Convocation 2022 Awardees

Anthony Fisher
Division of Information Technology
Anthony "Tony" Fisher's ability to tackle tricky voice, data and wireless problems, keep track of systems across campus and serve as an information technology liaison to the university community has been key to his success in the Division of Information Technology (DIT) for 22 years.
"He's my go-to. He always has been," says James Brittain, DIT's manager of network and field support.
Fisher, an IT telecom specialist, is the first line of defense against all networking and telecommunications issues on campus. "He goes out there, assesses what needs to be done, and will do it or send it to the right folks," says Brittain."
An important aspect of Fisher's job is his oversight of DIT's underground infrastructure, a maze of connecting copper and fiber optic cables that extends to the Discovery District. Whenever earth is dug up on campus, whether for new construction or a water main break, there's a risk of hitting a cable that could disable an entire network. Fisher leads the assessment of these projects, ensuring that they won't disrupt university operations. DIT receives up to 150 such requests for assistance every week, all of which funnel through Fisher.
Known for coming to campus to work on weekends, taking on extra tasks—such as repairing wireless access points and maintaining the 370-plus blue emergency phones—and offering support to colleagues, Fisher has become integral to DIT's day-to-day functioning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fisher continued commuting to UMD to work on the Purple Line, new construction and other projects. In addition to his daily duties, Fisher has fostered valuable work relationships across campus over his years of service.
"His service to the campus has far exceeded the requirements of his job," says Brittain. "He shows tremendous initiative and consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty."
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Hilary Gossett
Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost
Over more than a decade at the University of Maryland, Hilary Gossett has transformed the campus' academic spaces to maximize collaboration across learning and teaching.
As assistant director of academic facilities in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost, she acts as a liasion with Facilities Management to advocate for the needs of campus units, identifies solutions to address changing space demands, and plans, designs and oversees renovations.
"Her leadership, performance and service are demonstrated by her tireless efforts in moving the university's learning spaces forward and always making sure UMD classrooms are in line with best practices and cutting-edge technology," says Romie Prince, assistant director of area and classroom maintenance.
Gossett's innovative work is evident all across campus. She led the drive to create new classrooms in the Toll Building to replace those lost during the demolition of a Chemistry Building wing. She guided the design of the Edward St. John Teaching and Learning Center, and she envisioned the new TERP (Teach, Engage, Respond and Participate) classrooms, which include flexible seating and enhanced technology to boost collaboration.
"Skeptics quickly became believers as students and instructors have migrated to this new pedagogy," says Thomas M. McMullen, special assistant to the provost. "Over 50 TERP classrooms can now be found across campus, and these spaces allow more students the opportunity to engage with classmates in a way that was not possible before."
Nationally recognized for her leadership in designing active classroom spaces, Gossett regularly gives presentations about her vision to representatives from other universities and at conferences. She also serves as chair of UMD's Teaching Facilities Committee and Teaching Facilities Working Group.
"Hilary has proven to be one of the most dedicated, creative and collaborative colleagues that I have met during the past 25 years of my career in higher education," says Marcio A. Oliveira, assistant vice president of academic technology and innovation and executive director of the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center. "She nurtures relationships, promotes innovation and advances this institution in an extraordinary way."
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Dawn Y. Jackson
Department of Laboratory Animal Resources
From her time as an animal science student through her nearly 40 years working on campus, Dawn Y. Jackson has cared for the University of Maryland's creatures and critters with expertise, dedication and a can-do attitude.
A UMD graduate initially hired as the university's first animal care technician in 1983, she became research specialist in the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources in 2001, assuring university compliance with state and federal guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals. Since 2021, she's served as animal operations manager, leading the day-to-day management of laboratory animal care personnel and facilities.
"While the university has reached great milestones in scientific discovery and funding, the animal care and use program has been a critical piece of that success," says Larry J. Shelton Jr., university attending veterinarian and department director. "Dawn is a linchpin of where we've been and a driving force of the university's continued evolution and rise in status."
Jackson has excelled amid difficult or unexpected situations, including the emergency roof replacement in the Biology-Psychology Building in 2019. She helped relocate animals, requiring strict attention to detail to avoid stress and disease outbreaks and ensure appropriate housing conditions. During the pandemic, Jackson again stepped up and enforced measures to protect all personnel and allow animal care to continue throughout the crisis.
Her work has led to industry recognition, including full accreditation of the animal care and use program from the Association for the Assessment of Laboratory Animal Care, International in 2011, and the 2018 Richard L. Pierson Award, which honors outstanding accomplishments in administration, management or support of animal care and use programs.
Amid all that, Jackson has served on the Thriving Workplace Committee and regularly organizes luncheons and other activities to connect with fellow Terps.
"On almost a daily basis, I witness Dawn's positive impact on the department. This goes beyond simply executing the tasks of her job at a high level," says Jason Lurie, facilities manager for operations, maintenance and utilities. "She has a caring and welcoming nature, which enriches the environment for everyone interacting with her."
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Axel Persaud
Division of Information Technology
Axel Persaud, assistant vice president of engineering and operations in the Division of Information Technology, has repeatedly answered the call throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to help develop new processes and capabilities to support keeping the campus community safe and healthy. Time and again, he came through with necessary and often innovative solutions.
Persaud came to the Division of Information Technology (DIT) in 2016 after 12 years at the former Center for Advanced Study of Languages and three at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees. He and his team are responsible for software development for critical campus systems such as PHR, the campus computer network, phone system, campus data centers and cloud-hosted systems.
He has shined throughout the darkest parts of the pandemic, helping to design and develop the COVID-19 dashboard that kept campus informed. He worked with campus leaders to get federal CARES Act funding allocated to replace the aging wireless network in some residence halls to meet the needs of students learning remotely from their rooms.
Persaud also has managed the development of web-based systems to ensure the campus community complies with testing and vaccination mandates. And he led the team charged with putting new mandates and policies into software.
"Without the work Axel did, our campus never would have been able to remain open during the pandemic," says Patty Perillo, vice president for student affairs, who worked closely with him on her division's response team.
In addition, Persaud serves as a DIT representative on the executive steering committee for Elevate, the largest IT and business transformation project ever undertaken at UMD, and co-leads an effort looking into next-generation mobile communications for campus and the surrounding community.
"Axel has an incredible dedication to ensuring the units across campus get high-quality service from DIT," says Jeff Hollingsworth, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. "He not only meets current needs, but anticipates future needs often before the clients even realize they need an enhanced solution."
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Paige Smith
A. James Clark School of Engineering
In more than two decades at the University of Maryland, Paige Smith has had one signature issue: making engineering a more inclusive, welcoming and supportive field for women and other underrepresented students.
Smith "has been a campus champion and culture change agent in engineering since she has joined us, helping to remove long-standing barriers, and promoting diversity and inclusiveness in a discipline that has needed such a push for much of its existence," says Samuel Graham, Jr., A. James Clark School of Engineering dean and Nariman Farvardin professor.
Smith graduated from Virginia Tech with B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, the latter in industrial and systems engineering. Since 2001, she has been the director of Women in Engineering (WIE), which encompasses the living-learning communities Flexus and Virtus, a peer mentoring program, peer tutoring, technical workshops, outreach programs for middle school and high school students, scholarship opportunities and more. The programs have led to higher retention rates and more engaged students. Smith also has a long tenure on the President's Commission on Women's Issues, where she advocates for women's needs and interests across the university.
"Because of (Smith)'s tireless work with Flexus, the Society of Women Engineers and other WIE programming, I never felt out of place in the Clark School. I always felt that I had a community that I could rely on for help when needed, and a community that would celebrate my successes," says Catherine Hamel '15, M.S. '16.
WIE's outreach programming for younger students encourages future engineers by giving them their earliest glimpse of people like themselves pursuing engineering. Under Smith's ladership, the number of women majoring in engineering has grown by 85%, while the number of women earning bachelor's degrees in the field increased 158%.
"For the first time, I saw examples of young women who looked like me, a woman of color, working in the classroom and in labs, sharing their stories and lived experiences and generally just thriving in the engineering field," says Rebecca Yep '14. "I definitely did not let this opportunity go unnoticed; if anything, my interest in engineering was ignited."

Michelle Appel
Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment
A consummate data professional who demonstrates unwavering friendship and care, Michelle Appel has been a critical part of the professional and personal lives of her co-workers and the broader University of Maryland community.
The inaugural recpient of this award, Appel is director of assessment and decision support for Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment (IRPA). In spring 2022, while also working as a reporting lead for the Elevate program to modernize UMD administrative systems, she took on even more responsibility as her friend and colleague, Assistant Vice President Sharon La Voy, dealt with a long-term health issue. When La Voy passed away earlier this year, Appel "had to face her own fear and grief while supporting many others in their fear, grief, and then enormous loss," says the award nominating committee, led by Katherine Russell, associate dean in the College of Behavorial and Social Sciences.
"We want to express our deep appreciate and gratitude to Michelle Appel for her heroic service to the university as well as her deep and unwavering friendship, care and advice for the many members of our community," the committee says. "Michelle did this all while ensuring that critical insitutional data were continuing to flow across our campus to the many colleagues who rely on it."
Appel earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Bloomsburg University and her master's degree in human services psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She worked as a research analyst at Anne Arundel Community College and director of institutional research for Carroll Community College before coming to IRPA in 2002.
In her role there, Appel oversees teams handling policy analysis, institutional and learning outcomes analysis, systems implementation and enrollment projections, and supports campus initiatives through informed decision-making.
A past president of the Association for Institutional Research Board of Directors, Appel received the 2010 Distinguished Service Award from the Northeast Association for Institutional Research and the 2006 Marilyn Brown Distinguished Service Award from the Maryland Association for Institutional Research.

Negin Fouladi (Teaching)
Department of Health Policy and Management
As director of four online graduate programs in the School of Public Health, Negin Fouladi has guided hundreds of Terps through their coursework, acting as a hands-on teacher and adviser whose students praise her ability to deepen their understanding of new concepts and practices.
"Her courses, both undergraduate and graduate, are challenging while being tied to real-world scenarios that allow students to see the relevance of the information and the need for the knowledge and skills they are learning," says Stephen Roth, associate dean for academic and faculty affairs, and director of the undergraduate public health science degree program.
As director of the online Master of Public Health in practice and plicy, Master of Health administration (MHA), certificate in principles of public health and dual M.D./MHA programs, Fouladi has helped students navigate academic work, internships, capstones and more. She's also taught undergraduate courses in global health and health policy on the Shady Grove campus, reaching more than 1,200 students in total.
"Students respond with course evaluations that are some of the highest rated in the school, with qualitative feedback expressing how valuable (Fouladi)'s approach was, how much they learned and how they will keep in touch with her as alumni," says Roth.
Fouladi's research focuses on comparative health systems, evidence-informed decision-making, and knowledge translation and exchange with emphasis on culturally responsive and equitable evaluation. She is also a fellow of the American Evaluation Association Minority Serving Insitution Initative. Beyond the School of Public Health, she serves on the University Senate and the Office of Extended Studies' Graduate Studies Advisory Board.
Fouladi earned bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, an MPH in health services organization and a Ph.D. in health policy from the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. She joined the University of Maryland in 2015.
"There are few faculty members with the same level of adminration and gratefulness expressed by their students," Roth says. "(Fouladi) stands out in the crowd."
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Jandelyn Plane (Service)
Department of Computer Science
Over more than 30 years at the University of Maryland, Jandelyn Plane established herself as a beloved teacher and prolific researcher in the Department of Computer Science. But her greatest contribution to the university reaches even further.
Plane, who recently retired, was "one of the most outstanding individuals in the computer science department, leading an incredibly engaged and successful effort to increase diversity and create a diverse and welcoming community in the largest major on campus," says Matthias Zwicker, Elizabeth Iribe Chair for Innovation and Phillip H. and Catherine C. Horvitz professor of computer science.
In 2014, Plane became founding director of the Maryland Center for Women in Computing, which provides opportunities to pursue research, education and partnerships in the field. It also conducts classes and workshops for K-12 students, including the Computer Science Connect academy for middle school students. Plane is also founding director of the Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing, serving underrepresented populations at all educational levels.
Just in academic year 2019-20, Plane and her team hosted more than 700 students for programs like the inclusion speaker series and affinity group gatherings, reached more than 1,600 K-12 students through STEM festivals and after-school programs, and brought together nearly 300 summer students to explore topics like artificial intelligence and Python programming.
As principal lecturer in the department, she has taught dozens of courses. As a researcher, she is principal investigator of the Break Through Tech-DC project, whose goal is to achieve gender parity in the technology fields. She has also served on and led state committees on computer science education in Maryland.
Plane earned her B.S. from Wartburg College, her M.S. in computer science from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and her Ph.D. in education policy and leadership from the University of Maryland.
The impact of Plane's work is felt in the achievements of her students, who know her as "Dr. Jan."
"I really credit my life trajectory in tech to Dr. Jan and the absolutely tireless work that she has done to empower me and countless others in technology," says one recent graduate. "My story is definitely not alone."

Caren Chang
Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics
An internationally known expert in plants' mechanisms for responding to hormones, Caren Chang is also a consummate teacher and mentor who's prepared generations of students for careers in science.
Chang earned her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and her Ph.D. in molecular biology from the California Institue of Technology, where she also received postdoctoral training, and came to UMD in 1994. She is the world's leader in studying the role of ethylene and its presursor molecule in plant signaling, and has "redefined the landscape of hormone biology and signal transduction in plants," says James Giovannini, director of the USDA-ARS Robert W. Holley Center and professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research.
In addition to her numerous publications in high-impact journals in recent years, her work has garnered more than 11,000 Google Scholar references and is frequently used in plant biology textbooks. She has supported her field through work on editorial boards of leading journals in the biological sciences as well as grant review panels and advisory committees.
Chang has taught her department's class on recombinant DNA for 20 years, and students rate her highly in class reviews. As one wrote, "Dr. Chang is extremely organized, always prepared, very respectful and a very good lecturer. I learned very useful skills that I could tell an employer I have."
She co-directs Terrapin Teachers, a join initiative between the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and the College of Education to provide pathways for STEM majors to earn teaching certifications to meet a critical need for K-12 science teachers.
She has mentored more than 135 scholars, students and technicians in her lab—postdocs as well as graduate, undergraduate and even high school students. One of them, Josephine Resnick Ph.D. '06, calls Chang a "teacher, mentor, coach and ultimately, a friend. She supported self-discovery, but was readily available at all times, providing advice, guidance and instruction."
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Allen P. Davis
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Allen P. Davis is a leader in stormwater management and green infrastructure design who imbues his students with a drive to discover new ways to improve water quality.
His peers call Davis the most highly published stormwater researcher, with more than 140 refereed journal articles and over 14,000 Google Scholar references. He has authored several books, including one published in July. And his influence stretches beyond academic: "It is common for me to see what was once a hypothesis that Allen Davis studied become the key underpinnings of a national bioretention stormwater device design standard," says William F. Hunt III, a professor and extension specialist at North Carolina State University.
Davis is a registered professional engineer active in issues throughout the state and region. His work with Prince George's County helped lead to "rain gardens"—infrastructure to absorb runoff—on the University of Maryland campus; he frequently uses them for lessons and research projects with his students.
He teaches several central courses in his department, receiving enthusiastic reviews, and has mentored more than 70 Ph.D. and master's students.
"Dr. Davis would consistently help me push the project forward on an interesting and productive track by spotting an unseen hole in the data, suggesting a new way of looking at it, or adding some new metric to make our data tell a more compelling story," says Dave Gleason M.S. '13, who was a graduate research assistant in Davis' lab.
Davis received his undergraduate and master's engineering degrees from the University of Delaware, along with his Ph.D. in environmental engineering in 1989, when he was hired as an assistant professor at UMD. He was named the Charles A. Irish Sr. Chair in Civil Engineering in 2016 and became an affiliate professor of the Department of Plant Sciences and Landscape Engineering in 2018, and his department's associate chair for faculty development and advancement in 2020. He is the youngest-ever recipient of the E. Robert Kent College of Engineering Outstanding Teaching Award, awarded to him in 1992.
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Michelle Girvan
Department of Physics and Institute for Physical Science and Technology
Michelle Girvan is at the forefront of complex systems, a field that links physics with a host of other disciplines; she has also worked to boost physics education while creating innovative ways to teach the study of dynamic systems that surround us, from social networks to power grids to networks of neurons in the brain.
She first gained prominence as a Ph.D. student and postdoc for the "Girvan-Newman algorithm" for detecting communities in complex networks. At the University of Maryland, Girvan has helped advance fields like biophysics, statistical physics of networks, dynamical systems and the use of machine learning for predicting chaotic dynamics, and has repeatedly "opened new avenues of investigation that shaped and still are shaping the field overall," says Raissa M. D'Souza, a professor of computer science and mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California, Davis. She has published widely, and has more than 35,000 Google Scholar references.
As an educator, Girvan has revised and strengthened key courses in her department, and has become a top-ranked instructor by students. For many years, she led the TREND (Training and Research Experiences in Nonlinear Dynamics) program, which teaches undergradutes how to tackle research problems. In 2016, a $3 million National Science Foundation award allowed her to start the Computation and Mathematics for Biological Networks (COMBINE) program; it has trained over 60 graduate students.
Carlos Floyd Ph.D. '21, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago, praises Girvan for the "balance she achieves between teaching scientific content and developing the student's communication and professional skills."
Girvan earned a bachelor's degree from MIT and a Ph.D. in physics from Cornell University in 2004. She arrived at UMD in 2007. She has also held appointments with the Institute for Advanced Study, the London Mathematical Laboratory and the Santa Fe Institute.
Among her honors, Girvan is a fellow of the American Physical Soceity and the Network Science Society.
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Rebecca Hann
Department of Accounting and Information Assurance
Rebecca Hann, the Dean's Professor of Accounting, KPMG Term Professor and assistant dean of doctoral programs in the Robert H. Smith School of Business, has become one of her field's most influential and innovative experts in the role of accounting information in the economy. Equally exemplary is her commitment to integrating research with teaching and mentoring graduate students.
She earned her doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania in 2000 and joined the Robert H. Smith School of Business at UMD in 2008. Her research focuses on issues surrounding managers' financial reporting and disclosure decisions, and more recently, how financial information can shed light on the state of the macroeconomy and labor market.
"The problems Rebecca studies are absolutely central to a range of economic and managerial decisions," says David Godes, UMD marketing professor and senior associate dean.
Hann has published 12 articles in top peer-reviewed journals, many with doctoral students she has trained. Philip Berger, Wallman Family Professor of Accounting at the University of Chicago, ranks her in the top 1% of accounting academics worldwide.
"She is remarkably now producing more work of more ambition, creativity and importance than at any prior period of her career," says Berger, editor of the Journal of Accounting Research.
Hann is also a role model and coach for her graduate students. She received Smith's Distinguished Teaching award each of the past three years and was named the most effective core instructor by MBA students three times. Over the last decade, Hann chaired nine dissertation committees and served on another nine.
Lindsey A. Gallo Ph.D. '14, assistant professor of accounting at the University of Michigan, says she was "incredibly fortunate" that Hann guided her through the program and the job market, while Derek Criswell MBA '11, a senior director of finance at Cox Automotive, says Hann teaching him how accounting is foundational to finance was the "light bulb moment" of his education.
"Her class is singlehandedly responsible for much of the success I've had in my career," he says.
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Kenneth Kiger
Department of Mechanical Engineering
On questions as diverse as how air flows through models of the human lung or how ocean waves move sand, Ken Kiger is internationally recognized in the broad field of fluid dynamics. At the same time, he is known as an inspiring and award-winning teacher who integrates his scholarly work with his undergraduate and graduate instruction.
He has "an amazing knack for defining interesting and novel fluid flow problems, and for analyzing these in great depth both experimentally and from a more analytical perspective, thus arriving at fundamentally new physical insight," says Distinguished Professor Eckart Meiburg of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Motivated in part by what he calls "the aesthetic beauty of fluid motion," Kiger has published 80 peer-reviewed papers and conference proceedings and has more than 2,700 Google Scholar citations.
Kiger, who completed his B.S. in aerospace engineering at the University of Southern California and his M.S. and Ph.D. in applied mechanics at UC San Diego, is now an enthusiastic and respected teacher of mechanical engineering. Unique aspects of his classes, particularly semester projects and physical/computer-generated demonstrations, are based directly on work in his laboratory.
He is also committed to the administration of educational programs in the A. James Clark School of Engineering, recently guiding the implementation of a new teaching paradigm, the "Mastery-based Assessment Approach." He previously served as director of undergraduate studies for the mechanical engineering department, and is now the school's associate dean for undergraduate programs.
"I can claim that I am a better teacher, researched, writer and mentor as a result of his dedicated efforts and countless hours he spent helping me during my graduate studies and beyond," says Saeed Moghaddam Ph.D. '06, the William Powers Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida.
Among Kiger's honors and awards, he was selected for the 2009 Poole and Kent Senior Faculty Teaching Award and the 2012 University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, and he has served on numerous review boards and editorial committees.
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Matthew Roesch
Department of Psychology
Matthew Roesch is one of the preeminent behavioral neurophysiologists of his generation who enthusiastically engages his students in the discovery of science.
His research aims to understand how different brain regions regulate reward-guided decision-making and are altered by drug abuse. The work has implications for schizophrenia, addiction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and aging.
Psychology Professor Stan B. Floresco of the University of British Columbia recalls Roesch's 2016 paper in Nature Communications as "simply outstanding, and has turned the field on its head."
Roesch, who earned his doctoral degree from the University of Pittsburgh, has been extraordinarily productive, racking up over 80 publications since joining UMD in 2009. His work has appeared in major journals such as Science, PNAS and the Journal of Neuroscience. He is the primary investigator on two major National Institutes of Health-funded projects and co-PI on a third.
He also excels at research mentorship, whether as director of the Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, or an inspiring instructor in the Honors College's Gemstone program. After he converted a lab into an online course during the pandemic, one student wrote, "Dr. Roesch did an absolutely amazing job. I feel like I got so much out of the lab exercises and that it really helped me grow as a scientific thinker."
Daniel Bryden Ph.D. '15, lead scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton, recalls how Roesch invited his entire lab to social gatherings to foster a positive environment; entrusted mentees, employees and volunteers with sensitive tasks to support their career growth; and advocated for students outside of his lab by sitting on countless thesis committees, co-mentoring researchers to foster collaboration.
"Dr. Roesch is a professor who cares deeply about his research but has never lost focus of the people performing that work," he says.

Balakumar Balachandran
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Ranging from the experimental realm to analytical and computational research, Balakumar Balachandran has established himself as a world expert in nonlinear dynamics, renowned for foundational and applied contributions to the field.
"Professor Balachandran's research in nonlinear phenomena, dynamics and vibrations, and controls have impact on the work of many mechanical engineers, including myself," says A. James Clark School of Engineering Dean Samuel Graham, Jr.
Balachandran's research achievements are broad in scope, including the nonlinear dynamics of milling and drilling, nonlinear aerodynamics and aeroelasticity, nonlinear phenomena in microelectromechanical systems, vehicle dynamics, stochastic dynamics of nonlinear oscillators, and theoretical analysis of nonlinear systems with state-dependent delays; their diverse applications include disease infection dynamics with implications for COVID-19.
He has authored or co-authored more than 120 articles in top journals in his field, two influential books on applied nonlinear dynamics and vibrations, and 20 book chapters, as well as editing a number of books. He holds several patents related to fiber optic sensors and atomic force microscopy.
He received his bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, and a master's degree in aerospace engineering and Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
He became an assistant professory at the University of Maryland in 1993 and after his promotion to full professor in 2003, became chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2011 and was named a Minta Martin Professor in 2012.
Balachandran is among a handful of researchers who has received both the J.P. Hartog Award and the Lyapunov Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for lifetime achievements in vibration research and nonlinear dynamics, respectively. He is a fellow of ASME, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Royal Aeronautical Society.
"It is safe to say that he has made an indelible impression on the community of scholars," says Huajia Gao, distinguished university professor of engineering at Nanyang Technical University in Singapore and a National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Sciences member. "He has distinguished himself through fundamental and applied contributions in the field."
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Dmitry Dolgopyat
Department of Mathematics
One of the best mathematicians of his generation, Dmitry Dolgopyat is known as a leader in areas such as dynamical systems, probability theory and statistical physics.
He is a visionary researcher of how natural and abstract systems evolve over time, and has made groundbreaking advances such as demonstrating that deterministic systems are governed by the same laws as genuinely random processes.
"His work is broad, reaching many different aspects of dynamics which are often studied separately by different groups, and deep, always aiming at fundamental questions," says Artur Avila of the University of Zurich Institute of Mathematics. "In him we find a rare combination of vision that can only come with a profound understanding of the whole world of dynamics, and technical prowess that cannot be surpassed."
Dolgopyat earned a diploma in mathematics from Moscow State University and his Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton University. A former research fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, he came to the University of Maryland as an associate professor in 2002 and was promoted to professor in 2007.
A guest scholar and speaker at universities around the world, he has published nearly 80 research papers in his field's top journals, including Annals of Mathematics, Journal of the American Mathematical Society and Communications in Pure and Applied Mathematics. In 2006, he was invited to give a prestigious talk at the International Congress of Mathematicians and in 2012 delivered a plenary address at the International Congress for Mathematical Physics.
Among his honors, Dolgopyat was awarded the 2009 Michael Brin Prize in Dynamical Systems and in 2020 was elected a foreign member of Academia Europaea.
He is "a world leader who has had transformational impact in his subject, a dedicated teacher and outstanding colleague, critical in maintaining the exceptional international reputation of your mathematics department," says Jens Marklof, professor of mathematical physics and dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Bristol. "I could not think of anyone more deserving."
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Richard L. Greene
Department of Physics
A leader who has helped shape the international physics community's approach to research in the scientifically and technologically fertile area of superconductivity, Richard L. Greene has also played a key role in fostering UMD's leading research program in quantum materials.
Greene is a prominent researcher of the novel quantum properties of materials such as polymer and organic superconductors, and is renowned for both the synthesis (through materials science) and measurements (via physics) of such materials. His research has opened the door to products such as improved superconducting magnets and superconducting electronic devices, but his main focus has always been the fascinating basic science discoveries that underlay them.
"He is one of those special people who not only finds new superconductors but also has a refined nose for those superconductors that hold promise for new physics," says M.R. Beasley, emeritus Theodore and Sydney Rosenberg Professor of Applied Physics at Stanford University and past president of the American Physical Society.
Greene earned his undergraduate degree in physics at MIT and his Ph.D. from Stanford, and among other early jobs, served as an engineering officer in the U.S. Navy and as a research staffer and manager at IBM. He arrived at UMD in 1989 as director of the Center of Superconductivity Research, which he led until 2007, and as a professor of physics.
He has published 435 articles in top journals in the field of physics and beyond, garnering 32,000 citations. Among his honors, he is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society. For the latter, he was elected chair of the Division of Condensed Matter Physics, and he was also selected as UMD's Alford L. Ward Professor of Physics.
"I also view Rick as the intellectual leader of the quantum materials effort at the University of Maryland," says Prabhu Goel Family Professor Steven Kivelson of Stanford. "An effort that he has nurtured until it is now one of the world-leading centers in this important area of physics."
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Gary LaFree
Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Through his distinguished career as a criminologist and founding director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), Gary LaFree has transformed how terrorism is studied and understood with systematic and data-driven methods.
LaFree, who led START from 2005-18, spearheaded the creation of the Global Terrorism Database, the leading authority on terrorism trends and an informational touchstone for researchers, industry and governmental actors domestically and aborad. He was chair of the UMD Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice from 2018-21 and was the director of the Maryland Crime Research and Innovation Centers from 2019-21.
"He is one of the most important scholars in the social scientific study of crime and criminal justice, and more specifically, he has emerged as a world leading figure, indeed as a founding figure, in our understanding and response to the important topic of terrorism," says John Hagan, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Sociology and Law Emertius, Northwestern University.
LaFree earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from Indiana University. He has been a professor at the University of Maryland since 2000.
In addition to leading START's roster of 60 senior researchers from more than 40 universities in the United States and abroad, LaFree is responsible for more than 200 publications and 11,000 citations. His research has covered topics ranging from how terrorists largely select targets based on proximity to how enhanced security and metal detectors at airports have decreased overall rates of airline hijackings but not the frequency of those motivated by terrorism.
LaFree received a Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2012, and in 2020 was given the Edwin H. Sutherland Award by the American Society of Criminology.
"Gary is simply a great scholar, a great leader in the profession, and a great citizen at Maryland," says David Weisburd, distinguished professor at George Mason University and Walter E. Meyer Professor at Hebrew University.
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Robert W. Lent
Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education
A prolific theorist and researcher in counseling and vocational psychology, Robert W. Lent has had a major impact on the understanding of career development processes, including the factors that promote academic and career interest, choice, performance and well-being.
Lent is considered the primary developer of social cognitive career theory (SCCT). He has published extensively on a variety of career development and other topics, such as inclusion of women and students of color in STEM fields, work satisfaction, career self-management, the future of work, counselor training and the promotion of psychological health.
Lent's work on SCCT, in particular, has "transformed counseling practice, knowledge about the factors that shape career development, public policy and social justice initiatives," says David L. Blustein, professor and Golden Eagle Faculty Fellow in Boston College's Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology. Lent's transformational theory has also "helped to identify the pernicious impact of sexism, racism, and other forms of marginaliziation and oppression in the educational and work lives of people across the globe," says Blustein.
Lent earned a bachelor's degree from the University at Albany, State University of New York. He earned a master's degree and Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the Ohio State University. He has written about 150 articles in refereed journals, co-edited eight books and published 39 book chapters. His work has been cited over 57,000 times, and he has been named a fellow of the American Psychological Association, in addition to numerous other honors and awards.
In addition to his scholarly work, Lent has served as chair of the College of Education Senate, interim chair of the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education and chair of the Society for Vocational Psychology. He is known for his mentoring abilities, promoting the development of young scholars at many universities in the U.S. and internationally.
"He is the preeminent researcher in his field today, and would probably be ranked among the most prominent scholars in his discipline's history," says Steven D. Brown, professor emeritus in the counseling psychology program at Loyola University Chicago. "His scholarship has ... had a significant impact on national and international efforts to promote educational and vocational equity."
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Zhanqing Li
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
Zhanqing Li has been a major contributor to the world's understanding of atmospheric, environmental and remote sensing sciences, helping to shape knowledge of the planet's changing climate.
His research on solar energy showed how much is absorbed by the atmosphere and the earth's surface, a critical component of projecting climate change; his expertise in aerosol science led to the discovery that a polluted atmosphere can decrease clouds and light precipitation while also invigorating heavy rain and thunderstorms. Li has also developed new satellite retrieval algorithms that have aided wildfire detection and used machine learning to create long-term, high-resolution records of air pollutants to aid in investigating their impact on the atmosphere and human health.
"Dr. Li is one of the most accomplished and versatile researchers in atmospheric, environmental and global change sciences," says Renyi Zhang, Harold H. Haynes Endowed Chair at Texas A&M University. "With exceptional breadth and depth, his research has encompassed aerosol, cloud, radiation budget, precipitation, air pollution, remote sensing technologies, biomass burning, and terrestrial environment."
Li earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, and received his Ph.D. from McGill University. He spent nine years as a research scientist with the Canada Center for Remote Sensing before joining the University of Maryland in 2001 as a full professor, then the youngest in the U.S. in his fields.
He has published more than 380 peer-reviewed articles in world-renowned journals such as Nature and Science, and received total funding of about $16 million from federal agencies like the National Science Foundation, DOE, NASA and NOAA. Li is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and American Meteorological Society; has received eight awards in the U.S., Canada and Germany; and is a regular contributor to reports by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The numbers of his publications and citations rank 0.1-0.5% in the world, and he has supervised about 40 Ph.D. students, many of whom have received academic and professional awards.
"I have know him for well over two decades and witnessed his fast escalation to scientific prominence in unusually short time ... thanks to his prolific and creative research," says Guoxiong Wu, a former president of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences. "There may be only a handful of colleagues in the world with achievements as many, broad and impactful as he has made."
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Liangli (Lucy) Yu
Department of Nutrition and Food Science
Through her outstanding contributions in research, education and service, Liangli (Lucy) Yu, professor of nutrition and food science, is globally recognized for improving food quality, safety and sustainability.
Her work focuses on the chemistry and biochemistry of nutraceuticals and functional foods, food safety chemistry, sustainable agricultural and food systems, and mechanisms involved in the biological functions of nutraceutical compounds and food toxicants. Among her significant research discoveries are ways to utilize grain constituents as nutraceuticals and natural food preservatives as well as how food components like edible oils, dietary fiber and antioxidants can be used to prevent aging-related health problems.
"The high caliber of Lucy's research, particularly from the analytical perspective, has raised the bar for plant antioxidant research in the field," says Bruce Hamaker, Distinguished Professor of Food Science at Purdue University. "Hers is a detailed chemical structure-based body of work."
Yu earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from China Pharmaceutical University and her doctoral degree from Purdue. She joined the University of Maryland as an assistant professor in 2003 and was promoted to associate professor in 2005 and full professor in 2009.
Her work has been cited over 17,000 times, with her findings published in more than 280 refereed articles and several books, chapters and patents. Yu is active in professional associations such as the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the International Society of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, and has garnered a slew of accolades, including the 2020 Stephen S. Chang Award for Lipid or Flavor Science from IFT.
Beyond her pioneering research, Yu is an accomplished mentor. Her doctoral students have also received various honors, including three AGNR Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year awards and first prize in an ACS graduate student dissertation research competition.
"In my 40 years of university services as a food science professor, department head and college dean, I have worked with many talented professors," says Cheng-I Wei, professor and acting chair of UMD's Department of Nutrition and Food Science, citing technical skills, teaching ability and professional influence. "But in Dr. Yu's case, you find all these talents in one person."

Richard Bell
Department of History
In his latest book, Richard Bell uncovered harrowing details about the slave trade in the U.S., while again demonstrating his deft ability to conduct important scholarly research and effectively communicate that knowledge to a wide audience.
"Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home" (2019) tells the story of free Black children in 1825 Philadelphia, their encounter with criminal enslavers, and their struggle to escape back to freedom. Through deep dives into court records, letters and newspaper accounts, Bell created a "particularly effective micro-history," says Michael Ross, a fellow professor of history at the University of Maryland.
"Many historians have discussed the overland, interstate slave trade," he says, "but Bell's searing narrative is the best, footstep-by-footstep account we have of the horrors of that 'second middle passage.'"
Bell, who earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Cambridge and his master's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University, joined UMD as an assistant professor in the Department of History in 2006. He became an associate professor in 2012 and a full professor in 2020.
He co-edited a book of essays on imprisonment in early America and many articles and book chapters, as well as the book, "We Shall Be No More: Suicide and Self-Government in the Newly United States" (2012). "Stolen" was a 2020 finalist for the George Washington Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize. It garnered prominent media attention, with reviews by outlets such as NPR and The Wall Street Journal, the latter of which wrote that Bell "vividly re-creates the squalid social environments of interstate human trafficking. His superbly researched and engaging book exposes previously hidden horrors of American slavery."
General readers have embraced "Stolen," and Bell has delivered dozens of presentations to non-academic audiences while also conducting radio, podcast and television interviews.
"'Stolen' achieves a blend of probing research and masterful storytelling that sets Professor Bell among an elite set of peers—serious historians who present scholarship to broad audiences," says Martha S. Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor at Johns Hopkins University.

Sarah Balcom
Department of Animal and Avian Sciences
Whether she's designing captivating courses, revamping her department's advising or keeping students connected during COVID-19, Sarah Balcom, principal lecturer in the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences and director of its undergraduate program, has made significant contributions to teaching on campus.
"Dr. Balcom has always demonstrated a tremendous commitment to excellence," says Chad H. Stahl, professor and chair of animal and avian sciences. "Student evaluations for her courses are among the best in the department, despite students ranking her courses as being particularly rigorous."
After earning her bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary, Balcom received her master's in animals and public policy and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Tufts University. She started at the University of Maryland in 2010 as a lecturer, working her way up to senior and then principal lecturer by 2020.
She has designed or redesigned several courses to fit students' need. Those range from basics—like "Introduction to Animal Science" and "Introduction to Veterinary Medical Terminology"—to more advanced classes like "Love Me, Hate Me, Use Me, Save Me: Our Conflicting Views of Animals," also taught as an honors seminar, and "Sheep Management," which includes the popular "lamb watch" experience that allows students to care for ewes and lambs on the Campus Farm. A Lilly Fellow in 2011-12, she also helped develop the Scholarship in Practice general education category.
"Dr. Balcom urges critical thinking rather than memorization, challenging her students to engage in discourse about relevant issues," says Rachel Gagliardi '18, one of Balcom's former students. "She provides her students with tools to be successful."
To keep students connected during the pandemic, she created virtual tours of the department and the Campus Farm, hosted many online student events and wrote weekly check-in letters.
"I have been either a student at or been employed at four different land-grant universities during my career and have never met another educator who was more capable or more passionate about improving the educational experience of students than Dr. Sarah Balcom," says Angela Black, instructor and animal care program coordinator.

Warren L. Kelley
Division of Student Affairs
Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Warren L. Kelley is an unparalleled consensus builder and problem solver who has made giving back to the University of Maryland and to higher education his mission for 40 years.
"Every person who worked with Warren would say that he is smart, competent, committed, dedicated, always goes above and beyond to serve, and listens and attends to every voice in the room," says Vice President for Student Affairs Patty Perillo, who quickly promoted Kelley after taking her position at UMD in 2019. "He is one of the finest human beings I have ever met."
Kelley came to campus in 1977 as an architecture student and has never left, earning a master's degree in administration and doctorate in counseling psychology as he moved up the ladder and across the administrative, academic and student affairs divisions.
He has assumed direction and supervision of major units of great importance to the campus and well-being of students, including the Health Center, Counseling Center, Career Center, Accessibility and Disability Service, Recreation and Wellness, and Parent and Family Affairs.
His leadership has guided major changes, including the transfer of Sports Medicine from the Athletics Department to the Health Center, the dramatic expansion of staff in the Accessibility and Disability Service, the conversion to third-party billing in the Health Center, the privatization of the University Book Center, and the integration of career programming into the academic colleges.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck blows to Student Affairs through revenue loss and additional costs, and the urgent need to institute testing and mitigation efforts, Kelley's "steady hand enabled the division to address these challenges in an initiative-taking and compassionate approach," says Greg Oler, vice president for finance and chief financial officer.
A longtime proponent of diversity and inclusion, Kelley is known for listening to marginalized voices. He co-initiated the Undocumented Student Working Group, the University Alcohol Coalition and the Veterans Task Force. He has earned praise as a teacher and mentor in the College of Education, and is frequently called upon to lead campuswide committees including co-chairing the Joint President/Senate Inclusion & Respect Task Force, the 2011-30 Facilities Master Plan Transportation Committee and the Closing the Achievement Gap Initiative.
Kelley has also worked to support the university and his field at the state and national levels, whether serving on the governor's task force to study the presence of hate groups in colleges and universities, advising the Maryland secretary of health and mental hygiene on alcohol abuse prevention efforts, or co-founding a National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Region II training program for student affairs professionals.
Linda Clement, former longtime vice president of student affairs, calls him a university treasure. "He truly is a change maker who has made the campus a better place," she says.