On September 24, the University of Maryland College of Education Alumni Network will honor outstanding alumni at the 2024 Alumni Awards Reception at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. The event will celebrate seven alumni for their work to advance equity, serve students and transform education for good.
Nancy Shapiro Ph.D. ’84 is the 2024 recipient of the College of Education Outstanding Alumni Award, given to a nominee who has demonstrated excellence through leadership and innovation. Shapiro started her career as a high school English teacher and served on President Jimmy Carter’s Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy before enrolling at UMD, where she earned a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. In 1994, Shapiro became founding executive director of the College Park Scholars living-learning program. The Scholars program remains a hallmark enterprise for incoming students to find a community of belonging on campus. In 1998, Shapiro joined the University System of Maryland, where she recently retired from her position as associate vice chancellor for education and outreach. In nearly three decades with USM, Shapiro worked with four chancellors to promote creative and innovative PK-20 and teacher education projects initiatives across the state. She provided infrastructure for leaders in education that helped support problem-solving and collaboration. Shapiro has had phenomenal success acquiring grants designed to improve teacher education and PK-20 teaching and learning.
Tia Washington ‘03 will receive the Linda Pieplow Alumni Volunteer of the Year Award, given to a nominee who has demonstrated continued support, involvement and volunteerism to the College of Education. Washington has served as professional development chair of the College of Education Alumni Network Board since 2022 and has dedicated many hours to educating College of Education alumni. Washington designed, planned and facilitated a book study series on Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education by Alex Shervin Venet, which engaged more than 90 alumni from across the country and across academic areas. Professionally, Washington became known as an “equity warrior” and graciously chose to share her knowledge of adult learning theory with the greater College of Education alumni community during the book study series. Washington shows up as an alumni volunteer leader at events such as Jump Start Your Career, where she connects with current students and shares her career path, which started as a middle school social studies teacher. She currently serves as coordinator of districtwide professional learning for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). She holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education social studies from UMD.
This year, the Alumni Network will honor two recipients of the College of Education Alumni Student Impact Award: Sharon Fries-Britt ‘81, Ph.D. ‘94, and Barbara Gill ‘85, M.A. ‘91. This lifetime achievement award is given to nominees who have dedicated their careers in service to students.
Fries-Britt is a Distinguished University Professor in the College of Education’s Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education. She has fostered a sense of community and belonging over multiple generations of students within the College of Education through mentoring, providing opportunities for students to coauthor manuscripts and collaborate on high-profile grant projects, and most importantly, being a shoulder to rejoice or cry on. Fries-Britt is also a champion for students and a vocal advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion on campus and at a national level–from her Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant to her appointment on various committees. She earned two degrees from UMD: a bachelor’s degree in family studies and a doctorate in education.
Gill is a dedicated public servant and education access visionary who has dedicated nearly 40 years to serving UMD, currently as associate vice president for enrollment management. Her work has had a significant impact on thousands of UMD students. Gill is widely regarded as a national leader in the world of admissions and enrollment, noted for her decade-plus of service on the College Board’s Board of Trustees and her leadership in creating the Coalition for College, a college application organization focusing on broadening access to all students. She has also mentored other admissions and enrollment leaders across the country. Gill holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in counseling and student personnel from UMD.
Three alumni will be honored with the College of Education Alumni Changemaker Award: Barbara Hill Church ‘70, Norka Padilla ‘87 and Lisa Smith ‘05. This award is given to a nominee who has done work that has “changed the conversation” in the field of education through their work in the pursuit of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Church is a lifelong educator and world traveler. She has served as a leader and a changemaker within the U.S. and abroad by creating inclusive environments and advocating for marginalized populations. Church has had an extensive career in education, serving as a principal or assistant principal for 16 years and a special educator for 17 years. She taught in Maryland, Germany, Japan, Thailand and Nepal before becoming founder, director and teacher at Grassroots Education Nepal, a nonprofit organization that educates students and teachers at the Mikey Medium English School, a small community school in Nepal. Church has impacted the lives of thousands of students and adult learners by providing access to education and by sharing her experiences with others to build a global perspective on education. Church has also served as an adjunct professor at Bowie State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UMD.
Padilla has served as a changemaker through her work supporting emergent multilingual learners in MCPS. She has provided ongoing professional development for teachers and leaders to help them implement equitable learning practices to make learning accessible to all students. This work has led to significant growth in students’ performance. Padilla has been instrumental in transforming teacher practices through the introduction of language frames, sentence starters and can-do descriptors to measure and monitor student growth. Through her current work with the MCPS International Admissions and Enrollment Office, Padilla has led efforts to use an antiracist and trauma-responsive approach to provide the best care and service to families navigating the enrollment process. Padilla holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UMD and has served on the College of Education Alumni Network Board.
Smith is known in Frederick County for her success in leading strong leadership teams that create comprehensive high school improvement plans to address reducing chronic absenteeism, increasing student enrollment and completion in advanced placement, dual enrollment, and career and technical education programs. As principal of two high-needs, highly diverse high schools, Smith has built the expectation not only to provide access and opportunity for the most vulnerable students in her schools but also to put structures in place to ensure student success. In her 10 years as a high school administrator, Smith has been a changemaker, positively influencing thousands of students. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in history and in secondary education social studies from UMD. She currently serves as principal of Tuscarora High School in Frederick County Public Schools. Smith is a proud Terp, as evidenced by her principal’s office at her school, which is full of Terp memorabilia.
