UMGC Professors Awarded High-Profile Fellowships

When David Leasure isn't teaching computer science at University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), he's researching ways adjunct faculty at the online university can better support students. Two other faculty members-Debra McLaughlin, who directs UMGC's Natural Sciences Program, and Meenu Vikram, an adjunct associate professor of natural sciences-are also interested in the learning process, in their case tracking the experiences of students taking science courses that include virtual labs.

Because of their deep interest in how students learn in online environments, the three UMGC faculty members have each been awarded an Elkins Fellowship for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for the 2024-25 academic year. There are among only 10 educators within the University System of Maryland to receive the competitive fellowships this year. The awards, announced by the William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, go to faculty whose research focuses on ways course design and instructional decisions can improve learning outcomes and advance the university system's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals.