UMES
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A newsletter for stud ents, faculty, staff, alumni and friends CIRCLING
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May 9, 2014
WORLD
UMES researchers lauded for their work on
new epilepsy medication Pictured from left at the awards ceremony are: Gayatri Varma, executive director of the Office of Technology Commercialization at the University of Maryland; William Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland; Patrice Jackson-Ayotunde, assistant professor in UMES’ School of Pharmacy; James L. Hughes, chief enterprise and economic development officer and vice president at the University of Baltimore; Tawes Harper, resident pharmacist at Lebanon Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a 2013 UMES alumnus; and Wallace Loh, president of the University of Maryland.
Two UMES researchers are among “Invention of the Year Award” winners honored this spring the University of Maryland College Park’s Division of Research. Dr. Patrice Jackson-Ayotunde, an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and Dr. Tawes Harper, a pharmacy program graduate, were recognized for their pioneering work in 2013 on developing medication to treat epilepsy. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurring seizures, which can be debilitating. Some patients experience multiple episodes daily. Research by Jackson-Ayotunde and Harper focused on designing and producing novel anticonvulsant analogs as potential agents for treatment of therapy-resistant, partial epilepsy. They identified at least a dozen compounds that show anti-epileptic properties in multiple animal models with limited-to-no-observed neurotoxicity. “This (peer) recognition means a lot,” Jackson-Ayotunde said. “I’m passionate about the research I do as a medicinal chemist and working with students.” Her research already has qualified for a provisional patent, but she noted that safely moving a preliminary medicinal finding from the lab to the patient can take 15 to 20 years. “With the many hours spent in the lab – working on potential agents – it’s all about the patients suffering epilepsy. The goal is to discover new, effective and safe therapeutics that will give epileptic patients a better
INSIDE
Page 2 Page 3 Innovation Fellow Aviation/Engineering Named Building Construction Spelling Bee Champ Heads Student Speaker Inspires for DC
Page 4 Faculty and Staff Spotlight Lamkin’s Career Celebrated
quality of life,” she said. The College Park campus’ Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) sponsors the annual Invention of the Year Awards program, now in its 27th year. In 2013, it received 154 nominations and from that group, 11 were chosen as finalists based on their impact on science, society and market potential. An independent panel of judges singled out epilepsy research at UMES for special recognition along with scientists whose projects included developing a better material for the 3D printing of vascular implants, a technology that makes cloud (computing) storage more secure and efficient, and a low-cost, high-energy solid state lithium-ion battery. Bobbi Donley, the OTC’s assistant director of administration, said, “Patrice’s research was just so impressive … we all agreed we had to do something to recognize her work.” Jackson-Ayotunde has been doing epilepsy research for nearly 14 years dating back to her days as a college student. She was inspired, in part, by a nephew who had a related neurological disorder but has since grown out of it. Earlier this year, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy named her a “New Investigator Award” winner, which included a $10,000 grant to help underwrite her ongoing epilepsy research work. “With the grant funding,” she said in January, “I hope to further my research in the area of drug design and discovery – and continue to
Page 5 Henson Lunch Prayer Breakfast Jazz Café Faculty Lunch Admin. Professionals Recognized
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Page 6 Track Standouts UMES Slugger Breaks Record Bowling Poll
Page 7 Hawk Walk 5K Strides for Epilepsy Discover UMES Tours TV Station
Page 8 Calendar of Events Summer Language Program Senior Art Show
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CIRCLING
The Key / May 9, 2014
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Construction taking shape on aviation/engineering building
The superstructure for UMES’ new aviation science/engineering classroom building is far enough along to give passersby a sense of dimension. Despite “abnormal construction conditions” – a cold, snowy and windy winter – according to project manager Melissa Drew of Holder Construction Co., the building will soon start taking shape with installation of exterior walls in the next several weeks. When finished in mid-2015, the new building will be the university’s largest at 155,000 square feet.
UMES-sponsored spelling bee champ headed for D.C. Gia Bautista, the 2014 winner of the Maryland Eastern Shore Regional Spelling Bee, heads to the nation’s capital at the end of this month to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. UMES is one of 17 colleges and universities and the lone historically black institution sponsoring a regional winner at the 86th national bee. The 12-year-old says she would like to visit the White House while in Washington and hopes to “catch a glimpse of the president.” The seventh-grader from Wicomico Middle School will be joined by 280 other competitors representing the 50 states, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Department of Defense Schools in Europe as well as the Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and South Korea. Gia is among 90 first-time competitors and 142 girls in the event that tends to attract repeat winners in their respective regions. Five spellers will be appearing in the national bee for the fourth time. Gia competed in the inaugural Maryland Eastern
Shore bee in 2013 but did not win. The competition gets under way May 27 with a computerbased vocabulary test that gauges competitors’ knowledge of the thousands of words they have been studying this spring in preparation. Each of the 281 regional winners also will be given two words to spell during preliminary rounds May 28. A misspelled word leads to immediate elimination. Competitors who spell both their words correctly will then be ranked according to their computer test scores. The top 40 to 50 spellers qualify for the semi-finals May 29, which will be aired during the afternoon on ESPN2. The finals will be broadcast on ESPN the night of May 29. In her profile, she submitted to the national bee organizers, Gia said she prepares for spelling competitions by eating a breakfast of pancakes, an omelet, a banana and a glass of milk. She plays the flute in her school’s band as well as the piano at home and in recitals. Traveling to cultural sites is also a favorite activity and she hopes someday to visit the Louvre in Paris to see the Mona Lisa.
UMES PEOPLE UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
The Key / May 9, 2014
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UMES student named University Innovation Fellow Jade Overton, a senior majoring in hospitality and tourism management, recently joined 66 students from 45 institutions of higher education in a training session at Stanford University in California as a University Innovation Fellow. The program, funded by the National Science Foundation, and run by the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation, or Epicenter, aims to “expose more engineering students and their peers (including other fields) to innovation and entrepreneurship learning opportunities, towards a tipping point where STEM graduates have a leading role in the prosperity of our nation.” “I was thrilled to have been selected as a candidate for the University Innovation Fellows program,” Overton said. “Not only was I excited to go to California—an item on my bucket list—I was proud to represent (UMES) in this fashion.” The fellows are charged with examining the current entrepreneurial environment at their institutions and work with its students, faculty, administrators and external advisory boards to increase “student creativity, design thinking and venture creation.” “Jade has distinguished herself in the department as a self-starter and an effective communicator; often serving as the leader in her class projects,” said Karl Binns, an assistant professor in the Hospitality and Tourism Management department who teaches a capstone course each semester in entrepreneurship. “She also coordinated projects involving numerous people and her ability to work collaboratively while guiding HTM food production events speaks to her entrepreneurial potential.” Overton served on a winning team of students in a national culinary arts competition two years in a row; as captain in the 2014 competition. She is also active in an entrepreneurial group and catering club, The Pineapple Express. “I want to inspire other students who have great ideas and don’t know where to start,” Overton said. She dreams of opening “the world’s largest restaurant.”
Student speaker confident she can inspire class of 2014 Kiera J. Pettus, a rehabilitation psychology major from Piscataway, N.J., will deliver the student commentary at the May 16 graduation exercises. Pettus was among 11 seniors who accepted invitations to audition for the honor of speaking on behalf of the class of 2014. A panel of judges chose her to join dignitaries on stage, including Congressman John R. Lewis, who will be the featured commencement speaker. Pettus attended the 2013 December commencement to see a friend graduate and came away believing she had what it takes to deliver the student commentary. “I can do that,” she recalled thinking that day. “I can inspire people.” Pettus, 22, said she crafted her remarks around the theme of encouraging her classmates to use their time at UMES as a stepping stone for greater success. The largest group she had spoken to previously numbered fewer than 100, but says she is not nervous about stepping to the podium on May 16 in front of a packed house at Hytche that will number in the thousands. Pettus, who will graduate cum laude, said she has only shared the news about her selection with a sibling and is hoping to keep it a secret from the rest of family, whom she hopes to surprise when they arrive to attend graduation.
Phi Kappa Phi
Inductees of Chapter 312 of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society with Dr. Michael Lane, a new inductee and director of the Richard A. Henson Honors Program and Aundra Roberts, an officer of the society and assistant director of the Henson Honors Program.
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The Key / May 9, 2014
SCHOOL NEWS UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
Faculty Spotlight Dr. Henry M. Brooks, an associate professor and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore administrator for Cooperative Extension, retires June 30 after 47 years of service in Extension, with 33 of those spent at UMES. Brooks lists 2014 as a “pinnacle year” not only for himself, but for Cooperative Extension. May 8 marked the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which officially created the national Cooperative Extension System. Brooks spent the first 14 years of his Extension career in Alabama and Kentucky in the field with limited resource farmers, rural communities and youth doing what he describes as “some of the most rewarding work a person can do.” The following 33 years he spent “providing administrative leadership for a dedicated and hardworking team at UMES who serve the people of Maryland enhancing the resilience of families, individuals and communities for upward social and economic mobility.” UMES’ extension network, he said, works each year to fulfill the mission of the Smith-Lever Act offering instruction and service in 4-H and youth programming, agriculture, environmental stewardship and natural resources, food and nutrition, health and wellness, home gardening, finances, small farms and seafood technology among others. “I have been extremely fortunate to have served for 47 years in a career that has been so rewarding,” he said. “It gave me the opportunity to work with and befriend so many wonderful colleagues and clients who are like extended family to me.” Dr. David Johnson Jr., assistant professor of English and speech, attended the fifth annual Quest conference at the Baltimore City Community College last month. Participants heard presentations addressing the theme, “Closing the Achievement Gap for Males of Color: Constructing the Pipeline from K-12 to Higher Education.” Johnson, an educator at both levels for more than five decades, found panel discussions during both days of the event to be a highlight. One that “drew much attention,” he said, was “Saving Males of Color at the K-12 Level by Building Relationships for Fostering Academic Success.” The consensus was that (educators) “must empower themselves with a desire to build trust with all students,” especially male students of color to demonstrate how education provides a path to overcome “overwhelming negative experiences in their social and community environments.” The conference’s keynote speaker was Damion J. Cooper, director, Office of Neighborhood Relations for the Baltimore City Council, who said he worries educators are not receiving the right kind of preparation “to teach diverse students the knowledge and skills needed for success in higher level skills,” Johnson said. Drs. Patricia Goslee and Gretchen Foust, both in UMES’ Department of Education, recently published an article, “Expanding the Professional Development School Model: Developing Collaborative Partnerships with School Counselors,” in the journal School-University Partnerships. The Professional Development School Model is a successful collaborative partnership model between university teacher education programs and PreK-12 schools, which focuses on preparation of future educators, professional development and joint investigation of educational issues. The article described innovative ways the authors expanded this model at UMES to include masters-level school counselor candidates, counseling faculty and practicing school counselors in partnership schools. They also presented their findings at the Professional Development Schools National Conference in Las Vegas in March. Foust is an assistant professor and coordinator of School Counseling, while Goslee is the coordinator of Professional Development Schools and School Based Programs.
Standing ovation By Jasmin Dixon, senior marketing major
Dr. John R. Lamkin II’s career was celebrated at UMES’ Alumni Jazz concert in April. Several generations of alumni, from 1984 to 2013, returned to campus to play alongside such a talented teacher, and above all, dedicated man. Colleagues in UMES’ Department of Fine Arts presented Lamkin with an honorary plaque as a token of appreciation. It saluted Lamkin’s impact on colleagues in addition to each of his students. He announced that after 30 years he was ready to step down as the director of bands, the coordinator of music education and a fine arts instructor. The April 13 alumni concert was already in the works when, like a metronome, the event’s timing synchronized perfectly with Lamkin’s retirement plans. “All transitions tend to be bittersweet, even in music,” he said. “You transition from one key to the next…” In retirement, the trumpeter is considering taking lessons on the piano, an instrument he said he has always wished he could play. The music of trumpeters dominates Lamkin’s personal recording collection. Over the years, he’s found inspiration and relaxation from Freddie Hubbard, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie—“all those cats.” Lamkin said he also has an ear for current trumpeters Christian Scott, Russell Gunn and UMES alumnus Duane Eubanks. When asked about the significance of music education, Lamkin said, “Music is a discipline ... it’s what keeps us human and makes us understand what’s important in life. It is important to teach and pass on what you know.”
SCHOOL NEWS
The Key / May 9, 2014
UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
Interfaith Prayer Breakfast celebrates UMES’ blessings
Students show appreciation for Richard A. Henson Honors Program
UMES President Juliette B. Bell (center) welcomes Richard A. Henson Foundation representatives Donna Altvater and Victor Laws III (to her immediate right) and Stephen Farrow and Gordon Gladden (to her immediate left) to a luncheon in honor of the late philanthropist and aviation pioneer’s legacy. Gifts by Henson and the foundation totaling $4.5 million funded an academic building opened in 1993 in his name and included funding for three endowed scholarship funds; the Henson Scholars, Leaders, and in 2008 the Entrepreneurs and Scholars. “The lunch is held every year as an opportunity for the Henson Foundation trustees to meet the scholarship recipients and the Honors Program academic leadership,” said Veronique Diriker, UMES’ director of development.
Administrative professionals recognized
UMES’ leadership served breakfast to administrative professionals April 23, upholding a long-time tradition on Administrative Professionals Day. Michelle Roberts, an administrative professional in the Office of Campus Life, sports a fancy “topper” as requested by organizers for the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” themed event.
President Juliette B. Bell is pictured with the keynote speaker for the Interfaith Prayer Breakfast, Rev. Dr. Bowyer Freeman, pastor of New Saint Mark Baptist Church in Baltimore, Md. Freeman has served in leadership roles in the NAACP Region 7, the United Baptist Missionary Convention and Auxiliaries of Maryland Inc., and the Associated Black Charities of Maryland. In her welcome, Bell described UMES as “one of the crown jewels of this community.” “We are positioned and poised to educate the next generation of leaders,” she said. The event is in celebration of “our many blessings,” and credited the support of individuals, businesses and organizations present. “Rollup your sleeves and work along with us to make this community the best that it can be,” was her challenge.
Jazz Café connects outside the classroom
The Office of Residence Life sponsored its first Jazz Café April 10 to provide an informal environment where students could communicate and get to know faculty and staff. The event, held in celebration of April as Jazz Appreciation Month, featured UMES fine arts student Reginald Williams on saxophone.
President’s Faculty Appreciation Luncheon
President Juliette B. Bell recognized UMES faculty and their accomplishments during the 11th annual Faculty Appreciation Luncheon May 1.
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UMES ATHLETICS
The Key / May 9, 2014
UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
Track standout sets MEAC records
Dillon Simon
Aaron Chatmon and Ramone Waite
UMES junior Dillon Simon was named the Outstanding Field Athlete at the 2014 Mid Eastern Athletic Conference outdoor track championships this past weekend. Simon’s wins in the discus throw (55.85 meters) and shot put (18.64 meters) set MEAC meet records in both events. Simon’s performance and wins by UMES’ 4x400 relay team and senior Rico Taylor in the high jump helped the Hawks finish fourth in the 12school meet. Bethune-Cookman won the overall men’s team title. Seniors Javon Spencer, Ramone Waite, Aaron Chatmon and freshman Orwell Maylor combined to post a winning time of 3:08.18, while Taylor topped the high-jump field by clearing 2.11 meters (6.92 feet). Third-team meet honors went
UMES slugger earns national player of the week honors and breaks school record Senior Stephen Bull’s torrid hitting during April, including a school record 25-game hitting streak, earned the centerfielder the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week and NCAA.com Player of the Week honors—a first for a Hawks’ baseball player.
to freshman Khalil Rmidi Kinini in the 5000-meter (3.1-mile) race and to the Hawks 4X100 relay team of Taylor, Spencer, Chatmon and Waite (40.83 seconds). The UMES women’s track team finished ninth in a field of 13 institutions competing at the MEAC championship meet, which Hampton won. Senior Gayon Evans won the 200 meter race (23.08 seconds) and finished third in the 100 meter dash. Shawnata Young placed third in the discus throw. A week earlier, both squads participated in the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America division of the 120th Penn Relays in Philadelphia. Taylor, Spencer, Chatmon and Waite finished second in the 4x100 (IC4A) race (40.77 seconds) behind Cornell. Freshman Jared Kerr, Spencer, Waite and Chatmon finished second in the 4x200 race (1:24.90) behind East Carolina University. Freshman Michael Johnson, Waite, Spencer, and Chatmon finished third in the 4x400 race (3:09.43). Simon finished 10th in the renowned national meet with a discus toss of 53.83 meters, or 176.6 feet. Sophomores Jheniel Kelly and Shantol Hemley, freshman Rachel Halmon and junior Annis Mars finished fifth in 4x800 (college category) race with a combined time of 8:58.27. The quartet also qualified for the finals of the 4x400 (college category) race, finishing eighth (3:46.93).
National Tenpins Coaches Assoc. Final poll 2013-14 UMES’ women’s bowling team ranked fourth in the final poll for the 2013-14 season from the National Tenpins Coaches’ Association. 1. Sam Houston State 2. Nebraska 3. Arkansas State 4. UMES 5. Vanderbilt 6. Wisconsin-Whitewater 7. Central Missouri 8. Farleigh Dickinson 9. Stephen F. Austin 10. St. Francis (Pa.) Other MEAC schools, Delaware State and Norfolk State, were ranked 17th and 19th respectively.
MEDICATION / continued from cover
provide research opportunities for undergraduate science majors and pharmacy students.” Harper, who graduated in 2013, currently is a resident pharmacist at Lebanon (Pa.) Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He is among 10 pharmacy students and two undergraduates who have assisted Jackson-Ayotunde with her research since she joined UMES’ faculty in 2010. A wide range of treatments for epilepsy exist, but 25-to-30 percent of the nation’s two million epilepsy patients do not have complete control of their seizures, or they may suffer side effects from anti-epileptic drugs.
That leaves a significant portion of the population without adequate treatment and a great need for the development of new treatments to help these patients. That’s what motivates Jackson-Ayotunde to be an educatorresearcher. The University of Maryland created OTC in 1986 to provide expert guidance, support and assistance in safeguarding intellectual property, encouraging research, facilitating technological transfer, and promoting collaborative research and development agreements with industrial sponsors.
SCHOOL NEWS
The Key / May 9, 2014
UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
School of Pharmacy sponsors event for epilepsy
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Some 150 runners and walkers at the start of the 5K Strides for Epilepsy, which raised a profit of $2,800 for United Needs and Abilities in Salisbury and Citizens United in Research for Epilepsy.
Right: Walking to support loved ones. Far right: The School of Pharmacy showed up in full force April 19 in the Salisbury City Park.
Discover UMES tours TV station
Hawks strut for health awareness
Students participating in the video and broadcasting experiential learning experience, Discover UMES, were members of the studio audience for the April 29 taping of WBOC TV-16’s DelmarvaLife show. From left, are: (seated) Tahja Cropper, Janai Valentine, Shabria Johnson, hosts Jimmy Hoppa and Lisa Bryant, (standing) Jay Bright, Da’Vone Freeman, Aaron Gaston and advisor Jim Glovier. Paul Butler, WBOC anchorman and UMES adjunct faculty member, also led the group on a tour of the news studio at WBOC.
Some 130 participants broke in their sneakers April 26 during the fourth annual President’s Challenge Hawk Walk. UMES athletes, representatives of student organizations and members of the community, including those from Relay for Life and the Somerset County Health Department, joined UMES President Juliette B. Bell in promoting healthy habits. Cutting the ribbon, from left, are: Princess Anne Town Commissioner Garland Hayward, Exercise Science Club Vice President Patricia Durham and President Jeffery Locklear, Bell and Harry the Hawk.
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CALENDAR
The Key / May 9, 2014
RHYTHM & HUES
UNIVERSITY of MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
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Art Shell UMES
and Junior Tournament*
Great Hope Golf Course, Westover, Md. We welcome golfers ages 8-18 for an 18-hole round of play, golf seminars and educational opportunites. $50 local students $150 students with campus stay. 410-651-7556 or jjohnson@umes.edu
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ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT *Unless stipulated, all events listed are FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Events are subject to change. For the most updated information, call the numbers listed or visit www.umes.edu/events.
Art Shell Pre-game Mixer*
Richard A. Henson Center, UMES If you’re not a golfer you can still attend the mixer. $50 per person $500 for a table of 10. 410-651-UMES
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Art Shell UMES Celebrity Golf Classic* 8 a.m. tee off Great Hope Golf Course, Westover, Md. Advanced registration required. Registration includes a pre-game mixer, 18 holes of golf with a celebrity, food and drink on the course, an awards banquet and commemorative gifts. $200 per player/$750 foursome 410-651-UMES
UMES’ ForEign LangUagE inStrUctionaL cEntEr
The Summer Language Experience
May 1-15 UMES Graduating Senior Art Show May 14, 5-7 p.m. Closing reception
A two-week, intensive, non-residential program for high school-age students. $200 per course or $375 for both courses; includes materials Call 410-651-6543 or visit www.umes.edu/FLIC
Sessions are: June 16-27; Beginning Chinese July 7-18; Intermediate Chinese
e f a s a Have y p p a h d an summer Editors Gail Stephens, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Publications Manager Bill Robinson, Director of Public Relations Ashley Collier, Public Relations Assistant
The KEY is published by the Office of Public Relations in the Division of Institutional Advancement. 410-651-7580 FAX 410-651-7914 www.umes.edu Submissions to The KEY are preferred via email. All copy is subject to editing.
Design by Debi Rus, Rus Design Inc. Printed by The Hawk Copy Center 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.