Students returned to campus mid-August. Many of us, including vice presidents, coordinators, directors and others, helped first-year students move into their dorm rooms, making a good first impression with parents and sparing families this back-breaking task.

Numerous faculty and staff also volunteered to co-facilitate a new series, First Year Conversations, setting the tone for appreciating Hood’s diversity. Sunday’s Convocation ceremony, with its pomp and circumstance, concluded the first weekend but marked the new beginning for all of us.

Lastly, we paused our busy schedules to celebrate one another at Campus Forum. Congratulations again to Megan Shaine, Lisa Algazi Marcus, Dwight Bowie, Jessica Hammack, Ricky Bowie, Traci Holland and Lisa Copenhaver for receiving exemplary performance awards and to everyone else who was recognized for their years of service. We’re back together again and off to a great start.

Community and Inclusivity

"I am excited to be working at Hood and look forward to being of service to the college community. Originally from Inglewood, California, I now reside in Montgomery County with my husband and two children. As a graduate of Tulane Law School and Morgan State University, I bring to Hood almost 20 years of legal experience serving in local government. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling and volunteering."

Academic Affairs

"I am so excited to be providing simulation opportunities to our future nurses here at Hood College! In my 30 years of practice, I have been a nurse educator for 10 years in the clinical setting and six years in academia. This has afforded me the ability to identify gaps in preparing nurses for clinical practice and be able to help close those gaps through simulation. I love being a nurse and looking forward to sharing my knowledge and expertise with the next generation. Fun Fact: I love to travel (especially to Disney World) and coach cheerleading!"

Finance and Administration

"As a recent graduate of Hood College and current MBA candidate, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to give back to a community that has served me during my time as a student here on campus. I am most excited about using the skills and knowledge that I have acquired so far through Hood College's business administration programs to apply it to the work that I am doing in the accounting department."

Community and Inclusivity

I am joining Hood after working 12 years in the insurance sales and service industry. I'm excited to help the Hood community learn how to get the most out of the benefits the college offers. I live in Clarksburg with my husband, two sons and a dog named Chewy. Fun Fact: I have many artistic hobbies including crocheting, playing ukulele, and making jewelry to name a few.

Institutional Advancement

"As a recent alum from the Class of 2021, I am so excited to continue my journey at Hood as a staff member. I treasure my time spent at Hood as a student and am forever grateful for the education, friendships and opportunities that Hood gifted me. I guess the saying is true, #HoodisHome."

Academic Affairs

"I am excited to be back in the Hood community! I graduated in 2007 with my bachelor’s degree and return to be the administrative assistant for the Honors Program. Since graduating, I have worked in the criminal justice field, most recently helping veterans. I live in Union Bridge, MD with my significant other Paul and our six-year-old twins and five-month-old baby. Keeping balance with home life and work, I’m grateful for this part-time opportunity and, of course, thrilled it’s here at Hood!"

Finance and Administration

"It’s great to be here and be a part of the Hood community! Looking forward to doing impactful things together to support the mission and vision of the college. Fun Fact: I like to solve Sudoku puzzles."

Academic Affairs

"My name is Anh Nguyen, and I am the new assistant professor of finance and accounting at The George B. Delaplaine Jr. School of Business. I have always been passionate about exploring new knowledge through research and disseminating this knowledge through teaching. My teaching interests are corporate finance, investment, international finance and derivatives. My research interests are mutual fund flows, mutual fund performance, international finance and public finance, with a focus on pension funds. As a teacher, I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach students of diverse cultural backgrounds and at different stages in their program. Using my experience, I look forward to contributing more for Hood community."

Academic Affairs

"As a wife, mother, nurse practitioner, business administrator and educator, I am most excited about the opportunities at Hood College that allow me to fully use my talents and skills to serve and positively impact the local and global communities through maintaining an empathetic heart, working hands and knowledgeable mind. I am most excited about the opportunity to actively listen to the local and global communities in an effort to identify gaps in work-life balance, healthcare, business and education that lead to disparities and work toward eliminating those disparities through evidence-based solutions and the promotion of unity."

Institutional Advancement

"As director of corporate and government relations, I have the opportunity to leverage my relationships with business leaders and elected officials to create meaningful partnerships for Hood."

Academic Affairs

"My name is Yankuo Qiao, and I’m a new assistant professor of finance. I’m a father of two boys, and in my spare time, I enjoy camping with my family and jogging in the park. I’m excited about joining our community and looking forward to months and years of teaching, serving and doing research at Hood."

Academic Affairs

"I’m grateful to have joined such a supportive, welcoming and inspiring community. Although COVID-19 has created unimaginable changes to our daily lives, the resilience of the Hood College community is striking. It’s a joy to be surrounded by highly motivated students and colleagues who have done so well to adapt to the changes in the learning environment. I think this speaks volumes to the strength of this community, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it."