 Outstanding Program Leadership
Dr. Jennifer Hodgson
University of Maryland, College Park
Public Health Science Program
Dr. Jenny Hodgson serves as the Program Director for the Public Health Science Program based at the Universities at Shady Grove. She has worked within the University of Maryland School of Public Health since 2010 and appreciates the multifaceted nature of her role, collaborating with students, faculty and staff to ensure programmatic success while advising future public health practitioners. She truly enjoys working with undergraduates to help them navigate their college experience to reach their goals.
As a proud alum from the School of Public Health’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health (B.S. and MPH), Dr. Hodgson was thrilled at the opportunity to help shape the undergraduate experience for our students and share her enthusiasm for public health. Prior to her role working with Public Health Science majors at Shady Grove, she worked in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health as the Undergraduate Program Director and Academic Advisor.
She also has previously worked as a policy analyst contractor for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as well as for a contract research organization, addressing patient issues related to access to vaccinations. Dr. Hodgson has earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a focus on Higher Education from Frostburg State University.
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 Excellence in Teaching
Nicole Smith, PhD, RN, CNE, CHASE, CNE-cl
University of Maryland, Baltimore
School of Nursing
Dr. Smith currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore
School of Nursing and teaches in the entry-level Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program
at USG. She has over 10 years of experience in academia where she has facilitated learning
across all settings to include didactic, clinical and simulation settings.
Dr. Smith meticulously ensures her course concepts and activities are aligned to support
students learning development. She is known for creating an environment of desired difficulty
and facilitates learning by pushing students to the edge of their comfort zone to reach higher
levels of cognitive development. Over the years, Dr. Smith has worked with several students as
a mentor and coach to support their growth and development beyond the BSN program. Her
scholarly pursuits seek to advance knowledge in evidence-based instructional design combined with the implementation of neuroscience principles. She has presented nursing education research and her innovative teaching strategies at local, regional, and international conferences and won awards for her creativity and leadership in the classroom. Her passion for nursing education is evident in the classroom as well as in her service work to the nursing profession.
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 Outstanding Service to Students
Franklin Ofsthun
The Universities at Shady Grove
Priddy Library
Franklin Ofsthun has been serving in his role as a Library Service Specialist at Priddy Library since 2018. Before entering this role, he was a student in UMBC's social work and psychology programs offered at USG, and a student employee at USG's Macklin Center for Academic Success the Priddy Library. Franklin earned his Master’s in Library and Information Science in 2022. His research interests intersect with his work on student career-readiness. Franklin co-developed and runs a professional development program which helps students identify and build career competencies. This program seeks to build confidence by exposing students at USG to professional experiences like group facilitation, data analytics, and formal evaluations in a supportive, learning-centered environment. This work has earned Franklin a UMD Spirit of Innovation Award. Franklin strives to lead with empathy while meeting students' informational needs.
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 Outstanding Service to the USG Community
Erin Fernandez
The Universities at Shady Grove
Facilities and Planning
Erin has worked in the higher education and private event industries for the past 12 years including for Princeton University, Savannah College of Art and Design, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art + College of Art and Design, where her clients included Time Magazine, Showtime, Microsoft, members of Congress, and former presidents. In 2012 she was published in the Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society for her article on how stigma in the arts industry influences participation among individuals with disabilities. Prior to joining USG, Erin worked for a private catering firm where she learned how to wear many hats — a lesson that has served her well as a member of the Facilities and Planning department at USG.
Since 2016 Erin has worked as the Scheduling and Space Manager, overseeing all scheduling and space requests for USG and its nine partner institutions. Erin is honored to work with her colleagues in Facilities including the Maintenance and Public Safety teams and harbors a deep appreciation for all of the hidden work that goes into running the USG campus.
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