About Faculty Affairs
Faculty Affairs Staff
John T. Fourkas joined OFA as the Interim Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs on July 1. John has extensive experience with faculty affairs on campus, having served on the Campus APT Committee for three years (two as co-Chair of one of the sub-committees), and as the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) for three and a half years. For two and a half years in CMNS, he was also the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. Previously, in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, he spent three years as the Associate Chair for the Graduate Programs. He holds the Millard Alexander Chair in Chemistry, and has a joint appointment in the Institute for Physical Science & Technology.
In his Department, John was responsible for creating courses in professional skills for new graduate students, so that they could hit the ground running. The Graduate School is now using his ideas as a framework for other units. He also oversaw the revision of Departmental Appointment, Promotion and Tenure (APT) criteria and the creation of an APT Oversight committee to help provide uniform, broadly defined, and equitable promotion and tenure opportunities for all tenure-track faculty in Chemistry & Biochemistry. These criteria have served as a model for other units within CMNS. Additionally, John spearheaded an effort to separate mentoring activities from assessment activities for junior faculty in Chemistry & Biochemistry. In CMNS, he reactivated the Graduate Student Council and facilitated the creation of a standalone position for an Associate Dean for Graduate Education, after recognizing the need for a dedicated focus on graduate education at the college level.
Beyond his service to the University, John is a dedicated researcher and educator. He is the recipient of the Regents Faculty Award for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity, the CMNS Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the University Distinguished Scholar Teacher Award. He has been a research mentor to dozens of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as numerous postdoctoral fellows.
John is dedicated to the advancement of all faculty at our university. He promotes training, opportunities, and policies that help faculty to reach their potential. As a husband and father, he also appreciates maintaining work-life balance while striving toward professional accomplishment. As a supervisor of staff, the father of a Terp alum, and a research mentor, he understands, appreciates, and supports the role that faculty play in our university community.
Binsy Anil is the Coordinator for the Office of Faculty Affairs. She acts as first line of reception for the office, and supports all administrative functions. She has a Masters of Social Work from Mangalore University in India. She is passionate about music, nature and photography.
Dawn Culpepper
Assistant Research Professor and Director of ADVANCE
dkculpep@umd.edu | 703-401-7502
Dawn Culpepper (she/her) is the Director of the ADVANCE Program for Inclusive Excellence. Dawn's research broadly examines equity, diversity, and inclusion in the academic workplace, with an emphasis on identifying strategies and disrupting practices that limit full participation for women and scholars from racially minoritized groups. She has examined faculty hiring, workload, tenure and promotion, postdoctoral training programs, work-life integration, graduate education, and faculty-related COVID-19 policies. Her work has been published in top education and diversity-related journals, and she has led or served on numerous projects funded by the National Science Foundation, including as the social science research team lead for the NSF INCLUDES RISE-UPP Alliance.
Follman manages websites for Office of Faculty Affairs, and also develops and maintains a suite of applications that facilitate business processes for Faculty Affairs. She has a bachelor's in English from Northwestern University and an MLS and PhD from UMD's iSchool. Prior to joining the Office of Faculty Affairs, Follman was a high school English teacher and webmaster. She is an amateur photographer, plays the flute and sings alto when she can make it to choir rehearsal.
Ms. Goltz oversees several policy-related processes pertaining to faculty, including reviews, APT/AEP plans and appeals, fields PTK human resource requests, helps with development programming for faculty and administrators, and reports faculty-related data. She joined the Office of Faculty Affairs in 2010 while earning a Master of Library Science degree at the University of Maryland's iSchool. In addition, she holds a master's in Art History from Penn State, with an emphasis on late 16th-century Roman art. Goltz lives in Hyattsville with her husband and is an avid enthusiast of Maryland and DC culture and cuisine.
Sharon Goodall joined the Office of Faculty Affairs in 2018 to manage the implementation of the faculty data reporting system. She also is a project manager in the Administrative Modernization Program. She has a master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland and was previously involved in research in the CS department.
Umai Habibah joined the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) in 2023 as a program manager, supporting the Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) of Faculty and the Appointment, Evaluation, and Promotion (AEP) of Professional Track Faculty. In addition, Ms. Habibah facilitates the awards process for OFA.
Ms. Habibah graduated with a B.A. and M.A.A. in Anthropology from University of Maryland (UMD). Her graduate research focused on immigration and refugee studies and she has professional experience in the non-profit sector, federal government, and higher education. Ms. Habibah's skills include qualitative research, administration, and communications.
Laura J. Rosenthal is Director for Faculty Leadership and a Professor in the English Department. Her position in the Office of Faculty Affairs has two major components: development of stronger and more effective faculty mentoring programs, and development and support for academic leaders. She is a liaison to the Big 10 Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program and Department Executive Officers Seminar. Dr. Rosenthal previously served as the ADVANCE Professor for ARHU.
Her research has been supported by fellowships from the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Newberry Library, and the NEH. She specializes in Restoration and eighteenth-century British Literature, with particular interests in drama, fiction, gender, sexuality, the Enlightenment, property, and empire. She also edits the journal Restoration: Studies in English Literature and Culture, 1660-1700. She is currently completing a project on theater and cosmopolitanism in the Restoration and eighteenth century.
Adrienne Hamcke Wicker
Director of Center for Leadership & Organizational Change
ahamcke@umd.edu | 301-314-7249
Adrienne believes that individuals and organizations are oriented toward success. Sometimes, however, bumps and detours impede progress. To help people do their best work and live their best lives, Adrienne uses an array of approaches in her work, including positive psychology, neuroscience, and mind-body awareness. Applying her training in appreciative inquiry, engagement theory, brain-based coaching, and strengths-based leadership, Adrienne is proud to be one of the architects of the university’s Thriving Workplace Initiative, a presidential initiative active from 2016 through 2020. A certified Gallup CliftonStrengths Coach and Prosci Change Practitioner, she also has expertise in quantitative and qualitative assessment practices, including survey design and analysis, focus group facilitation, and thematic analysis. At UMD since 1991, Adrienne received her master's degree and doctorate from UMD's college student affairs administration program and currently serves as an affiliate associate faculty member in UMD's College of Education.
About Faculty Affairs
The Office of Faculty Affairs exists to help faculty members achieve professional excellence as we build a world-class public research university. The Office of Faculty Affairs supports all aspects of the faculty experience on campus, from recruitment through retirement and emeriti engagement. Generally, we facilitate communication between faculty and administration.
The work of the office is focused on six main areas:
Promotion
The office provides staffing, guidance and oversight for promotion of tenure-track, tenured, and professional-track faculty, including facilitating changes to policy and procedures, and organizing the campus level committees that review promotion cases and make recommendations to the Provost.
Recognition
The office facilitates the nomination and consideration of faculty for such campus awards as Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, Professional Track Faculty Excellence, and the Distinguished University Professor title, along with University System of Maryland awards such as the Board of Regents awards and the Elkins professorship.
Development
The office presents workshops and materials for a number of different areas of the faculty experience, such as mentoring, aspects of leadership, and networking. The office also prepares and manages various orientation activities for faculty and regular forums for academic administrators. Participation in the Big 10 Academic Alliance programs overseen in this office exposes faculty and administrator fellows to leadership training and networking with peer institutions.
Procedures
The office manages documentation for many aspects of faculty worklife, such as leaves, sabbaticals, and tenure delays. The office also staffs various review committees, such as dean’s reviews, task forces and investigations, and appeals of the tenure process.
Reporting
The office develops, supports, and leads a number of data analysis and reporting efforts regarding faculty, including faculty achievement, demographics, leaves/sabbaticals, and promotion and tenure.
Research/Scholarly Misconduct
The Office of Faculty Affairs enforces the University’s policy and procedures governing research and scholarly misconduct, managing all phases of the process set forth therein. The Senior Vice President and Provost has designated the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs to serve as the Designated Officer identified in the University’s Policy and Procedures. The Research Integrity Officer (RIO) in the Office of Faculty Affairs oversees inquiries and investigations into research and/or scholarly misconduct.
