COMMUNICATION
IS
A newsletter for UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends
THE April 1, 2011
CIRCLING
THE
WORLD
UMES becomes a leader in use of solar power generating 15 percent of the UMES is now using electricity the campus uses. electric energy produced by a The solar panels should 2.2 megawatt solar-energy produce more than 3.3 facility on the land-grant million kilowatt hours (kWh) institution’s campus. of energy in its first year – An impressive grid of enough to provide all the 7,800 collection panels occupy electricity that 315 average 17 acres on a former corn American homes would use in field, making it the largest a year. concentration of photovoltaic During a February test, modules on one site in the solar farm generated about Maryland, according to 400,000 kWh of energy, SunEdison, the company that Dignitaries “flip the switch” to signal the formal start of electricity production by the Forsythe said. When the built and will operate the UMES/SunEdison 2.2 megawatt solar farm. Pictured, from left, are Dr. Ronald Forsythe, vice president for technology and commercialization, UMES; Chancellor campus is closed for breaks facility. William Kirwan, University System of Maryland; President Thelma B. Thompson, and electricity demand is low, “This is historic for the UMES; Franny Yuhas, Eastern Region sales manager, SunEdison; and Sen. James Forsythe said UMES may be University of Maryland Eastern Mathias, D-38-Worcester. Photo by Jim Glovier able to transfer electricity Shore,” President Thelma B. from the solar farm back to the energy grid and receive a credit toward Thompson said. “We are part of a world-wide effort to seek clean energy future bills. and renewable energy. For UMES to be on the cutting edge of this is The university and SunEdison celebrated a formal activation event on extremely exciting for me, our students and our faculty here.” Located on land adjacent to Tom Nichols Road off state Rt. 388 east of March 28, which attracted local and state dignitaries, educators, environmentalists and Dr. William E. Kirwan, the University System of Princess Anne, the solar farm will enable UMES to reduce its energy bills Maryland’s chancellor. over the next 20 years. Kirwan described the UMES/SunEdison partnership as mutually Dr. Ron Forsythe, vice president for UMES’ Division of Technology and continued on page 7 Commercialization, estimates the solar farm currently is capable of Thelma Thompson, who has served as president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore for the past nine years, has announced she is retiring, effective Aug. 15. Thompson, who is 70 years old, racked up an impressive legacy at UMES while she was the Historically Black College and University's 13th president: • Enrollment at the start of the 2002-03 school year was 3,644 students; the fall 2010 enrollment was more than 4,500,
representing a 25 percent increase. • UMES offered four accredited academic programs in 2002-03; today it boasts 25. Its most recent program to become accredited is the Hotel/ Restaurant Management Program.
UMES president leaves a legacy
• Thompson expanded the school's global reach from 11 international affiliations to 25 total. Photo by Jim Glovier
INSIDE
Page 2 Concert Choir Performs Honors Convocation
Page 3 UMES Women Make Top 100 List 100% Pass-Rate for PT Graduates
Page 4 - 5 UMES Gala
Page 6 Athletics
Page 7 Technology Center Opens
continued on page 3 Page 8 Calendar of Events Fire Safety
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UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
Members of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Concert Choir take the stage for their spring performance on Sun., April 3, at 4 p.m. in the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts. New to the program—an alumni choir and a guest appearance by the Aida String Ensemble from Photo by Jim Glovier Baltimore. “We are expecting about 40 alumni to join us for the concert,” Dr. Sheila McDonald Harleston, director of choral activities at UMES, said. They hail from Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, the Carolinas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Tennessee and as far away as California. Harleston said the music department has attempted to reunite former choir members before, but that this time “more students were available to come, especially when I announced my retirement at the end of this year.” Harleston will retire after 21 years at the university. She has directed the choir through innumerable performances on campus, in the community and abroad. Her last performances with the choir will be at the spring concert and during the annual Concert Choir tour—this year to Nassau, Bahamas. “Dr. Harleston literally gave us the world,” former choir member Thaddeus J. Randall of Upper Marlboro, Md., said. “She made a way for us to travel and experience it (the world) the way we all knew best—through music. Her anchor has kept us (alumni of the choir) together long after we left.” Kevin Allen, now a music instructor and department chair at a junior
Concert Choir welcomes spring at UMES
high school in Woodbridge, Va., agreed. “She taught us so much, pushing us farther than we thought we could go and expecting nothing but our best,” he said. “I wouldn’t have guessed that I would have competed anywhere and traveled to so many countries. She opened my
eyes to a world bigger than my self.” Harleston has received many accolades throughout her career. She was the recipient of the 2008 University System of Maryland Board of Regents Faculty Award for mentoring. She also was selected as a national conductor for the 2009 performance of the “105” Voices of History” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Most recently, she was given the 2010 Distinguished Contribution Award for Outstanding Promotion of Black Music and Black Musicians from the National Association of Negro Musicians. Harleston will direct the UMES Concert Choir, Chorale and the Alumni Choir at the spring concert themed, “Les’ Have a Union.” Pieces by Haydn, Tschesnokoff, Mendelssohn, Rutter, Luther, Beck, Thompson and others will be performed by the choirs. The Aida String Ensemble, founded by violinist and vocalist Tona Brown of Chesapeake, Va., showcases the talents of African-American string players at the concert. The group has played in concert halls, churches, colleges and universities in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. UMES’ Concert Choir spring event is free and open to the public. Call 410-651-6574. CD’s of the choir from their 2009-10 repertoire are available for $12.99 or two for $25.
UMES honors top students Nearly 700 undergraduate students will be recognized for academic excellence during the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s 58th annual Honors Convocation. The open event takes place on Thursday, April 7, at 11 a.m. in the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts. “Each year at this time, the university pauses to honor those students who have excelled academically,” Dr. Charles Dr. Kelly Mack Williams, vice president for academic affairs at UMES, said. “The university is proud of the energy and effort put forth by students to be role models in the academic community. Their hard work and talents are commendable.” Students named to the dean’s list during 2010 for earning a GPA of 3.5 or more will be recognized along with an exemplary student from each of the university’s schools and individual departments. The Bernstein and Pinkett awards, which are monetary, will also be announced. The keynote speaker for this year’s event is Dr. Kelly Mack. Mack is a
UMES alumna and biology professor in the Department of Natural Sciences— the first African-American woman to earn professorship in the department. She is currently on loan from UMES serving as the senior program officer for the ADVANCE Program at the National Science Foundation. She oversees a $20 million budget and over 100 awards in an effort to lead academic institutions toward gender equity in the areas of science and engineering. Throughout her career, Mack has been professionally and personally committed to cancer research. After graduating from UMES with a bachelor’s in biology, she earned a doctorate in physiology from Howard University at age 24—the youngest graduate and one of only a handful to have completed the program in four years. With a passion for educating students from underrepresented minority groups, Mack is completing a six-year term as a member of the Board of Governors for the National Council on Undergraduate Research. She has also facilitated the entry of over 40 UMES students into graduate degree programs in the biomedical sciences, many of whom have earned doctorates and have become professors, industry or governmental scientists or fellows at major research institutions such as Harvard and Johns Hopkins. For more information, contact the UMES Office of Public Relations at 410-651-7580.
UMES PEOPLE
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UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
Thompson, Diriker named to Top 100 Women in Maryland
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s long-time president and one of the school’s senior fundraisers are on a Baltimore newspaper’s list of the Top 100 Women of Maryland for 2011. For the past 16 years, The Daily Record has sponsored the program to recognize “outstanding achievement by women as demonstrated through professional accomplishment, community leadership and mentoring." This marks the second time UMES President Thelma B. Thompson has been honored. Dr. Veronique Diriker, UMES’ director of development, also made the list. Under Thompson’s leadership, Photo by Jim Glovier UMES has experienced a 25 percent growth in enrollment and a diversification of its curriculum, including the addition of a bachelor’s degree in professional golf management, a master’s degree in quantitative fisheries and resource economics, and the opening of a new school of pharmacy.
PT grads boast perfect pass-rate on exam
Photo by Jim Glovier
Only a handful of degree programs were accredited by academic peers when Thompson came to UMES from Norfolk State University in 2002; now 25 have achieved that important credential. Diriker, who joined UMES in 2005, plans and coordinates the university’s annual Gala, which has become the signature fundraiser for supporting scholarships. Diriker also is involved in a variety of volunteer activities on the Lower Shore, including the Salisbury Wicomico Arts Council. She started the “ARTS and ABILITIES Initiative of Wicomico” with a personal donation to assist disabled artists in promoting and marketing their art to corporate and institutional sponsors, and other
patrons of the art. UMES has a connection to another 2011 honoree on the Top 100 list; Dr. Peggy Naleppa, president and CEO of Peninsula Regional Medical Center, is a member of the university’s Board of Visitors.
The streak continues for 23 graduates who earned their doctorates in physical therapy at UMES last fall. “All 2010 graduates have passed the licensure examination,” said Raymond L. Blakely, chairman of the Department of Physical Therapy. Since the inaugural class of doctoral students graduated in 2005, UMES degree-holders have boasted a 100-percent passing rate on the National Physical Therapy Exam – a credential that most employers require when hiring physical therapists. UMES is one of two doctorate of physical therapy programs offered in the state. The university offers a three-year course of study that combines clinical and classroom experiences. Graduates are prepared to carry out the responsibilities of health care providers, practicing prevention, examination, and intervention in acute care, outpatient and other rehabilitation settings, Blakely said. The doctoral program also prepares students to contribute to the field of physical therapy through research and other scholarly activities.
PRESIDENT RETIRES continued from cover
• UMES has been ranked among the top tier of the nation's historically black campuses by U.S. News & World Report for the past four years. • The latest addition to the school's academic offerings is a Doctor of Pharmacy Program that garnered more than 900 applications for 63 seats in its inaugural class. • Thompson's fundraising skills were put to good use at UMES; she set a goal seven years ago to raise $14 million, the school's most ambitious capital campaign ever. The "Campaign for Academic Excellence" has exceeded that goal. • Other programs added during Thompson's tenure include engineering, history and a professional golf management course of study. These are highlights from Thompson's time at UMES. She involved the institution in many areas of research, new academic
areas and entrepreneurship, from involvement with designing the “chicken house of the future” to signing a five-year deal to create a hydroponics greenhouse on campus. She reorganized areas of the campus administrative structure, always with an eye toward improving the revenue flowing into the campus, both to improve the programs offered and to build scholarship funds to help students achieve their dreams. UMES must now find a new president, who will arrive to find an institution solidly grounded in academics with well-established funding streams to maintain its offerings and provide support for talented, ambitious students to pursue their dreams. Thompson will leave UMES a better place than she found it nine years earlier, and that is a legacy of which she can be proud. This editorial was originally published March 17, 2011 in The (Salisbury) Daily Times.
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UMES GALA
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The Key / April 1, 2011
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UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
Below: “Hollywood on the Shore,” the theme for the 2011 Gala at UMES, is expected to raise some $280,000 toward the $14 million Campaign for Academic Excellence, the university’s capital fund drive. Photo by Megan Raymond
Left: The university rolled out the red carpet for four Hollywood celebrities, 150 VIP ticket holders and 320 Oscar ticket holders. Photo by
Top: Student servers from the university’s Hotel and Restaurant Management Program deliver trays of food as part of the five course gourmet meal. Over 200 students lent their hands to make the gala a success.
Top insert: “Mary Beth Lacey” creamy prosciutto From left, celebrities Tyne Daly, Sharon Stone, David Alan Grier and Pam Grier donated their time to help raise tarragon chicken funds for student scholarships at the 2011 UMES Gala “Hollywood on the Shore.” Photo by Megan Raymond salad with a UMES orchid was served in honor of actress Tyne Daly.
Tyne Daly and UMES President Thelma B. Top: Pictured, from left, at the VIP reception at the Thompson get acquainted. Photo by Patty Hancock Courtyard Marriott in Ocean City, Md., the night before the UMES Gala, are guest Nina McCann, actress Sharon Stone (seated), Gala committee member Tina Perrotta, UMES Board of Visitors member John Allen and UMES President Thelma B. Thompson. Photo by Jim Glovier
Photo by Patty Hancock
Photo by Patty Hancock
Patty Hancock
Right: UMES faculty members Tselate and Dr. William Talley get a photo opportunity with actress Tyne Daly. Photo by Jim Glovier
Left: A couple dances to the sounds of the UMES Jazz Ensemble. Photo by Patty Hancock
UMES National Alumni Association member Delphine Lee and her husband, Earl, pose during the gala.
The UMES Jazz Ensemble provides lively entertainment for party-goers to dance. Photo by Megan Raymond Right: Comedian David Alan Grier gets a chuckle out of Dr. Charles Williams, vice president for academic affairs at UMES, in the green room prior to a ceremony where the celebrity guests were presented with honorary degrees from the university. Photo by Patty Hancock
Photo by Patty Hancock
Discover UMES student Omare Dennis interviews actress Pam Grier. Photo by Megan Raymond
From left, actor David Alan Grier is seated with Dr. Fran Franklin and Charles Dennis. Photo by Patty Hancock Hawk Radio representatives Eric Hammond and Kyla Bibbons interview celebrities along with other media crews during the VIP and Paparazzi Party. Photo by Patty Hancock
Carolyn Elmore and Dr. Herman Franklin greet each other. Photo by Patty Hancock
UMES Drama Society students under the direction of Dr. Della Dameron-Johnson perform for gala guests prior to dinner. Photo by Patty Hancock
Chef Ralston Whittingham, far right, and students from the HRM Program prepared and presented a special birthday cake to actress and humanitarian Sharon Stone as a surprise. Stone celebrated her 53rd birthday at UMES. Photo by Megan Raymond
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ATHLETICS
The Key / April 1, 2011
UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
UMES claims MEAC Bowling Championship Three senior University of Maryland Eastern Shore bowlers are ending their careers the same they started – with a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship. The Lady Hawks captured the 2011 title in late March, their fifth overall and the second for Kristina Frahm (Oswego, Ill.), Martha Perez (Bogota, Colombia) and Maria Rodriguez (Ibague Tolima, Colombia). The Hawks rolled through the winner's bracket and made short work of sixth-seed Morgan State, 4-0 (206-162, 161-157, 170-138, 187-134) to capture the match in straight games. "What took us over was the fact that we were able to make our spares. I constantly drive into the young ladies that we have to make spares and it proved to be worth it today," said head coach Sharon Brummell. While the three All-Americans seniors provided solid play, it was junior Paula Vilas (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) who came up big, being
Charlise Castro (Saugerties, N.Y.) hit five home runs during a spring break road trip, including a pair in UMES’ win over N.C. A&T. She also had seven RBI.
named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Performer. "It feels amazing, I did not expect this award," Vilas said. "When they called my name I was in shock, but I appreciate the honor." Vilas’ high game was 193 against Norfolk State during the qualifying rounds. Brummell was named Outstanding Coach – the fifth time she received the honor. "This fifth championship was very special for me because of our three seniors. This was their last MEAC Bowling Championship. They were a part of the 2008 National Championship team and they really wanted to go out with a win. They were able to achieve that," Brummell said. Rodriguez joined Vilas on the All-Tournament Team. The Lady Hawks are hoping their performance earns them an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships April 14-16 in Taylor, Mich.
Thomas Keane-Dawes (Camden, N.C.) won the 400-meter dash at the Towson University Track & Field Invitational with a time of 49.61. The Hawks won six events at the March 28 meet.
Pitcher Matt Witte (Westminster, Md.) earned his first win of the season with a complete game victory over Coppin State University.
SCHOOL NEWS
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UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
Technology Resource Center opens Right: Dr. Frances McKinney, director, Title III Program at UMES, received an award for securing funding for the project.
Representatives of the Department of Technology presented plaques to those who supported the opening of the center. Pictured, from left, are Jerry Johnson, CMT senior, UMES; Dr. Ayodele Alade, dean of the School of Business and Technology, UMES; Melissa Davis, Title III, accepting award for Dr. Frances McKinney; John DiCarlo Jr., president of DiCarlo Digital Copy Center; Dr. Leon Copeland, chair of the Department of Technology, UMES; and Dr. Joseph Arumala, professor, Department of Technology, UMES.
Dr. Leon Copeland, chair of the Department of Technology at UMES, looks at Building Information Modeling (BIM) Data along with Construction Management Technology (CMT) student Peter AndohKesson on equipment recently purchased with funding from Title III for a new ATC Technology Student Resource Center. The center officially opened on Feb.
SOLAR FARM continued from cover
beneficial, especially since the state had no upfront investment. “Perhaps most importantly, the people of Maryland will reap the enormous Photo by Joey Gardner benefit of The UMES/SunEdison solar farm is comprised of 7,800 having solar panels on 17 acres and is the biggest facility of its literally kind in Maryland and is among the largest in one locamillions of tion on a college campus in the country. pounds of pollutants not released into the atmosphere as this power is generated,” Kirwan said. SunEdison projects the long-term environmental impact of UMES’ solar farm would be equivalent to a reduction of more than 121 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over the 20 years of its production life – or what an estimated 11,800 cars currently produce in one year. The rising price of energy UMES uses led it in 2007 to look for ways to cut those expenses in lieu of passing them on to students.
Forsythe, representing UMES, struck a service agreement with SunEdison to design, construct and operate the solar farm. The Beltsville, Md.-based company financed it at no cost to UMES or the state of Maryland. In return, UMES will purchase power from the solar farm at long-term predictable rates to offset the university’s demand from the energy grid. UMES’ solar farm is another example of Thompson’s vision of what an 1890 land-grant institution should strive to be in the 21st century. Thompson, who recently announced her retirement this August, sees research and entrepreneurship coming together at UMES to provide a learning environment capable of producing well-trained professionals. “Everybody is looking at fuels and new sources of energy,” she said. “I want to see our engineering and construction management students exposed to the technology behind solar power so they can go out in the world and make a difference.” Kirwan called developing and using clean, renewable “a huge priority” for all USM institutions. “The crown jewel is this 17-acre solar farm,” he told a crowd of nearly 150 people. UMES is looking for other ways to cut its energy costs. Forsythe has had preliminary talks with a company interested in building wind-powered generators – possibly capable of produce 10 megawatts of electricity for the campus. Forsythe said he’s also hopeful the solar farm project will stimulate business growth and entrepreneurs to step forward with economic development ideas that will benefit the community UMES serves.
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EVENTS
The Key / April 1, 2011
UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
Arts S
& Entertainment PRING
2011 CALENDAR
APRIL 3
UMES CONCERT CHOIR SPRING CONCERT 4 p.m. Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts 410-651-6571
13
UMES PHARMACY SERVICE DAY 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. William P. Hytche Gymnasium The School of Pharmacy is hosting a drive for the Blood Bank of Delmarva. 410-651-8354
15-16*
DINNER THEATRE Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. “The Color Purple” Student Services Center Ballroom $45 for Fri., April 15, and $50 for Sat., April 16 Advanced tickets required. 410-651-6230
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UMES HONORS BAND AND CHOIR CONCERT 4 p.m. Student Services Center Ballroom 410-651-6571
18
HEALTH AND WELLNESS FESTIVAL 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Student Services Center Ballroom 410-651-6356
20*
21
HAWK CHILDREN’S FUND LUNCHEON Noon Richard Henson Center Ballroom Topic/ Reading for Africa’s Children: Libraries, Books and Literacy Programs in Uganda $15 ($7.50 per ticket goes to Hawk Children’s Fund) 41-651-6562 OPENING RECEPTION - ART EXHIBIT 4-6 p.m. Arts & Technology Center High School Art Contest Show on display through April 29. 410-651-7770
UMES Fine Art Student Show Now through April 29 Mosely Gallery
KEEP UMES BEAUTIFUL. PLEASE DON’T LITTER! For the latest news about UMES Athletics, check out Hawk Talk:
www.umeshawks.com G. Stan Bradley Assistant Director of Athletics for External Affairs/SID University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Department of Athletics W. P. Hytche Athletic Center, Princess Anne, MD 21853 Ph. 410-651-6499 Fax: 410-651-7514 The KEY is published by the Office of Public Relations in the Division of Institutional Advancement. Editors Gains B. Hawkins, Vice President for Institutional Advancement William Robinson, Director of Public Relations Gail Stephens, Assistant Director of Public Relations Candice Latshaw, Public Relations Assistant Design by Debi Rus, Rus Design, Inc. Printed by The Hawk Copy Center
Laura Moore, a senior and a student director of the Herman Franklin Paraprofessional Program in the Office of Residence Life, recently coordinated a fire safety training seminar for over 40 faculty, staff and students at UMES. Attendees practiced putting out an actual fire with the assistance of the university’s Fire School. Worchester County Fire Marshall’s Office members, from left, Robert Korb Jr, Matt Kemp, and an intern are pictured with UMES Residence Life members Moore and Clifton Harcum, at center.
Office of Public Relations Division of Institutional Advancement University of Maryland Eastern Shore 410-651-7580 / 410-651-7914 fax / www.umes.edu Submissions to The KEY are preferred via email: umesnews@umes.edu. All copy is subject to editing. The KEY is delivered through campus mail. Call 410-651-7580 to request additional copies. The Key is written according to the Associated Press stylebook.