2016-2017 Karen L. Wensch Endowment Award for Outstanding Non-Exempt Staff

Abigail Granger, Program Management Specialist, Media and Communication Studies

Since the start of her career in 2012, Abby Granger has gone above and beyond the requirements of her position. Her extraordinary skill in problem-solving and commitment to excellence has been instrumental in support of the Media and Communication Studies Department.

Granger’s mastery of office management was critical in assisting the department with management of day-to-day responsibilities. Within only a few months in her role as program management specialist, she had restored processes and procedures across the department and began developing new ones to support the growing needs of the department’s students, faculty, and staff. Her work rectifying financial records has enabled the department to make efficient and informed decisions about staffing and spending.

Granger has openly shared her knowledge and expertise with countless administrative professionals across the college and has become a role model and trusted confidant to many of her colleagues. Outside of her administrative responsibilities, Granger’s work has expanded to include student advising. Shortly after joining the department, she developed and implemented a new, streamlined approach to undergraduate advising that now serves as a model to faculty.

Granger has a long, rich history with UMBC that extends well beyond her five years of service as a staff member. Daughter of long-time staff member Pat Granger, Abby Granger spent much of her adolescence and early adult life on campus. As an undergraduate student majoring in both Gender and Women’s Studies and Psychology, she excelled academically and was recognized for her leadership and outstanding service with several coveted campus awards. Off campus, Granger volunteers her time to a Shriver Center program at the local YMCA that supports people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

She received her B.A. and M.P.S. from UMBC.