Dear Colleagues: 

I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Dr. Roger Ward to serve as dean of the Graduate School and interim provost and executive vice president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB).

Dr. Ward is an accomplished educator and administrator with an impressive and diverse array of leadership experiences that have equipped him with a full appreciation and understanding of key strategic areas and issues in higher education. Dr. Ward leads UMB's strategic planning activities to assure that all levels of the University pursue excellence in education, research, and service and serve the public good consistent with our mission, vision, and core values. He serves as the University's accreditation liaison officer to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is credited with designing the 2016 decennial Middle States self-study process. He co-chaired the self-study steering committee, resulting in an unprecedented level of engagement in the self-study process and leading to full re-accreditation without recommendations and with commendations from the commission for the quality of the self-study process and report. Dr. Ward also is credited with the successful adoption of the adjunct faculty and graduate assistant policies that enhanced both groups' status as members of the University community. He currently serves on the MPowering the State steering committee, which is responsible for nurturing and sustaining UMB's and the University of Maryland, College Park's joint effort at promoting innovation and impact through research, entrepreneurial activity, and educational collaboration. 

Dr. Ward is widely recognized as the architect of the UMB Graduate School's "reinvention" and growth strategy that was launched in 2014. As vice dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Ward streamlined its organizational structure to make it nimble and more responsive to the educational needs of the shifting student demographic and graduate education marketplace. He oversaw the process that resulted in the adoption of an appointment and promotion policy in the Graduate School, granting it the standing and the independence to appoint faculty to teach in its unaffiliated academic programs. He provided the leadership and expertise needed to successfully develop and launch the Graduate School's first three fully online graduate academic programs, and he oversees the school's successful efforts at building an entrepreneurial portfolio of graduate programs that are self-sustaining and responsive to the evolving needs of the health and human services workforce in the state.

Dr. Ward is an educator with over 15 years of continuous experience teaching graduate and undergraduate adult learners in the online and blended learning environment. As an instructional faculty member at University of Maryland Global Campus (formerly University of Maryland University College), Morgan State University, Stony Brook University, Capella University, the New School, and New England College, Dr. Ward has designed, written, and taught over 25 unique graduate courses, successfully chaired six dissertation committees, and served as a member of 10 other dissertation committees.

Dr. Ward joined UMB in March 2009 as the associate vice president for academic and student affairs. He served as chief academic officer and interim dean of the Graduate School during the 2011-2012 academic year. In June 2012, Dr. Ward was named UMB's first chief accountability officer and was promoted to vice president for academic affairs in October 2013 and to vice president of operations and planning in June 2015. He served as interim chief human resources officer from October 2014 to November 2015. Dr. Ward most recently served as UMB's chief operating officer in the title of senior vice president for operations and institutional effectiveness. Before joining UMB, Dr. Ward served as assistant vice president for student affairs at the New School in New York City and held administrative positions in the City University of New York system.

Dr. Ward holds a doctor of education degree with distinctions in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he holds two law degrees: a doctor of law degree from New York Law School, and a master of science in law (cybersecurity law) from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. He also holds a master's in public administration and a bachelor's degree in government, both from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, as well as an associate's degree in data processing/computer programming from Kingsborough Community College.

Having served in his 10-year-plus tenure at UMB as its chief student affairs officer, chief academic officer, accreditation liaison officer, chief human resources officer, chief accountability officer, and chief operating officer, I can think of no one better qualified to oversee UMB's academic programs and functions at the enterprise level during this period of transition.

Please join me in recognizing and supporting Dr. Ward in his new role.

Sincerely,

Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
Interim President