There's no such thing as an average day in Karen R. Johnson's line of work, but this is perhaps
a quieter day than most. "You've caught me at the end of the 90-day legislative session," she says. Johnson,
political science '85 and the recipient of this year's UMBC Outstanding Alumna Award, now serves as the
Secretary of Higher Education for the Maryland Higher Education Commission, advocating on behalf of post-secondary
education institutions throughout the state. But looking back on her success, she doubts her 18-year-old self
would be too impressed. "It's hard to tell a 17- or 18-year-old to take things seriously," she says.
Nevertheless, as a member of Governor Parris Glendening's cabinet and a key
figure in ongoing efforts to preserve the quality of higher education in Maryland, Johnson takes her role very seriously indeed.
"My job is to be an advocate for all higher education in Maryland," says Johnson. "The legislature and the governor
have many other cabinet secretaries advocating for their particular constituents. I provide information about
how each college and university is performing and make them want to fund higher education."
Fortunately, Johnson's job is made easier by universities such as UMBC. She is awed by the growth of the
UMBC campus in recent years and thinks the strength of the university lies in its perfect size. "It's not too
big and not too small," says Johnson. "The faculty here are very connected to the students and really take an
interest in their development." According to Johnson, the responsibility for forging that bond also lies with
the students themselves. "Students should take advantage of the faculty and what the campus has to offer and
try to build relationships for the future," she says. "When I was at UMBC, I learned from other students as much
as I did from sitting in a lecture hall."
The legislative session may be over for this year, but there will always be plenty of work ahead. "With the
increase in high school graduates, we're anticipating a jump in college enrollment in the next few years,"
says Johnson. Although she must balance her personal interest in UMBC with her responsibility to represent
the interests of all Maryland universities, there is no doubt that the UMBC of today is an institution in
which Johnson takes considerable pride.
Arnold T. Blumberg is a freelance writer, book designer and columnist. He currently teaches at UMBC and
is president of the English Alumni Society.
