Bruce E. JarrellWelcome 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 UMB’s enduring impact on Maryland and beyond.
As the state’s only public health, law, and human services university, UMB has a unique responsibility — and opportunity — to improve the lives of others through research, education, clinical care, and service. But the reach of our University extends even further. Every day, UMB helps strengthen Maryland’s workforce, fuel economic growth, and build healthier, more resilient communities.
More than 55,000 UMB alumni live and work in Maryland, providing essential health care, legal services, social services, and other expertise for communities across the state. From physicians and nurses to pharmacists, dentists, social workers, and lawyers, our graduates help fill critical workforce needs and sustain the systems that serve Marylanders every day.
UMB’s impact also extends beyond the direct reach of our graduates. The University is a significant economic engine for Maryland, generating roughly $3.5 billion in economic activity and supporting nearly 17,000 jobs. For every $1 invested by the state, UMB returns approximately $10 to Maryland. But these numbers represent more than dollars and jobs. They also reflect families supported by meaningful employment, businesses that benefit from University activity, communities strengthened by investment, and public services supported by tax revenues.
Throughout this issue of CATALYST, you’ll see examples of the many ways that impact takes shape. You’ll read about how our School of Dentistry and the University of Maryland Medical Center have partnered to establish an Emergency Dental Services clinic designed to offer care for patients who come to the emergency room with immediate dental health concerns. You’ll learn about five physician assistant students from the School of Graduate Studies who are working to provide care in rural and underserved Southern Maryland communities through the PALLA Health Scholars Program, an initiative developed by the school’s PA Leadership and Learning Academy in partnership with MedStar Health. And, you’ll get to know Adam Holofcener, JD ’12, a Francis King Carey School of Law alum who now leads Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the state’s artists’ and organizations’ legal rights through pro bono legal services and education.
Together, these stories — and others highlighted in this edition of CATALYST — offer a glimpse at how UMB’s impact is felt across the state and everywhere UMB alums live and work.
To our alumni, partners, donors, and friends: Thank you for investing in UMB and in the people and communities we serve. Your support helps us educate the professionals Maryland needs, pursue discoveries that change lives, and create opportunities that extend well beyond our campus. I hope this issue of CATALYST gives you an even greater appreciation for the many ways UMB is making a difference — and for the important role we all play in advancing that impact.
Sincerely,
Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS
President
