24 Faculty and Staff Members to Be Honored at Convocation

From discipline-altering research accomplishments to the peerless day-to-day teaching and service that keep an institution going, 24 faculty and staff members in the UMD community will be honored for their work today during the 39^th annual Convocation.

“This year's Convocation honorees are a great example of how the University of Maryland strives to achieve excellence in everything we do while creating an inclusive, welcoming campus environment where anyone can meet their potential,” President Darryll J. Pines said. “The intelligence, imagination and dedication demonstrated by our fellow Terps are a key part of solving the grand challenges of our time. I congratulate all of the honorees for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to our campus.”

Warren Kelley, senior associate vice president for the Division of Student Affairs, will receive the President’s Medal, which recognizes extraordinary contributions to the intellectual, social and cultural life of Maryland. Kelley, who first came to UMD in 1977 as an architecture student, has been a consensus builder and problem solver for 40 years, has directed units including the Counseling Center, Career Center, and Parent and Family Affairs, and guided initiatives such as the transfer of Sports Medicine from the Athletics Department to the University Health Center and the dramatic expansion of staff in the Accessibility and Disability Service.

History Professor Richard Bell will receive the Kirwan Faculty Research and Scholarship Prize for his book, “Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home.” A 2020 finalist for the George Washington Prize and Harriet Tubman Prize, Bell’s book was praised for uncovering harrowing details about the U.S. slave trade while demonstrating an ability to conduct important scholarly research and effectively communicate to a wide audience.

Sarah Balcom, principal lecturer in the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, will receive the Kirwan Undergraduate Education Award for her innovative teaching and curriculum, including the popular “lamb watch” experience that allows students to care for ewes and lambs on the Campus Farm.

The inaugural Sharon A. La Voy Data Impact Award will go to Michelle Appel, director of assessment and decision support in the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment. The new award recognizes faculty or staff members who have made exceptional contributions to the University of Maryland community through effective utilization of institutional data, and honors the late associate vice president for institutional research, planning and assessment from 2015-22.

Appel oversees teams handling policy analysis, institutional and learning outcomes analysis, systems implementation and enrollment projections; supports campus initiatives through informed decision-making; and created a system of metrics that will follow the progress of the university’s strategic plan, Fearlessly Forward. She served as the interim leader in IRPA last spring while also supporting La Voy through frequent health care visits.

Find out more about all awardees by clicking on their photos below.