Ting Zhang, associate professor of economics, has received the 2024 President's Faculty Award. This meritorious award is the highest that The University of Baltimore's president may bestow upon a member of the faculty, and is based on letters of nomination from the deans to a selection committee in the Office of the Provost. It is made annually to an individual who reflects the faculty's highest standards, and who has made significant contributions to the University and its educational mission, through teaching; research; scholarly or creative activity; and service.

In a letter nominating Prof. Zhang for the award, Ven Sriram, chair of the faculty in the Merrick School of Business, wrote, "In the classroom, Dr. Zhang is committed to engaging students by using innovative and cutting-edge pedagogy to make complicated and difficult subjects such as economics and statistics accessible and relatable to her students. Her techniques have been very successful as evidenced by her high student evaluations which have been recognized by her being awarded the business school's T. Rowe Price Excellence in Teaching award four times. She is also a faculty member who brings her research into the classroom, making the material more relatable and impactful to students who can see their real-world applications.

"Dr. Zhang is one of the leading scholars on entrepreneurship and aging, having published multiple books, book chapters and peer-reviewed academic journal articles, many of which have received widespread attention and academic citations—a proven metric of their relevance and impact. This important work has also been recognized by her being invited on journal editorial boards, awarded fellowships, and asked to serve on government panels and commissions as an expert. She has also been invited to give talks and keynote addresses at various government and other conferences. In addition, as a PI, Dr. Zhang has raised $5 million since 2019 contributing significantly to the Jacob France Institute. In recognition of this scholarship and contribution, Dr. Zhang has been the recipient of MBS's Harry Y. Wright research chair since 2020 and in 2023, was awarded the USM Board of Regent's award for Research/Scholarship.

"What is truly remarkable about Dr. Zhang as a faculty member is that she uses her innovative scholarship to drive ideas forward while at the same time sharing that knowledge creation with her students in the classroom. Her success in finding funders for her research is testimony to the value that governments and industry see in the work she is doing. All this work is not only disseminated in the classroom and in academic journals, but has received local and national media attention, bringing recognition to the University of Baltimore as well."

Calling her performance "stellar" in every way, Raju Balakrishnan, dean of the Merrick School of Business, added, "[It] is clear to understand why we in the School of Business (and in fact all of UBalt) should be very proud of Dr. Ting Zhang and her accomplishments. She has demonstrated superior accomplishments in all aspects of her work and is a very worthy recipient of the President's Faculty Award."

Prof. Zhang said, "I am deeply honored that my professional journey and future aspirations closely align with these esteemed criteria. Furthermore, I see UBalt's evolution towards a more impactful, urban-focused mission, an area where my background provides a strong foundation. I am enthusiastic about UBalt's mission and eager to expand my contributions in this direction."

She noted that her teaching places an emphasis on students' active engagement in learning.

"I incentivize creativity, leadership, diligence, progress, and extracurricular activities with bonus credit opportunities. Teaching economics enables me to naturally integrate the principles of private ownership and incentives into students' learning experiences, aiding their understanding of market mechanisms and, importantly, nurturing their leadership abilities. Students are encouraged to present, demonstrate, teach (with mentorship), and engage in experiential learning through research projects funded by my grants, promoting immersive and innovative learning methods over rote memorization. Many students have participated in my grant projects, gaining valuable experiences and accessing prestigious job opportunities, aligning with UBalt's mission of impactful career-focused education."

Learn more about Prof. Ting Zhang.