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Universities at Shady Grove
UMBC expands offerings at The Universities at Shady Grove to grow Maryland’s STEM workforce
UMBC News

In this article by UMBC News, the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) is highlighted for the high-impact programs offered on the campus by UMBC and its eight other Maryland university partners. UMBC student, Jackelyn Flores ‘21, is also featured as one of the first students to pursue UMBC’s newest degree in translational life sciences technology (TLST), where she will also get to take advantage of classes in the Biomedical Sciences & Engineering (BSE) facility that just opened today. The BSE is a step toward increasing opportunities for students in programs, like TLST and other in-demand STEMM careers, to further develop their skills with state-of-the-art lab equipment, from liquid chromatography to bioreactors to high-end microscopes.

The full article, published on November 7, 2021, can be found below.

READ FULL ARTICLE

Universities at Shady Grove
USM Celebrates Nov. 7 Grand Opening for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Building at Rockville-based Universities at Shady Grove
University System of Maryland News

Baltimore, Md. (Nov. 5, 2019) – The University System of Maryland (USM) celebrates this week’s opening of the new Biomedical Sciences and Engineering education facility at the system’s regional higher education center in Montgomery County, the Universities at Shady Grove (USG). A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony takes place at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 7.

The Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (BSE) education facility is a $175 million project that will allow USG to expand educational offerings and degrees in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). These programs include new offerings from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in life sciences, cybersecurity and engineering; from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) Clark School of Engineering; and from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) School of Dentistry.

USG is located at 9636 Gudelsky Drive in Rockville. USM Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden and Chancellor Robert L. Caret will participate in the ceremony.

Established more than 20 years ago, the concept of the USM regional centers is unique nationally. The regional centers are not “satellite” campuses of a single university, but rather conveniently and strategically located sites where multiple universities deliver their most in-demand undergraduate, graduate, professional degree, and certificate programs. The USM maintains two other regional higher education centers: USM Hagerstown in western Maryland and USM at Southern Maryland in St. Mary’s County. USM has broken ground on a new Academic and Innovation Center, an $86 Million, 84,000-square foot academic and research facility that will nearly double USMSM’s educational footprint, create autonomous systems research space, and spur economic activity and job growth.

“A major expansion is also underway at USMSM, as construction is underway on the Academic and Innovation Center  NAME building that will greatly expand classroom space and provide testing facilities for drone research conducted by the UMCP Clarks School of Engineering….]

Since its opening in 2000, USG has grown rapidly and increased the number of students served on its campus from an initial cohort of 200 to more than 3,000 today. Approximately 12,000 undergraduate and graduate-level degrees have been awarded by USG’s nine participating universities to students who have attended the campus. Programs are offered at USG by the following nine University System of Maryland universities: University of Maryland, College Park; Bowie State; Salisbury University; University of Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore; UMBC; University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES); and University of Maryland Global Campus.

“The Universities at Shady Grove is a critical, successful, and major component of the higher education landscape in Montgomery County. Having served several years ago on the USG Board of Visitors, it gives me great pride to see this marvelous new facility move from concept to completion,” Gooden said. “Our three regional centers are hubs of innovation and training that extend the reach of the fine institutions in our system—benefitting both students and local businesses.  We are grateful to leadership in Annapolis for providing the funding to support this important and unique regional model.”

The BSE is a six-level, 220,000-square-foot facility that will double the footprint of the campus and allow USG to increase enrollment capacity from its current 3,000-plus students to more than 7,500, during the next several years. Its constriction makes it one of the most sustainably sourced laboratory buildings in the region and is on track for LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of certification issued by the U.S. Green Business Council.
An exciting feature of the BSE will be a community dental clinic operated by the School of Dentistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Equipped with 24 operatory stations, the clinic will provide comprehensive dental care to community patients. Faculty-supervised dental students and dental hygiene students will provide the patient care.

“In many ways this new Biomedical Sciences and Engineering education facility represents the best of the USM regional center model—providing students with access to an affordable education, businesses with innovation partners and a highly trained workforce, and communities with enhancements to the local quality of life,” said USM Chancellor Robert L. Caret.  “We are proud to expand this important work in Montgomery County, and greatly appreciate both the state and county leaders who support this vision.” 

Universities at Shady Grove
The Universities at Shady Grove Celebrates Grand Opening of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Building
Business Wire

ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) – a regional campus of the University System of Maryland that offers degree programs from nine different Maryland public universities – celebrated today the opening of its fourth academic building, a $175 million, state-of-the-art Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (BSE) education facility.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, USM Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden, University System of Maryland Chancellor Robert Caret, university presidents from around the state, USG Executive Director Stewart Edelstein, and the USG Board of Advisors were joined by an array of elected officials, business and community leaders, faculty, staff and students for the grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting. Hundreds attended the grand opening event, which was followed by tours of the BSE and a STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, medical studies) Showcase to highlight programs that partner universities will be bringing to the new facility, as well as area science and technology businesses that are partnering with USG.

USG is a regional higher education center of the University System of Maryland that offers approximately 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs from nine different state universities, all on one convenient, full-service campus in Rockville. Students who attend USG pursue and earn their degrees directly from the partner universities that offer the programs on the campus. For undergraduate students, the university programs offered at USG provide third- and fourth-year classes toward a bachelor’s degree. Most students who attend the undergraduate programs at USG transfer from Montgomery College or another college, after completing the first two years of their coursework.

The new BSE building will provide USG the opportunity to expand educational offerings and degrees in the STEMM fields, including new programs from UMBC in life sciences, cybersecurity and engineering; from the University of Maryland, College Park, including the Clark School of Engineering; and from the School of Dentistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

One of the first and most unique features of the new BSE will be a community dental clinic operated by the School of Dentistry. Equipped with 24 operatory stations, the clinic will provide comprehensive dental care to community patients. Patient care will be provided by faculty-supervised dental students and dental hygiene students.

The BSE is a six-level, 220,000-square-foot facility that doubles the footprint of the campus. It will enable USG to ultimately increase enrollment capacity from its current 3,000-plus students to more than 7,500, over the next several years.

The building has been constructed as one of the most sustainably sourced laboratory buildings in the region and is on track to be certified as LEED Platinum, the highest level of certification issued by the U.S. Green Business Council. Key sustainability features of the building and project include the materials and resources used in construction; indoor environmental quality enhancements; protection of the local ecology in design and construction; water efficiency; and energy use.

Another highlight of the BSE is a spectacular, outdoor public artwork entitled “Piney Branch Water Garden,” by the renowned Michael Singer Studio. The artwork – which connects directly to an elevated campus boardwalk that was built to traverse wetlands associated with the Piney Branch watershed – features harvested rainwater, flowing over layers of underwater sculpted surfaces and includes night lighting. Sculpted panels are repeated on a living wall of the interior of the building and represent abstractions of natural patterns, systems and structures referencing the scientific disciplines within the BSE. Michael Singer is an award-winning artist with commissioned public art projects throughout the nation and abroad. The studio was selected to design and produce the public art at USG through the Maryland Public Art Initiative, which is administered by the Maryland State Arts Council.

Among other features of note about the BSE facility:

  • 20 fully equipped teaching laboratories;
  • Two 120-plus seat lecture halls;
  • 12 active learning classrooms;
  • Clinical training facilities, including the dental clinic with 20 dental chairs and four surgical offices;
  • Product design laboratory and maker spaces for student research;
  • Academic offices;
  • A future innovation and entrepreneurship center where students and mentors will work collaboratively with local businesses to develop new ideas and technologies; and
  • Student affairs offices to support academic success, career and internship services, and counseling and consultation.

The architectural firms Cooper Carry and Lake Flato collaborated on the planning and design of the BSE. Gilbane Building Company served as the construction management firm, under oversight by University of Maryland Capital Projects, Department of Planning and Construction.

“For nearly 20 years, the Universities at Shady Grove has been providing students with opportunities to complete baccalaureate and graduate degrees in a variety of fields offered on campus by our nine university partners,” said USG Executive Director Stewart Edelstein. “The opening of this state-of-the-art Biomedical Sciences and Engineering facility will enable us to expand our ability to serve students and the region by bringing a variety of much-needed and in-demand STEMM programs into Montgomery County.”

For more information about the new Biomedical Sciences and Engineering building at USG, please visit shadygrove.umd.edu/bse.

Universities at Shady Grove
UMB Expands Offerings at Universities at Shady Grove
UMB News

Gov. Larry Hogan, higher education leaders, students, and local elected officials were among those celebrating expanded opportunity for Marylanders as the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and other institutions unveiled new programs and services on Nov. 7 in Montgomery County, Md.

The occasion was the grand opening of the Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (BSE) Education Facility at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) in Rockville. The $175 million, state-of the art building includes a community dental clinic that the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) will open to patients in January.

(View a video below and a photo gallery.)

UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, was joined by Mark A. Reynolds, DDS, PhD, MA, dean and professor, UMDOD, at the event that featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours, and demonstrations for visitors to the dental suite by UMSOD students.

Third-year School of Dentistry students Ben Horn, left, and Sahar Nesvarderani demonstrate techniques for guests during the grand opening of the Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Facility at the Universities at Shady Grove.

Third-year School of Dentistry students Ben Horn, left, and Sahar Nesvarderani demonstrate techniques for guests during the grand opening of the Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Facility at the Universities at Shady Grove.

“The School of Dentistry’s new educational programs and clinical facility at USG will expand our ability to educate highly skilled clinical practitioners and leaders in oral health care as well as improve access to dental services for underserved residents of Montgomery County,” Reynolds said.
 
BSE is a six-level, 220,000-square-foot facility that will double the footprint of the campus and enable USG to increase enrollment capacity from its current 3,000-plus students to more than 7,500 over the next several years, according to USG. The campus houses programs of nine institutions in the University System of Maryland (USM).

The event began with a luncheon and panel discussion for invited guests. The moderator was Christopher P. Austin, MD, director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at the National Institutes of Health and a member of the USG board of advisers. Panelists were the presidents of institutions with expanded offerings in BSE, including Perman; the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Freeman Hrabowski, PhD; and the University of Maryland, College Park’s Wallace D. Loh, PhD, JD.

In keeping with the mission of BSE, their subject was STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math — and medicine). Addressing the additional “M” in STEMM, Perman said, “I often tell medical students looking ahead toward 40 years or so of practice, that if they want to enjoy a career in medicine, they need to crave what they learned in basic science.”

Perman also asked a rhetorical question. “What’s this building going to do for Montgomery County, the state, and for our learners at UMB?”

“A lot,” he declared, supplying his own answer before describing the expanded dental offerings, including patient care to bolster oral health in the region.

UMSOD is introducing two innovative programs to educate and train future leaders who will work interprofessionally to address oral and systemic health connections and improve patient outcomes.

  • The Clinical Dental Hygiene Leader Program (CDHL), in which coursework begins in June, becomes the only Master of Science (MS) degree in dental hygiene in the state. Through this two-year, dual-degree program, qualified college graduates can obtain both a second Bachelor of Science degree and the MS, producing dental hygienists who can assume key leadership roles in a variety of clinical, educational, public health, and health care settings.
  • The Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Oral Health Science Program, to be offered beginning in fall 2020, is for non-dental health care professionals who want to build core oral health competencies to better respond to patients’ needs and more holistically manage patient care.

The new clinic is expected to provide oral health care to 3,000 to 4,000 patients, many of whom are currently underserved and eligible for services on a reduced-fee basis. The suite of 24 dental chairs and adjoining operatory facilities will enable UMSOD to provide comprehensive dentistry for adults and children, with treatment by UMSOD postdoctoral residents, general dentistry students, and dental and dental hygiene students under UMSOD faculty supervision.

USM Chancellor Robert L. Caret, PhD, in remarks to several hundred guests assembled for the ribbon-cutting, noted that the clinic becomes one of the largest community dental clinics in the state. What’s more, its function helps USM fulfill its mission. “Universities have three primary roles,” he said, the first being education and the second economic vitality. “The third is social well-being of the region in which they reside. This kind of facility allows us to do all three of those things in ways that would not be possible without them.”

USG executive director Stewart Edelstein, PhD, said, “The BSE is about science — science on display — and teaching the application of science to improve the human condition.” He noted that an entire floor (the second) is devoted to health and medical education and described amenities in the community dental clinic while inviting guests to see for themselves.

Awaiting them in the UMSOD simulation laboratory adjacent to the clinic were Katherine Perez Sandoval, Megan Didion, Fahimeh Razian, and Meskerem Melorea, members of the Dental Hygiene Class of 2020; and Sahar Nesvarderani and Ben Horn, members of the Doctor of Dental Surgery Class of 2021.

Nesvarderani commented on the advantages of becoming familiar with the latest equipment and technology, such as lightweight, air-driven hand pieces. Didion also expressed students’ appreciation for the state-of the-art technology. “The more practice we get, the better our clinical skills are going to be,” she said.

Razian, Melorea, and Perez Sandoval all spoke of how the new offerings in dental hygiene will broaden opportunities for those in the area who wish to enter the career, saving time, energy, and costs. “People won’t have to go long distances from home to get the education they need,” said Perez Sandoval.

Sharing a work station, Horn and Nesvarderani demonstrated, among other techniques, how students learn by using a typodont, or model of the oral cavity, for a guest who lives nearby at a residence for the elderly.

With its new academic programs and clinic at USG, Reynolds noted, “The School of Dentistry will be drawing upon its expert faculty as well as the unique interprofessional opportunities found at the USG campus to prepare graduates for successful careers in emerging new models of multidisciplinary health care delivery.”

In addition to the new dentistry programs, UMB offerings at USG include programs of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

Universities at Shady Grove
University of Baltimore's College of Public Affairs Climbs in U.S. News 2020 Graduate School Rankings
University of Baltimore

The University of Baltimore College of Public Affairs once again ranked in the top 25 percent of all public affairs schools of its kind in U.S. News & World Report's 2020 edition of the best graduate schools in the nation. The college is ranked #60, climbing four spots from its 2019 ranking.

The rankings are based on peer reviews about program excellence and statistics that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research and students. 

"This is our third straight year climbing in the U.S. News rankings. I attribute that rise not only to the strength and distinction of our nationally-accredited Master of Public Administration program, but also to our faculty and their world-class research and scholarship," said Roger Hartley, dean of the College of Public Affairs. "It is an honor to be ranked among prestigious schools that are a mix of Research 1 and private institutions, many much larger than us. This ranking is a testament to the tenacity and grit of our faculty, staff, students and alumni, and I thank them all for contributing to the success and national recognition of our college."

UB tied with equivalent programs at Cleveland State University, CUNY-John Jay College, the Naval Postgraduate School, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and the University of Pennsylvania, all in the #60 position.

The full rankings, data and methodologies can be found here.

Learn more about the M.P.A. and the College of Public Affairs.

The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.

Universities at Shady Grove
Departing Montgomery Co. executive raises scholarship money through foundation
WTOP
By Liz Anderson | @planetnoun September 24, 2018 6:32 am
Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett in February. (WTOP/Kate Ryan)

WASHINGTON — Montgomery County’s outgoing county executive remembers scraping his way through college. Now, he and his wife are helping pay it forward in dollars and cents, so local students can get the support they need to succeed.

Ike Leggett said he has fundraising efforts at his Alexandria, Louisiana community church to thank for his very first college scholarship — all $12 of it.

“At the end of the summer, it raised more money than it ever raised in the history of the church,” Leggett remembers of the fundraiser. “That $37 had to be divided among three students, and we got about $12 apiece.”

 

Leggett also asked a Louisiana state senator who had given him a resounding “no” at first, but eventually gave in with some persistence.

“Once I realized the benefits of college, I really devoted myself — opened my heart, my arms, my intellect and whatever I could — to devote an effort to make sure I would do well,” he said.

Four degrees later, and many years of service to Montgomery County, Leggett and his wife have established their own fund: The Ike and Catherine Leggett Scholarship.

“This scholarship fund my wife and I are establishing is designed in a way to help those who are underprivileged, those who need resources in order to go to college, either the University of Maryland at Shady Grove or Montgomery College,” Leggett said.

Ike Leggett, who has served three terms as County Executive, announced nearly two years ago that he would not seek a fourth term at the county’s helm.

He and his wife, Catherine, were honored Sunday at the Leggett Legacy Forward event, which was free and held at the Music Center at Strathmore. It also doubled as a fundraiser.

Donations rolled in during the latter portions of the event, via text message and old-fashioned check, which helped meet the $1.7 million goal.

Now, they’re looking to raise an additional $300,000 to meet their new $2 million goal.

The Ike and Catherine Leggett scholarship fund will benefit students throughout Montgomery County who participate in the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success program, also known as ACES, a free program at 14 participating county high schools.

High school students can apply to the program while in 10th grade. They receive support during 11th and 12th grades, while navigating the pathway first through Montgomery College, then a bachelor’s degree at the Universities at Shady Grove.

“We are hoping that it is a scholarship fund that lives on in perpetuity — so clearly we’ll establish an endowment, and clearly there’ll be money that we give every single year to both Montgomery College and to the Universities at Shady Grove,” Catherine said. “And so it’ll be a perpetual scholarship fund” for students in the ACES program “who need that help to get to the four-year college, that four-year university.”

Donations can be made to the scholarship fund through the Montgomery College Foundation, or the Universities at Shady Grove Foundation.


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© 2018 WTOP. All Rights Reserved.

Universities at Shady Grove
Industry-Driven Degree Program Launches this Fall to Fill Gap in Biotech Workforce
BioBuzz news

By: Sarah Ellinwood, PhD

In this exciting age of science, technology, and innovation, more and more high schoolers, college students, and graduate students are becoming interested in pursuing a career in biotech.  But, is the standard science degree (i.e. Biology, Chemistry, and Physics) keeping up with this demand and adequately preparing students for careers in this field?  While there is no doubt that having formal scientific training is important, many employers feel that students don’t often graduate with the skills that are sought out by the biotech industry.

This is where the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and Montgomery College have stepped up to the plate!  Together, these two institutions have jointly developed a new biotech industry-driven degree program that will be offered at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) this fall.  This new degree, the Bachelor of Science in Translational Life Science Technology (TLST), is designed to prepare students for the exhilarating biotech opportunities of today and tomorrow by combining general learning with real-world applications used by scientists in academic and industry research.  BioBuzz recently caught up with Dr. Bill LaCourse, Professor and Dean of the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at UMBC, to learn more about how the TLST came to be and how it will strengthen biotech as a whole in the BioHealth Capital Region. [READ MORE]

Universities at Shady Grove
Michael Singer Studio Selected for the Universities at Shady Grove Public Art Project
Maryland State Arts Council

MSAC in partnership with the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) announces the selection of Michael Singer Studio for the new Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Building (BSE) at the Rockville campus. When the building opens in 2019, the University System of Maryland’s research universities, University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Maryland, College Park and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will offer undergraduate and graduate degree opportunities in healthcare, biosciences, engineering and computational sciences.The BSE will provide state-of-the-art teaching laboratories, active learning classrooms, clinical training facilities, and innovation and product design labs for interdisciplinary student research projects.

Michael Singer Studios was selected through a national Call-to-Artists conducted by MSAC, with over 200 applications received. An artist selection committee comprised of representatives of USG, the building architects and landscape architect, and local art professionals, conducted four rounds of review narrowing the pool to three semi-finalists that were interviewed in person. Michael Singer Studio was selected for their innovative and sustainable approach to projects integrated in the landscape creatively incorporating water.

For the BSE, the proposed artwork site is highly visible both from the student gathering areas inside as well as from exterior spaces – an adjacent boardwalk traversing existing wetlands. Initial community meetings conducted with students, staff and faculty were held in late June and the studio team is currently in the concept development phase. Proposed artwork completion is fall semester 2019.

The project is part of the state’s percent-for-art program - the Maryland Public Art Initiative that integrates public art in state capital construction projects. Public art projects are underway at other University System of Maryland campuses including: University of Baltimore, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and an upcoming call-to-artists is planned for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Universities at Shady Grove
State-funded grant helps UMD nursing students stay on track for their degrees
WJLA

By Kellye Lynn/ABC7

ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) — The aging Baby Boomer population is creating a critical need for nurses across the country.

A grant is helping to accelerate the pipeline of students who earn nursing degrees.

Elizabeth Capowski didn't always aspire to become a nurse.

“I'm a personal trainer by trade but I wanted to go deeper,” she says. “I wanted to get in the medical field.”

The senior at the University of Maryland School of Nursing will soon graduate thanks in part to a scholarship provided through the state-funded $200,000 EARN grant.

The grant assists more than 60 Bachelor of Science nursing students over two years.

“Most of the candidates still had family obligations and needed to work while they were in school so we wanted to provide the scholarships to eliminate that stress,” says Ellie Giles of WorkSource Montgomery

The program is a partnership between WorkSource Montgomery, the Healthcare Initiative Foundation, and the Universities at Shady Grove. The ultimate goal is to help meet the demand for nurses in Montgomery County.

“It's expensive to go to school and if we can get the support to go we're going to produce more qualified nurses,: Capowski says.

Employment for nurses is expected to increase 15 percent between now and 2026.

 

Universities at Shady Grove
Colleges partner to offer biotech degree
I-270 News

By: Kylie Khan

GERMANTOWN, Md. - The biotechnology industry is booming in Montgomery County, and educators want to make sure there will be qualified workers to fill those jobs.

That's why Montgomery College has partnered with the Universities at Shady Grove and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County to offer a new degree program called the Translational Life Sciences Technology program. Students in the program would spend two years at Montgomery College's Germantown campus, and then two years at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville. 

"The object is for them to get opportunities for the skills, and the education they need for jobs. Jobs that are local, and jobs in industries that we know are growing," said Stewart Edelstein, executive director for the Universities at Shady Grove.

Officials said more than 75 percent of Maryland's biotechnology companies are located in Montgomery County. 

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