Celebrate our School of Public Health 2025 Graduates!
Mission & Vision
Our mission is to contribute to positive rates for graduation, retention, satisfaction, and social wellness by supporting efforts to cultivate a sense of belonging within our community.
We envision a self sustaining culture where students are able identify and connect with supportive networks among faculty, staff, peers, alumni, and campus resources.
The School of Public Heath's Student Engagement Initiative (SEI) offer a variety of co-curricular experiences and support services designed to enhance the student experience, support a sense of community and belonging, and assist with career readiness among undergraduate students. Outlined in our 2024-2030 Strategic Plan, the SEI unit represents our school's commitment to invest and empower our community for better health and academic success.
Our Plan
We aim to pursue our mission and vision with an emphasis on four specific pillars, gathering the appropriate student-centered data, and building constructive partnerships across the school and university.
The Four Pillars
Belonging is associated with greater levels of emotional and behavioral engagement, as well as, satisfaction and academic-efficacy.
Social wellness involves building healthy, nurturing, and supportive relationships as well as fostering a genuine connection with those around you.
Employers are 2x more likely to offer a position to moderately involved students and 3x more likely to for highly involved students.
Function as the centralized information hub for student groups, experiential learning programs, and professional development activities across majors.
Meet the Team
Tia M. Cunningham, Assistant Director
tanksley@umd.edu
As the Assistant Director for Student Engagement, Tia's mission is to further the college’s strategic plan of fostering and investing in a community of excellence. This includes creating, collaborating, and supporting opportunities for students to build relationships with each other, faculty, staff, and alumni. Tia oversees events such as SPH Welcome Week, SPH Student Involvement Fair, Alumni Network Mentorship Program, the SPH Summer Bridge Program, and the Students Transitioning into Effective Professionals (STEP) program.
Cynthia Kershaw, Program Coordinator
ckershaw@umd.edu
Cynthia Kershaw is the Program Coordinator for the UTEAM Program. The program creates teaching teams with faculty and undergraduate TAs to increase peer mentoring and support within the School of Public Health.
Alexander W. Berner, Graduate Assistant
Alexander Berner is a Graduate Assistant for Student Engagement, collaborating on the STEP course. He aims to foster inclusive student/faculty communities that engage beyond campus. Aspiring to be a Professional School Counselor, he plans to apply these principles in his future schools.
Elizabeth W. Galloway, Graduate Assistant
Libby Galloway is a Graduate Assistant for the SPH Center for Academic Success and Achievement. She graduated from UMD with a Bachelor's degree in Public Health Science and Sustainability Studies. With a strong foundation in environmental health, Libby is dedicated to promoting sustainable solutions for global health challenges. Her experience also includes the use of online accessibility tools to enhance inclusivity in public health education and communication.
Samuel W. Merga, Graduate Assistant
Samuel Merga is a graduate student in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland, where he also serves as a Graduate Assistant. He is passionate about fostering positive youth development and promoting physical activity. Samuel’s work focuses on creating programs that enhance the physical, emotional, and social well-being of underserved communities.