Faculty & Staff Recognition

USM Board of Regents Awards

The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents Faculty and Staff Awards represent the highest honor presented by the Board of Regents. Each year, selection committees at TU solicit, review and steward qualifying nominations, then forward recommendations to the president for consideration. TU finalists are submitted to the USM for final selection. The process for staff and faculty awards operate on different schedules throughout the year. USM announces staff award recipients in July and faculty award recipients in March.

2020 Faculty Winners

Four Towson University faculty members were named as recipients of the 2020 USM Regents' Faculty Awards, among the 17 honored across USM's institutions. The Provost's Office shares information on Faculty Award finalists and winners.

Excellence in Public Service

Dr. Dana Kollmann: Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice

Excellence in Scholarship, Research, or Creative Activity

Dr. Christopher Salice: Associate Professor of Biological Sciences

Excellence in Mentoring

• Dr. Josh Dehlinger: Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences
• Professor Lisa Martinelli: Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Family Studies & Community Development (FSCD) and the Director of Child Life program

2020 Staff Winners

Two honorees from TU have been selected as winners, Debra Phillips, from the Center for STEM Excellence, and Antwaine Smith, senior assistant athletic director for the Total Tiger Program. They are part of a group on nine staff honored by the USM Board of Regents as 2020 award recipients.

Debra Phillips - Exceptional Contribution to the Institution

Debra (Debbie) Phillips is an extremely efficient, productive, and valued member of the Towson University Center for STEM Excellence team.  Thanks to her efforts to increase efficiency and productivity, the Center has expanded the number of lab kits it provides as part of its outreach programs to Maryland’s K-12 schools to support science education.  The Center provides materials to more than 16,000 students.  Debbie also serves as a mentor to student interns not only from TU but also from the Biotechnical Institute of Maryland (a non-profit biotechnology job training program) through the Center.

Antwaine Smith - Extraordinary Public Service to the University or Greater Community

Antwaine Smith’s commitment to weaving service into the student athlete experience has grown significantly. TU student-athletes now complete 10,000 hours of service annually.  Perhaps more importantly, this focus on service is now a core function of the Athletic Department at TU, with student- athletes embracing service as something they truly enjoy. Additionally, Antwaine focuses on social justice issues on a national level through educational programs around diversity and inclusion, organizational leadership, and gender violence prevention. As a native of Baltimore, Antwaine is helping student-athletes at TU become service leaders who will continue to have a huge impact on Maryland and beyond.

2020 Service Awards

The Service Awards honor faculty and staff that have completed 5-year increments of service to the university during each preceding calendar year. In 2020, there were 309 Service Award recipients celebrating 5 to 55 years of service.

2019 Service Awards

In 2019, there were more than 350 Service Award recipients celebrating 5 to 45 years of service.  In case you missed it, here are a few significant anniversary celebrants from our 2020 recognition and a complete listing of our 2019 celebrants.

45 Years

Richard Vatz, Instructional Leadership and Professional Development

Please tune into the 2021 Annual Recognition Event to see Dr Vatz's memorable video.

40 Years

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Mark Clark

Public Safety - Access Control

Paula Clark

Event and Conference Services

Larry Dernetz

Printing Services

Laurie Jones

Bursar's Office

Thomas Ruby

 Bursar's Office

Jan Sinnott

Department of Psychology

Deitra Wengert

Health Sciences

Raft Woodus

Student Success Programs

Tamara Woroby 

Department of Economics

Marilyn Dannenfelser Staff Award

This is the first year that the Marilyn Dannenfelser Staff Award is being presented to a member of the TU administrative staff who personifies the outstanding personal and professional qualities of the late Marilyn Dannenfelser. Her daughter Kim Dannenfelser established the award to memorialize her mother and her contributions to TU.  During Mrs. Dannenfelser’s 46-year career at TU she served as an executive assistant to six presidents.  She was well regarded and is remembered for her tact, diplomacy, and patient demeanor.

Current Administrative Assistants and Executive Administrative Assistants are nominated by their supervisors and a recipient is chosen by a selection committee.

The 2021 winner of the Marilyn Dannenfelser award is:

Monica Pasko, Executive Administrative Assistant, College of Education

Monica Pasko, was nominated by Laurie Mullen, dean of the College of Education, who shared how Pasko personifies the qualities deserving of this award.She showed herself to be concerned with donor satisfaction; understanding of the importance of confidentiality and demonstrating sound judgement in handling student nominations and donor privacy; flexible and a problem solver in stepping outside of her role and taking on responsibility for the greater good of her colleagues and TU; knowledgeable about who to reach out to beyond the college and showing tact to meet donor expectations; and displaying a positive demeanor in assisting her colleagues

Diversity and Inclusion Awards

The University Diversity and Inclusion Awards recognize individuals and departments that foster greater awareness, understanding and advancement of diversity and inclusiveness at Towson University.  For more information on the Diversity and Inclusion Awards please visit OIIE's University Diversity & Inclusion Awards webpage.