Prof. Mariglynn Edlins Receives 2025 Transformative Teaching Award

Dr. Mariglynn Edlins, associate professor and program director for the Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) program in the College of Public Affairs, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Excellence in Transformative Teaching Award.

The award is presented by the University's Center for Excellence in Learning, Teaching and Technology (CELTT), and includes a recognition plaque and $2,000. All nominees were reviewed anonymously by CELTT's Teaching Scholars.

Dr. Edlins was nominated by her peers in recognition of her revolutionary approach to doctoral education. Since taking over the DPA program in fall 2023, she has transformed how doctoral candidates engage with their field by replacing the traditional dissertation with public scholarship projects—research that is meaningful, accessible, and actionable for communities and organizations.

This innovative shift has had a highly positive impact:

• More than a dozen UBalt students graduated from the DPA program in 2024-25, successfully completing the program's dissertation requirements.
• Sustained enrollment growth in the program from fall 2024 to spring 2025 was driven by prospective students excited to make real-world impact through their doctoral work.
• Two comprehensive public scholarship courses (PUAD 890 and PUAD 895) were created, both designed to guide students through rigorous, community-focused research.
• Dr. Edlins has also developed invaluable resources, including an interactive dashboard that guides students through every step of the public scholarship process—essentially conducting her own public scholarship in service of teaching it.

As Prof. Edlins's nominator for the Transformative Teaching Award,  Dr. Jennica Larrison, associate professor in the School of Public and International Affairs, said that Dr. Edlins's approach to teaching "bridges the gap between academic rigor and real-world impact, producing graduates who are equipped to create meaningful change in our communities."

Learn more about Prof. Mariglynn Edlins and the Doctor of Public Administration program in UBalt's College of Public Affairs.