USM Elkins Professorship
The Wilson H. Elkins Professorship is one of the University System of Maryland's most prestigious faculty recognitions. Established in 1978, the Wilson H. Elkins Professorship was the first permanently endowed, university-wide professorship in Maryland.
Congratulations to our nominees for the AY 2026-2027 USM Elkins Professorship
- Gashaw Abeza — Department of Kinesiology: Academic Transformation Elkins Professorship
- Emily Bailey — Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies and Director of the Towson Seminar (TSEM): Academic Transformation Elkins Professorship
- Mary Devadas — Department of Chemistry and Forensic Science: Traditional Elkins Professorship
- Nicole Fabricant — Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice: Traditional Elkins Professorship
- Victoria McAllister — Department of History: Traditional Elkins Professorship
Eligibility
- Faculty from any USM Institution are eligible to apply.
- Faculty must be full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty members with a rank of associate professor or higher.
- Elkins Professors must exhibit, at minimum, all the following qualifications:
- a solid record of achievement in a recognized academic or professional discipline
- evidence of significant achievement outside traditional disciplines but linked in scholarly and professional ways to the work of the USM
- demonstrated ability and continuing desire to lead and inspire undergraduate and graduate students in a range of learning situations – from the lab, to the classroom, to the studio, to the community, to online; and
- demonstrated ability and intent to participate in programs and activities outside the USM
Learn more about the Elkins Professorship (USM)
Award Categories
Traditional Wilson H. Elkins Professorship
Award Amount: Up to $40,000
Appointment Period: Typically one year
Renewable: Yes, through the normal review process
Academic Transformation Elkins Professorship
Supports innovative projects that advance academic transformation and institutional
change, including new approaches to teaching, student success, interdisciplinary collaboration,
and other transformative initiatives identified by the University System of Maryland.
The USM issues a separate annual call for this category.
Award Amount: up to $10,000 per award
Number of Awards: Up to three system-wide awards
Project Period: Academic Year
Nomination Timeline
1
Call for Nominations
- The Chancellor sends the official Call for Nominations to USM Presidents (usually around mid-March).
- The Office of the Provost then notifies Deans and Associate Deans who disseminate information to their colleges.
2
Internal Application Submission
Faculty must:- Consult with their dean before applying (self-nominations are not permitted).
- After receiving dean approval, applicants submit application materials to jnance AT_TOWSON, (usually around the end of April).
3
Internal Selection Process
- Applications are reviewed by internal TU reviewers. (usually around the first week in May)
- Selected faculty are notified by email with next steps.
4
Dean Responsibility
- Deans are asked to prepare a letter of support from the President supporting the Elkins nominee.
5
Final Application Packet
- Final application packets due to the Office of the Provost, (usually around early-May).
- Office of the Provost submits final application packets to the USM, (usually around mid-May).
Email final packets to jnance AT_TOWSON
6
Award Announcement
- Award recipients are announced by the USM in the Fall.
Resource: List of past award winners from across USM Institutions.
Application Requirements
Traditional Elkins Professorship
- a short (one page or less) narrative description of how the nominees exemplifies the an excellence endowed professorship signifies
- a brief curriculum vitae of the nominee
- a description of the compelling research, scholarship, or community engagement project that the faculty member will undertake
- a description of how the income from the Elkins endowment would be used, including a proposed budget listing the amount of proposed support for publications, graduate/undergraduate assistants, lab materials, distinguished lecture series, travel, salary supplement, etc.
- a proposed time-period (Appointments to the Elkins Professorship are ordinarily made for one-year period.
Academic Transformation Elkins Professorship
- Cover sheet with applicant’s name, position title, department or unit name. institution name, phone number, and email address.
- Nomination letter from the faculty member’s Provost or Dean supporting the faculty member’s candidacy.
- Brief abstract that summarizes the essence of the project.
- Explanation of the need or opportunity, and its importance.
- A description of the proposed work, including an explanation of how prior work in the field has influenced the plan.
- Planned deliverables. At minimum, this should include a final narrative report including some kind of external assessment of the work and a final financial report.
- Budget
- References cited
- Any supporting documents needed, including at least:
- Abbreviated c.v. (up to 2pages and including only relevant publications) and a 250-word biographical sketch explaining the applicant’s relevant experiences for carrying out the proposed work.
- Additional letters of support beyond the nomination letter, as appropriate.
Past TU Elkins Professorship Recipients
Dr. Mahnaz Moallem from the Department of Learning Technologies, Design and School Media was awarded the Elkins Professorship for her project: Breaking Barriers, Cultivating Young Girl’s Interests in Computational Thinking, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity via University Sponsored Enrichment Program.
