A Ground-Breaking Campus
SU has committed to building facilities that will attract students and support the highest quality educational experiences. In the near future, the University will break ground on several new, exciting projects across campus.
The long-anticipated renovation of Blackwell Hall will soon be underway. The student-focused renovation will see Blackwell transformed into a hub for student services around campus. Academic excellence is made possible by giving our students all the resources and tools available to help them succeed. By creating a central hub – or a one-stop-shop – for critical student services, SU is thoughtfully and deliberately positioning students for a successful academic journey.
Thanks to a $200,000 gift from the Richard A. Henson Foundation, the University will be adding a planetarium to campus. Supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education within the Henson School of Science and Technology, this gift will enable visitors to explore the galaxy, right on campus. The planetarium is a geodesic dome measuring 10 meters across and 8 meters high with capacity to seat 30 people. Featuring a state-of-the-art, high-fidelity digital projection system, the planetarium will display the stars and galaxies, and also other curved content like weather and coral reefs. SU anticipates public shows to begin by summer 2024 and classes starting that fall.
Planning is still underway for the construction of a new event space in front of Holloway Hall. This will offer an engaging, new “front door” for our prospective students and become a place for our community to gather, socialize and exchange ideas.
Students Share Research with Maryland Governor and Legislators at Posters on the Bay
Research by SU students caught the attention of Maryland Governor Wes Moore at the University’s annual Posters on the Bay presentation in Annapolis. Governor Moore, a surprise guest at the event, deliberately spoke with every SU student at the event about their research projects.
SU’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (OURCA) provided nearly 30 students the opportunity to showcase their recent research projects for Maryland legislators during the event. Moore spoke at length to each presenter about their work, made time for photos and shared his well wishes for their future at Annapolis’ historic Governor Calvert House.
“I want to welcome you to Annapolis and share how proud I am of your work,” Governor Moore said. “The research you’ve done is noticed and appreciated. Thank you for allowing me to spend this time with you. You are among the best this state has to offer and are our future.”
Projects covered a wide variety of social, health and economic issues, including proteins and tumor imaging, zero waste at the Maryland Folk Festival, public transportation on the Delmarva peninsula, MRI contrast agents, and many more.
SU sponsors graduate and undergraduate student research projects throughout the year with various funding sources. Posters on the Bay is one example of how SU students are showcasing their research in front of policy and key decision makers in our state.
SU’s Remarkable Fulbright Successes
Created in 1946 and considered to be one of the most widely recognized and prestigious scholarships in the world, the Fulbright Program is the country’s flagship international exchange program. SU’s track record of success in this program is outstanding.
In the 2022-23 academic year, SU set a record with nine students selected as recipients of the Fulbright Student Award. From studying Capuchin monkeys in Brazil and conducting cancer research in Poland, to teaching English in Europe, Africa and South America, these nine recent alumni received the opportunity of a lifetime when they were selected to teach English, conduct independent research or pursue a graduate program as Fulbright Students. What these SU graduates didn’t know at the time, was they were also helping SU to set a new, impressive benchmark. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs named SU the nation’s No. 1 producer of Fulbright Students in the Master’s Carnegie Classification for 2022-23. Entering the 2023-24 academic year, SU had an impressive 12 Fulbright Student Semifinalists, representing more than 50% of the University’s applicants for the program year. In May, Samantha Bartell ’22 and Hira Shahbaz ’20 were selected as recipients of the 2023-24 Fulbright Student Award. Bartell will fulfill her English Teaching Assistantship award in Moldova, and Shahbaz will undertake her English Teaching Assistantship in Kazakhstan.
Entering the 2023-24 academic year, SU had an impressive 12 Fulbright Student Semifinalists, representing more than 50% of the University’s applicants for the program year. In May, Samantha Bartell ’22 and Hira Shahbaz ’20 were selected as recipients of the 2023-24 Fulbright Student Award. Bartell will fulfill her English Teaching Assistantship award in Moldova, and Shahbaz will undertake her English Teaching Assistantship in Kazakhstan.
In addition to SU’s student successes, two SU faculty (right) were also named 2023-24 Fulbright Scholars. Drs. Jill Caviglia-Harris, professor of economics and finance and environmental studies, and Arthur Lembo, professor of geography and geosciences, were selected as Fulbright Scholars to Brazil and South Korea, respectively.
SU has a long history with the Fulbright Program, counting more than 50 Fulbright Scholars and Students in the past two decades. As the No. 1 master’s-level producer of Fulbright Students, SU also has been named one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright Students for the past six years.
