1/16/18

Integrated Marketing Campaign Celebrates USG’s Innovative Model of Higher Education, Student Success and Regional Collaboration

Today, The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) launched an integrated marketing campaign designed to celebrate, support and grow the qualities that set USG’s model of higher education apart – “The Power of 9.” The Power of 9 means students at USG  have access to nearly 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs from nine Maryland public universities, all on one campus in Montgomery County. The Power of 9 campaign will share transformational stories of student success, and examples of how local businesses have collaborated with USG to prepare and hire students for in-demand careers.

“The Universities at Shady Grove eliminates the many barriers students face when pursuing higher education, including cost, location and flexibility, and instead allows students to focus on achieving their full potential,” said Dr. Stew Edelstein, executive director, USG. “Our collaboration with business and community leaders to prepare students beyond the degree has powered the region’s economic development. We hope that this campaign inspires students and businesses to consider what’s possible when they tap into the Power of 9.”

USG has worked with nearly 1,650 Maryland business leaders, including Marriott and Lockheed Martin, to offer internships, develop a talent pipeline, and create an ever-evolving set of degree offerings that best reflect the region’s workforce needs. Of the more than 10,000 students who have graduated from USG, nearly 9,000 have remained in the region, including the alumni who are featured in the campaign:

  • Muhammad Ahmad, Project Manager, Coakley & Williams Construction, Inc., B.S., Construction Management Technology, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
  • Brian Doyle, Business Owner, Let Me Think!, LLC and Instructional Games Designer, Coley & Associates, B.S., Simulation and Game Design, University of Baltimore
  • Armen Ghazarian, Epidemiologist, National Cancer Institute, B.S., Biological Sciences, MPH, Epidemiology, University of Maryland, College Park
  • Yancy Padilla, Bilingual Transitional Trauma Therapist at The Tree House Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County Maryland, B.A., Social Work, UMBC, MSW, University of Maryland School of Social Work
  • Andrew Richardson, Clinical Nurse, University of Maryland Medical Center, B.S., Nursing, University of Maryland School of Nursing
  • Cindy Rivas, General Manager, Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott, B.S., Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
  • Jacob Wesley, Director of Senior Clinical Scientists at REGENIXBIO, Doctor of Pharmacy, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

“My USG experience was invaluable,” said Muhammad Ahmad, B.S., Construction Management Technology, University of Maryland Eastern Shore. “I don’t think I could have gone to school and completed it in the time that I did without USG being here. To me, the Power of 9 means opportunity and collaboration. It’s the unique collaborative effort between these 9 universities to provide an education opportunity to the community that everyone can benefit from.”

The Power of 9 campaign will include advertising throughout the Metrorail system, bus routes in Montgomery County, digital advertising, and an event series, titled Beyond the Degree.

To learn more, visit www.powerof9.org.