Bobbie Laur, director of external affairs within the Division of Innovation and Applied Research at Towson University, was named to The Daily Record’s VIP List honoring the top professionals in Maryland under the age of 40.
Selected from a panel of 12 judges, the winners were based on contributions to their professions, their communities and their commitment to inspiring change. Laur was selected after being nominated by Nancy Grasmick, Towson’s presidential scholar for innovation in teacher and leader education.
“The young professionals honored by The Daily Record on this year’s VIP List are ones to watch in the future,” said Daily Record Publisher Suzanne Fischer-Huettner. “They value their professional accomplishments but also commit time and resources to civic endeavors which create significant, positive and long-lasting impact on Maryland.”
Laur has worked at Towson University for eight years, but the 32-year-old mother of two said it feels a lot longer. She also received a bachelor’s degree in finance in 2004.
“It’s really humbling and rewarding,” Laur said. “Towson is a lot more than just where I work, it’s a place I really believe in. I feel lucky to work for an institution that’s given me so much both in my personal and professional life. I get to work with wonderful people that are both colleagues and friends, feel challenged by my work and see first-hand the impact of what I’m doing.”
Along with her contributions to Towson, Laur was also selected because of her civic involvement with her local community in Lauraville, a neighborhood in northeast Baltimore City. She is the outgoing vice president of the Lauraville Improvement Association; on the Community Review Panel for Harford Road; and involved with a group of parents working to improve and support the regional public schools.
“I think its really important to get involved in your local community, in whatever way you can,” she said. “I spend most of my time at TU working with our partners in business, government and education to find opportunities where we can match the strengths of the university with challenges in the community—and find building, collaborating, and sustaining those relationships and partnerships really rewarding.”
Laur and her fellow nominees will be honored at an event on Aug. 20 at Gertrude’s at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
