Adelphi, Md. (April 18)—Sudha G. Rajput, PhD, adjunct professor at University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), was named a recipient of the 2024 Faculty Award for Public Service by the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents.
The Regents’ Faculty Award is the highest faculty honor given by the board. It recognizes excellence in mentoring, teaching, public service, scholarship or research, and creative activity. Rajput was among 19 faculty members across the University System of Maryland to receive the honor. Each award carries a $2,000 prize provided by the universities and the USM Foundation.
“Sudha began teaching the first course in the MBA program under my management in fall 2016, and I quickly learned of her deep dedication to serve citizens of the world in humanitarian crises,” UMGC collegiate adjunct faculty member Kathleen Hogan wrote in an award recommendation. Hogan, PhD, is the former assistant vice president of First Term Experience and Tutoring Services.
A faculty nominating committee made recommendations to UMGC President Gregory W. Fowler, who forwarded candidates’ names to USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman. The Regents Faculty Review Committee made the final selection.
“This award inspires me to continue pushing boundaries and to keep educating the public and is also a reminder of the support and encouragement I have received throughout this journey,” said Rajput, who has spent more than 40 years of her career serving locally and internationally. In 1977, she started working in international development at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.
She completed both a master’s degree in nonprofit management in 2006 and a master’s in business administration in 2007 from UMGC. In 2012, Rajput graduated from George Mason University with a doctoral degree.
“It was during this time that Sudha recognized the true potential of her education, to effect positive change through public service,” David Leasure, UMGC collegiate professor of First Term Experience, wrote in his award recommendation. “Her commitment to this cause led her to undertake doctoral research focused on the often-overlooked issue of internally displaced persons as a result of conflict.”
With her past experience at the World Bank and new degrees, Rajput was motivated to help others around the world. She volunteered abroad with the American Council for International Education in Bosnia, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine. She raised awareness about refugees and other communities. She also teamed up with USAID to promote sustainable peace programs in Sudan and with the United Nations as a guest panelist to educate women.
“Sudha’s work for Internally Displaced Persons reflects a global view of service. Her annual trips to countries ravaged by conflict and humanitarian crises enabled her to learn about these groups and their needs so that she might contribute to their healing,” Hogan said recently. “In turn, she shared her work with her students and sparked their passion and empathy.”
Locally, Rajput educated middle school children about Native American communities and trained humanitarian aid workers at the Forage Center for Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Education, a Maryland nonprofit. The center provides educational opportunities and experiential-based training to students, educators and professionals doing peacebuilding and humanitarian work around the world.
Rajput is also a published author. Her book, Internal Displacement and Conflict, was published in 2019, and she contributed to two other books: Scientific Explorations of Cause and Consequence across Social Contexts and State, Society, and Minorities in South and Southeast Asia. She has also written for academic publications, including a 2015 paper titled “Transitional Policies and Durable Solutions for Displaced Kashmiri Pandits” and, two years earlier, a paper on “Internal Displacement: Simplifying a Complex Social Phenomenon.”
In his award recommendation, UMGC’s president noted Rajput’s commitment to her students.
“Her colleagues praise her level of engagement with individual students, ensuring that they feel seen and heard in the online environment, and she regularly provides letters of recommendation that have positioned students to qualify for trainings and internships that are crucial for civic engagement and professional success,” Fowler wrote.
On April 19, Chancellor Perman and Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden will recognize Rajput and other winners at a board meeting at Bowie State University.
About University of Maryland Global Campus
University of Maryland Global Campus was founded more than 75 years ago specifically to serve the higher education needs of working adults and military servicemembers. Today, UMGC is the largest provider of postsecondary education in Maryland and continues its global tradition with online and hybrid courses, more than 175 classroom and service locations worldwide and more than 125 degrees and certificates backed by the reputation of a state university and the University System of Maryland. For more information, visit umgc.edu.
Share This