ADELPHI, Md. – University of Maryland University College (UMUC) today announced that Dr. Jim Q. Chen, collegiate professor and program director of Information Assurance at UMUC, received the 2008 University System of Maryland’s Board of Regents’ Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence. “As an experienced and innovative teacher, both face-to-face and online, Dr. Chen brings passion and unparalleled knowledge into the room; always inspiring his students to reach beyond what they know to discover what they can only imagine,” said Dr. Susan C. Aldridge, president of University of Maryland University College. “At UMUC, we are deeply committed to ensuring student success, by creating a relevant, creative, and inclusive learning environment of the highest scholastic and intellectual quality.” Chen, who has taught at UMUC for more than a decade, received the award for his academic contributions and achievements at UMUC. Chen’s major contributions to the university include developing the Information Assurance specialization in response to post-Sept. 11 workforce conditions and trends and designed an interactive Network System and Security Laboratory at UMUC’s main campus in Adelphi, Md. During a time of heightened national security, the Information Assurance program provides managers and technology professionals with the tools needed to effectively protect an organization’s assets. Students in the program are trained in design, development, operation and management of secure information systems. The Network System and Security Laboratory is used by more than 27,000 students and military members worldwide to create real-life scenarios, helping to reinforce the theories and concepts learned concerning information security. Both online and onsite, UMUC students who participate in the lab are taught basic and advanced information protection skills. Areas of focus include data communications and networks, internet security, intrusion detection, incident response and computer forensics. The lab was so successful that Chen was asked to duplicate the laboratory at UMUC campuses in Europe and Asia. Chen has also been instrumental in designing and developing several other UMUC courses with a focus in systems security. Outside the room, he has co-authored a number of academic publications and continues pursuing research in the field of design and development of network systems and securities. In 2006, Dr. Chen was chosen as one of only 20 participants in UMUC’s year-long Leadership and Management Development Program (LMDP), a course created to inspire positive change in leadership methods. EDITOR’S NOTE: The university’s official name is “University of Maryland University College” or the acronym “UMUC” only. About University of Maryland University College UMUC is the second-largest university in Maryland, serving 90,000 students and offering 132 undergraduate and graduate programs online and on-site In addition, UMUC is the 12th-largest degree-granting university in the United States, one of the largest public providers of online higher education in the nation, and is a unique provider of undergraduate and graduate degrees related to homeland security. The university offers face-to-face instruction at 21 locations throughout Maryland and educational services at more than 120 locations overseas. As demand grows for flexible, high-quality degree programs, the Board of Regents projects that UMUC's enrollments will grow by 101 percent by 2015. Media Contact: Jenna Saffron 410-581-5921 jsaffron@mghus.com