From the Nominator

"University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) alumna Kizzmekia Corbett ’08 rose to prominence as the lead of the NIH Vaccine Research Center team that developed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. She frequently appears in the media to discuss her work. 

However, rather than focus on her impressive research, UMBC made the strategic decision to dedicate a feature in its spring 2021 magazine to how Corbett arrived where she did, with a special focus on the rich network of support that surrounded her. That support included UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars Program and other UMBC mentors, creating an excellent opportunity for the university to showcase how it supports students in achieving success.  

Because a new interview with Corbett wasn’t feasible given the demands on her time, the feature’s author got creative and collected comments from Corbett’s mother and other mentors, with her enthusiastic approval. The story emphasized how consistent support from people who recognized her potential, combined with an unmatched inner drive, led Corbett to greatness. The feature also highlighted obstacles she faces, including sexism and racism, and how she deals with them.  

The feature was published in June 2021, just as the vaccine drive was reaching its height in the U.S. The print version in UMBC Magazine arrived in the mailboxes of over 80,000 UMBC alumni and friends. The online version has garnered more than 7,000 unique page views in the last year and was UMBC Magazine’s top-performing online story for 2021. Related social media posts were extremely popular and drew comments from proud alumni."

From the Judges

Powerful, well-rounded profile. Universities need more success stories like this (Black women excelling in white male-dominated fields) to inspire youth. Also loved how the writer was able to create this entire story without an interview with Corbett expressly for that purpose. Kudos!