SAVE THE DATE! MAY 15, 2026
Retriever Room Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena
Please Note: Registration will open soon!
11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Don’t miss The Wisdom Institute’s Annual Signature Event at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on campus. We are thrilled to have our own Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire as our luncheon speaker. Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire earned her BS degree from UMBC where she was a Meyerhoff Scholar and a National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholar. Since graduating Magna Cum Laude, she earned her doctorate in Microbiology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is now a leading vaccine expert and viral immunologist.
While at NIH, Dr. Corbett-Helaire led a team that developed a vaccine to combat COVID-19 in record speed—a challenge that would put her in the national spotlight and help shape the trajectory of the pandemic. “It was Kizzmekia’s previous work that led to what we knew about the coronavirus, and prepared us for making that vaccine so rapidly,” noted her former boss and vaccine co-inventor, Dr. Barney Graham. Dr. Corbett’s patented technology is used in many vaccines around the world, including those released by Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax. Altogether, Dr. Corbett-Helaire boasts a robust patent portfolio. In addition, she has a flu vaccine that recently concluded phase 1 clinical trial. In all, she has 20 years of experience studying various viruses, garnering several prestigious awards and recognition along the way, including selection as one of Time Magazine’s 2021 Heroes of the Year.
Join us May 15 and welcome Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire back to campus. This will be a very special occasion so put it on your calendar now. Registration information will be shared closer to the date.