About Joe Mitchell
On July 5, 2005, Joseph M. Mitchell lost his long and courageous fight with cancer. He came to the University of Maryland and the Department of Resident Life in December 1988, after receiving his undergraduate degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and working at UMBC. Joe continued to serve the residence hall students, their parents and University of Maryland staff members for nearly 17 years, including as Assistant Director of Resident Life. He founded Resident Life's Information Systems unit and worked closely with colleagues from across the campus during the dawn of the internet age to ensure that residence hall students were connected to the latest technology. Joe served as a mentor, guide and friend to the countless numbers of students who staffed his IT department.
Joe is remembered with joy by his friends and colleagues for his passion for life and kinship, his love of family and friends, his ever-present wit and tireless good cheer, and the depth of his personal commitment to caring for countless others, including strangers and the disadvantaged in our society. The Joseph M. Mitchell Memorial Scholarship Award was created to honor Joe's special ability to identify and mentor those students who faced hardships that threatened their ability to stay in school and graduate.
Joe was a mentor, guide and friend to our students, developing their talents and abilities. I consider this to be Joe's greatest gift.
Deb Grandner
About the Fund
The Joseph M. Mitchell Scholarship Award was established to honor the memory of Joseph M. Mitchell, a staff member of the Department of Resident Life for nearly 17 years, who passed away in 2005. A scholarship is offered each spring to students who best display the character of Joseph M. Mitchell. In order to preserve the memory of Joseph M. Mitchell, former colleagues and staff of the Department of Resident Life and the Division of Student Affairs established the Joseph M. Mitchell Scholarship Award in his memory.
How to Apply
Applications are accepted from degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate registered students at the College Park campus. They must have personal or family circumstances that have affected the applicant’s experience at the University of Maryland and that have caused or contributed to a burden that may be remedied in whole or in part by the scholarship award.
Please complete the Spring 2026 Joseph M. Mitchell Memorial Scholarship Award form to apply.
For questions or additional information please email Donna Metz or call 301-226-4830.
Past Scholars
2024-2025 Scholars
Maya Moore
Maya Moore is originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania and is a Senior double majoring in Finance and Business Management with a minor in Sustainability. Post-graduation, Maya’s ambition is to serve as a Wealth Manager. She believes that by assisting individuals in making informed financial decisions, we can foster economic equity and create lasting positive change.
On campus, Maya is deeply involved in various clubs and organizations. She served as the Co-Chair of the Women's Empowerment Institute, is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, and a student advisor for the Social Justice Alliance. Additionally, Maya is the Co-Founder and President of Next Generation Ministries, Co-Founder of the nonprofit The Curly Collection, and Founder of Tutor with Maya, among other roles. Maya is passionate about staying active on campus and looks forward to engaging in more opportunities to do so during her remaining time at the University of Maryland.
2023-2024 Scholars
Chloe May
I am a senior mechanical engineering major at UMD and am proud to say I will be a December 2023 graduate. During my time in my undergrad studies I was a member of the Maryland Eventing Team and College Park Scholars. Even though math is my best subject, I have a deep appreciation and love for the arts which motivated me to become an Arts Scholar at Maryland. Here I spent two years learning about different art forms and mediums. After concluding the Scholars' program, I joined the entrepreneurial community and adopted a minor in technology entrepreneurship.
2021-2022 Scholars
- Chimaobi Aku
- Noriluz Oscuro Jimenez