The annual College of Education Alumni of Color Celebration honors historical milestones and contributions from alumni, students, faculty, and staff of Color to the College of Education. This event also serves as a way to create a community for alumni/faculty of color, and provides a space for networking and fellowship while raising funds for the Elaine Johnson Coates '59 Scholarship.
2024 Celebration
This year's celebration took place on May 16th on campus at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center.
Event album
SAVE THE DATE: May 15, 2025 for the 5th Annual Celebration
This event is a fundraiser for the Elaine Johnson Coates '59 Scholarship Fund.
If you have questions about this event, please email coeadvancement@umd.edu
This event supports the Elaine Johnson Coates ’59 Scholarship. Ms. Johnson Coates a College of Education Alumna who was also the first African American undergraduate student to graduate from the University of Maryland College Park. The scholarship provides merit-based scholarships for undergraduate students in the College of Education who promote racial diversity in the College of Education through activism, service or who have distinguished themselves through research.
Elaine Johnson Coates '59 Level - $1,000
This level is named after the first Black student to receive an undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park (1959 B.S. Education). This level includes (1) Recognition for individual or company during event program (2) Name/logo listed on event web page
Rose Shockley Wiseman '51 Level - $500
This level is named after the first Black student to receive graduate degree from the the University of Maryland, College Park (1951 M.A. Education). This level includes (1) Recognition for individual or company during event program (2) Name/logo listed on event web page
John Francis Davis '51 Level - $250
This level is named after the first male Black student to receive a graduate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park (1951 M.A. Education). This level includes (1) Recognition for individual or company during event program (2) Name listed on web page
M.Lucia James Level - $100
First black faculty member at the University of Maryland, College Park (1965 Associate Professor of General Education and Director of the College of Education's Curriculum Laboratory). This level includes (1) Recognition on event webpage
Elaine Johnson Coates '59 & Tamara Coates-Walker '87
Dr. Sharon Fries-Britt '81, Ph.D.'94
Gary Michael
Dr. Rachel Petty, Ph.D. '81
Dr. Clemmie Solomon Jr., Ph.D. '96
Alison Binder
Ellen Gaske
Jody Olsen
Jeanne Branthover
Gretchen Vanderveer
Delores Harvey
John and Patricia Koskinen
Nancy Leber
Ebony Terrell Shockley, Ph.D. '12
Kurt Sudbrink
Melanie Folstad
Cheryl Garnette
Debra Munk
Hasan Solomon
Selvon Waldron, M.A. '20
Lillian L. Alston
Aishah Briscoe, M.Ed.'12
Miriam Matthews Clark
Jennifer Killberg
Lynnette Smith
Jean Snell
Yolanda Wilson
If you or your organization would like to support through a sponsorship, please contact Kurt Sudbrink at sudbrink@umd.edu
Elaine Johnson Coates '59 & Tamara Coates-Walker '87
Dr. Sharon Fries-Britt '81, Ph.D.'94
Dr. Clemmie Solomon Jr., Ph.D. '96
Dr. Kimberly Griffin Haynes, M.A. '01
Dr. Rachel Petty, Ph.D. '81
Cheryl Garnette, M.A. '78
Dr. Ebony Terrell Shockley, Ph.D. '12
Gail Epps, Ed.D. '13
Hasan Solomon
Selvon Waldron, M.A. '20
Aishah Briscoe, M.Ed.'12
Carlos Beato, Ed.D. '19
Kia and Jean-Paul Cadet
James Davis
Segun Eubanks, Ed.D. '12
Nihat Polat
Lynnette Smith
Ayesha Swann-Brown
$1000 Level Sponsors
Tamara Coates-Walker '87
Melanie Folstad '92
Dr. Sharon Fries-Britt '81, Ph.D.'94
Dr. Clemmie Solomon, Ph.D.'96
$500 Level Sponsors
Gloria Davidson '67, M.Ed.'69, MLS '76
Elaine Johnson-Coates '59
Dr. Beverly O'Bryant M.A. '74, Ph.D. '99
Dr. Rachel Petty, Ph.D. '81
Daniel Schwab
$250 Level Sponsors
Cheryl Garnette '75, M.A.'78
Hasan Solomon
Dr. Jose M. Torres '83, M.Ed.'85, Ph.D. '99
Enrique Young '97
$1000 Level Sponsors
Dr. Sharon Fries-Britt '81, Ph.D.'94
Rachel Petty, Ph.D. '81
Dr. Clemmie Solomon, Ph.D.'96
$500 Level Sponsors
Michelle Cooper, Ph.D.'06
Daniel Schwab
$250 Level Sponsors
Doug Anthony '92, M.Ed.'01, Ed.D.'16
Dian Carter '93
Gloria Davidson '67, M.Ed. '69
Hasan Solomon
$100 Level Sponsors
Gwendolyn Dorsey '84, M.Ed.'88
Viola Gonzalez
Erika Magana '10
Yvette Mozie-Ross, Ph.D.'11
Michelle Newton '09, M.Ed.'13
Norka Padilla '87
Nicole Ray '02
Andrea Thomas, M.A. '99
Jamie Washington, Ph.D. '93
Enrique Young '97
Toyia Younger Ph.D. '09