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Gloria Aparicio Blackwell

Gloria Aparicio Blackwell

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Gloria Aparicio Blackwell

Director
University of Maryland

What is your most significant accomplishment?

The most significant or me was seizing the opportunity to create the Office of Community Engagement at the University of Maryland. I joined the university staff in 1997 as a Safety Manager for Facilities Management, where I designed a safety program for 900 trades and services staff. During the training of the Spanish-speaking employees, I realized the lack of information and resources for their well-being at work and home.

I began gathering information and opportunities to benefit not only the staff but also their families, such as education, English classes, workforce development, and civic engagement. This work led me to the Vice President’s Office for Administration where I began the work of community engagement. I focused early on engaging with a local elementary school where faculty, staff, and students collaborated on various community-based projects, culminating in a summit in China for 100 school members.

Today, the impact is extensive with a small four-person team, connections are formed between the faculty/staff/students/alumni and the surrounding communities.

This is an honoree profile from The Daily Record's Top 100 Women awards. Information for this profile was sourced from the honoree's application for the award.

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