UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby will host the 2026 Presidential Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 13, in the University Center Ballroom. The event will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. and will include an awards ceremony and reception recognizing faculty, staff, and university honorees for excellence in teaching, research, mentorship, service, and creative achievement.
Several UMBC community members have received the University System of Maryland Board of Regents awards, including Tara Carpenter for Excellence in Teaching, Michael Summers for Excellence in Mentoring, Curtis Menyuk for Excellence in Scholarship or Research, Brian Kaufman for Excellence in Creative Activity, and Laura Schraven for Outstanding Service for Students.
Other featured honorees include Lindsay DiCuirci, named 2026 – 2029 Presidential Teaching Professor, and Weidong Zhu, selected as 2026 – 2029 Presidential Research Professor. Joby Taylor, Ph.D. ’05, will receive the 2026 Presidential Distinguished Exempt Staff award, while Michele Kimery will be recognized as the 2026 Presidential Distinguished Non-Exempt Staff honoree.
Additional university honors will be presented to David Clurman and Michael Canale, recipients of the 2026 Diane M. Lee Teaching Award; Keith Harmon, recipient of the 2026 Jakubik Family Endowment Staff Award; Maisha Cron, recipient of the 2026 Karen L. Wensch Endowment Award for Outstanding Non-Exempt Staff; Ramana Vinjamuri, recipient of the 2026 Marilyn E. Demorest Award for Faculty Advancement; David Hoffman, Ph.D. ’13, recipient of the 2026 Teresa Lupinek Endowment Award; and Mehdi Benna, recipient of the 2026 UMBC Research Faculty Excellence Award.