Professor of Practice

About the Legacy Campaign

Since its inception in 1956, the Department of Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Maryland has remained the undisputed leader in undergraduate Fire Protection Engineering.

As the only ABET-accredited undergraduate fire protection engineering program in the world and one of three graduate programs in the United States, the continued strength of this program is crucial to the ability to continue to supply engineers to the field.

As the University has evolved into a top-tier research institution, the department has previously relied upon adjunct faculty to teach the applied content of the curriculum. While the FPE program remains a leader in the field, a fall 2011 visit by the ABET accrediting committee noted the limited connection to the profession among the current full time faculty.

The intent of the Legacy Campaign–initiated by a group of visionary alumni, departmental and Clark School leadership–is to create an endowed fund that will support a new, permanent faculty member who will ensure that the department’s curriculum includes applications in FPE, and that the department continues to conduct applied research for industry.

Safeguard Our Profession

It is a hallmark of this program and a feature of our status as an accredited academic department that we graduate students prepared to add value on their first day on the job. But the accreditation of this department has a much broader impact on the profession – it is what allows for the continued licensure of fire protection engineers, regardless of the school they attended. Without a professor of the practice, our accreditation (and the continued licensure of fire protection engineers) is threatened.

The milestone of $2.5M was achieved in summer 2016, providing a minimum threshold level for support.  The current goal of $3M is sought to improve the stability of the position.

Foster Impact

The mission of our program is to educate graduates to save lives, and Clinical Professor Ken Isman is already having an impact. Professor Isman has updated course content to reflect current practices in the field and has spent considerable time mentoring students both inside and outside the classroom. 

We need your help to meet our fundraising goal to ensure that a clinical professor remains part of our faculty.

We are calling on all who wish to secure a bright future for the department to consider an investment in this program that does so much to keep us safe. Giving options include one-time gifts, multi-year pledges, and making a gift online. To learn more, contact Kyle Zeller at kzeller@umd.edu or 301-405-5841.