Centennial Grand Celebration • Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
Opening Remarks by University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay A. Perman, MD
Good evening, everyone. It’s an honor to be a part of your Centennial Celebration. Thank you, President Schmoke. It’s not surprising to see so many of our elected officials here tonight, given UBalt’s abiding role in shaping the leadership of Maryland. Your support means the world.
“ You serve because you are in this community, and of this community, and for this community.”
JAY A. PERMAN, MD
It’s not often that an organization makes it to 100 years. And so celebrating this centennial isn’t just special, it actually means something extraordinary. It means that what you offer is something that people want, still. That people need, still. That people value, still. It means that—even as you’ve evolved over the years—you’ve stayed true to a mission that matters: accessible education that strengthens your students, your city, your state.
And when you think about how much the world has changed around us in the last 100 years— when you think of the volatility, the challenges, the progress and the setbacks—the fact that UBalt has endured is remarkable.
And that gives me more than hope for the next 100 years. It gives me faith in the work that unites you all. It gives me confidence that your path forward is assured. Let me be clear: that doesn’t mean the path is straight or flat. It doesn’t mean you won’t innovate how you serve and whom. Of course you will. Because, of course, you always have.
But what I consider the very heart of UBalt—the why you serve— remains. You serve to improve the working lives and civic lives of your students, to meet them wherever they are on their journey, and by whatever path brought them to it. You serve to secure a more inclusive, more just, more prosperous future, knowing that solutions work for all only if they’re shaped by all. You serve because you are in this community, and of this community, and for this community.
So this centennial doesn’t just cap 100 years of excellence; it heralds the century to come. And that future is yours. Because UBalt’s mission is more important than ever. And if you believe that, then it’s a force—you are a force—that cannot, and will not, be stopped.
Congratulations on 100 years.