Dr. Andrea Cantora, associate professor of Criminal Justice and director of UBalt's acclaimed Second Chance College Program, has been appointed the inaugural Director of Higher Education in Prison for the University System of Maryland (USM), effective March 18. For more than a decade, Dr. Cantora served The University of Baltimore as the founder and guiding force behind Second Chance, establishing it as one of Maryland's most respected higher education in prison initiatives.
Routinely, UBalt educates and graduates incarcerated men from the Jessup Correctional Institution. The program initially began as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Second Chance Pell Grant Experimental Sites Initiative.
Now, Prof. Cantora will apply the knowledge she has gained on how a college education can change the lives of those in prison to institutions across the state.
"We're extraordinarily proud of Dr. Cantora and know that her work will benefit the entire state just as it has done for The University of Baltimore," said UBalt President Kurt L. Schmoke, who noted that Dr. Cantora has indicated that once her work at the state level is complete, she will return to UBalt to continue as a teacher and research scholar.
Dr. Ivan Sascha Sheehan, interim dean of the University's College of Public Affairs, said that under Dr. Cantora's direction, the Second Chance program grew in both scope and impact, becoming a model for how universities can deliver high-quality education inside correctional settings.
"Dr. Cantora's work has attracted national recognition and significant philanthropic investment, while also strengthening partnerships across our institution, within Maryland's correctional system, and with colleagues across the country committed to expanding educational opportunity," Sheehan wrote in a message to the College of Public Affairs community. "This new role with the University System of Maryland is a testament to Dr. Cantora's extraordinary expertise, credibility, and leadership."
Learn more about UBalt's Second Chance College Program.