In March, the University System of Maryland Board of Regents selected Jan Williams, associate professor of accounting, as one the USM's Faculty award winners in the category of public service. This is the University System’s highest faculty honor for faculty who have contributed to the community through involvement in, clinical practice, professional or nonprofit organizations, and public policy. 

Dr. Williams has worked on multiple levels to promote excellence in accounting education, improve standards and policies, and diversify the profession. At the national level, from 2017-18 she served as president of the Mid-Atlantic region of the American Accounting Association. She also as serves chair of the Academic Executive Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). In Maryland, she served on Governor Hogan’s Maryland Board of Public Accountancy and was a founding member of the Maryland Association of CPA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force.

At UBalt, Dr. Williams directs the Accounting Honors program, serves as faculty advisor to the Beta Alpha Psi Honor Society, and established a chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants. Given that only two percent of US-based certified accounting professional are Black, her advocacy, commitment, and leadership are critical.