Kerry Tripp and Samuel (Woodie) Kessel, faculty members in the Department of Family Science, were recently inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Sigma Circle for their outstanding leadership and impact on the University of Maryland community. ODK is a nationally recognized leadership honor society, and the University of Maryland Sigma Circle recognizes students and faculty members who foster opportunities that benefit the campus community.
Briana Nabet ’22, a family science major who is the membership and induction chair for the ODK nominated Tripp and Kessel for the honor. The Sigma Circle of ODK has a long and proud history - it was founded in 1927 and its membership includes President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congressman Steny Hoyer. Since 1997, members of ODK Sigma Circle have had their names inscribed on the fountain on McKeldin Mall.
Kerry Tripp, principal lecturer, was inducted to the ODK in recognition of her innovation, leadership and mentorship to the School of Public Health community. She is a Notre Dame Law School graduate and has practiced law in San Francisco and Baltimore. Her research focuses on family law and public health issues through a legal lens. Tripp is a published author and has released five versions of her textbook, “Family Law for Non-Lawyers” and two books on the law and ethics of assisted reproduction technologies. She has taught 14 classes in the School of Public Health and has created four new pilot courses, including an international comparative law and policy class with students in the Universidade Federal do Rio De Janeiro in Brazil. Tripp also leads the School of Public Health’s summer study abroad trip to Havana, Cuba. She has created new courses to engage students on relevant topics and is dedicated to identifying student concerns and looking for innovative solutions to address them.
Woodie Kessel, a professor of the practice and pediatrician by training, was inducted to the ODK for his desire to create change, his advocacy for others and his selfless and compassionate leadership style. Previously a US assistant surgeon general, he was the senior advisor on public health, health policy and child and family health matters to the White House, Cabinet Secretaries and Health and Human Services officials throughout eight administrations. Kessel developed the principles for and directed the operations of the President’s Safe and Bright Futures for Children Initiative, the President’s Healthier US – Healthier Children and Youths Program, the President’s Task Force on Children’s Environmental Health and Safety and the President’s State Children’s Health Insurance Program that he wrote alongside former Vice President, Hillary Clinton. Kessel is committed and driven to make a difference for family science students and students in the Federal Fellows program at the University of Maryland.