Every fall, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) recognizes the extraordinary work of our faculty, staff, and students with Founders Week awards that signify outstanding accomplishments in education, public service, research, entrepreneurship, and academics.

Please read about our 2025 Founders Week award winners:


Educator of the Year

Andrea Morgan, DDS, MS

Andrea Morgan, DDS, MS

Clinical Assistant Professor
Director of Student Advocacy and Cultural Affairs
Director of Student Recruitment
School of Dentistry

If there is one constant presence during a student’s academic journey at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD), it’s Andrea Morgan, DDS, MS. As a clinical assistant pro... Read More

Public Servant of the Year

Kyla Liggett-Creel, PhD, LCSW-C

Kyla Liggett-Creel, PhD, LCSW-C

Executive Director, EMBRACE Initiative
University of Maryland, Baltimore

Kyla Liggett-Creel, PhD, LCSW-C, has spent more than two decades shaping programs and policies that center community voices and expand opportunity across Baltimore. Known widely as “Dr. K,&rd... Read More

Researcher of the Year

Kirsten E. Lyke, MD

Kirsten E. Lyke, MD

Professor, Department of Medicine
Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health
School of Medicine

From the remote reaches of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to the front lines of global vaccine development, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) professor Kirsten E. Lyke, MD, has ch... Read More

David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur of the Year

Rajabrata Sarkar, MD, PhD

Rajabrata Sarkar, MD, PhD

Barbara Baur Dunlap Professor of Surgery and Physiology
Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery
Executive Vice Chair, Department of Surgery
School of Medicine

Dr. Sarkar is an expert in treating blood vessel disorders and a nationally known researcher in blood vessel growth and resolution of deep vein thrombosis. He is a partner in the medical technology... Read More

Student of the Year

Danielle D. Basdekis

Danielle D. Basdekis

JD Student, Class of 2026
Francis King Carey School of Law

With a passion for social justice and public interest law, Danielle Basdekis arrived at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in 2023 to pursue a Juris Doctor degree and hit t... Read More