Please join us in congratulating Corris Davis on her selection to receive the Walter O. Mason, Jr. Award at the Council for Opportunity in Education’s (COE) Annual Conference this September. COE is the national TRIO Professional Association, which also leads much of the grassroots advocacy that has helped ensure TRIO programs continue.
The Walter O. Mason Award is COE’s highest individual honor and recognizes distinguished service, leadership, and contributions to educational opportunity programs, particularly those serving low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities. The award is named for Walter O. Mason, Jr., one of the architects of the Federal TRIO Programs and a foundational figure in the educational opportunity movement. While it is not formally described as a lifetime achievement award, it is widely regarded as one of the highest individual recognitions in the TRIO profession and honors a sustained record of leadership, service, and impact.
This year marks the 45th Annual Council for Opportunity in Education Conference, where the award will be presented.
Since establishing the Office of Academic Opportunity Programs (AOP) in 2016, Corris has led the expansion of UMBC’s TRIO portfolio from four federally funded programs to seven, including the successful restoration of Student Support Services after a ten-year absence. Under her leadership, UMBC now administers more than $2 million annually in federal TRIO funding, supporting college access, persistence, graduation, and graduate school preparation for first-generation students, students from limited-income backgrounds, and other historically underrepresented populations. She has written or supported the acquisition of more than $24 million in TRIO funding since 2016.
As the founding Director of the Office of Academic Opportunity Programs, Corris has transformed educational opportunity at UMBC through a collaborative, institution-wide approach to student success. She has helped create a more integrated model for supporting students by bringing together TRIO programs, first-generation student initiatives, and campus partnerships that span the student lifecycle. Throughout her career, she has intentionally worked across organizational boundaries to break down silos and promote a holistic approach to student success.
As the founding co-chair of UMBC’s First-Generation Student Success Steering Committee and co-advisor of the Lambda Nu Chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha National Honor Society for First-Generation Students, Corris is an advocate for first-generation—and ultimately all—student success. She is regularly called upon to ensure that institutional initiatives consider the experiences and needs of first-generation students while advancing strategies that improve outcomes for all students.
Her collaborative leadership has led to service on numerous university committees that extend beyond her formal responsibilities, including the Baltimore City Admissions Advisory Group, the University Innovation Alliance (UIA) Extended Committee, the Student Equity and Inclusive Excellence Workgroup, the New Student Experience Workgroup, the Success Scaffolding Committee, the Middle States Self-Study, the Provost’s Academic Council, and other cross-functional initiatives focused on improving the student experience. These appointments reflect the trust campus leaders place in her ability to connect academic affairs, student affairs, enrollment management, and student success strategies.
Corris is also a nationally recognized trainer who has provided professional development to TRIO practitioners across the country for more than fifteen years through the Council for Opportunity in Education, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the College Bound Institute, and regional TRIO associations. Her work has helped strengthen the capacity of educational opportunity programs serving thousands of students nationwide, extending the collaborative, student-centered philosophy that has guided her work at UMBC to institutions across the country.