Aaron Graham joined UMB in 2019 as an Associate Director of Career Development for the School of Law. He loves advising students, organizing recruiting events, and helping future lawyers launch their careers.

Outside of work, Aaron is passionate about getting involved on campus and giving back. He represents staff interests as an elected Senator, and now leads the Senate as President. Aaron works closely with UMB leadership on initiatives that support staff and the local community. His favorite part of the job is spearheading service projects, like distributing winter weather kits to people in need.

Aaron also serves on UMB's Future of Work Taskforce and Employee Well-Being Committee. He is constantly thinking about how to enhance staff experiences. When he's not at Senate meetings or community events, you can find Aaron at home with his wife, toddler, and twin babies, or tinkering away on projects in his workshop. Aaron greatly enjoys serving as an advocate for UMB staff and bringing people together to enrich the campus community.

With a decade of experience in marketing, programming, and design, Taylor DeBoer, MA, is the Assistant Director of the Grid, UMB's Student Innovation Hub. Taylor's role involves planning a robust student programming calendar that includes more than 50 events per year as well as mentoring students and leading large-scale Grid initiatives. He also serves as a creative resource for the Graduate School. Additionally, Taylor co-chairs the Staff Senate Community Outreach Committee, contributing to community engagement efforts. Taylor holds a master's degree in Integrated Design and is dedicated to fostering innovation and empowering students.

Tom Hockensmith, MA (he, him, his), works for Center for Information Technology Services (CITS) as the Executive Director overseeing support across Central Administration units. Tom has 18 years of experience working here at UMB and holds a BA in Computer Science as well as an MA in Information Technology. He is comfortable engaging at all levels of the organization and in bridging the gap between end user needs and technical capabilities. In his spare time, Tom enjoys working outdoors and spending time with his family.

Nia Speaks is the Senior Business Manager at the The Center for Restorative Change at the School of Social Work. She manages and supports the department’s operations including specialized trainings and workshops, grant-funded projects focused on community engagement, hiring and onboarding new staff as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Speaks enjoys building relationships with University staff and external partners. She is also a member of the Mid-Atlantic Anti-Oppression Social Work Coalition, a collaboration of social work professionals from several regional universities and social work practitioners who are committed to disrupting oppression in all forms. Speaks is also involved in other DEI initiatives within the School of Social Work and in Howard County, Md.

Fiama oversees the day-to-day operations of the Office of Student Research (OSR), with a focus on improving operational efficiency and enhancing the research support students receive. Fiama manages the FRCT course, dual degree programs, student awards and events, and a growing list of summer research and training programs, including PRISM, UM Scholars at SOM, MPower/MDH, and M4I. She’s also the project manager for R-HEALE and assists with operations management for the broader Undergraduate Medical Education. 

Fiama is passionate about advocating for employee needs and improving access to healthcare and education, particularly among underserved communities.

Allison joined UMB in January 2019 as the Social Worker for a five-year grant under the Division of Psychiatric Services Research, for which she was placed at the University of Maryland Treatment Center. In that role, Allison served as the therapist and case manager for the patients of the outpatient behavioral health center. In January 2023, Allison began a new role as the Senior Health Program Specialist for the Women’s Health Clinical Training Program, a grant-funded project under the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences. Allison supports project management efforts alongside continuing to work with therapy clients.

While working on her Master of Social Work (MSW) from UMB, Allison served as the case manager and research and evaluation specialist for a residential restorative home serving survivors of domestic sex trafficking. Prior to moving to Maryland, Allison earned her MS from the University of Oxford in Evidence-Based Social Intervention, and BA in Psychology from Winthrop University.

Anthony Weldon, Jr. is the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Office Program Manager at University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC). Mr. Weldon is a rising business, legal and community affairs executive with over 10+ years of successful program management, research administration and operations within biomedical and higher education industries, and a leader that excels at partnership building, and problem solving. He was a member of the 2023-2024 cohort of the UMB Emerging Leaders program and recently elected as a UMB Staff Senator. Prior to joining the UMGCCC, Mr. Weldon served as a T32 Administrator at UMSOM Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health where he helped increase underrepresented groups in science trainee appointments. He also was instrumental in implementing national, regional, local partnerships for the University of Maryland Brain and Tissue Bank. He started his career as a research interviewer at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine recruiting physicians and their patients for a randomized controlled trial before serving as a coordinator at Cancer Institute at St Joseph Medical Center. He was recruited to be a lead instructor at Fortis Institute - Towson where he improved qualifying exam pass rates for the women-majority student population. Mr. Weldon is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, is married, and active in his community.