A newsletter for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends
The sky is not the limit for UMES researchers UMES physics professor Kausik Das spent a week with the National Research Council of Canada in mid-October participating in suborbital flights to conduct experiments under zero-gravity conditions, including one developed by four University of Maryland Eastern Shore students. Das worked alongside and observed astronauts and scientists who were testing potential modifications to body-sensors in space suits for the International Space Station. To simulate outer space, Das flew aboard a custom-built Falcon 20 aircraft for a roller coaster-like ride – known as a “parabolic” flight, which he described as “an ‘out-of-the-world’ experience Literally!”
November 9, 2018
Das has been collaborating with space agencies since 2001, when he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Santa Barbara and participated in a NASA-funded project on the behavior of fluids in reduced gravity. Later, working at the University of Toronto as a research fellow and physics lecturer, he was involved in Canadian Space Agency research of “g-jitter” – science shorthand for time-dependent variations of the body force in orientation and magnitude in low-gravity environments. “For this (October 2018) mission, one of my collaborators from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and I proposed a zero-gravity experimental study through the (citizen-science astronautics) program known as Project PoSSUM,” said Das, who joined the UMES faculty in 2014. Guiding current UMES undergraduates, he said, “we built a payload to test our solid-body rotation experiment in zero-gravity.” Nathan J. Bane, Justin E. Derickson, Ayobami O. Ogunmolasuyi and Jesudara Omidokun built “the whole experimental payload … from scratch. They designed it and 3D printed the parts, designed their own printed circuit board (and) their own circuit, wrote a customized code to run it, assembled it, tested it and trouble-shot it.” “The goal was designing an experiment that could be conducted in a zero-gravity environment to exhibit and measure the rotational behavior of DAS / continued on page 2
INSIDE
What is life without the ability to receive and give gifts? Giving can create an array of many colorful perspectives, and a world of many great opportunities. I have been at both ends of that giving spectrum. Among my earliest recollections of giving occurred on Thanksgiving in New York City, when I aided in feeding the less fortunate. A little act of kindness went a very long way for so many people. I remember the smiles coming from those in need as I nervously took a piece of turkey from the warming tray and placed it on someone’s plate. I am thankful to my parents and my church for giving me the opportunity to visit New Orleans, where as a middle school student I had an opportunity to participate on the front line of relief efforts to help Hurricane Katrina’s victims.
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Das Continued Dacres Continued
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Computer-Aided Fashion Merchandising Hall of Famers
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Halloween Event
The Circle of Giving
On a second trip to New Orleans, I visited a childcare center in the city’s well-known 9th Ward. It was an equally memorable experience. I met children, ages 3-15, with bullet By Joshua Dacres wounds in their heads, necks, chest and arms. Through fellowship and leisure, I was able to interact with these children and came away feeling the simple act of giving my time to someone in need was somehow making a positive difference and creating an opportunity of hope for a better tomorrow. Years later, I had no idea that I, too, would be a beneficiary of the gift of giving. Because of a generous acts of giving, I am grateful to be a recipient of the Tom Joyner Foundation’s Hercules Scholarship. It, along with many other awards and scholarships, have afforded me the opportunity to be a student GIVING / continued on page 2
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HalloweeK 2018 @ UMES
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Athletics Wrap-up
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Destination UMES 2018
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A&E Calendar
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The Key / November 9, 2018
Circling the Oval
Justin Derickson, Nathan Bane, Dr. Kausik Das, Jesudara Omidokim and Ayobami Ogunmolasuyi DAS / continued from cover
objects,” he said. UMES’ Solid Body Rotation Experiment “was designed to study, analyze and model the free-body rotation of objects in a near-weightless environment.” “Measurements were captured by a small, battery-powered sensor … embedded in three rotational 3D-printed objects: a T-shape, an egg and an asteroid,” Das said. The objective, he said, “was to benchmark experimental observations of the T-shaped and the oval objects, and study and compare data of the rotational modes of a 3D printed version of an asteroid known as ‘243 Ida’ with real astronomical data.” Long term, Das said, the “goal is to model the behavior of these asteroids and understand the state of the universe, when they were created with the assumption that their rotational momentum is conserved from the time of their creation.” UMES’ payload experiments “produced a large amount of numerical
and video data of different rotational modes of various shapes of solid bodies,” he said. “We are … extracting several terabytes of experimental video data for the purpose of post-processing and analysis.” Das said “the payload worked as it was supposed to work, and it produced data. So we call it successful.” He’s hopeful UMES will be invited to A 3D printed elliptical participate in 2019. Meanwhile, he and object, and a miniature replica of the asteroid the students will review the payload’s “243 Ida” were part of the performance and look for ways to improve UMES zero-gravity payload the design and maneuverability. experiment conducted in Canada in mid-October. Das tells his students the space industry will need a large number of workers properly trained and capable to generating ideas for new innovative technologies. Meanwhile, he came away from his first exposure to “zero-g” with an appreciation for those who able to focus on conditioning of the body, proper diet and having stress free mind to complete missions successfully. “The experience can’t be described in words and is one-of-a-kind,” Das said. “I have started counting my days for the next year’s flight campaign.” GIVING / continued from cover
at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Worries about how to pay for college can be overwhelming. The financial support I’ve been fortunate to receive has enabled me to focus on maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. I had no way of knowing my years of giving would come right back to me. I am truly blessed and greatly appreciative of the many blessings and acts of kindness I have received. I someday hope to operate my own childcare center like the one I visited in New Orleans. If my experience resonates with you, I encourage you to give. It may just come back to you in more ways than you can ever expect. The writer is a senior English major and dean’s list student from New York, N.Y.
UMES People
The Key / November 9, 2018
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FMCT 307:
‘Computer-Aided Design for Fashion Merchandising’ Editor’s note: the writers are majoring in fashion merchandising.
Product customization is a really cool trend and I can understand the hype behind it. Personalized items build a better connection with consumers, who are always seeking rare and interesting products they can afford. Many personalized products are affordable. When completing the textile design and product customization projects in Computer Aided Design for Fashion Merchandising (FMCT 307), I valued the experience of making my own custom print. Finding an original picture and manipulating it into different colors and forms taught me how people in the industry get their inspiration. Seeing something I made printed onto fabric excited me and gave me a clear understanding of why product customization is popular. When you can have something nobody else has, it makes you feel special and unique. For those interested in fashion merchandising and design, go for it! Put yourself into what you love to do. There are so many different aspects to the fashion industry that people do not know. Be unafraid to be yourself and create amazing things. Fashion has become a huge influence in my life. Fashion is an industry I believe will allow me to thrive as my career choice because there are billions of people on earth, and they all need clothes. – Armani Lewis, senior
Product customization is a very cool trend that has taken hold in the fashion industry. I believe its popularity stems from the fact consumers feel they are getting something special (or unique) when they are able to purchase customized products made to their needs and preferences. Not only does the customer benefit from it, but the retailer also gains financially because people are willing to pay more for this personalized experience. Creating my own textile design in FMCT 307 and customizing my own product was an illuminating experience. It was instructive to see something I created on the computer turn into things I could use on a daily basis. It made me appreciate why product customization has become a trend, and why people are willing to spend extra money on these things. Fashion merchandising and design is an exciting field that makes learning fun and interesting. In this (academic) major, there is something new to learn every day because the industry is continuously evolving – and with it comes a bright future and even more opportunity to learn about new ventures. – Mykal Thomas, junior
Hall of Famers Dr. Henry M. Brooks (top left) was inducted Oct. 19 into the National 4-H Hall of Fame in recognition of a half-century of service to the youth development organization during his career as an extension service administrator, including 33 years on the Princess Anne campus. He retired from UMES in 2014. UMES baseball coach Brian E. Hollaman (center) has been voted into the Eastern Shore Baseball Hall of Fame in recognition of 25 year of success in the game dating back to his prep career at Sussex Central High School. The induction banquet is Nov. 17 at Salisbury University. Alumnus Emerson Y. Boozer Jr., (right) Class of 1966, has been elected to the Black College Football Hall of Fame and will be inducted this February in Atlanta. Boozer, who played for the Super Bowl III champion N.Y. Jets, previously was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
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The Key / November 9, 2018
School News
UMES energized
Halloween event UMES students, faculty and staff showed up in force Halloween night and represented the university so well at Princess Anne’s inaugural Halloween Fest. Their participation made it an incredible success and we couldn’t have done it so well - certainly wouldn’t have had as much fun without UMES involvement. When UMES President Heidi M. More than 100 UMES students volunteered Anderson received Samis’ note about that night and the 1,100-plus local children and the evening’s highlights, she called their families attended the event. Walter Woods was it “wonderful news. I am thrilled instrumental in recruiting and organizing UMES the event went so well. Enhancing volunteers, and we are grateful for his leadership. UMES police pitched in, too, along with faculty our town-and-gown relationships is and staff and so many student groups. It was amazing. extremely critical to me, so knowing That night, we looked and felt like a university this event was so successful is extremely rewarding,”Anderson said. town – not just a town with a university. It was wonderful. “I look forward to our continued UMES volunteers greeted children and families, development in this area.” handed out candy, decorated pumpkins, assisted with children’s games and activities and more. My favorite moment was when dozens of UMES students were under the Manokin Park pavilion, dancing with tiny costumed children from the town. A crowd of nearly 200 encircled the pavilion to watch and cheer. I certainly look forward to more days & nights like that memorable Halloween Wednesday! Carrie Samis, Main Street Princess Anne director
School News
HalloweeK 2018 @ UMES
From Wee Hawks to Peter Parker – aka “Spiderman” (and librarian Joseph Bree as “Link” from The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild), the University of Maryland Eastern Shore community embraced Halloween week 2018 as a way to express creativity that flourishes across the campus. Well done, UMES.
The Key / November 9, 2018
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The Key / November 9, 2018
Athletics
Five Hawk runners named All-MEAC; volleyball qualifies for conference tourney
Freshman Mercy Chemutai, juniors John Akakeya and Hector Cime, and seniors Oussama Chouati and Neus Quinonero earned All Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honors during the 2018 cross-country championship meet Oct. 27 in Smyrna, Del. Quinonero’s and Chemutai’s performances helped the women’s team finish fifth, while the men’s team behind Akakeya, Cime and Chouati placed fourth in their eight-kilometer race. Chouati was the fourth best runner (27:33.3), Akakeya finished fifth (27:34.4) and Cime was 15th (28:36.5), times that automatically qualified the trio for all-conference honors. North Carolina A&T won the 2018 crown. Chemutai’s five-kilometer time was 19:11.36, good enough for fifth place individually, while Quinonero’s ended her college career with a 19:52.92, good for 12th place. Florida A&M won the women’s race. The UMES volleyball team qualified for the MEAC conference tournament next weekend in Washington with an impressive 3-0 road win over Norfolk State followed two days later by 3-2 victory over Howard. The team was led to victory in Norfolk by senior Lucia Babic(left), who individually scored 15 points on shots that could not be returned over the three matches. Babic got help from fellow senior Rachel Kayongo, freshman Maui Carver, and juniors Ivana Blazevic and Lidia Cherry. “As a freshman it’s very exciting to make the tournament.” Carver said. “The biggest thing is to keep pushing and to know that we are not done yet! We are going to work to get the championship we want.” The team (6-2 MEAC) finishes out the regular season with two home matches; tonight (Nov. 9) vs. Coppin State and Sunday against Morgan State. The UMES bowling team got off to an impressive start at its first tournament of the fall season by winning the Caldwell (N.J.) University Cougar Classic Oct. 28. The Hawks’ 10-win, 3-loss record included impressive victories over rivals Delaware State and St. Francis (Pa.) universities. Senior Alexandra Hernandez and junior Cayla Hicks were named to the inaugural event’s All-Tournament team. After tallying a 5-6 record at a tournament in Houston, good for fourth
place this past weekend, the team turns its attention to the first MEAC regular season tournament this weekend in Wilmington, Del. UMES’ basketball squads participated in the inaugural “10-mile Challenge” against neighboring Salisbury University Nov. 1 and came away with mixed results. The women’s team defeated their Sea Gull counterparts 60-41 in a game played at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury. The men’s team lost 67-60 in a game that does not count toward its NCAA Division 1 season record. Proceeds from the doubleheader will defray expenses in running the Wicomico Youth Basketball League for young players (through grade six) from Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset and Dorchester counties. Ciani Byrom(left), president of the Hawks’ Student Athlete Advisory Committee, led all Lady Hawk scorers with 18 points and added nine assists, three steals, a block and three rebounds in 34 minutes on the floor. “Anything we can do as a team, we love giving back to the community,” Byrom said, adding that “for us to be playing for a bigger purpose and for the little kids or middle school age kids who want to play basketball is great.” On the men’s side, three juniors finished with double-digit scoring, led by A.J. Cheeseman with 17 points. Tyler Jones finished the game with a perfect line score 5-5 from the floor, including an opening three-pointer, and 4-4 from the free throw line for 15 points. Bryan Urrutia had 11 points. “This is my loss,” coach Clifford Reed said. “We were outclassed, outcoached, and outworked. But adversity reveals a man to himself so I have to look in the mirror at myself and start there in order for us to get better.” Photos by Joe Gardner
School News
The Key / November 9, 2018
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Destination UMES 2018
An enthusiastic caravan of students, faculty and staff made the annual trek to Prince George’s County, where they connected with loyal alumni at the Comfort Inn in Bowie Oct. 24, site for an evening of putting UMES’ best foot forward as the ideal college choice for Washington-area high school students. (Photos by Jim Glovier)
It must have been destiny that Destiny Hawkins would be offered an opportunity to be a future Hawk. And, she got to meet President Heidi M. Anderson, too.
McKinley Hayes, left, class of 1972, and Brig. Gen. Walter Jones (USAF ret.), class of 1974, were among the first alumni to earn degrees that read University of Maryland Eastern Shore. It was Hayes’ idea to launch the “PG” event nearly three decades ago.
SGA President Aajah Harris and Kenneth Bryant embraced the opportunity to tell those who want to follow them as undergraduates what to expect when they matriculate to Princess Anne. (Below) Que’ell Cobb and Bernard Jordan, two Department of Rehabilitation services graduate student/assistants, were among the eager UMES recruiter-diplomats.
Dr. Shawn Warden-Ashworth, class of 1991, was among alumni who offered impassioned testimonials about why her alma mater is the right college choice.
(Right) Dr. Margarita Treuth, chair of UMES’ kinesiology department, is a fixture on the studentrecruiting trail – with good reason. The major is among UMES’ most popular.
Dr. Xavier Henry (standing) demonstrates how portable flight simulators are used as a teaching tool in UMES’ aviation science department.
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Concert Choir Performance
4 p.m., Ella Fitzgerald Center “Of Thee I Sing: A Veteran’s Day Celebration.” A musical tribute to current and former service men and women. 410-651-6516
International Education Week
(Nov. 12-16) UMES’ Center for International Education extends an open invitation to experience events focusing on cuisine, dance, music, film and art from different cultures. Visit www.umes.edu/CIE or email at oiss@ umes.edu for schedule. 410-651-8385
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Senior Show Exhibition Opening Reception
4-6 p.m., Mosely Gallery Celebrating artistic accomplishments of the 2018 graduating class. Mon. through Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Exhibit on display through December 13. 410-651-7770 or gallery@umes.edu
The Key / November 9, 2018
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