CATALYST IMPACT

Physician Assistant Program

Building on a strong foundation of clinical excellence, the Graduate School is taking physician assistant (PA) education to new heights. In 2020, the Graduate School assumed leadership of a 25-plus-year legacy PA program that began as a partnership with Anne Arundel Community College, welcoming its first cohort to campus in spring 2022.

Funding Students’ Big Ideas

Building on the increasing need for student-based early-stage funding opportunities, the Student Social Venture Fund was launched to fund early-stage student ventures that strive to make significant health and social impacts in Baltimore and beyond. Thanks to the support of a small group of visionary donors, UMB students with early-stage concepts are given opportunities to grow their ventures while also receiving access to mentorship, pitch development, and educational resources to nurture their ideas.

Upon graduation, our PA students go on to work in a wide range of positions, from clinical practice to education. These graduates are helping to address provider shortages and improve health care access in urban and rural underserved areas of Maryland. With the PA profession forecasted to grow by a significant margin over the next decade, we hope to continue expanding our program’s reach and capacity.

Interprofessional Degree Programs Designed for Health Professions Faculty

Building on UMB’s rich history, the Graduate School was the first in the state to offer an interprofessional PhD degree in Health Professions Education. Recognizing the growing demand for learner enrollment in health care programs occurring across the region and nation, the PhD and MS programs uniquely contribute to the educational preparation of faculty in all health professions and are delivered online.

Alicia and Yaya Global Fellowship in Aging Research

The Graduate School believes that the intersection of research from diverse fields fosters ingenuity, achieves the greatest impact, and promotes optimal experiences of aging. To support that aim, the Alicia and Yaya Global Fellowship in Aging Research was established by a generous gift from Marco and Debbie Chacón. This collaborative effort with the University of Costa Rica, San Jose supports students conducting aging research abroad and aims to build a global cohort of connected fellows to ensure future collaborations as they continue to develop their research careers and serve aging adults locally and globally.

Flexible New Degree and Certificate Programs Designed for Adult Learners

Building on 100 years of excellence, the Graduate School has grown substantially over the past decade and now cultivates a community of diverse students across nearly 60 academic degree and certificate programs. Recognizing the shifting landscape of those seeking education, we’ve adapted to meet these new needs in support of access to graduate education in alignment with institutional and systemwide priorities. Ranging from online to in-person, our academic programs are designed to meet learners where they are, whether sitting at a dining room table or with peers in a traditional classroom.

Sharing Expertise

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, plans had been in place to create the Academy of Lifelong Learning (ALL), a virtual tool that inspires, engages, and educates learners of all ages on a variety of health and human service topics. When ALL launched in May 2020 with a focus on COVID-19, top experts, including Wilbur Chen, MD; Robert C. Gallo, MD; Matthew Frieman, PhD; Diane Hoffmann, JD, MS; and Michael Greenberger, JD, were on hand to answer questions.

New Endowments Created

Thanks to generous support, our growing endowments are supporting scholarships, professorships, global work and partnerships, entrepreneurial initiatives, student needs, and our work in the community. C