Courtney J. Jones Carney (she, her, hers)

Executive Director, Intercultural Leadership & Engagement
Director, Intercultural Center
Program Director, Intercultural Leadership Post-baccalaureate certificate & MS - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership
courtney.carney@umaryland.edu

Dr. Courtney J. Jones Carney serves as the inaugural executive director of Intercultural Leadership and Engagement and director of the Intercultural Center (founded in 2020) in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. In these roles, Courtney provides vision and implementation of comprehensive intercultural engagement and training to impact the development of cultural competencies and inform the professional practice of students, faculty, and staff. The Intercultural Leadership and Engagement unit was the 2021 recipient of the UMB Core Values award for Excellence. 

Courtney also serves as the Program Director and faculty for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Intercultural Leadership which she created and launched in 2019 and program director for the Master of Science in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership (MS-DEIL), launching on Fall 2022. Both programs challenge students to critically examine themselves, reframe the lens for understanding complex issues, while equipping graduates with the tools necessary to marshal organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Courtney is a proud alumna of Morgan State University and obtained a Doctor of Public Administration from the University of Baltimore. Courtney’s research interests include impacts of microaggressions, climate for diversity, intercultural development, employee engagement, the role of diversity officers, and professionalizing DEI work. Her doctoral dissertation examined the relationship between exposure to racial and ethnic microaggressions and employee engagement.

Courtney is a 2022 recipient of the Baltimore Business Journal’s Leaders in Diversity Award and the 2023 recipient of the Inclusion, Multiculturalism, and Social Justice Award from the University System of Maryland's Council of University System Staff.

Cyndi Rice (she, her, hers)

Director
crice@umaryland.edu

With more than 25 years of experience at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Cyndi has worked here since graduating from the School of Medicine’s Radiologic Technology program. Cyndi loves advising student organizations and helping students develop into well-rounded, holistic, and professional student leaders.

Gregory Brightbill (he/they)

Associate Director, Student Leadership & Involvement
gbrightbill@umaryland.edu

CLICK HERE to schedule a virtual meeting with Greg

Dr. Gregory A. Brightbill has worked at UMB since the spring of 2016 and supports the educational, professional, and identity-based needs of UMB students, staff, and faculty through his work with the President's Student Leadership Institute, President's Symposium and White Paper Project, UMB Career Lab, and The Learning Institute. Greg also serves at the Intercultural Center as the liaison for LGBQT+ inclusion and equity.

Greg's research interests include higher education structure, public policy, and impactors on LGBTQ+ experiences of campus climate in higher education. Their doctoral dissertation was a qualitative study of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming student experiences in graduate and professional education.

Jole' Ruff (she, her, hers)

Coordinator, Intercultural Leadership & Engagement
jruff@umaryland.edu

Jole' Ruff joined ISLSI in the summer of 2015. She provides management for the various self-defense programs offered through ISLSI and has recently taken on some of the diversity and cultural enrichment programming of the department. Before working for ISLSI, Jole' worked in URecFit (University Recreation & Fitness) at UMB.

Jole' received her Master of Social Work degree from Morgan State University in 2017.

Malika Brown (she, her, hers)

Civic and Community Engagement Coordinator, Intercultural Leadership & Engagement/Office of Community Engagement

MalikaBrown@Umaryland.edu

Click here to schedule a virtual meeting with Malika

Malika Brown serves as the inaugural Civic and Community Engagement Coordinator. Her role at UMB is to help students connect to civic service opportunities while ethically engaging Baltimore’s various communities. Malika comes to UMB with a deep understanding and knowledge of community engagement and civic education. She is also a proud alumna of The University of Maryland Eastern Shore and obtained her B.A. in English. As a proud Baltimorean, she is passionate about uniting communities through sustainable programming and viable resources.

Rosemary Ferreira (she, her, hers)