CSM Names Teaching and Learning Center in Honor of Professor Emeritus Michelle Simpson

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) honored the life and legacy of longtime faculty member Michelle Simpson by officially naming its new Teaching and Learning Center in her memory during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 28 at the La Plata Campus.

Faculty, staff, family, friends, and community members gathered in the Learning Resource Center to celebrate Simpson’s lasting impact on the college and the countless lives she touched during her 34-year career. Simpson, a beloved professor of Theater and Communications, passed away on March 4, 2024, at age 61. She is survived by her wife, Dr. Sue Subocz, and their daughter.

CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson welcomed guests from Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania to the ceremony and offered her reflections on Simpson’s lasting and profound impacts on those around her.

“As many of you know, Michelle Simpson dedicated more than 34 years to CSM, first as an adjunct instructor, and then as a full-time professor,” Wilson told the audience. “She was a tireless advocate for advancing teaching and learning and a faculty leader whose influence continues to permeate throughout our college community and shape the experiences our students benefit from today.”

Simpson co-created the Communication Capstone course that has served CSM students for more than two decades. She pioneered online communication 25 years ago, well before it became the norm. She served on CSM’s Achieving the Dream Core Team, contributed to several Middle States accreditation efforts, co-chaired the Diversity in Education Committee, and founded the Faculty Innovation Team, Wilson said.

“Naming this center in her honor is more than a tribute. It is a promise. A promise to continue her legacy by cultivating a space where teaching excellence, collaboration, and continuous growth are encouraged and thrive,” Wilson added.

The Michelle Simpson Center for Teaching and Learning contains dedicated community space for adjunct faculty; a central hub for training and innovation for full-time and part-time faculty and staff across CSM; a collaborative space for tutors and instructional teams; and year-round programming including boot camps, workshops, book groups, policy discussions, and other opportunities.

CSM Foundation Chair Trey Proctor, noted the generous donation by Simpson’s wife, Dr. Sue Subocz, associate president and provost of Walden University, to CSM.

“Today, we are especially honored to celebrate a generous and deeply meaningful gift from Dr. Sue Subocz – a gift that, in addition to creating her beloved wife’s legacy at CSM, also ensures a legacy of innovation and professional growth for those of you who teach and support students,” Proctor said.

“Dr. Subocz’s understanding of the transformative power of education and her commitment to supporting those who deliver it make this gift especially meaningful. On behalf of the CSM Foundation, thank you, Dr. Subocz,” he said.

Dr. Stephanie McCaslin, CSM Dean of Learning Resources, said both Simpson and Subocz personally impacted her life. “Michelle was more than just a colleague. She was a friend, and a brilliant educator. She was a quiet force of transformation here at the college. Michelle believed deeply in the craft of teaching and in the unique life-changing power of community colleges. She was thoughtful, intentional, and fiercely student-centered,” McCaslin shared.

“Michelle lit up the room when she entered with clear compassion, and she made everyone around her better. She personally mentored me through service-learning projects, and I am so honored that this center will carry her name, because her legacy will live on in every workshop that we offer, every mentoring conversation, and every moment of inspiration that happens within these walls,” McCaslin said.

“The Michelle Simpson Center for Teaching and Learning is not just a space; it is a promise that we will invest in one another to keep growing. Let’s use this space boldly, take risks, be honest, and support one another. Let’s continue the work that Michelle believed in, and that Sue has helped carry forward,” she said.

Toni Kruszka, CSM director of development, shared her remembrances of acting in a musical play at CSM in 1996 when she was a student under Simpson’s direction. “I’m a product of Michelle’s commitment to excellence in education. For me, this ceremony is deeply personal. Like many of you, I knew Michelle not only as a brilliant educator, but as a guide, a mentor, a friend – and, in my case, also a director,” Kruszka said.

She followed Simpson to her course: Basic Principles of Speech Communication. There, Simpson “brought communication to life – not as a formula, but as a powerful tool to connect, to persuade, to lead, and to understand the world. For the first time, I saw the power of my own voice — and understood how to use it with intention,” Kruszka shared.

“That class didn’t just shape a semester. It shaped my life. Communication studies became my focus from that point forward. And it all started with Michelle: her insight and her encouragement. She is a huge part of the reason I’m able to stand here today and speak these words,” she said.

Subocz took to the microphone and shared names of former CSM colleagues no longer alive. “They’re all with us today and they’re going to help me,” she said, holding back tears. The crowd gave her a standing ovation in support. “And now it’s a celebration, and Michelle loved a celebration,” Subocz said with a smile.

To see more photos of the ceremony, visit https://csmphoto.zenfolio.com/p262467352.