Maryland Supports Research Professorships at Four Higher Education Institutions
BALTIMORE, MD (July 29, 2026) – The Maryland Department of Commerce today joined Hood College; Johns Hopkins University; the University of Maryland, Baltimore; and the University of Maryland, College Park in endowing $17.7 million to fund new research professorships. The endowment was made through the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF), a state program created to spur basic and applied research in scientific and technical fields at colleges and universities. The universities raised $9.2 million in private funding for the positions, and Maryland Commerce approved matching grants of $8.5 million to support the endowment.
“Maryland’s economic future depends on investing in the innovators of today,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Harry Coker Jr. “We’re proud to partner with and support Maryland’s higher education institutions as they transform groundbreaking research and new ideas into the companies, technologies, and jobs that will drive economic growth for years to come.”
Hood College received $1,000,000 from Commerce to support the Ruth Whitaker Holmes ‘55 Endowed Nurse Practitioner Chair; the award was matched by $1,020,905 in qualified funding from the college. Specializing in mental health and psychiatric care, the chair will support the growth of the college’s graduate nursing and counseling programs by bringing both clinical and active research experience to the classroom. As students develop their skills in mental health assessment, integrated care, and interdisciplinary collaboration, the chair will help ensure they can meet the complex demands of modern healthcare and are prepared for long-term career success.
Johns Hopkins University received two MEIF awards from Commerce. An award of $1,250,000, matched by $1,256,975 in qualified funding from the university, will establish the Paul N. Manson, M.D./Hansjoerg Wyss Directorship in Innovation within the university’s School of Medicine. The endowed directorship will support Sashank K. Reddy, MD, PhD, a world-class faculty member and pioneering leader in regenerative medicine and aging, while expanding his research, entrepreneurial activities, and technology commercialization efforts. Commerce also awarded $1,500,000 for the Walter E. Dandy Professorship in Neurosciences Critical Care at the School of Medicine, matched by $1,500,000 in qualified funding from the university. The endowed professorship will support Jose I. Suarez, MD, FNCS, FANA, FAAN, a nationally and internationally recognized leader in neurocritical care, and catalyze the translation of his innovations into clinical tools, industry partnerships, and commercialization opportunities.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore received two awards of $750,000 each from Commerce, both matched by $750,000 in qualified funding from the university. The first award endows the Golisano Foundation Professorship in Targeted Gene and Cell Therapy Innovation and allows the university to recruit a senior-level physician-scientist with technology transfer experience and a focus on commercializing scientific innovations. The second award endows the Golisano Foundation Professorship in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and will be used to recruit a renowned surgeon-scientist that specializes in complex, high-risk neonatal surgery. In collaboration with the School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Golisano Children’s Hospital, this professor will advance research and innovation in pediatric cardiac care and help train and mentor the next generation of cardiac surgeons and physician-scientists. Recruitment for these two new faculty positions follows a landmark gift from philanthropist, entrepreneur, and civic leader Tom Golisano and exemplifies a critical goal of helping the children’s hospital recruit and retain top pediatric talent.
The University of Maryland, College Park, received two awards of $1,625,000 each from Commerce; each award was matched by $2,000,000 in qualified funding from Mathematics Professor Emeritus Michael Brin to honor the memory of his late wife, Eugenia. The first award supports the Eugenia Brin Endowed Chair in Data Assimilation, which will enable the Institute for Physical Science and Technology to attract world-class talent in atmospheric and oceanic science. The second award supports the Eugenia Brin Endowed Chair of Parkinson’s Disease at the University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing in North Bethesda, Maryland. The chair will apply advanced computational methods to the study and treatment of Parkinson’s disease, working in collaboration with faculty from both the University of Maryland, College Park and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
The Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund was created by the General Assembly during the 2014 legislative session and has provided more than $108.8 million in funding to leverage more than $120.7 million in private donations. The funding can be used to pay salaries of newly endowed department chairs, staff, and support personnel in designated scientific and technical fields of study; fund related research fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students; and purchase lab equipment and other basic infrastructure and equipment.
About Maryland Commerce
The Maryland Department of Commerce stimulates private investment and creates jobs by attracting new businesses, encouraging the expansion and retention of existing companies, and providing financial assistance to Maryland companies. The Department promotes the State’s many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development and international investment, trade and tourism. Because they are major economic generators, the Department also supports the arts, film production, sports and other special events. For more information, visit commerce.maryland.gov.
