Towson University awarded three programs BTU Partnership Awards on Wednesday, November 12, during a celebration recognizing the collaborative work being done between faculty, staff, students and community partners that address community needs.
“Tonight really demonstrates TU’s long-standing commitment to partnerships here in our region,” said Melanie Perreault, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Towson University really leans in on the idea of partnership. We’re here to talk to and work with our partners and understand the challenges to the best of our ability and work together. It’s true, genuine long-term, long-lasting partnership that we put together here.”
BTU (Baltimore – Towson University) supports and elevates the collaborative work the TU community is doing with community partners throughout greater Baltimore. Joined by faculty, staff and students from across campus and members of the community, the three award recipients were recognized for delivering meaningful impacts in communities across Maryland.
Autism Hiring Program
Led by Kimberly Hubscher, project coordinator for the Autism Hiring Program at the Hussman Center for Adults with Autism, in partnership with the Autism Society of Maryland, this partnership exemplifies TU’s commitment to the public good and turning ambition into action, while increasing partnerships across departments, with affiliate organizations and Maryland employers. By delivering transformative outcomes for autistic adults through career readiness programming and curriculum, self-advocacy and ongoing mentorship, this partnerships makes workplaces more inclusive, supportive and neuro-diverse environments.
Hubscher noted that participants who’ve completed the program have seen success in gaining meaningful employment, pursuing graduate degrees and obtaining other training certifications.
“What we are seeing throughout this program, is success not only in the areas of employment, but in quality of life, self-efficacy and self-confidence, and that’s really what we’re all passionate about here,” said Hubscher.
Culturally Responsive Mathematics Activities for BCPS Students
Through mathematics instruction, collaborative programming and mentorship across academic levels, this partnership takes a unique approach to address under-representation and inequities in the STEM field. Led by Diana Cheng, professor in the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics, and in partnership with Baltimore County Public Schools, this partnership ensures mathematics students graduate with the vision to craft solutions that use action-based research to enrich student experiences and provide instruction through the lens of civic and social issues.
“Many of our pre-service students and in-service teachers have become really excited through this work,” said Dr. Cheng. “Many of our students have recommended that their colleagues take our master’s degree program, because they know that Towson really values these social justice math lessons, culturally responsive teaching, and we have great technology classes.”
Baltimore Community Archaeology Lab
This partnership, led by Katherine Sterner, assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts, strengthens historic preservation and ethical stewardship of the past through project-based learning and civic engagement opportunities grounded in historical preservation and advocacy. This work — in partnership with Preservation Maryland, Native American Lifelines, Piscataway Conoy Tribe and Baltimore American Indian Center — ensures the Indigenous community has a voice in historical preservation and narrative processes, while strengthening historical preservation in Maryland and establishing TU’s Baltimore Community Archaelogy Lab as a leader in Indigenous and archaeological collaboration.
Dr. Sterner said that this award recognizes what she values most at Towson University — that when we work together we can create change that none of us could achieve alone.
“Our partnership brings together the strengths of three communities, a university that is dedicated to public service, a preservation organization with statewide impact and an indigenous nation whose history, culture and leadership are essential to Maryland’s story. Through this collaboration, we have sought to make archaeology not just a study of the past, but a shared practice of stewardship,” said Dr. Sterner.
This year marks eight years since Towson University launched the BTU Partnership Awards, which has celebrated 26 partnerships.
The awardees were selected by a review committee based on their impact to both TU and the community, outcome assessments, how they exemplify best practices to address community needs, and how they apply TU’s community engagement principles, ensuring they are relationship focused, mutually beneficial collaborations that focus on respect, honesty, and recognizing the specialized knowledge of community partners.
