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Meet Debora Fajer-Smith ’81, political science. Debora is a lawyer with over 40 years of experience, who has received numerous honors for her community involvement, mentoring, and leadership. She was twice named one of the Top 100 Women in Maryland by The Daily Record, honored with the Leader in Law award, and has consistently been voted as a Best Lawyer in the personal injury category by her peers. In summer 2025, she started a new position as Partner at the law firm of Price Benowitz LLP. Earlier in the year, Debora also published her first novel, “Pieces of Gold,” under the pen name Leah Kelly, which was named a “must read” by Naptown Scoop. Debora is also an avid Retriever supporter, establishing the Fajer-Smith Some One Cares (SOCS) Scholarship in 1998. Take it away, Debora! 

Q: What initially brought you to UMBC?

A: I chose UMBC because I wanted to go to a small honors college in the Maryland system. I am a graduate of the class of 1981 and lived on campus in what was then Dorm 2. In my first semester, I ran for student body senate and never looked back. Since that moment, with everything I have done, I have tried to give back to UMBC.

I was a pre-law, political science major, and was nominated from UMBC for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. I eventually went on to the University of Maryland School of Law, and I have practiced law for over 40 years. I have loved helping injury victims who were hurt and needed help to prosper on their own again. I served on the Maryland Senate House Oversight Committee as an appointed member, as well as the Maryland State Bar Association Judicial Nominating Committee. 

Q: How have you given back to UMBC?

A: It is a gift when you look back at your life and realize how much your university helped shape your goals and prepare you for a wonderful future. UMBC did that for me. Looking back, everything I did in my career, I tried to give back to UMBC or partner with UMBC students. First, I endowed the Fajer-Smith Some One Cares (SOCS) Scholarship in 1998—which supports high school graduates from my hometown community who wish to attend UMBC—because I want my contribution to be a permanent support to the university long after I’m gone. Next, I started the UMBC Law Society, which brings together graduates who became lawyers. Most recently, I worked with the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to grant students an opportunity to gain equity in a new venture called Amron Home and Health, LLC, a brand to help support CPAP users when traveling.

Partnering with UMBC on Amron Home and Health has truly been an honor and a privilege. How special to take students interested in launching a company, winning pitch competitions, and working together for several years to build a company that would not only be profitable but bring about change in people’s lives who suffer from sleep apnea. 

Q: What is your favorite part of Retriever Nation?

A: Retriever Fever never goes away! I stay close with many of my friends and classmates.

Q: Can you tell us about your book?

A: I was always a writer, but I recently had the opportunity to write a children’s book series under the pen name Leah Kelly. In 2025, I published my first adult novel, Pieces of Gold, set in my hometown of Annapolis, Maryland. The book, which has been named a “must read” by Naptown Scoop, centers around four female friends who attended UMBC together. Each woman is distinct from the other, but nothing can break their bond. Melody holds the group together. Kate is the adventurous attorney who explores life after divorce. Dahlia is the proud Latina professional juggernaut. And you’ll root for Winifred, who struggles with her African American family expectations and her deep desire to conceive a baby. 

Pieces of Gold is a delicious romp and a fast, exciting read that sees these women traveling to different parts of the world. It tugs on your heart strings, then brings you into dangerous and very intimate moments. Hold on, especially when Kate learns to fly a small plane with a handsome instructor!

You can learn more at LeahKellyBooks.com.

Photo right: Leah Kelly book signing event at Parole Town Center.

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UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

Meet Mary Jumbelic ’79, biological sciences. Mary is an author and former chief medical examiner of Onondaga County, New York. In her 25-year career, she has performed thousands of autopsies and helped pass national safety policies for consumer products, preventing untimely deaths. She’s been an expert witness on Dateline, 48 Hours, the Discovery Channel, and the Law & Crime Network. While retired from government work, Mary continues to consult on cases while pursuing her passion for writing. In 2023, she published her first book, Here, Where Death Delights: A Literary Memoir, and just recently released her second this summer, Speak Her Name: Stories from a Life in True Crime. Take it away, Mary! 

Q: What initially brought you to UMBC?

A: When considering colleges, I was looking for lower-cost schooling to which I could commute. I couldn’t afford to move away from home or live on campus. UMBC had an excellent reputation in the sciences, and I planned to go on to medical school. The chance to attend a four-year college, live at home, and receive scholarships was extraordinary to me. Plus, the connection with the University of Maryland system paved the way for medical school.

Q: What did you love about your academic programs at UMBC?

A: As a first-generation student, I felt a bit at sea my first semester. UMBC allowed me to repeat a course I failed and receive a new grade. Both were present on my transcript, but the higher grade counted in my GPA. This grace provided me with more confidence. I also struggled as a pre-med student and drifted into accounting, education, and creative writing. UMBC made it easy to sample classes from many different disciplines. I studied under Pulitzer Prize-winning poets, heard preeminent lecturers in chemistry, and settled into a rigorous academic life in biological sciences. Taking the Myers-Briggs personality test, I matched with a career in medicine. Biology turned out to be the perfect fit.

Badminton at the gym, gamelan angklung music classes, and foreign language studies rounded out my education. I graduated cum laude in 1979, the first of my family to ever go to college.

Q: Who in the UMBC community has inspired you or supported you?

A: A posting on the biology bulletin board led to the best job I ever had in college, opening the door to four years with the Martin Marietta Environmental Technology Center’s research and development program. Dr. K. Zankel, a brilliant physicist at Martin Marietta, taught me to be a research assistant in the field and in the lab, leading by example and serving as my first, and one of my most cherished, mentors. I worked counting fish populations in the effluent from the nuclear plant (both on sonar tracking and in vivo) as well as in their sulphur dioxide monitoring program with site visits to their plant in St. Croix. UMBC accepted my affiliation and research paper for credit, which helped me graduate.

Q: Can you tell us about your career and any upcoming projects?

A: I am a board-certified forensic pathologist and former chief medical examiner of Onondaga County, the first female to hold the role in all of Central New York. In my 25-year career, I’ve performed thousands of autopsies across the United States and abroad as part of special assignments to aid in world disaster sites. I’ve even used forensic evidence to help pass national safety policies for consumer products, preventing untimely deaths. Over time, I’ve received awards for my work from the National Transportation Safety Board and the New York State Senate, among others. I am honored to have been recognized as a trailblazer by the National Organization of Women. While retired from government work, I continue to lend my expertise and consult on cases, as well as speak on forensic pathology topics on national podcasts and for educational speaking engagements. I’ve also had more time to devote to my passion—writing.

In the last decade, I’ve published numerous short stories across more than 30 publications. I’ve been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and was a top-10 finalist in the Tucson Literary Festival. In 2023, I launched my company, Final Words Publishing, and released my first book Here, Where Death Delights: A Literary Memoir. The book quickly gained international readership, receiving First Prize from The BookFest, Silver Awards from the Nonfiction Authors Association and Reader’s Favorite, as well as Gold from the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. In July 2025, I published my second book, Speak Her Name: Stories from a Life in True Crime. With this work, I give a voice to the many women I found on my autopsy table as I had learned to find my own voice, which I use to educate and empower those still with us today.

My books are true stories of my life in and out of the morgue, where I spent more than 25 years with the dead. I speak for them and demystify death for the living.

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.