The College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences is home to high-tech scientific instrumentation alongside traditional infrastructure like water pipes and HVAC systems, all of which UMBC researchers and students rely on. That equipment also requires regular maintenance and occasional upgrades, and it’s the often-invisible work of UMBC’s skilled and experienced building managers that keeps things humming. Four CNMS building managers welcomed us into their world, sharing everything from what it takes to succeed in their roles to the hidden gems found in their buildings.

Meet the building managers:

• Erik Crowe, Physics Building
• Dennis Cuddy, Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building
• Brian Moravec, Meyerhoff Chemistry Building
• Sam Williams, Biological Sciences Building and Schwartz Hall

Erik Crowe
Building Manager, Physics Building

Erik Crowe brought five years of hands-on expertise as a laboratory specialist in the UMBC physics department and prior experience at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to his current role as physics department building manager, which he assumed in 2019. Today he supports faculty, staff, and students in physics—including the Earth and Space Institute and Quantum Science Institute—overseeing everything from HVAC systems to lab renovations. Crowe thrives on the blend of technical innovation, educational support, and collaborative spirit he gets to practice in his role.

Q: What do you enjoy about your role?

A: I appreciate that every day presents new challenges to problem-solve and support occupants of the Physics Building. My position allows me to leverage my technical background in facilities management and in educating students, staff, and faculty about prototyping and precision machine operations in the machine shop. I also appreciate my collaboration with my colleagues. We have a wonderful staff team in physics, and I couldn’t be successful in my position without their support. The faculty, staff, and students are always finding new ways to push me to expand my skill set.

Q: What brought you to UMBC? 

A: I started my career as a process engineer developing and fabricating cryogenic detectors, devices that use ultra-low temperatures to very sensitively detect particles, for the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. I thoroughly enjoyed the work, but working in a cleanroom is grueling, and I was looking for something new. Encouraged by my former college advisor, I applied for the lab specialist position at UMBC and was hired in December 2014. It was the change that I needed. I have grown both professionally and personally over the last decade, hitting career goals and growing my family. 

Q: What are some of your proudest moments?

A: I am particularly proud of collaborating with the structural maintenance department in facilities management (FM) to renovate approximately 40 spaces in the building over the course of a year and a half. These included research labs, office spaces, and our graduate student wing. It is a tremendous amount of work to plan, organize, and facilitate a project of that size, but we were able to do it with minimal interruption and impact to the building occupants.

I am also proud of the ongoing work to improve the HVAC system within the Physics Building. Over the last decade, we’ve gathered data and addressed the underlying issues, so completing the HVAC study last year was a huge milestone for me. We have a lot of work left to do, but we are moving in the right direction every day.

Q: What does it take to be a successful building manager?

A: It takes large doses of patience, persistence, organization, and communication skills to be a successful building manager. You have to prioritize different issues that arise on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. There are emergencies where a building system might go down or malfunction. In those situations, you have to stay calm, gather data, run through your contact list, formulate a plan, communicate the impact, and follow up to make sure all aspects of an issue are addressed. You also have to be prepared to pivot when things don’t go smoothly. 

I submit work orders every day to keep the building running. There are small maintenance and renovation projects where I meet with the FM shops to discuss our approach, there are large-scale projects that can significantly impact occupants and their academic and research activities, and everything in between. My day is never the same and the requests I receive ebb and flow. 

Q: What are some of your favorite spaces or hidden gems in the building?

A: The machine shop is my favorite space in the building. Over the last decade, I have built the shop to match the department’s needs. I am proud of the resource it has become and my interactions with students, staff, and faculty to help them develop their technical skills. I am excited about the future of the space, and how we can continue to grow its capabilities and educational programming. It’s a lean facility, but it packs a punch.

Not all of our research activities are performed inside the building. We installed a dedicated research platform on the roof in 2018, which gathers data for atmospheric physics and astrophysics research. But the roof doesn’t just house equipment—it also provides some of the best views on campus of the Baltimore skyline.

Dennis Cuddy
Senior Facilities Manager, Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building and beyond

Dennis Cuddy, administrator of the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building (ILSB) and senior facilities manager in the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, is in his 26th year at UMBC and his sixth in his current role. Cuddy’s career exemplifies innovative problem-solving and dedication to UMBC’s scientific ecosystem, from orchestrating the renovation of the Meyerhoff Chemistry Building to managing dozens of classrooms, labs, and core facilities that support hundreds of students and researchers. 

Q: What do you appreciate about your role?

A: UMBC has allowed me to use my strengths in organization, scheduling, and operations while exposing me to skills like web development, event planning, and major construction operations—above and beyond what I could offer when I was hired. Now, I handle building operations across colleges and consult for administrative departments I’ve worked with over the years. It’s fulfilling to be asked your opinion about how things can run better.

Q: What brought you to UMBC?

A: I answered an ad in the Baltimore Sun for a chemist, which listed managerial duties similar to what I was doing at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center. I still have the ad somewhere at home.

Q: What are some of your proudest moments? 

A: I oversaw the renovation of the Meyerhoff Chemistry Building from 2002 to 2005. When we needed additional funds to finish the project, I wrote a construction grant to the National Center for Research Resources that was awarded. Being tasked with reporting the research activities going on in the renovated space for 20 years after the fact was the price I paid, but it was worth it. 

Q: What does it take to be a successful building manager?

A: It takes patience, good communication, organization, and being proactive when needed (and knowing when that is). You have to be a representative of the university and a good steward of state-appropriated funds. Helping colleagues when needed is essential, because even buildings with dedicated facility managers often lack backups.

Q: What are some of your favorite spaces or surprising facts about the building?

A: The lobby by the third floor elevators is pretty amazing, with the green roof and double helix staircase to the fourth floor, but I find that sitting in the main lobby, anonymously taking in the beauty of the space and the energy of the students, is the most rewarding. Most people don’t know that the ILSB sits on a redirected creek bed, and even during the driest times, the water table is only eight feet beneath the basement floor. 

Brian Moravec
Building Manager, Meyerhoff Chemistry Building

Brian Moravec honed his skills through two decades in USDA molecular biology labs. For the last six years, he has ensured that research and teaching go smoothly in the Meyerhoff Chemistry Building as its building manager. Moravec coordinates repairs and maintenance, manages inventories, and supervises the department’s glassblower and teaching lab manager—turning potential disruptions into opportunities for safety and efficiency.

Q: What do you enjoy about your role?

A: I like that my responsibilities change from day to day. One day I may spend most of my time in the office completing administrative tasks, and the next day I might respond to an urgent water leak. I also like that my colleagues in the department, college, and facilities management all have the same goal: Keep things running safely and smoothly to serve our community’s education and research needs.

Q: What brought you to UMBC? 

A: I worked in a molecular biology lab at the USDA in Beltsville, Maryland for 20 years. Near the end of that time, I was able to take temporary work as a facility operations specialist at the National Agricultural Library and the National Arboretum. These temporary jobs boosted my interest in the field of building management and operations. When I saw an opening at UMBC in a STEM field, I decided to make a switch.

Q: What are some of your proudest moments?

A: I am proud of the water damage mitigation I helped with during the 2022 Christmas flood. Our building was damaged, but we didn’t lose any scientific equipment because I had prepared some items in advance, just in case we needed to divert water around million-dollar instruments. I am also proud of the safety record in both the teaching and research labs in the building. Our building can be dangerous, with flammable and toxic materials, but the safety training and equipment we provide helps keep what can be a dangerous place very safe.

Q: What is something you want people to know about the building or your role?

A: People should know that sometimes the building smells—it’s old! There are a lot of different chemicals in use, but a strange odor by itself is not dangerous. Also, I consider myself a problem solver. People come to me with all sorts of difficulties and issues. I may not be able to fix them all, but I can almost certainly find someone that can help.

Sam Williams ’99
Building Manager, Biological Sciences Building and Schwartz Hall

Sam Williams ’99, history, has dedicated 24 years to UMBC, serving the last 11 as building manager for the Biological Sciences Building after 13 years as assistant athletics director for facilities and operations. His role spans routine maintenance, crisis response, vendor coordination, budget oversight, and safety compliance.

Q: What do you enjoy about your role?

A: I appreciate the fact that no day is ever the same. I feel like we have a great department, from the students to the faculty and staff, which makes coming to work a lot easier. 

Q: What are some of your proudest moments? 

A: I’ve been a part of two major events: COVID and the great flood in December of 2022. Both of these events brought their own set of challenges. However, the biggest goal for both was making sure that research continued and building occupants were able to work in a safe environment. I have a lot of memories from both.

Q: What does it take to be a successful building manager?

A: I feel like you need patience and the ability to adapt. Things can change by the minute, so being prepared and prioritizing is an essential skill. I would also say that problem-solving is one of the best skills I’ve learned. Having a good working relationship with building occupants and FM makes my life a lot easier, too.

The west wing of George and Betsy Sherman Hall is open to students and staff again after 18 months undergoing extensive renovations and modernizations. While the renovation on the building’s east wing (adjacent to Academic Row) begins in earnest this semester, west wing residents are settling into their colorful and versatile office set ups and classroom spaces.

Walking into the Sherman Hall atrium, a floating staircase dominates the entryway, but if you take a right and a left and walk past a few brightly colored sitting areas, you’ll find the new offices of Division of Undergraduate Academic Affairs (UAA) and Academic Transition Programs. It’s no longer just the offices of ATP, it’s now also home to the Individualized Study Program (INDS) and the University Innovation Alliance (UIA) as well.

Relocation inspires collaboration

With this exciting new phase for campus, comes disruptions to some normal operations. Laila Shishineh, a new resident in Sherman Hall’s office suites, and the assistant vice provost and assistant dean for UAA, understands the disruption better than most. Shishineh and her team were relocated two years ago because of the renovations to temporary offices that were shared with them by the Academic Success Center. Now as they settle into their new office space—shared with two offices who await their new space in the east wing—Shishineh celebrates the infrastructural improvements and also the new opportunities for collaboration that weren’t possible before.

Under a plan developed by Shishineh alongside Facilities Management, ATP, UIA, and INDS, the new suite space in Sherman Hall’s west wing will be shared by these offices, with hoteling space available for days when employees overlap. This collaboration of 17 people allows flexibility for people to work in the office some days and work from home on other days.

This physical proximity to other departments allows for unique opportunities of collaboration between them. “It’s so nice to have a suite space,” says Shishineh. ”People get to build new relationships and support each other in different ways as opposed to just being ‘doors in a hallway’ somewhere on campus.”

As a former resident assistant in college, Shishineh thought of creating an office-mate agreement, based on the concept of a roommate agreement. Across the three departments, people were paired up based on schedule, personalities, and types of roles. A meet and greet was held so everyone could get to know their officemate, and outline an agreement. The agreements include everything from what days each person is working in the office or from home, to how much shelf space they each get.

Student-centered design

The new physical structure of Sherman Hall not only allows for more collaboration among the faculty and staff working there, but also for students. A noticeable difference in the layout is the student-centered design: with plenty of collaborative spaces including lounges, conference/study rooms, vending machines, and TVs broadcasting events happening on campus.

“I hope it becomes a place where students come not just for classes, but to hangout, study, and congregate,” says Shishineh. Improvements have also been made to make wayfinding easier in Sherman Hall, since the two wings make some things difficult to find. New signage, room numbering, general space layouts and color-coding help everyone more easily find their way to the other occupied offices in the west wing, including the George and Betsy Sherman Center, which is home to the umbrella of programs that help train up teachers in urban schools that will transform lives in the communities they serve.

A feature to look forward to is the courtyard between the east and west wings of Sherman Hall. This multi-tiered green space with new ramps and stairs will provide gathering places and outdoor classroom opportunities at each level when the entire renovation is complete.

Construction and cost, with a mind for sustainability

At the beginning of the project, UMBC evaluated tearing down Sherman Hall and rebuilding it, versus a significant renovation. It was determined that the structure was still very solid and the cost of a new structure could be as much as 40 percent of the cost of a building, says Stacy Brian, the Facilities Management project manager for the renovation. By renovating instead of starting new, money was saved on excavation, underground utilities to serve the building, new foundations, new steel structure, new stair and elevator shafts and new floor slabs, and more.

But to complete the job, Sherman Hall needed to be gutted down to the bones of the building, with only concrete floor slabs and steel structure remaining. Just about everything else is brand new, says Brian: New elevators, HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical, walls, ceilings, roof, fire alarm and protection systems, finishes, IT/AV, etc.

Besides the bottom-line cost, there were more considerations for taking on the renovation. Believe it or not, but “tearing this building down completely in the heart of campus would also have been much more disruptive than what we are experiencing now,” says Brian.

The campus utility tunnel wraps all around Sherman Hall, so a significant amount of money would have been spent on protecting the tunnel so that heating, cooling, and power across all of campus wouldn’t be disrupted.

There were also considerations regarding the environmental sustainability of the project. “It was definitely ‘greener’ (more sustainable) to use as much existing structure as possible to save those items from the landfill, the generation of more embedded carbon, etc.,” says Brian.

Additionally, Sherman Hall is now much more energy efficient, greatly reducing not only UMBC’s carbon footprint but also saving money on utilities. These savings can provide UMBC the opportunity to spend that money on other important upgrades across the campus. Some of the new features include much larger windows, which bring more daylight into the rooms. Students, staff, and faculty can all benefit from more daylight for their mental health and general well-being.

“This project has been a shining example of how all of the different departments from many different UMBC divisions can come together and accomplish a very difficult task,” says John Zahor, assistant vice president for Facilities Management.

From sharing offices, providing earbuds to get through the noise of construction, and putting up with all the other disruptions necessary for a project like this, Zahor says that the building’s returning occupants have remained open and flexible, and that’s made all the difference.  Zahor says without the cooperation of many folks across campus, an already difficult task would have been impossible. Thanks to Craig Goodwin, the director of design and construction, Molly Power, UMBC’s campus planner in charge of the temporary space planning and Elyse Clegg, manager of facilities support services, and Joe Washington, moving/logistics coordinator and the student workforce supervisor,  “This was a job well done,” says Zahor.

“We hope to be done by the beginning of the 2027 spring semester to give this wonderful building back to the campus community without fences and temporary signs, ready for full use,” says Zahor.

Meet Rachel Brubaker, M.A. ’00, historical studies, assistant director for grants and program development at the Dresher Center for the Humanities. Brubaker, a self-proclaimed humanities nerd, has worked in different positions at UMBC for 22 years, but her current seat in the Dresher Center allows her to combine her UMBC degree with her passion for public humanities and education to collaborate with faculty members on research proposals and help connect them to prestigious funding opportunities. Take it away, Rachel!

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

A: I have been assistant director for grants and program development in the Dresher Center for the Humanities for nearly 10 years. In that capacity, I assist faculty in the arts and humanities get prestigious grants and fellowships. It’s a joy to learn about their research projects and help bring them to fruition. 

Before that I worked for 12 years in the history department on “Teaching American History” professional development grants with eight area school districts. I received my master’s degree in historical studies from UMBC in 2000 and prior to that directed the National History Day Program for middle- and high-school students.

In a different life, I was a graphic designer and education communications professional, but that’s old news. I am a proud history/public history/humanities nerd, and I love working with our faculty!

Q: Tell us what you love about your place of work.

A: The Dresher Center is an interdisciplinary intellectual community in the truest sense. Our programs and grants support and promote faculty and graduate student research in the humanities at UMBC. We run a number of fellowship programs for faculty at all stages of their careers, and provide a temporary home for visiting and internal fellows to research, write, and think about the humanities in conversation with each other. 

Our multi-year Inclusion Imperative program, funded by the Mellon Foundation, challenged us to put the tools of the humanities to use to further equity, inclusion, and social justice. With that charge, we have expanded our support for the public humanities at UMBC and formed a regional diversity teaching network of humanities scholars at area institutions who are doing similar work.

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

A: Collaborating with faculty on their research proposals. This often begins in learning about them and their works in progress. Finding the right support for them to write books, create digital projects, and collaborate with community scholars and partners is supremely gratifying!

Q: Tell us about your primary WHY, and how it led you to UMBC.

A: I came to UMBC because I was transitioning from one career to another, and UMBC became the place to do it. I began as a freelance designer in OIA, then entered the M.A. program in historical studies. After finishing the program, I came back to help run grant programs in the Center for History Education in the history department. That led to my present position in the Dresher Center.

Q: Tell us about the people who have helped you at UMBC, and why their HOW made such a difference to you.

A: There are many people who have made a difference…too many to list, but I have truly appreciated the caliber of support and kindness from colleagues, who have challenged me and helped me grow in my career. I have become a better writer and thinker with their help.

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

A: Kriste Lindenmeyer was professor of history and chair of the department at UMBC for a number of years (now retired). Kris was a true force of nature. She inspired me with her dedication to the department, students, faculty and to her scholarship.

Q: What would you tell someone who is considering a career at UMBC?

A: Think about UMBC not as an office, but as a community of like-minded people who value and produce knowledge and look to make a difference. As a long-time staff member and former student, I have had the pleasure of seeing the campus evolve to become a place that is inclusive, creative, and original!

* * * * *

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.

It’s official: The Baltimore Sun has again named UMBC one of the “Top Workplaces” in the Baltimore region, for the eighth time since 2013. UMBC is featured on the Sun’s list of top large employers—organizations with 400 employees or more—and is the only college or university honored this year.

The “Top Workplaces” designation reflects the results of an independent and confidential employee survey conducted in the summer. The Sun announced the news online on December 8 and highlighted all of the region’s top workplaces in a special section of the paper on December 11.

“What a great honor for us to be recognized by the Baltimore Sun!” says Lynne Adams, UMBC’s chief human resources officer.

“The faculty and staff at UMBC are the best of the best, and we will continue to ensure that we are doing everything possible to make this an appealing and exciting work environment,” she shares. “Each day as we focus on supporting our students’ success, we also recognize that we need to focus on our team members’ successes and well-being. I am excited to work alongside my fellow community members to make sure we do that.”

Shared values, meaningful work

The survey measures aspects of workplace culture such as shared values, effective management, and a sense of meaningful work. It also measures employees’ perspectives on compensation, including pay and benefits. The organizations and companies that earn top marks compared to similarly sized institutions earn the designation of “Top Workplaces.”

Earlier this year UMBC was also recognized as one of the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For.” It was UMBC’s 13^th year on the list and the 11^th year the university was also highlighted as an “honor roll” university—a distinction for institutions that score high marks in several categories. In fact, UMBC was the only R1 university in the nation recognized in every “Great Colleges to Work For” category this year.

Want to work at UMBC? See listings for faculty and staff positions through UMBC’s human resources office.

This week, ModernThink’s Great Colleges to Work For program again recognized UMBC as a top institution nationwide in every measured category, from well-being and shared governance to mission and pride. UMBC is the only R1 university in the nation to achieve this honor, which is based on employee ratings.

“I believe we continue to receive this honor because of our commitment to the development and support of our employees,” says Valerie Thomas, UMBC’s chief human resources officer. “The past two years have been difficult for everyone, but we worked tirelessly together to determine how to best serve our students and how best to make changes in the way we work, focused on continuous improvement.”

Caring community

Published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the Great Colleges to Work For ratings include 10 categories:

• Mission & Pride
• Job Satisfaction & Support
• Confidence in Senior Leadership
• Compensation & Benefits
• Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
• Shared Governance
• Professional Development
• Faculty Experience
• Faculty & Staff Well-Being
• Supervisor/Department Chair Effectiveness

“I am reminded every day of what makes UMBC a great place to work,” says Faculty Senate President Susan McDonough, associate professor of history and vice-chair of the University Steering Committee. 

“I have the privilege to work alongside university leaders and colleagues who care deeply about ideas and their impact on society. I have seen us grow and deepen our commitment to research and discovery as we transformed into an R1 university. And I have watched our students, faculty, and staff face innumerable challenges these past few years and meet them with the compassion, tenacity, and imagination that makes me excited and humbled to be part of this community,” says McDonough. “I look forward to working with Dr. Sheares Ashby, our faculty, and our entire community to keep building an even better UMBC.”

Leadership and partnership

This theme of excitement for UMBC’s future with President Sheares Ashby, who began her tenure at UMBC in August, is a common thread among UMBC leadership.

“UMBC encourages staff growth and development, while ensuring equity through their focus on inclusion,” says Desiree Stonesifer, president of UMBC’s Non-exempt Staff Senate and executive administrative assistant in financial services, emphasizing a core value long-shared by UMBC and President Sheares Ashby. “As we welcome our new president, we look forward to the new opportunities for growth and experiences while maintaining our strong sense of UMBC family.”

Jess Wyatt, president of UMBC’s Professional Staff Senate (PSS), chair of the University Steering Committee, and associate director of alumni engagement, notes, “While it’s exciting to see UMBC as a perennial addition to this list, it is even more exciting to see where we will go as we move into a new era of UMBC in partnership with President Sheares Ashby.”

This is UMBC’s 13th year of recognition and 11th year on the Great Colleges Honor Roll.

The Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU) has honored UMBC with its 2021 Gold Award in Leadership and Pervasiveness for Internationalization. UMBC is the only North American university to receive this prestigious Gold Award. This honor affirms the collective, intentional work behind UMBC’s global engagement strategy. 

Working toward a vision

APLU’s driving purpose is to strengthen and advance the work of public universities, from improving college access to promoting public impact research. “In our increasingly globally linked world, internationalization of campuses is critically important for the excellence of education, research, and community engagement work,” said APLU President Peter McPherson. 

APLU asserts that to be successful, today’s universities can’t simply note the importance of global engagement and inclusivity. They also need to have campus leadership committed to creating a campus culture that reflects this value. And UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski agrees.

“It’s important for institutions to have a clear understanding of their values, and also to find ways to assess whether they are living up to those values,” Hrabowski says. “At UMBC, we take this seriously, and that includes our focus on growing international inclusivity.” 

The Leadership and Pervasiveness Award for Internationalization reflects two years of work engaging over 400 members of the UMBC community, who together envisioned the future of UMBC’s global interconnections. In addition to faculty, staff, and other stakeholders in the UMBC community, contributors also include UMBC students. 

“I am inspired by the engaged energy within the UMBC community to position the university as a significant contributor to education, research, and community engagement in a global environment,” says Antonio Moreira, vice provost for Academic Affairs. 

Global access

UMBC’s internationalization work has been multifaceted, with a focus on making global engagement more accessible for all community members. And it’s produced results. 

In 2019, UMBC launched Dawg Days Abroad to help new Retrievers build their community through an abroad experience before their first UMBC semester. UMBC is also a Fulbright Top-Producing Institution and has one of the nation’s highest proportions of U.S. Student Program applicants earning Fulbright awards—reflecting both the quality of applicants and the support students receive throughout the application process. 

At the same time, this fall UMBC welcomed a record number of international students to the university. This trend is particularly meaningful given the current challenges that international students face in studying at U.S. universities.

The UMBC community recently came together to celebrate International Education Week, which included events on topics from international community-building through art and finding community away from home, to common challenges in learning a new language and how to apply for a passport.

Success through partnership

David Di Maria, associate vice provost for international education, shares that UMBC’s internationalization process has also heavily focused on partnership—strengthening relationships with other institutions that prioritize global engagement.

Among UMBC’s many robust international partnerships are collaborations with universities in Japan and the U.K. to launch the International Cybersecurity Center of Excellence and a partnership with the University of Limpopo in South Africa that supports both joint research and academic mobility. The Bahama Oriole Project, funded by the National Science Foundation, offers students unique international research opportunities. Additionally, UMBC faculty have leveraged technology to offer Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and virtual exchange programs with partners around the globe.

“Internationalization at UMBC does not occur in a vacuum,” says Di Maria. “This award is an honor shared by all.”

Photo: 2021 Gold Award. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Jack Suess, vice president for information technology at UMBC, has received a 2021 Capital CEO of the Year ORBIE Award. Suess ‘81, mathematics, M.S. ‘94, information systems, has been part of the UMBC community for more than 40 years. As a university leader, he has spearheaded transformative technology initiatives. His work includes advancing the use of technology in courses, operational systems, and student success initiatives in ways that have fundamentally reshaped the UMBC experience for all community members.

“What makes this award special is that it truly recognizes the work of our entire Division of Information Technology (DoIT),” Suess says. “Our team’s work, particularly in helping the university quickly shift to remote learning last year, due to COVID, reflects a spirit of empathy and collaboration. This spirit has made IT true partners in the university’s success, not just technology experts.”

“I won this award as the leader of the division, but really this is an award that belongs to everyone in DoIT,” he shares.

Innovative solutions advance opportunities 

Under Suess’s leadership, UMBC’s Division of Information Technology has developed innovative solutions to a very broad range of technology needs. The COVID-19 pandemic in particular significantly changed how faculty, staff, and students utilized and relied on technology to teach, work, and learn. 

“Our leadership relied on robust data Suess’s team had collected to provide the information and insights needed to safely reopen the campus for research and in-person learning opportunities,” says UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski. “Without his forethought and his team’s commitment and creativity, we could not have provided the level of education, innovation, and critical research for which UMBC is known.”

In 2020, Suess received the EDUCAUSE Leadership Award for his success as a leader in the field and for advancing UMBC’s reputation as leader in higher education.

Honoring a transformative online teaching initiative

DoIT’s instructional technology team recently received an award specifically recognizing this essential, innovative work during the transition to remote learning. The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) is honoring the team with an Effective Practice Award for the UMBC’s Planning Instructional Variety for Online Teaching (PIVOT) program. 

The PIVOT program was developed last year in collaboration with faculty across all three colleges and UMBC’s Faculty Development Center to help faculty provide students with engaging online courses. The program guided faculty through the elements of course design for the virtual space, as well as how to teach effectively online. Faculty who participated in PIVOT also connected with peer mentors who provided insight into pedagogy and the technology used.

The OLC is recognizing the DoIT instructional technology team for developing digital educational tools that elevated UMBC’s efforts to continue to offer exceptional courses to students throughout the remote learning period of the pandemic. The Consortium evaluated UMBC’s PIVOT program against its five pillars of quality in digital education, and sought out peer reviews. They found that the PIVOT program was strong in all five areas: learning effectiveness, scale, access, faculty satisfaction, and student satisfaction. More than 70% of UMBC faculty utilized the program, and it received positive feedback from the participants.

Mariann Hawken, acting director of instructional technology, led PIVOT program development and will accept the award at the OLC Accelerate conference in October. 

Banner image: Jack Suess, right, and a few of his colleagues. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

UMBC Vice President for Information Technology Jack Suess will soon receive one of the highest national recognitions offered to professionals in his field: the EDUCAUSE Leadership Award. 

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association that focuses on information technology (IT) in higher education and includes more than 2,300 member colleges, universities, and groups. Suess ‘81, mathematics, M.S. ‘94, information systems, will receive the award during the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, which will be held virtually this month. 

“This is a tremendous honor for me. Given that my entire career has been at UMBC, it also is testament to the innovative and collaborative culture of the UMBC community,” Suess says. “In particular, I want to highlight the technology leadership of my Division of Information Technology colleagues. Through all of their efforts, UMBC is looked at as a model for the use of technology in higher education.”

Collaborative leadership

Suess was nominated and selected to receive the Leadership Award for his commitment to innovation and advancing research and scholarship in technology. He is also being honored for creating a culture of collaboration and opportunity among faculty, staff, students, and other higher education stakeholders, and for his work in diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Leaders around the country admire Jack’s valuable contributions to IT and higher education. He is a fine example of enlightened leadership,” says UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski. “We all know Jack leads effectively by serving selflessly. What makes him most extraordinary is that his emotional intelligence matches his impressive technical skills.”

Career of service

Suess has been involved with EDUCAUSE for more than two decades, serving on a variety of committees before joining the board of directors in 2014 and serving as chair of the board in 2018. Currently, Suess serves on the IMSglobal Board of Directors, which he chaired from 2015 to 2020. He is a former member of the Internet2 Board of Directors, where he received the inaugural Internet2 Presidential Leadership Award in 2011. 

At UMBC, Suess has previously received the UMBC Presidential Staff Award (2004) and the UMBC Alumni Volunteer Award (2000). He served on the inaugural advisory board for UMBC’s Center for Women in Technology from 1998 to 2013. 

Banner image: Jack Suess. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

UMBC’s Division of Information Technology has made headlines for innovative research collaborations aimed at boosting student success through analyzing how students utilize digital resources. Recently, UMBC researchers have continued this work with education technology companies Blackboard and VitalSource, the university’s learning management system and e-textbook providers. The goal of this research partnership is to better understand connections between how students use course tools and their class performance, and to use that knowledge to support student learning and success.

Leading this work for UMBC are CIO and Vice President of IT Jack Suess ‘81, mathematics, M.S. ‘95, operations analysis; Associate Vice President of Instructional Technology John Fritz Ph.D. ‘16, language, literacy, and culture; and Robert Carpenter, deputy CIO and associate provost for analytics. An early pilot study focused on anonymized data reflecting the performance of nearly 1,000 undergraduates in seven sections of five UMBC courses across a range of disciplines in Fall 2017. Success was defined as earning a C or higher final grade.

Among other things, the UMBC, Blackboard and VitalSource researchers found that by combining data from a wide range of sources, they were able to develop a model that was 70-98 percent accurate in predicting, by week four in the semester, which students would go on to earn a C or higher final grade. Their findings were shared in a Blackboard blog post and then reported by Campus Technology this past summer.

Providing help in time

“This project is important because it focuses on early intervention—offering help in time for a student to improve their trajectory,” explains Fritz. Ideally, he notes, that extra level of support could kick in by week four of the semester. “We want to reach out to and support students earlier in a term,” he says, “when a change in their awareness and behavior could make a difference in outcomes.”

Although the study did not test specific interventions, the researchers believe they have found actionable, concrete evidence that could make a difference in student achievement, to help boost grades and decrease the number of students who need to repeat a course. They are now working to replicate the study, refine the model, and explore relevant interventions, which Carpenter has been developing in complementary analytics studies using Blackboard.

Data-driven collaborations

“UMBC has a long history of innovation as a data-driven institution,” says Suess, who is chair of the board for IMS Global, which defines and supports the standards for the Caliper framework that was used in the study. In addition to resulting in interesting findings, this study “was a solid analytics infrastructure proof-of-concept,” he notes.

The research partners also reflect that this project highlights how so many different units across the university play essential roles in supporting student success. The UMBC bookstore’s Course Materials Initiative, for example, has worked to encourage faculty to use e-textbooks, giving students a more affordable, accessible textbook option and making this type of analytics-based research study possible.

“Our progress using analytics to design interventions for student success wouldn’t be possible without the strong partnerships we’ve developed with faculty and departments,” said Carpenter. “It’s a team effort.”

Additional information about how DoIT uses analytics at UMBC can be found on the DoIT Analytics website.

Banner image: John Fritz. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Lynne Schaefer and Jack Suess are known across UMBC for their essential roles in shaping and sustaining the university’s strong and steady growth over the years. As UMBC’s vice president for finance and administration (Schaefer) and vice president of information technology/CIO (Suess), they have worked on major projects, from creating UMBC’s data warehouse to developing shared service centers to overseeing campus sustainability and information security initiatives. They also have deep personal ties to UMBC—Schaefer as a UMBC parent and Suess as an alumnus (’81, mathematics, M.S. ’94, information systems).

But the impact that they have had over decades of combined service has reached far beyond the university. Both Schaefer and Suess are currently leading the boards of directors of national higher education organizations, bringing what Suess calls “UMBC’s collaborative style” along with them.

Schaefer has served on the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ (NACUBO) Board of Directors for five years and became its chair on August 1, 2018. Looking for a way to share her extensive financial management and administrative experience beyond UMBC, Schaefer initially joined the Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers (EACUBO) in 2008. She served in a series of leadership positions culminating with a term as chair of the board of directors, 2016 – 2017, before moving on to her new position as chair of that group’s national partner organization, NACUBO.

In addition to her desire to give back to her field through national-level service, Schaefer also sees her leadership of NACUBO as an opportunity to learn from colleagues at other universities. In this way, she’s discovered “unique, innovative practices that can help UMBC solve problems and move us forward,” in areas such as multi-year financial forecasting.

Suess has been a member of EDUCAUSE’s Board of Directors since 2014, and will complete his current term as its chair in November 2018. He got involved in EDUCAUSE’s predecessor organizations, CAUSE and Educom, more than two decades ago, when a UMBC colleague suggested he present at a conference; those groups merged to form EDUCAUSE in 1998.

Suess sees his tenure as EDUCAUSE chair as “a culmination of a long history within the higher education IT community” and a way to “help others who have helped me.” He also enjoys and values learning from colleagues in the national higher education community, saying “it’s about being exposed to a richer set of ideas, thinking, and practices.”

Schaefer and Suess are taking their collaborative spirit on the road at EACUBO’s annual meeting, taking place in Buffalo, NY, October 21 – 24, 2018. EACUBO and EDUCAUSE collaborated to organize a half-day program called “Technology Transforming Higher Education,” during which Suess will participate in a panel discussion on data privacy. Elsewhere during the meeting, Schaefer will participate in panel discussions about advocating for the value of higher education and about developing and supporting women leaders.

Because of their positive experiences with national organizations, both administrators encourage their teams and their colleagues university-wide to take advantage of leadership, educational, and networking opportunities.

“Lynne and Jack are innovative leaders who have achieved breakthroughs at UMBC that are models for the national higher education community,” says UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski. “Through their collaborative efforts, they are advancing UMBC’s reputation as a national leader – both academically and administratively.”

Featured image: Lynne Schaefer and Jack Suess. All photos by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

This story was written by Mary Ann Richmond ’93, history.