Letter from the President
Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The spring semester is well underway and USM colleagues are hard at work at our campuses, as you will read in this edition of LeaderNotes. 
Dr. Juliette Bell


In mid-February, UMES President Juliette Bell announced that she will resign on June 30. In a letter to the UMES community, Dr. Bell said that she wishes to spend more quality time with her family and rekindle her passions. Dr. Bell is the 15th president of UMES and has held the position since July 2012. During her presidency, UMES was given its highest ranking among the Top 20 HBCUs by U.S. News & World Report. UMES also established a doctor of pharmacy program which has produced almost 200 graduates and is one of the top ten producers of African-American pharmacists. Furthermore, the university's four-year graduation rate is the highest it has been in 14 years. We thank Dr. Bell for her dedication to UMES over the past six years and we wish her luck in her future endeavors. 
Sam Gallo

The USM Foundation's Chief Investment Officer, Sam Gallo, has been named a Top 30 Endowment Chief Investment Officer for 2018 by Trusted Insight. The list recognizes chief investment officers who have achieved real returns to support advancement at institutions - a notable challenge for endowments. According to Trusted Insight, the investment officers on their list have proved to be "thought leaders in the ever-evolving space in institutional investing." Congratulations, Sam! 

The BSU Madrigal Singers
On February 13, the USM Foundation Board of Directors met at Bowie State University . The board was welcomed to BSU by President Aminta Breaux and the Bowie State University Madrigal Singers. Among the singers was student Darius Cortez, who spoke to the board about the importance of a scholarship he received that allowed him to pursue his passion in the performing arts. Next, Chancellor Robert Caret delivered a report that emphasized the System's role in advocating for state legislation that keeps public higher education accessible, affordable, and high-quality. Larry Boggs , Investment Committee Chair, gave a positive Investment Committee report and predicts that despite many national changes such as the 2018 tax reform bill, the investment report for the Foundation will remain positive. The meeting concluded with board members participating in a SWOT analysis which assessed the Foundation's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. We received great feedback and ideas that we will consider as we draft our next Strategic Plan. 

On March 8, members of the board will travel to Annapolis for Advocacy Day, where they will engage with key influencers in higher education. Board members who wish to attend may contact Eric McLaughlin for more information. 

As always, please contact me at raley@usmd.edu or 301-445-1941 with any questions or comments. 

Sincerely,

Leonard R. Raley
In This Issue:
Board MemBoardMemberNewsber News
Viju Joseph

Viju Joseph joined Pefin as President and Chief Investment Officer in late January. Based in New York City,  Pefin stands for PErsonal Financial INtelligence and uses artifical intelligence to provide fiduciary financial advice at a fraction of the cost of a traditional financial
Bill Wood
advisor. It is the world's first AI financial advisor. Viju will lead business strategy, and scale and expand Pefin's product offering. Read more here.

Bill T. Wood was appointed to the University System of Maryland Board of Regents by Governor Larry Hogan as part of the Governor's "Green Bag" appointments. The nominations reflect the state's commitment to ensuring that Maryland's public higher education system  continues to empower the state. Read more here.

In January, Alan Cason was appointed to McGuireWoods'
Alan Cason
eight-member Executive Committee. Alan is a Partner at McGuireWoods and previously served as the chair of the firm's public finance practice. Read more here.
USM NewUSMNewsBriefss Briefs

University of Maryland University College was named number one in the  Military Times: Best Colleges 2018 list. The list ranks
the best online and non-traditional universities for military personnel and veterans. This is the second time in four years that UMUC has made the list. Nearly half of UMUC's students are veterans or active-duty service members. The university has developed specific programs for these students, which Military Times praised. According to UMUC President Miyares, the university has a long history of serving the higher education needs of the military. UMUC is celebrating its 70th anniversary and was founded primarily to serve veterans returning from World War II.   Read more here.

Frostburg State University was accepted to form a chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, America's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. To become a member of the honor society, juniors must be in the top seven and a half percent of their class and seniors must be in the top ten percent. Outstanding faculty, staff, and alumni may also be invited to join. FSU will initiate its first members in the spring of 2018. Read more here.

University of Maryland, Baltimore and University of Maryland, College Park have unveiled a new innovation space called the GRID. GRID stands for Graduate Research Innovation District and was designed to support new ventures through education, early-stage fundraising, and programming. The space will be home to a new degree program in health and social innovation and educational workshops. GRID was launched in 2012 by the Board of Regents and the Governor of Maryland and is the next step in the UM Ventures partnership between the two schools. Read more here.
UMCP President Loh, Chancellor Caret, and UMB President Perman at the GRID unveiling 
Towson University has begun construction on its new Science Complex, which is expected to be completed by the fall of 2020. The 320,000-square-foot complex will house the Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics and more than 50 teaching laboratories, 30 research laboratories, and 50 classrooms. Read more here.
A rendering of TU's Science Complex

In January, Coppin State University announced that its Center for Nanotechnology is a member of the Nanotechnology Professional Development Partnership Project, hosted by Penn State's Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization and sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The project brings universities across the country together to advance knowledge and the use of nanotechnology. Read more here.

The University of Maryland, College Park will receive a new 60,000-square-foot engineering facility on campus called the IDEA (Innovate, Design, and Engineer for America) Factory. The building will have workspaces, prototyping facilities, engineering design and instructional studios, a mobile applications lab and other features. $25 million of the $50 million cost will be paid by the $219 million donation from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation. Read more here. 

In November, the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown announced that the new health sciences center will be named after Agnita M. Stine Schreiber, the mother of Lee Stine, who made a leadership gift of $250,000 from his foundation to the project. The center will reside on the third floor of the Walnut Street Clinic building. Read more here.

USM Hagerstown's reception honoring donors to their campaign

The Universities at Shady Grove launched an integrated marketing campaign called "The Power of 9." The campaign's name plays on the idea that USG students have access to nearly 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs from nine universities in Maryland. The campaign will share stories of student success and examples of local businesses and their collaborations with USG. Read more here. 

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County's new $85 million Event Center opened in February. The Center houses the university's men's and women's  basketball  and volleyball teams and serves as a facility for concerts, guest speakers, and cultural events. For the first time in two decades, UMBC's spring commencement will return to campus after being held at Baltimore's Royal Farms Arena due to space constrictions at the school's Retriever Activity Center. The Center held its first event on February 3, a men's basketball game against Vermont. Read more here.

Salisbury University opened their new baseball stadium in February which completed a $40 million series of improvements to the university's athletics complex. SU President Dudley-Eshbach threw a ceremonial first pitch to celebrate the new $3.8 million facility. Read more here.

Salisbury University's new baseball stadium
 Presidents Miyares and Loh HonoreMiayresd by MDHCC

UMUC President Javier Miyares was named "Outstanding Educator of the Year" by the Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MDHCC) in January. The MDHCC promotes the establishment, growth, prosperity, and retention of Hispanic businesses and the entities and people that support them in the state of Maryland. President Loh was also named as a finalist for the award. President Miyares was honored at the MDHCC's annual Business Award Holiday Gala at the Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore. Congratulations to President Miyares and President Loh!

President Miyares (left)
President Loh



UMBC President HraboHrabwoskiwski Receives Lifetime Achievement Award 


President Freeman Hrabowski was awarded a lifetime achievement award from The American Council on Education, recognizing his accomplishments as a campus leader at UMBC. The prestigious award is not given out each year. According to Council President Ted Mitchell, President Hrabowski was recognized because he has made an "indelible mark on his institution and the entire higher education community." 

Under his leadership, President Hrabowski has transformed UMBC from a small regional college to a university that is known for its innovation in STEM education and diversity in STEM education. This award is one of many President Hrabowski has received, having also been named one of "America's Best Leaders" by U.S. News and World Report and one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People: 2012" by Time. 
 Salisbury University Creates New College of Health and Human Services SUHealth

In February, Salisbury University announced the creation of the College of Health and Human Services. The new college will house the School of Health Sciences, the School of Nursing, and the School of Social Work which will make it the largest academic unit on campus with close to 2,200 students. SU hopes that the new college will allow for cross-discipline collaboration and connect programs and students that have similar clinical and certification requirements and goals. This new structure is similar to the structures many universities across the country have implemented. Furthermore, this structure will help SU support the growing workforce demand within the state and the country. This is the second college established by the university. In 2016, the SU established the Honors College. 

UME UMESandSU S and SU Partner for Joint Pharmacy Doctorate

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Salisbury University are partnering to create a six-year, joint pharmacy doctorate. According to Salisbury's website, the program will streamline instruction by as many as two years, ultimately saving students the comparable cost of extra tuition. The program is being labeled as a "cooperative undergraduate/professional program."
Chemistry majors at SU may gain preferential admission to UMES's professional degree program after three years of undergraduate study at SU. The pharmacy program at UMES, which is one of 15 in the country that offers year-round instruction, allows students to earn their doctorate of pharmacy in three years rather than four. SU students who follow this six-year track will earn one degree from each institution. This is not the first partnership between SU and UMES. The two schools also have dual degree options in sociology and social work, environmental science and biology, and physics and engineering.
Bowie State BSU University Partners with Local Community Colleges
President Aminta Breaux (center)

Bowie State University has signed an
agreement that will allow students pursuing associate degrees at Prince George's Community College and Howard Community College to take courses in BSU's accredited program at the Laurel College Center, which can lead to a bachelor's degree in business administration. BSU will begin offering courses at the Laurel College Center in the fall of 2018. BSU will be the only university allowed to offer four-year degree programs in business administration at the Laurel College Center. Students enrolled in the BSU program will have access to academic and research facilities, educational resources and social events at the university. UMCP, UMUC, and the UMB School of Nursing also have partnerships with the Laurel College Center. According to BSU President Aminta Breaux, this partnership will allow more people to have access to high-quality higher education. 
StaffMemberNewsStaff Member News

The USM Foundation welcomed three new staff members: Sharcus Steen, Richard Snider, and Abby Rufai. Richard is serving as Systems Analyst and Abby is serving as Staff Accountant and Payroll Processor in the Adelphi office. Sharcus is Director of Public Market Investments in the Dupont office in Washington, DC.

The Foundation is also saying goodbye to Raechel Winder, Research Assistant and Office Clerk for Advancement Research. Raechel joined the team in August of 2012 and provided accurate and reliable information updates in the Advance database system, among other responsibilities. Raechel will be missed and we wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.
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Editor: Micaela Cameron | mcameron@usmd.edu