UMB StaffWelcome to the latest edition of CATALYST, a showcase of our collective achievements, bold innovations, and the unwavering spirit that defines the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). This issue celebrates the students and alumni who represent the future of Maryland’s health, law, and social work professions, and our dedicated faculty and staff who work every day to educate, support, and inspire them.
Across Maryland, anyone who has received medical care, sought legal advice, or taken part in a community program has inevitably benefited from the work of a UMB graduate or faculty or staff member. Our University plays a critical role in addressing workforce shortages that would otherwise threaten access to care, justice, and critical services. Outside Maryland, thousands of UMB alums serve the public good in their communities as well as in national and global roles.
In this issue, you’ll read many examples of how members of the UMB community are shaping the world for the better through their endeavors in scientific discovery, community service, entrepreneurship, and patient care.
You’ll learn about Debbie Sahlin, DNP, a School of Nursing alum who turned her 2023 Grid Pitch idea into Ryan’s Place, a health care center in Gaithersburg, Md., that focuses on transitioning youth with disabilities and complex medical conditions. You’ll take a deeper dive into Maryland Carey Law’s Law and Health Care Program to see how students in the Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic, as well as in the Public Health Law Clinic, are providing free legal services to Marylanders and advocating for legislation to protect the well-being of people in our state.
You’ll also find out why the School of Medicine is expanding the class size of the MD program over the next five years and growing the Rural MD Scholars Program, an initiative that aims to address the physician shortage in Maryland’s rural regions. Rural MD Scholars continues to grow in reach and impact, thanks in part to the generosity of our partners, alums, and donors. Recently, the Philip A. Zaffere Foundation, based on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, gave $2.4 million to the program to support two full-tuition scholarships for incoming medical students committed to serve on the Shore, where the state’s physician shortage is most critical.
These stories — and many others included in this edition of CATALYST — remind us that education is a direct investment in the health, safety, and well-being of others in Maryland and beyond.
To our alumni, partners, and friends: Your continued support fuels our mission and extends the reach of our work across Maryland and in areas around the world. Because of you, our students, faculty, and staff get to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others every day. I hope this issue of CATALYST demonstrates the incredible impact of your generosity.
Sincerely,
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
President
University of Maryland, Baltimore
