THE FELLER CENTER Opens in Tydings Hall
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MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Greetings from campus! BSOS faculty, staff, students and alumni continue to navigate significant challenges, and we are excited to be learning, teaching, researching and working together in person, and online. When I think of the spirit of our community right now, the word that comes to mind is “gratitude.” We are thankful for face-to-face interactions, even when we have to wear masks. We enjoy the physical improvements to our campus, to our facilities, and to College Park—even when we have to navigate construction. Now, more than ever, we are grateful for the support of our donors who have helped BSOS to exceed our Fearless Ideas: The Campaign for Maryland goal of $56 million. Overall, the campus surpassed its $1.5 billion campaign goal, months ahead of the December deadline. In this publication, you will find many stories about our engaged and loyal donors, and the research and learning activities that they help support. Your generosity fuels our innovation, creativity, and success. Thank you, on behalf of all of us in BSOS, for working with us to Be the Solution to the world’s great challenges. Sincerely,
Gregory F. Ball • Dean and Professor
IN THIS ISSUE Page 4 Research, Learning & Teaching
Page 5 Faculty/Staff Activities & Achievements
Page 6
The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences is home to 10 diverse, interdisciplinary departments and many programs, all committed to investigating the causes of behavior and social structures, and thus improving the human condition. Our students, faculty, alumni, staff and partners work to be the solution to the world’s great challenges. bsos.umd.edu
Engaged Alumni & Donors
Page 7 Student Activities, Awards & Honors
On the cover, from left to right: Alumni and loyal donors Joel and Kim Feller celebrated the opening of the Feller Center for Advising and Career Planning with their children, Emily, Cory and Jordan. The Feller family was honored by President Darryll Pines, Dean Gregory Ball and many faculty, staff and friends in October at a dedication ceremony on the second floor of Tydings Hall. go.umd.edu/fellerdedication 2
AFAM African American Studies ANTH Anthropology CCJS Criminology & Criminal Justice ECON Economics GEOG Geographical Sciences GVPT Government & Politics HESP Hearing & Speech Sciences JPSM Joint Program in Survey Methodology PSYC Psychology SOCY Sociology
BSOS POINTS OF PRIDE
BSOS, UMD EXCEED CAMPAIGN GOALS
BSOS is nationally ranked
#1 in Criminology and in Counseling NATIONAL RANKINGS Several of our graduate programs and areas of specialty are ranked among the best in the country:
#1 Criminology #1 Counseling (PSYC & EDUC) #3 Geographical Sciences #9 Geosciences (globally) #10 Audiology
#14 Sociology of Population #16 Speech-Language Pathology #21 Economics #24 Sociology #28 Political Science #33 Clinical Psychology #39 Psychology Sources: U.S. News & World Report and the National Research Council
BSOS is home to nearly
6,000 undergraduate and graduate students
Our college community includes
190
tenure-track faculty
&
376
professional-track faculty
MAJOR BSOS CENTERS Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement Center for Substance Abuse Research Center for the Study of Business Ethics, Regulation and Crime Maryland Cochlear Implant Center of Excellence Maryland Population Research Center (MPRC) National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) University of Maryland Autism Research Consortium
Thanks to the generosity and loyalty of our alumni, donors and friends, both BSOS and the University of Maryland exceeded their goals for Fearless Ideas: The Campaign for Maryland. The campaign goal for BSOS was $56 million. The college exceeded that goal ahead of the December 2021 deadline, raising more than $65 million. Among the many campaign contributions was the college’s largest gift in history—$4 million from Joel J. Feller, GVPT ’90, and Kim. A Feller, ’89, that made possible the Feller Center for Advising and Career Planning. Now open on the second floor of Tydings Hall, and online at fellercenter.umd.edu, the Feller Center is our co-located hub for advising and career planning services for BSOS undergraduate students. “Our alumni, donors and friends have given transformational and lasting support to our current and future students through their generosity,” said Dean Greg Ball. “This campaign has helped to foster a stronger culture of giving and gratitude in our community than ever before, and this will be an enduring legacy.”
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RESEARCH, LEARNING & TEACHING COLLEGE PRIORITIES ● Understanding, monitoring
and addressing the COVID-19 pandemic has been a priority for faculty and students across the college. Researchers in the Social Data Science Center are collaborating with Facebook and with global institutions on a public survey tool that tracks the spread of COVID-19 worldwide, predicting hotspots and giving insight into masking behaviors. A UMD Critical Issues Poll explored fans’ comfort levels with returning to sporting events last spring and summer. Students and faculty in the Center for Geospatial Information Science built what is believed to be the first online tool to track COVID cases in the United States by county.
● Faculty members affiliated with
the BSOS Anti-Black Racism Initiative submitted a report to BSOS leadership this fall, outlining opportunities for improvement and growth in support of the recruitment, retention and career development of Black faculty members and students. The college has made significant strides in this area, especially in the most recent faculty hires.
● BSOS continues to offer new and
innovative majors, minors and programs, including the upcoming Social Data Science Major, developed with the College of Information Studies; START’s new Master of Professional Studies in Security and Terrorism Studies; and HESP’s upcoming PostMaster’s Certificate in Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology. The recently-launched Undergraduate Major in Neuroscience—offered by BSOS and the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences—now has 200 students and has become a popular option.
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BSOS FACULTY NAMED AS DISTINGUISHED UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS Three BSOS faculty members were named among the 2021 Class of Distinguished University Professors, the highest honor that the university bestows on faculty members for scholarly and academic contributions. Katharine Abraham ECON/JPSM/MPRC was selected for the strength of her research and expertise in labor economics, as well as her extraordinary service within the federal government.
Sonalde Desai SOCY/MPRC is a demographer whose work provides unique insights into social inequalities in developing countries, with a particular focus on the impact of gender and class. Christopher Justice GEOG makes significant contributions through his work on land cover and land use change, satellite-based Earth observations and data products, wildfire and global agricultural monitoring, and their associated information technology and decision support systems.
This fall, we launched the interactive BSOS Inequality Research Hub, a tool that showcases our expertise and impactful work in the crucial area of inequality research. This online tool highlights the full-time faculty members who are actively engaged in inequality research across BSOS departments, and shows the connections among individuals and units within key domains. This platform has the potential to foster new collaborations across units, provide information to students who are interested in inequality research, and showcase the significance and depth of our research to various audiences, both within the university and beyond. go.umd.edu/inequalityresearchhub
FACULTY/STAFF ACTIVITIES & ACHIEVEMENTS The exemplary faculty and staff members of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences are committed to teaching, engaging and supporting students, and to making significant contributions to their fields. Included here are just a few of their activities, awards and honors. bsos.umd.edu
● Isabella Alcañiz GVPT was named as the new director of UMD’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center. ● Oscar Barbarin AFAM was awarded a grant by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for a project that addresses the racially disparate use of school suspensions and expulsion. ● Karmin Cortes GVPT and Robeya Johnson PSYC were presented with BSOS Outstanding Staff Awards for Exceptional Contributions. ● Rachel Ellis CCJS was awarded a Russell Sage Foundation Pipeline Grant for her project studying women on probation to examine the unequal impacts of state surveillance, with special attention to the role of gender and motherhood. ● Yasmeen Faroqi-Shah HESP received the Outstanding Director of Graduate Studies Award for 2021. ● The National Council of University Research Administrators honored Ann Holmes BSOS with its 2021 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research Administration. She also received a President’s Distinguished Service Award. ● Yan Li JPSM was named as a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. ● Andrea López ANTH won the BSOS 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award for Tenure-Track Faculty.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse selected UMD as one of 25 institutions across the country to implement the HEALthy Brain and Child Development study, which will recruit a diverse cohort of pregnant people and follow them and their children into early childhood. Researchers including Tracy Riggins PSYC will examine typical developmental trajectories and how prenatal and postnatal exposure to alcohol, drugs and other adversities like poverty and trauma impact the structure and function of the brain, as well as the development of social, emotional and cognitive processes. The UMD research team will receive more than $1 million per year over the first five years of the project.
● Jessica Magidson PSYC won the 2021 BSOS Excellence in Research Award. ● Rashawn Ray SOCY was named as the 2021 recipient of the American Sociological Association’s prestigious Public Understanding of Sociology Award. ● Yiqun Xie GEOG/GIS received Google’s AI for Social Good Award for a project in partnership with the Aquaya Institute, “Leave No One Behind: Spatial AI Enabled Settlement Mapping to Enhance WASH Access for Vulnerable Populations.” ● Ginger Zhe Jin ECON was appointed as the ADVANCE professor for BSOS from 2021 to 2023. ADVANCE is a campuswide program aiming to improve the retention, representation, success, and work environments of women and of faculty who are members of underrepresented minority groups.
NEARLY $50 MILLION
IN EXTERNAL RESEARCH FUNDING is brought in annually by BSOS faculty & students.
UMD IS RANKED
#3
among all U.S. universities in federal funding for social science research.
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ENGAGED ALUMNI & DONORS
Photo courtesy of Laura Memory
BEARDSLEYS, FISHLINGERS PROVIDE KEY SUPPORT TO FELLER CENTER Dr. Katherine Pedro Beardsley and Dr. Robert Beardsley kindly established a bequest of $500,000 to endow and name the Dr. Katherine Pedro Beardsley Director of Advising position in the Feller Center. The gift also provides operating support for advising activities. Pedro Beardsley is a former BSOS associate dean of undergraduate studies, and is chair of the BSOS Board of Visitors. This is the first endowed staff position ever established in the college. In 2013, Pedro Beardsley was awarded the BSOS Dean’s Medal—the highest honor bestowed on the college—for her extraordinary service and commitment. The Beardsleys, who are also the proud parents of a BSOS graduate, previously founded the Katherine and Robert Beardsley BSOS Scholarship for Outstanding Student Leaders.
Photo courtesy of the Robert H. Smith School of Business
The University of Maryland received a transformational $1.5 million gift from the Fishlinger Family Foundation to support the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship in the Robert H. Smith School of Business and the Feller Center for Advising and Career Planning in BSOS. One million dollars will provide operational support for the Dingman Center, and $500,000 will endow and name the Fishlinger Director of Career Planning in the Feller Center. Matthew Fishlinger, GVPT ’07 is COO of Gramercy Risk Holdings, a New York-based insurance programs management platform that he founded with his father, William Fishlinger, GVPT ’71, former CEO and chairman of The Wright Insurance Group. Both Fishlingers are longtime supporters of the university. Among many gifts, they have supported the Center for the Study of Business Ethics, Regulation & Crime (C-BERC), as well as C-BERC’s Fishlinger Family Lecture. fellercenter.umd.edu
GIVING OPPORTUNITY: THE BSOS DIVERSITY FUND The BSOS Diversity Fund was established to facilitate initiatives and programming related to diversity, equity and inclusion within the college. From supporting the events and activities of the BSOS Anti-Black Racism Initiative, the Bahá’í Chair for World Peace, the Summer Research Initiative, and many other programs, your gift will help our community explore and address the root causes of structural racism and social inequalities. go.umd.edu/bsosdiversityfund 6
Stephanie S. Cordle/University of Maryland
STUDENT ACTIVITIES, AWARDS & HONORS OUTSTANDING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS ● Several BSOS-affiliated students were named to the 2021 Maryland Medallion Society: Dan Alpert CIDCM, Emily Berry GVPT, Alysa Conway GVPT, Alexandra Marquez ANTH, David Polefrone ECON, Julia Reicin GEOG/PSYC, Sydney Sharp AFAM, and Philippos Sourvinos GVPT.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Michael Mareno, GVPT ’22
● Erin Doyle HESP and Allison Vance HESP were selected for the Karin E. Young Memorial Award for Hearing and Speech Sciences, which provides scholarships for undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career in audiology. ● Simone Durham SOCY won the 2021 Irene B. Taeuber Graduate Student Paper Award from the District of Columbia Sociological Society. ● Eric (Xueyuan) Gao GEOG won a Graduate School Summer Research Fellowship for Summer 2021. ● Julia Kischkat ENSP/GVPT, Yulia Lim GVPT and Eric Robinson GEOG received National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Scholarships, which recognize exceptional students in a broad range of STEM fields. ● In the spring, Dr. Alena Maze, Ph.D. JPSM ’20, graduated and became one of the world’s first Black Ph.D. holders in the field of Survey Methodology, if not the very first. ● Destiny Minker PSYC won the Gregory F. Ball Endowed Scholarship, which was created by Dean Ball and Dr. Margaret M. McCarthy to provide scholarships for undergraduates with a demonstrated interest in biological psychology or neuroscience. ● Iyana Moore AFAM/CCJS was awarded the Veronica Coates Scholarship, which supports students majoring in African American Studies, and honors the life and legacy of the late Mrs. Veronica Coates, ECON ’68. ● Ellen Platts ANTH was awarded the Dr. James W. Longest Memorial Award for Social Science Research from the Graduate School. The Longest Award supports doctoral research in the social sciences with potential benefits for small and/or disadvantaged communities.
78% OF BSOS UNDERGRADUATES
participated in at least
ONE INTERNSHIP while at UMD.
Michael Mareno advanced his studies at the prestigious Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute virtually hosted at the University of California, Berkeley last summer, expanding his research on working class and Latinx visibility. As part of the GVPT Honors program, Mareno’s senior thesis revolves around presidential rhetoric surrounding welfare and other issues facing low-income Americans, as well as communities of color. As a former intern for Nicole Williams of District 22 in the Maryland House of Delegates, Mareno served underrepresented communities, organizers and workers, and said he will pursue a career in law. Mareno thanks his family— especially his mother, sister, grandmother, and aunt; his thesis advisor, Professor Stella Rouse; and Dr. Leslie Brice in UMD’s National Scholarships Office for their encouragement. “I realize these experiences are outside the norm for a queer, Latinx person from a single parent, low-income household,” he said. “I owe it to a lot of other people pushing me to get here.”
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Office of External Relations 0145 Tydings Hall 7343 Preinkert Dr. College Park, MD 20740 bsos.umd.edu /bsosumd
Investing in the Future
Maryland Promise Scholarships The Maryland Promise Scholarship Program provides supportive educational and financial opportunities to undergraduate students from the state of Maryland and Washington, D.C. exhibiting strong academic and leadership potential. BSOS is grateful to our donors, who have helped to establish these crucial opportunities for our students: ● College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Maryland Promise Scholarship ● Oscar and Inez Barbarin Maryland Promise Scholarship ● The Hon. Erek L. Barron and Family Maryland Promise Scholarship ● Feldman Family Maryland Promise Scholarship ● Kusumadhara and Vijayalakshmi Gowda Maryland Promise Scholarship ● Joanne Mandell and Jared Mandell Maryland Promise Scholarship ● Barbara S. Marion Maryland Promise Scholarship ● Benjamin, Mary and Maryanne Sharp Maryland Promise Scholarship To learn more, contact Chief Development Officer Kenny Beaver 8at beaver@umd.edu, or visit promise.umd.edu.