Three Questions With … is an opportunity to celebrate and learn more about staff in the Division of Student Affairs. This month, get to know Tanya Voronin, business services specialist, Student Affairs Business Services Center!
Name
Tanya Voronin
Title
Business Services Specialist
Years in Student Affairs/UMBC
5 in Student Affairs and 7 at UMBC (I worked in the Provost’s Office for two years.)
UMBC Parent Info
I am a parent of a future student, Elizabeth Voronin. She will start in fall 2024 and major in business.
What is something you do as part of your position that people may not be aware of?
I do not know if people are aware of all the support services that SABSC provides. As a business services specialist, one of my duties is to provide support for employee onboarding and offboarding processes. I also work with international students and staff. I know both Ukrainian and Russian languages and can better assist international students by speaking with them in their native language.
What is one of the most important things you’ve learned during your time here?
Working with students is a meaningful and rewarding endeavor! Whether you are a teacher, tutor or a person who completes their onboarding process, you can have a profound impact on their life and futures. Watching students grow and develop the most important thing to me. I have learned that working with students allows me to grow alongside them, as each interaction provides opportunities for reflection, growth and improvement.
What do you like to do for fun and/or is something you are passionate about outside of work?
I like to grow flowers, vegetables, and herbs. Also, I like to walk and be active. Every day I walk a whole university loop–around 2.1 miles–during my lunch break. I like to walk by myself or with my friends and explore new areas. I enjoy observing the changing seasons, and appreciate the beauty of the surroundings.
("Three Questions With Tanya Voronin" will be published in the April 2024 issue of "DoSA Matters," the division's internal e-newsletter.)
Dr. Mary Ellen Wade conducted two presentations at the recent NASPA Annual Conference in March. Her first presentation was a poster session on “Exploring Contributing Factors to Undergraduate and Graduate Student Sense of Belonging.” This session focused on research conducted by the Division of Student Affairs in spring 2023 regarding student sense of belonging, specifically, how students define belonging and contributing factors to belonging at UMBC.
Dr. Wade talked about unique considerations in collecting robust demographic information to understand better student belonging and the impacts on the institution as a whole regarding the results. On the whole, students feel a sense of belonging at UMBC; however, more can be done through campus services, supports, programs, and outreach to increase student belonging. Students described belonging at UMBC as the institution feeling like a home, that belonging involves care for others and expectations of self in a community, and having others that support your whole self.
In Dr. Wade’s second presentation titled, “Understanding Undergraduate Student Experiences with Integrative Learning and High-Impact Practices in Co-Curricular Leadership Roles,” she shared the findings of a correlational research study that examined if holding leadership roles in co-curricular experiences impacted the ability of undergraduate college students to demonstrate integrative learning. It explored how well a student can articulate experiences in which they have integrated their learning and sought to understand the extent to which the structures of co-curricular leadership roles exemplify characteristics of high-impact practices.
This study revealed that students experience integrative learning in their co-curricular leadership roles and when describing their integrative learning, student responses reflect areas of the AAC&U Integrative Learning VALUE Rubric and the NACE Career Readiness Competencies. It also shows that students in co-curricular leadership roles are experiencing the characteristics of high-impact practices in their role, highlighting the learning taking place outside of the classroom in leadership experiences.
Three Questions With … is an opportunity to celebrate and learn more about staff in the Division of Student Affairs. This month, get to know Ricky Blissett, associate director, Center for Democracy and Civic Life!
Name/pronouns
Ricky Blissett '11
they/them and he/him
Title/department
Associate Director, Center for Democracy and Civic Life
Years in Student Affairs
14 months as of March 2024 (As a student I was also involved in Student Affairs-related efforts.)
UMBC alumni information
2011 Bioinformatics and Computational Biology major
Computer Science minor
What is something you do as part of your position that people may not be aware of?
In addition to coordinating several of our major programs, one of the major functions I manage is our evaluation, research, and assessment work. To me, this work is about creating structured and systematic opportunities for reflection on what we do, where the "methods" are less important than the questions we ask ourselves about whether or not we are doing good. I greatly enjoy the opportunity to think creatively about how we can observe, track, and make sense of people's experiences and evaluate whether those experiences align with the type of future we're trying to build together.
I have a background as an academic and evaluator and this work allows me to make use of those experiences I've had, but related to social and human stories I care more about. As educators, a lot of the things we are trying to create are difficult to define in universal ways, and a lot of the experiences we hope people have as a function of our work are not easily measurable. But the work of being with colleagues who are committed to thinking holistically about what we are doing such that we can find creative ways to understand and reflect on how we're contributing to a better world ... that is what connects me to this community, and my role gives me many opportunities to do this.
What is one of the most important things you've learned during your time here as staff?
That there is a shortcut to the Apartment Community Center that doesn't require me to walk all of the way up that hill. Also, for context, I come to this position from a previous career as a professor, so one of the major changes I'm experiencing is much more basic than any broad moral lesson. Being on the staff side of university has been a really enriching experience where I get to learn from the thoughtful colleagues around me. In particular, I have found the team-centric aspect of staff work to be in perfect alignment with how I prefer to operate, and I have been surrounded by kind and caring people who have pushed me to take better care of myself as well, more than I've ever been pushed in this regard. Being a staff member is a whole different world from being a faculty member, and for me, I think I benefit much more and can work in healthier ways in my role now. The people I work with across the Division of Student Affairs have helped with this, and I'm grateful for that care.
What do you like to do for fun and/or is something you are passionate about outside of work?
I'd say I'm a video games person, and arguably I spend more time than the average person playing video games, but also, please don't ask to play video games with me because I am very bad. I also have the personal ambition to grow my mint garden and collect as many mint varieties as possible. I'm currently up to seven (it used to be 12, but I lost some in the move to Maryland). In addition, I spend some of my time outside of my work at UMBC volunteering with social change work in different areas, including working with the Just Education Policyinstitute and other communities working on educational justice as well as the Asian American Justice + Innovation Lab with a focus on those spaces needed for empowering Asian American communities to work toward justice. Finally, I may be a recovering academic, but I do have some research projects that I'm passionate about that I continue to work on.Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging's Matt Hoffman, assistant director, Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being, has been elected to serve on the board of directors for the Association of Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life in Higher Education (ACSLHE). ACSLHE brings together professionals who are committed to nurturing the religious and spiritual life of students as a critical part of the mission of higher education in the 21st century.
As someone committed to holistic well-being, Matt feels called to support and inspire college students--from all traditions and backgrounds--as they navigate faith, the demands of school, discern vocation and explore questions of identity and belonging. Overseeing the Gathering Space--a space utilized by 300+ weekly visitors and 24+ religious and belief organizations--Matt has prioritized programs that lift up spirituality, invite spaces for education and collaboration, and highlight intersectional identities and interfaith work, centering radical love and belonging and energetic pluralism. He is also serving as team leader for a $30K grant awarded to UMBC by Interfaith America.
Prior to UMBC, Matt was the Associate Director for Interfaith Initiatives and Instructor of Religious Studies at Warren Wilson College, near Asheville, North Carolina. There, he co-created a minor in Interfaith Leadership, helped lead religious and spiritual life programming on campus, and taught classes about religion, centering interfaith work, environmental justice, and food access.
Matt has a B.A. in International Studies and Political Science from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, and a Masters of Sacred Theology from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Additionally, Matt is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Retriever Essentials was featured in the Feb. 2024 Baltimore Sun Education supplement article (page 2), "Addressing physical and mental health challenges: From food pantries to counseling, colleges step up." Program Coordinator Ariel Barbosa shared information about the resources Retriever Essentials provides: the Essential Space, the free grocery store, free farmer's market, meal recovery program, campus garden, and meal card Save-a-Swipe program.
Barbosa noted, "When we opened The Essential Space, it allowed us to expand the number of students and staff that we could reach. We started recognizing that so many students were struggling ... some were homeless, and some were pregnant and could not afford food or other essentials."
Additional information about Retriever Essentials, including how to make a donation, is available at retrieveressentials.umbc.edu
David Hoffman, J.D., Ph.D. '13, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, was interviewed for the Feb. 2024 Baltimore Sun Education supplement article, "Shaping tomorrow's leaders: Experiential learning fosters skills, empathy, and professionalism."
BreakingGround, a grant program that supports civic innovations at UMBC, launched in fall 2012. In the article, Dr. Hoffman shares more about how the program helped amplify the innovative work already happening in UMBC classrooms. He explains, "'People were engaging students in creative problem-solving and exposing them to real-world issues, but it wasn't always recognized as civic engagement. BreakingGround was born out of a desire to make these efforts more visible, connect educators, and support impactful experiences.'"
Jafri described examples of how BreakingGround is enriching his classroom experiences. "'Last semester, we worked with a state storyteller through the BreakingGround fund, creating music around classic stories from African American culture. It helped us explore themes of resilience, cultural diversity, and promote these values within our community....We're proving that education isn't just about acquiring knowledge but about making a meaningful impact on the world around us.'"
Dr. Renique Kersh, vice president for student affairs, will serve on two panel discussions at national and regional events in March 2024.
At the NASPA Annual Conference, Dr. Kersh will serve on the panel, "Beyond Mentorship: The Transformative Role of Coaching," on March 11. Using case studies and insights, panelists will declassify myths about coaching and its role as a potent, innovative tool for staff empowerment and growth and team dynamics. They'll discuss how to budget for coaching, manage challenges, and measure for success. Dr. Kersh will share insights on how she used coaching in her previous role as vice president at Simmons University, and how she hopes to use it in UMBC's Division of Student Affairs.Dr. Kersh is also a panelist for "Defining Womanhood" at the USM Women's Forum Women's History Month webinar on March 13. The panel will discuss characteristics that contribute to their definition of womanhood and share how these characteristics and qualities present themselves in their personal and professional lives.
Additional panelists for "Defining Womanhood" will include Kelsey Beckett, chief of staff and director of operations in USM's Office of Academic and Student Affairs, and Shantala Thompson, associate director of University of Maryland's LGBTQ+ Equity Center. It is moderated by Dr. Allyson DeMaagd, coordinator for sexuality and gender diversity at Towson University.
"Three Questions With" is an opportunity to celebrate and learn more about staff in the Division of Student Affairs. Want to suggest a Student Affairs colleague for "Three Questions With ..."? Email elewis@umbc.edu
Name/Pronouns
Maisha Cron
she/her/hers
Title
Office Supervisor, Campus Life
Years in Student Affairs
10
UMBC Parent to
Leila Cron, sophomore, visual arts
What is something you do as part of your position that people may not be aware of?
I wear quite a few hats within Campus Life, but I think one part of my position that most people may not be aware of is my role as a certified Mental Health First Aid Trainer. Although I'm a bit of an introvert, I am very passionate about sharing these important resources with my University colleagues. Being able to recognize mental health concerns and offer thoughtful assistance is not only useful within the UMBC community, but in our personal lives as well.
What is one of the most important things you've learned during your time here?
I actually started my journey with UMBC in 2006 as an older student. I'd recently made some big changes in my life by moving across an ocean and the country with a three-year-old and felt completely out of my element. As a new Retriever, I was not only welcomed warmly by the Admissions staff and professors, but that warmth was spread to my toddler as well. On the rare occasion that I was left without a sitter, my professors would allow me to bring Leila to class while I continued my studies. It was through this experience that I learned of UMBC's unwavering care for their student population and commitment to creating community for everyone, no matter their age, race or demographic. That commitment has remained.
What do you like to do for fun and/or is something you are passionate about outside of work?
I love to travel and explore the history and art scene of different environments. The highlight of my year is traveling with friends to see our favorite band. When I am unable to travel I like to spend time watching terribly cheesy television programming and trying to educate my daughter on the superior genre of 80's music.
("Three Questions With Maisha Cron" will be published in the February 2024 issue of "DoSA Matters," the division's internal e-newsletter. )
UMBC has been awarded a $30,000 Advancing Religious Pluralism Grant by Interfaith America to "further interfaith cooperation and learning on campus." The grant will allow Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (i3b) to expand their interfaith infrastructures and, in collaboration with campus partners, to strengthen strategic plans, programs, initiatives, resources, and staff development across the University in order to equip students to engage across lines of religious differences in contributing to a sustainable and thriving democracy.
Matt Hoffman, assistant director in i3b, manages the Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being and is serving as team leader for this initiative. The team includes Dr. Ciara Christian, M.A. '18, Ph.D. '22, acting director of i3b; Darcie Adams '23, M.P.S.'25, i3b graduate assistant in the Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being; Dr. Renique Kersh, vice president for student affairs; Tanyka Barber, chief diversity officer and vice president of institutional equity; Dr. Laila Shishineh, director of Academic Engagement & Transition Programs; Rev. Kiran Sankhla, UMBC Hindu chaplain; and Aliza Silverman, interim director of UMBC Hillel.
Hoffman explains, "As i3b has grown its diversity, equity, and inclusion work, the two-year-old Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being in the Center for Well-Being has become the hub of religious and spiritual life--during a challenging time when increasing interfaith understanding and collaboration is more important than ever. While intentional interfaith work has been one focus in i3b, we recognize the need to develop new sustainable programs and educational opportunities that support our undergraduate and graduate students. Our goal is to create hallmark curricular programs that teach skills and provide a laboratory for students to learn how to create and facilitate interfaith conversations and programming.
"The timing for this grant is excellent as UMBC begins to develop a strategic plan that includes broad plans for students' comprehensive belonging and cross-cultural competency development, including leveraging the institution's compositional diversity in order to increase cultural and global competencies of students; promoting student health and well-being; and increasing opportunities for applied learning experiences," Hoffman adds.
UMBC will use the grant to develop two programs:
The UMBC Interfaith Fellows Program will be a stipended year-long fellowship program, with curricular (non-credit) and co-curricular experiences to develop student leaders committed to engaging across religious and spiritual traditions. It will also serve as an entry point for students who identify as spiritual but don't necessarily connect with a religion or defined worldview. Through a series of weekly meetings and campus-focused projects, students will gain practical and theoretical experience to develop communities committed to justice, dedicated to lifting up diverse identities and energetic pluralism. Fellows will be responsible for shaping campus culture to make interfaith engagement a campus norm. The capstone experience will be an opportunity for participants to lead a series of interfaith programs on campus, aimed at applying their skills and knowledge to address the growing, shifting, pluralistic community at UMBC and how the institution can continue to develop proactive systems to develop graduates to address emergent issues.
The UMBC Bridge Builders Program will be a semester-long program focused on dialogue across differences, related to pressing global issues in religious/spiritual spaces. In this weekly program, a small group of students will develop skills and competencies connected to dialogue, identity exploration, and community building that center restorative practices. Each Bridge Builders series will focus on one contemporary, contentious issue connected to religion and spirituality. Bridge Builders will proactively address such needs through the creation of an intensive, relationship-building dialogue-centric program. Participants will commit to a semester of engagement, developing relationships and skills for dialogue before engaging in a specified topic of conversation. This dialogue program will engage in the work of restorative practices to help participants learn how to respond and engage after harm has been done.
Interfaith America's mission is to inspire, equip, and connect leaders and institutions to unlock the potential of America's religious diversity. Interfaith America seeks partnership with campuses who recognize that American colleges and universities have a unique role and responsibility to help our communities and our nation explore and learn how to embrace differences while maintaining a common life together.
Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging (i3b) Assistant Director Angelina Jenkins is one of just five honorees to receive a 2024 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Annuit Coeptis Award for Emerging Professionals. In March, she will attend the ACPA Annual Convention and 100th Anniversary Celebration, where awardees will be honored at a dinner with wide-ranging discussion and exchange about professional issues.
The Annuit Coeptis Awards were created in 1979 by ACPA to celebrate the lives of Philip A. Tripp, Ursula Delworth, and Cynthia Johnson who dearly loved to challenge their contemporary and junior colleagues in a spirit of personal and professional sharing, good humor, and intellectual debate. This award is intended to be a generative and cross generational experience. The dinner models the importance of being both teachers and learners. It invites awardees into the practice of the synergy that can be created when we come together with cross generational wisdom.
Angelina came to i3b in July 2022. She was previously assistant director of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center at The Pennsylvania State University. At UMBC, she manages the core operations of The Mosaic, which officially celebrated 20 Years on February 2, 2024, and is celebrating with events and programs throughout the spring 2024 semester. She develops the Mosaic's educational programs and curriculum on cultural diversity, identity development, social justice awareness and advocacy, leadership development, and intercultural learning. Angelina also provides support to underrepresented population identities such as immigrants and children of immigrants and multi-racial and multi-ethnic identities, with the intent to foster community, healing, and learning. She is especially proud of the work she has done with the Multicultural Leadership Experience, Mixed Up (Multiracial / Cultural Series), and LOTUS: Leading Others to Thriving and Universal Success (a peer mentoring program for APIDA students, funded by a UMBC Hrabowski Innovation Fund grant).
She currently plays several leadership roles with national organizations, including co-coordinator of the Asian Pacific Islanders Promoting Educational eXcellence (APPEX) Summit; leadership team member for the Asian Pacific Islanders Knowledge Community (APIKC); and member of the NASPA 2024 Conference Leadership Committee and Engagement and Volunteers Subcommittee. She is a member of the UMBC Asian and Asian American Faculty and Staff Council and NASPA | Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.
Angelina is working on her Ph.D. in Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy with a Student Affairs concentration from the University of Maryland, College Park.