Meet the 2023-2024 President's Fellows

Near-Campus Vibrancy

Meet the Faculty Advisor


Kyla Liggett-Creel, PhD, MSW
Executive Director, Embrace Resource Center

Dr. Kyla Liggett-Creel (Dr. K) (she/her) is the executive director of Embrace at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The mission of Embrace is to partner with grassroots, nonprofits, and governmental organizations to address real-world challenges through civic engagement. She has a bachelor’s degree in family sciences, master’s degree in social work, master’s certificate in intercultural leadership and PhD in social work. Dr. Liggett-Creel has over 25 years of experience working with youth and families who have experienced trauma. She has been the chair of the Mayor’s Youth Trauma Workgroup, Facilitator for the Mayor’s Cabinet for Boys and Young Men of Color, and staff person for the Baltimore City Trauma Taskforce Youth Workgroup. 

Meet the 2022-2023 President's Fellows

Bing He

School of Dentistry, DDS

Bing He, PhD, (he/him/his) is a first-year dental student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), School of Dentistry. Interested in enhancing UMB's campus vibrancy, Bing proposes initiatives such as promoting interactions among professional schools, hosting cultural diversity events, and offering community engagement opportunities. He believes these efforts will create an inclusive environment that fosters wellness, enriches the surrounding community, and strengthens connections between UMB and its neighborhood.

Courtney Wittstadt

School of Pharmacy, PharmD

Courtney Wittstadt (she/her) is a third-year Pharmacy Student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She applied to the President's Fellowship because she was particularly interested in this year's topic of near-campus vibrancy, seeking to understand what it means to take up space in a community. As a Baltimore native, Courtney is conscious of how the expanding physical environment of the University of Maryland impacts the West Baltimore community and aims to learn from community members to best serve their needs.

 

Erin Walton

School of Social Work/Graduate School, PhD

Erin Walton, MSW, LCSW-C (she/her/hers) is a PhD student at the University of Maryland Baltimore, School of Social Work. She is a Clinical Social Worker who has worked in alternative school settings, treatment foster care, primary and mental health care facilities, and hospital-based violence prevention. Her expertise is in interpersonal violence and trauma, and her research interests include the intersection of violence and trauma with substance use disorders.  An interest in the structural determinants of health and the influence of the built environment on issues of urban health disparities like violence and opioid use disorder led to the inspiration for a systematic review on the topic of urban blight remediation as a community engaged approach to crime reduction.  She plans to apply the findings of her systematic review to The President’s Symposium and White Paper Project exploring Near Campus Vibrancy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

 

Henry Preston Jones

Francis King Carey School of Law, JD

Henry Jones (he/him pronouns) is a first-year student at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. Henry has lived in the Baltimore area his entire life and is deeply invested in Baltimore's future well-being. He believes his educational background in criminal justice will provide a unique perspective into the University of Maryland, Baltimore City, and the State of Maryland's future. 

 

Jodi-Ann Haynes

School of Pharmacy, PharmD

Jodi-Ann Haynes (she/her), a third-year PharmD student at the School of Pharmacy, hails from Queens, New York, with a keen interest in cities across America. Having completed her undergraduate studies in Buffalo, she sought a new experience and found herself drawn to Baltimore for its unique urban landscape. Over the past three years, residing in two different neighborhoods, she has gained a multifaceted perspective on the city, blending her experiences from both bustling metropolises and rural areas. Eager to explore Baltimore's historical roots and contribute meaningfully to its community, Jodi-Ann aims to use her platform to amplify local voices. Inspired by a relative who is an urban planner and former student of the city, she's committed to deeply understanding and appreciating Baltimore's richness and history.

Jordan-Moses Williams

School of Nursing, BSN

Jordan-Moses Williams, MSW, LMSW (he/him) is entering his final semester in the Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) program at University of Maryland School of Nursing. Jordan’s interest in Near-Campus Vibrancy is, candidly, another calling to make an impact. He hopes this year’s White Paper will drive, or at least bring to light, the need for structural, equitable, and justice-driven change for local community members and students at UMB. He believes access to economic opportunity, challenging all forms of anti-Black racism, and health and mental health outcomes are crucial to cultivating near-campus vibrancy. His commitment to advocacy stems from a near-decade experience as a masters-level social worker (MSW) from Toronto (now in Baltimore) and lived experiences across various care systems.

Minahil Cheema

School of Medicine, MD

Minahil Cheema (she/her/hers), a first-year M.D. student at the School of Medicine, is a published author on healthcare disparities and aspires to continue work in healthcare advocacy and policy during her tenure at UMB. Before matriculating into medical school, Minahil graduated early from the University of Maryland, College Park, to pursue a public service year at the Maryland Department of Health, where she committed herself to its mission of promoting lifelong health and wellness for all Marylanders. She has most significantly showcased that quality through the free telemedicine clinic she developed and continues to maintain to serve uninsured patients. Minahil embodies a steadfast commitment to leaving a positive impact wherever she goes, approaching every endeavor with the belief that leaving places better than she found them is paramount. This conviction aligns seamlessly with her current role as a President's Fellow, where she dedicates herself to enhancing the vibrancy of the campus community.