Meet our Staff

Contact us

General inquiries: [email protected] 

Wyman Park Building, Suite 350 
3100 Wyman Park Drive 
Baltimore, MD 21211 

Jen headshot

Jennifer Wester, PhD (she/her)

Director of Undergraduate Research

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Dr. Jennifer Wester (she/her) is the Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity (URSCA), and an Associate Research Scholar in the Department of the History of Art. Appointed in 2023, Dr. Wester oversees the awarding of undergraduate research grants, the convening of the annual Macksey Symposium, and the implementation of the summer research programs for visiting undergraduates. She also leads the Mellon Humanities Collaboratory and serves as the Leadership Alliance Site Coordinator for the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences. Dr. Wester holds a Ph.D. in the History of Art from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A., summa cum laude, in the History of Art and French from Middlebury College. Prior to joining URSCA, she was Associate Professor of Art History at Notre Dame of Maryland University, where she also served as the director of campus art galleries.  

Samanda Robinson, PhD

Samanda Robinson, PhD (she/her) 

Academic Program Administrator

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Dr. Samanda Robinson (she/her) is the Academic Program Administrator responsible for leading the Ph.D. Pathway for Advancement in the Humanities and Social Sciences. She previously served as the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in URSCA, and has been an instructor in the Humanities Collaboratory since 2019. Dr. Robinson has also taught writing in the Hop-In program for FLI students, and previously worked as the FLI Initiatives Program Coordinator Graduate Assistant in the Center for Student Success. Dr. Robinson holds a Ph.D. in English from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in English from Fisk University, where she was a UNCF/Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow.

Cara Cummings, PhD

Cara Cummings, PhD (she/her) 

Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Fellow 

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Dr. Cara Cummings (she/her) was awarded a prestigious Society of Fellows postdoctoral fellowship in the URSCA office in 2022, and has renewed the position for a second year. Dr. Cummings oversees publication of the Macksey Journal, teaches in the Humanities Collaboratory, and mentors undergraduate researchers. She also teaches philosophy at Morgan State University and Towson University. A specialist in ancient Greek philosophy and ethics, Dr. Cummings holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. from the University of Florida, and a B.A. from the University of Central Florida, all in Philosophy. 

Ashley Njagi

Ashley Njagi (she/her) 

Administrative Coordinator

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Ashley Njagi (she/her) is Administrative Coordinator for the Office of Undergraduate Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity. She provides administrative support for all URSCA programming, including scheduling, event planning, budget reconciliation, travel booking, and more. She brings to URSCA a wealth of administrative experience at Johns Hopkins University, where she has worked in both finance and advancement, and at other institutions and agencies, where she has been an office coordinator, facilitator, receptionist, and aide. Ashley is a native of Bowie, MD, and holds a B.S. in psychology from Towson University.