Dr. Stewart Edelstein
Executive Director Emeritus, The Universities at Shady Grove (2002-2020) and Former Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University System of Maryland
Dr. Stewart Edelstein joined the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) as Executive Director in 2002 and in 2007 was named to the dual title of Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University System of Maryland. Under his leadership, USG has expanded its number of participating universities, as well as the breadth and depth of its undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and enrollment has grown to more than 3,000 students. Future enrollment is expected to more than double with the opening of a new Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Facility, which will expand degrees in healthcare, engineering, biosciences and computational science disciplines. A second initiative is underway to expand graduate degrees and certificates programs offered at USG to meet the projected needs for advanced professional education and talent development in the region.
Under Dr. Edelstein’s leadership, USG has worked closely with Montgomery College and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to better articulate curriculum planning and degree completion initiatives within the county. An important partnership is a series of 2+2+2 programs — together with MCPS and Montgomery College — to create education and career pathways in professional fields. These initiatives place special emphasis on strengthening the pipeline for underrepresented and first-generation college student populations.
Dr. Edelstein serves on the board of directors of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and as co-chair of its Economic Development Committee. He is on the board of Identity, WorkSource Montgomery, and Montgomery Moving Forward, and on the Maryland Cybersecurity Council. He served as a member of the Montgomery County Bioscience Task Force, the Montgomery County Smart Growth Initiative, and the Montgomery County Life Sciences Advisory Committee.
In 2006, Dr. Edelstein received the Chairman’s Award for his contributions to the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. In 2011, he was awarded the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s Visionary Award and the Montgomery County Board of Education’s 2011 Distinguished Service to Public Education Award in the category of "Individual Pioneer.” Dr. Edelstein was awarded an honorary degree from Montgomery College in 2012. Dr Edelstein received the 2015 Advocate of the Year at the Montgomery County Executive Hispanic Gala. In 2018, Dr. Edelstein received the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce’s Chairman’s Award and the Family Justice Center Foundation’s Community Partnership Award.
Prior to arriving at USG, Dr. Edelstein enjoyed a 25-year career at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he served as Senior Associate Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Dr. Edelstein received his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.