BSOS Celebrates 2026 Faculty and Staff Award Winners
BSOS staff, faculty, students—as well as family members and friends—gathered on May 7 in the Grand Ballroom of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union to mark the annual BSOS Faculty and Staff Recognition Reception. There, the winners of the 2026 BSOS Faculty and Staff Awards were celebrated.
Dean Susan Rivera presided over the event, and offered special thanks to all the award winners, nominees, and those who nominated their colleagues and peers for awards.
The BSOS Dean's Medal—the highest honor bestowed by the college—was presented to Robert Blevins. Blevins is the executive director for the Office of Academic Computing Services. Blevins has served in this role for more than a decade.
"Robert fulfills all of his duties, and always has, with a clear and explicit mindset to serve the mission of the college and, by default, its community," Rivera said.
This year, the longstanding BSOS mentorship award was renamed to honor the late Wayne V. McIntosh, a beloved and respected administrator, former interim dean who served twice in that role, and a leader in the Department of Government and Politics.
"Wayne saw mentorship as a cornerstone to being a faculty member and administrator. I am glad that each year at this time we will take this moment to remember him together and honor someone who is following his example," Rivera said when presenting the award to Christina Danko of the Department of Psychology.
The 2026 Faculty and Staff Award recipients are:
BSOS Dean's Medal:
Robert Blevins, Executive Director, Office of Academic Computing Services
Early Career Impact:
Arianna Gard, PSYC; Adrian Pascual Arranz, GEOG
Excellence in Advising and Administration:
Christina Getrich, ANTH; Kenneth Kokason, Feller Center
Wayne V. McIntosh Excellence in Mentorship:
Christina Danko, PSYC
Excellence in Research:
Bianca Bersani, CCJS; Yasmeen Faroqi-Shah, HESP
Excellence in Service:
Colleen Byrne, PSYC
Excellence in Service for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice:
Marcus Johnson, GVPT
Excellence in Teaching:
Jacob Coutts, PSYC
Outstanding Staff: Exceptional Contribution:
Anthony Chan, PSYC; Elizabeth Martinez, Dean's Office
Outstanding Staff: Service to Students:
Jessica Gray, SOCY; Kim Nickerson, Dean's Office
Phillips Award for Graduate Research in the Public Interest:
Jessica Abramson, PSYC
Be the Solution Award, Extraordinary Service to BSOS from the Community:
David Mitchell, University of Maryland Chief of Police
Published on Mon, May 11, 2026 - 12:17PM