastern Shore by conducting the first Engineering Expos in both Somerset and Wicomico counties and helped the city of Salisbury develop its environmental policy strategy.
Brenda Blom, professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) School of Law, is a tireless advocate for justice for the state's most vulnerable citizens. She has partnered with the Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office to develop a problem-solving court in Southern and Southwest Baltimore. Dr. Blom serves as director of the school's Clinical Law Program, which provides more than 110,000 hours of free legal services in a wide range of areas.
Michele Gilman, professor, University of Baltimore (UB) School of Law, has a long history of public service, championing the rights of individuals who would not normally have access to legal representation. Both as director of the UB Civil Advocacy Clinic and through personal work with the ACLU's Tenant and Foreclosure Workgroup, Professor Gilman's work has addressed landlord-tenant issues, housing discrimination, and domestic violence.
Brian Polkinghorn, professor, Salisbury University, is a leader and sought-after expert in conflict resolution. His "One Person Can Make A Difference" lecture series has attracted such leaders as President Lech Walesa of Poland, President F. W. de Klerk of South Africa, and Dr. Arun Gandhi.
TEACHING
Megan Bradley, professor of psychology at Frostburg State University, redesigned the general psychology course as part of the regents' Course Redesign Initiative. Her efforts generated both significantly improved student performance and substantial cost savings. The course is now a National Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT) "exemplar" project. Dr. Bradley serves as an NCAT Redesign Scholar.
Jill Caviglia-Harris, professor, Perdue School of Business at Salisbury University, has authored or co-authored 19 reference papers and 34 conference presentations in the field of environmental and natural resource economics. A co-principal investigator on three National Science Foundation grants, Dr. Caviglia-Harris received the 2004 Distinguished Faculty award at Salisbury for her innovative approach to classroom instruction.
Geoffrey Greif, professor, University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work, has been internationally recognized for his research on men, group work as a practice method, and children who have experienced kidnapping. Through direct classroom instruction, mentoring, and research, Dr. Greif has shaped the lives and careers of thousands of social workers who graduated UMB during his tenure.
Kevin Murphy, professor, UMUC Asian Division, has worked extensively to coordinate and expand the English and communications program at UMUC Asia. Dr. Murphy has developed custom courses to address specific needs for military units in Okinawa and has been instrumental in the development of "hybrid" formats, combining on-line and traditional teaching methods.
RESEARCH
Jack Fruchtman, professor, Towson University, has significantly advanced the understanding of the American Revolution. An internationally recognized scholar on Thomas Paine, Dr. Fruchtman is founder and director of the university's Law and American Civilization Program.
Douglas Hamilton, professor of astronomy at UMCP and explorer of the solar system, has published 21 scientific papers on various aspects of rings, satellites, and orbital dynamics in the past three years alone. His previous work has helped explain the tilt of Saturn and Neptune's capture of the moon Triton.
Cynthia Moss, professor of psychology, has developed and nurtured a research program at UMCP that integrates behavioral and neurobiological studies of perception, action and memory. Her discoveries with researchers from Maryland and around the world have altered our understanding of the brain.
David Secor, professor, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, has conducted pioneering work in the structure and chemistry of fish ear bone that has fundamentally changed the understanding of fish migration and life cycles. This research has made significant impacts on fishery resource management.
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu