Ogbolu Named UMB Public Servant of the Year

Every fall, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) celebrates the extraordinary work of its faculty, staff, and students with awards that signify outstanding accomplishment in academics, public service, research, entrepreneurship, and education.

Yolanda Ogbolu, PhD ’11, MS ’05, BSN ’04, CRNP-Neonatal, FNAP, FAAN, associate professor; chair of the Department of Partnerships, Professional Education, and Practice; and co-director of the Center for Health Equity Outcomes Research, was named UMB’s 2022 Public Servant of the Year.

As chair of the Social Determinants of Health Taskforce of Baltimore City, formed in 2018 following legislation sponsored by former state Sen. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, MAS, BSN ’80, RN, she leads a group charged with identifying and examining the negative social factors that cause hardship for Baltimore residents and for developing and implementing solutions.

Ogbolu’s longstanding passion for addressing global and local inequities resulted in her receiving a three-year, $950,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop the Global Learning for Health Equity Network, a program she co-directs with faculty in the UMB Center for Global Engagement. The national network is examining ways to learn from other countries to address health care inequities in local communities and builds on Ogbolu’s work in applying lessons from Brazil to issues of family isolation in West Baltimore.

UMSON Remains Strong in National Rankings

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing program ranked No. 9 (tied) in the nation (No. 3, tied, among public schools of nursing) in U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 - 23 “Best Colleges”

• Master of Science in Nursing Health Services Leadership and Management specialty ranked No. 4 (tied) in the nation (No. 2 among public schools of nursing) in the Nursing Administration/ Leadership category and ranked No. 7 (tied) in the nation (No. 3, tied, among public schools of nursing) in the Nursing Education category in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 “Best Online Programs”

• Ranked No. 18 in the nation, up from No. 25, for Best Online Master’s in Nursing Programs for Veterans in the online programs rankings

— M.T.P.

Ogbolu’s funded projects have addressed cultural competency, social determinants of health, and social isolation. Her international efforts have sought to improve nursing practice in low-resource communities, including Nigeria and Rwanda.

In September, Ogbolu was a guest speaker at UMB’s inaugural Faculty Convocation. In her remarks, she recalled growing up not far from the University and how the hashtag #UMBtotheCore, seen on core values banners around campus, has special meaning to her.

“There was a statement we used to say: ‘We are Baltimore to the core,’” Ogbolu said. “And in this phrase, there’s a message of deep love for our city and for its beauty, in good times and bad. I’m extremely blessed to be at home in Baltimore and at UMB.”

— Lou Cortina

Ogbolu (above check, center) serves as the principal investigator on a $2.4 million Pathways for Health Equity grant from the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission that has funded the development of the West Baltimore RICH (Reducing Isolation and Inequities in Cardiovascular Health) Collaborative, a partnership of community- and faith-based, academic, and health care organizations in West Baltimore, including UMSON and two other UMB entities. The collaborative aims to address hypertension and social isolation in four ZIP codes, selected due to race-based disparities in the represented areas. During an event in October, Maryland Sen. Guy Guzzone, chair of the Budget and Taxation Committee, signed the ceremonial grant check.