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Awards
Maryland Labor Secretary Alexander M. Sanchez recently received the Ana G. Mendez University System’s Excellence in Education Award. The award recognizes contributions toward promoting excellence in education among the U.S. Latino community. Sanchez was honored for his work to improve educational bilingual opportunities and skills of the local workforce population. During the ceremony, AGMUS President Jose F. Mendez, Universidad Metropolitana Chancellor Federico M. Matheu and Morgan State University Provost and Vice President Joseph A. Whittaker, representing Morgan State University and the University System of Maryland, signed an agreement to bring an Ana G. Mendez University center to Wheaton. Classes will begin at a new, dual-language higher education center on Jan. 12. The Puerto Rico-based university system also has campuses in the South Florida, Orlando and Tampa areas.
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Boards
Nancy Grasmick has been appointed to the board of directors of Maryland Family Network, which provides resources for children, their families and caregivers so they can learn and succeed. Grasmick was state superintendent of schools from 1991 until retiring June 30.
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Education
McDaniel College, of Westminster, has hired new communications and marketing directors: Vince Buscemi is now director of digital communications and social media overseeing the college’s website, multimedia and social media; the former vice president of client services at Mindgrub Technologies is a McDaniel alumnus. Cheryl Knauer has been named director of media relations. Knauer previously worked as a senior account executive at Nevins & Associates, as the media relations director at Maryland Institute College of Art, and as a public relations associate at the Baltimore Office of Promotion and The Arts. Jason Reinfried is now director of graduate marketing and admissions. He previously was a marketing strategist and a workforce training manager at Penn State and has been an admissions representative at the University of Phoenix.
Dr. Claire Fraser-Liggett, director of the Institute for Genome Sciences and a faculty member in the departments of medicine and microbiology and immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, recently was elected a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dr. Fraser-Liggett has performed pioneering research, seen the results published, and provided leadership at several research institutions to promote the development of genomic medicine.
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Museums
The Jewish Museum of Maryland, in Baltimore, has promoted two senior staff members: Deborah Cardin, formerly the director of education, is now the museum’s assistant director. Cardin replaces Anita Kassof, who is becoming deputy director of the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, in New York. Ilene Dackman-Alon, who has served as the museum’s director of programs since 2006, is now director of education.