President Jordan Among Maryland’s Top 100 Women Gretchen Phillips March 24, 2023 - 3:59 pm March 24, 2023 For her outstanding leadership in her profession and in the community, St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD was named to the Daily Record’s 2023 Maryland’s Top 100 Women. “The 2023 Maryland’s Top 100 Women are trailblazers. They are professionally successful, serve as leaders in the community and demonstrate a commitment to mentoring,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of The Daily Record/BridgeTower Media. Among her many attributes considered by the judges were President Jordan’s founding of the  Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science Education Alliance (SEA) program and the launch of its first initiative, the SEA Phage program. In addition wereher involvement on a variety of  boards such as the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS), the Wills Group,  the Maryland Humanities and her commitment to mentoring individuals who have a passion to succeed. President Jordan was selected from a pool of 400 nominations by an outside panel of judges that included business and legal professionals, previous Maryland’s Top 100 Women honorees from throughout the state, and a representative of The Daily Record Founded in 1996, Maryland’s Top 100 Women recognizes outstanding achievements by women demonstrated through professional accomplishments, community leadership and mentoring. Maryland's Top 100 Women will be honored at a reception and awards celebration on May 8 at The Lyric Baltimore, 140 W. Mount Royal Avenue in Baltimore. For more information and to see the list of all winners visit The Daily Record online.

President Jordan Visits Bryn Mawr College for Advancing Inclusive Excellence Series Gretchen Phillips March 23, 2023 - 1:22 pm March 23, 2023 St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD, visited Bryn Mawr College Thursday, March 23, for the launch of its new Advancing Inclusive Excellence series. President Jordan will be joined by President Emeritus of the University of Maryland, Freeman Hrabowski, PhD.  The two leaders in transforming STEM education and student success spoke on personal experience, something Bryn Mawr students responded with when asked what they were looking to get out of the new series.  Learn more about the event on Bryn Mawr’s website and read about the stories President Jordan and President Hrabowski will share during The Stories Behind Careers Dedicated to Inclusive Excellence event. 

Katherine Gantz Named Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Chuck Steenburgh January 04, 2023 - 8:05 am January 04, 2023 St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan has appointed Katherine L. Gantz as vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, effective January 9, 2023. The leadership position reports directly to the president. “After a thorough and vigorous national search that produced a group of outstanding candidates, Dr. Katie Gantz emerged as the clear choice for this crucial role,” said President Jordan. “She possesses the vision, breadth of experience, and drive needed to continue the advances in academics at the National Public Honors College.” “I’m tremendously honored to take on this leadership position at the College, and to continue working with the exceptional faculty and staff who deliver an unparalleled educational experience for our students,” said Gantz.  Gantz has had a leading role in academic administration at St. Mary’s College for the past six years. In 2016 she was appointed interim associate dean of faculty, an appointment which became permanent in 2017; Gantz held this role until 2021. She was appointed interim dean of faculty in 2021 and interim provost and dean of faculty in 2022. In her most recent role as interim provost and dean of faculty, she has overseen academic policy and strategic planning, curriculum, and all aspects of administration within academic affairs. During this period, her responsibilities included implementing a new academic leadership structure, a new class scheduling matrix, and the introduction of new academic majors.  A native of Columbus, Ohio, Gantz has had a distinguished career in academia for nearly 25 years, the last 17 of which have been at St. Mary’s College. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University, Gantz completed her master’s degree and PhD in French at the University of Michigan. After four years in a tenure track position at Valparaiso University, she was appointed an assistant professor of French at St. Mary’s College in the fall of 2005. While at St. Mary’s College, she taught within the Department of International Languages and Cultures, receiving tenure and promotion to associate professor in 2010, serving a term as department chair in 2013, and earning promotion to professor in 2017.  Gantz’s many interdisciplinary publications include articles, book chapters, and reviews of works on French literature and American culture as well as publications on higher education administration topics. She has been a regular presenter at regional and national workshops and conferences and is the recipient of numerous research and faculty development grants. Her awards include the Outstanding Mentor Award from Valparaiso University and the Homer L. Dodge Award for Excellence in Teaching by Junior Faculty from St. Mary’s College.

President Jordan Named to Maryland Humanities Board Gretchen Phillips October 26, 2022 - 9:36 am October 26, 2022 St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan was recently named to the Maryland Humanities board, representing St. Mary’s County.  She is among seven new members announced by the organization earlier this month.  Maryland Humanities is a statewide nonprofit organization that creates and supports educational experiences in the humanities that inspire all Marylanders to embrace lifelong learning, exchange ideas openly, and enrich their communities. “I am honored to be selected to be on the Maryland Humanities board, especially as the President of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, The National Public Honors College based in the founding location of our state,” Jordan says. “As educators, we have a special mission to teach, shape the future, understand our past, and honor those who came before us.” “At St. Mary’s we do this daily and at all public events by acknowledging that our campus is the ancestral home of the Yacocomico and Piscataway Peoples and was partly built and sustained by enslaved people of African descent,” President Jordan continues. “We pledge to make our college more accessible, inclusive and equitable -  all which strongly supports the vision of Maryland Humanities. I look forward to serving as an extension of our mission in support of our state’s citizens.” The other six named to the now 31 member board this month were: Mollie Caplis, Baltimore County; Tahira Christmon, Howard County; Rachael Gibson, Montgomery County; Shauna Knox, Montgomery County; Soo Koo, Montgomery County; and Marshall F. Stevenson, Jr., Somerset County. According to the Maryland Humanities website, among the responsibilities Jordan and fellow board members are responsible for include “strengthening and monitoring the organization’s programs and services, ensuring effective fiscal management, fundraising, strategic planning, selecting and orienting new board members, allocating grant funds, hiring and evaluating the Executive Director, and promoting Maryland Humanities activities. For more information on Maryland Humanities visit the organization online at https://www.mdhumanities.org/.

Inalienable Rights Panel Sparks Discussion Chuck Steenburgh October 09, 2022 - 6:15 pm October 09, 2022 “Can the inalienable rights referenced by the fathers of the Constitution exist for all Americans in the 21st ce0ntury?”  That was the question posed to a national media panel before more than 350 students, faculty & staff, and community members on Friday evening, October 7, 2022 in the Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center auditorium. Moderated by Jessica Yellin, former Chief White House and Chief Domestic Affairs Correspondent for CNN and founder of News Not Noise, the panel featured Mara Liasson, a national political correspondent for NPR and frequent Fox News Channel contributor; and Bill Kristol, a dyed-in-the-wool conservative and founder of influential publications such as “The Weekly Standard” and “The Bulwark.”  (Jelani Cobb, scheduled to appear, was a last-minute cancellation due to a family emergency). Related content: Photo album The panel's discussion ranged over a number of contemporary issues in American politics, including electoral reform, the Supreme Court, abortion rights, the 2022 elections, and more.  Audience members were also given an opportunity to ask questions, and weighed in on topics from all sides of the political spectrum.  The line of the night perhaps belonged to Liasson, who, in a discussion of free speech in the era of social media, quipped "Even though Al Gore did not invent the internet, the algorithm is named after him." The panel discussion was part of the Presidential Lecture Series, and was funded by the College's Andrew J. Goodpaster Endowed Leadership and Honor Lecture Series.  

President Jordan Speaks at Historic Sotterley Chuck Steenburgh August 22, 2022 - 4:35 pm August 22, 2022 St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda Jordan was one of the principal invited speakers at Historic Sotterley’s “Day of Unity and Healing” on Saturday, August 20, 2022. In delivering the educational call to action for the day, President Jordan fashioned her charge to the assembled audience by blending the Declaration of Independence’s pronouncement that “all men are created equal…with certain unalienable rights” with principles founded on African traditions that became the basis of the celebration of Kwanzaa.  Following the road map laid out by these principles would lead to the unity and healing that were the theme of the day’s event. “It will take engaging and inspiring occasions like today to help enlighten, educate and empower us to move the nation to reconcile with its past, and to live up to its potential for the greatness…that all men and women are created equal, and have the inalienable right to pursue life, liberty and justice.” Historic Sotterley, a National Historic Landmark, and UNESCO Slave Route Site of Memory, is a remnant of an almost 6,000-acre plantation farm with an interpreted history dating back to the turn of the 18th century.  Sotterley embraces a mission of historic preservation to bring American history to life, with a vision of fostering a better understanding of our world today by providing a living link to America’s complex history and legacy of slavery.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda Jordan Named COPLAC President-Elect Gretchen Phillips July 28, 2022 - 11:44 am July 28, 2022 St. Mary’s College of Maryland President Tuajuanda C. Jordan has carried the College’s core values with her as a member of the executive committee for the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC), to which she was recently named president-elect earlier this summer. “I am honored for the opportunity to serve as president-elect of COPLAC,” said President Jordan. “As the National Public Honors College, St. Mary’s College epitomizes what COPLAC represents, and I will champion our values as I, along with the rest of the executive board, guide our member institutions.”  Established in 1987, COPLAC is an organization dedicated to high-quality, public liberal arts education. It consists of 31 colleges and universities in 29 states and 1 Canadian province, and represents a distinguished sector in higher education. Its mission in part is to advance the aims of its member institutions and drive awareness of the value of high-quality, public liberal arts education. President Jordan was elected by the governing board of COPLAC, which consists of the 31 presidents/chancellors or their designees of the member institutions.   President Jordan has served in several leadership roles in COPLAC since she joined in 2014, including her current position on the executive committee. She has also served on the membership committee and is on the board of directors. Her two-year term as president of COPLAC will begin July 1, 2023.  To learn more about COPLAC and its programs and opportunities visit http://coplac.org  

St. Mary's College of Maryland Jazzed for Mulberry Music Festival Gretchen Phillips April 14, 2022 - 9:39 am April 14, 2022 St. Mary’s College of Maryland presents the Mulberry Music Festival: Jazz, featuring Joseph Brotherton, the Kelly Bell Band, Carly Harvey, and headlined by Sharón Clark on Friday, June 17, beginning at 6 p.m. on the College’s Townhouse Green. The event is free of charge and open to the public. It will be simultaneously livestreamed on the College’s website. In addition to performing, Harvey, a St. Mary’s College alumna, will reprise her role as mistress of ceremonies.  The Mulberry Music Festival is the vision of President Tuajuanda C. Jordan and is held every year on the eve of Juneteenth. Originally created in 2019, that festival featured a gospel theme and chart-topping recording artist Jason Nelson.  “I strongly believe in bringing people together through the universal language of music. This year's Mulberry Music festival, with a focus on jazz – a true American art form created by African Americans and characterized by harmony, syncopated rhythms, and improvisation – is sure to do just that,” said Tuajuanda C. Jordan, president of St. Mary’s College. Those in attendance are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and food to help enjoy the event. Food vendors will be onsite. The Townhouse Green opens at 4 p.m. the day of the event.  About the performers  Joseph Brotherton is well known for his musicianship and signature style of trumpet playing. Born in Nashville, Tenn., Brotherton began playing trumpet at age 8. After serving as a trumpet player in the Marine Corps Band Quantico, he made a home in Washington, D.C. and now thrives in the music scene throughout the east coast region and abroad. Brotherton has studied with Wynton Marsalis, Ingrid Jensen and Ron Blake amongst others. He has performed live with Gregory Porter, Aaron Neville, James Earl Jones, Greg Karukas, Benito Gonzales, Robert "Mousey" Thompson, Stephen Riley, Neal Caine, Kermit Ruffins and Eric Lewis, to mention a few.  According to Jazz Improv Magazine, "Joseph Brotherton is an exciting and spectacular soloist, well schooled in the tradition, and post-bop concepts. His solos are notable for their clarity, connectivity of ideas, clear articulation, intonation, and tasteful and measured use of his ample technique."  Based in Washington, D.C., Carly Harvey combines blues, jazz, soul and Americana roots styles to create a unique sound that calls to mind Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, and Nina Simone, with a little Ella Fitzgerald thrown in for good measure. In July 2018, she was featured in Big City Blues Magazine as one of the youngest Blues artists to watch. She has had the privilege of sharing the stage with iconic musicians including Annika Chambers, Ron Holloway, Kebbie Williams, Ephraim Owens, Cory Henry, Kofi Burbridge, Junior Marvin, and Susan Tedeschi - an artist whose work has been foundational to her musical evolution. Currently dubbed D.C.’s Queen of the Blues, Harvey is a 2021 Wammie Award-winner for Best Blues Artist. Originally formed as the back-up band for rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley, the Kelly Bell Band has been touring the world ever since, entertaining fans in Japan, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cuba, Germany and more. The band has won two prestigious Maryland Music Awards, has been voted “Best Blues Band” in the Mid-Atlantic Region for 12 years in a row, and was recently named “Best Band” by Baltimore Style magazine. The band's debut album, “Phat Blues Music” remains one of the best-selling releases in Mid-Atlantic region history. The band is fronted by Kelly Bell, known as “The Bluesman,” who is joined by Ryan Fowler and Eric Robinson (guitar), Taylor Zimmerman (vocals/violin) Frankie Hernandez (bass), John Robert Buell (drums) and Jon Mauer (keyboard). Washington, D.C. standout Sharón Clark has brought festival and concert audiences to their feet across the globe. The Jazz Times wrote about Clark, “A revelation . . .  I never thought I'd hear a singer with the range, musicality and command of tone and timbre that was Sarah [Vaughan] at her best, but now I have.” Clark has made countless international tours, from Europe to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Russia, where she has developed a major following. She has performed as a featured soloist with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony.   She has appeared in festivals at home and abroad. Both the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and The Ludacris Foundation chose Clark to perform for their separate tributes to Quincy Jones.  Clark won the Gold Medal and $10,000 top prize at the Savannah Music Festival's American Traditions Competition. She then took first place in the Billie Holiday Vocal Competition, earning a $2,500 prize along with a featured appearance with the Baltimore Symphony.    

President Jordan to Discuss Pandemic Response at AAC&U Presidents' Trust Town Hall Series Gretchen Phillips March 30, 2022 - 1:38 pm March 30, 2022 President Tuajuanda C. Jordan will discuss Pandemic Response and Campus Well-Being as an invited panelist this afternoon for the second session of the virtual American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Presidents' Trust Town Hall series: Moral Distress in Higher Education Leadership.  Higher Education leaders and board chairs in attendance will hear Jordan and other campus leaders discuss the moral distress encountered by college and university presidents as they seek to maintain the well-being of students, faculty, and staff on their campuses during the pandemic. For more information on the AAC&U go to https://www.aacu.org/initiatives/presidents-trust/aacu-presidents-trust-moral-distress-in-higher-education-leadership.  

St. Mary’s College of Maryland Presents An Evening to Honor the Legacy of Lucille Clifton (Virtual) Gretchen Phillips February 08, 2022 - 12:17 pm February 08, 2022 The Office of the President presents “Nurturing the Compassionate Community: An Evening to Honor the Legacy of Lucille Clifton” on Monday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. The annual event, co-sponsored by the VOICES Reading Series, will feature poetry readings and reflections to honor the late Lucille Clifton, former distinguished professor of the humanities at St. Mary’s College.  Carolyn Forché and Raymond Antrobus will perform original works of poetry. Antrobus will receive the Lucille Clifton Legacy Award during the event.   Forché’s first volume, “Gathering the Tribes,” winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets Prize, was followed by “The Country Between Us,” “The Angel of History,” and “Blue Hour.” Her most recent collection is “In the Lateness of the World.” She is also the author of the memoir “What You Have Heard Is True” (Penguin Random House, 2019), a lyrical and visionary memoir about a young woman’s brave choice to engage with horror in order to help others, which was nominated for the 2019 National Book Awards. She has translated Mahmoud Darwish, Claribel Alegria, and Robert Desnos. Her famed international anthology, “Against Forgetting,” has been praised by Nelson Mandela as “itself a blow against tyranny, against prejudice, against injustice.” In 1998 in Stockholm, she received the Edita and Ira Morris Hiroshima Foundation for Peace and Culture Award for her human rights advocacy and the preservation of memory and culture. Antrobus is the author of “All the Names Given” (Tin House, 2021), which was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize and The Costa Poetry Award. His debut collection, “The Perseverance” (Tin House, 2021), won the Ted Hughes Award, the Rathbones Folio Prize, and the Somerset Maugham Award, and was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize, among others. Born in London, Raymond is currently based between London and New Orleans. Lucille Clifton was one of the most distinguished, decorated, and beloved poets of her time. She won the National Book Award for Poetry and was the first Black recipient of the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize for lifetime achievement. Her honors and awards give testament to the universality of her unique and resonant voice. In 1987, she became the first author to have two books of poetry – “Good Woman” and “Next” – chosen as finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in the same year. She was named a Literary Lion of New York Public Library in 1996, served as chancellor of the Academy of American Poetry and was elected a fellow in Literature of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. To register for this Zoom webinar, go to http://www.smcm.edu/lucille-clifton. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.