All posts by: UMBC News Staff

On the Eve of Election 2024

Dear UMBC Community,
 
Tomorrow is a milestone occasion in our civic life and, no matter the outcomes, a historic event. On the eve of Election Day, we write with a reminder of our values as an inclusive community and with encouragement to seek resources for support as you need them, whether today, tomorrow, or in the days and weeks ahead.
 
First, VOTE! The early voting period in Maryland has now ended, but we encourage all who are eligible to and have not yet voted to show up to the polls tomorrow, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and cast your ballot. For more information, please see UMBC’s Election Central website.
 
It may seem obvious, but it is important for us to remember that we do not all hold the same political views. That is a very good thing. We treasure the diversity of this community, which enriches us all and shapes the educational experience that UMBC provides. Please continue to hold close our shared values of inclusive excellence, respectful discourse, and civic engagement. Doing so can take many forms today and in the coming days. Among other things, it could be students expressing viewpoints respectfully, whether in the classroom or a social setting; it could be faculty setting clear expectations for discussion and leading by example; it could mean honoring others’ wishes to not discuss politics; or it could mean giving grace to friends, classmates, colleagues, and others who are struggling.  
 
Nationally, election-related stress has been building for months and is peaking now, and our community members are likely feeling a range of emotions. After the polls close, emotions will still be wide-ranging, perhaps for quite some time. Beyond election-related stress, it also is true that we are in what is always a busy time of the semester, when workloads are heavy and deadlines loom large. Please use and share these resources:
Resources for Care and Support
 
Resources for Building Support for Social Change and Constructive Dialogue for Dissenting Views
 
We are grateful every day for this community and for the commitment of our students, faculty, and staff to being engaged and informed global citizens. You know that your voice matters and that it is our shared responsibility to attend to our community and our democracy. Thank you for your dedication and care.
 
Sincerely,
 
President Valerie Sheares Ashby
 
Manfred H. M. van Dulmen
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Toward a New Strategic Plan for UMBC ↗

Dear UMBC Community, 
As I shared with you at the Fall Opening Meeting, this semester we will re-engage with the work to develop the next strategic plan for UMBC. Strategic planning is an important process in any organization and provides an opportunity to focus the work we do together to best serve our students and community. Strategic planning is also an opportunity to be visionary, to envision UMBC’s future together and determine how we can be a catalyst in advancing higher education. Having led several strategic planning efforts, I have seen how this process can bring out the best in an organization and its people, and I so much look forward to working with you on the strategic plan. 
Your input is essential, and we will be including the broad UMBC community in a variety of ways throughout this year-long process. Such opportunities build on the work that so many of you shared throughout the past year, including the 22 Bold Conversations that saw more than 1,000 participants engage in discussions about UMBC’s distinctive strengths, its challenges, and our aspirations for the future. In addition, there are many other initiatives currently going on—for example, the Middle States Self-Study and the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification Self-Study—that will help inform the great opportunities we have as a UMBC community to set a course for the future. As we move forward with the strategic planning process, we will also ensure that our goals and priorities align with the University System of Maryland’s Vision 2030 plan and the Maryland Higher Education Commission goals. 
Throughout my first four months at UMBC, it has been clear to me that one of UMBC’s key strengths is its people—their dedication, commitment, and innovative mindset. I have worked over these months to develop an approach to strategic planning, and to help lead this work, I have engaged a strategic plan steering committee, which I will chair, comprising these members: 
  • Renique T. Kersh, Vice President, Student Affairs (vice chair)
  • Aminah Amjad, Vice President, Graduate Student Association
  • Tanyka M. Barber, Vice President, Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer
  • Meghna Chandrasekaran, President, Student Government Association 
  • Nancy Kusmaul, Associate Professor, Social Work and President, Faculty Senate 
  • Yvette Mozie-Ross ’88, Vice Provost, Enrollment Management and Planning
  • Christopher P. Steele, Vice Provost, Professional Studies
  • Karl V. Steiner, Vice President, Research and Creative Achievement
  • Shannon Tinney Lichtinger, Director, Institutional Research (strategic planning project manager)
  • Yaakov “Jake” Weissmann ’06, Vice President, Government Relations and Community Affairs
In the coming weeks, we will share additional information about our timeline for this process, including opportunities for the campus community to be involved in shaping UMBC’s next strategic plan. 
Until then, thank you for your continued commitment and investment of time and energy into ensuring that UMBC is ready for its bright future ahead. 
Sincerely, 
Manfred H. M. van Dulmen 
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs 

Care and Compassion For Our Community

Dear UMBC Community,
 
With the semester now in full swing and the impacts of many national and international issues and events being felt deeply by our campus community members, I write today to express my support and my belief in this community and share a reminder of resources available to you. 
 
UMBC’s values—among them, its rich diversity of perspectives and backgrounds and its commitment to respectful discourse—are the strong foundation upon which this community was built and continues to thrive. I see our students, faculty, and staff living these values every day. It is in times of challenge, including when events on or beyond our campus threaten to divide us, and when members of our community are struggling, that we are reminded of the responsibility that comes with the privilege of being a member of this community: to care for it, and for each other. 
 
Resources exist for helping us do just that, and many are listed below. Please seek them. In addition, beginning this week, i3b and the Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being are hosting a series of shared spaces for reflection, partnering weekly with UMBC staff and Religious Council members. Separately, UMBC Counseling staff will be available in Commons 327 from noon to 2 p.m. on October 7. If you or someone you know has an immediate concern, please contact Retriever CARE.
 
I ask all members of our community to be mindful that classmates and colleagues may be struggling and to show one another a generous amount of grace and compassion in the days and weeks ahead. 
 
I offer another reminder and a caution, as well: It is our collective work to ensure that every member of our community feels safe, welcome, and valued. We do not tolerate harassment, bias, or discrimination. I ask that you review the relevant policies listed below, and I urge you to report incidents through the Office of Equity and Civil Rights’ online reporting form, by emailing ecr@umbc.edu, or by calling 410-455-1717.
 
We are living in consequential and complicated times, to be sure. We see human suffering across all of society, and some days, the good news is hard to find. But there is good news every day on this campus, and inspiration in our educational mission and the dedication of our students, faculty, and staff to contribute to the betterment of humanity. I am proud of and grateful for UMBC.
 
Sincerely,
 
President Valerie Sheares Ashby 
 
 
Resources for Care and Support
 
Resources for Building Support for Social Change and Constructive Dialogue for Dissenting Views
 
Campus Safety and Security
 
UMBC Policies and Other Resources
 

Hrabowski Fund for Innovation awardees announced

UMBC’s Faculty Development Center has announced the projects selected to receive grants in the 2023 – 2024 rounds of the Hrabowski Fund for Innovation competition. The Fund supports initiatives to enhance teaching and learning at UMBC, with specific emphasis on innovative approaches to increase student success. 

“These high-profile awards emphasize the university’s ongoing commitment to support faculty and staff efforts in innovation in teaching and learning,” says Kerrie Kephart, interim director, Faculty Development Center. “Projects funded from the Hrabowski Fund are often catalysts for the broader adoption of innovative teaching and student success initiatives across campus.”

Proposals for the next round are due by October 25, 2024. For more information and to apply, visit UMBC’s Faculty Development Center website. Many awardees will be sharing their work during the poster/demo session at the Eighth Annual Provost’s Teaching and Learning Symposium (PT&LS) on Friday, September 27. Please see the PT&LS myUMBC post for more information and to register for the symposium.

UMBC recognized for excellence in student voter registration and turnout during the 2022 midterm elections

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) recently recognized UMBC for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections. UMBC received the 2022 America East Campus Votes Highest Registration Rate and a Silver Seal from ALL IN based on the university’s 2022 campus voting rate from its National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) report, reflecting its commitment to ensuring that engagement with democracy is a defining feature of campus life.

UMBC was recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the NSLVE out of Tufts University, which found that colleges and universities had the second-highest voter turnout among students in a midterm election since NSLVE began measuring this data. 

“UMBC students are highly engaged in their communities, and our strong voter registration and turnout rates are important ways in which that engagement shows up,” says David Hoffman, Ph.D. ‘13, language, literacy, and culture, director of UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life. “I’m especially proud that so many student organizations and campus departments are working together to support and expand that culture of engagement. Not everyone is eligible to register to vote, but all of us can help build communities and a society in which everyone can thrive.”

a group of people stand around a ballot box to encourage voters on campus
Sunil Dasgupta, Musa Jafri ’23, Markya Reed ’18, M.S. ’23, David Hoffman, Ph.D. ’13, and Tess McRae ’22 gather around the mail in ballot drop off box on campus in 2022. (Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

Hoffman adds, “This is timely news, as we are in the midst of working with campus partners to provide resources and events to encourage turnout in Election 2024. The stakes are high, so register and vote if you are eligible!” 

“The ALL IN Awards were created to celebrate nonpartisan democratic engagement and the outstanding campus voter registration and turnout rates achieved by our ALL IN campuses. Ahead of the 2024 elections, ALL IN campuses are ready to build on the momentum from 2022 to ensure their communities are ready to make an even bigger impact this fall,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “ALL IN is proud to celebrate and honor top-performing campuses like UMBC, who demonstrate that nonpartisan student voter engagement is possible and effective.”

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge strives to change civic culture and institutionalize democratic engagement activities and programs on college campuses, making voter participation a defining feature of campus life. More than 1,060 institutions enrolling more than 10 million students participate in the ALL IN. The Center for Democracy and Civic Life hosted ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge leaders at UMBC on August 29 so they could pilot a voter registration workshop directed at staff and student leaders.

Happy Fall Semester! ↗

Dear Students,
 
With the first few days of classes officially in the books, I hope you are settling in well to new routines, new classes, and new spaces, and I hope you are as excited as I am as we embark upon the fall semester together.
 
Anyone who knows me knows that the start of the academic year fills me with joy and inspiration. I am reminded of the meaning and importance of our mission and the remarkable human beings who constitute our beloved UMBC community. It was such a delight for our new provost, Manfred van Dulmen, and me to see this place abuzz with students as we walked around campus on the first day of classes and to visit with many of you at numerous welcome events last week. We are thrilled you are here, and we wish you all the best for a wonderful year ahead!
 
Sincerely,
 
President Valerie Sheares Ashby

A Joyful Start!

Dear Colleagues,
 
What a fantastic start to the fall semester we had last week! If you know me, you know that the first day of classes is an especially joyful day for me, as I am sure it is for many of you. This year, as we launched the academic year, I saw joy in a great many students, faculty, and staff. There was palpable enthusiasm for the privilege we all enjoy of being in community here on campus and creating a future for UMBC together.
 
I am grateful to every one of you for your passion and commitment to UMBC and its bright future. I am grateful, as well, for the graciousness with which you have welcomed our new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, Manfred van Dulmen (as you welcomed me two years ago). He and I could feel the energy and positivity as we walked around campus on the first day of classes, speaking with students, faculty, and staff, and visiting a class together. At the meet and greet he hosted that same day, I was delighted to see so many of you and inspired by the beautiful remarks Provost van Dulmen delivered, sharing his perspective on UMBC.
 
The year ahead is going to be one in which we set our sights high in supporting our students, our community, and our mission and vision for UMBC. Those of you who were able to attend the Fall Opening Meeting know this—and I have heard from so many of you since then about how energizing that event was! For those who could not attend, I am happy to share some highlights here, and I invite you to watch the recorded event.
 
Welcoming New Leaders
In addition to officially welcoming our new provost, we introduced and welcomed two other new senior leaders: Tracey Reeves, vice president for university communications and marketing; and Tiffany Tucker, director of athletics, physical education, and recreation. As you will recall, we recently announced two other senior leadership appointments in Paul Meggett as general counsel and Jake Weissmann ’06 as vice president for government relations and community affairs. I could not be more excited about these appointments or more confident in the strength and wisdom of the team leading UMBC.
 
Financial Health of UMBC
As you are likely aware, the state is facing significant budget challenges. Rest assured: We planned for and are prepared to absorb budget reduction requests that come our way this year. Neither the educational experience we provide, the research we advance, nor our commitment to community engagement will be affected, and that is owed in great part to your collective, careful stewarding of resources. Thank you!
 
Accreditation
Central to our ability to carry out UMBC’s academic mission is our accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. As we are being evaluated for our next period of accreditation, we hosted a peer evaluator team for a terrific campus visit in the spring, and our self-study has been very well received. My thanks to the provost’s office for leading the effort and to the scores of individuals who are participating in this enormous undertaking.
 
Strategic Planning
Last year at this time, we endeavored to advance toward strategic planning, knowing that a full process would need to include our new provost. The time for strategic planning is now upon us. Provost van Dulmen will soon launch a process and invite all of you to participate. We will be led by our vision and values as we build upon our history and imagine what is possible for UMBC’s future.
 
Institute of Politics
We are so very excited to have launched the UMBC Institute of Politics and to have appointed Mileah Kromer to lead it! This is a critical time in our world and a distinctive opportunity for UMBC to advance our work to strengthen democracy and civic engagement.
 
College Track
You will hear more soon about the exciting new partnership we have entered with College Track on a program with M&T Bank and the Baltimore Ravens to support Baltimore City Public School students on their journeys through high school and to and through college. We are honored to join this effort—part of College Track’s national mission to “democratize potential” and part of our deepening connection and commitment to Baltimore City.
 
Celebrating the Arts at UMBC
This year, on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Linehan Artist Scholars Program, is an apt occasion to launch a celebration of the arts! We envision a multi-semester interdisciplinary initiative across the arts that engages every part of our community and amplifies the arts at UMBC. A steering committee is in the early stages of planning this initiative; stay tuned for more.
 
UMBC’s Trip to the Moon
In case you missed it, NASA has selected UMBC to develop one of the first three lunar instruments that will be deployed as part of the Artemis III mission to the moon! We could not be prouder that UMBC was the only U.S. higher education institution selected for this program. Mehdi Benna, a planetary scientist with the Center for Space Sciences Technology, is leading the effort to develop the instrument, which will continuously monitor seismic activity in the moon’s south polar region.
 
With so many exciting initiatives and events, there is no question that this is going to be a big year for UMBC! Thank you for all you do to support and advance this extraordinary community. My best wishes to you for a wonderful semester and academic year.
 
Sincerely,
 
President Valerie Sheares Ashby

Announcing Two Senior Leaders

Dear UMBC Community, 

With great pleasure, I write to share the news of two key appointments in UMBC’s senior leadership team. Both are highly specialized roles, and in the two individuals who will fill them, UMBC will have the very best people to lead these areas into the future. 

Following a national search supported by Major, Lindsey & Africa, a leading global legal executive search firm, I have appointed Paul A. Meggett as our next general counsel, the university’s chief legal officer. Paul, who has served since 2018 as general counsel at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, has deep and broad experience in all aspects of higher education law and in leading such work at public institutions, including top-tier research universities and healthcare systems. 

At Appalachian, Paul successfully launched a Division of Institutional Integrity comprising enterprise-wide legal, risk, and compliance functions, helping to drive institutional excellence and a comprehensive approach in those areas. Because that institution owns and operates a regulated electric utility, his experience also extended into the utility regulatory field.   

Paul’s career has spanned legal counsel in academic and healthcare systems, as well as faculty and administration roles in higher education. He spent more than a decade at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, serving from 1999 to 2011 concurrently as assistant university counsel and as associate general counsel for UNC Health, an integrated healthcare system of 11 hospitals and more than 33,000 employees. Prior to his time at Appalachian, Paul served on the faculty and briefly as interim dean of the Charlotte School of Law in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he served from 2004 to 2009 as an adjunct professor of law at UNC School of Law. 

Paul earned his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University and his law degree from UNC School of Law. After graduating from law school, he clerked for Chief Justice Burley B. Mitchell Jr. of the North Carolina Supreme Court. In 2023, Paul was awarded the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award from the North Carolina State Bar.

I am delighted that Paul has accepted our offer to join the UMBC community. I also am grateful to the team in our general counsel’s office, including John Burke, who has taken on a great volume and scope of work since joining the office in 2023. I know John and the team join all of us in welcoming Paul, who will begin at UMBC on September 16. 

For another very specialized role, the best candidate was already in our midst. Yaakov “Jake” Weissmann ’06 has been serving for nearly a year as associate vice president for government relations and community affairs. He will now assume the role of vice president, and I am thrilled that UMBC will continue to benefit from his leadership, his deep knowledge of local and state politics, and his love for UMBC. 

Jake majored in social work and psychology at UMBC, and it was here that he became passionate about a life in public service and community engagement. Before returning to UMBC as associate vice president in 2023, he served for two years as the assistant chief administrative officer in Montgomery County and spent 14 years with the Maryland General Assembly, including two years working in the House of Delegates and 12 years in the Office of the Senate President. During his time in the state Senate, he served in many roles, including as chief of staff for two Senate presidents. 

Jake earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a law degree from the University of Baltimore. In 2023, Governor Wes Moore appointed him to the State Board of Elections. Anyone who has had the opportunity to work with Jake—and that is a great many of you, I am sure—undoubtedly have come to know how knowledgeable and talented he is, how infectious his energy is, and how his deep relationships throughout Maryland and his belief in UMBC’s mission and vision are helping to advance our goals every day. 

With these two appointments, we are making great strides. Our senior leadership team is growing even stronger, and UMBC’s future is brighter than ever. 

Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby


Updates on Leadership Searches

Dear UMBC Community,

I am pleased to share with you that our national searches for two key leadership roles at UMBC are moving forward: We have now named the full search committees for both. My thanks to the following individuals who have agreed to serve:

Vice President for Administration and Finance Search Committee

Chair: Jake Weissmann ’06, Associate Vice President, Government Relations and Community Affairs

Christopher Correnti, Associate Provost for Financial Management

Lindita Dietzen, Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration, CoEIT

Kathleen Hoffman, Professor, Mathematics and Statistics; Associate Dean for Faculty Advancement, CNMS

Nancy Kusmaul, Associate Professor, Social Work; President, Faculty Senate

Mark R. Marten, Professor and Chair, Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering

Catherine Myers, Program Administrative Specialist, Student Conduct and Community Standards; Vice President, Nonexempt Staff Senate; UMBC Non-Exempt Staff Senate Representative, Council of University System Staff

Jerron Pearson, Associate Athletic Director for Administration

Gary Rozanc, Chair and Associate Professor, Visual Arts

Amery Thompson, Assistant Director for Transfer Student Success, Off-Campus
Student Services


Vice President for Institutional Advancement Search Committee

Co-Chair: Kevin Yang ’07, President, UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors

Co-Chair: Karl Steiner, Vice President, Research and Creative Achievement

Nilanjan Banerjee, Professor, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

Robert Bennett, Part-time Lecturer, English; Chair, Adjunct Faculty Advisory Committee

Earl Brooks, Assistant Professor, English; Associate Director, Dresher Center for the Humanities

Ally Hepp, IT Project Coordinator, DoIT; Exempt Staff Senate Communications Officer

Tamra Mendelson, Professor, Biological Sciences

Liz Patton, Chair and Associate Professor, Media and Communication Studies

Zach Seidel ’12, M.S. ’15, Director of Digital Media, Athletics

Barbara Smith, Program Management Specialist, Academic Engagement and Transition Programs

WittKieffer is UMBC’s external search consultant for the administration and finance search, and Lindauer Global is the search consultant for the advancement search. The search committee members for each are listed on UMBC’s Senior Leadership Team webpage, where we also will post position profiles when they are available. I look forward to keeping you apprised as these searches progress.

I also want to express my gratitude to Senior Associate Vice President for Administrative Services Lenn Caron and Associate Vice President for Administration and Finance Kristy Michel, who have stepped up to co-lead the Division of Administration and Finance in this transitional period. Lenn and Kristy have been very thoughtful in determining how to share the additional responsibilities and attend fully to the needs of this large division and its service to the UMBC community. In broad strokes, Lenn will take on emergency management and oversee the Police Department in addition to his ongoing leadership of administrative services (including facilities, environmental health and safety, auxiliary services, and procurement). Kristy will continue her management of the budget and will oversee all financial services, as well as the university’s human resources functions.

My sincere thanks to Lenn, Kristy, and the entire team in Administration and Finance for their dedication and service every day. My gratitude extends, as well, to the outstanding team of Stanyell Odom, director of alumni engagement, and Kim Robinson, director of major gifts, who continue to serve admirably in temporary co-leadership of the Office of Institutional Advancement.

Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby


 


Invitation to Two Community Events

Dear Faculty and Staff,
 
I hope you are looking forward to the start of the fall semester as much as I am. As we get closer to the first day of classes, I invite you to participate in two special community events: Fall Opening Meeting and Convocation.
 
The Fall Opening Meeting, which will be held on August 22 in the Retriever Activities Center, is a chance for faculty and staff to reunite, learn about upcoming campus initiatives, and hear from new students about their journeys to UMBC. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet our new senior university leaders.
 
Convocation, which will take place on August 27 at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena, is our community’s way of welcoming incoming students to a new academic year and introducing them to UMBC traditions. It is an exciting and special way of kicking off the school year.
 
I look forward to seeing you at these two community events. Thank you for all your hard work preparing to make this a fantastic year for our students.
 
Sincerely,
 
President Valerie Sheares Ashby 

Leadership Announcement

Dear UMBC Community,
I am thrilled to announce Tiffany D. Tucker’s appointment as Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. She will begin her role on August 15.
Tiffany comes to UMBC from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), where she has served as deputy athletics director since August 2021. Her appointment follows a nationwide search, during which she emerged as a highly experienced and accomplished athletics administrator. She is the ideal person to advance our competitive and recreational athletics program.
“I am beyond thrilled to embark on this incredible journey as the new athletics director at UMBC,” Tucker said. “As an athletics leader, my mission is to create a vibrant, infectious atmosphere that empowers student-athletes, coaches, and staff to reach unprecedented heights. I am committed to fostering best-in-class excellence in competition, the classroom, and the campus community.”
Tiffany’s record of achievements demonstrates a stunning commitment to inclusive excellence. She serves on the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association Membership Committee and the Women Leaders in College Sports Education and Professional Development Committee. In 2015, the United States Olympic Committee selected Tiffany to participate in the Ethnic Minority Women in Coaching Leadership Program in Colorado Springs. She is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and Women Leaders in College Sports.
Several years ago, Tiffany organized a National Girls & Women in Sports Day Leadership Summit to celebrate the successes and achievements of female athletes. She served as chair of the Colonial Athletic Association Family: United for Change Committee, helping develop a strategic direction and providing an opportunity for institutions to share resources related to anti-racism and social justice efforts. In 2021, she was recognized by Sports Illustrated in Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women in Sports. A year later, she was named Nell Jackson Nike Executive of the Year by Women Leaders in College Sports. She was honored by the Hampton University Office of Alumni Affairs for inclusion in the Forty Under 40 Alumni Recognition Society for 2020.
A standout athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a four-year member of the women’s basketball squad, Tiffany brings a deep understanding of the commitment and focus required to compete at the Division I level, as well as the support student-athletes need to thrive academically and athletically.
Tiffany has taken on increasingly challenging leadership roles throughout her distinguished career, establishing herself as a champion of equity-based athletic excellence in coaching and administration and student-athlete development and well-being.
As UNCW’s number two athletics administrator, Tiffany played key roles in developing and implementing strategic priorities, generating revenue, and leading capital projects. She placed particular emphasis on personal accountability, integrity, and compliance.
Before her deputy athletics director role at UNCW, she was senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator. She built her athletic administrative skills at Elizabeth City State University, Hampton University, and South Carolina State University. She coached basketball at Allegheny College, Radford University, Francis Marion University, and Claflin University.
Tiffany received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from UNC and a master’s degree in sport administration from Hampton.
When she joins us in August, Tiffany will be the first woman and person of color to lead the university’s athletics program. With only seven percent of Division I athletic directors being women of color, UMBC is proud to be a leader in recognizing talent like Tiffany. I feel incredibly fortunate that she has chosen us.
I look forward to ushering in a new era for our athletics and recreation programs that will take our students to the next level of achievement.
I am grateful to the search committee for their contributions to the process. I also thank Whitney Ames, associate athletics director for compliance, and Rich Franchak, senior associate athletics director for business and finance, for providing steady leadership during the search for a new director.
Welcome to the Retriever family, Tiffany!
Sincerely,
President Valerie Sheares Ashby

UMBC welcomes Tiffany D. Tucker as new athletics director

In an email to the campus community, UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby has announced that Tiffany D. Tucker will join the university August 15 as Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. The letter follows in full:

Dear UMBC Community,

I am thrilled to announce Tiffany D. Tucker’s appointment as Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. She will begin her role on August 15.

Tiffany comes to UMBC from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), where she has served as deputy athletics director since August 2021. Her appointment follows a nationwide search, during which she emerged as a highly experienced and accomplished athletics administrator. She is the ideal person to advance our competitive and recreational athletics program.

“I am beyond thrilled to embark on this incredible journey as the new athletics director at UMBC,” Tucker said. “As an athletics leader, my mission is to create a vibrant, infectious atmosphere that empowers student-athletes, coaches, and staff to reach unprecedented heights. I am committed to fostering best-in-class excellence in competition, the classroom, and the campus community.”

Tiffany’s record of achievements demonstrates a stunning commitment to inclusive excellence. She serves on the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association Membership Committee and the Women Leaders in College Sports Education and Professional Development Committee. In 2015, the United States Olympic Committee selected Tiffany to participate in the Ethnic Minority Women in Coaching Leadership Program in Colorado Springs. She is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and Women Leaders in College Sports.

Several years ago, Tiffany organized a National Girls & Women in Sports Day Leadership Summit to celebrate the successes and achievements of female athletes. She served as chair of the Colonial Athletic Association Family: United for Change Committee, helping develop a strategic direction and providing an opportunity for institutions to share resources related to anti-racism and social justice efforts. In 2021, she was recognized by Sports Illustrated in Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women in Sports. A year later, she was named Nell Jackson Nike Executive of the Year by Women Leaders in College Sports. She was honored by the Hampton University Office of Alumni Affairs for inclusion in the Forty Under 40 Alumni Recognition Society for 2020.

A standout athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a four-year member of the women’s basketball squad, Tiffany brings a deep understanding of the commitment and focus required to compete at the Division I level, as well as the support student-athletes need to thrive academically and athletically.

Tiffany has taken on increasingly challenging leadership roles throughout her distinguished career, establishing herself as a champion of equity-based athletic excellence in coaching and administration and student-athlete development and well-being.

As UNCW’s number two athletics administrator, Tiffany played key roles in developing and implementing strategic priorities, generating revenue, and leading capital projects. She placed particular emphasis on personal accountability, integrity, and compliance.

Before her deputy athletics director role at UNCW, she was senior associate athletics director and senior woman administrator. She built her athletic administrative skills at Elizabeth City State University, Hampton University, and South Carolina State University. She coached basketball at Allegheny College, Radford University, Francis Marion University, and Claflin University.

Tiffany received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from UNC and a master’s degree in sport administration from Hampton.

When she joins us in August, Tiffany will be the first woman and person of color to lead the university’s athletics program. With only seven percent of Division I athletic directors being women of color, UMBC is proud to be a leader in recognizing talent like Tiffany. I feel incredibly fortunate that she has chosen us.

I look forward to ushering in a new era for our athletics and recreation programs that will take our students to the next level of achievement.

I am grateful to the search committee for their contributions to the process. I also thank Whitney Ames, associate athletics director for compliance, and Rich Franchak, senior associate athletics director for business and finance, for providing steady leadership during the search for a new director.

Welcome to the Retriever family, Tiffany!

Sincerely,

President Valerie Sheares Ashby

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