The University of Maryland Eastern Shore claimed two spots on The Daily Record’s Top 100 Women in Maryland for 2024. Dr. Heidi M. Anderson, (left) UMES’ 16th president, reached the Circle of Excellence level as a three-time winner. UMES Extension Nutrition and Health Programs Director Dr. Virginie Zoumenou joined her as a newcomer to the list. They will be honored along with other recipients at a reception May 6 at The Lyric Baltimore, where they will receive their awards.
The Top 100 Women in Maryland recognizes “outstanding achievements” as demonstrated in professional acumen, community leadership and mentoring activities. A panel comprised of business professionals, previous recipients and a representative of the sponsoring news organization review the nominations and applications to select the final honorees.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this recognition from a highly respected publication,” Anderson told The Daily Record. “I have the pleasure to be president of a university that works daily to drive change and enhance the social mobility of our students, our alumni, our communities. That work is deeply rewarding to me and this recognition is not only for me, but also for my entire team at UMES. Without them, none of this is possible.”
Zoumenou, one of the contributing team members Anderson was referring to, made the Top 100 Women in Maryland list this year for her leadership for the past 18 years in community education and services related to health and nutrition in the high food insecurity region the university serves. Notable among them are the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, along with the Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Program and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Well Connected Communities Culture of Health Initiative.
“Through these activities, Dr. Zoumenou has built a strong collaborative relationship with social services and community-based organizations dedicated to our underserved communities at the local, state and national levels,” Anderson said. “We are not only proud of her accomplishments, but those of her team as well.”
Winners will be profiled in a special magazine that will be inserted into the May 7 issue of The Daily Record and will be available online at TheDailyRecord.com.
Anderson has over two decades of leadership experience, the previous six as leader of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and its triumvirate mission of teaching, research and community outreach. A first-generation college student, she is dedicated to student success with an emphasis on educational access and attainability – the HBCU mantra.
Notable among her innumerable accomplishments at UMES are a steady rise in the university’s U.S. News and World Report rankings, increased enrollment and retention, an increase in sponsored research grants and private fundraising, the opening of the UMES Pharmacy and Health Professions complex and championing a proposed School of Veterinary Medicine.
Gail Stephens, agricultural communications and media associate, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, UMES Extension, gcstephens@umes.edu, 410-621-3850.
