Cheryl Miller
Associate Dean, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Associate Professor, Political Science
Associate Professor, Public Policy
President’s Commission for Women Achievement Award, 2009-2010

Cheryl Miller exhibits a passionate and tireless commitment to her students, the university and issues related to diversity and leadership for women.

For more than 20 years, Miller has served in a variety of roles at UMBC and has been committed to educating the campus community and public on issues of diversity. She served as assistant professor of political science for five years and then advanced to associate professor and eventually chair of the Department of Political Science. In August 2008, she became associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. A major focus of her research relates to government advocacy of marriage promotion targeted at disadvantaged women of color.

Serving as a mentor to students, Miller has had a positive impact and influence in students’ personal and professional lives. Her students, especially young women, feel challenged to think beyond textbooks and theory and apply critical thinking skills to real-world situations. Her work with students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds has bolstered efforts to address underrepresentation while increasing the pool of well-trained researchers and policy professionals.

While at UMBC, Miller has served as both president and vice president of the Faculty Senate. She has also served as a member on the following committees: Writing Board, Faculty Advisory Board, Shriver Center for Service Learning, McNair Scholarship Program and Faculty Mentors. She is also a member of the Columbia, Maryland Alumni chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. and chaired its Social Action committee for two years. While serving as chair, Miller coordinated and participated in several community outreach projects including a series of voter registration drives; collection and distribution of toiletries to the Maryland Women’s Prison in Jessup, Maryland; and Entering the World of Work Women's Fair (EWWW), an event that provided resume construction, interviewing, grooming and support services workshops. Miller is also a member of the Board for the Columbia Delta Foundation, Inc.

Miller is also an active member of several ministries at St. John Baptist Church in Columbia, Maryland. As part of its Mission Board, she has been responsible for annually coordinating a Winter Warmth (Blankets) Project for the Howard County Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center. She also volunteers one Saturday a month at the Jessup Route 1 Day Center, in response to President Barack Obama’s call for service in January.

Miller received her B.A. in Political Science from Lincoln University, her M.C.P. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.