Valentine Anamelechi, Event and Conference Services coordinator, received the Outstanding Campus Partner award at the Center for Women in Technology’s (CWIT) annual Community Awards event in April. The award is given to an individual or department that has actively collaborated with the Center toward its mission and goals.
At the event, CWIT staff noted: “Well, let's be honest, we probably wouldn't be here enjoying this fantastic event space without Valentine! As an Events and Conferences Services staff member, Valentine is responsible for working on event set-ups and logistics for all of campus...and as many of you know, CWIT has A LOT of events! Valentine has emerged as a fantastic campus partner, after CWIT struggled for years to overcome event logistics and troubleshooting with all of the back-and-forth and confusion that can occur in event planning. Valentine has consistently met with the CWIT team every two weeks to analyze all of the staffing, locations, resources, and other minutiae to help our events run more smoothly than ever.
“This is a HUGE help for our department, and to the benefit of all attendees! Valentine is a wonderful professional who brings a sense of humor and fun to all of his interactions with CWIT. We would be lost without him and his dedication to helping us with our events throughout the school year!! Thank you, Valentine - we're honored to recognize you with this award.”
The Division of Student Affairs congratulates Valentine on this award and is grateful for his commitment to our campus partners!
Christine Routzahn, director of the Career Center, received the 2025 Teresa Lupinek Endowment Outstanding Exempt or Non-Exempt Staff Award at the Presidential Faculty and Staff Awards ceremony in April. The award honors a staff member whose work embodies the many outstanding qualities that Teresa Lupinek displayed during her more than 30 years at UMBC. Awardees are selected by a committee of their peers and have worked at UMBC for at least five years.
For over 25 years, Christine Routzahn has brought heart, commitment, and innovation to UMBC. As director of the Career Center, Routzahn finds her greatest joy in working with the UMBC community and partnering with students as they explore, grow, and achieve their career goals.
A passionate champion of programs that expand access and opportunity, Routzahn has led the development of some of Maryland’s most impactful internship models, including the Walter Sondheim Nonprofit Leadership Program, MDOT Fellows Internship Program, Shattuck Family Internship Program for Entrepreneurship, the Sondheim Public Service Law Fellows Program, and the Maryland Technology Internship Program. These programs, all still thriving today, reflect her deep belief in applied learning and equitable access.
Routzahn is known not only for her strategic leadership, but for her warmth, humility, and dedication to collaboration. Under her guidance, the Career Center has become a recognized model for student career readiness, employer engagement, and innovation in high impact experiences.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgetown University and a master of education in human development and psychology from Harvard University.
Photos from the event are available online.
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This survey is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
RSVP BY TODAY for our end of the year Celebration & Awards!
Student Belonging (formerly known as Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, & Belonging, or i3b) in the Division of Student Affairs has hosted celebration ceremonies for Latinx, Black, and LGBTQIA+ / queer students for several years. This year, we are excited to add the Asian Cultural Celebration & Awards to the lineup. These three affinity events will honor and celebrate the achievements of UMBC's outstanding community members and graduating students.
The Lavender celebration is in recognition of the achievements of queer / LGBTQIA2+ community at UMBC, which is inclusive of students, faculty, staff, alumni, campus affiliates, and our allies. This year’s graduation celebration will focus on the theme “Power in Queer Joy.”
The 12th Annual Lavender Celebration & Awards
Monday, May 19, 2025
5:30 - 8pm
Skylight, The Commons 3rd Floor
This celebration includes:
Keynote speeches from an undergraduate and graduate student in the community.
An award component in celebration of the efforts and achievements accomplished in the past year. We have redone the awards for this year’s celebration, and our new award line up now includes awards highlighting inclusive and welcoming faculty and staff, up-and-coming students, students engaging in inclusive excellence and activism, students promoting radical love and belonging, efforts promoting the queer community, and graduating students or faculty/staff who have created a legacy worth celebrating.
A creative presentation moment in the celebration that highlights a performance, artwork, or other creative endeavor made in the last year by a queer student. We also have a second student showcasing their work, gallery-style, in the Fireside Lounge throughout the event.
A moment of celebration and farewell for our graduating students, who receive a special token to take forward with them.
Our Lavender Celebration & Awards is just one of countless Lavender events across the globe. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Lavender was created by Dr. Ronni Santo, a Jewish Lesbian who was denied the opportunity to attend the graduations of her biological children because of her sexual orientation. It was through this experience that she came to understand the pain felt by her students. Encouraged by the Dean of Students at the University of Michigan, Dr. Sanlo designed the first Lavender event in 1995.
Dress code: We encourage all attendees and graduates to dress in their "celebration best." While cap and gown are not required, we would be thrilled to see attendees join us in cowboy or western themed apparel (cowboy hats in particular!) in the spirit of this semester’s Pride theme. This is not required, please feel free to come in whatever is affirming and comfortable for you!
For those interested in attending, RSVP HERE (https://forms.gle/7HYsxsAAaJBNKH8g6)! Graduates that RSVP between Monday, April 14th and Monday, April 28th at 6pm will be highlighted during the event and receive honorary graduation cords.
Folx are still welcome to attend even if there is no RSVP. Graduating students can register to be recognized day-of, but food and seating is only guranteed for those who RSVP'ed.
If you have any questions, please email the Lavender Planning Committee co-chairs: Darcie Adams at dadams4@umbc.edu or Zoe Brown at zoebrown@umbc.edu.
This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.