Dear Friends and Colleagues,

	Chancellor Caret and President Perman

It has been a very busy month for the USM. In early November, the USM announced that UMB President Jay Perman will be the next chancellor of the System, succeeding Chancellor Caret. Dr. Perman has been president at UMB since 2010. Among his many accomplishments, he helped establish the Community Engagement Center to serve the university's West Baltimore neighbors; expanded the reach of the UMB BioPark; and led the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State, along with President Wallace Loh. Prior to becoming president, Dr. Perman chaired the Department of Pediatrics at UMB from 1999-2004 and served as dean and vice president for clinical affairs at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine from 2004-2010. Having worked alongside Dr. Perman for many years, I cannot overstate that Jay is the right person to lead the USM. I look forward to the Foundation's strong partnership with him. 

	L-R: Bonnie Stein, Governor Larry Hogan, Brian Nelson, Leonard Raley

On November 13, I attended Governor Larry Hogan's Maryland Open for Business reception along with Board Chair Bonnie Stein and Board member Brian Nelson. Maryland Open for Business is a marketing campaign that promotes the state as a great place to work and do business, highlights major industries across Maryland, and aims to create more jobs for residents. At the reception, we met with Governor Larry Hogan (see photo on the right).

As you may know, the Foundation's strategic plan calls for fostering a culture of philanthropy across the USM. As part of that effort, we hosted a Volunteer Leadership Summit at The Hotel at the University of Maryland on November 5 and 6 for alumni board volunteers and leadership in alumni and advancement staff. On November 5, we met for dinner and listened to a panel discussion with young alumni Ashley Daniels (FSU), Andy Hartstein (SU), and Jeff Williams (UMCP Alumni Association). The group discussed how to best reach alumni after graduation, what entices people to volunteer, and what volunteers look for when working with alumni staff. 

L-R: Leonard Raley, Andy Hartstein, Ashley Daniels, Jeff Williams

The following day, the group heard from Bill McGoldrick of Washburn and McGoldrick on "Transformational Volunteer Leadership," and John Tannous of EAB (formerly the  Education Advisory Board) on the "State of Higher Education Philanthropy and Engagement." The day concluded with four breakout sessions, hosted by staff members from across the USM. I extend my thanks to all of those who attended and presented and made this summit so memorable and informative. 

L-R: Gordon Sampson, Tara Turner, Deborah Powell-Hayman, Louis Perkins

Lastly, on Thursday, November 14, the Foundation Board met at the SMC Campus Center at UMB. The group welcomed five new Board members, heard a presentation on conflict of interest, and more. Click here to read a summary of the meeting.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday  and as always, please contact me at [email protected] or 301-445-1941 with any questions or comments. 

Sincerely,

Leonard R. Raley

The full Board met at UMB's SMC Campus Center. The meeting kicked off with Board Chair Bonnie Stein introducing UMB President and the System's next chancellor, Dr. Jay Perman, who told the Board about several initiatives at UMB, such as the new location of the Community Engagement Center, which you can read about later in this newsletter, and the work the School of Medicine is doing in Africa to treat and reduce the HIV epidemic. 

Governance Committee Chair Harry Johnson called for the election of the Board's new members, Christine R. Chandler, Frank F. Islam, Sang W. Oh, Jose Antonio Tijerino, and David M. Vahos. You can read more about these new members below. Harry concluded his report by announcing that two members of the Board have moved to Honorary Director status: H. Christopher Goodrich and C. Emmerson Small. 

Cindy Lewin, Partner at Venable LLP delivered a thought-provoking and interactive presentation on conflict of interest. She explained the differences between financial and non financial conflicts of interest, provided examples of both, and emphasized the importance of disclosure when one is unsure if there is a conflict of interest present. 

Finally, Investment Committee Chair Larry Boggs delivered a positive investment report. Despite predictions made last year about this year's economy, the markets are positive, as are the Foundation's returns. The Foundation's investment team continues to work hard to gain return without taking a lot of risk.

Board members received copies of the FY 19 Foundation Annual Report, which is available to view. 

The Foundation has added five new members to its Board of Directors.

	Christine Chandler

Christine R. Chandler is a graduate of Towson University and serves as senior vice president at M&T Realty Capital Corporation, where she has worked since 1991. She has extensive experience in commercial real estate and is involved in committees and groups related to the mortgage banking industry and mortgage advisory.

Sang Oh

Frank F. Islam is chairman and CEO of FI Investment Group, LLC. In 2007, Islam and his wife Debbie established the Frank Islam & Debbie Driesman Charitable Foundation. Additionally, Islam is the founding chairman of Potomac Charities and is involved in a number of civic and philanthropic activities and serves on boards and councils that support the arts, higher education, and civic life.

	Frank Islam

Sang W. Oh is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Baltimore School of Law and is managing partner at Talkin & Oh, LLP. He is well-versed in land use and zoning, as well as matters of real estate and land development regulatory process. Oh has served on a number of nonprofit boards and is a fellow of the Maryland and Howard County Bar Foundations.

Jose Antonio Tijerino

Jose Antonio Tijerino is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park and president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. He also serves as executive producer of the Hispanic Heritage Awards at the Kennedy Center. Tijerino has served on a number of boards and committees, including the University of Maryland's Smith School of Businesses' Board.

D avid M. Vahos is senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer at BGE, where he has overseen general and regulatory accounting, financial planning, and capital budgeting. He also serves as vice president of the Towson University Foundation Board of Directors and is a founding member of the Baltimore chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America.

	Mayor Elect Tim Adams

Honorary Board member Tim Adams was recently elected mayor of Bowie. Tim will be the city's first new mayor in 20 years, replacing G. Frederick Robinson who is retiring.  Read more here.

Harry S. Johnson was named to The Daily Record's 2019 Icon Honors, celebrating leaders over the age of 60 for notable success and demonstration of strong leadership in and out of their chosen field. Harry is joined on the list by former Chancellor Britt Kirwan.  Read more here.

	Alicia Ritchie

Alicia Ritchie was named to The Daily Record's 2019 Top 100 Women earlier this year. The award recognizes women with outstanding professional accomplishments, community leadership, and mentoring. Alicia is joined on the list by Towson University President Kim Schatzel. Read more here.

New Board member David Vahos was awarded a Best in Finance award by the Baltimore Business Journal, which honors Baltimore area CFOs and top financial managers who demonstrated financial growth of their companies, success overcoming challenges, positive leadership and more.  Read more here.

This summer, Alicia Wilson was appointed vice president for economic development for Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System. She leads the newly created Office of Economic Development where she is working to drive Johns Hopkins' strategy and initiatives around Baltimore. Read more here. 

Gifts and Grants Across the System

UMCP's A. James Clark School of Engineering received a three-year, $3 million gift from Lockheed Martin that will fund aerospace research and increase opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields. This gift is the largest of the year by Lockheed Martin to an institution. UMCP and Lockheed Martin have participated in a strategic partnership for more than seven decades. 

Towson University's Kaplan Fund's trustees signed a five-year pledge for $350,000 which renewed its commitment to Towson's College of Fine Arts and Communication. According to Towson, the pledge will bring the total trust donations to more than $1 million by 2025. Gifts from the donor trust supported 30 students traveling to 17 different cities for workshops, dance intensives, conferences and more in the 2018-2019 academic year.

The Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at UMB's School of Medicine was awarded a contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with funding up to $200 million over seven years to conduct testing of improved influenza vaccines. The Center's ultimate goal is to develop a universal vaccine to protect against emerging flu strains and to improve current seasonal vaccines. 

Frostburg State University  was awarded $4.1 million over five years from the US Department of Education. The grant supports FSU's Maryland Accelerates program, a partnership to increase the number of certified teachers in the state's schools, especially in areas such as math, science, and computer science. 

Bowie State University was awarded a five-year, $7.23 million grant from the US Department of Education to develop an 18-month Master of Teacher Leadership degree program. The new program will enroll 100 novice educators who will serve local students in Prince George's County, Dorchester County, and Washington DC. 

UMCES and Maryland Sea Grant College were awarded a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to empower students to pursue marine and environmental sciences. The grant is part of a $10 million, eight-institution SEAS Islands Alliance that aims to engage underrepresented minority students from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam by showing the way to a career pathway, from middle school to job placement. 

USM News Briefs

	BSU President Aminta Breaux and BCCC President Debra McCurdy

In late August, UMCP announced that it will open The Discovery Center in Crystal City, Virginia in order to foster innovation and collaboration among students and faculty, Crystal City residents, employees, and alumni in the northern Virginia area. The Discovery Center will take advantage of the proximity of UMCP's campus in College Park to the new Amazon HQ2. Next fall, the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, A. James Clark School of Engineering, College of Information Studies, and Robert H. Smith School of Business will host symposia and lectures in the center, and the location will function as an event space.

Dr. Heidi Anderson's Inauguration

Bowie State University and Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) recently signed a comprehensive partnership that will help BCCC students seamlessly transfer to Bowie to earn a degree and receive specialized scholarships. Students at BCCC will be eligible to transfer into 12 academic programs at Bowie to complete their bachelor's degrees in subjects such as education, nursing, psychology, business administration, and computer technology. 

On September 13, Dr. Heidi Anderson was inaugurated as the sixteenth president of UMES. Dr. Anderson assumed the presidency at UMES on September 1, 2018 after coming to the USM from Texas A&M University-Kingsville where she served as chief academic policymaker from 2015 to 2017. 

In Memoriam: Katrina Dennis

In late August, Board of Regents member Katrina Dennis passed away. Dennis was a member of the Board of Regents since August 2017 and served as a partner at Saul Ewing LLP, where she was a top lawyer and a respected member of the Baltimore community. Dennis was also a University System of Maryland alumna, having graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2004. In 2017, she was honored by being named a Distinguished Woman by the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland and in 2013, was named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine. Please click here to support UB's Katrina Dennis Memorial Scholarship.

USG Celebrates Opening of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Facility 

The Universities at Shady Grove celebrated the opening of a $175 million Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Building in early November. The state-of-the-art facility is USG's fourth academic building and it will allow USG to expand class and degree offerings in STEM fields. USG will offer new programs from UMBC in life sciences, cybersecurity, and engineering; the Clark School of Engineering at UMCP and the School of Dentistry at UMB. The addition of the Biomedical Science and Engineering Education Facility will allow USG to increase enrollment capacity from 3,000 students to more than 7,500 in the coming years. The new six-floor Education Facility will feature a dental clinic that will provide dental care to patients in the community from faculty-supervised dental students, two 120-plus seat lecture halls, surgical office clinical training facilities, and more. 

UMB's Community Engagement Center Expands Outreach in Baltimore

In late October, UMB celebrated the Community Engagement Center's groundbreaking. UMB opened its current Community Engagement Center in 2015 in a 3,000 square-foot space on W. Baltimore Street. Since its opening, the Center has engaged in more than 35,000 visits from members of the neighboring community and helped visitors find jobs, take educational and fitness classes, and receive vital resources. The Center offers community markets with fresh food at deep discounts, free legal assistance, computer and internet access, and much more. The Center's new location is slated to open by the summer of 2020 in a 20,000 square-foot building at 16 S. Poppleton Street. It will also house the UMB Police Athletic/Activities League, which fosters healthy relationships between Baltimore youth and UMB police officers; the new UMB Health Alliance, which will provide preventative health education; and the CURE Scholars Program. Funding for this project is supported by a $4 million grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and $4 million in private philanthropy. The new, expansive Community Engagement Center will continue to support and build a healthy and prospering West Baltimore community. 

Bowie State University Celebrates Groundbreaking for Entrepreneurship Living-Learning Community

In early October, Bowie State University hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its Entrepreneurial Living and Learning Center, which will be home to the university's Entrepreneurship Academy and Bowie Innovation Center (Bowie BIC). Construction is set to begin in February and be completed by July 2021. The Entrepreneurship Academy will encourage students to start their own businesses, help them become innovative thinkers and problem solvers at established businesses, and encourage high school students to take interest in entrepreneurship. Bowie BIC is a business incubator for technology companies and government contractors and is the first incubator to be established at a Maryland HBCU. The building will also serve as a dormitory for 500 students and will contain retail space.