FY 2022 UMES Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2021-2022

Dear Hawk Friends,

As the leader of this gem that is the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, it is a privilege and pleasure to still be soaring above and beyond 135 years after the institution’s founding as Princess Anne Academy on Sept. 13, 1886. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is a historically Black university and 1890 land-grant institution that has grown from nine students in 1886 to among the top 10 public HBCUs (U.S. News & World Report) maintaining a R2 Carnegie Research Classification for our “high research activity.”

This brief report gives a glimpse of the many great successes, improvements, and stories that make UMES a catalyst for the advancement of our society. Most notably, the completion of the first phase of UMES’ new School of Pharmacy and Health Professions Complex is one of the ways in which the university is positively impacting healthcare and planning to improve the human condition by working to meet the needs of existing healthcare disparities, especially in rural communities.

Together we will continue to affirm our mission of contributing to the advancement of society by helping those who seek to achieve their goals through their educational pursuits.

Join us in looking back at some of the successes at UMES as we prepare to improve further and meet the needs of current and future students.

With Hawk Pride, Dr. Heidi M. Anderson

President’s Cabinet

Dr. Robert Mock, Chief of Staff (2018 - present)

Mr. Matthew Taylor, General Counsel (2017 - present)

Mr. Lester Primus, VP of Administration and Finance (2019 - 2022)

Dr. Nancy Niemi, Provost and VP of Academic Affairs (2019 - 2022)

Mrs. Latoya Jenkins, VP of Enrollment Management and Student Experience (2020 - present)

Mr. David Balcom, VP of University Relations (2019 - present)

Mrs. Alissa Carr, Marketing Director and Assoc. VP of University Relations (2018 - present)

135 YEARS UMES FOR AND COUNTING

1886 1890 1936 1970

On Sept. 13, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore reached the milestone of 135 years since its founding as Princess Anne Academy in 1886. The historically Black university is an 1890 land-grant institution that has seen growth over the years to include the only fouryear aviation sciences bachelor’s degree program in the State of Maryland, the only ACCE accredited program in construction management technology, eight health

professions programs, and a recently added bachelor’s degree program in digital media studies. UMES, a top 10 public HBCU (U.S. News & World Report), is a 1,100-acre campus located in Princess Anne, Md. with a R2 Carnegie Research Classification. Since 2018, the university remains under the leadership of Dr. Heidi M. Anderson as president.

Delaware Conference Academy

Princess Anne Academy

Princess Anne College

Maryland State College

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

HIGHLIGHTS

UMES Granted $30 Million to Continue Training a Diverse NOAA Workforce

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore received $30 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through its Educational Partnership Program, which announced the renewal of an agreement providing the grant funds over five years to support the Living Marine Resources Science Center headquartered at UMES. The LMRCSC led by UMES is a consortium of seven partner universities that includes Delaware State, Hampton, Oregon State, Savannah State, University of Miami and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Scientists and students collaborate on research and educational projects related to NOAA’s mission. The UMES center’s mission is to educate and provide research opportunities related to NOAA Fisheries and NOAA’s healthy oceans research and management. “We are excited about this new center award and are deeply grateful to NOAA for its continued confidence in this endeavor,” UMES President Heidi M. Anderson said. “This investment will be invaluable in enabling the University of Maryland Eastern Shore together with its partner institutions to build on its excellent record of training and graduating a diverse future STEM workforce, particularly in marine and fisheries science.”

A Clean Slate for UMES Students

According to the Office of Administration and Finance, the debt of over 400 students was cleared during the fall 2021 semester. A clean slate was given to students as University of Maryland Eastern Shore officials provided a portion of its Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) institutional funding to students with outstanding balances incurred after March 13, 2020. With help from the HEERF III funding, the university assisted approximately 466 students with debts totaling over $1,833,010.

HIGHLIGHTS

Looking Ahead at UMES

Construction for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Pharmacy and Health Sciences Complex is complete. The new facility is replete with simulation laboratories, a mock pharmacy, patient examination rooms, collaboration spaces, a vivarium, autoclave, as well as two auditorium spaces and classrooms. This phase I facility will accommodate the Pharmacy practice and research programs. Phase II, which will involve another adjacent building, will follow once funding is secured. This second facility will accommodate programs in rehabilitation services and counseling, physical therapy, physician’s assistant, exercise science and veterinary medicine.

Prospectively in Fall 2025, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) plans to operate a School of Veterinary Medicine. This initiative builds on the University’s strong reputation as an 1890 land-grant HBCU and UMES’s outstanding programs in agriculture, agricultural business, and natural sciences. Many of the University’s students majoring in agriculture, biology and chemistry are pre-vet or pre-med students.

UMES is designated a Carnegie Research 2 institution.

UMES received $2.5 Million HHMI Driving Change award

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore is one of six institutions selected to receive an award of $2,500,000 in start-up funds over five years in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s (HHMI) Driving Change Initiative. The recipients participated in the competition, which included a self-study process involving assessments regarding the university’s dedication to “establishing a scientifically grounded culture to the institution,” according to the HHMI. The purpose of Driving Change, which was launched in 2019, is to “create inclusive environments, promote student success, and recognize the institutional practices and historical context that are barriers to inclusion,” says HHMI. UMES, a historically Black university and land-grant institution with a R2 Carnegie Classification, is the only HBCU among the original 38 finalists in the competition.

UMES and Alaska Air Group in the Skies

Alaska Air Group proposed a plan to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for the company to offer financial incentives to UMES aviation science majors to qualify as a passenger airline pilot and be rewarded with the guarantee of a job. UMES offers the only bachelor’s degree program in aviation science in Maryland. The company’s “True North” program will initially help two undergraduates afford the considerable cost of completing advanced flight training and pilot ratings necessary as they work toward graduation. The agreement calls for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air to continue that same level of support in subsequent years for students who qualify to take the place of initial recipients after they graduate. UMES’ True North beneficiaries will work for the university as flight instructors after graduation to build their resumes before moving on to the airlines for five years.

“Often the barrier to students entering this in-demand, well-paying career is the expense of the flight training,” UMES President Heidi M. Anderson said. “This partnership will ensure any student who comes to UMES and wants to be a pilot, will be able to pursue their course regardless of their financial situation.”

UMES is a Design Partner for Legal Education Program

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was selected by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) as part of a nation-wide team of schools exploring an additional option for law school entrance other than the LSAT. The Council developed a certification program (March 2022) with the hopes that Law schools across the country will accept the certificate in lieu of the LSAT score. In addition to UMES, Cornell College, Northeastern University and Dillard University are the other schools in the pilot program which begins in fall 2022.

LSAC’s Legal Education Program “will offer undergraduate students an opportunity to explore a future legal career and pursue a legal education via a holistic pathway to law school admission.” This initiative “will help students develop the skills necessary to succeed in law school, learn to navigate the admission process, and acquire the tools they need to build a network to support them during law school.”

Jessica Collins, a graduate student studying rehabilitation counseling at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, was named a Behavioral Health Ambassador among 25 graduate students by the HBCU Center for Excellence in Behavioral Health. The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funds the center housed at Clark Atlanta University. Collins recognized the role as “a true privilege” stating “It challenges me to continue pushing through to completing my graduate degree and make an impact on a younger generation who have gone through some very difficult times and may feel lost.”

As a behavioral health ambassador, Collins made presentations exposing undergraduates to careers and issues in behavioral health, developed and delivered presentations to undergraduates at HBCUs, and engaged in conversations with students considering careers in behavioral health.

The Queens, N.Y. native’s goal is to work in mental health/substance use disorders programs for adults to provide effective, quality and individualized care to clients, promote choice and dignity, and become an administrator who develops programming that would impact a larger system.

UMROI Grant awarded to UMES Faculty and Graduates

During summer 2022, UMES graduates Mandy Leonard, Nick Espinosa, and Professor Dennis Klima received an Innovations Grant for $3,000 from the University of Maryland Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Institute for research. The grant will target interventions for patients with stroke and traumatic brain injury for patients with cerebral vascular accidents and traumatic brain injuries using the Virtualis System Immersive Virtual Environment (VIVE). This system can create virtual settings such as a grocery store to better prepare patients’ return to community participation.

Dr. Marshall Stevenson Jr., Dean of the school of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts

Hawk named HBCU Behavioral Health Ambassador

ATHLETICS

Indoor Sports Find Success After Lost Season

Indoor athletics returned for the Hawks after the University of Maryland Eastern Shore opted out of 2020-21 NCAA play. The first game held at the Hytche Athletic Center in 562 days was a win for the women’s volleyball team over Saint Francis University on Sept. 17 in the Henson Hawk Invitational – the squad would make the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament as the fifth seed. Charlize Williams was named to the MEAC AllRookie team following the regular season. As it moved to the winter months, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams also kicked off their home slate of games with wins over Bryn Athyn and Clafin, respectively. The men’s side would earn the sixth seed for the MEAC tournament and

earn its first postseason spot since 2015 in The Basketball Classic. Da’Shawn Phillip earned Third Team All-MEAC, Nate Pollard All-Defensive and Chace Davis All-Rookie. Grabbing the fifth seed in the MEAC, the women were able to get a tournament win over Coppin State with Zamara Haynes earning All-Tournament honors and Ariana Seawell earning All-Rookie and Third Team All-Conference. On the track, the Hawks hosted one event, the Eastern Shore Invite and ended the season with five All-MEAC studentathletes – Ashane Beckford, Naomi English, Joshua Goslee, Atinuke Shittu and Jahlahnee Watkins

Diamond Sports Bounce Back with Best Seasons in 16 Years

After Covid-19 cut the 2020 season short and the school sat out the spring 2021 season, expectations were low for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball and softball teams but instead both teams showed resilience, turning 2022 into phenomenal bounce back seasons. Both posted their best records since 2006 (baseball, 17-37) and 2008 (softball, 18-33), while having student-athletes in the national spotlight. Baseball was hungry to get back into the action after the long layoff, with many players returning for coach Brian Hollamon and believing in the program. The season started with some rust to shake but the Hawks never deterred, eventually winning their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament game since 2012. Earning second team All-

Conference honors were Brian Cordell, Noah Covington, Brantley Cutler, Evan Nibblett and Dillon Oxyer with Alex McCoy and Nibblett being named to the All-Tournament team. Softball also saw great success but in a different way, MEAC Coach of the Year Karla Powell worked with 11 rookies and leading them to the conference tournament for the first time in 13 years. Leading Powell’s team was MEAC co-Rookie of the Year Tatum Kresley with her eyepopping stats to earn First Team All-MEAC alongside Julia Garcia and Nasya Goodman was on the Third Team.

Hawks Shine in the National Spotlight

Several Hawk student-athletes were honored nationally or were at the top of NCAA leaderboards for their individual efforts. Junior bowler Brooke Roberts was named National Tenpin Coaches Association Second-Team All-American for the first time in her career. On her way to being named All-American, Roberts was Top 15 in 11 key statistical categories on the lanes including ranking third in Traditional First Ball “9+” Percentage with 80.7%. Tatum Kresley was one of the best young collegiate softball players in the country, garnering her Extra Inning Softball

All-Freshman Team honors and was a finalist for NFCA Freshman of the year. In her first season of Division 1 softball, Kresley was Top 15 in three batting categories, including finishing seventh in stolen bases with a school record 40. On the other diamond, the Hawks finished number one in the NCAA with 14 complete games, with Noah Covington having a nation leading six and Cameron Bratton second in the country with five. Covington and fellow Seaford, Delaware native Evan Nibblett were also both Top Twenty in walks allowed per nine innings. Ryan Howe rounded out the awards as the top HBCU designated hitter when he was named to the First-Team Black College Nine’s Elite squad.

Photos:

Top of Page 8: Brooke Roberts, National Tenpin Coaches Association SecondTeam All-American

Top Right Page 9:

Derionah Abner, UMES Volleyball

Middle Row Left:

UMES Volleyball team celebrates first win of 2021-2022 NCAA season

Middle Row Right: Noah Covington, UMES Baseball

Bottom Row Left:

Tatum Kresley, Extra Inning Softball AllFreshman Team honors

Bottom Row Right:

UMES Baseball, number one in NCAA with 14 complete games