Heidi M. Anderson

Heidi M. Anderson joined the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) as the 16th president on Sept. 1, 2018. She immediately established access, quality, and opportunity as key areas of emphasis at UMES. She focuses on positioning UMES for both physical and intellectual growth, an effort that is yielding results. UMES became the nation’s first historically Black college and university (HBCU) to launch a massive open online course (MOOC) and has experienced record-breaking research funding and philanthropic efforts. Within the past three years, UMES has moved two levels in the U.S. News & World Report’s Rankings from 20th to 17th of HBCUs.

In 2020, Anderson was named as one of The Daily Record’s Influential Marylanders, which honors people who have significantly impacted vital social, economic, and environmental issues in their field and continue to be leaders in Maryland. In 2020 and 2022, The Daily Record named her to its listing of Maryland’s Top 100 Women, which acknowledges women who excel professionally, within the community, and as mentors. In 2021, the Del-Mar-Va Council selected Anderson as the recipient of the Lower Shore Distinguished Citizen Award.