Val Bonhomme Wins Dean’s Staff Award

/ 8 June 2026 /

As a program administrative specialist, Bonhomme ensures that key functions such as graduate student admissions and recruitment run smoothly.

Val Bonhomme (B.S. ’00, geography) won a 2026 Dean’s Outstanding Employee Award from the University of Maryland’s College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences.

A woman in a black and yellow dress accepts a glass award from a man in a blue suit with a white shirt and red tie. They stand in front of a backdrop with red turtle shells and text saying "College of Computer, Mathematical, & Natural Sciences." — Val Bonhomme (B.S. ’00, geography) won a 2026 Dean’s Outstanding Employee Award for her work as a program administrative specialist in the Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences Graduate Program. Credit: Mark Sherwood

For nearly five years, Bonhomme has served as the program administrative specialist in the Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences Graduate Program (MEES), providing administrative support for the program’s M.S. and Ph.D. students. She also has a secondary appointment supporting the graduate programs in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science (AOSC).

“I’m so appreciative of the award. I’m still pinching myself,” Bonhomme said. “One of the things I really like about working at Maryland is that they make an effort to acknowledge and recognize people who are exceptional. But we don't do what we do for awards. We do it because we really want to help these staff, students and faculty.”

Since starting at UMD in 2021, Bonhomme has coordinated critical functions in MEES, supporting the complex, interinstitutional program that is administratively housed in CMNS. Students can enroll from five universities: UMD; the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore; the University of Maryland, Baltimore; and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Bonhomme bridges these member institutions, ensuring that everyone has the resources they need to execute important administrative cycles, such as admissions, recruitment and awards. She also tracks students’ progress through the program and ensures that they meet key program benchmarks. Bonhomme plays a similar administrative role in AOSC, where she supports admissions, recruitment, dissertation defenses, commencement and other events.

In their award nomination letter, AOSC Associate Professor Jonathan Poterjoy and Assistant Professor Jacob Wenegrat, who hold leadership roles in the department’s graduate program, praised Bonhomme’s many contributions to attracting the best and brightest students to UMD.

“Val always goes above and beyond expectations, anticipates needs and has a tireless focus on improving outcomes for the department,” they said. “We strongly believe that these efforts have contributed directly to the high yield rate of exceptional graduate students that AOSC has achieved over the past three years.”

In statements of support collected during the award nomination process, co-workers lauded Bonhomme for building strong relationships with students.

“Val has what can only be described as a fan base. I have seen students light up when they see her, follow her around just to talk and seek her out in a crowded room,” said Tamara Hendershot, assistant program director for MEES and AOSC and Bonhomme’s supervisor. “Students who initially reach out with procedural questions often continue returning to her because they associate her with steadiness and reassurance.”

That support—whether it’s providing resources, encouragement or simply a safe space to talk—is something that Bonhomme said she wished she had as a student. So, for her, being recognized for that work is “a full circle moment,” she said. The award also confirmed for her that returning to her alma mater as an employee—something she’d dreamed of since graduating in 2000—was the right career move.

“As a Terp alumna, Val represents the very best of our university—not only through competence, but through kindness, grace and unwavering positivity,” Hendershot said. “Her impact extends beyond task completion; it strengthens the ones fortunate enough to be around her.”