Honor Roll
Presidential Faculty and Staff Awards recognize exceptional service to UMBC.
On Wednesday, April 2, 2014, UMBC will celebrate the exceptional performance, leadership and service of seven members of our campus community at the Presidential Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony.
“The Presidential Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony is an important annual tradition for the UMBC community,” says President Freeman Hrabowski. “Our faculty and staff are dedicated to fulfilling the university’s mission and vision, and this event gives us the opportunity to honor their professional achievements and commitment to our campus.”
The 2014–2017 Presidential Teaching Professor is Marie desJardins, professor of computer science and electrical engineering. desJardins, who joined the UMBC faculty in 2001, was named one of UMBC’s ten “Professors Not to Miss” in 2011. She is known on campus and throughout her professional community for her research in artificial intelligence and her dedication to innovative classroom teaching and student mentoring.
Robert L. Rubinstein, professor of sociology and anthropology, is the 2014–2017 Presidential Research Professor. Rubinstein, who came to UMBC in 1997, is a cultural anthropologist and one of the top researchers in his field, both nationally and internationally. His work is providing significant insight into the lives and experiences of older Americans, particularly in the areas of environment and aging, childlessness in later life, and long-term care.
Kevin D. Joseph ‘87, assistant director in the Division of Information Technology’s Business Systems Group, will receive the 2014–2015 Presidential Distinguished Staff Award, Professional Staff. Joseph began his tenure in the Division of Information Technology over 27 years ago, when he first served as a student worker and then full-time developer. He is known for his leadership, congeniality and caring nature, while his initiatives help make UMBC the model of a technology campus for enterprise solutions.
Susan Augsburger Velli ‘88, business services specialist in the Department of Music, will be honored with the 2014–2015 Presidential Distinguished Staff Award, Non-Exempt Staff. Velli joined the UMBC Department of Music staff in 2000, and has served the University System of Maryland since 1991. Her colleagues see her as the hub of a fast-paced department, and her professionalism and management and organizational skills are an asset to the department and its people.
Jeff Leips, associate professor, biological sciences, will be recognized as recipient of the 2014 University System of Maryland Board of RegentsÂ’ Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. Leips, who joined the faculty in 2001, is making groundbreaking contributions to interdisciplinary undergraduate education in the life sciences. His work has generated new research opportunities, new courses and new minors, all of which will have a significant and far reaching positive influence not only on UMBCÂ’s students, but also on the faculty and institution itself.
The 2013–2014 Jakubik Family Endowment Award will go to Justine Marie Johnson, associate director of the Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program. She began her UMBC career in 1999, and her efforts have helped establish UMBC as a national model for doctoral STEM diversity. Under Johnson’s leadership and mentoring, the Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows Program has undergone tremendous growth.
This year, the awards ceremony also will include the presentation of the first Karen L. Wensch Endowment Award for Outstanding Non-Exempt Staff. President Hrabowski endowed the award in honor of Karen Wensch, who retired in 2010 as executive administrative assistant to the president, after 40 years of outstanding service to the campus. The award recognizes a non-exempt staff member who demonstrates exceptional dedication to the UMBC community and a commitment to extraordinary work performance.
The first recipient of the Wensch award is Jane Gethmann, assistant to the chair in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, who came to UMBC in 1971. Gethmann is known as the glue that holds the department together, going above and beyond her responsibilities. In addition to assisting the chair and handling administrative and financial duties, Gethmann also takes the lead when additional resources are needed or when she sees a way to increase efficiency in the department.
The Presidential Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony begins at noon, on Wednesday, April 2, 2014, in the University Center Ballroom. All UMBC faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.
For more information about the ceremony and the award winners, please visit the event website.
(03/27/2014)
