2024 Teresa Lupinek Endowment Award
Sundiata “Sunji” Jangha, M.P.P. ’18, Director of Pipeline Programs, Upward Bound Mathematics and Science Center, Director of Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program (LSAMP),and Co-PI and leader of LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowships in the Office of Academic Opportunity Programs
Sunji Jangha is described as a community builder, extraordinary mentor, master at communication, and empathetic listener with an unwavering willingness to offer assistance. Sunji has served the mission of UMBC for over 15 years, supporting and motivating current and prospective students from underrepresented communities to succeed in postsecondary education programs in STEM. He truly lives to make the campus more inclusive, equitable, and welcoming for our students. His mentorship focuses on identifying with students’ struggles, sharing his own keys to persistence, and connecting them directly to others who can be mentors in their next steps toward success. Sunji earned his B.S. from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and M.S. from Georgia Institute of Technology. He completed a master’s in public policy in 2018 and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at UMBC.