USM Board of Regents honors TU professor for going the extra mile
Communications Studies chair Jennifer Potter received the Excellence in Mentoring award from University System of Maryland
By Kyle Hobstetter on April 17, 2024
As a professor in Towson University’s Department of Communications Studies, Jennifer Potter has always cared about her students’ academic progress. But along with caring about their academics, she has made it a goal to provide mentorship.
Her efforts in providing a one-on-one connection with her students is the reason she was recognized by the University System of Maryland’s (USM) 2024 Regent’s Faculty Awards. Potter was one of 20 faculty members recognized from across USM universities, earning recognition in the Excellence in Mentoring category.
"Dr. Potter embodies TU's commitment to student success and teaching excellence," said Provost Melanie Perreault. "This much-deserved recognition is a testament to the compassion, dedication and support she shows her students and colleagues every day."
Potter is dedicated to the advancement of her students in the College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC). As department chair, she established the position of Undergraduate Research Coordinator to nurture student success in research proposals, presentations and publications.
She has also co-created the Towson University Public Communication Center, a student peer-mentoring program for public speaking, and is a mentoring fellow in the Faculty Academic Center in Teaching.
“Mentoring is certainly the thing that I'm most passionate about,” Potter says. “I've tried to do it in every facet of my professional career. I want to not only be a mentor, but also develop opportunities for other kinds of mentorship within the department and beyond.
“Teaching is amazing, and scholarship is wonderful, but I think it's the one-on-one connection with students that is really at the heart of why I do what I do.”
Along with providing mentorship on-campus, Potter has literally gone the extra mile—or miles—for her students.
Toyja Somerville left TU in the 1990s, just 21 credits shy from finishing her degree. In 2019, Somerville reached out to Potter.
During that call, Somerville told Potter that finishing her degree was the most important thing to her mom, who was sick. Potter worked with her to come up with a plan to get through these classes as quickly as possible.
But with her mom’s health taking a turn for the worse, Somerville’s husband and Potter worked on a plan that would help give Somerville’s mom closure on seeing her graduate. Potter printed off a certificate that explained that Somerville will be graduating soon. She had it framed and then went to the hospital and presented it to Somerville in front of her mother.
“It was probably the most impactful thing I've ever done,” Potter says. “I cried the whole way home. It was like a five-hour drive home, and I couldn't get a hold of myself because I was so struck by how meaningful this was.
“Toyja wrote for me for this award, and when I reached out to her to tell her that I received it, she sent a picture of the certificate that I framed for her and said, ‘This is what hangs in my office.’”
Somerville now serves as director of human resources and head girls basketball coach at St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Leonardstown, Maryland. And thanks to Potter, she is a proud Towson University alum.
“What makes [Potter] an outstanding mentor is her ability to cultivate a culture of the pursuit of academic excellence, while utilizing her personal qualities of compassion, empathy and motivation,” Somerville said in her testimonial letter to the USM.
“Because of my experience and relationship with her, I am not only a Towson alum, but I am a lifelong donor and looking at an opportunity to do a named scholarship in honor of my mother and father-in-law.”
The Board of Regents Award is the highest faculty honor given by the USM, and is recognized for excellence in mentoring, teaching, public service, scholarship or research and creative activity.
The USM will recognize the winners as part of the board meeting on April 19 at Bowie State University. Each award carries a $2,000 prize provided by the universities and the USM Foundation.