Roland King

Annual university faculty and staff awards winner biography

2019–2020 Presidential Distinguished Staff Award, Professional Staff

Valerie A. Thomas, Chief Human Resources Officer, Department of Human Resources

Through her tireless commitment to exceptional service to the campus community, Valerie Thomas has transformed the Human Resources department into a model for institutional excellence.

Since joining UMBC in 2002, Thomas has focused on building positive relationships with all faculty and staff by strengthening the services and support offered by the department. Her customer service focus has resulted in key business process improvements, enhanced employee rewards and recognition programs, and training and professional development opportunities. She has also played a critical role as a leader and partner in supporting institutional priorities. With her knowledge and guidance, UMBC implemented several important initiatives centered on health and wellness. She co-chaired the task force to implement a smoke-free campus policy. She was also responsible for the creation of UMBC’s Wellness Initiative to educate the community on the importance of making healthy choices and assisted in the development of complementary resources, programming, and events for faculty and staff.

Thomas has been a staunch advocate for work/life balance, encouraging the campus to adopt alternative work arrangements to support employees and allow for more accommodations. Today, UMBC is recognized by the University System of Maryland (USM) as one of the most family-friendly institutions in work/life balance policies for faculty and staff.

At the System level, she has been a key subject-matter expert for the Labor Relations Board and her knowledge and expertise were critical during the negotiation of factors impacting UMBC’s bargaining unit employees. In response to the impact of the 2008 financial crisis, her collaborative work with executive leadership, shared governance, and bargaining units resulted in a fair and minimally intrusive furlough plan for employees. The successful implementation across UMBC was recognized by the University System of Maryland Chancellor’s Office as one of the most effective and efficient processes and was recommended for use at all other USM institutions.

Thomas holds a B.S. from North Carolina Central University and an M.S. from Coppin State University.

Annual university faculty and staff awards winner biography

2017–2020 Presidential Teaching Professor

Marc Zupan, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, Mechanical Engineering

Marc Zupan joined the UMBC faculty in 2003. His career at UMBC has been marked with high praise for his excellence as a teacher, advisor, and mentor. By infusing real-world applications with innovative instruction, he prepares students for meaningful careers and personal and civic lives.

Zupan is deeply invested in helping students excel. He believes in a complete and fully developed engineering education by challenging students to not only master the fundamental and advanced technical skills of the discipline, but also to become expert in communication, teamwork, and cultural awareness. His global engineering program exemplifies this approach through a creative curriculum that balances technical proficiency with cultural and communication skills to prepare students for successful careers in the global arena. Zupan’s bold vision for collaboration, paired with a steadfast commitment to his students, has strengthened the department and inspired more global programs across campus.

Many alumni credit their successful careers to Zupan’s teaching and mentorship, which has resulted in top job placements for graduates of his program and acceptance into some of the most prestigious engineering doctoral programs in the country. Past and present students often remark on the valuable experience gained from his course projects, internship opportunities, and international exchanges. Zupan’s blend of industry experience and commitment to lifelong learning has given his students an excellent head start in developing critical career-building skills in global engineering, and has offered concrete tools and pathways for achieving success.

He received his B.S. from University of Dayton and his M.S. and Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University.

Annual university faculty and staff awards winner biography

2016 University System of Maryland Board of Regents’ Faculty Award for Excellence in Research

Upal Ghosh, Professor, Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering

Upal Ghosh joined UMBC in 2002. During his tenure, he has been instrumental in creating a thriving graduate program in the chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering department. His work has attracted significant research funds and has not only advanced the research profile of the university, but also created an environment that fosters the development of new approaches in environmental assessments and remediation.

He has mentored a diverse group of post-doc, graduate, and undergraduate students who investigate the lifecycle, effects, and remediation of toxic pollutants in the environment and their impact on human health. Ghosh, along with his research group, averages four to five journal publications per year. His contributions to the field can be found in frequent citations of his research by others, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance documents and actions and public notices.

Ghosh’s research has secured nearly $8 million in grant funding from several agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, EPA, Department of Defense, and the private industry.

His revolutionary work has led to an international reputation as the foremost expert in his field with regard to assessing pollutant fate and pollutant bioavailability. Specifically, he is noted for the development of an original remediation technology, known as SediMite™, which allows activated carbon to be introduced in some environments. Building on the success of his novel research, Ghosh partnered with a private group to form Sediment Solutions, a startup that licensed his patented research from UMBC and manufactures, markets, and implements the new remediation technology for commercial applications. Ghosh received his B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology and his M.S and Ph.D. from the University of Buffalo.