33 Faculty and Staff to be Honored at Convocation

The 43rd annual Faculty and Staff Convocation ceremony on Wednesday will honor 33 outstanding University of Maryland employees for their contributions to education, research and service.

“The 33 Terps we honor today include world-class researchers, instructors who know the formula for unlocking learning, and skilled staffers who keep our campus running smoothly and safely,” UMD President Darryll J. Pines said. “The enormous good that the University of Maryland accomplishes for the people of our state and nation depends on each of those contributions.” 

Michele Eastman, who retired in 2025 as assistant president and chief of staff after 44 years at the university, will receive the President's Medal, which recognizes extraordinary contributions to UMD’s intellectual, social and cultural life. She helped guide the university's ascent as an educational and research powerhouse, advised two presidential administrations through challenges including COVID, and spearheaded efforts to boost staff development, engagement and mentorship.

Julie Greene, a professor in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Humanities, will be honored with the Kirwan Research and Scholarship Prize for her study of labor history, empire and migration. It reshaped how historians understand the working class that built and sustained American global power.

Katarina Keane, also of the Department of History, will receive the Kirwan Undergraduate Education Award for combining deep scholarship of the feminist movement in the U.S. South, an exceptional teaching record and administrative expertise to tap students' full potential.

Joann Prosser, director of assessment in the Division of Student Affairs, will accept the Sharon A. La Voy Data Impact Award for her design and implementation of surveys—including the Wellbeing Improvement Survey for Higher Education Settings and the Belonging and Community at UMD survey—and use of resulting data to help the university better understand and improve the student experience.

Read more about all of this year's awardees by clicking on their photos below: