Page 22 - Baltimore County 2023 Quality of Life Guide & Business Directory

QUALITY OF LIFE: EDUCATION
‘OUR LOCATION
IS HUGELY
IMPORTANT TO
OUR SUCCESS’
VALERIE SHEARES ASHBY, President, UMBC
Valerie Sheares Ashby took office as the sixth President of UMBC on August 1, 2022. She is the first woman in the role and has joined the public university during a time of extraordinary growth. Here,
Sheares Ashby discusses her vision for UMBC’s future and shares how UMBC and Baltimore County support each other’s future.
You've been in the position of President for about a year now. What first attracted you to UMBC and in what ways has the university surprised you during your first year?
I was not just attracted to UMBC, I was compelled to come because of its vision and its values. I saw so clearly in UMBC the values that matter to me. This institution declares in
its mission statement that it will “redefine excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines and civic engagement.” That is an extraordinary statement and a demonstration of true leadership in higher education.
In terms of surprises, certainly, there is a lot of listening, observing and learning for any President in their first year. I have come to know a great deal about UMBC that I did not know before arriving. And I am more inspired than ever by this amazing community and its shared sense of purpose.
In what ways does UMBC's location in
Baltimore County feed into its success?
Our location is hugely important to our success, and vice versa — UMBC is contributing to the success of the region in meaningful ways. It is a great privilege to have wonderful partners in our very local neighbors here in Catonsville and Arbutus. To be sure, our proximity to public institutions and private sector research and technology companies, as well
as to other world-class educational systems and Maryland’s highly educated, skilled and engaged population positions us to recruit and retain top students, staff and faculty and provide them with exceptional opportunities. Research supported by NASA, the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense and other federal institutions, and our partnerships with University of Maryland-Baltimore and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory are just some of the reasons we have been among the fastest-growing research universities in the country. And it isn’t just in STEM fields. This area is rich with opportunities for students and faculty to learn and engage with communities in disciplines across the social sciences, arts and humanities as well.
Our location in the state of Maryland is a huge advantage
in another way: Public officials and citizens of Maryland understand the value and importance of education and have long invested in and championed it. That is not the case in every state these days, which makes me even more grateful to be serving at a public institution in Maryland.
What are some of the ways UMBC ensures its graduates are ready with the skills to fill open positions with local employers?
Our Career Center works with students throughout their time at UMBC to provide guidance and open doors to internships, practicum courses and other experiential opportunities that help ensure our graduates have the knowledge, skills and experience to be successful.
Last year, we supported 227 internships through the Maryland Technology Internship Program and Maryland Institute for Innovative Computing, for instance. And
we partner with area employers to support our students’ development and establish their career readiness. By the time they graduate, nearly 80% of undergraduates have engaged in applied learning of some kind (internships, research, service learning, student teaching and more). And our students contribute locally! More than 70% of our graduates stay in Maryland after graduation, and they are making a difference in every sector and every part of the state.
As you move into your second year, what are some of the goals you have for UMBC going forward?
My goals for us as a community are to continue to live our values and to determine together what inclusive excellence in higher education looks like today and in the future. We are developing new strategic initiatives that will support the goals of the University System of Maryland, as well as the state’s priorities, helping to drive the state’s economic competitiveness nationally and globally and create opportunities for all.
20 Quality of Life Guide and Business Directory