A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends Philanthropist-broadcaster Tom Joyner will put an exclamation point on his recent efforts to help the University of Maryland Eastern Shore boost its scholarship fund by serving as the December 2018 commencement speaker. Joyner will be just the fourth person to deliver two UMES commencement addresses since it became a baccalaureate degreegranting institution in the mid-20th century. Fisk University President Henry Ponder (1989, 1997), National Urban League executive Julius Thomas (1950, 1969) and Lincoln University President Horace Mann Bond (1948, 1961) are the others. The Dec. 14 ceremony will take place in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center, where the registrar projects the university will award 265 degrees that day. Joyner, 69, is winding down a wildly successful broadcasting career that also made him a sought-after public speaker and a cultural touchstone. It was 15 years ago Joyner first came to UMES to address the Class of 2003 and accept an honorary degree in recognition of his efforts to draw attention to the role historically black institutions play in the nation’s education landscape.
INSIDE
Second stint for ‘Hardest Working Man in Radio’
The Tom Joyner Foundation earlier this year promoted UMES nationally as its “School of the Month” for September 2018, part of an ongoing campaign to inspire his listeners to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities. UMES previously was tapped for that role in August 2009. The son of a Tuskegee Airman, Joyner grew up in the small Alabama town where black pilots trained during World War II. He graduated from Tuskegee Institute in 1970 with a sociology degree and immediately embarked on a broadcasting career -- based primarily in the south and Midwest. “I’ve only done radio my entire life,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper earlier this year. “No other job.” Over the past four-plus decades, he has become a legend in urban contemporary radio, JOYNER / continued on page 2
Annette Kenney is proof it’s never too late to pursue a college education. On the cusp of turning 50, Kenney earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in December 2016. And she isn’t finished. Kenney is a master’s degree candidate at UMES, where she is focusing on plant and soil science. The working title of her thesis is: “Examining the persistence and survival of e. coli on (raw) manure-amended organic soil.” Kenney said she’s motivated “to help young people understand what agriculture is, and how important it is to our everyday lives.” “They need to care about the land,” she said. Earlier this year, the Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. (DPI) awarded Kenney a $4,000 scholarship. She was the lone graduate student in a group of nine college students to receive financial aid from the regional agriculture trade group, and it’s safe to say, the only grandmother. A DPI spokesman said Kenney is just the second UMES graduate student to earn a scholarship from the group – Jorge Rodriquez of Salisbury was the first in 2009 – and she holds the distinction of receiving the organization’s largest-ever award.
Getting back to the land Page 2
Tom Joyner headlines UMES’ December 2018 graduation
December 7, 2018
KENNEY / continued on page 2
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Joyner speaks at UMES cont.
Mock appointed Chief of Staff
Knowing the land cont.
UMES’ Secret Santa
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Thanksgiving at UMES
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Campus Stars
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Athletics Wrap-up
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Campus community “levels up” Staff honored with service awards
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Solo senior’s art show
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The Key / December 7, 2018
Circling the Oval
KENNEY / continued from cover
The $4,000 from DPI comes in handy for Kenney, a mother of two with a son who is a senior at Morgan State University. “It allows me to free up a few dollars to pay a few bills,” she said. Kenney grew up in Somerset County, the second youngest of 16 children and the first to earn a college degree. While her father dabbled in farming, he supported the family as a UMES maintenance worker over 40 years. “I guess you could say I sort of grew up on the campus,” Kenney said. She was unaware, however, UMES was founded as a school emphasizing agriculture studies. Kenney was unable to attend college after high school, but harbored a desire to earn a degree. Several years ago, she enrolled at Wor-Wic Community College in Salisbury, where she initially was interested in hospitality studies with a goal of opening a bed and breakfast inn. A mentor encouraged Kenney to continue her studies beyond earning an associate’s degree, and Kenney recalls an encounter with UMES professor Corrie Cotton with giving her focus. “When I heard (Cotton) talk about the importance of agriculture, I knew I wanted to do something in STEM (science, technology, engineer & math),” Kenney said. “Where food comes from sparked my interest.” Cotton describes Kenney as “an exceptional, energetic and enthusiastic lady who is always willing to help others.” “She is very outgoing and has performed extremely well academically,” Cotton said. “I have been very impressed with Annette’s drive and determination to excel academically and socially.” Aided by a Natural Resources Conservation Service scholarship JOYNER / continued from cover
mixing humor with positive messages. At one point, Joyner’s popularity had him holding down two jobs simultaneously -- a morning show in Dallas and an afternoon show in Chicago, which earned him the nicknames “The Fly Jock” and the “Hardest Working Man in Radio.” “This commute and his rich on air style,” his online biography says, “gained him national publicity and high ratings.” While Joyner skillfully -- and some would say tirelessly -- grew his audience numbering into the millions through syndication of his show, he drew inspiration from experiences growing up a black man in the South and attending a historically black institution. He launched his eponymous foundation as a philanthropic arm of his
provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture for undergraduates attending land-grant institutions, Kenney said it didn’t take long for her to discover agriculture studies – specifically the role of soil. “It’s the heart of where food comes from,” she said. “I realized, I can do this.” Kenney remembers early on a class where soil health was the topic. “The soil is alive,” she said. “I never thought in those terms.” “What is it I might be able to do to make sure we have safe food and enough food?,” she said. “I wanted to be part of that.” While an undergraduate, she also studied overseas in Ghana and Costa Rica during summer breaks, volunteering on agriculture projects and making connections with governmental and private companies collaborating to improve the agriculture industry abroad. As a graduate researcher, she splits time between a lab, the campus farm and an organic farm in Elkton near the Pennsylvania border. She also puts in about 20 hours a week as a teaching assistant. Dr. Fawzy Hashem, Kenney’s thesis supervisor, said “Annette is one of the best graduate students I have (supervised) during my long career” as a food science researcher. Kenney said she’s “learned that if you treat the soil right, it will treat your right.” Which means she must have a productive garden at her home in Marion, right? “Not, yet,” Kenney said. “I don’t have time.” It might be a while. Kenney is hoping to go on and earn a doctorate. Kenney’s long-term goal is “to work closely with schools and young people. These young people need role models who care about them.” entrepreneurial career and identified HBCUs and the students who attend them as the foundation’s beneficiaries. Joyner successfully used his broadcasting skills and radio show as a platform to entertain and inform - and raise tens of millions of dollars to support higher education for minorities. “First we get people laughing, then we get ‘em to listen,” Joyner says in his online biography. “If you can get people to listen, then they begin to think, and that’s when they start making a difference.” Joyner is a member of the Radio Hall of Fame and received Impact Magazine’s “Joe Loris Award” for Excellence in Broadcasting. Billboard magazine honored him with its “Best Urban Contemporary Air Personality” award. Impact Magazine’s “Best DJ of the Year Award” is known as “The Tom Joyner Award” because he received it so many times, his biography notes.
UMES People
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Anderson names chief of staff
Photo by Mark Cornelison
Bringing a little Joy to Delmarva
The Key / December 7, 2018
While making a list and checking it twice, we go straight to a big man (on campus) himself. A long-time University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) faculty member – and member of a giving profession – wears an additional stocking cap this time of year. And he also has a matching red suit! Dr. Michael Nugent moonlights as Kris Kringle. About 20 years ago – half the amount of time he’s had his distinctive whiskers – the Amityville, N.Y. native and father of three (grown) sons good-naturedly granted a request from a friend to portray Father Christmas. Among the perks of being Santa, Nugent says, is “Working with children and young people keeps you young.” Nugent, Coordinator of Praxis testing / advising in UMES’ Department of Education, describes his seasonal role as “a fun time.” He enjoys the sense of wonderment and joy in the children he encounters when they spy his red suit and salt-and-pepper beard. He enthusiastically mimicked their reactions chanting “He’s here! He’s here!” UMES’ St. Nick has been spotted at some Worcester County elementary schools and in the 2018 Ocean City Christmas Parade. Making his rounds as Santa Claus apparently has proven to be impactful. “After my visits to the schools,” Nugent says, “the teachers say the students tend to be well behaved and quieter in the classroom.” As he reprises his role once more, Nugent will be giving (and getting) a little joy this holiday season when he makes his annual visit to little ones at the UMES Early Childhood Development Center.
#IBelieve
Dr. Robert C. Mock Jr. has joined the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s administrative team as chief of staff to President Heidi M. Anderson. His first day was Dec. 3. “I’m thrilled to have someone with his experience and integrity on our team,” Anderson wrote in a letter to campus announcing his appointment. “As several of his references shared with me, he is a servant leader, with the highest moral compass.” Mock fills the vacancy created when Kimberly Dumpson resigned this past summer to become Rhode Island College’s chief fundraiser. Mock, who holds a doctorate in higher education administration, previously served in Charlotte, N.C. as president of Johnson and Wales University, a private institution that is part of a four-campus system known widely for its hospitality education programs. Prior to becoming Johnson and Wales’ president, he was student affairs vice president at the University of Kentucky, where he served from 2010 until 2015 and also taught in the colleges of communications and education. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouti described Mock as “an exceptional higher education leader who is intimately committed to student success, creative learning, community engagement and (someone who) possesses a sharp financial and operational acumen.” Mock also held student affairs leadership positions in the University of Arkansas system at the Fayetteville and Little Rock campuses as well as at Arkansas State University in Jonesville. He has worked in management in the private sector, as well, for Illinois Tool Works and for Pepsi-Cola in St. Louis. From 2002 until 2010, he served as a hospital administrative officer in the Army National Guard. Mock earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering (with minors in physics and math) from Southern Illinois University (Edwardsville) and a master’s degree in interpersonal and organization community from the University of Arkansas (Little Rock), where he also earned his doctorate.
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School News
The Key / December 7, 2018
Thanksgiving ’18 yields full hearts & bellies at UMES November on campus is about giving thanks for the many blessings the campus community and its supporters enjoy throughout the year. Hospitality tourism management students paid tribute to the nation’s veterans, while administrators pitched in at the Plateau for the traditional pre-Thanksgiving meal.
(Top) Dr. Heidi M. Anderson helps staff on the serving line at the Plateau. (Left) President Heidi M. Anderson was joined (L-R) by athletics director Keith Davidson, “Dean” John Tilghman and her husband, Leon Roberts. (Right) Diners enjoyed the fellowship of the pre-Thanksgiving meal.
Photos by Danielle Wojeski
Clockwise top right: Dariyan Morris’ pre-banquet task was filling water glasses before guests arrived. Alisha Council made sure each place setting met HTM’s first-class banquet standards.
Mikail Randell had carving station duty in the Henson lobby.
Paris Johnson prepares cucumber dish The cold kitchen backstage at the Henson Center was a beehive of activity before the Nov. 9 Veterans’ Day banquet.
School News
“I celebrate myself, and sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume, or every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” These iconic words of Walt Whitman not only form the thematic content of Lauren Gunderson’s play “I and You,” but speak to the commonality and unity brought to the theatergoers, respectively, who attended the sold-out showing of the play Nov. 8, 9 and 10 in Wilson Hall’s Black Box Theatre. This is the second performance I’ve had the pleasure of directing, the last being Power of Punctuation by playwright Natalie Margolin, who attended one of the productions last year. I had the opportunity this time to work with three amazing students who embodied the multiple perspectives Whitman aimed to capture in his work; all are from different majors and backgrounds. Dakota Ferraro, a freshman aviation major, plays Anthony, a student seeking help on his American literature project concerning Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself.” Caroline, the student he calls on for assistance, is portrayed by senior Shakuria Davis, a biology and computer science major. After a month of rehearsals that entailed weekends and late, long evenings, these two undergraduates astounded me not only with their ability to memorize the text of the play, but to really embody these two characters. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Richard Gordon, a senior English major, who renovated the Black Box Theatre and managed the lighting for the production. His vision converted the humble room #2104 in Wilson Hall into a legitimate theatre that I’m proud to invite students, administrators, and community members to see so that they, too, can be a part of the shared humanity and wisdom imparted by theatre, no matter what one’s background. Because of the show’s success, we were able to offer an encore performance on Tuesday, Nov. 27 for President Heidi M. Anderson and other
Wright debuts talk show
The Key / December 7, 2018
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Containing Multitudes
administrators whose schedules forced them to miss the first run. Looking ahead, we are eager to build on this community of theatre with upcoming productions by Eve Ensler and Dominique Morriseau. Watch for playbills announcing the shows. By Amy Hagenrater-Gooding
WESM 91.3 FM has a new weekly half-hour talk/interview radio program called ”UMES 30” that launched Sunday, Dec. 2 at 10:30 a.m. The show’s host is Dr. Joshua K. Wright, a tenured associate professor of history and a coordinator of the Social Studies Teacher Education program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The program will feature guests from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, as well as the local community and from around the country speaking on a wide variety of topics. Wright is the author of Empire and Black Images in Pop Culture and served as a contributor for Abernathy magazine from 2016-2018. He has previously published book chapters, academic journal articles, and newspaper op-eds on race, gender, sports, and popular culture. Dr. Wright is a co-editor for 2019 special issues of The Journal of Hip Hop Studies and a 2019 special issue on black popular culture for Africology: Journal of Pan African Studies. Dr. Wright has been interviewed by news affiliates of CBS, FOX, and NPR and spoken on panels at the Congressional Black Caucus annual meeting on topics ranging from Nelson Mandela and the Confederate Flag to black images in the media. Dr. Wright received his Ph.D. in history from Howard University and a Master’s from George Washington University. In 2013 he was among 30 faculty selected nationally to participate in a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., on African American Struggles for Freedom and Civil Rights at Harvard University. He is currently assisting in the creation of a digital museum, which will archive records for the Virginia Interscholastic Association (VIA), the governing body overseeing athletic competitions and other non-academic activities for the segregated black high schools in southern Virginia from 1954-1969.
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The Key / December 7, 2018
Athletics
Four Hawks named to ’18 All-MEAC Volleyball Team Babic, Blazevic, Carver, Kayongo all earn spots Photos by Joe Gardner
Four University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball players earned postseason recognition from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for their play in 2018. Lucia Babic was named first-team All-MEAC while Ivana Blazevic and Rachel Kayongo were placed on the second team. Freshman Mauri Carver was an all- rookie team selection. “These players … battled all season long and are deserving of these honors.” coach Trevor Callarman said. “They come in and work day in and day out to get better and I expect that to continue because like Mauri says, we are ‘Not done yet!’” Blazevic, Kayongo and Babic also were among seven Hawks to be named to MEAC’s All-Academic Team. Babic has been a perennial All-MEAC performer. She earned a third-team spot as a freshman and a pair of second-team honors as a sophomore and junior. She caps her career with first-team honors. Blazevic, a junior, is being honored for the second time; in 2016 she was named to the all-conference second team and also was an all-rookie selection. Kayongo, also a senior, and Carver are firsttime honorees. UMES tied with Howard
for the most All-MEAC selections.. Babic was second this past season in the MEAC with 4.39 points per set and third with 3.74 kills per set. She was also top 10 in the conference for aces and hitting percentage. Along the way, she recorded her 1,000 career kill against Hampton on Sept. 8, becoming the fifth Hawk this millennium to do so. On Oct. 1 and Nov. 12, she earned MEAC Player of the Week honors. Blazevic averaged 8.18 assists this season as the Hawks’ setter, but also proved to be an all-around player. With 0.42 aces per set, she ranked second in the MEAC and 43rd nationally. Those aces – serves that could not be returned – combined with 58 kills and 34 block participations, placed her fourth on the team with 109.5 points, ranking just behind teammates who are outside hitters. Kayongo ranked second on the team with 237 kills, an average of 2.72 per set. She eclipsed her career high in kills twice, with 21 against Liberty on Oct. 23 followed by 23 in an upset win over Howard on Nov. 4. She jumped from 10th on UMES’ all-time kill list to eighth with 831. Kayongo also was second on the team in points and third in aces and digs. Carver’s rookie team selection can be largely attributed to her blocking. She ranked second among conference freshman and 10th overall with 0.8 blocks per set, and led the Hawks with 52 block participations. On the offense she registered 51 kills and a .301 hitting percentage. The Hawks were 7 (wins) and 3 (losses) in regular season conference play, earning a second seed in the MEAC post-season tournament. The other Hawks named to the All-Academic Team were seniors Kendra Day, Maja Jankovic and Koya Sowells, sophomore Sola Okesanjo.
School News
SERVICE AWARDS A ceremony held Nov. 15 honored 101 UMES employees who reached milestones. Among them are these three who each have more than three decades of service to the university.
Dr. Frances McKinney (with Dr. Heidi M. Anderson)
Dr. Kenny Fotouhi (with state Del. Charles Otto)
Sharone Grant Otto) (with state Del. Charles
The Key / December 7, 2018
‘Leveling up’ at UMES Sophomore Jahad Martin is a winner of the “Level Up 2.0 Challenge,” a social media competition sponsored by Music Artist/Dancer Ciara and AT&T. The Philadelphia native and fellow students in mid-November produced and starred in a highenergy video demonstrating how UMES “levels up” inspired by the singer’s hit song by the same name. His surprise celebrity turn snagged him a $5,000 prize. Eden Enjoh Ndjami will deliver the December 2018 commencement’s student commentary. Ndjami, who was born in Cameroon, is a biology major with designs on becoming a nurse. She’s graduating a semester ahead of schedule while also working as a certified nursing assistant at the hospital in Salisbury. She speaks French and English, and promises to use only the latter in her Dec. 14 remarks. Dr. Rondall Allen is now serving as acting provost and vice president for academic affairs while President Heidi M. Anderson oversees a search for a new provost she hopes to appoint in the spring 2019. Allen was hired in 2015 to be UMES’ dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. He takes over from Dr. Kimberly Whitehead, who returns to her former role as vice provost for academic affairs.
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Dr. Heidi M. Anderson, center, was joined in mid-November by 17 colleagues who voluntarily participated in team training for a Title IX Hearing Panel organized by Jason Casares, UMES’ director of the Institutional Equity and Compliance office. (L-R) Sasha Lofton, Tylijah Cephas and Alexis Doon, all juniors, did a case study on body-weight changes from birthto-weaning of kids born a year ago on UMES’ small ruminant farm and presented their findings at the 2018 National Goat Conference at Tuskegee University. The Key / December 7, 2018
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Inquiries regarding the application of Federal laws and non-discrimination policies to University programs and activities may be referred to the Office of Equity & Compliance/Title IX Coordinator by telephone (410) 651-7848 or e-mail (titleix@umes.edu).
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