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ARHU Accolades

April 29, 2026 Center for Global Migration Studies | Communication | History | Jimenez-Porter Writers' House | School of Music | School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies

A photo of the testudo statue in front of McKeldin Library from a low perspective, capturing the name "TESTUDO" on the plinth, the columns of McKeldin Library, and a blue sky with light clouds.

A roundup of recent faculty accomplishments

Below are awards and honors ARHU faculty and staff have earned since March 2026:

Professor of History Richard Bell’s book “The American Revolution and the Fate of the World” was named a finalist for the 2026 American Battlefield Trust Prize for History, awarded annually to a work of military history or biography. The award carries a $50,000 prize for the winner.

Assistant Professors of Art Mollye Bendell and Brandon Donahue-Shipp were named semifinalists for the 2026 Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize, recognizing a visual artist or artist collaborators living and working in the Baltimore area. Finalists will present their work at an exhibition at the Walters Art Museum in June. The nominees also include alumni David Page MFA ’02, Noah McWilliams MFA ’21 and Pamela J. Thompson MFA ’91. 

Lillian-Yvonne Bertram, associate professor of English, was awarded a $10,000 AI + X grant for her new course “Surfing the Model: The Creative Practice/Critical Literacy of Writing with AI,” which invites students to develop a critical, creative and informed understanding of large language models (LLMs) and AI writing tools through hands-on experimentation and historical, ethical and social analysis.

Associate Director of Bands Andrea Brown was appointed to the American Band Masters Association, one of the highest honors for conductors. Brown leads the UMD Wind Ensemble and serves as director of the Mighty Sound of Maryland. 

Associate Professor of Art History and Archaeology and Classics Emily Egan is a recipient of a grant from the Richard C. MacDonald Iliad Endowment for Archaeological Research, awarded by the Archaeological Institute of America. Egan will use the award to examine the unpublished wall paintings from the “Palace of Nestor” at Pylos, Greece in order to craft a more complete history of Mycenaean painting and to contextualize the descriptions of wall decoration offered in Homer’s Odyssey.

Maryl B. Gensheimer, associate professor of art history and archaeology, was elected to a three-year term as academic trustee of the Governing Board of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA). 

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) awarded a 2026 ACLS Fellowship to Michael Lavery, assistant professor of Russian in the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. His project, "Translating the Blazing Continent: Latin American Fiction and Soviet World Literature,” uncovers how translations of Latin American fiction reshaped Soviet visions of socialist internationalism during the Cold War, redefining the boundaries of socialist realism and articulating a broader postcolonial framework of world literature.

Executive Director of the Honors College and Professor of Communication Kristy Maddux won $23,500 from the Do Good Institute's Campus Fund for "Our Maryland: Equipping Interconnected Leaders." The project will immerse students in the history, politics, culture, agriculture, ecosystems, and business of Maryland to teach them about the interconnected challenges facing the state.

Immersive Media Design Lecturer Jonathan David Martin was awarded a $10,000 AI + X grant for his course “Embodied AI Studio: Installation, Performance and Intelligent Media Through Reflective Making," which brings together art, design, engineering and computer science students to explore how AI can be experienced through bodies, objects and spaces.

Director of the Language House and Associate Clinical Professor of French Marilyn Matar is the recipient of the prestigious Grand Prix de la Francophonie for 2026 in recognition of her contributions to promoting the French language, cultural and linguistic diversity, and education within the Francophone world.

The Oral Communication Program (OCP) in the Department of Communication was selected as a Do Good Campus Fund awardee. Assistant Professor Hailey Otis, Associate Clinical Professor and Co-Director of the Oral Communication Program Melissa Lucas, and Associate Clinical Professor and Director of the Oral Communication Center Raphael Mazzone won $23,410 for their project, “Communicating for the Public Good: Revising COMM107's OER Textbook." Lecturer Gareth Williams will also be helping with these efforts.

American Studies Professor and Director of the Asian American Studies program Janelle Wong is among 252 new members elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was recognized for her groundbreaking research on public opinion, religion and immigrant integration, and the civic engagement of immigrant populations.