Dr. Valerie Sheares Ashby would like to make one point clear: there will not be any deviation from the mission or the vision of the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) this summer when she takes over for Dr. Freeman Hrabowski as president.
That’s the main point as Ashby prepares to exit her role as dean of Trinity College of Arts and Sciences at Duke University. She said she will simply approach her new role “in a strategic fashion."
“UMBC has a vision that I find to be inspiring, courageous and relevant,” said Ashby, adding that the university “is going to redefine excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture, innovative teaching, research across the disciplines, and by highlighting social justice through civic engagement and economic prosperity.” 
Dr. Valerie Ashby
She said that will happen because UMBC “has a welcoming environment and inspires inquisitive minds from all backgrounds.”
But what will that look like? It will start with using the building blocks that are currently in place.
“UMBC was just named a Research 1 institution. Now the key is sticking to that designation in our performance in undergraduate and graduate spaces,” Ashby said, “as well as, of course, in research. I don’t think anyone has figured out just how to do that, but know that UMBC has a culture that can and will do so.”
One example she offered concerns doctoral candidates.
