CSM Board of Trustees Grants Emeritus Status to Honor Two Retired Faculty Members

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Board of Trustees recently approved the granting of emeritus status for two esteemed retired faculty members: Professor Thomas Seremet and Professor Susan Strickland. The unanimous approval took place during the Board’s July meeting.

Awarding faculty emeritus status is a tradition that recognizes the excellence, scholarship, achievements, and contribution of faculty to students, the college community, and their discipline. The nominations of Professor Seremet and Professor Strickland, submitted by math faculty members Donna Sperry, Robert Farinelli, and Elizabeth Rourke, underwent a rigorous review process by their peers, followed by reviews from the executive cabinet and, ultimately, the Board of Trustees. Both were approved in recognition of their extraordinary service to CSM.

Professor Thomas Seremet began his work at CSM as an adjunct mathematics instructor in the 1980s. He joined the full-time faculty a few years later, served as the department chair from 1996 through 2006, and stayed on as a faculty member through 2018. He was also the recipient of the Faculty Excellence Award in 2009.

According to the Faculty Senate’s nomination, Professor Seremet was a remarkable educator who taught a wide range of courses, from Calculus to practical, real-world mathematics for non-STEM students. He pioneered the development of co-requisite courses, allowing students to quickly complete their mathematics requirements without compromising rigor. As department chair, Professor Seremet transformed a siloed group of faculty members into a collaborative team. He fostered mutual respect, introduced the course coordinator model to develop faculty leadership, and encouraged professional growth through group conferences and training in emerging trends and technologies.

Professor Susan Strickland was a faculty member in the Mathematics Department at the College of Southern Maryland from 2001 through 2019. Additionally, she was the recipient of the Faculty Excellence Award in 2011. Professor Strickland served as a central figure in CSM’s mathematics department in a number of leadership roles, including as a course coordinator, a faculty advisor, and a co-principal investigator for the STEM Scholars program.

Professor Strickland’s impact extended beyond the walls of CSM as she served in several national organizations, including the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) and the College Board’s Advance Placement (AP) Calculus reader group.

“Professor Strickland was the embodiment of a student-centered educator,” the CSM Faculty Senate wrote in its nomination. “She strived to help her students, no matter who they were and where they were going, gain an appreciation for mathematics and how it affected their lives.”

“Professor Seremet and Professor Strickland represent the very best qualities of the College of Southern Maryland,” said Dr. Yolanda Wilson, CSM President. “Their unwavering dedication to student success, commitment to academic excellence, and leadership among their peers have made a lasting impact on generations of learners and faculty members. This award stands as a tribute to their enduring legacy and the inspiration they continue to provide to the CSM community.”