Matthew J. Ramsey has joined McDaniel College as the new Laurence J. Adams Endowed Chair in Special Education and coordinator of the master’s degree program in Human Services Management.
In this role, Ramsey also serves as president and CEO of Target Community & Educational Services, Inc., whose mission is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through a variety of customized, community-based programs in Carroll and Montgomery counties.
Ramsey came to McDaniel from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, where he was a professor and educational leader. Most recently, he served as co-chair of the School of Education and assistant academic dean of the college. He also mentored doctoral students as a senior academic advisor with the Johns Hopkins University.
Additionally, he has a significant background in special education, including as a special education teacher and principal.
“I began my life with individuals with disabilities at a week-long summer camp, where I continue to volunteer each summer. Then, during college, I worked in a summer recreational program for youth with disabilities, provided in-home respite care, and eventually became a case manager in group homes and semi-independent living apartments. This experience in community engagement, independent living, and personal development was transformational,” said Ramsey.
“I was particularly drawn to this role at McDaniel due to the unique service-learning opportunity that students in the Human Services Management program get to have in partnership with Target,” added Ramsey. “This experience really sets McDaniel students apart in their preparation for a career with the disability community.”
McDaniel’s Master of Science in Human Services Management is a one-of-a-kind graduate program designed to train individuals for leadership positions in community-based human services programs.
Graduate students within the program receive free tuition, an annual stipend, free room and board, and health care benefits in exchange for working an average of 40 hours per week while completing a two-year live-in internship supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Target Community & Educational Services.
Ramsey, who currently resides in Westminster, Md., holds a Ph.D. in Special Education and School Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Kansas. He earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Benedictine College and a Master of Science from Emporia State University in Kansas.
For more information about the master’s degree program in Human Services Management at McDaniel, visit www.mcdaniel.edu/academics/graduate-professional-studies/human-services-management-ms.
Visit www.mcdaniel.edu for more information about McDaniel College.
McDaniel College, founded in 1867, is a four-year, independent college of the liberal arts and sciences offering more than 70 undergraduate programs of study, including pre-professional specializations and student-designed majors, and over 20 graduate programs. One of 40 “Colleges That Change Lives,” McDaniel emphasizes experiential learning and student-faculty collaboration to develop the unique potential in every student. Represented by the Green Terror, its 24 athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division III Centennial Conference. A student-centered community of 1,800 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students offers access to both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., plus a European campus in Budapest, Hungary. www.mcdaniel.edu
