A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends
Salisbury University, UMES forge a new academic partnership agreement The University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Salisbury University have formed a new academic partnership capable of producing pharmacists in six years. The agreement creating a “cooperative undergraduate/professional program” will streamline instruction by as many as two years and subsequently save students the comparable cost of extra tuition. “We are excited about our partnership with Salisbury University and look forward to working with them to fully implement this agreement,” said Dr. Rondall E. Allen, dean of the UMES School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. Chemistry majors at Salisbury University who meet the requirements and have strong academic credentials may gain preferential admission to UMES’ professional degree program after just three years of undergraduate study. UMES’s pharmacy program, one of 15 in the nation that offers yearround instruction, enables students to earn a doctorate in three years instead of the traditional four. Salisbury University students who opt to pursue the UMES pharmacy track and successfully complete the “3 + 3” program will earn two degrees, one from each institution. “Salisbury University has a strong Chemistry Department,” said Dr. Michael Scott, interim dean of SU’s Henson School of Science and Technology. “The new agreement will benefit its majors wishing to become pharmacists, particularly those who may find it financially practical or have other reasons to stay longer in the region.” “To earn an undergraduate degree and a professional doctorate in
six years has obvious benefits in costs and employment,” Scott said. “We are grateful that collaborations like this work well for students and programs at each institution.” The partnership’s goal, Allen said, is “to encourage academic and administrative coordination between the institutions and the exchange of evaluative information on outcomes of the program with the goal of continual improvement.” Ashley Gosseline, a Wicomico High School counselor, predicts “this agreement between two local colleges our student population highly desires will find much success and a high level of interest.” “Even in high school, students who have definite career plans, especially those that require more than four years of schooling, are very eager to learn about programs that can help cut down the number of years required of them,” Gosselin said. UMES has produced 284 pharmacists – including six during the December 2017 commencement exercises – since its first class enrolled in 2010. The university is among the nation’s top 10 institutions producing AfricanAmerican pharmacists. Gosselin, the Wi-Hi counselor, said she finds students and their families increasingly are cost-conscious, especially those considering in-state options for college and career choices that lead to graduate-level training. “I think you’ll find many students creating definite plans that include (Salisbury and UMES) early on in their junior and senior years,” she said. “This is an amazing opportunity for us to share with our students and help them think about and solidify their long-term goals.” Faculty at both institutions, Allen said, will collaborate to ensure courses and student performance meet rigorous academic standards, and that Salisbury University students have access to advising about how to qualify for early admission to UMES. Collaboration between UMES and Salisbury University faculties in crafting complimentary academic agreements dates back to 1990, when the two institutions created a rigorous dual degree program in sociology and social work. That long-standing program since has been followed by two more dual degree options for undergraduates; environmental science (UMES) and biology (Salisbury) as well as physics (Salisbury) and engineering (UMES).
INSIDE
Photo courtesy Terry Zaperach, NASA
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Morgan State celebrates P.A. Academy Day Greene Lands Coveted Cisco Internship
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Timmons Elected to DPI Digital Conference in DC Webster Studies in Spain Photographing Humane Society Pets
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Winter Commencement 2018
January 26, 2018
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Golfing Students Recognized for Clothing Drive
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Track & Field Resumes
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AVIATION / continued on page 6
Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference Farm Credit Foundation Board Appointment Celebrity Sighting at UMES
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A&E Calendar
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The Key / January 26, 2018
Circling the Oval
Morgan State University’s celebration of its 150th anniversary included a Founders’ Week ceremony formally recognizing the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s shared history with the Baltimore institution. Morgan President David Wilson presented Dr. Juliette B. Bell, his UMES counterpart, with a proclamation declaring Dec. 1, 2017 “Princess Anne Academy Day” as a sesquicentennial milestone. From 1886 until the mid-1930s, the institution commonly referred to as Princess Anne Academy was a branch of Morgan, both of which were founded by Methodist Episcopal Church leaders to provide African-Americans with access to formal education. Academy graduates frequently went on to enroll in Morgan to earn a college degree until the state of Maryland acquired the Princess Anne prep school in the midst of the Great Depression and converted it into a baccalaureate-degree granting public institution. Mary Omega Moore was a 1926 Academy graduate who earned two degrees from Morgan and eventually settled on Delmarva, where she first taught and then served as a popular Cooperative Extension Service agent. Moore’s son, 1978 UMES alumnus Bill Jones, traveled from Charlotte to represent his late mother at the Morgan proclamation event at his alma mater. Morgan’s Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee also unveiled a
custom-inscribed brick that Wilson announced will be placed in a prominent location in the heart of the Baltimore campus. Bell said Princess Anne Academy’s early relationship with Morgan “strengthened its resolve to provide educational opportunity for all students, regardless of race or socioeconomic status – and we were laying the foundation for our long-term commitment as the state’s public 1890 land-grant institution.” “Then, and now,” Bell said, “We, along with Morgan, sought parity for our institutions -- that we might advance our mission through the procurement of resources that would enhance our educational offerings, build facilities and hire faculty and staff that would help us to prepare future generations.” The proclamation ceremony also singled out the first five leaders, who were Morgan employees; Dr. Thomas Kiah, Frank Trigg, Dr. Pezavia O’Connell and Portia and Benjamin Bird, the school’s first two principals. The Bird’s great-granddaughter, Belinda Patrick and her daughter LaTonya Bannister and son-in-law Richard were on hand to celebrate the moment. After each of former leaders were briefly recognized, a special sesquicentennial bell was sounded as a tribute to their contribution. “It’s an honor to be part of this wonderful ceremony,” Bannister said.
Morgan State celebrates Princess Anne Academy Day
Greene lands coveted tech sales internship UMES junior Daevon Greene nailed down his 2018 summer job plans on Halloween, thanks to a fledgling partnership between the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Cisco Systems Inc., a computer networking conglomerate. Greene landed a nine-week sales internship with the California-based technology giant after winning a competition during the fall semester with five other UMES students seeking the coveted offer. “This is my dream job,” said the computer science major whose focus is on business practices. Greene is UMES’ third undergraduate to be offered a Cisco summer internship, part of the company’s strategy to identify potential employees early on, and the university’s commitment to forging job networking opportunities with high-profile companies. In Fortune magazine’s Top 500 companies list, Cisco ranked 60th in 2017 and also was listed as the nation’s 67th best place to work. Greene said he was told he’ll be one of 20 college students from across the country participating in the summer internship program. Cisco was a brand familiar to Greene as a student at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md., where as a sophomore he qualified to take an honors class utilizing a curriculum the company created. “That made me realize I didn’t want to be on the technology side but the sales said,” said Greene, who is from Clinton, Md. Which made for interesting discussions around the dinner table at home. Greene’s father works as a computer information systems technician. After enrolling at UMES, Greene found part-time work during summer and holiday breaks selling men’s and women’s shoes at Nordstrom. It was at the luxury department store that he discovered a knack for salesmanship and enjoyed engaging customers. GREENE / continued on page 5
UMES People
Congratulations to Jennifer Timmons, a researcher and assistant professor of poultry science, on being elected vice president of Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc.’s governing board for 2018. She’s now in line to be the panel’s next president, the third woman to hold that post.
The Key / January 26, 2018
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UMES’ Monisha Das had a chance to meet Seng Yee Lau, a marketing and advertising executive with China’s Tencent Holdings, who was a keynote speaker at the 2017 International Monetary Fund’s “measuring the Digital Economy” conference in Washington. Each spring, Das teaches the “Introduction to E Commerce” course.
While UMES was digging out from a January blizzard, student-ambassador Ben Webster spent the winter session immersed in an intensive two-week academic program through International Studies Abroad in sunny & warm Salamanca, Spain.
Destiny Brown, a student in Catherine Hellsten’s digital photography class, joined classmates after Thanksgiving at the Humane Society of Wicomico County, where they snapped creative pet portraits hoping to hasten holiday season adoptions with online images.
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The Key / January 26, 2018
School News
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore awarded 270 degrees at its 21st winter commencement exercises. Families and friends filled the courtside bleachers in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center, ignoring a chilly forecast of a potential second December snowfall and basked in the joy of a quintessential rite of passage. Among those receiving degrees were two sisters who shared the milestone together, a hospitality tourism management student with a job waiting in San Francisco, a biology major whose senior research project convinced her there are environmentally safe ways to kill mosquitoes, and the university’s first graduate in cybersecurity engineering technology. Omolayo A. Oladimeji of Bowie, Md. delivered the student commentary on behalf of her undergraduate peers. She challenged her classmates to embrace altruism in post-college life. “If you want to make a difference start with yourself,” Oladimeji said.
excited at the same time,” Branham said. Juanita J. Ekue-Hettah of Silver Spring worked two part-time jobs while also pursuing a hospitality & tourism management degree UMES
“What can we do better? How can we empower somebody else? What skills can you develop so we can be more valuable to our community?” “If you want things to change – start with yourself,” she said. “You must change. We must give back – giving back must become more proactive – almost second nature.” Myles L. Banks of Baltimore entered UMES thinking he wanted to major in engineering, but discovered his real interest was filmmaking, so he switched to business administration with the goal of starting his own production company. As an undergraduate, he filmed “virtual recruitment videos … to show prospective students the (UMES) campus.” “With a strong business background from UMES and extensive film experience, I feel that I am ready to start my own video production company,” Banks said. “I understand none of this would have been possible without the work of God, a serious work ethic and the support of UMES!” Graduate Kari A. Colona grew up in nearby Westover and knows mosquitoes are not only a nuisance but can transmit harmful viruses. Working alongside a faculty mentor, Colona found “we don’t have to use pesticides from the 1960s and 1970s. That is very dangerous. We don’t have to do it that way anymore. We can use natural substances.” A dean’s list student, Colona said, “It takes a strong willed individual to major biology. You have to push yourself. It’s hard work. Devote yourself to your study.” That sentiment was shared by Al-Jaquice F. Branham (left) and Na’Yonna L. Boyd, (right), sisters from Washington, D.C. Branham earned a kinesiology degree while Boyd majored in accounting. “This road was not easy,” Boyd said. “But I feel blessed, humbled and thankful for everything UMES did for me.” Branham agreed she too found college life a challenge and felt a range of emotions about commencement. “In some ways, I guess you could say it’s overwhelming. But I’m also
offers at the Universities of Shady Grove in Rockville. “It was not easy,” Ekue-Hettah said. “But I can see now all the hard work has paid off.” She accepted a position as an events operation planner for the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront. Roderick B. Dillard, who works for the Maryland Department of Education, has the distinction of being UMES’ first graduate of the cybersecurity engineering technology program. Roderick B. Dillard It’s the 54-year-old Navy veteran’s third became UMES’ first graduate of degree; he earned a business administration the cybersecurity degree from Mt. St. Mary’s College in his native engineering technology New York in 1985 and a Master’s degree in program. management information systems from Bowie State University four years ago. “It was a challenge being a full-time employee,” he said of the Bowie experience, which required in-person attendance. “But if the window of opportunity is there, you take advantage of it.” UMES’ cybersecurity degree is part of a new frontier in higher education; it is offered online with interactive sessions involving students around the country. “What worked for me was that each degree complimented the previous degree and created a greater body of work,” he said. Another non-traditional student who also earned a Master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling was David E. Turco of Crisfield. A homebuilder whose earning power was sidelined by the 2008 recession, Turco decided to change careers. Two years ago, he earned an undergraduate degree in rehabilitation service and topped it off with a graduate degree. “It was arduous, especially working as well,” said Turco, a father of two and grandfather of two. “But it was worth it. I feel proud I’ve accomplished this goal.” Erika L. Graham of Oxon Hill received her degree in rehabilitation services and said looking back, choosing UMES was the right choice. “I grew a lot. I learned a lot. I experienced a lot,” Graham said. “But I think one of the most important things I will take away from this experience is knowing when you have to adapt” to challenges and changes.
Chevaun Batchelor of Princess Anne, Allison Mae Anderson of Colorado Springs, Colo., Myles Banks of Baltimore
‘This road was not easy.’
School News
The Key / January 26, 2018
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Clothing drive nets UMES golf students national acclaim
A clothing drive UMES’ PGA golf management students conducted in 2017 has received national recognition by a philanthropy founded by golf pros that collects and passes on recycled apparel to the needy. UMES students’ efforts in rounding up nearly 500 pounds of “gently used” clothing donated to Go-Getters of Salisbury won the inaugural Golden Hanger Challenge sponsored by the Pros Fore Clothes Foundation. The recognition earned UMES upperclassmen Joe Ellis and Tyler McElroy an all-expenses paid trip in December to Raleigh, N.C. where they toured the corporate headquarters of Peter Millar, a popular golf apparel GREENE / continued from page 2
“I’m a people person,” he said. “I like the feeling I get when I take care of customers, and seeing that they are happy with the purchases they made.” During his 2018 summer internship, Greene will shadow a Cisco sales representative to learn how the company markets its vast array of products and services. He’ll be based at the San Jose headquarters of the company, which also arranged for his housing and transportation as perks. “It’s going to be an interesting experience, but I think I’m up for it,” Greene said. “I’ll definitely be getting out of my comfort zone.” UMES’ Career and Professional Development Center and its Department of Business, Management and Accounting work together to make the connection with Cisco personnel leaders who constantly are looking to keep the pipeline of new employees flowing. The company employs more than 73,000 people. Greene, a dean’s list student, credits Dr. Bryant Mitchell, a UMES business professor, with helping him be prepared for the competition, which
manufacturer. Winning the competition, Ellis said, “meant all of our efforts as a team helped better our community.” All told, the competition generated slightly more than a ton of clothes collected by UMES and three other universities with golf management degree programs that accepted the challenge. Go-Getters of Salisbury, the local beneficiary, is “a community of friendship providing sanctuary & support to adults recovering from substance abuse and / or severe mental illness on the Lower Shore.” Charlie Schuyler and his wife launched the Pros Fore Clothes Foundation. Schuyler is a senior assistant golf pro at the Augusta National Golf Club, home of the renowned Masters’ tournament. The Schuylers came up with the idea for a clothing-centric foundation after realizing pro golfers accumulate a lot of apparel from corporate sponsors and golf course pro shops that ends up in closets unworn after a handful of times. Even golf management students like Ellis, McElroy and their classmates know that situation. Degree requirements include hands-on experience working at golf courses, where students will typically be handed a stack of shirts with logos to wear on the job. “This competition made perfect sense to me,” Ellis said. “I don’t need five shirts from the same internship” once it ends. McElroy said “we love the community service aspect of it,” noting he and his peers also have served as volunteers at the Salisbury Zoo. In addition to the “Golden Hanger” trophy recognizing their stellar efforts, each UMES golf management student will receive an individual gift as well as participate in an on-campus educational program presented by Schuyler’s foundation as well as senior executives from Peter Millar.
required two rounds of interviews that included a mock sales presentation. “Without him,” Greene said. “I wouldn’t have won the competition. He took the extra time to make sure all the competitors were prepared.” The topic UMES students were given was developing a plan for selling computer software to a school district with outdated technology and “convincing them to go digital using Cisco products,” Greene said. He estimates he spent six weeks doing research to prepare for the competition. He also sought advice from Waunye Seawell, UMES’ previous Cisco summer intern. “Being confident takes you a long way,” Greene said. “My Nordstrom experience helped me a lot.” What makes a good salesman? “I’m always smiling,” he said. Winning the competition, Greene said, “means a lot to me. I’ve never won anything before.” “It shows anything is possible,” he said.
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The Key / January 26, 2018
Athletics
Track & field teams resume indoor meet season in NYC The 2018 leg of UMES’ indoor track and field schedule saw the Hawks travel to New York the second weekend in January, where the men’s and women’s teams faced stiff competition in separate meets over two days. Ten Maryland Eastern Shore track athletes set personal records as the teams competed in the Towson University Tiger Invitational Jan. 13 at The Armory. The Hawk men finished seventh in a 12-team field, while the women were 12th in a 14-team meet. The day before at the same historic venue, both teams competed in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Battle and secured fourth place finishes. The women’s team earned 59 points for a sole possession fourth place spot in an 11-team field, while the men tied for fourth with Virginia Union, scoring 50 points in the 12-team field. Morgan State’s men’s and women’s teams sent a message to MEAC rivals by winning both meets. HBCU Battle summary (Jan. 12): Three Shore athletes punched their ticket to the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championship next month. Senior Tanise Edwards makes a return trip to Landover with a distance of 5.64 meters in the long jump, coming in second during the meet. From the men’s team, senior Donovan Mundy (right) and sophomore Tamunoibi Dabipi will join Edwards there, after Mundy won the 800 meter with a time of 1:55.36, and Dabipi earned a mark of 15.50 meters in the weight throw to claim a victory and set a personal record.
Mundy and Dabipi’s wins were matched by a victory in the women’s 4x200 relay. That achievement was made with a winning time of 1:46.17 by the quartet of sophomore Summer Fields, freshmen Christina Cropper and Ayanna Lynn and sophomore Kiki Fapohunda. Personal records were set in 13 different events by 11 different Hawks, including Dabipi’s weight throw mark. Ten personal-best performances came from the men’s team with the women adding three. While several were accomplished by freshmen in a debut race, the list also included junior Joshua Dacres in the 60 meter dash, Fields in the women’s 60, and sophomore Isaiah Smith in the 200 meter dash. Towson Invitational summary (Jan. 13): Freshman Jessica Roney (bottom left) turned in a personal best of 1:00.75 in the 400 meter dash and a mark of 4.85 meters in the long jump, while freshman Nathaniel Sheppard impressed in the dashes with times of 7.75 seconds in the 60-meter dash and 23.95 seconds in the 200 meter race, also personal records. Additional personal records were set by Mundy in the 1000 meter dash, junior Judah Corriette in the 500 meter dash, and sophomores Neus Quinonero in the 500 meter, Dabipi in the weight throw and Tenae Pitts for the long jump. Other freshmen turning in solid performances were Timothy Brice and Janoi Brown in the 400 meter dash and Ngoy Yamitshi in the 500 meter dash.
School News
The Key / January 26, 2018
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Innovations in Teaching and Learning event attracts diverse crowd Building on the success of a one-day conference a year ago, UMES’ Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs played host to the Innovations in Teaching and Learning conference for one and a half-days on Jan. 11 and 12. The University welcomed 135 teaching professionals, students and exhibitors from nine institutions for a series of twenty-five, 50-minute concurrent sessions on topics ranging from innovative pedagogy assessment to technology and diversity. Two pre-conference workshops also were held on implementing problem-based learning and using technology to “take back your life.” Keynote speaker Krishna Dunston, Director of Outcomes Assessment at Delaware County (Pa.) Community College, used the analogy of a TV cooking show to explain assessment in learning objectives to the attendees. The Provost’s office covered the expenses of attendees on the UMES faculty. Joining Academic Affairs as conference sponsors were Campus Compact Mid-Atlantic, Ad Astra, Barnes & Noble College, Respondus, Blackboard, Echo360 and PlayPosit. The Provost’s Office hopes to make this an annual event.
UMES’ Karl Binns Jr. named to Farm Credit Foundation board
Karl Binns Jr. has been appointed to the board of the Farm Credit Foundation for Agricultural Advancement. He assumes his new leadership position this month. “Karl is respected by his peers and students, and has devoted his career and outside interests to education and improving the lives of young adults,” said Cheryl Steinbacher, MidAtlantic Farm Credit’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “We’re thrilled to have him join the Foundation’s board of directors.” “I have worked with Karl for the past two years through the Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and can attest to his impeccable character,” Steinbacher said. Binns is lead development officer at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and serves as the school’s MANRRS adviser. He is a recipient of the Maryland State Department of Education’s Outstanding Change Agent for Postsecondary Education honor. Binns is also a member of the Baltimore City Extension advisory board, and is involved with the Maryland Council for Agriculture Education. “It has truly been a pleasure working with the dynamic team at MidAtlantic Farm Credit, as well as the entire Farm Credit System, through my leadership programs at University of Maryland Eastern Shore and with MANRRS,” Binns said. “Farm Credit has been integral in helping to attract a new generation of young people to the food and agricultural industry. I look forward to being a part of inspiring the next generation of agricultural leaders throughout the region,” he said.
The Henson at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore provided accommodations Playwright for country music legend CrystalNatalie Gayle, Margolin with Dr. who performed a mid-November benefit Dean Cooledge, chair concert for the Salisbury Wicomico of UMES’ Department Arts Council. She’s pictured with Terrell of English and Crippen, front desk administrative Modern Languages. assistant.
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FEBRUARY
Art Exhibit Opening Reception
4-6 p.m., Mosely Gallery “William H. Johnson: An American Modern.” 410-651-7770 www.moselygallery.com
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Tri-County Go Red Day
5-8 p.m. Richard A. Henson Center The Tri-County region will “Go Red” for women’s heart health. 410-543-7028 Peninsula.org/GoRed
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UMES Concert Choir Performance
TBA, Ella Fitzgerald Center The UMES Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. Devonna B. Rowe. 410-651-6574 or visit UMES.edu
19-24 HOMECOMING
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SGA-Sponsored
Homecoming Concert*
7 p.m., William P. Hytche Athletic Center Hip-hop recording artists perform. Fee - TBD / 410-651-6434 or UMEStickets.com
Hall of Fame Ceremony: Bow Ties & Tennis Shoes*
6 p.m. Reception / 7 p.m. Program / 9-11 p.m. Concert and Dancing Student Service Center Ballroom Join our athletic Hall of Fame inductees and an evening of fun with “On The Edge!” $100 per person or $750 per table of 10 / UMEStickets.com
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Homecoming Tailgate*
10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Tawes Parking Lot Application and $30 fee required per space. / 410-651-6434
Homecoming BasketballGame*
Noon-2 p.m., Old School Pep Rally, Tawes Gymnasium 2 p.m. Women’s/ 4 p.m. Men’s games / Doors open at noon William P. Hytche Athletic Center Homecoming basketball games vs Norfolk State University.
Homecoming Step Show*
410-621-3311 or UMEStickets.com
$25 Includes both games/Free for full-time UMES students with ID
7 p.m., Ella Fitzgerald Center Greek-lettered organizations display their skills in the art of strolling. / 410-651-6434 or UMEStickets.com
The Key / January 26, 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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