MLK Leadership Awards

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards are designed to recognize and celebrate students, faculty, and staff who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) core values of Equity and Justice.

UMB’s mission affirms our dedication to fostering inclusive and just communities. We embrace diversity in all its forms and actively oppose discrimination. These awards honor individuals whose work reflects these principles — through projects, initiatives, and leadership that have a sustained impact on the UMB community and beyond.

By uplifting those who champion UMB’s core values of Equity and Justice, the Leadership Awards serve not only to celebrate success but also to inspire continued progress toward a more inclusive and equitable future.

Three award categories will be presented Feb. 5, 2026, at UMB’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr./Black History Month Celebration. Individuals or groups will be recognized in the following categories: 

• Outstanding UMB faculty or unit 
• Outstanding UMB staff or unit 
• Outstanding UMB student or student group 

2026 Winners

The University of Maryland, Baltimore will honor the 2026 winners at the Feb. 5 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Black History Month celebration which will feature keynote speaker Chris T. Pernell, MD, MPH, director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity, fellow and regent-at-large at the American College of Preventive Medicine, clinical assistant professor for the Department of Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and the founder and CEO of The Esther Group.

The MLK Leadership Award winners serve as models of the ideals epitomized by the life and work of Dr. King.

Thank you to the committee members who assisted with the selection process:

Reetta Gach, MS, MBA
Hershaw Davis Jr., DNP, MBA, RN
Nicole Palmore, MSW
Jillian Baker, PhD Student, School of Graduate Studies 

Previous Winners