Leading, Connecting, & Networking in Academia in Uncertain Times

Dr. Beyrouty joined the University of Maryland in 2015 as Dean and Director of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and stepped away after completing his ten year term in that position. Prior to his arrival in Maryland, Craig served as Dean and Director of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University. He has held positions as professor and head of Agronomy at Purdue University and professor at the University of Arkansas. He has led and participated in international research, teaching and administrative activities all across the world, in places such as Africa, India, China, the Philippines, Japan, Russia, Central and South America.

Dr. Beyrouty is a fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy. He has served as vice chair of the International Rice Root Working Group and president of the Plant Root Environment Working Group. In 1983, he received the George Scarseth Research Award. He earned his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in soil chemistry from Purdue University and a B.S. in soil science from Cal Poly State University. Prior to pursuing graduate studies, he mapped soils for the Soil Conservation Service and was a research scientist for Castle and Cooke Foods in Illinois.
 

Nina Harris serves as the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. A skilled administrator with over 38 years of higher education experience, specializing in developing and administering successful undergraduate, graduate and leadership development programs at major universities, Harris provides direction to all current and developing academic initiatives in the School.

Dr. Harris teaches Leadership and Social Identity and Pluralism courses at the graduate and undergraduate level. A passionate educator who focuses on self-awareness, social and emotional intelligence, personal development, and ethics as tools to develop leaders for a pluralistic society, she joined the University of Maryland community in 1999. Prior to coming to Maryland, she spent 12 years at the University of Delaware.

Ebony Terrell Shockley is a Clinical Professor and Associate Dean whose work centers on preparing and supporting future educators in STEM, literacy and exceptional education. She is a former PK-12 STEM educator, coach, and leader known for bridging theory and practice, with a focus on equity, culturally responsive pedagogy, and strong school–university partnerships.

Susan Winter is Associate Dean for Research at the College of Information, the University of Maryland. She studies the organization of work and the co-evolution of technology and work practices with a recent focus on ethical issues, emerging information technologies, the social and organizational challenges of data reuse, and collaboration among information workers and scientists. Her work has been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and resulted in over 80 publications. She previously served as a Science Advisor in the Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate, a Program Director, and Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Cyberinfrastructure at the National Science Foundation supporting distributed, interdisciplinary scientific collaboration for complex data-driven and computational science. She received her PhD from the University of Arizona, her MA from the Claremont Graduate University, and her BA from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Dr. Robert Infantino has been a leader in undergraduate education at the University of Maryland for 33 years; he has served as Associate Dean in the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences for 24 years, where he oversees programs and initiatives for more than 8,000 undergraduates pursuing more than 35 undergraduate majors/specialization tracks and 18 academic minors.  He joined the faculty in the Department of Biology in 1993, serving as Director of Undergraduate Studies (1994-19) and Associate Chair (1999-2002).  In those positions, he served as a teacher, advisor, and mentor to more than 1,000 undergraduates.  Dr. Infantino has contributed broadly to campus policy development and practice in student academic success and degree completion, student development and orientation, admissions and scholarship selection, college and campus facilities development and master planning, national scholarship advising and mentoring, academic integrity review, and sexual harassment/violence policy and procedures, mental health and wellness, and response to the covid pandemic.  He currently serves on the Executive Steering Committee for the Elevate-Student project.  He has served as the campus representative/nominator to the national Goldwater Scholarship competition since 2002.  Under his leadership, 66 UMD students (nearly 70% campus nominees) have been awarded Goldwater scholarships.  Dr. Infantino has received several campus awards, including the President’s Distinguished Service Award, the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Council Faculty Advisor of the Year award, “Celebrating Teachers” recognition from the Center for Teaching Excellence and election to the Phi Kappa Phi national honor society in recognition of campus leadership.   He was awarded the University President’s Medal in 2024.