A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends A University of Maryland Eastern Shore professor and an upstart company founded by a 2015 alumnus have been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) Program to underwrite a technologyproduct development project involving biodegradable batteries. The MIPS funding will support a research partnership between Salisbury-based Badjo-T Industries LLC and Dr. Kausik S. Das to create a graphene-based supercapacitor both hope can power an exoskeletal suit designed by JeanPaul Badjo when he was a UMES student. MIPS jointly funds projects to support Maryland businesses that partner with University System of Maryland faculty in developing high-potential, technology-based commercial products. Badjo’s fondness for video games and evolving technology as an adolescent inspired the so-called “Badjo Suit.” As an undergraduate, Badjo occasionally trotted out his suit from
Badjo Suit
December 7, 2016
an obscure campus lab for demonstrations, including a stunt where one of the gloved hands doubled as a flame-thrower. Badjo, who received a UMES degree in electrical engineering in December 2015, has single-mindedly pursued the design and development of a prototype he envisions someday could lead to versions that emergency first-responders, the military and the entertainment industry might use. To power the many options Badjo wants to incorporate in his invention, he needs a reliable, lightweight power source. Enter Das, an assistant physics professor whose interest in alternative energy sources brought the two together. A graphene supercapacitor is flexible, can be created with a 3-D printer and “will be able to be used in future high-end uses for the exoskeleton,” according to the partners’ grant application. BADJO / continued on page 2
It’s three in a row for UMES’ physical therapy program
INSIDE
All 27 graduate students who earned doctorates in physical therapy this past September from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore passed the national licensure exam on the first try. UMES’ class of 2016 is the third consecutive group of graduates to achieve that distinction, a string of success that marks a first for the university since it began awarding the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree 12 years ago. “I’m proud of my classmates,” said Dr. Matthew Lucas, a newly minted physical therapist at Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury. “They’re all pretty smart. The school definitely prepared me for the test.” To be licensed as a practicing physical therapist, Lucas and his classmates had to pass a
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Winter Commencement
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Thanksgiving Tradition Froggy Fiascos
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Hawks’ Corner Students on Scooters
standardized test administered on behalf of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Members of the class of 2016 acknowledged when receiving their degrees in September the “perfect” performances by their counterparts
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Faculty Spotlight Ben Webster: Student Ambassador
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Athletics: Lady Hawks Resurgence Bowling Poll
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International Education Week Pi Gamma Mu
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Calendar of Events
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The Key / December 7, 2016
Circling the Oval
UMES prepares for winter commencement exercises Three retired University of Maryland Eastern Shore educators with nearly a century of combined service will be among those singled out for recognition during winter commencement exercises Dec. 16. John Lamkin (music), Howard Rebach (social sciences) and Karen Verbeke (education) join the exclusive ranks of UMES faculty emeriti during graduation ceremonies at the Hytche Athletic Center that begin at 10 a.m. Verbeke led the education department for 25 years before retiring in 2015, while Rebach joined the UMES faculty in 1972 and over 40plus years became a colorful institution himself in the social sciences department, where he still dabbles as a part-time lecturer. Lamkin was perhaps the most visible instructor of the three, teaching as well as playing his magical trumpet alongside generations of students who came under his tutelage over a span of three decades. One of the 325 degree candidates in the audience who will witness the three faculty members being honored will be Lamkin’s grandson, John R. Lamkin IV, an accounting major. DaMisha Vonyé Helene Brown, an English major from Wilmington, Del., will deliver the student commentary on behalf of the Class of 2016. Brown and her classmates will hear from commencement speaker Tinisha Agramonte, a Civil Rights champion and federal senior executive service member. Agramonte, whose life experiences inspired her personal and professional mission “to advance equitable opportunities for all,” has worked with historically black institutions to strengthen their capacity to provide the highest quality education and to increase their access to federal funds and programs. Robert Caret will be attending his first UMES graduation as the University System of Maryland’s chancellor.
BADJO / continued from cover
“Supercapacitors are better at supplying large amounts of power in short bursts of time without losing energy,” the partners’ project abstract says. Das said he’s driven to produce a battery that is “biodegradable, compact and wearable.” Badjo secured $40,000 in seed funding over the past year to sustain his work on developing the suit through participation in the Shore Hatchery Entrepreneurship Competition sponsored by Salisbury University. That success inspired Badjo and Das this past May to pursue support funding from MIPS, a program of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) in the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. To meet a MIPS’ grant requirement once it was approved, Badjo-T Industries contributed $10,000 to the project. Badjo currently is a graduate engineering student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. For nearly three decades, MIPS has been working with entrepreneurs to
provide “matching funds to help Maryland companies pay for the university research. Projects are initiated by the companies to meet their own research and development goals.” “MIPS matching funds are awarded on a competitive basis for projects based on proposals submitted jointly by Maryland companies and researchers from any of the 13 University System institutions,” according to the program’s website. For proprietary reasons, Das and Badjo cannot offer too much detail about their work. Badjo says he is working on version three of the self-named suit and is already thinking ahead to a fourth while Das focuses on battery options. “We are all excited for this industry-academia partnership and creating some innovative intellectual properties to create jobs and growth,” Das said. Working with Das, Badjo said, has “inspired me to pursue and keep up with new technologies.”
UMES People
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UMES’“Dean”Tilghman continues Thanksgiving tradition Thanks to an act of kindness and a 35-year tradition, UMES students staying on campus over the Thanksgiving break were personally invited to a meal hosted by Residence Life Area Director “Dean” John Tilghman and his family. Tilghman played host to some 30 students for the meal; some who hail from as far away as Texas and California, along with international students. His brother, sister-in-law and sister, Evelyn Christy, a long-serving dining services employee, buy the ingredients and prepare a feast of turkey and all the trimmings. Evelyn’s specialty, he said, are the pies and cakes. “It’s not just the food that they come for,” he said. “Students say they look forward to the fellowship.” Tilghman makes sure they mingle and talk with each other and his family members. His one requirement for the meal is that guests eat together in a decorated and inviting common area of the residence hall. After the meal, he provides carry out containers for them to take extras back to their rooms. Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving dinner left overs? PT / continued from cover
the two previous years was occasionally a topic of discussion. “I really feel like it’s the instructors, the professors, the staff there and the class structure that helped us to get that passing rate,” said Dr. Katie Irvine, who works at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital in Seaford. “We were prepared.” Dr. Rondall E. Allen, dean of UMES’ School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, said he was “extremely proud of the faculty and staff in the physical therapy department. They have been intentional and diligent in their efforts to prepare our students for the national exam.” Allen and Interim Provost Kimberly Whitehead singled out for praise Dr. Michael Rabel, just the second department chairman since the university launched at the time an undergraduate program in 1981. UMES is one of two Maryland universities with a physical therapy program and among eight historically black institutions on the federation’s list of 226 accredited schools in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. UMES typically receives hundreds of applications annually for roughly 30to-34 spaces in a rigorous course of study that takes three years to complete. The most recent group to graduate was UMES’ 12th to complete
By Julia Rocha
doctorate-level instruction, which includes extensive hands-on field work in clinical settings. Those experiences often lay the groundwork for job offers upon graduation, which was the case with Irvine, who grew up in Salisbury, and Lucas, originally from Mitchellville, Md. in Prince George’s County. “The program gets you to where you need to be,” Lucas said. “A lot of people are there to support you and move you along in your career.” The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website says the average salary for a physical therapist in 2015 was $84,020. “Employment … is projected to grow at a much faster rate than the average for all occupations” over the next 8-to-10 years, the federal agency notes. “Physical therapists will be needed to treat people with mobility issues stemming from chronic conditions, such as diabetes or obesity.” According to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, UMES is among 112 schools that can boast all of their graduates between 2012 and 2014 passed the national test, including those who took it more than once. UMES is the lone historically black institution in that select group. Whitehead, the interim provost, said she “was excited to learn about the 100 percent pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Exam achieved by the UMES physical therapy class of 2016 on the first attempt.” “This tremendous outcome,” she said, “speaks volumes about the highquality, stellar educational experience offered by (our) physical therapy program.”
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The Key / December 7, 2016
School News
UMES has a permanent presence in downtown Princess Anne at the corner of Prince William St. and Somerset Ave. Every first Thursday, Walter Woods, coordinator for outreach and strategic initiatives, is there along with representatives from a UMES program to host an open reception. “This is an opportunity for the community to see UMES’ skill, talent and creativity in full bloom,” Woods said. “It has created a bright spot in town.” Fashion merchandising students in UMES’ human ecology department have gotten some hands on Ebony Gayle, a senior studying fashion merchandising, puts some experience while assisting finishing touches on a window display at Hawks’ Corner in Princess Woods in making the storefront Anne’s downtown district.
i n t r o d u c e s U M E S to co m m u n i t y
attractive. Students in Dr. Bridgett Clinton-Scott’s visual merchandising class have created displays this fall with themes related to International Education Week, promoting green initiatives and wishing the community a happy holiday season. The student-designed windows have garnered much attention from citizens, town visitors and university staff, said Woods. “If you haven’t stopped by yet, consider this an invitation,” Woods said. For more information, or to have your program highlighted during a first Thursday event, call 410-651-7684 or email wwwoods@umes.edu.
Baseball team gets new wheels UMES students have been seen on campus this semester sporting hot, new rides - but they aren’t cars. Kick scooters, which were a childhood summer staple for many, are making a comeback on the UMES campus. Some have opted for the adult-sized versions of these blasts from the past. The university baseball team has led the charge for the budding campus trend with several players zipping across school grounds on them. The scooters, which retail for around $100, have been “upsized” to accommodate larger riders. For some, they’ve proven to be sound investments, saving students time and money. Randy Pineda, 18, says it helps him get more rest in the morning before class. “I don’t have to wake up like 10 minutes earlier to go to my 8 a.m. I can stay a little bit more in bed because I can get to class quicker.” Not only is this resurging mode of transportation good for the team members’ sleeping habits, it’s also good for their wallets. “It saves me a lot of gas money, because I don’t have to go from parking lot to parking lot,” says Evan Bertone, 21. Bertone lives in Talons Square and used to drive to class every day, but now uses his scooter to ride around campus. Even though they have proven their practicality, the scooters were initially met with skepticism from some within the UMES community. “People first look at you kind of funny. They’ll laugh here and there or maybe give you a smile,” says Pineda. Bertone has other suspicions, “I think everyone else on campus is kind of jealous. I mean, come on, it’s a scooter.” In spite of the initial reactions, attitudes towards scooters and their riders have begun to shift. “Now, I’ve actually got people in my class asking me the price (and) where I got it. Each day I get somebody just asking me, like, why I do it, and I tell them it’s for fun,” Pineda said. Tyler Friis, a junior, was the first among his teammates to utilize the
Josh Pietrandrea, Tyler Friis, Stephen Cook, Evan Bertone, Randy Pineda and Wesley Martin
popular children’s toy for campus transportation. “This summer, I was in North Carolina playing ball and it just kind of hit me: You should get a scooter, Tyler. So I got a scooter.” Friis said some of his teammates have been slow to catch on to the newest way to get around campus. “I told them, like, ‘Guys there’s going to be a trend catching on,’ but they weren’t into it.” By Taahira Thompson, UMES Talon Media Group intern
School News
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Faculty Spotlight Karl Binns, Jr., coordinator of recruitment, retention and experiential learning in UMES’ School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, was selected as a Class X fellow in the LEAD Maryland program sponsored by the organization’s foundation, the University of Maryland Extension, and business and industry partners. Binns will serve a two-year term with peers in a class of 20-25 “emerging leaders” in agriculture, natural resources and rural communities. Through program participation, “fellows become more prepared to solve problems, identify resources, engage and educate others, lead communities and shape public policy.” Activities such as the Image of Agriculture Symposium held on Nov. 19 in College Park support the organization’s goal to “highlight the diversity of Maryland agriculture and impact the industry has on the state’s economy.” This year’s theme, “The Many Faces of Maryland Agriculture,” points to those goals. Binns chaperoned UMES Junior MANRRS students at the event. “Agriculture is the largest commercial industry in Maryland,” Binns said. “It supports more than 350,000 jobs that go beyond the farm. As an educator and MANRRS collegiate and high school advisor, I’m hoping to help reach students who may be searching for a career either in production agriculture or one of the professions that support the industry.”
Ben Webster: student ambassador extraordinaire
Junior business administration major Benjamin Webster wears many hats on UMES’ campus; chief among them: a Richard A. Henson Honors scholar; U.S. Department of Education White House HBCU ambassador; Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences president; Thurgood Marshall College Fund student ambassador and president of UMES’ Uniquely Defined student organization. Take a look at some of the professional activities last month that he and fellow students attended as UMES representatives. Webster encourages others to consider applying for these and other opportunities. Conference expenses are typically covered by the organizations. Octavia Outlaw and Webster were selected to attend the Human Rights Campaign 2017 HBCU Leadership and Career Summit Nov. 10-13 in Washington, D.C. as representatives of the university and its gay-straight alliance, Uniquely Defined. The conference, Webster said, was beneficial “because it empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to be change-agents on their respective campus’ and lead resourcefully through the intersections of race, religion, gender identity, class and sexual orientation.” (Kaivon Pearson was also selected.)
From left, Owanaemi Davies, Webster, Jahmai Holland and Georgio Lamptey were among 12 UMES students who attended the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute Nov. 18-22 in Washington, D.C. Webster touted the event as “a life-changing experience,” where students participated in workshops, networked with business representatives from top companies, and interviewed for internships and employment. UMES students, he said, “walked away with over 10 internships and full-time job offers.”
Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences members Nakya Robinson and Joshua Orebiyi attended a leader’s conference Nov. 30 in Kansas City, Mo. as part of the Agriculture Future of America University Growth Initiative Grant. The award, Webster said, is highly competitive with only three universities across the country being selected. “This illustrates that the UMES MANRRS chapter not only has top talent, but is actively providing opportunities for members to grow personally and professionally. (Nakia Coit, not pictured, was also selected.)
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The Key / December 7, 2016
Athletics
Lady Hawks’ basketball shows promising signs of resurgence
Eaton
Subritzky The Hytche Athletic Center has been good to the university’s women’s basketball team so far this season. The Lady Hawk hoopsters won both of their first two home games, which enabled the squad to post a 3-win 2-loss record for November, the only MidEastern Athletic Conference school with a winning record for the month. According to the Salisbury Daily Times, the Hawks’ winning record through the first five games is a first since the 2002-03 season. The most recent win, a 60-53 victory over the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, avenged a 20-point defeat a year ago on the road against the Spartans (4-3). Guard Moengaroa Subritzky, a redshirt junior, posted her first doubledouble of the season, scoring 14 points and gathering 11 rebounds. Center Tori Morris, also a redshirt junior, registered 14 points, collected seven boards and had three blocked shots in the victory. “I didn’t realize Tori had such a big game until I looked at the box score,” coach Fred Batchelor told The Times after the game. “I knew she was impactful, but she had a big fourth quarter.” UNCG held a six-point lead late in the second half after splitting a pair of free throws, 53-47 before the Hawks went on a 13-0 run to close out the game and earn a come-from-behind victory. A three-point shot by Subritzky with 2:51 left in the contest gave the Lady Hawks the lead for good. The Hawks’ defense in the waning moments was the difference as they held the Spartans scoreless in the final six minutes. A layup by Morris and a pair of made free throws from sophomores Keyera Eaton and Ciani Byrom, both from nearby Winston-Salem, N.C., sealed the deal for the Hawks. Byrom finished with 12 points, eight assists and five rebounds in 32 minutes of action. On the defensive end, Eaton and the Hawks held Nadine Solimon, UNCG’s top scorer at 20 points per game, to just nine points. “Our will to win is the big difference,” Morris told The Times. “There’s a fight in us. We know that there is a lot of talent on this team, … and we really feel like we can win each game.” Bachelor’s squad next takes the Hytche hardwood vs. MEAC foe Howard on Saturday, Jan. 24. Before then, the Hawks will play road games in Durham and Greensboro, N.C., Boca Raton, Fla., Spartanburg, S.C., Emmitsburg, Md. and Charlottesville, Va., where the contest against the Lady Cavaliers will be broadcast on the ACC TV network at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21. Season tickets for the 2016-2017 season are on sale starting at just $125 for all men’s and women’s home games. Purchasing a season ticket helps all sports at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, not just basketball. For more information about the 1ticKet Drive, log on to the web at www.easternshorehawks.com or call 410-6516499.
School News
International Education Week observed
The Key / December 7, 2016
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The Center for International Education in collaboration with campus partners sponsored a recognition week Nov. 14-18. Among the events were open houses in the center and at Hawks’ Corner in downtown Princess Anne, an International Festival, a Passport Day highlighting study abroad opportunities, panel discussions and a Sudan Day.
Pictured, from left, are: Azah Abdalla Mohamed, Reem Dafalla, Dr. Juliette B. Bell, Samar Abdelrahman, Fatima Ibrahim and Raza Dafalla.
Enjoying international teas at a Hawks’ Corner open house Nov. 18, from left, are: Derrick Cheruiyot, a senior engineering major; Norrah Wasike, a sophomore accounting major; Walter Woods, UMES’ coordinator for outreach and strategic initiatives; Dr. Lombuso Khoza, interim director, Center for International Education; Randa Elnasry, Azah Abdalla Mohamed, and Dr. Grace Namwamba, chair of human ecology.
Dancer at Sudan Day.
Pi Gamma Mu inducts members The Maryland Eta Chapter of the Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society at UMES inducted 13 members in an official ceremony on Nov. 16. Pictured at the induction ceremony from left, are: (front row) Dr. Ray Davis, dean of the School of Education, Social Sciences, and the Arts; seniors Chantel Thompson, Annika Nichols, Jocelyn Harmon and Marketa Stanfield; Dr. Kimberly Whitehead, interim provost; graduate student Eyerusalem Fitta; (back row) seniors Michael Robinson II, Kyle Williams and Kevin D. Jackson; graduate student Eric Jodlbauer; senior Janay Lanzo; graduate student Jeremy Jones; and Dr. Clara Small, interim chair of social sciences and second vice president of the honor society’s international board of trustees. The organization recognizes the scholarly achievements of students pursuing degrees in the social science disciplines, Davis said. Membership qualifications are rigorous; upper classmen and graduate students must have at least 20 credits in social sciences, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA and rank in the top 35 percent of their class.
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The Key / December 7, 2016
Calendar
arts & entertainment calendar
Have a Safe and Happy Holiday! UMES will be closed the week of Dec. 26 and will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 3.
T H E U MES MISSION The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the state’s historically black, 1890 land-grant institution, has its purpose and uniqueness grounded in distinctive learning, discovery and engagement opportunities in the arts and science, education, technology, engineering, agriculture, business and health professions. UMES is a student-centered, doctoral research degree-granting university known for its nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate programs, applied research and highly valued graduates. UMES provides individuals, including first-generation college students, access to a holistic learning environment that fosters multicultural diversity, academic success, and intellectual and social growth. UMES prepares graduates to address challenges in a global, knowledgebased economy while maintaining its commitment to meeting the workforce and economic development needs of the Eastern Shore, the state, the nation and the world.
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 nondiscrimination 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).
The KEY is published by the Office of Public Relations in the Office of the President 410-651-7580 www.umes.edu
Editors Gail Stephens, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Publications Manager Bill Robinson, Director of Public Relations Design by Debi Rus, Rus Design Inc. Printed by The Hawk Copy Center Submissions to The KEY are preferred via email. All copy is subject to editing.The Key is written according to the Associated Press stylebook.