BALTIMORE, Md. – Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Board of Trustees was honored with a prestigious 2025 John W. Nason Award for Board Leadership recognizing higher education governing boards that demonstrate exceptional leadership and initiative. The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) named five Nason Award winners from a national pool of nominations representing four-year public and private colleges and universities, two-year institutions, and institutionally related foundations.
“Notre Dame’s Board of Trustees is accelerating the University’s strategic goals to provide an inclusive transformational education for our students,” said Dr. Marylou Yam, president of Notre Dame of Maryland University. “Indeed, with the Board’s strategic thought leadership, Notre Dame has achieved historic new student enrollment, fundraising and endowment records.”
Guided by the Going Beyond: Vision 2025 strategic plan approved by the Board, Notre Dame launched new academic programs that included the first doctorate in occupational therapy to be offered by a private university in Maryland (and only the second in the state) and the first master’s degree in physician assistant studies to be offered by a private university in Maryland. The University engaged in an innovative partnership with Brightview, an independent senior living developer, that will establish a senior living community on NDMU’s property. Additionally, NDMU acquired the Maryland University of Integrative Health which, when approved, will become a new School of Integrative Health at NDMU.
“The Board of Trustees worked in partnership with the president to deliver on the goals of the Going Beyond: Vision 2025 strategic plan, truly going above and beyond to support the University’s mission,” said Patricia McLaughlin, SSND, chair of the NDMU Board of Trustees. “That collaboration has taken the University to new heights, and the entire Notre Dame community – the faculty, students, administrators, and alumni – is our constant inspiration as we deliver on our mission to educate leaders to transform the world.”
“Effective governance is at the heart of transformational leadership in higher education,” said Fram Virjee, AGB president and CEO. “This year’s Nason Award honorees exemplify the power of visionary boards to navigate complex challenges, foster innovation, and strengthen institutional impact. These governing boards have set a high standard for leadership, demonstrating a deep commitment to their students, communities, and missions. I am inspired by their achievements and confident their efforts will serve as a beacon for others across higher education.”
“The work of Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Board of Trustees is a compelling example of what is possible when Trustees embrace their responsibility to lead with integrity, vision, and purpose,” said Dr. David Wilson, president of Morgan State University and AGB board member. "This particular board distinguished itself through a period of transformational growth, confronting challenges head on and emerging as a model of mission-driven, visionary leadership.”
Recipients of the 2025 awards will be recognized at AGB’s Foundation Leadership Forum (January 29–31) and National Conference on Trusteeship (March 31–April 2). The Nason Award is named for higher education leader John W. Nason, a former chair of the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council who helped more than 4,000 interned college students continue their studies across the nation during World War II.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.