The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Core Values Awards recognize faculty, staff, and students who exemplify UMB’s core values of accountability, civility, collaboration, diversity, excellence, knowledge, and leadership.

These awards are bestowed by the UMB president recognizing members of the University community who, through their actions, work to foster and strengthen UMB’s values-driven culture. 

Core Values Awards will be given to individuals and/or teams who demonstrate outstanding contributions to the UMB community through the exemplary incorporation of one of the core values. A nomination may be for an action, special project or initiative, exemplary service, or achievement that occurred during calendar year 2020. In addition to value-specific criteria, each nomination will be judged on how the nominee integrated the core value into their particular team and their duties, studies, or activities at UMB. The Core Values Awards Selection Committee will seek to ensure that the award recipients reflect UMB’s broad diversity among school, affiliation (e.g., faculty, staff, or student), job classification/rank, and personal characteristics.

2021 Core Values Award Winners

The 2021 Core Values Awards were based off the University's previous set of Core Values: Accountability, Civility, Collaboration, Diversity, Excellence, Knowledge, Leadership. UMB’s core values were updated for the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan, as the University sought to evolve and revitalize the values that are at the heart of our mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good of Maryland and society at-large.

Accountability

Award Winner: Charles Schelle
Senior Media Relations Specialist
Office of Communications and Public Affairs, UMB

Honorable Mention: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine

Read about the Accountability Award Winner

Civility

Award Winner: Violeta Rus, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Medicine
School of Medicine

Honorable Mention: Mary Therese Phelan, Communications and Public Affairs, UMB

Read about the Civility Award Winner

Collaboration

Award Winner: Joint Vaccination Site Team
UMB, University of Maryland Medical Center, Faculty Physicians, Inc.

Honorable Mention: TaShara Bailey, PhD, CURE Scholars Program, UMB; Council for the Arts & Culture members, UMB

Read about the Collaboration Award Winners

Diversity

Award Winner: “A Brief History of Oppression and Resistance” Course Team
School of Social Work

Honorable Mention: Eseosa Fernandes, MD, MPH, School of Medicine; Diane Marie St. George, PhD, School of Medicine

Read about the Diversity Award Winners

Excellence

Award Winner: Intercultural Leadership and Engagement
Student Affairs, UMB

Honorable Mention: Erik Neilsen, Communications and Public Affairs, UMB; Michele Ondra, MBA, MS, Francis King Carey School of Law; Bill Crockett, MS, RCRSP, Student Affairs, UMB

Read about the Excellence Award Winners

Knowledge

Award Winner: Abree Johnson, MS, MBA
Director, Pharmaceutical Research Computing
School of Pharmacy

Honorable Mention: Steve Deck, DM, MBA, Environmental Health and Safety, UMB; David Ingle, MBA, School of Medicine

Read about the Knowledge Award Winner

Leadership

Award Winner: Nivedita Hegdekar
Student
Graduate School and Francis King Carey School of Law

Honorable Mention: Robyn Palmeiro, LCSW-C, School of Medicine; Thomas Leone, UMB Police Department

Read about the Leadership Award Winner