As just one example of his dedication to University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) students, Marquette Turner, PhD, staff psychologist and clinical director, Student Counseling Center (SCC), was late to the videoconference being held to surprise him with the news that he is UMB’s September Employee of the Month because he was counseling a student.

When he was able to join the Sept. 16 videoconference, just a few minutes late, UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, told Turner of the honor.  

“I’ve read many laudatory comments about how you take care of a lot of our students, staff, and faculty with great attention, so I’m most appreciative of that,” Jarrell said. “It’s great to honor you and the great things you’re doing for this University.”

Turner manages the day-to-day functioning of the center and counsels four or five students daily about their personal or psychological concerns. He was previously the SCC’s training director, training externs and doctoral students.

He was described by his colleagues as a helpful mentor and approachable co-worker who is a knowledgeable and skillful collaborator.

“He always is a source of guidance and support for our entire staff, and everybody feels comfortable saying, ‘Let me go consult with Dr. Turner,’ which I think is a testament to the qualities and characteristics that he embodies at UMB,” said Jenna Silverman, PhD, executive director, SCC and Educational Support, who is Turner’s supervisor.

Patty Alvarez, PhD, MS, chief student affairs officer and vice president, who nominated Turner for the award along with Silverman, said she felt compelled to nominate him after a student told her of the effect he’d had on her.

“A student stated that Dr. Turner is ‘invaluable to the University’ and ‘outside of my parents, Dr. Turner really changed my life and impacted many areas of my life,’ ” Alvarez wrote. “These are powerful comments that help to communicate the positive impact that Dr. Turner has on the lives of students.”

Turner said this student’s comment is one of the best things he’s heard about his impact.

“I sought out this line of work because I want to be a help to people to not only ameliorate challenges that they have presently, but also help them grow,” he said. “I’m not always sure of my exact impact on people, so to hear someone say that I’ve had that sort of impact on their life is rewarding, and it reaffirms why I do what I do.”

Connecting with Students and Colleagues

Silverman said students “have expressed their appreciation for his consistent support, helpful interventions, and ethical approach to counseling.”

Another student at the videoconference said she attended one of Turner’s workshops in her first year at UMB in 2015. “It was about how to manage stress, and I still use those tools today,” she said. “I just want to say thank you so much from a student’s perspective.”

Turner said working with students is his favorite part of the job.

“I like being able to connect with our students and help them manage the challenges that they’re having while they’re here,” he said. “I find that very rewarding, because it’s not only about what I know professionally and technically, but also a part of the counseling experience is forming a relationship with people, and through that relationship, helping people to develop, helping people to grow, helping people to ameliorate whatever symptoms or challenges that they're having.

“I often tell students that it’s not about how smart you are in terms of whether you can complete your program. Schools do a good job of picking people who can be successful academically. But it’s really how you handle the bumps and the unexpected things along the way,” he said. “I’m helping students manage the things they’re not expecting, or stressors, teaching them skills so that they can work to their fullest potential and achieve their degree.”

Turner said working with his SCC colleagues is satisfying, too.

“Coming here every day and working with people who are so passionate about what they’re doing and so thoughtful about how they’re working with students is rewarding,” he said. “This has been a very good place to be, and the University as a whole shows a concern for students.”

Turner emphasizes the importance of self-care to his colleagues, Silverman said.

“Dr. Turner strongly encourages other staff to take care of themselves during high-stress periods and will frequently take on additional clinical duties to ensure that the SCC team members have self-care opportunities,” she said. “He has an open-door policy that welcomes staff to stop by with any questions and is flexible with his time to support the mission of the SCC.”

Pitching in Elsewhere

Turner also works as a liaison to the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Graduate Program in Life Sciences and the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, keeping in touch with the student affairs deans to update them about SCC’s services and offerings.

“In that role, I may be the person who they contact to talk about students who they are concerned about,” he said. “There may be a student in crisis or they may be concerned about the student’s health or safety. The staff or faculty member may consult with me to determine how best to help the student in crisis or how to access the services that they need.”

Turner also recently worked on SCC’s accreditation process.

“He has displayed innovation and discovery as the training director through his involvement in the SCC accreditation process, specifically as the SCC team developed policies and made other organizational changes prior to submitting their application,” Alvarez said. “After an extensive application process and site visit, the SCC was accredited by the International Accreditation of Counseling Services in November 2023.”

Turner said the work involved discussing the center’s priorities, looking at how it provides its services, and tracking data of students served and outcomes.

“It was presenting that data so we could give a full picture of the type of services and the type of activities that the counseling center staff was involved in as a whole,” he said.

Turner, who has worked at SCC for six years, will receive a certificate, letter of commendation, and $250 in his next paycheck. He called the UMB honor humbling and overwhelming.

“It’s settling in, and I’m happy that somebody thinks I deserved it,” he said.

He thanked Alvarez, Silverman, and his SCC colleagues for their support.

“Any successes that I have achieved are related to the teamwork of the staff at the SCC,” he said. “Without my colleagues and their support, my role would be much harder. I believe my successes are a product of the leadership of Dr. Silverman, our executive director, and the leadership provided by Dr. Alvarez as the VP of student affairs.”

— Jen Badie