The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s 2026 Founders Week awards brought together five honorees whose work spans brain-cancer treatment, rural medical education, community dentistry, legal scholarship and student-led service. The recognition ceremony was scheduled for Oct. 22 at the M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center in Baltimore, closing a week of events celebrating UMB’s history and public mission.
The most technology-driven honor went to Graeme F. Woodworth, MD, FAANS, FACS, the School of Medicine’s David J. Ramsay Entrepreneur of the Year. Woodworth led the first U.S. clinical trials testing focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier for brain-tumor treatment. UMB says that work helped establish the foundation for Lotus Neuro, a company pursuing focused-ultrasound and drug-combination therapies for brain diseases including glioblastoma and Alzheimer’s disease.
Student of the Year Anum Zehra represents a different route to impact. The Class of 2027 medical student has co-authored more than 20 articles, founded UMSOM’s first Cardiology Interest Group and created KindKin, a student-led initiative supporting caregivers of hospitalized children. Her service also includes volunteering as a neonatal intensive-care “cuddler,” leading blood drives and providing health education and free-clinic support.
Leah S. Millstein, MD, was named Educator of the Year for work that connects medical training to underserved communities. As director of UMSOM’s Rural-MD Scholars Program, she helps prepare students for practice on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The program’s focus gives the award a workforce dimension: it links teaching excellence with the state’s continuing need for physicians in rural areas.
The remaining honors broaden the picture. Ramsay Koury, DMD, received Public Servant of the Year recognition for expanding access to oral health care through Mission of Mercy and related service. Natalie Ram, JD, a Carey School of Law professor, was named Researcher/Scholar of the Year. Together, the winners show UMB defining achievement not through one discipline, but through measurable contributions to patients, students, communities and scientific discovery.
