09/17/2026
Seventy years ago today, on September 17, 1956, University of Maryland Global Campus opened its first classes at military education centers in Japan, Okinawa, and Korea. What began with 82 courses and more than 1,700 learners has grown into seven uninterrupted decades of bringing education to students wherever they are in the world.
As a professor at UMGC, I am proud to be part of an institution with such a remarkable history of expanding access to higher education. From classrooms near the Korean DMZ and books delivered by helicopter in Vietnam to serving learners across remote islands and adapting through natural disasters, UMGC’s history reminds us that access to education has never simply been about where we teach. It is about our willingness to meet learners where they are, adapt when circumstances change, and remain committed to their success.
That mission feels especially meaningful to me as an educator. Every time we enter a classroom—whether physical or virtual—we become part of a legacy built by faculty, staff, and students who believed that geography, circumstance, and distance should not determine someone's access to education.
Today, I celebrate 70 years of UMGC in Asia and the generations of educators and learners who made this milestone possible. I am grateful to contribute a small chapter to that much larger story—and excited to see where the next 70 years take us. 🌎🎓
Happy 70th Anniversary, UMGC Asia!
