Collin Sullivan ’19, information systems and economics, M.P.P. ’21, is the program director for digital credential innovation in the Division of Professional Studies. While he started as a student worker in 2015 for the Division of Information Technology (DoIT), working with faculty to leverage the use of clickers in the classroom, he now leads university efforts to offer in-demand microcredentials, such as the Greater Washington Partnership Digital Tech credential. Two things have been constant in Collin’s career: his interest in technology and his love of the UMBC community. 

Q: What led you to your current role? 

A: In many ways, my professional time at UMBC found me. I began as an undergraduate student worker in Instructional Technology with DoIT. I started by supporting classroom clickers in classes all across campus. I’ve always been interested in educational technology, so I was incredibly fortunate and lucky to have had that opportunity during my undergrad. 

When I was about to graduate, like many rising seniors, I was really unsure of where I was going to go. I was feeling uneasy about looking for jobs because I knew the values of UMBC and the community that exists here, and I had a hard time thinking about other places to work that would have the same feeling. My passion for educational technology never waned, and in the end I found an opportunity at UMBC.

Q: How many hats do you wear at UMBC?

A: I have had many roles here at UMBC: undergraduate student, graduate student, alumnus, staff, and adjunct faculty member. I’ve studied information systems, economics, and public policy. I began my career in the Division of Information Technology, and now I am in Extended Studies with the Division of Professional Studies. It is without question that I am who I am, and where I am, because of UMBC. 

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you.

A: There are way too many people to name! The first person who comes to mind is Craig Berger, my Student Government Association advisor when I was an undergrad. There is no other way to put it other than Craig is the best. During my first few days at UMBC, I made my way to the Campus Life office, and Craig always made me feel welcomed and, later, truly empowered me to feel like I could make a difference on campus and beyond the loop. He taught me that even during times that feel particularly challenging, the world is still malleable. A different perspective and level-headed, strategic approach often is a meaningful path forward.

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?

A: In many ways, UMBC is a small town. It feels like a close-knit community where it’s easy to make meaningful connections with people from diverse backgrounds who genuinely care about each other. While we strive for excellence, there’s no sense of competition—everyone supports one another in achieving personal and collective success, whether in academics, work, or relationships.

Q: Tell us about an organization you’re involved in as part of your work.

A: I’ve had the privilege of being involved with 1EdTech, a national education technology organization, where I serve as co-chair of the Digital Credential Innovation Leadership Network. Our goal is to ensure that everyone who earns digital credentials can confidently showcase their verified competencies and achievements, using them in ways that best support whatever is next in life.

Q: What’s your favorite place on campus to relax or meet friends? 

A: My favorite spot has changed over the years—from the tables by the Library pond to the area outside the RAC and the Forum sculpture at the PAHB. But honestly, my go-to answer has to be the coveted comfy chairs at Starbucks! I’ve had so many amazing conversations with friends, mentors, and colleagues there. Plus, you never know who you’ll bump into. There’s just something about the possibilities of chatting over a cup of coffee.

Q: What part of your job do you enjoy the most and why?

A: Working with faculty and staff to create new pathways for learners to reach their goals. It’s easy to get caught up in our own worlds and forget to pause and reflect on the progress we’re all making. I love that I get to collaborate with others to create space for those reflections, where we can really think about what we want learners to achieve. The best part? Seeing the end result—acknowledging all the hard work, both seen and unseen, that helps learners improve their lives and take the next step in their journey.

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 Brian Frazee, the president and CEO of the Delaware Hospital Association. Brian is a double alum—earning his political science degree in 2011 and his M.P.P. in health policy in 2012—a former resident assistant (RA), and the current president of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors. But most importantly, he would say, Brian is married to Angela Frazee ‘11, psychology, whom he met during his time at UMBC, and the couple have three daughters. Take it away, Brian!

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?

A: I am an alumnus who met his wife, who was a fellow RA in another residence hall, at UMBC. (On the right here, we’re posing for Valentine’s Day in 2009 in the Erickson Hall lobby.) We are now the proud parents of three girls and recently moved to Delaware. Our family loves UMBC and we plan to be lifelong engaged alumni! 

Q: How have you stayed connected with the UMBC community?

A: I have had the privilege of serving as president of the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors since 2020. Leading this board through the pandemic and historic leadership transition has been the honor of a lifetime and has allowed me to give back to UMBC in more ways than I ever could have imagined. Through this experience, I’ve seen firsthand the dedication, commitment, and contributions that make UMBC the special community it is.

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?

A: The culture of UMBC is very special. Everyone has a place at UMBC. The commitment to inclusive excellence is real, whether you are a student or an alum. There are countless opportunities to get involved and no contribution or commitment is too small!

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you, and how they did it.

A: People who volunteer their time in an effort to better their community inspire me most. With all of the challenges we face in this post-pandemic period, it is inspiring when people step up to do the hard work of making their community better for everyone without expecting anything in return. These unsung heroes give me hope and confidence that our best days are ahead of us.

Q: Tell us about your current job. What do you like most about it?

A: I am the president and CEO of the Delaware Healthcare Association. The privilege and opportunity to advance healthcare policy with the goal of enabling Delawareans to reach optimal health is what I enjoy most about the work. The hospital, health system, and healthcare-related organizations that make up the membership of my organization inspire me with the innovative and dedicated work they do every day to make progress toward this goal.

Q: What is your WHY? What brought you to UMBC?

A: I was attracted to UMBC because of its unique culture of inclusive community that has only gotten stronger since my time as a student. UMBC is not a place; it’s a community. That special and unique culture became evident quickly when I arrived on campus and it’s why I have remained engaged as an alumnus.

The Frazee family with Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman at her inaugural celebration. “We took our girls to Annapolis for the ceremony and celebration because it was important to us that they witnessed the historic swearing-in of the first woman independently elected to state-wide office in Maryland,” says Frazee.

Q: Where have you found support in the UMBC community?

A: There are so many people who have supported me along my UMBC journey. The individualized attention that is engrained in our culture certainly helped me get to where I am today. Service learning volunteering opportunities through the Shriver Center, internships, campus involvement and leadership, and dedicated professors are specific examples of ways the UMBC community supported me.

Q: What’s your favorite part of Retriever Nation?

A: The special pride we share as members of Retriever Nation is my favorite part of our community. That instant connection and understanding I feel when I meet a fellow member never gets old!

Q: What drives you to support UMBC?

A: We support the UMBC Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund which is led by the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors. While we see the value in giving to all parts of the UMBC community, my wife and I believe that this fund most directly supports future generations of Retrievers. My wife benefited from this fund as an undergraduate and supporting it as alumni is our way of paying it forward!

* * * * *

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.

UMBC is always full of hard-working people who aspire to do great things, and the class of 2014 is no exception. Today, we wanted to share with you what some of our recent graduates are planning to do with their Retriever education.

For seven of her eight semesters at UMBC, Kat Schuster, theatre, dedicated her time to the costume shop on campus. A Linehan Artist Scholar, she has been recognized by the theatre department, local theatre companies and their audiences. While aiding younger students through UMBC Residential Life and the Wilde Lake High School Theatre Department, Schuster was awarded the Outstanding Departmental Service Award along with the Linehan Summer Award. She now plans to work in theatre administration and technician and costuming positions at Daydreams and Nightmares Aerial Theatre, Historical designs, and the Jim Rouse Theatre.

Mary Hester, dance and interdisciplinary studies, used her love of dance and advocacy to serve as president of the Dance Council of Majors, receive the Linehan Summer Research and Study Award, and perform at the American College Dance Festival. Her project “Arts Advocacy: Promoting Policy Change,” analyzed “the benefits of dance lessons and the political implications for arts education.” She now plans to complete an M.P.P. at UMBC.

A campus leader and driven student, Kwadwo “Kojo” Owusu-Boaitey, philosophy and biological sciences, was a Meyerhoff Scholar, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Scholar, and Salutatorian for the Class of 2014. He was greatly involved as a member of the club soccer team, president of the Meyerhoff Scholars, co-founder and treasurer of the Minority Association of Premedical Students, and vice president of Philosophers Anonymous. Owusu-Boaitey has completed breast cancer research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, has done research at MIT labs for two summers, and is now contributing to a research manuscript. He plans to earn his M.D./Ph.D. from Harvard and MIT after graduation.

Miss Baltimore 2014, Miss Maryland 2013 runner-up, and winner of two Miss America Academic Awards, Samantha Hawkins, cultural anthropology and interdisciplinary studies, visual research methodology, was a member of the Honors College and received the Undergraduate Research Award. She has volunteered weekly at St. Francis Neighborhood Center, was a goodwill ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and interned at Maryland State Arts Council and the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Hawkins plans to earn her Ph.D. in socioanthropology with a fully-funded fellowship at Harvard University.

Learn more about the Class of 2014!