Interim Vice President for Belonging Stephanie H. Chang sent the following message to campus leaders on Tuesday afternoon.
I am pleased to share that Professor Stephen B. Thomas, Ph.D., has agreed to serve as interim director of Nyumburu Cultural Center, effective Aug. 24, 2026.
For generations, Nyumburu (“Freedom House”) has served as a home away from home for Black students and as a vital center of African American and African diasporic cultural life, learning and community at the flagship University of Maryland. As interim director, Dr. Thomas’ priorities will be to work alongside Nyumburu’s students and staff to support the center’s programs and operations and responsibly steward its enduring mission.
About Dr. Thomas
Dr. Thomas is a professor of health policy and management and founding director of the University of Maryland Center for Health Equity. Throughout his career, he has mentored students and built enduring institutions and partnerships that connect scholarship, leadership development and community engagement. His work includes founding the Health Advocates In-Reach and Research (HAIR) Network, a national network that partners with barbershops and salons to serve as trusted hubs for health promotion and disease prevention, with attention to the social determinants of health. He brings to this interim assignment a deep commitment to listening, collaboration and fostering communities in which people feel known, supported and empowered to thrive.
“Nyumburu’s name, Freedom House, speaks to both its history and its future. I am honored to help steward this extraordinary institution. My first responsibility will be to listen to its students and staff, support the community they have built, and prepare Nyumburu for a successful transition to its next permanent director,” said Dr. Thomas.
Update on the Nyumburu director search
The search for Nyumburu’s next permanent director, a professional staff position, is underway. Dr. Thomas chairs the search committee and, under the terms of the search process, is not eligible to be a candidate for the position. The search committee includes Dr. Thomas as chair, a staff member from the Nyumburu Cultural Center, an undergraduate student representative from Nyumburu student ambassadors, a graduate student representative from Graduate Student Government, a staff member from Belonging & Community, a staff member from Government Relations, and a staff member from the Division of Student Affairs. The search committee will review and determine finalists. Finalists will engage with members of the campus community, whose participation and feedback will be important to the process.
I also extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson for her service as interim director during this important period of transition. She supported Nyumburu’s students, staff and programs and strengthened connections with colleagues across campus. Perhaps most notably, given requests and accessibility needs to update Nyumburu’s largest programming and performance space, Dr. Williams-Forson was instrumental in initiating plans to redesign and renovate Nyumburu’s multipurpose room.
We are grateful for Dr. Williams-Forson’s dedication to Nyumburu and its continuing legacy as she returns to her role as professor of American studies in the College of Arts and Humanities.
Update on Nyumburu renovations
Looking ahead, Dr. Thomas will oversee the renovations, which are slated to begin in January 2027 and be completed in time for Black History Month. The refreshed multipurpose room will feature a new stage with an ADA-accessible ramp, upgraded acoustic panels and dimmable lighting, new furniture and fresh paint and flooring throughout. We are especially excited by the Gullah Geechee-inspired art being integrated into the acoustic wall opposite the new stage. The Gullah Geechee people are the descendants of West and Central Africans who were enslaved along the lower Atlantic coast of the U.S. They are known for the preservation and celebration of their culture and heritage, which retains many aspects of their African roots through language, foodways and art, providing a meaningful parallel to the celebration of Nyumburu.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Thomas to this interim role and in supporting Nyumburu’s students and staff during the transition.
Sincerely,
Stephanie H. Chang, Ph.D.
Interim Vice President for Belonging