Angela Katenkamp is 20th Faculty to Earn QM Certification since 2021

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 07:01:13 -0500
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Assistant teaching professor Dr. Angela Katenkamp became the 20th faculty member to earn Quality Matters (QM) certification for PSYC 200 (Developmental Psychology) as part of the Quality Matters Impact program. More than half of the QM-certified courses in the University System of Maryland are from UMBC.

"Going through Quality Matters certification for this course helped me make changes not only to this course but all the courses I teach," said Dr. Katenkamp. "The process has strengthened my skills in course design, helping me to design high quality student-centered courses that promote success."

"QMI provides the kind of behind-the-scenes support that allows an academic department to thrive in fulfilling its educational mission," said Dr. Leher Sing, Psychology Department Chair. "I'm very proud of Drs. Rose, Alonso, and Katenkamp for stepping into this space and helping strengthen our department's educational foundation in such a meaningful and effective way."

During a formal QM course review faculty participants receive feedback from certified QM subject matter experts and peer reviewers. Faculty also earned a digital credential for successfully completing the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) asynchronous online workshop in preparation to take a course through the peer review process.

The Quality Matters Impact (QMI) pilot launched in FA2021 in partnership with the Provost's Office as an extension of the award-winning PIVOT program to recognize exemplary course design. A QM Official review provides independent validation of quality, learner-focused course design.

As of January 29, 2026, the following courses have earned QM Certification:

PSYC 200 - Developmental Psychology (Angela Katenkamp)

PSYC 306 - Lifespan and Human Development (Eileen O'Brien)

AGNG 355 - The Experience of Dementia (Louise Murray)

CHEM 101 - Principles of Chemistry 1 (Sarah Bass)

EDUC 667 - Structure of English for TESOL (Mary Tabaa)

ENCH 300 - Chemical Process Thermodynamics (Mariajose Castellanos)

PBHL 100 - Survey of the US Healthcare System (Katie Birger)

GWST 210: Intro to Critical Sexuality Studies (Kate Drabinski)

SOCY 351: Health, Illness, and Medicine (John Schumacher)

EHS 115: Medical Terminology (Gary Williams)

CMSC 104: Problem Solving & Computer Programming (Chris Marron)

SPAN 102: Elementary Spanish (Maria Manni)

POLI 210: Political Thought (Lisa Vetter)

PSYC 317: Cognitive Psychology (Diane Alonso)

PSYC 100: Introduction to Psychology (Laura Rose)

IS 607: Introduction to Information Systems (Augusto Casas)

ART 332: Design and Technology (Gary Roznac)

SPAN 101: Elementary Spanish I (Maria Gomez-Rubio)

SPAN 201: Spanish Intermediate I (Milvia Hernandez)

EHS 115: Medical Terminology (Crista Lenk)

QM certifications are valid for five years. A course achieves QM Certification when it meets QM Rubric Standards at the 85% threshold or better and meets all Essential Standards. Certified courses are eligible to display the QM Certification Mark, an internationally recognized symbol of online and blended course design quality, on the syllabus or within the course. The QM Certification Mark represents these instructors' ongoing commitment to creating learning environments that provide students with a clear pathway to success.

DoIT's Instructional Technology team manages the formal review process and facilitates the fully online, asynchronous Applying the Quality Matters Rubric workshop designed to help instructors prepare for a QM course review.

For more information about the Quality Matters Impact program, please contact the QM coordinators for UMBC:

Dr. Mariann Hawken

Director, Instructional Technology

mariannhawken@umbc.edu

Dr. Susan Biro

Manager, Online Learning

sbiro@umbc.edu