Former USM Regent and USG Board of Advisors (BOA) member Cliff Kendall and his wife Camille have generously established annual awards that recognize faculty, program leaders, and staff who have provided outstanding support to students, as well as staff who have demonstrated exemplary service to the USG community. Congratulations to the esteemed 2026 BOA Kendall Service Award winners!

Outstanding Academic Program Leadership

Halima KarimHalima Karim, DDS, FAGD, FACD
Director of Clinical Services & Clinical Instructor
Department of Comprehensive Dentistry
University of Maryland School of Dentistry at
The Universities at Shady Grove

Dr. Karim is a distinguished dental leader dedicated to expanding access to oral health care and providing compassionate care to underserved and vulnerable communities. She graduated from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, completed a one-year Advanced General Dentistry residency at Howard University College of Dentistry, and holds a Master of Public Health from Harvard University, with a certificate in Healthcare Management and a concentration in Public Health Leadership.  
 
As Director of Clinical Services and Clinical Instructor at Shady Grove Oral Health Services, Dr. Karim helps shape the next generation of dental professionals. Her career spans private practice, public health, and academia. She is a Fellow of both the Academy of General Dentistry and the American College of Dentists, a Past President and current Board of Trustees member of the Southern Maryland Dental Society, an Oral Health Champion honoree of the National Network for Oral Health Access (2022), and Faculty Advisor for Muslim Student Association at USG.

Outstanding Service to the USG Community

Soloman ZelayaSalomon Zelaya
Coordinator
Center for Scholarships
Division of Student Affairs and Career Readiness
The Universities at Shady Grove

Salomon Zelaya serves as the Coordinator in the Center for Scholarships and is an advocate for accessibility, equity, and personal development for the USG community. As a past graduate from UMCP's Communications program at USG, Salomon strives to improve the student experience by offering expansive resources to secure the success of the student population as well as additional resources for the wider community. Serving on the Staff Advisory Committee, he also works to be attentive of staff and faculty members' sentiments within different facets of the campus. Through the food access programs and partner organization collaborations helping to assist over 5,000 individuals, Salomon continues to ensure that expansive and inclusive resources are obtainable here at USG.

Outstanding Service to Students

Brian SchoemBrian Taylor Schoem
Program Coordinator, Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering
A. James Clark School of Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Maryland at The Universities at Shady Grove

Since 2018, Brian has been a vital member of the University of Maryland, College Park, where he has supported the community at the Universities at Shady Grove. Over this period, he has actively contributed to UMD's Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering and Communication programs in several key areas, including student advising and recruitment, marketing, accreditation, and the development of industry partnerships, as well as implementing large-scale outreach initiatives. In addition to his regular responsibilities, Brian has dedicated himself to serving pre-transfer, current, and alumni students as an academic advisor. He has played a significant role in USG's "Reimagining Recruitment Report," which has improved access to vital information and resources for students across the nine universities at USG. From pre-transfer support to graduation, Brian fosters a welcoming environment, firmly believing that the opportunities and potential of students at USG are unmatched anywhere else.

Excellence in Teaching

Nestor TiglaoDr. Nestor Tiglao
Senior Lecturer, Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering
A. James Clark School of Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Maryland at The Universities at Shady Grove

Dr. Nestor Tiglao is a Senior Lecturer in the University of Maryland Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and teaches in the Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering Program at The Universities at Shady Grove. His teaching and research interests include the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber-physical systems, artificial intelligence, wireless sensor networks, and edge computing. Dr. Tiglao is passionate about transforming students into innovative problem-solvers through hands-on, project-based learning that connects engineering theory to real-world societal challenges. His teaching philosophy emphasizes curiosity, creativity, interdisciplinary thinking, and the development of practical systems grounded in strong fundamentals to create meaningful impact in areas such as healthcare, sustainability, accessibility, and intelligent infrastructure. Prior to joining UMD, he served as a Full Professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman and founded technology ventures focused on IoT and intelligent sensing systems. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and has authored numerous journal and conference publications on intelligent systems, sensing, and IoT technologies.