Student Affairs Executive Leadership Team and Office

Dr. Renique Kersh became UMBC’s Vice President for Student Affairs on August 15, 2023.

A strategic leader with a strong commitment to student success and well-being, Dr. Kersh is committed to putting students at the center of important institutional decisions and ensuring that they feel seen and heard. Her experience in both academic and student affairs provides her with a broad understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing students and higher education institutions.

She believes in fostering an inclusive environment where students and staff feel supported, and where transformative experiences pave the way to new discoveries and new opportunities. Her commitment has resulted in retention gains, reductions in equity gaps and barriers to student success, increased engagement and better alignment of services to increase efficiency and the level of service delivery. In her current role, Dr. Kersh is leading the transformation of the Division of Student Affairs with an eye toward ensuring that the organizational structure and resources meet the needs of today’s college students. She is motivated by the belief that as educators and leaders, it is our responsibility to evolve our model to meet students where they are and to create an environment where every student has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Dr. Kersh received a Fulbright International Education Administrators Award in 2023 and recently, she was selected as one of the top 50 women leaders in Baltimore by Women We Admire. In 2022 she was named a Senior Impact Fellow by the Aspen Institute where she co-authored a report focused on the advancement of youth leadership development opportunities. A scholar-practitioner, Dr. Kersh has authored numerous articles, been featured in several podcasts and book chapters, and engaged in numerous presentations on the topics of women’s leadership, vulnerability, student engagement, and imposter syndrome.

She began her career in Residential Life at UMBC and has held mid-level and senior-level leadership positions at North Central College, Northern Illinois University, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Simmons University.

Dr. Kersh earned her B.A. in Communications from Oakland University, her M.Ed. in College Student Personnel from the University of Maryland, and her Ph.D. in Community Health from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She is a wife and a mother of two boys and in her spare time she enjoys reading and learning about leadership, working out on Peloton, and spending time with her family and friends.

Fritzie Charné-Merriwether became Associate Vice President for Administration and Chief of Staff in July 2024. She provides leadership for administration, facilities, and auxiliary services across the division, including Student Affairs Business Services; Residential Life, The Commons, and Center for Well-Being facilities; Event and Conference Services; Student Affairs Communications and Marketing; planning and assessment; and technology. Her UMBC service has been characterized by redefining excellence in higher education, exceptional leadership, selfless service, and an unwavering commitment to the campus community.

Through her leadership and collaboration with divisional and campus partners, Charné-Merriwether developed and coordinated programs to help students experiencing academic and well-being issues as well as financial and food insecurity, and built a thriving program for UMBC families. She recently received the 2023-24 Presidential Distinguished Staff Award for her work in establishing Retriever Essentials, which has evolved into a cross campus collaboration to support students experiencing food insecurity, and the Stay Black and Gold Fund, an SGA initiative which provides short-term financial assistance for UMBC students who find it difficult or impossible to continue their education due to an emergency situation or unforeseen circumstances.

In addition, Charné-Merriwether created the Family Advisory Board—an indispensable network for families to engage with and support the university community—developing events and programming for families and transitioning a family newsletter to the Family Connection Portal. Since family programming was established, these initiatives have helped to increase family donations to UMBC.

Prior to UMBC, Charné-Merriwether spent over seven years in a variety of leadership positions in student affairs and with the federal government. This includes serving as the Contractor Installation Manager for the Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In this role she was responsible for overseeing the ACAP Resource Center that provided social work services to Warriors in Transition Soldiers, and disabled veterans/retirees, as well as transitioning service personnel and family members in support of rehabilitation and transition to civilian life.

She has a B.A. in Psychology from Roger Williams University and a M.Ed. in Student Affairs Higher Education from the University of Vermont.

Dr. John Fox ‘91, information systems, became Dean of Students in July 2024. “Serving the UMBC community is both professionally and personally meaningful,” he shared. “This is a community to whom I owe so much for my development, values, and achievements.”

Dr. Fox previously served as Director of Residential Life, and his 25 years of service in housing and residential life at multiple universities have prepared him to understand the holistic aspects of student life and the student experience. The Dean of Students position and title have great meaning to him: “As a college student, I remember those who helped me and provided opportunities for my personal growth – I want to contribute in some way to our students.”

In the inaugural Dean of Students role, he is developing the Dean of Students Office and key partnerships that serve to benefit all students. The Dean of Students Office is an entity beyond one person; it has a mission to support student success and wellbeing. This translates to a focus on services, outreach, and connecting students to key resources. A primary way the office supports students is through Retriever Support Services, a collaboration of programs and professionals coming together to optimize student access. These include Retriever Essentials, veteran and military-affiliated services, adult learner services, Retriever Care (mental health and wellbeing outreach), and off-campus housing services.

Dr. Fox is most proud of his service to college students: mentoring, supervising, and seeing the growth in countless students and student staff. In addition, he is engaged with the Association of College & University Housing Officers, International (ACUHO-I) and has served in numerous leadership roles with the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) throughout his career. Beyond higher education, Dr. Fox has served many years as an Anti-Defamation League trainer and raised funds for causes through athletic endeavors such as cycling and running.

He holds an M.A. in College Student Personnel from the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University.

Jen Dress became the Acting Assistant Vice President for Engagement and Belonging in July of 2024. She has spent over two decades as a proud member of Retriever Nation. During her tenure, Dress has played a pivotal role in fostering an inclusive and supportive campus environment for all students. Her work centers a deep commitment to student success and creating space where every student feels seen, valued, and heard.

In her current role, Dress oversees a range of initiatives aimed at promoting student involvement, engagement, and belonging within a richly diverse campus community. She and her team work closely with student organizations and leaders, campus programs, and identity and inclusion spaces to create pathways that enhance students’ sense of belonging and community involvement.

Dress is known for her collaborative spirit, solution centered approach, and her office rubber duck collection. This new path and role gives her a chance to do what she does best, make magic happen! Her strengths are in seeing the possibilities, creating good teams, and always centering the student experience.

She has had touch points and influence on many of UMBC’s time honored traditions and programs—particularly Welcome Week, Homecoming, and Quadmania. Her UMBC claims to fame include meeting and working with all the Quadmania, Homecoming, and Fall/Spring Student Events Board concert artists over the years, from Snoop Dogg to Kesha. Find her on campus for some great stories!

Dress has been recognized and awarded at both the UMBC and national level for her work and contributions to the field. She has worn a variety of hats in the Student Affairs arena at UMBC and is excited to wear this one today. By far her favorite job is being a mom to her daughter, Sophie, and Finn, a Labrador sometimes mistaken for the UMBC mascot.