Core Team

The UMB CURE Scholars Program core leadership team has extensive experience in science, medicine, research, education, leadership development, community engagement, and mentoring.

Working with existing UMB mentor programs as well as cultivating new mentor relationships, this team is intimately involved in all aspects of the program's development and implementation.

If you would like to become involved, please contact umbcure@umaryland.edu.

Elsie Stines

ELSIE STINES, DNP, CRNP

Assistant Vice President
Special Projects and Initiatives
President’s Office
estines@umaryland.edu

Greg Carey

GREG CAREY, PhD

Associate Professor
Director, Student Summer Research and Community Outreach
School of Medicine
gcarey@som.umaryland.edu

Bret Hassel

BRET HASSEL, PhD

Associate Professor, Microbiology and Immunology and
Director, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program, School of Medicine
Director, Nathan Schnaper Intern Program, UMGCC
bhassel@som.umaryland.edu

Jon Kucskar, Esq

JON KUCSKAR, JD

Special Assistant to the President and Assistant Vice President for Enterprise Risk Management
President’s Office
University of Maryland, Baltimore
jkucskar@umaryland.edu

John Palinksi, MPA

JOHN PALINSKI, MPA

Philanthropy Officer
Office of Philanthropy
University of Maryland, Baltimore
jpalinski@umaryland.edu

Elizabeth Parker

ELIZABETH PARKER, PHD

Assistant Professor
Center for Integrative Medicine
School of Medicine
elizabeth.parker@som.umaryland.edu

Brian Sturdivant

BRIAN STURDIVANT, MSW

Director, Strategic Initiatives and Community Partnerships
Office of Community Engagement, UMB
bsturdivant@umaryland.edu

Rodney Taylor

RODNEY J. TAYLOR, MD, MSPH, FACS

Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Associate Chairman of Research for Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Director, Division of General Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Chief of Otolaryngology, Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center
rtaylor@smail.umaryland.edu