Faculty & Staff Recognition

We proudly honor the faculty and staff who inspire and support our campus community.

TU celebrates faculty and staff achievements at an annual recognition event held each spring in SECU Arena. Service Awards, Board of Regents Awards and Diversity Awards are presented at the event.

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. Recipients are honored with a breakfast in the spring following the year their milestone was achieved. In 2019, there were more than 350 Service Award recipients (XLS). For information on the recognition event, review the FAQs below or contact HR Customer Service at
410-704-2162.

BOR Faculty and Staff 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 mid-July and faculty award recipients in mid-April.

Criteria & PRIZE

The awards are based on the quality of the nominee’s work performed within their institution, community or surrounding environment, and are measured by the impact
the nominee makes within the specified award category. The nominee’s success is expected to be beyond the scope of their full-time professional responsibilities. The selected award recipients receive a $2,000 monetary prize and a recognition plaque from the USM.

CURRENT Regents’ Staff Award Finalists

We are proud to honor TU’s 2019 staff finalists for their exemplary work. The Provost’s Office shares information on Faculty Award finalists.

Exceptional Contribution to the Institution and/ or Unit a Person belongs

Debra Phillips

Ms. Phillips began her career at Towson University in 2010; since that time, she has provided exceptional added value to the TU Center for STEM Excellence (TUCSE) and the institution. The TUSCE is located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and serves Maryland’s K-12 schools through outreach programs supporting science education. As a Laboratory Technician, Ms. Phillips does much more than serve. Ms. Phillips provides meaningful experiences in science, whether it is for her colleagues, student interns, or students visiting for a field trip. She leverages her previous work experience in the hospitality industry to demonstrate superior customer service, strong communication, and patience. She recognizes differences and tailors her approach to provide a positive experience and environment. Those that have interacted with her reported that she helped them to find their own courage and confidence.

Extraordinary Public Service to Students in an Academic or Residential Environment

Antwaine Smith

Antwaine came to Towson University in 2011 and in that time, he has built the Total Tiger Program to serve not only our student-athletes but also the greater community. When Antwaine was hired, he brought a systematic focus to ingrain community service as part of the culture of Towson Athletics. His commitment started small – simply ensuring all teams and student-athletes were engaged in community service. It has grown to a commitment of over 10,000 hours of community service completed annually, the equivalent of 20 hours of community service per year per student-athlete at TU. Under Antwaine's leadership, TU student-athletes have completed 10,000 hours of community service in eight consecutive years. Furthermore, our student-athletes serve a wide array of organizations and positively impact the Greater Baltimore community while earning national recognition, including the 2018-19 NCAA HelperHelper® Community Service National Championship.