Vice Provost for Professional & Extended Studies
Division of Professional Studies & The Shriver Center
Christopher P. Steele, Ph.D. serves as the Vice Provost for Professional & Extended Studies at UMBC. In this role, he leads high-impact workforce development and community-engaged programs within The Shriver Center and the Division of Professional Studies (DPS). Alongside his colleagues, Steele places partnership and stewardship as the cornerstones of his work to enhance economic prosperity, social mobility, and social justice. As a leader, he aspires to lead with the heart of a servant leader and the hands of an adaptive leader.
Steele’s tenure at UMBC began in 1996 as a research associate in the Department of Geography & Environmental Systems (GES), where he contributed to NASA and NSF-funded programs like the Baltimore Ecosystem Study. Since 1999, he has continued his connection to the classroom as an affiliate associate professor of geography.
Appointed Vice Provost in 2015, Steele has spent over 25 years collaborating across nearly every academic and administrative unit at UMBC. He has been instrumental in expanding the university’s institutional presence at The Universities at Shady Grove, developing more than a dozen applied master’s programs, and founding the Institute of Extended Learning (IXL). Under his leadership, The Shriver Center has flourished as a vital bridge between UMBC and local, regional, and international communities.
Steele holds a BA from the University of Pittsburgh, an MA from Binghamton University, and a PhD from The University of Maryland, all in Geography. His professional development includes studies in Organizational Leadership at Gonzaga University and completion of Harvard’s Management Development Institute (2010) and Institute for Education Management (2018). He is also an alumni of The LEADERship (2016) program of The Greater Baltimore Committee.
A native of East Wheatfield Township, PA, Steele is a veteran of the Pennsylvania and Maryland Army National Guard. Outside of academia, he is an avid strength athlete, a kettlebell coach, and a devoted music enthusiast. He lives in Baltimore with his wife, their children, an adopted grandfather, and two pets.